Multiverse Crisis MUSH - User contributions [en]

Prepackaged (Anne Blakely)

2016-08-13T20:47:29Z

Kino: Created page with "{{Cutscene Header |Date of Scene=2016/07/10 |Location=Mitakihara |Synopsis=Anne finds an interesting group of girls. |Thanks=Homura Akemi |Cast of Characters=983 }} A..."

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2016/07/10
|Location=Mitakihara
|Synopsis=Anne finds an interesting group of girls.
|Thanks=Homura Akemi
|Cast of Characters=983
}}
A loud hiss releases a jet of steam, quickly fading as the clockwork contraption settles. While large, this one was humanoid... and the clatter of grinding gears and sprockets was a little loud for Anne's taste. A small adjustment cuts off the flow to the hose of the severed arm, and the scarlet-haired witch nods in satisfaction.

"Impressive," she mutters. "You damaged Frederick more than I expected. If you three had been more experienced, I think you may have stood a chance of actually winning against us."

Quietly, Rui groans, struggling to sit up. Ai is next to her, unconscious and bleeding... startlingly not too much, despite the head wound. Anne leans over, examining the two. "Interesting... no, no, don't get up. The pain will go away shortly, I'm sure. I just want to look at you..."

Yet she doesn't examine the wounds at all. Hand spreading and holding out flat, the shimmering egg-like spheres, one bluish-white and the other a dark green, are invisibly plucked from the girls to orbit above the witch's hand. Rui stares uncomprehending, though weakly protests, "No..." Not that she knows the significance of what Anne holds.

Anne straightens and stares with a vague interest. "Conveniently packaged... I wonder if this might make things easier or harder? I think I will find out... now what is this?"

Chiruka has caught the attention of the callous witch, and now Anne wanders over to the wheezing girl. Again, the egglike Soul Gem of a girl floats up to join the other two. Yet this one is different. The brilliant topaz color is muted by a growing cloud of darkness, unlike the smaller collections in the other two. This one is creeping farther, slowly, threatening to overwhelm the color of the gem.

"Yes," Anne murmurs, leaving the three bodies laying there and turning about. "I think I have just the thing for you girls..." Behind her, several skittering little servants surround the bodies of the girls, gathering them up and binding them in thin, silken ropes to carry them after their mistress.

4419/Missing Links

2016-08-13T20:31:27Z

Kino: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2016/08/11 |Location=Southern Urbania |Synopsis=The Union has finally tracked down Anne Blakely, and cornered her at her shop, where she reveals th..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2016/08/11
|Location=Southern Urbania
|Synopsis=The Union has finally tracked down Anne Blakely, and cornered her at her shop, where she reveals the final kidnappee's fate.
|Cast of Characters=983, 253, 255, 42, 2, 134, 824, 996, 604, 1030
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     It's a pretty mundane city, and so very quiet. Very very quiet. Not at all where someone who likes to cause trouble as much as Anne would be expected. Unless it were... subtle trouble.     Keeping an ear to the ground was useful. A recent stream of attempts at hanging were caught and stopped, and one of the local police was a contact with just a touch of Second Sight. He spotted a strange mark on one of the girl's necks... indicating that this area was under the sway of a witch. Naturally, this news rapidly reached Certain Parties.     The city itself is... fairly clean, though about at 1950's tech, with imports of newer things still trickling in. It's been here a few years, but the people are conservative. The area that was located was in the shopping district, where the little mom and pop stores are mostly shuttering up for the night. One, in particular, might take notice due to the Witch sense if any have it. This one is 'Homeopathic Remedies.' 

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''     Today's Operation is brought to you by the word 'Blitz'.     "One of my contacts in Urbania just came through for me. Guy I helped get a job in the force when he retired as a Hunter," Psyber explains flatly, wearing enough gear to look like a one-man army. The long coat and slacks are absent in lieu of a full tactical loadout of cargo pants with a heavy vest and a soldier's loadout of weapons, to say nothing of the weapons he keeps in storage with his Fetch Modus.     "Witch Symbol popping up on the necks of local girls. Since this is far outside the realm that Puella Magi usually operate in, he got in touch with me," Psyber cracks his knuckles, "As usual, we discovered that the local Homeopathy shop was just making things worse for the city. So we're gonna go in fast, hard, and abrupt."     Which brings us back to the present.     Psyber takes no hesitation in just sieging the front of the shop. On the base logic that anyone in a Homeopathy shop wanted to die anyway, he chucks a flashbang through the front window to try to cover his entrance before aiming to kick the front door clear off the hinges and barge in.     "Everyone out! Unlike Homeopathy, we're here to actually work!" 

:'''{{#var:255|Setsuko Kaminagi (255)}} has posed:'''     There is at least one person present whose figure is almost as tall and imposing as the half-angel that's just kicked open the front door. Unlike him, however, the silver-haired swordswoman immediately behind and to his left chooses to remain silent. This is, at least partially, out of deference to her own state of mind - her cold, sharp expression alone is probably at least a little unsettling to most people.     She's had to arrive here as quickly and smoothly as possible; if anyone within dozens of miles can sense the supernatural in any way, they know she's here. So for this particular occasion, Setsuko Kaminagi has waited until the last possible moment, and fallen in with Psyber at exactly the moment the operation begins. She'll let her mere presence do the work it needs to; and if anyone turns hostile, she's always got her sword. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     They haven't opted for subtlety today, which is good, because Staren has once more placed his trust in and empowered himself with a robot body built of the finest 21st century materials and methods, and he's not going to pass as a police robot in 1950's Earth. At least, not this one. He isn't as covered in weapons as Psyber, mostly because he has twin beam cannons and missile racks built into his armor, and keeps a lot of backup weapons in his magic bag.     Full frontal assault. No subtlety. Smashing things until they find people and save them. This, Staren can do.     Although... Maybe he can put a /little/ more thought into it. The obvious thought that people might escape out back -- Okay, if Anne is here with a construct they'll want to fight, for sure, but they might have someone run away with important stuff not needed for the fight -- So, Staren makes his way around the back of the store. If there's an alley he goes that way, otherwise, it's over the roof. Either way, he has insect-sized drones checking corners.     He chuckles at Psyber's homeopathy joke. 

:'''{{#var:2|Homura Akemi (2)}} has posed:'''     "That was absolutely awful," Homura groans, having presumably arrived with Psyber and only just now stepping up to his side. As last time she's remained untransformed, and wears a glove over the hand that would give away the ring she wears, and by the same token give Anne a new target. It's possible Anne already knows anyway, but it's best not to take chances.     "Please be careful. If the Witch, whatever state it's in, has already begun applying its Kiss to people, it may be fed and powerful. And given the captor's inclinations I don't doubt one second she's been fed for as long as it's been an option."     It's a generic warning, but it bears putting out there. The average Witch is intercepted before a massacre can occur, and is as a result no stronger than, or a bit weaker than, the average Puella Magi. Who knows how many people Anne let it get so far. 

:'''{{#var:134|Sakura Haruno (134)}} has posed:'''     Flowers had been expecting subtlety and sneaking and all those ninja things she thinks she's so good at. She's even gone so far as to wear a hat to hide her hair, even though the hat is actually fairly bright and also her hair's visible in the back under it. There's a flower sticking out of the brim. She'll look a little disappointed by the approach that Psyber chooses to take, even as she steps up a bit behind him.     "...Some of the things in homeopathy are sort of kind of similar to some of how my stuff works." She'll point out, because of course Sakura'd run across that in all of her research over the years. 

:'''{{#var:824|Fiora Laurent (824)}} has posed:'''     Fiora, naturally, accompanies the others, the moment she gets word. A cloak is worn around her shoulders, which is more substantial than her usual fare. Beneath this is her sword, which like Setsuko, she's ready to put to use at a moment's notice. She's not wholly about diving straight in. Not now, at least. She decides to flank around the building, to see if there's a rear entrance she can make use of, and possibly prevent any unwelcome surprises. If not, she can always try to make one. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     BUST THE DOOR DOWN! This is totally fine. Psyber, in front, kicks in the door of a... totally normal shop. It actually /does/ look like Anne(presuming that's who is running this place) was running a Totally Legit business in here, at least at the moment. Jars of ointment and 'memory water' and stuff abound... along with a clay pot that is apparently radioactive! This is a real thing that was marketed by the way.     No alarm system, and no clockwork automatons are here. What IS here is a locked door that appears to go downstairs... and the strange sensation of something from below is there. It's like... the Witch is clawing at the mind, but barely doing so, more like a lazy mumbling than the usual invasive screeching.     Those going into the back will find that there IS some evidence of something else here. Some metal scraps, brass fittings, and the like are strewn about by the back door. Going in that way reveals the back storeroom, which is mostly just... more jars and storage, plus cleaning supplies and the furnace. The only oddity is a clockwork spider the size of a fist spinning a web in the corner.     Anne's voice floats up from below, "You could have just knocked, you know~" 

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''     "Absolutely awful like Homeopathic Treatments," Psyber replies to Homura, hoisting up a shotgun and pumping it once. He looks over at Sakura and waves his hand a couple times, "Yeah, but what you do actually works. The only thing Homeopathy ever cured was a case of too much money."     "I coulda knocked! You're right," Psyber shouts towards the general direction of downstairs, "I also coulda sent you a fruit basket and 'Save The Date', but what can I say? I'm an old fashioned guy who believes that visiting a friend is best left a surprise."     "Exterior teams, get ready. Interior teams, stay on guard," Psyber says crisply, "This doesn't feel right. It's different from normal Witch manifestations. Something's really off about all this. Setsuko, take the door, I'll cover you."     He looks to Sakura, "You wanna dig down into the basement through the floor and take Homura with you?" 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Nothing in back. Staren kicks in the back door and blasts the spider (and probably blows a hole in the wall) with his beam cannons -- he's taking no chances.     He'll look for a trapdoor down for the few seconds it takes for his beam cannons to cool -- if he doesn't find one, he's going to start blasting a hole in the floor.     "And /you/ could come quietly back with me to Lazlo to stand trial, but I don't think either of those things is gonna happen." 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     After Homura mentions witches, something starts to needle in the back of Staren's cyberbrain. When Psyber mentions witches /again/, Staren remembers that he has sensors that can detect dimensional distortions and starts scanning. /Shouldn't/ they be inside the Barrier, this close? 

:'''{{#var:996|Fate Testarossa (996)}} has posed:''' A small figure casts a dark silhouette from the edge of a nearvy roof; scarlet eyes watching as Psyber makes himself- and by proxy the rest of his allies known, though forceful entry. This time Fate Testarossa doesn't speak up. This time she gives no warning across radios nor telepathic links, nor any other means, when the knocks come so forcefully. Bardiche is held in her hand, clutched between two fingers in the form of a golden triangular medallion. "You know this is probably going to make some people very angry." The red headed woman at her side says. "Mm." "Fine fine I'm going, I'm going." Arf sighs and leaps off the roof. She lands and... Starts casually making her way towards the shop. Short of someone actually stopping her, she's going to walk right on in, though now her wolfish reatures are hidden, and she does stop to knock on the destroyed doorframe courtesy of Psyber. "Hiiiiiii! I'm looking for 'soul of a little girl', do you know where I could get my hands on one of those? It seemed like something you could get in a homeopathy shop." 

:'''{{#var:255|Setsuko Kaminagi (255)}} has posed:'''     "Sir."     It's a much more crisp, formal response than Setsuko typically gives. She's falling back on military discipline, keeping herself focused on their task here - rescue the girl - above all else. But at the very least, it ensures that she moves with smooth, clinical precision, taking a step ahead of the group to stop right before the door. And where most people would kick down the door, or try the lock, Psyber has asked the demigod to be the one that opens it. That means her typical approach is the one called for here.     The first slice comes out lighting-fast, Zanjintou's blade clearing the sheath impossibly fast. The slash goes diagonally upward, from the lower left to the upper right, only to be followed immediately by a perfectly vertical cleave.     And before the severed pieces can fall away from the parts still connected to hinges, her left palm comes up and unleashes a quick burst of divine power, concussive force to simply blast the four sections of door inward. "HAA!" 

:'''{{#var:604|Raine Arland (604)}} has posed:'''      Raine Arland was here tonight. Not that he's particularly interested in the subject matter that Anne's got to work with here, but a job's a job. He's leaning against a back wall, arms crossed and eyes closed as a jarring noise sounds from upstairs. "Heh. And here they come. Knocking down the door like usual"      He doesn't bother to open his eyes still, remaining at rest, with nary a weapon to be found on his person. "Sheesh, girl, what the hell'd you do to these people? Kill their puppies?" That was rhetorical question of course. He already saw 'the stuff' beforehand. So really, he was just being an ass.      The various shouts in return draw a crack of a smile from the black clad mercenary and he just shakes his head. "I hope you've got some amazing, ass kicking thing prepared for all this aggro." 

:'''{{#var:2|Homura Akemi (2)}} has posed:'''     Another groan as Psyber decides to make a second joke about it. Homura immediatly understands she cannot stop his power over those things and gives up. Instead she focuses on what's ahead, and nods. "You handle keeping Anne occupied, I'll stay with Flowers, yes. I don't know if she knows," about her being the same kind of magical girl, presumably, "But I'd rather not find out." Also Flowers is a healer so it's never a bad idea to be within arm's reach of the person who can save your life if something terrible happens.     "Feels like she's taunting us, though. It's definitely a trap." 

:'''{{#var:134|Sakura Haruno (134)}} has posed:'''     "You want me to try that? Well, alright..." Flowers will start, before trailing off, listening to Anne. Well. She's certainly not going to object to the idea of trashing another of that person's shops. "Hold on." She'll speak over towards Homura, without really giving the Puella anything to hold on TO.     She'll raise a foot up, concentrating chakra to it, before driving her leg down, trying to blast a hole through to the basement below from a combination of strength and earth techniques. This might result in a bit of rubble, but she's going to be counting on her own skills to heal anyone she hurts that she might not want to. Besides, best to get it done quickly... 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     More explosive attacks! Fiora and Staren can hear this easily... though just rounding the corner will bring them to see the fiasco. By the way, the spider? Totally explodes. It COULD bite but was largely just an annoyance and a spy, though Anne isn't bothering to share the drone's senses so it fails even at that right now. Then again she knows people are coming, so why bother?     Also there is now a hole, because once again, Anne's mostly just dug out the shop and... waaait a minute. To Sakura, this will look VERY familiar, because it weirdly looks like almost the SAME underground chamber as before. There's even signs that it's been patched up! Though there's no dragon this time. A large lab, that's all. Well, that and a large, broad-shouldered construct with a single gleaming eye, which is currently shifting back and forth, twisting its torso oddly, and a strange rippling effect is all around it. There's no Barrier, but the Witch is definitely there, and dimension-sensing abilities can pick up a distortion there.     Anne is next to Raine and two others, actually sitting at a desk right now, with a much larger doglike construct seated beside her. To Raine, "They're very persistent. I think they're Marxists. Or something. Interfering with my business and work. This is the second time they've wrecked my shop."     There is, behind her, a large coffinlike apparatus. Spoilers, it holds the girl's body, but that isn't visible right now. 

:'''{{#var:824|Fiora Laurent (824)}} has posed:'''     Fiora just steps over and around all the devastation. "Calm down." She remarks to Staren, as he starts shooting. She heads down into the basement area, along with the others, and is thusly confronted with the same sight. "Spare us." She spits at Anne, "The girl. Now. We are not negotiating her release. We are taking her from here. Away from you. Along with her gem." She glances at Psyber and Setsuko, "After that, well.. You have some rather disgusting acts to answer for." 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren sticks his arm down the hole -- he doesn't actually have to stick his head through because of guncams on the arm. He immediately fires the beam cannons at Anne, and two miniature anti-tank missiles (about the size of magic markers, thanks to future technology!) which split up, one going for each construct in hopes of hitting a vital component.     Others can talk, or comment. He doesn't see the point. Just attack first. There's a tiny chance it might catch them off guard, if they were /expecting/ banter. 

:'''{{#var:1030|Uriel and Qemuel (1030)}} has posed:'''     Standing near Anne are two others! New people! They look... normal? One is dark-haired, with dusky skin and appears to be in her early twenties. The young woman's hair is quite long, down to mid-back, and she's wearing a snug black top and denim jeans, nothing fancy at all. Her hand is on her hip, and the apparently normal human is staring at the construct with a hint of discomfort. "I'm pretty sure any decent human would hate what you're doing, really. Can't blame them. Ugh."     The girl next to her is blonde-haired and fair of skin, but a close eye will note that she has... the /exact/ same proportions and body. The colors are different, but the shape is exactly the same. She's more calm and passive, staring at the new entrance and saying mildly, "It isn't our business now." She's wearing a WHITE shirt, but otherwise dressed the same. 

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''     "Go on ahead of me," Psyber says to Setsuko, looking towards the stairs, "We put too many people on the stairs, it's gonna be a hassle. I'll come after you in a bit." He lets her and Fiora, specifically the swordfighters of the night, take point. That's because Psyber has other business to attend to.     Namely Arf. Psyber turns towards the arrival of the mysterious figure in the door and raises his shotgun menacingly, "I know you're not coincidentally looking for a Little Girl's Soul in a store that sells Homeopathic Solutions, because the former actually exists." Can't stop, won't stop.     "So, tall, busty and busty. You here to help or hinder? Because if it's to help, we got about four different ways in. If it's to hinder, we can just go to fisticuffs right here." He rests his shotgun against his shoulder non-threateningly as he asks this.     "Wait..."     He abruptly turns away from Arf, tilting his head a bit, "What's that?" His eyes shine up, scanning the area directly below him and tilting his head a bit, "That's... I don't think that's right."     He reasserts a moment later, "No, that can't be... right." 

:'''{{#var:604|Raine Arland (604)}} has posed:'''      Raine finally openes his eyes, one green, and one a demonic red, as he regards the calvary crashing down into the basement like the big damn heroes they probably thought they were. "Man, look at this rogues gallery." He mumbles, eyeing Staren, then Fiora. His response is one tired look.      "Don't you guys get tired of spouting some flavor of 'Goodness will prevail!' all the damn time?" he held a hand up at that, and shook his head. "Don't answer that." And then, once Staren opened up with the starting volley, Raine clenched that held up hand into a fist, causing a burst of red plasma to form into a large, sickly looking, black sword.      "Don't forget about that pay now." He grumbles as he moves in front of Anne, holding his weapon up like a shield. The Staren's beams impact against the flat of it, flecks streaking around it, and hitting the black swordsman here and there in a minor way. But most of the energy vanished into the sword, causing it to glow. The micro missiles explode around him, but he weathers the heat and concussive force, grinning just a little bit.      Once it was all clear, Raine smirked and lowered his blade. "So, you like firing lasers, huh? Then I've got a special delivery for you." He tucked forward, gripping his blade in reverse before swinging the sword forward.      What followed was an identical burst of a beam cannon blasting out of the weapon's surface and hurtling through the air right for Staren. And then he swung the sword outward, sending a second burst of energy firing off towards Fiora as well. Just for good masure.      The glow of the weapon faded at that. 

:'''{{#var:2|Homura Akemi (2)}} has posed:'''     Woop, down they go. Homura has nothing to hold on to but at least knows how Flowers' powers function, and so expected something sudden and direct. Like digging a hole straight down instead of gently lowering the ground.     A not-so-elegant landing later, dusting her black pants and white shirt of, well, dust, and Homura-- remains in the back of the party, with Flowers, while others engage Anne more directly. She sees the dog-- the coffin-- the twitching humanoid, and even worse, associates, three of them. That severely complicates matters.     She still avoids direct confrontation for now. Let others talk. She's sure words won't amount to anything, but people have things they want to say. 

:'''{{#var:255|Setsuko Kaminagi (255)}} has posed:'''     Going down the stairs is a risk at all. So, after a moment's consideration, looking around the stairwell, Setsuko gives Psyber a brief nod...     And then leaps.     Her boots hit the ceiling. She starts to run, completely upside down, along the ceiling and wall of the stairwell, such that anyone coming up the stairs aiming at her would be dealing with a rush from a completely unexpected angle. The end result is that she seems to spring through the door into the basement from above, turning in the air to land in a crouch. It's just in time to see Raine unleash his attack on Staren; she herself rapidly shifts to one side, coming up into a calm ready stance, with her katana in front of herself.     "Your employer has stolen a girl's soul and used it to create an abomination. If that doesn't bother you in the least, then your provocations aren't worth listening to. Stand down. This job isn't worth whatever she's paying you." Well, she's got some good ears. 

:'''{{#var:134|Sakura Haruno (134)}} has posed:'''     Flowers is not normally confused by where she arrives when she's tunneling and such. Even when she's more blasting than tunneling. But she's deeply confused this time, even as she spots Anne. Not just because she has absolutely no idea what a Marksist is. It's probably some fancy term for an archer.     "Th.. this place again? Did we get teleported, somehow?" That's towards Homura, though Anne will probably hear it too. Sakura's not really quiet. Besides, she's going to move towards the more traditional sorts of efforts here, looking to Anne. "Can you just surrender this time? I'm tired of you running away." In total fairness to Anne, Sakura had been probably losing at one point, but she's pretty blustery anyway. Even if she's eyeing the others with Anne a bit warily, probably expecting them to secretly be clockwork monsters as well. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     "Thank you, Raine," Anne says to the swordsman. "Of course you'll get paid. Though it might need to be insurance money, at this rate. Seriously." Wrecking her shop AGAIN! Though she is wisely sidling behind her construct, just in case someone else tries to blast her.     To Fiora, Anne shouts back, "Oh, the girl? You can have her! I even preserved the body! I think it would have started to rot, and really, who wants that in their shop. Go ahead, no charge to take it. I keep the box though, that's mine. You're welcome to her gem, too..."     The massive construct turns, then, and the rippling effect grows stronger. It doesn't lash out at anyone, but everyone near it will have to dodge gold and silver chains that erupt from random spaces in the air, whipping about and scouring furrows over the ground. Setsuko might be the one most immediately affected, but Sakura is close enough as well. At the same time... ---   ---- ---  ------  ---- ------   ---      --- --      --   ---  --     It's almost like a Witch announcing her presence, but disoriented, lost, and with no real meaning. Anne finishes her statement, "She doesn't like people touching her though. She worked much better before, I swear."     She turns to the girls next to her. "It looks like they've brought quite a few. Think you'll be all right?" 

:'''{{#var:996|Fate Testarossa (996)}} has posed:''' Arf has a shotgun pointed at her. Her hands come up, but the red-headed woman flashes an easy, if fanged, smile. "Well it's not like I can just head on down to the grocery store and look there, they don't really keep that kind of thing next to the kibble or ramen cups." Arf defends. But is she here to help or not? "Oh, yeah, I'm totally here to help and hinder, though I'd do a much better job with that not pointed at me. Besides, if I was here to thro down with you, I'd have already swung." It's pretty honest. But when he turns around and focuses on Something Else, she scootches close. "You know I don't have half an idea of what's really going on here, and I kind of don't want to know any more than I already do, so how about you just tell me what to punch, and we'll call it square, neh?" Arf cracks her knuckles. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     As soon as it's clear Raine is about to attack back, Staren... pulls his arm up? He shifts back and forth, keeping moving and watching for raine to come up through the hole (everyone can fly or jump good, right?)     Instead, a copy of his own beam blasts right through the floor. It hits Staren's foot, scorching the armor and leaving part of the boot glowing hot for a second or two, although the material seems to be pretty good at heat transfer. One shot just isn't a lot. Still...     Staren jumps down the hole and lands in the basement. He's holding some kind of two-handed future weapon, looking like it's made of one piece of black metal or plastic, just gun-shaped enough that it's clear you don't want to stand in front of it.     Staren's ready to dash to either side, but he focuses on Raine for a moment, and starts firing little balls or bullets of energy -- slower than conventional bullets, but the gun is clearly on 'autofire' or the equivalent. The RAISER projectiles have a tendency to pierce shields and armor, having to be absorbed one way or another, designed so they can't be deflected or reflected. If piercing doesn't work, Staren keeps firing anyway, possibly attempting to overload whatever method Raine has of storing energy.     Still no words. Maybe he /is/ tired of shouting about how goodness will prevail? 

:'''{{#var:824|Fiora Laurent (824)}} has posed:'''     "No. You will not be keeping anything related to your.. work. Or whatever you've done to that poor girl. None of it. Perhaps I stuttered, when I said I wasn't negotiating." Fiora responds, coldly, "Nor do you appear to realize or care about the situation you find yourself in, currently. Something we shall have to remedy. And, do not doubt that there are some here quite eager to do so." Fiora's sword is brought up in an instant, the woman taking a step or two back, as those chains whip around. It seems to have been a reflexive action, perhaps, and not an attack.. but she still defends herself, and does so well enough that she holds her ground. "Your callous disregard for the sanctity of life is one of the most depraved things I've yet seen. That is certainly saying something." 

:'''{{#var:255|Setsuko Kaminagi (255)}} has posed:'''     Chains whip straight towards Setsuko, from random sources, at random angles. If they were fired from the creature itself, she might be able to read them easily. But like this? She can only rely on her hearing. Her reflexes. And her instincts, her feel for the flow of battle.     It doesn't go well.     A gash opens up along her left arm, her right shoulderblade. A thigh, her abdomen. She manages to avoid being torn apart, but by the time she gets enough sense for the pattern of attack to start evading it more reliably, she's taken some hard hits.     But that just means that the next chain to lash out, is going to be a bit bloody when she grabs it.     On a hunch, the demigod reaches out for the first chain she can reliably predict. She closes her free hand around it, grabs hold tightly, and yanks, with all her strength. It's not physically connected with the Witch in any way, but /meta/physically... well, there's a chance. It could directly transmit the force. It could 'pull' on her spiritually. It might just temporarily disrupt the chains. It might even do nothing. But it's worth a try.     Because the yank also gives her forward momentum, hurling the swordswoman across the ground to the clockwork golem. Her first order of business? Cut its legs out from under it, with one fast horizontal slice - unleashing an arc of divine light to do the cutting with. 

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''     "Fair point. But a Homeopathy Store won't get you anything useful." Psyber points out, sighing and looking at her as she scooches close to him and tells him to give her directions on who to start punching, "Got a lot of targets to pick from. Blakely herself is a good choice. Whatever's down there letting off that aura is another. Fuck is this a shitshow."     "I don't recommend trying to throw down with me in my current mood. I'd probably put you through the foundation of the building." It's not a threat so much as an idle comment about how much he just wants this particular mission to be over with, "Punch the guy fighting the robot in the face. Solid solution, that. Not a lot of people can fight a two-against-one."     "I gotta go check that out."     Psyber, through the most convenient means possible (whether that be a hole in the floor or the staircase itself), heads down to check out something downstairs. Once he reaches the basement where everything is... well... popping off like the fourth of July, he mostly fixates on the two women (Uriel and Qemuel), staring at them in a puzzled manner.     "What... ARE you two?" 

:'''{{#var:2|Homura Akemi (2)}} has posed:'''     "Definitely not," Homura answers Sakura's question, though she supposes it's possible Anne created a teleporter that gives no feedback. Unlikely in this case given the way Sakura dug a hole right through the floor to reach the basement, though.     The golem's odd ripples are pretty easy to identify for Homura, considering she'd learned to do something not entirely dissimilar. Not right now, she's too clean, though, but the point remains. "That golem is using the Witch's powers! Avoid proximity if you can help it!" Said as it engages melee specialists. Welp! A few strain chains are close enough to threaten her, too, which is in no way helpful.     Homura is knocked back, as she lacks the benefit of her magical girl transformation at the moment. She reaches up to, at least, arm herself with the R'lyeh Text, the leather(?)-bound grimoire appearing in her hand from a sudden flurry of paper. It snaps open, dark energy radiating from it.     Something is spoken in R'lyehian, which the player really doesn't have the capacity to actually manually piece together from the dictionary right now, causing a number of small rips in reality to open around the Anne's golem.     Tentacles lash out, trying to grab all four of its limbs, and its neck, to immobilize it in place. They are not very dangerous, damage-wise, but open the door for someone like Setsuko or Flowers to do much worse to a now stunned golem, if they aren't taken care of.     Also don't stare into the rips they're emerging from, it's not a good idea. 

:'''{{#var:1030|Uriel and Qemuel (1030)}} has posed:'''     The dark-haired girl wrinkles her nose and gives Anne a disgusted look. "Really? You have a pretty awful fate awaiting you. I can't say I'll be sad when you're dragged down screaming." The disdain in her voice is clear, even from across the roo. But then she answers the question, "We'll be fine. I see plenty of warriors here, but those are what I know best."     The blonde is just staring at Anne in confusion. She shakes her head, then speaks quietly, "Be careful, sister."     The darker twin grins, "Hey, it's me! I'll be fine. Look, sword guy is already fighting!" Gesturing to Raine. Her free hand curls into a fist... and a long, black lance materializes in her hand, with a look like tarnished silver or something. "And /I'm/ certainly not going to stop them from fighting that thing. Maybe they can put the poor girl to rest. But I suppose we have a job to do, hmm?" She turns to face... Psyber asking her what she is. This gets a puzzled tilt to her head.     The blonde looks up, and stares as well, before it dawns on her. "... sister, be careful. He's a Nephilim." Still no movement from her, though.     The dark-haired one blinks, then shows a flash of anger. "In this age? I haven't fought a Nephilim since before the flood! Well then... perhaps this will be a challenge yet~" It is a playful tone, despite her earlier anger... but when she leaps forward, it's for Psyber, lance twirling forward in an astonishingly fast lunge toward him... fast, but clearly meant to test his reactions.     The blonde sighs, stepping forward at last and looking to the rest of the room. She doesn't seem really intent on stopping attacks at the Witch Construct. Rather than answer Psyber directly, she just replies curtly, "You'd best fight for real, half-blood. She doesn't go easy." 

:'''{{#var:604|Raine Arland (604)}} has posed:'''      Setsuko is given a look.      "......"      And Raine falls silent, rubbing the back of his head in an awkward manner. His eyes close as he considers what to say. "Look, lady...yeah, that's shitty. And I wouldn't do it myself, but..." There's a shrug. "I got a job to do. I'm gonna do it." And apparently that's just gonna be that. He's got enough of a conscience to realize this is horrible. But not quite enough to become a turncoat.      Sorry.      Or not really. Raine nods to Anne, and then hops aside to avoid the sudden explosion of chains from the Witch. Damn it, don't hit your allies! ..Well, okay it probably didn't really recognize that kind of thing, did it?      Nevermind.      More pressing matters right now were thhe fact that Staren hopped in, gun of some sort cocked. "Hunh. So you're the guy." Raine mumbles, angling his weapon defensively. He doesn't look like he has any shields on him, so... How'd he do it? Staren would find out first hand.      As the energy bullets start firing, the black swordsman raises the flat of his weapon, and charges forward. Bullets impact against it, absorbing into it. Others miss the sword and hit him, damaging his body directly, but he's not deterred. More and more energy is absorbed as he closes the distance and weathers the attacks, and then...      He's right in Staren's face, looking a bit more damaged, but still standing. Not a word is said. He just grips his sword in reverse, the weapon glowing brightly from all the absorbed energy, and then he let loose with an upwards spiral uppercut, aimed primarily at the torso. And in doing so, all of that energy is released in a wave of energy spheres that follow the trail of his sword and attempt to impact Staren's armor. 

:'''{{#var:134|Sakura Haruno (134)}} has posed:'''     The witchy greeting will send Flowers reeling for a moment, of course. Even a limited one always does. This might be the first any not-witch enemy has seen of it, though she doesn't really do much more than flinch and lift a hand to her temple.     It's not until after Homura provides an opening that she'll really move again, the ninja trying to ignore all that evil energy and everything that's going on around the golem, instead attempting to just close in with it and land a smashing blow at the construct's joints, aiming for a weak spot and attempting to use all her strength in a punch to blow a leg off if she can. This means getting in range for it to do something similar to her, of course, but that's a risk that's worth taking in her mind. She hasn't yet really completely caught on to what Anne's truly done here. 

:'''{{#var:996|Fate Testarossa (996)}} has posed:''' "Oh you're no fun, are you saying you'd... Put me down?" Arf's inappropriately light-hearted banter aside, her ears perk up from her hair. Everything seems to be going on below the entrance to the shop... This might be way Anne's store is just going to get another hole in the floor as she lifts one boot. And brings it down with inhuman force, to join the fracas after forming an Arf-shaped hole. There's a robot fighting a guy, something about a face, a machine that's trying to make Arf's ascended doggie brain hurt. Instead of intervening with Staren and Raine, that's what makes the wolf-woman halt the most. The feeling radiating off of the machine is just a fraction of what Fate had experienced when in a Witch Labyrinth; a fact she's aware of thanks to the link shared with her master. And that's why with a growl, Arf's priorities shift. The eldritch R'lyeh tentacles are joined by chains; formed from a glimmering orange light as Arf manifests a bind spell, growling the whole while. Outside, the skies turn dark. A flash of lightning jolts brilliantly, before it is followed way too fast by the clap of thunder. And something way too fast storms into the store. The speed is enough to shatter windows in passing, as a shadow of black and gold streaks down the fastest path available. Fate had been watching everything Arf had been seeing the whole time. This is how she knows just where to go. This is why the silhouette of black and gold that comes blitzing at top speed, scythe in hand, like a spectre of ill intent, halts before Anne Blakely herself. "Scythe slash!" Bardiche announces. as the mage swings with as much force as she can muster, for a surprise stroke. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren runs to the side, hops back, eventually manifests energy wings somehow and flies to the ceiling, trying to keep away from Raine while continuing to try ans overload the sword... It doesn't work, though, and now he's on the receiving end of a barrage of RAISER projectiles. His forcefield, a five-layered sphere of amber energy, appears, and some of the bullets sink into it and then part of the field around them pops and shatters into amber sparks. Many make it through, raining into his armor and leaving it pockmarked with glowing, sizzling impact points. The forcefield can be seen thinning out to cover the damaged section before it fades from visibility again.     Staren slings the gun over his shoulder and draws an oversized revolver, firing something more like shotgun shells down at Raine. He somewhat awkwardly tries to brace himself against the ceiling while firing, sort of like someone might brace against a wall. It helps that he'sat such short range and firing shot instead of bullets, not that it spreads out much at this range.     "You got a job to do. You can justify anything with that, huh?" He finally speaks, since Raine's words indicate he's not entirely comfortable with this. Anne has no conscience and can't be persuaded -- but perhaps he can find a crack in this guy's emotional armor and start prying it with a verbal crowbar... 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     "Sorry!" Anne calls out to Raine. She doesn't sound all that sorry, but moreso than she was when talking to the heroes. "I'll add a 15% hazard pay bonus!" Hey it's something!     She's sticking WAY over here though! "Lectures are not something I'm really worried about. I don't understand you people! I'm GIVING you what you want. It's not like I TOLD her to attack you. They're normally much more obedient you know. Really it's win-win if you take it home with you. Well, the gem anyway. That design used a lot of copper, I would like to recycle it."     Fiora has chains going after her, the block having gotten more attention. Space warps, and the very floor seems to melt away, with more copper, silver, and gold chains erupting from below to attempt to wrap around /her/ as well.     Setsuko yanks hard enough to snap the chains, which are far from invulnerable. They explode in a spray of... sharp, jagged diamonds and rubies. It does hurl her toward the construct though, giving her a free slice at legs, shearing through them and causing an eruption of... diamond dust? It looks like steam, but it's choking, abrasive diamond dust.     The free slash is aided by the fact that the tentacles wrap around, keeping the twitching construct still. The space warping around it sends out more chains, attempting to wrap around Homura and tighten, solidifying if they catch anywhere to form bracelets and rings. At least there aren't any Familiars.     It also keeps Sakura from getting PUNCHED, but it doesn't stop a whiplike lash of gem-studded gold chain from flicking out, trying to knock the mednin away. 

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''     Psyber tosses his shotgun away. Against this particular opponent, it's going to be somewhat useless. Instead, he reaches towards his sides and draws a pair of combat knives, lifting them up and twirling them as he stares the two down, "Damnit, you are. This is going to be a hassle."     He may not know their identities directly, but he's got enough of a connection and sense to be able to tell they're both Purebloods. And that one is perhaps a bit more. He twirls the two knives in his hands as the dark-haired one comes in with a twirl of her lance, "You'll have to forgive me, old hag. The flood was a bit before my time, I'm only about two thousand." He quips back.     Normally, Psyber faffs about or tries for stylish maneuvers. Today, however, the dark-haired woman has caught him in a professional mood that wants to get his job done and get home. That means he steps towards the lance as she thrusts, bringing the knife in his left hand up to deflect. The result is that instead of impaling him dead center, she digs a deep gouge out of his side that tears fabric, flesh and bone. It spills blood to the ground at his feet, but allows him to press straight in towards her.     "What are you even doing on earth? Your kind are supposed to be bound to the Host." He asks in bewilderment. Of course, even as he asks, he's also using the instep he has towards her to bring his knife up in a horizontal slash right for her eyes. If they're on par with his ability to regenerate, they should grow back anyway, but the temporary blindness may give him an advantage for the time it takes for them to grow back.     At least Qemuel has the challenge she seeks, though. 

:'''{{#var:824|Fiora Laurent (824)}} has posed:'''     "You," Fiora rather quickly snaps back, "Are not in a position to make requests or demands. You will get nothing. Let me make something clear. You may be 'surrendering' this thing, the girl, and the gem to us. But there is the matter of your comeuppance to deal with. I thought I made that plain." It's a good thing Fiora wears armor on her legs, though. The woman is able to get one out of the way, but the other is wrapped up by a length of several. And even a deft swipe of her sword isn't quite enough to get through more than a couple of them. "I have no intentions on lecturing you. I'm attempting to correct whatever misconceptions you seem to have about us being here. We are here for you, as much as we are the girl and her gem. The rest? I will allow my blade to speak for itself." Wrenching her leg, she swings her sword and manages to cut through some more of the chains, leaving only a couple attached. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     Fate's incoming blasts toward Anne like a streak of lightning, the speedy little girl bypassing the defenses of the occupied construct. Of course, she immediately gets pounced at by the snarling mechanical dog, a tremendous weight of metal and clockwork snapping at her and trying to pin her to the desk. Fate will have to deal with that.     Anne herself is not very strong though. At least, not when caught with her pants down. The scythe sears through her front, slicing into her chest with a spray of scalded blood from the lightning slash, and she topples back against the wall with... her chest cut open. Blood flows sluggishly from the rent in her chest, and she stares at it in fascination. Though her top is now shorn open enough to reveal, amidst the blood, a long pink scar crossing over her chest. It would be a mortal wound for most... but though it certainly seems to have stunned and laid her out for the moment, Anne is showing no signs of dying right this second.     "Fate?" She actually looks confused at why the girl would attack her. 

:'''{{#var:604|Raine Arland (604)}} has posed:'''      Raine just chuckles at the sorry Anne calls after him, not really in a position to look and respond. But he does sarcastically call back at her. "I'm holding you to that!" And then it's back to Staren. Tch. Flight. Now that was annoying. Was there a way to deal with that? Heh, he'd improvise.      The wave of returned bullets barrage his foe's shielding, and pepper his armor. But it's not enough to take the guy down. Not that Raine would have expected it to be that easy. Hah, imagine if it were? If only. Staren seems to wise up to the black swordsman's shenanigans though, and switches to using physical weaponry.      Looks like Raine wasn't going to be handed free energy now. But that was fine. ...Well, those shotgun shells most definitely weren't fine! "Shit-" He curses, jumping aside as a spray peppers past his leg and tears through, drawing blood. "Wising up, huh." Raine mumbles, glaring up at Staren.      "Yeah. I got a job to do." He says plainly, disconnecting himself from this situation. And he breaks forward into a run. Veering this way and that to avoid shotgun shells. Some pierced through his sides, some grazed past his legs and shoulders, but he was gonna cross this distance somehow. "You're doing your job, I'm doing mine. Simple as that. I get paid after this, and I walk away."      Raine leaps to the side and lands onto the wall, and then starts literally running along it, going upwards before kicking off and spinning in the air, hurtling towards Staren before letting loose with a horizontal slash aimed for his shields and armor. 

:'''{{#var:2|Homura Akemi (2)}} has posed:'''     Effective tentacles or not, the golem reciprocates the binding attack. Fancy chains snap around Homura's wrists and ankles, forming bracelets that lock them in place. At least she's not being squeezed, torn apart or stretched, she thinks, but it's very little comfort.     In an attempt to free herself, Homura drops her grimoire, which thuds to the ground and reforms into a girl. One purple eye, one yellow eye, white-green hair and blue robes, the R'lyeh Text eyes Homura, poking the chains unhelpfully.     "Are you really going to make me ask," Homura grunts.     "Huh?" Ry's expression switches from the bindings to Homura's face, and then she boredly turns to look at the golem, followed by Anne.     "/Ry/."     "You need a jeweler or a blacksmith, not a book," she finally replies, resuming her bored and empty stare towards the Witch golem. She sighs. "I miss master Cthulhu. He didn't ask me to do weird things and loved me unconditionally." That's the version of the story she's sticking with, anyway.     Homura looks very annoyed, predictably. 

:'''{{#var:1030|Uriel and Qemuel (1030)}} has posed:'''     The dark-haired girl's response should be a little predictable. "Mmn... I really need a crossguard if I'm going to be fighting people like you." The playfulness seems to be bleeding off, though, and her expression is one of cold focus now. Especially when the knife whips for her eyes. A jerk of her head keeps her from being blinded completely, but it drags across her cheek and one eye, slicing through it with a spurt of blood that immediately soaks her shirt.     Mentioning the Host was... maybe not the best idea. The darker one in combat immediately loses the last hints of her playfulness. "I am not wanted there." Her free hand lashes out in a vicious backhand... very vicious, because Psyber isn't the only one in the room with unnatural strength.     "Qemuel," the blonde says suddenly. She's standing up straighter now, and a shimmering blade appears in her hand. This one radiates heat... and her footsteps leave red-hot marks on the stone of the floor as she takes a few steps forward. "He didn't mean it. The Nephilim, I mean. I think."     She's a lot closer now, and the blonde stares at Psyber. "Be careful, sister. This one has more blood on his hands than any angel or demon." 

:'''{{#var:134|Sakura Haruno (134)}} has posed:'''     Flowers isn't really struck down, or anything like that, by the chain lashing out at her. But she is driven back a bit, and the opening seems to be gone. The mednin seems to hesitate, at least, because she'll notice Homura's plight.     The good news is that she's noticed. The bad news is that she's not particularly great at dealing with this sort of chain, either.     "Um." Sakura will say, giving Ry a sidewards glance. "...I can try to break it, but I'm pretty sure your bones are going to end up being more fragile than the metal. Maybe just wait here for a minute until we can get clear and I can try something more delicate?"     Metal, for whatever reason, does not fall under earth for her. Sakura will still look for any obvious ways to break the binds, though, while keeping an eye on that golem. 

:'''{{#var:255|Setsuko Kaminagi (255)}} has posed:'''     The good news is, Setsuko succeeds at her intended attack.     The bad news is, it earns her a half breath's worth of diamond dust before her gut instinct of 'this is dangerous' can prevent it. She immediately exhales hard as she skids to a stop, but while it gets the dust out, most of the damage is already done; the exhale becomes a vicious, hacking cough, leading to the demigod spitting up a gout of blood.     And turning around with a frustrated growl.     Homura's chained up. Her book's not helping. Setsuko sizes up the situation, and then leaps. Her angle and speed takes her up high enough that she's nearly level with the thing's shoulders - and exactly positioned such that Homura is on the other side of the golem from her. Zanjintou lashes out rapid-fire, one-two-three-four, unleashing a quartet of divine energy arcs aimed to cut right through the golem's torso, come out the other side, and hit the chains binding Homura. With the fight growing so chaotic already, it's anyone's guess as to how effectively she'll accomplish either, but it's the best she can do on short notice. 

:'''{{#var:996|Fate Testarossa (996)}} has posed:''' Arf will help with the Grief Seed toting construct. Magic, wolf-like snarling, occasionallly flirtatious banter (with the others, not with the machine), and punching will be involved. But her help will probably be minor in comparison to everyone else, though. What is more important is the grim expression etched on Fate Testarossa's face as she stands over Blakely. Bardiche crackles in her grasp. Her incomplete training negating the normally non-lethal aspects of Mid-Childan magic. It is not the first time she has seen blood, as a result. "I'm sorry. I have reasons." Her voice isn't raised above a whisper. "But. I don't know you." She is, after all, 'not part of the Confederacy'. There is a weary, chill, look in the child's eyes but they momentarily widen at the sight of the woman's scar. But before she can speak or act further, the heavy weight of metal and machine is atop her. She grunts, the best she can do, at first, is fend off steel jaws with Bardiche's haft, struggling with the mechanized beast atop her, before her entire body crackles, unleashing a point blank surge of voltaic energies into the construct atop her to try and fry its systems. 

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''     There's the resonating sound of a hand hitting his jaw. Psyber skids sideways across the floor. He doesn't fall over, but his feet make a loud shifting noise as the force of the blow sends him sliding. He wheezes a bit and lifts up his hand, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth, "Well I guess that'll make two of us, then."     He spits some blood onto the ground and stands up. The wound on his side is already slowly closing, his regeneration kicking in as he faces off with the two, "So it's you. Camael. One of the Ten. Figures I'd be up against someone of that caliber." He shifts his stance and mentally cycles through the weapons he could use.     Nothing he has on him is quite on par with an angel's flaming sword except Einherjar itself. He sheathes a knife and snaps his fingers, a crackle of electricity heralding the arrival of his blade in his hand to face off against the two of them, "You're not wrong. There's a lot of blood on my hands. Sometimes there needs to be, to get a job done."     He steps in towards the pair, swinging the blade in a shallow arc, mostly meant to give himself some space and show them that the sword in his hands is, itself, fairly potent, "I'd recommend you both leave. You're on the wrong side of the battle for a pair of angels to be sitting. I just wanna get that girl home to her family." 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Angels, constructs, magical girls, whatever the hell Anne is... Given their opponents, Staren is surprised to see Raine bleed. Is he a mortal, mixed up in this fight? "Switch sides and you can have a share of the bounty. Take her promised pay or more out of her home when we loot it."     Staren puts away the revolver when he sees Raine going for the wall. He can see this coming, although he was expecting more of a wall-jump than a wall-run. He flies in to meet Raine, the forcefield briefly shut off. Staren tries to get in close and grab Raine's wrist before the sword can connect, but he'll settle for taking a sword hit (It cuts into the damaged armor, but not through the body where it hits. Staren does not appear to bleed. He's a robot today.) "Otherwise, the price shall be your life." And he squeezes with robot superstrength, trying to break bones. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     The good news for Homura and Sakura is that these bonds, once free of the Witch, are 'merely' silver and gold. They are pliable and can be bent away. That is going to take some time for the both of them, though.     Fortunately, the Witch, in some ways, might be stronger... but in other ways is weaker. It is a prototype, basically. It has... flaws. Arf's distraction has the single eye turning to face her, and that leaves an opening. Setsuko slices through the chest, shearing off the limbs and 'freeing' the construct via removing the usefulness of binding limbs. With a wrenching shriek, it starts to topple.     Good news for Fiora! The chains might still partly be binding her, but the toppling of the Witch is bringing it closer... and the damage reveals the socketed spot behind the 'eye' of the grief seed, attached to numerous hoses. It is defeated in the sense of being crippled, but an accurate strike could knock the source of all this problem right out. 

:'''{{#var:824|Fiora Laurent (824)}} has posed:'''     It is only a moment, but, that's all Fiora needs. She's able to shuffle back a single step, her body like a spring. And that sword arm of hers lunges forward, stabbing straight into that damaged portion of the construct's frame, her weapon piercing the components attached to the grief seed, in addition to puncturing several of those hoses. She feels the chain tighten against her leg, causing her to wince, but Fiora saw that momentary weakness, and took advantage. Hopefully, whatever she struck was of great importance. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     A shocking blast runs through the clockwork monster atop Fate... but it is not a robot in the traditional sense. There's nothing to short out. The lightning DOES fuse some pieces, making joints lock in place and a loud whine sound from it. She'll have to squirm out from under it before it can twist enough to bite.     As for Anne, she clutches her chest, physically holding it together as the blood flows so sluggishly. She rises up, glaring angrily, and opens her mouth-     To then turn white as a sheet as something makes a loud, clattering grind inside her chest, followed by several seconds of clicking. She collapses back to the ground, gasping and barely managing to choke out. "G-Get out..." 

:'''{{#var:2|Homura Akemi (2)}} has posed:'''     "Please do not break my bones," Homura tells Sakura, a feeling she considers incredibly valuable. Luckily, Setsuko sends cutting waves her way, tearing the chains down and allowing the Puella Magi to take a leap back. She looks like she's about to scream the R'lyeh Text's head off, but a tentacle rises from the floor and places itself on Homura's mouth, like a finger calling for silence.     "Shhh. No screams. Just vindication," Ry says.     Something snarls behind the golem.     A shoggoth tears through the veil between dimensions, the mass of eyes, tentacles, mouths and boiling flesh suddenly surging forward to start gnawing at the whole body of the golem, save the head. What's left of it after the damage, anyway. OMNOMNOM delicious golem powered by souls. Still just one shoggoth though, but it's obvious its goal is to deny Anne even the opportunity to recycle the construct. 

:'''{{#var:134|Sakura Haruno (134)}} has posed:'''     Flowers will pause where she's helping rip apart Homura's bonds, giving a glance over to where Anne is, the mednin's own face turning to a grimace. She'll lift her hands up, moving a few steps in that direction, and trying to look non-threatening to the others besides Anne.     "I'm a medic. Surrender now, and I'll see if I can save your life. You must know what's happening to you?" She'll add, though she looks like she's chewing something bitter when she offers to help Anne.     Sakura'd tried to move closer to being a more traditional healer the last few years, offering peace and reasonable conditions and all, but she's clearly torn up to make this offer, bitter over the dead Union soldiers from her first encounter. This actually means she's not really paying the attention she should be to not getting tricked or anything. 

:'''{{#var:255|Setsuko Kaminagi (255)}} has posed:'''     And there it is. Homura's free. Fiora has freed the Soul Gem. The rest of the golem is... being consumed? Cripes, that's unsettling. But it accomplishes the one goal Setsuko still wanted to see to - ensuring that Anne does not in fact get to recycle that golem.     So down Setsuko drops, landing in a crouch... and immediately hacking up another gout of blood. Her lungs haven't had more than a handful of seconds yet, they're going to need more time to regenerate.     It does, however, leave her the chance to watch what's going on with Anne, Fate, and now Sakura... and to prepare to intervene, if she has to. She may in fact already be drawing Zanjintou back, level with one shoulder, a pair of fingers near the crossguard. Anyone who knows her well might recognize that it's the ready stance for her Denkousekka. Just in case. 

:'''{{#var:1030|Uriel and Qemuel (1030)}} has posed:'''     Einherjar is brought out. Qemuel raises her lance, stepping forward as if to engage. The blonde one's sword does indeed burst into flames, radiating a holy aura that answers the final question. Placidly, she starts to step forward... but then pauses when she sees Anne's predicament. "Sister..."     "Let her die, Uriel. It's not like she doesn't deserve it any less than this one, right?" Qemuel snaps, with obvious distaste for the woman.     Uriel gives a stern look. "Our task was to protect her, not judge her. Will YOU go against Master?" She steps forward, blade up, obviously willing to engage Psyber if he continues the attack, but her next words are to the others. "Take what you wanted and go. We won't stop you from that. WILL WE?"     Qemuel struggles visibly with this decision, but then withdraws to let her sister cover Psyber, black wings tearing from the shirt as they erupt. Dark feathers swirl and dive, starting to cocoon Blakely in a protective shell. She'll only allow Flowers close if Blakely allows it. 

:'''{{#var:604|Raine Arland (604)}} has posed:'''      Raine's blade connects with Staren's armor, but doesn't actually cleave through. Not enough traction for that one. But he wasn't expecting to have his wrist grabbed. "Tch-!" He sharply intakes at the pressure applied to his wrist. He is just a man. A fleshy human with no immortality, robot bodies, or anything. But...      ...One shouldn't count a human out. They always had something prepared. Raine saw that Staren's body was robotic, and then he peered at the man himself, smirking a bit. He didn't respond to the the threat. Instead, all he said was a single statement.      "Fragarach, do the thing."      From behind Staren, there's a shimmer of magic particles as something or someone comes into existence. A ghostly wearing a white dress, with long white hair, a long tail, and pale skin. Her arms raise, oversized sleeves indicating the outline of outstretched hands. And then a crackle of electricity built up.      But just as she was going to get ready to envelop Staren in a web of sparks, Anne goes and gets herself into trouble. "--Shit." Raine cursed and looked ahead. "Do it!" The white figure behind his foe then let loose a burst of chain lightning, right for Staren. It would lance around, attempting to strike him, but also going right for the black swordsman's blade, to be absorbed.      ...What would happen if he released it while the weapon was lodged into the armor? 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     Like the previous construct, this one collapses to inertness when Fiora's blade slices the last pieces holding the Grief Seed in place. It tumbles out, and the wreckage begins to be crushed and swallowed by the gurgling shoggoth. She's lost more than just the experiment, it's true.     And in the meantime... Anne is holding her chest, breathing slow and shallow breaths. The offer doesn't escape notice, but she doesn't think long before answering. "Get out," she says more firmly, though still quiet. "You've won, 'heroes.' Now leave." She sounds far more angry now than ever before... but even now it's a cool rage rather than anything more active. "I will handle this myself."     So that's a no. 

:'''{{#var:996|Fate Testarossa (996)}} has posed:''' Fate will settle for fusing the construct's joints. It makes it less of a threat. Not entirely neutralized, but handled enough for her to wriggle herself out from under it. If it keeps coming for her, it will get a much more concentrated blast in the form of a golden bullet of voltiac mana. Maybe several, pending how much it chooses to pursue. Which leaves her staring down Anne. And by proxy Sakura approaching with offer of aid on the condition of surrender. The gravity of what she has done sinks in only now. Fate's grim expression does not hide the fact that her hand is shaking, as she holds Bardiche up, several spheres of golden light forming, at the ready to fire. Either at Anne, the mednin, Setsuko, or the angels. Anyone really who might look hostile or particularly ready to make her uncomfortable, right now. Arf told her at the start, she was probably going to make a lot of people very mad. Arf is a little more free now, with not wanting to be in between a shoggoth and its meal. "Yeah I think she's mad. Now might be a good time to jet." The wolf-woman says, nudgingly to her master. A golden circle of light is already forming at Fate's feet to leave via Dimensional Transfer. "Mm." Assuming no one stops her, the two are gone in a clap of thunder. 

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''     There's a dim part of Psyber that wants to use rank to tell Sakura to leave Blakely to die. But there's a separate part of Psyber who respects the dedication to her Hippopotamus Oath over the years and won't let himself force her to violate her ethics as a doctor.     Thus he remains silent on the matter, turning his focus instead to the two angels in front of him.     "Well this is one messed up little family reunion, now isn't it?" Psyber asks to the two of them, staring at them both with shining red eyes. His sword is lifted and at the ready as he takes a defensive stance. He's never actually gotten to test his own blade against one of the fabled swords of flame, but he's relatively certain it could at least hold up.     Left with just Uriel as Qemuel withdraws, Psyber sighs a bit and grits his teeth, "Fine. I'll accept this much of a mystery for now. There are other people more invested in killing Blakely than me anyway, I just wanted the girl back."     He remains squared off with Uriel, however, until the fighting has subsided. When the time comes to leave, as if to prove a point, Psyber uses his free hand to toss the combat knife at Uriel's feet. It's clearly more of a warning than anything, "Venite ad me omnes qui laboratis et onerati estis et ego reficiam vos."     It sounds ominous enough.     He'll eventually back away as the group withdraws. 

:'''{{#var:134|Sakura Haruno (134)}} has posed:'''     "...Fine. If you even survive, then I'll get you another time." Sakura says, with a resigned expression. Mostly because she's been ordered out of this, and with good reason; she'd really like to make certain Anne isn't loose, but the othersare right that the girl was the priority.     And Sakura, in particular, is going to be needed for this. She'll start to back away, taking a moment to consider vandalizing the store a bit more before deciding against it."...Next time, I'm doing more damage to the store, too." She's not actually good at the banter or back and forth, really. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren's key systems are insulated from the armor for this reason, but that sword could become a problem... Also, it's clear if this doesn't electrocute Raine by contact, then he's immune to electricity. Good to know.     The armor begins to glow from heat. Is Raine immune to that too? This is... bad, for Staren, but he has pain turned off right now. This body, clearly, is takin g heavy damage anyway. His only chance...     Is to try and kill the man before him, so he can't use the energy in that sword, and opefully Fragarach unsummons.     Staren shoves them into a wall. Still trying to crush the arm, his other hand is about to punch into Raine's chest, hard. The Confederate medbay can fix cracked ribs and pierced lungs, right?     But, they have the objective. There is no point in staying here, and Staren no longer needs to go THROUGH Raine, just escape.     He flings Raine at Anne, hard. "You're lucky, this time. Don't make the same mistake when choosing employers again." And he hurries up the stairs, warped and half-melted armor screeching and sparking as he forces joints to move despite the damage. He just has to get out, now. They came here in a car or something, right? 

:'''{{#var:1030|Uriel and Qemuel (1030)}} has posed:'''     Uriel makes a face, but doesn't object to Psyber's words. The flaming sword vanishes, and the heat buildup begins to die down, immediately cooling again. "There is nothing you can do." For now, anything else will be a mystery! 

:'''{{#var:604|Raine Arland (604)}} has posed:'''      Raine may have had to have an extended stay in medbay if Staren went through with that. Instead, he's flung through the air, righting himself and landing nearby Anne. He skids to a stop, sword planted into the ground to keep him from crashing into his employer.      "Feh-" He scoffs, straightening up as he disperses the blade, rubbing his wrist as he watches the band of heroes depart after having done what they were after. "Fun bunch, those guys." He muttered with a frown. The white figure vanished from sight the same way she appeared, no longer seeing a need to be present.      Not in any real hurry to give chase, Raine instead turns to Anne with a sigh. "C'mon. You've got to get to medbay, unless you've got some weird nonsense you're going to fix yourself with." 
}}

4318/Testing Grounds

2016-08-13T20:26:48Z

Kino: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2016/07/14 |Location=Techno Urbania |Synopsis=Anne Blakely has a new construct, made differently from her others. She's running a test, and attract..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2016/07/14
|Location=Techno Urbania
|Synopsis=Anne Blakely has a new construct, made differently from her others. She's running a test, and attracts some bad attention from the Union.
|Cast of Characters=983, 253, 255, 823, 2, 824, 714, 42, 707, 108, 996
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     Ai's frantic explanation of what hat happened was a little murky in many places, but it was clear enough to state that Blakely was responsible for her condition. It was also clear enough to get a decent idea of where she had been taken to be worked on, whatever that 'working on' entailed. It was something vaguely alluded to by Anne, and didn't sound very good. The immediate area was a technological world, and thanks to a far too oft-repeated ad for a recent movie, it was easy to narrow it down to a specific world and a specific city. From that point, searching would be a little more difficult. However...     Recently, one area of the city had been having crime issues. The crime rate was rocketing up in a district that wasn't all that good of an area anyway, but the biggest cause had been the patrolling police robots that kept the peace. The last couple days had seen more and more of them vanishing, except for the tracers left behind, and sometimes mostly dismembered but with parts missing. There had, curiously, been no deaths yet... which is unusual given Anne's callous disregard for life. The one witness had definitely described spiderlike robotic things tearing apart the peacekeeper, which matched the description of the constructs Anne used to capture Ai and her friends.     "Move along. Move along." A robotic voice again... in this area, trying to calm down an agitated set of teens that were shouting at one another. They were starting to disperse now. If the pattern continued, though, this peacekeeper would be attacked within the hour. The local authorities had been all too happy to let the Union and other allies take a look around. 

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''     Psyber had told Anne Blakely he would be looking into this matter personally. While she had originally captured his curiosity due to her interactions with Staren, it had become upgraded to a personal vendetta around the time the Puella Magi were involved. Which was why, in the bad side of town, Psyber wasn't even trying to disguise the fact that he was arriving. A police light is flashing red and blue in the front of a Dodge Coronet as it zipped through the streets of Japan.     Psyber barely waited until the car was in park before stepping foot onto the pavement and immediately going to the trunk to take an FN P90 and a pair of fake IDs out of the back. The PDW and the first ID are tossed towards his passenger, telling her, "You're Agent Baez. Joan Baez. I'm Bruce Hall. We're DEA Agents, if anyone asks." His Interpol ID says something else. And his FBI ID says SOMETHING ELSE. So he has to use the DEA one.     After tossing Homura her gun, Psyber takes a Five Seven and a pump shotgun out of the back of the car, slamming it shut, "Let's roll." 

:'''{{#var:255|Setsuko Kaminagi (255)}} has posed:'''     There are not many things that well and truly upset Setsuko Kaminagi. But one of the items near the top of that short list is 'messing with the puella magi'. They already lead difficult existences that most of them were tricked into, lives of horror that tend to end tragically short. Someone bringing them any further grief that they didn't earn is unacceptable.     Someone doing so in as potentially horrid a way as Anne Blakely is known to employ? That merits a response in blood.     The demigod has foregone her usual hoverbike. She's here on her own, flying over the city in silence. They have intel that they might be able to get ahead of Blakely for once, and while anyone magically-sensitive in the city knows she's here, she can at least avoid attracting the eyes of the regular citizenry by getting too close or flying in on a floating personal craft. But as she flies over, the swordswoman's eagle-sharp eyes narrow, her expression growing distant... and then she speaks into her radio, expression hardening. "This is the place. Beyond a doubt." She can feel the battle here. It's not going to be a small one. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     As for the Confederates, Anne has been working alone for a little while, but she took Psyber's threat to heart... and tonight, she is planning on a 'weapons test' of some sort. This is weird, because anyone who shows up at the small rental storage space Anne is using as a temporary 'lab' will just see... the usual things. Well, there's a bound and gagged girl in the corner, and also a nice and shiny new construct of some sort, one with six arms that has partly been made of scavenged police bot parts. Many of the smaller, spiderlike constructs are skittering about, carrying little components to her as needed. Aside from the materials used, it doesn't look any different from a normal construct.     "There!" The redhead says with a clap of her hands. "That should do it! Let's see how this one fares against the peacekeepers first. I'm sure they've sent yet another one out there, I saw it approaching." Doubtless through one of her clockwork spies, though she doesn't have eyes on it just this moment. "This should be interesting!" 

:'''{{#var:823|Xiao Li Yu (823)}} has posed:'''      "Ooooooh...!"      That was the curious sound Xiao Li Yu made once she entered the rental space, taking one quick sweep of the area with her eyes, before immediately zeroing in on the six armed construct. "Well, well, well! Is this your new toy?" She asked half rhetorically as she strode in and towards the thing. The bound girl in the corner is given a sidelong glance. Just a second. And then it was back to the construct. That was far more important to her.      "Interesting! What are it's specs? Weapon loadout? Power supply?" The scientist asks as she comes to a full stop before the thing, peering up at it and then pacing around it in a semi circle, observing it from a couple angles. 

:'''{{#var:2|Homura Akemi (2)}} has posed:'''     Homura had come wearing the ARCHAGENT'S SUIT, a fancy token from her magpie habits and Vruasa's Session. It's really just a fancy suit and hat, potentially identifiable as belonging to one Spades Slick. One of them, at least. It matched Psyber's usual M.O. of pretending to be a cop (well... technically he IS legally empowered by SOME places), and more importantly it hid the fact she's a magical girl.     This Anne Blakely seems to know about Soul Gems and if she can help it at all Homura doesn't intend to take to the front line, where that knowledge can be used against her. She's likely to play a very minimal role here tonight.     She's out of the car when Psyber is, unarmed, pocketing the badge and ID handed to her. "I don't think she's going to give us the girl just because we have badges, mister Hall," she chides, hiding anxiety behind her usual short quips. 

:'''{{#var:824|Fiora Laurent (824)}} has posed:'''     Fiora has been looking to stretch her fighting legs, for a time. Considering what she knows of the situation, a child has been kidnapped. And others possibly harmed or even killed. This, alone, is enough to turn her stomach. So it doesn't take much convincing to get her to come along, and help. A woman dressed like she might draw some attention, but she's not entirely concerned with that, right now. She wears a hooded cloak over her normal attire, to help disguise her appearance somewhat, but if things become dire, she has no qualms tossing this aside. She seeks to meet up with Psyber and Homura, arriving via warp gate, near their location. 

:'''{{#var:714|Sanary Rondel (714)}} has posed:''' Sanary, for her part, is trying to make sure the bound girl's relatively comfortable considering the circumstances. It's not like she hasn't seen her share of hostages before (on the other side, but stil), but that doesn't mean she can't try to ease her mind with gentle words! "Easy, easy... You're safe here. This is all standard procedure, so try and relax. If anyone shows up, I'm pretty sure they won't just bombard the place unless they're assholes."      It'd probably be more convincing if she wasn't decked out in full armor with a freaking kite shield and pair of staves on her back like she's expecting to go into a war zone. The healer does have one gauntlet off, at least, to try and give the girl a light pat on the head and a small smile for extra reassurance before turning towards Anne. "Any signs of... Uh. Whoever yet?" 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Agents Baez and Hall are accompanied by their TRUSTY POLICE ROBOT, S.T.A.R.E.N. He steps out of the car, looking around, scanning the area with various sensors (including magic detection) for anything unusual! 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' While Xiaomu only found out about Blakely's 'experiments' around the same time that Psyber learned that Blakely was interested in the Puella Magi, the discussion of what she'd been up to near Lazlo was enough to draw the sage fox's attention, much the same way that a new video game or a plate of fried tofu would draw it. Except for almost the opposite reasons. Stuff like this is not all that far off from some of the incidents that Xiaomu looks into in her own world, after all - but more than that, what Blakely is reputedly up to is a special kind of foul. Sure, there are youkai who are purported to consume the souls of mortals, but Blakely *IS* a mortal - and it takes a special kind of, let's call it inconsiderateness, to prey on your own kind for reasons other than genuine need. (And as much as Xiaomu appreciates the fruits of mortal technology, 'science' and its variants aren't that kind of a genuine need.) While she's aware of several of the other Unionites in the area for the same reason, Xiaomu is blending in to the extent of hanging out in the closest video game arcade, somewhere that she has a decent view of what's happening on the street - at least when she's not distracted by the game she's staked out at. It helps that this particular machine is a game she's never played before, while several of the locals *have*, and as such, Xiaomu tends to get whomped on often enough to step back and take a break, let someone else get a turn, before she cycles back to the front and deposits another coin. She's just finished a round now, as it happens, and she looks out to see what's happening on the street ... 

:'''{{#var:108|Winnowill (108)}} has posed:''' Winnowill has chosen to arrive under her usual disguise, as Lady Venevol. This way she looks human... though she looks a little out of place in this world, wearing a more fuedal-era green gown at the moment. She's taking more interest in this than many would expect, though the constructs would seem to be more something for her son to work on. But no, it's Winnowill herself here, tapping the six-armed thing. "Interesting..." She knows that the real show is about to start. 

:'''{{#var:996|Fate Testarossa (996)}} has posed:''' There was still much Fate Testarossa did not understand. She has missed much of the explanations regarding the true nature of soul gems and grief seeds, and had only caught Ai's frantic mention of 'Blakely' before taking her leave of Mitakihara Town. The next few days, she remained quiet; listening to the radio, silently mulling over every word she had heard. Blakely had killed girls? Something to do with a project of hers? It did not sit well with the young blonde; nor her Familiar, but orders had come from up above. "Fate... My precious, charming, Fate... You will go, and ifind out the nature of these Witches, and their Lost Logia. And you will do so by what ever means necessary. And if that means entering into in the good graces of our new allies. Then so be it." "... Yes, mother." The words of her mother, Precia Testarossa, do not engender the warm, loving memories that the child once had, but a colder, quiet, fear. She does not like the idea of getting involved with this in the least, anymore. But she does not want to fail her mother, either. "Fate, I get the feeling there's nothing good gonna come of this." Arf says, the red-haired wolf-woman stands by the girl's side, arms folded under her chest. Once again the two are on a rooftop; watching down below, observing the roused teens, the mechanical authorities. And waiting. Until she gives word for Bardiche to open a communications line. She spies familiar faces. Psyber. Homura. Setsuko she does not know, though, nor the others. "The Union is arriving." She notes softly to any Confederate that will pay her the mind. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     "Hm, the Union?" Oh, Blakely is happy to listen to such warnings... especially when it becomes another test. She smiles, "Then maybe we will actually get a real test for this." She gestures toward the girl. "She's the power source, actually. In a way. As soon as we move out she will drop dead, no need to make her comfortable. When we get back, we'll take her to my shop and keep her there. After she's not dead any longer. It's a fascinating thing to watch." Poor Rui. Anne had probably tested the exact range at which she could move the gem before the girl keeled over... multiple times. SCIENCE! "This is normal. Powering my constructs this way, I mean. But the way of obtaining it is not. Let's see what the effect is, hmm? This one doesn't need many built in weapons, if my theory is correct. I think you'll like this, Xiao."     Anne steps out of the storage shed, meandering toward where the Union are gathering. She doesn't know exactly where the Union are, and she doesn't care. She figures they're near the peacekeeper.     "Watch," she offers to the Confeds, gesturing to the construct. It's walking along placidly... then glows silvery-blue from the seams. In an instant it is moving forward at high speed, nothing but a bluish blur that darts down the streets and around the corners. "Let's follow her, shall we?"     The bluish streak rounds the bend, and lances of white light come out, six of them. Or not lances? They look like whips, actually, arcing toward the peacekeeper bot without even announcing the construct's presence.     "Oh, she got ahead of us. We should probably catch up," Anne notes. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     "Magic. Over--" Staren turns his head and starts to speak, when suddenly a blue streak shows up and attacks the inferior robot. He's not concerned for the bot, but obviously once one target goes down, an actual person will be next...     He raises his arm and fires the dual beam cannon at the construct, mostly to gauge its toughness.     Upon confirming that this is, indeed, another empowered construct... well, Staren doesn't have a plan yet, but step one is to fire a half-dozen miniature HEAT rounds, lancing through it in hopes of breaking something important. It didn't work as great as he'd like on the dragon, but this one is smaller... it's not like putting holes in it can make it /worse/, right? 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren does immediately feel a little bit... not quite sick, since he lacks flesh at the moment, but something like that, when Homura mentions on radio that the 'something important' inside might be soul gems. The chances of any of his missiles hitting one are low, but...     Fortunately, noone can see his face through the visor. 

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''     "She'll give us the girl because I'll pistol whip her so bad the Maxillofacial Specialist who tries to fix it will, in turn, need corrective measures," Psyber notes, hand gripping around the pistol in one hand and the shotgun in the other. He looks to Staren and Fiona as they join up, but he doesn't have much more to say until Staren points out that the construct is coming.     Psyber, having the same fear of Homura's safety as Homura does, steps in front of the girl protectively and immediately lifts both the shotgun and the pistol, "Disassemble that thing. Take out everything that couldn't hold a gem in it. We'll search the rest." His order is sharp, deliberate, and tactical.     He then immediately tries to start blowing limbs off the construct. 

:'''{{#var:2|Homura Akemi (2)}} has posed:'''     The people who show up get an acknowledging nod from Homura, Fiora in particular. She otherwise spends most of her time explaining the situation over radio and not taking an active role in things, per her warning she wasn't going to transform and give Anne a new target to test her new science on.     When things get heated, Homura backs away, content to let Psyber and Fiora take to the front line ahead of her. She finds cover behind the car, producing a pistol and opening fire on the unusually swift automaton now trying to murder innocent police bots. The gun goes bang bang, it's very generic and unimpressive, obviously meant to distract. 

:'''{{#var:824|Fiora Laurent (824)}} has posed:'''     Fiora, thusly informed by the others, lunges towards the offending construct. The fire of her comrades behind her is not something she's worried by. She moves swiftly and precisely, not only to deliver her strike, but to avoid being struck by the fire of her comrades. Like a shadow of liquid metal, she's able to do just that, her sword lashing out like the fangs of a cornered snake. She aims at the limbs as well, focusing her strikes along with Psyber's gunfire. She also aims at the joints, to assist in disabling it. Perhaps once it is, Staren can make heads or tails of the machine. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Yep, thinks Xiaomu, that would be the party. Time to leave the Valgern-On machine to the local experts and engage in *her* field of expertise. Truthfully, she probably wouldn't have needed to be looking out the window at the right moment to sense the machine; there's enough raw power circulating through the construct's systems to make her hair stand on end. Just the fact that the mage-machine is openly attacking one of the local policebots is reason enough to stop blending in, by the sage fox's judgment; the fact that it's so obviously supernatural - and at the same time, so very *UN*natural - is an added reason to join the fray. So as Xiaomu strides out of the arcade, her left hand holding her staff, her right hand reaches inside of her vest, emerging with a black handgun, her grip mostly hiding the white spot adorning its handle. She wastes little time in levelling it at the magically-powered construct, and only enough additional time to check her aim and open fire. Rather than shooting mere bullets, though, she's firing ice-elemental shots, trying to encase areas Fiora's not busy hitting with layers of ice to, if not immobilize the construct, at least slow it down. (And if any of her allies ARE in the way? She'd rather miss the construct than hit one of her colleagues.) 

:'''{{#var:714|Sanary Rondel (714)}} has posed:''' "... Really? Oh. Uh." That certainly sucks for the girl, doesn't it? Sanary's feeling a little embarassed at her attempt to reassure the girl, too, but... Well. She tried! Except... "How's she gonna die and not die? Did you figure out something?"      Now it's getting interesting. Sanary eyes Anne curiously before turning back to the captive, getting up a moment later to start following the construct instead. The healer starts jogging at a rapid pace, albeit having some trouble keeping up with that thing's speed by virtue of being so heavily armored. At least she'll be able to cover it later!      ... If it doesn't get blown up first, anyway. Whatever's going on up there, though, she can certainly hear it easily enough! "Careful, everyone. I think we got company." 

:'''{{#var:823|Xiao Li Yu (823)}} has posed:'''      "Ohh?" Xiao tilts her head a bit, looking off towards the girl Sanary was trying to comfort. "Interesting. So she effectively dies once a certain range is breached?" She brought a hand to her chin, stroking thoughtfully. Apparently death itself wasn't a huge issue to her. Oops. "And no predetermined weapons? My, I /will/ have to see this."      Her eyes alight with curiosity, ever eager for more knowledge. But Fate's warning is heard then. "Ah, of course. Union." She sighs. Always the Union. A flippant shrug is had before the scientist just ambles on ahead, folding her arms into her sleeves as she followed Anne out of the storage shed and into the streets. She's not actually packing any obvious weaponry, wearing a black qipao with a long labcoat over it, arms hidden into the sleeves in front of her.      Then the construct lights up blue...and blurs forward in an impressive burst of speed. "Oho~" They would have to follow and see what happens. Most curious indeed. That in mind, Xiao's anklets lit up and she began to hover off the ground a few inches before proceeding forward into a levitating dash after the empowered robot. What? Walking took effort! This was more efficient.      And she arrived on scene(but to the side, avoiding all the rampant gunfire and potential stray rounds) with the others to find Anne's construct already being assaulted by multiple Union personnel. Many she could put a name to the faces. Either by way of personal experience, or video footage. But the one who caught her attention the most was obviously...      ...Her lips curl up into a grin that would make the cheshire cat uncomfortable, her golden eyes squarely on a certain Sage Fox. "Well, well, well~" She starts, landing onto the ground and beginning to casually stride up the street towards her target. "If it isn't the venerable tree frog." Pause. "...Or was that wise owl?" The researcher tilted her head, as if seriously contemplating this. "Oops, I forgot~"      No she didn't.      Well, Xiao didn't waste any time, removing an arm from her sleeves to reveal a sleek, high tech black gauntlet. The crystal core in the middle lit up, crackling with electricity before an erractic beam of lightning fired out, heading right for her. 

:'''{{#var:108|Winnowill (108)}} has posed:''' How bothersome, to chase after a runaway robot. Winnowill sighs, but she gathers her dress up and starts to 'run' after the group. She runs like a young lady who hasn't really done much athletic... ever. Despite this, she doesn't get red-faced or out of breath, which says more about Xiao Li Yu's assessment, doesn't it? She is going to be lagging back though, letting the others rush out first. This lets her decide who to handle as well. Not a difficult decision, since she's seen a few of them. With a heavy sigh, the slender elf silently begins assaulting Psyber's mind with the hammering waves of pain from her telepathic attack. "Well, it seems to be pretty active..." 

:'''{{#var:255|Setsuko Kaminagi (255)}} has posed:'''     Setsuko can feel it. The rush of 'future' to become 'present'. The sense of battle converging on them. And then the construct appears. Announces itself with an attack on their 'bait'. So down the demigod comes, swinging her feet forward and hurtling down from the sky boots-first.     Then she spots a familiar face down below.     Seeing the one-eyed girl below sets off a brief storm of emotion. Surprise. Confusion. Anger. Disappointment. But it all coalesces into firm resolution, hardening her resolve. The course of her descent changes. Her hand moves to her blade. Her eyes begin to shine blue.     An arc of blue-white divine power cuts into the ground in front of Sanary, far enough ahead that she's in no danger - but close enough that it's plain this was meant to get her attention. A half-second after that, Setsuko herself lands, hard enough to crack the concrete under her. "Sanary Rondel," she greets, her tone chilly. Moreso than the healer has ever heard it. "I had thought better of you. I had thought there at least some decency in you. That you would lend your support to /this/..." She shakes her head, standing up straight.     "It's out of respect for your past deeds and character that I will give you one opportunity. Stand down. Leave. If you stand in defense of something so heinous, I will not stay my blade. Not even for you." The look in her eyes says it all. Setsuko Kaminagi is angry. Well and truly angry. 

:'''{{#var:996|Fate Testarossa (996)}} has posed:''' Fate and Arf haven't budged from their rooftop lookout yet. Though the girl traces her fingers along the edge of the golden medallion in her fingers. The gleaming triangle-shaped gem glints in silence before it flashes. "Barrier Jacket, Set up." Bardiche announces. pre-emptively taking on his halberd form, piecing together part by part, while Fate's dress is replaced by the sleek form of her Barrier Jacket and cloak. "Mn." "Heeere we go." Arf says, jerking a thumb as the construct starts on the move and assaults the local authority-representing robot. And of course individual fights begin to break out; she... Doesn't quite make a move just yet. Still watching from on high. "So what exactly are we doing?" Arf presses. Fate responds with silence. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     Shots aimed at the construct do work! Mostly. It is FAST though, and darting about at high speed. Staren hit SOMETHING there, and steam whisps are following the streaks of silvery-blue light. The whips curl around the peacekeeper robot and easily shear through the metal, disassembling it in an instant... though one of them flails wildly after the shot.     Anne runs much like Winnowill, catching up a few moments later and lingering behind. She isn't alone though, with the spiderlike clockwork constructs skittering about and around her. She answers Sanary, "A phenomenon I've noted. I'll explain later, what of it I know. It doesn't really apply to the other one, though. She'll be fine once the construct is back in place with her. Hmm... maybe I should have made it more durable..."     She says this because the other bullets flying toward the construct are adding to the problems, and eventually one arm is blown clean off. Well, there are five left. In a flash, the vaguely humanoid construct is streaking toward Staren this time, two whips going out and trying to wrap around the robot. They are definitely magical, with a powerful charge that tries to tear off the armored plating.     Now, Fiora's sword effect can be seen. Deep in the side, just above one of the arms, several struts have been severed. One good hit and the thing will be down two limbs already. 

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''     A martial opponent in a contest of strength, Psyber can win that fight a reliable majority of the time. Someone with a powerset like Winnowill, however, is a particularly nasty thorn in Psyber's side. He has no mental defense beyond his own iron willpower. And while that's impressive in its sturdiness, it doesn't exactly counter what she's doing to him.     As soon as the oppressive waves of pain come over him, Psyber drops to a knee, letting out a cry of pain. Blood seeps from one of his nostrils, the aneurism almost immediate and severe enough to probably be lethal to a normal person. For him, it's about as debilitating as a nasty migraine. Thing is, migraines are pretty goddamn debilitating.     So, for as long as Winnowill is willing to make his life difficult and no one is directly stopping her from doing it, Psyber is going to be leaning against the car with blood pouring from his nose. He may be passively trying to figure out who's doing it, but the waves of pain make it difficult. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' "Oh, not *YOU* again!!" Xiaomu complains, very loudly, as Xiao Li Yu fails supernatural zoology at LEAST twice in as many sentences. Despite her visible and audible annoyance, though, Xiaomu keeps her wits about her - and when the lightning bolt is launched at her, she jabs her staff into the ground, its butt wedging into the pavement well enough to keep the staff erect, and - She actually whips out a pair of shades, somehow putting them on JUST before the lightning gets to her staff. She's still wincing despite the shades, though - if not from the flash itself, probably from the thunder. Her hair is all frizzed up, too, especially the fur on her ears and tails. She shakes her head briefly to clear it, then aims down the street at Xiao Li Yu and resumes firing with the Roc's Icebrand, trying to freeze the Confederate's feet to the ground. 

:'''{{#var:714|Sanary Rondel (714)}} has posed:''' Sanary nearly topples over as the ground in front of her spontaneously EXPLODES, swinging her shield around in front of her to defend herself from... Actually, she's not getting attacked directly yet. Still, it's a useful precautionary measure! When she hears that familiar voice, however, she both looks over her shield with a recognizing glint in her eye while feeling her blood cool juuust a bit.      "... Hey, Setsuko. You know working with things like this is part of my job, right?" Her own voice takes on something vaguely resembling that cold tone, although probably not quite as effective. She hasn't practiced her scary calm voice much! "I can't turn and leave my friend..." She pauses. There's Xiao, and... She's worked with Fate before! That counts. "...s behind just because I don't want to get my hands dirty doing..."      Arf might be onto someting. "... This. That'd be spitting right in their and the Confederacy's faces." The armored healer sighs, and she withdraws one of those staves to keep it and her shield ready, the air around her starting to shimmer in random spots while weird gray lumps begin forming in midair. "Nothing personal. But... You understand, right?" 

:'''{{#var:2|Homura Akemi (2)}} has posed:'''     Homura, behind the car, can see Psyber reeling in pain and bleeding. She also sees the construct charge straight for Staren. Staren can handle himself, she thinks, so long as it's an opponent he can see. Psyber's opponent seems to have made him or herself invisible, or inflicted some manner of curse. Maybe a psychic assault. Normally Homura wouldn't be able to help with that.     She raises her hand. A flurry of pages appear around her, swirling rapidly before gathering in front of her, bunching up into an humanoid form. The R'lyeh Text, a little girl with white-green hair in blue robes, one purple eye and one yellow, looks at her expectedly, and a bit impatiently.     "You're supposed to say what you want," she says, curtly.     "Psyber's mind. Shield it," Homura answers.     Ry sighs. "I didn't need to take form for this. Nnnlloig uaaah."     Psyber receives the protection of a Sign (the player sure can't remember which particular one), which has for unique goal to shield him from psychic assaults. It's very unlikely to stop attacks from someone like Winnowill in full, but it might let the half-angel fight through it. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     See, Staren knew someone would be next!     He's almost surprised it's him though. Why wouldn't it go after a squishier target? He barely evades its grasp, one of the tentacles starting to tear into his armor. He doesn't think he can get away from it. It's too fast!     He glares at it with hatred. If he just damages the outside, the soul gems should be safe, right?     <<Get back!>> Fiora's radio warns.     He just needs her to be clear for a second. As soon as she's out of range -- 15 feet or so -- the missile racks on his back pop up and fire, point-blank range. The direct hit is nasty, and might destroy even his own armor outright -- as it is, just catching himself in the blast leaves Staren's armor half-melted. But hopefully the construct is a lot worse for wear now! 

:'''{{#var:823|Xiao Li Yu (823)}} has posed:'''      Xiao smiles sweetly at Xiaomu, arm still outstretched from firing that bolt, not looking away from the flash in the least. The blast of air from the impact tousles her hair, but the updo stays in place. And once visibility returns to normal, the scientist blinks. "...Oh my. Using your staff as a makeshift lightning rod? How clever! I'd expect no less of a seven thousand year old exalted hamster!"      And yet, despite actually being impressed, she still totally flubs up the sage fox's species.      Ice rounds are fired, and the girl backpedals, veering left and right to avoid several rounds before one strikes the ground right as her foot makes contact, immediately icing over it. And then the other foot follows, leaving Xiao effectively stuck in place. "Oh no, oh my, what am I to do now?"      That sweet smiles remains and she raises both hands in a motion of surrender. "Looks like you got me..."      "...Not~"      Sticking out her tongue, the researcher's entire body immediately bursts into an aura of flame, swirling around her form and immediately melting the ice away from her feet. Oh, such extreme cold still stung after the fact, but she was free now! Once again not wasting any further time posturing, Xiao stepped in, and then dashed forward with a boost from her anklets, barreling right into melee range with her opponent.      Fists clenched, and flames rolling across her form, she starts into a bajiquan kata, consisting of a flaming open palm strike aimed right for the midsection, followed by a swift turn of the body and a literal back thrust to follow up, causing a small burst of fire to rush off of her form toward the sage fox. 

:'''{{#var:255|Setsuko Kaminagi (255)}} has posed:'''     "No," Setsuko replies. "For once, I don't."     Zanjintou snaps. Setsuko swings it. It's grown to its full size by the time it reaches Sanary, the immense weapon moving with impossible speed. But where it clashes against that shield, the swordswoman doesn't lift the blade out of the way or push out of the lock. No, she pushes /into/ it, leveraging the weight of the colossal blade and her own inhuman strength to try and push Sanary back. Step by step.     "I don't ask that you help me stop them. I don't ask that you betray your people. But do you even know what Blakely's done? Who she's done it to? She's kidnapped a girl, who has been tricked into a life of horror and misery with no escape. A girl whose life is already suffering. And from what I know of her, it's to use that poor girl for a fate worse than death." The swordswoman shifts her stance, trying to push Sanary /down/. "If you would stand in defense of this /atrocity/, then you are condoning it!" 

:'''{{#var:824|Fiora Laurent (824)}} has posed:'''     Fiora is fine with getting out of the way. She just shoots past the construct, ducks behind a corner in the alley, and lets him do his thing. It more or less cuts her out of the fight, but.. she does look around, to see if there are any other Confederates lying in wait, or otherwise nearby. When Homura mentions the roof, however, she doesn't hesitate. Taking a short running start, she leaps against one of the walls of the alley. And up, between the two buildings, where she ends up atop them. Now, to see about that other presence here, that Homura mentioned. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Fire against ice, is it? Xiaomu shakes her head briefly, and turns up the heat. .... well, no. She does the exact opposite - she turns the heat DOWN, with a combination of the Roc's Icebrand and the ice/water magic of Suiren, the cane-sword hidden inside her monk's staff. The latter basically generates an aura of intense cold as Xiaomu meets Xiao Li Yu's hand-to-hand with staff techniques, although she's using the staff more one-handed than anything - focusing on defense with it, really, and implementing close-combat gunfire for her offense. Yeah. She can do that. Roc's Icebrand may not have a blade or anything worked into its frame, but Xiaomu learned *long* ago that enemies won't always let you put your gun away and draw your sword when a fight abruptly goes from ranged combat to up-close-and-personal like this. She's still likely to get singed in the process, though - and it's even more likely that the steam as ice magic meets fire magic is going to impede their vision. Xiaomu can live with that, though; she's got senses besides her vision, and extra tricks up her sleeves (if she had sleeves). 

:'''{{#var:108|Winnowill (108)}} has posed:''' The hammering waves of pain do indeed lessen as the shield goes up around Psyber. Winnowill frowns, but she isn't that surprised. The Elites of the Multiverse have many varied abilities. Ah well. There are other ways to get under someone's skin... or pages. A smaller gesture forces a ripping, tearing noise from the alley nearby, turning something within into something else. A few seconds later and a screeching giant RAT leaps from teh shadows. Leaps... and glides, with a lashing naked tail barbed with a stinger going for Psyber to keep him distracted while Winnowill tries to find out who is interfering with her. "Keep him busy, my pet." 

:'''{{#var:996|Fate Testarossa (996)}} has posed:''' What is Fate up to, exactly? She is watching, intently. Scarlet eyes locked on the construct in motion- as it engages, and fights, and loses limbs. But she also listens. Her eyes narrow as she picks up on snippets, Kidnapping. Taking advantage of another's suffering. She frowns. Wholly unaware of Fiora leaping her way up to the roof, that's how engrossed she is, in the moment. "Hiiiiii~." Arf, on the other hand, is not so lost in internal conflict. In fact she's right there at the top, waiting for the swordswoman. Her and her fist ar waiting, considering she leaps down to meet her on the way up. "Sorry but this roof's taken, find your own." Wolves can be territorial, you know. 

:'''{{#var:714|Sanary Rondel (714)}} has posed:''' It's a good thing Sanary hasn't eaten recently.      Seeing that massive blade coming straight for her, the healer quickly diverts a burst of magical energy into her arms while bracing both arms against the shield, stepping forward to meet the blade and grunting heavily at the clash of metal on metal. Even with magic augmenting her strength and endurance, she's still fighting way above her league here! Bones strain, muscles tear, and it's only with the magic and her armor's innate power augmenting her defensive abilities that she's even able to (barely) withstand that first strike!      "Kkghk... And the Union's better than that? They'd never stop other people from getting stronger just so nobody could challenge them?" She digs her heels in, buckling for a moment before pushing back to try and keep herself from giving any more ground. "Or they'd never... Put failures back in power just because it's better than letting non-humans live?"      More buckling, but Sanary's starting to duck down a little further as her tone grows more serious and even angry as well! "Or they'd never... Blow up an entire village without even thinking to try and save anyone first?!"      Yep, she's getting angry, too. "Don't pretend the Union's any better!" And with that, she abruptly pokes her head around to fire off an explosive eye laser at the ground, trying to take out Setsuko's footing to buy herself some time! 

:'''{{#var:824|Fiora Laurent (824)}} has posed:'''     Fiora wasn't really planning on getting attacked on her way up, and is hit in the jaw, for her trouble. She's knocked to the side of the building, but quickly finds her footing, and returns the favor before she tries to make her way back upwards again. "Good evening. I trust you are not with them. Fiora addresses Fate, gesturing to the construct below. "I cannot imagine a young lady your age, nearly the same age as the girl who they kidnapped, as being affiliated with them. But, if you are, then.. I suppose we will have to fight." She has her sword out, still, but seems content to wait for a reply. 

:'''{{#var:823|Xiao Li Yu (823)}} has posed:'''      More like ice against fire, lightning, ....and whatever else this mad scientist had up her sleeves. And of course, she doesn't let Xiaomu put the gun away to draw her sword. She's seen what that thing can do. Nuh uh! Palm meets staff, and fire and ice collide, rapidly turning into a hissing steam. But she doesn't stop. Turning into the back thrust, she veers her head aside, just in time to have a bullet whizz right past, taking a few stray strands of hair with it, as well as icing her shoulder. Bah. That was close.      This little dance of fist against staff and gun, blows barely missing or grazing when they otherwise would have hit, continues for a short while, neither opponent gaining the upper hand, until the scientist decides to change things up a bit. Suddenly, the flame aura dies, and she smiles, dipping low under another shot that barely misses.      "Bio."      Suddenly, in its place, a sickly green aura, oozing concentrated, acidic poison bubbles to life around Xiao. Then, she lashes out with a sweep kick to the sage fox's legs, before following it up with a rise and poison cloaked fist aimed precisely for her side. 

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''     Psyber lets out a grunt as the R'lyeh Texts put a mental shield on him that manages to take the pain from Excruciating and downgrade it to 'immense'. While it can't block it completely, Psyber can at least manage to get to his feet again after that. Homura has said she will handle the giant rat, on the stipulation that Psyber handle whoever was messing with his head. It's a fair deal.     He wipes the blood from his nose and lets out a slow sigh. He holsters the handgun, throws the shotun so that it hangs across his back, and then begins stomping his way off. He looks fairly pissed off, the combination of Anne messing with a Soul Gem and someone messing with his mind setting him into full tilt mode. He doesn't know where Winnowill is, exactly.     He doesn't plan to let that stop him, though, since he's dodging the spined tail and running down the alley the rat emerged from, intending to backtrack where it came from to its owner. Anything that gets in his way: Dumpsters, cars, errant fencing or street posts? Those get shoved out of the way as Psyber angrily snarls.     "Come out, come out, where ever you are." 

:'''{{#var:2|Homura Akemi (2)}} has posed:'''     That sure is a giant rat. With a stinger on its tail, and the ability to glide. Though she's sure Psyber can handle it, his efforts and power are best channeled trying to find the person causing him pain, while the weaker Puella Magi handles the monstrous rat.     She can make a pretty passable mage, truth told, it shouldn't raise any red flags with Anne, if she's observing at all. Homura motions towards the R'lyeh Text, who turns back into a flurry of pages and gathers up into one of Homura's empty hands, now as a simple leather(?) bound book... well, less a book and more like a single chapter or two, messily bound together, with pages and bookmarks sticking out.     "Mglw'nafh fhthagn-ngah cf'ayak 'vulgtmm vugtlag'n." Homura manages without breaking her tongue, drawing on the verious spells and incantations in the book. Out of nearby shadows, a thin grey figure emerges, taller than a normal man. Grey and black skin, not unlike a gargoyle, with bat wings and a completely blank face-- no eyes, node or mouth-- describes the night-gaunt, long fingers like claws and body with barely any flesh over the bones.     It lunges for the rat, trying to plant all four of its limbs into it like knives. Sadly, Homura's skill at summoning creatures isn't comparable to Winnowill, and that night-gaunt might not win the wrestling match. It should be able to keep Psyber in the clear, though, at least for a bit. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     "Hmmmn..." Anne ponders. Apparently she didn't order the construct to attack Staren! That makes it interesting. Anne laces her fingers together, for now not paying any attention to the rest. Her allies have things in hand... probably. There's some concern over who is doing what, isn't there? But she's paying more attention to the construct's performance... which is going to be the most interesting.     The explosions that hammer the chassis rend armor plating from it, and 'Ruibot' is hurled backward! Slamming into a far wall, two more of its arms are shorn away, one of them a complete wreck! This... is not as bad as it seems. Now down to two arms, one of them whips out the crackling magical lasso and gathers up some of the parts, working at high speed to stitch together two serviceable arms from the wreckage of four. The new ones aren't as agile as the first, but they are usable.     It moves with blurred speed, like displacing itself. The damage to the torso reveals something, though... that glow of bluish-white light is definitely coming from within, from a singular source, and it's... dimming steadily.     Also it just threw a car at Staren.     Homura is fortunate to avoid attention. With Anne's talent for learning how things work, she might piece things together anyway. The summoning of a nightgaunt brings a more interested look. "Now that's a daring move..." 

:'''{{#var:255|Setsuko Kaminagi (255)}} has posed:'''     "Blow up an entire village...?! What are you /talking/ about?" Setsuko seems content to force the confrontation like this; despite her words before, she seems to be trying to end this with as little direct fighting as possible. But when Sanary fights back with accusations like that-     And then there's a blast without warning. The ground buckles, Setsuko's leg is scorched, and her whole body twists with the sudden loss of footing to support her inhuman strength. It lasts only a second, but that's enough to break that lock.     And to leave Setsuko staring at Sanary, her eyes narrowed. That cold look in them has only hardened further. "...my life has been misery, Sanary Rondel. Everything I had was taken from me by treachery and war crimes. All that I had was turned to ashes by the the kind of people you accuse the Union of being. If I thought for one moment that they were guilty of what you claim, I would turn my blade on them in a heartbeat."     Her grip tenses, her stance shifts, and... she pauses, holding Zanjintou to one side. "...one last time. If you have words for the company I keep, I'll hear them later. But regardless of what crimes you believe the Union guilty, something just as bad or /worse/ is happening right now. Stand aside. Let us save one little girl. Don't stain your hands defending Blakely's behavior. /Please/." There's a note of finality to it this time. A last offer - a last /request/. The point of no return. 

:'''{{#var:996|Fate Testarossa (996)}} has posed:''' Arf prides herself on a few things. Being as protective of Fate as she is. And the fact that she's got a really good right cross. The fact that Fiora eats the blow so well and plants a proper landing afterwards makes the wolf-woman pauce, glancing at her knuckles before shaking her hand out. "Wow so you don't have a glass jaw. This should be fun, then." Arf decides, cracking her knickles. "Arf." It's Fate's voice that stalls her though. Scarlet eyes shift off the streets below, as the girl glances over her shoulder to Fiora. She says nothing. But Fiora clearly has her attention. She had best get talking, because Arf looks like she's already tugging at the end of a short leash, for a brawl. 

:'''{{#var:108|Winnowill (108)}} has posed:''' Eh, it's fair that Psyber would go after her. Winnowill scowls as the nightgaunt brings a screeching match to the table, wrestling wildly with the rat that she's mutated. The tail lashes viciously at Homura's summon, wrapping around the neck and stinging repeatedly, while the nightgaunt's monstrous strength is snapping bones. Oh well. Psyber should recognize the woman that is down the alleyway. Winnowill isn't trying to hide. Dark hair is tossed over one shoulder as she flutters eyes, daring to give Psyber a 'come hither' look even as the blunted assault on his mind doesn't let up. "Oh, you've found me." 

:'''{{#var:824|Fiora Laurent (824)}} has posed:'''     "Ah. So you did not know that." Fiora continues, as Fate calls off her attacker. "That girl I spoke of. Whatever pact she made, it resulted in her soul being separated from her body. That soul is being used to power the machine in question. As for the girl herself, I cannot say. But, should they have harmed her, they will not be shown any mercy. It is unlikely we will, either way, so disgusting is this action." She makes her case, to Fate, with what she knows of the situation. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     The construct is backing off...? Staren follows up with the beam cannons again, just on general principle of taking any opportunities he gets. "Repairing yourself!? Oh no you don't..." Staren dodges the car, able to move pretty fast between robotic muscles, thrusters, and the magic wings. He just can't move quite as fast as the construct.     Hopefully anyone behind Staren dodges the car too.     That blue glow... now he sees what he has to do! Staren runs up to it, trying to reach into the hole in its torso... if he can just grab the gem...! 

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''     Psyber comes to a stop and response to Winnowill's flat-eyed stare that exudes rage and exhaustion. The half-angel DOES recognize Winnowill. He'd seen her once or twice. But there's a reason she actually sticks in his head more than one would expect, with how long it's been since their last encounter. One she is likely not even aware of.     Of all the people in the Multiverse... of all the people Psyber had ever encountered... Winnowill held an exclusive honor.     Winnowill was the ONLY person /Elliana Fairchild/ had told Psyber never to trust under any circumstances.     He reaches towards the notepad in his back pocket, tearing a page off of it that quickly forms into a simple-looking sword, "Yeah. Found you." He flicks the blade in his hand, white fire igniting on the blade.     "I've always wondered. Care to see if this sword is as effective as you as it is against Shajem. I've always wondered what kinds of beings were analogous."     His footing is steady and his stance is strong, even if her ongoing psychic assault is taking its toll on Psyber's well-being. He knows that if he fights her, it's gonna be an uphill battle against both her power an his encroaching exhaustion. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' "That's not even an elem--" *WHAP* Xiaomu winces as the enchanted kick and punch assault her. Elemental or not, thinks the sage fox, that hurt in a way that purely physical attacks *shouldn't* - and she can tell it's a lingering effect. How long it'll linger, she doesn't really want to know; she just hopes she can shake it off before this fight reaches its end. She also, thanks to that leg sweep, is now flat on her back, which tends to screw up her fighting rhythm. But a quick plant of her staff lets Xiaomu scramble back to her feet, and she kicks out at Xiao Li Yu along the way for good measure. Oh, how she wishes she'd brought grenades this time - but then, it wasn't supposed to be a massive brawl like this, just an investigation and hopefully a rescue mission ... and fire-elemental grenades don't mix well with rescuing prisoners or hostages in close proximity to the actual fighting. She'll just make the best of the situation she can ... and she starts by holstering Roc's Icebrand, freeing up her right hand to help with melee. "Now where were we? It's not like *that* little magic trick can make me any sicker than you already do ... not to mention your allies playing with souls. Wonder what they'd do with yours if I cut it loose from your body?" Rather than going for a killing strike, though - as much as Xiaomu MIGHT want to do that - she tightens her grip on Suiren's staff/sheath, then lunges at Xiao Li Yu with a loud yell of, "XIAOMU SURFING!!" ... and then tries to finish the pounce by freezing Xiao Li Yu into a block of ice, followed by riding that block of ice down the street and into a handy wall. The ice isn't strong enough to shatter its victim, assuming the maneuver *works* - but the ice magic will bite deep enough, and this is a fun maneuver for rattling most enemies' composure in the process. 

:'''{{#var:714|Sanary Rondel (714)}} has posed:''' "Archer's an asshole, and he blew up my home!" Sanary's never letting that go, is she? Sure, she might be leaving out some details, but it's clear that that's the main thing that's stuck with her. Thankful for that brief respite, the healer staggers back to get some more of that energy flowing through her, trying to mend the worst of her wounds while Setsuko's speaking.      "... Well. Good to know you're not going to listen blindly to them, then." She chuckles lightly at how little sense that last part made and winces, directing a bit of that energy to her chest to get some healing there as well. Just how much damage did she take from that first clash?      "I was there for every one of those, but... Sure, later. Right now, though..." She straightens up and tilts her head from side to side, jerking it a bit to get her neck cricking. The healer takes a deep breath, then raises her staff to her side as if she's going to drop it...      ... And then it glows as she channels power into it. She's trying to use the Mend Staff for long-distance healing of Xiao, it seems! "Even if I don't like what's happening, I can't just let you go after my friends, either." She lets out a resigned sigh, then braces herself for another attack. "Come on. Let's see how hard you can really hit, Setsuko!" 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     The car explodes with a dull whump, crashing into the wall behind and causing way too much property damage. When the shooting started, the civilians took off, fortunately. That leaves the whips snapping around Staren's body, the robot getting squeezed and sheared by the burning hot magical whips trying to rend him apart.     There's a little help there in that the construct is still super fast... but it isn't moving, because it's tied up. A flaw in the powerset? The buckling pressure it is taken, not to mention the damage from Psyber's gun and Fiora's sword earlier, make it possible to tear open a hole in the armor that is now revealing the tubes and wires - tension wires, not electrical - filling the cavity. That, and a gem of silvery blue, more than three-quarters filled with a bubbling darkness that is slowly taking over as the magic is used up. 

:'''{{#var:255|Setsuko Kaminagi (255)}} has posed:'''     "...then I'm sorry, Sanary. And if you survive, we will talk again. But for now I must consider you party to her crimes."     That 'if' says a lot - and all of it intended.     The instant that staff begins to glow, Setsuko lashes out. It seems impossible for her to swing a massive blade that fast. But she does, swinging the divine sword around with all her might, straight at that healing staff. It's specifically intended to break the staff, Sanary's concentration, her /arm/ if need be; Setsuko of all people knows how potent a tactical advantage the girl's healing can be, and she's been prepared to interfere with it from the start. But that's only the first blow.     Once the God-Cutting Blade begins to move, it doesn't stop. After the first strike, she whips it around for a second. Whirls it up and over for a third. Her style with the oversized weapon is impossibly flowing and forceful, and each swing carves through nearby lamp posts, parking meters, and even the ground as if it were butter. And while her strikes are primarily aimed for Sanary's staff, trying to abate that healing, she's also taking more lethal swings as well, any time she spots what even might be an opening. 

:'''{{#var:996|Fate Testarossa (996)}} has posed:''' It's explained, then. Fate remains silent as Fiora fills her in. Though Arf practically chomps at her metaphorical bit for the fight, Fate yanks the proverbial chain. "Arf. We're leaving." That's it. It's as easy as that. Though the wolf-familar's jaw drops as she's denied a chance to tussle. "But Fate she's RIGHT HERE COME ON!" "And?" The chide is frigid, but the truth is... Fate Testarossa might be a little bit scared. Of Precia finding out the power source of Blakely's device. Of her mother becoming interested in this new kind of Lost Logia. She chalks it off as a wash, for now, when she looks back at the damaged construct. A flash of golden light forms a runic sigil at her feet. And with a clap of thunder she takes her Familiar and decides to simply disengage. 

:'''{{#var:2|Homura Akemi (2)}} has posed:'''     Repeated stabs into the night-gaunt's neck turn out pretty effective. It might be a dreamworld horror but its humanoid composition still results in glaring weakpoints. Before the faceless, gargoyle-like creature can kill the rat, the rat's tail manages to slay it; slamming to the ground, the night-gaunt turns into black and grey mist, seeping back into the ground and the shadows it came from.     With the rat likely still alive, Homura flips the pages of the open Text, pointing at it with a brief surge of magic. "Uln'fhalma n'gha goka."     It's rushed. She knows it takes way more than one line, five seconds and a bit of magic to materialize something like that, but even if it only stays physical for five seconds it should be enough. There's also no body of water nearby... so it definitely won't be very effective. Best not take chances, though. She'd rather not find out the rat can still kill someone by having it leap at her and stab her in the throat, you know?     The ground under the rat ripples like water; a gigantic, scaly hand that smells like dead fish surges out, the only part of Mother Hydra that can fit through at all without any water nearby to accomodate her. It, simply, attempts to crush the rat, and then breaks apart, its summoning unable to accomodate its stay.     So if that doesn't work, Homura's in trouble. Silver lining, she'll have learned a very valuable life lesson about not trying things she hasn't practiced much yet. 

:'''{{#var:823|Xiao Li Yu (823)}} has posed:'''      Xiao Li Yu would have pressed the assualt, but a kick into a her gut sends her stumbling back, giving Xiaomu time to get back up and recover. Bah! But then that was also expected. You don't live five million years without becoming awfully skilled at not dying. ...There may be a few more zeroes tacked on than necessary.      Nonetheless, the scientist was expecting some kind of traditional attack, not XIAOMU SURFING, so she's caught completely by surprise, and summarily pounced on. "Wha-hey!" She cries as suddenly, the two of them are sliiiiiding down the street, frozen and unable to move. Damn it, she couldn't continue using Bio. It was back to fire!      She was not going to unfreeze in time, but that wasn't her goal. Her body flared to life with rolling flames once more, the ice encasing her rapidly melting. Her hands thawed first, and...rather than trie and break the rest free, she did something else. Her gauntlets began to shift, folding and leaving her arms in multiple metal fragments and formed into about twelve identical floating blades that levitated in the air.      "Phantom...Weapon...!" She ground out RIGHT before she and Xiaomu made impact with the wall, producing a cry of pain from the scientist. "Augh!" She collapsed face down after that... But apparently it wasn't quite over.      "...Launch~"      Xiao speaks while face down, causing the levitating black swords located in the air around the two to come to life with streaks of orange and red... And then they all pointed towards Xiaomu, bursting forward and converging into the sage fox as blurry, red hot streaks, all aiming for arms, legs, torso, whatever they could find.      Better get out of there. 

:'''{{#var:108|Winnowill (108)}} has posed:''' Oh, a sword. Winnowill actually laughs. "You are thinking I am one of your 'unholy' beings? Nothing of the sort. I am simply a visitor returning home. Your kind are too short-lived to understand why." The mental assault keeps coming... steadily building, hurling against the half-angel's defenses. Winnowill, despite her words, takes a step back with the expression not of surprise... but of someone who has seen this before, someone with this seething anger, and not been pleased with the outcome. There is one last line of defense though. As Psyber nears, he'll enter into her 'healing' influence. Healing that causes blood to boil and flesh to twist, bones to grind and pulverize one another, of some power trying to sieze him and try to stop his heart. The good thing is that the rat was never meant to last long. It squeals loudly before the sqeak cuts off abruptly. That's one less thing to worry about. Not so good for Winnowill, because now that Psyber is close, she's going against his regeneration... and she's not so good against swords. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     This is to save a life...     The whips are shearing through armor. Staren pours much of his reactor's power into electrifying the surface, trying to damage the construct. He makes a brief attempt to blast the whips with the beam cannons, but if that doesn't work...     He just has to get that gem. Then his allies can work something out. Through the hole in the armor, he tries to crush or tear free some of the tubes and wires, hoping to impair the construct's function... 

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''     "Actually. Fun history lesson..." Psyber twirls Sovereign in his hand, "The Shajem weren't inherently unholy beings, so much as they were incredibly old beings with instinctual powers and dangerous reality-warping." Psyber notes, taking a step towards Winnowill.     That step puts him right into her healing influence, "My kind?" Psyber tilts his head. The mental assault was one thing, but messing with his body is a different beast. Psyber's natural regeneration kicks into overdrive as he steps into the field, glaring at her, "You called yourself evil, not me. I just think you're a bitch." He tells her flatly.     The field is definitely having an effect on him. Blood pours from the corner of his mouth as his heart stops, starts again, stops once more, restarts. It's excruciatingly painful, but he's pushing through. The breaking and grinding of bones is equally awful, though he's marching towards her, "So. Context re-established..." He manages to grunt out amidst the pain, lifting up Sovereign.     "Let's see if you count as a Shajem."     He swipes the sword down towards her once, the blade leaving a trail of white flame behind it as he comes down towards her with it. 

:'''{{#var:714|Sanary Rondel (714)}} has posed:''' As expected. Sanary chuckles bitterly as she readies her shield, tossing the Physic staff aside after getting only a bit of that magic pumped into it. It's certainly not the full healing effect that sort of staff would provide, but at least a small pick-me-up is better than nothing! She just has to hope there's still enough power for the energy to even to reach Xiao.      "... Sounds good. Next time, then." Also, not dying. Not dying would be very good. With both hands on the shield now, Sanary's refocusing her magical energy into reinforcing her limbs and body once more, hunkering down behind the shield and grimacing at each heavy impact ringing through the shield after the other. Chunks of steel, scale, and bones peel right off the shield and her armor with each swing, and the staff doesn't even stand a chance what with being made of wood and all.      It's all she can do just to not get knocked right off her feet or collapse in a pool of her own blood! Blood sprays out from her limbs as they're getting torn up moments later, both from trying to withstand the impacts of each barely blocked swing and the blade itself ripping through the wound desparately trying to heal themselves over.      All she can bank on now is hoping something unexpected happens, or that Setsuko doesn't notice the floating gray lumps starting to form into bricks. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' It's not as though Xiaomu was going to simply stay perched on Xiao Li Yu for THAT long; she routinely jumps off of a frozen enemy before the ice can shatter, and she's doing so this time as well. Xiao Li Yu DOES mess the timing up a bit with her fire magic and her 'struggling,' plus those blades flying off out of the ice and in different directions. But when Xiao Li Yu finishes her invocation and command, the sage fox is leaping away for other reasons, which probably spares her a certain amount of injury. Not all of it, though. Her arms and torso are basically spared, but the burning blades rip through her legs hard enough to elicit a LOUD yelp of pain and fury. "Oh, you bitch ... DAKKI NO KATA!!" With her legs torn up like that, Xiaomu can't give chase physically, and she's not even trying to. What she *can* do - and is endeavoring to do - is leach enough life energy away from Xiao Li Yu to weaken her, and patch herself up some. If Xiao Li Yu is dedicated to booking it out of there, she can do so. And it's not as if the Dakki no Kata ever does fatal damage; that would take too long, and too much effort, and just generally be too inefficient. It'd also hurt too much - both Xiaomu and her victim - and she doesn't have a reason to inflict or endure that kind of agony; it ain't worth it, even for someone who pisses her off as personally as the Confederate mage-researcher. 

:'''{{#var:108|Winnowill (108)}} has posed:''' Winnowill takes another step back... and shrieks! She's alien... but not in the Eldritch way. In her world, she's equivalent to the little green men kind of alien, and her abilities, while fantastic, are not unknown to others. She's not the sort of reality-twisting monster a Shajem is. She is, however, made of flesh and blood and nothing more. The blade cleaves into her with great ease, since she has little defense herself, and blood sprays everywhere. Collapsing to the ground, Winnowill gasps and coughs, clutching the deep wound in her chest. The deep, fatal wound. Yet even as she's holding it, the wound begins to knit together, magical power flowing through her hand. This is sapping her greatly though... the process of doing so causes her face to grow longer, her eyes wider, and her ears to taper noticeably as she slips toward her natural form. In one last, desperate strike she sends a massive, desperate, adrenaline-fueled psychic blast of utter pain toward Psyber's mind, to try to give her time to crawl away and heal. 

:'''{{#var:824|Fiora Laurent (824)}} has posed:'''     Fiora sheathes her weapon, as Fate decides to withdraw. She makes note of her, to her allies, and decides to retreat back to where Homura is. Just to make sure someone is covering her. The others, for now, seem to have their hands full. 

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''     "Motherfu-"     Even with the shield from the R'lyeh texts, Psyber is driven to his knees by the psychic blast from Winnowill. He scored a nasty hit against her, but she managed to do a lot to him in turn. And when that last blast hits him, Psyber lets out an actual cry of pain as opposed to the minimalist grunt or wince he was doing earlier.     Between the mix of that and her weird field of healing, Psyber horks up a pool of blood onto the ground underneath himself and tries to come out of a pain-filled haze to make sense of the world. It certainly gives Winnowill the time to escape. Psyber is going to have to plan a way to mitigate her in the future. 

:'''{{#var:823|Xiao Li Yu (823)}} has posed:'''      "Hee hee hee~" Xiao giggles as she sits up, but doesn't bother getting up fully. She just sits there on the ground, watching Xiaomu grouse about her legs. Sanary's healing energy, what little could reach her, did help her not lose consciousness from that impact, but there wasn't much more left in the researcher for further combat.      Of course, that didn't mean she was going to just let herself be drained. No noo nooooo. Right as she can feel the sage fox's draining energy beginning to sap away at her strength, the girl reached out with an arm, several black swords gathering up and forming back into a gauntlet upon which she utters, "Drain"      A pale green aura surrounds her, which then is fired right at Xiaomu, aiming to strike her not to inflict physical harm, but to establish a draining link, which would very well cause a vitality draining tug of war between the two. "Ah ah ah~ You're not the only one who can do that, you know~?"      ...Of course, she wasn't going to say out loud that Xiaomu's drain was just a bit stronger than her own. But she could bluff while she stood up, smirking all the while. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Arguably, draining DOES count as 'physical harm' in a way ... although Xiaomu's never talked to an expert physician to try and sort out how the 'physical' harm gets inflicted. All she knows is that if you drain more energy than somebody or something has, they fall over dead ... and it's a really unpleasant way to go. Maybe some of those old Buddhist lessons stuck with the sage fox after all. Either way, when Xiao Li Yu fires up HER draining spell, Xiaomu just gives her the mother of all withering looks, with a distinct vibe of 'are you kidding me?'. And she sustains the Dakki no Kata as best she can. On the plus side, *her* legs are mending enough that she won't limp too much, and she shouldn't - hopefully - have to worry about scars when she heals up. She will, however, need to heal up. She may even need a lift back to her native Tokyo. Certainly she looks like she might be leaning on her staff; her left hand grips it tightly, the staff's butt braced against the ground for whatever reason as Xiaomu's right hand holds the 'ball of light' through which she focuses the Dakki no Kata. It is entirely possibly that every fiber of her stance adds up to a measured attempt to call Xiao Li Yu's bluff. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     The bad side is that the construct Staren is wrestling with auto-repairs, and those wires and tubes auto-repair very fast! But... they are just wires and tubes, so tearing through them allows him to reach the Soul Gem rather quickly. And yanking it out...     The construct slumps and becomes little more than a lump of metal parts. Anne could animate it personally, but by now that's a losing proposition, as its power would be dramatically lessened... and she has other things to handle.     Like helping Winnowill up. "I think that's enough. A very useful experiment, but while interesting I don't think using those gems as-is is a viable alternative." Alternative to what? She's half talking to herself.     The important thing is she's calling for a withdrawal. 

:'''{{#var:823|Xiao Li Yu (823)}} has posed:'''      Crap.      That was supposed to be the part where Xiaomu gave up and crawled away.      Xiao Li Yu manages to keep smiling, but a bead of sweat rolls down her cheek as she feels the ebb and flow of life energy tugging between the two of them...      But then Anne calls for a retreat. The scientist looks aside briefly, before looking back at Xiaomu and keeping her sweet smile maintained. "Well! It looks like that's out cue." She raised her other hand, fluttering it cutely. "I'll see you again some other time, Miss Imperial Walrus. After all, I have yet to get a blood sample~"      And then she cuts the spell off, feeling Xiaomu's drain flooding in and pulling at her, but she leaps away, anklets flaring to life as she rapidly flies backwards through the air, creating distance as they separate.      ...Once she was sufficiently far away though: "...Ow." She grumbled to herself tiredly. 

:'''{{#var:255|Setsuko Kaminagi (255)}} has posed:'''     Unfortunately for Sanary, Setsuko has watched her fight. Has fought alongside her. And Setsuko is the kind of person to note her allies' fighting styles. Both so that she can work better with them, and - in cases where she fights alongside Confederates rather than against them - should she have to draw her weapon against them later. So amidst all those strikes, those glowing-blue eyes are watching for the forming masonry. Waiting for it to coalesce further.     And at the point where they're close to fully formed - when Sanary has expended the most energy on them without making them usable just yet - the massive blade of Zanjintou suddenly disappears.     Suddenly, Setsuko is there, practically in Sanary's face. And a normal-sized, normal-shaped katana is whipping through the air with incredible speed and precision. One by one, striking out at each forming brick in turn, as Setsuko herself leaps, turns, rolls and flips. Systematically trying to lock down her opponent's counterattack, while keeping herself mobile enough that 'closing into point-blank range' isn't as bad an idea as it first seems.     But as her feet touch against the ground and she turns to swing another attack, her eyes catch the construct going limp and its master ordering a withdrawal. Just like that, the swordswoman stops. And, indeed, leaps backwards, far enough to open some room between her and Sanary. She still holds Zanjintou in one hand, a posture simultaneously 'cautious' and 'warning'; but there is no further attack.     It's an open, silent offer to retreat. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Holy shit, he actually got it! <> he transmits, then, with the construct de-activating, manifests his wings and starts to fly into the sky... then decides that's dangerous, with people on rooftop, so he just tries to make it back to Homura and Psyber. He puts the gem inside his magic bag for now.     He'd /like/ to take the construct for study.     He'd /like/ to find the girl's body, too.     He'd like a lot of things, but right now protecting the gem is first priority. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Either the Dakki no Kata has a distance limit, or Xiaomu cut it off willingly as her opponent finally withdrew. There is a very faint smirk on the blonde foxgirl's face as she counts herself the overall winner of that exchange. You'd have to be looking really closely for it, though - and the reminder that Li Yu still wants a blood sample does its usual complete-lack-of-anything-positive for Xiaomu's mood. Also, her legs may have been somewhat mended, but that's mostly enough to control the bleeding and make it easier for her to heal cleanly. Xiaomu still needs to lean on her staff a bit as she moves off to rendezvous with the other Unionites. 

:'''{{#var:714|Sanary Rondel (714)}} has posed:''' A call to withdraw? Perfect. Setsuko tearing her bricks to shreds? Not so perfect. Setsuko not cleaving through her? Close enough to perfect.      Sanary's still shaking even as the swordswoman backs off, keeping that energy circulating through her body to stem the flow of blood out of her body. That look, that posture, it's all coming through quite clearly to the healer as she backs away slowly herself. She glances towards her allies falling back as well, drawing the spare staff and pausing for a moment before turning to Setsuko again.      She mouths something silently, there's a brief shrug at the end, and then the healer starts limping away while trying to get some of her allies patched up on the way. Sanary's not going to stick around longer than she needs to, after all! 
}}

4223/Getting the Ley of the Land

2016-08-13T20:24:11Z

Kino: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2016/06/16 |Location=RIFTS Earth |Synopsis=Something bad is happening near Lazlo. |Cast of Characters=983, 592, 930, 336, 991, 42, 834, 998, 992 |p..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2016/06/16
|Location=RIFTS Earth
|Synopsis=Something bad is happening near Lazlo.
|Cast of Characters=983, 592, 930, 336, 991, 42, 834, 998, 992
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     It's not all that strange for someone or something to take an interest in a nexus of ley line energy. The crackling bluish energies are stuffed full of magical power, and the nexus more than doubly so. It is also not that unusual for a dirigible to appear in Rifts Earth airspace, which has numerous strange and anachronistic technologies side by side.     What /is/ unusual is how the dirigible managed to secure the ley line nexus, despite the beings that had other thoughts on the matter. The lifting capacity is also impressive, as it had a cargo... a large box that was dropped on the nexus, and was now just sort of soaking up the energies therein while the airship hovered above. Truly it was a curious matter... and all too close to the border of Lazlo, especially when the first scouting party didn't return. 

:'''{{#var:592|Thranduil (592)}} has posed:'''      Thranduil arrives, wearing his shiny, ornate battle armor. At each hip is an equally ornate sword, indicating that he is a dual wielder. His plan was to get out a bit more and make some diplomatic connections. He looks around when he steps through the warp gate and his jaw practically hits the floor. Talk about culture shock...the Elvenking has never seen such things as aircraft, skyscrapers or neon lights. He takes a few tentative steps forward, grey eyes wide as saucers. As people bypass him on the sidewalk, he realises his throat is dry from gaping and swallows, struggling to keep calm. 

:'''{{#var:930|Alden (930)}} has posed:''' Alden is sightseeing!. The digimon decided to take a break from worrying about certain... stuff, and decided to explore the multiverse a bit more!. Right now, he is in his base form, walking slowly down the sidewalk, and having a reaction not too far from Thranduil's, this place was impressive, even if he WAS mroe familiar with modern cities. He walks around slowly, still near the warpgate, looking around at the people nearby, the different buildings, and especially, the flying machines. 

:'''{{#var:336|Starless Night (336)}} has posed:'''     Near the large crate at the nexus, a small camp has been set up. It doesn't have tents so much as propped up tarps in case of rain, along with several boxes and trunks and a few folding tables. A propane stove and range has been set upon one of them, which is currently turned on to heat a kettle. It appears, from the scent, that someone is preparing to make some tea.     This someone, for those who wander close enough to investigate, appears to be a young woman dressed in the typical garb of an attending maid to someone. The maid is shuffling about, her hair up in a bun, adjusting chairs and generally setting up a cozy little base camp near the crate... and also near some disturbing-looking cages with shackles in them. 

:'''{{#var:991|Stygian Mirror (991)}} has posed:'''     Arriving at one of the cages is Stygian Mirror, no disguise necessary. The white-haired, fox-eared, cat-tailed and lizard-eyed woman might well pass for a Lunar Exalted to the magically savvy, what with the way those animal features are trying, and failing, to make people ignore them via some form of a psychic attack. The bony tunic, gauntlets and boots, and the Soulsteel sword on her hip, probably tell a different story altogether.     Behind her, four people have been chained up. The first wears body armor from Lazlo, possibly a scout or policeman. The second is in wizard's robes, but various technological enhancements and flashing lights demonstrate he's not a fantasy spellslinger. He's also kind of old, probably in his 60's. The third looks like a tourist, unarmed, unarmored-- he probably has no business even being here, and just got caught at the wrong place and time. The last is some sort of mutant or beastman, a kind of eagle-man. Mirror is carrying their weapons and gadgets under her arms, while also managing to tug on the chains that bind all four of them, to get them to the maid prepping the cage.     "I think I saw others. They spread out pretty far, but I can probably catch them. There was a class of teenage students on a field trip too, this wizard guy here is their teacher. Arcane stuff I'm no good at. I didn't know magical schools were a thing." 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:''' A FEW MINUTES AGO     Staren sits at his desk in his office/bedroom on his spaceship. A comfier version of one of those wheeled office chairs, set in front of a metal desk with a large monitor on it, as well as a small framed picture of Twilight Sparkle smiling. There's a keyboard and mouse, but Staren doesn't actually use them -- He's leaning back in the chair, mentally browsing Multiverse Youtube.                               INCOMING CALL - ARL XZZYNI                               Staren accepts the call. The screen immediately jumps to an angry, anthropomorphic wolf who's leaning a bit too close to the camera. "STAREN!" Xzzyni snaps impatiently, startling Staren into tilting the chair too far back. The grizzled old wolfen's fur is going a lighter grey in places, but he has that drill instructor look to him that transcends age. "I'm okay!" Staren shouts back, getting up and shoving the chair aside to stand in front of the screen.     "An airship has appeared at a nearby ley line nexus. Not only has it driven off the local mages and scholars studying and using it, but a party of curious citizens that went to talk to them lost contact with us. /You/ are among the best equipped to investigate, deal with it if it's a problem, or let us know to send backup if it's a /big/ problem."     "Uh, y, yes sir." It's pretty rare that Staren actually gets missions these days. More could be exchanged, about backup plans and such, but Xzzyni knows full well that if Staren actually dies the catboy's layers of backup plans will lead to him hearing about it. So he doesn't waste time discussing them, just gives Staren sort of a 'go get 'em, soldier!' look and ends the call.     Staren suits up and teleports into his fighter's cockpit -- the Star Hawk is attached to the underside of the SSC Stranger than Fiction. It detaches and dives down to the Equestrian atmosphere, headed for their warp gate. HERE, NOW     The Star Hawk approaches from the Lake Ontario warp gate. <<Attention unidentified airship.>> Staren radios. Do they even have radio? <<This is Staren of the Lazlo Self-Defense Force. A welcoming party has disappeared in your vicinity. Identify yourself and explain.>>     If they don't respond, Staren will flyby for a closer look. 

:'''{{#var:834|Valentha Summers (834)}} has posed:''' A good many miles from lazlo, magical power flares within a small cave and an engraved circle energizes briefly. A figure emerges from the flash... Valentha Summers, and she's quick to hop onto her parked HOVERCYCLE and go roaring out towards the distant dirigible. Given how quiet it is, she may or may not be able to go by completely unnoticed, unlike Staren's giant mecha...     "Who uses BLIMPS these days? WHO?!" 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     The Drive Core Controller of Britannica has many projects on her plate in relation to the Multiverse. Today she's decided to look into other possible sources of energy, which may be useful as a source of system resources for her Drive.     Which brings her here to investigate magical ley lines.     The overhead passage of an airship was noted some time ago but largely ignored since it didn't seem to notice a brunette wandering the woods with a holographic screen. Lexicon hums to herself as she runs a little wand from side to side, examining the graphs as they change. Doing this, much like dousing, she decides on a direction and moves that way, keeping her wand's motion going to keep herself pointed in the right direction.     Which results in cresting a ridge overlooking a mystery crate, the airship from before, and some shady looking characters ferrying around less shady looking characters in chains. Immediately, Lexicon backs out of sight behind a stone formation. She glances at her screen, examining the readings. So that must be the source of it, but what exactly is going on, here? She dismisses her screen, then the wand, in similar flickers of digitized code. A frown crossing her face, Lexicon peeks back out around her cover, minimizing her presence until she has a good idea of just what is happening. 

:'''{{#var:992|Sigrun Stem (992)}} has posed:''' As far as strange vehicles go, Sigrun is holding the reins to a horseless chariot, driving out of the wormhole at near a hundred miles an hour, making quick turns to avoid anything in the way and make it where she's been pointed by Staren's aid. She stops two thirds of a mile away from the blimp, and with a wave and some glowing runes, the chariot stops being surrounded by winds. Likely the very winds that have been propelling the vehicle at those speeds. The sharpshooter takes position with a tree nearby for cover. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     Does the ship have radio? Yes, actually. Though the radio that answers is in the encampment below, not from the ship... and it's an old-style radio with the big microphone. Anne wanders out from the shade, over to where the radio sits on the table nearby, connected to a small dynamo for power. She clicks it on.     "Anne Blakely, here to research the effect of ley line energies on reinforcement and animation magics. I'm sorry, I wasn't aware of any welcoming party, maybe they got lost." Unlikely, but it's not like Anne actually cares.     She turns off the transmitter for now and wanders over toward Mirror, pretending to ignore her maid. "Oh, I like the old one. Hmm. Magic schools? I suppose that works." With a shrug, she starts examining the four in more detail, not even bothering to hide them. Whether or not the others can see they are in chains is up to them.     The approaching Star Hawk is met by a trio of small drones... helicopter drones that move MUCH faster than they have a right to, though still not on par with a jet's speed. They aren't attacking, but they do seem intent on falling into an escort pattern around the Star Hawk, probably analyzing the Valkyrie. 

:'''{{#var:930|Alden (930)}} has posed:''' The digimon has to admit, a rather large blimp was something new to him, enough to bring his attention and move closer to see what was going on about it, even if it meant going towards the rift. And of course, seeing the large mecha moving, simply made him even more curious!, now that was something he was unfamiliar with. He goes as far as digivolving to his Garurumon form, just to move faster for a closer look. 

:'''{{#var:991|Stygian Mirror (991)}} has posed:'''     Radio signals and traffic in the skies. Well, that's what she was hired for, she supposes. Mirror glances idly upwards, then back towards the cage, remembering to drop the weapons she's carrying. A pistol and a rifle from the man in armor, a fancy magitech staff from the wizard, a camera from the tourist (which Mirror has not identified as 'not a weapon'), and a bone knife from the eagle-man.     "Should I move out to catch them? They can't have gone very far. They might even have stuck around to help their old man out."     Truth is, she doesn't want to. But a job's a job, and it's been some very long years since she's learned to put duty before her moral compass. She does have episodes where she flips that around, but usually keeps it in check.     If she's aware in any way of the approaching parties, she doesn't show it. (She isn't.) 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     The Star Hawk transforms into hybrid mode as it slows down to approach, now looking like a jet with arms and chicken-walker legs. <<What about the people who were here when you arrived?>> Staren asks, skeptically. He doesn't have proof or anything, but this situation seems... suspicious.     He sees a cluster of people and zooms in with a thought. This is no distant sattelite photo with hard to make out details -- this is high-tech cameras not /that/ far from the ground.     Staren readies missile locks on the drones as the Star Hawk approaches the group -- if Anne elects to keep talking long enough for him to land, it will switch to humanoid form and demand that Mirror 'Explain what's going on immediately!' 

:'''{{#var:834|Valentha Summers (834)}} has posed:''' Valentha Summers, seemingly going unmolested, lands her craft on the way to the dirigible, and hides it in some brush.     What she does next is rather odd. She crouches down low, and starts searching for signs of passage. Footprints or vehicle tracks. Or, more unusual for someone that appears human, scents. Her nose is still sharp as a dragon's ever was, and she can definitely use that to her advantage.     If Staren's doing such a wonderful job of distracting them, she'll use the element of surprise to her advantage.     Which, well.. gets all the more in her favor because she completely fades out of sight and continues attempting to find and/or track a trail whilst invisible. 

:'''{{#var:336|Starless Night (336)}} has posed:'''     The maid helps relieve Mirror of her various weaponry that was gathered, helpfully laying it out nearby for examination. "Ah, I'm sure they went right toward the nearest town. Most people in this world seem more cowardly than anything else. I'm sure a small selection of mages in training won't be a problem."     The maid then bows politely to Mirror, and pulls the whistling kettle off to pour some tea, completely ignoring the fact that there are enslaved beings nearby and a giant robot landing. She has a job to do. 

:'''{{#var:992|Sigrun Stem (992)}} has posed:''' Though Sigrun is far from an expert on blimps, the opposite in fact, the idea of 'fill up a balloon with some gas and use it to float' is not alien to her, and this looks like a case of that. She also has some idea of how to deal with that. Taking into account the fact that this balloon is likely protected against that kind of interference, Sigrun tries it anyway, picking one of her more common specialty arrows. The glass-tipped arrow has a shaft covered in a spongy tissue. She looses the arrow aimed somewhat off-center, near the rear of the airship. Upon impact, the fire contained within the tip spreads outwards, spreading the now thoroughly burning spongy tissue far beyond the point of impact. 

:'''{{#var:930|Alden (930)}} has posed:''' The Garurumon only picks up the pace as it becomes clear that something is happening, what with the jet and the odd things starting to flank said transforming plane, clearly the blimp is the center of things!. Still, he decides to remain on the ground a bit more, even if he gets closer. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     Those approaching on foot will have an easier time seeing the cages, which are under a tarp. At least Anne keeps them out of the sun! Speaking of Anne, she turns to Mirror thoughtfully. "There's no need, as she said. I doubt they're a threat, and are of little use. We're here for research, not to depopulate the area." How nice. Though they're spared by apathy more than mercy, in the end it's the same!     She does look rather annoyed as Staren continues to approach and lands nearby. The drones circle around, now doing a flight in a triangular pattern about the humanoid mecha. Hands on her hips, she's sufficiently distracted that she looks up and completely misses Alden and Valentha approaching, though Starless and Mirror might. Maybe Staren was asking Mirror, but Anne will step up for Mirror. "I hired her, she's following my orders. Are you going to just loom around all day? I suppose you could volunteer, or your pilot anyway. I don't think our technological base is similar enough for me to get any use out of your machine."     Then Sigrun attacks the dirigible. A few things become clear.     - One: it is not filled with hydrogen, thankfully.     - Two: while the fabric is flame retardant, it is not fireproof, and starts to burn on several chambers to release the gass with a hiss. This causes the ship to list and two more drones to come out, working quickly to try to contain the fire.     "Mn. That one wasn't mine. While I did take out renter's insurance, that's awfully rude." The airship doesn't seem armed though. "Was that one of yours? Are we going to have to fight?"     It is notable that whatever is in the crate is definitely soaking up some of that power. 

:'''{{#var:991|Stygian Mirror (991)}} has posed:'''     Not having to chase a class down suits Mirror. Thank god. She nods to the maid and Anne, sparing a glance for the tea kettle. She wouldn't say no if it was offered, there's always time for good tea... and truth told she's had tea in much less savory places.     Sadly this is not to be, when Staren lands a very large machine down and makes demands. Anne steps forward to talk with it, while Mirror simply comments: "That's a... really fancy Warstrider. Or is it something else?" People seem to have weird terms for things here. She still doesn't know what a 'Big Seven' is. Nagato was not very helpful was she asked her.     Then flames! The dirigible was attacked.     Mirror reaches for her sword, frowning. She doesn't say a thing, since Anne is already handling the threats; instead she uses her enhanced vision to look around. Can she spot the other attacker, or any of the others sneaking about? Her fox ears twitch, too, listening for the slightest twig snap. 

:'''{{#var:930|Alden (930)}} has posed:''' Alden was not being particularly sneaky, all things said, he was moving to get a better look of the situation, perhaps realizing something was going to happen... between the jet, the smaller flying machines... the... cages?. The fire is what finally makes him snap into action, if only because he decides that a fire is not a good thing!. He stops running, mumbling as he forcibly devolves to his gabumon form, and uses a different card, no time to be cautious, he did hear blimps explode somewhere, so he should try to help!.      A swift card slide, and a bright flash of light (not very subtle.), and a metallic quadrupedal wolf takes to the air, moving towards the blimp to inspect the damage, and see if he can help contain said flames!. Of course, it is easy to misunderstand why he approaches given the situation... 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     For the most part, Lexicon isn't sure what to make of this unusual looking expedition. Of course it looks all kinds of shady, and yet, the trio is being awfully ambiguous about what they're doing-- and that's a giant robot. From her hidden position, the DCC simply follows along as things appear to steadily deteriorate. Someone's drawn a sword, and the airship is now on fire, there's a -- virus?-- on the loose over /there/...     While she doesn't move, Lexicon reaches behind herself. A swirl of code produces a silver hammer, which she grips one-handed while her observation continues. If tension keeps rising, this is going to turn into a fight before long. 

:'''{{#var:834|Valentha Summers (834)}} has posed:''' Valentha finds stifling her displeased growl difficult, but at least she's not in the thick of this mess. Having picked up on the signs, she hurries along the trail. Overhead... as someone attacked the dirigible, INVISIBLE Valentha looked up to see. It gets her frowning...     Sure, all signs point to heavy suspicion, but what if their team is up there?! 

:'''{{#var:992|Sigrun Stem (992)}} has posed:''' Sigrun makes no sound, barely any movement, from her distant position in cover. She's fairly focused on the airship she shot at, and she's slowly nocking an arrow to repeat the trick, aiming for the midway point of the blimp this time. Wouldn't do any good to balance out the air loss by aiming for the front. The hidden sharpshooter seems to have picked her spot to make her hard to observe, she's someone who operates by guile and trickery. The combat style of someone who treats a fair fight as a fool's gambit. She's pretty focused on the dirigible and anyone who operates near it, so her stealth is not quite as solid for other directions, and someone coming from there might blindside her. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren's about to respond, when Sigrun just up and attacks. The Star Hawk looks at her, then back at Anne. "Slavery and Kidnapping are illegal in the vicinity of the Free State of Lazlo. If this is a misunderstanding then talk fast. Otherwise release your prisoners and submit to a full inspection, and you will be given a fair trial in accordance with our laws. Refuse to comply and I will use force." 

:'''{{#var:336|Starless Night (336)}} has posed:'''     The maid pours tea, but it looks like it is not to be. Sadness. She sighs, setting down the tea kettle. "I suppose I should clean up around the camp, then, Mistress."     'Cleaning up' consists of meandering in an increasingly wide circle, casually looking for others. 

:'''{{#var:991|Stygian Mirror (991)}} has posed:'''     Things keep happening. First there's noise-- Mirror glances towards Valentha, but does not manage to figure out where she is. Her ears are not quite as precise as a real Lunar's would be. She can tell the direction she's in, but not where exactly. An attempt to look harder is disturbed by Alden just flying in.     The white-haired woman immediatly adopts a fighting style, giving off a small but perceptible pulse of Essence, as she enters the Bloody Mirror Form. It probably feels a bit like tainted blood magic, and there's a barely visible red glow around her.     But she does nothing. When she sees Alden moves to contain the flames, she... lets him. It? What is that thing even. A metal wolf with cannons that can fly? God damn.     She turns towards Anne instead. "There's... two, maybe three people, not counting the Warstrider pilot. One might be outright invisible."     A side-glance to ensure the prisoners are still near the cage and haven't run off. Luckily, it's the case. While Anne and Staren yell at each other, she's going to jab them towards the empty cage. For their own safety, as much as to keep them still. 

:'''{{#var:930|Alden (930)}} has posed:''' Alden is not particularly sensitive to stuff, unless it's other digimon, or perhaps something so obvious even non related people can sense it. His focus is to stop the ship from collapsing, he just has to try to save the day, even if he is wrong about it!. As for the flames, he is not really sure what he can do, so he tries with freezing the burning sections!. He launches some of his freeze missiles at the flames, and breaks away the ice. (Also, he lacks visible cannons... but does have what look like small rocket/missile pods on his shoulders!). 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     The second arrow pierces the dirigible, and now Anne is looking VERY cross. The chamber starts to deflate, but the airship is going down at a fairly low speed. The drones appear to be trying to contain the fire, and with Alden flying up there to help, the fire is being put out pretty quickly. It won't spread much farther at all!     But the airship is still going down. It crunches against the large crate, and then the gondola underneath sets down heavily with a crunching thud. It's actually fairly intact thanks to the gentle fall, though it's doubtful the thing will fly again without at least repairing the LTA frame. It went down gently enough that any prisoners inside were not harmed... but it appears that the gondola is largely empty anyway. The smoldering 'bag' will need some real work to get it aloft again, even if Alden saved it from complete destruction.     Anne seems to consider for a moment... then shakes her head. "Mn, if I lied it would be obvious so very soon. Easier to just kill you and then finish up before they send reinforcements. I'd better take care of that sniper somehow, or you can, Mirror." The three drones circling Staren's mecha just open fire with... spinning buzzsaw blades shot from the drones, enchanted enough to slice through metal. The drones themselves are rather fragile though. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     As soon as Anne says 'kill you' Staren raises his machine's right arm to fire a burst from the gatling railgun inside the arm pack. In the heat of the moment he's forgotten about the drones -- they get in their shots, buzzsaw blades cutting into metal far more easily than they look like they should. Still, it's an armored war machine designed to take punishment. Sustained blade fire could tear it apart in a way a hail of bullets /couldn't/, but Staren's not planning to let that happen -- He twitches the arm as he fires the missiles that are already locked out from the gunpod under the elbow, three plasma mini-missiles homing in and exploding in superheated fireballs. 

:'''{{#var:991|Stygian Mirror (991)}} has posed:'''     "On it," Mirror says, with a nod.     She leaps away from the area, having secured the prisoners in the cage. A quick glance is cast backwards, as Staren opens fire, but the woman already has her task. Her boss can probably defend herself.     It's isn't too difficult for Mirror to pick a direction-- that second arrow gave somewhere to shoot for. Nothing precise, but unless the sniper moves, they'll be in the general vicinity. Quick-footed, but not especially quiet, Mirror leaps rocks, trees and other obstacles with feline-like agility.     She's making a beeline for Sigrun, but mustn't have actually spotted her yet. She monster exterminator has a chance to get away, or to attack first, because there's nothing sneaky about the incoming, slightly glowing red young woman. 

:'''{{#var:930|Alden (930)}} has posed:''' The ship is not burning anymore!, yay!. Alden decides that NOW he shoudl check on the people in cages, hoping they are ok, and rushing to check on them!. He does see the small drones 'attacking' the robot, but he figures Staren will be ok, after all, they were just shooting buzzaw blades at it!, right?. He wonders where the odd person that was with teh cages went, but he thinks he'll burn that bridge when he gets to it, or when he crosses it... he was never good with sayings. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     "Tch..." the noise Lexicon makes is quiet at best, pretty much impossible to hear in all the sudden chaos that's just broken out amidst the leyline nexus. Drones attacking the giant robot, everyone kinda going nuts on each other in a wild melee in all directions. She frowns, eyes darting across that which she can see, analyzing her options.     After some consideration, Lexicon releases her hammer and forces it back into her inventory, disappearing the weapon in a flurry of number strings and baseline code. With a sigh, she mutters, "I must be crazy," before she reaches up to secure her hat.     And, holding her hat down, Lexicon scurries out of cover, moving across the clearing and all the battle going on. She's not interested in fighting, by the looks of it. Rather, she's making a beeline for the cage containing the imprisoned 'welcoming party'. 

:'''{{#var:834|Valentha Summers (834)}} has posed:''' Valentha Summers reappears near the group in a ripple of bluish energy, her hands already raised and sizzling with power. "There'll be NONE of that today! This is your one and only warning. SURRENDER!" She HOPES this is enough of an ambush as the spell finishes and a glowing, sparkling GLOB flies at Anne. It doesn't explode or harm or zap or zorch... instead...     It's sticky.     The energy spreads across the ground rapidly, and anything unlucky enough to contact it will be held fast. REALLY fast. You need superhuman strength to break supermagical glue! 

:'''{{#var:992|Sigrun Stem (992)}} has posed:''' Sigrun makes no attempt to move anywhere at the incoming Stygian mirror, instead, she aims roughly seven degrees left of where she'd need to aim if she were shooting at what's incoming. The arrow she's using for it is a simple bodkin point, though as she takes aim, air wraps itself around the arrow. When she looses it, it starts a gentle curve while speeding up. By the time it's actually flying in the direction that her soon to be assailant is going to be at anticipated point of impact, it breaks the air, a loud shockwave that will only impact after the arrow does. Whatever trickery the sharpshooter has used to do this curving arrow, it should put her anticipated location at least a couple hundred feet away from where she actually is, and yet it remains accurate and potent. 

:'''{{#var:991|Stygian Mirror (991)}} has posed:'''     A third arrow. Mirror knows where the sniper is now.     Unfortunately she gets the wind knocked out of her when the homing arrow just slams into her chest, and the ensuing shockwave knocks her off her feet and onto the ground. She growns, but to Sigrun's potential surprise she's not in pieces. Where a normal human might have been crippled on the spot, Mirror rises, plucking the arrow out of the wound and smiling. "Well, hi to you too. Good to see battlefield manners aren't as dead as I thought. I'll take getting shot at over being hugged any day." That was a WEIRD night.     Essence flows into Mirror's wound. On her forehead, a black circle forms, surrounded by eight sunrays. It bleeds, lightly, and glows a dull grey and black. From the wound, sword sheathed on her hip again, blood oozes out into her hands, forming a replica of Sigrun's bow. It remains in flux, a fake made of blood and Essence, pulsing with red and black light.     Unfortunately for Mirror, this can't make a copy of Sigrun's powers. The bow is almost mundane, better in construction, but without fancy abilities. She seems let down, having thought that shockwave trick might be the bow's work. Ah well.     Better than nothing.     Pulling the string back, three blood arrows form, and fire for Sigrun's position. They're bolts of Essence, functionally. Slightly corrosive, blunt force otherwise-- but they do drain magic, very slightly, if they hit, as though the bow were Soulsteel.     And of course, Mirror loses no time trying to close the gap, resuming her run towards the sniper's perch. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     As the glob explodes and Staren opens fire... something else is happening at the cage. Alden and Lexicon both arrive swiftly after, to find the prisoners also trying to get out of their shackles during the firefight. The old man is trying to explain how to pop the latch, for the chains seem to be bound by a complex yet mundane lock. It's a bit too complex for the eagle-man's feather to easily pop it, though.     Meanwhile, the plasma missiles take out the drones with ease, after they get their licks in. The helicoptors crash to the ground, making Anne wince... but she winces a lot more from the firing gun that Staren does toward her. Strange flashes of light deflect many bullets, showing some sort of magical barrier, but as she staggers to the side blood can be seen seeping through her clothing at her thigh. From the location, she should be spurting arterial blood everywhere, but the rate is much more sluggish than that for some reason. And the adhesive glob blasts everywhere, cementing her in place.     Or does it? "Annoying little... GET AWAY FROM THERE!" That's to Alden and Lexicon. However, she doesn't appear to possess a lot of attack magic, despite being near a ley line. She DOES have magic though, and any mystical senses will feel the sudden surge of power. The adhesive starts to melt, hissing and disintegrating from around her slowly. "RUPERT! We'll finish this later, take care of this now!"     The large crate in the center shudders, then the latch pops with a loud hiss of steam from the corners. 

:'''{{#var:336|Starless Night (336)}} has posed:'''     That leaves... the maid wandering around helplessly. Or not so helplessly. A rustling noise is heard as she steps out near where the invisible Valentha is. Then, she smiles. "Ah... I thought I heard something. You're just invisible."     The maid turns roughly in Valentha's direction. "I can sense you, you know. If you'll please make your withdrawal before things get messy, thank you." She gives a polite curtsy... and as she's doing that, the area begins to glimmer and sparkle as numerous tiny, glowing insects of some kind are flooding the air around her. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     "Nope," is Lexicon's simple response when Anne makes her demand. She doesn't even shout it and her voice is so soft that, in all this chaos, she may not even be heard at this distance. She realizes she's been noticed, however, and this accelerates her plan a few stages. She reaches out, code manifesting with a flash as her hammer rematerializes. "No time to be delicate about this-- coming through!"     With both hands, Lexicon hefts her hammer up over her shoulder. Approaching the cage, she digs her heels in to stop herself while simultaneously swinging the hammer forward. Code ribbons flare around it, speeding up the swing moreso, directly into the cage door, "--EIN SCHLAG!" 

:'''{{#var:992|Sigrun Stem (992)}} has posed:''' The incoming magical arrows warrant a response. Sigrun doesn't make any attempt to dodge, but red runes light up in the air in front of her, and lines of magic fill up a circle around it. Right before impact, the magic in them goes from fairly anemic to rock solid. And if those arrows wouldn't have been magic draining, they might have done a better job at protecting the sharpshooter, but magic draining arrows are completely out of context for Sigrun, an unanticipated problem, and the shield isn't designed to respond to that. And thus the first arrow destroys it, and the second and third hit her in the shoulder and chest. She's thrown back, for all her offensive power... she's only human, and as weak and fragile as any of them. "What..." It seems that she's recognized that her shield wasn't so much pierced as drained. The draining that hit her will find there's plenty there, she's like a walking, living wellspring of magic. A potent source of magical energy. Sigrun pushes herself back up, still going despite the bleeding, and now with the aid of her bow, she starts rapidfiring broadheads. The wind magic that enhances them doesn't make them go supersonic, no, they just spin like flying blenders, a dozen of them aimed for various sections of Stygian's gut. 

:'''{{#var:930|Alden (930)}} has posed:''' Alden is not particularly good at opening locks in this form, unless he can break them by using his freezing jaws, and he thinks it's better to let the mistery person here to handle, she seems to have the right idea about opening the door, "Sorry, I am not sure i can break those things without hurting you." 

:'''{{#var:834|Valentha Summers (834)}} has posed:''' "So much for the warning." Valentha raises a hand and begins focusing energy into it. Here her magical skill really makes itself known. The air around her sizzles bluer than it already was, bolts of power flowing into her body and rendering it aglow from within as she draws on the abundant magical energies. They begin to swirl and accrete into a sparkling ball in her open palm...     Just as Starless Night steps out.     "No can do. Things are already messy. You want me to leave? Then I'm leaving with the welcoming party your crew has! Because it's either them... or whatever I can find of them and /ALL OF YOU./"     At that exclamation the floating ball sparks and... FLAAAAAAAAAAAAAASHHHHH!!!     A supersurge of the purest magical energy, arcing like lightning, flies out for Starless Night. But it's not the only one. Another flies for Anne. The bolts hit with enough force to instantly vaporize tanks and superheat the shrapnel. Be it Valentha's enemies or the ground, there's going to be a HELL of a mess here.     Thanks to the nature of the magic though, none of the bolts are drawn towards her allies or those she's here to help... 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     The Star Hawk leaps into the air and hovers in hybrid mode -- Val warned him, and that's such a common spell that nearly everyone in Lazlo knows what it does.     "Tch..." Staren sees only a bit of blood from what should be an obliterated limb! So Anne clearly has more supernatural defenses than just the shield that deflected most of his bullets. However, she seems to be lacking in offense. Should he try to take her down, or focus on whatever it is she just called?     He decides to focus on whatever it is she just called. The Star Hawk draws its missile launcher gunpod and fires a salvo of four plasma minimissiles at the mysterious crate. That should be enough to deal with... a lot of things! Going whole hog with ALL THE MISSILES would probably be overkill here.     Probably. 

:'''{{#var:991|Stygian Mirror (991)}} has posed:'''     More of that magic, what a pain. It's unpredictable! Sigrun's arrows come in, a rain of high speed blenders. With her free hand, Mirror grabs her sword and attempts to parry, while continuing her straight line run for Sigrun. She's not far now; Mirror's fast. But she's not as successful as she'd like to be with the parrying. One, two, three arrows get cleaved, another dodged, but the rest pelt her. The first few hit her armor. With each hit, the bony tunic seems to glow, sounding like heavy armor. The arrows don't draw blood but knock her back, they slow her run down.     After the first few though, the rest get clean hits. Unpleasant imagery follows, as through the tunic the wind-enchanted arrows draw more than their fair share of blood. Worse, there's not really anything for Mirror to get out of it. Regular arrows! Not useful enough. Mirror doesn't stop, though. She fights (well, runs, too) through the pain and bloodloss.     With each hit she takes, Mirror's Caste Mark, the symbol on her forehead, glows darker, bleeds more. And then she's the one glowing, although glowing is probably not the right word. It's more like light dims around her. She's radiating darkness, a lack of light, like a black sun.     "I won't ask twice-- stay still and give up! I'm just doing my job, if you lay down your weapon I don't have orders or incentive to kill you!"     The bowstring is pulled back. She only fires one arrow this time. Same as the last three-- it's a bolt of Essence, punchy, corrosive, drains magic on-hit. But this one gets much worse, if it does end up in Sigrun. It turns into a black worm, wriggling and digging into the wound. There'd still be time to remove the worm, before it digs too deep, but if it's allowed to disappear inside Sigrun's body, it's going to require magic or surgery to pull out. Luckily it transmits no diseases, it just eats flesh. 

:'''{{#var:992|Sigrun Stem (992)}} has posed:''' Sigrun doesn't speak, she's on the job, and while she could echo the sentiment, she views it as pointless. For once, she attempts to dodge, but it quickly becomes clear how much she relies on those shields to protect her from harm. She fails to get out of the way, the damnable thing ending up in her side. Fortunately, she wears gloves. She reaches out with her right hand, and tries the grab the worm and pull it out before it can dig in. 

:'''{{#var:991|Stygian Mirror (991)}} has posed:'''     The worm doesn't put up much of a fight. Sigrun can easily pull it out. It's roughly the size of an arrow. Whether she wants to keep it (it'll keep trying to bite) or crush it, either is done effortlessly and before it can do much worse to her than having nibbled on the wound.     It was a distraction, ultimately; Mirror leaps, and lands in front of the downed monster hunter, the bloody Essence bow dissipating as she reaches for her sword, to point it down at Sigrun. "Come on, don't be like that. I'm not a murd--" Y... yes, she is. "I don't kill without rea--" Y... yes, she has, depending on your definition of 'without reason'. Is it without reason to do it just because you were told to? For her, it is. "... okay, you know, I think I'd do a better job defending myself by not talking about me."     Says the young woman with glowing red eyes, a pulsing and bleeding black sun mark on her forehead, and an aura that kills light around her. She's very legitimate. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     The manacles are pretty complicated, lock-wise... but compared to a hammer - or freezing jaws, if Alden goes through with that - they are quite breakable. The first smashing has the old man especially huffing, "Thank you. Anything you can do is appreciated!" It will take a few more moments to free all four of them, though, and the eagle-guy is only reluctantly being included with two of the others. The old man seems fine with him, though.     Anne turns around to try to deal with the escape, the adhesive melting away at last... and then the first explosion happens. The crate is blasted apart, being of fairly mundane construction, and the sides tumble away to reveal the welcoming party... or what's left of them. Staren could have killed them with that! Of course they were quite obviously already dead, so he is saved from that little oopsie!     The billowing smoke is a problem though, and it's not all from the missiles. The second blast from Valentha hurls Anne back to keep her from stopping Lexi and Alden, for now. But from the strobing blast wave comes something else... Rupert.     Rupert is apparently a massive clockwork dragon hurtling directly toward the Star Hawk, with mechanical hissing jaws that snap down with far too much force for a clockwork contraption. Also, he appears to be glowing with the concentrated magical energy of sitting on a Ley Line Nexus for several hours, not to mention the life force of the entire welcoming party. 

:'''{{#var:930|Alden (930)}} has posed:''' Alden tries his best to break the chains and locks, hoping he does not freeze burn the people chained!. It is a quick enough to do, and then his focus goes to the clockwork monstrosity jumping to destroy Staren!. "This does not look good." he mumbles, turning towards the dragon, and rushing to assist the already damaged mecha!.      This time he is the one doing the macross missile massacre style attack. He moves a bit of distance first of course, all over his form, hidden compartments open, revealing a lot of missile ports, every single projectile having an angry face painted on them!. "Giga Destruction!". The swarm of smallish projectiles flying out, and rushing to land on the clockwork thing, while they are not 'plasma' they are powerful, enough to perhaps distract, or damage the magical contraption!. 

:'''{{#var:336|Starless Night (336)}} has posed:'''     The maid screams all girlishly, hurled back by the explosion into the trees! But... isn't killed? Not vaporized? Her arms are held up, and when the blast wave clears, much of her uniform is scorched away, leaving parts of her stomach, her arms, her legs, all burned and smoldering to show... thick, chitinous material underneath the crisped skin, obviously damaged and bleeding but having taken the brunt of the blast. Lowering her arms shows that a more delicate jaw is partly visible, her cherubic face apparently a chitinous mask, with crawling legs tickling at the jaw where part of the living mask was blasted off. She hisses in pain as the strobing effect leaves the long shadows of the trees thickening as it fades.     "Ninpou: Spider of Darkness," she murmurs, fingers forming a quick seal or three. The ultimate technique of the School of Dusk manifests, all the shadows twisting and joining... and forming a spiked tendril of pure darkness which lashes out, empowered by all the mystical energy in the area and striking violently toward Valentha now that her position is revealed. 

:'''{{#var:992|Sigrun Stem (992)}} has posed:''' Sigrun is on the ground, with a physically superior assailant standing above her, weapon pointed at her. Her every instinct screams that this is game over, this is where she meets her end. Stygian's words however, just insult her, "You could do me the favour of respecting me, if you're going to kill me, just do it. I'm not some mostly harmless maid who happens to be good with a bow." And thus, she regains her composure. She still holds her bow, and while this is dire, there are ways out. While she talks, her hands don't move. "I'm monster exterminator, I knew when I signed up for the job that something nasty was going to kill me some day." But while her hands didn't move, her bow did. The fey wood is in tune with Sigrun's desires, and it's drawn another incendiary arrow. When it reaches her hand, Sigrun doesn't hesitate. "And I don't think you're nasty enough to do me in." She shoots with one quick movement, not even aiming for Stygian. No, she's aiming for the tree she'd been using for cover. Burning pieces of spongy material fly in all directions from there, including towards Sigrun, who is already rolling over to get on her knees and then up and running by the time the sparks hit her. 

:'''{{#var:998|Lexicon (998)}} has posed:'''     "Sometimes the best way to pick a lock is to bust it open," Lexicon states as she repeats her swinging trick a few more times to free up the rest of the adventuring party. Glancing across the quartet, she asks, "Are you four alright?" A glance goes to Alden, right when the crate explodes and prompts her to shield herself with her arms. By the time she's lowered her guard, a mechanical dragon is in the air and Alden has charged off after it. Her gaze returns to the four adventurers, "Help if you can. If you can't, get out of the way."     Her hammer shifts to one hand, and her now freed hand reaches out. Ribbons of code swirl into a polearm shape and then crystallize into a gem-tipped spear, which Lexicon hauls back and then hurls back towards the rocks that she had been hiding in before. It impales itself sideways into the stone, clicks down, and then begins emitting a faint white light from the gem itself. Other than that, though, it does nothing of note.     Lexicon turns back towards Anne, lifting her hammer one-handed and pointing, "Call off the dragon, it's pretty clear whatever you were trying to pull here's gone sour. All you're doing is wasting everyone's time, now. You'd be better off just escaping, wouldn't you?" 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     They were sacrificed to create... THAT THING? Okay, Staren's fully justified now, since this is /more/ than enough to get someone the death penalty, even by Lazlo standards.     He makes a mental note for the future that even if a mysterious crate obviously contains something hostile, it might contain other things too.     He'd like to obliterate Anne, but now he has a mechanical dragon to tend to. He's hoping there might be some kind of magical weakness to it, but that's Val's department, not his, and it's attacking him NOW. The Star Hawk turns and flies away from Rupert, preventing it from properly aiming some of its weapons... missiles, however, don't need to be aimed, and over two dozen of varying sizes and types launch from the gunpod, arcing back around and approaching Rupert from various angles. This includes three (3) additional plasma mini-missiles (big fireballs), seven (7) APHE mini-missiles (ram really fast and explode on impact/inside), and seventeen (17) plasma lance anti-tank micromissiles, which are basically miniature HEAT rounds that abuse physics to put long, narrow holes in things and hope they break an important internal component.     If Rupert is fast enough to actually catch him though, he'll have (another) serious problem on his hands! 

:'''{{#var:834|Valentha Summers (834)}} has posed:''' "... Ninjitsu!?" Of all things, Valentha wasn't expecting THAT. A freakishly huge tentacle slams into her at hyperspeed, piercing right through her clothing when it strikes, though it seems to BOUNCE off her head with only minor scratches to her skin. Less critical parts of her anatomy don't fare as well - the spikes dig into her flesh and bite deep, leading to a sizable blood splatter. more importantly, she's hurled into a nearby tree and hits with a sickening CRUNCH and a shatter... though...     ... That mostly seems to be the bark and heartwood splintering.     Valentha rises to her feet, a tad winded by the look of it, and sharply wincing. "Nasty tricks..."     It's her clothing that suffered the worst here. The futuristic cloth-weave's drenched in blood and shredded.     "Fifteen thousand credits. Fifteen THOUSAND credits. That's how expensive these clothes are!" The Techno-Wizard froths, clenching a fist out at Starless Night.     This might be a bit on the alarming side. A human should have been dead five times over right there. She seems at most a little winded.     "The gloves are coming off now."     Valentha's whole body blurs with blue energy and--     In the next very instant she's swinging her arm weirdly from BEHIND Starless Night, putting all the force she can muster into it.     Which might be enough to send her at the same tree, if fate's in the dragon's favor today. 

:'''{{#var:991|Stygian Mirror (991)}} has posed:'''     "How is it disrespectful to point out I wasn't hired to kill you and don't much care to--" Do it. No, clearly, this person was mad, had an immense ego or pride, or some other strange code that prohibits her from accepting mercy. It's not that odd, but it's certainly frustrating. If Mirror had any sort of pride in what she does, she might take offense to the idea she's not nasty enough to do her in. She's a Deathknight; there's one thing they do and it's "people in".     What they don't do, unfortunately, is attain immunity to incendiary arrows. That would be really useful right about now. Distracted momentarily by the lightshow of the other battle, she's spared a direct hit from the arrow when it impacts the tree and then sends burning wood everywhere instead.     Sigrun uses the opportunity to run.     Mirror sighs, taking a few steps back and away from the flames, though she's already been scorched here and there by the inevitable shrapnel.     "You might be right. Maybe not. I'd keep running, if I were you." If Sigrun peeked back, she'd notice the dark glow around Mirror has intensified, dimming even more of the ambient light than before. Her sword is also glowing. A lot.     She slices the air.     The Crypt Bolt Attack fires forward, a streak of black Essence, a cut from a distance. Sigrun would just have to leap over it or duck, since it's horizontal. If she doesn't, though, the attack doesn't cut. It inflicts accelerated necrosis and decay to the area hit. It'll heal like a normal wound, though.     Beyond that, Mirror does not pursue, at least not unless Sigrun intends to keep fighting or to head down to the main party. What the hell is that down there anyway? Was that inside the crate? 

:'''{{#var:336|Starless Night (336)}} has posed:'''     It might be alarming for Starless... or might not. The maid whips around, a short blade drawn from her... from somewhere on the outfit that is in tatters. The arm is caught with a clash of steel, Starless sliding to the side a little from the ringing impact.     The damage to her mask makes her more cautious about talking, though her voice didn't seem to change. Maybe she's worried it will come off. It doesn't keep her blade from licking out in response after the parry, casually riposting the dragon's attack. 

:'''{{#var:992|Sigrun Stem (992)}} has posed:''' "If you don't get it, you must be little more than a mindless beast." Sigrun answers, without looking back. She just keeps running, hindered by her wounds, but she still has plenty of magic available to her. And thus, when Sigrun's ambient magical detection lets her know of the attack coming to her back, she throws up another shield. Now no longer focused on offense, she can shove a lot more into it. It's still not perfect, a shield big enough to block it all takes up a lot of magic. And though she has a lot of it, she's been tapping into more than is healthy, and there's a limit to how much of it she can use at once, both factors which make it so as her shield decays, bits and pieces of the attack come through, striking her back and causing her to make a pained noise. She keeps running, now even slower, until she gets back to her chariot. With glowing runes the air around the chariot picks up, and she stands on it, slumping a little as she grabs the reigns, the horseless vehicle speeding up. 

:'''{{#var:834|Valentha Summers (834)}} has posed:''' "NOT POSSIBLE!!" Valentha's genuinely shocked when her prodigious strength's deflected that easily! Well, melee never was her strong suit exactly, but she's left wide open by this manuever... and the blade digs into her arm, bloodying it and getting her hissing.     But despite the agony she inhales sharply.     Which will be another bad sign, if anyone knew what she really was.     Because she takes advantage of being close up, injured or not. An unusual muscular contraction that starts in her sternum and moves up her throat's the only warning, and it's hardly a second of such. Then she lunges forward with mouth open and--     FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSHHHHH!!     ... dragon fire, a plume so scorching and intense that the ground's left molten and cooling into glass in its wake...     At point blank. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     Rupert wasn't uninjured by the initial volley to begin with... but mostly it seems to be armored plating slagged and torn away. Much more of that is sheared off by the numerous missiles blasting into the clockwork dragon, which bounds forward with a slam of one leg into the ground before the wings spread. Obviously magic is involved in actually getting him aloft.     Fast? Not quite. But as the missiles begin to blast some of the redundant gears and struts rather than just armor, Rupert opens his mouth... and belches out a thin stream of glowing mystical flame lancing across the sky, bright enough it might as well be plasma. His movements are MUCH more fluid than the drones before, almost alive in nature, all the sophisticated workings moving smoothly together. He is slowed, however, by Alden's attack slamming into his side, giving Staren a chance to escape.     Lexicon confronts Anne, and Blakely considers her options. "Hmm... you presume I am helpless enough to threaten. This isn't true." A gesture has the remnants of the drones, the wrecked equipment, and some broken tables and chairs swirling together to form a squat yet roughly humanoid shape, solidifying in front of Lexicon. "But... you're unfamiliar to me and this is doing little to further my cause. I could defeat you. You could be too strong for that. I don't like taking chances. How about we all withdraw, hmm?" 

:'''{{#var:991|Stygian Mirror (991)}} has posed:'''     Mirror slumps down; with Sigrun out of the way, she can afford to actually show weakness. She's not exactly in prime condition herself. Heavy bloodloss from her torso, what with those six or seven arrow wounds. She's spent a lot of Essence too-- every single time she takes an attack, her armor drains some. The rapid flurry of arrows from Sigrun is a natural counter to Mirror. If they were Holy capital H arrows, it would be even worse. Lucky for her they weren't. Lucky for her that Soulsteel weapons drain magic.     If she'd knocked that girl unconscious she could've drained her blood to recuperate faster, but no such luck. And even if she still had juice, it wouldn't help for the blood. She'd better not pick another fight. Besides, her Anima is almost going full-bore. That takes -forever- to calm down, and it's not that she hates glowing like a black sun made of death and scary but it's really inconvenient when you're not fighting.     She places her sword back on her hip, using one hand to cover the nastier of her wounds, her open sides. She'll limp back to the Nexus, try to regroup with Anne or that maid. She took care of the sniper, as arranged. Seems she missed a hell of a lightshow though. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren is faster than a clockwork dragon! That's good.     Staren's macross missile massacre appears to be doing damage, but not significant damage, to the clockwork dragon. That's... eh?     Anne is proposing she get off scot-free for murder. Also, her dragon uses some crazy magical flame lance breath weapon that slices into the Star Hawk, burning a scar across its back and showering bits of metal and slag on the countryside below.     "I'm just fine with 'destroying the countryside' if it means KILLING YOU!" Staren shouts. The Star Hawk turns and raises a beam shield on its arm to block any follow-up shots of that breath weapon. And the under-wing missile packs all open, and SIXTY more plasma mini-missiles streak down towards Anne.     Frankly, if he has to use that many, it's probably either severe overkill or nowhere near enough -- he'll see which in a moment -- but he's MAD now. 

:'''{{#var:930|Alden (930)}} has posed:''' Alden grumbles as the combined missile barrage seems to be insuficient to stop 'Rupert' snarling loudly as the beast focuses on the damaged mech!. He dives, to avoid the mystical flames, and tries a different tactic, his eyes glowing a bright blue as he 'stands' on air, facing the dragon. "Rupert!" he calls. The digimon's eyes glow a bit brighter, before his chest... opens, and a much larger missile, this one with a blue tip appears, "Freeeze bomber!" he howls. This one is not so much a guided missile as... well, just a standard rocket, blasting towards the clockwork's head!. If it hits, it explodes in a surprisingly large radius, bright white filling the blast area and filling it with ice!. The area should be enough to engulf the dragon's head in ice. He does hope Staren's bombardment does not hurt any innocents, he really, really does. 

:'''{{#var:991|Stygian Mirror (991)}} has posed:'''     It takes Mirror long, painful seconds of running back towards the Nexus' center before she sees the lights and flames of numerous attacks again. She's heard the threats given by both sides, but didn't have anything to add. It wouldn't be very nice to boast about disabling her opponent... whose name she did not even ask.     Well, apparently Deathknights are good at killing social etiquette, too. She'll have to ask that monster hunter her name some other time.     But for now, her boss is still fighting. She'd best impress, so that her payment is consequently larger. Repeat work might be an option, who knows?     The bright blue light of the Nexus suddenly dims, marking Mirror's approach. Her Anima Banner, not quite at its full level, is still radiating plenty enough of darkness to be "seen" and to, very locally anyway, shroud the magical energies of the area. One can almost discern shapes and moans in the darkness, bony spectral hands clawing to get out. It's just for show.     The Abyssal lands in front of Anne, about as abruptly as the lights dim. She reaches for her sword, and with a click and an investment of Essence it splits down the middle, horizontally. The top half launches, connected to the bottom one by a tether of black and purple Essence.     And then, a tempest.     Mirror stands in the Eye of the Tempest (that is the name of the Charm) as her blade whirls around, intercepting a large amount of Staren's missiles, and shielding both the Abyssal and Anne from the explosions. A few get through, and burns are inevitable, but the sheer speed of the sword is enough to prevent the worst.     Scorched by the blasts, and still bleeding from earlier, Mirror falls back to one knee, grunting. "Can't you tell when a battle is over and a deal is too good to turn down?" she speaks, towards Staren and his machine. 

:'''{{#var:336|Starless Night (336)}} has posed:'''     Point blank dragon fire is... well, it's actually bad news, even for Starless. A moment of startlement, and her body jerks back, moving at lightning speed to avoid the blast. Or... she tries to, anyway. The close range makes it hard, and her leg is fully caught, set on fire with the sizzle of burning flesh and the strange scent of roasting... sandalwood? Or something.     That's when a spray of webbing, supernaturally enchanted, sprays toward Valentha's mouth to try stopping THAT from happening again. Another spray of webbing forms a strange whip, but the damage and pain mean it just carves a slice into the ground rather than hit Valentha.     Starless lands and crumples to one knee with a wince... but she slowly rises, with a blade that appears like jagged bone erupting from her free hand to give her another weapon. "I have no contract on you right now, if they call for a withdrawal I'll do so." 

:'''{{#var:834|Valentha Summers (834)}} has posed:''' "SPLFFFFFTTTTT!" Valentha chokes on the webbing as it splatters all over her mouth. Chokes on that and the fire, it seems, judging by the smoke and flames that start streaming from her nose. She backpedals and tumbles into a lopsided martial arts stance, one hand extended at her side as if she's ready to swing a weapon... though she isn't wielding one.     this... is bad. If she can't speak, casting becomes a lot harder, and one of her best natural weapons is trouble. She glares balefully at Starless Night, all but excuding displeasure and indignation.     Seems she's waiting for that call to withdraw.     But she's also takin the opportunity to focus and gather more magical energy, drawing it in from the Ley Line and shape a spell through will alone. It's slower... but she doesn't unleash whatever she's preparing yet.     For the moment she's defensive. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     Alden's freezing breath frosts over the dragon's head, making it ice across and briefly locking it up. Rupert is... pretty dangerous though, it only takes a second for him to shake his head free and crack the ice off, letting it shed away.     But a second is a precious amount. While Anne is staring down agaisnt Lexicon and trying to figure out if the digital entity is a threat - aside from being digital while she's analog - the dragon is against Staren. That brief delay has given Staren the time to pull away in the Star Hawk. Of course Rupert seems to have another trick up his sleeve but-     "Halt. This really is pointless. You want to try to kill me?" Anne looks annoyed, more than anything, trying to dress her sluggishly bleeding leg. "Fanatical. You'll need to try again another time. Come, Mirror. Let's go." Apparently leaving the hostages at least.     Rupert lowers his head, allowing anyone who needs a ride to climb onto the damaged but mobile construct. He appears to be leaking lubricant though. Damage to Rupert was probably why Anne decided this wasn't worth it. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren growls in anger and frustration as his missiles are stopped. What the hell?!     He's far from 'out' of firepower, but at this point it's clear that his firepower alone won't take this group down. The Star Hawk transforms to fighter mode and makes for the gate. Staren calls the Lazlo Defense Force to update them on this threat. They're not going to attack her yet, not without more information, as long as she doesn't kidnap more people. However, people in the town around the gate may be evacuated to shelter, and should Anne return, she'll likely find herself a magnet for adventuring parties seeking fame, claim to the bounty on her head, or just trying to make the world a better place by removing her from it.     Few may stand a chance of succeeding, but it'll probably be a hassle. At least an annoyance? 

:'''{{#var:991|Stygian Mirror (991)}} has posed:'''     "R-Right."     Mirror gets back to her feet. Parrying a Macross Missile Massacre, it turns out, isn't as effortless as it looks even for an Exalted. Though at least it should significantly dim Staren's surprise that this happened when he sees the glowing and bleeding black Caste Mark on Mirror's forehead. It's not like she suffered no injury at all, either.     Without another word, Mirror departs, following after Anne. 
}}

4145/Hippos Are Deadly

2016-08-13T20:19:40Z

Kino: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2016/05/23 |Location=The Great Ruin |Synopsis=Several Union members investigate troubles in an archaeological dig. |Cast of Characters=983, 992, 13..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2016/05/23
|Location=The Great Ruin
|Synopsis=Several Union members investigate troubles in an archaeological dig.
|Cast of Characters=983, 992, 134, 219
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     The Society for the Preservation of Preunified Culture is not actually a Union organization, but it's pretty closely affiliated. It's also one that has its own protection, though usually at the 'low Elite' level at best, so there's rarely a need to call for help.     Rarely, but it does happen! The waters from the nearby ocean have receded a bit recently, making exploration of the ruins here more viable. It was supposedly the typical legendary civilization with ancient magics and the like, with a mysterious fall. Nothing odd there.     They did, earlier today, put out a call for aid citing that their protection had largely vanished. The encampment is actually pretty nice, with sturdy tents that look to be enchanted against poor weather, and a few technological devices as well. A real mixed grouping.     The two guards still here are able to greet anyone who shows up. They look competent, but nothing special. They're bearing swords and pistols both, in fact! 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     The first guard is already here to explain for anyone who shows up. "Hey, thanks for coming." He'll glance over the group, then launch right into an explanation. "We had an elite guard with us, but two days ago, he went out on patrol with two others, and they never came back. Yesterday we sent a scout out to see if she could track them down, but we found her mauled. It looks like the mount of our friend has... gotten violent. He's a hippogriff, you see, and he's a strong one. Clawed her up pretty badly. She's dead I'm afraid, and I don't think Samuel and I can take care of this. We think we know where he's holed up though, unless you want to check out the attack site first." 

:'''{{#var:992|Sigrun Stem (992)}} has posed:''' The masked sharpshooter arrived quickly and quietly upon request, her presence far from hidden, but the way she moved strongly suggests that if she didn't want to be seen it would take skill and care to see her. The guard's talking seems to keep her attention. "I'd like to look at the attack site. The better to know what we're dealing with." She keeps her voice low, and her tone neutral. Sticking to familiar patterns to obscure the nerves of being in a strange and unfamiliar world, with problems that are unlike any she's ever heard of before. "Is the chimeric beast still alive?" 

:'''{{#var:134|Sakura Haruno (134)}} has posed:'''     Among those responding to what is a relatively low-level call is Flowers, who's here in her best professional investigator getup, rather than in her usual role as team medic. This means she's actually broken out one of the suits that Psyber had given her once upon a time, and she manages to look at least semi-professional as she moves to greet the guards.     "Well, I can take a look at the attack site, but if you know where the mount is we can try to handle that first." It sounds like the monster had contracted some form of rabidness, or possibly it was simply a case of hippogriffs gonna hippogriff. She didn't know enough about them to really make a guess.     She'll glance towards Sigrun, shrugging slightly. Seeing the attack site first worked just as well; there didn't seem likely to be a big rush. 

:'''{{#var:219|Ariel (219)}} has posed:''' The little clipclop is hurried, as Ariel has to meet the others here! So right at the tail end, huffing lightly, comes a silver-haired young girl in a lavender dress. The girl is riding atop a petite unicorn... of sorts. Green chitinous plating makes a replacement for hide, and the eyes are glimmering topaz. The silver mane and tail are fluttering in the breeze as the equine and rider approach... And then it's the unicorn that speaks, "If it's not hurting anyone right this second, maybe we can find out what made it get angry at people and calm it down. It'd be a shame to rush in and hurt it if it's sick or in pain." The girl riding atop just drapes over boredly. "Hi, Haruno." Sigrun gets a lazy wave. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     The first guard nods to Sigrun, "Yes, as far as we can tell. We haven't gotten very close to where it's lairing. We think the rider might be injured and he's just taking care of him... getting really protective. He's usually a very well-behaved beast, though."     He glances at Sigrun and nods, thinking those words are pretty wise, though he has doubts about Ariel's idealism. Well, unicorn, what do you expect? "Sure. It's about seven or eight hundred meters outside of the encampment actually." Both guards turn and head toward the site.     It is, unfortunately, about what you would expect. A splintered tree that looks to have been struck by a claw, dried blood, the look of a scuffle. A very violent, short scuffle. The hoofprints are, of course, shod, and it was apparently damp at the time as there are one or two very clear imprints. 

:'''{{#var:992|Sigrun Stem (992)}} has posed:''' Sigrun nods to both of the others coming by, "Sigrun Stem. Monster Exterminator." The introduction is short, and with the mask to hide her face, it's hard to read what she thinks of those who joined her in this task. "The chimeric beast is also worth looking into." Still keeping her voice neutral. When they get to the site of the battle, she reaches out with her left hand, the red gemstone lighting up and a complex swirl of runes and patterns circles out of it into the air, energy coursing through it in what to the eye would seem like erratic patterns. When that's done, the magic happens. A white bubble emits out of Sigrun's glove, passing through everything in the vicinity until it has covered the entire site of the battle, then returns the other way. The magic is scanning for less obvious clues, magical signatures and a rough analysis of the dried up blood. Just how many different sources of blood there are, essentially. 

:'''{{#var:219|Ariel (219)}} has posed:''' Cheerily, Ariel introduces herself, "Kuklos ka Ariel Schmendrick-Fortuna. No relation to Duet Fortuna. Just call me Ariel!" That's the unicorn talking, of course. She glances back. "Al..." As if startled into good manners, the girl on Ariel's back looks up. "Oh. Al Azif, I'm Ariel's Grimoire." She doesn't explain much more, because she's kind of distracted in thought. "I usually don't deal with things like Hippogriffs. You're on your own for this one." When the site is approached, Ariel peers around, but then it's Sigrun who starts to cast a spell. Curiously, Ariel backs away swiftly when that happens, but Al actually perks up and pays more attention. She nudges at the unicorn's sides, "That looks like a useful spell. You should learn that one sometime." Ariel flicks an ear uncertainly. "We have a backlog of spells I'm supposed to learn already, but I like this one better than most." 

:'''{{#var:134|Sakura Haruno (134)}} has posed:'''     "Oh, hello." Sakura will reply to the girl. "And hi to you, too, Ariel." She'll add, before following after the guards towards the attack site. It's rather obviously bad, but Sakura's not going to be able to do too much in the way of investigative work other than looking at and inspecting the blood rather more closely than the hoofmarks.     "Just what do you deal with, anyway?" She'll look up to as Al Azif, in what's clearly meant to be teasing. She's not all that great at it, though, and will look back down at the blood once it grows to be awkward, trying to see just how many different sources there might be. She reaches one conclusion, though. "...Sure looks like an animal attack." 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     The magical sight does reveal more of the blood... which all appears to be human. In fact, Sakura's inspection can also confirm that there's no foreign animal material in the blood, as well... but a strange hint of something else, some kind of contaminant. Doesn't seem to be poison though.     The spell reveals a lot, in fact, in what it DOESN'T reveal. No sign of feathers, no fur, no dander. Everything here is human, as if the human just ended up slaughtered by an invisible beast. Yet those are definitely talon marks DEEP in the soil, just as the hoofprints are incredibly deep. 

:'''{{#var:219|Ariel (219)}} has posed:''' Al Azif pokes her tongue out, more interested in watching the new girl work than spending much time bantering... even if she likes Haruno more than most. "Anyway, what do we have? I don't think Ariel or I am sensing any great supernatural evil, so it's kind of out of our ballpark until we can soothe or defeat it." "Nope," Ariel agrees. "No evil here. Though it is looking pretty violent. That worries me. I hope the rider is okay." 

:'''{{#var:992|Sigrun Stem (992)}} has posed:''' "A pleasure to be working with you." Sigrun says softly as the spell does its job in analysing the area for clues. "That's weird." She points at one of the talon marks, "Those and the hoofprints are the only signs of any nonhuman presence. The blood is all human, and you'd expect there to be some kind of feathers or fur on a site like this." "I think we need to look at the chimeric creature. This doesn't look like an animal going feral." The monster exterminator says dispassionately, balling up her left fist to initiate another spell. This one has a simpler, but still complex, pattern of swirling runes and lines, and finishes more quickly. Afterwards, a series of three concentric red rings appear in front of one of the mask's eyes. They function much like an adjustable scope. "This little gem is my grimoire." 

:'''{{#var:134|Sakura Haruno (134)}} has posed:'''     "...It appears to be politer than most of the grimoires I know." Sakura will state, looking up and over at the new girl. "...Hmm. I'm not actually seeing anything off of the hippogriff. Could be some kind of illusionary summons or something like that?"     Of course illusions can cut through things. Why wouldn't they?     "Well, you said you had a good idea where the beast was holed up at. Where is that? No good just looking here without trying to handle it in person, I guess, after all." 

:'''{{#var:219|Ariel (219)}} has posed:''' Ariel cheerily notes, "Yours is definitely a lot quieter than mine!" This gets Al to grab Ariel's mane and give a little tug, scowling. "Why you little..." A soft giggle, and then Ariel grows more serious, her ears flattening. "If it isn't just going feral, then we'll have to be careful. Maybe it fell into a curse or something. That, I think I can help with. But no fur or feathers at all...? That's pretty strange. Even I'd leave some trace material." 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     "You know that is pretty strange," Samuel notes. "Silvertail's feathers used to get everywhere any time he fought. We didn't even think of that..." He looks a little disturbed that such an obvious clue was overlooked.     The other guard points out, "We were too busy trying to save her." Straightening his jacket, he gestures up westward. "Pretty sure it's this way."     'This way' proves to be a path that leads out of the forest proper, and into the ruins. At first there is a lot of overgrowth, but it rapidly clears up as the descent begins down into the 'city' below. It's actually pretty easy to see why they think they've found the lair... some distance away is a crumbling building with an opening that isn't clogged with rubble, and there are still a few feathers clinging to the side of the ledge. 

:'''{{#var:992|Sigrun Stem (992)}} has posed:''' "Easy to miss if you've got other things on your mind." Sigrun agrees with the second guard, reassuring the first gently. This is probably hard enough on them even without beating themselves over the head for failing to notice a detail like that. Sigrun otherwise remains quiet, and as they approach the site in question draws her bow. The bow's strange extra branch reaches into her quiver, in that same motion, pulling out one of the arrows with red feathered fletching. Barely more than a whisper, Sigrun offers a tactical recommendation. "I'll stay back here, if you get attacked in there, try to draw the threat out in the open." The three rings of magic in front of her left eye are already starting to focus on the opening. At the same time, she makes a swift hand movement, and another swirl of magical circuitry appears in the sky. This time, a bunch of little blue balls appear, and they move out to float at all the feasible ways to approach. Once in a spot, they vanish from sight. "If anything comes close to those, they'll alert me." The monster hunter explains, "Basic alarum spell." 

:'''{{#var:219|Ariel (219)}} has posed:''' Al watches Sigrun, and says to Ariel, "You'd use a ward for that." Ariel rolls her eyes, "I know THAT much. MOM taught me that spell. This isn't a field trip, Al." She trots toward the ruin, but pauses to glance at the two guards. "You two stay here, it might be dangerous. Auntie Flowers, do you think this will be a problem for you? I know you're good at... earth stuff. Stone buildings count, right?" For her part, the unicorn starts to jump, leaping up from rocky point to point, with a nimbleness that shows no trouble carrying Al at the same time... not that it stops Al from making a squawk and grabbing hold tightly! "Gah! You could have waited to bring out your wings!" 

:'''{{#var:134|Sakura Haruno (134)}} has posed:'''     Flowers won't bother to pull out any weapons, or to seem particularly weary as they approach the area. "It's fine. I'm more close quarters if I'm being the frontline sort." This wasn't a way she'd worked in years, of coruse, but it's hard to really argue.     She'll make her way towards the crumbling building, moving with something in her step that resembles someone trying to be stealthy. It doesn't really work with the hair and all, but she's making the effort, before trying to take a look through the opening to the building.     "Don't worry, Ariel. I'll be fine here. I'll be careful, too." Careful to remember that not everyone can tunnel through the ground. This time. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     The guards are all too happy to stay here, though they're brave enough to not go AWAY! They will edge apart from Sigrun though, figuring the professional might not want them in her way if she has to shoot. Besides... "We can watch your flanks."     Getting UP to the roost is not all that hard, though for less skilled climbers it'd be a longer, more fatigueing journey. Sakura's earth affinity and Ariel's double jump make it fairly simple though, allowing the two to come up to the top... where the faint scent of charred flesh greets them. The entrance goes much deeper in, that's pretty obvious. It's also obvious to both, even without tracking, that something has been dragged deeper into the building, which sports a very intact stairwell further down.     Of most interest is the hippogriff. Or rather, the hippogriff skeleton, charred and crumbling. It looks to have been dead a few days already, from how cool the bones are. The shape of something else further in, stalking on the other side of the stairwell, looks like another hippogriff... but stepping further into the light shows a beak of sharpened steel, along with talons of the same, and a body of whrring, clicking brass and copper struts, gears turning as the clockwork abomination turns. It doesn't appear to have 'seen' them yet, but is investigating. 

:'''{{#var:219|Ariel (219)}} has posed:''' Oh. Oh that's not expected. And given that her clockwork aunt is kind of a nigh-unstoppable killing machine who could probably murder all three of them with relative ease, Ariel isn't going to take anything for granted about this. She yelps, and spins around without any hesitation. "Hold on, Al!" She does have the presence of mind to flash a bright blast of light, trying to draw attention... while leaping out of the doorway and into the open air. Naturally she IS a unicorn, so a quick slam of hooves in midair has her double-jumping across the way to a crumbling pillar, before the summon of her wings completes, whirling pages sifting about her to solidify into dark green wings. Al winces at the jarring jump, but she isn't idle. The gestures of a summoning are going through her hands, though she hasn't had enough time to COMPLETE it yet. 

:'''{{#var:134|Sakura Haruno (134)}} has posed:'''     The medic is enjoying the climb a bit less; she doesn't enjoy hieghts, after all, and they look rather horrific. She's going to examine the skeleton from a bit of a distance, not wanting to get too terribly close.. But Ariel will make the first move, and Flowers is slightly slow to react.     She'll see where the plan is going, and letting Ariel be the distraction, Sakura will try to sink down into the ground for a moment. That'll keep the monstrosity from focusing on her, because Sakura can't actually fly and Ariel's plan seems a bit foolhardy. If it looks like it might catch her, though, Flowers will be the first to go leaping suicidally in. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     And there Ariel goes! The distraction is actually pretty effective, and the hippogriff's programming/orders very simple. The automata charges forward with a thundering clatter on the stonework, moving right past Sakura's blending into the stonework in favor of the obvious threat. Or what it perceives as such.     Simple orders mean simple actions. The clockwork beast has absolutely no hesitation or concept of a trap, leaping out into the open as well. Somehow, the heavy beast of metal can spread wings to flap after Ariel, beak snapping as it lashes out with claws. Unless Sigrun shoots it first. 

:'''{{#var:992|Sigrun Stem (992)}} has posed:''' Reports of a threat inside made Sigrun prepare for this, a swift spell imbued the nocked arrow with the wind. Then it was just a matter of waiting, the sharpshooter has sat and waited for a target to come out in the open more times than she can remember. So when the clockwork beast comes into her vision, she's ready. The wind and distance have already been taken into account, and the motion of her target appears predictable enough. The arrow is loosed, there's a loud noise when it's about halfway in between Sigrun and the mechanical hippogryph as the arrow pierces the sound barrier. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     The arrow streaks through the air, some rubble crumbling from the sonic boom. It's powerful all right... but so is the automata. It isn't a single hit kill. What it does do is pierce the side and go clean through, shearing through several struts and mechanisms. This locks up a wing, causing the hippogriff to careen down into the pillar and crash through it, smashing into a far wall.     Incredibly, while dented and damaged heavily, it's still moving. Levering itself up is laborious though. That strike was pretty crippling, and now it has to reorient itself toward Sigrun. 

:'''{{#var:134|Sakura Haruno (134)}} has posed:'''     The ninja will emerge from the ground once the clockwork beast is past, rather alarmed by just how quickly it could move. She hadn't expected that speed, and she's worried it'll catch up to Ariel, which would make for all sorts of problems for her.     She's just getting into motion when the arrow strike true at the beast, throwing her off of her chase. This is going to lead her to try something she's secretly always wanted to do, in spite of how lame it actually is.     Jumping down from the pillar, enhanced strength in her feet, she'll yell at the beast. "Dynamic entrance!" This is, of course, slightly wrong in several regards, but it's close enough to hopefully keep the thing from attacking either of the others. 

:'''{{#var:219|Ariel (219)}} has posed:''' Oops. Ariel bleats, the unicorn leaping again as the pillar starts to crumble. This time she has wings though, which unfold and carry her down in a gentle glide, rather than tumbling to the ground. "O-oh..." She was lucky. She knows it. That thing can still move after that, which means it could certainly hurt her if she isn't careful. Ariel lands nimbly nearby, but she's immediately tossing her head. A crackling arc of electricity leaps out from her horn, forming into a spiderlike being that leaps toward the hippogriff, trying to latch on and perhaps fuse some parts together from the heat. Al has finished her summon, but not in a way she'd like. The sputtering lurch of the sudden drop has thrown her off, and the spell fizzles to summon... an itty bitty foot tall winged black figure. Not particularly useful. 

:'''{{#var:992|Sigrun Stem (992)}} has posed:''' When it's not one shot, one kill... things always get a little riskier. Sigrun makes sure to take advantage of the ruins to provide herself with partial cover, even as she nocks up a second arrow. Unlike the last one, which had red fletching, this one has blue. A quick, almost instantaneous spell activates the magic imbued in this arrow. It doesn't quite go supersonic, instead this one is guided, using the impact of the previous arrow as a place to home in on. It's a spinning arrow with a broad head, designed to inflict a lot of damage to a target with either little to no armour, or of which the armour is already compromised. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     It's true, things just aren't as clean when two shots are needed. Fortunately, this group has an archer, and the hippogriff seems to be largely melee based... if very fast. Well, normally very fast.     With a grinding noise it tries to turn to face Ariel, starting toward the unicorn when... Sakura snaps its head toward her. A wing comes up, showing that it has some ranged ability when several metal feathers are flung toward the ninja. It's slightly off though, and what would be a deadly barrage is much easier to avoid in this case.     This is somewhat helped when the electrical construct latches onto a leg and starts to hiss and bubble around it, causing the gears to fuse and lock up. Now it's much more immobile, letting out a rattling 'SKREE' before the second arrow is launched into its side, piercing through and shattering more innards.     It is, technically, still 'moving' even after all that. But the clicking whrrs and the shuddering attempts to move aren't really getting it anywhere fast, more like a slow crawl toward its quarry. It's pretty much defeated, if not completely destroyed. 

:'''{{#var:134|Sakura Haruno (134)}} has posed:'''     Sakura manages to largely avoid the feathers, primarily thanks to flinging herself at the ground. She's going to stay there for a few seconds until it shorts out, gasping for breath as she climbs back to her feet and dusts herself off.     "...Don't know why I can't just fight against a normal monster these days, it's got to be some kind of awful robot monster. Nice shot." She'll add, to the new girl, before starting to look over the hippogriff.     "...Only problem with this is... If this was the mount, what happened to the rider?" 

:'''{{#var:219|Ariel (219)}} has posed:''' Ariel rises to her feet... and in the process she's shifted to her humanoid form. Al Azif hops onto her shoulder, now a tiny little figurine-sized girl, with Ariel clad in a dark green suit with wings instead. The unicorn frowns at the mess of the hippogriff, then looks upward. "That's... a good question," she agrees. "Should we check out the stairs? I hope there aren't more of them." In fact, she's not the type to stop if someone is in trouble! She's already flapping wings, lifting herself up toward the top. "Does anyone need help getting up?" 

:'''{{#var:992|Sigrun Stem (992)}} has posed:''' Sigrun fires another arrow, this one aimed squarely for the creature's head, in an attempt to put it out of its misery before walking up closer. Bow still drawn, with an arrow ready to nock. She overheards what Sakura and Ariel are talking about, and glances towards the guards in response. "Didn't you say the victim you recovered was the one to whom the hippogriff belonged?" 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     The guard shakes his head, "No, the rider vanished. That... thing... killed one of our scouts." If that wasn't clear then maybe the GM goofed up. Whoops.     Ariel is right though. There's a stairwell downward in the room. It looks a bit shaky, but is useable. 

:'''{{#var:134|Sakura Haruno (134)}} has posed:'''     Sakura will follow along behind Ariel, able to make it back up on her own even if it looks a lot more like effort than flying there would have.     "...Why don't I go first?" Sakura will ask, some hint of familiarity nagging at the back of her subconcious. Going downstairs from some clockwork abominations can't be something she's done too often before, right? ...Just twice, actually! 

:'''{{#var:219|Ariel (219)}} has posed:''' "If you like," Ariel says, politely. She doesn't mind if her aunt wants to be protective... but she's going to follow close behind. Her wings draw about her, forming a protective shield for herself and the tiny Al. She only stops to look back. "Miss Stem, are you coming with us? It might be nothing, but if it isn't..." There's a hopeful tone in there. 

:'''{{#var:992|Sigrun Stem (992)}} has posed:''' "Coming." Sigrun agrees, after the guard corrects her on the matter. She's not the best climber, but she's no stranger to it. She seems to know what to look for, just lacking in enough practice to make it quite as smooth as would be ideal. She almost falls once, but recovers, before getting in the opening. Once in there, she casts another spell. It's a lot like the first one, but it's faster, wider area, and green instead of white. It's looking for signs of life, any life, in the area. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     The stairs have a few flights going down, but fortunately there is forewarning. Sigrun's s pell detects... one and a half life signs. That is, one definite, the other is alive but seems a little off for some reason. And then... voices! Well, a voice.     "Oh stop being such a baby," the female voice says. A gas lamp is nearby, while she's holding aloft her own light, a magical one in her palm. She's been using that to examine a large door under the crumbling basement, one that various mechanical spiderlike beings are trying to pry open. It appears to be solid steel though, and enchanted as well. No wonder she's frustrated.     Anne is standing next to a pit, and well... across from it is a tired-looking, gagged man with long black hair. He struggles a little, but he's also rather tied up, mumbling around the gag.     Anne speaks again, "I know you defeated my guardian. I suppose this means you've won. I'm not really the sort to fight my battles myself, I'm afraid." She doesn't SEE the trio yet... or maybe she does and is pretending not to. She can certainly speak TO them though. 

:'''{{#var:134|Sakura Haruno (134)}} has posed:'''     That voice'll bring Sakura up short, because she'd run into it once before. It also manages to get her to move a hand into her pouch, coming out with a wicked looking knife, something she hadn't bothered with against the 'guardian'.     "...You moved quickly out of that city." Sakura will say, trying to keep herself between Ariel and Anne. Sigrun will end up guarded as well, likely. "I don't suppose since we've won that you'll be coming quietly to be tried for all of those murders?" 

:'''{{#var:992|Sigrun Stem (992)}} has posed:''' "I'd call you a coward, but fighting other people's battles is kind of what I do." Sigrun responds to Anne, the thrill of victory has pretty much calmed her nerves, and now she's cracking wise. "So instead I'll judge you on your taste in champions. Making automatons to mimic other people's rides? That's just tacky." 

:'''{{#var:219|Ariel (219)}} has posed:''' Ariel doesn't need protection! Maybe. Well, she isn't arguing, she's used to people being protective of her. She doesn't know who Anne is though, looking puzzled for a moment... but she has priorities. "Hm..." Whispering to herself, she steps back out of the area of danger, letting Sigrun and Sakura handle that... While she summons an oozing slime, which she directs to slip around behind and try to undo the hostage's binds. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     Hmm. Anne considers the words. "No, I don't think so. They were in the way, and I saved the best of them. He could be useful. But... I know how you types are, and it would be... difficult, at best, to deal with all of you." She sighs, twirling a finger in around some of the scarlet locks.     "Don't be daft," she murmurs to Sigrun. "That was a convenient replica I had on hand. It would take even me longer to build one of those than the time I've had here. I just knew a hippogriff was about so I brought one with me. That's going to take weeks to replace! That's quite a magical bow you have there. If you even need some work on it, come see me."     She doesn't even try to stop the summon from creeping around, if she even knows it's there. Clever girl. Anne does clap her hands together.... and emit a bright flash of light. In that instant, she's gone. Though if someone can shield their eyes from it, they'll know she can't teleport or anything. She just stepped back into the pit, and let herself fall. Since she doesn't seem to be able to fly, that may not be a good idea. 
}}

4092/Typical Solar Dinner

2016-08-13T20:16:50Z

Kino: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2016/05/10 |Location=Urbania |Synopsis=Anne Blakely invites Karal Rei Lin over for a meal and a chat. |Cast of Characters=983, 984 |pretty=yes }} {..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2016/05/10
|Location=Urbania
|Synopsis=Anne Blakely invites Karal Rei Lin over for a meal and a chat.
|Cast of Characters=983, 984
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     The directions lead to a small homey shop down the road, looking more like a house than a business. The sign has, in elaborate script, 'Mary O'nette's Supplies' on it, and the place looks... cozy, with the door open and the show room largely just in front of what is obviously doubling as a home. Shelves of simple dry goods, satchels, bags, rope... adventuring supplies dot the room, along with several shelves of basic potions that might be useful to a neophyte adventurer. Even some light leather armors and travel clothing, all mounted on mannequins to show what they look like.     Anne appears to be putting some hot water on to boil, humming to herself. The redhead is in simple clothing, a bodice and skirt, but more importantly is not anyone that Karal Rei Lin has met before. 

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:''' Karal Rei Lin is new to this darned thing! Someone handed her a smart phone. A Multiverse brand Smart Phone, but it's still running a touch screen for all it's wafer thin and incredibly flexible. It's a computer, but it's thin as a playing card. ... And only slightly larger.     And several times she's pressed buttons without meaning to, getting stuck in menus she doesn't understand talking about things she further doesn't understand using visual styles and terminology she doesn't understand.     But she pockets the thing - somewhere in her very exotic-for-here attire. "That's the right name!" Muses the redhead, who's now standing just in front of the door.     She hesitates briefly, struck by an odd and fleeting shiver. Which she entirely ignores, as it was probably just a breeze anyways.     *KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*     As it's a store, Lin doesn't wait to enter. She simply opens on up and steps in. "Good evening! It's not everyday someone goes out of their way to invite a stranger over for dinner. Don't know any of the rites for this town." That last sentence comes out apoloetically...     And, at the same time, she bows her head respectfully, as guest to host. "Karal Rei Lin!" 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     Anne turns and gives a polite nod. "It isn't every day someone can just come over to a stranger's home. I am not, despite the shop name, Mary. My name is Anne Blakely." A little curtsy, and she goes back to prepping the tea. With a faint whrr, the door shuts behind Karal, but it's just glass and wood.     As she offers a seat in the room behind the showroom, she continues, "Is there anything you'd like? I'm new the Multiverse, and only briefly looked into this... Creation place. I'm not sure what the typical expectation is, but you seemed to want bacon. I can provide." 

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:''' "Hospitality rites... they aren't common here?" Lin's voice sort of cracks, going from a smooth conversational tone to a rougher one for just a moment. It's clear enough she's trying to be very polite in whatever that langauge is she's speaking. "It's customary that if comes requesting it, the head of a house must offer hospitality - food and drink, and shelter. In some places the guest is obligated only to keep the peace and be respectful, though it's a poor guest who doesn't share stories, conversation, and maybe help where they can."     Lin's expression turns a little sheepish and she ends up scratching the back of her head a little. "Don't really have anything to offer for the latter besides tales from home... ah right!"     She snaps back to attention, the guilty expression vanishing instantly.     "Bacon! What IS bacon, Miss... Anne? Blakely? Pardon, I'm not sure which is the family name..."     As if on cue, her stomach growls. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     "Hospitality rules? OH! No, not... formal ones," Anne replies. "Call me Anne. Miss Blakely is formal but... not really what I'm used to." She sets out some cups and resumes explanation. "We follow all our own. For me, I'm not going to poison you if I invite you over for food. That's... well, 'impolite' doesn't cover it, does it? Uncouth? Hmm... besides, that would be /terrible/ for business, and I've already had to move the shop once after that whole mess earlier."     She turns and starts laying out some bacon on the skillet. "So, bacon is the back, jowl, or belly of a pig. Belly in this case. It's very good, but not very healthy. Bad for the heart." She chuckles softly. "But I'll fix some eggs or the like to go with it if you are worried."     From the cupboard a little mechanical thing peeks out. A mouse? No... not really right. As it shuffles out it reveals skeletal wings with cloth stretched between the tines. "Oh, Norbert is saying hello. Probably a little skittish, after the knifing you gave him." 

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:''' "Oh, meat!" Delighted, Lin speeds over to the chair, barely able to maintain a.... oh, bother, she's hardly dignified about it at all. Though she does TRY to shuffle over without being clumsy about it. "If that's really being offered. Meat... meat is expensive. Hardly ever have meat-" There's a mix of apology and HUNGER in her look, rather like a dog trying not to chase after a meal it's been told to not touch. Well, she's definitely not worried about health. "Everything in moderation... right?"     There's little trace of the composure she showed the other day. Largely because she's HUNGRY from all the wandering.     "Rei Lin's my name, Karal being the family name. Lin if you like."     But then... creak-creak peek! Her head turns slightly, eyes sweeping over... then going wide. Blink. Blink. STARE.     "...WHAT." Croaks the redhead, throat suddenly dry and color draining from her face.     She seems to have been struck dumb by this turn of events.     But that'll probably only last a few seconds. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     The bacon starts sizzling, and Anne doesn't seem to realize exactly that's wrong. She sees the stare and the expression, and presumes something... entirely different. "Oh don't worry, he's harmless. And much as I jest, he's also not actually intelligent, not the way you and I are. He doesn't actually 'remember' you at all. He's a machine."     Toast! It is being buttered. "Hm, a little light for a dinner... really should have come up with something else," she comments as if there were nothing amiss. "Karal is the family name? I see. You follow what is an 'eastern' tradition in my world. The exotic orient, and so on. I wasn't fond of it, myself." 

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:''' "..." Karal's sort of stupidly blinking when Anne continues on as if nothing is wrong whatsoever. Is there some kind of mistake? How can there be? She even called out the knifing?     Anne gets a brief, can't-help-it-stinkeye'ing before Lin manages to shake her head and clear it. A calmer head prevailing. "Ah... I see. You recognized my voice between that incident and the broadband. Hopefully there's no bad blood involved here. As that job has ended I've no reason to have any quarrel with you. That machine's a masterwork by all standards I know! So I regret having to damage it." Seems she's bound and determined to explain her position on this, including an apologetic, slightly nervous grin.     But the grin turns into a frown.     The word poison came up earlier.     The frown quickly intensifies... 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     The bacon gets added to the plate. "You were doing a job. As I understand it, you were paid for a service and performed it. It wasn't personal toward me, and anything I would do wouldn't be personal toward you." Anne seems on the same page there!     She pulls up a seat as the table is full now. Pouring herself some tea is probably small comfort, but she's still being casual. "I'm glad to see you appreciate my work. I've had a lot of practice." 

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:''' Lin pauses only briefly after receiving the food. Perhaps offering a silent prayer to the god of pigs or something. or maybe something about how Anne phrased that was less than heartening.     Whatever the case, the promise - and SCENT - of sizzly bacon has her almost eye-watering. "East, yes, but I've never heard of any such word... 'orient.' Though even then... the traditions I said are almost universal. And this is traditional wear for Lookshy. Supposedly it's the style the Shogunate favored!"     She's unfamiliar with the eating utensils, but it only takes few moments to figure out that bacon can be dealt with by just... picking it up and starting to munch on it!     Which gets her eyes lighting up.     Here's just hoping it ISN'T poisoned!     "My thanks for the invitation, Anne! Though... I don't understand why..." 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     This... actually makes Anne giggle softly. "You really haven't had this before? What a pity." She slides her own portion over, plucking up one stick of bacon for herself to nibble on. "I don't eat much, so you can have all you like."     Ah, but why. That is a question! "Oh, you seemed to have a lot of skill and potential. I'm always looking out for more like that. Maybe as a bodyguard. You and that... Shin fellow both seemed to be just about perfect. I'm glad you came alone, though. I only have one chassis complete, so I'd have to hold one of you for weeks if you both showed up at once. That always feels awkward for some reason." 

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:''' Lin can't help but make a strangely guilty noise as more meat's offered. "A guest shouldn't deprive the host of their me-eal..." But... BACON. It looks delicious! Greasier than she's used to for sure, but... she's got this sort of puppy-eyed look in bliss as she finishes her first strip and goes for another.     And she's halfway through it when the munching gets less vigorous. A few words start ringing in her ears.     Gulping down the rest in a hurry - a feat that would have most people probably choking, she now tilts her head ever so slightly, mouth opening.     Hold her for weeks? Chassis?     Lin herself may not realize it, but her hand's drifted down out of sight for the comforting grip of her sword. It shiftin.. isn't silent thogh. There's the faintest clink of metal from the posture change.     She's tongue-tied, but color's draining from her face again. Confusion mixing with very clear.... 'ohhhhh.... shit.' 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     The expression makes Anne frown. "Oh... did some of them get burned? That happens, sometimes. Every package is different, but at least we don't need to slice them ourselves these days. Much more convenient." She takes a sip of tea, then points out, "Your toast is getting cold."     It doesn't look like she thinks she's said anything wrong at all. It might be mistaken for a misheard statement if not for the mechanical, whrring arm that comes around the corner... followed by an intricate, copper and bronze man, gears turning and cables twanging faintly with every motion. "Ah, Mistress," the tinny voice states. "You had a call. I told them you'd be finished in a few hours, at most, but they said they'd try back later." That mechanical body is far, far more articulate and animated than any machine has a right to be. 

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:''' The incredibly natural way in which Anne takes the comment gets Lin feeling increasingly small and guilty. "N-no, not at all!" She lets go of the sword, bowing her head once apologetically. "Maybe culture shock's harder to deal with than I expected, eheh." Tentatively she grabs a third piece of bacon in one hand, and toast in the other, and starts munching on BOTH back and forth. But she's mid-swallow when the arm appears. And the rest of the body.     And it TALKS.     Lin's whole body tenses to the max! She swallows HARD, but it's hard to say if that's from being WEIRDED OUT by the thing or awed. There's aspects of BOTh in her gaze as her mouth starts to gape slightly. "What an intricate... auto... automaton?!" 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     Sipping tea, Anne replies, "Thank you, Alvin." Alvin nods and vanishes again, but the compliment has Anne smiling pleasantly. "He's one of the more... delicate models, for fine work. I'm very proud of him. That level of detail takes a long while to finish, as I'm sure you can imagine."     She sets the tea down and stretches, "Your model will be a lot more rugged. Oh, since you've been so pleasant, did you prefer a humanoid one, or something more intimidating? I only have a humanoid available, but if you're willing to wait..." 

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:''' "What... WHAT do you mean, my model?!" Now Lin sounds - and LOOKS - rather worried. Her chair creaks and shuffles back as she shoves with her feet to get some space. In no time at all Lin rises to her feet, hand again near.. but not actually touching... the grip of her sheathed sword.     "I was willin' to tell all kinds of tales, talk about craftsmanship, all kinds'a stuff... but now you've got me thinkin' this wasn't an invitation for just a friendly visit." 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     "Of course it is," Anne says, not rising from her chair. "But I also thought you were a wonderful candidate for another guardian. Though I admit you've put me into a bit of a quandry... usually, my new additions resist quite a lot, but those rules of hospitality you mentioned..." She heaves a dramatic sigh.     "I suppose you'd be willing to fight your way out of here, hmm?" She looks at the sword. "I'll never understand that. Well I can't very well /fight/ you here after you extended your own rules so politely." 

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:''' Lin's SCOWLING now! "You... you TRAP people to make these things?! Sacrifices?!" Seems that while Lin might be naive, she's not THAT clueless, with enough pieces of the puzzle presented. Her gut's churning.     Both with fear and pure horrified revulsion.     THAT HAS TO STOP, screams an ancient voice in her head. A voice that's familiar yet not.     "Kgh... can't say I know what's going on in your head. If you feel a crisis of conscience but plan on doing this with Shin too..."     She stands up straight, but... it's clear that this is both NOT really an advantage for Anne if Lin chose to attack... nor a declaration of being about to do so. Lin's glancing around with fleeting looks here and there, eyes open for any surprises near the door. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     Calling it a crisis of conscience makes Anne look confused for a moment. She shakes her head, then makes a motion, waving. "No, no. It would be even more awkward to take you now. I think I want to talk to you more than I need another guardian, at least for now. You are free to go-"     Anne stops, then picks up her tea. "Well, you can finish your meal first. I wouldn't mind knowing what sort of crafts you HAVE seen in your world." 

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:''' "Ye-" For a moment, JUST a brief moment, Lin's resolve falters. THAT FOOD IS GOOD. Very tempeting, all that meat. But.... that's not enough to break her resolve, in the end. "If I didn't come here as a guest and found out this was your goal there'd be a fight alright." The hand finally reaches her sword, shifting it slightly for emphasis.     "Lemme tell you.... can't say whether you'd be able to catch me or not, but a few've tried. Wouldn't be much left of this shop here afterwards whatever the outcome."     "But I did come here as a guest, and I'm not about to break that tradition by harming my host." 
}}

4075/Hickory Dickory Dock

2016-08-13T20:12:53Z

Kino: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2016/05/05 |Location=Southern Urbania |Synopsis=The Union and Confederacy investigate mysterious political happenings. |Cast of Characters=983, 756..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2016/05/05
|Location=Southern Urbania
|Synopsis=The Union and Confederacy investigate mysterious political happenings.
|Cast of Characters=983, 756, 984, 134, 368, 395, 157
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     Amethyst City is the capitol of Berylswithe, but despite the name it is not purple. In fact, it's not even gem-like at all! It has the look of Victorian London... on the surface. Top hats, pretty dresses, and even horse-drawn carriages now and then. Those are on the side streets, though... for cars do exist, though they have an old-fashioned look like vintage stuff. They do not have the noxious fumes of old cars, though... in fact, from the hum, they appear to be electric? Not to mention that the streets are very clean, and the monocles that some wear are connected to wearable computers. It's really just a retro trend for a place that's slightly ahead of standard 2016 tech.     Of late, several important city officials have been going missing, which has made their replacements a bit worried... apparently nobody was making explicit threats, so they had no idea what triggered the disappearance. One such man, Lord Fenniworth, has gone through the trouble of putting out a call for bodyguards to the Syndicate to keep an eye on him while he attends a meeting with some business partners. It's pretty boring, thus far, droning on about purchases and developments.     The Union also has business here, as the man that Fenniworth replaced was in talks with the Union dignitary there... who had also disappeared. Naturally, a replacement was sent, this time with two minor Elite bodyguards, but Fenniworth had communicated that he had never actually run into any of them, and had thus gotten a little skittish about... well, everything.     Naturally, suspicion would fall upon the Confederacy when this happened, and it is doubtful they confirmed or denied it. Checking in with Human Resources, however, revealed that while they had an eye on the place they had yet to perform any official operations, and certainly had not deployed any of the more dangerous Elites yet. 

:'''{{#var:756|Shin Tokuyama (756)}} has posed:'''     *pap* *pap* *pap* *WHOOSH* "Aww...Three."     *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* *WHOOSH* "Aww... Five."     *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap*     Shin is in one corner of the meeting room during LORD FENNNIWORTH's meetings with his business partners. He looks utterly bored and, owing to this, his actions reflect it. Still wearing that same suit he always wears, he's sitting in his chair with a back agains the wall.     The majority of his focus is less on the meeting itself and more on a wooden paddle with a strand of elastic and a red ball attached to it. He's fairly intent on smacking the ball repeatedly to pass the time.     *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* *WHOOSH* "Damnit. Twenty." 

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:''' When the call went out for Syndicate bodyguards, a locale like this with a VICTORIAN LONDON aesthetic probably wasn't expecting someone who looks like they've stepped out of ANCIENT ANIME JAPAN, but that's one of the ones they got.     Karal Rei Lin's taken the job, seeing it as an easy way to see more of the Multiverse and probably end up doing very little. At best, an opportunity to train her patience as so many back home say she must work on. Or perhaps, at best, a clash with some of this man's rivals and enemies.     Even though the talk at hand resounds in her mind as not too unlike the fare of Guildsman buying and selling lives and fortunes, she has little need to hide her distaste - she's far more confused at how DIFFERENT the world she's wandered into is.     Karal Rei Lin's spoken very little, though many, MANY times she's looked on the verge of blurting out SOMETHING or other. Frequently glancing at something in the meeting room - or someone. Every elaborate outfit, any possible signs of hidden threats. Her senses are focused and alert far beyond the realm of human cognition, picking up on minor rustles and every odd fold in clothing.     Eventually though, one particular person's behavior draws her attention the most.     Shin Tokuyama.     Lin focuses a ferociously agitated GRIN his way - far from a happy grin. Looks more like she might want to pop a blood vessel or something.     Every time ball hits mallet her forehead twitches. 

:'''{{#var:134|Sakura Haruno (134)}} has posed:'''     Getting a mission to find a missing person was always a pain. Especially in places where Flowers particularly stands out. Such as somewhere with a retro sense of fashion and a distinct lack of people with pink hair.     Of course, her hair color had been close to unique even growing up. She'll not be bothering Fenniworth yet, not directly, instead starting to look around the city to see if she can contact any of the union's people that have gone missing. This is not going particularly well for her, at least at first, but it's not going to stop her from giving a try, talking into a radio, wondering by herself, and generally looking like a slightly deranged person. 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:'''     AMETHYST City. BERYLswithe... And yet, not a single sign of purple or gemstones. Which is met by the tearing up of papers that one would expect is a few pages from whatever profile documentation those 'eyes' on the place had been putting together by an irrate sounding Lunessa. "Why must these places always LIE with their names?!" Objected the cybernetic wolf-woman as she crossed her arms in disgust. "I wanted some amethyst crystal to make a new lense for my assault cannon so it shoots purple beams instead of those boring generic 'evil red'."     "File a butthurt form with the Multiverse Tourist Department later," Tesla Armadia retorted to her escort, not bothering to even look back in applying her sarcasm. Then again, it might be because she's too busy tweeking the settings on a device built into the back of one gauntlet. "Besides, gemstones are hardly what we are here for." A few strips of data flicker across the HUD built into the back of her glasses lenses, and Tesla merely folds her hands behind her back as she starts to walk. "This place wasn't even a blip on the bottom rung of intel's radar until a few days ago and they made a discovery that would be most prolific to Research & Developement's interests."     Cue a growling low grown from Lunessa as she rolls her eyes and follows like an obedient dog/soldier. "I better get to blow something up to make amends for this disappointment. I really -really- feel a need to vent coming on."     "All in due time, Lunessa. All in due time." Tesla was unflappable by her creation's outbursts as usual. Save the faint hint of a side smirk that shows a few sharper than human teeth. "We will find what I am looking for when we get there." She, frankly, doesn't give a shit about whatever political games the Union may be here playing. That's not her department.     Or her style. 

:'''{{#var:395|Amalthea (395)}} has posed:'''     This sounds like complicated political bauldercrap.     Let it be known Amalthea hates complicated political bauldercrap. But when a Union dignitary and two elite bodyguards go missing, this is something that sort of must be looked into, to ascertain the whereabouts and status of three missing personnel.     This is why the unicorn is present. Though clad in her lighter armor of chain, plate, and surcoat, rather than her full heavy set. She's not here for dealing with negotiations, politicking, talking, or ANY FORM OF signing, marking, dotting lines, nor saying yes or no.     The instant someone asks her to so anything so much as official in any capacity that isn't 'search for the missing', they will truly learn what the evil eye is. Because she has but one to give.     That all said, the unicorn is present, pacing outside Lord Fenniworth's meeting rooms like a caged lion. Back and forth, forth and back, and back again.     She looks like if anyone so much as approaches her with a sheet of paper, she'll maul them. 

:'''{{#var:157|Bliss (157)}} has posed:''' The inquiry into Human Resources is what got the attention of Bliss, the life-eating faerie. Unlike her companion, she's keeping an even lower cover... wearing a cloak and all! Sticking to the alleys and wearing that might seem to be something that draws attention, but Bliss's illusion magics make it fairly easy to keep herself discreet most of the time, allowing her to find a nice and safe place to settle in and observe... Lord Fenniworth. It's not a hard choice to make. If someone was eliminating Union people, they'd come here, because Union sorts would come here eventually, she thinks. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     The meeting is going... eh, decently. At least, there are still a few arguments, but they seem settled largely. One in particular has an opponent point out to Fenniworth that his predecessor also tried to close down that shop, wasn't he worried? But that just leads to laughter, because it's not exactly the part of town that would hire hit men who could kill a well-funded noble like that.     In a few minutes the meeting is wrapping up, and people are filing out. The street is clearing now that the rush hour is winding down and dusk is nearing, leaving the only creature of note the small black cat that clambers up on a barrel of rainwater runoff, perching on the edge with a careful motion. It looks a little stiff, like it is old or pained, but it's staring with some real intentness at... Amalthea.     Tesla has decided to wander off and do her own thing, which is thus far unopposed unless she's actually trying to go to the storehouse or mines. Those will have guards and everything, but the rest of the city is fairly open to explore and proves to have a pretty nice tech level, despite the prevalence of more 'primitive' gadgets. Unusual features aren't that strange, because it's been Unified for a while now.     Sakura will find a lead, at last! One person has actually seen who she's looking for! They scratch their head, "Last I saw them, they were stopping by downtown to get some souveniers." This is not exactly where the meeting is, but close by enough to be plot relevant later. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     During the meeting, an odd smell has started. It's nothing horrible... in fact it's quite pleasant, a strong rosy perfume scent. Maybe one of those businessmen or women are wearing something. 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:'''     And in that one sees the method to Tesla's madness. Of course the city would have someplace to store their finds, particularly one of such great importance. But as the world, whild resisting dealing with the Confederates, has not yet officially sided with the Union or made themselves a military target, simply storming the storehouses with be callous, destructive, and potentially push things in the Union's favor. Thus the more roundabout 'touring' of the city, which made it no more obvious of where her final destination may or may not be.     That and it let Tesla sate her own curiosity a bit. Anachronistic technology levels were always amusing to observe personally, to better understand what one may dealing with upon getting involved in the world at a large scale eventually.     It was nice and unoffensive. Overall fairly calm, even with the big discovering of super magical ore.     Hopefully Tesla won't have to break this world like she has others. Would be a shame.     At least having a heavily armored and extremely grumpy looking anthro-wolf cyborg following her deters anyone from really getting in her way. 

:'''{{#var:756|Shin Tokuyama (756)}} has posed:'''     *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap*     Shin seems totally oblivious to the agitated grin he's getting from the other person playing bodyguard. Or if he isn;t oblivious, he doesn't make it look like he notices that she's slowly being driven insane. Perhaps, some day, he would use this strategy in his final battle with Chrysanthemum.     "So hey, why do people wanna kill you? I mean, not that I mind, since it gets me a job and so I get to take time off from the part time gig at MgGronald's, but you know," Shin asks boredly, playing with his ball and paddle as he trails after Fenniworth, "Last time I got hired for one of these jobs, a Grandma broke my arm and I had to protect a Union General from a whole buncha crazy shit."     Shin squints at him, not sure what to make of it all, "You gotta whole buncha crazy shit after you, guy?" He asks suspiciously. His credibility as a badass is probably undermined by the soft:     *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* 

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:''' There's only so much that Lin can TAKE of staying in one place. But while she's quite visibly relieved to see that the meeting's about to end, she has little time to relax. Her nose twitches once. Twice.     Lin's certainly smelled flowers, though not THAT particular fragrance. Turning her head this way and that she sniffs the air, hoping to deduce from what direction that scent's coming in the strongest with ever-increasingly intense focus.     Because it wasn't there before and thus, probably SHOULDN'T be here!     A draft of perfume might mean nothing at all to locals, but to a country bumpkin like Lin suddenly smelling flowery anything in the middle of a room's NOT a good sign.     She suddenly breaks the silence she's been struggling to keep at the tail end of Shin's questioning with a few of her own.     "Will you CUT THAT OUT already? ... Aaaand... does it suddenly smell like flowers? Should it smell like flowers in here?" Now that she DOES speak up she's sounding as nervous about the latter questions as she is irritated to hell 'n back about the former one.     "Right about now with people leaving's a great time for assassins to strike. No letting your guard down."     Her left hand dips down to grip her weapon around the scabbard, just short of the cross-guard. 

:'''{{#var:134|Sakura Haruno (134)}} has posed:'''     "Thank you!" Flowers will call over to the person who had been helpful. She'll start to head away, and then pause, turn back towards the helper.. "Which part of town is downtown, exactly?" The ninja will ask, fidgeting a bit and not meeting their eyes. That was a rather embarrassing request to have to make, after all.     A few minutes later, with the help, she's going to be in the general vicinity of the meeting, going around the downtown area, trying to figure out just where someone from the union might have bothered to shop around here. She's particularly decided that they were probably looking for a hat. Hats were good. 

:'''{{#var:395|Amalthea (395)}} has posed:'''     Though she may be outside the meeting room, Amalthea keeps a weather ear on the events inside. Her hearing isn't particularly incredible beyond that of a wild forest dweller, and much of what's said is either lost through the walls, or she doesn't care much about, in the least.     Her main intent is to make sure the arguments that brew stay arguments and not say. The sounds of violence, or something busting in and causing sounds of violence. As long as nothing seems to go wrong, she doesn't overly exert herself in any fasion. But...     Her ear flits.     "Nnh?"     Ever get that odd feeling of being watched? Amalthea's getting that right now, but other than the mild creeped out natural paranoia she is... Largely unaware of the cat's presence, and like most guards in any video game, can be considered not alerted in any way shape or form, and vents some steam in a small hiss. 

:'''{{#var:157|Bliss (157)}} has posed:''' Interesting. No, not the cat, though Bliss does glance at the aged beast. No, Bliss is more interested in... Amalthea. Eyes narrow as she observes the unicorn, with a little flex of her mechanical fingers. It'd be nice to have a little play with the unicorn... but no, she has to restrain herself. She isn't here to kill anyone or raise a ruckus. Just WATCH people get killed, that's right. Which means she's suddenly on the alert as well, and reinforces her invisibility spell. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     Unfortunately, nobody can seem to decide on which shop the three Union members entered /last/ once Sakura is downtown. They're all happy to help, but even people who were together at the time are unsure and get into arguments. It's going to take some doing to track that down... and there will momentarily be a choice to make regarding whether or not to pursue this lead! Because in a moment there will be a distraction!     Tesla will wander near one of the storehouses to see security is filtering in even more, surrounding the place while an investigator is arguing with what looks like an employee. From the loud voices throwing a few words out, it looks like there's /already/ been a theft, but they can't figure out /how/ yet. The investigator is suggesting an inside job.     Meanwhile, back at the meeting...     One of the women remarks, "You know... I think I've smelled that brand before. Someone is using too much of it." And one of the men notes, "Yes... one of our previous meetings." Using the honed senses, however, means that Karal can slowly trace the scent as coming from up above... in the high ceiling of the room. There, in the corner, hanging from a rafter... is a small bat? Bats wear perfume now?     Out front, Amalthea and Bliss will get a different look at what's going on. The entire street is... unnaturally still, actually. At least until the cat mewls. It's a strangely tinny sound, and when it repeats it's /exacty/ the same. The feline leaps off the barrel with a thump of landing on the street... and the barrel splits open, rainwater pouring around it as a shining, soaked and coppery globe is revealed to be in the bottom. The opening that slides open upon it has the cat hopping right inside, and the globe splits at the sides to release four whirring legs, and two arms with sharp blades springing out.     The now power-armored cat advances upon Amalthea threateningly.     "Mew." 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:'''     The roundabout route pays off as Tesla and her escort do eventually come across a storage facility with little in the way of notice. She stops when conversation drifts their way, holding up a hand to Lunessa to do the same. Keeping their distance the technopath mentally adjusts her own hardware until she can sync in on the conversation. Like one of those 'super ears' you use to see advertized on late-night television. Except her technological powers make it actually work, because sci-fi is a wonderful medium like that. "Hmm. A theft already it would seem." She motions to her escort. "Lunessa, case the facility."     "I'd rather blow something up," the cyber-wolf mutters, even as she flips her tactical goggles down over her eyes and starts scanning the storehouse, looking for any signs of this other thief or where they made off to. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     As for Shin's question, Fenniworth rubs his chin, "Not that I know of, but my predecessor on the Council did apparently! His disappearance has caused some worry... especially with so many doing similar. I have no idea what he did to attract such attention... and once I do, perhaps we will know who is to blame. I must say I am not thrilled to be thrust into this position under such mysterious circumstances." 

:'''{{#var:756|Shin Tokuyama (756)}} has posed:'''     *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap*     "I dunno," Shin says to the man absently, "People do a lot of stuff to other people that pisses em off without ever realizing they're doing it. Maybe you should think over who might want you out of the way the MOST and work your way down from there."     Speaking of doing stuff without realizing he's pissing off other people, Shin looks to Karal, "Cut what out?"     *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap*     He continues playing with his paddle-and-ball toy as he looks up at the rafters, "Hey you guys should get an exterminator. That bat might have the rabies." 

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:''' A troubling bit of information's passed around as Karal Rei Lin's attention drifts upwards, nose constantly sniffing the air for a clearer and clearer picture. This is quite s train for her - she's never tried to track down anything by scent before - yet somehow, eventually, her eyes pick out the odd shape up above.     Perhaps seeing a bat up in high places wouldn't normally be too odd. But it reeks of rose perfume?     And it's been here twice now...?     Lin's teeth clench and eyes narrow. "You'll be thrilled even LESS to hear this, Lord Fenniworth. Pardon me." States the bodyguard-for-hire. The merest flicker of light's visible in her hand as it closes about the air... and the very next moment?     FWIIIIIIP!     A knife's sent skyward without her even taking a stance, STRAIGHT for the out-of-place creature with SPECTACULAR speed for such.     "There's a likely SPY up there!" 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     RE: Tesla     Lunessa's scan shows that... the security system is intact, and it's actually much, much more impressive than the unassuming appearance would indicate. Weapon turrets of some kind, and an array of sensors, from heat to motion to so on and so forth, including one or two that are odd enough that simple tactical goggles can't identify them. It doesn't appear to have any damage or holes. No wonder the investigator thinks it's an inside job. 

:'''{{#var:395|Amalthea (395)}} has posed:'''     The sillness... Is not right. Only now does it hit Amalthea how silent everything has become; how there's almost noe one around.     Cats don't meow like that.     The instant she hears the sound, Amalthea's ear flicks straight up like radar; the metallic timbre to the mewl instantly raising the old knight's proverbial hackles. Her sword is drawn before she turns, and when she does turn to face it, she watches in somewhat dumbfounded confusion as the cat... Climbs into a suit of mechanical, powerized, armor.     "... What."     Amalthea has seen many things in her life. This will always be one of the moments in all her centuries that gives her a moment of pause.     She looks to her left.     She looks to her right.     She is pretty sure she isn't on Multiversal Candid Camera.     There's still that sheer moment of blatant, wild, inability to comprehend, for just a beat, before her brain connects facts like lines running from dot to dot.     Cat -> Power armor -> Weapons -> Approaching her.     Amalthea's shield is brought to bear as she squares off to face the oncoming mechanical feline monstrosity, setting her boots. Should it take so much as a swipe at her, there's a parry and attempt at riposte waiting for it.     Otherwise she's kind of just. ... Staring at the goddamn thing. 

:'''{{#var:134|Sakura Haruno (134)}} has posed:''' Sakura will start to get frustrated - in spite of her job with a detective agency and all, she's kind of bad at the investigation and sorting out different accounts and that sort of thing. "So you aren't really sure where they went?" She'll ask one squabbling couple.     She's going to be very distractable, soon, if the fight becomes loud enough to pull her away. But for the moment, she's going to just start going into the shops, asking the keepers if any of the union members had been there. She hasn't figured out about the cat, or Amalthea, just yet. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     INSIDE THE MEETING     "Bat...?" Several people turn up to look... and just in time, see the knife fly into the bat, causing a screech! From one of the people in the meeting. The bat itself just gets hurled against the wall, the knife embedding, and an oozing dark streak starting to leak downward.     But that isn't blood, as it turns out.     It's glistening in the manner of a shiny oil. Lubricant, not the kind that burns. And with a small 'clink' noise, one wing pops off from the damaged bat, falling to the floor as a spring flings itself out of the tiny body and its ruined clockwork internals. There's stitching torn near the impact point, and a little dried blood from the skin of the bat that was used to create the clockwork spy. 

:'''{{#var:157|Bliss (157)}} has posed:''' Wow. This is getting pretty awesome. Bliss flicks her cloak back and finally steps out, the artificial arm gleaming as it pops open the side to reveal the moonfire projector. The faerie lets her wings flick out, fluttering lightly as she floats into view. "Hi again, Amalthea!" Bright and cheerful! "I have no idea whose this is, but I think I'm going to give it a nice watch to make sure you don't get aaaany interference in your little fight." 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     RE: Sakura     Hmm, no call for help from Amalthea means a little more time looking! Finally, a few people have narrowed it down to which STREET it was. Unfortunately there are two shops on that street, and nobody knows which one they went into.     The first is HATS GALORE, with all manner of hats in the bay-style window.     The second has a large marionette hanging from the ceiling, and is titled PUPPET TREE 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:'''     "I think we're dealing with something more advanced than expected, boss," The grumpy snarkiness in Lunessa's voice is gone entirely as she gets much more professional in attitude after seeing the scans. "High-end defenses. Priority scans. Proximity deternents." A pause as she taps the side of the tact-goggles with a clawtip. "Several anomolties that cannot be IDed redily."     "Things just get more and more curious." Tesla rubbed her chin. "Yet none of it has been triggered or disturbed?"     "Anomolties nonwithstanding, nothing appears to have actually activated."     "Prehaps they are correct about the inside job then." With a thoughtful hmmm Tesla turned and started to walk away.     "Whu?" Lunessa peered after Tesla, then to the storehouse, then back again as she yanked up the goggles. "Why are you walking away? We're right here!"     "It would be excessively incrimidating to rob a place that was already stolen from. No reason to give the real thief the extra lack of attention." But the hints of that conniving tone were slipping back into Tesla's voice. "Besides, I would be much more interested in who or what posessed the means to bypass an elaborate anachronistic defense grid."     Lunessa ground her teeth together for a moment, producing small sparks since they were metallic, twitched a few times, and then threw her hands up in frustration over her head as she turn and stalked after Tesla. "I don't understand you evil geniuses AT ALL."     "To be far, I did not create you to 'understand'."     "Well right now I'm not getting to kill anything either!" 

:'''{{#var:756|Shin Tokuyama (756)}} has posed:'''     "See!"     Shin points, "It's case of robies was so bad that it had entirely turned into a machine. What an awful disease. A terrible disease."     Shin shakes his head disdainfully as the bat is felled by the thrown knife. Shin looks over towards the man he's supposed to be protecting, "Don't go near the body. I heard it's still a vector for the disease, so you could get infected." He cautions.     *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     RE: Amalthea and Bliss     Whrr. The machine advances slowly at first, and then Bliss reveals herself. The device turns, clattering and clicking a few times. It appears to observe Bliss for a few seconds, then turn back to Amalthea as if making a decision.     The blades begin spinning, and with a surprisingly long LEAP, the thing bursts into action, making elaborate cutting and slicing motions. It isn't fighting /intelligently/ though, just with very intricate motions... the first few skitter off the shield a few times before it even tries to adapt, but it's moving /very/ fast. 

:'''{{#var:134|Sakura Haruno (134)}} has posed:'''     Sakura will scratch her head, looking at the two stores. She knows which she'd rather go into herself, but she's not certain if the trio would have gone to one or the other. With a sigh, she'll head into the Puppet Tree store, though hands will automatically edge towards weapons as she walks in and past the marionette.     Sakura has been nearly killed by puppets two times too many to really trust being around them, even if she's just there to ask questions. And some people DID go missing. 

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:''' CLANG?! That's not a noise she expected to hear, but Lin's sharpened senses picked up a hint of it. But it makes a little more sense when a clockwork wing sheathed in bat skin hits the ground, along with some tiny gears and struts and... she gives the thing a VERY puzzled look. Then again focuses on what's left of the bat - now impaled to the wall.     Lin's hand raises up towards the knife, fingers curling around the air expectantly. This, seemingly, is enough of a reason for her weapon to rattle itself free of the ro-bat's 'corpse' and fly back through the air into her grasp.     This might very well free the rest of the thing to clatter to the floor. If it DOES drop, Karal leaps across the room to snag it with her free hand, rather than let it get smashed!     Thing might hold clues, after all.     Either way, yet again she casts a look of disgruntlement Shin's way. This guy's a bodyguard, seriously? He has a kind of air about him, sure. He looks fit enough, and coordinated, but... he's a warrior? 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     And Tesla leaves the storehouse! This is an unremarkable fact for the most part, leaving her free to explore more of the city... or investigate the cat-mech if she desires. Then again, maybe she could just enjoy all the curious(but not panicked) looks from the people watching a wolf and 'dillo wandering around.     Actually, some of the police seem to be following them, but it's just a few who don't even have hands on their weapons. Likely just keeping an eye out for trouble, rather than actually expecting anything. 

:'''{{#var:395|Amalthea (395)}} has posed:'''     Amalthea was just about ready to engage in feline mortal combat when of all people to appear... It's Bliss. Between bloodthirsty fey, and kill-machine cats. She's in somewhat of a bad position if she has to deal with BOTH at the same time. But no, it looks like Bliss is just there to take enjoyment in Amalthea's misery and watch her duke it with the cat as though it were some perverse bloodsport.     "Gee. Thanks. Such a great help you are." She spits.     But her bites will have to come later. As soon as those blade rev to life, her eye is back on the power armor and-- in that huge bound the war machine piloting cat is practically on top of her. The unicorn grunts, every blow that rings off her shielf kicks up sparks and the clash of metal on metal. Her sword flashes, batting aside a lesser stroke as she backpedals from the speed of its onslaught. She doesn't completely hunker behind her shielf, but uses it to make blows flow aside, or guide them away from causing her harm. For a moment its sheer sped has her on the backfoot. Until she can gauge how those strokes and swipes flow into one another.     Amalthea stays on the defensive, until she sees opportunity. Waiting for just the right gap in those flurried strokes to smoothly slide aside, under, and beyond one blade, Faith lashing out to try and hack at a joint or limb connection. 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:'''     The long distance company doesn't go unnoticed. One could presume by the twitching tail that Lunessa would like to just turn around and do something about it. But manages to keep it down to a husky whisper. "We've got tailers."     "Let them tail. Seeing us not being part of the problems could be of benefit later." The mysterious ore may have to wait. It was just another raw material, after all.     Weaponized housecats in punk-tech power armors are much more interesting to Tesla, anyways. That could be something much more worthwhile to see. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     Against Shin's SPOKEN ADVICE Karal leaps forward and snags the bat, easily enough. Then Karal turns into a were-clockwork!     Or not. The whole group of people are murmuering in a panic now, clustering together with more than a few stares at the bat. One of them notes, "This... technology isn't native to our world. The sensors would have picked up a robotic spy, but this...?"     It isn't quite a robot. It looks purely mechanical, with a tightly-wound mainspring. The dagger clipped said mainspring, and the released tension has torn apart much of the mechanisms inside. A closer inspection shows that it's exactly what it looks like: extremely precise, delicate mechanisms to make a bat, then skinned a real one to make it look normal. The perfumed scent is to mask the beginnings of decay.     One of the others notes, "It's... certainly high quality workmanship though..." She looks at Shin, as does Fenniworth. "..."     Where did he get this man? 

:'''{{#var:157|Bliss (157)}} has posed:''' Oh the fight is on! Bliss grins, floating up higher. "Of course I'm not going to do anything to the 'dignitaries' there... probably. Unless you fail to beat this thing, and then I guess I might just give it a helping hand. Or arm." She giggles, wings fluttering a few times. Musing the noises inside, Bliss considers... "That group in there could keep me fed for a few months..." 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     INSIDE THE SHOP!     Sakura steps inside the puppet shop, and discovers it's actually pretty clean and smells nice. Mostly because the proprieter is having a small meal of rice and curry at the moment. The redheaded woman glances up when the door rings, then gives Sakura a smile. "Welcome to the Puppet Tree!"     Rising up, she gestures to the store's various marionettes, along with a few hand puppets. "Actual puppets are over there, or were you more interested in the arts and crafts?" She's quite literal about that... the next section is, in fact, more of an art supply store than something for just making puppets. Not actually as narrow a store as expected. 

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:''' Lin sets the messy construction down on the table and immediately starts wiping her hands on a handkerchief. Or whatever that cloth she pulled from a coat pocket is. Yuck, oil. Do not need.     "Worked with metal my whole life here, never seen it molded so DELICATELY! No work of hammer and anvil, that. This... THING's been spying on you your meetings. Willing to bet it's connected to these disappearances. Not much more I can say about the thing..."     But ignoring Shin's warnings more, she does bend over to peer even more closely at the workmanship, studying each little gear and spring with an exacting craftswoman's eye.     "For all I know, someone was looking through this thing's eyes the whole time, hearing with its ears. Could be sorcery involved!" 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     And the fight is on! Blades slash and jab, and the clockwork catmecha displays agility in stepping to the side and back, making decent footwork despite its routine. It is, however, just a routine. Faith shears down one of the arms, snapping a strut. It doesn't appear to be a fatal strike though, even if it clipped the joint. This is a machine built for combat, and though it appears to be outmatched by the unicorn knight, it is not delicate like the bat inside.     This will likely be about the time Tesla is nearing the scene. The sounds of battle are nearby when a large truck parked on the street opens its rear door, with a strange ratcheting noise. Scanning it would reveal a lack of electronics, but that might have to wait, as the numerous squat figures within are firing wired harpoons into the police officers, impaling them instantly and starting to drag them back. One each fire at Tesla and Lunessa, but these are fairly simple mechanical beings. The shots might hurt if they aren't prepared, but most certainly won't be lethal or get a second chance. These things are much weaker than what's fighting Amalthea. 

:'''{{#var:134|Sakura Haruno (134)}} has posed:'''     Sakura will sigh and relax a little bit as the shopkeeper turns out to not be some kind of obviously evil monster. Other than the curry, at least.     "Aah, I'm sorry. I'm not really here to shop. I'm looking for some people who were in this area the other day, who have gone missing. They were shopping in this area, and I'm trying to find out where their last location was. Did you happen to see any of these?"     The medic will pull grainy pictures out of her pouch, their union file photos. "Did you happen to see any of them? I can buy something if you need me to to give an answer." Flowers adds, subtle about any necessary bribes in the same way that a brick through the window would be. 

:'''{{#var:756|Shin Tokuyama (756)}} has posed:'''     Came in fourth at the World Martial Arts tournament last year. Secretly, some suspect, threw the fight so a guy could send his daughter to college. Shin is definitely a warrior.     "It's pretty ridonk lookin, yeah," Shin says in regards to the crazy looking bat as he doesn't heed his own advice and leans over to inspect it, "Hmm..."     *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap* *pap*     "To leap to a conclusion based on a single event is to jump into a river where only one stone is visible. One often finds themself stranded or in over their head."     He replies vaguely, unwilling to commit to much of anything. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     Oh, what luck. The Union investigator is asking reasonable questions! The woman toys with her hair while she looks over the pictures... then ahs lightly. "Yes, I remember. They came in saying they needed to sketch something," she says. "That one - with the blonde hair - came in to look for some art sticks to help with that. They bought them while talking about some kind of hunt, and then left." 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:'''     Because of how sophisticated her own science and technology is most people don't realize that Tesla's powers are not limited to modern electronics and machinery. The ratcheting of gears, the thrum of tension through a spring, the rattling of a joint and bolt with movement: these all resonate just as much with the technopath. Maybe even moreso, since they're not as, ah, subtle as devices made out of space-age materials.     But it is enough so that by the time the harpoons have emerged and fire Tesla has already taken two steps to the side of the path of the one aimed at her. "I do believe I am starting to see a pattern here." she muses rather casually, like this was some surprise sideshow attraction.     The other impales Lunessa straight through the abdominal gut... but being a biomechanical cyborg this is little more than an inconvenience. There's not even really guts, though the revealed cybernetic bits do still have a semi-organic athesis to them. "Hostile intent!" Lunessa sounds a little -too- gleeful about this, even as her right arm splits open in several places, mechanics folding around and hand retracting to reconfigure the limb into her energy assault cannon. "HAVE A TASTE OF THE CUTTING EDGE BITCHS!" And several bursts of energy spew from the weapon.     Though Lunessa only fires on the two automatrons that tried to harpoon her and Tesla like seals. She doesn't give a shit about the cops being dragged into the truck like a bad Stranger Danger PSA.     Tesla just straightens out her glasses while Lunessa gets her frustration out of her system with some gratuitous gunfire. "Using alternately advanced clockwork technology to circumnavigate the world's own technological level. Facinating."     "Don't ruin my vibe with your nerd speak," Lunessa snaps back as she lowers her now smoking weapon. 

:'''{{#var:134|Sakura Haruno (134)}} has posed:'''     Sakura will tsk at that. "Sketch something? I don't suppose they said what?" She'll ask, before drumming fingers on her side. Something doesn't seem right about this, of course, and she'll have at least one follow up. "..How did they pay, anyway?"     There's a little bit of a trap in that question, but it's kind of obvious to see coming, even if Sakura's shooting a glance down at her feet when a person with more normal social skills would be looking the shopkeeper in the eyes. 

:'''{{#var:395|Amalthea (395)}} has posed:'''     Whether or not Amalthea outmatches it, this does not mean she does not take the power armored cat seriously. Its speed makes her cautious, but once she has the hang of its attack routine, it's easier for her to work with. When she shears that first limb, she's back on the defense, matching the mechanical armor's footwork, turning the fight into an intricate dance of fatal tension.     Once again she parries blows with her shield, stepping in, out, back, and sidewards as necessary to evade being vleaved. A blow in her lighter armor could be disastrous- as evidenced by the grunt that says Amalthea is ignoring the pain of a slash that makes liquid silver begin to bloom on her surcoat. But then Faith strokes again. This time she goes for a leg, but she follows the momentum of her own swing, using it to turn.     Amalthea may be a knight. But she is not above cheating occasionally.     That is a gun in her hand. An ornately engraved p226. It probably leaves her open for attack from the mecha, but she pointedly yakes aim for Bliss and starts yanking the trigger until the clip runs dry. No words. No biting witticisms. Just full on fey hate. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     "What does that even MEAN?" Asks Lord Fenniworth, irritated by the ice cream koan. He's adjusting his glasses, though... and someone else with a more advanced 'monocle-computer' steps in to take a look as well.     "Yes... very advanced, but I don't see how it would work. Of course I'm no engineer..." He straightens. "But I do have hobbies. I think this is outer world technology. Whomever is doing this must have some interest... likely the new ore. Though why us is the real question." 

:'''{{#var:157|Bliss (157)}} has posed:''' Flitting back and forth, Bliss just giggles as Amalthea fights. Sure, it looks like the unicorn is winning, but she just wants to see her bleed! And that, she gets, as the knight gets a slice across the side and... "HEY!" Bliss squeals as the bullets aim for her. She pops out of sight, a panicked glimmer teleporting her away and to safety. She isn't really in the mood to fight Amalthea directly tonight... especially as a few spatters of blue blood now mark the pavement, showing that at least one of the bullets clipped the sadistic fae. 

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:''' "An employer's safety is priority one to any real bodyguard. Fine philosophy's gotta make way for down and dirty facts - someone assigned that THING to spy on the meeting. And I kinda doubt it's because they're seeing who's wearing the fanciest clothes!" Lin scowls at Shin, her face full of fuming and boiling emotions... but she bites her tongue instead of letting loose with more outbursts.     "It means he thinks making conclusions too quickly blinds you to other important things... I think. Something like that." She mumbles, sounding less and less confident by the moment. The girl makes a puzzled face at Shin, as if checking him out for the first time... AGAIN.     "Well then. You got any insight, philosopher?" 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     "Pay with? Card, of course," Anne(that's who it is) replies. She gestures to the card reader by the counter. That's a weird question. When anne turns around though... she sees Sakura looking at her feet. Hm. Could be a problem. Anne threads fingers together and tsks, "Something interesting there?" 

:'''{{#var:756|Shin Tokuyama (756)}} has posed:'''     *pap* *pap* *Whoosh* "Damnit. Fourty-two."     Shin looks up, putting the paddleball away in his jacket, "Me? Yeah. My inside is this: I read a lot of Manga and generally know how these things play out. Now we've been here this whole time and it's only now that this guy," He jerks a thumb towards Monocle Man.     "Mentioned the new ore in a really obvious context. That means that it's the reason they're being spied on for sure," the Martial Artist concludes, nodding his head as his internal logic finds everything to be in order, "So in about fifteen seconds when he suggests we all go where the ore is, we're gonna go there and find we were beaten to it by an agent of the person responsible." 

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:''' If Shin reads a lot of manga, he might be very familiar with the face that Karal Rei Lin quickly makes. Her shoulders sag, she goes kind of slack-jawed, eyes wide open with something that probably ain't shock and awe.     "... you're not... you're not allowed to poke at me for jumping to conclusions anymore." 

:'''{{#var:134|Sakura Haruno (134)}} has posed:'''     "I'm just wondering what's underground. You don't seem to have an obvious way to get there." Sakura will reply, before looking back up. "...And, of course, why if they were paying with a card the charge didn't show up. I pulled their expenses before starting to look for them. If they'd bought something here on a card, I'd have known to come right here."     It's hard to argue with that, if she's being honest. She seems to be rather suspicious, certainly. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     Amalthea's strike manages to be more true this time. She does outmatch the automaton, by a fair amount. The blade catches, and this time the limb gives way, snapping off and causing the device to tumble to the ground. It scrambles, trying to rise up again and fight, but it's not doing a good job of that. In a moment it gives up and starts instead to meow. Repeatedly. In the exact same, slightly off, tinny tone.     "Meow. Meow. Meow. Meow. Meow. Meow."     Meanwhile Tesla and Lunessa will... easily trash the two that shot them. The policemen are dragged into the back of the truck... and then someone leans out the side door. They look human, and wear a hat pulled low enough to hide the face somewhat... because it's the face of one of the missing Union agents.     In a slightly hollow voice, he apologizes. "Sorry about that. The simpler models aren't very smart, and we're supposed to keep the street clear. The Miss must be busy or she'd have stopped that. You're Confederate, aren't you? My employer would like to offer a gift. Need a lift?" 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:'''     Well isn't this an interesting turn of events. But the more interesting oppritunity Tesla may of been looking for seems to have presented itself. There is barely a split-second to consider it before that sly smug grin of hers returns even as Tesla and her escort hoof it to the truck. "Why yes, yes we are. I would suggest making haste before the knight in sour armor there catchs up to what's going on." Then Tesla turns to smack Lunessa's shoulder. "You had your fun, put that thing away." The cyborg huffs softly, but does revert her weapon back into an arm. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     Oh. That's a good point. Anne just looks vaguely amused, leaning over and resting her chin in her hands. "Ah, you caught me. They didn't pay at all. But I didn't lie... one of them at least walked out of here. Just not through the front door." She tsks. "He's busy right now, though."     Anne flicks her eyes to the merchandise. "I don't sell many puppets lately. Lucky for me, I suppose. We can do this the easy way or the hard way..." As she says that, a half dozen of the puppets straighten upright, stepping off the stands and taking up a threatening stance, moving toward Sakura. "The easy way would be for you to surrender right now. Fortunately, I was getting ready to move the shop again anyway. I'm finished in this city." 

:'''{{#var:395|Amalthea (395)}} has posed:'''     Huff. Huff. Hiss. Puff.     Amalthea is left for a moment, breathless, hissing steam and coolant, bloody, and holding a weapon in each hand. Smoke still floats whispily from the barrel of her gun, slide locked back as her shoulders rise and fall. There's no sign of satisfaction at the sight of blue blood, but she doesn't make to chase Bliss either.     Instead the unicorn trudges to the felled power armor, stuffing her weapons aside. Fumbling with means of ingress if need be she's going to reach in...     And scruff the cat.     "Bad kitty. Really. Bad. Kitty." The unicorn growls as she holds it up and gives it a shake or two for good measure. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     The truck starts... and getting close, it's easy to tell that the truck uses a conventional engine. It isn't the only thing in the city to run on non-electric, but the steam engine inside is kind of a weird choice. It seems to work just as well as a gasoline piston engine would though, which is fine! Also, it's easy to tell that the 'man' is another automaton, his movements just /slightly/ off even if he's much more animated than the ones in the back. "My boss figured she wanted to join up with you. She tends to have a problem with the Union types. A 'generous donation' was her idea of getting in good. Something like a load of that mineral."     Looks like Tesla and Lunessa kinda found what they were looking for? 

:'''{{#var:134|Sakura Haruno (134)}} has posed:'''     "What, one of them betrayed the other two?" Sakura will ask, though she hadn't been expecting to wind up fighting against the person responsible right away. Or their sudden army of puppets to be assault her. "...Mm. Do you really think you can fight me?" Sakura will ask, surging chakra to her feet. Because she's not certain she could fight the woman and the puppets in a one on one fight, but she's quite certain that if she drew attention it would make things harder on the shopkeeper.     Also, she'd like to see what's below, so she's going to try to crash downwards, making an enormous mess of the store and possibly also nearby stores. 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     Rather than wait to rush to the scene, one of the men with the group pulls out a small... horn? It's like one of those unfolding hearing horns. It appears to be a cell phone in actuality though. "Yes, hello...?"     After a moment, he makes a face. "Yes, there was a robbery this morning. He's right. A large, pure sample was stolen and they're still looking for it." 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     "Mew mew." The cat is... damaged now. Yanking it out like that shows that the joints are mechanical, because the pelt is torn. One eye has also fallen out and is rolling disconcertingly, mechanical as well. It's probably no threat, because the cat itself is pretty delicate. 

:'''{{#var:395|Amalthea (395)}} has posed:'''     Amalthea pauses... Inspects the cat.     And proceeds to shake it for all she's worth.     "Bad robot kitty." 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:'''     The automatron replica of an agent doesn't unnerve her at all. Tesla steeples her fingers together. "I already rather like the way your boss thinks." Then turns just enough to grin smugly at Lunessa.     "What?" Then after a moment for it to sink in Lunessa hmphs. "Okay, -fine-, you're meandering around did pay off in the end." Then shakes a finger accusingly. "But don't think you're fooling me on trying to act like this is what you intended all along."     Tesla waves her huffing off. "Results are results, regardless of which means brought them to be." 

:'''{{#var:756|Shin Tokuyama (756)}} has posed:'''     Shin's response to Karal mostly consists of making a palms out gesture to the man at the phone as if that proves his point entirely. He's used to being doubted about this stuff, but he'll shake it off eventually.     "You still owe me money for this," He says to the guy who hired him, "Since you paid me to protect you, not your stuff." 

:'''{{#var:983|Anne Blakely (983)}} has posed:'''     Anne gets an alarmed look as the floor collapses, dropping Sakura straight into the underground lab. Lots of equipment here, and pipes, and a humming steam engine that's far quieter than it should be. Also a large, bulky thing dominating the center, with tools laid out around the tables about it.     Anne calls down, "That's a neat trick! I might as well introduce you to the other one then. He stayed down there... after a fashion. Try not to kill her, Rupert. I'll see if I can use her to make you a companion!"     'Rupert' rumbles suddenly. The massive form in the middle of the room... lifts up its head. Gears turn, pistons shift, and mechanical shafts turn and adjust to lift the clockwork dragon upward. Glowing blue eyes turn to peer at Sakura now... and it opens its mouth, flames leaking from the edges.     "Have fun, dear! I'm going to go pack up the shop~" 

:'''{{#var:134|Sakura Haruno (134)}} has posed:'''     Sakura hadn't quite expected this, and getting back up would be more of a problem then getting down was for this. She'll look up, hearing Anne's more or less confession, then looking over at 'Rupert'. Well, it's enough to make a decision; she'll have to come back to try and deal with this, preferably with a bit more muscle, but there was no point in her trying to fight againt the massive clockwork dragon.     "I'm going to punch you in the face later!" She'll yell upwards at the hole she left in the ceiling, before concentrating chakra to her feet again. This one would probably annoy Anne even more; as the dragon starts to breath fire at the ninja again, she'll leave another hole through the floor in the lab, sinking down into the bedrock. The good news for Anne is that it will take Sakura a while to resurface elsewhere. 

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:''' Lin promptly FACEPALMS. Just slaps a hand to her forehead. "What kind of sorcery..." She then shakes her head rapidly, gives Shin a puzzled look, yet one more careful examination like before. Once again she just ain't sure what to make of the guy.     "But not to investigate." She quips. "You did that for free." Well, so did she, kinda... 
}}

2766/Nero Miss

2015-10-21T02:28:20Z

Kino:

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2015/08/09
|Location=Urbania
|Synopsis=The Anticross make one more play for Al Azif or Lila... but is that their real purpose?
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=2, 33, 135, 219, 253, 255, 395, 545, 565, 834
|Tinyplot=Project C
|Tinyplot2=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:565|Professor Therion (565)}} has posed:'''     The assault on the city was sudden, but not without purpose. The three 'giants' that have appeared are strategically placed around the city, probably to keep something /in/ rather than out. The destruction aside from that is confined to one district... but it is, unfortunately, a shopping district during the day. Not one of the busiest days of the week, perhaps, but there are a lot of people screaming and fleeing, jamming the streets already.     This is a bad thing, because the destruction isn't going to stop there. The day is rather cloudy, but the roiling stormclouds part only to reveal two giant DEUS MACHINA up in the air. One of them is a four-legged contraption, massive in size and hovering over the battlefield as if watching it. The other is more familiar, the LORD BYAKHEE screeching out of the skies to 'buzz' the shopping arcade in a low-flying clip, shattering windows along the way.     The others are not yet present, but no doubt there are more than those two. Lord Byakhee's Master very rarely works without the Kraken's.     SCREECH! Coming to a halt is a MISSILE TRUCK driven by none other than NESS AND STONE, backing up the police with apparently military firepower. Stone is, of course, yelling curses about giant robots.     Ness, rather than being laid back, is motioning to the civilians and being serious. "THIS WAY! Clear the area!" 

:'''{{#var:545|Lila (545)}} has posed:'''     Ariel is such a bad influence on Lila. That's all there is to it! The little girl that is dodging and ducking between the fleeing pedestrians is holding onto the cute hat she bought, the wind of the Lord Byakhee's passage ruffling her hat and hair. People are screaming, buildings are crumbling, and huge chunks of masonry are threatening to squash the clump of people flat. Nothing she needs to worry about... or care about.     But disappointing Ariel is something she doesn't want to do.     Space warps and tears as, suddenly, a THIRD Deus Machina appears in the city, just out of nowhere straddling the street. It's massive, larger than even the one hovering above, and it casually outstretches an arm to block the street from the falling building chunks...     Which disintegrate without even touching the arm of the massive machine.     "Well, I guess they know where I am now," Lila complains. 

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''     One's a grizzled half-angel, the other's a time-travelling witch from the future-past who was on a quest to change the past-future. Together, they solve crimes and also do miscellanious daily activities. They are... Psyber and Homura, Time Crime Stoppers.     At least, that's the thought going through Psyber's head as he weaves and skids his car through the streets of the city as chaos spreads throughout it. The car, a RPO B2K Callaway Twin Turbo Corvette courtesy of Chrysanthemum losing a bet to him, weaves through the street and zips in and out of dangerous situations.     Despite the incredibly dangerous sitaution they're in, Psyber is still managing to make casual conversation with his passenger, "So I was thinking..." He pauses to screech and slide around a corner to avoid a roadblock, "... with school starting up in the fall and all..." Another loud screech and he swerves around some falling debris, "... plus, you know, more driving missions. Maybe you should get your license soon." 

:'''{{#var:834|Valentha Summers (834)}} has posed:'''     A lonely patch of sky above the city crackles and ripples briefly, filling with a blue light. Moments later that patch fills in courtesy of a TELEPORTATION. Golden scales gleaming in the sky, great wings beating far too slow to explain keeping such an enormous beast aloft, a GREAT HORNED DRAGON has made an appearance seemingly out of nowhere way up there.     Not the subtlest entrance possible, and anyone under the shadow or looking up at the time's probably going to assume this creature's with the DEUS MACHINA causing so much trouble.     Valenthanixa is hoping that her actions will be reassuring, however.     For now she circles above the city in huge swoops, taking a minute to examine the battlefield and situation in greater detail. 

:'''{{#var:2|Homura Akemi (2)}} has posed:'''     Giant pillars, giant robots.     She'd almost kind of missed it.     Riding alongside Psyber (or in a backseat, it doesn't much matter) is Homura, the late teen already transformed in her magical girl outfit from knowledge they're headed straight into an awful place. Since class hasn't started yet, she doesn't have her face stuffed in a book for once, but rather is toying with a plasma grenade she's split open, a screwdriver in her mouth while she fiddles with wiring.     That's, well, accounting for Psyber's bumpy ride.     Any other driver might be nervous at this being done in their car.     Sorry Psyber, she's not thinking about sitcoms.     "Am I going to need a license for this too?" she does ask, motioning idly with the open grenade. She already kind of knows how to drive anyway! It seems like a waste of time.     As the sight of the giants, she points. "Drive us to the base of one of them. I'll get to work on those things, you're more suited to wrestling a giant robot." 

:'''{{#var:255|Setsuko Kaminagi (255)}} has posed:'''     Before his appearance in Eorzea, Setsuko Kaminagi had little to no experience with Master Therion. Some corner of her mind had relegated him to a threat that her allies had well in hand; better to let them continue acting as they thought best, to ask her help if they needed it, than to push her way in. But then he had appeared before her, stolen a powerful entity of the Void that they had been on the cusp of defeating while it was still weak from its long slumber. She has no clue what he means to do with it, but he is dangerous, it is dangerous, and they can only mean problems together.     So she has come to Arkham. To see this place for herself. To learn of it. To better understand it and Master Therion both, that she might be better prepared for him in the future. The demigod floats above the city, eyes sweeping between the giants surrounding it and the Deus Machinae floating above it. A frown tugs at her lips; unfamiliar enemies all around. She's not sure where her strength would be best suited. So, for the moment, she waits, until those more familiar with the world give her direction. 

:'''{{#var:135|Al Azif (135)}} has posed:'''     "Imaginary Catapult is powering up."     "Probabilities are being calculated, Mistress!"     "Do we allow launch?"     Deep under the earth, Ruri Hadou's seat comes to rest in the command room, where she frets with her bottom lip and glares at the monitors. Sigh. "I... we can't afford to hold back in this position. The Union are coming, but there's signs of activity all over the city. Go ahead and ready the Naacal Code, too."     "YES, MA'AM!" cry three voices in unison.     Meanwhile, off to the side of the panicking streets, a distortion forms in the air above a building. With an explosion of force that shatters (more) windows, the Demonbane appears, probability itself changing its position from 'the hangar' to 'above the city' in an instant. The wings of the Shantak System deploy immediately, hovering it above the ground and letting it survey the chaos.     Inside, Al looks back at Ariel in the pilot's console. "This is pretty serious, how are we going to help the civilians get out?" 

:'''{{#var:33|Arthur Lowell (33)}} has posed:'''     Arthur recognizes the Cykranosh. The last time he got in a fight with this, he had a giant robot to back him up. He thinks, this time, that he'll feel things out for human-scale combat, first. Blasting at the massive machine on a ROCKET BROOM, Arthur gets himself into what one could reasonably call 'SHMUP mode', charging a stream-blast of magical bolts in preparation for firing them. "VESPASIANUS!" He calls out, aggressively, broadcasting his voice magically. "God DAMN it you THIEVING SON OF A BITCH, it's not gonna help you steal AL AZIF if you just bring TWICE THE ASS for me to KICK!"     He's ignoring the fact that the last time he effectively beat Vespasianus, Arthur was powering Herbert West's giant robot. Oh well. Worst comes to worst and he can't pull through, Arthur plans on just calling out 'ELSAAAAAAA' and figuring that her penchant for dramatics will even the playing field. Let's hope it doesn't come to that, since who knows where West is.     For now, Arthur rockets towards the Cykranosh and immediately attempts to begin SHMUPing the large robot, which is to say, spewing tremendous bolts of white fire at exposed bits and doing slow strafing runs over it. He's not waiting around to see more details of the situation! 

:'''{{#var:395|Amalthea (395)}} has posed:'''     Haggard and weary, and reeling for some wholly unknown reason she gives utterly no answer for, Amalthea growled and hobbled her way to the closet in the trendy little Sector 5 apartment by Arkham's water view. Moments later, armor strapped on and weapons stowed she...     Says hi to a neighbor and listens to lousy elevator muzak while heading up to the luxury roof deck.     It is an immensely and extreme awkward elevator ride.     Thusly, after saying bye to said neighbor and leaping off the roof, the unicorn lets herself enter freefall for a moment, angling for the best line of sight towards the hazard in progress before thumbing the activation rune on the grip of her shield, jump pack screeching to life and setting her on a blazing path towards the shopping district. It is probably the first time Arkham city has seen a rainbow in years.     From the skies she has the best point of view to assess the situation. Mecha. Pillar Men. Ness and Stone- with Ness being frighteningly serious for once... Blue eye surveys the arrival of the other unionites, the unicorn takes her own initiative.     This is why there's a rainbow streaking straight for Lord Byakhee at suicidal speeds.     There is a lance on the end of it. 

:'''{{#var:255|Setsuko Kaminagi (255)}} has posed:'''     'Help evacuate the civilians'. Words from Ariel; from a girl whom she's known almost literally since the day she was born, a gentle and innocent soul who considers this situation serious enough to warrant lethal force. Even if she's ordinarily ill-suited to the task, if Ariel has requested it, Setsuko can't say no. Down and out of the sky she flies at full speed, straight towards the civilians - she'll protect them no matter the cost, until they're safe, if that's where she needs to be. 

:'''{{#var:219|Ariel (219)}} has posed:''' Aaaand that leaves Ariel, sitting in the pilot console... or rather standing, in her Magius form, with the screens coming to life after launch. "Nnnh... why'd they have to do that? At least Lila is actually helping instead of standing there this time." Her voice has a definite note of happiness concerning that, at least! But the little unicorn has to make some quick decisions! "Right... AL! I have an idea!" It's a pretty simple one, but it seems to usually work out when they try it. "Make us invisible, set up a web to stop the incoming Byakhee next time Claudius buzzes the place, and project Demonbane heading toward Cykranosh, all right? Can you handle all three of those?" The idea is to land straddling the street, much like the Nameless One, and invisibly just stand there with Atlach-nach sending out a spray of webbing to lace across the street. Meanwhile it will appear that Demonbane is going to come up to support Arthur, but it's just an illusion. 

:'''{{#var:565|Professor Therion (565)}} has posed:'''     "MOVE MOVE!" Stone is yelling now. The large man who is apparently built like a brick wall that shores up other brick walls and is made of solid steel bricks is atop the missile truck, making broad gestures that are actually helping funnel the civilians to the shelters pretty well. Ness, meanwhile, hops back into the truck and adjusts his hat... before launching a series of homing missiles toward the Lord Byakhee. They won't do anything of course, but at least it looks like he's managed to get some proper funding for fighting this stuff, for once.     Unfortunately, more than that is going on.     It's a good thing that Setsuko and Ariel are there to help evac people, because there's a problem almost immediately. As the civilians scream and flee, the REASON for their screams become apparent. No, it isn't the giant dragon in the sky - though several have noticed that - it's the roiling, rotting mass of intestines that erupt from the sewers, wrapping at several civilians and starting to drag them away. Yes, intestines. It's pretty disgusting, and the looming, dark, bulbous figure that steps from between two buildings - and wasn't there before - shudders the ground. The Belzebuth has arrived.     From the other end of the street, ANOTHER Deus Machina appears, a massive machine roughly Demonbane's size that looks to be like a samurai, weilding two katanas. The fifty-meter monstrosity casually readies the blades, one of them slicing through the top of a building to distract Lila again, before charging forward suddenly toward the Nameless One with the other blade held forward. He apparently doesn't realize he's outmatched, despite the incredible sharpness of those blades.     There are still a few missing, but there are already numerous Anticross out today. Lord Byakhee appears unworried, the nimble machine twisting in an attempt to avoid Amalthea's charge. It's only partly successful, the lance shearing through a leg, leaving a wake of sparkles and light, before a barrier blasts the missiles from Ness out of the sky. "Haha! I don't have time for sparkles and rainbows. I'll let Cykranosh deal with you!" He bolts down for another buzz toward Lila-     And ends up crashing into a building, tumbling and slamming against the ground well before he nears the fleeing civilians and Lila's Deus Machina, thanks to Ariel's clever use of the web. He's now a sitting duck for anyone who wants to take him on, too.     Finally, Cykranosh itself remains hovering, ignoring Arthur's strafing. Lowell's blasts are shearing up bits of plating and causing sparks to fly, but the Cykranosh is waiting. And Vespasianus is laughing, "YESSS! Come to me, Demonbane! I look forward to... this?" His laughter stops as he realizes that the image of Demonbane has just shattered, and he's basically been letting Arthur get FREE HITS for a while, and only now does one of those legs start to kick out toward the Master of Space. Whoops. 

:'''{{#var:255|Setsuko Kaminagi (255)}} has posed:'''     It takes a second or two for Setsuko to even realize what she's seeing; the sight of intestines acting as living, moving tendrils is something so strange and unsettling that it takes her that long to even properly process what she's looking at. For an ordinary person, that would be quick enough all things considered, but with her reaction times, it's an eternity. As soon as she realizes it, though, she has Zanjintou out of its sheath, and without even waiting until she's in range, she begins swinging and slashing. Paper-thin arcs of blue-white energy fly out one after the other, each projectile as sharp as the sword itself, aimed to cut civilians free of these strange attacking organs until she can properly plant herself in the way.     As soon as Setsuko's boots touch the street, she swings her blade to one side and allows it to snap out to full twelve-foot length; with that tremendous blade, she can far more effectively begin slashing and swinging, acting as a living barrier to prevent the intestentacles from snaring civilians. 

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''     "I don't give a shit if you wanna play with grenades. You only really need a license so I can put you on my personal insurance plans," Psyber says with a shrug to the Puella before skidding to a momentary stop, "You can disembark at your leisure, really," Psyber comments. The stop lasts literally less than a half-second, since Psyber knows that is the maximum Homura will need the car to be stationary to grab her equipment, finish up her work, and disembark.     As he speeds away from the dropoff, he holds his hand out. There's a crackle of lightning and a surge of electricity before Einherjar appears in his hand. He idly thrusts the sword straight up, impaling the roof of his car with the sword and then going back to driving. There's a long few moments before the entire car begins to crackle with electricty that is very zappy, very burning, and very holy.     And then he skids the car hard and drives the holy electricity-coated car straight towards the swarm of intestines and flooring the car as he tries to slam into and through the writhing swarm of body parts.     As an afterthought, he rolls up his windows, turns on the AC Circulation setting, and engages his windshield wipers. 

:'''{{#var:834|Valentha Summers (834)}} has posed:'''     The moment that the Cykranosh goes down and Valentha has it pegged as definitely an enemy, she swoops in hard, complementing Arthur's own position by being on the EXACT OTHER SIDE of Cykranosh. "God of Space! Keep your head down!" Is her one and only warning. A few heartbeats later, just as she's strafing herself... the great beast inhales deeply, whips her head around and....     FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSHHHH!!!     And that is why he should keep behind Cykranosh. Because Valentha's breath is FAR too hot for any ordinary flame to lay claim too! It's easily enough to melt asphalt and reduce flesh straight to ash...     She's NOT screwing around here!     But after one good application of breath she's already swooping back up skyward, eyeing the awful things slurping up out of the sewers. "Disgusting... it couldn't be the Old Ones?! Something very like them...!!" 

:'''{{#var:545|Lila (545)}} has posed:'''     It really is a mistake for Ogre to try to take out Lila and the Nameless One. While Lila is far from indestructible, Ogre simply isn't in the same league as her, and neither is the samurai piloting it. The massive war machine's blade actually cuts into the Nameless One's arm... as the katana can cut spacetime, it can cut her without automatically being destroyed. But...     The Nameless One just /stands/ there, providing cover for the civilians fleeing and, in the process, merely letting her aura push out. Nearing it causes the Deus Machina to feel the effects, as Lila's own special power tries to strip the armor and mechanisms out of existence on Ogre's body, not just melting or damaging them but erasing them from being.     "I'll just stay right here and let you heroic types rescue me again~ <3" Lila calls out. "Though it's getting rather busy. Maybe... maybe I will help out today." 

:'''{{#var:2|Homura Akemi (2)}} has posed:'''     "One will hope I don't get my ability to keep a car for a long time from you, maybe that insurance won't be needed at all," Homura says, as she closes the toy in her hand up and then promptly vanishes from her seat, once close enough to one of the pillar-like giants that she can get to work.     Purple electricity arcs through her arm to form Tyrfing-- cleaves from the holy sword send arcs of light and lightning forward towards the intestine deluge, trying to keep them from reaching her and, if applicable, any civilians still trying to get away from the pillars. She doesn't waste large amounts of energy on that though-- a quick step forward, and she reappears at the very foot of one of the giants.     Another quick abuse of certain powers, and the thing is surrounded by high-yield explosives rigged to go off in one burst. And another step, to get out of there before it all does go off, but stay close enough to watch.     She does need to see what happens, in the event that pillar were more than a fixture. And should she need to switch her focus off blowing up the thing and towards protecting civilians. 

:'''{{#var:219|Ariel (219)}} has posed:''' "Al... I guess we have the big guy," Ariel notes, readying the systems with a shift of her 'wings' across her back. "Let's go, before he messes anything more up." It's Belzebuth that has her attention, for now... she's seeing that the others have the civilians in hand, and she's going to need to keep the other Deus Machina from entering the fray. Abruptly she summons up a leap, then a second jump from midair, altering course with a shield of ice shimmering into being in Demonbane's left hand. The machine of adamantium and magic hurtles directly toward Belzebuth, shield-first. It's a collision course that has Demonbane's cloak failing... but at the same time, the SCIMITAR OF BARZAI appears in its right hand, slicing at the enemy's legs in an attempt to topple it by combination of damaging the legs, and the impact of the shielded Demonbane. 

:'''{{#var:135|Al Azif (135)}} has posed:'''     Al is, of course, ready to support! "Chain-Severing system, active! You got this, Ariel? Wow... you're a lot better at this than when we started," the book notes as she engages the space-warping leg-shields. That maneuver causes a bit of a lurch, but she steadies herself quickly and does a quick status check.     "With Lila holding off the Ogre, and our air support swarming Vespasianus, I think that we can handle this," she mutters. "Once the civilians are in the shelter we can get this taken care of easy." 

:'''{{#var:395|Amalthea (395)}} has posed:'''     Not Amalthea's best work by far, Wishblade only shearing the leg earns a hissed curse from the mechanical mythic as she lands horizontally on a nearby building wall in a crouch. The force of her jump pack is enough to shatter the glass as she kicks off it again to keep in the air and try to regain her bearings.     There is a brief flash of pride at her daughter's cleverness, but it's far too quickly quashed by the small quiet pang of the knowledge that Ariel is being made to grow up way too fast by all these catastrophes.     Sigh.     Thing is, while Cykranosh is distracted with Ariel's feint and Arthur, Amalthea has a different plan in mind.     Landing herself atop a light post...     And spreads her arms wide in arrogant challenge, frowning immensely. 

:'''{{#var:33|Arthur Lowell (33)}} has posed:'''     Arthur shouts, with pure aggression. "IT'S ALL ME, BABY!" As he blasts through the dispersing illusion. Arthur gets free hits! And then free KICKS. The leg lashes out and Arthur's more irresponsible behaviors have an obvious effect. He's a bit more vulnerable than normal, here! He's slammed by the impact, cushioned by a gravity barrier but still evoking a brutal, meaty "CRACK!" Arthur goes tumbling, but rights himself soon after, bloodied and bruised but still in fighting condition. "SORRY CHUMP, looks like you're not WORTH their ATTENTION. All you're worth is ME, you SCRUB!"     Val tells Arthur to get his head down, and he SORT OF does. He gets it down, but not nearly enough to be entirely safe. What this means is that, while he doesn't suffer the direct damage, he does wind up coming out of it partially on fire, but it seems to mostly be the harmless sort. Or at least mostly harmless.     "Sit the FUCK DOWN, VESPA!" He calls out, diving. Time to focus, onnnn... The hovering apparatus! He works on strafing, primarily, the hovering limb-jets. They should be explosive and he should only need to take one or two out! "When I'm finished with YOU, I'm putting YOU right down GALVA'S THROAT. I'm putting GALVA'S RIBS through OTHO. I'm putting OTHO'S TEETH into VITELIUS' SPINE. And I'll take ALL THREE of 'em down to the FUCKING GARBAGE DUMP where they BELONG, with the rest of the TRASH!" Arthur is getting into his aggravating, obnoxious modes again, it seems. "GET OUTTA THE SKY, bitch! GRAVITY always WINS EVENTUALLY!"     The flaming boy darts around the edge of that breath weapon and focuses on brutalizing the hovering systems, but he always remains prepared to find a path towards the armor that Val hopefully just weakened. 

:'''{{#var:565|Professor Therion (565)}} has posed:'''     These INTESTINES are an impossible enemy! No matter how many are cut, more regenerate or spring out to wrap around the hapless civilians! No one could truly stop them... except that Setsuko is an impossible swordswoman, and the cleaving strikes force the intestinal tendrils back long enough for the civilians to stagger to safety. There are far fewer now, so few that Psyber driving through that muck(with his car remaining strangely clean) has no problem ramming through and reaching the fight proper. And there WILL be something for him to fight, very shortly. In the meantime, Ness yells out to Setsuko, "We got it from here! Go ahead and help your friends!" Looks like the civilians are going to be safe.     OGRE gets its armor starting to vanish, chewed away by the Nameless One's anti-existence field. Titus, piloting it, is not an idiot and backs off immediately, edging warily to the side.... before hurling one of his katanas, point-first, toward the center of Lila's Deus Machina. It's still not going to work well, but it will work marginally better.     LORD BYAKHEE disentangles itself, shaking itself free, and then Claudius shrieks, "YOU BITCH!" The mecha launches itself toward Amalthea at a bit of a reckless pace, especially considering its leg is not repaired. This is another case where, despite the size difference, Amalthea probably outclasses her opponent, but it's not quite so clear cut due to the layout.     As for Belzebuth, the blade /easily/ slices through the leg, and Demonbane slams into the giant machine to start it toppling back... but the leg suddenly regenerates fast enough to catch the massive thing's fall, and the insane cackle of the lich inside thunders through the city as he hauls off with a giant haymaker at Demonebane's head.     Vespasianus is in a bit more trouble, considering. Velantha's blast of flame is surprisingly 'easy' to weather for Cykranosh, but it does slag the outer plating swiftly, melting some key points and letting Arther blast in to hammer it, making the elegant man scream in uncharacteristic anger. "I will NOT be defeated by some CHILD and his PET!" Lightning blasts down toward both, but it's poorly-aimed, because he's actually losing power fast... and Cykranosh is starting to lose altitude.     Partly this is due to Homura, as... she had a really easy time of it. The summoned giants are largely for anti-vehicular measures, and aren't paying too much attention to a girl her size. This is kind of dumb, since if there's anyone who can blow up giant stuff, it's Homura. With a loud keening wail, Otho begins to topple, its regeneration not fast enough to commensate for suddenly missing ALL its supports... but that regeneration still taps into Vespasianus's power, which means this is basically a three on one for him. No wonder he's losing badly.     Unfortunately for TEAM ARIEL there is a bit more of a problem, in that Velantha will suddenly have beams of powerful golden light lancing at her from below. The LEGACY OF GOLD, an artillery-class Deus Machina with 'lots of beamspam' as its main weapon, has appeared and is walking steadily toward the conflict. On the other side, to replace the fallen Otho, the KRAKEN erupts from the ground with a wave of water roaring down the street toward HOMURA. 

:'''{{#var:255|Setsuko Kaminagi (255)}} has posed:'''     For Setsuko, the past and the future melt away with a blade in her hands, especially in a target-rich environment. She has a line past which she cannot allow any enemy; she has hearing and sight and smell by which to note the location of all her targets; and she has a sense for the flow of battle itself, knowing when and where each strike must be. Her world becomes nothing but this moment and the next, the slash she unleashes now flowing into the next she must deliver. Zanjintou's movements do not cease until Ness clears her to proceed, and then the huge blade disappears in the blink of an eye.     Setsuko does not return her sword to its sheath, however. Psyber has called for her help as soon as she's free, and she's now free. Her feet lift off the street and she shoots ahead like a rocket, quickly coming up alongside the car... but, with all that holy lightning crackling around, not setting down on it. That would hurt. 

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''     As he pushes through and tries to reach his fight, Psyber eventually brings his car to a bloody, sloshing stop at a curbside. Like any true Bostonian, regardless of all else happening, he gets out with a handful of quarters and feeds about 12 into the parking meter. Then he locks his car with a chirp.     And then it's back to business. He takes a few moments to chirp some coordination into his earpiece before looking to Setsuko, "Setsuko. I'm going to need coverage while I make some really bad plays. I will probably get a lot of flak from my next move," Psyber comments as he takes his jacket off and then unlocks the car again, throwing it in the back of the car before shutting it. He snaps his hand and his sword reappears.     He takes the sword out of his car and nods to Setsuko, "Amalthea's gonna need the Byakhee off of her when she makes her move," And then he takes three steps, wings erupt from his back, and he's flying up and away through the mass of leftover intestines and gunk. He takes up towards the sky, abusing the fact he's yet to draw direct aggression until now.     When he gets high enough, he lets out a shrill whistle to Amalthea and then points to Legacy of Gold. And then he divebombs onto it, trying to land on the outside of the machine and start slamming it with both fists and sword as hard as he can, trying to find the faultline or seam that will let him rip it open and get access to the cockpit, "KNOCK KNOCK, MOTHERFUCKER. HAVE YOU LET CHRIST INTO YOUR HEART YET?" 

:'''{{#var:2|Homura Akemi (2)}} has posed:'''     Otho falls, or at least, it falls for now. There's no point wasting more energy overkilling it. And that aside, the KRAKEN is about to make it very difficult to stay there.     The crashing waves that come out of seemingly nowhere blast the magical girl back-- the pressure of the water's bad enough on its own, but being slammed into a storefront isn't too pleasant either. And there's still the deluge of intestines refusing to stop.     It's a bleeding and wounded Homura that flies out of the flooded building, black-purple wings more akin to cracks in reality than anything else flowing out of her back. Rather than engage the KRAKEN, she just-- disappears. Leaving a trio of flashbang grenades where she used to be floating, primed to go off immediatly.     She would reappear at GALVA's supports, producing this time a large missile per 'foot' of the giant, however many supports those things have, just set on the ground next to them. They click, they tick, and they beep, going off together into large fireball-- but that hinges, again, on there being no surprises in store.     She's reusing the same trick over and over, and kind of expecting it to stop working eventually. But until it does, why change what works? The main difference this time is that she's kept herself airborne, at head-level with the pillar-giants. Well, face level. Those things are very odd looking. 

:'''{{#var:545|Lila (545)}} has posed:'''     Hmm. Lila allows the blade to embed in the side of the Nameless One, shearing through some mechanisms, but after that she doesn't bother paying Ogre any more mind. Normally, she wouldn't be so trusting of anyone here... but this is Ariel we're talking about, and over the last months even Lila has to admit that Ariel would at least try what she says.     So without further thought, the Nameless One turns its back on an enemy, and looks down toward the oncoming wave of water. Stretching out one damaged arm, the wave comes to a halt, twists upward, then curls around in the form of a snakelike entity that roars right toward the Kraken at high speed, aiming to shear through one of the giant mecha's legs and cripple it with its own attack. 

:'''{{#var:395|Amalthea (395)}} has posed:'''     On paper... On paper, directly challenging one of the six Anticross by appealing to that massive ego streak, and getting Claudius' attention was a good idea. Whether she outclasses Lord Byakhee or not, however, doesn't matter for much, when the massive machine actually whirls around, with a seriously angry pilot altering course to go right for her...     In practice this was an astoundingly lousy idea, and the old knight is cursing herself for it quietly.     "... I've honestly had better ideas than this."     She will admit to fault, when she is in the wrong, and with a leap off the lamp post, she thumbs her jump pack's controls again, kicking off at top speed. She's probably going to be training Lord Byakhee to the zone line with this one as she blitzes at breakneck speed. She's making that move Psyber mentioned just now, suddenly snapping sideways mid-air and swerving just aside on Setsuko's cue, as intends to hit Legacy of Gold full force with her boots and prop herself against it. While Psyber is wailing on armor and trying to prize it open, she twirls her lance, intending to jam the silver blade into the seams with him. "If not Jesus, there's always the two of us--" Grunted as she HEAVES all her might into adding leverage. 

:'''{{#var:834|Valentha Summers (834)}} has posed:'''     "Oooooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!!!" Is the noise Valentha makes as golden beams pierce into her hide, drawing sprays of blood and searing neat entry ways into Valentha's body. Entryways that... strangely swirl and ripple. Just as soon as the light fades those wounds are HEALING. Fast enough for it to occur in plain view!     She's of half a mind to follow Arthur's direction and go wreck the artillery, but with Psyber already down there...     She gets OTHER ideas.     "-WHAT- did you call me, scoundrel? I don't think I heard it clearly. Why don't I... RIP YOU FROM THAT ABOMINATION FOR ANOTHER TRY?!"     With a bellowing roar the golden dragon dives into the fray with all her might. BOTH forearms come close and LUNGE, razor talons thrustling like ten spears.     She's big. She's fast. And above both of those things, she's OUTRAGEOUSLY STRONG. Her aim is to rip both paws in past Cykranosh's armor and then RIP each arm in different directions. As if simply tearing open a ribcage... the assault's savage and without apparent mercy in mind! 

:'''{{#var:33|Arthur Lowell (33)}} has posed:'''     "How about JUST THE CHILD THEN!?" Arthur screams out, before finishing off his strafing and deciding to PLUNGE INTO the machine. He screams and shouts and covers himself in a brilliant black and white fire to go a bit with the residual flame from Val and the screaming gush of exhaust from his rocket broom. He slams into slagged armor and attempts to burst through, progressively increasing his rocket-blasting and occasionally alternating it with rushes of bristle-first blending. He hopes to breach the armor and blast through the internal systems like a hostile, living bullet.     Unfortunately, there's no protection he'll have against any internal countermeasures that the Deus Machina itself has against that sort of breach. And while he self-destructively tries to crash into the machine and burn through its midsection, he shouts out to his particular foe. "So YOU ASSHOLES are going ALL IN, huh? Putting it ALL DOWN on us? What the FUCK! You bring SIX KINDS of ASS and I'm gonna bring you SIX KINDS of ASSKICKING! What the FUCK are YOU ASSHOLES throwing a party THIS HARD for?"     He's losing a reasonable amount of blood, and the swelling's starting on those bruises. His bravado has a false tone to it. He knows full well what sort of desperation is appropriate right now. 

:'''{{#var:255|Setsuko Kaminagi (255)}} has posed:'''     Psyber and Amalthea need cover. Setsuko isn't sure what the angel has planned - she has an inkling, but she won't know for sure until he does it - but if he's doing it, then despite being a bad idea it is probably also a good one. Zanjintou snaps into oversized shape once again, and the swordswoman gives him a simple nod. "I'll buy as much time as you need."     And then she's in the air, off at full speed.     Her flight path is carefully chosen. Between his laserlike focus on Amalthea and the fact that the unicorn is between him and her, Setsuko is flying in such a way that her approach should be visually obscured from Claudius until the instant Amalthea swerves - at which point Setsuko turns as well, Zanjintou held behind her so that sword and swordswoman pass by rocket knight unicorn with perhaps an inch of clearance. It's a rather nasty surprise already, and it only gets nastier.     Still hurtling towards the Lord Byakhee at full speed, Setsuko twists and turns herself in the air, hauling her immense blade around in preparation for an attack. "ZANJINTOU...!" With her speed and the pace at which the Byakhee is no doubt following Amalthea, there will only be an instant before the demigod swings, adding all the momentum of both their flights to that first slash. But the second comes in a rapid spin, as Setsuko hauls back on the sword and turns all that momentum upward, bringing it around for a second slice with nearly as much force as the first.     "ICHIMONJI GIRI!!" 

:'''{{#var:565|Professor Therion (565)}} has posed:'''     The same trick... does work for Galva, in this case, though less well. The explosion starts to topple the giant, but this time black, crackling power arcs out, trying to blast Homura right from the sky. This doesn't stop it from falling over, with a dying shriek from the summoned beast. True, Vespasianus could just resummon the thing, but it's not like he can do that right away. It crashes into a building, but the evacuation is in full swing by now. 

:'''{{#var:219|Ariel (219)}} has posed:''' A plan, and something to take care of Ogre. Ariel has to deal with two now! Maybe not her best idea in the world, but if she really has a plan... maybe she can do it. "Okay Al! I think this will work!" First things first... deal with Belzebuth, who gets a swing in! Demonbane crashes into the side of a building as armor crumples under the hit, smashing it through and forcing it to stagger. The damaged Deus Machina responds with something abrupt though. "Atlach-nacha, now!" Sending the web out to Belzebuth is just a delaying tactic, she knows, but she doesn't intend on leaving him alone for long. She just needs him out of her hair while she takes care of Ogre. Launching Demonbane, damaged or not, toward the Ogre, he icy shield in her hand turns into a revolver. Snapping off three shots, the bullets go wide... then change direction and zip toward Ogre unerringly. She doesn't expect them to take care of the machine though, instead summoning up a flaming lance of power, Cthugha's melee form for her. The spear aims to bisect the Deus Machina, trying to tear and melt the midsection from the legs. 

:'''{{#var:565|Professor Therion (565)}} has posed:'''     Augustus is a giant dick, and piloting the Legacy of Gold. So this is actually going to work... a little. "What do you two peasants think you are doing?" the man asks from within, as if about to laugh at Psyber and Amalthea's attempts. That isn't a good idea, though... for Amalthea did evde Byakhee, and her holy nature weakens the mecha's defenses, plus Psyber's own nature and super strength... well.     The hatch creaks, then tears open, allowing access to the cockpit. It is currently empty because Augustus is controlling it remotely, but... 

:'''{{#var:135|Al Azif (135)}} has posed:'''     Red lights flash all across the console, and Al shouts out, "That was a bigger hit than I'd like, Ariel! Any more of that and we won't be able to see so easily!" In fact, the view from the cockpit fuzzes a little before stabilizing, and then... Ariel is piloting it toward the Ogre?     "I hope you know what you're doing, Ariel! Ia ia, Cthugha!" Al steadies the warning lights, diverting and bypassing some power, but Demonbane is still leaking a silvery fluid down the side of the machine. 

:'''{{#var:2|Homura Akemi (2)}} has posed:'''     Pro: it did work.     Con: it got a shot off.     The black bolt of power, intended for targets likely larger and bulkier than Homura, would make easy work of the magical girl if it hit dead on. The speed at which it comes catches her by surprise to boot, and though she avoids getting caught wholesale in it, it still catches half of her body, the energy (singing? electrocuting? causing unspecified damage?) and managing to force her to land on a rooftop to avoid crashing to the ground.     It takes her a few moments to shake the pain off, and then another to decide cutting the pain off right now is the objective good idea. Yes, Sayaka, sometimes your way is correct. Broken clock, and all that.     The Puella Magi takes back off, and makes for VITELIUS. One last giant. And rather than try the same thing again, she appears above it this time, with her bow out and already pulled back, pointed down. "Starlight Arrow." Hey, don't look at me like that. The PSP game named it, not me.     Instead of EXPLOSIVES, the final pillar gets a large pink-purple beam of light crashing down from above, charged with purification (but not holy, exactly) magic. It's not quite big enough to entirely engulf the pillar (it's far too big), but it should be concentrated enough at the tip to pierce through until ground level... hoopefully. Otherwise Homura just wasted a shitton of magic for a pointless lightshow, and damage so far does not make that a good thing. 

:'''{{#var:395|Amalthea (395)}} has posed:'''     The pass with Setsuko is horrifyingly close. To the outside observer anyway. All it took was for the demi-god to tell her that approach vector and Amalthea doesn't even flinch at the high speed pass, leaving it in the divine woman and her collossal blade to take the heat off her.     "Borrowing your Deus Machina." Retorted in a quick snap. But once the plate pops open and proves empty, there is a mild disappointment. Still, the lack of an actual pilot means it's MUCH easier to fling herself in through the open hatchway, stowing her lance aside as she plops into the higher seat inside the Deus Machina. The seat usually reserved for a Grimoire to plug in and power the machine, on complete chance.     "Dibs, shotgun." 

:'''{{#var:565|Professor Therion (565)}} has posed:'''     Oh, this isn't going to end well for Claudius. He was already outmatched by Amalthea, but as Setsuko suddenly switches off, he makes the mistake of thinking it's a weaker foe. Technically, in some ways Setsuko is... but Setsuko is a warrior, through and through, not a healer as well. "OUT OF MY WAY!" he shouts, bringing the rifle the Lord Byakhee carries up to snap off a shot that blasts a huge hole in the building behind... but will miss Setsuko widely.     An instant later, the rifle is spinning off into the street, because that first slash cleaves right through the arm at the shoulder... easily. It also takes part of the wing, sending the Byakhee tumbling in midair and heading for the street.     "FUUUUUUUUCK!!" Yes, Claudius has a mouth on him, and it's easily heard as the second slice cuts right through the middle of the relatively delicate machine. The bottom half tumbles and slams into the building behind Setsuko to her right... and the top half, complete with screaming curses, slams into the street to Setsuko's LEFT, leaving her relatively untouched.     Heroes: 1, Anticross: 0. 

:'''{{#var:565|Professor Therion (565)}} has posed:'''     Vespasianus is the one piloting the Cykranosh, and well... Arthur and Velantha are really tearing at his mecha. Armor melts and wrenches away, and it's all he can do to keep the machine regenerating, repairing at a not-quite-fast-enough rate to keep the machine aloft. He does send out beams lancing through the air, and he's actually... strong enough that this could hurt, for sure. He does answer Arthur though!     "Why, that is simple! All we need is one thing. Hand her over and you could end this! Or we destroy the city!" He laughs. "The Tyrant Nero! Surely you do not want to continue to defend the most evil sorceress in the world? She is one of ours... and we will have her back."     For all his laughter and bravado though, it ends with a curse as one of his legs finally loses it, tumbling away from the Deus Machina to crash to the city below. 

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''     "Really, pretty much that. Consider it an aggression acquisitions policy," Psyber says as he follows into the cockpit after Amalthea. He settles down into the drier's seat, letting her into the grimoire seat, "Alright, you take shotgun, I'll take driver's seat."     Psyber then cracks his knuckles and looks down at the controls in front of him, "Okay. So this is going to require... the gentleman's touch, so to speak. Precision, delicacy, and the most subtle of maneuvers," He says to Amalthea as he prepares to get to work. Of course... Psyber now realizes that a lot of people he really cares about are in at least disadvantageous positions and he, personally, has been under a lot of stress lately.     Owing to this, he then promptly starts slamming his hands down on the controls, trying to let loose with every shot and ability the Legacy of Gold has, firing them out onto any Anti-Cross members with reckless abandon, no restraint, and generally attempting to turn the mech against its own side in a hellish storm of bombardments, potentially laced with Holy due to Amalthea as an energy source.     "Fuck your mechs! Fuck ALL your mechs!" Psyber screams as he slams the controls wildly, generally getting into a fenzy as he lets the lasers fly out at the people trying to attack a hefty chunk of his social circle, "I will teach you to keep fucking with this city! I'll teach you all!" 

:'''{{#var:565|Professor Therion (565)}} has posed:'''     The Kraken topples over as that piercing lance of water crashes into its leg, making Claudius growl in rage. He catches himself though... and the Kraken is TOUGH. Even Lila can't take it down that easily, meaning it steadies and starts limping forward.     That's all an act though. An instant later, torrents of water /erupt/ from beneath the Nameless One, trying to slam into it and topple the much larger mecha. This is going to be tough, because most of the mechs here are around 50 meters or less... but Kraken still sends an /incredible/ pummelling upward, perhaps even enough to topple the 300+ meter Deus Machina. 

:'''{{#var:565|Professor Therion (565)}} has posed:'''     Ariel's maneuver is clever... but not clever enough, as it turns out.     The Belzebuth is only momentarily caught, as the webbing tangles it up and causes it to topple over... only for the entire thing to dissolve into a mass of flies and other insects, swarming upward and reforming, in full, standing once again. It starts moving toward Demonbane once more with a confident stride.     Ogre's remaining sword slices through the air unerringly, cutting the incoming bullets easily. Ogre is not ready entirely for the incoming spear though, which tears through its shoulder, cutting into armor and beginning to penetrate further when-     From the backpack behind it, two more arms, smaller than the main ones, unfold in the snap of an instant. One grabs the flaming spear of Cthugha, heedless of the fingers starting to melt, and helps lever the Ogre backward with Demonbane on the other end. The other one, drawing a smaller blade, whips out to stab toward Demonbane's middle as the Ogre twists about, stabbing its assailant while flipping it toward the ground. 

:'''{{#var:33|Arthur Lowell (33)}} has posed:'''     Arthur has some exposure to those beams briefly. Unlike that kick, this one's a full-on attack and Arthur himself remains a squishy caster. A beam or two manages to lance into his body, evoking a spray of blood and a web of bruises. "Well you better FUCKING ASK HER, and if she says NO, you'd better FUCK RIGHT OFF back to your BLACK LODGE, bro!" And he manages to get into the body itself, shielded from more brutal violence that would be likely to kill him at full exposure.     With a heavy blending noise, he emerges from where that leg's separating. "In the MEANTIME, asshole, why don't you TAKE A SEAT RIGHT OVER THERE?" He calls out, gritting his teeth through the pain as he tears away from the falling machine, not even spending a moment on putting pressure on that spraying wound on his back. He's gonna stop by Val first, and grab onto something, hoping she can drop a quick heal on him. This is BRUTALIZING his body. 

:'''{{#var:255|Setsuko Kaminagi (255)}} has posed:'''     Long experience in the Multiverse has taught Setsuko never to turn her back on an enemy until she's certain that it won't be getting up again. Even such crushing damage as 'arm cleaved off and body split in half' is no guarantee. Only once she's certain the Lord Byakhee is done for now does the swordswoman turn in the air and go soaring over the city again. Ariel is facing two enemies at once; and one of them is a master swordsman.     She may approach her battles with a businesslike soldier's focus, but a corner of her mind still murmurs, 'How interesting.'     Though she may have the size of a human, her blade and her inhuman strength both give her the capacity to duel much larger enemies on even footing. She's banking on that; banking on her ability to fight the Ogre evenly. Because she intends to call the pilot out.     Her approach pops upward at the last moment, giving her a brief burst of altitude that allows the demigod to come down from above on the arm that Ariel's foe is using to try and flip her over. She aims directly for the wrist, looking to break the hold on Demonbane's spear entirely, but keeps right on going and heaves the Zanjintou downward in a bid to smash aside the shortblade before it can reach the midsection of Ariel's unit. "Your opponent is right here!" 

:'''{{#var:565|Professor Therion (565)}} has posed:'''     Attacking from above with a GIANT PILLAR OF MAGIC is a great idea for Homura! In her case, the overwhelming power and the target being unprepared for it means that the giant is ripped to shreds, crumbling into nothing within short order after that blast of purple magic tears down to the street level. Sure, it makes the buildings shudder, but let's face it: this city isn't escaping this fight intact.     And with that, Homura's job is currently done! This is actually REALLY good, because the three giants were being used as a form of power booster for the others, and with Vespasianus going down, they aren't likely to be summoned again any time soon. This should make the rest of the fights a bit easier. 

:'''{{#var:834|Valentha Summers (834)}} has posed:'''     It does indeed hurt. It hurts a lot. The lancing eams cut huge swathes across Valentha's reptilian form! The armor-like hide bubbles and sizzles. Much of the force is dispersed and blunted, like a bullet hitting cement. Were it a laser, that might not hurt so much. Her hide is tremendously resistant to heat, but not the magic that she's being struck by. The dragon roars in pain but refuses to flinch despite every nerve in her body screaming to do just that.     She is a practiced mage. Pain is a state of mind.     Wizards are masters of the mind.     She's begun chanting under her breath even before Arthur Lowell's arrival. Bloodied and ragged as he is... he's going to feel it pretty hard once he makes contact.     It's like having a hundred gallons of life jackhammered into a ten gallon tank! Bluish-whtie energy flows into Arthur Lowell in huge torrent, seeking out each and every cut and bruise. Flesh mends and cracking bones heal. Stamina is restored. If he watches, every gaping wound is being swiftly eliminated... as if it had never been there to begin with.     Were he not a God and thus, healthier than any mortal would be expected to be, there might be further benefits... but he'll have to be content with feeling like he just got supercharged with a new lease on life!     "Give them hell." Valentha instructs, grinning.     Her answer for the pilot is pretty clear. "That's quite a thing to hear the aggressors say. I don't recall her summoning a giant terror in the middle of a city for any reason save self defense here. Regardless of your target's guilt or innocence, your actions are reckless or inexcusable. If you can't use toys like these responsibly, they'll be BROKEN." 

:'''{{#var:565|Professor Therion (565)}} has posed:'''     Beamspam from the Legacy of Gold! This is actually a pretty good thing, because Belzebuth gets blasted pretty hard, and the Kraken gets a pretty good licking too. One arm is blown off the powerful machine, while the Belzebuth is forced to disintegrate and reform /again/ some distance away. Is it impossible to kill? Well, maybe, but this is making it pretty annoyed and slowing it down. It's certainly given the others a good chance to slam their opponents.     Then the Legacy of Gold is gone, leaving Amalthea and Psyber in midair.     It materializes again, only about fifty meters or so down the street. Augustus, the dark-skinne mage who controls it, lands lightly atop the mecha's shoulder. "Fools," he sighs, snapping his fingers.     There is a reason that Deus Machina generally cannot be hijacked, it seems. Something to reflect upon as the wave of much more carefully-aimed golden lasers blaze down upon Psyber and Amalthea. 

:'''{{#var:33|Arthur Lowell (33)}} has posed:'''     Arthur hangs off of Val like tattered cloth, and with about the same sense of unsteady presence. Then a shock of healing blasts into him, regenerating his energy properly, though the abstract strain remains, despite woundlessness. He gasps suddenly, and then nods, giving Val an enthusiastic sort of fist-pound against her scaley hide. He disengages with a skydiver's drop. Where would the pilot of that one be... Somewhere near the middle?     With the machine crippled and dropped, it still presents a threat. That weaponry, and the summoner within, are all important to deal with as quickly as possible. And so, Arthur dives, massively increasing the force of gravity on himself to accelerate to tremendous speeds, and encasing himself in a heavy shielding of warped space. He hopes to lance through the weakened Deus Machina while it's crippled. He already did his trash talk. Now is the time for screaming. "YEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!" He turns himself into the equivalent of an orbital strike projectile, and aims for the rough center of the Deus Machina. His hope is to catch the summoner himself somewhere in there and drag him out the other side, but it's more likely that Arthur will force things more towards retreat. 

:'''{{#var:2|Homura Akemi (2)}} has posed:'''     With the three giants down, Homura finds a perch, alikely atop a miraculously intact office tower, to settle down, dismiss her wings, and then take a breather. She's a bit out of shape, it seems, but at least she did something useful so it's not like she's slowing the group down.     Guess she hasn't quite fully recovered from her fight with Material-S yet. And that's why going all-out is a bad idea. Over the radio, she simply transmits:     "Homura here, landing on a roof to take five. That took more out of me than I thought it would." She'll get back up if something extremely awful happens, but for now she'll be content to sit down and breathe slowly. 

:'''{{#var:545|Lila (545)}} has posed:'''     Even if the Nameless One far outclasses her opponent, even Lila - who is also generally pretty overconfident - can be taken by surprise. The jet of water blasting Lila's mecha manages to knock it off balance... creaking and falling into a building, crushing it with the mech's weight. With a thunders slam that buckles the ground, the Nameless One is over, leaving Lila cursing at it. "Fine. No more nice Sorceress."     A moment's pause, and... "Spell Selection: Cannon Spell."     Toward the damaged Kraken, a rippling, dark blot that tears time and space itself shears through the air, rocketing toward the other Deus Machina recklessly. She can at least handle this one, if everyone is going to be defending her. 

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''     Psyber is robbed of his newfound dream of burning all opposition with lasers just as soon as he got it. The fire in his heart will never be awakened and he will never find his true destiny as the troubled anti-hero mech pilot he was always meant to be. Forever, this narrative will be unrealized.     "Well Amal, it was a good run," Psyber comments as they both float in the air. He's pretty confident he can get back up after a blast like that, but he knows Amalthea is already feeling some exhaustion from earlier. Plus, Guardian Angel and all. So as the barrage of lasers comes in towards them, Psyber lunges sideways and grabs Amalthea around the waistline. Immediately, his black wings erupt from his back and wrap around them, forming a makeshift cocoon that will cause Psyber to absorb a huge portion, if not most, of the damage directed at them.     Unfortunately, it also leaves his wings scorched, patchy, missing feathers, and unable to sustain his flight. So he's forced to the ground, landing on a knee as he painfully pushes himself back to a standing position before collapsing back down onto a knee again. The wings, devoid of almost all their feathers and looking pretty skeletal, stretch painfully as Psyber needs to take a few moments to recover from the damage.     "Amal! Go back the others up!" He shouts to the guardian unicorn, waving her off as he tries to play down his injuries despite their overwhelming severity. He knows if he looks too injured, she'll divert to come help him, so he's downplaying what was a pretty cataclysmic blow he absorbed from the Legacy of Gold. 

:'''{{#var:565|Professor Therion (565)}} has posed:'''     The blade going toward Ariel's midsection gets a block, apparently. The tremendous clash saves Demonbane from further damage, at least, and the initial strike from Setsuko forces Ogre to release the spear or else lose a hand. It's still horribly damaged from grabbing a flaming spear though! That was a good idea for him, but...     "Another sword user, at last," Titus says from within. The missing katana is rapidly summoned to his other, injured arm, and the Deus Machina doesn't bother to offer an 'equal stance' because Setsuko obviously is a worthy opponent. "I look forward to this!"     Four blades slice down in an intricate pattern, but Ogre has lost the element of surprise from using his extra two arms. This means that Setsuko doesn't have that unexpected ploy to deal with, and is indeed fighting on relatively even ground... perhaps even at a slight advantage. 

:'''{{#var:135|Al Azif (135)}} has posed:'''     Al listens to Ariel's idea as damage monitors blare inside... and then she pales. Why? You'll see. "Hey Princess! You there?"     Back at the base, Ruri is watching with pacing and fretting, as are everyone else. Winfield, her butler, stands by with a tray and a glass, for her use should she need it. As soon as Ruri hears Al's voice, she knows the question.     "Activate the Hiranipra System. Encrypt the Words of Power. Set up the Naacal Code!"     "Naacal Code Transmitting, Mistress!" one of the maids says.     Winfield shows no sign of surprise, this time, staring at the screen with a tight-lipped look of worry. 

:'''{{#var:219|Ariel (219)}} has posed:''' The damaged Demonbane is still a little rattled, and Ariel starts in surprise as the blade comes from NOWHERE to stab toward the giant robot's midsection. "No!" She tries to wrench away, but there's no way she can do that in time. It's going to hit- Except that Setsuko comes to the rescue. "Th-thanks, Aunt Setsuko!" Demonbane is still flipping through the air, but the interference means that Ariel manages to 'land' without slamming down too hard, instead crumbling into a building. And that's when Vespasianus yells about grabbing Nero/Lila and generally acting like more of a dick. Oh, and Belzebuth is up again. Wonderful. "No, that isn't how things work," Ariel says, through Demonbane's speakers. "You want to mess around with me, that's fine. With Al? I guess I can understand that, but you're messing with me. You want to mess with my family?" A loud whine emits from Demonbane, and the damaged eye flares with light, healing itself with magical repair circuits. Steam jets from numerous joints, the back flaring out with winglike explosions of magical energy. For a flickering moment, a sigil, some kind of rune or symbol, appears in the air around Demonbane. Those who were present for when it happened may recognize it as the symbol that Hazel put on Ariel that disables the unicorn's limiters. "DON'T FUCK WITH MY FAMILY!" It isn't an attack, directly, that Ariel launches at first. Instead, the snapped spell on Belzebuth is a sudden appearance of a dark circle beneath, the buildings around the Deus Machina crumbling and collapsing for no apparent reason. A wavering in the air may look strange... but it's only a moment later that the light 'tug' can be felt that clarifies that she's just increased the gravity by at least an order of magnitude to trap the dematerializing monstrosity. "Thirst not! Hunger not! Return to the void!" "LEMURIA IMPACT!" "Sublimate!" The leg shields flare up to life, launching Demonbane forward to slam the glowing palm into Belzebuth, before launching the Deus Machina backward, flipping and landing atop a much farther building. Despite the weight, Demonbane lands there and stands without crumbling it. Then the entire block around Belzebuth vanishes into a white explosion of infinite heat, flash-melting the buildings and ground around it. 

:'''{{#var:255|Setsuko Kaminagi (255)}} has posed:'''     "Of course," Setsuko replies simply to Ariel, her tone briefly taking on a soft warmth. But that's all the attention that she can spare for her niece; a titanic opponent stands before her, and as Titus moves to attack she readies herself for the worst until she can discern what sort of opponent he is.     Even a seasoned veteran of the battlefield would have trouble with four swords. No, more than that, even a master of a twin-bladed style; the quartet of limbs offers such a vastly different configuration of possible strikes, the potential for too many to handle at once, and a simple sheer ability to overpower from having more strength to do so with. As it stands, whipping her sword around and parrying the first several strikes takes every ounce of Setsuko's strength, all the instinct she has, pushes her reaction times to the limits. And yet, she accomplishes it. One parry, two, three, four. She begins the fight on the defensive, filling the air around herself with the sparks of a sword battle between titans.     And amidst all of it, a preternatural calm comes over the demigod's face. A vitality begins to shine in her eyes. Her parries begin to happen faster, her movements more prepared for the Ogre's attacks. It takes several strikes, but the divinity of War within her is coming alive.     "...a splendid opponent," she decides simply.     And then suddenly, as the light from the Lemuria Impact shines somewhere behind the swordswoman, one of Ogre's attacks is deflected into another. Setsuko spins and shifts, using her weight and the mass of her blade to create one gap in Titus' guard. She whips around and simply batters at a second blade to create another. Breaking both his defenses and his rhythm in one flowing movement, that leaves her a gap to lunge in straight forward, turning a somersault that lends force to Zanjintou as she swings it vertically, her eyes briefly ablaze with divine blue visible even against the white light of Ariel's wrath.     "CHEEEESUTOOOAAAAH!" 

:'''{{#var:395|Amalthea (395)}} has posed:'''     For one moment. One shining, glorious, moment of hot blood, Amalthea is in the secondary seat in that mecha, teeth gritted, eye wide, a roar burning in her breast as Psyber jams buttons and her power is sapped to to provide that destructive hail.     But before she can even voice some cry of triumph, the two are, in an instant, left hanging and confused over empty air, as the very machine of war they were just sitting in- turns right back around against them.     Again.     "... Shit."     It's an apt response to the dawning moment of realizing how astoundingly bad an idea the whole plan was, even if it sort of kind of worked for a least that one brief moment.     When the lasers and beams come, she braces as best she can while falling- until Psyber is upon her. "Wh-"     Now comes the moment of horror. A look of the most extreme pain-ridden guilt etched on silver features as wings enrwap her, before the two plummet and land. She staggers from the shielding embrace, hobbling free with a much more pronounced limp than moments ago, but it's not as crippling as it could have been if not for Psyber.     "... Are... Are you sure?" There's worry in her tone as she skids boots. And she really is about to try and shamble back into the fray until...     She hear's Ariel's voice. Loopy ears swifel straight up the instant she hears that challenging cry, the chant- and then is promptly blinded by the Demonbane's most devastating attack brought to bear.     "Dude, Psyber what am I supposed to do, I can't keep up with that, she's growing up way too fast." 

:'''{{#var:565|Professor Therion (565)}} has posed:'''     High in the sky, the light show is about to end... while it begins on the ground. More bright beams lance out as the massive machine starts to tumble away, toward the ocean beside the city. Cykranosh is, however, suddenly forced into exploding at the side as Arthur tears through a weakened section of armor. The broom-bearing God of Space rips through the large cockpit, and right out the back. As the Cykranosh falls, it begins to vanish into motes of light, returning to its unsummoned state.     "HNRGH!" The bearded gentleman that WAS inside is now on Arthur's broom, swept up with a look of shock on his face. He's beaten, sure, but he expected to be able to use his normal tricks to get away. Yet without his Giants(thanks to Homura) and now with his Deus Machina disabled, he's... well he's still a formidable sorcerer, but far weaker than Arthur.     Heroes: 2, Anticross: 0     About that time, a rippling ball of annihilation holes an entire building. Before it even collapses, Lila's Cannon spell swallows up the Kraken's lower half, sending the huge machine toppling over to crash into the ground. Caligula HOWLS angrily from within, still unable to accept that he honestly never had a chance.     Heroes: 3, Anticross 0.     Blades ring, massive katana versus smaller, yet god-wielded blade. The clash of blades sounds throughout the street, and as that light blossoms in the distances, the rapid parry and attack continuing even as the city behind is swallowed up in that blaze of heat.     Then comes the strike, tearing through the Ogre's front, sending one of its smaller arms flying as it is severed. The Deus Machina staggers back, blades coming up with eagerness even if it is currently outmatched. "MAGNIFICENT!"     Heroes: 4, Anticross: 0.     And then the light beyond, as the Belzebuth is unable to escape. "W-what?!?" Tiberius struggles, but the crushing gravity holds him and his Deus Machina in place. He can't escape the center of the explosion that vaporizes the buildings around him, flattening part of the city to defeat him. When the light fades, the ground is blasted and burned, and there is no sign of Belzebuth.     Heroes: 4?, Anticross: 1? 

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''     "I dunno," Psyber remarks to Amalthea as he starts to stand up, his wings vanishing behind his back and phasing out to spare people their grisly sight. He covers his face with an arm in the wake of Ariel's attack and starts trying to remain fully upright, adjusting his footing a bit and then trying to remain standing in the aftershock of the ability.     "They grow up pretty fast, yeah. One day you're watching them trip and fall, and the next they're going off to college and building plasma grenades. Most you can do is just be proud, I guess," Psyber remarks as he uses the back of his hand to wipe some blood from the corner of his mouth as he assesses which organs his body may need to regrow or repair for internal bleeding.     "Fuck, though. What the hell caused them to make this big a showing after such a long haitus?" He asks aloud, "Maybe they're getting desperate to finish their plans or something," He wonders a bit.     And then he looks to Amalthea, "You may wanna go make sure she's okay after that." 

:'''{{#var:545|Lila (545)}} has posed:'''     With a creaking groan, the Nameless One rises again. The awe-inspiring giant of a Deus Machina starts to turn, looking toward the Legacy of Gold now. This is, of course, the point.     "It would appear that you are all alone now, Augustus," Lila taunts from within. "Are you still set upon capturing me? As you can see, Ariel and her family will not allow such a thing... and I think I like it better with them. Run along now~" 

:'''{{#var:219|Ariel (219)}} has posed:''' Ariel is suspiciously quiet after that, with Demonbane being very still. One could take it as standing dramatically with the ponytail fluttering in the wind, possibly. 

:'''{{#var:255|Setsuko Kaminagi (255)}} has posed:'''     Setsuko falls back from her strike, waits for the space of a breath, and then goes on the attack again; a single blow will not decide this battle so easily, and at the urging of her comrades, loss or victory temporarily cease to be a concern entirely. Instead, Setsuko unleashes a stream of attacks meant to increase pressure. Strike and parry, spin and slash, she crosses blades with Ogre again and again. Leaving openings deliberately to invite attack, pushing Titus' guard to see how well he defends against pure skill. All of it purely for the purpose of 'fighting' rather than 'defeating', creating an endless dance through which she can get a feel for her opponent's style... and, more importantly, the spirit driving that style. The conviction that moves the blades to action. A swordsman's communion, after a fashion.     And before even she realizes it, Setsuko finds herself speaking between every clash.     "For what purpose do you seek perfection, Titus? Your every strike rings with it. There is a refinement and drive to your swordsmanship seldom seen on any battlefield, an honor I cannot help but laud. I find few chances to match my blade against such a pure swordsman, and yet-! And yet, you lend your blade to those who would bring ruin! Certainly, your allegiance brings you strong opponents - and yet, when you have felled your foes, what then? What of the innocents they protect? No matter how impressive your skill, when you lend it to a cause which sheds the blood of the powerless, you sully that purity... will you truly continue down such a wretched path, master of Ogre? What will you find at the end of it, and what worth is there in skill gained on that road?!" 

:'''{{#var:395|Amalthea (395)}} has posed:'''     "I worry is all." Muttered softly, Amalthea surveying the damage.     How pissed will Stone be after this?     Nevertheless she's already trudging towards the Demonbane, being vere careful to stay out of Setsuko's path- or especially Lila's in her monster of a mecha as it squares off against the Legacy of Gold. "Yeah... Yeah I reckon I oughtta do that. 

:'''{{#var:834|Valentha Summers (834)}} has posed:'''     For a bit there, Valentha wasn't sure if Arthur had it in him to rip that mecha to shreds. But she hasn't come this far by making poor choices.... most of the time! Secretly Valentha's practically smirking with how well THAT turned out. But now's not really the time to be too smug.     Not so long as people are in danger...     "The entire entity was dispelled?! ... Banished...?! ... Iiinteresting. So damaging them enough will eliminate them, but in a different way..."     She'd go and assist someone else now, but after looking around the battlefield, it's kind of hard to see who actually NEEDS help... 

:'''{{#var:33|Arthur Lowell (33)}} has posed:'''     Arthur now has that bastard at the end of his broom. Okay, how can he keep him from getting away again...?     Hmmm, he thinks. I didn't think this entirely through.     Not thinking things through is what Arthur claims is his specialty, though. After tearing up his body a little more to be able to get through that rigorous volley of beams and that armor, Arthur then attempts to do two things: First, slam the man into the ground or a nearby building. He's a sorcerer, he has to have defenses against that sort of thing. Second, impact the man's throat just enough to stun and stop any verbally-reinforced spellcasting. Third, immediately attempt to warp spare around him in sufficiently distorted ways that a teleportation can't be performed. Arthur is not, unfortunately, specced out for that one. He's a Mage of Space, rather than a Mage of Void or perhaps a Thief of Space, and so there's a solid chance that this guy will get away.     But, unfortunately, even assuming Arthur COULD kill him in on-foot combat, he's not gonna try. No killshots for him. But he'll go for a capture if possible. The man might get the chance to slip out, of course, when Arthur glances away at the tremendous show elsewhere in the city. He goes slightly pale. Was that huge disturbance he felt ARIEL?! He is utterly stunned by the idea. 

:'''{{#var:565|Professor Therion (565)}} has posed:'''     Setsuko's opponent no longer fights to win. He knows he is beaten here. Yet the Ogre continues to clash, merely for the enjoyment of the fight. He is /extremely/ skilled, with feints and parries that are perfect in form, even with the damage to the mech. His flowing movements with four arms are natural... well, three arms now, but still. And his answer? "I have set myself upon this path, and I cannot turn from it. To do so would be a greater stain upon my soul than even what I have given myself."     The blades retreat suddenly. "I know when I am beaten, and I acknowledge your victory. I am Titus. Might I have your name so that we may meet again in honorable combat?" No doubt the other Anticross are shuddering at this... in fact, Claudius has recovered enough to bit sitting nearby, and is just facepalming so hard.     Vespasianus is slammed into a building, which true to form crumbles before even smudging his suit. Jabbing him in the throat with a divine broom handle does wonders for shutting him up though, and the cocky bearded man chokes a little, coughing before wheezing out loud rather than managing to do much. He probably can't teleport out easily... though someone else might snatch him.     And the Legacy of Gold squares off against the Nameless One. "I'm much stronger than you think," Augustus declares snootily. "I think you will find-"     "You will find nothing."     At long last, one more player is on the field. Therion has appeared, alighting atop a ruined spire of crumbling building. A casual brush of his hair backward examines the battlefield, and he murmurs in that bored tone, "You have failed to capture the Tyrant, or Al Azif, but we have obtained something of much greater value today. You cannot win against these, Augustus... and I certainly am not going to help you if you want to fight a fool's battle." He turns, and finishes off with a lazy order, "Return to Black Lodge immediately. All of you. We are done here." 

:'''{{#var:255|Setsuko Kaminagi (255)}} has posed:'''     Setsuko's sword halts when Ogre's withdraw, held steady in the air for a heartbeat or two before, with a snap, she reduces its size and sheathes it at her side. "That is unfortunate... but I can't fault your loyalty. We will almost certainly meet again, Titus. I am Major Setsuko Kaminagi, and my style is Kaminagi-ryu." Unfortunate indeed, but if he is withdrawing, then that's all there is to be done for now.     And it's thankful that Ogre is off the field, because Master Therion's appearance now has the swordswoman entirely tense and focused elsewhere. She won't be off her guard until he's gone entirely. 

:'''{{#var:565|Professor Therion (565)}} has posed:'''     Also, Tiberius reforms next to the shore, near the Legacy of Gold. "Hmmmn..." Apparently he is impressed... but still alive. Such as it is. There's no sign of the Belzebuth, so Ariel's attack must have really taken a lot out of him. 

:'''{{#var:253|Psyber (253)}} has posed:'''     Psyber doesn't have much energy or fight left in him. Even at his extensive power level, taking a full volley takes a number out of him. Still, when Tiberius reforms near the Legacy of Gold, the half-angel has a scowl fall across his face. After all he put Ariel through today, after how far his Niece had to push herself, he didn't even have the decency to stay permanently handled. For Psyber, it's fairly unforgivable how far he pushed the girl, especially after the prior incident with Arthur. The half-angel sort of tiredly points at him with a single finger. Then he turns that single pointing finger into two fingers and a thumb, making a gun gesture. His intent is pretty clear. 

:'''{{#var:33|Arthur Lowell (33)}} has posed:'''     Arthur seems to have successfully stunned Vespasianus, and hopefully limited his teleportation. The sharp blender bristles of his broom spread wide and the Mage attempts to plant them over the sorcerer's neck and face, not cutting but making it very risky to move. "Shit." He declares, in an exhausted whisper. "You sons of bitches are tough. Churned through my energy fucking twice now." He then sees Therion, albeit from a distance. Arthur knows how this works. One in the hand is worth two in the bush. He can't go after Therion right now, because of the Lila situaion. So despite practically spitting with frustration at him, Arthur keeps himself limited to shouting, "Oh, REALLY, huh? What the fuck's THAT?!" He shouts back at him...     And spoken low and soft on the radio, "Got one, maybe, slippery fucker. Someone help me out, I need him brought in and I might take a cheapn shot and get killed by him or something." Arthur seems to, at the very least, treat this particular foe seriously in a certain way. He's very aware that there's a lot of risk here and he knows when to stop acting like an idiot. 

:'''{{#var:565|Professor Therion (565)}} has posed:'''     A tear in spacetime opens before Therion, but he pauses on the way out. Even the stoic mage has gained much entertainment and respect for his foes, beings of power that have challenged him more than he's felt challenged in a long, long while. It's a nice change of pace, and one could say he's having fun seeing such /uncertainty/ in his life, even if the other Anticross are clearly infuriated with it. One by one, the others vanish, but Therion lingers to answer the question on everyone's mind.     He smiles, glancing over his shoulder. "We now know that she can kill."     Then he steps through the portal and vanishes. 

:'''{{#var:395|Amalthea (395)}} has posed:'''     Amalthea has halted in her tracks.     Standing stone silent at the foot of the Demonbane, a dark shadow has fallen across the unicorn's face. Her gauntlet creaks from how hard her hand has balled into a fist, lance clattering to the cratered ground at her feet.     For a moment her expression is unreadable; a placid silver mask of that chronic, mild, inhuman, apathy.     And then the facade breaks, wordlessly glancing up at the Deus Machina with a somber expression of profound silent sorrow.     "Perhaps. She's growing up a little too fast."     Murmured so low it's nary but a whisper. 
}}

Discordian Healthcare

2014-07-23T03:58:42Z

Kino: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2014/07/22 |Location=Post-Discord Equestria |Synopsis=Looking into a troubled community, Celestia finds a strange nurse helping them after a timber..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/07/22
|Location=Post-Discord Equestria
|Synopsis=Looking into a troubled community, Celestia finds a strange nurse helping them after a timberwolf attack. The being she finds is nothing like what she expected.
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=230, 514
|Tinyplot=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:230|Celestia (230)}} has posed:'''     Everfree Forest. This is where the sisters have set up a new central government, where they are building a place to live for all kinds of ponies! Fantastic, isn't it? But that isn't where this is. Here, on the edge of the forest, things are still settling after the chaotic rule of Discord. It's not like all the ponies are in one place, and several communities have started!     Into one of these, Celestia herself trots. It's not that often that she visits other villages and towns sprouting up, but neither is it unheard of, and it takes her mind off of other problems. "Hmn, the sun will be setting soon," she murmurs as she walks through... though that means something a bit different when she says it, huh? 

:'''{{#var:514|Calumnia (514)}} has posed:'''     This particualr community seems to have had a rather rough time of it. They possess a low wall of hewn logs with ponies in dirty, somewhat worn armor patrolling it. One of the notable town features include a functional barracks, and a semi-permenant shelter with a caduceus planted in the ground before it like a sign post. At least the snakes appear to be fake. Or dead. Still, it is within this medical center that several unconscious ponies lie resting, being tended to by a number of mares, even visible through the entrance stitchign a wound closed.     The cause for this can be seen just outside town, opposite the forest of Everfree; a bonfire, with several writhing wooden corpses lie burning. The Timberwolves; creatures of living wood and a tenacious cling to life that only fire could reliably end. It seems there was a raid recently. Perhaps the cause for a visit from the Lady of the Sun? 

:'''{{#var:230|Celestia (230)}} has posed:'''     Not specifically for the Timberwolves, but Celestia had indeed heard that some of the more isolated communities had some problems, of varying kind. A heavy sigh lifts from the future monarch as she eyes the pile... she'd hoped that things would be fixed sooner, but it looks like it will not be a wonderful land of carefree happiness for some time to come. Likely never, but she can hope, yes?     Well, no time like the present to see what she can do. "Hmm... perhaps they could use more guards," she muses before stepping over toward the medical tent. "Is everyone all right? Will you recover?" It's a simple question, more asked out of politeness. A brief light sputters at the end of her horn, casting a soothing warmth through the room, though it's not actually healing. 

:'''{{#var:514|Calumnia (514)}} has posed:'''     Only those nurses not presently occupied bother to acknowledge the white mare, though they do dip their heads. "Ladyship." An older mare with a satchel foull of herbs, and one of the two unicorns to boot canter up to the Alicorn. "They should be alright. Some of their injuries needed to be stitched, and a few ponies lost a substantial amount of blood, but we expect no deaths. Luckily Heart Ache-" She nods toward a light grey mare, thin, with a deep green red mane parted by a horn, "-happened in shortly after the attack. She's been able to numb the injuries and sedate the patients while we treat them."     The mare in question, absorbed in her work, leans down as she's mentioned to touch her horn to a stallion's flank where a cut was still oozing through a bandage, a somewhat sickly green glow touching it. The stallion, barely awake lets out a sigh of relief and settles into sleep before an earth pony begins to chagne the bandage. Superficially at least, it does appear to be a simple pain killer and sedative, but the latter, instead, more closely bears the arcane signature of a draining spell. 

:'''{{#var:230|Celestia (230)}} has posed:'''     "I see," Celestia says calmly, looking over the injuries, and perhaps wincing here and there. Celestia is no stranger to battle, but she doesn't like to see ponies like this. In fact, she is so much not a stranger to battle that she has light barding rather than royal regalia. "Well, it looks like you have things in hand, but if you need anything please tell me. I will send for some help."     The spell gives her pause though. Eyes narrowing, she observes the newly-named pony for a long moment, waiting for the painkiller to set in and the bandage to be firm. With a polite, flowing voice, she asks, "Heart Ache, thank you for your timely arrival. Could you step outside so I can speak with you? Skilled nurses such as yourself are indeed a rarity." She lightly steps herself back. 

:'''{{#var:514|Calumnia (514)}} has posed:'''     There's a pause where the mare goes still, as if just now recognizing her surroundings after her spellwork. The pause is momentary of course, then an exhale. Her head turns and inspects the other patients, who seem to be well enough, then faces the Alicorn. Her cutiemark bears the legend of two snakes forming a heart, and her eyes are a cool green. "As you wish." She responds with a somewhat terse tone of voice, but by the lack of reaction by the other medical ponies it's not that unusual coming from her. Head held high though a bit stiff, she walks out, tail flicking behind her.     One nurse, one of the younger, hesitates, as Heart Ache steps out, then glances to the Alicorn and adds, "Err- actually, if you could see fit to spare a few ponies for a few days while these mares and stallions recover, it would help--ow!" She winces as the eldest, lead pony swats her once. "We'll be alright Ladyship, I'm sure you ahve more important things to tend to." The two of them retreat, a soft glow of magic ragging the younger of the two away by the ear. 

:'''{{#var:230|Celestia (230)}} has posed:'''     Hmm. Celestia watches the younger mare curiously for a long moment before sighing, making a mental note to see if she could spare a couple ponies to send out here. Something really was going on here, but she was not yet certain it was a bad thing! Energy drains though... she hurries to step out of the tent, adding a quick, "Keep up the good work."     Now then, where was that pony? "Heart Ache... a moment?" Celestia stretches a little, as most buildings and tents aren't made with her in mind, then she trots up to walk alongside, no hint of real suspicion or anger yet. "You're very good with that painkiller spell. Where did you learn that? I wasn't aware that there were many nearby communities." 

:'''{{#var:514|Calumnia (514)}} has posed:'''     Heart Ache stands waiting nearby, not far from the tent and within plain view. Her ears remain perked, while her tail lashes side to side. Neither her tail or mane are done with any form of beauty; the former limp and the latter tied in a bun, nearly a knot to keep it out of her face. A few ponies watch from nearby, more curious than anything.     "There are not, but there's always ponies travelling the roads; seeking stability, family, what have you else." Heart Ache replies evenly, her green eyes, reflecting a hint of gold from the lowering sun, on the Alicorn. "The spell was just something I worked out on my own, I don't like to see ponies hurting." A bit of emotion enters her voice, wheras previously her words were clipped and to the point. Business. 

:'''{{#var:230|Celestia (230)}} has posed:'''     Celestia keeps her voice low, as if to keep the other ponies from hearing her words. "I see, that is very kind of you. though I can't help but notice the complexity of that spell and the other effects woven into it. I imagine that staying in one place too long, you might notice some troubles if you kept using that spell."     Despite the veiled prodding in her words, Celestia keeps her tone casual and even, and she's made no move toward the other pony. In fact she's attempting to step away from the guards, perhaps to keep them out of any conflict. This might be a tad overconfident on her part should things turn south. 

:'''{{#var:514|Calumnia (514)}} has posed:'''     "...." Heart Ache's response is silence, though her eyes dart a bit. Not enough to leave the other mare, bot more than the solid calmness they had possessed moments prior. "The pain killer spell is functional and fairly simple, I've used it repeatedly, sometimes on myself, without incident." She responds, voice held calm. Her ears flick a bit then return to forward, and her tail lashes a bit harder.     It's not difficult to tell from her body language that she knows the mare she's talking to has uncovered something that Ache would rather not be uncovered, but at the same time it's closer to annoyance than fear, particularly given her eyes don't seem to leave the mare, as if studying her.     "As for kindness, I am paid for my services in food, shelter, and a few trade-worthy goods by grateful patients. Now, what would you /really/ like to say to me?" 

:'''{{#var:230|Celestia (230)}} has posed:'''     What does she want? Celestia is not as schooled in maintaining a poker face as she may someday be, but she still has a pretty even expression, looking at the nurse pony with one brow arched. It's an almost human expression, one of uncertainty and thought.     Confrontation heaves a sigh from the Mare of the Sun, and she spends a brief moment lowering the sun a little bit further. Dusk time is now. "If you are truly concerned with helping the other ponies, I am pleased, but I saw that your other spell was taking something from them. This is a dangerous world even now... as you can see." The burning bonfire gets a toss of her head toward it. "Where do you come from, Heart Ache?" 

:'''{{#var:514|Calumnia (514)}} has posed:'''     Of the reactions the smaller mare had been expecting, this certainly was not one. Her ears direct themselves forward again, perked, as her tail stills. Her eyes glance in the direction of the orange glow of the bonfire, taking her head in teh direction just enough to bring it into view, then returning to the mare before her.     "I believe it was referred to by it's inhabitants as Stonemare's Vale, though Discord referred to it as 'Boring' most of the time." Stonemare's Vale was a small community of ponies, mostly earth ponies with only a single family of pegasi to edge rain towards crops that sustained the town, and an even smaller group of Unicorns. The Earth Ponies farmed enough to feed the town and trade a bit, and one group had even managed to work stone. When Discord fell most ponies there migrated to the Everfree, save for the stone-workers, who were too stubborn to leave.     "As I said before, I am paid for my services in food and shelter. I merely fail to specify my needs when engotiating the deal." 

:'''{{#var:230|Celestia (230)}} has posed:'''     Sigh. Boring. That would be something Discord would call it. Celestia clearly has to think for a few moments to call up the details, but whether or not she makes the connection isn't immediately clear. "Stonemare's Vale. I know the place. A small community... not many unicorns, either." That's a pointed note, but she doesn't press that issue.     Then she turns and looks toward the small community. "You fail to specify... and in doing so, you could harm them in the long term. I wonder what makes your needs so different, then?" Again, she doesn't press the issue, but her voice grows more stern. "If you truly do care for the other ponies, then you will move on from here. Perhaps not today or tomorrow, but soon. Do you understand why?" 

:'''{{#var:514|Calumnia (514)}} has posed:'''     The response is a snort, and /now/ her ears pin back, tail drawing close. "Oh yes. Barring any level of kindness sheer pragmatism would dictate I leave within a few days of this encounter." She hisses quietly. "Somepony will have heard parts of this conversation or at least questioned why it's going on. If I stay they will find it suspicious in itself, and if they heard the latter half of this conversation I will need to defend myself. Again."     She straightens and the sound coming from her note is closer to the hiss of a feline than a pony accompany an exhale. "Oh rest assured Ladyship, I'll leave. After all, only the ones who don't /need/ love are the ones that recieve any."     With an inhale,subsequent exhalation of another slow breath, voice returning to it's 'strictly business' tone, and nowm ore audible. "As you wish, Ladyship," she begins, more audible for the sake of curious ears and eyes, "I will depart after setting my affairs in order. Thank you for the compliment." 

:'''{{#var:230|Celestia (230)}} has posed:'''     It is perhaps not the best decision that Celestia could make, but then it could be worse. Her own ears twitch backward in a display of doubt, before her voice grows firm. "I am sorry. These are the matters I must consider. I thank you for helping, but I fear the long term damage this could do."     Celestia hesitates, then her voice lowers again. "Tell me, are you native to this world? Something I have not seen? There are many tales that have me concerned, but I do not wish to jump to conclusions. What has happened to your previous encounters?" 

:'''{{#var:514|Calumnia (514)}} has posed:'''     As the conversation continues after 'Heart Ache'expects it to end, she forces her ears forward, though they flick. Her tail remains pinned. "This is not the place to have this conversation. I've been afforded a tent nearby. It's within shouting range of the guards, if that soothes you." Her head tosses and she points to a small tent, roughly large enough for a bed roll and maybe a few effects and one or two ponies company. It would be cramped but workable. 

:'''{{#var:230|Celestia (230)}} has posed:'''     "Briefly," Celestia agrees. "If it reassures you, I have no intention of starting trouble tonight." She heads toward the tent, where she can speak more freely of this, though she waits for 'Heart Ache' to enter first. What she says next may be a surprise.     "I apologize for my abrupt declaration," the Sun Mare explains. "Whatever you are, you have no permanent place here. By all rights I should simply get rid of you while we are here... but that doesn't seem necessary. I worry about what you are taking from these ponies, and I want to hear your story. Briefly." 

:'''{{#var:514|Calumnia (514)}} has posed:'''     The grey mare does not respond at first, stepping into the tent, and closing the flap. She sits on the bedroll and raises a brow. "Oh I don't do I? Then have a look." She casts another glance around and exhales, stilling herself.     Before the magenta eyes of the (future) Diarch of the Sun, the form of 'Heart Ache' distorts and warps, growing slightly into a mare of taller, slim stature. Or at least a 'mare' is the closest word. Cool green mane trns to a more ragged silken one, wings unspooling from flesh that devours it's own coat into hole-ridden wings not too different than what might belong to a dragonfly, or Breezie. Her horn warps, like wood soaked in water, coming to a razor point, and fangs jut from her lips, thin, sharp fanggs, meant for piercing, not rending. Eyes open, a poisonous green with cleft dagger-pupils. Throughout all of this, her horn remains dark; the magic radiating from her whole body equally.     "So because I am no longer a pony you should 'get rid of me' as if I were a pest?" Her voice is completely different, carrying a seperate timber and an odd resonance from her vocal cords. "Hah. Discord was right." She responds with a soft hiss, ears pinned. "I'm not sure where I would be from if not this world, but I would argue I have as much right to it as you do." 

:'''{{#var:230|Celestia (230)}} has posed:'''     Even being much younger than the Celestia of other worlds, this Celestia has seen a lot. This doesn't stop her from widening her eyes in surprise at the shift in form to something less... pleasant to look at. She even takes a small step back, bumping against the cramped inner flap of the tent.     The bitterness is impossible to miss, though. "Do you deny you could be a danger to Equestria, as you are now?" Her voice is sharp, at first, but she softens it quickly. "But despite this, I do not want to destroy something for what they are. I am taking a risk by giving you a chance to find a way to live with us peacefully." Another pause. "No longer a pony? You were once like us? Did Discord do this to you, then?" 

:'''{{#var:514|Calumnia (514)}} has posed:'''     Some grim satisfaction comes from watching the mare who, in concert with her sister, sealed away the likes of Discord step back and show fear, or at least surprise. "How noble of you. That puts you well above a grand number of the ponies you hold so vaunted. Still, you're listening so I may as well. Yes, as far as I am aware I was at one point a pony. My first real memory is of Discord, standing over me with that... thrice-be-damned smirk. I /do/ have a few flashes from before. The painkilelr spell for example. Impressions of faces... smiles..." Her voice cracks a little, ears outright wilting rather than just pinning.     She pauses for a few moments, lost in a ghost of a thought before her ears pin properly again, then flick forward.     "You wanted to know whath appened to my previous encounters? My first was Stonemare's Vale, the town Discord said I came from. For some diluted reason I thought if I asked for help and just explained what I needed now, they wuldu nderstand. I knew it with every fiber of my being." The smirk is closer to a grimace even as it forms. "They listened. That's more than any other town by the way. And then they chased me out with sickles and fire. After that. Nopony chased me beyond town though. So I went to different towns, sometimes in disguise, sometimes not. Traveling groups of ponies, what have you. I was so hungry by the third time I was turned away that I lost it. So I ate anyway. I left them on the road. When I left they were breathing, but that's all I can say for it. In fact some ponies hunt me now. Did you know that?" She laughs softly and the grimace is more pronounced. "Sometimes I can scare them off. Sometimes I can't. So I defend myself." 

:'''{{#var:230|Celestia (230)}} has posed:'''     Sigh. "I should have done what Tyrael suggested," she murmurs, then shakes it away. She lifts her head, taking on a serious tone again. "You tried, and for that I can't find any fault. I don't know what he did to you, or even if the Elements themselves could change it, but it does not seem to be healthy for the ponies around you. Perhaps I can find a way to help you in time, but until then... you will need to keep moving. I can't let you stay in one place if this is what you need to do to survive."     Tapping a hoof, she concentrates and lifts out a small device. "Here, take this. It will let you speak from far away. It's not much, but at least you will be able to call if you find something, and hear voices instead of being alone so often. It is the best that I can do for now." 

:'''{{#var:514|Calumnia (514)}} has posed:'''      That draws 'Heart Ache's attention. The gift. She accepts iti nto the familiar color of her magic. That at least, has not changed. She peers at it in confusion, the expression perhaps the most emotion on her face beyond a pained (or angry) grimace yet. "I'm not sure how such a thing can afford a magic such as that for it's size. Still..." She inhales, and lets out a long breath. "Thank you." She stares at the gift and spends a moment in thought.     Yes, she could likely change identities and stay. She could vanish away and keep an ear to the ground for this particular mare,. Each time she's outed she learns how to avoid it in the future, after all. And yet...     "I'll keep it. Still, the timberwolves are not my doing. I feed on love, not luck. Guards always have some to spare for anypony that can make the pain stop. As lon as I do not consume much from any one of them, they merely become tired. It's convenient as a sedative." 

:'''{{#var:230|Celestia (230)}} has posed:'''     "I see," Celestia nods, "But I worry about the longer term. I won't say anything to the ponies here... for now. I suggest you move on soon, as I said. If no long term harm is done, then perhaps the greater good of helping the ponies here will make up for the cost."     That sounds a little harsh, she realizes, so she tempers it with another quiet remark. "Discord did many things to this world, and it is not always fair to the victims. I am sorry that you have become this, and I hope it is not going to be a larger problem in the future... or an indication of worse to come. As you have seen, the ponies of Equestria are still very skittish of the strange or alien. Perhaps with time that will heal as well." 

:'''{{#var:514|Calumnia (514)}} has posed:'''     A snort answers the first comment, then once again the charcoal-skinned creature is once again left without words, looking down at the gift cupped in her hoof.     "I'll need a few more days here if I keep feeding at the rate I am. That should leave me with enough to make it to another town with enough energy to take on another identity and deal with whatever gets in my way on the road." The creature's visage warps again, albeit rapidly. The view still allows the Solar Mare to watch a coat of fur sprout and wings to shrivel away even as they sink into flesh. Her horn straightens, and color adjusts, leaving once again the guise of Heart Ache. "Don't get me wrong, I've still seen what ponies are really like but... Some of them aren't so bad." For the first time, she smiles, even if it's not with her own face. It's a fragile thing, and her eyes don't close all the way. 

:'''{{#var:230|Celestia (230)}} has posed:'''     The change is less shocking this time, and Celestia nods her head. "There are many ponies with greater hearts than you would think... but I suppose I can't blame you for hiding. I will return in a few days to check on the ponies here, but I do hope I will not hear any strange illnesses or stories of pony-eating monsters. I'm giving you some trust, Heart Ache... if that is your real name. I do hope it is not misplaced." 

:'''{{#var:514|Calumnia (514)}} has posed:'''     "I don't know my name. The closest I've got is the one the hunters started calling me. My 'real' name is Calumnia." Falsehoods. Lies. A fake. "Do let me know what you've found. I've never been able to stay someplace long enough to know if there are long term problems." 

:'''{{#var:230|Celestia (230)}} has posed:'''     "And I am Celestia," Celestia replies, though it's likely that fact is already known. "I hope there is not. Be careful and I do wish you good luck in finding a place of your own, where you can safely live with others." Oh, if only she knew. 

}}

Manehattan Madness

2014-06-21T08:07:51Z

Kino:

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/06/20
|Location=Divided Equestria
|Synopsis=A familiar clown shows up in a Manehattan park and silliness ensues!
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=23, 39, 42, 183, 219, 230, 470
|Tinyplot=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:470|Pinkie (470)}} has posed:''' This world has... Been around actually! Just a handful of weeks, but it's been here. It was a quiet unification; low key and almost even unnoticed due to the lack of sheer excitement when it happened. The warp gate opens up some distance away from a sprawling cityscape, on an island, with an oddly pony-looking version of the Statue of Liberty, huh. This might be better explained when people begin to explore the city proper. There are ponies here. And pony-people! The populace is a mix of humanoid and equine formed unicorns, pegasi, or plain old earth ponies hustling and bustling about their business, and "Manehattan" as the signs name the place seems to be a very large melting pot of a city considering the occasionally griffon and even a more civilized chimera now and again. So it's another Equestria! Now the issue here comes in the fact that... The city seems to be in a state of unrest. People are on edge, some have the jitters, others are peeking over their shoulder as if expecting a knife in the back. How odd. Though there's something of a commotion around a small park- people (and ponies, duh) are gathering in a fairly big number and... Laughing. It's certainly better than the rest of the jittery city. 

:'''{{#var:219|Ariel (219)}} has posed:''' If they're pony people, Ariel won't be TOO out of place! She's going rather quietly along, trying to investigate... and looking like an odd unicorn, that's true. A young one, no less! So other than her artificial construction she fits right in! Or would, if she didn't choose to be safe and ride the GIANT WARHOUND into the city. But hey, maybe that won't draw too many eyes. "Huh... well, where there's people there's a chance to figure out what's going on." Might as well head toward the gathering. 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:''' 'Light Duty'. A hateful term for a necessary step forward from recovery of being goddamn assassinated. Thus, a nice, leisurely walk and scan through one of the nicer, if highly colorful offerings in the fancy new grid that Jinx is still getting used to. It's not as if Miss Jinx has been casing the joint. She's just been out and about... yeah, okay, casing the joint. At least she fits in with her bright blue hair and the pink dress she's wearing. All the better to blend in with, my dear. Though, yeah, laughter in a jittery town gets the attention of the Loose Cannon, and soon Miss Jinx is wandering over as well. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:''' Equestria! Again! Staren steps through the warpgate with care, but... hmm, once again, no pony field here either. He shrugs and looks around. "A pony version of pre-RIFTS Madhaven, huh...?" He looks at the statue... and... are those ponies and humans in the distance? "That's interesting..." he smiles a bit at the sight of the mixed species together. It's not the diversity of Lazlo, but it's more than he usually sees. When he gets closer and sees they're... /pony/-people, he shifts his clothes to a hooded cloak. Maybe if he covers his face and tail people will mistake him for an earth-pony-person. He's so absorbed taking in the new world, it's awhile before he notices the quietness and jitteryness of the population. But still... it doesn't look like they're /slaves/, so it's not another Black Queen situation. But there's... laughter? Staren decides to go see what all the fuss is about... 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Mizuki had just returned to her home after commentating a fight between two scarily strong fighters. So what does she do? She goes back out to an entirely unknown place. Yup. Even if she has been re-learning what it means to be tired these past few weeks, she's still too stubborn to acknowledge that she's fatigued. Instead of common sense, she lets her curiosity guide her, leading her eventually to this place: Manehattan. Mizuki has been to an Equestria before, albeit briefly. That night, she met princess Luna, a seemingly happy equine who was as accommodating as one would expect a noble of her status to be. It was a nice little visit... and it was nothing like this. As Mizuki soars into Manehattan, black wings spread wide, she immediately picks up a sort of... charge in the atmosphere. This is confirmed after a glance down at the streets where several people are glancing nervously from side to side. She doesn't know what's going on here, but she's suddenly glad that she decided to stay partially hidden on a roof rather than dashing right in to the middle of the town like she would normally be wont to do. So for now, she waits, studying the city from her vigil up high. She does notice and remember Jinx, and she can tell that that cybernetic pony probably doesn't belong here. Oh, and is that... Staren? Well. At least there's someone here that she knows... somewhat well. In fact, it might be a decent idea to follow him in case he runs into trouble. So that she does, after fading out of sight and taking to the sky again... 

:'''{{#var:23|Amaterasu (23)}} has posed:''' Coming through the warpgate is a large white canine creature that may or may not be a wolf! Ambiguous perhaps. But quite appropriate, since not everyone here will see her the same. Non-Elites who have no spiritual beliefs will probably just see a big dog, similar to a Husky or Malamute, but completely white. Like completely. Except for her eyes, which are completely black. And of course her nose, which is also black. Of course, spiritual beliefs, especially in gods - and particularly Asian-type deities - will allow her to be more easily seen as what she truly is. What is she? A large white wolf, with red markings on her fur, and winglike tufts of hair that seem to move in a breeze that isn't there. A large disk burning with holy fire spins above her back. Atop her head a green glow makes itself known and Issun pops out of the fur there. "...Geez. Ammy, this place is...really creepy. Tell me I'm not the only one that feels nervous." Quietly, so as not to draw attention to HOLY CRAP TALKING DOG!, Amaterasu notes, "<It is. But there is laughter here.>" "Why would someone be laughing in a place like this?" Issun asks, incredulous. "" And with that, she and Issun head for the place the laughing comes from. 

:'''{{#var:230|Celestia (230)}} has posed:''' Celestia was just curious to hear of another unification, and actually had the night free and was restless. Reconstruction is going well, with the help of the Union, so she could afford to spend some time looking about like this. That's why she came, but she didn't realize that she might stand out. Especially since she's decked out in (light) armor. She isn't ready to face down a Space Marine again, so she isn't wearing the heavy plate she wears when she's expecting trouble, but the equine is wearing some light plates over her shoulders and flanks, and a bit of chain in other places, with the rest covered by reinforced cloth. She's still obviously an alicorn, though, and trotting alongside Ariel and Staren. "Why shouldn't they laugh? Even in the worst of times, ponies need entertainment." 

:'''{{#var:470|Pinkie (470)}} has posed:''' Just what IS going on in that park? Whatever it is, it't like a wholly different atmosphere instantly, once everyone approaches. Ariel gets some odd looks, the tiny unicorn's chitinous plating seemingly out of place, especially mounted on her almost-dire Atlantean warhound. There just might be a spitting whisper of 'changeling' or 'crossbreed', but she's mostly left alone. Jinx gets a couple of odd looks for being a completely normal ordinary human apparently, and there are just blatant looks of confusion from the people at Amaterasu; but Staren mostly blends in with his hood up. So the group's blending in mileage may vary but... Well the crowd just seems to utterly part in awe at Celestia. Hushed murmurs and gasps of shock and surprise blunt out the laughter pretty quickly, much to the chagrin of the masked clown dressed in bright pink, who was busily juggling chainsaws and brightly colored balls just a second bef- Thunk-"Owie!"-thunk-"Owie!"-thunk-"Yow!" Well she's not juggling now, as the handles clonk her on the head and they all putter harmlessly the ground. "Whoops!" This distraction thankfully gets the crowd giggling again before any form of scene that seemed about to begin can be made. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:''' Staren looks around as everything stops suddenly... and then Pinkie fumbles Juggling in just the right way to make everyone laugh! Same old Pinkie, this world can't be /that/ different. ...Wait, were those chainsaws? Staren quirks a curious brow. He'd say something, but... What? 'Hey, I know your best friends in an alternate dimension'? Yeeeah. So he just watches for now, creeping through the crowd towards Celestia but not breaking the out into the open. <<Well, they seem to know who /you/ are.>> He sends a tightbeam radio message to the alicorn sister of the day. 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Mizuki gently taps Staren on the shoulder and appears for a brief moment as a translucent version of herself. She gently taps a finger to her lips two times before fading out of existence again, observing. The next thing she does is look to the resident 'jester' whose... um... tools of juggling devastation have just clonked and bonked their way to the ground. Okay, now that raises an eyebrow. This is quickly becoming reminiscent of some stories she's read about carnivals of death. She's even /more/ glad that she's not made her presence known now. And then she notices Celestia. She reminds her vaguely of Luna, and Luna /did/ mention having a sister. What did she says her sister's name was again...? Oh, yes. Celestia, wasn't it? She giggles, recounting how 'apt' all of the pony names she'd head were. 'Just like a children's book', she had said then, but perhaps less so here. Something is seriously wrong here, and the suspicious... no, it's more than that. The -paranoid- looks the locals give the visitors, and particularly those they give the sun mare herself, are extremely worrying. Well. This might be a good night for some detective work. 

:'''{{#var:219|Ariel (219)}} has posed:''' "Mmmn," Ariel mumbles, not particularly pleased at the suspicion sent her way. Oh well, she can be the better pony! She gives pleasant smiles and waves to anyone who looks her way, and pats Iyoshi to make clear that the big dog is friendly. Iyoshi just kind of rumbles, but makes no aggressive moves. Finally seeing what's going on, Ariel perks up. "Oh... that looks a little dangerous," she remarks, but keeps her smile. "I'm sorry, were we interrupting?" Naive and innocent she may be, but the unicorn does notice the stares Celestia draws... and so she tries to keep their attention, just in case. 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:''' Juggling! Awesome! Unionites! Awesome! STREET PERFORMERS! Well this is all right up Jinx's alley, and soon she's joining the crowd, ignoring the stares. 

:'''{{#var:230|Celestia (230)}} has posed:''' "Hmm." Celestia glances at Amaterasu, given their similarity in powers, but then she confirms... yes, they're definitely staring at her as well. This is a bit concerning. Maybe she should visit another Equestria sometime, so she knows what is supposed to happen. Then again, people look upon her in awe in her own world. She'll just... try to ignore it. "Hello. Pardon me," she says as she passes, nodding her head politely. She'll just act like any other pony, that's it. 

:'''{{#var:470|Pinkie (470)}} has posed:''' Those WERE chainsaws. And she was juggling them while balancing one-footed on a beach ball, with a cupcake balanced on the snout of her mask. Not anymore though. In fact, she's off her perch in a forward tumble-roll a second later, vaulting right over to the group. "Wasn't that a great trick huh? Made you all think Celestia came back!" Called to the crowds as she flip-flip-flips-- pauses to scritch Iyoshi atop the ears-and skids to Celestia. Pantomiming tugging a cloak off her back where there is none, she 'drapes' it over the alicorn in an act that seemingly makes her wings vanish!? They're still there, just hidden from sight as she takes a big bow. "Not interrupting at all! I think the show's only getting started!" Replied to Ariel. "Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie!" 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:''' Chainsaws and hazardous working conditions and JAPERY. Yep, this is where Jinx wants to be! There's a bit of a whitsling from the girl, as she hoots and hollars. "MAKE THE REST OF HER GO AWAY!" What, well, and also making fun of the Union, can't forget that in the slightest. 

:'''{{#var:219|Ariel (219)}} has posed:''' Oh, good coverage. Ariel eyes Pinkie, then swishes her tail. "Hello, Pinkie Pie! Don't let us stop you. I'm um... Ariel. We're not from around here. Well, I'm not, anyway." She eyes Jinx next, then decides to leave any comments off. "What else do you have in store for us?" she asks politely. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:''' Staren blinks at Mizuki. He starts to nod slightly as she disappears. 'Came back?' Staren's mouth echoes the words. Hoo boy, there is gonna be a /story/, isn't there... Well, at least Pinkie seems to be helpful. Hopefully that means said story will be forthcoming later. Right now though, it's showtime, so Staren waits at the edge of the crowd where it parted, and continues watching. He shoots a sort of 'Really?' look at Jinx, but he doesn't know her, and in context her request isn't /that/ weird... This Pinkie /is/ just doing magic tricks, right? 

:'''{{#var:230|Celestia (230)}} has posed:''' Startled, Celestia glances back at the wings, then to Pinkie. Her tail swishes slightly, and the crowd may note at this time that it ISN'T the flowing celestial tail and mane that Celestia of the 'future' has, but silky horse hair instead. "Ah, yes, it is just all part of the show. Amazing, isn't she?" Definitely going to need looking into. 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Mizuki glances to Pinkie. Did she say 'Pinkie Pie'? Okay, that's a little less straightforward than 'Luna'. Still... it seems like her talent has something to do with... well. Humor? Or is it horror? She's having a bit of trouble telling the difference right now. She briefly contemplates becoming visible, but if she did, she would lose the element of surprise in case something /does/ end up happening. So she stays invisible, despite her desire to converse with the may-be-horroshow mare. ... though she has to admit, the feelings of foreboding she felt coming in haven't gone away in the least yet. 

:'''{{#var:470|Pinkie (470)}} has posed:''' "Well of course you aren't!" The clown chirrups. Just like that though, she resumes her routine by arching back into a handstand that seems to go on forever. Look, look, she's even going just one-handed. "Oh wait I know, let me guess!" Taking a llllllloooooooong deep breath, she points at Jinx. "You're human." To Ariel, "You're not a changeling." To Celestia, "You're not from around here at all." She spins like a top for a moment before pausing and picking Staren out seemingly at random, "And you're hiding something under that hood!" Pause. Another breath. "Somyguesswouldbethatyou'reallreallyfromamultitudeofworlfsanddimensionsspanningahugesuperplanetoutsideofEquestriaadgotherethroughassuperneatstargetkindathingthatleadsallaroundahugrbiguniverse!" HUFF. "How was my guess?" Despite her seemingly crazed ramblings the crowd only seems more interested in giggling more thanks to her antics. 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:''' Jinx has absolutely no difficulty in decifering that. "Oh man you're good! Wait wait, not all the way human. Well." She looks right over at the Unionites. "Is 'wizard magic lady' human where you guys are are from cause I mean I have hextech but that's not quite the same." Somewhere in all that Jinx has pulled her little Zapper from somewhere and is idly scritching at her face with the barrel. She then smiles, hoisting up one of the fallen chainsaws in her other hand, flipping it around to point at Staren. "You should totally yank that hood off over there, Miss Pie." 

:'''{{#var:219|Ariel (219)}} has posed:''' Ariel blinks, and then says the most obvious thing she can think of, being rather new to this entire thing. "What's a changeling anyway? I don't even know. I'm an Atlantean Unicorn, and this is my pet warhound, Iyoshi. Say hello, Iyoshi." Iyoshi rumbles and flops down suddenly, nose twitching. "Anyway, it's nice to meet you. My full name is Kuklos ka Ariel Schmendrick-Fortuna, and you're um... right." She warily pulls up her Spirit Hood to take a peek at Pinkie, though she's not sure it will show anything. Oh well, at least she can see Mizuki now. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:''' Staren /freezes/ as he's pointed at, and then Pinkie guesses (or 'guesses') what's going on. After taking a moment to digest that, and wonder what a 'stargate' is (something about O'Niell-with-two-ls, he can't remember off the top of his head)... He smiles, slightly, and pulls his hood back. Revealing... /cat/ ears, instead of pony ears. Which is not /that/ big of a deal, is it? Or maybe it is. he has /no/ idea. But he'll play along with Pinkie for now. If things go south, they can always just leave. "You guessed it! Well done, Pinkie." Then his expression becomes slightly more serious. "So, are you going to tell us what's going on in this world? Or maybe you'd rather take us to Twilight so she can explain?" Staren knows which pony to go to for detailed exposition! 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Suddenly, Mizuki is a little uncomfortable. If she has the precognition to know that they were from the Multiverse - or at the very least, a Multiverse - then she might have other powers as well. An elite, even; one really never knows. If nothing else, it's enough to make her wary, and she hopes strongly to herself that Pinkie doesn't also have the ability to sense her, somehow. ... and just in case, she makes a mental note to be especially certain not to reveal herself. If she were to do that, Pinkie might know via any precognition she might have that she was there before she does so. Probably best not to entertain any more such thoughts to avoid falling down the rabbit hole of time philosophy, however. For now, she does as she has been doing: she listens. She contemplates. She muses. And the latter most thing really helps to keep this little trip interesting rather than terrifying. 

:'''{{#var:230|Celestia (230)}} has posed:''' Tailswish. "Very right, I am not from around here at all. Though I understand I look quite a lot like the 'Celestia' from places. It is not the first time I have been mistaken for her, but all the stories I hear seem to have her be... a fair bit more relaxed than I am." Oh, it's close enough to the truth, and it also evades giving her own name. "Pinkie Pie, hmm? I have heard that name somewhere." 

:'''{{#var:470|Pinkie (470)}} has posed:''' Oh hey Pinkie guessed right! ~Hooray~. Though despite Jinx's HELPING, she does not yank Staren's hood as the pink-clad jester flips upright with a jingle of the tassle-bells on her hat and ankles. She is, in fact casually shuffling a deck of cards from one hand to the other. Where she got them from is a mystery, but she's already spread the deck in one hand, holding it out to Staren, indicating he pick one. "Oh~. I knew this day would come! No one believed me, but I told them! I told them! And nope! Not gonna take you to Twilight! She's still a big huge sourpuss and might try to kill me again!" But then she pauses, leeeeaaaaning close to Celestia. "Huuuuh. You sure about that? I mean you awfully look a llllooooot like her. I mean like, the total spitting image! It would be pretty crazy if you were her, huh. I haven't seen her in ten years but that's a WEIRD coincidence!" Ariel's hood will surely make that mask stick right out. Almost like a beacon, though with no discernible reason why. You know how they say a magician never reveals their tricks though? Well not Pinkie. "Actually I already knew about the Multiverse, I've got the pamphlets and everything." She lowers to a stage hush. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:''' Staren stares and his ears droop. "Twilight... tried to... kill you?" Hoo boy. Yep, there is definately going to be a horrible story. Staren's struck speechless for a bit, and mutely draws a card. Honestly, Pinkie's antics are the most normal thing about this world so far. 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:''' Jinx snickers at the comments about pamphlets, but shit, now we a comedy duo already. The blue haired girl idly flicks one of Pinkie's tasslebells again as she walks around the girl, swishing herself right into Staren's personal space, grinning nearly as hard as that jester mask. "Sourpuss. So much grumpy around this place lately." She looks up Pinkie though. "You should go kill her back. Don't take that from her! Shoot her in the head! AAAAH!" Yes, shouted right next to Staren, complete with a mad grin as she steps over at starts to peer at the other people here. Ariel and Celestia in particular. Hmmmmm. 

:'''{{#var:219|Ariel (219)}} has posed:''' "Please stop that," Ariel says to Jinx. "I understand you like to kill things, but we don't really know the situation here. What if they try to attack you or something?" She's kind of grasping at straws, because she's not sure what makes someone want to kill another anyway. So she really doesn't understand that this crowd isn't the type to kill, probably. To Pinkie, "Why did she do that?" 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Mizuki just... gently... cocks her head at Pinkie. A pony trying to kill someone? ... Multiverse pamphlets? She still isn't sure whether to think that this pony is funny or absolutely horrifying. Or both. Yes, she's probably a pretty even mixture of both so far honestly. Still, there's very little for her to do just sitting here... so she takes to the sky again, looking around. If talking to Pinkie won't tell her what she wants to know, maybe she can get an impression of the state of the world for herself this way. 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:''' "And who's we? I'm preeeeeeety sure that's /you/, pretty girl." Jinx snorts a bit, before hooking a thumb in the shoulder strap of her dress and turning to face Miss Pie. "Howdy, I'm JINX, stands for Jinx! Drr. Over here you've got Horse Princess and Other Horse Princess and Catman Princess. A cavalcade of royalty all laid out in a FANTASTIC LINEAGE!" A free hand twirls a braid a bit as she walks merrily around the square again, looking at the crowd. "And YOU! Are you here to be entertained or NOT?" 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:''' Staren bristles at the sudden loudness next to him and glares at Jinx. He's still speechless for a bit, but she finally gets a quiet: 'i'm not a princess.' It seems like something's knocked all the volume out of him, but filled what's left with ice. 

:'''{{#var:230|Celestia (230)}} has posed:''' "Please don't call me Princess," Celestia states. "Everyone keeps doing that. Princess this, Queen that. I'm none of those things." She turns to Pinkie. "And as for what I am and why I resemble Celestia... there is still much that I do not know of the Multiverse myself. Perhaps I will ask my friend." 

:'''{{#var:470|Pinkie (470)}} has posed:''' "Yep!" Well she certainly keeps chipper despite the turn in conversation, and pointedly looks away, indicating Staren put the card back in, without letting her see it. "Oh no, I don't want to do that. Besides she's probably surrounded by tons of guards, wizards, sorcerors, and Spike!" Spike is apparently a Thing. But then she's tut-ing at Jinx, wagging one finger. "I know right? It's TOO gloomy! That's why I'm here trying to make everyone laugh!" Retaliatory violence does not SEEM to be on her agenda. "Anyway after the princesses left, Twilight kind of went a little loopy I guess. I don't blame her! I mean they were her whole world- and then they left without a word, the sun and moon kept rising without them, and everything came CRASHING down." Whoops "There was arguing, mean things were said, then som fighting, and we haven't spoken since! I hear she's the ArchMagister of House Moon and Star now. Well I guess we don't need princesses if we have one right here." She is referring to Ariel, of course, taking the opportunity to put a glittery crown atop the child's head. The state of the city... Well, while it's maintained, the populace all seem on a knife's edge. It's almost as if there's No Fun Allowed in the entire city, the big screens around the Times Square area flickering with commercials, interspersed occasionally with tidbits of news pertaining to Kin Shining Armor and Queen Cadance's upcoming visit, some propaganda flashes for House Moon and Star. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:''' Staren quietly returns the card. The expression on his face at Pinkie's story looks like he's toughing out something painful. 'so she wasn't always like that.' More icy whisper. 'but that she would go so far as killing... trying to kill a friend...' He stares somewhat solemnly at the ground in front of him. 

:'''{{#var:219|Ariel (219)}} has posed:''' Glittering crown on her head. Ariel peers up, then flicks her ears a few times before settling down with a sigh. "Only technically a Princess, I've never even been to Atlantis. Not while conscious anyway." She mns, "Well... it sounds like you've had a lot of trouble here..." 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Soon after she has heard Pinkie's take on the state of the world, and the state of this rather elusive 'Twilight Sparkle', Mizuki departs, scanning the city in more detail. She doesn't think she's going to garner that much more just looking at Manehattan from the sky, so after taking some time to watch one of the various television screens, she lowers herself to the ground. Sinking in to the crowd, Mizuki listens in attempt to hear something enlightening from passerby... 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:''' Jinx giggles at just about all of that, before settling in for mild attention to Story Time With Pinkie. Goodness. "Oh, wow, well, I guess that means No Gods No Masters! Anarchy in Horseland!" And then a crown comes out and Jinx salutes at Ariel, going quite stock straight and official like as she does so. Well, at least enough to get off a properly mocking salute as she finds a nice spot of grass to sit down on while listening and watching the Magic Trick unfold. "Oh and don't mind him. He's 'emotionally invested'." 

:'''{{#var:230|Celestia (230)}} has posed:''' "The sun and the moon kept going, hmm?" Celestia murmurs. "So... they... hmmm." She looks very thoughtful at that, her horn shimmering for a moment. "Interesting. I wonder if..." Her thoughts trail off, then she shakes her head. "Another time of change in Equestria, and just as violent as the last. I wonder who will rise to the challenge this time?" 

:'''{{#var:470|Pinkie (470)}} has posed:''' In goes the card and Pinkie is shuffling at a lightning pace. Though one green eye lingers on Staren's supreme glumness, watching him briefly from the recesses of her pink mask. Thusly it's a flit of her wrist and she holds up her hands. The whole deck is gone. Until she leans over, invasively getting all up in the cat-boy's personal space. "Ooooooeeeerrrr? Emotionally invested? Are you her biggest faaaaaaaaan~?" But then she produce a card from behind his ear, which she then waggles in his face. It is, in fact, the same card, though it seems to have something scrawled on it. "Technically, schmecknically! You have a crown now, that's all that matters!" Best logic ever. "It's been pretty up-heaved for years now. But that's okay, I'm still smiling!" But what of the people? Mizuki might just pass a grumbling squad off police. "The whole squad?" "Seriously?" "They were hardcore Moon and Star special tactics, and some of them didn't even get off a shot." "It looked like a ffew didn't even know what hit 'em." "The crime scene's locked off tight too, so there's no way us grunts'll ever hear a thing." It sounds like a murder most foul of some kind. 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:''' Jinx... Jinx's entire demeanor changes in a near instant, hands grabbing again for that chainsaw Pinkie had been using before. She's still sitting cross legged on the grass, but now she's brandishing the chainsaw, eyes very quite wide as allllllll of her senses prickle up, her feet twitching a little bit in the dirt. Bacon Sense Tingling. 

:'''{{#var:219|Ariel (219)}} has posed:''' "Mnm," Ariel mumbles, not arguing with that. "Leave him alone, he um... anyway. I heard you talk before so I guess you already have a radio." Then Jinx starts to act all weird. "Ah... please put down the chainsaw! It'll be fine, we'll just walk out. Will you walk out with us?" 

:'''{{#var:230|Celestia (230)}} has posed:''' "It probably would be best not to linger, at least for me. Given how much I look like a certain someone..." Celestia adds. "Staren, please calm down. Remember things can be very different. Talk to Evil Nanoha if you really must, she understands." 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:''' Staren blinks and looks up in surprise when Pinkie steps into his space. Hey, where'd the deck go? 'you could say that...' And then she pulls a card out from behind his ear and waves it in front of him. It takes a moment for his eyes to focus and read it -- he reaches up to take the card and hold it still, and gives a bit of a thin smile, though it's slightly forced. He lowers the card and looks at Pinkie. 'i can't...' he coughs a little, and speaks up slightly. "I can't bear to think of how unhappy she must be, without all her friends. How terrible her life must be, that she's resorted to... that she would /do/ something like that. If she was anything like my Twilight..." he trails off for a moment, and then looks Pinkie in the eyes. Well, mask eyeholes. "Can she be saved?" And then Celestia's comment ruins the seriousness by making him *SNRK* 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Mizuki rubs her eyes slightly. Yes, she's... she's undeniably tired. But why, she wonders? She's naught but a living thought, a dream, a delusion. She's not meant to grow tired over time like she is, but alas, she still is. Preoccupied by the little detail, she's not able to do much with what she learns from the police. She gently rises from the crowd and gently soars back toward Staren and the rest, just in time to be privy to Staren's short monologue about helping Twilight. Even if slightly, that moves her. And then he laughs. Come on, make up your mind! Mizuki laughs tiredly as well, though this wouldn't be audible to anyone nearby. For a final time, she considers revealing herself, and for a final time, she decides against it. Probably best not to make big decisions when you're feeling fatigued. 

:'''{{#var:470|Pinkie (470)}} has posed:''' "I've got something!" Pinkie Pie confirms for Ariel. Though everything seems to go downhill from there Staren's question silences the jester. There's a sudden and subtle tension to her, but it's brief. "Save her from what?" There's little time to clarify though, as she busily waggles a finger in agreement with Celestia, "Yep, sticking around here too long might-" Whoop there's Jinx on edge. And it's about to get worse as some really grumbly police officers come trotting onto the scene in equine form. "HEY. Clown! What'd we tell you about performances without a permit!" Pinkie Pie bristles, hair and tail getting EXTRA frizzzly as she goes as stiff as a bolt. "WHOOPS It's the 5-0, better scoot! Bye!" She's pretty fast huh. Considering how she wheels around and gets sprinting. But not before whipping out a long stage hook from almost nowhere. You know. The kind used in theatre to pull horrible actors off a stage? Yeah she's using that to hook Jinx and keep her from going on a copsawing spree. 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:''' "...no no no no no GOTTA COPS GOTTA" And as the pair exit stage, right, a distant "...fuck the police..." 

}}

Manehattan Madness

2014-06-21T08:07:14Z

Kino: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2014/06/20 |Location=Divided Equestria <DE> |Synopsis=A familiar clown shows up in a Manehattan park and silliness ensues! |Thanks= |Cast of Charac..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/06/20
|Location=Divided Equestria <DE>
|Synopsis=A familiar clown shows up in a Manehattan park and silliness ensues!
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=23, 39, 42, 183, 219, 230, 470
|Tinyplot=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:470|Pinkie (470)}} has posed:''' This world has... Been around actually! Just a handful of weeks, but it's been here. It was a quiet unification; low key and almost even unnoticed due to the lack of sheer excitement when it happened. The warp gate opens up some distance away from a sprawling cityscape, on an island, with an oddly pony-looking version of the Statue of Liberty, huh. This might be better explained when people begin to explore the city proper. There are ponies here. And pony-people! The populace is a mix of humanoid and equine formed unicorns, pegasi, or plain old earth ponies hustling and bustling about their business, and "Manehattan" as the signs name the place seems to be a very large melting pot of a city considering the occasionally griffon and even a more civilized chimera now and again. So it's another Equestria! Now the issue here comes in the fact that... The city seems to be in a state of unrest. People are on edge, some have the jitters, others are peeking over their shoulder as if expecting a knife in the back. How odd. Though there's something of a commotion around a small park- people (and ponies, duh) are gathering in a fairly big number and... Laughing. It's certainly better than the rest of the jittery city. 

:'''{{#var:219|Ariel (219)}} has posed:''' If they're pony people, Ariel won't be TOO out of place! She's going rather quietly along, trying to investigate... and looking like an odd unicorn, that's true. A young one, no less! So other than her artificial construction she fits right in! Or would, if she didn't choose to be safe and ride the GIANT WARHOUND into the city. But hey, maybe that won't draw too many eyes. "Huh... well, where there's people there's a chance to figure out what's going on." Might as well head toward the gathering. 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:''' 'Light Duty'. A hateful term for a necessary step forward from recovery of being goddamn assassinated. Thus, a nice, leisurely walk and scan through one of the nicer, if highly colorful offerings in the fancy new grid that Jinx is still getting used to. It's not as if Miss Jinx has been casing the joint. She's just been out and about... yeah, okay, casing the joint. At least she fits in with her bright blue hair and the pink dress she's wearing. All the better to blend in with, my dear. Though, yeah, laughter in a jittery town gets the attention of the Loose Cannon, and soon Miss Jinx is wandering over as well. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:''' Equestria! Again! Staren steps through the warpgate with care, but... hmm, once again, no pony field here either. He shrugs and looks around. "A pony version of pre-RIFTS Madhaven, huh...?" He looks at the statue... and... are those ponies and humans in the distance? "That's interesting..." he smiles a bit at the sight of the mixed species together. It's not the diversity of Lazlo, but it's more than he usually sees. When he gets closer and sees they're... /pony/-people, he shifts his clothes to a hooded cloak. Maybe if he covers his face and tail people will mistake him for an earth-pony-person. He's so absorbed taking in the new world, it's awhile before he notices the quietness and jitteryness of the population. But still... it doesn't look like they're /slaves/, so it's not another Black Queen situation. But there's... laughter? Staren decides to go see what all the fuss is about... 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Mizuki had just returned to her home after commentating a fight between two scarily strong fighters. So what does she do? She goes back out to an entirely unknown place. Yup. Even if she has been re-learning what it means to be tired these past few weeks, she's still too stubborn to acknowledge that she's fatigued. Instead of common sense, she lets her curiosity guide her, leading her eventually to this place: Manehattan. Mizuki has been to an Equestria before, albeit briefly. That night, she met princess Luna, a seemingly happy equine who was as accommodating as one would expect a noble of her status to be. It was a nice little visit... and it was nothing like this. As Mizuki soars into Manehattan, black wings spread wide, she immediately picks up a sort of... charge in the atmosphere. This is confirmed after a glance down at the streets where several people are glancing nervously from side to side. She doesn't know what's going on here, but she's suddenly glad that she decided to stay partially hidden on a roof rather than dashing right in to the middle of the town like she would normally be wont to do. So for now, she waits, studying the city from her vigil up high. She does notice and remember Jinx, and she can tell that that cybernetic pony probably doesn't belong here. Oh, and is that... Staren? Well. At least there's someone here that she knows... somewhat well. In fact, it might be a decent idea to follow him in case he runs into trouble. So that she does, after fading out of sight and taking to the sky again... 

:'''{{#var:23|Amaterasu (23)}} has posed:''' Coming through the warpgate is a large white canine creature that may or may not be a wolf! Ambiguous perhaps. But quite appropriate, since not everyone here will see her the same. Non-Elites who have no spiritual beliefs will probably just see a big dog, similar to a Husky or Malamute, but completely white. Like completely. Except for her eyes, which are completely black. And of course her nose, which is also black. Of course, spiritual beliefs, especially in gods - and particularly Asian-type deities - will allow her to be more easily seen as what she truly is. What is she? A large white wolf, with red markings on her fur, and winglike tufts of hair that seem to move in a breeze that isn't there. A large disk burning with holy fire spins above her back. Atop her head a green glow makes itself known and Issun pops out of the fur there. "...Geez. Ammy, this place is...really creepy. Tell me I'm not the only one that feels nervous." Quietly, so as not to draw attention to HOLY CRAP TALKING DOG!, Amaterasu notes, "<It is. But there is laughter here.>" "Why would someone be laughing in a place like this?" Issun asks, incredulous. "" And with that, she and Issun head for the place the laughing comes from. 

:'''{{#var:230|Celestia (230)}} has posed:''' Celestia was just curious to hear of another unification, and actually had the night free and was restless. Reconstruction is going well, with the help of the Union, so she could afford to spend some time looking about like this. That's why she came, but she didn't realize that she might stand out. Especially since she's decked out in (light) armor. She isn't ready to face down a Space Marine again, so she isn't wearing the heavy plate she wears when she's expecting trouble, but the equine is wearing some light plates over her shoulders and flanks, and a bit of chain in other places, with the rest covered by reinforced cloth. She's still obviously an alicorn, though, and trotting alongside Ariel and Staren. "Why shouldn't they laugh? Even in the worst of times, ponies need entertainment." 

:'''{{#var:470|Pinkie (470)}} has posed:''' Just what IS going on in that park? Whatever it is, it't like a wholly different atmosphere instantly, once everyone approaches. Ariel gets some odd looks, the tiny unicorn's chitinous plating seemingly out of place, especially mounted on her almost-dire Atlantean warhound. There just might be a spitting whisper of 'changeling' or 'crossbreed', but she's mostly left alone. Jinx gets a couple of odd looks for being a completely normal ordinary human apparently, and there are just blatant looks of confusion from the people at Amaterasu; but Staren mostly blends in with his hood up. So the group's blending in mileage may vary but... Well the crowd just seems to utterly part in awe at Celestia. Hushed murmurs and gasps of shock and surprise blunt out the laughter pretty quickly, much to the chagrin of the masked clown dressed in bright pink, who was busily juggling chainsaws and brightly colored balls just a second bef- Thunk-"Owie!"-thunk-"Owie!"-thunk-"Yow!" Well she's not juggling now, as the handles clonk her on the head and they all putter harmlessly the ground. "Whoops!" This distraction thankfully gets the crowd giggling again before any form of scene that seemed about to begin can be made. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:''' Staren looks around as everything stops suddenly... and then Pinkie fumbles Juggling in just the right way to make everyone laugh! Same old Pinkie, this world can't be /that/ different. ...Wait, were those chainsaws? Staren quirks a curious brow. He'd say something, but... What? 'Hey, I know your best friends in an alternate dimension'? Yeeeah. So he just watches for now, creeping through the crowd towards Celestia but not breaking the out into the open. <<Well, they seem to know who /you/ are.>> He sends a tightbeam radio message to the alicorn sister of the day. 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Mizuki gently taps Staren on the shoulder and appears for a brief moment as a translucent version of herself. She gently taps a finger to her lips two times before fading out of existence again, observing. The next thing she does is look to the resident 'jester' whose... um... tools of juggling devastation have just clonked and bonked their way to the ground. Okay, now that raises an eyebrow. This is quickly becoming reminiscent of some stories she's read about carnivals of death. She's even /more/ glad that she's not made her presence known now. And then she notices Celestia. She reminds her vaguely of Luna, and Luna /did/ mention having a sister. What did she says her sister's name was again...? Oh, yes. Celestia, wasn't it? She giggles, recounting how 'apt' all of the pony names she'd head were. 'Just like a children's book', she had said then, but perhaps less so here. Something is seriously wrong here, and the suspicious... no, it's more than that. The -paranoid- looks the locals give the visitors, and particularly those they give the sun mare herself, are extremely worrying. Well. This might be a good night for some detective work. 

:'''{{#var:219|Ariel (219)}} has posed:''' "Mmmn," Ariel mumbles, not particularly pleased at the suspicion sent her way. Oh well, she can be the better pony! She gives pleasant smiles and waves to anyone who looks her way, and pats Iyoshi to make clear that the big dog is friendly. Iyoshi just kind of rumbles, but makes no aggressive moves. Finally seeing what's going on, Ariel perks up. "Oh... that looks a little dangerous," she remarks, but keeps her smile. "I'm sorry, were we interrupting?" Naive and innocent she may be, but the unicorn does notice the stares Celestia draws... and so she tries to keep their attention, just in case. 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:''' Juggling! Awesome! Unionites! Awesome! STREET PERFORMERS! Well this is all right up Jinx's alley, and soon she's joining the crowd, ignoring the stares. 

:'''{{#var:230|Celestia (230)}} has posed:''' "Hmm." Celestia glances at Amaterasu, given their similarity in powers, but then she confirms... yes, they're definitely staring at her as well. This is a bit concerning. Maybe she should visit another Equestria sometime, so she knows what is supposed to happen. Then again, people look upon her in awe in her own world. She'll just... try to ignore it. "Hello. Pardon me," she says as she passes, nodding her head politely. She'll just act like any other pony, that's it. 

:'''{{#var:470|Pinkie (470)}} has posed:''' Those WERE chainsaws. And she was juggling them while balancing one-footed on a beach ball, with a cupcake balanced on the snout of her mask. Not anymore though. In fact, she's off her perch in a forward tumble-roll a second later, vaulting right over to the group. "Wasn't that a great trick huh? Made you all think Celestia came back!" Called to the crowds as she flip-flip-flips-- pauses to scritch Iyoshi atop the ears-and skids to Celestia. Pantomiming tugging a cloak off her back where there is none, she 'drapes' it over the alicorn in an act that seemingly makes her wings vanish!? They're still there, just hidden from sight as she takes a big bow. "Not interrupting at all! I think the show's only getting started!" Replied to Ariel. "Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie!" 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:''' Chainsaws and hazardous working conditions and JAPERY. Yep, this is where Jinx wants to be! There's a bit of a whitsling from the girl, as she hoots and hollars. "MAKE THE REST OF HER GO AWAY!" What, well, and also making fun of the Union, can't forget that in the slightest. 

:'''{{#var:219|Ariel (219)}} has posed:''' Oh, good coverage. Ariel eyes Pinkie, then swishes her tail. "Hello, Pinkie Pie! Don't let us stop you. I'm um... Ariel. We're not from around here. Well, I'm not, anyway." She eyes Jinx next, then decides to leave any comments off. "What else do you have in store for us?" she asks politely. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:''' Staren blinks at Mizuki. He starts to nod slightly as she disappears. 'Came back?' Staren's mouth echoes the words. Hoo boy, there is gonna be a /story/, isn't there... Well, at least Pinkie seems to be helpful. Hopefully that means said story will be forthcoming later. Right now though, it's showtime, so Staren waits at the edge of the crowd where it parted, and continues watching. He shoots a sort of 'Really?' look at Jinx, but he doesn't know her, and in context her request isn't /that/ weird... This Pinkie /is/ just doing magic tricks, right? 

:'''{{#var:230|Celestia (230)}} has posed:''' Startled, Celestia glances back at the wings, then to Pinkie. Her tail swishes slightly, and the crowd may note at this time that it ISN'T the flowing celestial tail and mane that Celestia of the 'future' has, but silky horse hair instead. "Ah, yes, it is just all part of the show. Amazing, isn't she?" Definitely going to need looking into. 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Mizuki glances to Pinkie. Did she say 'Pinkie Pie'? Okay, that's a little less straightforward than 'Luna'. Still... it seems like her talent has something to do with... well. Humor? Or is it horror? She's having a bit of trouble telling the difference right now. She briefly contemplates becoming visible, but if she did, she would lose the element of surprise in case something /does/ end up happening. So she stays invisible, despite her desire to converse with the may-be-horroshow mare. ... though she has to admit, the feelings of foreboding she felt coming in haven't gone away in the least yet. 

:'''{{#var:470|Pinkie (470)}} has posed:''' "Well of course you aren't!" The clown chirrups. Just like that though, she resumes her routine by arching back into a handstand that seems to go on forever. Look, look, she's even going just one-handed. "Oh wait I know, let me guess!" Taking a llllllloooooooong deep breath, she points at Jinx. "You're human." To Ariel, "You're not a changeling." To Celestia, "You're not from around here at all." She spins like a top for a moment before pausing and picking Staren out seemingly at random, "And you're hiding something under that hood!" Pause. Another breath. "Somyguesswouldbethatyou'reallreallyfromamultitudeofworlfsanddimensionsspanningahugesuperplanetoutsideofEquestriaadgotherethroughassuperneatstargetkindathingthatleadsallaroundahugrbiguniverse!" HUFF. "How was my guess?" Despite her seemingly crazed ramblings the crowd only seems more interested in giggling more thanks to her antics. 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:''' Jinx has absolutely no difficulty in decifering that. "Oh man you're good! Wait wait, not all the way human. Well." She looks right over at the Unionites. "Is 'wizard magic lady' human where you guys are are from cause I mean I have hextech but that's not quite the same." Somewhere in all that Jinx has pulled her little Zapper from somewhere and is idly scritching at her face with the barrel. She then smiles, hoisting up one of the fallen chainsaws in her other hand, flipping it around to point at Staren. "You should totally yank that hood off over there, Miss Pie." 

:'''{{#var:219|Ariel (219)}} has posed:''' Ariel blinks, and then says the most obvious thing she can think of, being rather new to this entire thing. "What's a changeling anyway? I don't even know. I'm an Atlantean Unicorn, and this is my pet warhound, Iyoshi. Say hello, Iyoshi." Iyoshi rumbles and flops down suddenly, nose twitching. "Anyway, it's nice to meet you. My full name is Kuklos ka Ariel Schmendrick-Fortuna, and you're um... right." She warily pulls up her Spirit Hood to take a peek at Pinkie, though she's not sure it will show anything. Oh well, at least she can see Mizuki now. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:''' Staren /freezes/ as he's pointed at, and then Pinkie guesses (or 'guesses') what's going on. After taking a moment to digest that, and wonder what a 'stargate' is (something about O'Niell-with-two-ls, he can't remember off the top of his head)... He smiles, slightly, and pulls his hood back. Revealing... /cat/ ears, instead of pony ears. Which is not /that/ big of a deal, is it? Or maybe it is. he has /no/ idea. But he'll play along with Pinkie for now. If things go south, they can always just leave. "You guessed it! Well done, Pinkie." Then his expression becomes slightly more serious. "So, are you going to tell us what's going on in this world? Or maybe you'd rather take us to Twilight so she can explain?" Staren knows which pony to go to for detailed exposition! 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Suddenly, Mizuki is a little uncomfortable. If she has the precognition to know that they were from the Multiverse - or at the very least, a Multiverse - then she might have other powers as well. An elite, even; one really never knows. If nothing else, it's enough to make her wary, and she hopes strongly to herself that Pinkie doesn't also have the ability to sense her, somehow. ... and just in case, she makes a mental note to be especially certain not to reveal herself. If she were to do that, Pinkie might know via any precognition she might have that she was there before she does so. Probably best not to entertain any more such thoughts to avoid falling down the rabbit hole of time philosophy, however. For now, she does as she has been doing: she listens. She contemplates. She muses. And the latter most thing really helps to keep this little trip interesting rather than terrifying. 

:'''{{#var:230|Celestia (230)}} has posed:''' Tailswish. "Very right, I am not from around here at all. Though I understand I look quite a lot like the 'Celestia' from places. It is not the first time I have been mistaken for her, but all the stories I hear seem to have her be... a fair bit more relaxed than I am." Oh, it's close enough to the truth, and it also evades giving her own name. "Pinkie Pie, hmm? I have heard that name somewhere." 

:'''{{#var:470|Pinkie (470)}} has posed:''' Oh hey Pinkie guessed right! ~Hooray~. Though despite Jinx's HELPING, she does not yank Staren's hood as the pink-clad jester flips upright with a jingle of the tassle-bells on her hat and ankles. She is, in fact casually shuffling a deck of cards from one hand to the other. Where she got them from is a mystery, but she's already spread the deck in one hand, holding it out to Staren, indicating he pick one. "Oh~. I knew this day would come! No one believed me, but I told them! I told them! And nope! Not gonna take you to Twilight! She's still a big huge sourpuss and might try to kill me again!" But then she pauses, leeeeaaaaning close to Celestia. "Huuuuh. You sure about that? I mean you awfully look a llllooooot like her. I mean like, the total spitting image! It would be pretty crazy if you were her, huh. I haven't seen her in ten years but that's a WEIRD coincidence!" Ariel's hood will surely make that mask stick right out. Almost like a beacon, though with no discernible reason why. You know how they say a magician never reveals their tricks though? Well not Pinkie. "Actually I already knew about the Multiverse, I've got the pamphlets and everything." She lowers to a stage hush. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:''' Staren stares and his ears droop. "Twilight... tried to... kill you?" Hoo boy. Yep, there is definately going to be a horrible story. Staren's struck speechless for a bit, and mutely draws a card. Honestly, Pinkie's antics are the most normal thing about this world so far. 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:''' Jinx snickers at the comments about pamphlets, but shit, now we a comedy duo already. The blue haired girl idly flicks one of Pinkie's tasslebells again as she walks around the girl, swishing herself right into Staren's personal space, grinning nearly as hard as that jester mask. "Sourpuss. So much grumpy around this place lately." She looks up Pinkie though. "You should go kill her back. Don't take that from her! Shoot her in the head! AAAAH!" Yes, shouted right next to Staren, complete with a mad grin as she steps over at starts to peer at the other people here. Ariel and Celestia in particular. Hmmmmm. 

:'''{{#var:219|Ariel (219)}} has posed:''' "Please stop that," Ariel says to Jinx. "I understand you like to kill things, but we don't really know the situation here. What if they try to attack you or something?" She's kind of grasping at straws, because she's not sure what makes someone want to kill another anyway. So she really doesn't understand that this crowd isn't the type to kill, probably. To Pinkie, "Why did she do that?" 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Mizuki just... gently... cocks her head at Pinkie. A pony trying to kill someone? ... Multiverse pamphlets? She still isn't sure whether to think that this pony is funny or absolutely horrifying. Or both. Yes, she's probably a pretty even mixture of both so far honestly. Still, there's very little for her to do just sitting here... so she takes to the sky again, looking around. If talking to Pinkie won't tell her what she wants to know, maybe she can get an impression of the state of the world for herself this way. 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:''' "And who's we? I'm preeeeeeety sure that's /you/, pretty girl." Jinx snorts a bit, before hooking a thumb in the shoulder strap of her dress and turning to face Miss Pie. "Howdy, I'm JINX, stands for Jinx! Drr. Over here you've got Horse Princess and Other Horse Princess and Catman Princess. A cavalcade of royalty all laid out in a FANTASTIC LINEAGE!" A free hand twirls a braid a bit as she walks merrily around the square again, looking at the crowd. "And YOU! Are you here to be entertained or NOT?" 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:''' Staren bristles at the sudden loudness next to him and glares at Jinx. He's still speechless for a bit, but she finally gets a quiet: 'i'm not a princess.' It seems like something's knocked all the volume out of him, but filled what's left with ice. 

:'''{{#var:230|Celestia (230)}} has posed:''' "Please don't call me Princess," Celestia states. "Everyone keeps doing that. Princess this, Queen that. I'm none of those things." She turns to Pinkie. "And as for what I am and why I resemble Celestia... there is still much that I do not know of the Multiverse myself. Perhaps I will ask my friend." 

:'''{{#var:470|Pinkie (470)}} has posed:''' "Yep!" Well she certainly keeps chipper despite the turn in conversation, and pointedly looks away, indicating Staren put the card back in, without letting her see it. "Oh no, I don't want to do that. Besides she's probably surrounded by tons of guards, wizards, sorcerors, and Spike!" Spike is apparently a Thing. But then she's tut-ing at Jinx, wagging one finger. "I know right? It's TOO gloomy! That's why I'm here trying to make everyone laugh!" Retaliatory violence does not SEEM to be on her agenda. "Anyway after the princesses left, Twilight kind of went a little loopy I guess. I don't blame her! I mean they were her whole world- and then they left without a word, the sun and moon kept rising without them, and everything came CRASHING down." Whoops "There was arguing, mean things were said, then som fighting, and we haven't spoken since! I hear she's the ArchMagister of House Moon and Star now. Well I guess we don't need princesses if we have one right here." She is referring to Ariel, of course, taking the opportunity to put a glittery crown atop the child's head. The state of the city... Well, while it's maintained, the populace all seem on a knife's edge. It's almost as if there's No Fun Allowed in the entire city, the big screens around the Times Square area flickering with commercials, interspersed occasionally with tidbits of news pertaining to Kin Shining Armor and Queen Cadance's upcoming visit, some propaganda flashes for House Moon and Star. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:''' Staren quietly returns the card. The expression on his face at Pinkie's story looks like he's toughing out something painful. 'so she wasn't always like that.' More icy whisper. 'but that she would go so far as killing... trying to kill a friend...' He stares somewhat solemnly at the ground in front of him. 

:'''{{#var:219|Ariel (219)}} has posed:''' Glittering crown on her head. Ariel peers up, then flicks her ears a few times before settling down with a sigh. "Only technically a Princess, I've never even been to Atlantis. Not while conscious anyway." She mns, "Well... it sounds like you've had a lot of trouble here..." 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Soon after she has heard Pinkie's take on the state of the world, and the state of this rather elusive 'Twilight Sparkle', Mizuki departs, scanning the city in more detail. She doesn't think she's going to garner that much more just looking at Manehattan from the sky, so after taking some time to watch one of the various television screens, she lowers herself to the ground. Sinking in to the crowd, Mizuki listens in attempt to hear something enlightening from passerby... 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:''' Jinx giggles at just about all of that, before settling in for mild attention to Story Time With Pinkie. Goodness. "Oh, wow, well, I guess that means No Gods No Masters! Anarchy in Horseland!" And then a crown comes out and Jinx salutes at Ariel, going quite stock straight and official like as she does so. Well, at least enough to get off a properly mocking salute as she finds a nice spot of grass to sit down on while listening and watching the Magic Trick unfold. "Oh and don't mind him. He's 'emotionally invested'." 

:'''{{#var:230|Celestia (230)}} has posed:''' "The sun and the moon kept going, hmm?" Celestia murmurs. "So... they... hmmm." She looks very thoughtful at that, her horn shimmering for a moment. "Interesting. I wonder if..." Her thoughts trail off, then she shakes her head. "Another time of change in Equestria, and just as violent as the last. I wonder who will rise to the challenge this time?" 

:'''{{#var:470|Pinkie (470)}} has posed:''' In goes the card and Pinkie is shuffling at a lightning pace. Though one green eye lingers on Staren's supreme glumness, watching him briefly from the recesses of her pink mask. Thusly it's a flit of her wrist and she holds up her hands. The whole deck is gone. Until she leans over, invasively getting all up in the cat-boy's personal space. "Ooooooeeeerrrr? Emotionally invested? Are you her biggest faaaaaaaaan~?" But then she produce a card from behind his ear, which she then waggles in his face. It is, in fact, the same card, though it seems to have something scrawled on it. "Technically, schmecknically! You have a crown now, that's all that matters!" Best logic ever. "It's been pretty up-heaved for years now. But that's okay, I'm still smiling!" But what of the people? Mizuki might just pass a grumbling squad off police. "The whole squad?" "Seriously?" "They were hardcore Moon and Star special tactics, and some of them didn't even get off a shot." "It looked like a ffew didn't even know what hit 'em." "The crime scene's locked off tight too, so there's no way us grunts'll ever hear a thing." It sounds like a murder most foul of some kind. 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:''' Jinx... Jinx's entire demeanor changes in a near instant, hands grabbing again for that chainsaw Pinkie had been using before. She's still sitting cross legged on the grass, but now she's brandishing the chainsaw, eyes very quite wide as allllllll of her senses prickle up, her feet twitching a little bit in the dirt. Bacon Sense Tingling. 

:'''{{#var:219|Ariel (219)}} has posed:''' "Mnm," Ariel mumbles, not arguing with that. "Leave him alone, he um... anyway. I heard you talk before so I guess you already have a radio." Then Jinx starts to act all weird. "Ah... please put down the chainsaw! It'll be fine, we'll just walk out. Will you walk out with us?" 

:'''{{#var:230|Celestia (230)}} has posed:''' "It probably would be best not to linger, at least for me. Given how much I look like a certain someone..." Celestia adds. "Staren, please calm down. Remember things can be very different. Talk to Evil Nanoha if you really must, she understands." 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:''' Staren blinks and looks up in surprise when Pinkie steps into his space. Hey, where'd the deck go? 'you could say that...' And then she pulls a card out from behind his ear and waves it in front of him. It takes a moment for his eyes to focus and read it -- he reaches up to take the card and hold it still, and gives a bit of a thin smile, though it's slightly forced. He lowers the card and looks at Pinkie. 'i can't...' he coughs a little, and speaks up slightly. "I can't bear to think of how unhappy she must be, without all her friends. How terrible her life must be, that she's resorted to... that she would /do/ something like that. If she was anything like my Twilight..." he trails off for a moment, and then looks Pinkie in the eyes. Well, mask eyeholes. "Can she be saved?" And then Celestia's comment ruins the seriousness by making him *SNRK* 

:'''{{#var:183|Mizuki (183)}} has posed:''' Mizuki rubs her eyes slightly. Yes, she's... she's undeniably tired. But why, she wonders? She's naught but a living thought, a dream, a delusion. She's not meant to grow tired over time like she is, but alas, she still is. Preoccupied by the little detail, she's not able to do much with what she learns from the police. She gently rises from the crowd and gently soars back toward Staren and the rest, just in time to be privy to Staren's short monologue about helping Twilight. Even if slightly, that moves her. And then he laughs. Come on, make up your mind! Mizuki laughs tiredly as well, though this wouldn't be audible to anyone nearby. For a final time, she considers revealing herself, and for a final time, she decides against it. Probably best not to make big decisions when you're feeling fatigued. 

:'''{{#var:470|Pinkie (470)}} has posed:''' "I've got something!" Pinkie Pie confirms for Ariel. Though everything seems to go downhill from there Staren's question silences the jester. There's a sudden and subtle tension to her, but it's brief. "Save her from what?" There's little time to clarify though, as she busily waggles a finger in agreement with Celestia, "Yep, sticking around here too long might-" Whoop there's Jinx on edge. And it's about to get worse as some really grumbly police officers come trotting onto the scene in equine form. "HEY. Clown! What'd we tell you about performances without a permit!" Pinkie Pie bristles, hair and tail getting EXTRA frizzzly as she goes as stiff as a bolt. "WHOOPS It's the 5-0, better scoot! Bye!" She's pretty fast huh. Considering how she wheels around and gets sprinting. But not before whipping out a long stage hook from almost nowhere. You know. The kind used in theatre to pull horrible actors off a stage? Yeah she's using that to hook Jinx and keep her from going on a copsawing spree. 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:''' "...no no no no no GOTTA COPS GOTTA" And as the pair exit stage, right, a distant "...fuck the police..." 

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