Multiverse Crisis MUSH - User contributions [en]

5415/The Barlow Woman

2017-08-05T07:59:28Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/08/04 |Location=New Providence <NP> |Synopsis=Sombra does some legwork to discover who the Barlow Woman is and the nature of her relationship..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/08/04
|Location=New Providence <NP>
|Synopsis=Sombra does some legwork to discover who the Barlow Woman is and the nature of her relationship with Captain Flint. What she discovers may threaten not only the Urca hunt, but the stability of Flint's captaincy.
|Cast of Characters=1067, 1117
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1067|Captain Flint (1067)}} has posed:''' The clock is ticking, counting down towards the ragtag fleet's departure in search of the treasure galleon Urca de Lima. The Walrus crew have all retired to their tents, but Sombra, the intrepid hacker, has elected to search for some answers regarding the Barlow Woman.      At first, Sombra's search seems fruitless. Barlow is a common name in this time period, and Nassau's recordkeeping is hardly meritorious--especially considering the city's tendency to get raided by powers seeking to strike at England's economic power base in the West Indies and the reluctance of England to actually defend said power base. Cross referencing things with Flint is even harder--there's no mention of him in the island's census, and the only documents one may find are warrants for his arrest, wanted posters and the like.      It's as if Flint one day suddenly just... appeared. As for the Barlow Woman, there are a number of leads still available. Firstly, the Maria Aleyne, the ship Flint had previously promised would provide more riches than his crew would know what to do with. It's possible there's some link to Barlow there, given that Flint reportedly informed Barlow the two rich passengers were dead.      Secondly... that meeting was stated by Morley to have taken place on the shores of New Providence. It's possible this woman still lives on the island somewhere, but if she does, finding her will require some old fashioned legwork. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     Only a fool would settle for less than stellar answers when serious questions pop up. Sure, the others might settle for asking Captain Flint directly and take his word for it. But why do that when you can search elsewhere? Sombra opts to do what she always does when she finds a thread of information, and she finds herself a place to work in quiet while the others get ready. It's time to see where this tidbit leads to...     People don't just pop up out of nowhere. Perhaps it would be easier if this world was more tech heavy, but even so a person who wants to be hidden and knows the right people will be able to hide, just like Sombra herself did. So Flint is like her in that regard, huh? What does /he/ have to hide? Besides promising riches that are clearly not on board the ship to begin with...     Legwork isn't unfamiliar to Sombra, as she's used to taking to the streets after she as a young girl ran errands, dug up information for Los Muertos by hacking and turning on a charm. Certainly she can do the same thing here, right? Clad in more fitting clothes for the area, the hacker makes her way to one of the busier taverns, a place where people are bound to meet up, drink and be more eager to talk. Especially to a lone woman. There's one good thing about dresses with long skirts and sleeves, it's easy to hide weapons and translocators in them. And with her hair arranged differently it's easier to hide the eyecatching cybernetic implants as well.     Entering the tavern, Sombra looks around before she heads over the bar, ordering herself a drink as she tries to listen in on the conversations around her. While she's up at the bar though, she does look at the bartender as he prepares her drink. "Excuse me... but I was wondering if you know of a lady by the name of Barlow? I'm new here to the island, you see..." 

:'''{{#var:1067|Captain Flint (1067)}} has posed:''' History is often not as glamorous as the books would make it seem. Sombra's attire is certainly period accurate, in keeping with the fashion of the day. In a civilized place she'd be able to hobknob with high society. In Nassau she's not out of place per se--a few ladies on the street dress the way she does, but there's a seemingly inescapable level of dirt and grime that accumulates on even fine clothes in this place, as if the port town is determined to leave its mark even on those who think themselves above its vices.      When Sombra enters the tavern, it boasts a middling amount of customers despite the late hour. A few of them are from other worlds--there's some sort of wooden automaton gambling with a toothless pirate at one table. Another table is host to three seemingly identical men in matching, faded armor, each one with a high tech sidearm.      Eyes (even the Multiversal sort) land on Sombra when she enters, making silent assessments. Some of the looks are more unsavory than simple assessment, but by the time she makes it to the bar the conversations start up again. Flint is a hot topic, with the patrons murmuring rumors about him. Charles Vane, another pirate of Nassau, is mentioned--it seems he's left the island in search of something.      A mug of spiced rum is set before Sombra on the bar. The bartender, a young man with short, dark hair and a weathered suntan, keeps his face neutral.      "I can tell," he says. "What makes you think there's a woman called Barlow here?" 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     No, this place might not be the cleanest. But it's all about what kind of message you want to give the world, all for the role you need to play. A role that she seems comfortable in as she enters the tavern, not looking directly at the people who look at her in a way that she would rather be without. Let people make their assessments, most likely they are wrong either way.     The spiced rum is picked up after she has deposited some coins on the counter. A careful sip, and she nods at the young bartender. "Is it that obvious...?" Sombra laughs, offering what looks like a nervous smile. "And well, I know that lady Barlow is not here, but... people do talk at taverns, no? I was hoping that somebody here knew of her. Mi madre, my mother... she didn't leave me much information, sadly. But I promised that I would find her. Family matters, you see." With that she takes another sip, pretending to be busy with that and make it less obvious that she's trying to assess whether this got a reaction from anybody in the room. It's easy to tell with most people, and it would give her a fair idea on who to approach and dig more information out of... 

:'''{{#var:1067|Captain Flint (1067)}} has posed:''' It's a fluid motion that a less observant person would miss--but when Sombra looks around, she'll notice a nonverbal exchange between the bartender and one of the guards posted by the staircase. A series of looks, and then that guard heads upstairs. It does seem as if the questioning has drawn a reaction.      The bartender doesn't seem to notice that he's being surveiled during this exchange--his attention returns to Sombra just as she finishes looking around. "Keep that close to your chest," he says. "And try to stay inland if you can. That's my advice." He briefly departs to take care of another patron. Before he can return to Sombra, a second voice addresses her.      "Not many people ask for Mrs. Barlow by name," says a woman's voice. Standing behind Sombra is a blonde-haired woman with blue eyes and fair skin, dressed in a much more moderate, subtle way--a plain white blouse with a brown vest, complimented by a long, faded blue dress. Her arms are crossed, her posture straight and rigidly confident. "The tavern's not the best place to have this conversation. Join me in my office?" 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     Interesting... It does appear that there is information to be gotten in this place. Which means... that she will just have to give it a little while to see if something happens, if not then it's time to go upstairs. Her fingers itch a bit as she tightens her grip on the mug.     Her purple eyes glance back to the bartender, and she blinks. "Inland...? What to do you mean by that?" she begins, though sighs when he leaves to take care of another patron. And then she hears it, footsteps... followed by a voice behind her. Putting on a surprised look, the latina looks behind her at the blonde woman standing there. Could this be her...? Or an underling, even? A practical person, just by looking at her. Feigning uncertainty, Sombra eventually nods her head. "Of course...?" The spiced rum is set aside, and Sombra slips off her seat as she moves to follow the woman to wherever her office might be.     Could this be lady Barrow? If so, then this might be lucky. Then again, her entire role in this situation is still not clear. 

:'''{{#var:1067|Captain Flint (1067)}} has posed:''' The blonde woman turns, her body language indicating she expects Sombra to follow. Not just practical, but assured. Her feet thump against the wooden staircase as she ascends, and provided Sombra decides to follow, she'll be led into an office. She's been in one of these rooms before--whoever this lady is, she must be the proprietor of this tavern.      The woman takes a seat at a mahogany desk, flanked on either side by windows with shutters and white linen curtans. A door on one side of the room leads to a balcony, and a few wicker chairs have been set aside for guests. She gestures with a pale hand to an open chair. Some moments pass in silence as her blue eyes scan Sombra's face.      "My men told me you're new on the island and looking for Mrs. Barlow. Something about family issues." She waves a hand dismissively. "My name is Eleanor Guthrie. Nothing happens on this island that I don't know about--and while you may think that makes me the perfect person to come to for information, you should also know there are certain endeavors to which I've made notable investments." She steeples her hands. "Investments I have a marked interest in seeing to completion."      "Now--your accent tells me you're from Spain, or at least a Spanish colony. What family ties could you possibly have to an English Puritan like Mrs. Barlow?" 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     Sombra does follow, hiking up her skirts slightly as they ascend the stairs. Heading into the room she looks around, studying the place with a curious look on her face, all before she nods at the woman before taking a seat in the offered chair. "Thank you..."     Silence reigns for a short while, and the hacker doesn't speak up until after the woman, Eleanor, is done talking. This lady is certainly an authoritive one, isn't she? "I see. So... you are among those who know the most then?" Sombra inquires, looking rather hopeful as she leans a bit forward in her chair. So... Eleanor has some business deals going on then. How interesting. Or some rather questionable deals for some reason, most likely.     A nod is given in response to the question. "Sí, that's correct." Spain, Mexico... close enough, right? "My mother is Spanish, but my father came from England, with ties to the Barlow family," Sombra begins, fidgeting a bit with the hem of her sleeve. "I... I'm ashamed to say he was estranged, which is why he left the family to begin with. I'm... I'm here to deliver some news to them, and lady Barlow was the only one my mother could get any trace of... Please, I beg you... I must see her!" 

:'''{{#var:1067|Captain Flint (1067)}} has posed:''' Eleanor leans forward in her chair. For a moment, those eyes scrutinize Sombra. "I am," she flatly replies. She then curtly opens a drawer in her desk, pulling out a scrap of parchment and a quill pen. Dipping the tip into the ink, she jots something down, the sharp tip of the quill scratching tersely against the paper.      "These are directions to Miranda Barlow's homestead in the island's interior. If you really are here to deliver news, these directions will suffice. If the purpose of your visit is to frustrate my investments or those of my clients..." Eleanor chuckles knowingly. "Well. Suffice it to say you'll be wasting your time."      She folds the parchment up and slides it across the desk. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     The latina sits still in her chair, watching Eleanor back with curiousity, waiting. Fidgeting just slightly with the hem of her sleeves, an act to seem less composed than she really is...     When the woman opens her drawer, Sombra blinks... only to relax when Eleanor begins writing down something. It's better when she states what she's writing down exactly. "Ah, gracias! I... I don't know how to repay you, señora," Sombra begins, placing her hands together in gratitude.     Sure. Most people would have problems getting in places. But then again, few people are as stealthy as a certain Talon agent, now are they? If that's the house where the lady Barlow lives, then excellent.     And maybe she can learn more about the investments and clients of Eleanor as well, which might be useful in itself too.     It's time to see lady Barrow. And do so stealthily. 

:'''{{#var:1067|Captain Flint (1067)}} has posed:''' "You can owe me a favor," says Eleanor. "When I have need of you, you'll hear from me." The statement is made with the utmost certainty. If it weren't for the fact that the two had never met face to face, it might seem like Eleanor had some knowledge of her talents.      As it turns out, the note is written in disappearing ink--by the time Sombra memorizes the location, the parchment is blank to the naked eye. Still, the directions lead /somewhere./      The dirt road that leads to the homestead branches off several times down the way, creating a sort of neighborhood in the island's interior. Walking in this area, Sombra can see a stark contrast between the inland and Nassau--first and foremost the smell is /so/ much better, but more importantly, this place doesn't carry the same obvious destitution--though the plantations further down the road do carry the ugly signs of slavery.      There are no pirates here (so far as a cursory examination reveals, at least) and the sounds of the port are far away. When Sombra arrives at the supposed home of the Barlow wooden, a modest homestead greets her in the humid night air.      A simple wooden fence made from logs and the odd piece of driftwood encircles the property, which sits on a small patch of land that must've been cleared out. The dense tropical foliage which surrounds it suggests that the owner values their privacy, or at least the quiet life. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     Nodding in agreement, Sombra takes the paper and looks at it, quickly memorising the directions written down. Huh, disappearing ink. Smart choice.     By the time Sombra has made her way to the homestead at the inner part of the island, the hacker has opted for some lighter clothes. More correctly, her own clothes. A dress is useful if you need to be seen and to blend in. For a more literal blending in with the scenery and ease of movement, dresses are a hindrance. With the thermoptic camouflage activated she approaches the area, easily getting over the wooden fence after arriving at the neighbourhood, a bit relieved at the better smell in this area. This isn't a place for everybody on the island, that's for sure. Not so strange, as the elite always tends to isolate themselves like this.     Once at the house, she looks around for an easy way to get inside. A window she can get open, a terrace, somewhere she can slip in undetected. It's not like she expects this place to have any tech, even if there's multiversal influences and all to consider. But if there is any tech, she's ready to interface with it just in case. For now though, let's see if she can use her parkour skills to enter undetected into the house itself. 

:'''{{#var:1067|Captain Flint (1067)}} has posed:''' The easiest way to get inside would be the chimney--the windows are latched shut, the door locked, but in the middle of summer, there's no need to have a fire. The house is a simple one-story affair, too, so Sombra's expertise should allow her to slip in easily enough. How good is her Santa Claus impression? 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     So no easy windows or doors, huh. Too bad. Luckily the chimney seems large enough for her to climb down, and so Sombra quickly ascends the wall of the house, using ledges from windows and the like to make her way up, unseen. With the house being only one floor it should be easy enough to search the place. Once she's found what she needs, then she can translocate out to a translocator she's set out in the nearby forest.     Down the chimney she goes, and the hacker makes sure to hold her breath lest she brush up some ash that might irritate her airways. Slow and easy does it, and quietly Sombra lowers herself onto her feet to not make a sound. Okay, what kind of room has she gotten into... a living room? A study? Are there any people inside here, or any people nearby that she can hear? Even if she's invisible it's still good to get a good view of the situation before she begins snooping around. 

:'''{{#var:1067|Captain Flint (1067)}} has posed:''' Sombra does indeed exit into a living room... and a sparsely decorated one, at that. It's adjoined with a kitchen and a wood burning stove. There's a round, wooden table with a couple of chairs nearby, for entertaining guests, as well as a harpsichord with an open music book resting atop it. The floors have been swept recently, but are far from the opulence of the plantations in this part of the island. There's also a tall, well-stocked bookcase on one end of the room. On the mantle of the fireplace, there's a crucifix.      Behind a closed door, the soft creak of a mattress can be heard--but after a moment of tense silence, it doesn't seem as though Sombra's been detected. Still, someone is here. Probably asleep, as the gap beneath the door doesn't seem to have any light coming from it.      The only other thing of interest in the room is a birch roll top desk. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     Not the fanciest place, is it...? Well, it will be quick to look through at least. Listening she hears the telltale sound of a mattress, and she waits for a few seconds before she carefully steps into the room. Time to work.     A brief glance is given to the music, and then Sombra steps forward, the thermoptic camouflage fading away as she picks up the music book to look through it and take photos of the pages. Who knows, people have been known to make codes in music before. It's something that she too has done over the years. Then it's neatly set back. Next she moves to the desk, carefully looking at it as she begins inspecting the desk, carefully opening drawers, being careful to see whether there are any obvious traps or security measures in place. If not, then she will begin reading and taking photos of whatever info she can find. 

:'''{{#var:1067|Captain Flint (1067)}} has posed:''' The music is some of Handel's work--there doesn't seem to be a cipher involved, at least, to the naked eye. The book is well-loved, however, and shows signs of frequent use.      The real thing of interest is the desk. The drawers mostly contain letters to people on the island, including a correspondence with one Pastor Lambrick, as well as a few sermons from the pastor with notes and observations scrawled in the margins. Most of it is pretty routine stuff, but there is one letter, locked away in a secure compartment. It's a simple lock, easy work for a Talon operative to overcome. The letter is written in elegant, flowing script, although the letter 's' seems to look like an 'f' without the cross through the middle.      To the Honorable Justice Addington Thomas, Massachusetts Bay Colony,      I petition you under the advisement of your friend Mr. Richard Guthrie to bestow your favor and Influence. You may know Captain James Flint by reputation through stories of his past misdeeds, but you might not know of his desire to Repent.      He is a good man, a decent man, eager to Renounce his transgressions at sea and seek life in a part of the world willing to accept a man humbled and penitent.      Were such a thing possible, would such a place exist? It is with this very hope that I write you today. I've enclosed a bill of exchange for £500 to be spent at your discretion toward procuring whatever permissions necessary--I only urge speed.      He is caught in a dangerous plot with wicked men who will most certainly kill him when they learn of his betrayal.      Signed, Miranda Barlow 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     Handel... a bit too dry for Sombra's taste when it comes to music, but not exactly bad.     Picking the lock is likewise not that hard, certainly easier than some of the locks that the girl learned to deal with before she became Sombra. Open the drawer goes, and... what do we have here? Sombra arches a fine eyebrow, amusement and curiousity there as she reads the neat writing on the paper.     Now this isn't exactly what she expected to find. A letter, asking for pardon on Flint's behalf? Would that man really desire to turn his life around after suddenly surfacing, with no clear background? And just how can this be linked to the upcoming assault on the ship? Is there something on board that lady Barlow would wish to find? Some people she's in opposition with? Judging from the correspondence on the desk, it appears she's a lady with many contacts. Richard Guthrie... a relation to Eleanor no doubt. Of course there has to be something of value for lady Barlow relating to this entire attack. A promise for a pardon if Flint carries through this mission on her behalf? Eyes glance towards the door, and Sombra seems to ponder her options at this point.     Slowly the letter is placed back into place before Sombra closes the drawer after her, locking it. Rather than speaking to the lady, it might be wiser to seek words with the captain. Especially since she has information to press him on, and Flint should know better than to dismiss her. Hers shimmer falls over Sombra's form as she seems to dissolve into a digital shadow, the intruding shade gone from the house for now. 
}}

5408/Unraveling

2017-08-05T07:55:04Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/08/01 |Location=New Providence <NP> |Synopsis=On the eve of the Urca hunt, a member of the Walrus crew comes forward with some troubling infor..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/08/01
|Location=New Providence <NP>
|Synopsis=On the eve of the Urca hunt, a member of the Walrus crew comes forward with some troubling information.
|Cast of Characters=1067, 945, 632, 672, 1117, 1119, 670, 70
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1067|Captain Flint (1067)}} has posed:''' A week has passed since Captain Flint first sent out a multiversal casting call for assistance. In that time, the Walrus, her crew, and even a few of the Elites hired for the Urca hunt have been preparing. The launch point for the hunt is one of New Providence's many beaches, from which the Walrus can be seen anchored in the distance.      The ship has had upgrades thanks to Captain Pavo. As it slowly bobs in the sea, a perceptive eye can spot the moonlight glinting off of its newly reinforced hull. A skeleton crew watches over the ship, appearing only as vague shadows shuffling around the deck, illuminated by softly glowing lanterns on the quarterdeck.      The shore is littered with launches, small rowboats used to travel either from boat to boat or from boat to shore. Every couple of hours, the Walrus crew takes turns, working in shifts to guard the boat. Further inland, but before the dense tropical treeline, tents dot the sand. This loose conglomeration of temporary, makeshift housing also sports a fire pit, where the ship's cook, John Silver, slowly roasts a pig.      The night air is tense--none of the men have tried something like this before, and Flint, Gates and Billy all forbade liquor (and the creatively named Fuck Tent) to ensure clear heads would prevail the following day. Even the odd cackle in the distance seems diminished from what it might otherwise be. Flint himself has a tent set up with a table and a goodly amount of maps, as well as the Urca schedule. He's spent the last few hours poring over those maps, contemplating strategy. But where are the Elites? 

:'''{{#var:945|Lima Ultimos (945)}} has posed:''' In the horizon, fog appears, surrounding a black, rotted ship moving faster than a ship normally should, approaching the shore. The Coma Navaja parks a bit away, as Lima Ultimos steps up to the bow, using a rope to swing over as he shouts to his crew. "TURN OFF THE FOG MACHINE!" Once on shore, the undead captain rolls on up to Flint's tent, knocking twice with a 'ahoy!'. Whether let in or not, he speaks. "Captain Flint, me crew be ready. When we setting off?" 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      The moonlight and flickering fire cast Septette in a strange chiaroscuro two-tone, after the white glitter of an Ariadne's Thread teleport fades. Her built-in glowing lights are keenly visible where the cool midnight shade catches her, but the warm firelight that often graces the other side of her face gives her features a believably natural tone.      She pulls her shawl tightly around her shoulders to ward off the chill- a reflexive imitation of humanity, at this point- and trudges though the camp aimlessly until she spots a unique tent. Either the captain's, or the Fuck Tent. She closes her eyes, and flips the proverbial coin.      A skeletal, mechanical hand slips inside the flap and pulls it back. Septette opens one eye, and then sighs in visible relief. "Captain Flint. A pleasure to see you again. Tell me, have the strategies we devised last time significantly changed? I wish to stay abreast of any recent modifications." 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     When the Starbound Flotilla make temporary housing, they make some real goddamn housing. Somehow they have a full, almost fort-like structure set up. Not a lot of local metal to work with, but plenty of sand, which means they've crafted some strange partially-glassed futuristic sandstone-like material to craft a small staging area. Here's where they've set up a sort of dry-dock for their main shuttlecraft, and have been hard at work converting it to an effective sea vessel, and disguising it with wooden facades as just an oddly shaped contemporary craft. It's really almost done, from the look of it.     They're hard at work. This is their other specialty. Arms and armor. Power cutlasses, auto-flintlocks, magnetic cannons, and armored coats have been being manufactured and deployed from the small temporary drydock's manufactory, for use by the Flotilla and by any crew seeking to participate. Laser-guns and such would be a pointless waste of a pirate's skill; Pavo's more locally-flavored designs will be best in their hands. If there's one thing the Starbound Flotilla know how to do, it's build. They do it well, and they do it quickly, and most relevantly of all, they're doing it right now. Almost every one of them is manning one station or another, working on their projects.     They'll be ready to launch when it's time. Assuming no odd interruptions, anyway. Pavo's here, though, to help out with the planning. She's a bit straightforward with her tactics, but she's mostly there to help clarify how the Flotilla can help, whenever Flint has any questions. Space-pirate consultation! 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     An unseen shadow makes its way to the tents, though it appears the moment the flap to the tent is pulled aside... and the colourful hacker can be seen, offering Flint a cheeky grin. "Hola. Wait for long?" She makes herself comfortable as she walks on over and begins peering at the maps. "Oh, I found some better versions of those... allow me."     The latina then taps one finger to the air, and several holoscreens appear, showing various 3D projections of the ship itself, the area they're going to attack it in..." Did you get the information I sent you...?" she inquires curiously. She had compiled it all into one file for the people who are joining them tonight, though... not everybody is that good with tech, sadly. But then again, that's why they have her here, isn't it?     Her eyes glance to the others present. You guys have gotten the info she sent right? Even if it was finished a bit late due to her being out of commission this weekend. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''     It's probably a good thing all the usual methods of pirate 'fun' have been veto'd for the evening. Not that Josuke would partake of any, most likely, but passing out from nosebleeds are a whole different thing. Either one would leave him unable to fully utilize his skills the next day, which would be inconvenient.     Either way, Josuke arrives, in that Western-esque attire -- the brown sweater and green undershirt, darker brown trousers, and gold-brown shoes. Despite the different outfit, he's still recognizable -- he's still wearing that expensive brand of shoes, and he's got his hair in his signature style.     He'll ask around for Flint, and probably end up being pointed to the tent. Once he realizes that's where Flint is, he peeks in cautiously. "Um, hi?" He always seems so meek, despite his armored, violent 'other'. But, he's here, nonetheless. 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' Lyria Mason had done some homeworkd nad sees a storm is likely to come, the Santisima Trinidad also looks like it's going to end up in distress. Humm this could be not a good haul and is certainly something to bring up though chocolate and spices are worth something in this era if they can move it, right? She's going over her mPad still with the information and she pauses as she near the tent and stares at the fog machine for a moment. She shakes her head a bit and nowmakes for the tent. She's also still dressed in that outfit that is half way between swimwear and normal land clothing. 

:'''{{#var:70|Priscilla (70)}} has posed:'''     Priscilla hadn't been here last time, but she'd had a hand in overseeing this particular venture from well early back, and it's refreshing to see that, contrary to her experiences not even a year ago, she can trust her new allies and subordinates to handle moving things along smoothly. As expected, Sombra already has the digital details mapped out, and the new Starbound crew is industriously at work with a project that would have taken ten times their number otherwise. Seeing Josuke again is a pleasant surprise, and so she has spent at least a moment at some point in the night to give him at least a passing greeting. When Lima rolls up, however, and Septette ports it, she assumes that to be the full extent of Concord forces available for the night.     As for herself, she's been wandering around the beach in the night, at a healthy distance from the camp. A lack of booze and debauchery is something she certainly appreciates for what it is, making it way less uncomfortable to be around a crew of pirates, but it pays to be vigilant anyways, and it's always hard to see into the dark when you're standing in the light. At some point, she's procured one of those auto-flintlocks and hooked it into a silver-chained belt around her waist, carrying a small number of potentially useful supplies in sturdy Lordran adventurer's cases, from which she's been littering the ground with tiny glowing stones of seemingly random colours, to draw a line around the camp which someone would be seen crossing. Otherwise, her light to guide the way is the shimmering, pale blue blade of Moonlight in one hand, visibly armed as well as bathed in its ethereal glow. 

:'''{{#var:1067|Captain Flint (1067)}} has posed:''' Flint looks up from his work, scrutinizing Lima for a half-second as the pirate enters. There's an unsettling lack of transparency in that look--but it quickly vanishes and melts into a more palatable, winning smile, as if the two of them were reacquainted friends. "It's good to see you again, Captain Ultimos. We set sail at dawn, but I'd like your indulgence for a moment if I may."      He sets his quill aside to give his full attention to his 'consultants,' just in time for Sombra's maps to appear before his eyes. "Thank you, Sombra," he says, before motioning everyone in. Josuke gets an encouraging push from behind--Billy Bones gives him a hearty (but friendly) clap on the back before going to help prepare.      Flint rolls up the map he'd been poring over. Beneath it is a manila folder from Sombra, which the captain picks up. "I did," he says. He's silent for a time, the occasional whir of power tools from the Flotilla, the gentle rolling of the waves and the odd yell from a rowdy pirate in the distance serving as a tense backdrop. His seafoam eyes slowly sweep from face to face. "And I still think it's worth the endeavor. To that end, Septette, I believe our strategy to be sound." He reaches out with his bejeweled hand, a ray of moonlight from the tent's open flap briefly glinting against the rings as he offers his copy to any interested parties--including, of course, Priscilla.      "I'd heard you were here," he says to Priscilla. "My thanks for the safety precautions you've taken on our behalf. Can we expect your... personal assistance tomorrow?" His eyes drift to the autoflintlock holstered at her side. 

:'''{{#var:70|Priscilla (70)}} has posed:'''     "Think little of it." Priscilla says to Flint, her perpetual inside voice pretty appropriate for once. "I wouldst feel ill at ease waiting without doing so. It is a well engrained habit of mine to see to dark pits and blind corners before proceeding anywhere of import." Lordran is sort of like that. She even checks the edges of drops to make sure nothing is clinging to them, waiting to climb up.     She takes the copied folder in one hand, dextrously flipping through it with her thumb, so she can keep her other hand on her gently sparkling sword, slowly rippling with its own, water-like shadows. Her eyes catch the light weirdly, as yet another reminder as if one were needed, of the kind of high profile supernatural assistance Captain Flint seems to have drawn interest from. After a few seconds of reading, she concludes it sound enough. "All things allowing, yes. Thou hast been a reliable and forthright contact thus far, as well as a potentially highly profitable one. There is little reason to extendeth not the same reliability owed by the Concord." She takes a second to glance at that glimmer of rings, before realizing they're just jewels.     "Lady Sombra. As the most qualified operations coordinator, what art thine thoughts?" she asks, then going down the list in sequence. "And when shalt thou be set to sail, Lady Pavo? Sir Ultimos, hast thou the time to remaineth here and join as a fleet, and what time and formation in setting out wouldst thou recommendeth. Lady Septette, I certainly hope the decks shalt not be a problem for thee. I am aware the ocean is little hazard, but it wouldst not do to spend time fishing thee off of the floor. And Sir Higashikata . . ." she trips over that name for a second. "It is good to see thee once more. The ammunition is fifty paces to thine left, outside." 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      The little robot quietly accepts the physical copy, breezes through its pages like a flipbook, nods perfunctorily, and then hands it to the next interested party. Her memory hardly needs refreshing; it's sufficient to check nothing's changed from the digital copy she received and memorize any annotations in the margins. The other people in the tent all earn a collective respectful nod from Septette; seems she isn't much one for formal ceremony or obeisances.      Internally, as always, her mind is going through its paces: if Priscilla is present for the actual raid, that could be quite a boon; the opportunity to impress the First of the Concord in person is one she hasn't had yet.      The little robot silently weighs the future utility of potentially gaining favor with the Concord by detonating her assigned ship's powder store immediately against the lives that would be lost by doing so, and finds that not detonating it is still preferable. Taking down an entire ship decisively without killing those aboard is a tricky and messy task, but one she's still committed to attempting.      "Glad to hear I'm still up to date," she responds, after only a fraction of a second's pause. "My plan is to slag the escort's cannons or ammunition stores once I am aboard; this should effectively neuter them without loss of life, unless they are so foolhardy as to wish to board us."      Priscilla, in turn, earns a polite smile and slight shrug of nonchalance. "I have ways of self-extricating in such a situation; worry not. A tactic that springs to mind is using ice magic to freeze a large chunk of water, and riding the buoyancy of the artificial glacier back up to the surface. In extremis, I can always warp back to the Deep City, ending my participation in the mission." Seems she's thought this through adequately- but then, it'd be quite unlike her to not do so. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     As Josuke walks into the tent Sombra turns her head, then brightens up. "Oh, glad you could make it, amigo..." With that she walks over to the young man and hands him one of her translocators. "You said you could throw this onto the ship, right?" she reminds him. It would certainly make it easier for her to get some stuff done for her.     Since there's no fun to be had, Sombra sits down on the edge of the table as she works the holovids for the others to show the info that she found out. No, the ship isn't exactly what they thought it would be, but Flint is right. It's still worth it if they can get the loot. Not to mention it could be fun.     The question from Priscilla catches her attention, and the hacker looks at the others. "It's unlikely we can catch them completely by surprise, but we can certainly divert their attention. Capitane Lima, your ship has that fog machine, does it not? And if our friend Josuke," she continues, gesturing to the youth with a nod, "can throw my translocator onto the ship, then I will be able to get onto the ship easy and be a distraction. I will leave the heavy fighting up to you who are more skilled at that, but at best I can give you guys an opening and secure the loot onboard while you handle the crew, sí?" Again she looks around, to see whether her suggestion has any objections. 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' Lyria Mason didn't expect Priscillia to be here nd that makes Lyria do a bit of a double takes she also looks over to Combra and she says "Seems we're both like minded on that Sombra." Lyria has some data she'll pass it to Sombra, for the event she found somethign sombra didn't. She also seems to chill down for themomtn. "I got your data, it's appicated, Sombra." She now looks to the captain. "If the oceans act up I'll know a bit before it happens..." 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''     The clap on the shoulder from behind gets a surprised, "Ack!" But Josuke enters nonetheless, looking sheepish at the momentary flailing. He does wait for a moment, so that Flint can finish speaking before he speaks up. "I don't need a gun, but do you mind if I borrow some of the ammunition?" Crazy Diamond can thump the ammunition like a child might flick marbles with their thumbs, but fast enough to qualify as 'being fired out of a gun'. It'll be handy!     Josuke definitely returns Priscilla's greeting, with all effervescence due his personality. "Hi! Good to see you again!" He's rather perky for someone who has basically a demon inside him that can flurry punch something practically into paste. And then she tells him where the ammunition is. "Oh! Thanks!"     Septette gets a worried look. "I can try to help if you get broken," he offers. "But I think you said I'd probably have trouble trying to fix you." Notably, he's not going all arrogant 'my power can fix anything', but instead respecting the difficulties of such where Septette is concerned. "I'd be willing to try if you want, though." Never know unless they try, right?     Sombra's greeting gets a smile, and a bright, "Hi there!" And then he looks at the translocator as it's handed to him. Sombra recalls the plan, and Josuke nods. "I can try. I might have to throw MYSELF over there first. I'll keep it as safe as I can," he promises. 

:'''{{#var:945|Lima Ultimos (945)}} has posed:''' "Indulge away, aye!" Lima Ultimos sits down, tipping his head to Priscilla. "Nay, we be going in to 'attack' our friend here! Be fooling the enemy straight into our trap!" The pirate greets everyone else with a nod, playing with a dagger on his fingers, as he responds to Sombra. "Aye, we picked it up for a good deal! It makes all of our entrances be flashy! And we be having enough fog, if ye be planning what I think ye be planning..." 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     "Oh, we've a readiness to sail any time ye could want, First of Concord." Pavo says, confidently. "But the Flotilla, she lives and dies on the polish of her work. Ye take a hard mark's loot when ye work hard. Any time we have before settin' off, we'll fill with arms and armor." She twirls her own auto-flintlock pistol expertly just to demonstrate as she speaks, then holsters it in her brace of pistols.     "Speakin' o' which." She says, gesturing to one side. "OI!" She calls out to one of her Flotilla-mates. "Bring it in!!" It's Albert who brings in the odd bracelet-like contraption. A ring made of elegant, futuristic design, full of small, gleaming spheres. "Yer guns for the day, lad." She says, to Josuke, taking the little bracelet and offering it to him. It looks like it lines up an opening with his palm, where it dispenses the little... Ball bearings? No, that dangerous gleaming is way more worrying than that. "Bombs worse than black powder." She says. "Don't bring 'em out the ring unless you're gonna fire them in less than five seconds, matey. Otherwise ye might not have a hand anymore. Ye break it, ye've bought the farm." They've crafted up some ammo for him! Just as promised at the last meeting.     Pavo makes a sour noise at Septette's nonlethality, but seems accepting. "Ayyye, if ye must. Yer too much a profit for me to complain of yer scruples, too many though ye have, matey." Then she dedicates all her attention to the holovids, keenly examining them. She wasn't joking, they're VERY dedicated to this work, and she's particularly dedicated to understanding the composition and details of any target. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      Josuke may be relatively humble, but that is vastly more than can be said for his prospective patient! Septette's lips purse slightly, giving the impression that she's struggling to find the right words. "I tell you what, kiddo," she finally says in a diplomatic tone, "if I get hurt, and you fix me up, drinks are on me." She puts more stress on the word 'if' than is necessary, but at least she seems to appreciate the sentiment!      Pavo gets a gentle elbow right below the ribs and a playful glare. "Not scruples, parrate," she retorts. "Scruples implies tangential to actual goals. Not applicable when your goal is itself helping people. I'm as ruthless at that as you are with greed." ... But if that's true, what kind of mental gymnastics have brought her to helping pirates raid a ship, anyway? That's just bizarre.      Then she folds her arms behind her back and sinks into the shadows of the corner, content to fade into the background. No sense in talking over those who might have something more important to say. 

:'''{{#var:1067|Captain Flint (1067)}} has posed:''' Flint listens to input from everyone regarding the plans. Even if the Urca doesn't have the haul they're looking for, one of the escorts might. They have to take the chance, for what might stand to be gained... thankfully, everyone seems to agree with that.      It's Josuke's question which first rouses him from his pondering. Ammunition? He doesn't seem to be wearing a gun. Then, he remembers. "Ah, yes--for Crazy Diamond," he says, nodding with recognition. "Take as much as you need... within reason." In other words, he can help himself as long as he doesn't walk off with the whole lot of it. Between that and the nasty piece of work the Flotilla has cooked up for him, Josuke'll be right at home aboard the Walrus!      Though he doesn't offer any verbal acknowledgment, Lyria's remark regarding the weather is indeed taken under consideration by the captain. His eyes flick towards her, nodding as Priscilla and Septette discuss backup plans.      Lima takes a seat, which earns him a respectful nod from his fellow captain. Flint stands and peers at the 3D map Sombra has projected. "I must admit I'm interested in Captain Ultimos' talk of a 'fog machine' for a number of reasons, not the least of which shall be its uses in shock and awe tactics--but let us first discuss the broader strategy." He raises a hand to gesture to the glowing model.      "According to the Urca's schedule--"      Before Flint can finish, a bellow from outside interrupts him, followed by a harried Billy Bones rushing into the tent.      "Captain," the young, blonde pirate begins. "Mr. Silver requests your assistance."      Flint sighs and strokes his goatee, his thumb and forefinger dragging a line down the sides of his mouth.      Billy leans forward, looking quickly from Flint to the door, as if to punctuate the urgency of Mr. Silver's request.      "Excuse me," says Flint. He steps out of the tent, the gentle evening breeze blowing it open enough for those inside to see the captain stalk off. Those who dare to peek, or even to follow, will see him making a beeline towards John Silver and his spit roast, who are joined by two visibly upset pirates.      If one stays downwind, one can hear the conversation. "This cook's trying to kill us!" says one of the pirates, a bald, sunbeaten man with a faded red bandana. "The pig gave us the shits."      Flint leans over, digging into the meat with one hand and taking a piece off. He pops it into his mouth and chews it. "It tastes fine," says the captain. Judging by his composure, it really does taste fine. No retching--and as far as one can see in the evening light, not even a sour face. "It wasn't the pig." The two pirates look at each other and bitterly walk away, perhaps both eager to look for a fight in the absence of other vices.      But the moment the two of them walk away, Flint spits the meat out in disgust. "What the /fuck/ did you do to that?" he hisses.      "...I cooked it?" Silver quirks an eyebrow at Flint.      "You absolutely /did not./"      "The men seemed to think it was done," utters the cook defensively.      "They'd eat it raw, if left to their own devices," retorts the captain.      "That's awfully cynical," Silver chuckles.      Flint isn't in the mood for Silver's sense of humor, however. His face like a stone wall, he gestures to the Walrus. "Go get another pig and do exactly as I say." The chef leaves, and Flint begins heading back to the tent. Near one of the tents on the beach, a pirate with shaggy brown hair puffs thoughtfully on a wooden pipe. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''     Josuke blinks at the bracelet. Then he winces a bit at the explanation. Though he is nonetheless impressed with the design, and the function. And the fact that something so small has that much power. And so he notes, "Kewl!" Yes, that particular verbal quirk of his asserts itself here. "Five seconds? I'll remember that -- hold no more than four-and-a-half seconds, just to be on the safe side." He pockets the bracelet. "Thanks! I'll give it back as soon as we're done."     Septette's words prompt a wide smile. Not one of those arrogant smirks, an honest smile. He doesn't see it as a challenge, he sees it as an opportunity to help someone who needs it. He nods once, firmly. "Deal!" he agrees.     He also nods to the mention of a fog machine. But he waits, until Flint's been called away. Then he looks at Lima. "That fog machine might be useful for getting Sombra's tranceiver on board," he notes. "See, I don't want to destroy the tranceiver, so I'm thinking I better just throw MYSELF over there, break out te glass in a porthole, and then toss the tranceiver over. But if I do that, I'll need to concentrate, otherwise I'll, well... drop myself in the ocean. And I don't want to ruin the traceiver. So, I figure, if I was obscured by fog, I could probably get over there without a lot of trouble."     Josuke caught part of the conversation, but it's not until Flint returns that Josuke speaks up. "Everything okay, Captain?" He looks concerned. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     "And thank you," Sombra responds to Lyria, typing away so she can create a holographic projection with the suggested battle plan. Lima's ship, coming up from the side with the fog rolling in. The Walrus is coming from the other side.     While Flint heads outside, Sombra remains inside the tent and continues working on the plan, plotting in all the people who are part of this operation. "Let me know if you have any suggestions, if you know what you would be best suited for..." Let her plot in the details, her fingers dance through the air as she types quickly. "And yeah, I would prefer if you didn't destroy my translocator. 

:'''{{#var:70|Priscilla (70)}} has posed:'''     Priscilla listens to her counsel of expert opinion on this one. That's why she asked in the first place. Given those assembled here, she can't help but find it difficult to imagine the convoy putting up much of a real fight, even fully aware that kind of thinking can be dangerous. "Very well. Taketh all the time thou need. I shalt concern mineself less with individual arrangements if all of thee hath confidence in thine own methods of traversing the fleet. I am certain thou shalt be vigilant for the difficulties of others as well."     "As for mineself, I believeth the approach quite obvious. Whilst the men and escort art busy grappling with our multiple angles of attack, I shalt approach the Urca unknown and pierce as many decks down as I am able before they realize mine presence. I maketh no promises as to how I shalt accomplish such. I shalt leaveth a trail of bodies if I must."     There isn't a lot of room for conversation before the disruption happens outside. Giving Flint a few moments to assert captain's authority, Priscilla pushes up the flap on the tent, and looks at him a little more seriously. "Is everything quite alright, Captain?" then she looks to Pavo. "Perhaps one of thine crew wouldst be willing to overtake cooking duties for the time being, if it wouldst prevent further interruptions." 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      Sickness isn't something that Septette can have any kind of visceral sympathy for, but she still winces at the conversation outside. If even half the people who ate that pig get sick, then there are going to be serious repercussions for combat efficacy tomorrow- potentially disastrous ones, depending on how severe the illness is.      She'd probably be more worried by that prospect if she didn't earnestly believe the Elites here could carry the mission by themselves.      "Mr. Josuke, now might be a good time for you to demonstrate your skills," she volunteers cheerfully. "Can you punch foodborne illness out of someone prophylactically? If so, that could considerably aid our efforts. I'm sure someone could round up everyone who's tried the pork if you can offer them a cure."      Then, turning her attention to Sombra: "My current strategy is to jump from Lima's craft as it flies near one of the escorts. Depending on whether an immediate or delayed assault is needed, I can either land on it and punch through a few decks, or fall in the water nearby and use an artificial glacier to surface when the trap is set. From there, I'll focus on disabling the cannons or slagging their ammunition, whichever is more practical. Afterwards, depending on the state of the rest of the fleet, I shall either self-extract via teleportation or find a way to make it to another ship and repeat the process." 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Also audible from downwind: "Nobody told Floran there wasss raw meat!" She sounds excited, and seems left out. They will not have to wait long for the undercooked pig to get dealt with.     Okay, so, sometimes they're not all business. Anyway, Pavo makes a handwaving gesture as she follows outside. "If Albert cooks it, it'll be nothin' but rations. Moonfin's a vegetarian, the kind of diet that be practically forbidden among this lot. Biteblade -- ye heard her opinion, harhar. But Seft and George, now they could manage, I'm betting." She gives a confident nod. "If that'll be a better use of 'em, aye, 'tis a duty they'll take!"     But, eh, Silver's probably better at it if he's /trying/. George knows Cliche American Food and Seft's meals are basically medieval, you know, something local would /probably/ be better. Or at least someone with dedicated expertise. But she'll certainly bring them in if they're wanted.     While they're out, she takes a glance at the thoughtful-looking shaggier sort of pirate. She squints, as if trying to decode something about him in a puzzle, and stays a while to watch things a bit too, before she heads back into the tent and continue following up on all this business. 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' Lyria Mason takes note of the Captain's intrest and nods sligghly back as the group talks for a moment and then Mr. Silver has called for some help with the Captain. She thinks she should likely give them a few heads up about ways to keep food safer then again? It's clear the crew of the walrus have taken to the multiverse pretty well so they likely know but either way griping about a food is a thing that happens with sailors She alos looks back to Sombra grinning a bit. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     More info is put in, either of Septette's strategies could work. "If we can sneak up, then stay in the water..." Sombra muses, tapping one nail against her lower lip. As Pavo enters the hacker looks at her, arching an eyebrow. "So what do you think you and the rest of the Flotilla can do, amiga?" They are rather diverse. "Maybe George could swing over in buckaneer style or something..." That would be a sight. But yes, the Flotilla are diverse, so they could do it in many possible ways. 

:'''{{#var:1067|Captain Flint (1067)}} has posed:''' When Flint returns, he does take a moment to explain. "No need to worry," he says, attempting to allay the concerns of Josuke and Priscilla. "That will be the only interruption of the evening, I assure you."      His first instinct is to downplay this little incident. If the crew starts to believe Silver is a bad cook, they'll start to wonder why he's being kept around. It's best to keep those kind of questions at a bare minimum, and to do that, he'll need to... steer the conversation a certain way. "If I might beg everyone's patience for a few moments more, however, Septette raises an excellent point." He pauses, or pretends to. How's he going to cure the men without it getting back to Silver? He'll need someone he can trust, someone inside who already knows about the balancing act he's running. "I'll have Gates gather the men affected once our meeting is concluded. He's the quartermaster--the voice of the crew. The men trust him, even if they'll be leery of your... particular talents, Mr. Higashikata. Understand the infamous 'Salem Witch Trials' as many worlds call them happened only twenty some years ago on this one."      "But, the less said about that, the better," he says. There's also the matter of the Flotilla doing the cooking. It'd probably be better than Silver's work, but if that happens there's a risk some of the more devious crewmates will figure out Silver's ineptitude. What's a convincing lie he can tell to cover his tracks here? Ah. "I don't think it will be necessary to replace him outright--Mr. Silver's talents are simply a bit at odds with the cuisine my men are used to. The last vessel he sailed on was a merchantman--there wasn't an opportunity to cook out of doors, as there was no need to avoid legitimate ports. I've sent him to the Walrus to retrieve another pig, purely as an olive branch to the men." He adds a sigh to the performance. "It's been difficult for Mr. Silver to adjust," he says. "George and Seft, was it, Captain Pavo?" He makes a mental note of the names. "If they wouldn't mind giving him some culinary advice at some point, I'm sure he'd appreciate it. I can't have a cook passing out undercooked meat. Just... make sure they do so away from the men. Mr. Silver is a new addition to our crew, and I wouldn't want to alienate him." It's a pretty compationate notion for someone who minutes earlier instructed the very same chef to 'do exactly as I say.' "Perhaps they might accompany him on the launch and have a talk before returning to shore?"      Flint waves a hand to dismiss his own idea. "In any case, the plan, as I'm sure you're all waiting to hear." he says. Flint spends the remainder of the meeting discussing strategy with the other Elites. They have a suspected location where the Urca will take on water--a long stretch of island that the treasure galleon will likely use to conceal itself from view of vessels approaching from the West Indies.      The Walrus will approach in view of the Urca and her escorts, flying the Spanish flag. The Coma Navaja, meanwhile, will approach (with fog machine to be used at Captain Ultimos' discretion), raise the black, and fire shots across the Walrus' bow to draw the attention of the escorts. With luck, and with a surprise attack from Captain Pavo, Flint suspects they'll be able to pick off the escorts before the Urca can get underway or join the battle. He does discuss some fleet tactics with Pavo and Lima in the event of other outcomes. 

:'''{{#var:1067|Captain Flint (1067)}} has posed:''' He's put a lot of thought into this hunt--and the way his eyes shine in the moonlight, the intense stares he gives when he asks others for their input? It's almost as if one can see tangible desire within. More than desire--ambition? Nevertheless, the conversation turns from naval strategy to boarding tactics, and Flint allows the Elites who've chosen to serve in that role to discuss teamwork, who will go on which ship, and so on. Eventually, though, the captain has to retire. He makes his farewells and heads for the launches to get his night's sleep aboard the Walrus, taking his maps and books with him.      As Flint gradually becomes smaller and smaller on the horizon, another figure becomes larger. A pirate with a goatee, a wooden pipe, and shaggy brown, medium length hair approaches Flint's tent.      He takes a pull of his pipe. "You the ones Flint's hired for the Urca chase?" He smiles smugly, knowing the question is pretty self-evident given the drastic differences in equipment and attire, even between the men and the Elites--to say nothing of the differences between Elites. "I know it's late, but I was hoping to have a word with the lot of you."      In the background noise, Hal Gates' grizzled baritone is heard rousing pirates in search of anyone with 'the shits' as the earlier fellow called it. He's not mentioning Silver--but his bedside manner is hardly warm. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''     At Priscilla's mention of the food troubles, Josuke blinks. "So that's what's going on?" he asks. And then Septette mentions punching the food poisoning out of someone? "Well... I've never really tried to heal an illness," Josuke notes. "I could probably fix the damage and inflammation, though." He doesn't mention that this might require him to punch THROUGH the affected people. Because, well... he'll just fix it right after, so what's the big deal?     Josuke's eye twitches a bit at the various descriptions of the Flotilla's cooking abilities. Far less objectionable is George's skills, but... "...Maybe if they all work together, including the cook in there now, they can come up with something that works?" he suggests.     Flint's mention of Josuke's abilities and the time period gets a wince. "Oh. I forgot about that. And it won't be any better if they can see Crazy Diamond, either, will it? Because then they'll think I'm summoning a demon, or I'm possessed or something."     Though despite himself... that gets a bit of a grim smirk. It's ironic. That's what Jotaro thought, too, when he got his Stand at first -- that he was possessed by an evil spirit. Nonetheless, Josuke offers, "I'll still fix them up, if I can. Can't have them being sick during the mission." Still, Flint has more to say, and Josuke listens. He nods at the idea of George and Seft giving culinary advice away from the rest of the crew. "Oh, that's a good idea," he notes.     He listens to the plan, and then looks at Lima. "It might be better if I come in with you guys, particularly if you're going to be using the fog machine. I need some cover, just for a little bit, to get Sombra's tranceiver on the other ship. I don't want to throw it right into the middle of a fight. I figure, if they're distracted with ships and everyone's on-deck, there won't be as many people below-deck, so I can throw it into the hold or something."     As Flint retires, another figure appears, and Josuke gives a wide-eyed, confused look to him. "Um... I think so?" He's playing dumb. A chat? "Sure," Josuke replies. He's open to it. "What can we help you with, sir?" Josuke does still remain polite. 

:'''{{#var:945|Lima Ultimos (945)}} has posed:''' People really seem to like the fog machine, and Lima Ultimos grins. "Of course! Any who be wanting to board with me ship be welcome. The fog machine be full and ready for action, too." He's ignoring the pork thing, primarily, as he turns to the man with the goatee. "Aye! What be ye needing of us?" 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      The little robot listens intently to the discussions of fleet tactics, but remains remarkably quiet throughout: for all her pride in her areas of expertise, it seems she does recognize subjects where she's comparatively ignorant. Still, the way her lively eyes follow the speaker at all times gives the distinct impression that she's raptly curious.      She bids Captain Flint a good night as he departs the tent, but before she can leave as well, the strange man with the pipe catches her attention. "I don't know what else he'd hire me for. Certainly not to stand around and look pretty," she replies with just a hint of humor in her synthetic drawl. Her head tilts slightly to one side, and glowing purple eyes brighten subtly to indicate her interest as she folds her arms behind her back.      "You're not depriving me of sleep, stranger, but I still count my time as valuable. Speak plainly, and I shall listen." 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' Lyria Mason listens to the captain and just wonders about the cooking, she'll have to give it a try o maybe if there really is an issue to give Mr. Silver some help with that. Either way she seems pretty chill about the issue for the moment. She doens't think much of it and it should be easy enough as they talk about the idea and she listens. She'll move to get aboard one, to do her thing and hopefully disbale that ship's crew without a fatality as one thing she learned from her mother? You start killing the crews of the ship you hunt? They will fight to the last damn man. 5R She looks to the man. "Aye he hired me." 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     By the end of the tactics meeting, Pavo is ready to get back to work herself. She's agreed with Josuke, though she mostly dispatches Seft to handle that, leaving George to his business. But when the man approaches the tent, she stops and waits, staring with her arms crossed. That same man, hmmm. She crosses her feathered arms and nods a quick greeting. "Aye. What manner of word, matey? I've business to handle and hours of sleep I've a need for, but time to lend an ear. Ye seemed to have an eye out for what happened earlier." 

:'''{{#var:1067|Captain Flint (1067)}} has posed:''' The pirate chuckles, biting down on his pipe. "Sir," he says, amused by Josuke's manners. "You and Silver'll be thick as thieves, lad." He extends a hand. "Morley," says the pirate, introducing himself to Josuke and to anyone else who might care to shake hands. Even Lima, who most of Flint's crew have pointedly avoided.      Septette and Pavo make good points, which it seems Morley takes rather well, being that he's expected to go on this hunt, too. "Oh, I think I can speak plainly enough," says Morley, grinning around his pipe. "I'd like to tell you lot a story. It's one of those stories that's relevant to current events. What do they call those? Anecdotes." He takes a moment to take another pull, and is kind enough to exhale away from the Elites. Placing the pipe between his teeth again, he continues. These fellows are rather to the point, so he gets right to it. "All I want is your attention. After I'm done, you can do anything you want with this information."      He clears his throat and watches Flint's launch rendezvous with the Walrus. He also takes a moment to look around, just to make sure he's not being listened to, or even watched. When next he speaks, there's no mirth in his voice, no smug smirk, not a trace of joviality.      "Some years back--before this whole Multiverse business... before we even had Billy as bo'sun, Flint had us hunting a merchant ship. The Maria Aleyne. Sephardic trade," he says, clarifying for those who may not understand: "Gold, pearls, jewels. 'More than we'd ever know what to do with,' he said." It sounds familiar, doesn't it? He offers a grave shadow of his former smile to the Elites--the similarities aren't lost on him.      "But that's Flint's gift, isn't it? You must've noticed by now--always knows just what to say to push us harder, farther, make us all work together for the 'common cause.'" He scoffs and takes another pull of his pipe, again exhaling away from the Elites. He scowls. "We tracked that bitch for /months,/ without refitting or careening, until we finally found her."      Morley looks out over the water, facing the Walrus but looking past it, as if his mind was somewhere else. "We lost good men taking that ship, for a haul nowhere near what Flint had promised. While I was exploring the hold, I chanced upon a cabin--and that's when I heard it."      He faces the Elites with a grave frown. "A man and a woman begging for their lives. 'Spare us, and our fortune's yours.' For a moment, I thought our shares were gonna be worth a whole lot more." He chuckles darkly, a joyless sound. "That's when the screams began. When I watched the murderer leave, I saw him plain." He nods towards the Walrus. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''     Josuke looks a little sheepish at the mention of his manners. But he doesn't bring it up further, just offers a quiet, "Eheh..." Though he gets quiet when the man -- Morley -- starts to talk. He listens intently, a frown growing as the story continues. Yes, it's familiar... and no, he doesn't like where this is going...     Truth be told, Josuke kind of expects he'll be the only one to care about it. Not that he believes the rest of the people here are heartless, or in any way bad people. Just... most have more important things to worry about than something their employer might have done in the past.     However... that's not true of Josuke. He doesn't like the thought that Flint might have murdered people. But at the same time, he's not stupid. While he may not have an extensive idea of what piracy really is, he's aware it's not all the romantic notion of 'adventures on the high seas', and 'yo ho ho', and 'arr, avast'. If Flint is a pirate, then he's done lost of bad things in the past.     Nonetheless, he frowns at the story. "Was it revenge?" he asks. That's the first thing he can think of, the first reason that comes to mind as to why Flint would have done such a thing. At least, the first reason he can think of that doesn't make Flint out to be an inhuman monster. There HAS to be a reason. People don't just kill for no reason. Even animals have reasons. Monsters don't. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     "If you could get my translocator into the hold, then that would be perfect," Sombra states, a pensive look on her face. "A bit risky if the place is locked up though and I can't get back out, however..."     Sombra too looks at the other pirate arrives, arching an eyebrow at him as she lets the others ask the questions while she observes, still working for now. Though eventually she closes some of the screens, looking at the man. "Our time is precious... what do you want, señor?"     The tale that Morley tells them is an interesting one, that's for sure. Sombra's expression doesn't change much however, nor does she look like this new information changes her opinion much. Murderers don't bother her, she hangs out with people like that all the time anyway. "We do know that the haul we can hope to get from this is smaller than what we were promised..." Does Flint have an ulterior motive for this? Could there be... something else on the ship he might be after instead? Or someone?     With a swipe of her hand she brings up a screen that she begins scrolling through... 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      It's difficult to tell exactly what transpires inside Septette's artificial mind, but outwardly, her expression is of a similarly worried bent to Josuke's... albeit for more abstract reasons. Participating in this operation is worth her time because it can help get the Flotilla back on its feet, and because it will likely cost fewer lives with her benign intervention than without.      This new information threatens to change the known unknowns of that calculation, throwing her decision into doubt. If anything can eat at her mechanical heart, it's lacking a clear path forward- these doubts must be resolved, one way or another, at the earliest possible opportunity.      She gives a quick, but meaningful glance towards Sombra and the Captains before turning her attention back towards the man with the pipe. "You are one of Captain Flint's crew, correct? Why tell us this? Many Elites do not take kindly to being trifled with in such a fashion- do you have ambitions of your own, hoping that someone will take revenge on the Captain for such a deception?" Her tone isn't doubtful, but still probing. She needs more information before proceeding. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Pavo looks questioningly at Morley. She speaks tensely. "You've a meaning to tell us yer cap'n has an agenda besides profit." She says, tensely. "A man with somethin' to gain from big promises without big payoffs. So tell me what ye did find in that haul. Who -- what -- all was aboard that? I've a harsh feeling for being /cheated/." She spits when she says the word, like it's a dirty one. A thief and a plunderer though she may be, she abhors the idea of losing the value of a promise as much as she abhors the idea of losing, well, any kind of value really.     "I've no care what a man does for profit. If it's murder, I've even less. But if it's not for profit and I'm being used, I've some trouble with it." She scowls, as much as a beak can let someone scowl. She takes issue with this, but not in the way others might, an ethical and moral way. She's more concerned with how this is going to be affecting her bottom line. She's sinking an awful lot of resources into this operation... 

:'''{{#var:945|Lima Ultimos (945)}} has posed:''' As the accusations are levied about Flint, Lima Ultimos paces, frowning. As everyone starts getting different views on it, especially Pavo's, Lima Ultimos raises a hand. "Now, let us be holding on here! While we be not ratting out Morley here, we be needing to know Flint's side of the story, aye. We cannot just say he's guilty and is betraying us! He may be having a motive, but what if he be meaning to help us get rich as well? And if we be in on his motive, we can help him carry it out easily, and he in turn be paying us, aye? We should be figuring out a way to talk to him about this, I be thinking." There's a grin at the end, as Lima Ultimos seems to think he's the smartest person there. 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' Lyria Mason is haning back for a moment she tilts her head and she does seem to think about he does seem to be quite pale now at this tale if it's true? this could be a very bad state she's in her family has engaged in Piracy they are not saints but something like that? Okay this could come back to bite the whole op on the ass but this is also one man talking about it there was not proof at least yet. It is something to think about and she has to wonder for a moment. Maybe since they looked up this one ship they are after? They might have cause to look up a few things at large too to get a better idea. 

:'''{{#var:1067|Captain Flint (1067)}} has posed:''' "That's exactly what I'm meaning to tell you," says Morley to Pavo. "That's what I'm meaning to tell all of you--Flint always has an agenda, and I can prove it. See, when this all first happened, I was pretty much like your friend here." He gestures towards Josuke, using the young man's troubled expression as an example. "Doesn't sit right with you, does it boy? Well, the next day I told Gates."      Morley pauses. "He was less than receptive. 'Two less rich bastards in the world,' he said. At the time I took his point. But the next time we're ashore, I see this woman, waiting for him. The Barlow Woman."      The Elites gathered can practically hear the capital letters--clearly this woman is some sort of myth, or a bogeyman of some sort to Morley. Perhaps even to the rest of the crew, the way he says it. "Now, the boys thought she was just some fancy bit of Puritan tail, but when I saw Flint walk up to her, two words left his lips: 'They're dead.' Hunting the Maria Aleyne was never about money. It was an execution."      "All those men we lost taking that ship, they died so that Flint could settle some personal vendetta for her. You watch--good men will die on this hunt. Might even be one of you, dead for some hidden agenda. The Barlow Woman's agenda."      Morley takes a long, perhaps soothing pull on his pipe if his expression is any indication. "You want my angle?" he asks, leveling his gaze at Septette. "I'm tired of losing friends to that man. Go and ask him his side of the story--ask him about Singleton, too, while you're at it," he says to Lima. "Whatever you do, don't get roped into his bullshit like Billy has." He takes another pull, sighing as blue-grey smoke escapes him. "That's all I have for you." 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''     Josuke is actually surprised. There ARE actually concerns that Flint may have done something. But they do bring up good points -- if Flint's cheating them, he could be using them to fulfill an agenda, and have no real intention of paying them. In fact, he might actually betray them, and that might mean he could actually try to kill them! And with the new weapons from the Flotilla, that could even make it easier...     But Lima has a point. Josuke nods. "I'm interested to hear his side of it too. I don't want to believe he just randomly murdered people. But if we just go asking him, he might figure out that Morley told us, yeah," he agrees. "But I can't see how it would come up in conversation otherwise..."     The troubled expression does not ease from Josuke's face as Morley continues his tale. Believe it or not, Josuke can understand this a little better -- if Flint's doing it for someone else, that kind of humanizes him a little more in Josuke's eyes. Then again, he doesn't believe in witches, and Flint always seems in control enough of his own faculties, mentally speaking.     Looking around at the group, "...I can go talk to him alone, if you guys want. That way he won't get upset at any of you guys, just at me. I can go ask him what he really wants out of this." He's got to go see if he can help the crewmen with the upset stomachs anyway... 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' Lyria Mason thinks she seesw where this is going and tlts her head abit. "So your saying we might not be on a job to make booty but on some other op. I don't mind other work I just like the contract to be upfront. Pulling a fast one like that. Deep six me we we need think onthis..." She will certainly be on her guard after all here. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      Septette's head dips slowly, her metal ear-fins drooping to near-horizontal to convey her solemnity. Even so, her purple eyes blaze all the brighter with a sickly artificial glow that embodies the unpleasant harshness of a fluorescent's glare. That smoldering look carries a kind of tightly restrained determination that mere human expressiveness alone could not hope to convey- a fairly withering effect, were it to be directed at any unfortunate soul in particular.      There are a number of somewhat benign explanations, none of which she's entirely willing to discard yet... but her mind is already processing what to do in the worst, and most likely, scenario.      Revenge. Revenge is a funny notion. One might naively think that, to an emotionless and rational actor, revenge has no place. But if executed swiftly enough, and consistently enough, and thoroughly enough... it can be very, very good at convincing others that you are not someone to be fucked with. And in some scenarios, the benefit of broadcasting that one is willing to perpetrate justified revenge can exceed the cost of exacting it.      "No," she interrupts Josuke, "I ought to accompany you." Her tone, in jarring contrast to her nonverbal demeanor, is silky-smooth and soft. "This tongue of mine can honey words as nicely as any other, and I don't wish you to bear that burden alone."      And if it comes to threats of violence, well... she can carry that tune herself. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Pavo thinks this over with an incredibly contemplative look. Honestly, she doesn't often think things over in such great and intense detail. Having to ponder all this in such great detail and such great intensity is something that she's not done often, and it leaves her on a backfoot. "Aye... Aye, ye shall have us thinkin' on this a while. We'll not be used for some scheme that's sour about a raid gone bad, but I'll not be cheated of plunder either."     She shakes her head. "The moment I see an empty chest or a full one, 'tis the moment I'll know what to do." She mutters, frustration seeping into her voice. "The only thing that matters, no question at all. If the Barlow Woman has a hand in this, I'll get a cut one way or another, one kind or another." She adjusts her coat with a dramatic flare, then strides back towards the little drydock. She'll operate with loyalty! But she's on guard here. 
}}

5393/Talent Acquisition

2017-08-05T07:54:55Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/07/24 |Location=New Providence <NP> |Synopsis=Captain Flint is spoiled for choice when it comes to hired help. He and Gates hold a meeting for..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/07/24
|Location=New Providence <NP>
|Synopsis=Captain Flint is spoiled for choice when it comes to hired help. He and Gates hold a meeting for interested parties, to discuss strategy, and, more importantly, payment.
|Cast of Characters=1067, 632, 945, 670, 672, 1117, 1119
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1067|Captain Flint (1067)}} has posed:''' In the past few months, Captain Flint has seen the results that come from hiring Elites. It's given him a certain degree of freedom--without the help afforded by these strange and diverse outsiders, the talent available for such an endeavor as this would've been considerably narrower. He would've had to talk old Ben Hornigold into going along with it--or worse, that damnable Charles Vane.      So it is that he's once again sent out a casting call of sorts. Numerous missives, from all manner of pseudonyms, playing several angles were sent out. Perhaps those interested are interested for purely financial reasons. Perhaps they're interested in taking the wind out of Spain's sails, or perhaps they just want to cause some mayhem.      Whatever the reason, all parties who answer the missive find themselves in Nassau's tavern. First and foremost, Nassau stinks. Garbage is thrown into the streets without care, and the tropical weather isn't exactly helping matters. It looks as though England has more or less left the place to rot--in more ways than one. Even in the tavern, the paint peels off of the walls, the floor is a bit uneven, the tables slightly warped with age.      When the interested parties arrive at said tavern, however, there's no sign of Flint or his men. Instead, standing apart from the rabble that serves as the tavern's usual clientele, a cleanly-dressed fellow waits for them. The dark skinned, dark haired man introduces himself as Mr. Scott, his voice as deep as his composure is sedate. Mr. Scott is kind enough to show new arrivals to the meeting room upstairs.      This room is much more cleanly furnished. The hardwood floors are not only even, but varnished and buffed. The wallpaper is without flaw or stain or crack, and the shutters on the windows are flanked by linen curtains of pure white. Miss Guthrie, the proprietor of the tavern, has clearly done well for herself. Sitting at a conference table, Captain Flint silently peers towards the door as his quartermaster, Hal Gates, greets the new arrivals with firm handshakes and smiles. In the corner, there's a tray of refreshments, including rum, port and ale from the tavern below. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      In some ways, Septette is the model of a polite visitor. Despite her delicate and modest appearance- she's barely five feet tall, wrapped in a purple shawl that effectively obscures everything below her shoulders, and looks under thirty- she scarcely seems to notice the squalor or smell. She responds politely to Mr. Scott and Mr. Gates, and ignores the less savory elements of the tavern with total equanimity.      In other ways, she is perfectly unsettling, even for a city that may be used to Multiversal outsiders. In the dim indoor lighting, it's impossible to miss how her eyes glow a gentle lavender. Her shawl prevents a good look at the shape of her body (as even her arms are tucked inside), but strange and inhumanly angular shapes press out against the fabric as she moves. Even as she walks up the stairs, the wood creaks and complains at her steps as if her shoulders bore some immense burden.      Mr. Gates may get more than he bargained with when he offers Septette a hand. A cold, skeletal grip made of gracile and jagged metal wraps itself around his fingers in just such a way to avoid cutting his skin, shakes it perfunctorily, and then withdraws back into the silky cloak before he can get a better look at her claws.      Captain Flint gets a respectful inclination of the head, once she's allowed to filter into the meeting room. Septette declines to seat herself- she's still skeptical that the chairs here could bear her weight- but she avails herself of some refreshments nonetheless, nursing a small portion of rum and standing in a corner as unobtrusively as she can.      When she finally speaks up, it's in a surprisingly soft and emotive voice, albeit one tinged with a rough-edged synthetic quality that marks it as clearly artificial. "I am called Septette Arcubielle, to put a face to the name you evidently already knew. You have me at a disadvantage in that regard; I don't believe the letter you sent had a real name attached. May I ask for that to be corrected, before we begin?" 

:'''{{#var:945|Lima Ultimos (945)}} has posed:''' Nassau's dock has an odder ship with it today, one that screams 'haunted'. Rotted wood, ghostly sails, a crew that looks undead. Jumping straight from the bow is a tall man in a coat and a lime green tricorne hat, who begins sprinting towards the tavern. Pushing the door open to look for his contact, Lima Ultimos wanders straight in, glances around, and then up the stairs when directed that way. His skin is gray and snake-like, his eyes are gray, and there's a bunch of flowers and venus flytraps protruding from his right arm (and that's not getting to the horns). "Ahoy, fellows!" The undead captain shouts as he shakes Hal Gates' hand vigorously, before looking over at the refreshments. "Do ye have any water? Milk? I don't be a drinker.", before moving to take a seat at the table. "The name be Lima Ultimos, captain of the Coma Navaja. I hear ye be having a job involving looting, raiding, and otherwise piracy? Because that be me game!" 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' Lyria Mason had heard there was a call for crew for treasure to be hand andthat gother attention. Without the backing of the Union any longer she needed other sources of cash to fund delaing with Mursame ater all ground zero couldn't just get funds out of thin air. So she ha to make calls right? This was one of those calls really and the idea of high adventure? Well that's got her attention too, it's part of why Lyria's still out in the multiverse when most of her class after the great cosmic barf have fallen back to their home world. However she liked the feel of the place, and Mr. Scott shows them the wya. He gets her thanks before she moves to meet up with Captain Flint and the rest of the people here. She grins a little bit. Thanks for having us." 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Pavo is the one who handled most of this call. That is because, of all the people who are part of the Flotilla, she has the most experience in piracy. She dresses the part, sure, with her braces of odd-looking flintlocks, and her longer coat used for work, and her snazzy hat. She looks the part, rough and tumble, with a cutlass sheathed at her side, though an odd power glows in it. She acts the part, too. Every inch of her behavior, from her confident swashbuckling swagger to her calculated posture of agression, screams pirate tradition.     So when the bird-girl follows Mr. Scott up to the meeting room and strides her way in, swinging the door wide open with a cocky grin on her beak, she gets right down to business, giving firm feathery handshakes to Gates, and immediately digging into the refreshments. "Ahoy there! Cap'n Pavo, of the Starbound Flotilla, though I'm sure ye know already! I've heard ye've got a needs fer guns, and crew to shoot them." She says. "I've got a half-dozen craftsmen ready to arm ye to the teeth, the toes, and then back again, if ye'll have the coin for it, and those same half dozen for lightin' those fuses when it's time."     The other members of the Flotilla captaincy arrive as well, heading to take seats that flank Pavo's, though they're far, far less piratey. George is already digging into the drinks as well! Pavo focuses for now, though. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     It's rowdy all right, but isn't that what a tavern should be like? It suddenly gets rather noisy as some of the new people walk through, as one of the patrons turn to another, shouting something angrily that drowns in the noise from the other people out drinking... and a fight breaks out, accompanied by loud cheering.     Strangely enough a drink has disppared from the refreshment table in the room, but what's even more strange is when Seft of the Flotilla tries to sit down in her chair. The poor glitch will find herself /pushed/ away by an unseen force... on her nose?     "Boop!"     A shimmer of purple lines and pixels reveals the cause, already sitting down in the chair with food and drink. An amused face peers out from underneath the dark hood, though it shouldn't be hard to tell just who it is for those who know the woman that speaks up in a pleased voice. "Seat's already taken, amiga." How typical of Sombra to sneak in, huh?     Fret not, as she pats the seat next to her, indicating that Seft should sit down there. And then she reaches up to pull her hood back. The hood was only useful outside as she didn't wish to pull too much attention to herself, even if she's got her thermoptic camouflage. "I'm curious about this letter too. But it ought to be interesting, considering where we were asked to meet up..." she murmurs with a smirk, raising her drink to her lips. 

:'''{{#var:1067|Captain Flint (1067)}} has posed:''' Gates likes to consider himself fairly congenial, though the lot Flint's dragged in today is quite a motley crew. Some months back, he'd seen a lady with giant cannons affixed to her back, and found himself marveling not only at her strength but at the seemingly seamless blend of man and machine. Septette, then, is even more stunning to his 17th century sensibilities--though it should be noted not in a bad way. He stops to pause and wonder for a moment.      Then, the ever-gregarious Lima shakes his hand, and Gates looks as if he's seen a ghost (or an undead, as it were.) "Jesus," he whispers in the wake of the undead pirate's excited entrance. He's left startled, ill-at-ease... and somehow, strangely amused. "I'll... have someone bring some up," says the bald, stocky quartermaster.      Between Pavo, Lima, and the rest of the flotilla, Gates is beginning to think that some things are just universal. Seeing the avian pirate puts a smile on his face, and he seems a little more at ease when he ducks out. As he does so, onlookers will notice the tattoo of the Eye of Providence on the back of his head.      Flint, meanwhile, leans back in his chair, his hard glare slowly travelling around the room. He furrows his brow, rubbing his chin. The afternoon sunlight streaming in from the shutters behind him twinkles against the rings on his hand. Leaning forward, he answers the question on everyone's lips. "My name is Flint," he says. "The other fellow is my quartermaster, Hal Gates. I do apologize for the secrecy, but a certain amount is necessary should a man of fortune wish to avoid Spanish sword and English noose." He rises from his seat and places his hands on the table. "L'Urca de Lima," the captain gravely states. "Even with the help of your craftsmen," he says with a nod to Pavo, "And with the talents you'll all no doubt bring along, she'll be a difficult prize." 

:'''{{#var:1067|Captain Flint (1067)}} has posed:''' Gates returns, as does a servant or perhaps a tavern employee, with water for Lima and new refreshments to replace what's been taken. He takes the seat to the right of Flint, who continues.      "Over one hundred cannons, and easily twice the size of most ships which make port here, if not larger. Complicating matters is her escort: three ships of the line totaling perhaps eighty guns each. Ordinarily, trying to take such a prize would be suicide, but I know when and where the Urca will stop to take on water. That's when we'll strike."      "If this is going to be a success, I'll need to know what each of you can bring to the table. We'll need firepower, of course. But we'll also need ships, of which I presume we're in no short supply," he says with a nod to the various captains assembled at the table. "We'll also need a capable, experienced vanguard--for those of you unused to this line of work, that means boarding parties." 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''     Half-Japanese teenagers with weird hairstyles probably aren't the first things one thinks of when one thinks 'pirate'. Which probably explains why Josuke's late; they were probably giving him the runaround when he very politely asked about the meeting. As it is, he peeks around the door, almost meekly, blue eyes blinking in surprise at the assortment of people here. "Um... is this... the right place...?" he asks.     He isn't wearing his school uniform here -- if they're going to do something illegal, he doesn't want to sully his school's name. But rather that outfit he wore in Brimsteel, the one that almost looks Western -- 'Western' as in 'yee haw', not 'western' as in 'American or European'. He does, however, have his hair in that pompadour. Or 'regent', if you're Japanese.     ...Dear God but he looks so incredibly out of place. 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' Lyria Mason takes a moment to look at those who else are arriving here. She notices Pavo and just /stares/ at him, oh yes she's not forgot about Pavo nope. She doesn't do anything but it's clear from that look she's not forgot some of the stunts they have pulled in the past. She lets it go for the moment however and give Lima a lookbefore she goes to grab some of the Rum for a moment. "Given the line of work it's only natural I would say, sir. Also that's quite a bit of fire power regardless of the world or era isn't it. Humm could you use someone tht could ... use the sea as her ally and slip aboard one of the escorts?" She pauses to look at Josuke, she peers at his hair and wonders what magic allows him to pull that /hair/ off. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      "L'Urca de Lima," the little robot enunciates with slight amusement on her lively face. "A flowery-sounding name for a beast of a ship, I take it." She tilts her head back to take a sip of her rum- with her chin up, it's easy to see that there's no throat there, just a black metal spine and piano-wire tendons extending up from a tan collarbone. That doesn't appear to impair her enjoyment of the refreshments, though; she makes a little noise of satisfaction and nods while licking her lips.      "Sounds like it could be quite a prize, if we could take it without sending it to the ocean floor. I'm certain Pavo knows more about such operations specifically than I do- I shall just try not to punch too many holes below the waterline." The Starbound captains earn a respectful inclination of her head as well, as does Sombra; the other Elites arrayed here certainly look capable, but they're the only ones she has personal experience with.      "But you asked for our individual strengths. I shouldn't muddy the waters with praise for my allies; they know themselves better than I." She parts the shawl near her side and extends her left arm, revealing a complex black-and-tan nightmare of strange machinery and sharp edges. For a moment, it resembles the arm of a skin-tone mechanical skeleton.      Then the entire limb unfolds like a sadist's swiss army knife into a nameless bladed device of murder, as timeless and delicate as a baroque astrolabe, and parts of it glow red with heat for a moment before abruptly quenching themselves. An instant later, it all folds back into a humanoid arm and is withdrawn behind her shawl.      "I am a machine built for killing, Captain Flint. If you can get me onto one of those ships, everyone on board it shall be dead or prisoner. I can contribute somewhat to a ranged assault with my magic, but it is not my primary purpose." Her other hand snakes its way out of the cloak as well, and a small colorful spark dances between her fingertips before guttering and disappearing. "As for how to board them... I have ideas. You might only need to get me close." 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Seft emits a noise like an alarm clock going off when she tries to sit down. "Surprised. Augh!" Her voice synthesizer remains monotoned, but she clearly is unsettled by that. "Alarmed. Goodness! You surprised me!" She seems startled in that robotic way. It's awkward, almost cutely so in a way, when she collects herself and takes a seat off to the side.     "Aye? Captain Flint? Heard some rumors of ye, ye sea-monster, good seein' you canny enough to slip the noose. A tough prize yer namin', a hundred cannons and a galleon. Did a little reading up on how it exchanges with my home. 'Tis a harder target ye tell of than even Eagle-class ships." Pavo says, clasping feathers in front of her dramatically. She sees that stinkeye from Lyria, and gives her a smirk in response. "But some here know we've a talent for sailin' through bad odds, aye? It'll be tough, but with enough work and enough luck ye can have a prize like that."     Indeed, just because you're a spaceship fleet doesn't mean cannons are just now suddenly obsolete. Pavo's read up enough on the local naval data to know that a fifty-cannon broadside will still shred a Kestrel-class spaceship like it's tissue paper before too long, black powder or no. "We've the strengths of mass production. Swords. Pistols. Cannons. And everything between 'em all. More than ye could load yer own ship with, enough for yer backup, 'tis the truth. We could bet one of our craft as well, but me thoughts are that someone may have somethin' better than our Kestrel-class ready and thirstin' for blood." She glances to the others; who wants to get their ship armored and armed with fancy spacetech? :D 

:'''{{#var:945|Lima Ultimos (945)}} has posed:''' Gates' reaction to Lima only has a (kind of loud) whisper back, "Be careful not to use his name in vain!" It comes with a grin. When everyone starts introducing themselves, Lima Ultimos looks at Pavo. A bird pirate? That is excellent, but Lima has no idea how to talk to bird pirates. "I be seeing ye be an expert in the crows' nest! Ye skills will likely be very handy for this." There's a glance at Septette and her robot features as well, a puzzled look as Lima tries to figure out what she is because the only machine he knows how to use is a telegraph, before the undead captain spots Josuke. The boy looks awkward and nervous, but he's big, and he looks like a good lad...and has excellent taste in fashion and hair. Almost as if he's ignoring Flint's explanation, Lima Ultimos jumps out of his seat to greet Josuke. "The name be Lima Ultimos, lad, and ye seem to be just in time! We be discussing some old-fashioned piracy. Come, be taking a seat, don't be shy!" Lima offers Josuke a seat next to him, as he turns to Flint when the captain asks what everyone has - he HAS been paying attention. "Me ship be the Coma Navaja, the fastest there ever be! Land, sea, sky, outersky, she be the pinnacle of all ships. One-hundred man crew, many many cannons, several swivel guns, and a crew willing to go into the mouth of Heck itself!" There's an overwhelming sense of pride, as Lima Ultimos raves about his ship and crew. "We be at ye service, Captain Flint, and if any of ye don't have ye own ship, yer free to board with us!" 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     The surprised reaction from Seft makes Sombra smile, looking rather pleased with herself. "You're fine, haven't you gotten used to being surprised by me yet?" Then again, she's not been stealthy when she's been around the Flotilla much, now has she?     Honestly? The teenager doesn't look more out of place than the other people assembled here. Sombra turns her head to glance at the youth, offering him a reassuring smile. "You're in the right place, niño."     As Flint explains matters and what they're after, Sombra looks rather pensive as she watches him, daintly eating from the plate of food she picked up downstairs, careful to not smear her colourful lipstick. Well, it's time to decide who does what, it appears. "This world is sadly lacking when it comes to tech," she begins with a lamentful sigh, her free hand moving to tap the air in front of her. A holovid screen appears, and she begins typing rapidly away as even more screens pop up in front of her. "But I guess I can dig up information easily enough with multiversal sources and from more limited ones in this world. It shouldn't be too hard to find info on L'Urca de Lima. And when the time comes, I guess I could be useful for the boarding party. Most likely they will be too busy with what they can see, no?" A sly smile crosses her lips as she continues reading.     At Lima's offer to have others join him on his ship for the mission, the hacker arches an eyebrow. "Would that be safe for the living, amigo?" 

:'''{{#var:945|Lima Ultimos (945)}} has posed:''' Lima Ultimos looks at Sombra's question as if she's speaking gibberish. "Of course it be, I be living, can't ye tell?" He's not joking. 

:'''{{#var:1067|Captain Flint (1067)}} has posed:''' Flint levels a look Josuke's way--a hard, discerning look paired with a settling of the jaw. For a moment, that stony gaze bores into Josuke, perhaps even right through him. A glance of appraisal, perhaps? He gives the sharp dressed young man a nod, inviting him to come and take his seat at the table as others have. "Please, join us. You're just in time, as our lively associate says."      Lyria's remark earns a raised eyebrow. "I could," he says. "Boarding the Urca will be hard enough without the escorts. Taking them out of the equation, even temporarily, would greatly improve our chances."      He considers further expounding upon this idea, but his meditation is interrupted by the sudden plethora of cutting edges bursting from the demure killing machine's arm. "I see," he says, rubbing his goatee as gears begin to turn.      Gates, meanwhile, jumps in his seat at the sight. "Fucking hell," he utters beneath his breath.      Pavo's mention of upgrades has him twirling the edge of his auburn mustache with definite interest. Well, it's either that, or the concerning notion of his name already having Multiversal notoriety. Whatever the thought is, he dismisses it with a natural smile, playing it cool. "Have you? I've heard some good stories, myself."      "Nevertheless, I'd be very much interested in seeing these weapons of yours. It sounds as though they'd help tip the scales."      Gates looks perturbed with Lima, giving Flint an incredulous look as the most energetic dead man this side of the river Styx bounds about the room. He raises an objection, but is quickly countermanded by Flint, interjecting.      "I find your zeal uniquely refreshing, Ultimos--as does my man Gates." Gates scoffs. "You, and I, and anyone else bringing a ship shall have to discuss strategy in the very near future."      Sombra's contribution earns the most visible reaction yet. "Of course," he says, tapping a finger to the table definitively. "I hadn't even thought of that. She's carrying a haul worth over five million Spanish dollars--surely another world must've had such a ship. Records, cargo manifests... It's an excellent idea, as is your suggestion of stealth and cunning over force. There's just one thing remaining."      His gaze falls once again to Josuke. "You there," he says. "What's your name, and what skills do you have? You seem to have the eye of a marksman--focused, perceptive. Do I misjudge you?" 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''     Josuke notices Lyria's look and gives a sheepish, almost shy wave. "Hello," he greets her. Though he goes quiet when people start talking about their abilities! Septette's nameless bladed device of murder gets a wide-eyed look, and Josuke takes a step back. Not that he doesn't trust her to keep the implements of death to herself, but 'backing away from pointy things' is a matter of self-preservation!     Lima's sudden appearance near him gets a bit of a jump! He's been in the Multiverse a... little while, anyway. Enough to know not to instantly react badly to things he might consider weird. So he smiles at the greeting by Lima instead. At the offer of a seat near Lima, "Oh! Thanks." The jumpy reaction from earlier seems forgotten.     He also nods to Sombra, with a friendly smile. "Thank you. Sorry about being late." The latter was more to the room at large, but he is looking in Sombra's direction as he says it. Though he looks a little uncomfortable, as Sombra brings up that concern. He hadn't thought about that. But there's Lima's assurances! Surely he knows what he's talking about, right? ...Right?     Flint's appraising look actually gets a sheepish grin from Josuke, and he raises a hand to rub at the back of his neck with a quiet, nervous 'eheh'. When he's okay'd to join the ground proper, Josuke nods, and sits in the seat Lima had indicated. He listens to the explanation of what the ship is carrying, and his eyes go wide. "Whoooooa... that's a lot..." Understatement. "And then you factor in inflation, rarity of Spanish dollars from this time... Heh! Jotaro would be so jealous!"     And then suddenly Flint is focused on him again! "Huh? Oh!" Josuke stands, stepping forward and bowing politely to Captain Flint. "My name is Josuke Higashikata. I'm a Stand user. I have a Stand... basically a poltergeist. Not the ghost kind."     To those capable of seeing it, a bright purple aura surrounds Josuke, and then a shape rises up out of that energy, from Josuke's own body. The energy quickly takes form into a solid, opaque figure floating a few inches off the ground behind Josuke -- a large, muscular figure, bubblegum in color, with powder blue armor. And lots of heart motifs! SO MANY HEARTS!     "This is <Crazy Diamond>," Josuke introduces; 'Crazy Diamond' is said in English, despite his Japanese heritage. The figure doesn't seem to have an intelligence of its own, but has its blue gaze fixed on Captain Flint. "<Crazy Diamond> is better up close, but I it's precise enough to attack from a distance by flicking, um... I guess it would be lead shot? Flicking those off its fingers. But there's something else it can do."     All of a sudden, the figure phases through Josuke... and then explodes into a flurry of punches. Thankfully aimed at the table. However, unless the table's moved? The flurry will end up reducing the table to more or less splinters. Only for a moment, though. Should the table have been destroyed as planned, an orange aura surrounds the destroyed table and it... puts itself back together. Once the aura fades, the table should be in exactly the same shape it was in before the Stand punched it.     "I can fix people, too," he replies, as both the Stand and his purple aura disappear. "So if someone gets hurt, let me know. I can probably put them back together. I need to concentrate to do that, though. I mess up if I get distracted too much." He doesn't sound like he's bragging about any of this, either; he's just stating his Stand's abilities. 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' Lyria Mason thinks about it that much metal being fired at something was going to do damage to /most/ things she knew of, and up close? She gets everyone's cause for concern after all. She looks to the Captainf or a moment. "Yes I have certain skills that would lend me to being able to get aboard one of them mostly unaided and disable the crew if I'm lucky, Or enough of them to render the ship not a threat for a time." She notced disable and not kill curious. She seems into this plan and she looks to Sombra and stares. "That is an impressive bit of thinking. In other world it would just be historiral record one could waltz into a Libray and get it more or less, or on the net." She's taking a liking to Sombra's out of the box thinking already and it shows. Josuke also gets a look over she nods to Josuke's mention of medical. "Good you can keep the team together aqnd lessen the chance this job turns into a total blood bath, aye?" 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Pavo's eyes light up. That's a lot of money. A /tremendous/ amount for a raid of this sort. "Matey, for a share of that ye'll have a hundred and one cannons if ye ask for 'em." Her greed is practically radiating off of her body like an inverse halo. She snaps, and Albert hoists his Matter Manipulator, projecting various three-dimensional displays of dramatic Avian piracy cannons; while Flint likely won't understand the dramatic power of a railgun, he can easily understand the number of zeroes written after various highly destructive statistics. And it looks like they even fire plain old cannonballs, and use some kind of "Erchius powder" for firing. "It's the start of things, not near the end. More guns and armor for yer craft than ye could carry if ye bought it all."     Pavo actually caws out a laugh at Lima's joke. "Yarharhar! Casual racism! Ye really don't have a care on this side of the mortal coil, do ye?" She seems to take it in stride. And she's in the middle of this when Josuke shows off. She seems utterly fascinated. "Could bring a ship right back together with that, lad." She says, in an awed sort of tone. "Ye come right aboard and ye help right out, gonna need ye on this one from the sound of it. And this, this is a ghost, ye said? Strike some fear in their hearts! Scream and burn with rage, and ye oughta have a proper fright for 'em. Make 'em surrender easier." 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     Okay, that makes Sombra arch her finely split eyebrow even higher, tilting her head at Lima. "Well, I do guess dead men tell no tales," she murmurs to herself, glancing at him even as she brings up another screen and begins reading.     You don't become good at hacking and solving puzzles unless you're able to think outside of the box and come up with various solutions to things, that's something Sombra learned at an early age. "It's only logical, isn't it? There are so many variations of worlds, though there are some common things between them. I'll head around the various dockmasters in this world later and see what I can find, there are bound to be information /somewhere/." All she needs to do is to look in the right place, even if she can't exactly do it the easy way. But hey, she's up for a challenge. "If possible I could also try to sneak onto the ship beforehand... I have the skills to remain unseen until the right time... and I could cause a distraction on board?" she offers as she taps one bright nail against her lower lip, her eyes glancing over to Flint as she works.     Her attention then moves to Josuke as he explains how his power works, and when Crazy Diamond appears? She lets out a low whistle, clearly amused as she grins. At least until the thing starts punching the table. Barely managing to grab her drink and plate, Sombra looks shocked as the table is reduced to splinters. "¿Que?! What are you--" she begins, her voice annoyed as she manages to spill some of the drink on her cloak. Though her irritation is quickly abated as the table is reshaped, and she rolls her eyes before setting her food and drink back down before wiping away the stain on her clothes. "Could have warned us..." Well, at least the kid will be useful if people get hurt. With that she returns to working on her research. 

:'''{{#var:945|Lima Ultimos (945)}} has posed:''' Taking another sip of his water, Lima Ultimos beams at Flint's response. "Aye, Captain Flint. I be excited to discuss and work with ye in the future!" And then, the show goes to Josuke. The pirate watches him closely, a crooked grin when the table is shattered and then brought back together. "Ye be capable of miracles?! I thought ye had something in ye, kid, and ye certainly do! With that gift, ye be forging ye own destiny!" Crooked glance at Pavo. "Racism? I be not racing here, unless ye mean the other kind! But ye certainly seem capable. I be looking forward to our assault, us captains with our ships be going to show them the true spirit of piracy!" The water cup is held up high, before being shot down. "Dead men be telling a lot of tales, amiga. Ye just be needing to know the right ones to ask." 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      The yggdroid glances over her shoulder at Gates, giving the tattooed man a mischievous grin and an easy wink before downing the rest of her rum. It's a mystery why she'd need refreshments, let alone enjoy them, but she seems to be quite grateful for them nonetheless. "Fear not. Shouldn't knowing I'm on your side be comforting, squishy?" What's that supposed to mean, exactly? Gates looks like a fairly hardened man to be called 'squishy'.      The way her eyes track Crazy Diamond's punches in rapid saccades is evidence enough that she must've seen the Stand responsible, yet the supernatural effect isn't what garners a verbal response. "I can stay far away if that'll make you feel better," she tells the young man with an appraising yet concerned look on her face. "Not sure if you could do much for fixing me up anyway- those efforts would be better spent on the others, I think."      Lima earns himself a curious, appraising look for his strange comment. "I think I understand what you mean. You and I might not have blood left to lose or a heart to still, but as long as we're not in the ground, we're still living. Is that what you meant?"      Without waiting for a reply from the skeletal captain, she nods towards him while looking at Flint. "I'll sortie with Captain Lima, if he will allow it. A fast approach is vital in order for my approach to work, and it sounds like he might have the best shot at that, if his boasts are true." That last part is spoken with a sly look, like she's playfully daring the undead captain to prove his claims in practice. 

:'''{{#var:1067|Captain Flint (1067)}} has posed:''' Gates actually speaks up before Flint, in the wake of Josuke's demonstration. "Never seen anything like it," he says. "Actually not sure I /saw/ it at all..."      "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Higashikata."      "You got that name in one try?" Gates asks incredulously.      "You could, too, if you ever bothered to broaden your horizons," comes Flint's reply, complete with a smirk and a snide, sidelong glance towards his quartermaster. He returns his attention to Josuke. "It seems I wasn't too far off the mark, then." He nods in agreement with Captain Pavo's assessment. "She's right. If your strengths lie in single combat and reconstruction, you'd be equally welcome alongside my physician Doctor Howell, providing urgent repairs, or on the front lines. I'll leave the choice to you and trust that you know your gifts well enough--just be ready to operate under stress." With that said, Flint takes a moment to admire Josuke's handiwork. The table is indeed virtually the same as it was beforehand. "Remarkable."      Flint then clears his throat. "Now that we have that information, I can begin forming a more nuanced plan." He pauses, thinking in silence with that intense gaze of his focused on a particularly featureless part of the wall. "The escorts are a recent addition," he admits. "Beforehand, the prospect was much more attractive, as the war and its toll on Spain prevented any kind of support for the Urca. With some... recent developments in the colonies," he says with a glance to Gates, "England has had to divert resources away from the front lines, affording Spain the opportunity to bolster its interests in such a way." The way he says it, one would almost suppose he was responsible for the unrest in the colonies. "But," he says, "I believe between all of us, even that can be managed."      "Miss Mason," he begins. "Your gifts with water will be invaluable for this hunt. I'll need you to be a part of the vanguard, in a somewhat nontraditional role. I shall explain further in a moment."      "Captains Ultimos and Pavo," he says. "The three of us will make a combined effort to lure the escorts away--the Walrus will fly Spanish colors in sight of the Urca and her escorts. The Coma Navaja will sail into view, raise the black, and fire a few shots across the Walrus' bow. If our efforts to lure both escorts away prove unsuccessful, Captain Pavo will join in the 'attack.'"      "At this point, Miss Mason and Miss Arcubielle, I'll ask you to employ your particular talents to disable the escorts in whichever way you see fit." He nods, in response to Septette's assertion regarding speed. Either Lima's ship is that fast, or it isn't, but there's no use in taking exception to such claims. Ultimately, it's the undead captain's reputation on the line.      "Now--who among you is the best marksman? By the time we disable the escorts, the Urca will have a lead on us. I'd like to have someone who can sit in the crow's nest and pick off whoever dares to stand at her helm. My man is good, but I've since learned that Elites are the best the Multiverse has to offer."      While Flint is discussing strategy, Sombra will discover some historical information from other worlds about the treasure galleon. In most worlds, it's known as a shipwreck, which is either a good sign or a bad sign depending on the reason thereof--which varies from world to world. Its original name is Santisima Trinidad, and conservative estimates put her at 140 guns. She could probably find more, with enough time to research.      In response to Sombra's question about stowing away, and about spying, Flint advises caution. "Be careful. The man who was responsible for the dispensation of the Urca's schedule is dead--I would wager at the hands of Spanish Colonial Intelligence. The idea of sabotage is meritorious, but the ship is already sailing. If there is some other way I or any of the other captains can get you aboard, just let us know." 

:'''{{#var:945|Lima Ultimos (945)}} has posed:''' "Aye! I be a human because I say I be human, and I be alive because I say I be alive, and I feel alive!" Probably...not what Septette meant, but Lima Ultimos interprets it that way, as he responds. "I'll accept ye to me crew for this sortie, and show you just how fast me ship be." Regarding Flint's explanation, Lima Ultimos nods. "Be a good plan, diversion and all! I be a good shot, but I be focusing on sailing. The Coma Navaja, she be getting restless when I not at the wheel!" He laughs, placing a hand down on the table. "Spain be me home...it be nice to see how their ships and navy be after all these years!" 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:'''     Josuke nods to Lyria's assessment. "That's what I'm hoping," he notes, as he goes back to where he was sitting. Though he notes a bit too late that he's managed to spill Sombra's drink, and winces. "Oh man... I'm sorry!" He stands again, moving over to her. Then there is the Stand again, and it's trying to remove the stain from her cloak. By 'repairing' the drink itself. Any of the drink that hasn't been consumed should now go back into the cup. He gives her a sheepish look. "Sorry about that." He sounds like he honestly didn't mean harm by it, at least!     Josuke looks at the displays of the weapons. Not to worry, he can't really understand most of what's up there either, but 'big gun' is fairly universal a concept in worlds that have guns. So his eyes go a bit wide here. Though he doesn't quite know what do say to it. But then Pavo mentions bringing a ship back together! Josuke nods. "I've never fixed something as big as a ship," he admits. "But I bet I could do it. Or at least keep a ship from sinking."     Then he... gets a strange look on his face when Lima mentions 'miracles'. "Not... really, no..." he says, turning his gaze away from Lima. "I can't bring the dead back to life. It'll repair the body, but they stay dead. Once the soul's gone... that's it." Between the fact that he speaks with such certainty, and the fact that he looks almost sad, he must have some working knowledge of this particular limitation... and it's probably kind of painful.     Septette's offer to remain far away gets a sheepish look. "No, I... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to seem rude," he offers. "I just wasn't expecting it. I'm not going to make any excuses." He bows deeply, politely. "Please forgive my rudeness." Hair of a delinquent, heart of a knight apparently.     Flint's mention of working under stress gets a nod. "I wouldn't want to risk messing up healing somebody while in a fight -- I can't fix it if that happens. So I'd rather not do that while the fighting's going on," he explains. "But once the fighting's done, if Doctor Howell can keep the injured alive, I'll head straight there, as long as I'm still conscious."     As for being a marskman? Josuke rubs his chin thoughtfully. "I could try. <Crazy Diamond> can fire off shots at least as fast as, uh... small arms from the nineteen-nineties." The future to this world, maybe? And then something occurs to him! "In fact... I think I might be able to get some more powerful ammunition than regular lead balls..." 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      Septette taps her chin thoughtfully, producing a distinct metallic clink like the initial chime of a tuning fork. "Ships of this era have minimal defenses against attacks from directly above or directly below, correct? Given that knowledge, I believe I have a few ideas. Captain Ultimo, you said that your ship can fly, correct? If possible, I would appreciate a vertical insertion. It's entirely likely I will punch through all decks of the escort given sufficient height, but I have my own plans for what to do after that."      Josuke earns a warm smile and a slight inclination of the head, like a microscopic bow. "Don't worry about it, little one. I ought to be apologizing for startling you in that case, no? In any case, be at ease." Arcubielle's eyes twinkle with a surprisingly authentic kind of humanity- if she's merely emulating human affect, she's one heck of an actor. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     The hacker seems like she's entirely focused on her research now as the other speak, though she does glance up at the Stand when it 'fixes' her drink. Well, there her cloak is clean again. "Well, that's something you don't see every day," she says, then nods in return to Josuke. All's forgiven, kid. Right now Sombra has more research that needs to be done. Historical info should be a good start, and perhaps she can make some digital file for everybody involved in this mission. It certainly won't hurt if everybody's prepared and knows just what the ship itself is capable of.     Now the warning about stowing away, but mostly the fact that the ship has already set sail, that makes the latina look back at Flint, eyes slightly narrowed. "Well, if you can't get me onto the ship," she begins, then unclips a translocator from her belt, holding it up for all to see. "Is there a way that any of you can get /this/ onto the ship?" she inquires, looking around at the others. The Flotilla captains and Septette should at least know what the thing is by now. 

:'''{{#var:670|Lyria Mason (670)}} has posed:''' Lyria Mason pauses at Crazy DIamond and thinks about it it's almost like being a summoner on her world, almost same kinds of idea but he's challenign something other than her world's Gods from the looks of things. "I'm eager for this job too should be a pretty good score if we can pull this off." She gerins and she ponders for amoment, she looks to Captain Flynn and nods. She sees where Flint is going. She looks to Josuke for amoment smirling a bit then turns her attention back to the planning. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     "Hmmmm..." Pavo thinks aloud. "Could refit a ship of ours with a nice wood facade, ought'a look convincing from a distance, just long enough to keep in range. Could be part of the attackers, aye, I know the way a pirate sails no matter what seashe be sailin'." She then considers the issue of Sombra. "Hmmm...Too strong an electromagnetic field might burn that little thing right out, lass. Would be useless as a railgun payload. Now, what if yer ghost friend over there could fire that? Would be quite a use of that power."     She then turns to him, planting her hands on her waist. "Speakin' of it, bet me crew could rig some chemical explosive rounds for ye. Long as ye didn't jostle 'em much... Without needs for propellant, without needs for casing to survive an explosive firing, without electromagnetism frying their insides... Ye could turn that into a real artillery strike, slow 'em down enough for us to catch up?" She gives a lot of thought to the idea. "Aye, would be quite a better arrangement. Us the craftsmen, ye the marksman, aye?"     "The rest of us, we be boardin' the old fashioned way if anything. Close in hard, grappling hooks ready. I've some grand hooks on the menu for manufacture, ought to give us an edge they don't expect. Can rig 'em to every boat. Maybe even a shorter-range Breach Port launcher or two, but we can barely spare the teleporter cores. Could get us in if we get enough time." 

:'''{{#var:1067|Captain Flint (1067)}} has posed:''' "Very good," says Flint in response to Josuke. The boy's willing to try, despite not having done it before. It's not a bad thing by any means--though this will be a challenging first endeavor. "I'll have one of my men alongside you as a spotter--you'll be able to cover each other that way."      Flint eyes the translocator. "It could be done," he says, as much to Pavo as to Sombra. "With the right approach and windage, I could make the shot and have this on their deck, depending on the weight of the device. The main issue would be getting a cannon to the bow quickly and covertly enough. Perhaps it would be more prudent to have Mr. Higashikata make the attempt."      Flint lets his gaze wander to Pavo, stroking his goatee in thought. "Captain Pavo, I'd like to discuss the matter of upgrades--and cost--with you soon. Meet me in town at your convenience and I'll show you the Walrus. That way you can both have an idea of what you'll be working with, and what to do as far as this disguise of yours." With that, Flint takes a seat. Things are beginning to come together, and this group seems a formidable, if unusual bunch.      "Of course--there is also the matter of payment," says Gates as Flint takes a seat. "We figured that you lot would have more... expensive tastes than most, so here's our offer. A share for each of you, a share for your men if you've a ship," says the stocky fellow with a nod to Pavo and Lima. "/Plus/ an independent fund to cover injuries and casualties in the event that Mr... Higa..." He rubs the back of his neck. "In the event our boy Josuke and/or Doc Howell can't quite put ya back together. That way you aren't paying out of your share for acts of God and such. Then, whatever goes unused from that injury fund'll be divvied up solely between you lot and added to your shares."      "For your convenience," adds Flint, "We took the liberty of speaking with a consultant from a more modern Earth. Mr. Gates..."      Hal distributes little fliers to each participant, detailing their shares, how much a 'share' is, and more importantly, the value of those shares in several modern-day currencies. Flint and his men do get a larger share, but no one is going to walk away poor. Even the conservative estimates are absolutely obscene.      It almost sounds too good to be true... 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      Septette accepts the flier graciously, skims it in a tiny fraction of a second, and then hands it back to Gates with an unreadable expression. She crosses her arms behind her back and entwines her fingers (accompanied by a noise unnervingly similar to scissors closing), then shakes her head with an earnest look on her face.      "I am glad to participate in the mission, but would rather not accept my share. Please distribute it evenly among the others."      Wait, what?      "The parts needed to maintain me are exorbitantly difficult to acquire. If I sustain any damage at all, I will represent a disproportionate strain on the medical fund," she explains. "In addition to that, I have little need for such resources myself. I still have many reasons for wishing to participate in this mission, but they would be better served by doing it pro bono- aside from accepting the medical fund apportionment."      "Please understand that I am not asking for favors in return for my aid, either," she concludes, before giving a shallow bow and turning towards the door. "Thank you for understanding. I hope that my refusal to accept compensation does not lessen the trust you feel you can place in me. And good day, Captain Flint." 
}}

5400/Hacking on Hold

2017-07-29T15:38:45Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/07/27 |Location=Overwatch Earth <OWE> |Synopsis=Reaper and Nine have bad luck as nurses to a difficult patient. |Cast of Characters=1117, 1115..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/07/27
|Location=Overwatch Earth <OWE>
|Synopsis=Reaper and Nine have bad luck as nurses to a difficult patient.
|Cast of Characters=1117, 1115, 269
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     With a world thats benefited from major technological advances the last years, people enjoy a higher standard of living. One of the direct benefits is less disease. Add in the multiverse and a whole bunch of contagious and common diseases from less evolved worlds, and the risk is there that some of these bacteria and virus will be spread to somebody who hasnt encountered them before.     The signal that Reaper was given leads to one of the backstreets in Dorado, near a small plaza overlooking the ocean. Smells from the nearby bakery fills the air, and the sound of children playing nearby can be heard. The streets here are quiet though, with nobody around to see any visitors that near doors leading into a quiet house. At first sight it appears that there is only a normal lock, but upon closer inspection it should be clear that there is tech in here too, wires visible through the windows of the dark house. But it shouldnt be hard for a Talon agent to get inside.     The interior is dark, with some purple electronics lighting up the place. The entree is empty, with some simple shoes and a coat hanging there. The kitchen nearby is a semi mess, with dirty dishes stacked up. The living room is surprisingly empty with some clothes flung around. It's not a large place, so it shouldn't take Reaper long to find who he looks for as he enters the bedroom.     Usually the hacker is a sight to behold. Neatly dressed, hair clean and styled to perfection, immaculate makeup to accent her features. That person is no longer there, replaced by a woman whose hair is a sweaty and slightly tangled mess as it hangs over the side of her face, covering at least one of her puffy and tired eyes. Without makeup she looks even more exhausted, and while she usually struts around with energy to every step, lounging about as a relaxed feline, she looks everything but energic now.     Slouching in front of her work station with one pajama covered leg pulled up against her torso, Sombra looks like shes asleep as she leans over the desk. Snotty kleenex tissues litter the area around her desk, and a mug of cold, half-drunk coffee has been spilled all over the floor next to her, soiling some paper documents that are spread all across the floor. The screens are overflowing with information, all missed by the hacker as she breathes heavily, drool running from her mouth onto her keyboard. 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' Dorado; It'd been a long time since Gabe came back here. While he was always a San An Man at heart, born and raised, the setting isn't unfamiliar - the same sound of yelling voices, the same scents, just different accents. Spanish without the American tilt to the words, the hard lipped burr of vowels and soft consonants. But that was a mortal's life - here, he is a shadow. A haunting wraith of death and revenge, of a final mission unfulfilled. A whisper of sound, and he's squatting in an alleyway, shotgun resting on his shoulder as he re-orientates. A hiss like metal filings down silk, and he's before the door itself. His cowled head turning left and then right - he'd already checked for witnesses, but always best to be certain. And then he's sinking once more, filtering in like a bad fever dream, the coils of his dark essence thickening beyond the protective portal. For he is Reaper - and nothing in this mortal coil can stop Death. Of course, with Sombra looking like 'Death Warmed Over', the dark, masked figure pauses once more. Is he considering the best way to put her out of her misery? Thinking of how to drain her life at last, and leave her a withered husk of a memory? Deciding whether it best to let her die in the slow grip of influenza? Silent as the grave he whispers forward, coils of smoke curling away from his shoulders, his sterile mask ghastly lit by the holoscreens. A single clawed hand begins to stretch towards the back of her head - and moves past it. Tap. Screens going down. "Sombra." He states, by way of introduction. And to see if she's conscious. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     The very moment that Reaper speaks up, the hacker snaps abruptly upright, coughing slightly to clear her airways, her expression tired and dreary as she blinks her tired eyes, slowly looking up at him as she tries to gather her wits.     "How'd you get in..." she mutters, her voice hoarse and unlike her usual playful and clear tone. One hand reaches up to wipe at her nose, and her gaze falls to her work station where the screens have been shut down. "... que..." What happened to the work she was doing? Then her attention falls to the spilled coffee and soiled documents. "Ah, MIERDA!" Clumsily she stumbles out of her computer chair, weakly pushing at Reaper if he's in her way so she can try to salvage the drenched papers. Not without sniffling and some uncomfortable swallowing however, and she looks rather unfocused. Which is untypical of the hacker that seems to enjoy how much in control she is at all times. "I wasn't done getting this in--- CHOO!" A violent sneeze leaves her, causing her to drop some of the papers as her head snaps forward... and she begins coughing. 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' One may as well shove at a brick wall than shove at Reaper while one is deathly ill. A low, dangerous growl ripples from beneath the dead man's bone white mask as he answers the first question - a clawed hand reaching out to neatly pick up the cup, and place it aside for the moment. Papers? Who still uses papers in a world of holo-screens? It's an interesting throwback, the blank gaze of the mask remaining fixed on them for a moment. "I am the Angel of Death; No wall, no door, no defense can halt my stride." As if that explains everything. And then the growling voice softens into a merely annoyed grumble as clawed hands drop to Sombra's shoulders while she coughs out a lung. Looking to do nothing so much as to get her -out- of the seat. He'll sweep her up if he has too. "You're no good to me dead. Yet. Get away from your screens." 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     Sure, Sombra isn't the most physically strong agent in Talon, but she's not exactly a weakling either. She knows enough tricks to use somebody's strength against them, but right now? She's clearly fumbling, weakened and clearly not at the top of her game. When Reaper's claws settles on her sweaty and warm shoulders she tries to push them away, not willing to move away from the paperwork. "But I need to... need the info for next week when we're," she begins, then pauses to catch her breath and swallow some gunk by the sounds of it. And when she's swept up the hacker doesn't sound happy, and she'll even begin wriggling, one hand moving to push at Reaper's masked face. "Gabe, I have to work! I... didn't finish it earlier, so behind on today's schedule...!" she blabbers, blinking tiredly. "Just let me put in the info while I can still read the documents, damnit...!"     Heck, if he doesn't put her down she will even try to kick him. "I told you that I don't need to... to.... ACHOO!" Another violent sneeze leaves her, and it should be evident that she's clearly not all there. 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' "My name.. is Reaper" States the masked terrorist, the harbinger of doom, the end of life, the shotgun blast out of the darkness - as he carries the small, angry hispanic girl towards her own cot. Her weight means little to a super soldier's enhancements, one arm tucked beneath her knees and the other beneath her shoulder blades, as if he were some particularly wicked villain carrying a fainting maiden off to ill deeds at a railroad track. His head tilting back when the mask is pushed at, a hiss of annoyance as the smoke continues to coil outwards from his cowl. Must be attached to the mask, or just carefully designed so that it won't fall off with a head tilt. The Princess Carry ends at the cot itself, of course. A surprisingly easy placement on the bedspread, the Reaper's sterile mask turning about the room for some sort of implement of torture. That is, food preparation, even as he idly snarls. "Shut up, or I'll empty the hellfire buckshot into your systems. I'm not letting your work go sloppy because you've managed to contract the -flu-, Sombra." Well, not exactly comforting bedside manner. ".. Where is your pantry?" 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     It's a good thing that Sombra is exhausted and weakened, as she would be far more trouble otherwise. Sure, she does put up a fight, but it's rather pathetic as she attempts to kick and flail, but she simply lacks the energy or focus. Even the push at his face isn't rough enough to do any damage, and Sombra sniffles weakly as she mutters angrily in Spanish. She's got work to do, and nobody else can do it! But before she can work up an eloquent retort she finds herself dropped on something a bit more comfy than her chair, and the woman sits up, looking drearily around as she realises she's been put to bed. "Can't... sleep, I tried earlier," she mutters. The moment he threatens to unload unholy lead upon her work station though, she does manage to half-glare up at the man. "You stay away from my systems, or I---" The threat is interrupted by a coughing fit, and Sombra pulls her knees up to her chest.     The flu... she hasn't had that since she was a small girl, sometime after the Omnic crisis.     Her pantry? "Kitchen... is over there," she mutters, pointing towards the hallway. While Sombra does have some food, it's not exactly well stocked. Some canned goods, noodles, rice, dried stuff, things that can last for a while. Very few fresh ingredients can be found. "It won't be sloppy, just... I need those documents, had such a hard time finding them in that library, need them to... to... ugh, finish attack plans..." Sombra /did/ put something into her calendar so that Talon can see that she's planning a heist next week with some other Elites. 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' "I expect better." Snarls Reaper, as Sombra explains about her attack plans. "Talon does nothing half-assed; You'll have time to plan, or you'll pass the info on to me and I'll write out a venue of attack. But you won't be putting yoursel-.. Talon assets.. at risk by writing out your brief half out of your mind." There's something in that growling voice; Almost chidment? Honestly, it's hard to tell because Reaper is -always- growling or snarling. His voice is -always- on the hard edge of a rasp, like he was biting off words to prevent from screaming. The dark figure moving away from Sombra, no reponse to her interrupted threat, as he continues to speak. Clawed hands digging slowly through the pantry, cans lifted and reviewed one after another. Speaking idly as he does - with a snarl. "I taught you better than that. Sleep when you can; War knows no rest." It'll have to be something with rice. Something spicey, to clear the sinus. At the very least, their tastes were somewhat similar, even though Reaper ...couldn't taste anymore. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     The hacker grumbles tiredly where she sits. "... then you can help by writing down what those papers say," she points out. "We... need info on the ship, that world has no real tech, and..." she takes a break to cough some more and clear her throat, and then she lets out a tired groan of resignation as she flops facefirst down on the bed, chest rising and falling quickly. When she hears his steps moving towards the kitchen her glassy eyes move to the work station... no, he will hear her. So she fiddles with her radio instead, touching a hand to her ear as she mutters something under her breath. It's a good thing Reaper's still speaking...     "I /tried/ to sleep," she protests with a huffy tone, "but I can't... I... I just need to get stuff done, then I can relax. Go get some medicine for me if you want me to rest up, the sooner I get the basics down..." An undignified sound leaves her as she tries to clear her sinuses, and a whine can be heard next. "Uh.... don't have time to be siiiiiick..." 

:'''{{#var:269|No. 9 (269)}} has posed:'''     The murmuring soft sounds of joyous children drifting here and there, bounding off the stucco and whispering softly through grass kissed back alleys make for an uncomfortable time for a certain rangy shuffling cyborg, each burst of laughter and calling shouts getting an odd flinch and ducking bow from the ugly thing, little more than a shape in the shadows. Back alleys and dark places strictly for him, turned away from most open doors lest the glow of those photonegative eyes catch things out in an inopportune way.     Up and over and down, careful to avoid leaving much more than a faintly discomforting scent lingering in the air behind him, occasionally a scuff on the stucco or a bit of clattering terracotta scattering down from a mistimed jump, he might well not have been there at all.     Directions work though, and after a bit, a somewhat hesitent and very ugly face turns its eyes to the faint purpley glow. The head lifts, eyes closing and nostrils spreading a bit with a sniff... before he curses. He doesn't know what she damn well smells li-     But the very very faint hint of something sour, of sickness does linger, and with a huff there'd be a shuffle.     Code, code, code code code, code. Code. CODE! Here, yes! Blunt metal fingers, the elegant alloy scraped and pinged here and there by blade or bullet bite mash somewhat clumsily against the buttons, the faint brip brip breep! an answer to his efforts, and after a moment he takes a thin breath, slipping into the dimmer cool within.     "You aint got time t' be sick ma'am, but th' sick sure got time t' be you. I TOL' ya you should head by th' medbay..." The voice is rough, scratchy, managing to be both gravelly and mucky all at the same time; the figure filling the doorway about human in height but hunched and bent, stooped like some great ugly ape. If he were standing tall and proper, who knows. Seven feet? Maybe eight? Maybe. The uh... smell, isn't very fun; not a stink of man unwashed so much as a hint of something other, something not quite human, spicy and unpleasant, and that face... glowing iris, black scleras, a face ugly in it's degenerate wrongness, for all that the eyebrows are pitched high in an expression of exasperated concern, for all that the overlong arms thump down a bag, pulling out little bottles of medicine with a grumble. 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' "Desire or not.. your time has come." Pronounces the Reaper with his growling tone of doom, hunting yet in the pantry. It won't be a great meal - alas, Reaper had been far too long without food to still know what tastes good - but he still has his memory of a life before the Grave. Albeit shattered as it is. Although his cowled head does pause as Sombra begins reaching - for her radio. A slow hiss of breath, a dangerous warning of any attempt to continue work, before his attention is back at the pantry. And then someone's outside. The pull of a shotgun from NOTHINGNESS is smooth as black silk, the hellfire shotgun forming in his hand with the motion as if it'd always been there. Arm raised parrallel to vertical, the heavy weapon ready to drop into 'firing' with the relaxing of his bicep if needs be. Smoke slowly coiling off his too edgy form when Nine fills the doorway. Like a huge, monstrous .. nurse. An experiment in medical assistance gone horribly array. The Reaper's words puncuated with slow, snarled pauses. "Who... are you?" 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     Fear not, Reaper. Sombra remains in bed, and she isn't wearing her graft right now, so she can't do any work unless she puts it on or if she moves back to her work station. Still, she does give him a feverish pout when he gives her that slow hiss. Fine, she hears you, old man.     The sound of somebody by the door though, that just barely catches her attention as she's a bit tired and unable to focus thanks to her fever. But when the door opens with the passcode, Sombra sees her chance to get to work. Knowing how paranoid Reaper is, then she can maybe use this chance...!     Half rolling out of bed, Sombra gets to her feet and stumbles towards her workstation, sniffling as she grabs onto her chair and tiredly flops down, all while she grabs the old papers from before. The screens get turned back on, and then she narrows her eyes, squinting at the text as her fingers begin to type, relatively quickly. Slow for her, but quick for most people. Maybe the two guys will keep each other busy so she can continue working now, damnit. 

:'''{{#var:269|No. 9 (269)}} has posed:'''     EnemyEnemyENEMY- the nstrils flare, the eyes lighting from a dim honey tone to an angry harsh bluish-white in their stained sockets, that leathery skin drawing taut across the half-noseless face, baring surprisingly white blocky human teeth in a faintly over-wide mouth; a hiss, long and drawn out and whistling like an angry teakettle. "FUCK YOu who the hell're YOU?"     The metal plates hiss and skitter across each other as the thing shifts down, one overlong arm planting thick metal fingers on the ground, the other going out, long and rangy and easy, waiting, his balance shifting faintly on thick clunky boots. The eyes aren't on the shotgun but on the arm, the chest near it- not the face, not the mask, judging at tiny hints of muscles, the possible hint of what might be to come. The thing's voice is thick, managing to be both thickly glutinous and yet brassily raucous at the same time.     Lines spread around those ever-staring eyes, focused on the Reaper, bent like an animal and obviously ready to fight. Someone isn't making the best first impression. 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' The ancient fun of fourty thousand years? Meet the smell of -wrong-, if Nine's got the sense for it. Not quite man, not quite explosive residue, not quite something else. Squirming between possibilities - much akin to Reaper himself, the smoke that pours from his body curling along the floor like the mist of the damned. The figure's cowled head turning briefly towards Sombra as she makes her way back to her work station, and then towards Nine as he bowls in the doorway like a bull getting ready to charge. And his laughter - mocking, echoing, even as he -MELTS-. Yes, melts. The smoke along the floor bubbling and receeding, until he rises once more beside Sombra's work desk. Speaking, first, for the genetic monstrosity. "I .. am the Angel of Death. Mortal, you have found the wrong domicile to invade." And the arm drops, the shotgun aimed for - SOMBRA'S NODE. The sterile white mask turning slightly, his growling tone slightly changed. Not quite so EDGE LORD. But still annoyed. "Get. Back. To. Bed." "Or I'm -unplugging- this thing. For good." Mixed messages, much, Lord of the Edge? 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     For now Sombra's full attention is on her screens as she does her best to type up whatever it is that the paper documents say. Sure, she can hear Nine being annoyed... but according to what she read, he tends to focus on what's in front of him. If he and Reaper duke it out in the hallway, then that's fine. The neighbours shouldn't hear anyway, and then she can focus on working in here, replace stuff in the kitchen when she's feeling better, and--     The hacker is still slouching over her keyboard as she works, unaware of the dark shadow that rises next to her. At least until he speaks up, causing her to jump, looking startled and dishevelled as she tilts her head backwards. Then there's the threat, and Sombra narrows her eyes, managing to give Reaper her best petulant pout as she lets out a mix between a croak and a groan, weakly pushing herself away from her work station. Not without grumbling as she stumbles back towards her bed, however. "No sabes ni como funciona eso, pendejo!" <You don't even know how tech works, you imbecile!>     As she gets situated back in bed she does glance out through the door leading to the main room towards Nine, giving him a tired look. "... you could have dragged him out at least." Being sick sucks, usually her plans are more effective than this... Even if her voice is hoarse, even if she doesn't look as clean and neat as she does in the picture on her profile, it should be easy for Nine to realise that the young woman is Sombra. Hacker genius and now Reaper's patient as she suffers from the flu. 

:'''{{#var:269|No. 9 (269)}} has posed:'''     Nine's got the sense for it. His sense of smell is uncomfortably keen. You can tell from the way his neck muscles twitch and strain; if he were a horse he'd be shaking his head right about now, and it's only discipline and the need to keep his eyes on his target that is keeping him from doing it- op, spoke too soon. Hair whipping, the tangled mop of well-and-truly outgrone mullet gone to seed, the strands of dirty blonde-ish brown-ish hair catch at his eyes as he snorts violently, teeth half bared.     Andthenit'smeltingIT'SMELTING and Nine dances aside, all fours now in his moment of discomforture and disquiet, his composure rattled by both the mocking tones of that laugh and the liquid smoke act both. And yet as Reap comes up closer to Sombra the thing still stalks towards him, head down now and eyes alight with more than just madness. "Get. Away, from, her. NOW." It's hissed out, a bubbling brassy rasp of menace from those bared teeth, scared lips pulled up in a snarl     "Aint afraid a death. N' I aint afraid a you. Step, away from her."     But then she's talking, and he gives her kind of a helpless look. He's been so occupied with smoking boy he's letting her get away with hurting herself. The voice drops, that brassy snarl going down a low gravely sort of croon, ugly face caught in an expression of worry. "Listen, iffn' this worsens t' pneumonia yer gonna be down a LOT longer n' you wanna be. Yer a smart gal. Alright, yer sick, yer fucked fer gettin work done inna timely manner fer a lil while. But if ya make it /worse/, it'll jest take longer t' get better. Ya can' FORCE this one girlie, it just aint happenin'..." Hand out, big wide metal paw in a placating gesture, he stares at her, for all that his eyes do flick ever so often to the looming figure of darkness next to her bed. Every now and then, a little twitch low on his cheek, near one of the bigger bullet scars. Yeah he's, totally not afraid of him. Not at all. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     Damnit, she hates it when stuff backfires on her. Earlier she just had Reaper nagging at her to get some rest, but now she has Nine too. A tired sigh leaves Sombra where she sits, and then she leans back against her pillows. No, she doesn't seem like she's in danger from the sinister figure in black with the creepy white mask judging by how she seems more irritated than scared.     "Relajate," she assures Nine, even as he makes her way into the dark bedroom that's illuminated by all the computer screens by her work station. "Gabe's just... dramatic." She shoots the man a tired glare, all before she is forced to cough some more. "And I'll be /fine/." Don't pay any attention to the fact that she's sweaty and clearly feverish. Though her eyes do fall upon his large hand, and she blinks her glassy eyes as she looks up at him, then back to Reaper... before she sighs heavily and closes her eyes, tiredly leaning back into bed. "... you two cabrons aren't going to let me work, are you..." Fine. At this point she's starting to get too tired to protest much more. 

:'''{{#var:269|No. 9 (269)}} has posed:'''     Nine: Soulless monster, tireless nag. "Gabe?" He seems to taste the word, turning his eyes to the angel of death beside her. Okay, it is a bit of a snyde sideways glance, but some of the bite is taken out of it in concern for her. A glance over to the shadowed figure, and then he's dragging the bag closer, laying slightly rough metal fingers back-first against her forehead. Before it occurs to him, yeah; safe shoving his hand in a fire, he can't really tell the difference between ambient temperatures through the metal that well. "Ya look like shit girly girl. Ya need sum downtime. Time t' get well. Aint gonna do ya no good t' waffleface at yer computer." And then there's a clank clank clunk as the bag is opened and things set out. A thermos. A big bottle of some sort of clear liquid, bubbly and with a green label, a couple of bottles and a pack full of some sort of foil-trapped pills. He sighs, his eyes dimming to a warm honey-brown. "...I know ya dun wanna admit it, but ya look like ya got a fever. Prolly could use wif a nice warm bath, but lookin at ya I wouldn' wanna see ya pass out, slip in n' drown. Tha aint no way t' go..." 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     Yes, Gabe. A perfect name for a dark, sinister angel of death, wouldn't you say? Sombra nods weakly as she wipes her runny nose on the back of her hand. When Nine raises his metallic fingers to her forehead, she makes a slight face. "... frío," she complains about his fingers. She's indeed running a fever.     When Nine points out that she doesn't look well Sombra does sulk some, not looking happy. Does she really look that sick...? Can she really afford time to relax when she's needed to work out information for Captain Flint's upcoming mission. "Gotta... work," she protests weakly, even as Nine unpacks the bag he brought with him. Drink and medicine...? Fine. Sombra grumbles as she closes her eyes, her left hand fumbling around the side of the bed until she finds a teddybear that she pulls close. "So what if I have a fever...? Worked with fevers before." A warm bath? Perhaps that would be a good idea. "If I rest and do as you say... will you two write up the papers for me?" she attempts, at least that would save her some time. Even if she could probably type it up faster herself. 

:'''{{#var:269|No. 9 (269)}} has posed:'''     "Lady I've had my arms n' legs ripped off. More n' once. When it happens? It's easy t' admit maybe I aint gonna be gettin outta bed. When yer sick it's easier t' fool yerself tha mebbe ya can git sum work done, it is. But it aint much better. Ya gotta take care a you. B'sides. It's moments like this, when yer sick as shit n' yer body's achin tha ya kin pick up somma them premature wrinkles. Ya dun wanna be marrin yer body by tirin yerself out when yer sick, do ya? It aint good fer ya." A pause at her question (teddy bear filed away and he manages to suppress the d'aww admirably) and blinks. "You want me to, type?" With is big clunky fingers. Um. A glance down. "...I'll try." It's a promise, albeit a not particularly happy about it. He bends down, and comes up with a bottle of lukewarm water, faintly tinged with something, and a washcloth. A faint tip, the bloom of water against the cloth and then he's wringing it out into the bag, the faint smell of rose oil mild and soft in the air. WRINGGG- and then applied, a touch too cool but refreshing, caressing gentle and moist just under the edge of the hairline, and the big ugly hulk is cooing a rough, scratchy gravel whisper of reassurance, gently sponging away the sweat from brow, cheek, neck. "It'll be okay... hey, shh, it's gonna be fine..." 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     Having somebody there to take care of her, it's... unsettling. Ever since she was a small girl, she's learned to rely on nobody else but herself. The shadow is independent. The mention of wrinkles earns a tired snort, and Sombra shakes her head even if she doesn't open her eyes. "Not goin' to end up looking like Gabe just yet..." she points out gruffly, then tries to clear her throat some, only to end up having a coughing fit. "As long as you can type down what's written on those pages there," she begins and points to the heaps of papers by the computer, some of them soiled by coffee, "then that's good." Then she can analyse them with her computer later.     It looks as if she's about to doze off when she's left alone for a few seconds... at least until Nine brings that wet cloth up to her face. The woman sputters, and she pushes weakly at the cloth at first. "Nnnghh..." But as Nine croons at her, the hacker lets out an exasparated sigh, tired from struggling... and lets her hand fall down to the bed as he takes to washing her face. "I can wash myself," she mutters a little annoyed.     Seriously, why is she being treated as if she were a child?! 

:'''{{#var:269|No. 9 (269)}} has posed:'''     "Shhh shhh shh shh shh." He's careful, but doesn't wash too inappropriately low, just around the throat a bit, laying brief blooms of cool dampness and wicking away the sweat, before the cloth is removed and he slips it into a bag. She looks like she might be drifting off; he's got some soup, but maybe it can wait? Some of the medicines are more important. There's the... well, there's the sound of a clumsy cyborg hand trying to work the top off a childproof bottle without just destroying it. Cue about a minute of straight metal-on-plastic and frustrated grunts. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     No, Sombra doesn't look bothered about where Nine's washing. It's more like she's annoyed at the fact that she has people washing her. Though when he begins struggling with getting the childproof cap off of the medicine bottle, the hacker extends her right hand, beckoning with her fingers. "Give me..." And if he does hand it over, she brings it up her torso, fingers moving into place... and a few seconds later, she hands the thing back to Nine, a tired look on her face. 

:'''{{#var:269|No. 9 (269)}} has posed:'''     He siiiiiiiiiiiiighs- he's got strong lungs, given that the sigh goes on for upwards of twenty seconds. Those unnatural glowing eyes rolling a bit sullenly- but he hands it over. And should she crack it open- whouf. Some sort of harsh chemical brew, mockingly marred with the equally harsh chemical smell of artificial cherry. Some sort of cough syrup? It says for flu symptoms on the bottle. He's carefully measuring out a good tot of the vile stuff, the syrupy glutinous death liquid filling the clear cap with an ominous treacally slowness. Pourrrr. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     The moment the smell hits her clogged up nose, the woman makes a face. "¿Que?!" No, she does not look happy. "You can't honestly want me to drink /that/ shit..." she grumbles, pulling back in bed as she hugs the teddy bear close to her chest. 

:'''{{#var:269|No. 9 (269)}} has posed:'''     A sidelong glance at her. "Hey, dun diss it. Th' mouth'll HATE you, but soon as it's slidin down yer throat, soothin all th' aches away n' clearin th' crud out like it's got a squeegee, you'll see why I tried t' get you t' drink it. S' vile stuff, but it's good fer you n' it'll make yer throat feel better. I promise." At least it does for him, when he was sick. Back when he was human. His mom used to- a violent headshake, eyes wide and staring at nothing, forcefully breaking the memory. Snort. Blink? A glance down at his hand- thankfully sloshed but not spilled, and then he's holding the cap-cup out to her expectently, head tilted and those odd glowing eyes fixed on her. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     - LATER THAT DAY -     With the threat of her work station being destroyed if she didn't cooperate, Sombra had opted to behave. For now. Even if she had made faces of disgust at the stuff that Nine had insisted that she take. It might have been medicine, or it might have been gunk. Either was an option in Sombra's feverish mind, but eventually she had swallowed the pills and drinks. It had been easier to persuade her to take a bath, with her promising she would be careful to not fall asleep in the bath and that she wouldn't take long.     After ten minutes the hacker emerges from the bathroom, having changed to clean sweatpants and a t-shirt, with her hair still dripping wet as she walks across the hallway back to the bedroom, steadying herself on the wall. Sighing she glances at her computers on the other side of the bedroom... though she walks over to the bed, tiredly flopping down. Reaper probably meant it when he stated he was going to destroy her systems if she didn't do as he said, so it's too risky. "I'm back in bed, Gabe..." she calls out, or at least tries to with how grunky her voice is, and it makes her cough. At least she sounds somewhat better after taking those medicines from Nine. Not to mention she isn't drenched in sweat right now. 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' When Nine had begun treating Sombra - when Sombra had responded cordially to the broken mess of Nine - Reaper had taken it as a cue that death was not on the agenda. Further marked by a quiet confirmation comm of Nine's status among the Concord. So he'd left the semi-rabid beast to do its muddling about, crooning like a broken abuela over the young hispanic woman. He'd left them to their conversation while he moved back towards the pantry again. There were still a few old memories rattling about in what remained of his skull. Usually. By the time Sombra had come out of the bath - by the time Nine had either wandered off or was sulking unseen - the smell of something peppery has begun to leak through the house. An undertone of chocolate, a tickling hint of heat in the air. The simmer of chicken, the easiest protein. Mole Poblano en Pollo. The Reaper's metal claws occasionally 'clink' as they stroke one thing or another, before his heavy footfalls can be heard returning. No silent ghosting this time, his cracked, raspy voice snarling forth. "Good. My time is wasted babysitting an errant asset." No one point out that chicken soup takes only one can, not tins of cocoa powder, hot chillis, sugar pastes and what not. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     It's a bit hard to smell the delicious scent that originates from the kitchen, though it's easier to hear Reaper's heavy footsteps as he returns to the bedroom. Where did Nine go for that matter? Did he take the papers and go to type them up for her? If so, she can relax a little, knowing that she'll be able to catch up once she feels better. Sombra glances tiredly around as she flops onto her side, wincing slightly at her aching and sore muscles.     His comment about babysitting however, that makes the hacker push herself up with a tired grunt, her face looking still rather bleary, her eyes still puffy as she tries to glare in the direction of the door. "And I told you repeatedly that I don't need a babysitter..." she mutters. "I wasn't errant, I was /working/." She sniffles, then blinks. Oh right, he asked about the pantry. "... you can /cook/?" she inquires in half disbelief. 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' "Learn to delegate. We have other people who can type while you recover -faster-." Snarls Reaper, the faint groan of his metal claw as he flexes his hand within. That sterile white mask focused completely on her, his gaze hidden - but his vocal tone is nothing but disdain. "The grave cannot hold -me-. It still yearns for you.. and you have use to me yet. Pushing yourself to exhaustion without necessity is wasteful.. and I expect better." And then a pause. The masked head turning slighlty, as if to listen to the faint sizzle on the heating coils. A long moment of silence - and wouldn't one pay to see his facial expression at that question? - before he finally settles on a raspy growl. "I'm dead, not stupid. Even a wraith can remember a life before the casket." A flick of the claws, before his heavy boots are retreating once more - the clink and clank of metal on metal as something gets plated. And then heavy boots coming back - the steaming chunks of chicken doused liberally in mole poblano. Canned chicken, to be sure, but sizzled with spice flakes. And the rich, brown mole, chocolate sweetness fighting with the sharp warmth of heavy peppers. Sure to clear even the most stubborn sinus. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     Delegating... pfft. "I got Nine to agree to type up stuff for me in exchange for me taking the nasty smelling medicine," Sombra murmurs against her covers. "I have to do /something/ while I'm like this, or I'll go crazy from boredom..." Aaaand there he goes, prattling on and on about the grave. What a surpise. The hacker rolls her eyes, the gesture looking even worse considering how pale she is. "Sí sí, I know... you expect the best, otherwise you would have shot out my lovely brains already..." She's gotten the picture.     "I just meant that it would be hard to figure out if what you make... actually taste good," the latina points out, then coughs to clear her throat. When Reaper heads off to the kitchen again she takes the opportunity to pull the covers over her, pulling her teddy bear close to her chest as she pushes some of her wet hair out of her face. As he returns Sombra can't help but look curious, trying to sniff and catch the scent despite her clogged sinuses. "... what... pollo?" Right, she had some old cans in the cupboard. Cooking isn't her strong suite, never been. So pardon her for looking a bit curious as she pushes her upper body up, wincing a bit. It... doesn't look bad. Her puffy eyes glance up towards the sinister white mask, then back down to the food. Not that she's hungry, but... if she doesn't eat, then he'll probably bitch and whine at her some more, won't he? So better try eating some at least. "Gracias..."     Her hands half shakily take the bowl, and then she'll accept any eating utensil she's handed, all before she takes a small bite. Chewing slowly, she forces herself to eat. Sure, her sense of taste and smell are affected, but either way it looks like she's used to spicy food. Finally she offers a small nod, then takes another spoonful. 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' "Consider it additional training in patience. Widowmaker could've taught you something about that." Snarls the Reaper at the complaint about Sombra getting bored. Congratulations, not everything can be explosions and hacking on the fly. Sometimes you've got to sit down and do the work, the planning, and the debriefing. His usual tirade is cut short, however, when she mentions about him shooting out her lovely brains should she fail to be the best. The sterile white mask regards her silently as she accepts both bowl and spoon, and begins eating. The smoke of his dark essence curling once more from his shoulders, as he speaks. ".. The tongue only has five tastes. The nose has thousands more. Without being able to smell it, you couldn't tell the difference between catsup and mayo." He snarls softly, as if that explained how he still knew how to cook, before finishing with the usual threat. "Even if was shit on shingles, I expect you to sit there and eat it... " Again, the silent, stern 'young lady' that never gets spoken. Because she's an asset. Nothing more. Although at the thanks for his efforts, his growl is .. still raspy, but not quite as forceful. "Mole poblano de pollo- " He corrects, sterile white mask tilting down slightly. JUUUST a little. Probably a trick of the light. "De nada." The blank gaze of that skull mask watches the spoon move from plate to mouth. And then snarls as if the thought just pissed him right off, twisting his cowled head to walk about from the room. Pausing with his clawed gauntlet on the doorway. ".. Sombra." White mask turns. "Stay off the systems until you're healed. Or I'm dragging you into medbay by the scruff of your neck. And your little genetic freak as well." A pause as if he would say more, before a growled "I'll be back." 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     A grunt leaves Sombra at Reaper's comment. "That's why she's the sniper and I'm not..." No way in hell she would want to be stuck in the same spot waiting for a target.     A half glare is shot his way when he talks about how he expects her to eat whatever food he makes for her... seriously, what's up with his tone and how he thinks he can just order her around? Sure, he might be on the Talon inner council, but still... this is her health, not Talon business.     It's a good thing that the texture on this thing is just right for her sore throat to swallow it down, and it's spicy... spciy enough that it actually has some taste to it with her dulled senses. And it's better than the usual shit that she herself tosses together on occasion. For the most part she buys food that's been prepared already. Less time spent in the kitchen, more time spent in front of her computer. Speaking of which...     The threat of dragging her to the medbay if she doesn't rest, now that makes Sombra narrow her eyes, though with how exhausted she looks it's not exactly threatening. More like she's a petulant teenager. "... until my fever's gone down," she states in a croaky voice. It's worth a try, and hey... if she doesn't have a fever she can concentrate. "And he's not my genetic freak, I just thought he'd distract you for longer so I could get some work done," she mutters sourly before she resumes eating. So he'll be back to check on her, huh. Fine. "I'll... try to get some sleep after I've eaten..." Maybe time will pass by then. And she does feel rather tired. 
}}

5373/A Test for Talon

2017-07-21T22:55:29Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/07/13 |Location=Overwatch Earth <OWE> |Synopsis=Sombra thinks back to the first mission she did in order to prove herself to the terrorist org..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/07/13
|Location=Overwatch Earth <OWE>
|Synopsis=Sombra thinks back to the first mission she did in order to prove herself to the terrorist organisation.
|Cast of Characters=1117, 1115
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     Quiet days like these are the worst. Sure, it's not like she can't read up on intel, snoop into other stuff as she works on the task that was assigned to her for the day. Her work room that was at her disposal is rather blank and boring compared to her hideout in Dorado, but it's not like she needs to hide when she's working on stuff for them. Things are a bit more complicated, now... but at least they're safer than they used to be.     - FLASHBACK -     The meeting place had been set to a busy bar. Lots of people, noisy, lots of places to slip out should this prove to be something risky for her. Yet it was worthwhile gamble. Even with her upgrades she couldn't feel entirely safe with nobody watching her back. So far she had made many enemies, especially after the whole deal with LumériCo. Dorado was still reeling from the entire scandal, with Los Muertos taking advantage of the unrest and chaos left there. Perhaps it was time to try to make some friends, at least get to know people who would see it more beneficial to keeping her head on rather than slicing it off.     The lone woman sits up by the bar, nursing her drink as she waits. Who knows if Talon got her message or not. Or who they will send to listen to her suggestion... 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' Momentum was important. An organization was either growing or it was dying, there was no in between, and Talon had done well in that regards - a lot better without the tape that had bound Overwatch to its grave. Still, there was always the call for talent - and in an organization like Talon, talent was more precious than gold. You could always steal or kill for gold, after all. So when someone as infamous as -the- Sombra makes contact, looking for some back scratching? The council was convened fairly quickly. With rumors of vigilantes seeping through the cracks, it was time to put the boot down hard - if it was a trap, then whoever set it was about to get a lot more than they bargained for. Thus it is as Sombra sits among the crowded bar, the low roar of conversation wobbling about, that there is a loud revving sound from outside. A screech that hits a high pitch and just starts climbing higher before an explosive crunch of metal and rubber. Shattered glass pinging and bouncing off the bar's front. There's a general shout of alarm, as people begin crowding around the windows to look at the mess - one car having just pancaked another, both of them tangled balls of metal and misaligned wheels. Hand comms flip out, pictures snapped as voyeurs do what voyeurs have always done - watch the train wreck. The bartender is even leaning forward, chin up as he tries to look over the crowd towards the mess outside. Lights flicker over the counter , go out- Crunch. -come back. A figure there where the bartender once stood, features cowled - taking advantage of the distraction and the nature of rubber neckers. Metal gauntlets flex briefly, the cowled head turning towards the bright blue drink Sombra had. Practically glowing in the sublights! Head lifts slightly, light cutting an edge along his sterile white mask. His voice rasps out, low and dangerous as a caged monster. "... Not what I was expecting..." 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     The sound of something rough happening outside does catch Sombra's attention, and the latina glances over her shoulder with a slight frown. Some people really can't handle their alcohol. Even as most of the patrons file out to look at the accident she remains seated, sipping her exotic drink. Not too bad, but it should make it easier for the Talon agent she's meeting to recognise her amidst the others.     Of course it's pretty obvious who that is as the sinister figure appears behind the bar as the lights flicker. In response the hacker, Sombra, arches one eyebrow calmly, her eyes looking him over even as he states his surprise upon the potential new agent. Nobody knows who Sombra is, after all. Her voice is slightly quiet as she speaks in return, raising the drink up towards her lips. "Well, some of us prefer to be less obvious than others," she responds. "I mean, seriously...? This isn't día de los muertos. A /mask/?" A slight chuckle leaves her as she sets the glass back down on the bar. Perhaps it would be prudent to go somewhere else before officials arrive to the scene to take care of the accident outside. 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' There is a low, hissing breath from the figure as his totally awesome and well thought out plan utterly fails to impress. Before something like dark, brooding laughter bubbles up from a 'throat' and he tilts his head. "Every day is a day for the dead." He states in his snarling fashion, before gesturing towards employee door off to the side of the counter. Taking a moment to step over the hidden bartender's unconscious body as he moves ahead. "And some of us.. prefer not to waste time." A slither of -something- coiling out from his cowled form as he passes out from beneath that overhead light - -gone again. A faint click, and the door opens from the inside. The wraithly 'greeter' opening it enough for Sombra to move into - what a gentleman! "And wasting my time is a deadly sin.... Sombra." The interior of the small room is a simple 'break room' of sorts. A small, ratty holovid, a beaten up old couch, and a few shelves with cleaning supplies. The wraith figure stalking towards the shelves themselves, pulling a small bit of equipment from beneath his jacket/cloak thing. Stabbing it into the wooden surface, where it pops up and runs a beam of light along the walls and ceiling. Scanning for bugs! Even though this is a randomly picked room in a place Sombra choose. Someone's paranoid. It's also not.. -great-. It's pretty good for an on-the-fly situation, but not cutting edge. Sombra herself could probably do better. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     No response is given to the morbid joke that her contact offers, though she does glance towards the back door and nods in response. A good plan for now, as neither of them would want too many people to see them. Even if nobody knows her face, it's better to be careful.     Picking up her drink, the woman stands up and then easily slides over the counter with only one hand, making sure to not spill her drink. The flickering lights, the way her contact seemingly disappears... huh, that's a neat party trick indeed. Though the moment the door opens for her, Sombra does look amused, offering a slight smirk up at the man. "Gracias... and do not worry, my time is precious too."     Making herself at home, Sombra walks over to sit down on the couch, crossing one leg over the other as she reclines. Yet an amused snort leaves her as the cowled man uses the scanner, and Sombra gestures towards it with her drink glass. "How old is that thing? Eight, no... nine years old? It's hardly up to date to catch the newer bugs. But don't worry, I checked this place out before I told you to meet me here... Reaper." Her free hand raises, and then... a holoscreen appears in mid air, information and images running down the interactive projection. "I never imagined that they would send /you/!" she smirks, touching a part of the screen to create yet another one. Sure, she might have been impressed before, but now? The latina almost looks /giddy/. "Should I be honoured? Getting one of the council leaders themselves instead of a random errand boy..." 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' The cowled head snaps towards Sombra at the sound of both his name - and the fact that he's on the Talon council. Let's just say it's not exactly a democracy at the top: Everyone has their place and their specialty. A low hiss escaping the owl skull mask, but that was the reason he and the others decided to accept the offer. Talent. He doesn't comment on the scanner itself, beyond plucking it back up once it chimes an all clear. Letting it rest in his metal claws for a moment as he speaks a single word for it's existence. "Adequate." The thing is then tucked back inside the jacket, Reaper considering his next move. He had plans for all sorts of contingencies, of course - but having someone steal his thunder before he can even get started has put him on the off foot. He takes a moment to regather his initial assessment, legs spread to shoulder width and thick arms crossing. Let her think he's silently glowering while he adjusts. "I'd ask how you know that - but there's a reason we even considered your offer." He begins, deciding for the usual blunt track. They both knew what they wanted, after all, and Reaper doesn't like to dance. Maybe tap a foot here or there. "Someone using your callsign to set a trap for my agents - would have found Death waiting, instead." He begins as way of edgy explanation, that rasping growl dipping an octave as his mask turns. Watching the datascreens pop up in mid-air - integrated holoprojection. Someone's been playing with the chop-shops. "What can you offer - and what do you -expect-?" 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     That got a reaction, indeed. The hacker looks rather smug with herself as she glances up towards him from the screens she's scrolling through. "Perhaps for you it's adequate... a girl like me requires the latest tech." Why stick with outdated equipment when you can have the best of the best?     Let him sulk if he wants to. Sombra herself sips her drink casually. When he comments on her knowing, she shrugs. "What can I say? It's my job to know." And just the reason why she thought they might want her as a member. She is infamous, and well... it wouldn't be strange for somebody to try and impersonate her. It's happened before. "Trust me, amigo... if somebody tried to pose as me I would deal with them myself. It's all I am now, after all. I can't let some wannabes ruin my stellar reputation, now can I?"     Let's get to business.     The question makes the latina sigh slightly, and she brings up another screen... a map with various waypoints set on it. "You know very well what I can offer, Reaper. Top notch information, and the very best tech support that Talon can hope to get. I mean, if you're stuck with using /that/," she states, gesturing to Reaper's coat and where he stashed the scanner, "you certainly can't hope to keep up with the latest security systems on this planet. Trust me, I know what's out there. And without proper help you can't even get past their door step, Gabriel." Let that sink in for a moment. As for what she herself wants...? "I've made some enemies from what I've done these last years, so perhaps it's time I made some friends. Friends with firepower that I lack. Some people think that Sombra is a group, but it's only me. And well, I'm more brains than brawn." 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' There is a slow, dangerous pause at THAT name. A freeze of subtle ticks and shifting of weight, even the slow hiss of air through the mask stopping. Bits of his cowl peeling away into lazily coiling tendrils of smoke, before he rests his hand atop the tacky holovid. "The last person to say that name to me.." He begins, before he begins to casually squeeze. Metal talons pierce the alloy of the holovid, which sparks and dies as its frame strains and ruptures. ".. was buried beneath several hundred tons of rubble. My name - is Reaper. Amiga." The last word is practially bitten off like a bitter onion, and spat. One by one he extracts his gauntlet claws with faint 'pings', before returning his arms across his chest again. The masked face tilting slightly. ".. If you know me, then you know there's no where to hide from Death's shadow. Where you draw breath, there I am - Pray that you are as uniquely talented as you state." He begins, as a preamble, before he reaches up to tap at the side of his mask. No words - just two clicks on a monitored channel. Before he begins his growling speech again. "A weakness to correct as well - in time, and with will. Unless you mean to be helpless beyond your talents... " A slow indraw of breath, before his growling voice takes on a slightly milder tone. "Offer's accepted. You'll have a blind drop - give us a taste of what you can deliver. If it pans out, we'll bring you on board. You'll never have to worry about your ... back ... again." 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     Well well... somebody certainly is haunted by ghosts of his past. Sure, Reaper gets attention from the hacker seated on the couch, but it doesn't look like she's scared where she sits and watches him. And her eyes fall upon the poor holovid as it meets its death. Two years past its prime. Sure, the owner probably needed to replace that old thing, but still...     Who would have known that Gabriel Reyes would be so high strung? And the fact that he reacts so strongly... well, this is kinda fun.     "Relajate... I'm just showing you that I've done my homework. On you and all the other Talon agents I could dig up info on. You and the dear Araña did make some noise in Numbani when you tried to get the gauntlet, didn't you?"     Nobody can hack like she does. But fine, she did expect that they would require some proof of her abilities. "I'm not helpless, I'm just stating that there are things I don't do as well as you and other Talon agents can do. But then again, there are things I can do that you can't."     A blind drop... a mission to do for Talon before she's accepted as a full member. "Sounds good to me. Just initiate contact through the channel I contacted you with, and I will get it done. Just know that I prefer to do things more quietly than you and the spider does," she adds with a teasing wink, all before she raises the glass to empty the rest of it in one go. 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' YOU try being caught in an explosive blast after reaching an epiphany as to the state of the world, then crawling back from the grave as a ravenous techno ghost-demon-zombie thing caught forever between life and death! Then see how high strung -you- get! Ahem. 'Gabe' - The Reaper - remains silent for a moment longer, stewing over what she just revealed. It was a rather impressive bit of homework, to be certain; Talon kept its inner workings hush hush for a reason, after all. Overwatch's mistake was submitting to a higher power's control and review. Talon wouldn't make the same mistake. "Just focus on the mission. By any means possible." He growls at last, the coils of black smoke rising once more about his form. As if he held a hidden, heatless fire somewhere beneath his jacket. And then his dark chuckle ripples outwards once again, before he opens up his clawed hands. "Your target's already been selected. Find a safe place and wait for my data dump - you'll have it in three hours. We'll be watching." And with that, Reaper - explodes? Well, dissolves, black smoke swirling out in all directions. Only to slowly dissipate, leaving nothing behind but a broken holovid and an unconscious bartender behind the counter. Oh, and Sombra. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     Focus indeed... it's not her fault she's able to focus on several things at once, now is it? Though her interest is clearly shown when he mentions they've already selected a target for her. In three hours. She smiles, looking rather amused. "Bueno." That she can work with, plus it gives her more than enough time to prepare for whatever they have decided for her. "Just let me know, and I'll prove just what Sombra can do." A place where they will be watching. Interesting.     It's easier to imagine just how Reaper appeared and disappeared at the drop of a hat earlier, and seeing it in real life is something else than seeing it on security tapes from various Talon missions. "I'll be waiting," she says, certain that he can still hear her in that form.     - Three hours later -     Well, the data she was sent certainly was something else. But it's not strange that Talon decided this sort of mission for her. A place they can't get easily to without drawing attention. Everybody knows Sombra works in the shadows, going unseen before the information suddenly pops up to incriminate certain people. This will require focus, speed and finesse. Good thing that she has all three of them, she thinks as she looks up at the building before turning her attention back to the screen displaying the data that Reaper sent her... 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' The location? Viscar, of course. Of the many bad things about living in an organization that dedicates itself to controlling your life for your own good - one good thing is its very, very difficult to infiltrate. Every moment of every day perfectly planned, perfectly coordinated, perfectly controlled - and a lack of perfection noted immediately, a misgrain in a smoothly polished table. Their penchant for hunting only for talent put any disposable assets off the market - and made any proper infiltration too risky for the resources available. This particular faculty formed of hard light, matter drawn into being by realignment of photons in a manner so far off the map it's still magical to behold. There are no guards - only turrets. Turrets, and cameras, everywhere, with the Viscar employees moving like perfectly orchestrated bees in a particularly bright, light-weight but suprisingly strong superhive. Of course, hornets live in superhives too. The payload was a simple bit of information, but kept away from any outside connection by virtue of the strange structure. One would not only have to get inside, but deal with a building that wasn't just housing the data - it -was- the data, in some ingrained manner that wasn't quite understood. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     Viscar... an organisation that Sombra didn't have any qualms about messing with. Too much control is never a good thing, especially if it limits people.     But if Talon wants her to gather data for them... then so be it. If that's what it takes for Sombra to get the backing of the terrorist organisation, she'll be their errand girl for tonight. Activating her thermoptic camouflage, the hacker leaves a translocator behind for quick and easy extraction. It's time to sneak in.     The good thing about things being orderly? It's so easy to read, so easy to predict. For a hacker who looks for patterns and similarities, it becomes easy to understand the employees and their movements. Likewise, turrets can't target what they can't pick up... so Sombra takes her time as she approaches the building. Let's see... many turrets in one area, but it's all worth it when she spots a potential backdoor. Sneaking up behind a pillar, she extends her arm towards two turrets that might be a problem, hacking them before she touches her hand to the door, causing it to open before she once again turns invisible... Now she just needs to find a safe spot to hack into the central system of this place, and then localise where she can extract the information that Talon wants. Silently she heads deeper in, walking down the corridors on light feet to make sure she doesn't draw attention nor set off any alarms. Hard light is a bit harder to deal with, but it's still something she can handle... she hopes. 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' The lower levels of Viscar are designed to host the few public reviewers - and the lower tier Architects. Practically just engineers, in fact, little more than box placers. People who handle the decoration, once the decor has been decided upon, who smooth out the roads and put down the blocks. The trainees, the interns - those who are just beginning their new life, their better life, with Viscar. Because everything down here is already built and waiting. Sombra's interaction with the doors and the turrets works as she expects, but here's the curious part - the programming she interacts with? It -is- the turret. It -is- the door, written into the very structure itself. And it brings with it another set of challenges; In order to find the payload she's hunting, she'll have to physically hunt down its location in the building, where its written into the matrix of matter itself. It could be a chair in the lobby, a house plant on someone's desk. Of course, it'll probably be in a secure location as expected, but what she really needs more than anything else.. Is some sort of index. There's an elevator that leads up a few floors, but everything above that gets complicate. Whole floors as missing, staircases, even walls - the mid-level managers and architects building and altering the minor internal structure as needed with their hard-light constructions. Need to go up? Make a staircase. Need to sit? Form a chair. Always with an eye towards the balance expected. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     Of course Sombra can appreciate digital items... but this? This is getting kinda ridiculous, isn't it? Even as she quietly stalks the hallways, she can't help but be aware of the fact that she's stepping on /light/. It will take time to hunt down the code that she's looking for as well, and to do that she needs to interact with the coding in this place in various locations, it appears. It's time to work her way upwards. If she does a scan on each floor, then perhaps she can get a clue if she's getting close.     First she finds herself an empty office on the current floor she's on, hacking a camera inside it to make sure it loops the previous minute before her entering it. And so she places her hand on the wall, frowning a bit at the overflow of information that this place has. Okay, let's take it quietly... after half a minute it's easy to tell that no, the information that Talon requested is not here. It's time to move on, and so Sombra heads up to the next floors...     So far, so good. Relatively speaking, that is. While she hasn't been found yet, she's still not found what she came for either. The elevator doesn't go up further, and well, the staircases aren't complete. What's good is that there are no cameras in the unfinished areas either from what she can tell. So it's time to get climbing.     Moving to the unfinished staircase, Sombra sighs as she reappears, looking upwards. "Time to get to it..." It's a good thing she got the practice running about Dorado when she joined Los Muertos all those years ago. Stepping back a few steps, the hacker prepares herself... then rushes forward, leaping toward a wall that she kicks off of, turning midair to grab at the top of an unfinished wall with a grunt before she pulls herself upwards. It's not too hard to pull one leg upwards, and Sombra gets up on her feet, keeping her balance as she begins her ascent. Climbing up unfinished walls, leaping large gaps... it's risky, and she doesn't look entirely comfortable as she does it... there are even some times she nearly slips, but eventually after lots of effort... Sombra pulls herself up to a finished floor, heaving for breath before she rolls over onto her side, glancing down to where she started from. "... man, they better appreciate this..." she grumbles for herself, then places a hand on the floor as she begins searching the nearby data. Could it be close by? 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' Don't think of the upper floors as unfinished - just think of them as 'left to their potential'. And it's no longer quite light that one walks upon, but quantumly stabilized matter. Lighter, stronger, more compact without all the dirty business of forging. All it requires is power to initiate the process! And since the Architects can design and construct decor on the fly, there simply was no need to walls where not needed, stairs where not needed.. floors where not needed. Simply the interior of the structure itself, and the more 'permanent' support frame that kept this from looking like a giant business sandbox for people who weave matter from light. The Future, brought to you by Viscar. The few upper deck 'Instructors' who run the nearest Academy and recruitment office simply creating weaker, less compact structures as needed. And unraveling them afterwards. Sombra's parkour scrape upwards goes rather smoothly for the first few floors, and looking up through the occasional patchwork of floors being woven and removed shows a much more solid 'floor' at the top - likely the residence of the current regional Director. Or security. And her mind, so attuned to patterns, at last reaches one - the objects which contain their own data, such as light switches which hold their own programming for interacting with the lights - no wires necessary - woven into the strands of their construction, are referencing one location again and again. Top floor. Index cache, the way to find anything and everything. Which is precisely when the roof suddenly forms above her, cubes of light rapidly weaving around one another as an Architect approaches. Walls beginning to form as well, a simple construct of shapes that requires very little thought. Nothing as complex or smooth as Symmetra could create, of course. But it does means she's about to get boxed in, albeit inadvertantly. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     As she takes her brief break to look for telltale signs of the intel she's after, Sombra breathes slowly, letting her limbs rest for a moment. There, she needs to get to the very top? Ugh, what a bother... but expected. If she had some contacts, perhaps she could have arranged a drop or something. But fine, she can climb.     And it appears she needs to climb faster than expected when she hears somebody approaching, with a floor forming above her. Sombra quickly activates her thermoptic camouflage again, and then she begins running ahead down the framework of the floor, building up speed so she can leap sideways to a wall and kick off from that, scrambling up a ledge with a grunt that she bites back. And then she continues upwards, hoping to get up and away from the architect. It's too risky to stay near them, but perhaps she can follow one of them if they're about to head upwards. She can be stealthy enough to do that, so she looks around, and also tries to figure out if the current architect or anybody nearby is heading up to the top floor. 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' It would appear the luck.. Is on Sombra's side. Death's shadow fades away as the pathway forward comes a lot easier. The Architect, using a bulky dual arm contraption with thumb controls to help her visualize the construction, is putting together a hallway leading towards the southeast round. There, a thin staircase begins spiraling upwards towards the top floor - obviously in preparation for some VIP or other, as a projector is used to pull, destabilize, and thin the matter on non-load bearing walls. Creating 'windows' to the outside, clear as crystal. Leaving the bulk of the work to the less technically minded Engineers that follow afterwards, shoring up and rounding out the elegant structures like spiders laying silk upon a cocoon. It's a laborous process, the Architect's brow furrowed in concentration. No one creates as effortlessly as Symmetra, after all, pulling the sweep of mathematical perfection into reality with the simple flick and turn of a wrist. By following the 'roof' towards the edge, she can move behind the Architect as she sets the base skeleton for the staircase leading upwards. Long, broad steps designed to let one pause and regail each other without having to worry about tripping, nearly a ramp. Nothing so gauche as to create -sweat-. The top floor itself isn't reached, alas, just one floor below it. The vast space being widened, walls thinned and disappearing beneath the projector's ripping light as the matter is broken down. 'Vaccuumed', without the annoying sound. Harsh corners removed, everything designed to guide the flow of foot traffic like water. The upper floor itself mostly covered, save for a few spots where superstructure allows the filtered sunlight through. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     Well, who's she to complain about things making it easier for her? Sombra watches idly, unseen as the architect moves on, and she drops down on silent feet, landing in a crouch to ease the stress on her knees, her hands helping support her as she gets back on her feet. Sure, she keeps her distance to the architect as she works, but she also doesn't fall too far behind, looking around. If she didn't have to keep hidden she could be hacking, but no... she knows where to go now. Up... but how to get there? Hmmm. These Viscar, making things so annoying to get to!     Well, it's time to do some parkour again. Sombra sighs quietly for herself, then traverses the framework, steady on her feet with near feline grace as she moves. Though near the end she builds up speed, leaping to grab onto a beam with both hands, gritting her teeth as she begins pulling herself up. The info better be worth it, damnit...!     The last bit is a rough climb considering she's already worn from climbing, but finally she makes it, stealthily moving onto the top floor, eyes looking around for any architects, guards... or business people. If not, she can hack any cameras and then begin scanning. 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' Guards? Well, one guard. This is Viskar, after all - effeciency prime. The top floor is dedicated to security itself, a trap-bug sitting atop its web. A single man, seeming to meditate upon his knees, eyes half lidded as his hands are outstretched. Fingertips touching not screens, but small, almost delicate glass-like projections off the wall. Tactile sensitivity. The walls themselves, around him, also flicker with lights and colors, with the occasional chime that draws a slight turn of the head. Doubtless there are more traditional security rooms elsewhere in this facility, but here is the master. After a moment of silent, he finally speaks, his voice seeming as if it could belong to a sihk. "I know you are there. I can feel the steps upon the ground. I can feel the wind of your lips, the blurr of your passing. This is my body. Come into the light, so you may be processed and arrested for trespassing." Half lidded eyes turn again, just a little. Following the trickle of colors across the wall - a pattern. THE pattern. Fingers twitching, shifting as they 'feel' the tiny, delicate rods. Reducing all inputs from a blurr of single perceptions into an artwork of perceptual mass. Just program the cameras to look for recognizable faces, then become puzzled when reality doesn't match up to what it senses. Have the beams and walls and floors sense pressure change. Have the air conditioner recognize unusual elevations in local areas. Viscar, right? The future. But for what it's worth, he doesn't seem to know -precisey- where Sombra is yet. Like a giant eye, he can see all, but he can't see particulars very well. And behind him? Why, behind him is a spinning top made of hard light. Matter formed from photons, quantum stabilized, thicker than platinum as it spins effortlessly above a projector. Index! Only something as thick and folded on itself as that could hold all the references the building has. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     Finally at the top...     But here is the challenge, it appears. There's no way that the others would be able to get in here unseen. And when the guard speaks up, she can understand why they sent a shadow that doesn't draw too much attention to herself besides her actions.     Come into the light, he says... but a shadow cannot step into the light, now can it?     Sombra holds still for the most part, though she does reach for her belt. It's a chance that he might deconstruct something here... so killing him seems like it's not an option right now unless she can be sure she can land a killing shot. If she moves closer to him chances are he might notice her easier, sadly. Then again, there is no way that she can hack the index without being seen... or is it?     Her fingers takes a round of ammunition from her belt, then flings it over the floor where it eventually becomes visible as it slides across the floor. A distraction perhaps as she quickly rushes forward to a wall, kneeling down next to it... quickly she charges up her graft, and just as the thermoptic camouflage drops, a powerful EMP charge runs throughout the floor, knocking out the nearby technology. The hardlight constructs remain, but now there's nothing the man can do to construct or destruct items.     The very next second Sombra rushes across the floor, aiming her gun at the guard... and pulls the trigger. 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' In point of fact, the small bit of ammunition doesn't even have a chance to slide out of Sombra's thermo-cam - laser beams pinpoint it immediatly, as soon as it moves faster than the surrounding air. As soon as it tickles the floor with its miniscule weight. The Great Eye moves upon it, and the Master's fingers twitch like a spider's shiver upon the delicate rods. It isn't vaporized so much as -deconstructed-, the same process used to quantumly stabilize photons into matter reversed. The molecules freed from their cruel and grotesque forging, neatly plucked like one would return a sweater to a ball of yarn. The Master's own eyes remain half lidded, a faint tremble beneath one - his mind fully engaged with his OTHER body. A falsehood. Beams sweep, hunting Sombra as she kneels, preparing to return -her- to her base components as well - or, at the very least, grant her the peace of sleep through pain. A few micro-layers of skin should do the trick, and leave her a fresh, pale pink as well. Viscar - the Future. And all that implies. But the EMP blast was unexpected - for all that Viskar is, they still utilize digital signatures, even encoded into the matter as it is. Their weakness isn't technique so much as human. Control, built into the very structure like veins beneath the skin, are ruptured and jammed with static. The Master actually moving beyond a meditative twitch as he flings his hands up with a cry of alarm. Pain - pain for someone tuned so hard to the moment that he could feel ammunition clinking along the floor - The sudden explosive rattle of a sub machine gun, explosively loud in the quiet surrusses of deployment and resolution. It's still ringing in the air when Sombra can practically -feel- the queries rolling up from lower floors for status updates, carried in channels built into the wall. Why lay circuit, why lay cable, when your walls and floors can serve as both? Spots of sunlight stream a faint red from the crystal windows. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     As the body hits the floor Sombra rushes towards the index, working quickly while the cameras are still knocked out and unable to record her. The only witness to her intrusion is dead... so now she only needs to get the data. Her hand is placed on the index as purple lines overtake it, and Sombra half closes her eyes as she scans the info, letting the graft lead her as she herself focuses on the combination of neurons and tech... where are you, information? Seconds pass by as she searches, her expression calm despite the fact that she does notice the lower floors asking about what's going on up here. Let's feed them some wrong information. Intrusion to somewhere she /knows/ the item isn't, to draw people away from her track. It's worth a try.     And once she figures out just where the item is, she pulls her hand away from the index and brings her hand up, activating her thermoptic camouflage again as she makes her way towards her final goal. 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' In a place like Viscar, where the data could be anywhere, it might have been impossible to find. A certain floor tile in the lobby. A particular bit of relief along the walls. A particular decorative coin in a pile of decorative coins up atop a shelf. But the human mind follows directives, and part of that directive is 'keep secure things away from the public'. An AI might write a secure bit of data on a single pebble then place it in the ocean - as secure as it will ever be, forever, utterly inaccessible. A human would put it in a vault under lock and key, the most obvious place - but 'secure' and 'accessible' were always the yin and yang of data, weren't they? The Index has records on it all. Every bit of interactive matter in the building reports its status to the Index, and the Index touches all of them in time. If Sombra didn't already have an idea, a pattern to look for, even this sorting would take longer than she has. As it is - when she finally learns the location - the interior of the building is already pulsing a soft blue color with faint chimes. Like bass bells in the air. Nothing so garish or disorientating as flashing lights and clanging alarms. And the payload? One of the other rooms here at the top floor - apparently filled with strange, twisting glass sculptures like a modified Chihuly exhibit. Each colored vein of the graceful bend holding data configured for zero interaction - read only. A vault as a museum, data as art, mathematics brought into reality with graceful sweeps of some Architect's hands - perfect. Accessing it's going to be trouble, though - no doors. It's beyond the partition on Sombra's level, with the only entrances being the carefully placed holes for the filtered sunlight to drift through, little motes of dust dancing. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     The information runs through quickly, and Sombra uses her graft to quickly scan them and figure out where the desired data is. If she were to read this all by herself it would take ages. But thanks to her tech she's able to figure it out soon enough, and the hacker turns her head slowly as she /glares/ at the wall. "Of course they couldn't make it /easy/..." she mutters for herself. How is she supposed to get in there? Also, what's the point of art that can't be admired?     Walking over, Sombra inspects the holes to see if they're safe to stick her arm through. If it is, then she can probably stick her hand through... Because she can hack from a distance. They might be read only, but since when has Sombra ever cared about limitations like that? 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' What use is art that can't be admired? Ah, but what is the use of a mountain that can't be climbed? Oh, but it can - for those who are trained in Viscar's arts, changing the reality around them to access it. Lack of doors, lack of stairs, bridges, elevators, tables or chairs are minor inconvienances to those with hard light projectors and the talent to utilize them! All you need is power, patience, and intellect. And, of course, to subscribe to Viscar's vision of the future. The holes are large enough for Sombra to get her arm into, although it'll be uncomfortably tight. There's also the faint humming sound of hard light manipulation from below, steps rapidly formed into being as an Architect reforms pathways to allow access to the Master's 'sun chamber'. They'll be on her in moments - but she's got it. The data is buried deep in a plethora of minor projects, a new bit of projective technology - teleportation. Based on the space-temporal research of one Wilson, of the original Overwatch mission. There's a prototype scheduled to go on a train. It'll need a bit more data to be viable - preferably some of the original notes from the great ape himself, now in hiding - but just think; No more parkour for those hard to reach places. Or whatever Talon has planned for it. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     A grunt escapes the hacker as she leans further in, activating her hacking as she presses her cheek right up against the wall, trying to look through another hole than the one she has her arm stuck through. These silly Vishkar people, doing things like this... and they wonder why people don't like them? People with skills and power, but using it all wrong... thinking everything can be as they wish...     Even as she works on hacking the various objects inside the room she hears the footsteps and early warning of somebody coming up the stairs... probably to check out the sound of gunshots. But this, even if Talon wasn't hiring her for this, it would still be worth it. Space-temporal data and research... such possibilities. The images of the blueprint for the prototype was also interesting, this... this is worth it all!     Sombra's fingers move quickly as she presses up against the wall, her eye staring through at the items as she hacks them, reads the data, copies it over to her graft... quickly...!     Once the transfer completes, Sombra yanks her arm back forcefully, all while she activates her thermoptic camouflage. Being seen further is out of the question. But hopefully it should be easy to leave now that she can just drop herself down a few floors here and there. And once she gets to study this blueprint further, then it should be even easier to get what she needs here and there...     Quickly and silently, the latina moves from the partition, staying relatively close to the wall and the shadows as she makes her way towards the staircase and the way she came in. 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' Getting in was difficult; Getting the data would've been darn near impossible - for anyone else. Talon had people who could get in, but no way to access the data - or they had people who could access the data, but no way of getting in. The best of both worlds. Getting out proves to be much easier. The Architect opens the path towards the top, standing aside while security consultants rush forward. One checking for the Master's pulse with a grimace and wet eyes - the other sweeping his projector weapon in an arc about, hunting for the intruder. The Architect herself quietly studying the bullets embedded in the walls - a faint glow as she begins weaving matter beneath to push the shells out.. No one notices the faint shimmer of Sombra leaving. And with the path open, no one will stop her. It will be nearly an hour before her response arrives to her successful call - a dropship that literally drops out of the sky, using speed and small size to its advantage. It sweeps by once or twice on fast approach, before slowing down for a final scan. And then? Then it begins lowering itself towards their secluded meeting place, the hatch swinging open as the engines remain hot. Kicking up a stiff breeze and debris. And there? There, standing in sillouette with his cowl-jacket flapping, is Reaper. One hand above his head to steady himself against the dropship's frame, his sterile white mask revealing nothing. "... The payload?" Comes his leaden, growling voice. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     After quietly and quickly making her way out of the building, Sombra had been careful to move some distance away from it all to make sure that nobody intercepts the signal, even if she doubts that they can. It helps be cautious, and chances are security will be extra high in the nearby area now as they hunt for the murderous intruder that eluded them tonight.     Sitting on top of an old broken down wall, Sombra kicks her legs as she spins a screen around and around, a slightly bored look on her face. Looking over the dark night sky is hard, which is proven further as the dropship arrives before she even notices it. Arching an eyebrow the hacker studies it, all before she slips off the wall as it finally begins lowering itself towards the ground. When the hatch opens and reveals the dark figure she spoke with earlier, Sombra can't help but smirk in a satisfied manner, nearly sauntering up as she twirls a digital datacube on her fingertop. "I got it, of course. No witnesses, no clues left behind."     Why, it appears that she intends to get onto the ship as she snaps her fingers and the digital datablock gets broken down into a rain of falling pixels. "I can transfer the data to your systems easily enough." Or make a copy, because this she intends to keep for herself too. 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' There is a moment when it appears Reaper is going to impeded Sombra's progress into the drop shuttle, smoke curling away from his shoulders - peeling from the top of his hood. But then he simply shifts aside with a low growl, slamming a fist into the button to lower and seal the door. His heavy boots thudding along the metal plating as he makes his way towards the cabin, jamming a metal claw into the access panel before he pauses. And looks over his shoulder, breath hissing slowly. The silence is a tell tale of him considering something slowly - perhaps whether or not he can have forensics retrieve the data from her implants if he shoots her now and saves himself a future of trouble? Before he at last grunts. "Oye. Good job.. amiga." And back towards the cabin itself. "Make sure it stays that way." One part cajole, one part threat. Classic Reaper. The engines kick back in with a vibrating rumble, and gravity tugs sharply down at insides as the Reaper accelerates away.. Mission Complete. BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-urUsFsN8E 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     When her path is blocked Sombra doesn't advance, but she doesn't pull back either as she cants her head slightly up at Reaper, giving him a calm smile as she watches him intently with purple eyes. And once he shifts? She isn't slow to get on board, looking around at the tech heavy ship as if she's considering something as well. When she becomes aware of him watching her over his shoulder, she merely smiles. "I didn't make you wait for long, did I? The climbing took the longest..." And just to demonstrate this, she flops down in the nearest available seat. "Aaah, you better have somewhere comfy I can relax after this. I got whatever I could, though after scanning their index I can give a brief overview of what knowledge that place posesses," she assures Reaper. The praise does make her let out an 'awww', and she mock waves it off. "It was nothing...! Hacking LumériCo took longer!" Not all that long, but still longer.     As the craft ascends the latina begins bringing up various screens with intel on them, as if she's using this like magic. "Now let me get started on decoding this and matching it against the intel I already have...." she murmurs to herself, looking relaxed in her seat despite the fact that she just walked onto a plane with one of the Talon Council's leaders. Sure, it might be dangerous, but the information he wants from her is something he can't get from her if she's dead. So this game is already hers. 
}}

5368/MISSION: Starwatch (4)

2017-07-14T14:25:56Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/07/11 |Location=Overwatch Earth <OWE> |Synopsis=A rumble on the moon, including gorilla warfare. |Cast of Characters=672, 632, 1010, 1076, 765..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/07/11
|Location=Overwatch Earth <OWE>
|Synopsis=A rumble on the moon, including gorilla warfare.
|Cast of Characters=672, 632, 1010, 1076, 765, 1111, 1117, 42, 1115, 673, 454
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     HORIZON ONE LUNAR COLONY     It displays a beautiful array of radial lights. The bright rings of still-active colonization infrastructure glimmer gently. They've not been maintained, but they were certainly built to last those years ago. But they certainly weren't built for what happened here.     The Flotilla's small collection of ships -- a few personal, and one central shuttle -- all have come to rest, landing near a large vehicle bay. Elsewhere, a beacon near an observatory signals Watch members to provide backup, giving them the ability to bring in help from space and via teleportations. A heavy rover of Starbound make moves, occasionally, to and from their shuttle, carrying scavenged technology. It's a contrast to the base; its construction is quite modular, clean, and the image of space-age. Not much to make it decay, not on the moon. Well, the exterior is a bit pockmarked with the little meteor impacts, but something automated must be cleaning those up...     The Watch have a little forward staging area in the form of a nice little security area and observatory that Gaonoir and Erika have managed to take over in a sense. The Concord, meanwhile, have spread out and cannibalized and converted areas of a large vehicle bay in their efforts, adding scrappy fortifications just in case of trouble.     At the center of it is a cage, formed out of prototype Lucheng-tech-based force-fields, full of a hostile monkey. Stripped of its armor and weapons, the thing expresses impotent, almost bratty rage whenever possible. While heavy medical scanners draw data from its valuable genetic material and physiology, it's actually treated almost, but not quite, rather humanely. Despite that, it seems to be regularly insisting on trying to get violent.     This is Laura's objective. The local monkeys certainly did understand her, though they, similarly, refused to speak. They, similarly, got a fair bit violent if she approached. But they seemed to have better things to focus on. The apes angrily amassed a screeching strike team, made noises at her until it looked like she was going to lead them to the Concord forward base, and charged after her when she did.     The Flotilla are busy with loading their rover. So much loot!! The solar panels have nearly fully charged the batteries for the teleporter too, so it can finally probably be used to send things home. It's functional on a side-room off to the edge of the vehicle bay, and it's where Sombra and co. have set up the computer center.     Very soon, everything will explode. Not quite yet. But shortly. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      Septette holds a case of glass vials, each filled with blood, almost reverently in her bladed claws. It goes in the mini-fridge next to the Flotilla's snacks- perfect temperature- while the medical scans and data are retained on a trio of portable storage devices for safekeeping. Chemical and genetic analysis of the blood, in addition to the physiological data, could prove invaluable to biomedical research on other worlds. And just as importantly, the money from their sale will help get the Flotilla back on their feet.      The gorilla in the cage is still rowdy- that thrashing she gave it hasn't seemed to suppress its spirit at all- and only mildly anemic from the samples. She gives it another quick once-over to satisfy her concerns for its health, then locks the door on her way out. That's one animal she's promised to take care of, squared away. Now for the other one.      The base's intercom system, long dormant, flares to life with a hiss of static. "Sokka. Do you remember what I said about keeping you safe? Joining a feral gorilla revolt on the Moon certainly isn't very safe. Are you going to let me take you back to Earth? Or am I going to have to finish what we started outside Numbani and detain you?"      There's a short pause, and then, almost as an afterthought: "And Laura? The gorilla I captured is still alive, in a secure location. Any more that come after me will not be so lucky- we're all out of cages. Let's have a nice chat, shall we? Perhaps we can... see each other through fresh eyes." 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     It's sure a good thing Laura has some friends. Especially friends who have spacewalk capable battle armor that can traverse the lunar surface. He also has brought a -shitton- of barrels with him. Why does he need these? Well, they're pressurized and vac-sealed to avoid being ruined by SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE!!!!     Also they're full of something Laura needs to get the apes to not kill everyone. It is vital he gets them to her.     So he's bringing them with him, as he arrives to the observatory. "Laura! I brought the stuff with me!" he bellows, announcing his presence with all the subtlety you'd expect from Reinhardt Wilhelm. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka had tried to make his way deeper into the base to try and locate the apes! He... actually was pretty talented at this kind of thing. Infiltrating cities of the enemy nation, running for his life constantly, pretending to be a soldier, trying to avoid soldiers, infiltrating high secuirty prisons. Yeah, he knew how to get around. And he DIDN'T have any fancy powers to let him stop time or anything. He did it the old fashioned way as he made his way through. His plan? Meet with the monkeys. And try to ascertain just how intelligent they are. If they weren't? Well, he'd made a big mistake. But then, he didn't trust those guys now anyway. Though he suspected Sombra probably hated him now. 

:'''{{#var:765|Gaonoir (765)}} has posed:''' Technically they're mission was already done. They had achieved their objective of establishing a point their allies would be able to follow the spaced raiders to. But that would be leaving things half-finished. Not to mention the Flotilla and Concord intruding in on this place a bunch of apes were apparently trying to live away from humans, which seems to have twitched something in the back of Gaonoir's mind to make him stick around, standing guard over the observatory-turned-staging ground. Both Gaonoir and Erika just sort of gawk as Reinhart tromps in with giant sealed barrels. "... I'm not sure I even -want- to know," the digimon finally just mutters, shaking his head. 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:''' Laura Kinney hasn't slept, and it's starting to catch up with her. She sort of had on the ship, if you can count that half doze, constantly alert for any sound to indicate her hiding spot had been compromised. Since she'd landed, what with the fighting magic androids, negotiating a working truce, and then making whatever she could to help the apes' cause in a dead end tunnel with a box of scraps... There hadn't actually been time. She's good for about 24 hours at peak before her healing factor can't keep up with the fatigue toxins, and the deadline is fast approaching. This has to end, now.      At the interruption from Reinhardt's greeting, she sits up, putting one final chestplate crudly welded from exterior hull plating behind, where it's presumably picked up by someone big enough to wear it, she heads for the observatory. It's /technically/ on the way to the CONCORD forward base, and nothing beats going into combat on a full stomach. Her friend should be arriving with said combat rations right now. And so, Laura enters the observatory, followed by a horde of gorillas with armor and melee weapons straight out of Mad Max. Approaching the armored figure, she gives a greatful nod before popping the top on one barrel, giving it a shove across the smooth floor towards the ape forces. "Here you are. To get you ready to fight the bad guys." She tilts her head back again, looking up at the figure towering over her. "Thank you, Wilhelm." 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     It's been some rather busy days for the master hacker, which should be showing as she returns from one of her many naps of the day. There are so many things that require her attention, and she looks forward to just getting back to Dorado and /sleep/ when her watchful eye isn't required. For now coffee is what keeps her from falling asleep as she walks into the vehicle bay, past the contained specimen and the teleport room, yawning just slightly as she walks up to the Flotilla captains. "How's the research going?" she asks, all while she brings up several screens for her to peruse. It wasn't a hard task to establish a permanent connection to the computer center, and it will remain as long as she's here on the colony.     A glance is given towards Septette, and Sombra narrows her eyes as she takes an extra long slurp of coffee. "It wouldn't be hard to isolate them to a part of the colony," she suggests with a shrug. "It's enough space for it, and perhaps we can strand the others there as well. There are more ships than the Flotilla incoming...." A slight grumble leaves her, and she finishes up her coffee. "I suggest we get ready to fight, niños." 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     The computer center is a place where Staren can get some work done. Sombra's the hacker, getting into locked systems and encrypted files -- but he's the master of automation, searching through logs and such with his support AI, and having it monitor the remaining camera feeds for trouble.     Reviewing the details of the experiments takes his mind off worrying about the friend and heroes they've aggroed. While the attack on Numbani was questionable, this part of the mission shouldn't be. Will they realize that, one day?     There is actually a useful piece of information to search for: Why Winston can talk and the others can't. If there's some kind of speaking device around they could hook up to the gorillas to check for intelligence, that would make this whole situation more clear for everyone...     At Sombra's warning of an incoming fight, he sighs. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      "That was my plan, Sombra," Septette replies on her way out the door. "Set up cameras, allow for observation in situ. Could make good money off of a live feed of emergent pseudosapience, no?" That wickedly long, wickedly curved blade swings out of her arm as she heads to the end of the staging area closest to the rest of the base- presumably where any invaders would approach from. "Always ready for a fight. It's in my bones."      An easy, calm smile spreads across her face as she straightens her red glasses- new eyes always take a bit of getting used to to, and adjustable vision correction's a simple stopgap until she fully acclimates. Her ear-fins quirk upwards in a silent display of joy. Her emotions before a fight are always conflicted: anything that enhances her ability to fight in the future is contextualized as enjoyable, but empathy usually demands a certain degree of sobriety for the pain of her opponents. Not today. These are monsters.      The antechamber she's in is decorated similarly to the rest of the base, but with a considerable amount of open space and broad glass windows, along with locking doors at either end. Maybe it was a cargo storage area once. Today, it's a boss room. With a bit of time to spare, she arranges the remaining cargo containers in strategic ways to block lines of sight and to favor smaller combatants with narrow chokepoints: a subtle touch, but one that might still inconvenience the gorillas. 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Reinhardt nods, before he produces a thermos. "You may need this." He says, offering it to Laura. He knows she's been here WAY TOO LONG, so it's only fair she get something to help her get energized. It's coffee, STRONG coffee too, intended to keep soldiers awake and alert. May not do much to her metabolism but every bit counts, right?     "I made sure the containers were sealed, and also easily consumed. Hopefully they know to conserve this stuff, because it isn't easy getting this level of food in such a short level of time." 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     The strike team of monkeys, with their mix of homemade and human-assisted weaponry, seem quite willing to fight with the Watchfolk here as well -- they really are a bunch of hostile sorts -- and they're seeming like they don't much differentiate between humans. Thankfully, the peanut butter... Doesn't really defuse their generic territorial urges, but it does seem to fill them up and energize them, and they seem mostly to not want to harm the Watch, until they... Well, until they get one of their own back from the Concord.     Then, they may be trouble, but not until then.     Sokka gets to meet these monkeys, in the sense that he might get to see them when they head into the Watch staging area. They're given offerings and... Well, unfortunately, seem to not be interested in being grateful, or in assuming the humans are anything but intruders. After hoisting, consuming, and tossing around the barrel, they do another MY TERRITORY sort of series of screeches, slamming their weapons against the ground. But they have a different set of more pressing intruders to focus on, and while their posture of hostility remains constant, they take off angrily.     Laura can lead them, but they might be able to finish the last of this path on their own. Would it be safe for them to? Sokka, too, can meet them, but they're almost more hostile to him than Laura, simply by virtue of his humanity. They don't seem like they communicate themselves, much, though they seem to be able to comprehend communication. Like trained animals... They seemingly lack a lot of spark of humanity, but they don't lack for comprehension.     They're climbing around the monkey-sized and Laura-sized vents. This might put them around and flanking Septette's killzone, and she can hear as much, but the vents are far too small for the others in the group. Reinhardt isn't gonna be fitting in there, you know. The Starbound Flotilla, meanwhile, ready up for the attack, equipping their arms and armor. If the Watch want to help the rescue effort, they'd better start engaging quick! 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka spent a bit of time looking around once he met up with the monkeys. Looking for some sign of the spark of intelligence. It didn't need to be human, after all. Monkeys and all. Heck, what a lot of humans consider to be a 'human' trait sometimes didn't exist in cultures. Perhaps writing, some kind of communication ability. The creation of their own tools, not just broken ones. Repairing structures. Anything to show that they could grasp and learn. That they had that spark that could be nurtured. Sure, they might be violent, but that didn't mean they were lesser creations. Also, he looks for a map of some sort. He was a tactician at heart. He may not be the best, but he was pivotal in the assault of the fire nation. And he knew their enemies, sort of. For one, they were smart. Attacking them head on would likely lead to defeat. They needed to find a way to draw them out. To try.... gorilla warfare. He'd hum as he worked. Then grinned as he'd try to find some way of cutting off the solar panels from their location. Albeit, only temporarily. Something that could be reversed by... well, coming in person. Slowing them down long enough to stop them from getting aid. At least, getting aid any faster than the paladins could. 

:'''{{#var:765|Gaonoir (765)}} has posed:''' "Okay, now this is one of the weirdest things I've ever seen." And with some of the weirdness that just comes from Digimon, that's saying something. Gaonoir just... yeah we're just going to leave this as is, as they're crawling off into the vents with Laura it seems. Mmm. He could do that, but then it would leave this front on the low side. "Erika, I think it's time I suited up, so to speak. Maybe get some attention." "You got it!" Erika picked up her digivice, twirling it in her palm for a moment before holding it up and out and thumbing the main control. "D-PORT, execute! Ultimate evolution!" The divice glows brightly for a moment, only for the surge of energy to turn to shades of violet and black as it engulfs Gaonoir. The digimon floats off the deck as it happens, within the corona of energy his form being reconfigured down to it's digital core, becoming larger and more humanoid with each passing second. That spike of energy probably pinged a -lot- of the bases working sensors, too. "Gaonoir, ULTIMATE DIGIVOLE TO...." The darkness seems to consolidate some and pull away from his form, rippling back to compose into a flowing cape that appears infinately dark on the inside. Which allows the now large armored form to clunk back onto the deck. Eyes alight behind the knight-like visor as he crosses his arms, and from the front of each vambrace a trio of energized warclaws extend. "UMBRA GAOGAMON." Let's do this thing. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     "Goin' quite well, matey! Data's comin' out fine, oughta be worth a pretty penny to buyers and worth a lot to our labs." Pavo says, grinning wildly. Then comes the call that combat is going on. "Yarrr! Avast! All hands on deck, we've a fight to take!" She calls out, whipping her fellow StarFlots into a war-ready state!     Staren finds, unusually, that Winston's capable of speech because of the long-term genetic enhancement, since there's some initial records of very genius-level intelligence being expressed vocally. It's possible that he just took to it especially well. Who knows. There's definitely no dependence on any sort of speech device attached to him, at least. If the monkeys have something to say, they're not saying it. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      The movement in the vents certainly doesn't escape her- Septette dispatches a trio of elemental drones into the ducts to make their lives hell from just out of easy reach. Crawling through them is slow work for a humanoid, but the small hovering drones should be able to stay just ahead of the apes, heating the walls of the vents to searing temperatures, peppering them with icicles, or sending painful electrical jolts through the metal walls. It's not enough to seriously injure an Elite, but it might just disrupt the apes' flimsy cohesion...      Then, without warning, metal hands burst through the wall and grab one of the apes, trying to drag it out into the open through the ragged hole in the vent! The drones inside- despite their likely limited lifespan- fed her just enough data to pinpoint their exact location through the metal, like a dog hunting for moles in the dirt. Assuming she can pull it out into the light, she'll hold one curved blade to its neck, heating her arms to searing temperatures. Maybe the apes will understand the threat to their companion and come out into the open... 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Suddenly, THINGS HAPPEN! Reinhardt grabs his hammer, moving to throw up his shield, moving to guard Erika once he notices the girl's unarmed for the most part. "Stay behind me, my dear." He says politely enough, keeping her safe while Gaonoir readies for BATTLE. "Oh boy, this won't end well.." He mutters, as the gorilla grow aggressive. He should've expected this, he's watched enough nature docs to know that gorillas tend to be very territorial. Why the scientists couldn't have used bonobos is beyond his guess.     He doesn't press the attack, instead opting to stay ready while he motions to the barrels. "If you could, it might help if we roll the barrels over to the apes while we still can!" he suggests to Erika and Laura, Sokka too. 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:''' Laura Kinney accepts the thermos, sipping greatfully. Indeed, the caffeine itself don't do too much, but the thought helps. And it tastes better than survival rations, or scrounged food from the vending machines. She can feel the warmth radiating out from her stomach. "I would imagine they will be able to. And if this goes well... we will be able to drop off more food for them in the future." And then... Welp. It looks like the assault is starting whether they are ready or not. "Wilhelm, they are going after CONCORD. If I do not help them, they will be slaughtered. This fight was inevitable, but I can give them the best chance. I can draw fire." She gives a quick apologetic shrug to Reinhardt, before darting into the vent as well, taking a slightly different path to get ahead of the strike force. If she can get in first, cause a distraction.... The apes will be slower to close to melee range than her, and the armor's decent, but it won't hold up under concentrated fire or heavy weapons.      Scrambling up a vertical shaft, the mutant teen heads for a vent high in the rafters of the choke point. It's a bit riskier to do drop attacks in lunar gravity, but if you get a good push off.... And push off she does, launching herself down toward Septette, claws out and teeth gritted in a snarl. She aims for the yggdroid's neck, hoping for the same kind of disabling strike that her foe had tried to use on her... 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Sokka finds plenty of tools. Discarded weapons and such, even some haphazard armor. Some maps are made, giving him directions throughout the colony, but there's little to indicate the monkeys have anything but rote memorization of the layout. The only real coherent image he finds is one drawn a long, long time ago... Plotting out an orbital arc off the moon, to Earth.     The maps still give him access to the solar farms. If he heads there, he should be able to draw them out. Cutting the power isn't too terribly difficult, given how tenuously it was connected in the first place. There's a lot of side-passages, plenty of space-age tools and equipment and such, all around for him to try to take on Sombra with... And yet, maybe Sombra is more likely to use them?     Septette seems to slow the apes, though their genetically enhanced forms are intensely resistant to environmental hazards so it doesn't injure them too much. They're less resistant to the grab. Roaring and screaming, the smaller monkey swings its heavy hammer, trying to slam it against Septette in a panic over the blade to its neck. They're... They're NOT very calm at ALL. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      Laura's attack couldn't have come at a worse time for Septette: the angry gorilla in her arms is like holding a tiger by the tail! In a split second, she calculates a viable plan of action: kicking off the floor, Septette turns upside-down while still grappling the angry gorilla and attempts to parry Laura's falling strike with her talon-like feet! The adamantium claws seem to be roughly an even match for whatever arcane supermaterials comprise her tan armored plates, but those plates can't cover everything- Laura's partially-deflected attack finds purchase on the hydraulic tubing and wiring of Septette's left leg, shredding it!      For a handful of milliseconds, the two meet in midair- and Septette takes advantage of the momentary proximity to deploy a concealed blade on her right leg, trying to stab Laura in the chest with repeated lighting-quick kicks as they pass by one another. Before Septette can hit the ceiling, however, she electrifies the gorilla into submission as the smell of burned fur and flesh fills the room, and violently flings it upwards to shift her own momentum into a rapid fall!      She hits the ground hard about a dozen paces from Laura, cracking the floor with the force of her impact, and straightens up with fire in her eyes. "Should've let me break your spine back there," Septette says with a manic grin. "Would've saved us both the trouble now." 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Reinhardt notices the apes aren't attacking them specifically, but after some brief determination, he begins to head for the main vehicle bay. There, the ape held by the Flotilla is being kept. "I suggest you let the ape go peacefully, unless you wish for violence!" He bellows, charging onto the scene with hammer in hand.     He doesn't immediately attack, instead moving to secure the captured ape. He really hopes the poor guy doesn't start blindly assaulting whoever is nearest once he's freed. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     It's easy enough to tell that there are something in the vents, all right. Even if she can't tell which ones they are coming through. Never mind. All it takes is a flick of a wrist, and Sombra brings up another monitor that she interacts with, changing some settings in the ventilation system.     Whoever's in the shafts will notice that suddenly things get closed off... all while the air starts to get sucked out. Better hurry out while you still can!     "I'm cleaning out the vents now," she informs her allies via radio, all while she readies her submachine gun. "Gabe? Don't go too overboard, ok?" With that she shimmers, and then she's gone as her thermoptic camouflage kicks in. As for who her target is... why not go for the more vulnerable ones first and get them out of the way?     One moment Sokka is alone as he makes his way towards the power center, the area being quiet compared to the rest of the colony. But shortly after however, the sound of a weapon being readied can be heard behind him. "Poor little chico... I think you're lost." Sombra's voice sounds a bit taunting as her camouflage falls away, her submachine gun pointed at the back of Sokka's head. 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:''' Laura Kinney feels a small amount of satisfaction as her strike lands home, blobs of hydraulic fluid arcing through the air in the low grav. Sparks fly as blades clash and parry, the teen rolling with the blows from Septette's foot claws, taking advantages of the low gravity to push the pair apart again. If anything, the low grav should make this fight slightly easier, as she can push and carom off almost anything in the room, redirecting herself to attack from new angles. "They are an endangered species. They did not ask to be like this, and I will not let them be exploited." It turns out that with the day to readjust, Laura is actually pretty good at low grav gymnastics. Wall, crate stack, ceiling. One hand wraps around a bare truss of the ceiling supports, while another slashes at a light fixture, neatly severing it from its cable in a shower of sparks. Grabbing the cable by its still insulated end, she launches herself forward again, trailing the length of cable, sparking end outstretched. 

:'''{{#var:765|Gaonoir (765)}} has posed:''' "I think it's time we got on with this." Erika has some amount of safety staying to the rear, so Gaonoir decides to use his own abilities to take this on the offensive. To which is to say, he uses his big claws to charge towards the vehicle bay and, rather than go for the doors, tear his way right through a wall to get inside. Collateral damage is not something he typically worries about, and it shows all too well as he goes for a bit of demolition to try and catch the enemy in the other room off their guard from the side. "KNOCK KNOCK!" Maybe Reinhart can get a grab in while Gaonoir is making a very big instigation of himself. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka didn't even hesitate. The moment he heard the weapon being clicked, he ducked and moved to the right. Why? Cause lots of people have instincts to go to the left. He'd been snuck up on before, attacked, and he knew how to try to AVOID being slaughtered for it. In a single motion his blade was out, a single low strike to try and drive her back. His eyes were already examining the room, flickering in and measuring everything in an instant. He pushed in suddenly, darting towards her from her right. Why? Because the quickest way to get out of his way would be to step back to the left. Right towards an exposed, broken pipe jutting out behind her, to trip her over. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      Low-grav attack vectors are terribly predictable: one moves in a nearly straight line from where one takes off, until hitting another surface. When Laura makes her lunge with the sparking cable, Septette is waiting for her, blades outstretched. She seems almost dismissive of the high-voltage attack, using her longer blades to try to savage Laura's body with precise strikes along her limbs and torso before the cable can reach.      When it does connect- she makes little effort to block or dodge- electricity sparks and leaps visibly between her exterior plates, and a bit of blue smoke rises from her joints as her eyes flicker. Then she yanks on the end of the cable, trying to pull Laura in to grappling range with her unnatural strength! "Child, you do not know my measure. If you did, you would save us time and slit your own throat." 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' It begins with a whisper of sound. A vibration that shudders through the vents as Sombra begins to close them off, sweeping down like ash from the vents. Slowly falling, pulling itself together as it hits the ground and rises into the shape of a man. A man - with SHOTGUNS. He pauses to work a crick out of his neck, a low hiss escaping his mask as he begins to stride forward - and then to run, his heavy boots thumping as he comes out of a side corridor. Looking to cut off the approaching apes as heroes run forward by -flanking the hell out of them-. The explosive, shattering boom of his weapons heard echoing down the hallways and doorways. "Holding the corridor." He states, growling into his comm. "Make this quick - if you want any of them still alive at the end of this. Stupid monkies." He'll take a few shots, then suddenly ghost through them only to reform. He's taking it 'easy' as suggested by Sombra - But there's only so much threat you can accomplish with shotguns before someone loses an eye. Or a hand. Or center mass. The monkies death wasn't -necessary-, but it would be very, very satisfying. 

:'''{{#var:673|Rory White (673)}} has posed:''' Space ripples and shears, blinding light heralding the emergence of a new vessel. A LARGE FRIGATE that could house perhaps sixty people blurs into existence. The ship, ID broadcasted as 'Cognizant Odyssey', would be of clear Starbound Flotilla engineering... if anyone was familiar with it anymore. Its IFF codes are affiliated with the Paladins, but also several neutral and highly-reputable scientific associations - first of which is the ARGONAUTS.     The ship wastes little time engaging in a retrograde burn and slowing down into geostationary orbit above the facility...     Shortly thereafter its entire brigade of sensory gear goes hot and *PINGS* the facility with active scans across the spectrum.     Staren's muse receives a request to link up with Tacnet information. The ship's Flotilla-tech teleporter surges with energy and deploys five six-legged crawler-bots of some sort - each man-sized - which approach the colony's domes and hunt for airlocks.     If there is any kind of wifi network accessible from orbit, it's also being probed with repeated levels of aggression as necessary, culminating in downright hacking if necessary to establish credentials... 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     REINHARDT makes his way to the bay! Pavo is the one who leaps atop a half-assembled rover, brandishing her flintlock. "AVAST!" She calls out. "Ye think we're gonna give up our score so easy?! I'll blow ye down before ye take another step towards that ape, scurvy DOG!" She fires, launching a grappling hook up and beginning a dramatic, swashbuckling swing at Reinhardt, trying to make the movement punishing!     Meanwhile, Moonfin tries to be the one to intercept directly. Walking elegantly between Reinhardt and the cage, he leaves one hand on his blade. But when Reinhardt gets into range, Moonfin draws that blade. "Fourth Sea Hylotl Style: Reef's Barrier." He calls, performing a defensive, slowing series of jabs with a suddenly-drawn katana. The other Starbounders are busy trying to fire shock-rounds into the intruding monkeys!     Suddenly, Gaonoir slams through one of the vehicle bay walls. It's at a height high enough that Pavo is knocked out of the air, slamming her into the ground, and also knocking a lot of rubble onto George and Albert from above, cutting off their reinforcements against the monkeys. "SCURVY SKY-DOOOOOOG!" Pavo calls out, ANGRILY, while being knocked aside. 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:''' Laura Kinney leaves more blood trailing through the air behind her, Septette's blades opening more gashes in her skin. She may not be as strong as her enemy, but she can still move faster. Taking the extra impulse from that yank on the cable, she attempts to twist around and aim another blow at the leg opposite the one she'd damaged earlier. "I tried that once. It did not work." Her toe claws punch through the floor plates, anchoring her in place for extra leverage as she tries to immobilize. 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     PIRATE BIRDS! SAMURAI FISH! OH NO!     Reinhardt is assailed by space raiders, and he tries to to block that sword swipe with his hammer's shaft. "AVAST YOURSELF!" Yep, he's kind of working on autopilot for banter today. He makes a move to knock Pavo away with the shaft of his hammer, pommel striking out like a buttstroke with a rifle. He's also got Moonfin engaging him, which leads Reinhardt to throw his shield up to defend against Pavo and MOonfin both. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren runs through the base with Sombra, until she disappears to check out the vents. "I'm continuing on to rendezvous with the others. Be careful." he says to the air, before moving on. He just protested splitting up, but if she wants to take that approach, she's more stealthy alone.     Gaonoir can probably hear his footfalls as he approaches. "Where'd YOU come from?!" He raises the beam cannons to fire, then thinks better of it -- blowing holes INTO the vehicle bay would be bad.     Gaonoir solves that problem by tearing through the wall anyway. And there's Pavo! Aww. Staren would really rather be fighting alongside Biteblade. Not that Pavo's less competent, just less pleasant.     Rory gets a negative response, followed by: SERIOUSLY?!     Staren runs to the hole. Pavo and Moonfin are both here. Staren doesn't know much about Reinhardt, but is guessing that Reinhardt doesn't know much about Moonfin either. That fight will probably work out fine for them.     Staren opens fire with the beam cannons, trying to catch Gaonoir in the crossfire where he'll have to dodge beams AND bullets.     After a few moments, Staren does start transmitting the files he has on the scientists' experiments to Rory. That should tell her what she needs to know. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     As Sokka moves Sombra instantly takes a step backwards, submachine gun still pointed at Sokka. Even as he drives her backwards with the blade she is light on her feet. And sadly it appears that she's aware of the broken pipe behind her as she jumps backwards and disappears from sight. "Huh, not bad," she acknowledges. Then there's the request from Septette, making her frown. An interruption during this fight... but it can't be helped. Perhaps Sokka hears it, the sound of something digital going on somewhere, echoing through the room. It does give him a moment to gather his wits at least. Where did she go? He doesn't have to wonder for long before she appears again, to his right as she fires upon him. Better think fast! 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      Rather than continue attempting to grapple her opponent, Septette turns abruptly away from Laura- the swipes at her leg gouge the hydraulics on her calf- and launches herself towards the far wall, despite the fact that her legs should clearly be mechanically inoperable already. That doesn't seem right... but there's not enough time to ponder it. The drones she'd sent to clear out the vents re-materialize in a triangle around Laura, orbiting and peppering her with small gouts of fire, electrical zaps, and condensed shards of ice for long enough to hopefully distract her from Septette' break-away.      But even if they do manage to distract, Laura's attention would swiftly be drawn back to the little war machine: a thunderous crash echoes through the room, and spiderwebbing cracks spread across the enormous, foot-thick glass window behind the yggdroid. Septette stares at Laura with a look of cold satisfaction for a moment before she pulls her blade out of the glass, giving the final impetus: the window gives way, glass shards and precious air sucked out into the howling void.      The last thing that's audible before all air leaves the room is a resounding click as all the doors lock- Sombra's work. Then Septette tears across the floor back towards Laura, blades extended for an impaling strike against the teen's chest! It seems like she's not content to let the hard vacuum do all the work. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Rory won't have any trouble getting in and examining things. That's not the problem. There's plenty to examine, it's just all chaotic, and a lot of it is bad. What's really bad is the fact that, where their entry crosses paths with the vehicle bay, they'll be running right into Reaper, and he's already driving angry, spear and hammer and other such weapon-wielding monkeys back, with tons of shotguns! It's a dangerous situation. They're getting access a fair bit, but if Sombra can identify and locate those drones, Reaper is right in the right spot to take them on and take them out. Thankfully, though, he's at least buying breathing room for the Flotilla against the monkeys... 

:'''{{#var:765|Gaonoir (765)}} has posed:''' "Aaaw, the little birdy remembers me." His voice may be darker and deeper in tone in this form, but it's still clear enough to be Gaonoir's, especially with the snarky edge to it. Pavo is sent sprawling from her swing, her crewmates scattered by the debris from his entrance. Whereas the dark armored form steps over some of the debris like it was nothing. "I've fought through entire legions of the Demon Lords' armies, what hope do you misfits have?" His stride has little trouble closing in on Pavo, the last step to be lifting his armored foot over her. He doesn't really care about the apes so much as his original mission to catch and punish these bandits from space for their raiding. But before he can bring his foot down several energy blast slam into him from behind, causing just enough stagger that his foot comes down a few to the side of Pavo to catch himself from falling. There's a pause, and then he turns his helmeted head just enough to glare one golden eye at Staren. "You should mind your own business, kid." Then turns a bit farther, aiming one arm in Staren's direction. Shadowy energy briefly forms in his clenched hand, which upon opening surges towards Staren like a laser made somehow of darkness. Considering lasers are normally things of light. It's just the easier way to explain it. Erika peeks her head through the hole in the wall Gaonoir made, but ducks right back out when there's screaming angry birds and shots flying all around. This is the part of the digimon adventure she really isn't all that fond of! 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:''' Laura Kinney grits her teeth against the pain as her body spasms from the arcs of electricity and spikes of ice embedding themselves. One jet of fire catches her hair which had been trailing behind her, and there is a flare of light as the fire spreads. Laura has just enough time to see the cracks start to spread and kick herself down, embedding all six claws in the floor, before the atmosphere departs and takes the fire with it, along with most of Laura's hair, only a couple shaggy inches remaining.      Laura exhales as it goes, emptying her lungs so they don't burst. All sound is gone, the only noises the pounding of her heart, the rush of blood through her body, and the scrape as she pulls her claws free and charges herself, bounding forward for a final, hopefully decapitating strike. It turns out that getting stabbed twice in the chest makes a grinding noise that would probably cause an ordinary person to lose their lunch. That's both lungs gone, not that they're any use right now anyway. At least she can take Xeptette with her... 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     "Oh." Staren says, upon recognizing the voice. Huh, so that guy can shapeshift. "I AM minding my own--" he starts to reply, and then a dark laser hits his forcefield. Briefly visible, the amber sphere can be seen to 'heat up', turning whiter, with a bit 'shattering' into quickly-fading sparkles of energy around where it was hit before going invisible again.     Staren decides to go all-in, at least as far as he can without blowing up a good chunk of the room: he holds his arms out, and six tiny missiles the size of markers shoot into the room, aiming to spread around Gaonoir at a distance of a few feet before exploding -- it seems rather than the typical explosion, these produce short-lived lances of thin superheated metal that can punch through a tank!     Staren takes cover behind the wall after firing. He hopes that worked or at least teaches him something about Gaonoir's defenses, he can't fire six at once again. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Biteblade and Seft now far less overwhelmed by the dangerous threat of monkeys! "SEFT!" Moonfin shouts as one of his allies goes down, first slammed out of the air by Gaonoir's entry, and then slammed further back by the shaft of that hammer! With a wet crack, she slams into the ground, disabled for now. Mash E to revive! Moonfin himself isn't harmed, at least, but he can't get around that shield!     "Alert. Incoming!" Seft and Biteblade arrive! With a rush of melee strikes, the pair come in. Seft in her knight armor with heavy battleaxe strikes, Biteblade with quick, darting dagger-stabbings. They're trying to flank around the shield in a triangular pattern, to make sure Reinhardt can't defend against both at once... But his offensive abilities just might take down that fragile situation easily.     "Ahhhhh fuck fuck fuuuuuck." George calls out, too dazed to engage in a full offensive, but still capable of helping! Pavo is so damaged right now, Gaonoir might kill her! He slides into place, diving for Pavo as Staren gives a distraction. "Hop up, let's gooooo!" He calls out, trying to hoist her onto her feet, administering stims! Trying to get her outta there! 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka did think fast. The moment she appeared, he was already diving down. "You're pretty fast and light on your feet," he said before flinging the boomerang. Really? In a narrow hallway? How could it-- HOW DID IT ACTUALLY COME BACK?! Either way, he was fast. A narrow area, he ran at her but, rather than running straight at her like a sane person, he started leaping and jumping off the walls, making his way quickly by bouncing around in erratic movements to throw off her aim and... Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough to really outrun bullets. Moments before he'd be close enough to actually launch an attack, a bullet lodged into his shoulder. He gave a grunt of pain, but still took a swing with his other arm. 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Reinhardt notices MORE people attacking him. This is PERFECT, less attention on the apes. Means he can do what he was put on this earth to do in the first place; DRAW AGGRO AND TANK IT ALL.     He is built like a goddamn train, and he holds his ground even as the shield falters. "Hahaha! Is this the best you can do? BRING IT ON, I LIVE FOR THIS!" He bellows, shoving his shield at towards Seft while he swats at Biteblade, moving slow and steady while he tries to keep from being kept in one place at a time, still protecting himself. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      The adamantine blades rip deeply into the tubing and wiring of Septette's neck, even as she cranes her head back to avoid some of the attack; black fluid is ripped from the shredded hydraulics and pulled into the void in floating globules. Only when Laura's blades hit her 'spinal cord' do they meet any real resistance: the thaumatech supermaterials of her deepest skeleton seem almost infinitely resilient.      But even if the armor is impenetrable, what lies beneath can still be harmed: after a fraction of second of scraping, the blades slip through a chink in the artificial vertebrae, severing the thick cables underneath. Septette's eyes immediately gutter and fall dark, her body locking in its current position like a statue as servomotors seize up and hydraulics bleed dry. She stands motionless, like a statue.      In the sensory darkness of mechanical failure, Septette's mind simmers silently, carefully considering her options: revealing magical operating modes after electronic 'death' is never a good thing; the less people know just how durable she is, the less likely they are to make sure she's really dead in the future. But the alternative is leaving Laura here to die in hard vacuum.      It's a careful calculation that takes several seconds to resolve, weighing her future potential to catch people off-guard with the puppeteer system against Laura's potential safety. Finally, she reaches the decision to reboot in magical operating mode and reveal herself. It's not proper to allow Laura to risk dying here, even if she is... misguided.      Several seconds after Septette first fell still and silent, she roars back to life. The red core in her chest is glowing with a worryingly intense light, but her eyes remain cold and dead. Against basic principles of mechanics, her limbs are suffused with an animating force again, and she steps back to tear her blades free of Laura's torso! The drones sputter and deactivate as all of the yggdroid's magical power is channeled into staying standing, and she sinks back into a fighting stance, mouthing: "Come at me." 

:'''{{#var:454|Mortimer Balman (454)}} has posed:'''      From the nearest available gate, a battered and beaten up old Gelgoog M-class Zeon mecha flies out at a pretty good clip. Inside of the Gelgoog is Mortimer Balman, who is transmitting his IFF to all parties in local space. As Mortimer had broadcast over the broadband, it is unarmed. But then again it's /really/ heavily armored, and it appears to have traded weapons for additional thruster power, so someone might consider it a ramming or smashing threat.      Granted, that would require Mort to be a combat pilot, which he very much is /not/, so hopefully nobody shoots at him and forces him to get into this fight.      The over-armored mech appears to be flying for Laura Kinney's position, while bright LEDs across the mecha's pauldrons, legs, and head all flash intermittently in morse code for 'NON-COMBATANT, PLEASE DO NOT FIRE UPON.' 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     There are enough warning protocols in place in case somebody else tries to take over the system. Even as she fires upon Sokka, the hacker frowns. Hopefully the safety protocols she put in place will be enough... any unauthorised access is met with a stream of data, with everything from useless data meant to overload the attempted connection. If that doesn't work, the second stage is put into place. A virus that attempts to erase data from the connecting server.     As well as their connection... that's easy enough to catch. With a press of a buttton the signal is transmitted to her allies. "Giving you the locations...!" Now use that information well while she's busy! If she had been there herself she could have taken care of them with an EMP charge, but as she's busy with Sokka... that makes it rather difficult.     It's easy enough to dodge the thrown boomerang, and Sokka isn't the only one who uses the environment to their advantage. Not only is Sombra light on her feet, she's able to kick off the floor and walls to evade the swings of his floor. Though she can't help but grin as she manages to hit Sokka with some of the fire. Gloating, she leans back to evade a swing of his sword. "Is that the best you can do? Hah, I've seen be-- AUGH!"     That's the moment boomerang returns, hitting Sombra right in the back of the head, causing her to stumble forwards as she grabs at her head. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     With only two attackers, Reinhardt can easily hold them off, and when he does a heavy SHIELD BASH against Seft, it slams her back. She makes a screaming sort of buzz sound, and slams into the interior of the Starbound Flotilla's own rover, sparks flying out of her body like blood and segments of armor cracked open. "Metal friend!" Biteblade calls out! "Seft!" Moonfin shouts. Both strike with renewed vigor, even as the shield decays...     But like this, Reinhardt can orient himself to keep his back to the monkey's cage. There's a control-panel there! If he can start up and maintain the powering-down sequence, he might be able to get that monkey free...! 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     It remains to be said, Reinhardt doesn't take pleasure in this. Which is why he's not pressing the assault unless provoked. He notices how Biteblade and Moonfin are -clearly- enraged by this, and he just shrugs apologetically before he begins to back away, towards the cage. Just a bit closer...c'mon. He thrusts his hammer, this time intending to get Biteblade to back off when the Floran draws blood with a lucky strike, cutting deep through armor plating. This is gonna be a bitch to deal with when EVA-ing later... 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka was bleeding, but managed to catch the boomerang in his wounded arm, cringing as the wound ached. It wasn't a very serious wound, the bullet went through and just grazed the bone. Still bloody hurt. Of course, since boomerang came back, he had been expecting that. She probably expected the sword to come. Which it did! Except it was a distraction. When he swung it, he jammed it into the wall and used it as a leverage to increase his moment and speed. He'd let the sword go, trying to slam into her and knock away the gun when in close and then drive his knee into her stomach. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Mortimer doesn't have a hard time finding his target. Laura's position seems to be between the Watch and Concord staging grounds, or at an antechamber of the Concord one. There's a visible hull breach, one of those heavily reinforced windows has been blown out... He can see Septette and Laura, still going at it in there despite Laura's exposure to hard vacuum! 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:''' Laura Kinney allows herself a moment of happiness as she sees the light in Septette's eyes go out, pulling her claws free of the droid's neck and stumbling backwards, pulling herself off the blades, the grating sound filling her ears again as more blood emerges, the wounds also starting to freeze. By now she's starting to show the signs of vacuum exposure, a full body bruise, eyes bloodshot, and her coordination's suffering. Just have to... Get air. Thought she saw some oxygen tanks over..." And then the bright red glow forms, and Laura's fight is no longer over. She doesn't even take time to bother interpreting the message, leaping forward again, mouth open in a voiceless scream as she lets loose a flurry of strikes, each one coming a little slower than the last. 

:'''{{#var:765|Gaonoir (765)}} has posed:''' George has a free shot at getting Pavo out of immeadiate harm's way thanks to Staren launching more attacks to keep Gaonoir's attention on him. The Digimon turns fully towards the armored scientist, crossing his arms in front of himself with the overly large shield-like vambraces in a defensive stance. Honestly he was expecting your typical explosions, so when the missiles instead burst into armor-piercing darts it briefly catchs him off-guard. Enough to get a growl of frustration as the heated darts dig through his armor, which is also essentially part of his body. Because, again, Digimon are weird like that. There's thin but visible fractures radiating out from where the impacts hit, but whatever that armor is made of it is definately tough. Golden eyes narrow. "So be it." The cloak flutters about behind him briefly, only to surge as if life of its own to wrap around Gaonoir and disappear down into mote and nothingness. Only to rise up behind Staren as if stepping out of the armor's own shadow. Followed by a thrusting strike with the warclaws on his arm. "MIDNIGHT STALKER!" Though he is aiming more to strike just the armor and not the presumably fleshy human(ish) boy inside. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Reinhardt gets to that cage! If he mashes that shutdown, it'll just be a few seconds, capturing that point alone...! "PETROV!" Moonfin calls in another ally! From above, an angry monkey, but one far unlike the others. "RRRRRAAAAH!" Swinging that massive hammer, Albert comes down, trying to attack from above by using one of the upper decks! If Reinhardt's defenses can hold out even just a little bit longer, he can prevent this intercepting agent from restoring the fading forcefield cage... 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      Septette's movements are considerably less precise now, too- contrasting her earlier inhuman precision, her movements now are jerky and wild, like a deeply rabid animal or a clumsy marionette. Each movement carries the same degree of excessive force, making it difficult for her limbs to move fluidly. Even so, she knows her limitations, and works around them as well as could be expected: most of Laura's strikes are driven aside by her parrying strikes, though one mistimed block results in Septette's forearm being skewered, claws piercing between the armor plates.      As Laura's assault loses momentum, Septette appears to wind up for a would-be dismembering stroke- but before her meager accuracy can be tested, Mort's approach registers on her sensors. Instead of aiming to chop off Laura's arm as originally intended, the yggdroid tries to grab her by the wrist and chuck her directly out the open window- into easy recovery range for Mort. That's one way to take her out of the fight... 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     The strike to the back of her head does give Sokka a window to strike, with the hacker reeling even as she lets out a string of angry curses in Spanish. Though she's relatively quick to glance up... just in time to see Sokka advance once more, knocking her off her feet as he slams into her. Despite her holding on as best as she can onto her gun it's not enough, the sub machine gun sliding across the floor as Sokka drives his knee into her stomach.     A pained sound leaves her just as the air is knocked out of her lungs, and the hacker heaves as she stumbles backwards. "Que afortunado..." she wheezes, purple eyes watching him intently. "But your luck is about to run out." A smirk crosses her lips... and then suddenly she's gone as her translocator kicks in, leaving Sokka alone in the room. Next, the doors slam shut. After that... the gravity turns off.     In a nearby hallway Sombra appears, moving a hand to her abdomen as she winces slightly. Damnit, that could have gone better... 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     The HEAT missiles worked! Nice! And it seems Gaonoir's decided it's time to leave...     Or not. Staren's armor has sensors that check behind it, so he's not oblivious to the figure rising behind him. He glances back and moves to run, and Gaonoir discovers something interesting: From this close, the forcefield can't get in the way. The claws dig into the armor. They can't just pierce it, but... perhaps if Gaonoir held Staren in place and pushed hard, he could skewer him. Staren notices this, the face behind the visor showing an 'Aw, shit' expression. He backs away, wings appearing and allowing him to float to a smooth landing on the rubble below. He starts to raise the beam cannons, but hesitates. Gaonoir was clearly not trying to kill him, and that's appreciated... But before he can work out how to appropriately respond, Rory makes her announcement. He lowers his arm. "You heard her. We don't need to fight." 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Reinhardt notices ALBERT OUT OF NOWHERE, the space-ape dropping upon him like a bomb made of hammers. He braces for the blow, Albert landing on him with a loud CLANG! He and Albert wrestle for a bit, Knight vs SPACE APE, as they draw near to the cage controls.     "RRRRR!!!" He has to admit, Albert's strong as hell, to a point he can't deny respecting the guy. "You and your allies...you have unity, I admire that!" he comments, before wrestling and grappling before picking up Albert, swinging him -dangerously- close to the cage controls. Or some kind of control panel in reach, could it be connected to the cage? 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka was getting ready to try and put her into a lock when she disappears and then... "Damn it!" He punched the wall and then flew back against the wall. "Ow!" Well, okay, not his best moment. He growled and kicked off, grabbing his sword and yanking it out. There was no way he'd be able to catch her now, especially with her cheats. He looked to his map. Fine. Extraction. This... was a loss. Sometimes you lost. He cringed and made his way towards the door space sworrrrrrd tearing it apart in moments before he'd start running towards the exit, applying pressure as he went. 

:'''{{#var:673|Rory White (673)}} has posed:''' One of Rory's drones is headed for Sokka, to deliver a vacsuit, a nanobandage for wounds, and AGGRESSIVE GUIDANCE out of the facility and into range of her ship's teleporter.     Another is positioning itself elsewhere, looking to be ready to retrieve Laura if Mortimer doesn't accomplish this first.     The Odyssey helpfully tightbeams a set of recommended landing zones and carefully calculated angles of approach and thruster configurations to the clunky-looking machine. Rory probably does not trust Charr's piloting skills... or that machine. One or the other. Possibly both.     One other drone's are attempting to stealthily avoid confrontations. They do this by CLINGING TO THE CEILING and scuttling along, looking for hatches that lead to networking gear for an interface.     Rory intends to fully subvert the facility and gain root-level access to its systems now that she's gained basic access to its amenities...     The remaining two? Still staying out of the current conflict, but they lurk as close to the biggest pack of gorillas as they possibly can, clearly ready to enact some sort of plan... 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:''' Laura Kinney continues to fight despite her increasing sluggishness, teeth bared, eyes blazing even as they're starting to ice over. Her higher brain functions are gone now, only the animal instincts remaining. Taking advantage of her firmly embedded claws, she even /bites/ at Septette's arm, teeth grinding uselessly at armor plate. The toss doesn't quite go as planned, Laura not being entirely willing to let go, one last burst of strength hanging on before she slips into blackness. This turns what might have been a clean toss into a ragged tumble, Laura flying towards the window, a trail of blood mist behind her. This is going to be a difficult catch... 

:'''{{#var:454|Mortimer Balman (454)}} has posed:'''      The Gelgoog begins firing RCS rockets to slow down, steadily coming over to where it's been directed, all while Mortimer twitchily fingers the joysticks that control the movements of the mecha's arms and fingers. People are getting pretty goddamn crazy out here. There's no telling if they'll actually LET him perform his little humanitarian aid mission or not.      Sweat slowly pouring down his forehead, Mortimer begins moving following the instructions that are being relayed across his VR screens. The mecha is almost fully automated, but there are still fine control tasks that they can't do which he must. "Steady now.. Easy.." A red targeting reticle appears as Laura's body flies out into the void. Target acquired. "There you are.. Hang on kiddo, I'll get outta this.."      The colossal hand of the Gelgoog, with a touch far more delicate than one would expect from such mechanisms, gently scoops the little mutant up and guides her toward the chest. A secondary cavity above Mortimer's cockpit opens up and deposits Laura inside, closing as fast as it opened.      Once she is inside, the cabin /rapidly/ repressurizes her to environmental norms and drops her down into Mort's cockpit, which has tilted itself on a gyroscope so he can catch and render first aid. The first thing Laura will probably wake up to is the old fire-badger-man forcing a catheter attached to an oxygen machine down her throat and a needle full of artificial blood plasma into one of her veins.      "Computer, set artificial lung to 850 BPS, begin immediate barotrauma countermeasures. Begin assessing cardiovascular pressure and soft tissue degredation. Ready morphine autoinjector and pentoxifylline catheter." He is aware that Laura has some degree of regeneration ability, but he isn't sure how fast it is.. And even if it's super fast, ebullisms are something Mortimer is /well/ prepared for as a simple matter of survival. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Albert slams and strikes and swings and generally engages Reinhardt in a dramatic grapple using his powerful Apex physiology and his tremendous powered armor. No match for Reinhardt in size or strength, or even hammer skill, but he's still, for a brief moment, a dramatic mirror. And then, suddenly, Reinhardt's edge comes through! With a dramatic swing, Albert is the one he slams into the control panel, letting the monkey's own access codes effectively do the dirty work of capturing Point B for him. As soon as that cage goes down, the monkey within swings free! George launches a grappling hook, trying to chase it down, but it's likely that with the antechamber so sealed off, and him unable to get through the vents, he won't be able to catch up. As Albert bounces off the control panel, tumbling away, it looks for a moment like Moonfin and Biteblade are going to attack...     Both grow suddenly pale, and dive to the side. Pavo has noticed what Reinhardt did. "I'LL BLOW YE DOWN FOR THIS WRONG, YE TRUMPED-UP STEROID-SPITTIN' GOAT." She calls, enraged. "DIE!" She's picked up some kind of massive rotary railgun-cannon from the top of the Flotilla's rover. Leaping into the air with a DISTURBING degree of remaining agility for someone slinging a massive heavy weapon under both arms, she begins rapid-firing solid tungsten-alloy slugs, intending to close the distance with Reinhardt and beat him to death with the gun amid her rapid leaps. He's taken out two of the six, but one of the recovered Starbounders seems to have stimed herself out and been enraged by his release of that monkey!     The monkey, meanwhile... Has escaped. Back to its allies, who are trying to retreat from Reaper now, screaming primate hostility at him. There goes the Concord test subject. They'll have to make due with the meager data they can pull from its blood... 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     SUCCESS! Reinhardt can't help but grin with glee behind his mask as the ape is freed. "RUN, GO BE WITH YOUR BROTHERS!" He bellows, before Pavo gets a MASSIVE cannon out, and he takes a round to the chest. He's sent flying, landing with the impact of a humvee before he's bludgeoned over and over and over with the cannon. Ow ow ow ow ow owowowowowowowow. On one hand the ape is free, on the other, THIS FUCKIN' HURTS. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      A broad, manic grin spreads across Septette's face as Laura finally careens off into the void and Mortimer scoops her up. There couldn't be a better resolution here... well, maybe there could have been if the little robot had taken less damage beforehand. But still- nobody dies, and perhaps Laura has been taught a healthy amount of respect for her elders. ... One can hope, anyway.      Septette takes a bow towards Mortimer's mecha, giving him a friendly wave before departing. Then she walks, or perhaps shuffles, back towards the center of the base.      Knifelike fingers shove themselves through the door to the central staging area before unceremoniously shredding the metal with a truly unnecessary amount of force. Septette staggers through, looking like some kind of zombie machine with her eyes dead and black hydraulic fluid dripping down her twitching, sparking body; she surveys the ongoing brawl with dying optics. "I think," she rasps in a hollow voice, "you should go, Reinhardt. Your side is outnumbered eight to two. I wouldn't enjoy gutting you like a fish." 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:'''      Sadly, Mort's medical treatment probably isn't going to be as effective as he'd like it to be. The first sign of this would probably be the flow of air from the breathing tube immediately hissing out of the twin holes in her chest. Both lungs, perforated. There's also a decent amount of blood leaking out. However, once the oxygenated substitute reaches her cells, they start doing their thing. There's another sudden spray of blood as her heart starts beating again, although the gaping wounds in her chest it's leaking through are knitting together. And when it hits her brain....      Laura gasps, jerking upright, claws extended, lashing out instinctively because, to the best of her memory, she was in a fight to.... Hang on. This isn't a warehouse with no air. This is a warm cockpit. And there's something down her throat, and something in her arm, and her claws are.... She looks up, eyes meeting Mort's, before her claws slip back into her flesh. "I.... I did not want us to meet like this. I am sorry, I thought you were...." She's still pretty badly hurt, various gashes still open, but the bleeding seems to be slowing, and the bruises aren't /quite/ as bad. She blinks a few times, before breaking eye contact and looking down at her lap 

:'''{{#var:765|Gaonoir (765)}} has posed:''' The armored boy draws back. Part of the Flotilla have withdrawn. As are part of their own forces, with someone trying to guide Sokka out and another going after Laura. A grumbling growl comes out of the Dark Beast Knight as he continues to glare in Staren's direction for a moment. "Your allies trespassed upon their home. Their 'intelligence' is irrelivant. They have a right to being, how do you humans say, pissed off about it." The cloak ripples again, though this time it's just with a mudane swirling motion as Gaonoir turns. "But beyond that, it doesn't matter to me. My mission was only to drive off the invaders." Attention briefly shifts to the side as Pavo goes into a screaming rage with a giant gun and continues to attack his own ally. "Speaking of..." This time it's not a literal teleport. It's just a blurring like shadows as Gaonoir moves a lot faster than his armored form might seem to be capable of. He can't intervein in time to stop Pavo from firing off a few shots, but he can do the next best thing as he seems to materialize out of shadows right next to Pavo. "DIVIDE. BY. ZERO!" A powerful slash with his warclaws comes down, shining with disruptive digital energy. The arc is aimed at cleaving the rotary cannon apart rather than the alien bird woman. By that's just as likely to make the weapon explode or something similar, even as Gaonoir comes to a stop in typical 'slice through the enemy finisher' fashion. "Now get out of here." He doesn't bother actually looking back though. It took a hell of a lot of restraint to only cut the weapon, trust me. 

:'''{{#var:454|Mortimer Balman (454)}} has posed:'''      A man Mortimer's size, there's a LOT to slash and stab at. Fortunately, Mortimer is well used to such behavior! Hell, what's one or two more scars, really? Boiling hot blood flows from a fresh stab along his abdomen, but rapidly cools once it's past his body. Laura might find that it's unusually painful to pull her claws back in, as they're retaining /tremendous/ amounts of heat.      Mort's fur flattens and the muscles tense up, stopping the flow of blood while he wraps some gauze around the new perforations. "Don't worry about it kid. I've had worse. Now hold still and let me clean you up, you're a bloody mess." Fresh gauze and rags are pulled out of kits that are just /littered/ around the cockpit. The Gelgoog slowly drifts away from the station while Mortimer patiently begins cleaning Laura up. "You heal quickly. Good. Computer! Monitor life signs, belay previous orders. Move to 2.5 kilometers from the station and hold position." The machinery beeps and clicks, a soft feminine voice with an accent oddly similar to Mortimer's confirms his orders- <Affirmative. Moving at half speed to designated coordinates. Registering new personnel into system, monitoring. Additional medical supply is available for treatment of newly identified injuries.> "I would like 10ccs of morphine please. 20 for the kid." <Acknowledged.>      A small syringe drops down, which Mort immediately shoves into his neck. "Ahh.. Yeah, that's the stuff.." A secondary syringe is waiting to be administered to Laura. "If you don't want it, I won't make you take it. Would probably take the edge off, though." 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Pavo tries to bring the heavy rotary cannon down again for another heavy-weapon-sized pistol whip. The effect is that she swings with a few pieces of metal left in her grip, while the gun itself falls apart around Reinhardt. The look she gives Gaonoir is just OUTRAGEOUSLY angry, pure rage. "YOU." She declares, drawing her sword, shaking with anger.     Moonfin steps in. "The dragonslayer is just as vulnerable. Take the teleporter to the surface if you wish. This-- This is not sustainable. The monkeys are now fully capable of evading us, unlikely to be captured again." He says that with an element of bitter distaste. "We will finish our promised task of restoring the facility to self-sustaining order, if we remain. Do you truly wish us driven out?"     Pavo looks like she's going to come at Gaonoir anyway, but then Seft of all people seems to have recovered. Her armor is battered, but she's still remaining mostly functional after her recovery time. She practically shoulder-checks Pavo back, interposing herself and halting further attacks. She looks back to Gaonoir, and says, "Uneasy. You will have opportunities to strike back against us. Please-- Please-- Please--" Bzzt. "Please, Just for now, we need to stay a short while more." Her eyes flicker to a tense and narrowed expression, looking at Pavo angrily, before she turns back. "Bitter. Consider the point made that this method is unsustainably punishing for further operations." She seems to be the one opposed to this whole business from the start. And probably the most honest, from her knightly and noble stylings. 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:''' Laura Kinney flexes her fingers after her claws retract. Yep, those are blisters on her knuckles. And things aren't exactly peachy inside her forearms either. But she's had worse. "I am fine. You do not need to-" She's cut off by the conversation with the computer, waiting for it to end before resuming. "You do not need to waste your supplies on me. I will get better, and any drug doses would have to be massive. Right now... I am hungry." her hand slides up her right arm, picking at the tape holding the plasma IV in. 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Reinhardt is about to get it, after all these years, and he welcomes a worthy end just before Pavo's gun falls apart. He glares at Pavo, "Go ahead." mutters the knight, before suddenly Moonfin and Seft step in. Reinhardt's still got a grip on his hammer, and he uses the weapon as a crutch as he tries to get onto his feet, unsteadily forcing himself to stand with some difficulty. He's definitely going to need to lie down for a while, after he gets home. Ow.     "Thank you." He manages to Gaonoir, before he just...watches the Flotilla crew. He doesn't pursue them, no point in doing that in his condition, nor would he wish to anyways. They're beat up, he's beat up, let's just go home and lick our wounds. 

:'''{{#var:765|Gaonoir (765)}} has posed:''' Gaonoir just continues to glare at the various Starbounders as they try to reason and/or hold back their enraged crewmate. Or maybe he's glaring internally at himself, as the hunter he was made to be is arguing with the dark hero he's tried to become. As easily as he could possibly cut them all down... And at the same time sympathizes. He knows how it feels to have your world lost and torn apart. The struggle to survive in whatever way you've found yourself in. "GAONOIR!" Erika has finally stepped into the bay proper now that there is less attacks flying around at random. "You've punished them enough for what they did at Numbani. Let them be." ".... Hmph." Cloak flutters as he turns again, and reachs over to help stabilize Reinhardt with one arm. Though even for him its some effort since that armor is heavy. "Fine. I'll let them off." Pause. "This time." He scoops Erika up with the other arm and starts to march off. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     With Reinhardt and Gaonoir (plus one) leaving, the Starbounders all collectively let a breath out, exhaling. Except Pavo, who looks positively furious. Biteblade goes to help Albert up, Moonfin goes to find George and begin their obligatory restoration efforts, and Seft...     "Alarmed. Septette!!" She practically cries out in a fuzzy, buzzing monotone. "Terrified. Oh goodness. Septette, are you okay? How immediate is need for repairs? Can I assist in any way?" She practically demands Septette lie down and await some immediate first-aid-style repairs, constantly making anxious buzzing noises.     The monkeys have retreated. No matter how much Biteblade tries to hunt them down, they seem one step ahead. Doesn't matter too much. They'll get back on their feet more gradually, if they have to. There's time. They've done enough, for now. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      "I'll live," she reassures Seft, managing to ever-so-carefully pat the Glitch on the head even in her clumsy and enervated state. "Condition is serious, but not deteriorating. Let's get things cleaned up around here before putting me on the table, alright?" She glances over at Reinhardt, making sure the old soldier will make it out alright- even gives him directions to the closer telepad near the back of the staging area, should he be willing to use it.      It's been a very long day. Even without the ability to experience pain or fatigue, Septette feels worn down... but it's an accomplished kind of exhausted. The Flotilla and their allies control the base now. There will be time to gather their strength again. 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Reinhardt nods to Septette as he, Gaonoir, and Erika go toward the telepods. "Thank you. A pity we could not meet under better circumstances." He comments in passing, before he and his comrades head for the telepad, zapping away to NOT in space. 
}}

5366/MISSION: Starwatch (3)

2017-07-14T14:25:24Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/07/10 |Location=Overwatch Earth <OWE> |Synopsis=There are several problems upon arriving on the moon, not only because of disagreements. But b..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/07/10
|Location=Overwatch Earth <OWE>
|Synopsis=There are several problems upon arriving on the moon, not only because of disagreements. But because of its current inhabitants.
|Cast of Characters=672, 1111, 765, 1117, 632, 1076, 42
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     HORIZON ONE LUNAR COLONY     It displays a beautiful array of radial lights. The bright rings of still-active colonization infrastructure glimmer gently. They've not been maintained, but they were certainly built to last those years ago. But they certainly weren't built for what happens next.     The Starbound Flotilla's fleet of ships descends dramatically, sweeping low and clean over the lunar surface in search of hangars and other such ports of access. There are few to be found, and none to link to such strange ships. The Concord will have to touch down just outside the base. Gaonoir and Laura will have only a few minutes to escape the ship before they use this chance to cycle power and recalibrate their sensors, meaning they'll need to make a break for the structure on their own, using some of those oxygen nanoskins. Its construction is quite modular, clean, and the image of space-age. Not much to make it decay, not on the moon. Well, the exterior is a bit pockmarked with the little meteor impacts, but something automated must be cleaning those up...     Albert's voice comes over comms. "Arriving. Power will be cycled to restore scanners. Find our boarders. If you're not going to do that, join up on the rover." The rover? Oh, the heavy vehicle they've crafted out of wrecks and nonsense down in the hangar of the shuttle. The big bus-looking thing looks lunar-worthy and ought to make a bit of a staging area for them in Horizon One! Sombra's been invited to dock her own special purple craft atop it as it rolls out, where she can slip inside or out of it, and work on getting their one remaining teleporter set up. Septette has no need of such things, and she's invited to be their exterior operator for this, to find somewhere they can open up a gate and roll in without dealing too much with the sort of lunar hazard that Laura and Gaonoir may yet encounter.     They mostly leave Albert and Biteblade behind, briefly, to try to hunt down Laura. She may have to evade the pair with their flamethrowers. Gaonoir and their human too, though they don't know those ones are aboard. Worrying... They'll need to hop off after only minutes, otherwise those flickering lights and sounds of power coming back into systems that Gaonoir damaged will be heralds of heavy scanning equipment tracking them down inside. 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:''' Laura Kinney had been alerted to the arrival by the tone of the ship's thrusters changing, and had made her way back to the same access hatch she'd originally entered the ship by. Slapping the button there again, she can hear the hum as her protection is refreshed. Okay... Twelve hours to find a way inside the moon base, and either steal another suit and transport to make it back to earth, or get back in here and take one of the escape pods, which from the manual she'd borrowed, seemed to be almost a ship in its own right, albeit small, relatively short ranged, and extremely spartan. Peering through the porthole in the hatch, grey lunar rock slides by underneath. Okay... Inflatable airlock should be stored /here/...      Within three minutes, she has a zippered membrane blocking the tunnel behind her, which should prevent the rest of the crawlways from getting vented. As soon as the ship settles on its landing legs, the hatch is opened, pressure equalizing with a brief WHOOSH, and Laura's out and onto the face of the moon. She drops to the ground agonizingly slow, before making a break for the base, bounding between bits of cover. 

:'''{{#var:765|Gaonoir (765)}} has posed:''' That's convenient. A warning of arrival, and that they're not going to be able to hide much longer, both in one announcement. "Are we gonna have to make a break for it?", Erika murmurs as she peaks out of the corner they'd been stowed away in. "Likely. Wait here a moment." Gaonoir steps into the shadows of the crate and disappears for a few moments. When he comes back he tosses one of the 02 nanoskins to Erika. "You'll need that for when we get outside." "... Why can't you just carry me through the shadows like you do when you jump?" "Because if they get the systems back up, there won't be as many shadows to jump through." Gaonoir turned aside to glance around the crate again. "You don't wanna know what it's like if you get stuck on the other side of my shadow step." Briefly the girl opens her mouth, but doesn't ask. Or more like decides right now she doesn't want to know. So Erika just gets up, nanoskin ready to deploy in one hand, and digivice in the other. Just in case. Gaonoir slinks out a few wary steps, then waves to her to follow. They're going to have to navigate quickly to reach a port out, and try not to be noticed. Hopefully they'll be too busy looking for the -other- stowaway(s). "What about you?", Erika asks as she creeps after him. "You only brough one thing." "Don't need it. At least not immeadiately." Gaonoir replied without looking back since he was watching out for interference. "My 'breathing' is more a mimicing of biological life than immeadiately necessary for survival." 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     he whole trip had been slightly exhausting in itself, and not just because of the stowaways. One of them had been far less of a bother, mostly since Septette saw to it that he behaved himself. And while clever, there was nothing he could do to interrupt the mission. The others? They had wisely kept hidden for now, but things might change when they get to the Horizon Lunar Colony itself. Speaking of which, more people need to arrive here as well. Which is one of the reasons Sombra went here.     One of the things that the hacker had worked on beforehand was getting various resources from the Concord, including teleportation technology. It's not that perfected in this world yet, but with multiversal resources she's ready to set up some easier way to arrive and depart this place rather than having to spend 48 hours aboard a ship. Even if there's been time for being social and making new friends, as well as drinking.     Still aboard her own craft as the Rover sets out on the lunar surface, Sombra is busy typing away on some programming for the teleporter and also making sure the tech itself is ready. Hmm, yes. This ought to be good. Once she's certain she's got it mostly set up, the latina heads down through the hatch, dangling by her arms before she drops down into the Rover, offering her new friends an amiable grin. "Things are all ready, we just need to make sure the circuits inside have enough power. That might be our biggest plan tonight, as well as making sure none of the inhabitants here cause us any problemas," she informs them, sauntering up to the driver's seat. "Let's hope Alberto and Biteblade finds the little ratas..." It would be oh so satisfying. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      One might think that a tireless, fearless robot would be an ideal patrol guard. In this case, one would be wrong- Septette knows full well that her heavy footfalls and glowing lights are impossible to disguise; if she were to stalk the ship's corridors, any stowaways would easily be able to vacate ahead of her. Instead, she stayed with Sokka for most of the trip, sipping tea, regaling him with stories, and fine-tuning her inner workings for the upcoming mission.      Finally, the moment she's been preparing for is at hand- the moon base. Septette dispatches her trio of small elemental drones to help flush out anyone who might still be aboard by coordinating with Biteblade and Albert's efforts, giving them just enough mana to run for a few minutes without her. She dons a replacement shawl- the cautious yggdroid always knows where their shawl is- and joins the expeditionary party on the surface.      Naturally, she shows up sans any protective gear; abrasive moon dust means little to a machine of her design, and ice magic dispels her waste heat more efficiently than any atmosphere could anyway. She adjusts admirably to the strange environment; the billowing wake of her hair and slow-motion flow of her shawl are the only visible reminders that she isn't on Earth. "It's nice to feel light for once, you know? Being underwater is nothing next to this." But before she can examine the rover's weight tolerance, something catches her eye in the distance... "Stowaway spotted," she adds over unsecured radio in a suddenly businesslike tone. "Moving to secure."      A fraction of a second later, she takes off after Laura with long, bounding strides across the lunar surface, kicking up plumes of white regolith behind her! The lack of purchase afforded by the Moon's low gravity is scarcely a concern; wherever she finds solid purchase, her claws dig in and launch her in another near-horizontal leaping bound. Given Laura's speed and slight head start, Septette may not be able to catch up before she reaches an entrance- but that won't stop her from trying! 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka was walking out, looking around with awe. "Wow... pretty awesome," he mumbled. He'd been in the multiverse long enough to not be TOTALLY blown away. But the place was still pretty cool. He'd even had some nice chats on the way! With Sombra, Staren and Sept. Of course, once they arrived, Sept ran off in pursuit of Laura and his fists clenched. "Don't hurt her!" he yelled. He was, technically, still not in their way. And willing to help. For now. But if they thought he couldn't make all of this far, far, far worse for them, they were... okay, they were probably right. But he MIGHT be able to cause them problems. Who knew? Probably best they didn't risk it. Probably. 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:'''      On the airless moonscape, sound is no longer helpful, the only sound in Laura's ears her breath and her own heartbeat. She does catch movement out of the corner of her eye as Septette leaves dust and rocks in her wake. The teen peers over her shoulder, gauging the distance between her pursuer and the airlock she was heading for. If it won't cycle in time... This might end up with a fight. And right now, that is something Laura does not want to get into, especially against an android. She needs to warn the base and its inhabitants, though. They're about to have company, and most of it is unfriendly... Kicking up another cloud of dust, she breaks abruptly toward the right, heading for a smaller airlock with several rovers parked nearby. Nobody would build a lunar rover that needs keys, would they? She clearly won't have time for hotwiring, so they'd better not have... 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     This is close as hell. But, oddly Laura works in their favor. Albert is mostly patrolling ventilated zones, not open and shadowed zones. By evading any maintenance tunnels and other such small areas, he can make this progress. By taking the cautious route, he can reach that access point. This means Erika can hop out! She'll be able to escape, and hopefully -- HOPEFULLY -- dart up towards the base! Less so is the success on the full evasion of Biteblade. "Shiny clawsss friieeeeend!" She calls out, coincidentally heading to that port. "Come ooout! Floran want fight again!" She's getting close! She'll be right on their trail when they get out, but there's no guarantee she'll see them specifically.     Pavo makes a spitting sound. "Don't hurt her. Lass has some magic healin', and a bloodlust I've not seen in a Floran." She remarks on Laura to Sokka. "Doubt it'd be much harm." And then, off goes the rover, trundling out of the base.     Albert joins them via teleporter, giving a rough nod to Sombra. "Enough power in the rover for several hours of teleporter operation. We'll need access to full lunar base power to maintain the teleport. Among others." They'll need power to effectively steal shit, is what he means.     "There goes out outer agent." George says, laughing briefly as he sees Septette just BLAST off. "Hey, Sombra, maybe you can help with this one then. See if there's any rover bays to hack into, right? Ought'a give us a way to set up the staging area properly. As for Laura, Horizon offers many openings. Laura might notice a few airlocks to the outside, the sort she might be able to force her way through by messing with emergency mechanisms. They're near the light cover of abandoned rovers and machines left out to decay, far away from the self-maintenance robots on the lunar base itself.     If Sombra can breach anything like that, it should let the gang out of the rover fairly soon, in the interior. Disembarking is its own can of worms. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      The sudden tack to the right throws her off for a moment- at full speed, Septette builds up a lot of momentum, and reversing it in this gravity isn't easy. She deploys one arm blade and gouges it deep into the lunar rock to skid to a halt before breaking in the new direction, having lost a precious couple of seconds on her quarry! By the time she reaches the airlock, it's already shut and begun to cycle.      Laura has a precious few seconds of breathing room as the airlock cycles. Then glowing lavender eyes peek through the thick window-slit on the door, and the tortured scream of metal rending metal fills the thin air as knifelike fingers pierce between the heavy door's halves.      Air howls out of the room as the door is pried open with inhuman strength, and Septette calmly steps through before the airlock slams shut behind her. A quiet hum fills the room as it attempts to re-pressurize. "I see we have a few moments to ourselves," she says in a dissonantly pleasant tone, the air just thick enough to carry her words as an indistinct murmur... 

:'''{{#var:765|Gaonoir (765)}} has posed:''' There, a way off the ship. Gaonoir grabs Erika to keep her from straying off, barely giving her a chance to activate the nanoskin before making a break for the hatchs. .. Crap, the ship is not nearly as close to the base as he was hoping. No one seems to know they are here, but they're also going to be out in the open. There's nothing on the surface of the moon to really cast shadows, the other reason he didn't want to try and carry Erika through them. Can't talk for the moment, so he sticks to just hauling the girl after him, and keeping their distance from the rover. Got to go on foot. Can't digivolve to carry Erika, the increase in size would make them too noticable, not to mention the energy spike the happens when he does so. At least with no sound due to no atmosphere Erika can't give them away by squeeing at bouncing through the low gravity instead of running. Though she's still making the expression of delight to go with doing so, sound or no sound. 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:''' Laura Kinney pries open the panel, and with a quick bit of hotwiring, is able to convince the outer doors to open. Another glance over her shoulder as the hatch grinds open reveals that Septette isn't the only one on her tail. Ducking inside, the doors almost grind shut and seal, but almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, neither of which are practical on the moon. She faces Septette in the small space, her own claws slipping out, ready to counter that arm blade. And then there's a thud as Biteblade's excited face is pressed against the window. Great. Juuuuuust great. "I am here to protect the inhabitants of this station, and to keep Sombra and Reaper from completing their plan, which will likely cause other people to get hurt if finished. I do not want to fight you, and if you try to stop me, I will. You said on the radio that you want to preserve innocent lives. Will you?" She glares up at Septette, eyes still hidden behind her mask, but the intent is obvious. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     As Sokka follows her into the Rover, the hacker does glance at the young man with an arched eyebrow. "If she does anything that warrants us making sure she doesn't interrupt our plans..." Does she need say anything more? It appears that she's pretty calm and doesn't regard Sokka as much of a threat. "When you get older you will understand that adults will do what needs to be done, niño," she adds, reaching out to tap a delicate finger to his nose. "Boop!"     For now she turns her attention to Albert and George. "We only need to use the rover's power for a short while. Leaving the teleporter open for too long isn't necessary either way, just to bring in reinforcements." But for now it appears they will need her assistance with another matter first. Turning her head to glance over her shoulder, Sombra narrows her eyes before turning around, leaning forward over George's shoulder. "Hmm. There's one over there," she informs him. "Take us close to there, and I will get a connection going!"     With that she turns and heads back to the hatch, easily getting up there with a limber jump, pulling herself up. From there it's a short trip to the cockpit of her ship, and she sits down as the terminal around her lights up once more, screens popping up. All it takes is a few clicks of a virtual keyboard here and there...     Hatches open near the front of the ship, with thick cables with magnets on them shooting out, attaching to the wall of the lunar base. It might be easy to tell that's going on when certain wires in them glow slightly purple... and soon enough a nearby air hatch opens up, large enough for the rover to get through.     "Entrar, the base is waiting for us!" her voice can be heard over the intercom next. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka stared at Sombra. Then, after a moment, his eyes widened. And he burst into laughter. He covered his mouth and full on laughed. He shook his head and... well, obviously there was SOME joke out there. "Wow, Sombra. You could say you're really... Ty-ed down to all this, huh?" he said before snickering. There was a joke there but it was doubtful anyone got it. And then comes the preparations. He frowns and keeps himself near the back. He's not sure how he'd stop them if things got out of control but... well, he could figure it out. Probably. Maybe. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      "There are no civilians on this station," Septette replies in honeyed tones, her voice gaining a terrestrial crispness as the room repressurizes. She gives a slight nod and a smile to Biteblade, as if to signal "I've got this one". "I gladly invite to you to explore it with us, to confirm my account. No human has set foot on in this place for decades. I understand if you still wish to oppose us in this endeavor, but doing so would be a gesture of petty revenge- not an act of heroism."      Her curved arm-blade stays deployed, but doesn't heat up- there's no need to antagonize Laura right now. Instead, she gestures to the door behind the mutant. "Go on- open it up. See if anyone answers you. Anyone at all." Septette's expression seems perfectly warm and sincere... but surely an advanced machine could feign even that, no? 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     The interior is elegant. It's space-age. It's precise and modular, manufactured to last the rigors of radiation, meteors, and other such shenanigans. It is not designed to last through the problem of a Floran pressing their face up against the windows and making faces, shouting something incomprehensible through the vacuum. But it doesn't need to be. It's okay with that.     Laura won't be disturbed in here, in what looks like some kind of hydroponics segment of the station. Tall banks of plants that slot in and out of floors and walls still keep the interior full of oxygen, or would. A few emergency shutters slam closed to keep the depressurization from reaching farther than it already has, but the light's low enough to show that that power isn't the station's full solar harvest. It's on backup, to be sure.     Sombra brings the crew into what looks like a tall and mechanically complex vehicle bay, not just for rovers but for a variety of other potential craft too. The wide range of tools scattered and the hefty crane up in the air show that this is where vehicles were assembled and maintained. A rover at the corner lies in only slight disrepair. Heavy cords and wiring lay out, disassembled segments of the base itself. The interior is... Surprisingly spacious. It's like the elegant atriums of museums or corporations. Small interior structures dot the wide walkways and balconies. The whole thing bristles with a wonderful array of residential requisite facilities, on flickery partial power. Occasionally, a small machine might skim over the ground, or a quick drone might zip through, signs that the base is keeping itself in good repair.     The Flotilla, sans Biteblade, disembark. Albert grunts a thank-you sort of noise to Sombra. They're, at least, not keeping too close an eye on Sokka, if he has any sorts of ideas on how to handle the situation. Of course, this isn't the only area. Signage points towards labs, hydroponics, oxygen generation, observatories, specimens... 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Biteblade seems to pursue Gaonoir, and yet... Not quite? He makes a break for it, but it shouldn't be... Tooooo hard to get away. Mostly because Biteblade seems to be making a beeline for Laura's own reported position, rather than focusing on Gaonoir. It seems the little Wolverinelet has effectively distracted the Starbound Flotilla from their further pursuie! Thank goodness. Biteblade may be bounding over the lunar surface, but at least it's not with the intent of pouncing on Gaonoir and stabbing him to death -- which he could deal with and prevent -- while alerting her allies -- which would be a little more inconveniencing.     His exterior view lets him see small signs of movement in the wide windows of the moonbase. It's not that the colony is fully populated, per se, but rather, the colony still may have something living inside it, even after all this time. Something moves, somewhere, towards... Hydroponics, it looks like? A blur in one window, a blur in the next, looking like dark fur maybe. 

:'''{{#var:765|Gaonoir (765)}} has posed:''' Movement in the windows. They may have more to worry about than just the Flotilla and their allies. But we'll deal with those as we need to. No one is directly chasing them (thanks unintentionally to Laura) so for now, getting inside is the primary concern. Gaonoir hop-drags Erika to the nearest access point he can find to get inside. There's no where to really hide for long out here, so they're going to have to find a way inside even if it may tip off someone they're here. Hopefully those forms in the windows just keep on moving. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     Shortly after the Flotilla captains and Sokka have gotten off of the rover Sombra herself follows, looking around at the vehicle bay with a satisfied smile on her face. "We did it, amigos. We're here... now...! Let's get started on getting an overview of this place while I set up the teleporter, huh? Alberto, Pavo, can either of you check the power supplies? Sokka, come and help me carry the equipment I showed you earlier." That way she can keep an eye on him while the others work on their own tasks.     It's easy enough to get the teleporter pads out of the ship, and soon enough Sombra heads into of of the smaller nearby rooms after hacking the door open. A former storage room, perhaps? It's easy to note that Sombra looks rather busy as she begins tearing into some panels on the wall, hacking into the circuits before she begins connecting them to the teleport pad that she brought. "This ought to work well as a teleportation room. Nobody gets in or out without me saying so, so we can have a close eye on this to make sure nobody gets into Concord headquarters," she explains as she works. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Almost as if on cue, Septette's words somehow manage to fatalistically summon an encounter. For some reason, the emergency shutter on that exterior airlock shuts abruptly, as if someone here just intelligently shut it from the inside to prevent more atmosphere loss. Which finally gives her the chance to smell the atmosphere itself.     No human. Only traces of something. Beast? Somehow? It's... Ape? That's the moment that properly heralds what comes next: An abrupt and aggressive AMBUSH! One of the freshly-unsealed vents pops open and a frazzled, unsteady-looking monkey comes out of it. Fit, athletic, powerful, and wearing what looks like a sort of makeshift armor made out of rover plates, the monkey wields what looks like a hastily-assembled stunprod of some sort, crafted out of tools, a power-cell, and wiring. With several gutteral primate screeches, it waves the prod at the two. There's a visible attempt to assess things in the span of a couple seconds, a moment of furtive tactical glances and eyeing.     Septette's larger. But Laura is more human. It attacks Laura with an angry, crackling swing of the prod first, then a punch against Septette--! But it sees her "omnic" nature, and seemingly takes a different, far more tactical approach, trying to shoulder-check one of those limbs with the extended claws JUST so, to force her own extended blades somewhere close to her own body. It has far more strength than a gorilla its size ought to have! And clearly demonstrates some tactical thinking.     Of course, it assumes this is a normal human, and a normal omnic. Neither of these assumptions are accurate. Both will be shortly proven wrong. But not before the ape tries to backstep into a potential retreat position too. Hit and run?! With not even one moment of negotiation. 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:''' Laura Kinney grits her teeth a bit, not turning away just yet. "Not all civilians are human. And as soon as the rest of the team sees me, it's back to the creative death again." She gestures to the window, where the teeth gnashing is presumably continuing. As the cycle finally finishes, she steps out into the hydroponics bay beyond The air smells a bit stale, but it's still breathable... And there's a certain scent in the air, that she can't /quite/ place. Vaguely familiar, too... And then a sudden sound of runnign feet gives Laura just enough time to retract her claws and try to lean back and dodge. The sparking head of the device tags her on the side, the teen staggering and floating backwards in the low gravity before holding up her empty hands. "I am a friend! I do not want to hurt you! There are other people here who want to take things from your home!" Hopefully it speaks English.... 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      Obvious bewilderment crosses Septette's face, followed swiftly by annoyance. Was Sombra simply mistaken, or had she lied? Something to sort out for later. For now, there's a squishy who needs protecting. Two seconds are more than enough time for her to assess the ape's body language (hostile), equipment (shoddy), and likely tactics (immediate aggression). Before it can even finish the swing of the stunprod, Septette interposes herself between Laura and the beast, barely failing to intercept the blow but slicing the weapon itself after it connects.      The incoming punch is predictable as well, foreshadowed by the tensing of the ape's shoulders fractions of a second before the blow. There's no easy solution here- dodge and potentially leave Laura to take the attack; move her arms and take the hit on the chin; or try to match it with her own strength with unpredictable results. She opts for a more passive approach, locking up her limbs and taking the blow head-on. One arm lurches backwards, claws raking along her own face- minimal effect. Even a yggdroid's own weapons struggle to break its armor, but the sheer force does stagger her for long enough that the ape can disengage.      "I don't think they care what your intentions are," she mutters under her 'breath'. "Leave the diplomacy to me, perhaps. Even as a war machine, I seem to have more tact." 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Gaonoir and Erika have managed to get in, and thank goodness. They're a fair bit from the hydroponics labs, which means they can see all those shuttered doors and hear a bit of chaos, but there's not any immediate need to prod at them. Maybe they could go meet up with Laura, but maybe they could also... Go ahead and not do that.     Here looks interesting, though. They've gotten in somewhere near an observation area. Not just of earth! An observation area for the whole base. Not only can Erika and Gaonoir go check out Earth, they could also access a lot of security cameras from here if they wanted to. Very useful! Especially to see Laura busy in an engagement with Septette and a monkey, as well as a few moments-before-camera-deactivation images of apes in hallways. There's a number of maps here too, a variety of structures laid out. Notable is a downed beacon transmission system that looks relatively easy to, uh, just plug back in, since the camera's view looks like it was just unplugged. Not only might that help them get some backup for their followup efforts, it might give them options for further ways to turn the situation in their factor.     They don't really need to go there, of course. They have full run of the colony's segment here... As long as they don't run into any more of those apes. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka hummed when he walked in. Welp, looks like stuff was getting -fun-. Or boring. Of course... "Huh." He looked at a weird, green slime on the ground. "This... looks fresh." Before getting some on his fingers and eating it. And then shuddering. "Ughhhh..." He shook his head before standing up. He did move to help sombra, at least.Then the radio went off and he blinked. Then... "Welp, looks like the smash and grab won't work. There's... something here. And we can't just steal from them. That was part of the rules. I hope you're good at negotiation, Sombra." 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     It works well enough as a transit room, yep! Sombra has effectively gotten the situation under control in terms of setting up this room as the Talon and Starbound Flotilla's own staging area. But, power? Maybe not enough. There has to be some kind of power system further into the building to keep it fully powered, if Sombra can track it down and get it running. Right now, it's very useful as a reception point, if someone intends to get here, but transporting large amounts of tech offsite, less so.     It's hard to get access to the reactor from here. If Sombra takes a path further into the ring, and up, it's likely she could bypass the solar power systems and set up something fully active, though it's likely the batteries will take a while to fill back up either way. This place was and still is on backup power when it comes to the heavy-duty tasks like charging vehicles, which these power conduits are meant for. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren also arrives by teleporter, stepping out of the rover after the others. His armor doubles as a spacesuit, so dealing with depressurized sections of the station won't be an issue. It takes him a moment to adjust to the gravity, though.     He looks at the slime Sokka found. "Hmmmmm. Yeah, I wouldn't touch that with your bare hands, let alone eat it." he makes a face.     "What if it can't talk, or isn't intelligent enough to negotiate? What if it is just an animal, albeit an enhanced one?" 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     "Rrrrrh! Rrrraaaaaahhhhh!!" The monkey seems intelligent, but... Perhaps 'human' is a bit too much. At the very least, it doesn't seem to respond vocally, or show any signs that it heard anything from Laura but noises. "Hoooh! Hoooohhh hooooaaaahh!!" It slams its prod against the ground several times, eliciting violent sparks, meant to make a territorial display. It's practically just incohrent "GET OUT THE AIRLOCK" screaming. It... Actually might have understood Laura in some way, since it isn't attacking, but it seems a bit too simple to communicate in return.     Laura can get a rough bearing on where it considers escape to, based on its uncertain movements. Wherever the other monkeys are, they're on a certain path in the ventilation system clockwise on the ring. So she can know where to go if she needs to find the others. For now, though, she has to deal with the fact that the monkey is still clearly quite hostile, and if she doesn't just go back out the airlock -- inviable due to both Biteblade and the fact that the shutter is actually closed -- she'll find herself assaulted anew. Violent, angry swings and thrusts. The monkey attacks now, and... Somehow, it seems to have re-assessed things; it flanks around Laura, trying to use her as a shield against Septette?!     And continue to batter at her. Batter batter batter. It falsely thinks that now Septette and Laura are some kind of ally. And fully intends to exploit that for murderous purposes. 

:'''{{#var:765|Gaonoir (765)}} has posed:''' Playing it cautious seems to have put luck in their favor. Erika opens her mouth, but then pauses, mouth still open, as she looks at Gaonoir. He sighs and rolls his eyes, but then relents. "Yes, now you can." "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Space computers! On the moon!" In true nerd fashion she squeals with delight, and then does a few fistpumps. "Take that, fake Apollo landing the moon is a hologram conspirators!" Gaonoir... just continues to stare at her flatly. "Can you -do- anything with them?" "Whu--" Erika stops in mid-celebration, causing her to fall over awkwardly after losing her balance. Then quickly jump back up and smooth her clothes out. "Oh.. Oh! Of course!" If she's going to be a big geek we may as well put her geekery to use. She strolls over to the terminals, hmming as she looks at the security feeds, then the maps. "Aha!" Cue a dramatic finger thrust and point towards one of the maps. "There! A transmission center." Hair whips behind her as she turns quickly to point at one of the screens with the other hand. "That beacon can be hooked back up to send a signal to our allies. Or whatever other authorities of this world that can pick it up." "Hmph." Gaonoir turns his bowed head to the side for a moment, if only so she can't see him directly smirking. "Guess you are useful to have along sometimes. Stay here and guide me. I'll go plug the beacon back in." "Right!" Erika turns back to the console as Gaonoir darts out, setting her digivice on top of it. A tap at the controls brings up it's own display, allowing her to see things through Gaonoir's POV, while still keeping an eye on the security feeds that are still active and warn him of any danger. Gaonoir is already hurrying down the hallways. Without having to drag Erika along directly, he can use his smaller size and dark coloration to a better advantage for cover while still moving quickly. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      "GET DOWN," Septette roars- then leaps up and over Laura, fracturing the metal floor under her claws. She spins 180 degrees to kick off the ceiling a fraction of a second later, hitting the floor behind the ape with a near-deafening impact. Her body twists midair to loop her arms around its neck, and her hands coruscate with electricity as she tries to pull it away from Laura and electrocute the beast into submission!      Each time it struggles against her electrifying vice-grip, she'll tighten her hold on its throat and knee it in the back, sending a clear message: there's only one way out of this, and that's to succumb to unconsciousness. Through the entire violent display, she holds cold and unwavering eye contact with Laura, as if to dare her to interfere. 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:''' Laura Kinney reaches into one pocket of her suit, rerieving a pack of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Who knows where the Flotilla had got them, but now Laura had them. they were supposed to be emergency food, but could equally as well be a peace offering.. "Here! For you!" Ripping open the wrapper, she tosses the candy in the general direction of the ape as she does her best to remain interposed between the two. If Septette can't hit it, it can't hit her and provoke another attack.      And then everything goes to hell anyway. Laura pops her claws and leaps at Septette's back, adamantium glittering in the sunlight through the window. "YOU ARE NOT HELPING." 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     If Sokka wants to kill himself by eating weird stuff, then so be it.     While Sombra is aware that Sokka is on the radio, she doesn't seem to care too much, not until he speaks to her. "Hmm? Oh, I am. Though I'll leave the monkey business to the others, the sooner we get the teleporter up and running the sooner we can get help to deal with the situation," she explains. "Now lend me a hand with finding the power system, hmm? We're all set up here, now we just need to get some power to the room here. This place has been abandoned for decades ever since the experiments here killed most of the scientists."     Of course she only explains this to Sokka /now/.     Aarmed with her submachine gun, Sombra begins making her way further into the base, quiet as she looks around. If the others are busy with one gorilla, then that means that there might be others lurking about. All the time she keeps an eye on a holovid screen with a map of the base, looking at the blueprints. "Hmmm. The power center should be further down here. We need to get this place powered up by the sun..." So it might be a short time until the teleporter will be fully effective. "Though we /could/ use the rover as well for a brief teleportation if we need backup against those apes. Let's focus on getting this set up, hmm?" she asides to Sokka, then turns down a doorway into an area with terminals and large circuit boards. "I need you to keep an eye on these screens," she explains to Sokka, all while she heads further in. "Tell me if they go below 30 percent, will you? Or if they go above 75 percent. I have to make sure I don't affect those levels too much while I reroute the power and get the power storages charged up. It should take a while to get them all back up, but... it's doable." With that Sombra sets her submachine gun down next to her on the terminal, all while she rests one hand on the terminal itself, her other hand bringing up several large screens in front of her, all while purple lines and hexagons shine eerily on the machinery about the room. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Gaonoir is going to have to sneak about just a little bit still. The base is... Bleak. Well-cleaned, well-maintained, sure. Occasionally, a voice rings out. When Gaonoir passes by a little snack area, the voice calls, "Would you like something to eat?" When he passes through some open spaces, its flickery sounds call, "A quarantine is in effect for this area." Other such sounds can be easily heard as they make their way, and occasionally, an ape -- wearing strange armor, sometimes, or occasionally holding a prod, but rarely without something violent-looking -- will wander in to see what was up.     But between these incidents? Gaonoir can just easily slip by. And he can bypass a lot of those with Erika's help, as long as she keeps in contact and forewarns him of where the gorillas are coming from. It's not like he couldn't take one in a fight, because he totally could and walk away without a scratch, but it sure would be loud and stressful and inconveniencing to their plans.     He makes it to the beacon. He ought to be able to plug it in now. The big dish can be aimed -- by Erika, back in her room with all the fancy computers and such -- towards any Watch facilities they need, hopefully to allow someone, ANYONE with teleportation or rocketry gear in the Watch to ID a nearby warpgate and get here. Easy. And subtle, too! The monkeys won't know their isolationism has been broken. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     The monkey looks confused. The peanut butter is definitely, for sure, appealing on a deep and intense level. There's even a moment, however brief, of hesitation. But it doesn't last long, and the attack continues. That is, until Septette steps in, stunning it, grabbing it, and tasing it until it's knocked out! As it struggles, it tries to claw towards that vent it came out of, the one heading clockwise, back to its friends... Primate screeches echo through the hallways, until they suddenly fall silent and the monkey slumps into unconsciousness in Septette's grip. Was it trying to call for help?     Biteblade finally manages to get inside, hotwiring Laura's hotwire after repairing the airlock. "Floran isss here now!" She calls out! "Shiny clawsss friend! We fight now!!" She draws her daggers aggressively, with a wide smile on her face. Uh oh. Yet... Maybe all isn't lost? Laura might have a chance to bring some ape backup if she heads through the vents, since it demonstrated sort of understanding language before... 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      Those glinting claws rake along Septette's back, finding little purchase: the armor comprising the 'vertebrae' of her spine seems near-unbreakable, but the sharp edges slice through some important-looking exposed wires and hydraulics nonetheless! A viscous black fluid oozes from her spine, but the little war machine shows no reaction until she lays the ape down on the floor, out cold. When she straightens back up, her eyes are eerily cool and lifeless.      She lunges at Laura, claws extended and outstretched towards the teen's face in blind ferocity- or so it appears. As soon as enough time has passed for human reaction times to begin responding to the first incoming attack, Septette abruptly aborts the movement, digging her sharp heels into the steel floor and twisting her entire upper body around in a flash to redirect her fearsome momentum!      The blade on her right arm deploys as she wrenches her frame into a spinning movement, bringing all two tons of her body to bear in a strike that aims the blunt reverse edge of the blade at the back of Laura's neck. It isn't intended to do permanent harm- given the mutant's abilities, it probably can't- but if it lands, it just might paralyze her for a few crucial minutes. If that connects, she'll follow through with an impaling strike to the abdomen with her left hand- just enough to give that healing factor something to chew on! 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka followed sombra, listening as she talked. Then... His hand reached out to grab hers and yank her back. "No," he said firmly, glaring into her eyes. "Like it or not, something else has claim to this facility and it's not us. If you think I'm going to just stand by while you take what you want and work to draw in all your allies, then you really know nothing about me. Like it or not, Sombra, this isn't the kind of place you can just do whatever you want. We're making contact now. -Before- you try to take the place over. Understand?" he aske,d before leaning in. "And no. It's not open to negotiations." Oh sokka was gonna dieeeee. 

:'''{{#var:765|Gaonoir (765)}} has posed:''' "Y'know, I could swear I'd seen a cartoon once about space monkeys." But she must not let herself get distracted! "Don't go left, that's a snack nook, likely to be occupied." Erika shifts a bit to look at a different screen. "You'll have to loop around the long way but it should take you between the wandering patrols." Followed by a giggle she can't quite stifle. "This is almost like playing a video game. ALL YOUR BASE BELONG TO US!" Gaonoir rolls his eyes, but the directions are appreciated. Good thing the two of them can communicate directly via his link to the digivice. He can smell simian and hear them walking, but only when they're close by, so it's good thing Erika is there to give some early warning. He's able to evade most of the patrols thanks to it, though one gets a little too close and he's forced to climb up and suspend himself between the overhead supports, waiting for the simian to pass. Then drop down and scurry in the other direction to get into the beacon's room. Fortunately plugging it back in isn't too difficult, and once it's up and running Erika can give him a frequency to input and send the signal for allies to track down. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     "So that's what happened. I wonder, were they just reckless, or were the results so unexpected they couldn't have prepared for them?"     And now they're sitting down at computers. Sounds good. Staren starts poking about for logs -- recent ones, or any other ongoing changes to the file system, whether automatic security cameras or something done by inhabitants... Assuming he can get access, anyway. If not, he starts poking at the hardware, trying to isolate a terminal and get an idea of how they're constructed. It's something to do while waiting for Sombra to finish her task or for another problem to come along, anyway. 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:''' Laura Kinney may be slower than Septette, but she's still improbably fast. Septette's used to human times, not mutants. Laura is able to tuck her head in just enough to keep the blow from striking squarely, although it does carom off her neck and the back of her skull. /Ow/. And then she's suddenly impaled, which hurts even more. And there goes one of her lungs. And then Biteblade shows up. Laura's pissed, but she can clearly see that she's not going to win a two on one fight. She aims a punching stab at Septette's eyes, before diving backward and wrenching the blade free of her gut, likely doing more damage on the way out. Biteblade gets another glare from behind the lenses of her mask, before she disappears into the same vent the gorilla came from, a trail of blood behind her. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     With her hand grabbed while she's working, Sombra can't help but look mildly annoyed as he yanks her back, giving him a half-glare. "Niño," she begins, her tone firm, "this place was abandoned by the people who own it. Legally the experiments have no claim to this place. Or are you going to say that the people who stole this place have a right to it? The way they continue they're only going to end up starving up here." Her glance turns to Staren before she yanks her arm free against Sokka's thumb. "I would say it's rather reckless doing experiments on creatures that are physically able of overpowering you, no?"     As for why they're doing this? "There are lots of things here that have been abandoned... why not let the Flotilla use that to rebuild their fleet? Nobody will miss it anyway." Here the latina hacker shrugs. "Or would you want them to steal from somewhere else...?"     With that said she turns her head back to her holoscreens and resumes working, clearly not up for negotiation either. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka shook his head. "Doesn't work that way. Yes, they took this place. But they were brought here and experimented on. They took it over and the people who made them gave up on it. They may end up being their own nation now. And I -Won't- stand by while you lay claim to something you have no claim to. The flotilla can trade for what they need. Like anyone else. I'm warning you, Sombra." And then his sword was in his hand and... driven down, the tip just above the computer. Oh dear. "Either we're allies here... or we're enemies. Make your choice," he warned. He then glanced towards Staren. "The same goes for you. I'm not letting you just take what you want these people just because they're experiments." 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     The Flotilla people are still busy bringing gear out of their rover, but some attention is still split. Moonfin and Pavo are busy checking in with Septette and following up on that knocked-out monkey. Albert is the one who speaks up most though. "No." He grunts, to Sokka. "They are... Hhhh... Animals. They are victims of a crime that twisted them. But a nation built on victims twisted into violent enhancement is not a nation."     His eyes SHINE with a sudden sort of rage. "Their blood could cure the disease my race have had for a hundred years. Their unused technology could bring my Flotilla back to life. I don't care about the politics. Don't interfere." His anger issues have surged BADLY, and instantly sabotaged any chance of coming to an understanding with the Paladin when he hefts a heavy assault rifle of some sort.     Sokka is surrounded by options, though. There's multiple exits from the teleporter room. The vehicle bay is full of mechanical parts, suspended or potentially capable of activation. There is, even, that airlock back in the main room... If he can reach another. All SORTS of options all over the place, for his creative mind to work with on an escape. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Staren finds one particular thing on the cameras. Many of the airlocks here seem to have been heavily modified by the monkeys. Using various tools, remote signaling devices, and other suchlike, they've set them up to be remotely operated at various ad-hoc stations throughout their territory. It gives them an advantage in taking out humans... And may potentially be the way they killed the humans here before, according to the last log, where one of the doctors tersely requests that everyone come help inspect one of the airlocks.     Speaking of logs, plenty here. Lots of logs discussing how the apes grew increasingly restless, and eventually had to be confined. Lots about their genetic enhancement, which must be why the Flotilla are so eager to get a specimen. A few acts of theft. And then, presumably, came the overwhelmingly murderous violence. There's no signs here that they were treated too terribly inhumanely, nor that most ever achieved human-level cognition, while the doctors were around and alive at least. That would be unclear, a bit, if it weren't for the fact that only one is described as being more human-like in intelligence. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     The moment Sokka has a sword in hand, Sombra... simply sighs. "And here I thought we were getting along so well," she laments.     The moment he glances towards Staren however... Sombra disappears from sight all of a sudden.     The very next moment Sokka might feel something cold press up underneath his chin as well as a click, all while a faint sound can be heard as Sombra can be seen again, though right now she's behind Sokka. "I suggest you lay down your sword, niño..." Her tone of voice is calm, still sweet. "If it were up to me, I'd let you take the gorillas somewhere of your choosing. But no, I have to give /them/ what they want here too, that's how a deal works, no?" Her other hand reaches up to take the sword from his hand, all while she glances over at Albert as he voices his opinion of the situation. Her tone of voice lowers to whisper into Sokka's ear. "I might not have the anger issues that Alberto has, but I warn you... get in my way, and I will let him have you. Now... are you going to be a good boy and behave, or will we have a problema here...?"     It's all up to you, Sokka. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren looks at Sokka to respond, slightly annoyed but not seriously believing they'll have a problem, until Albert points a gun at his friend. Morg /damn/it.     He holds up a hand, trying to gesture to Albert that he's found critical information. He sighs and looks to Sokka... who now has a gun pointed at him. Morg DAMNit! He tries to talk Sokka down. "Sokka... Look. You're right in principle, but according to these logs, most of the apes never developed intelligence. Only one. There's only one person here, /if/ they're still alive... We'll talk to them, see what we can do for them. Either way, us fixing up the station gives them a better chance at long life than if we'd never come here. Otherwise they'd eventually suffocate and die. And we're only taking stuff they weren't making use of anyway. This doesn't have to get violent. Not between us, anyway." He looks between Sokka and Albert. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      Laura's gouging strike against Septette's eyes penetrates deeply enough to skewer the optics, but before it can push any deeper, she brings up her free hand, shoves her fingers between the tines, and pushes Laura's fist back. Then the mutant's gone... and Septette is left staring at her bloodied hand with whatever esoteric senses she has remaining, and replaying the last few milliseconds of vision in her mind, over and over again. Eyes can be replaced... but that data may be priceless.      The dodge indicates that Laura has enhanced reaction time- normal human reflexes simply would not be able to process information and respond that quickly. Using careful analysis of Laura's movements and reactions, Septette may be able to work out what range her reaction time lies within. But more valuable still is what happened during the few seconds when her claw was embedded in the mutant's abdomen.      Or, to be more accurate, what didn't. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blinked, wait, she can telepor... no, she went invisible. He glanced to the rifle, then hummed. "You know, that's a really cool trick, you know?" Gun to his head, his mind is already crafting. He sighs none the less. "I guess you have me at an impasse. Three on one, not really that good of odds. Especially considering at least two of you, knowing my luck all three of you have powers. You win. Besides, Staren makes a good point." And the sword is lowered and... He moves to the left suddenly, the hilt of his sword moving to where he'd expect Sombra's solar plexis to be. Just a quick, brunt strike to likely stun her and hopefully disable her for a moment. At which point he keeps running, heading towards the door(likely trying to avoid assault rifle fire), hopefully leaving them behind. Hey, Sokka is an impulsive guy and likes to go with his gut. In this case, his gut says what they're doing is wrong. As he goes, he looks for wires, cords, things connected to doors and the like, his sword slashing through. If nothing else, he wants to cut off some of their control from that room, maybe seal a door behind himself before he'd try to go into one of the hopefully maintenance hallways and attempt to make contact with the things here. This was not going to end well. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     There's signs of passage in the vent. Signs of travel. Light wear and tear, smeared signs... Looks like Laura's on the right way. She should be able to follow this, get to those apes, make some kind of appeal... She might not be thought of as a leader, but if she can yell enough that one of their own has been kidnapped, something ought to happen.     Meanwhile, Sokka slashes one of the exposed wires, and thank goodness it turned out to be one of the critical ones. Though it doesn't close the door to the room, it DOES cut power to one of the emergency atmospheric sealing doors, which loses power and subsequently slips into its lower-power position, letting it shut. This gives Sokka some time. Though not a lot. Sombra will be able to hack it open easily by cycling power, but it'll be JUUUUST enough time for Sokka to escape!     Further into the base, presumably. To rally, get himself together, and call in help, perhaps? Or maybe to ready himself for fighting as well. Time will tell. Until then, he needs to avoid those monkeys! 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     "Damn it, Sokka!" Staren shouts as Sokka just HAS to make a Heroic Stand. or a Heroic Run, anyway. He gives chase, and when Sokka starts slicing cables shouts, "Oh COME ON! Those might be--" DOORSLAM "--important." He looks at the door panel, considers, and returns to the computer to start making backups of the logs. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     A soft chuckle leaves the hacker, and she nods. "It's what I do, amigo... I'm a shadow, after all."     Perhaps she should have expected it, but it appears that Sokka manages to take the woman by surprise as he drives the hilt of his sword against her chest, her eyes going wide as the air is knocked out of her. Her grip loosens enough for him to pull himself free while she gasps and stumbles. It won't slow her down for long, but it's long enough for Sokka to slash wires and through things that operate the doors.     A look of annoyance settles on Sombra's face as she manages to draw air back into her lungs, and she rushes after Sokka and Staren as quickly as she can, grumbling while doing so. "Pudrete en el infierno...!" It's just as well as Staren returns to the logs, and Sombra looks at him briefly. "Get the solar panels up and running, and I'll deal with our runaway," she orders while reaching a hand out to the panel next to the door... and within seconds it opens.     "Septette's guest has worn out his welcome by interfering with the Flotilla's interests," she informs the others through their comlink. Let's get some doors open and closed here. But will it be enough before Sokka manages to evade further into the base? 
}}

5360/MISSION: Starwatch (2)

2017-07-14T14:23:33Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/07/08 |Location=Overwatch Earth <OWE> |Synopsis=With resources gathered, it's time to ascend to the moon. |Cast of Characters=672, 632, 1111,..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/07/08
|Location=Overwatch Earth <OWE>
|Synopsis=With resources gathered, it's time to ascend to the moon.
|Cast of Characters=672, 632, 1111, 1076, 765, 1117, 42, 1123
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Those avenging Watchfolk in Numbani find their opportunity to track the rogue Flotilla. Out on the northwest, open expanse of Nigerian savannah, readings light up. Watchtowers and various monitoring stations used by their agents, cells of undercover observers, and other such sources go wild with the data. The Flotilla's energy signatures just hit radar in a major way!     It'll be a few minutes before anyone can get out there. By that time, the initial launch prep will have been set. A central underground base of sorts has unfolded, blossoming like some tremendous concrete and steel flower, blast doors opening up at the top, scaffolding and girders extending far up to the heavens... And a heavy central thruster column, pointing out to the heavens can be found. In order to get up there with their new resources, they can't just take off. Their secret base has to load up onto a central SURFACE-TO-ORBIT THRUSTER! The swarm of smaller vehicles, and their larger central shuttle, have all been assembled up on the the body of the thing.     Extensive girders and scaffolds hold it in place and facilitate the loading. With the ominous noises and energy signals of power systems spinning up, it's likely... They'll be launching soon. Get aboard if you're planning on tracking where they're heading!     A few craft are notable. One is given a unique purple paint job, and loaded with transmission, computing, and scanning equipment. It's reserved for Sombra. Another is a smaller one, more intensely durable, lacking life support, reserved for Septette. A few others are there as well, but the Flotilla are packed into their one remaining shuttle. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''     It'd be imprudent for Septette to idle at the Starbounders' hidden base for long; her incredibly outsize sensor presence could give away the entire facility to a cursory scan of the area. When the little war-machine is called in, it's either because things are quiet, or because they are about to get very, very loud. So when her comms flicker to life with launch announcements from the Flotilla, she knows that it's going to be a very loud kind of day.      Arcubielle grabs the crimson-spattered lavender shawl by her door, wraps it around her shoulders on the way out, and twines an Ariadne's Thread between her hands like a garrote before yanking on both ends. It snaps with a satisfying noise like the crack of a whip, releasing the spatial disturbance inside and warping her to the base's teleporter in a column of twisting, glittering white light! From the teleporter pad, she makes a beeline to the launch area; she may only have walked these freshly-fabricated halls once before, but one such as herself does not forget such details.      Septette's metaphorical claws aren't out at the moment; attired as she is now in her floor-length shawl and clamshell headset, one could mistake her for a human with her youthful face and animated movements. Clanking footfalls herald her arrival at the staging room. "You reproduced the Mayfly for me? You bunch of flatterers," she says with a playful grin before clapping Seft on the shoulder. "I mean, I know it's not exactly a difficult craft to make, but still. I appreciate the gesture."      And then, striking a slightly more serious tone: "If you wanted me here, that must mean we're already lighting up Numbani's sensors like a fireworks display, no? Do you figure they'll be able to reach us before we're able to take off, Albert? If so, I should really be preparing the perimeter." In the meantime, she stows away a small one-way teleporter beacon inside her ship and syncs an Ariadne's Thread to it- useful if she accidentally spaces herself! 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:'''      Sneaking into hostile bases was nothing new. Stowing away aboard kludged together giant rockets? That is actually a new one. And since she'd only found out about this a few minutes ago, that kind of ruled out going space suit shopping or ducking back to 616 to borrow more supplies from Beast. Therefore... Time to improvise. Laura weaves her way through the shadows, sprinting silently across open stretches, ducking behind cover and freezing when anyone starts to get too close.      Finally, standing in the shadow of the booster, she starts making her way up towards the larger ramshackle ship she saw the night of the raid. Spying a maintenance hatch, a quick slice of an adamantium claw removes the lock, and the teen is able to duck inside, dropping the hatch shut behind her, and start worming her way through the cramped space within. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka had come to numbani for reasons. The big reason? He was a paladin. While he may not have been the most capable in most types of situations(being possibly the only elite without some kind of magical powers/enhancements/being the very best in the world at X abilities), he WAS quite good at learning things and, with his schooling now, he's been getting better at machines. He was also pretty friendly with the machines and people and saw no issues between them, as well as being someone who was, somehow, quite likeable. It made him a good diplomat in fixing situations like this. Or, well, fixing as much as could be. Then the alarms telling him about the base came up and he did the totally most responsible and adult thing he could possibly do. He stole a jet bike. Which he DID NOT HAVE A LICENSE FOR! And decided to drive it towards the base to get there as quickly as he could since, well, this was the kind of situation where you didn't really have time to wait for home base to 'okay' things and meh. He fought and helped win a war. He probably had this handled. (He didn't have this handled. Even a little bit.) So it was that reason those on the base might notice a lone hoverbike making its way towards the base. On the up side, the fact it was flying meant he had no issues with crashing into things! The whole stopping thing would be fun, though. 

:'''{{#var:765|Gaonoir (765)}} has posed:''' 'A few minutes' is all some people need as soon as the ping on the Flotilla's location goes out over the Watch infonet. The 'Mach' in his evolution name isn't just for show, as the two jet engine narcelles that serve as a jetpack send Gaonoir rocketing through the sky towards the indicated coordinates. With his Tamer wrapped tightly in his arms as they speed along, a digital tablet type device clutched tightly in Erika's hands to keep a grip on it due to the speed. Funny how flying at extreme speeds never seems to harm the otherwise unprotected people just because they're being carried by someone else. Multiverse works in weird ways. "These are definately the crafts that departed the previously attacked facility." Erika tapped the screen to zoom the screen in. "Guess we're suppose to run some sort of interference to try and prevent their launch." "Good enough for me." As he started to slow down Gaonoir shifted Erika onto his shoulders. Then manifested his battle gauntlets, slamming one metallic fist against the palm of the other. "I've always wanted to punch a spaceship!" 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     Who hasn't looked up at the evening sky, wishing to see what it's like up there? The stars, the planets... and the moon itself. Today is the day where some dreams come true.     Septette isn't the only one who's been hanging around the hidden base today, as Talon's master hacker steps into the cockpit of her designated ship for this mission, getting her space suit properly on. Space is perilous after all, and even if the ships do have life support, you never know what might happen. Scripts have been written, and Sombra's made sure to get the ship the Flotilla has prepared for her all ready so she can actually fly it mostly by autopilot. Let's leave the combat to the captains while she focuses on what she does best. That's why she suggested this collaberation to begin with.     "How did you know that purple's my colour?" she asks the Flotilla captains with no small amount of humour as she sits down in the seat, bringing up additional screens with more data. Better keep an eye on the other ships as well and how they're performing. It was easy enough getting all of the ships synched up to one database for her to work on, all connected to the tech onboard her ship. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Though uneasy about the raid, Staren finds a more comfortable place helping with the construction -- he has his own matter manipulator, and has assembled a squad of golems -- probably made of reinforced concrete or the like -- which resemble large, crudely-formed humanoids about ten feet tall with a camera eye and an antenna sticking out of each of their heads. As go time is approaching, he's suited up again, and is now mostly just waiting to help with the launch. Ironically, while the Flotilla's remaining ship doesn't seem to be in the best condition, now he has a working ship, so he'll just have it enter orbit and teleport him up once they're done here.     After contacts appear on their sensors, he doesn't realize he's holding his breath as he checks the external cameras... and then sighs. Sokka is here. Dammit.     Staren calls his golems, wielding crude bars of metal as clubs, and heads to the base entrance to deal with the interlopers. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      Septette's shiny metal ear-fin twitches slightly under her headset, dislodging it at a jaunty angle as her superhuman awareness comes to bear. "Someone's coming," she cautions the captains- that was definitely some kind of Suspicious Sound, though she can't quite pinpoint its origin. An instant later, she turns on her heel, shawl rustling dramatically around her metal bones, and sprints towards the perimeter of the base as a trio of small spherical drones materialize around her.      "High probability that foreign agents are already present; likely more en route. Moving to secure perimeter from potential additional hostiles. Do not delay liftoff for me." They won't be needing this base anymore, so rather than take the long way around, she just smashes through the concrete walls wherever it'll save time!      Finally, she reaches the exterior of the base just as Sokka draws near. Septette interposes herself between the hoverbike and the base's front door with only a few hundred feet to spare, holding one hand out in the universal sign for 'halt!' If he heeds her greeting, she'll walk up to the bike with a blank expression, arms nonthreateningly by her sides. "Greetings, Citizen. I am a detainment-authorized OR-16 security unit. Are you aware that you are approaching a secure state military facility? License and registration, please."      All utter lies. But it's worth a shot, right? 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Albert grunts a heavy grunt over the radio. "By necessity." He says. "We're moving a large volume. Need a large thruster. Lots of power involved. Will appreciate your presence." He says. Seems a little distracted with the launch sequence, that was almost an entire sentence more verbose than Albert usually is! "Get aboard when you can. Launch sequence is minutes remaining." But then, Septette alerts them to approaching interference! "Hmh. Understood. Won't delay liftoff, but--" He makes a rumbly sound. "Prioritize being aboard where possible. Better to have you and one more enemy than not having you."     Laura shouldn't find it difficult to get into the base, since it's unfolded so much. Heavy crates provide some cover, as do the tall girders and scaffolds. She can probably climb them effectively to get to the main shuttle, considering the girders are plain steel that her adamantium claws can punch through, allowing her functionally infinite climbing ability around Starbound structures. She can get inside, but... There's noises. Sounds of people finishing work within. What are these Flotilla folk still doing? Hmmm... The upper deck is cramped, but if she gets into the middle or lower ones, they should be open. And perhaps more secure for being in when the launch starts...     Oh hey, there's something near the hatch. A little panel labeled "EMERGENCY OXYGEN NANOSKIN DISPENSER", and below that, "SINGLE USE", then, "12 HOURS VACUUM, 48 HOURS NULL-OXYGEN". It has an enticing button. 

:'''{{#var:765|Gaonoir (765)}} has posed:''' As they make the final approach towards the launch complex Erika hunchs down on Gaonoir's back, hooking her legs around the struts supporting his jets and digging one hand into his bandolier to hold on, the other still gripping her tablet. "Ready for engagement." "Then let's knock, shall we?" There's a gleam across his visor as Gaonoir focuses on the main ship preparing to launch. Dark energy arcs around one gauntlet as he clenches it into a fit again, and then dives down towards the Starbound ship. The crackling energy increases as he draws back with that arm, aiming to swing in such a manner that the kinetic energy from his momentum is transferred into the punch. "KNUCKLE CRUSHAAAAAAH!" 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:''' Laura Kinney definitely could use an amergency space suit. Or whatever this is. She presses the button, before trying to arrange herself so that she won't be impaled by something during the boost phase, while trying to coordinate with her allies over her headset. This is clearly going to be interesting. Might as well also look around for some kind of readouts while she's down here. She freezes again as the sound of running feet on deckplates clanks overhead, before resuming her slow forward crawl along the shaft. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka hummed as the woman came out. Oh good, someone to-- Oh. Oh dear. How does this thing stop? "Ack! Err, this? No, this. Shoot, what about--" And boosters engaged and... um. Well. The vessel basically launched forward like a missile at the woman. He flew off it and tumbled. "Look out!" he yelled, then hit the ground, rolled and... "Ow..." he moaned, laying there for a good long while as the bike slammed forward, slammed into the woman and... the bike lost. He, after a few moments of measuring if today was one of those days he could get up, or just lay there and play dead. Definitely the latter. Instead, he put his hands down, pushed himself up and wobbled to his feet, saw she was standing and... "Well, this is gonna suck. Okay, listen, girl. I don't want to hurt you and I'm like... sixty-five percent sure I can't hurt you. But trust me. I've been telling people 'This isn't what you're looking for' for years. It's not going to work on me. I know EXACTLY what I'm looking for and, one way or another, I'm getting on that ship. Station. Thing. And honestly, cutie, I think my little dirt nap a second ago is about the most making an ass of myself I wanna make today, so..." Then he gave her the charming smile. "So how about you just step aside and we skip the whole fight thing? Bike-cause I'd rather skip the fighting someone with powers thing until i have to. Come on. Num-bani has to know about it." .... Yes he was punning at her. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     SLAM.     There's a powerful impact. Sombra's connection picks up a heavy shielding loss on the main ship! Meanwhile, outside, Gaonoir's impact hits a shield, and then utterly brutalizes it. While that punch seems to stop in mid-air, blocked by an invisible barrier, it's clear this is no damage-less impact; several obvious shield emitters blow out, exploding dramatically with the overload required to block the force, as well as damaging the power systems inside...     Inside, Laura finds that the moment she presses the button, a quick "fuzzy" sensation passes over her finger, up her arm, and then eventually over her body. Her acute senses will smell a scent that's clearly artificial or recycled oxygen mingling with the air around her. There'll be stations like this scattered near entrances and exits to refresh the nanoskin; she shouldn't find her infiltration too hampered.     The lights flicker when Gaonoir's attack lands. She can hear the walking sounds nearby shift away in a quick run. Whatever just happened outside, it's drawn attention and power away. What look like some sort of interior scan-lights go down, as power is redirected! Laura is now free to head down into the more open areas, and find a place to evade the G forces. But where is that power being sent to...?     "Ye skydog, I've about the patience for one hit, and ONLY ONE!" Comes a frustrated and pained voice from within. Pavo, the pirate, has likely had a console explode violently in her face, and while Gaonoir can't see the burns on her arms, he can hear the venom on her breath. "No quarter if you bring canons at me ship again, BACK OFF." Several turrets draw power from the damaged power systems, shutting down interior security while amping up heavy laser-bolt guns, and fire a rapid series of anti-fighter fire at Gaonoir!     "Interference is immediate. Bypassing launch tests. Starting sequence." The thrusters at the base of the main rocket begin firing up. It'll be a while before they're launching, but... Should get ready to get aboard, or to fly, if you're going to pursue! 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      In the moments before impact, Septette carefully assesses the mass of the hoverbike, its likely contents and construction, and the presumed intentions of its rider. Civilian model; lightweight to reduce energy consumption. Not a terribly impressive top speed. Any cosmetic damage sustained will likely be worth the intimidation factor against potential enemy combatants. Under her cloak, armored plates subtly shift and angle to deflect the force of the impact, and she turns her body slightly to the side as if in a fencing stance. Then she waits for hundreds of milliseconds, motionless and expressionless.      Crunch.      The bike warps itself on impact with her unyielding frame; fuel cells rupture, spilling liquid fire across her cloak and the ground behind her in a flaming red brushstroke; in seconds, her cloak burns off, revealing the tan robotic skeleton underneath. She stares at him, flames licking impotently at her 'bones', for what feels like several seconds before finally dignifying his puns with a reply.      "That obvious, hm? Or are you just a clever kid?" Her voice slips into a more emotive tone, though it's still clearly synthetic. "I was hoping to get you to turn around without any... issues. I still hope to. However, I value the contents of that facility more highly than I value not harming you. Do I make myself perfectly clear, child?" As if to emphasize her ominous tone, a three-foot-long curved blade unfolds from her lower arm and begins to glow red-hot. 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:''' Laura Kinney ...huh. That's definitely new. Smells like canned air though, so that's good enough. When no footsteps are audible nearby, she pops the floor tile, quickly climbing out and fastening it back in place, before surveying the area around her. Got to start somewhere... That door. Ducking inside reveals some kind of crew dorms, a row of lockers along one wall along with a lot of bunks, and various bits of personal kit scattered around. Pulling off her mask, she tucks it safely away in a pocket before rummaging through one of said lockers for disguise materials.      A few minutes later, someone exits the aft dorms, a girl clad in an anonymous gray jumpsuit, hair pulled back in a messy pony tail, a tool belt slung around her waist. She'd even found a clipboard. She proceeds down the corridor, clearly doing some important pre-launch checklist... Time to find a computer terminal. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     The moment Septette alerts them to the fact that there are unbidden guests here, Sombra frowns and turns her attention to one of the screens, the one that has thumbnails of the security feeds on it. Quickly she increases some of the images, narrowing her eyes as she gets a quick overview. "Mierda."     It was obvious they would be noticed sooner or later, but this quickly? How utterly annoying. As she's typing she isn't ready for the heavy impact, and she's jarred in her seat with a pained grunt. Oh drats... she has no time to go out and help with the issue for now it appears, if the main ship doesn't have a shield, then the mission is lost.     So Sombra's forced to remain inside the ship for now, typing away as she works on relocating energy to prevent overload and more systems being injured.     The sequence is starting, let's hope everybody can get back and ready to leave this planet behind for now.     "Rerouting power... shields are stabilising," Sombra alerts her allies over the radio even as she works to make sure to get everything set back. Sure, with some emitters being blown they are at a disadvantage, but with some reprogramming, then the shield should be functional. It will require her to keep an eye on it however to make sure the power doesn't surge too much during their flight, but an improvised solution is better than none!     "Ten more seconds, and things will be set...!" 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren doesn't relish fighting Gaonoir either. But seeing him ready to punch the ship... He pulls an oversized pistol out of his bag and hurries outside, ready to fire a warning shot... but too late. The ship's already been hit and the fight's starting. He hesitates as he tries to decide how best to not actually kill Gaonoir or the rider. He's not sure how much damage they can take. Bullet wounds he can probably fix himself... but the digimon has also drawn the ire of Pavo, who's not going to hold back. But then what about the human, can she take much punishment if he misses a shot and Gaonoir dodges wrong?     After much hesitation, he settles on swapping to his submachinegun and setting the ammo to behave like hollow-point bullets, and the smartaim system to not fire if it predicts the shot will hit Erika.     Staren sends controlled bursts of fire Gaonoir's way. Time to find out if bullets work on Digimon! 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka sighed and... "Well... I guess we have to do this the hard way, huh?" And then drew his own sword. He charged at her, swinging a few times. Then pulled back, circled about, readied his sword as if he was about to stab... then... threw the boomerang. Seriously? What did he think that would-- The moment it likely bounced off her head(and probably flew back towards him), he was suddenly running TOWARDS the launch pad. Wait, when had he circled around to the opposite side of-- THAT LITTLE PUNK! "Sorry, cutie-pie, but I've really gotta get to stopping this thing before things get worse. You know how it is!" Of course, when she tried to, inevitably, stop him, she'd discover sokka was not the best fighter. What he was, though, was someone who could make you MISERABLE fighting him. He wasn't above using cheap tricks. Dirt in the eye, stomping on a toe, sliding under the legs, anything and everything to get past her. 

:'''{{#var:1123|Tanya Degurechaff (1123)}} has posed:'''     'Stand by in case you are needed' was the order. An order Tanya had fully intended to follow on the pretense that standby jobs generally never result in anything. As a small blonde girl enters the airspace over the hidden facility, though, she rolls her eyes upward in thought. -How did it once again lead to this?- Glowing blue eyes swing back downward, and she leans into a gentle, banking turn, circling lazily. Her gaze fixates on the largest threat, the digimon currently engaged with the shuttles. While she unshoulders her rifle with one hand, the other pinches the communicator hidden by the collar of her battle suit.     "Pixie 01 is in the area. Standby."     Swinging her feet down, Tanya brings herself to a halt. The rifle is raised and she lines up the iron sights almost boredly, shifting only slightly to track the biggest, most threatening air target harassing the spacecraft preparing to launch.     "Holy Father," she mutters as she stabilizes her weapon, "Give me the strength to purify the minds and hearts of those who stand against us. Give me the power to share with them Your untainted, shining vision." Her eye snaps wide, the iris flashing from blue to gold, and she squeezes off a single round into the empty air where she predicts Gaonoir to be by the time the bullet arrives.     On impact, the shot should explode.     Tanya's not just taking pot-shots, though. She's intent more on drawing the Digimon away from what she's presuming to be delicate spacecraft. Nevermind the explosion. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Sombra brings some shielding back online, leaving it a flickering barrier of sorts. Now it's visible, and clearly damaged, but at least it's working again. Thank goodness for tech!     Meanwhile, far at the base, exhaust begins to pour from the thrusters. Time to get ready to be on it! In a few seconds, this whole exchange -- fight and all -- is going to be taking to the skies. First vertically, and then horizontally. There's plenty of scaffolding and cranes and girders and suchlike to use to access various segments of the core central rocket, or the vehicles aboard, but Sokka had better get onto it soon! Almost as a response to his radio callout, the exhaust blast spreads over the flat ground surrounding the base, a sort of shockwave and wind-storm on the way in.     Meanwhile, inside, Laura finds the vessel mostly empty. A few Concord hirelings have given her room to blend in, grunts with little ability and even littler threat. It looks like most of the interior is gravitationally stabilized in some way that'll make it resist surface-to-orbit G-forces. As she heads through, there's an odd terminal she finds, with what looks like blank blue human, shoulders-up, somewhere near what looks like a scanning equipment station. Laura's keen senses of smell and hearing won't pick up any signs of life near it, but there's a scent like some unusual kind of oil. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      The sword strikes are parried almost lazily by Septette's arm-blade and metal claws, each turned aside with the calculated minimum of effort required to avoid material damage. But by the time the boomerang is thrown at her head, her mind is already racing again: significant damage reports from the main ship. Flotilla outmatched in the hangar? Hard to say. Can't leave this intruder 'unsupervised' here. So the best thing to do here is...      To give him what he wants. Let him into the hangar. That way, she can contribute to the ongoing fight there while also reining him in. At the same instant she reaches that conclusion, the boomerang collides with her temple, breaking her headset and bending one ear-fin at an unfortunate angle. She takes what appears to be a retaliatory swipe at him with the heavy arm-blade... but it deliberately goes wide, embedding in the ground behind him and intentionally steering him towards the hangar!      When he makes a break for it, Septette takes off in a predatory loping sprint behind, occasionally firing bolts of elemental magic that force him to take the shortest path towards the launch pad in order to dodge them. No matter how quickly or slowly he moves, she always seems to be right behind him, almost on his heels- the better to spur him on! "Have at you, scoundrel! Get back here!" Best to play into his roguish impulses for now- not getting caught is second nature to someone like Sokka, right? 

:'''{{#var:765|Gaonoir (765)}} has posed:''' Energy sparks fly from the impact of charged fist against defense shield, sending arcs sizzling along the surface before it starts to flicker with the power fluxation and he pulls back. Just in time for an irrate voice and defense turrets to come to life. "Yep, we definately got their attention." He pulls up and fires his thrusters, taking evasive maneuvers to zip and zing around the laser bolts being fired after him. And then another volley of fire comes zinging in from the side. "Whuh!" Gaonoir grunts as it pings on the edge of his vision, and twists towards to intercept, holding up both metal-clad arms in front of himself to shield both himself and Tamer. The hollowpoints don't quite penetrate entirely, but there's an obvious string of hit-flash as the bullets rattle against the bionic limbs. Followed by a bigger shot thanks to Tanya that hits with enough force and blast to knock him backwards in the air a bit before his engines restabilize him. Some smoke sizzles from the hits as Gaonoir lowers them, though he glances over his shoulder first. "Okay back there?" Erika tucks the tablet into her satchel, and then adjusts her glasses with her now free hand. "A little shaken, but still hanging on." "Good, this is gonna get a bit wild." There's a pause as he turns his attention back to the launch site. "Sorry kids, but we're just doing our job here. Folks aren't happy with your friends for breaking and taking their stuff.... But as the crazy lady said no cannons..." There's a pause as Gaonoir flexes his arms, body arcing back a bit as he almost looks like he's sucking in a huge breath like a certain fairy tale wolf is famous for doing. "DARK MACH VORTEX!]" And the 'exhale' as he howls sends a spinning vortex of darkness infused wind towards the ground, the cyclone of shadow energy aimed to expand towards Staren and Tanya. So they succeeded in getting his attention off the spaceship, at least for the time being. 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:''' Laura Kinney wipes a hand across her forehead, conveniently adding to the grease stains she'd picked up in the crawlspace, before rummaging in a pocket until she comes out with a thumb drive, which she plugs into one of the collection of jacks underneath the display. "Hey, Computer guy? My boss wants me to back up the navigational and mission data again. Something about 'triple redundancy', not like I give a fuck, but it keeps him off my back, y'know?" Gone is the all business teenage vigilante ex-assassin, now there's only some girl who's clearly on her first cruise and a bit in over her head. "He keeps asking about the chick in purple, too. I think it's some kind of sick obseession." 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     With things stabilising Sombra lets out a sigh of relief. "Shields up and running again, I'll be watching them." A glance towards the countdown timer, and she narrows her eyes. Better buckle up. Once they're out of orbit then she can actually move about again. And hopefully deal with the intruders on her own too. If they are sneaking around, then she might be able to sneak up on them. Better spend these seconds before launch to get things properly set up so she can access the terminal from her graft. Just as long as she runs some proxy programs and preset scripts, then she can still keep an eye on most things going on. Sombra types away, eyes glancing from her holoscreen to the ship's monitors.     "Septette, can you get back on board? I can help deal with your new friend. For now we need you to get on board!" With Tanya there to assist they might get an opening too before the timer's done. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka frowned, okay, something was up. She did not just say... I mean, sure, it was something HE might say, but something was so up. That or she was a dork. A bigger dork than him. Was that possible? Not likely. Welp, she was big, clunky, metal. Which hopefully meant... she was less agile than him. Likely? No. He was NEVER that lucky. In fact, he suspected she was more agile than him. So of course he decided to start running, leaping, jumping and moving about the equipment as he tried to make his way towards the ship and up into it, trying to keep the big, heavy equipment between him and the other girl. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     "Oh, again? This is the fifth and two thirds time, apparently." The AI says. "You're very repetitive, for humans. Most can only do something twice before they get bored." Sombra gets to detect the access as data begins getting copied over. It starts with only the first few details of the objective, though, the bare outline. It looks like... The moon! Somewhere on the moon. By then, though, Sombra will be set up... And she'll be able to identify that infiltrator! Someone doing an unauthorized copy!     But just because there was no traditional life there doesn't mean Laura doesn't suddenly find out that there was someone else there! Oh god!! It's one of the Starbound Flotilla. Seft, specifically! The robotic noblewoman didn't have any organic scents. "Assuring. I believe our backer is covering that. The 'chick in purple'?" She tilts her head, the big blue eyes flickering like she was blinking. "Recalling. I have tried to avoid her myself. Her methods are... Distastefully violent towards innocents." And then, she says something a little heavy, though she doesn't realize it. "Curious. What is your superior's interest in Sombra?" No, she's not mistaken. The connection is absolute, and it goes all the way back.     The Starbounders are definitely backed by Sombra. If Sombra herself is quick -- and she's definitely quick as a thought, with those grafts -- Laura might find a digital interruption, all of a sudden. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      "I'm coming, I'm coming!" Sokka's suspicions about Septette's agility are swiftly confirmed: as soon as she hears the warning about launch time, she takes a running leap past him, skidding to a halt on the launch platform and turning to face him. Strangely, she doesn't seem to be in a hurry to get in any of the spaceships! "So, kiddo. Pick a tin can, and I'll get in behind you. Then we'll have a few minutes all to ourselves. Maybe have some tea, talk things out. Sound fair to you?"      Then she flexes her bladelike fingers ominously and rolls her neck. "Or. Orrrr. You can back off, and not be stuck in a small, confined space with me from here 'til high orbit. I guess it's your choice." A short pause. "I suggest we go with the larger ship? It's got the best snacks, plus actual life support." She emulates a wink, turning one of her lavender eyes off and back on again. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren sees the big good wolf huff and puff, and starts running out of the way, but this attack is too big to dodge! He takes a defensive stance reflexively, covering his face with his arms, and the forcefield flickers into visibility, the breath stripping the outermost layer off, tiny pieces of field turning into sparks and blowing away. It's not as effective as a hail of bullets, but magic(?) still messes it up.     Thanks to the thought interface, he can talk to Sokka on the radio at the same time without taking the time to actually say all the words.     He hesitates again, considering options. He makes up his mind more quickly this time though, raising the gun to fire... and then instead, the beam cannons on his armor fire! They're a lot more damaging than bullets if they hit, a lot of concentrated heat and energy!     And then he starts running for the ship. Maybe he'll be able to get on in case someone does chase them up, maybe not. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka stared at the woman. He was going to fight her, obviously. That was the only way. He-- Sheathed his sword and shrugged. "Well, if you wanna talk it out, fine. I'll trust you. You seem the trust worthy sort. You know. Aside from the blades of death and all." He almost said something else, but stopped himself. He looked her up and down. Planning to fight her? Nope. "The big ship sounds good. But please, I'm a gentleman. Ladies first," he said with a wink. "Besides, I'm curious if you look as good from the back as you do from the front," he teased. Yeah, and he was going to be in a confined space with her up into orbit. How in the WORLD was he not dead yet? Something he was sure Antlers asked almost daily. He would go in first if she insisted, otherwise he'd follow her in. Just a little tense. 

:'''{{#var:1123|Tanya Degurechaff (1123)}} has posed:'''     Given the distance she's keeping herself at, at least from the initial shot, a shadow tornado is not immediately a concern for Tanya's personal well-being. She leans away from it, ducking away from floating stationary to moving sidelong with enough momentum to counteract the darkness-infused wind. No, the real concern is what threat that kind of sudden weather might pose to the spacecraft she's supposed to be protecting.     Tanya has no real investment in the Flotilla or their ships. But failing a mission looks bad on the service record.     At least she got the Digimon's attention. The bolt on Tanya's Mauser 98K is worked, ejecting a spent cartridge while she plans her next move. She has to draw him away from the spaceships. Or drive him out of the area... Golden eyes skim the surroundings, and the Digimon itself, for options. And she zeros in on one. A hand goes to her collar once more, "Staren. I have a plan."     Banking as she skirts the tornado's influence, Tanya pours magic into the chambered bullet. Finding an opportunity, she twists in midair and draws a bead, then squeezes the round off. This time, her shot isn't aimed at simply getting Gaonoir's attention. No, this time Tanya's opted for a high-precision round instead of an explosive one, aimed at the girl riding on the digimon's back.     That looks important. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     PLATFORMING TIME.     Sokka hops on crates and scaffolds and heavy beams. This gives him loading access to the LAUNCH PLATFORM just near the BIG SHUTTLE, where Laura secretly is too! He only needs to survive the initial launch... Right? Then he can escape and do something weird. Unless he wants to survive some serious G-force on the exterior of the vessel!     Actually, you know what, that is probably something Sokka could do.     Septette's access codes are totally working fine, which means one of the exterior doors opens to allow Sokka access inside according to Septette's invitation, of course. Inside, no Starbound Flotilla members are yet found, but they may be soon... A dangerous situation to be sure! It's a den of enemies. Sokka may conspicuously notice something useful: One of those emergency oxygen nanoskin dispensers is right next to the entrance, a panel with an enticingly big red button that will charge Sokka's body with a "survive in space for hours" field if he pushes it on his way in. It's a tactical option that the clever guy may yet be able to use to turn the situation around. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Gaonoir's attention is off the ship! Thank goodness, because if they had that ruthless skydog's attention on them during launch, it'd be lethal. The powerful offensive force the digimon has is beyond the ability of their hull to handle, certainly. The engines are now at full power, blasting exhaust. In a few seconds, they begin to rise. Slowly, at first, but then disturbingly fast. It's enough time for Staren, Sokka, and Septette (triple-S rating!) to get aboard, but little else. The flying combatants won't have too much trouble keeping up, fortunately or unfortunately for the Flotilla.     But either way, this fight's taking to the air! It rises dramatically, far up and then soon horizontally. The multitude of smaller ships -- some occupied, some... Distinctly not occupied -- rattle along, presenting options for those who need to escape, but soon that'll mean the dramatic trek over the surface of the rocket as it ascends to orbit! 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      Amiably shrugging her shoulders, Septette opens the hatch. "I see your traditions are different from ours. Where I am from," she replies with a hint of dry wit, "children go before their elders. Hop on in." If he accepts the invitation to come inside, she'll shut the hatch and escort him to a utilitarian table, swiftly setting up some water to boil on a high-tech nano-stove and grabbing some teacups from a cupboard. The cups rattle dangerously as the battle continues raging outside, but she doesn't seem to mind.      "We're en route to another adventure," she explains, seeming to be in no particular hurry and not paying much attention to whatever antics Sokka might be getting up to. "This one won't involve hurting innocent people, I promise. It's to do with salvaging materials from an abandoned moon base. You can accompany us if you wish- see what methods we employ- or we can use the teleporters to return you to a neutral location after we reach orbit. Your call."      Her allies outside don't seem to need the help. Better to keep an eye on this scoundrel, and keep him from doing too much damage unsupervised. He might even prove to be an asset in the upcoming mission, if he's so inclined... 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka did tap the button. Of course he tapped the button. He was sokka. There could have been a plate of grease by the door and he'd have licked it. "Cool," he 'd say. Once seated, of course, he hummed and well, she wasn't trying to KILL him. That was a perk. "So... how about we start off from the beginning. You said what you did was for a reason. Fine then, what was the reason?" he asked, staring up at her. He was wary, but he knew he was at a disadvantage, so he didn't... ah, who was he kidding. He was always at a disadvantage. It was what made it -fun-. Gosh he wished it wasn't so -fun-. Like. ALL the time. Either way... He did sip the tea. "Start telling me the why. Then we can go to the other one, okay? I mean, sure. Salvaging abandoned materials is all well and good. Unless it leads to attacking more civilians. Then we've got an issue." 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     As she waits for the countdown to finish Sombra blinks, turning her head slightly to the side, purple eyes narrowing. Somebody is accessing the system? Well, let's do something about that. An arrogant smirk crosses her lips, and she begins tracing the signal. Just where are they copying the data from...?     "Gotcha."     The room Seft and Laura are in suddenly go dark, only security lights remaining on inside. Sure, the Flotilla might have tried resetting everything after her first intrusion into their system, but this? This is child's play. SAIL is digital afterall, and what better way to handle this than to make use of the ship itself?     Purple lines spread out across the ships even as the rocket takes to the skies, and Sombra rests her hands on the terminal as she leans back in her seat, wincing against the force of the take off. Once it all stabilises however, the hacker isn't slow to get out of her seat, readying her submachine gun as she marches out of the cockpit of her own personal ship and heads to the connecting areas.     In the area where Seft and Laura are there is some light however as Seft's visor lights up... a purple glow offers some light, as Laura can see what might be a familiar looking skull shining up the room. "Amiga, go back to your duties. And I'll handle this," Sombra's voice can be heard over the intercom. Sure, Laura might have been able to copy some data, but with the power turning off in this area, she hasn't gotten all of it. That ought to do for now. The doors around the room slam shut one by one, closing up the area. All save for one      Some rooms away an airlock opens... and then all the doors between that area and the place where Laura and Seft are, though the door is closer to Laura. So she will feel the pull of the airlock much more. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      Septette glances out the window with a look of mild concern, then shakes her head. They'll be fine out there. They're always fine, aren't they? They'd tell her if they're not fine. Finally, she seats herself at the reinforced bench and begins steeping the tea. "Name is Septette Arcubielle- apologies for not introducing myself honestly earlier... My moral system is very simple in its precepts. An action is good if that action produces good results. Theft may be 'immoral', but if I have to steal a loaf of bread from a store to feed a starving family, I will do it, because it's a lesser harm to the store than it is a benefit to the family. Does that make sense? It doesn't matter what society or the law consider wrong; only the impact of the action on other people."      "So," she says, drumming her fingers on the table with a slight bit of anxiety, "participating in a raid on a legitimate civilian facility was illegal and, by the common definition, immoral. However, I determined that I could reliably nonlethally subdue the guards; not accompanying the Flotilla on their mission, or even attempting to stop them, would have resulted in more likely civilian deaths than aiding them. That is how I concluded that my personal actions were the best actions given the scenario." An explosion outside rocks the shuttle. Septette still seems outwardly unconcerned.      "As for why I considered the mission itself to be moral: we stole only proprietary information, and caused only repairable injuries. The only loss of life came from a rogue, uninvited agent who took unforeseen advantage of the chaos." She pours the tea into each of their cups, and adds what looks like some powdered sweetener to both cups before taking a small sip from her own.      "Meanwhile, the Flotilla badly needed to sell that information in order to acquire materials and resources to restore them to fighting shape. The Flotilla Captains are valued allies of my world, and along with myself, represent virtually its only Elite defense. So we caused some temporary damage to one facility in order to help bolster the security of an entire world. Even if you do not consider that a fair trade, my participation in the mission itself was unimpeachable. It saved lives." She sets down her teacup and stares at Sokka, smiling warmly. "Does that make sense?" 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:''' Laura Kinney freezes for a second when Seft's voice rings out. Shit! She must've missed the sound of the approaching android under the roar of the engines. Welp time to improvize even more." Adjusting the goggles on her forehead, she turns to the newcomer. "Yeah, I saw a video of what that owl mask guy did at the hangar. Pretty fucked up." As for the second bit... "Fuck if I know. Maybe he's got a crush on her and wants to ask her out. I don't get paid enough to ask too many questions, and the last time I told him I wouldn't do one of his errands he made me go declog the waste reprocessors. Without gloves." A shiver and wince is all that needs to be said about THAT process. And then the lights go out. Laura immediately snatches the drive, shoving it back into her pocket. Shit. She's been made. With the flick of one foot, a toe claws slides out, a quick kick and twist of the foot popping the tile cleanly off. WHile there's still air to carry her voice, leaning against the gale, Laura speaks. "Nothing personal. Sombra has caused my friends and I trouble before, and I intend to stop her. I must go now." She starts to duck down into the crawlspace again, using the underfloor structure to brace against the wind. Her argument isn't with Seft, so hopefully she'll let Laura go... 

:'''{{#var:765|Gaonoir (765)}} has posed:''' Gaonoir tries to direct his shadow vortext in a path that would pose the most potential threat rather than the most actual destruction. It seems to work, as both of his attackers scattered in different directions, though neither is immeadiately breaking off their attack either. He has to cut off fueling the cyclone and let the attack wind down in order to maneuver away from Staren's fire. Simple enough. But as he goes up Staren and Tanya end up in almost opposite directions, given the later a clear look at the girl hanging onto his back. Clearly she's been paying attention to the short scuffle, if he's noticed how he moves to shield his passenger more than himself. The shot doesn't go unnoticed though. It pings on Gaonoir's tactical scanners almost as soon as the round leaves the gun. Reflexes honed by experience and experimentation alike kick in and the digimon whirls around, getting Erika out of the line of fire while swinging one of his gauntlets into the path of the shot. The bullet clangs off the metallic limb, arcing over his shoulder as it ricochettes off, just missing the young Tamer as it whizzes past. And right into one of his engine narcells. It doesn't need to explode after that. Just hitting the thruster is enough to make it sputter and start trailing smoke. "Shit! Hang on!", he manages to yowl out as the unbalanced thrust sends him spiraling out of control and down towards the launch site again. "REDUNDANT!" Erika shouts back, considering she's already clinging on as best she can. But as they drop down the ships are taking off, and for a few moments of calculating things seem to slow from the Digimon's point of view. Then he twists out of the way, seeming to dissolve into a ball of black and purple energy(?) as he disappears behind one of the smaller rattling ships. The burst of energy could easily be mistaken as some sort of explosion. In reality though it's the extra energy being shed as Gaonoir devolves to his Champion stage. As soon as his form is stabilizing the ends of his scarf lash out to grab onto the ship he was falling past like dual grappling lines and yank him to it, Erika still clinging to his back for dear life. Hopefully he can use his big claws to pry open a hatch for them to get in before these ships reach orbit. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka stared at her and picked up his tea. He swirled it around a few moments before, slowly, taking a sip. Finally... "So. This flotilla is the defense of your world, you guys needed the resources. Couldn't ask, had to steal them. Makes sense, i mean, kinda hard to ask to fix a space ship and all that." He took another sip then... "You know what? I believe you. On top of that, I'll help you," he said with a smile. "Stars know I've had to do a few reckless things in the past and, besides, a bit of theft isn't so bad. To be honest, I was more upset about the wounded than the stolen stuff." He took another sip of his tea. "Though, that brings up the whole... you know. The reject from hot topic with the shotguns. What was his deal? He killed more than a few people. And he's one of yours, right? You do realize even if I don't object to the rest of what you're doing, i do need to deal with him. Correct?" 

:'''{{#var:1123|Tanya Degurechaff (1123)}} has posed:'''     The bullet didn't hit what Tanya was aiming for, but it seemed to have an effect similar to what she was hoping to achieve-- as the digimon appears to explode and disappear. Lowering her rifle, the miniature Major skims over the launching shuttles with her bare eyes. Only once she's certain Gaonoir isn't going to come flying out on a tear of revenge does she lower her rifle, ejecting the spent cartridge with a practiced motion and then slinging it up over her shoulder.     Power gathers from around her, centering on her flight unit's boot, and Tanya begins to ascend. Rapidly accelerating, she matches the ascending shuttles, moving in a slow circle around them as they rise towards space. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      Septette leans in a little bit, her eyes glowing brightly with something that could be read as mischievous mirth. "Yeah, I know who you're talking about. Gabe. 'Reaper'. Owlface McSmokey." She takes another slow sip of tea before setting it back down with dramatic relish. "I don't know what his deal is. He's not one of ours; we didn't invite him. He 'helped' us, but to be honest... if you want to ice him, I'll help you. Just make sure you know what you're getting into when you do, got it?"      "As for the wounded..." She leans back on the bench, lips twisted in a remorseful frown. "Yeah, some people got hurt pretty badly. I wish I'd had time for more careful take-downs, or even stealth; injuries like those tend to traumatize a person. However, this world has high-quality prostheses as medical standard, and I investigated the security company's contracts beforehand; they cover all medical treatment and leave for injuries sustained while on the job. That doesn't make up for the pain they felt, but it does help me rest a little easier."      She stands up, pats Sokka on the shoulder once, and then hesitates. "Hey, kiddo. You never gave me your name, did you? If we're buddies now, I feel like I ought to know how to call you." 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Seft isn't nearly as stabilization-capable as Laura is, so the gust of wind that rushes out as the airlocks blast open actually knocks her off her feet. "Terrified. Augh!" She calls out, in a perfect monotone. Laura has her toe-talons, which let her stabilize and get into the vents quickly. Dammit! Seft tries to struggle to her feet and get that battleaxe out... Albeit with a palpable sense of robotic reluctance, as if she's going through the motions.     "Uncertain. Wait, stop...!" She calls out, then makes a soft series of tense, stressed noises. Sombra has driven her off, and presumably more information will be locked down, but... Laura may have enough to get her Watch allies to the objective. And where is it? It seems... Once she has a chance to review the data, she'll find they're headed for one particular place.     Lucheng Interstellar Horizon One, the Horizon Lunar Colony.     Gaonoir finds himself slamming into the ship. It'll take some climbing, but he can pry one of those doors open. It comes off hard, whipping back in the wind, so thank goodness there's an interior airlock. It's the main Starbound shuttle, too! This means that all of the infiltrators are now well and truly aboard, meaning they're all on their way. With the ascent being so rapid, the sensors are too scrambled to trace him. He'll need to get to a hiding place, and fast...     A directory on the inner airlock looks like he could make it to the cargo area, the sort of place nobody would think to look. That'll mean getting past the weapon manning area he's almost broken into... Where Pavo, the angry bird-girl, is looking badly burned. It seems like this is where the power really overloaded when he punched the shuttle! She looks PISSED AS HELL. If Gaonoir wants to keep his presence a secret, it'll mean solving one last problem of figuring out how to make sure she doesn't notice him.     Meanwhile, Laura finds her way into the vents again. She can hear traces of Albert's voice, the heavy gorilla's russian accent muttering a few things. Something about "flamethrower" and "burn her out". She'll also need to find a secretive spot to stay hidden! She could meet up in the cargo area, but she could also try to hide in more mechanically complex areas like the engine and such. She just needs to evade Sombra's dangerous, wandering eyes... 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren makes it inside the ship scarce seconds before takeoff! He looks for a chair to strap into before, as thrusters rumble below him, he remembers the Flotilla has artificial gravity. So, that's a relief. At least he'll have a smooth ride up.     Now he has time to process that Septette and Sokka are... sitting down to tea. "Well, alright, this works." He puts away his SMG and approaches. "So we're actually talking? Wow, I didn't think anyone would listen. I'm sorry for underestimating you, Sokka."     He looks between them, listening to Septette speak. "Sokka, this is Septette Arcubielle, of the extended Flotilla, the organization that preceded Daedalus, though with much more mercenary goals. Septette, this is Sokka, of the Daedalus Initiative, our organization to explore the multiverse, gather information that can protect people, and help the refugees displaced by the Multiverse's reshaping. ...You've been gone awhile, Septette. It's good to see you again."     He smiles at her, then looks between them hopefully. "So... I hope we can all be friends?"     In the rush to get inside, worrying about the launch, and seeing Septette and Sokka having tea, he's completely forgotten about Gaonoir. But there's no way anyone would /actually/ grab onto the side of a rocket as it's taking off, right? That's absurd! 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     Stalking the hallway, Sombra runs her hand along the wall as she watches the screen that floats in front of her. Great, she's getting into the vents. Time to close them off and try to lead Laura somewhere else. The vent shafts open and close, airing out certain areas. Seft doesn't have to worry, because the doors close to prevent her from being dragged out.     "At least it scared her off and away from her new ally. "Seft," Sombra's voice begins, "return to your duties. Sorry for the scare there. You okay, amiga?"     As Albert speaks he too will get a signal from Sombra. "If you want to burn her out, I can open and close the vents accordingly..." she offers. Heck, she might like him more than she thought she would. "Keep a right down your current corridor, she should be heading in that direction. Escucha..." Listen for her. It's too bad there are no cameras in the vents themselves.     Bringing up more screens, Sombra tries to get an overview of the entire situation and where everybody are, as well as the stowaways who think they can just join a moon trip uninvited! 

:'''{{#var:765|Gaonoir (765)}} has posed:''' Not being able to fly in this form is made up for with having large claws, both on his paws and on his scarf that serves as an extra pair of limbs. It gives Gaonoir enough leverage to walk the hull much like a certain superhero walked up walls in the 60s, pull off the airlock hatch, and drop inside just as Tanya is making her pass amongst the shuttles. As they tumble in Gaonoir devolves again, hitting the inside deck in his base stage. That despite being smaller is still strong enough to catch Erika before she hits the floor. She starts to make a 'squee' face but Gaonoir quickly puts a gloved paw over her mouth. Shakes his head a little, then bobs in the direction of the angry bird-pirate not far from where they broke in. He's trying to not gag on the smell of burned feathers assaulting his nose as it is. Once he's sure she's going to be quiet Gaonoir carries her off into the corridor. With the power out in places from his overloading the shields hopefully there will be enough shadowy spots form him to slink through with his shadowplay and keep them from being spotted. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded, before putting the tea down. He glanced over to her. "They call me... Sokka." Dun du dun. "But some call me Wang Fire. Or Yang Earth. I go by many names," he said with a smile. "Fine. I tell you what. I'll help you gus, somewhat. As a representative of the paladins. Make sure you guys don't kill anyone or cause any huge troubles But..." He trailed off for a moment, then... "If you guys go and start trying to kill people, I will stop you. You seem nice for now, and thats good. Trust me. I understand having to hurt people when you don't want to. Having to fight when you don't want to. And stealing when you don't have any other chance." He glanced to Staren. "You know, you could have tried asking. I do have resources that might have helped. I'm going to instead assume this was just a 'Oh crud we need to act now, no time to be smart about it!' thing. And I'll help. If for no other reason than to try to make sure you guys don't cause any more destruction." 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      Given her anatomy, a handshake would probably be unwelcome here, so Septette just nods politely towards Sokka and Staren instead. "Pleased to make your acquaintance then, Sokka. I have no objections towards your acting as a 'moral compass' here- after all, that is essentially why I joined these endeavors as well, albeit with slightly different moral axioms. I wasn't aware that any other organizations had risen from the ashes of the old extended Flotilla- I have been largely absent from Multiversal affairs since a few months before they dissolved. I may have to look into this 'Daedalus Initiative'!"      "I wouldn't be too impressed with him, Staren," she replies with a hint of snark in her tone. "He did succumb to reasonable debate, but only after hitting me in the face with a boomerang. ... It's good to see you too, though. I hope you didn't think that I was gone for good! It wouldn't do to worry my friends in such a fashion." She pours a third cup of tea and pushes it towards her old friend, wearing that familiar warm smile of hers. "Care for some refreshments? It sounds like you put in some real work out there." 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:''' Laura Kinney ducks down into the vents, still breathing as her nanoskin apparently still works. Okay, time to lose the disguise, it's slowing her down. She wriggles her way out of the jumpsuit, toolbelt, and goggles, leaving them behind again as she pulls her mask back on. Okay. First thing's first, cut off any pursuit. Whoever had built this ship had helpfully labeled and color coded all the pipes, so if we combine Oxygen *shrnkhssssss* with Hydrogen *shrunkhssssssFWOOSH* A quick lunge forward combined with a very durable outfit protects her from any serious damage, the jet of flame emerging from the two gas pipes hopefully delaying any pursuit, who'll have to go shut those valves off. better go to Engineering. Plenty more things to sabotage if nessecary, and that was probably where the escape pods were too... An emergency shutter closes in front of her, but a few quick slashes with one hand's claws let her continue on. 

:'''{{#var:1123|Tanya Degurechaff (1123)}} has posed:'''     With her enhanced ceiling of eighteen thousand meters creeping up, Tanya exchanges some words through the radio set. Even in this thinning atmosphere, the proximity of the microphone to her throat is plenty to get her words through, and to hear them through her earpiece. And an agreement is made.     The tiny blonde promptly banks out of her holding pattern and into one of the hatches helpfully opened to receive her. And only after the hatch closes and cycles does she let out her breath in a misty cloud. Reaching up, she pushes her goggles up onto her forehead with a 'Hwah' sort of noise.     She checks her grenades, then boards the ship proper through the inner hatch, not bothering to discard any of her equipment. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren looks to Sokka like he wants to answer, then decides he'll get to it in a moment. Septette gets a brief blank stare. He knows she couldn't have been aware, that's why he told her just now. He smiles briefly as she reciprocates that it's good to see him, but his expression becomes more neutral and distant at the comment about wondering if she was gone for good. "I've seen a lot of people come and go." he says, matter-of-factly, then smiles at the tea. "Sure!"     His visor retracts as he lifts the cup to his lips. If it's not too hot, he gulps down most of the cup before setting it down and pulling up a chair.     "This is a Concord operation. The Core Fleet have decided to join, and thought they needed to prove themselves by stealing us resources. They sometimes have a poor choice in targets, and I'm not happy with attacking Numbani, though I am told that the information we've stolen will serve the greater good, I'm not caught up on the details of this world. I came along because the Flotilla -- the core fleet I mean, well the rest too, but I mean -- anyway, I came along because they've helped me a lot, if not in heroics than in obtaining resources that allow me to /support/ the whole hero thing."     He watches the two as he speaks. "I expect Septette came for the same reason, because she is not a Concord member." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded. "To be fair, you drew the weapon first. And you took a jet bike to the face without flinching. I doubt my boomerang did any seriously damage. And yeah, have some tea, Staren." He then glanced out to the window and frowned. The moon. Its been a loooong time. Why does the moon keep coming up in his travels? He sighed and leaned backi. "This is gonna be fun. So, there's another girl on the ship. Seems she might be having some issues now. Maybe if you guys told her this, she'd be less trying to fight you guys. And hey, you know. It's really not that bad when you just take a few seconds to explain it. Most people are smart, they can understand the need to do things a little... differently than the law may say is right." 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Sombra effectively contains Laura. Laura effectively breaks containments. Fire is fought with fire, and Albert can't get his flamethrower through he, uh, flames involved. Sokka is given space, and passage; he'll not have a tough time securing his place in the Starbound Flotilla's craft, because there's little opposition.     Meanwhile, the power outages caused by Gaonoir's tremendous power-knockout punch give him an easy passage. Here to cargo, it should be a straight shot, albeit an inconsistent one, as lights and cameras flicker on and off. Some of the lighting is emergency power, but being made of like five different ships welded together means it's inconsistent.     Laura should be able to tear through to an effective hiding space, if she selects one. Gaonoir's exploitation of his hiding space is trning out well, letting him settle into an un-monitored corner. And Sokka can find a place at residential, where he's given a wide berth in case he manages some terrible scheme.     Tanya gets that hatch open, thank goodness for it. Albert's there, waiting for her, operating the airlock and shutting it dramatically behind her. "Captain Degurechaff." He says, going through a quick Apex Resistance salute. "Welcome aboard. Medical and maintenance are this way." He offers to guide her aboard.     Sombra soon manages to restore security coverage, making sure the infiltrators can't actively sabotage things during the trip to the moon. But once they're there... For now, the main thruster detaches and the swarm of spaceships arrange on their path... up to the MOON. Up to HORIZON LUNAR COLONY! 

:'''{{#var:1123|Tanya Degurechaff (1123)}} has posed:'''     "Major," Tanya corrects, but immediately moves on from it. The salute is returned out of habit, however, and she settles in following the Apex with quick, mismatched steps. 

:'''{{#var:765|Gaonoir (765)}} has posed:''' Upon finding a dark corner behind some storage that's out of immeadiate view Gaonoir finally sets Erika down, and hunkers down next to her. "Keep your voice down," he whispers coarsely, unintentionally almost sounding like a growl. Erika nods a little, and gropes her satchel a bit before finding the pocket she wants and pull out a few protein bars. They're going to be hiding for a bit so it's a good time for Gaonoir to munch down some quick energy so they're ready to move again later. 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:''' Laura Kinney settles down in what appears to be a fairly disused section of maintenance crawlspace, given the thick layer of dust that was here when she arrived, after a few detours along the way to snag some rations. She had some of her own, but better to scavenge and save hers in case of emergencies. Mmmmm. Synthmeat burger. ...sauce actually isn't half bad. Putting the steaming pouch of calories back down, she takes the time to start going over her information. Intelligence is half the battle, after all... 
}}

5374/To Ward off Death

2017-07-14T11:55:24Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/07/13 |Location=Overwatch Earth <OWE> |Synopsis=Jack gains a new friend who bears gifts. |Cast of Characters=1117, 1120 |pretty=yes }} {{Poses..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/07/13
|Location=Overwatch Earth <OWE>
|Synopsis=Jack gains a new friend who bears gifts.
|Cast of Characters=1117, 1120
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     It's not hard to keep track of certain people. They don't know how to hide their tracks well enough, at least not for the people who really wish to find them. Perhaps it's because he's among the older generation, but Soldier 76? He really needs to hide his digital traces better. It's a good thing that there are no dangerous people after him. Besides her, that is.     For a hideout, it could certainly be better. Small and cosy for sure, but rather smelly Sombra would say as she inspects the place. There are better ways to keep it secure, and all it takes is just a few more up to date security items. You really can't teach an old dog new tricks, huh? The woman sits on the kitchen counter, waiting idly as she sips some coffee that she made from the old coffee maker here. Not the best coffee, but it's something at least. Even if she suspects that she won't be waiting for long now... Ah, there. Upon hearing approaching foot steps the hacker smirks for herself, then sets the empty coffee mug down, all while her thermoptic camouflage kicks in. It's better to be cautious, after all. Somebody like Jack is likely to shoot on sight upon realising that he's got intruders in this place. Which she knows he's bound to realise since she left the door open. Unseen, she moves into position, ready to act once the old soldier has entered and that paranoia isn't quite as high. 

:'''{{#var:1120|Soldier 76 (1120)}} has posed:''' Yeah, the door being open is a pretty dead give away that something is wrong. Jack enters the small apartment, his sidearm drawn and held close to his body, visor glowing as he scans for potential targets. Sombra's camoflage is one of the best on the aftermarket, and as advanced as Jack's visor is, it was designed to fight Omnics, not hackers. Still he clears the first room of the apartment, and moves into the kitchen, finding the cup of coffee on the counter. A brief touch tells him it's hot, which means someone was here recently, or may still be here. "Enough games. If you're still in here, come out. You've already lost the element of surprise and I doubt you can take me or you would have tried already." 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     A chuckle can be heard behind him, though there's still no sight of the intruder. Rather, a familiar voice can be heard, one that Jack has heard before. "That's right, I'm not here to take you on, old man. Rather, I'm here as a friend."     Foot steps echo behind Jack, though it's hard to tell just where the owner of the voice is just yet. "Promise me you won't shoot me...? It's a bit weird to talk to people like this. But I think you understand that a girl has to be careful, no?" 

:'''{{#var:1120|Soldier 76 (1120)}} has posed:''' As soon as the voice is heard, Jack turns around to face it, but still doesn't see anything. He narrows his eyes vehind the visor, and holds up the sidearm so she can clearly see it, before he tucks it back into the holster. "I won't shoot you unless you give me a reason to, Sombra." He replies simply, as he picks up the coffee cup that was on the counter and holds it out towards where he assumes she is. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     Once the word has been given, a faint sound can be heard as the camouflage falls away, revealing Sombra standing right next to Jack, her hand already is reaching out to take the coffee cup from him. "Gracias." A clever smile plays at her lips, and she turns to move over to a chair that she sits down in, looking rather relaxed. Not to mention willing to trust that he won't shoot her in the back. "It's good that not all of you old soldiers are /that/ trigger happy," she adds, looking up at him over the rim of the cup.     "Especially since I'm here as a friend. You don't have many friends left, now do you... Jack?"     The cup is set aside on a table, and Sombra folds her hands. "Gabe certainly has been giving you a lot of trouble ever since we all stepped into the multiverse, hasn't he?" 

:'''{{#var:1120|Soldier 76 (1120)}} has posed:''' "Not that you have had nothing to do with his rampages, right?" Jack says, as he grabs another coffee mug and, after briefly checking inside it, pours a cup from the remaining coffee and takes off his mask, "I am highly doubtful of you being here out of the goodness of your heart, so I suppose I should ask what you want from me." He raises the cup up and takes a drink from it, "I know you're not going to threaten to tell Reaper where I am, because you know I'll be gone before he gets here." 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     That smirk only widens at Jack's initial question, and the hacker raises one eyebrow. That should be answer enough. But still, she does talk. "Please. Your friendship was messed up waaay before I even stepped into the picture. But then again, what happened back in Switzerland seems to haunt you both."     There are no obvious signs that Sombra has done anything to the coffee mug that Jack takes. When he pours himself a mug, Sombra points to her empty cup. "Mind filling mine up as well?" Be a good host now! She brewed the coffee for you.     As for why she's here now... "Do you really think I'm a completely bad person after what happened in Dorado?" she inquires curiously, her expression sincere. It's pretty obvious for most people that Sombra, whoever they thought she was, foiled LumériCo and helped the people of Dorado. And after how they handled the mayor? "Give me /some/ faith. But fine... what I want? Lots of things. For now it's best to help you stay alive. Because Gabe is rather upset about you 'getting off easy' compared to him."     Again Jack is right, and Sombra nods. "Sí. If I wanted him to find you, you'd be talking to the barrel of a shotgun now instead of me." 

:'''{{#var:1120|Soldier 76 (1120)}} has posed:''' The pot is grabbed and another cup is poured for her, before he sets it back in place, "It's the damnedest thing. He swears he didn't set off the bomb that took out the HQ. I know I didn't. He seems adamant that he didn't." Jack replies, "I can't convince him otherwise, so now I have to deal with his wrath." He sips his coffee again, "Well I am very appreciative of people who want to keep me alive, as they seem few and far between. I take it something has happened that makes you want to stop him from killing me. He going off mission? Wouldn't be the first time." 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     "Ah, seems like one of those situations where it's what you said versus what he said, huh?" Too bad that there's no surveillance left from then. It might have shed some light on the entire deal.     Reasons can be many, and Sombra isn't exactly the type to blabber about her reasoning for various things. Especially not to most people. "I have my reasons, but for now I think our goals overlap when it comes to your life. In return... I'd appreciate it if you didn't outright kill me in the field. A life for a life, huh... amigo?" She nods in thanks when he refills her coffee cup, then takes another sip. "I can appreciate Gabe wanting to kill you and all, but... you know him even better than I do, I suspect." Going off mission indeed... the situation in Numbani had been interesting. Even while they got the primary and secondary objectives of the mission done, Reaper had been focused on his fight with Jack. Nearly to the point where he didn't make it out.     "Also, I'd prefer if you keep this meeting between the two of us. You understand, right?" 

:'''{{#var:1120|Soldier 76 (1120)}} has posed:''' "Fair enough." Jack replies, as he finishes off his coffee, "I will stop you, if I catch you doing anything...But I will refrain from killing you. But only you. I catch any of those other Talon hombres out there and they won't be so lucky." 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     It appears to be a reasonable agreement, as Sombra nods her head a bit, raising her mug slightly. "Deal. Feel free to make it seem that I managed to slip away if you want to keep up your reputation as a grumpy old man, Jack." Nothing is said about the fact that he intends to kill her fellow Talon agents should he run into them and manage to get the upper hand on them.     Her free hand moves to reach into her coat pocket, and then Sombra pulls out what appears to be a metallic bracelet. It's held out towards Jack, and Sombra cants her head a bit. "Here. Keep this on, and Death will find it harder to keep up with you," Sombra explains. 

:'''{{#var:1120|Soldier 76 (1120)}} has posed:''' Jack reachs out and takes the bracelet, putting it on his right wrist, and taking a moment to look at it, "You'll understand if I have some of my friends take a look at this to make sure it's not a tracker or anything, right?" He says, as he turns back towards Sombra, "For the sake of security." 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     A wry smirk is the initial response that Sombra gives Jack, and she handwaves it. "Go ahead. Just know that if I really wanted to track you, I'd have my ways. Not that you're a hard person to keep an eye on," she says before she raises the coffee mug to her lips and downs the rest of the warm drink with a loud and drawn out sluuurp. "I suggest your friends don't remove anything within it though, or else I can't promise that it won't save you from Death." But fine, let his friends check it. There are no trackers inside it, no transmitters that would allow her to spy on him in any way.     For now though, matters have been dealt with, and Sombra stretches her legs where she sits before she rises up from her chair. "I'll keep in touch." With that said her translocator kicks into effect, and Sombra gives him a slight smirk as she dissolves into a lightshow of purple particles.     Outside on a roof some blocks away, the hacker materialises above her translocator, and she reaches down to pick it up. Sure, she got some payback for what Reaper did, but it's even better if she can get back at him without him knowing too. Also... if need be, perhaps this can be useful in other ways as well. 
}}

5367/Lamentablemente tuyo

2017-07-11T21:58:52Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/07/11 |Location=Overwatch Earth <OWE> |Synopsis=After Reaper's attempt to discipline her, Sombra still thinks there are a few more things to b..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/07/11
|Location=Overwatch Earth <OWE>
|Synopsis=After Reaper's attempt to discipline her, Sombra still thinks there are a few more things to be said.
|Cast of Characters=1117, 1115
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     It had been some maintenance required at the arrival of the Horizon Lunar Colony. But then again, what do you expect when nobody but gorillas have been there for a while? The Concord members have been working most of the night in order to get things up and running, and only once the solar panels were up and running with the power storages charging did Sombra allow herself some rest. 48 hours of travelling, constantly watching for the stowaways... it had exhausted the hacker, perhaps not so strange as she couldn't give that task away. Nobody can keep a digital eye out like she can, after all.     So pardon her for looking a bit tired as she puts the finishing touches upon the teleport functions. Some nearby storage rooms by the vehicle bay have been claimed by Sombra, getting them all set up with the equipment she'd gotten from the Concord. But there's also one additional teleporter room that she didn't tell the others all about. There might be intrusions in this place, so why not be ready for such a possibility? That's the room Sombra has been working on after getting a few hours of shut eye. A lone teleporter in a small storage room, locked like all the others. It's better to make sure nobody unauthorised can make use of these without her knowing. As well as put in a few additional functions to the room.     Humming softly for herself, Sombra turns on her radio. The Flotilla captains aren't around right now, some of them are sleeping, others are working in a different area. So this is the perfect time for some payback...     Standing outside the teleporter room the hacker brings up a screen with one hand, and raises a coffee mug towards smirking lips. "La venganza es dulce..." 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' Where Gabriel still alive, he would've thought twice about taking a teleporter from someone he just nearly asphyxiated - as part of 'bringing her back into focus'. He'd take time to make sure she was back on his side, that she was balanced once more on his team. But Reaper? Reaper did not concern himself with such mortal concerns any more. He was arrogant in his inability to die - so far - and that arrogance made him far less cautious than he was while 'alive'. Simple steps, like dropping concussive grenades on mutants with animal senses or setting off micro-charges around someone who could 'see' through tremors in the ground just never occured to him anymore. He just ate the pain and walked forward, Death Incarnate. Which is precisely why he falls into Sombra's trap. Stepping onto his end of the pad, arms raised and crossed over his chest as he waits for the transit; His form, his function, not quite compatible. His arrival heralded by a stuttering increase in power as the teleporter pad has to account for something that is - and isn't. Something that doesn't quite hold form, changing from moment to moment. A swirl of smoke that builds from the receiving pad, curling upwards and spinning like something between a miniature tornado and wave swell before Reaper fades into view. A low, rasping growl. "Repositioning." And then he's there, a black smoke slowly curling about his form as he .. floats off the pad, disoriented. The sterile bone white mask twists, his entire body turning with the motion into a slow spin. And? It's dark, amigos. It's very, very dark. "-Sombra-." He begins. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     The room is just as dark as the soul of the former Blackwatch commander. If he has a soul left, that is. It's hard to tell after the stunt he pulled not long ago. A stunt that now has consequences.     Silence and nothingness is all the reply that Reaper gets as his form floats inside the airtight room. Oh, there's air in there all right, even if he doesn't need it. But the vents leading into the room are all closed, sealed by highgrade materials that can be found in airlocks. It's hard to tell just what's going on inside the room. At least until some tech comes to life.     A holovid projection flares to life in front of Reaper, and a familiar shape greets Reaper with an overly friendly expression he's seen many times, all along with a fingerwaggle with delicate titanium nails. "Hola, Gabe~" Sombra sounds almost more cheerful than usual as her projection steps forward, canting her head up at the man where he floats. "You said we were done talking about this, but... I don't believe we aaare~" Here she raises her coffee mug to her lips again, taking a sip as her eyes are set on him. Eyes full of cunning. "So... /do/ you have anything to say to me, /Gabe/?" She's waiting while she gives him a chance to talk first and react before she continues. 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' The mask twists again, then tilts away as the hologram flares to life. Whatever else he was beneath it, apparently it still took a moment to adjust to sudden illumination. It doesn't help that Reaper is - by this time - slowly rotating into an upside down position. His legs float loosely beneath him, his cowl-jacket-hood thing loosely flared. It'd look really neat if he wasn't still turning like the world's clumsiest ballerina. A slow, annoyed growl rolls out of his throat at Sombra's usual attitude, before hands reach down towards his waist; The pull slow and methodical, so as to not upset his balance even further. A single shotgun aimed loosely in the projection's direction - the other hand spread behind him, as if he were preparing to catch a ball thrown at him blind. He waits for a moment as the slow rotation brings him into alignment with the wall - and squeezes. BOOM The Reaper is thrown backwards, SLAMMING into the wall. Metal groaning as his claws grab purchase, lose and scrabble to grab it again. His other hand opening to let the smoking shotgun float away, the mechanism already beginning to dissolve without direct connection to the undead terrorist. "Sombra." He begins, his raspy, reveberating voice darkening slowly. "What. Do. You. Think. You. Are. Doing?" Each word is dropped like a tombstone down a well, ending in a snarl that's more rabid than usual. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     A heavy and exaggerated sigh leaves the hacker's projection, and she shakes her head. "Go ahead and try if it will make you feel any better," is all she says. She'll go back to sipping her coffee all calmly, observing him as he attempts to get some degree of control back. Let him fire himself into the wall so he can grab it. The projection still remains. "You know," she begins when he asks his question, "I wonder if I should even answer that considering you didn't answer me last week... but eh, fine. Unlike you I'm /nice/," Sombra relents with a shrug. "I put you into this special teleporter room so we could talk some more, because we have unfinished business after that stunt you pulled. Sure sure, I could always tell el comandante that you nearly killed me... but where's the fun in that when I can deal with this myself?" A smirk crosses the woman's lips, and she steps on over to where Reaper is by the wall, her hand reaching out to the wall, flickering just slightly as she touches it.     "You have no idea, do you? How easy it would be... You don't need air to breathe, but still..." Her eyes glance up towards him, split eyebrows arched. "There are things worse than death. Sometimes death can be kinder. You should know all about this, Gabe." 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' There is a long, low hiss from the Reaper as he orients himself while his protege - the Talon asset speaks out her complaints over his 'disciplining'. And quite suddenly dissolves, the smoke twisting in and on itself as it attempts to move in the zero-g environment as well; Curiously, it appears he can be disoriented by the lack of pull. After a moment the black material swells outwards, tickling along walls and along the floor as well. Hunting the smallest crack to escape, and to bring this wrathful wraith forward in a far more direct manner- -Only to reform again, arms pinwheeling briefly before he can get his claws anchored again. Pulling himself down until his feet are at least brushing the ground, that sterile bone white mask revealing nothing of his thoughts. "Death passed you by with but a warning; Had I the mind too, you'd be withered husk streaked with rust. Your response to my mercy is.." A low, low growl. And a surprising answer. ".. Adequate. I would have waited until I was already in orbit. This pitiful shell won't hold long - and I don't run out of ammo." The groan of metal as his free gauntlet flexes, the cowled head turning towards another wall. Considering, perhaps, just how thick the material is. But even more surprising, he doesn't pull those hellfire shotguns. There was always a reckoning coming. "Far, far worse things to do to a person than merciful death. Endless things. What do you want, Sombra...?" 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     Even as Reaper dissolves into the hellish smoke, Sombra's projection stands calmly there, taking yet another sip of her coffee. "The place is completely airtight. For now. The material is meant to withstand more abuse than you can hope to unleash as well." So sit still and calm down, will you?     The speech about death has the latina roll her eyes in an obvious manner, and she turns her head to glance over her shoulder at him. "Are you /done/ rambling?"     Then he asks her what she wants, prompting a tug of one side of her lips. "First we're going to talk about what I can do. The room you're in right now? There are two ways out of it. Let's discuss the first way out of it. It's through the ceiling, leading to a series of tubes... which leads straight out into space itself. What do you think that would be like, Gabe? Lost out there for eternity, unable to die... just swirling as smoke among the stars... I don't know, but I would prefer death to such an existence." Her expression almost looks... pitiful. "Nobody to prattle to but yourself. Being more alone than you are now." The projection walks towards him, her eyes narrowing as she reaches him, extending a hand to place it against the cheek of his mask. "All it takes is one push of a button..."     Her hand moves... and then she presses one digital finger to where his nose should be. "Or.... you can be good, Gabrielito. Do you know how to be good, hmm?" 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' There are people who see the world in shades of black. Evil, good, and somewhere in between. And then there are people who see the world in reds and blues - what a person can do, and what they can't do. Will changes, can doesn't. Gabriel - Reaper - had always tried to focus on the red and the blue. What can he do, versus what will he do. What was necessary to the mission. The sterile skull mask turning upwards to look towards the ceiling at the mention of the tube, as if to spot the hidden recess waiting to draw him into an infinity lost amongst the stars. Well, not an infinity - eventually he'd be drawn to something. But how long would his mind last in that eternal expanse, forever undying? Or would something in whatever he is now finally break down and allow him to rest? A low, growling snarl exits the mask at the holographic boop, for the Reaper does not compromise. Which is why the Reaper had to get out of the way. A clawed gauntlet reaching up, pressing on a very particular part of the mask as clawed hands grip it. The whirr of screws retracting - the wet sound of metal extruded from bone. A hiss of condensation, wisps of black smoke and trickles of ichor trailing down a.. well, we'll call it a chin. Eyes open, all of them focused for a moment. A faint, wry smirk - and time to admit he was caught. She was well taught. "... buen hecho, hijita." Begins Gabe, sucking a long slow draw of air through the many places air can enter. The mask left to float for a moment, before his smirk becomes a frown. A single clawed finger lifted. "No more. You're distracting me, si? I have a mission to finish. I'll play nice... you'll play nice." 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     The snarl doesn't do much as Sombra lets her finger linger on the mask. And she simply smiles as Gabe removes his mask. Ah, what a silly man... wearing masks in a literal sense. "Of course I'm good, I'm the best. That's why I'm here, sí?" That's probably as good as she's going to get, isn't it? "You're not the only one who can pull together deadly stunts. Besides... what kind of person would I be if I shot my friends into space?"     Suddenly the projection disappears, leaving Gabe all alone in the darkness. At least until things happen in the teleporter room. First the lights turn on, revealing blast doors, marred by the shotgun shots fired earlier. But there will be little time to study them, because shortly after the blast doors rise up, and the gravity? It returns, a sudden sensation as everything is pulled down towards the floor once more. Better hope he's got his feet on the floor by now.     A hiss of machinery on one wall opens up a door, and in steps Sombra, still holding her coffee mug as she walks over to the corner where Gabe is. "So what do you think? A proper way to deal with intruders who try to make use of our teleporter without permission, no?"     While she's there, she reaches down to pick up the white and grim mask with her free hand. "I don't know if you still sleep or not, but ugh... 48 hours with coffee and keeping a watch for those stowaways? No es divertido..." 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' "Safer." Comes the simple answer to the question about shooting friends into space. Safer - with all the horrible things that implies. Boredom, loneliness, lack of access, and so forth. When the gravity comes back on, Gabe is lucky to have his boots brushing along the floor - his knees bend to absorb the shock, causing him to stagger again, but he manages to hold his balance. Releasing his grip on the wall as he straightens out, twisting his neck to work the kink from it. Reaching out with a claw to pluck that sterile white mask from her hands as he speaks. "Good start, but not everyone fits through a hole in the ceiling." He says, before the grin slips away. Chin rising slowly. "Por que no duermes? We're going to need you at a hundred percent. Nothing ever lasts, si? As for the stow-a-ways.." He lifts the mask back up to his own head. Letting it catch on the edge of his neck guard; The familiar whirr of screws sealing it once more over his broken visage, the slow trickle of smoke cutting away. ".. Death has come." 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     "If they're small enough to fit into this room, then they will fit through the rest of the system, all the way out to space, Gabe. Relajate, you honestly think I wouldn't think about that?" Sombra asides to him, letting him pluck the mask from her hand. As for why she didn't sleep? A sigh leaves Sombra as she raises the mug near her mouth again. "Too much to do onboard the ship after the stowadays comprimised the power. I had to keep it balanced and watch the hardware, making sure it didn't overload in some places. I can sleep now that I'm done here," she assures Reaper, looking and sounding far less dramatic than he does.     As a matter of fact, a yawn leaves Sombra as she leaves the teleporter room, and she mumbles tiredly as she leads the way. "I trust you have enough experience dealing with gorillas after you got me the data from Gibraltar, no? Keep an eye out for them, we haven't located all of them as the sensors are busted and need to be replaced." Something they will do later once they've gotten new wiring and materials. "Go ahead and assess the situation here, Gabe. I sent you a couple of documents. I think I'm going to crack open some of that weird space food and get a nap while I can. Wake me if the wi-fi goes down or something..." she states, the last sentence ending in a yawn. 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' "If the wi-fi goes down, I'll just unplug a thing. That's how ti works." Grunts Reaper, his growling voice utterly deadpan as he watches Sombra walk her way off to find someplace to sleep. Before he mentions, voice rising slightly in a snarl. "And my name.. is Reaper." Finally, it's time to pull twin shotguns out of thin air, feeling the familiar weight of them settle as a pull against his biceps. Familiar as shackles, something he'll never be rid of. At the very least, though? He'll have a chance to murder gorillas. And perhaps stow-a-ways. Good times. 
}}

5354/MISSION: Starwatch (1)

2017-07-08T15:18:45Z

Varnani:

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/07/05
|Location=Overwatch Earth <OWE>
|Synopsis=The Starbound Flotilla is back, and their sights are set on Numbani with their new allies.
|Cast of Characters=672, 1117, 632, 1115, 42, 972, 368, 673, 1010, 1100, 1111, 1120
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Numbani. Wide savannah. Broad horizons marked by rising hills. And marked, at one critical point, by the high-rising structure of the Numbani Space Center. Integrated manufacturing, transmission, testing, and launching can be found here; it's every aspect of a space program, condensed into the hyper-advanced facility of a progressive robotic city-state. The wide hangars are full of crafts under assembly or in testing. The tall sensors and structures scan the skies and the stars. The central launch platform reaches high into the air, loading powerful Numbani craft onto a huge thruster.     These are normal. This is science.     What is not normal is the ship emerging from the staging hangar, stealthily built into one of the nearby hills. What is even farther from normal are its inhabitants: Six broken people in a broken ship. The craft is formed from scraps of hull cannibalized from many other crafts, held together by beams of durasteel, and sealed with heavy salvaged plates. Its weapons are a mishmash of multiple types, turrets and fixed beam weapons in asymmetrical variety. Its thrusters sputter awkwardly every so often, almost but not quite disrupting its clean approach vector.     Aboard, George clicks a mix tape into a tape deck: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCJzIesrl5U     The Flotilla hit hard and fast. Faster than any response could keep them out of the perimeter. The craft closes the distance from detection range to local airspace in less than half a minute, and the built-in teleporter dramatically drops several telespatial energy "drop pods" containing the crew at the perimeter. Their coordinated and ruthless tactics make short work of Numbani automated security forces. OR15s are swiftly annihilated by heavy explosive weaponry. Dangerous shock weapons render human opposition unconscious. The Flotilla isn't being stealthy, it's being swift, and brutal. Something is helping them, too; no blast door stays closed, and no defense emplacements seem to target them. It's as though they have every code and know every corner of the place. Their craft has settled in one of the central assembly chambers.     By the time that any response gets here, things will have settled into place. The Flotilla members are charging the assembly hangar, engaging the final holdouts of the security team brave enough or automated enough to get in their way. Five Flotilla members are handling this, while the sixth works to situate their ship in the assembly hangar.     Moonfin, the fishman, is in elaborate full-body durasteel armor that looks like a powered cross between a diving suit and a samurai's armor, with a flickering cyan glow at the cracked and worn faceplate. Biteblade, the humanoid plant, is in durasteel plating with elaborately carved wood and bone ornaments over glowing powered components that glow an intense green, but those ornaments are often shattered or conspicuously absent. Pavo the bird-girl wears a pirate-aesthetic set of mesoamerican-style armor, with yellow bands of energized fabric linking the pieces and powering them, though there's awful tears in some. Albert the monkey-man is wearing elaborate dystopian commando armor reconstructed with a 'rebel spy' aesthetic: A sleeker faceplate, a slimmer form, and a more chaotic design that integrates thin, dented, resilient plates of durasteel, and lines of bright white. George (just plain human) wears a set of futuristic EVA-combat and exploration armor in a suit that glows a gentle red at the faceplate, but it's damaged and absent at the left shoulder. The sixth, Seft, is the one unseen, aboard the craft. Each has a heavy industrial-yellow two-pronged plasma-cutter-like tool strapped to their side, a Matter Manipulator, and each wield a worn and damaged but still-terrifying mix of ranged and melee weaponry. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     - MEANWHILE IN DORADO -     The small room is illuminated by several screens that rise above the desk. Data continues running down one of the screens, continuous updates about the situation in Numbani. Security cam feeds is the second best thing to actually being there in person, and with things well prepared; it's time to sit back and enjoy the show.     Sombra taps one fine nail against the keyboard, all while she gets the communication channels ready. "You think they will do well, Señor Sleepy Bear?" she asides to the teddy bear that sits next to a bag of doritos. "Is el Comandante right in her worries about those pesky little niños interfering with our potential new allies?" The hacker smirks for herself. One of the good things about this is with her being able to look at everything at once rather than having to watch her back. Besides; the crew ought to be able to handle themselves, especially with the items she made sure to send their wayâ¦     "¡Que comience el show!" 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      Sometimes, keeping people safe can leave a bad taste in one's mouth. Septette has been over her rationalizations and reasons a hundred times already- the Starbound Flotilla are long-standing and important allies in keeping Etria safe; they were going to pursue this mission regardless of her aid; she can steer the pragmatic Flotilla away from courses of action that would cause civilian casualties- but even if the utilitarian calculus of her moral framework comes out in favor of it, helping them here still feels... transgressive, somehow. For all her prideful disdain for mortal laws and customs, an outright smash-and-grab in a major city still leaves the little war-machine a tad apprehensive.      She can't allow that queasy apprehension to bubble to the surface. Accompanying the Flotilla here is the right thing to do, and any emotions that get in the way of doing the right thing are an unnecessary burden. A moment's hesitation could get an ally killed- holding onto those doubts would be risky and immoral. So Septette shuts off her eyes, reaches deep down within, and suppresses those emotions with the discipline characteristic of the mind of a yggdroid. When her eyes flick on again, it is with a newfound, colder confidence. The time for doubts is behind her. The time for action is here.      She yanks the Ariadne's Thread to warp in to the Captains' location, materializing in a glittering beam of light and surveying the dregs of the security detail with analytical disdain. The scarlet shawl around her shoulders loosens as she unfolds a long, wickedly curved tan blade from her arm and heats it to glowing, then strides through the broken lines of the opposition to the far end of the hanger, neatly bisecting OR15s and frying human opponents into submission with arcs of electricity that leap from her fingers as a manic smile spreads across her face.      When she reaches the heavy door at the back of the hangar, Septette sinks her claw-like fingers into it and pries it apart; the door's internal motors protest for a moment, then crunch and give way. She glances back at her allies as the last of their opposition here dissolves. "Clear. Good work, Captains- everyone alright so far?" 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' The Concord agents are being very, very careful to minimize the civilian contact with the Flotilla's raid, even as they shatter the automated defenses. Thanks to Sombra, of course. And helping Concord when requested? That's right in line with current Talon operating procedures. There are finer layers to this, of course - politics, positioning. Secrets to be stolen. But for the moment, as a coiling black smoke thickens and churns into a running, cowled figure? At this moment, there's no greater joy than simple violence for a simple goal. It's been a long time. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. The hellfire shotguns send their payload outwards with brutal, explosive force, each hit enough to jerk Reaper's arms up to compensate for the recoil. Even as the next gun barrel is dropping into position. He spares - none. He asks for no surrender. Omnics, OS15's - even the occasional brave soul is left upon the wettened ground as he flanks. Opposite of Septette, point of fact, his dark, rough laughter bubbling up. A pause to throw those empties aside, two more drawn from beneath his coat where none should fit. "Clearing the area." He comms in, before switching to a more private channel with a faint click. "Sombra - target location?" 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren wanted to help the Flotilla. It's good to see them again, and they've certainly helped him get things like the ship he now lives on -- but he has some misgivings upon finding out that, inexplicably, in a world full of problems, they picked the city of peace and progress to attack. Isn't it more the Concord's thing to take resources from those who are /misusing/ them so they can be put to better use?     The mission's going to happen anyway, though, and the Flotilla probably won't do anything too bad. Last time around they wanted pieces of a nigh-indestructible monster to build a table out of, after all.     Another ship drops out of FTL high above, and a sixth beam of light shoots down, shaping into Staren clad in white and sea-green armor of well-maintained plates. He follows the trail of destruction to catch up to the group. "It's good to see you again... I wish you didn't have this penchant for making your splash on the multiversal stage by causing trouble, though. What do you want this time? Do they have some new experimental material you need to make an ottoman out of?" His tone for the jibe is one of friendly ribbing rather than angry snarking, at least. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      Reimu was currently flying through the air while four black and white orbs Yin Yang Orbs were following closely behind her. She was currently wearing her usual red and white outfit along with the red ribbon in her hair. As she flew through the skies, wondering where exactly Nitori told her head off from that weird device that she had, the wind manages to blow across her dress as well. Upon seeing the large city of Numbani, her mouth opened in shock and she merely looked at the otherwise alien structures to her. However, upon hearing the sounds of gunfire, she directs her attention over to the assembly hanger. In an instant, the flying girl soars off toward the sounds of gunfire, the four orbs constantly trailing behind her at all times. Clearly, the ones who are in need of aid must be the people being attacked right now. 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' The ramshackled mishmash of a ship is not the only vehicle approaching the space facilities. But the second is much less a hodgepodge and a bit more spikey as it rumbles across the savannah, heavy wheels kicking up dust and plumes of exhaust smoking into the air above the hulking, armored vehicle. Obstructions like fallen trees, rocks and even restraining walls are little defense against the large spiked plow and steamroller wheel the vehicle bears at it's front. It is a peculiar vehicle to say the least. A strange sight to the locals.. but others may reconize it as the siege machine belonging to a certain mastermind technopath. Who is sitting calmly in the cockpit, drinking from a mug of rediculously strong coffee. Saiga sits on her shoulder, helping to observe the monitors while Tesla is focused on operating the Mad Maximizer's approach upon the space complex. "Things seem to progressing as expected. Intervention has a probability of arriving within the next 15 to 20 minutes, so make your initial push count." "If I may ask, Master," Saiga murmurs as she's screwing the top back on the coffee thermos with her manipulator arms, "Why? There is no tech here that you could not simply design for yourself, or presumably any allies that asked." "Because they wish to make their own effort to rebuild themselves, rather than take hand-outs and appear needing to their newest allies," Tesla replies without hesitation. "I also suspect they wish to demonstrate what they are capable of, even in such a... hindered state of affairs." As the Mad Maximizer rolls up to the perimeter Tesla slows the vehicle with a snort, coming straight into the automated defenses. "Keep moving in." Tesla raises one hand and her machine mimics the motion, it's right arm whipping up to grab a security OMNI in it's claws. Then shifts to hold it in front of the cockpit, while inside Telsa tips her head to one side. These seem much more independant than the invasion they assisted with before. Then a dismissive wave follows, and the Mad Maximize whips the robot off to the side. Followed by Tesla clenching her left hand into a fist, reving up the dual-sawblades on the other arm, followed by a forward punch to slam the seige weapon into the side of a structure. The two blades spin in opposite directions, tearing into the foundation not only by the serrated edge by the sheering force between opposite rotations as well. 

:'''{{#var:673|Rory White (673)}} has posed:''' Another spaceship is on quick approach, after piercing the atmosphere and broadcasting Paladin IDs to Numbani control. Rory's Muse is handling a lot of the fine details of requesting a tie-in with local security forces and information gathering with the standard offer of Paladin help.     Yet she is but one ship, and more of a mining, exploration, and research vessel than combat.     And she is loathe to take direct action against the Flotilla, despite her obligations. Inside the Cognizant Odyssey's mainframe, her consciousness flickers and sparks with doubts and uncertains - plenty more unhandled exceptions than she really knows what to do with.     THE ENTIRE FACILITY IS SUBJECTED TO A PERVASIVE ACTIVE SCAN that lights up the Odyssey's presence like a grand finale of fireworks, and the facility's map - including some of the passages that her sensors can make out - begin filling into her awareness while the ship continues floating high in the sky.     Her ship's own teleporter flicker-flashes... and deposits a silvery-grey spider walker into the fray.     ... By that, meaning, the drone high-tails it for the nearest wifi hotspot or networking hardline and attempts to tap into local systems - if regional powers allow it. 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Just outside base limits is a van. A van that looks like it's been made to hold a small car inside of the back.     The back door opens up as Reinhardt rockets out, armor rocketing him across the ground. He LEAPS across the wire fences, before sprinting towards the source of gunfire and explosions, leaving massive footprints in his wake.     CRAAAAAASH     The towering knight smashes through a wall in an appropriately dramatic manner, rubble covering his armor as the giant points his hammer at the Flotilla's numbers. "I suggest you come quietly, or there will be severe consequences!" he rumbles, making a move to neutralize the interstellar raiders. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne arrives astride her freshly-rebuilt Arkadyne Model 14 combat-bike, leant down low over the handlebars. In the pillion passenger seat is Laura Kinney, with the mouse's tail wrapped around her. Tiny grins behind the faceplate. "Let me know when you want me to Fastball you, L- Talon." Tiny comments. "I'll have to swing you out wide to get enough leverage, but if I also turn Skrat at the same time this should be pretty sweet... whoever you hit is gonna have a real crap day." She laughs, smashing through a chain-link fence and turning onto the spaceplane landing runway. She twists open the throttle, letting the bike build up plenty of speed on the smooth, flat ground. "Black with shotguns, target sighted." Tiny comments. Reaper can probably see her coming. Her left arm flexes oddly, the elbow bending back on itself while the shoulder flexes far beyond natural limits, ready to provide the best leverage possible for what's coming next. As soon as Laura grabs her hand, the mouse stands up in the saddle, leaning into the throw. She even turns the bike just as she lets go, to add even more momentum to it. Okay. Now to get the bike back under control... 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:''' Laura Kinney rises into a crouch, a firm grip on one of Tiny's shoulders keeping her from bouncing off the seat as the bike roars over the rough ground. Things get a log smoother once they're on the tarmac though, the mutant teen rising up a little bit more to scan the scene. Firefight by the main hangar, Spaceship overhead... and what look like several nonhumans in some sort of high tech armor. And... Well, Laura would say that had to be a Mad Max style War Rig, if she'd ever seen any of those movies. Her nostrils flare, sampling the windblast as the bike screams down the concrete. Among the smells of combat, something stands out... Almost a rot, with a bit of a metal tang. Gabriel Reyes.      "The one in black with shotguns. Now!" She calls into her headset, stepping up onto the mouse's oversized palm, legs bent to add her own jump to the impact force. Everything blurs for a moment, her vision distorting as she's launched forward, silvery metallic claws breaking the skin of her knuckles, and slipping through the toes of her boots as she flies towards the edgelord supreme at highway speeds. When she hits, she's going for a similar strike as the last time they fought, one hand's claws embedded in the shoulder, foot claws kicking into the small of his back while her free hand goes for the neck. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      And then there's that guy. Some kind of owl-faced smokey freak. She doesn't know his name, but the little robot instantly takes a dim view of his techniques. "Get thee behind me," Septette mutters under her breath- or whatever passes for breath with her. "Trying to keep this op as bloodless as possible. Your sideshow shtick can wait; we don't need the extra-"      Reinhardt's Kool-Aid-Man entrance interrupts her mid-sentence, instantly drawing her attention away from chastising Reaper. "I've got this one," she calls out to the Flotilla, and strides over to him with almost dismissive confidence. Sombra's dossier gave some... interesting information on this one. "Wilhelm Reinhardt! Your reputation precedes you. I challenge you to honorable combat. Show this 'dragon' what you can do!" With her cloak on, she could be mistaken for a human- but this illusion is swiftly dispelled as she burns it off, momentarily wreathing herself in flame for dramatic effect.      Her true form revealed, Septette appears as a delicate-looking skeletal android not a hair over five feet tall, with a youthful face and menacing blades attached to her limbs. Her skin-toned exoskeletal plating is incomplete, not fully covering her inner workings; it vaguely resembles a stylized human ribcage and spine in its design, but is more like armor in function. Underneath that, thick black cables and wiring are visible, along with several crystalline or mechanical components whose function isn't analogous to any earthly technology. Nestled inside her 'ribcage' is a glowing red sphere, about the size of a grapefruit and glimmering like a gemstone.      On closer inspection, it doesn't look like she ought to be standing at all. Several of the hydraulic tubes are already severed; what internal circuitry is visible appears warped and slagged. In some places, the damage is severe enough that it looks like she shouldn't be mechanically functional at all- yet here she stands, arrogant and unbowed. Just what does she run on, anyway?      A split second after her dramatic reveal, a trio of small spherical drones beams in beside her- one red, one blue, one yellow- and begin circling Reinhardt at a safe distance, though they have yet to take any obvious action. "Your move, old knight." 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:''' "Isss cat friend! Hey!" "Aye, missed ye, ye little tinkerer! No, 'tis no artifact, this time! 'Tis mercenary work, matey! And a chance to rebuild! Treasure in these systems, matey, we'll be the ones to dig it up!" "We need access to central control. Need to extract data."     They surge forward as Septette and Reaper clear the way. "Thanks, Gabe!" George calls out, completely oblivious to his name preferences. Presumably by intent. God DAMN it Sombra!! He actually surges a little more forward than the others, heading towards upper levels with a few shotgun shots of his own -- meager compared to Reaper's treendous power -- and only barely dives out of the way when Reinhard Wilhelm crashes through the wall he's running by. "Shit!! Why are we fighting the Kool-Aid man?!" He tries to slide out of the way and head up to an upper level area. Tesla Armadia's machine comes punching through another wall, thankfully far less dangerous to George but still just as impressive. He tries to evade Reinhardt's attention by zipping past and behind the Max Maximizer on his running dash. "Thanks!"     Meanwhile, Rory White finds something awful. While Septette has thankfully handled many doors, others opened with ease to the Flotilla, and while many cameras saw them, they didn't automatically alert allied forces. Yes, someone's hacked the system! The Starbounders have some information objectives too, potentially...!     Albert grunts. "Handle them." He says, referencing the recent interior intruders. "Biteblade, with me." They head to the hangar entry, where Leyanne Mace is arriving. Albert, with his heavy rocket launcher, fires a series of blasts at Leyanne's vehicle. It's likely the slower, more obvious projectiles can be evaded with her deft driving skill, but... "Biteblade, fire." And the Floran does. A heavy bolt launched in a whistling arc heads straight towards the vehicle, intending to stop the vehicle with a harsh impact as the dense metal rod streaks towards it. Coincidentally, this might arc dangerously close to Reimu! But her dodging skill is more than enough to evade it completely. 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Reinhardt narrowly misses George, but rather than press the assault, he notices a challenger approaching.     He stares at Septette, as she reveals herself. "Aye, that may be so. You yourself have something of a reputation as well, I am to understand. You will see why they call me the Crusader, 'Dragon'."     Laura and Leyanne can handle things on their end, he has a duel to settle. The knight races towards Septette when she issues her challenge, and the knight roars as he swings his hammer wide at her, moving with inhuman speed and force behind his strike. The skelebot may want to move fast if they want to not get smashed. 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' "You want bloodless? Stop holding back. They'll run faster." Hisses the owl-skeleton-faced man to Septette, claws groaning as he flexes his hand within the metal; And just to punctuate his point, he lowers one uprised hand, tilting his head as if sighting down the long barrel - BOOM. A scream of pain. But at least it's pain, and not a death rattle, the owl mask turning back to regard Septette. Which isn't to say that Reaper is unharmed - quite the opposite. Several holes are smoking across his thin body armor, even as he slows his run to a power walk. The black mist rising and curling around his form, the prostrate and hidden sillouettes of mashed omnics and bloodied humans shriveling as he goes. Metal rusts. Cloth unwinds. Flesh unbinds. And every wound taken is similarily healed - for the moment. There's plenty to go around, after all, so long as he keeps moving. Which is when Flotilla calls out his real name. A low, dangerous hiss, the cowled head turning slowly - shotgun lifting towards 'George's ship. But before he can do something to horribly inconvience their arrangement with the Concord, the sound of a bike is heard. Head turns. Both shotguns twist towards the incoming 'Hero' - distraction, Kool-Aid Reinhardt Incoming - and then suddenly he's got BLADES EVERYWHERE! At high velocity fast-ball, no doubt. What is it with people and body slamming him at high speed? The Tacti-Cool Edgelord rolls, his twisting body turning into smoke. Hopefully to let Laura continue past on her own momentum as he reforms again, rips trailing black ichor and mist from his wounds. Nothing but a single pair of words as he pulls two new shotguns out. "Die." BOOM. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      As the heavy bolt manages to careen directly over to her on the spot and she manages to swiftly maneuver herself away from he projectile. In response, she shifts her course and begins to fly directly toward the large vehicle. While flying onwards, she shouts out in a huff,      Well, I hope you guys are fans of acupuncture!"      With a single wave of the wand in her right hand, the four orbs begin to unleash a barrage of red and white needles. The large, holy powered, clusters of needles threaten to impact large sections of the metal vehicle which wouldn't really be a problem unless they manage to hit the two currently piloting them. 

:'''{{#var:1120|Soldier 76 (1120)}} has posed:''' Lurking in the rafters above the rapidly escalating battle, Soldier 76 has been planning his next move carefully. Well next move, in this case, being his first move. After all there are a lot of hostiles down there, most with bigger and better gear than he has. He'll need to plan this move perfectly. His partners from Overwatch don't seem to agree as Reinhardt plows his way through a wall. Jack sighs and rubs his temples for a moment, "So much for the element of surprise." He rises up from where he was kneeling and leaps off, falling through the air to land on top of the monsterous machine piloted by the mutant mad scientist, "Hey Doc, you picked the wrong side." He aims his pulse rifle down at the cab of the vehicle and opens fire, not sure how thick the armor plating on it is. If he can't penetrate it with pulse munitions from point blank, he'll need to reconsider his options. 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:''' Laura Kinney feels her hand claws bite into... Flesh? Close enough for the time being. She starts her maneuver to get a foothold, but her target's losing cohesion. What would have been a double clawed flying kick results in the mutant flying through what should have been Reaper's torso, landing in a crouch and breaking with her claws, sparks cascading down from the metal catwalk as it suddenly has several long cuts ripped into it. She spins around, jerking sideways just in time to cause the buckshot to take a chunk out of her left shoulder and upper arm instead of her head. "After you." is her retort before she charges again, aiming to sweetp the leg while her toe claw cleaves through the pipe that suspends the catwalk from the girders above. Hopefully if she can keep Reyes occupied, his friends won't worry about saving him until it's too late. And she's got an idea to disable him as well, but the positioning's not quite right yet... 

:'''{{#var:673|Rory White (673)}} has posed:''' Thankfully Numbani is apt to cooperate with the Paladins! Rory's quickly authenticated with Information Security privileges and taps into all of the center's surveillance, routing her ship's considerable processing power into the job of helping analyze all of the traffic, analyze access logs and trace all connections with the kind of rapidity that only a well-prepared security suite controlled by an AI can pull off...     Better watch out Sombra, Rory's hunting for you. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace yelps as Albert and Biteblade open fire on her. The rockets she evades about as deftly as expected from an expert rider, though that whistling, heavy metal bolt slams into the bike's engine... which predictably vomits its own turbine out. Tiny barely manages to keep the thing under control under the harsh decelleration of a seized (impaled) engine, bailing once the bike's slow enough that it won't be -too- utterly trashed.     Rolling upright, the mouse unstraps her trusty Bren gun from her back and sprays a burst across Albert and Biteblade. Reimu might be close enough to hear the snap of the rounds passing, but she's not the intended target of the mouse's light machine gun fire. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      The milliseconds tick by slowly in Septette's perception- the tense of Reinhardt's fingers on his hammer; the twist of his body as he brings it around in a wide arc; all of these play out in sufficient time for her to react, or perhaps even dodge. She does not, save to bring up one arm in an attempt to block the strike flatly. Renowned crusader or no, Reinhardt is still a creature of flesh and blood- and until he forces her to respect his capabilities, she will gravely underestimate them.      The rocket hammer's blow jars her entire body, making her glowing lavender eyes flicker and sending coruscating sparks through her frame as the arcane servomotors malfunction. The sharpened talons on her feet dig into the floor for purchase, carving deep gouges into the metal hangar with the scream of steel-on-steel as she skids away from the impact. It seems that grudging respect for his abilities will come sooner, rather than later. "A fine weapon! You make for a better opponent than anticipated," she remarks, her coldly manic grin returning. "Don't let me down now!"      Septette grips the haft of the hammer near the head with her sparking left arm, attempting to electrify the weapon and force the knight to weaken his grip. Simultaneously, the long blade folded into her right forearm snaps out and reheats to an angry sizzle before being thrust at a chink between two plates in the front of his armor. The drones behind him lack Septette's raw destructive power, but they rain jolts of electricity and sharpened shards of ice on his unprotected back, hoping to strike something important or perhaps even throw out his spine. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     And here arrive the cavalry. As expected, Overwatch agents are present. Reinhardt... and good ol' Jack. Which means Reaper will be focused, and perhaps going a little gung ho if she knows him right. Which she likes to think she does. Let's see if she can make things a bit better for the Concord and Flotilla members...     "Your friend is here, Gabe," Sombra's voice states in Reaper's ear on their private channel. "Better clear things up if you want to say hi to him, no?"     At the same time, a security bot comes to life nearby, shambling out of one of the nearby corridors... and aims at whoever is closest. It's not bound to be a major threat nor take out an elite unless she's lucky, but it might cause a slight distraction.     Leaning forward in her chair a bit, Sombra keeps on typing with her left hand, all while she picks up a handful of doritos. Let's get the doors further into the space center open so that her new friends can get her what she wants... 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' For all intents and purposes it looks like Tesla is just trying to tear part of the complex apart. The monsterous machine was designed as a cyberpunk seige engine after all. But she rarely does anything without a method, regardless of the apparent madness. It's much like Reaper said. She's found it's often easier to get bystanders out of the way by scaring them into running on their own. A building appearing as it might collapse is usually a good encouragement to get the hell out of Dodge as they say. There's a thump as someone lands on top of the cab. Followed by the flash and bang of pulse energy as it tears into the plating, being at essentially point-blank helping to blow through the resiliant material. Fortunately the massive vehicle's cockpit is large enough that the remander of the shot passes through the opening and does more damange to the consoles than anyone inside. "Predictable." The smoke from the blast hasn't even cleared before a bolt of kinetic energy blasts back out of the cab at the unwanted rider, as Tesla had started charging up her gauntlet as soon as he had landed over her head. "Everyone goes for the cockpit to disable the operator." 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     "Second Sea Hylotl Style: Waves Crashing Against Shores." Comes a dramatic voice. And then, suddenly, a fishman interposes himself between Reimu and the Starbound Flotilla's lone vehicle! And with a flickering, dramatic motion, he parries several of the needles... Only several though. His worn katana bends dangerously against one impact and the shock slams through his body, bruising one side and rattling him with traumatic force, forcing him to his knees, and overloading one of the power systems on his arm with a sudden blast of sparks and light. And that's to say nothing of the impact of the needles into his BODY! Which is dangerous and leaves punctured wounds in his armor.     "Acupuncture is an honorable profession among the Hylotl." He says, rising from those knees again, and then leveling his weapon towards Reimu. "Is it so barbaric among your own race?" The answer to that question may not come soon enough though. Now that Reimu's under the wide roof of the hangar, Pavo can strike! The bird-girl maneuvers through the air as if she were flying, swinging on a grappling hook and firing off her flintlock pistol as she comes by to dramatically kick into Reimu with a heavy armored boot!     "Avast, ye scurvey sky-dog! I've no measure of the wings ye think ye have flyin' about like that, but back off or they'll be torn right off!" She calls out, kicking Reimu straight towards Staren! 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Reinhardt's strike hits home, sending Septette back a few paces. He grunts as Septette remarks, before he grits his teeth. "I've no intention of that!" He retorts, before he thrusts the head of his hammer out at the android.     Of course, she catches the hammer, and he struggles to free it from her grip with an angry growl. "Rrrrgh!" Muscles tense and servos whirr angrily as his suit enhances his strength in overtime, but he notices too late Septette is attempting to attack from behind with the drones. He's zapped and ice'd in the back, and pain lances up his spine as he staggers in place.     Trying one last time to swing the hammer free, he feels his back punish him for pushing his body so far like this. "Augh! Maybe you're not so fragile after all." He says, before he tries again, swinging at a drone with his hammer. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     "Depends on if it's from a world where it's a real science or just fake. I prefer nanomachines, myself." Staren replies. Needles bounce off or catch in his forcefield, some just leaving scratches but the ones that hit straight on poking holes with cracks around them. "I'm really sorry about this... They'll make it quick and not use the data for anything really bad, probably." He opens with warning shoots from the beam rifle -- if Pavo successfully kicks her his way, he tries to slap a hand on her in melee, using his armor's shock function like a melee taser." 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Albert gets into cover, but not soon enough. A spray of bullets catch him on the side, searing through his armor in a brutal bruise over his torso. He grunts with a sudden burst of pain, then discards his spent rocket launcher, drawing his hammer into both hands. "Enemy vehicle down. Enemy infantry still fighting." He declares, scowling under his helmet because he clearly didn't want to deal with that. "Returning fire."     With a heavy grunt. Albert SWINGS his hammer... Straight into the crate of equipment he was hiding behind! It goes tumbling and slamming over the ground, launching right towards Leyanne, serving as a grave threat and an even more grave distraction to let Albert close the distance. He had meant to put himself on information extraction duty, but... "RrrrrrRRRRRRRAAAAAAAHHHH!!!" He leaps behind the crate, coming down hard with a massive power-hammer swing, the kind that creates a tremendous shockwave! 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' "Little girl, I died a long time ago." Growls Reaper, assuming a pose much akin to what Laura might've seen in old Logan promos. Shoulders out, head down, lowered center of gravity. The only difference is that he's pulling shotguns rather than claws, the black whirling smoke coalescing into solid forms almost as quick as he can pull them up - and then Laura's on him. But this time he's expecting how quick she is, letting the natural thud of mud twist his leg out of the way. A spin to place the shotgun in the right spot - let's see her heal from a lack of head. That's when the girl's upturned leg snips a power coupling above the two. See, he's good at -plans-. At plans and counter plans, at foresight and thinking out what the next turn is. He's not good at impromptu - that's why he had Sombra, now. That's why he had Jack and Ana, then. He doesn't catch the trick until the power coupling neatly folds down atop him. And he roars as electricity begins rapidly arcing through him, his body shuddering in and out of existance before it explodes into a whirling mist of smoke, fading away.. The Dead Man - Dead Again? Smoke coalesces again, behind Laura. Forming a twisting leg, solidifying just as he attempts to connect it to the back of her skull. And send her crashing down to play with someone else. "Better." He growls, before his mask turns. His fight with a teenage girl forgotten light of a NEW target. "-JACK-." 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      She may be strong, but there's no way Septette can hold onto that hammer for long- certainly not with one damaged hand against all of Reinhardt's strength. It wrenches out of her sharpened fingers easily, and the opportunistic drone that darted a little too close is annihilated in a spray of red shards by Wilhelm's blow- it seems the little pests were never made to last against that kind of force. The other two- blue and yellow- continue to retaliate, hovering at a slightly more respectful distance.      But as he turns to destroy the drone, another opportunity prevents itself: in the split second that his attention is diverted, Septette leaps at him from the side! The floor shatters under the impact of acceleration, and her searing blades extend in an attempt to carve through his sturdy armor! Even without superhuman speed, her super-dense mass of nearly a ton could hit like a literal truck, and she expertly channels the kinetic energy into the small contact area of her sharpened blades.      "Fragile?! I've fought my people's wars for two and a half centuries, knight! No man of flesh and blood is my equal," she boasts. "Beasts of legend and living gods could not slay me. What makes you think you can?" 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      The kick actually manages to leave a small bruise as she hurtles off towards Staren. As she flies out of the hanger, she is sent hurtling towards Staren's position and his hand is mere inches from making contact with her left arm. Unfortunately for him, she actually vanishes before his eyes almost immediately. The four orbs vanish as well. However, she seems to reappear a good few feet above him.      "Oh? Well, that's a new face for once."      As she hovers in the air, she begins to back away from Staren slowly while the four orbs arrange themselves in front of her position. They unleash a more dense version of the needle clusters from earlier and together, it almost looks like she's firing large, red, v shaped projectiles at him. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace takes the cargo crate to the face, smashing it to pieces. She goes down onto her back, bren gun skittering away and then... ooookay that's a gorilla. The mouse rolls out of the way of that hammer, not quite expecting the shockwave but that's new and interesting data. And it makes her antennae sting. She kicks herself to her feet and she's straight back on the offensive, cocking back her left arm as she moves in on the gorilla. The arm's status lights go from red to green, and the mouse smirks. "My turn." She swings in for a haymaker, hoping the hammer's mass, inertia, and general resistance to changing direction gives her enough time to land the punch. Jets of gas vent from her elbow and shoulder as she swings, her clenched fist spinning on her wrist, just for that extra little bit. 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Reinhardt grunts in satisfaction as the drone is destroyed. He feels blades slash at him like one of those prowler Omnics from back in the war. He's damn glad those are gone, and this is definitely a nasty reminder of those days. Blood leaks through his armor's wounded gaps, and he swings his fist hard in a back-hand swipe, aiming to smack Septette right in the face. "Because I am neither beast nor god, I AM A MAN, AND NOTHING OVERCOMES ADVERSITY LIKE THE STRENGTH OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT!" He lunges forth, stabbing or no stabbing, and punches Septette again, this time aiming for the stomach in a furious body blow. 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:''' Laura Kinney feels the cold metal against the back of her skull, gritting her teeth as she braces for... Phew. Plan worked. She takes a bit of a jolt as well as the charge grounds out through the catwalk as well, but nowhere as much as Reyes who was in the direct path. No sign of smoke. She jumps back onto her feet, approaching the railing to pick her next target. The hairs on the back of her kneck stand on end, the mutant starting a backwards kick to bring a toe claw up as someone's behind her-CRACK-.      The force of the blow combined with unsteady footing sends her over the railing, plummeting to the floor. Fortunately, being limp keeps her from suffering any further serious injuries besides the concussion on her way down. Staggering to her feet again, she shakes off the blurriness in her vision, shoving the feelings of bone knitting and buckshot being squeezed out of her shoulder as she charges towards Biteblade, claws dripping black ichor. 

:'''{{#var:673|Rory White (673)}} has posed:''' All the analysis Rory's doing shows a trail into an encrpyed tunnel that leads back to... Mexico? Somewhere in the region, anyways. And it certainly should not be using encryption like this... but tracing it completely from here is not practical.     Thankfully, she doesn't need to. Having identified a few nodes, she attempts to re-route the connection where it links into the space center's systems...     ... and instead, feed a recording of the horrifying sci-fi action of Breakout: Crisis gameplay... which is real-looking enough to be mistaken for NOT A GAME, but a depiction of actual alien monsters doing horrifying things to people from a first person perspective.     Anything to monkey-wrench the hackers while she tries to purge the system and restore normal operations! 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     George -- and Biteblade with them -- are trying to pull away from combat. "Bitey! The gear!" George calls out, calling out for her to toss the little hacking access-stocks to him. Perfect timing, and the kind he knew he'd need. "Heads up!" That's when Laura is likely to hit the pair, having landed at the second floor from Reaper's higher position that had left him so vulnerable to the Fastball Special. "Gonna hit up second objective!" "Urgent. Please, go for the first. This level of violence is far too much." "I've left the battle with this foe. I shall work to assist with the others." "--GAH! Floran-- Floran find other hunter!!" "Aye, matey, hittin' yer deck for the backup!" "GHHHHH! Down, assist NOW!" "In mere moments." "Keep 'em going for-- goddamn it, /sixty/ seconds at least!"     The Flotilla is in coordinated chaos. Everything's under attack, but they adapt and pursue RELENTLESSLY. George flees further up to the control section, as Biteblade makes sure Laura can't get past her... By engaging her directly! Shit! "Woah! You, hunter! Big hunter, like Floran!" Biteblade calls out, bringing her bow up to try to stop the claws... And finding that those claws, whenever Laura makes her first attack, just shear right through it! Only barely giving her enough time to dodge away. "Auhh!" She calls out, drawing a pair of heavy daggers quickly. "Isss baressskin with shinyclaw?! How? Floran have to know! Shinyclaw friend isss gonna tell! Floran want shinyclaw too!!" She... She actually seems to be just as savage as Laura acts, but in an ENTIRELY different way, as she moves in, trying to stay on the inside of that claw range and make it tougher to use them, while trying to gut Laura with a ruthless series of slashes and stabs! 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      A blow to the head can't stagger Septette in the way it might a human, but the kinetic energy of the strike knocks her off-balance nonetheless. One of her eyes shatters outright, its lavender light going dim, and she takes a hasty step backwards to regain her stance. The blood on her blades boils off in a flash of steam as soon as they're pulled from Reinhardt's body, and she brings them up to catch the second punch in a scissor-like motion, biting down on opposite sides of his wrist. If he doesn't pull free soon, they could melt right through his armor!      "No," she replies in a quieter tone, staring into his visor with one guttering eye while they're momentarily locked together. "I've seen too many human minds broken by the horrors of war. Squishies are never indomitable; you wear down, expire. Or are you really as quick as you were thirty years ago, Wilhelm?" With that, the blue drone fires a hardened bladelike icicle at the rocket on his back, aiming to disrupt something important. The yellow drone swoops in as well, dangerously close to Reinhardt's wide reach, to deliver a harder jolt! Those things are becoming a serious inconvenience... 

:'''{{#var:1120|Soldier 76 (1120)}} has posed:''' The shot that comes in from the cab of the vehicle catches 76 in the chest, knocking him off his feet, where he lands hard on the cab. He was about to get back up to his feet, when he heard the familiar voice of the angry spectre that used to be his best friend. He kips up to his feet and scans across the battlefield for the ghost. "GABRIEL!" He roars out, as he jumps off of Tesla's vehicle and rushes towards the Talon agent. His rifle is back up to his shoulder as he moves, firing several shots in his direction as he advances on Reaper's position, "I'll put you in the ground for good this time, old friend. Don't make this harder than it has to be." 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren looks around when Reimu disappears. Up isn't his first thought, but she speaks, drawing his attention. "Same to you... I think. Been here so long I'm not entirely sure you're unfamiliar." He starts running to dodge the Vs. Some clip the field, breaking more parts of it. He doesn't worry about trying to hit her -- because a small missile rack pops up on his shoulder, firing a minimissile that aims to track her and explode in a fireball if they even get close! He watches her, concerned about just how much damage it will do. 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Reinhardt notices his engine going out from the ice, and he suffers more bolts from the other drone. He swings and swats at them like flies, before he glares Septette's way. "You better believe it!" He yells, bringing his hammer down with rocket blazing on top of the android. Maybe sufficiently damaging her will disrupt the drones somehow. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     What the...     The moment the foreign signal shows up on her screen, the notorious hacker arches an eyebrow. That... is obviously not Numbani. The architecture is all wrong, and this... well, it looks like a video game? Or an animated movie. "Well well... it looks like we've been noticed, Senor Sleepy Bear..." she mutters to herself. And they think they can handle /her/. Time to show them what this world's greatest hacker can do. Sombra smirks as she begins typing furiously away at her keyboard, swiping away the gameplay footage.     Retrace route.     run sombra.pkg?     y/n     y     There's always a risk connecting to secure channels like this. A risk is that something might be used against you, including a virus program aimed at whoever tries to hinder Sombra. Now let's see how effective this is. Hopefully it can keep the intruder busy. Or even better yet, fry their hardware. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     The punch impacts Albert hard, slamming into his torso armor with tremendous force. It cracks, then shatters, an entire outer layer of armor utterly devastated by Leyanne's Iron Left. Not only does outer armor explode off with a wet fleshy crunch of damage to his torso, Albert himself goes flying back towards the assembly area, slamming into some of the parts there, and falling to the ground, prone and wheezing from the air being knocked out of him.     "GHHHHH! Down, assist NOW!" He calls out, in harsh and tactical tones. He's answered by the call of a helpful fishman. "In mere moments." Moonfin dashes towards him, grabbing him, and doing a quick blink-teleport into cover to try to get him on his feet before Leyanne closes the distance again! "Arise, soldier, this is no grave for one such as you." He says, quickly administering a stimulant to keep Albert on his feet.     And then it's Moonfin who closes the distance now. Not with any fancy distractions. This time, it's a dramatic SAMURAI FLASH-STEP ATTACK, trying to do a tech-enhanced dash to close in on Leyanne and cut through her as he passes by! "Fifth Sea Hylotl Style: Lightning Strikes Tall Waves." 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      Upon seeing the minimissile, she actually begins to smile before flying away from rocket. As soon as she is a good distance away from it, the orbs change to a blue color and she almost begins to unleash a new barrage of machinegun esque talismans. However, the minimissile that's currently tracking her manages to catch her atention and begins to fly directly toward Staren, the four orbs unleashing their machinegun like talisman barrage. The red holy charms threaten to flood out a large chunk of the area where Staren is currently standing. However, his forcefield should be able to take them since they are her weakest projectile type. 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' Gabriel - Agent Reyes - Reaper. Whatever he is, whatever he's become, he starts moving forward as soon as he has Jack's attention, a slow walk with the black smoke coiling away from his form like a poisonous mist. The few dead and dying things, whether machine or man, withering as he passes, the ichor bleeding tears in his bodysuit sealing shut with a slow finality. Even Laura may find the ichor that stains her claws evaporating. And then he's picking up speed, heavy boots pushing at the pavement as he literally charges right for 76. His head and body jerked, his feet stumbling as the plasma rifle begins chattering, the weapon digging into his midsection. Ichor and smoke curl away, wounded even further - losing steam from his first fight with Laura. He snarls - "You killed me.. him before, -JACK-, with your bomb!" And then he's smoke, an outline screeching forward like a banshee out of hell, the sterile bone white mask seeming to float like a mirage in the forefront. Reforming again, looking to do nothing so much as get too far inside for gun range. And whip the shotgun across the bridge of Jack's nose, hissing. "But the grave can hold me no longer." Yep, that's right. SLAP FIGHT TIME. 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' Tesla merely glances out a side window as 76 yells and leaps off to confront his former cohort. "Huh. That's what it's like to have an archrival I guess. Emotional hubbubble." Then turns back to her own controls. There's a hole in the cockpit roof and some damage to the controls, but not anything she can't work with thanks to her powers, and other assets. She smirks a little as she flicks one of the controls. "Let's make use of the diversion though." Steam hisses from the back of the Mad Maximizer, followed by it's rear hatch swinging out and upward to open. Several eyes light up in the shadows of the interior, accompanied by a gibberish of mewls and snarls. Followed by a proverbial eruption of fur and bionics as a dozen or so three foot tall cat-like creatures charge out of the compartment. The Gremlynx continue their irratic vocalizations, waving around various tools as they swarm towards the nearest pieces of technology and try to dismantle and steal whatever they can get their grubby paws on. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace growls "And STAY down." She cautions Albert. "Stay down there and think about what it means to hurt innocent people!" She doesn't appear to be about to go after her downed opponent - she's here to drive them off, not kill them. She appears in fact to be about to continue the lecture when Moonfin blink-teleports Albert away. She really is lucky she's got such good hearing; she manages to turn just in time to bring her left arm around to block Moonfin's blade, her tail curling around to try and trip the passing ninja... either way, the mouse's arm is going to take a nasty hit... 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      Reinhardt's wild swings manage to catch out the nearer yellow drone, destroying it on impact- one left! Despite the dangerous amounts of magical power they can channel, it seems the little drones don't have terribly sophisticated evasive routines. Septette takes the opening to aim a quick raking strike at his chest, testing the metal of his armor again before he can retaliate.      The arc of the hammer over Wilhelm's head is painfully obvious- the engine flares a fraction of a second before it'd come down, sufficient time for the yggdroid to calculate a half-dozen plans for response. With typical pride, she stands still until the last possible moment, sidestepping out of the way...      At that instant, a sparking OR-14 unit lying next to her- a victim of her earlier rampage- summons its last dregs of energy, grabbing onto her ankle with an iron grip. Septette lurches, falling to the side from the unexpected hazard- and the hammer, in its original arc, comes down on her outstretched leg. CRUNCH.      There is no grimace, no howl of pain as her limb is nearly crushed on impact. Pain is for mortals. She merely stands back up with a decided limp, her expression eerily blank and cold- as is her voice. "Wilhelm Reinhardt. My name is Septette Arcubielle. I am the defender of my world, as you are of yours. Injuries that threaten my long-term capabilities cannot be risked. I am obligated to end this now."      Her one good leg tenses like a spring, and she takes off to the right almost faster than the eye can track. She runs almost a dozen feet up the side of a large cargo container next to them, digging in with her talons and blades to compensate for her damaged limb, and then leaps off it towards Reinhardt with alarming speed. If she's able to land on top of him, she'll grapple and try for a chokehold- but with one of her blazing swords taking the place of the arm across his neck. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     The missile will chase Reimu until it runs out of fuel after a thousand or so feet of travel. It can't be tricked into catching Staren in the blast, though, its computer guidance system won't allow it. Staren frowns. He can't dodge the new attacks, but quickly sees that they aren't doing much damage. What's her game here? He keeps dodging anyway, though, radioing to Moonfin and Pavo: <"Come on, guys, do something while she's focused on me!"> 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:''' Laura Kinney isn't giving anything away as she slashes that shortbow in half, (These guys REALLY have some mixed tech) before slowly circling opposite the plant... insectoid... alien. Long bladed knives. Could be worse. She still doesn't speak, charging forward to meet Biteblade's attack.      Laura's learned a lot about getting hurt over her years of life. The most important of these right now, is 'in the short term, you don't really have many vital organs in your stomach' Her lunge carries her onto the blades, attempting to repay the damage taken with viscious blows from both hands, and footclaws. One hand also slips down, aiming to cake off the handles of those knives. She spits a dribble of blood out the front of her mask, glaring into what passes for eyes on plant aliens, although her own are hidden behind reddish tinted lenses. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     While Albert recovers, someone else gets into the fray with Tiny! While Moonfin slams into the dirt after that sudden weirdly destabilizing exchange, grunting and rolling as best he can with his heavy wounding from Reimu, someone SWINGS from the hangar roof, and heads down towards Leyanne Mace, trying to catch her unawares as she focuses on the downed Moonfin, who can't get up on his own in time!     Her power-cutlass comes stabbing down HARD; whether or not she impacts, she won't focus on keeping the grip on the blade. Instead, she lets go of it, rolls off, and gets back to her feet... And then yanks Moonfin back onto his feet! Damaged though he may be by the interruption, he can still mostly function. She tries to drive Tiny back with another series of flintlock shots! 

:'''{{#var:673|Rory White (673)}} has posed:''' If she had a face, Rory would scowl at the strange pile of code that sneaks in over her buffered connections despite her best efforts otherwise. Havoc is wreaked on the counter-hacking front as various programs begin to crash, their virtual memory managers getting confused about what program is assigned what chunk.     And then, rather suddenly, the Cognizant Odyssey's connection to Numbani blips off.     But the ship... remains airborne. The spider-bot down at the network node doesn't explode or fizzle out or anything.     . . . . . *BLIP*     After about two minutes, the connection flickers back up and operations resume, no trace of the malicious code remains. It as though the entire system went back in time a minute or two?     The joys of multiple layers of sandboxing, instancing, and other layers of abstraction, and processors that are hard-designed to never allow any process access to more than a strict limit of processor time no matter its priority.     But valuable progress in restoring full control of the systems to Numbani was lost, and the A.G.I.'s frustration is mounting. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      As the missile circles around over to her, she smiles before beginning to fly in a figure eight pattern. The natural circling of the flight path actually makes it difficult for the missile to come close to hitting her due to the overall difficulty of circling to begin with. The missile keeps attempting to chase her, but since her flight is ignoring physics, while the minimissile's flight is forced to obey the laws of physics, she is free to continue barraging Staren's forcefield with homing talisman shots while the missile is left to slowly run out of fuel. 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Reinhardt clenches the hammer, narrowing his eyes at Septette. "Defender to defender, I will do my best to ensure you survive...but this will hurt nonetheless, a lot in fact." He warns, before Septette latches onto his back like a spider-monkey, and tries to choke him.     Gasping for air, Reinhardt tries to pry Septette off, but it's not easy on account of her robotic nature. He instead tries his best to smash her off, flinging himself back-first towards a wall or some manner of crate or anything else in range, almost comically flinging himself toward anything that may scrape Septette off. THis may take a while, and he'll probably run out of oxygen before he runs out of things to fling himself at. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Staren calls in a heavy strike! Albert is happy to provide. The missiles from before might not have hit, but maybe that was because Reimu was focused on Staren. Albert loads his last rockets into his rocket launcher, even while he has to lean on one of the cargo crates to prop himself up, and fires. These are a special airburst blend, the kind that detonate in close proximity to a target. Less damaging, but more likely to hit, and far more disorienting. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     "AaaaaaaAAAAAAUGH FEET CLAWSSS WHY." Biteblade calls out, suffering several brutal punctures up and down her body as those talons slam through refined durasteel. Laura finds something odd, as she does: Her foe's skin is a thick, flexible bark, the kind of thing that is actually not what claws were meant for. While that means Biteblade can survive, it doesn't mean Biteblade won't still get hurt, and those talons draw a sticky blood-like sap and a pained yelp.     "FfffffFFFFFLORAN EAT YOU FOR GET ANSSSWER QUESSSSTION." Biteblade calls out, lapsing briefly into tribal savagery, attepting to take advantage of the instability that comes with the kicks to tackle Laura down and just start BITING at her! The Floran's sharp teeth snap aggressively, trying to get a chunk of the Wolverinelet. 

:'''{{#var:1120|Soldier 76 (1120)}} has posed:''' The pulse rifle is designed for medium ranged combat. When it comes to close range, 76 prefers to use his fists. So as soon as Reaper clsoes outside of the effective range of the rifle, Soldier 76 slaps it down across his back where it magnetically locks into place, and prepares to face his long time rival. The shotgun smashes him in the face, the mask managing to absorb some of the blow, but forcing him to fall backwards, "My bomb?!" He yells out, "It was your bomb! You and Blackwatch betrayed us!" It was Reaper, still Gabe then, who threw the first blow all those years ago. It was Reaper who is the reason why Jack has a scar that never healed right across his face. He rushes in, closing the short gap between himself and Reaper, reaching out to grab the cloaked figure and rise up with his right knee to slam it right into that mask. He's going to break that mask off and see what's left of Gabriel under it. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      Now that she's got hold of him, Septette is holding on for dear life- the flat of her cooling blade is held tight across his throat, and her ceramet claws dig into the thicker portions of his armor for maximum grip. Every time she's slammed against an object, her battered body groans and shrieks metallically in protest, and she's forced to push with all her might against it with her leg to keep from being crushed. A yggdroid never fatigues, but the slowly-accumulating damage amounts to almost the same thing in terms of degrading her performance.      But still she holds on- even with mounting mechanical failures, the magical animating spirit that dwells in her bones refuses to let go. "You have earned my respect," she says in that cool synthesized voice, now twisted with distortion. "You already had my mercy. Rest now, old man. You have nothing else to prove." 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      Upon hearing the sudden burst of rockets and turning to see them coming directly at her, she reflexively begins to activate a spell card. Specifically, it's not even remotely a kind one.      Divine Spirit "Fantasy Seal: Blink"      Her entire body begins to glow a ghostly white as she suddenly begins to hasten up to miraculous speeds, allowing her to dodge both the airburst rockets and the minimissile as well. They both manage to take each other out as she barely speeds past them. In the process, she manages to wave her wand which unleashes a noticeably large amount of violet orbs directly upon both Staren and Albert. She seems to stop for a moment before bursting off towards them again and unleashing a second set of violet holy orbs as well. It's a good thing these are nonlethal though or otherwise, this could hurt. 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' Tesla picks her shinki up off her shoulder and sets the tiny robot down on the console by where 76's pulse blast cut through it. "Repair that while we're waiting." Saiga salutes with one of her normal hands, before plunging to the machine to get to work with her larger exo-frame style limbs. Then Tesla pulls a lever (it's mostly for effect since she can just do things mentally) that slides her seat through a hatch in the back of the cockpit. Moments later the seat slides into place at the back of the vehicle and swivels around. The technopath's eyes glow ominously behind her glasses as she raises her hands almost like a conductor readying his orcestra. But instead of instruments its various pieces of machinery that come alive from the walls and floor of the compartment. Outside Gremlynx run about the chaos of combat, ripping apart whatever technology they can find and hauling it back to the Mad Maximizer. It doesn't matter what. Because whatever they toss into the back of the vehicle, Tesla uses her powers and the machinery to strip down to basic components, and then reassemble into the components Seft was requesting. There's a shriek as one gets caught in the insane crossfire of multiple conflicts raging at once, no idea who attacking what the stray fire came from but it doesn't matter as the creature crumples from the damage. One isn't much of a loss to the numbers, another just picks up what he was carrying and runs off with it. Another group caterwauls in a panic as they veer around, trying to avoid the edges of the airbursts going off. Friendly fire isn't friendly at all, even if it's accidental! 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Rory's attention goes down.     "Alright, baby. Sing me a song of your sweetest secrets."     Somewhere in the deeper data core, George slams a little black electronic device square into a disconnected, high-security digital storage rack, activating one of Sombra's wonderful little tools. They've got a window where Rory won't be able to hard lock them out with some kind of trickery when the tool forcibly connects the data center for the upload to Sombra's own storage.     "Thanks for the window, S. Working the primary objective now." 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Reinhardt struggles still, grinding Septette against a wall with a roar. "I have my duty to uphold, even now!" He grunts, before he remembers something.     He still has one of his engines to use, and he can turn it on right now. So he does that. THe engine roars, and jet boosters kick in as Septette gets a point-blank blast of power right into her face, more or less. He's not gonna go down easily at all, no doubt of that, so long as he can still blast Septette off of his back. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace tries to lean out of Pavo's way, but unluckily for the mouse, she's just not quick enough. The blade cuts a good chunk out of her leg before it glances off the metal-reinforced bone and skitters away. Red blood leaks down onto the ground as the rodent yelps, flintlock fire pelting into her armour. But ballistic fire is what it was designed to deal with. Even as chips are blown free from the chestplate and helmet, the mouse advances on the piratical one, blood leaking from ler leg - and at least one fresh wound in her torso where one of those big, wide flintlock rounds has punched through her bodysuit. "Run!" The mouse growls "Before I do to you what I did to the ape." 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     It's easy enough to keep an eye... or an ear on several channels at once, getting transcipts of the voice coms on the fly. Which is good, as Sombra keeps her focus on the screen that shows the progress of her hacking of the intruder... Rory White. A grin spreads across her lips when the hack goes through. "Adios."     For two minutes she is able to focus on aiding the others with intel on the battlefield, as well as continue hacking. Hopefully the Flotilla can get to the main computer soon...     Then Rory is back online. And Sombra arches one split eyebrow, popping one dorito chip into her mouth as she watches and listens. "Huh." So she's back already. No matter. Security measures are in place, so she shouldn't be able to bother her again...     Especially not when George has gotten to the main objective and set the idiot (aka Reaper) proof hacking device in place. Smiling contently, Sombra begins typing away with great haste, fingers flying across the keyboard as connection is established, data is extracted and sent her way through proxies upon proxies. Yes, yes... this is exactly what she needs. 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:''' Laura Kinney doesn't really have the time for talking, not that she would anyway. This species certainly isn't like anything she'd fought before, and it turns out that slicing through tough fibrous plant matter is pretty difficult when the quarters are too close to get a good swing. It turns out that once kicked in, her foot claws give her a pretty good anchor point, allowing her more leverage to try to do some damage. While she's grappling for position, Biteblade's teeth latch onto her shoulder, the mutant teen letting out a cry of pain as a decent chunk of her shoulder is torn away, her left arm suddenly losing most of its impact. With a near primal scream of her own, Laura brings up her good right arm in an attempt to stab right through the roof of that gnashing maw. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      Most of Septette's body is designed with enormous tolerances to heat shock- her eyes and the delicate circuitry behind them, however, are not. Her remaining eye cracks as the glass rapidly expands, then gutters out as red-hot slag pours down her cheeks- she's operating almost blind now, relying on magical sensors and passive detection. But you don't need to see what you can touch, and she puts all of her strength into constricting her arms around Reinhardt's neck now that she's unlikely to win a straight fight!      The fingers on her left hand dig into the armor of her right arm as her upper limbs squeeze like a mechanical anaconda, her remaining servomotors shrieking and whining in protest. There's no magical energy left for spellcasting either- her remaining drone simply falls to the floor as she pulls her energy out of it, redirecting the mana to crudely forcing her body to move like a puppet.      Her legs go slack, leaving her full two thousand pounds of weight to pull on Reinhardt's throat in a desperate attempt to choke him into unconsciousness. The various status lights across her body go dark as all power is pulled from non-essential systems, and her core flickers erratically as its glow intensifies to meet the power draw. This has to be it... 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Reinhardt chokes and gasps, trying to keep his air where it should be. It's not easy, but he eventually manages one last headbutt at Septette to knock her off of him. "RRRRR!!!" His hands scramble and claw frantically to get ahold of Septette, and if he does get a hand on her, he grabs and tries to pry her off of his back and neck, and toss her like a rag doll. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     "Panicked. Thank you, thank you Ms. Armadia!" Seft calls out from the cockpit of the chaotic vehicle. Old power systems come to life! Engines roar, thrusters shine, and manufacturing systems finally come back online, after months of inactivity. George makes it to the control center from his stop, and only barely manages to stay out of sight of a screaming predatory fight between Biteblade and Laura while he nervously works the controls of the auto-assembly system, helping complement and reinforce Tesla's work.     They'd rather take the facility, capture it to use it as a launch platform, but that's becoming less and less viable as the heroes force them to retreat or surrender. Thankfully, with both the auto-assembly systems and Tesla's own technopathy, they're able to make up the advantage by a little less than half.     Seft's vocal tone is actually weirdly neutral. "Frantic. Allies are becoming increasingly at risk. Septette, Albert, and Biteblade will require extraction, and we cannot maintain control of the center." The cargo loading entrance of the ship opens a fresh airlock, bringing a large ramp down. "Urgent. Please make your escape immediately." Her voice calls out over radios. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Pavo is actually... Pretty intimidated by that. "Y-ye mad creature!" She launches her grappling hook back towards her ship, using it to launch and pseudo-fly up through the air, while Moonfin blips and blinks towards it... Barely keeping his teleportation stable as he does. He needs to get out FAST.     Did they expect Leyanne Mace not to pursue? No, it seems not. That's why Pavo seemingly left a small bomb -- with a little fuse and everything! -- near Tiny's feet. Always with the sleight of hand, those damn pirates. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace only notices the bomb when her foot nudges it. She looks down and sags slightly, just before the device detonates, launching the 500lb mouse across the tarmac. She bounces a few times before rolling to a stop on her back, with a soft exhalation. "Ow..." she mutters... OK, she's out of this fight. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Albert's weakened, damaged body is now pulverized by the nonlethal magical shots. There's really not a lot to say here. His armor's so damaged and absent in several places that the magic surges through with ease, brutalizing the monkey-man inside, and just cleanly knocking him right the heck out. He's blasted off his feet and onto the ground by the barrage of orbs; only seconds later, Pavo swings by on a grappling line attached above and yanks his heavy form towards their ship. "Hell's skies, matey yer a heavy son of a... Sorry lass! I be takin' this one back with ME!" 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' "Duely noted," Tesla replies. "Saiga, status?" There's a few soldering sparks and the shinki sticks her head out of the console. "I've patched enough to be mobile at least." "Good enough." Tesla started to shut down the machinery once the final components are on their way to Seft's ship, and return to the main cockpit. Puts one hand to her temple. She's not in direct control of the Gremlynx swarms, but she can still give commands to their neural network via her technopathy. Which is to simply switch off their self-preservation protocols. "See to it Septette can withdraw." Six of the small creatures aruptly snap to attention, followed by screams that could just as well be LEROOOOY JENKINS!!!1!1!! if it wasn't entirely gibberish as they rush in and try to mob the massive German. Their tiny forms and tools aren't going to do much to his armor. They're just a distraction for him to squash so his opponent can slip away. Meanwhile Tesla turns her attention back to her own vehicle, revving it up once the rest of her followers have climbed in and starts to drive away. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      The headbutt snaps Septette's head backwards, jostling her and snapping something in her neck but not weakening her grip. For the first time this fight, she lets out a primal, staticky scream- not of pain, but of raw, vicious defiance. She fights Reinhardt's grasping hands with every ounce of strength; his attempts to pry her off draw deep, sizzling gouges across his armor as she instinctively digs in deeper, even trying to ruin his remaining thrusters and damage the helmet's visor. Then the order to retreat comes over the radio.      In an instant, Septette's tactics change drastically. She goes from clinging on with near-berserker ferocity, to instead twisting and guiding Reinhardt's struggles carefully by adjusting her center of balance. Her grip finally relaxes, and even kicks off of his body for extra momentum when he throws her- directly through a nearby wall, out of the facility, and over a cliff.      There are only a few seconds before she hits bottom. A few seconds are enough. She produces an Ariadne's Thread from her pack, yanks it taut, and dissolves into glittering energy instants before she would have struck the ground below.      "Septette extracted. Good luck to the rest of you." 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' WHAM! The knee connects to the mask, jerking Reaper's head back. Small cracks appearing along the edge of that hardened, sterile thing - it's designed to take a beating, after all. But rather than jerk back as expected, Gabriel - Reaper - shoves -FORWARD-. Intending to get a hand under Jack's good leg and force him to the ground. Where Reaper can hammer with metal gauntlet fists. "Oh, yes. Because I'm one to light a fucking fuse in the building -while I'm still in it-. I -.. he was doing what was necessary." It almost sounded like Gabe. Almost, but for the voice croaking like it was forever on the edge of a scream, reverberating. And then the sound darkens, the bass kicking back in. Reaper settling back into his bad guy headspace. "But I'm not here to rehash old tales, Jack. I'm here to -finish yours-. And then I'll bury the rest of your ghosts - one. By. One." He always did talk too much. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      Rather than just stay behind like a smart person would, Reimu actually begins to fly directly after the shuttle. Her eyebrows furrow as she immediately begins to unleash another barrage of needles directly at Seft's ship, specifically, at the crew currently in the hanger. Her eyebrows furrow down and she begins to frown,      "If you think you're getting away from me, you've got another thing coming!"      It's pretty clear that the needles have no chance of piercing through the hull of the shuttle. Holy power can only do so much, but that's never really stopped Reimu from trying anyway. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     "Hhhahghhhaahaghaghah!! Hahahaghgghhgahga, hahhg hahaghhagha hagag hhhaghah hhahga -- hahhgghag -- ghhhaghagha, hhahahg hahggha!!" Biteblade shouts articulately, in intense pain. Biteblade managed to lean just slightly back, enough for the blade to emerge about from her brow, gushing more of that awful sap. She's in an outrageous amount of pain from the wound, and pretty desperate to do a proper Predator's Escape. That is to say, wound the other animal enough to get their claws out, and then escape!     She grasps the offending wrist with one heavy claw, then PLUNGES her remaining dagger into the offending elbow while biting on the wrist, intending to sever every involved nerve and many involved tendons. Well, that's not true, precisely. She wanted to sever the whole arm, but Laura's superhuman constitution prevented that. She yanks her head back and away from the claw... And it looks like that gulp of meat helped. Her own inbuilt regeneration can't restore the wound, but it can close it and make it less horribly lethal. It's not even close to Laura's powerful regeneration, but it's at least another part of their strange mirror.     And then she darts away, leaping onto the roof of the shuttle that the Starbound Flotilla now call home. "Ghhhh ghhhh ghhhh!!" She calls out. Telling them to go, probably? Oh shit, this puts her right in the line of fire of Reimu's magic! One of those needles skewers her right to the hull. "Hhhhhuuuuuhh! Verrrheh meeenh! Florah trrrh to ruh awah heerh!" 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Reimu can go EVEN FASTER! How can Staren possibly hit her with anything? Maybe he needs to stop messing around with missiles...     But shooting her will be a problem while he's assailed by violet danmaku orbs! He tries to dodge, the orbs now tearing through the forcefield...     On the bright side, as long as she's kept busy, someone's accomplishing the mission, right? 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Septette is extracted, and Reinhardt's been stalled. Once he realizes the reason as to why she did this, he does swing his hammer around at the Gremlin bots. They mob him, trying in vain to stab at his bits, only for Reinhardt to send each of them flying, tossing some and smashing others with his hammer like a golf club.     Eventually, he runs out of things to smash, and he slumps over. "I'm too old for this..." He mutters under his breath, sighing raggedly. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     It's time to withdraw. Sure, the Flotilla doesn't have all they need yet, but this is a start. With this data Sombra will be able to get them the rest either way, so it's better to retreat now before they suffer major losses. The defenders are not to be underestimated. Let's see if she can do something about it...     A signal is sent out in the area, aimed to all channels save for the one that Sombra has set up for her allies. A signal that will cause a loud noise on any active channels. Perhaps it will give her allies an opening if their opponents are distracted for a few seconds. But alas, Reaper... he's still fighting Jack and not about to pull away. So maybe she should try something else... Opening up the private channel she and her fellow Talon agent use, Sombra makes her voice as sweet as possible.     "Gabrieliiiiitooooo~" The hacker can't help but smirk for herself. "Me and Senor Sleepy Bear think you should go home right now, you can play with Jackie boy laaaaater." 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:''' Laura Kinney cries out herself, half rage, half pain, as a combination of teeth, claws, and knives leave her left arm hanging limp, and her right one hanging on by a few strands of muscle and tendon. Not able to apply any more pressure with har arms, she sags backwards, landing on the ground with a thud and a wet sucking sound as her claws pull free of the plant alien. She lies on the ground, breathing heavily for a few moments. Okay... Left arm... This shouldn't take /too/ much strength yet... She manages to bring her hand to her stomach, pulling out the six inches or so of dagger still inside her, before tossing it off to one side with a clatter. Staggering to her feet, she looks down at her right arm again, rolling her still healing left shoulder a bit. That... Needs some work. Lifting it up so the stump sits about where it should, she holds the edges as best as she could as she slowly heads for where her ride home is, all the claws that still had intact nerves and muscle havingg retracted. And then her earpiece screeches with the harsh buzz of a wide spectrum jammer, and Laura almost stumbles, muttering something under her breath. No one liners here, sadly. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      Reimu was still trying to continue the woefully inadequate assault on the Flotilla. It was honestly quite amusing to see that her usual aggressive attitude wasn't working for once. The needles just kept bouncing off of the hull of the ship, but she was still determined to keep firing out of sheer insanity. After all, most of her problems were normally solved by shooting everything down, so maybe it'll work with enough firing. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     The Flotilla craft lifts off of the assembly platform, rising up. It swings low, offering a chance for Staren to leap into the craft, a swing past Reaper if Sombra can yell at him enough, with the door open enough for the misty man to swoop inside, and then, they take off, blasting through the door of the hangar and knocking over lesser craft on their way out.     They rush out, up above the hill line... And then over the horizon. And yet, not up into space. No, not where Numbani Space Center can detect them, or where they can be followed or pursued. They're staying on the surface of this planet, it seems. But why? What's their plan? It's not clear. Something's going to happen... Later, though. Not now. For now, they're going to find a staging area, set up a little techfort to rest in, and try to recover. That was a hell of a raid... And yet...     They're back. They've got what they need to survive now. 

:'''{{#var:1120|Soldier 76 (1120)}} has posed:''' The blow to the leg knocks Jack off balance, and sends him sprawling to the floor. Jack doesn't believe for a second that Gabe didn't betray him, but him so vehemently denying the bvomb...It'll need further investigation. But not right now. From the ground, 76 is quick to move again, diving towards one of Reaper's feet, but it's a feint, as he turns around to grab the ghost by the head, and haul him through the air and slam his face and mask into the ground, as well as bringing his neck down across his bicep 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' The fist pauses - a hesitation that will cost Reaper a lot as his masked face suddenly turns to the side. The voice that comes crawling in its skin saying a single word. Two syllables. The second one held and slowly getting louder. "Som-braaaaAAAAAAA!" Which is when he snaps his attention back to Jack, jerking his leg out of the way. Still too fast, J-*HRK*. Oh. Feint. The Lord of Edges is SLAMMED face first into the ground, faint -pings- of metal sprung away from the sterile bone white thing screwed into his forehead. His spine compressing as momentum catches up to him, breath hissing from his mask. And then he feels the familiar feel of a bicep across his neck. Oh, he remembers this pose. Face down with an arm around his neck. Usually this would be the end of it, as the two fought until blood - or unconsciousness - during training. A strained sound - laughter? But it's not one of pleasure, it's something snarky turned hideous. And he's ghosting again, a black smoke that wafts up and away - following the crack in the door. And the exit of the Flotilla. Perhaps he realized he'd be in over his head, with all the heroes on deck and his own support withdrawing. Perhaps Sombra pissed him off enough to draw the rapid dog off of it's focus on Jack. Perhaps he just likes leaving things unresolved. Perhaps he's just a jerk. Definitely the fourth. 

:'''{{#var:1120|Soldier 76 (1120)}} has posed:''' Damnit. He's getting away again. But that initial blow that he took from Tersla's blast is starting to catch up to him. He drops to a knee and watches as Reaper retreats, but the name he calls out, well, it's hard to miss. "Of course she was involved.." He mutters, as he clutches one hand over his chest. He's gonna need to take some time to heal that up, that's for sure. 
}}

5354/MISSION: Starwatch (1)

2017-07-08T13:51:58Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/07/05 |Location=Overwatch Earth <OWE> |Synopsis=The Starbound Flotilla is back, and their sights are set on Numbani with their new allies. |Ca..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/07/05
|Location=Overwatch Earth <OWE>
|Synopsis=The Starbound Flotilla is back, and their sights are set on Numbani with their new allies.
|Cast of Characters=672, 1117, 632, 1115, 42, 972, 368, 673, 1010, 1100, 1111, 1120
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Numbani. Wide savannah. Broad horizons marked by rising hills. And marked, at one critical point, by the high-rising structure of the Numbani Space Center. Integrated manufacturing, transmission, testing, and launching can be found here; it's every aspect of a space program, condensed into the hyper-advanced facility of a progressive robotic city-state. The wide hangars are full of crafts under assembly or in testing. The tall sensors and structures scan the skies and the stars. The central launch platform reaches high into the air, loading powerful Numbani craft onto a huge thruster.     These are normal. This is science.     What is not normal is the ship emerging from the staging hangar, stealthily built into one of the nearby hills. What is even farther from normal are its inhabitants: Six broken people in a broken ship. The craft is formed from scraps of hull cannibalized from many other crafts, held together by beams of durasteel, and sealed with heavy salvaged plates. Its weapons are a mishmash of multiple types, turrets and fixed beam weapons in asymmetrical variety. Its thrusters sputter awkwardly every so often, almost but not quite disrupting its clean approach vector.     Aboard, George clicks a mix tape into a tape deck: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCJzIesrl5U     The Flotilla hit hard and fast. Faster than any response could keep them out of the perimeter. The craft closes the distance from detection range to local airspace in less than half a minute, and the built-in teleporter dramatically drops several telespatial energy "drop pods" containing the crew at the perimeter. Their coordinated and ruthless tactics make short work of Numbani automated security forces. OR15s are swiftly annihilated by heavy explosive weaponry. Dangerous shock weapons render human opposition unconscious. The Flotilla isn't being stealthy, it's being swift, and brutal. Something is helping them, too; no blast door stays closed, and no defense emplacements seem to target them. It's as though they have every code and know every corner of the place. Their craft has settled in one of the central assembly chambers.     By the time that any response gets here, things will have settled into place. The Flotilla members are charging the assembly hangar, engaging the final holdouts of the security team brave enough or automated enough to get in their way. Five Flotilla members are handling this, while the sixth works to situate their ship in the assembly hangar.     Moonfin, the fishman, is in elaborate full-body durasteel armor that looks like a powered cross between a diving suit and a samurai's armor, with a flickering cyan glow at the cracked and worn faceplate. Biteblade, the humanoid plant, is in durasteel plating with elaborately carved wood and bone ornaments over glowing powered components that glow an intense green, but those ornaments are often shattered or conspicuously absent. Pavo the bird-girl wears a pirate-aesthetic set of mesoamerican-style armor, with yellow bands of energized fabric linking the pieces and powering them, though there's awful tears in some. Albert the monkey-man is wearing elaborate dystopian commando armor reconstructed with a 'rebel spy' aesthetic: A sleeker faceplate, a slimmer form, and a more chaotic design that integrates thin, dented, resilient plates of durasteel, and lines of bright white. George (just plain human) wears a set of futuristic EVA-combat and exploration armor in a suit that glows a gentle red at the faceplate, but it's damaged and absent at the left shoulder. The sixth, Seft, is the one unseen, aboard the craft. Each has a heavy industrial-yellow two-pronged plasma-cutter-like tool strapped to their side, a Matter Manipulator, and each wield a worn and damaged but still-terrifying mix of ranged and melee weaponry. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     - MEANWHILE IN DORADO -     The small room is illuminated by several screens that rise above the desk. Data continues running down one of the screens, continuous updates about the situation in Numbani. Security cam feeds is the second best thing to actually being there in person, and with things well preparedâ¦ itâs time to sit back and enjoy the show.     Sombra taps one fine nail against the keyboard, all while she gets the communication channels ready. âYou think they will do well, SeÃ±or Sleepy Bear?â she asides to the teddy bear that sits next to a bag of doritos. âIs el Comandante right in her worries about those pesky little niÃ±os interfering with our potential new allies?â The hacker smirks for herself. One of the good things about this is with her being able to look at everything at once rather than having to watch her back. Besidesâ¦ the crew ought to be able to handle themselves, especially with the items she made sure to send their wayâ¦     âÂ¡Que comience el show!â 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      Sometimes, keeping people safe can leave a bad taste in one's mouth. Septette has been over her rationalizations and reasons a hundred times already- the Starbound Flotilla are long-standing and important allies in keeping Etria safe; they were going to pursue this mission regardless of her aid; she can steer the pragmatic Flotilla away from courses of action that would cause civilian casualties- but even if the utilitarian calculus of her moral framework comes out in favor of it, helping them here still feels... transgressive, somehow. For all her prideful disdain for mortal laws and customs, an outright smash-and-grab in a major city still leaves the little war-machine a tad apprehensive.      She can't allow that queasy apprehension to bubble to the surface. Accompanying the Flotilla here is the right thing to do, and any emotions that get in the way of doing the right thing are an unnecessary burden. A moment's hesitation could get an ally killed- holding onto those doubts would be risky and immoral. So Septette shuts off her eyes, reaches deep down within, and suppresses those emotions with the discipline characteristic of the mind of a yggdroid. When her eyes flick on again, it is with a newfound, colder confidence. The time for doubts is behind her. The time for action is here.      She yanks the Ariadne's Thread to warp in to the Captains' location, materializing in a glittering beam of light and surveying the dregs of the security detail with analytical disdain. The scarlet shawl around her shoulders loosens as she unfolds a long, wickedly curved tan blade from her arm and heats it to glowing, then strides through the broken lines of the opposition to the far end of the hanger, neatly bisecting OR15s and frying human opponents into submission with arcs of electricity that leap from her fingers as a manic smile spreads across her face.      When she reaches the heavy door at the back of the hangar, Septette sinks her claw-like fingers into it and pries it apart; the door's internal motors protest for a moment, then crunch and give way. She glances back at her allies as the last of their opposition here dissolves. "Clear. Good work, Captains- everyone alright so far?" 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' The Concord agents are being very, very careful to minimize the civilian contact with the Flotilla's raid, even as they shatter the automated defenses. Thanks to Sombra, of course. And helping Concord when requested? That's right in line with current Talon operating procedures. There are finer layers to this, of course - politics, positioning. Secrets to be stolen. But for the moment, as a coiling black smoke thickens and churns into a running, cowled figure? At this moment, there's no greater joy than simple violence for a simple goal. It's been a long time. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. The hellfire shotguns send their payload outwards with brutal, explosive force, each hit enough to jerk Reaper's arms up to compensate for the recoil. Even as the next gun barrel is dropping into position. He spares - none. He asks for no surrender. Omnics, OS15's - even the occasional brave soul is left upon the wettened ground as he flanks. Opposite of Septette, point of fact, his dark, rough laughter bubbling up. A pause to throw those empties aside, two more drawn from beneath his coat where none should fit. "Clearing the area." He comms in, before switching to a more private channel with a faint click. "Sombra - target location?" 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren wanted to help the Flotilla. It's good to see them again, and they've certainly helped him get things like the ship he now lives on -- but he has some misgivings upon finding out that, inexplicably, in a world full of problems, they picked the city of peace and progress to attack. Isn't it more the Concord's thing to take resources from those who are /misusing/ them so they can be put to better use?     The mission's going to happen anyway, though, and the Flotilla probably won't do anything too bad. Last time around they wanted pieces of a nigh-indestructible monster to build a table out of, after all.     Another ship drops out of FTL high above, and a sixth beam of light shoots down, shaping into Staren clad in white and sea-green armor of well-maintained plates. He follows the trail of destruction to catch up to the group. "It's good to see you again... I wish you didn't have this penchant for making your splash on the multiversal stage by causing trouble, though. What do you want this time? Do they have some new experimental material you need to make an ottoman out of?" His tone for the jibe is one of friendly ribbing rather than angry snarking, at least. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      Reimu was currently flying through the air while four black and white orbs Yin Yang Orbs were following closely behind her. She was currently wearing her usual red and white outfit along with the red ribbon in her hair. As she flew through the skies, wondering where exactly Nitori told her head off from that weird device that she had, the wind manages to blow across her dress as well. Upon seeing the large city of Numbani, her mouth opened in shock and she merely looked at the otherwise alien structures to her. However, upon hearing the sounds of gunfire, she directs her attention over to the assembly hanger. In an instant, the flying girl soars off toward the sounds of gunfire, the four orbs constantly trailing behind her at all times. Clearly, the ones who are in need of aid must be the people being attacked right now. 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' The ramshackled mishmash of a ship is not the only vehicle approaching the space facilities. But the second is much less a hodgepodge and a bit more spikey as it rumbles across the savannah, heavy wheels kicking up dust and plumes of exhaust smoking into the air above the hulking, armored vehicle. Obstructions like fallen trees, rocks and even restraining walls are little defense against the large spiked plow and steamroller wheel the vehicle bears at it's front. It is a peculiar vehicle to say the least. A strange sight to the locals.. but others may reconize it as the siege machine belonging to a certain mastermind technopath. Who is sitting calmly in the cockpit, drinking from a mug of rediculously strong coffee. Saiga sits on her shoulder, helping to observe the monitors while Tesla is focused on operating the Mad Maximizer's approach upon the space complex. "Things seem to progressing as expected. Intervention has a probability of arriving within the next 15 to 20 minutes, so make your initial push count." "If I may ask, Master," Saiga murmurs as she's screwing the top back on the coffee thermos with her manipulator arms, "Why? There is no tech here that you could not simply design for yourself, or presumably any allies that asked." "Because they wish to make their own effort to rebuild themselves, rather than take hand-outs and appear needing to their newest allies," Tesla replies without hesitation. "I also suspect they wish to demonstrate what they are capable of, even in such a... hindered state of affairs." As the Mad Maximizer rolls up to the perimeter Tesla slows the vehicle with a snort, coming straight into the automated defenses. "Keep moving in." Tesla raises one hand and her machine mimics the motion, it's right arm whipping up to grab a security OMNI in it's claws. Then shifts to hold it in front of the cockpit, while inside Telsa tips her head to one side. These seem much more independant than the invasion they assisted with before. Then a dismissive wave follows, and the Mad Maximize whips the robot off to the side. Followed by Tesla clenching her left hand into a fist, reving up the dual-sawblades on the other arm, followed by a forward punch to slam the seige weapon into the side of a structure. The two blades spin in opposite directions, tearing into the foundation not only by the serrated edge by the sheering force between opposite rotations as well. 

:'''{{#var:673|Rory White (673)}} has posed:''' Another spaceship is on quick approach, after piercing the atmosphere and broadcasting Paladin IDs to Numbani control. Rory's Muse is handling a lot of the fine details of requesting a tie-in with local security forces and information gathering with the standard offer of Paladin help.     Yet she is but one ship, and more of a mining, exploration, and research vessel than combat.     And she is loathe to take direct action against the Flotilla, despite her obligations. Inside the Cognizant Odyssey's mainframe, her consciousness flickers and sparks with doubts and uncertains - plenty more unhandled exceptions than she really knows what to do with.     THE ENTIRE FACILITY IS SUBJECTED TO A PERVASIVE ACTIVE SCAN that lights up the Odyssey's presence like a grand finale of fireworks, and the facility's map - including some of the passages that her sensors can make out - begin filling into her awareness while the ship continues floating high in the sky.     Her ship's own teleporter flicker-flashes... and deposits a silvery-grey spider walker into the fray.     ... By that, meaning, the drone high-tails it for the nearest wifi hotspot or networking hardline and attempts to tap into local systems - if regional powers allow it. 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Just outside base limits is a van. A van that looks like it's been made to hold a small car inside of the back.     The back door opens up as Reinhardt rockets out, armor rocketing him across the ground. He LEAPS across the wire fences, before sprinting towards the source of gunfire and explosions, leaving massive footprints in his wake.     CRAAAAAASH     The towering knight smashes through a wall in an appropriately dramatic manner, rubble covering his armor as the giant points his hammer at the Flotilla's numbers. "I suggest you come quietly, or there will be severe consequences!" he rumbles, making a move to neutralize the interstellar raiders. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne arrives astride her freshly-rebuilt Arkadyne Model 14 combat-bike, leant down low over the handlebars. In the pillion passenger seat is Laura Kinney, with the mouse's tail wrapped around her. Tiny grins behind the faceplate. "Let me know when you want me to Fastball you, L- Talon." Tiny comments. "I'll have to swing you out wide to get enough leverage, but if I also turn Skrat at the same time this should be pretty sweet... whoever you hit is gonna have a real crap day." She laughs, smashing through a chain-link fence and turning onto the spaceplane landing runway. She twists open the throttle, letting the bike build up plenty of speed on the smooth, flat ground. "Black with shotguns, target sighted." Tiny comments. Reaper can probably see her coming. Her left arm flexes oddly, the elbow bending back on itself while the shoulder flexes far beyond natural limits, ready to provide the best leverage possible for what's coming next. As soon as Laura grabs her hand, the mouse stands up in the saddle, leaning into the throw. She even turns the bike just as she lets go, to add even more momentum to it. Okay. Now to get the bike back under control... 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:''' Laura Kinney rises into a crouch, a firm grip on one of Tiny's shoulders keeping her from bouncing off the seat as the bike roars over the rough ground. Things get a log smoother once they're on the tarmac though, the mutant teen rising up a little bit more to scan the scene. Firefight by the main hangar, Spaceship overhead... and what look like several nonhumans in some sort of high tech armor. And... Well, Laura would say that had to be a Mad Max style War Rig, if she'd ever seen any of those movies. Her nostrils flare, sampling the windblast as the bike screams down the concrete. Among the smells of combat, something stands out... Almost a rot, with a bit of a metal tang. Gabriel Reyes.      "The one in black with shotguns. Now!" She calls into her headset, stepping up onto the mouse's oversized palm, legs bent to add her own jump to the impact force. Everything blurs for a moment, her vision distorting as she's launched forward, silvery metallic claws breaking the skin of her knuckles, and slipping through the toes of her boots as she flies towards the edgelord supreme at highway speeds. When she hits, she's going for a similar strike as the last time they fought, one hand's claws embedded in the shoulder, foot claws kicking into the small of his back while her free hand goes for the neck. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      And then there's that guy. Some kind of owl-faced smokey freak. She doesn't know his name, but the little robot instantly takes a dim view of his techniques. "Get thee behind me," Septette mutters under her breath- or whatever passes for breath with her. "Trying to keep this op as bloodless as possible. Your sideshow shtick can wait; we don't need the extra-"      Reinhardt's Kool-Aid-Man entrance interrupts her mid-sentence, instantly drawing her attention away from chastising Reaper. "I've got this one," she calls out to the Flotilla, and strides over to him with almost dismissive confidence. Sombra's dossier gave some... interesting information on this one. "Wilhelm Reinhardt! Your reputation precedes you. I challenge you to honorable combat. Show this 'dragon' what you can do!" With her cloak on, she could be mistaken for a human- but this illusion is swiftly dispelled as she burns it off, momentarily wreathing herself in flame for dramatic effect.      Her true form revealed, Septette appears as a delicate-looking skeletal android not a hair over five feet tall, with a youthful face and menacing blades attached to her limbs. Her skin-toned exoskeletal plating is incomplete, not fully covering her inner workings; it vaguely resembles a stylized human ribcage and spine in its design, but is more like armor in function. Underneath that, thick black cables and wiring are visible, along with several crystalline or mechanical components whose function isn't analogous to any earthly technology. Nestled inside her 'ribcage' is a glowing red sphere, about the size of a grapefruit and glimmering like a gemstone.      On closer inspection, it doesn't look like she ought to be standing at all. Several of the hydraulic tubes are already severed; what internal circuitry is visible appears warped and slagged. In some places, the damage is severe enough that it looks like she shouldn't be mechanically functional at all- yet here she stands, arrogant and unbowed. Just what does she run on, anyway?      A split second after her dramatic reveal, a trio of small spherical drones beams in beside her- one red, one blue, one yellow- and begin circling Reinhardt at a safe distance, though they have yet to take any obvious action. "Your move, old knight." 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:''' "Isss cat friend! Hey!" "Aye, missed ye, ye little tinkerer! No, 'tis no artifact, this time! 'Tis mercenary work, matey! And a chance to rebuild! Treasure in these systems, matey, we'll be the ones to dig it up!" "We need access to central control. Need to extract data."     They surge forward as Septette and Reaper clear the way. "Thanks, Gabe!" George calls out, completely oblivious to his name preferences. Presumably by intent. God DAMN it Sombra!! He actually surges a little more forward than the others, heading towards upper levels with a few shotgun shots of his own -- meager compared to Reaper's treendous power -- and only barely dives out of the way when Reinhard Wilhelm crashes through the wall he's running by. "Shit!! Why are we fighting the Kool-Aid man?!" He tries to slide out of the way and head up to an upper level area. Tesla Armadia's machine comes punching through another wall, thankfully far less dangerous to George but still just as impressive. He tries to evade Reinhardt's attention by zipping past and behind the Max Maximizer on his running dash. "Thanks!"     Meanwhile, Rory White finds something awful. While Septette has thankfully handled many doors, others opened with ease to the Flotilla, and while many cameras saw them, they didn't automatically alert allied forces. Yes, someone's hacked the system! The Starbounders have some information objectives too, potentially...!     Albert grunts. "Handle them." He says, referencing the recent interior intruders. "Biteblade, with me." They head to the hangar entry, where Leyanne Mace is arriving. Albert, with his heavy rocket launcher, fires a series of blasts at Leyanne's vehicle. It's likely the slower, more obvious projectiles can be evaded with her deft driving skill, but... "Biteblade, fire." And the Floran does. A heavy bolt launched in a whistling arc heads straight towards the vehicle, intending to stop the vehicle with a harsh impact as the dense metal rod streaks towards it. Coincidentally, this might arc dangerously close to Reimu! But her dodging skill is more than enough to evade it completely. 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Reinhardt narrowly misses George, but rather than press the assault, he notices a challenger approaching.     He stares at Septette, as she reveals herself. "Aye, that may be so. You yourself have something of a reputation as well, I am to understand. You will see why they call me the Crusader, 'Dragon'."     Laura and Leyanne can handle things on their end, he has a duel to settle. The knight races towards Septette when she issues her challenge, and the knight roars as he swings his hammer wide at her, moving with inhuman speed and force behind his strike. The skelebot may want to move fast if they want to not get smashed. 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' "You want bloodless? Stop holding back. They'll run faster." Hisses the owl-skeleton-faced man to Septette, claws groaning as he flexes his hand within the metal; And just to punctuate his point, he lowers one uprised hand, tilting his head as if sighting down the long barrel - BOOM. A scream of pain. But at least it's pain, and not a death rattle, the owl mask turning back to regard Septette. Which isn't to say that Reaper is unharmed - quite the opposite. Several holes are smoking across his thin body armor, even as he slows his run to a power walk. The black mist rising and curling around his form, the prostrate and hidden sillouettes of mashed omnics and bloodied humans shriveling as he goes. Metal rusts. Cloth unwinds. Flesh unbinds. And every wound taken is similarily healed - for the moment. There's plenty to go around, after all, so long as he keeps moving. Which is when Flotilla calls out his real name. A low, dangerous hiss, the cowled head turning slowly - shotgun lifting towards 'George's ship. But before he can do something to horribly inconvience their arrangement with the Concord, the sound of a bike is heard. Head turns. Both shotguns twist towards the incoming 'Hero' - distraction, Kool-Aid Reinhardt Incoming - and then suddenly he's got BLADES EVERYWHERE! At high velocity fast-ball, no doubt. What is it with people and body slamming him at high speed? The Tacti-Cool Edgelord rolls, his twisting body turning into smoke. Hopefully to let Laura continue past on her own momentum as he reforms again, rips trailing black ichor and mist from his wounds. Nothing but a single pair of words as he pulls two new shotguns out. "Die." BOOM. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      As the heavy bolt manages to careen directly over to her on the spot and she manages to swiftly maneuver herself away from he projectile. In response, she shifts her course and begins to fly directly toward the large vehicle. While flying onwards, she shouts out in a huff,      Well, I hope you guys are fans of acupuncture!"      With a single wave of the wand in her right hand, the four orbs begin to unleash a barrage of red and white needles. The large, holy powered, clusters of needles threaten to impact large sections of the metal vehicle which wouldn't really be a problem unless they manage to hit the two currently piloting them. 

:'''{{#var:1120|Soldier 76 (1120)}} has posed:''' Lurking in the rafters above the rapidly escalating battle, Soldier 76 has been planning his next move carefully. Well next move, in this case, being his first move. After all there are a lot of hostiles down there, most with bigger and better gear than he has. He'll need to plan this move perfectly. His partners from Overwatch don't seem to agree as Reinhardt plows his way through a wall. Jack sighs and rubs his temples for a moment, "So much for the element of surprise." He rises up from where he was kneeling and leaps off, falling through the air to land on top of the monsterous machine piloted by the mutant mad scientist, "Hey Doc, you picked the wrong side." He aims his pulse rifle down at the cab of the vehicle and opens fire, not sure how thick the armor plating on it is. If he can't penetrate it with pulse munitions from point blank, he'll need to reconsider his options. 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:''' Laura Kinney feels her hand claws bite into... Flesh? Close enough for the time being. She starts her maneuver to get a foothold, but her target's losing cohesion. What would have been a double clawed flying kick results in the mutant flying through what should have been Reaper's torso, landing in a crouch and breaking with her claws, sparks cascading down from the metal catwalk as it suddenly has several long cuts ripped into it. She spins around, jerking sideways just in time to cause the buckshot to take a chunk out of her left shoulder and upper arm instead of her head. "After you." is her retort before she charges again, aiming to sweetp the leg while her toe claw cleaves through the pipe that suspends the catwalk from the girders above. Hopefully if she can keep Reyes occupied, his friends won't worry about saving him until it's too late. And she's got an idea to disable him as well, but the positioning's not quite right yet... 

:'''{{#var:673|Rory White (673)}} has posed:''' Thankfully Numbani is apt to cooperate with the Paladins! Rory's quickly authenticated with Information Security privileges and taps into all of the center's surveillance, routing her ship's considerable processing power into the job of helping analyze all of the traffic, analyze access logs and trace all connections with the kind of rapidity that only a well-prepared security suite controlled by an AI can pull off...     Better watch out Sombra, Rory's hunting for you. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace yelps as Albert and Biteblade open fire on her. The rockets she evades about as deftly as expected from an expert rider, though that whistling, heavy metal bolt slams into the bike's engine... which predictably vomits its own turbine out. Tiny barely manages to keep the thing under control under the harsh decelleration of a seized (impaled) engine, bailing once the bike's slow enough that it won't be -too- utterly trashed.     Rolling upright, the mouse unstraps her trusty Bren gun from her back and sprays a burst across Albert and Biteblade. Reimu might be close enough to hear the snap of the rounds passing, but she's not the intended target of the mouse's light machine gun fire. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      The milliseconds tick by slowly in Septette's perception- the tense of Reinhardt's fingers on his hammer; the twist of his body as he brings it around in a wide arc; all of these play out in sufficient time for her to react, or perhaps even dodge. She does not, save to bring up one arm in an attempt to block the strike flatly. Renowned crusader or no, Reinhardt is still a creature of flesh and blood- and until he forces her to respect his capabilities, she will gravely underestimate them.      The rocket hammer's blow jars her entire body, making her glowing lavender eyes flicker and sending coruscating sparks through her frame as the arcane servomotors malfunction. The sharpened talons on her feet dig into the floor for purchase, carving deep gouges into the metal hangar with the scream of steel-on-steel as she skids away from the impact. It seems that grudging respect for his abilities will come sooner, rather than later. "A fine weapon! You make for a better opponent than anticipated," she remarks, her coldly manic grin returning. "Don't let me down now!"      Septette grips the haft of the hammer near the head with her sparking left arm, attempting to electrify the weapon and force the knight to weaken his grip. Simultaneously, the long blade folded into her right forearm snaps out and reheats to an angry sizzle before being thrust at a chink between two plates in the front of his armor. The drones behind him lack Septette's raw destructive power, but they rain jolts of electricity and sharpened shards of ice on his unprotected back, hoping to strike something important or perhaps even throw out his spine. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     And here arrive the cavalry. As expected, Overwatch agents are present. Reinhardt... and good ol' Jack. Which means Reaper will be focused, and perhaps going a little gung ho if she knows him right. Which she likes to think she does. Let's see if she can make things a bit better for the Concord and Flotilla members...     "Your friend is here, Gabe," Sombra's voice states in Reaper's ear on their private channel. "Better clear things up if you want to say hi to him, no?"     At the same time, a security bot comes to life nearby, shambling out of one of the nearby corridors... and aims at whoever is closest. It's not bound to be a major threat nor take out an elite unless she's lucky, but it might cause a slight distraction.     Leaning forward in her chair a bit, Sombra keeps on typing with her left hand, all while she picks up a handful of doritos. Let's get the doors further into the space center open so that her new friends can get her what she wants... 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' For all intents and purposes it looks like Tesla is just trying to tear part of the complex apart. The monsterous machine was designed as a cyberpunk seige engine after all. But she rarely does anything without a method, regardless of the apparent madness. It's much like Reaper said. She's found it's often easier to get bystanders out of the way by scaring them into running on their own. A building appearing as it might collapse is usually a good encouragement to get the hell out of Dodge as they say. There's a thump as someone lands on top of the cab. Followed by the flash and bang of pulse energy as it tears into the plating, being at essentially point-blank helping to blow through the resiliant material. Fortunately the massive vehicle's cockpit is large enough that the remander of the shot passes through the opening and does more damange to the consoles than anyone inside. "Predictable." The smoke from the blast hasn't even cleared before a bolt of kinetic energy blasts back out of the cab at the unwanted rider, as Tesla had started charging up her gauntlet as soon as he had landed over her head. "Everyone goes for the cockpit to disable the operator." 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     "Second Sea Hylotl Style: Waves Crashing Against Shores." Comes a dramatic voice. And then, suddenly, a fishman interposes himself between Reimu and the Starbound Flotilla's lone vehicle! And with a flickering, dramatic motion, he parries several of the needles... Only several though. His worn katana bends dangerously against one impact and the shock slams through his body, bruising one side and rattling him with traumatic force, forcing him to his knees, and overloading one of the power systems on his arm with a sudden blast of sparks and light. And that's to say nothing of the impact of the needles into his BODY! Which is dangerous and leaves punctured wounds in his armor.     "Acupuncture is an honorable profession among the Hylotl." He says, rising from those knees again, and then leveling his weapon towards Reimu. "Is it so barbaric among your own race?" The answer to that question may not come soon enough though. Now that Reimu's under the wide roof of the hangar, Pavo can strike! The bird-girl maneuvers through the air as if she were flying, swinging on a grappling hook and firing off her flintlock pistol as she comes by to dramatically kick into Reimu with a heavy armored boot!     "Avast, ye scurvey sky-dog! I've no measure of the wings ye think ye have flyin' about like that, but back off or they'll be torn right off!" She calls out, kicking Reimu straight towards Staren! 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Reinhardt's strike hits home, sending Septette back a few paces. He grunts as Septette remarks, before he grits his teeth. "I've no intention of that!" He retorts, before he thrusts the head of his hammer out at the android.     Of course, she catches the hammer, and he struggles to free it from her grip with an angry growl. "Rrrrgh!" Muscles tense and servos whirr angrily as his suit enhances his strength in overtime, but he notices too late Septette is attempting to attack from behind with the drones. He's zapped and ice'd in the back, and pain lances up his spine as he staggers in place.     Trying one last time to swing the hammer free, he feels his back punish him for pushing his body so far like this. "Augh! Maybe you're not so fragile after all." He says, before he tries again, swinging at a drone with his hammer. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     "Depends on if it's from a world where it's a real science or just fake. I prefer nanomachines, myself." Staren replies. Needles bounce off or catch in his forcefield, some just leaving scratches but the ones that hit straight on poking holes with cracks around them. "I'm really sorry about this... They'll make it quick and not use the data for anything really bad, probably." He opens with warning shoots from the beam rifle -- if Pavo successfully kicks her his way, he tries to slap a hand on her in melee, using his armor's shock function like a melee taser." 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Albert gets into cover, but not soon enough. A spray of bullets catch him on the side, searing through his armor in a brutal bruise over his torso. He grunts with a sudden burst of pain, then discards his spent rocket launcher, drawing his hammer into both hands. "Enemy vehicle down. Enemy infantry still fighting." He declares, scowling under his helmet because he clearly didn't want to deal with that. "Returning fire."     With a heavy grunt. Albert SWINGS his hammer... Straight into the crate of equipment he was hiding behind! It goes tumbling and slamming over the ground, launching right towards Leyanne, serving as a grave threat and an even more grave distraction to let Albert close the distance. He had meant to put himself on information extraction duty, but... "RrrrrrRRRRRRRAAAAAAAHHHH!!!" He leaps behind the crate, coming down hard with a massive power-hammer swing, the kind that creates a tremendous shockwave! 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' "Little girl, I died a long time ago." Growls Reaper, assuming a pose much akin to what Laura might've seen in old Logan promos. Shoulders out, head down, lowered center of gravity. The only difference is that he's pulling shotguns rather than claws, the black whirling smoke coalescing into solid forms almost as quick as he can pull them up - and then Laura's on him. But this time he's expecting how quick she is, letting the natural thud of mud twist his leg out of the way. A spin to place the shotgun in the right spot - let's see her heal from a lack of head. That's when the girl's upturned leg snips a power coupling above the two. See, he's good at -plans-. At plans and counter plans, at foresight and thinking out what the next turn is. He's not good at impromptu - that's why he had Sombra, now. That's why he had Jack and Ana, then. He doesn't catch the trick until the power coupling neatly folds down atop him. And he roars as electricity begins rapidly arcing through him, his body shuddering in and out of existance before it explodes into a whirling mist of smoke, fading away.. The Dead Man - Dead Again? Smoke coalesces again, behind Laura. Forming a twisting leg, solidifying just as he attempts to connect it to the back of her skull. And send her crashing down to play with someone else. "Better." He growls, before his mask turns. His fight with a teenage girl forgotten light of a NEW target. "-JACK-." 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      She may be strong, but there's no way Septette can hold onto that hammer for long- certainly not with one damaged hand against all of Reinhardt's strength. It wrenches out of her sharpened fingers easily, and the opportunistic drone that darted a little too close is annihilated in a spray of red shards by Wilhelm's blow- it seems the little pests were never made to last against that kind of force. The other two- blue and yellow- continue to retaliate, hovering at a slightly more respectful distance.      But as he turns to destroy the drone, another opportunity prevents itself: in the split second that his attention is diverted, Septette leaps at him from the side! The floor shatters under the impact of acceleration, and her searing blades extend in an attempt to carve through his sturdy armor! Even without superhuman speed, her super-dense mass of nearly a ton could hit like a literal truck, and she expertly channels the kinetic energy into the small contact area of her sharpened blades.      "Fragile?! I've fought my people's wars for two and a half centuries, knight! No man of flesh and blood is my equal," she boasts. "Beasts of legend and living gods could not slay me. What makes you think you can?" 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      The kick actually manages to leave a small bruise as she hurtles off towards Staren. As she flies out of the hanger, she is sent hurtling towards Staren's position and his hand is mere inches from making contact with her left arm. Unfortunately for him, she actually vanishes before his eyes almost immediately. The four orbs vanish as well. However, she seems to reappear a good few feet above him.      "Oh? Well, that's a new face for once."      As she hovers in the air, she begins to back away from Staren slowly while the four orbs arrange themselves in front of her position. They unleash a more dense version of the needle clusters from earlier and together, it almost looks like she's firing large, red, v shaped projectiles at him. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace takes the cargo crate to the face, smashing it to pieces. She goes down onto her back, bren gun skittering away and then... ooookay that's a gorilla. The mouse rolls out of the way of that hammer, not quite expecting the shockwave but that's new and interesting data. And it makes her antennae sting. She kicks herself to her feet and she's straight back on the offensive, cocking back her left arm as she moves in on the gorilla. The arm's status lights go from red to green, and the mouse smirks. "My turn." She swings in for a haymaker, hoping the hammer's mass, inertia, and general resistance to changing direction gives her enough time to land the punch. Jets of gas vent from her elbow and shoulder as she swings, her clenched fist spinning on her wrist, just for that extra little bit. 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Reinhardt grunts in satisfaction as the drone is destroyed. He feels blades slash at him like one of those prowler Omnics from back in the war. He's damn glad those are gone, and this is definitely a nasty reminder of those days. Blood leaks through his armor's wounded gaps, and he swings his fist hard in a back-hand swipe, aiming to smack Septette right in the face. "Because I am neither beast nor god, I AM A MAN, AND NOTHING OVERCOMES ADVERSITY LIKE THE STRENGTH OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT!" He lunges forth, stabbing or no stabbing, and punches Septette again, this time aiming for the stomach in a furious body blow. 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:''' Laura Kinney feels the cold metal against the back of her skull, gritting her teeth as she braces for... Phew. Plan worked. She takes a bit of a jolt as well as the charge grounds out through the catwalk as well, but nowhere as much as Reyes who was in the direct path. No sign of smoke. She jumps back onto her feet, approaching the railing to pick her next target. The hairs on the back of her kneck stand on end, the mutant starting a backwards kick to bring a toe claw up as someone's behind her-CRACK-.      The force of the blow combined with unsteady footing sends her over the railing, plummeting to the floor. Fortunately, being limp keeps her from suffering any further serious injuries besides the concussion on her way down. Staggering to her feet again, she shakes off the blurriness in her vision, shoving the feelings of bone knitting and buckshot being squeezed out of her shoulder as she charges towards Biteblade, claws dripping black ichor. 

:'''{{#var:673|Rory White (673)}} has posed:''' All the analysis Rory's doing shows a trail into an encrpyed tunnel that leads back to... Mexico? Somewhere in the region, anyways. And it certainly should not be using encryption like this... but tracing it completely from here is not practical.     Thankfully, she doesn't need to. Having identified a few nodes, she attempts to re-route the connection where it links into the space center's systems...     ... and instead, feed a recording of the horrifying sci-fi action of Breakout: Crisis gameplay... which is real-looking enough to be mistaken for NOT A GAME, but a depiction of actual alien monsters doing horrifying things to people from a first person perspective.     Anything to monkey-wrench the hackers while she tries to purge the system and restore normal operations! 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     George -- and Biteblade with them -- are trying to pull away from combat. "Bitey! The gear!" George calls out, calling out for her to toss the little hacking access-stocks to him. Perfect timing, and the kind he knew he'd need. "Heads up!" That's when Laura is likely to hit the pair, having landed at the second floor from Reaper's higher position that had left him so vulnerable to the Fastball Special. "Gonna hit up second objective!" "Urgent. Please, go for the first. This level of violence is far too much." "I've left the battle with this foe. I shall work to assist with the others." "--GAH! Floran-- Floran find other hunter!!" "Aye, matey, hittin' yer deck for the backup!" "GHHHHH! Down, assist NOW!" "In mere moments." "Keep 'em going for-- goddamn it, /sixty/ seconds at least!"     The Flotilla is in coordinated chaos. Everything's under attack, but they adapt and pursue RELENTLESSLY. George flees further up to the control section, as Biteblade makes sure Laura can't get past her... By engaging her directly! Shit! "Woah! You, hunter! Big hunter, like Floran!" Biteblade calls out, bringing her bow up to try to stop the claws... And finding that those claws, whenever Laura makes her first attack, just shear right through it! Only barely giving her enough time to dodge away. "Auhh!" She calls out, drawing a pair of heavy daggers quickly. "Isss baressskin with shinyclaw?! How? Floran have to know! Shinyclaw friend isss gonna tell! Floran want shinyclaw too!!" She... She actually seems to be just as savage as Laura acts, but in an ENTIRELY different way, as she moves in, trying to stay on the inside of that claw range and make it tougher to use them, while trying to gut Laura with a ruthless series of slashes and stabs! 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      A blow to the head can't stagger Septette in the way it might a human, but the kinetic energy of the strike knocks her off-balance nonetheless. One of her eyes shatters outright, its lavender light going dim, and she takes a hasty step backwards to regain her stance. The blood on her blades boils off in a flash of steam as soon as they're pulled from Reinhardt's body, and she brings them up to catch the second punch in a scissor-like motion, biting down on opposite sides of his wrist. If he doesn't pull free soon, they could melt right through his armor!      "No," she replies in a quieter tone, staring into his visor with one guttering eye while they're momentarily locked together. "I've seen too many human minds broken by the horrors of war. Squishies are never indomitable; you wear down, expire. Or are you really as quick as you were thirty years ago, Wilhelm?" With that, the blue drone fires a hardened bladelike icicle at the rocket on his back, aiming to disrupt something important. The yellow drone swoops in as well, dangerously close to Reinhardt's wide reach, to deliver a harder jolt! Those things are becoming a serious inconvenience... 

:'''{{#var:1120|Soldier 76 (1120)}} has posed:''' The shot that comes in from the cab of the vehicle catches 76 in the chest, knocking him off his feet, where he lands hard on the cab. He was about to get back up to his feet, when he heard the familiar voice of the angry spectre that used to be his best friend. He kips up to his feet and scans across the battlefield for the ghost. "GABRIEL!" He roars out, as he jumps off of Tesla's vehicle and rushes towards the Talon agent. His rifle is back up to his shoulder as he moves, firing several shots in his direction as he advances on Reaper's position, "I'll put you in the ground for good this time, old friend. Don't make this harder than it has to be." 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren looks around when Reimu disappears. Up isn't his first thought, but she speaks, drawing his attention. "Same to you... I think. Been here so long I'm not entirely sure you're unfamiliar." He starts running to dodge the Vs. Some clip the field, breaking more parts of it. He doesn't worry about trying to hit her -- because a small missile rack pops up on his shoulder, firing a minimissile that aims to track her and explode in a fireball if they even get close! He watches her, concerned about just how much damage it will do. 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Reinhardt notices his engine going out from the ice, and he suffers more bolts from the other drone. He swings and swats at them like flies, before he glares Septette's way. "You better believe it!" He yells, bringing his hammer down with rocket blazing on top of the android. Maybe sufficiently damaging her will disrupt the drones somehow. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     What the...     The moment the foreign signal shows up on her screen, the notorious hacker arches an eyebrow. That... is obviously not Numbani. The architecture is all wrong, and this... well, it looks like a video game? Or an animated movie. "Well well... it looks like we've been noticed, Senor Sleepy Bear..." she mutters to herself. And they think they can handle /her/. Time to show them what this world's greatest hacker can do. Sombra smirks as she begins typing furiously away at her keyboard, swiping away the gameplay footage.     Retrace route.     run sombra.pkg?     y/n     y     There's always a risk connecting to secure channels like this. A risk is that something might be used against you, including a virus program aimed at whoever tries to hinder Sombra. Now let's see how effective this is. Hopefully it can keep the intruder busy. Or even better yet, fry their hardware. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     The punch impacts Albert hard, slamming into his torso armor with tremendous force. It cracks, then shatters, an entire outer layer of armor utterly devastated by Leyanne's Iron Left. Not only does outer armor explode off with a wet fleshy crunch of damage to his torso, Albert himself goes flying back towards the assembly area, slamming into some of the parts there, and falling to the ground, prone and wheezing from the air being knocked out of him.     "GHHHHH! Down, assist NOW!" He calls out, in harsh and tactical tones. He's answered by the call of a helpful fishman. "In mere moments." Moonfin dashes towards him, grabbing him, and doing a quick blink-teleport into cover to try to get him on his feet before Leyanne closes the distance again! "Arise, soldier, this is no grave for one such as you." He says, quickly administering a stimulant to keep Albert on his feet.     And then it's Moonfin who closes the distance now. Not with any fancy distractions. This time, it's a dramatic SAMURAI FLASH-STEP ATTACK, trying to do a tech-enhanced dash to close in on Leyanne and cut through her as he passes by! "Fifth Sea Hylotl Style: Lightning Strikes Tall Waves." 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      Upon seeing the minimissile, she actually begins to smile before flying away from rocket. As soon as she is a good distance away from it, the orbs change to a blue color and she almost begins to unleash a new barrage of machinegun esque talismans. However, the minimissile that's currently tracking her manages to catch her atention and begins to fly directly toward Staren, the four orbs unleashing their machinegun like talisman barrage. The red holy charms threaten to flood out a large chunk of the area where Staren is currently standing. However, his forcefield should be able to take them since they are her weakest projectile type. 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' Gabriel - Agent Reyes - Reaper. Whatever he is, whatever he's become, he starts moving forward as soon as he has Jack's attention, a slow walk with the black smoke coiling away from his form like a poisonous mist. The few dead and dying things, whether machine or man, withering as he passes, the ichor bleeding tears in his bodysuit sealing shut with a slow finality. Even Laura may find the ichor that stains her claws evaporating. And then he's picking up speed, heavy boots pushing at the pavement as he literally charges right for 76. His head and body jerked, his feet stumbling as the plasma rifle begins chattering, the weapon digging into his midsection. Ichor and smoke curl away, wounded even further - losing steam from his first fight with Laura. He snarls - "You killed me.. him before, -JACK-, with your bomb!" And then he's smoke, an outline screeching forward like a banshee out of hell, the sterile bone white mask seeming to float like a mirage in the forefront. Reforming again, looking to do nothing so much as get too far inside for gun range. And whip the shotgun across the bridge of Jack's nose, hissing. "But the grave can hold me no longer." Yep, that's right. SLAP FIGHT TIME. 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' Tesla merely glances out a side window as 76 yells and leaps off to confront his former cohort. "Huh. That's what it's like to have an archrival I guess. Emotional hubbubble." Then turns back to her own controls. There's a hole in the cockpit roof and some damage to the controls, but not anything she can't work with thanks to her powers, and other assets. She smirks a little as she flicks one of the controls. "Let's make use of the diversion though." Steam hisses from the back of the Mad Maximizer, followed by it's rear hatch swinging out and upward to open. Several eyes light up in the shadows of the interior, accompanied by a gibberish of mewls and snarls. Followed by a proverbial eruption of fur and bionics as a dozen or so three foot tall cat-like creatures charge out of the compartment. The Gremlynx continue their irratic vocalizations, waving around various tools as they swarm towards the nearest pieces of technology and try to dismantle and steal whatever they can get their grubby paws on. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace growls "And STAY down." She cautions Albert. "Stay down there and think about what it means to hurt innocent people!" She doesn't appear to be about to go after her downed opponent - she's here to drive them off, not kill them. She appears in fact to be about to continue the lecture when Moonfin blink-teleports Albert away. She really is lucky she's got such good hearing; she manages to turn just in time to bring her left arm around to block Moonfin's blade, her tail curling around to try and trip the passing ninja... either way, the mouse's arm is going to take a nasty hit... 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      Reinhardt's wild swings manage to catch out the nearer yellow drone, destroying it on impact- one left! Despite the dangerous amounts of magical power they can channel, it seems the little drones don't have terribly sophisticated evasive routines. Septette takes the opening to aim a quick raking strike at his chest, testing the metal of his armor again before he can retaliate.      The arc of the hammer over Wilhelm's head is painfully obvious- the engine flares a fraction of a second before it'd come down, sufficient time for the yggdroid to calculate a half-dozen plans for response. With typical pride, she stands still until the last possible moment, sidestepping out of the way...      At that instant, a sparking OR-14 unit lying next to her- a victim of her earlier rampage- summons its last dregs of energy, grabbing onto her ankle with an iron grip. Septette lurches, falling to the side from the unexpected hazard- and the hammer, in its original arc, comes down on her outstretched leg. CRUNCH.      There is no grimace, no howl of pain as her limb is nearly crushed on impact. Pain is for mortals. She merely stands back up with a decided limp, her expression eerily blank and cold- as is her voice. "Wilhelm Reinhardt. My name is Septette Arcubielle. I am the defender of my world, as you are of yours. Injuries that threaten my long-term capabilities cannot be risked. I am obligated to end this now."      Her one good leg tenses like a spring, and she takes off to the right almost faster than the eye can track. She runs almost a dozen feet up the side of a large cargo container next to them, digging in with her talons and blades to compensate for her damaged limb, and then leaps off it towards Reinhardt with alarming speed. If she's able to land on top of him, she'll grapple and try for a chokehold- but with one of her blazing swords taking the place of the arm across his neck. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     The missile will chase Reimu until it runs out of fuel after a thousand or so feet of travel. It can't be tricked into catching Staren in the blast, though, its computer guidance system won't allow it. Staren frowns. He can't dodge the new attacks, but quickly sees that they aren't doing much damage. What's her game here? He keeps dodging anyway, though, radioing to Moonfin and Pavo: <"Come on, guys, do something while she's focused on me!"> 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:''' Laura Kinney isn't giving anything away as she slashes that shortbow in half, (These guys REALLY have some mixed tech) before slowly circling opposite the plant... insectoid... alien. Long bladed knives. Could be worse. She still doesn't speak, charging forward to meet Biteblade's attack.      Laura's learned a lot about getting hurt over her years of life. The most important of these right now, is 'in the short term, you don't really have many vital organs in your stomach' Her lunge carries her onto the blades, attempting to repay the damage taken with viscious blows from both hands, and footclaws. One hand also slips down, aiming to cake off the handles of those knives. She spits a dribble of blood out the front of her mask, glaring into what passes for eyes on plant aliens, although her own are hidden behind reddish tinted lenses. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     While Albert recovers, someone else gets into the fray with Tiny! While Moonfin slams into the dirt after that sudden weirdly destabilizing exchange, grunting and rolling as best he can with his heavy wounding from Reimu, someone SWINGS from the hangar roof, and heads down towards Leyanne Mace, trying to catch her unawares as she focuses on the downed Moonfin, who can't get up on his own in time!     Her power-cutlass comes stabbing down HARD; whether or not she impacts, she won't focus on keeping the grip on the blade. Instead, she lets go of it, rolls off, and gets back to her feet... And then yanks Moonfin back onto his feet! Damaged though he may be by the interruption, he can still mostly function. She tries to drive Tiny back with another series of flintlock shots! 

:'''{{#var:673|Rory White (673)}} has posed:''' If she had a face, Rory would scowl at the strange pile of code that sneaks in over her buffered connections despite her best efforts otherwise. Havoc is wreaked on the counter-hacking front as various programs begin to crash, their virtual memory managers getting confused about what program is assigned what chunk.     And then, rather suddenly, the Cognizant Odyssey's connection to Numbani blips off.     But the ship... remains airborne. The spider-bot down at the network node doesn't explode or fizzle out or anything.     . . . . . *BLIP*     After about two minutes, the connection flickers back up and operations resume, no trace of the malicious code remains. It as though the entire system went back in time a minute or two?     The joys of multiple layers of sandboxing, instancing, and other layers of abstraction, and processors that are hard-designed to never allow any process access to more than a strict limit of processor time no matter its priority.     But valuable progress in restoring full control of the systems to Numbani was lost, and the A.G.I.'s frustration is mounting. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      As the missile circles around over to her, she smiles before beginning to fly in a figure eight pattern. The natural circling of the flight path actually makes it difficult for the missile to come close to hitting her due to the overall difficulty of circling to begin with. The missile keeps attempting to chase her, but since her flight is ignoring physics, while the minimissile's flight is forced to obey the laws of physics, she is free to continue barraging Staren's forcefield with homing talisman shots while the missile is left to slowly run out of fuel. 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Reinhardt clenches the hammer, narrowing his eyes at Septette. "Defender to defender, I will do my best to ensure you survive...but this will hurt nonetheless, a lot in fact." He warns, before Septette latches onto his back like a spider-monkey, and tries to choke him.     Gasping for air, Reinhardt tries to pry Septette off, but it's not easy on account of her robotic nature. He instead tries his best to smash her off, flinging himself back-first towards a wall or some manner of crate or anything else in range, almost comically flinging himself toward anything that may scrape Septette off. THis may take a while, and he'll probably run out of oxygen before he runs out of things to fling himself at. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Staren calls in a heavy strike! Albert is happy to provide. The missiles from before might not have hit, but maybe that was because Reimu was focused on Staren. Albert loads his last rockets into his rocket launcher, even while he has to lean on one of the cargo crates to prop himself up, and fires. These are a special airburst blend, the kind that detonate in close proximity to a target. Less damaging, but more likely to hit, and far more disorienting. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     "AaaaaaaAAAAAAUGH FEET CLAWSSS WHY." Biteblade calls out, suffering several brutal punctures up and down her body as those talons slam through refined durasteel. Laura finds something odd, as she does: Her foe's skin is a thick, flexible bark, the kind of thing that is actually not what claws were meant for. While that means Biteblade can survive, it doesn't mean Biteblade won't still get hurt, and those talons draw a sticky blood-like sap and a pained yelp.     "FfffffFFFFFLORAN EAT YOU FOR GET ANSSSWER QUESSSSTION." Biteblade calls out, lapsing briefly into tribal savagery, attepting to take advantage of the instability that comes with the kicks to tackle Laura down and just start BITING at her! The Floran's sharp teeth snap aggressively, trying to get a chunk of the Wolverinelet. 

:'''{{#var:1120|Soldier 76 (1120)}} has posed:''' The pulse rifle is designed for medium ranged combat. When it comes to close range, 76 prefers to use his fists. So as soon as Reaper clsoes outside of the effective range of the rifle, Soldier 76 slaps it down across his back where it magnetically locks into place, and prepares to face his long time rival. The shotgun smashes him in the face, the mask managing to absorb some of the blow, but forcing him to fall backwards, "My bomb?!" He yells out, "It was your bomb! You and Blackwatch betrayed us!" It was Reaper, still Gabe then, who threw the first blow all those years ago. It was Reaper who is the reason why Jack has a scar that never healed right across his face. He rushes in, closing the short gap between himself and Reaper, reaching out to grab the cloaked figure and rise up with his right knee to slam it right into that mask. He's going to break that mask off and see what's left of Gabriel under it. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      Now that she's got hold of him, Septette is holding on for dear life- the flat of her cooling blade is held tight across his throat, and her ceramet claws dig into the thicker portions of his armor for maximum grip. Every time she's slammed against an object, her battered body groans and shrieks metallically in protest, and she's forced to push with all her might against it with her leg to keep from being crushed. A yggdroid never fatigues, but the slowly-accumulating damage amounts to almost the same thing in terms of degrading her performance.      But still she holds on- even with mounting mechanical failures, the magical animating spirit that dwells in her bones refuses to let go. "You have earned my respect," she says in that cool synthesized voice, now twisted with distortion. "You already had my mercy. Rest now, old man. You have nothing else to prove." 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      Upon hearing the sudden burst of rockets and turning to see them coming directly at her, she reflexively begins to activate a spell card. Specifically, it's not even remotely a kind one.      Divine Spirit "Fantasy Seal: Blink"      Her entire body begins to glow a ghostly white as she suddenly begins to hasten up to miraculous speeds, allowing her to dodge both the airburst rockets and the minimissile as well. They both manage to take each other out as she barely speeds past them. In the process, she manages to wave her wand which unleashes a noticeably large amount of violet orbs directly upon both Staren and Albert. She seems to stop for a moment before bursting off towards them again and unleashing a second set of violet holy orbs as well. It's a good thing these are nonlethal though or otherwise, this could hurt. 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' Tesla picks her shinki up off her shoulder and sets the tiny robot down on the console by where 76's pulse blast cut through it. "Repair that while we're waiting." Saiga salutes with one of her normal hands, before plunging to the machine to get to work with her larger exo-frame style limbs. Then Tesla pulls a lever (it's mostly for effect since she can just do things mentally) that slides her seat through a hatch in the back of the cockpit. Moments later the seat slides into place at the back of the vehicle and swivels around. The technopath's eyes glow ominously behind her glasses as she raises her hands almost like a conductor readying his orcestra. But instead of instruments its various pieces of machinery that come alive from the walls and floor of the compartment. Outside Gremlynx run about the chaos of combat, ripping apart whatever technology they can find and hauling it back to the Mad Maximizer. It doesn't matter what. Because whatever they toss into the back of the vehicle, Tesla uses her powers and the machinery to strip down to basic components, and then reassemble into the components Seft was requesting. There's a shriek as one gets caught in the insane crossfire of multiple conflicts raging at once, no idea who attacking what the stray fire came from but it doesn't matter as the creature crumples from the damage. One isn't much of a loss to the numbers, another just picks up what he was carrying and runs off with it. Another group caterwauls in a panic as they veer around, trying to avoid the edges of the airbursts going off. Friendly fire isn't friendly at all, even if it's accidental! 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Rory's attention goes down.     "Alright, baby. Sing me a song of your sweetest secrets."     Somewhere in the deeper data core, George slams a little black electronic device square into a disconnected, high-security digital storage rack, activating one of Sombra's wonderful little tools. They've got a window where Rory won't be able to hard lock them out with some kind of trickery when the tool forcibly connects the data center for the upload to Sombra's own storage.     "Thanks for the window, S. Working the primary objective now." 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Reinhardt struggles still, grinding Septette against a wall with a roar. "I have my duty to uphold, even now!" He grunts, before he remembers something.     He still has one of his engines to use, and he can turn it on right now. So he does that. THe engine roars, and jet boosters kick in as Septette gets a point-blank blast of power right into her face, more or less. He's not gonna go down easily at all, no doubt of that, so long as he can still blast Septette off of his back. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace tries to lean out of Pavo's way, but unluckily for the mouse, she's just not quick enough. The blade cuts a good chunk out of her leg before it glances off the metal-reinforced bone and skitters away. Red blood leaks down onto the ground as the rodent yelps, flintlock fire pelting into her armour. But ballistic fire is what it was designed to deal with. Even as chips are blown free from the chestplate and helmet, the mouse advances on the piratical one, blood leaking from ler leg - and at least one fresh wound in her torso where one of those big, wide flintlock rounds has punched through her bodysuit. "Run!" The mouse growls "Before I do to you what I did to the ape." 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     It's easy enough to keep an eye... or an ear on several channels at once, getting transcipts of the voice coms on the fly. Which is good, as Sombra keeps her focus on the screen that shows the progress of her hacking of the intruder... Rory White. A grin spreads across her lips when the hack goes through. "Adios."     For two minutes she is able to focus on aiding the others with intel on the battlefield, as well as continue hacking. Hopefully the Flotilla can get to the main computer soon...     Then Rory is back online. And Sombra arches one split eyebrow, popping one dorito chip into her mouth as she watches and listens. "Huh." So she's back already. No matter. Security measures are in place, so she shouldn't be able to bother her again...     Especially not when George has gotten to the main objective and set the idiot (aka Reaper) proof hacking device in place. Smiling contently, Sombra begins typing away with great haste, fingers flying across the keyboard as connection is established, data is extracted and sent her way through proxies upon proxies. Yes, yes... this is exactly what she needs. 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:''' Laura Kinney doesn't really have the time for talking, not that she would anyway. This species certainly isn't like anything she'd fought before, and it turns out that slicing through tough fibrous plant matter is pretty difficult when the quarters are too close to get a good swing. It turns out that once kicked in, her foot claws give her a pretty good anchor point, allowing her more leverage to try to do some damage. While she's grappling for position, Biteblade's teeth latch onto her shoulder, the mutant teen letting out a cry of pain as a decent chunk of her shoulder is torn away, her left arm suddenly losing most of its impact. With a near primal scream of her own, Laura brings up her good right arm in an attempt to stab right through the roof of that gnashing maw. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      Most of Septette's body is designed with enormous tolerances to heat shock- her eyes and the delicate circuitry behind them, however, are not. Her remaining eye cracks as the glass rapidly expands, then gutters out as red-hot slag pours down her cheeks- she's operating almost blind now, relying on magical sensors and passive detection. But you don't need to see what you can touch, and she puts all of her strength into constricting her arms around Reinhardt's neck now that she's unlikely to win a straight fight!      The fingers on her left hand dig into the armor of her right arm as her upper limbs squeeze like a mechanical anaconda, her remaining servomotors shrieking and whining in protest. There's no magical energy left for spellcasting either- her remaining drone simply falls to the floor as she pulls her energy out of it, redirecting the mana to crudely forcing her body to move like a puppet.      Her legs go slack, leaving her full two thousand pounds of weight to pull on Reinhardt's throat in a desperate attempt to choke him into unconsciousness. The various status lights across her body go dark as all power is pulled from non-essential systems, and her core flickers erratically as its glow intensifies to meet the power draw. This has to be it... 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Reinhardt chokes and gasps, trying to keep his air where it should be. It's not easy, but he eventually manages one last headbutt at Septette to knock her off of him. "RRRRR!!!" His hands scramble and claw frantically to get ahold of Septette, and if he does get a hand on her, he grabs and tries to pry her off of his back and neck, and toss her like a rag doll. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     "Panicked. Thank you, thank you Ms. Armadia!" Seft calls out from the cockpit of the chaotic vehicle. Old power systems come to life! Engines roar, thrusters shine, and manufacturing systems finally come back online, after months of inactivity. George makes it to the control center from his stop, and only barely manages to stay out of sight of a screaming predatory fight between Biteblade and Laura while he nervously works the controls of the auto-assembly system, helping complement and reinforce Tesla's work.     They'd rather take the facility, capture it to use it as a launch platform, but that's becoming less and less viable as the heroes force them to retreat or surrender. Thankfully, with both the auto-assembly systems and Tesla's own technopathy, they're able to make up the advantage by a little less than half.     Seft's vocal tone is actually weirdly neutral. "Frantic. Allies are becoming increasingly at risk. Septette, Albert, and Biteblade will require extraction, and we cannot maintain control of the center." The cargo loading entrance of the ship opens a fresh airlock, bringing a large ramp down. "Urgent. Please make your escape immediately." Her voice calls out over radios. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Pavo is actually... Pretty intimidated by that. "Y-ye mad creature!" She launches her grappling hook back towards her ship, using it to launch and pseudo-fly up through the air, while Moonfin blips and blinks towards it... Barely keeping his teleportation stable as he does. He needs to get out FAST.     Did they expect Leyanne Mace not to pursue? No, it seems not. That's why Pavo seemingly left a small bomb -- with a little fuse and everything! -- near Tiny's feet. Always with the sleight of hand, those damn pirates. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace only notices the bomb when her foot nudges it. She looks down and sags slightly, just before the device detonates, launching the 500lb mouse across the tarmac. She bounces a few times before rolling to a stop on her back, with a soft exhalation. "Ow..." she mutters... OK, she's out of this fight. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Albert's weakened, damaged body is now pulverized by the nonlethal magical shots. There's really not a lot to say here. His armor's so damaged and absent in several places that the magic surges through with ease, brutalizing the monkey-man inside, and just cleanly knocking him right the heck out. He's blasted off his feet and onto the ground by the barrage of orbs; only seconds later, Pavo swings by on a grappling line attached above and yanks his heavy form towards their ship. "Hell's skies, matey yer a heavy son of a... Sorry lass! I be takin' this one back with ME!" 

:'''{{#var:368|Tesla Armadia (368)}} has posed:''' "Duely noted," Tesla replies. "Saiga, status?" There's a few soldering sparks and the shinki sticks her head out of the console. "I've patched enough to be mobile at least." "Good enough." Tesla started to shut down the machinery once the final components are on their way to Seft's ship, and return to the main cockpit. Puts one hand to her temple. She's not in direct control of the Gremlynx swarms, but she can still give commands to their neural network via her technopathy. Which is to simply switch off their self-preservation protocols. "See to it Septette can withdraw." Six of the small creatures aruptly snap to attention, followed by screams that could just as well be LEROOOOY JENKINS!!!1!1!! if it wasn't entirely gibberish as they rush in and try to mob the massive German. Their tiny forms and tools aren't going to do much to his armor. They're just a distraction for him to squash so his opponent can slip away. Meanwhile Tesla turns her attention back to her own vehicle, revving it up once the rest of her followers have climbed in and starts to drive away. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      The headbutt snaps Septette's head backwards, jostling her and snapping something in her neck but not weakening her grip. For the first time this fight, she lets out a primal, staticky scream- not of pain, but of raw, vicious defiance. She fights Reinhardt's grasping hands with every ounce of strength; his attempts to pry her off draw deep, sizzling gouges across his armor as she instinctively digs in deeper, even trying to ruin his remaining thrusters and damage the helmet's visor. Then the order to retreat comes over the radio.      In an instant, Septette's tactics change drastically. She goes from clinging on with near-berserker ferocity, to instead twisting and guiding Reinhardt's struggles carefully by adjusting her center of balance. Her grip finally relaxes, and even kicks off of his body for extra momentum when he throws her- directly through a nearby wall, out of the facility, and over a cliff.      There are only a few seconds before she hits bottom. A few seconds are enough. She produces an Ariadne's Thread from her pack, yanks it taut, and dissolves into glittering energy instants before she would have struck the ground below.      "Septette extracted. Good luck to the rest of you." 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' WHAM! The knee connects to the mask, jerking Reaper's head back. Small cracks appearing along the edge of that hardened, sterile thing - it's designed to take a beating, after all. But rather than jerk back as expected, Gabriel - Reaper - shoves -FORWARD-. Intending to get a hand under Jack's good leg and force him to the ground. Where Reaper can hammer with metal gauntlet fists. "Oh, yes. Because I'm one to light a fucking fuse in the building -while I'm still in it-. I -.. he was doing what was necessary." It almost sounded like Gabe. Almost, but for the voice croaking like it was forever on the edge of a scream, reverberating. And then the sound darkens, the bass kicking back in. Reaper settling back into his bad guy headspace. "But I'm not here to rehash old tales, Jack. I'm here to -finish yours-. And then I'll bury the rest of your ghosts - one. By. One." He always did talk too much. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      Rather than just stay behind like a smart person would, Reimu actually begins to fly directly after the shuttle. Her eyebrows furrow as she immediately begins to unleash another barrage of needles directly at Seft's ship, specifically, at the crew currently in the hanger. Her eyebrows furrow down and she begins to frown,      "If you think you're getting away from me, you've got another thing coming!"      It's pretty clear that the needles have no chance of piercing through the hull of the shuttle. Holy power can only do so much, but that's never really stopped Reimu from trying anyway. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     "Hhhahghhhaahaghaghah!! Hahahaghgghhgahga, hahhg hahaghhagha hagag hhhaghah hhahga -- hahhgghag -- ghhhaghagha, hhahahg hahggha!!" Biteblade shouts articulately, in intense pain. Biteblade managed to lean just slightly back, enough for the blade to emerge about from her brow, gushing more of that awful sap. She's in an outrageous amount of pain from the wound, and pretty desperate to do a proper Predator's Escape. That is to say, wound the other animal enough to get their claws out, and then escape!     She grasps the offending wrist with one heavy claw, then PLUNGES her remaining dagger into the offending elbow while biting on the wrist, intending to sever every involved nerve and many involved tendons. Well, that's not true, precisely. She wanted to sever the whole arm, but Laura's superhuman constitution prevented that. She yanks her head back and away from the claw... And it looks like that gulp of meat helped. Her own inbuilt regeneration can't restore the wound, but it can close it and make it less horribly lethal. It's not even close to Laura's powerful regeneration, but it's at least another part of their strange mirror.     And then she darts away, leaping onto the roof of the shuttle that the Starbound Flotilla now call home. "Ghhhh ghhhh ghhhh!!" She calls out. Telling them to go, probably? Oh shit, this puts her right in the line of fire of Reimu's magic! One of those needles skewers her right to the hull. "Hhhhhuuuuuhh! Verrrheh meeenh! Florah trrrh to ruh awah heerh!" 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Reimu can go EVEN FASTER! How can Staren possibly hit her with anything? Maybe he needs to stop messing around with missiles...     But shooting her will be a problem while he's assailed by violet danmaku orbs! He tries to dodge, the orbs now tearing through the forcefield...     On the bright side, as long as she's kept busy, someone's accomplishing the mission, right? 

:'''{{#var:1010|Reinhardt Wilhelm (1010)}} has posed:'''     Septette is extracted, and Reinhardt's been stalled. Once he realizes the reason as to why she did this, he does swing his hammer around at the Gremlin bots. They mob him, trying in vain to stab at his bits, only for Reinhardt to send each of them flying, tossing some and smashing others with his hammer like a golf club.     Eventually, he runs out of things to smash, and he slumps over. "I'm too old for this..." He mutters under his breath, sighing raggedly. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     It's time to withdraw. Sure, the Flotilla doesn't have all they need yet, but this is a start. With this data Sombra will be able to get them the rest either way, so it's better to retreat now before they suffer major losses. The defenders are not to be underestimated. Let's see if she can do something about it...     A signal is sent out in the area, aimed to all channels save for the one that Sombra has set up for her allies. A signal that will cause a loud noise on any active channels. Perhaps it will give her allies an opening if their opponents are distracted for a few seconds. But alas, Reaper... he's still fighting Jack and not about to pull away. So maybe she should try something else... Opening up the private channel she and her fellow Talon agent use, Sombra makes her voice as sweet as possible.     "Gabrieliiiiitooooo~" The hacker can't help but smirk for herself. "Me and Senor Sleepy Bear think you should go home right now, you can play with Jackie boy laaaaater." 

:'''{{#var:1111|Laura Kinney (1111)}} has posed:''' Laura Kinney cries out herself, half rage, half pain, as a combination of teeth, claws, and knives leave her left arm hanging limp, and her right one hanging on by a few strands of muscle and tendon. Not able to apply any more pressure with har arms, she sags backwards, landing on the ground with a thud and a wet sucking sound as her claws pull free of the plant alien. She lies on the ground, breathing heavily for a few moments. Okay... Left arm... This shouldn't take /too/ much strength yet... She manages to bring her hand to her stomach, pulling out the six inches or so of dagger still inside her, before tossing it off to one side with a clatter. Staggering to her feet, she looks down at her right arm again, rolling her still healing left shoulder a bit. That... Needs some work. Lifting it up so the stump sits about where it should, she holds the edges as best as she could as she slowly heads for where her ride home is, all the claws that still had intact nerves and muscle havingg retracted. And then her earpiece screeches with the harsh buzz of a wide spectrum jammer, and Laura almost stumbles, muttering something under her breath. No one liners here, sadly. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      Reimu was still trying to continue the woefully inadequate assault on the Flotilla. It was honestly quite amusing to see that her usual aggressive attitude wasn't working for once. The needles just kept bouncing off of the hull of the ship, but she was still determined to keep firing out of sheer insanity. After all, most of her problems were normally solved by shooting everything down, so maybe it'll work with enough firing. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     The Flotilla craft lifts off of the assembly platform, rising up. It swings low, offering a chance for Staren to leap into the craft, a swing past Reaper if Sombra can yell at him enough, with the door open enough for the misty man to swoop inside, and then, they take off, blasting through the door of the hangar and knocking over lesser craft on their way out.     They rush out, up above the hill line... And then over the horizon. And yet, not up into space. No, not where Numbani Space Center can detect them, or where they can be followed or pursued. They're staying on the surface of this planet, it seems. But why? What's their plan? It's not clear. Something's going to happen... Later, though. Not now. For now, they're going to find a staging area, set up a little techfort to rest in, and try to recover. That was a hell of a raid... And yet...     They're back. They've got what they need to survive now. 

:'''{{#var:1120|Soldier 76 (1120)}} has posed:''' The blow to the leg knocks Jack off balance, and sends him sprawling to the floor. Jack doesn't believe for a second that Gabe didn't betray him, but him so vehemently denying the bvomb...It'll need further investigation. But not right now. From the ground, 76 is quick to move again, diving towards one of Reaper's feet, but it's a feint, as he turns around to grab the ghost by the head, and haul him through the air and slam his face and mask into the ground, as well as bringing his neck down across his bicep 

:'''{{#var:1115|Reaper (1115)}} has posed:''' The fist pauses - a hesitation that will cost Reaper a lot as his masked face suddenly turns to the side. The voice that comes crawling in its skin saying a single word. Two syllables. The second one held and slowly getting louder. "Som-braaaaAAAAAAA!" Which is when he snaps his attention back to Jack, jerking his leg out of the way. Still too fast, J-*HRK*. Oh. Feint. The Lord of Edges is SLAMMED face first into the ground, faint -pings- of metal sprung away from the sterile bone white thing screwed into his forehead. His spine compressing as momentum catches up to him, breath hissing from his mask. And then he feels the familiar feel of a bicep across his neck. Oh, he remembers this pose. Face down with an arm around his neck. Usually this would be the end of it, as the two fought until blood - or unconsciousness - during training. A strained sound - laughter? But it's not one of pleasure, it's something snarky turned hideous. And he's ghosting again, a black smoke that wafts up and away - following the crack in the door. And the exit of the Flotilla. Perhaps he realized he'd be in over his head, with all the heroes on deck and his own support withdrawing. Perhaps Sombra pissed him off enough to draw the rapid dog off of it's focus on Jack. Perhaps he just likes leaving things unresolved. Perhaps he's just a jerk. Definitely the fourth. 

:'''{{#var:1120|Soldier 76 (1120)}} has posed:''' Damnit. He's getting away again. But that initial blow that he took from Tersla's blast is starting to catch up to him. He drops to a knee and watches as Reaper retreats, but the name he calls out, well, it's hard to miss. "Of course she was involved.." He mutters, as he clutches one hand over his chest. He's gonna need to take some time to heal that up, that's for sure. 
}}

5357/Aim High

2017-07-07T07:01:18Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/07/06 |Location=Overwatch Earth <OWE> |Synopsis=It's time to plan the next raid for the Concord's newest members, and Sombra and Maaka are onl..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/07/06
|Location=Overwatch Earth <OWE>
|Synopsis=It's time to plan the next raid for the Concord's newest members, and Sombra and Maaka are only too happy to contribute.
|Cast of Characters=672, 1117, 571
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     The Starbound Flotilla managed to establish a staging ground somewhere farther to the north of the Numbani region, out in more open savannah. They've dug an extensive underground base, with an elaborate disguised vertical hangar and launch bay. Sombra and Maaka won't find it difficult to lock onto the teleport coordinates with their respective teleporters. The base is a thick concrete sort of thing, looking sort of like a fallout shelter, but freshly constructed. Less than 24 hours ago, it was completed to perfection.     Incandescent lights are arranged in a harshly artificial lighting scheme. The teleporter is set into one of the walls of the central chamber, where the group seems to be working, giving the new arrivals a view of the spidery spread of passages out to where they've set up temporary residential stuff, power systems, and the like. In the main chamber, modern-industrial machinery is working away, churning out more ammo, repairing and reinforcing new armor, cranking out a few high-grade weapons.     Seft is currently operating the armor-crafting assembly apparatus. Pavo and George are hard at work on the hull and engines of the vessel, and there seem to be several smaller vessels -- maybe the size of a car each -- with their frames built. Moonfin works hard, operating mechanical assembly arms by hand on several melee weapons. Albert seems to be focused on assembling ranged weapons, crafting several heavy guns. All waiting for the new arrivals! 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     It's not difficult to get ready to get here, even if she's still not in the best of shapes right now and still a bit shook up from what happened in the debriefing room. But this is not the time to go and lick her wounds, not when there are things that need to be done. With the intel gathered from last night there are things to plan, and it's better to strike quickly before the management realises just what kind of data was stolen.     The teleportation is a piece of cake, something she's used to. Maaka however might notice the effects a bit more considering she's not used to translocation to the same degree that Sombra is. A nausea, something that lingers for a little bit. Unwrapping her arm from around Maaka's shoulders, the hacker steps forward to inspect the area and look upon the new allies and members of the Concord. Unlike the last time, Sombra's not hiding. Not when there's no reason to. The notorious hacker grins slightly, her eyes glancing between the members present. "Buenos dias... nice to meet you face to face. You guys work quickly, huh...?" Her attention falls to the ship. "When will you be ready for the next mission? Do you need more resources first...?" 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Having a nicely stocked armory means Maaka has PLENTY of ordinance to spare, and upon honing on the signal Sombra gave, she arrives dragging a bunch of crates FULLA guns on a dolly. "Hey guys!" She greets with a crooked grin, as she approaches Albert and Moonfin, using a pry bar on one of the crates to reveal a crapton of AKM rifles. "Brought you guys some gifts, ammo and spare parts included." She begins to lay them out on a table, as well as a few cans worth of 7.62 ammo to accompany them. Magazines should be easy to replicate, either bakelite, polymer, or even steel, provided the materials are in the crew's possession.     "I know it's a bit low-tech for you guys, but I figured I'd bring you the most idiot-proof guns I have."     If she's suffering nausea, it's pretty faint given her cybernetic enhancements. She may be easily compensating for the feelings that translocation brings. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     "Ahhhh, Ms. Maaka, our old ally. And Ms. Sombra, our new one. I am Moonfin. Welcome to you both." The fishman is the first one who looks up, stands, and bows in greeting. He was nearest the teleporter, and is their teleportation AND diplomacy expert after all! "Please excuse the lesser quality of our accommodations, as our full manufacturing prowess still eludes our abilities. Please, take a seat anywhere that suits you. Would you like some tea? The local blend is abhorrent to a Hylotl's refined palate, but perhaps it will be more palatable to you." Yep, there's even a little minikitchen off to one side of the massive chamber.     Albert grunts, picking up the weapons and examining them. "Good." He declares, simply. "We're low-tech right now. Fits fine. Easy manufacturing. Easy maintenance." He hoists the entire crate over one shoulder, using a powered lifting frame that is the current stage of rebuilding his armor. The proper armor was unfortunately utterly shattered yesterday in the fight.     George waves, and hops off of the ship. "We're gearing up for a solid prep in about forty-eight hours. Won't be able to manage the same high grade of materials as before, but we might be able to get something working. If you're lookin' for stuff to throw our way, we could use some more guns -- oh hey, that's covered, nice -- and maybe better metal for this armor, but what we could really use is some tech help. Our SAIL lattice had some data distributed on it and some of the network went down, you any good at hacky data recovery, Sombra?" Then he tosses his cigarette (it doesn't smell like tobacco for some reason) and stomps it. "Oh hey, Moonie's giving me a stinkeye so I've obviously forgotten my manners. George here, glad to meet you fleshwise S." He offers a handshake. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     The hacker bows in return, her arms out to the side as she does so. "I have been in far worse places, Moonfin," she assures him with a smirk. As for the offer of tea? "Gracias, I'll take a cup." Anything to help her raspy throat at this point. Does her eyes look slightly bloodshot?     Albert's reasoning makes Sombra turn towards him next, and then Maaka. It's good with their allies being armed properly. "If you need more high tech weaponry, let me know, si?"     Ah, so they're planning the next raid that soon? Excellent. "Good, so we head to the next target at that time..." she murmurs and glances upwards towards the ceiling. The question from George, now that makes the hacker snort. "Child's play." She was doing stuff like that early on.     Moonfin does strike her as the proper one of the Flotilla, indeed. So she smiles amiably, reaching out to take George's hand. "El placer es mio~" she assures him. "I do trust you understand why I had to conceal my identity until now, no? I'm glad our operation went as planned yesterday." Even if... some things afterwards didn't. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     "Tea sounds good to me." Maaka nods, grinning. She's glad the others approve of her gift, and she pries open another crate to reveal several Tokarev TT33 pistols. "These are equally idiot proof. Chinese copies I got a shipment of, real popular among criminals on most worlds." She explains calmly, producing one of the pistols, locking the slide back, and offering it up to Albert to inspect.     "I know a few friends who can get better tech, but it won't be easy or cheap to do so. I'm gonna have to grease their palms considerably for the fun toys." She says, shrugging her shoulders. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     George shakes the hand firmly. Moonfin seems to be satisfied when he returns with tea. "I've made as close to a proper Hylotl blend as can be managed." He says. "Medicinal properties and taste in equal measure." He tilts his head and squints all three eyes, perhaps noticing those bloodshot eyes, as he hands her a cup. It's recently-crafted, the Hylotl having had no time to re-acquire any higher quality Hylotl teacups. "If you are able, once you are settled in, your assistance in recovering lost data would be quite helpful. Of course, you are invited to copy what might interest you, should any remain."     "Aye, lass!" Pavo calls down, from her perch on the ship. She stays up there as she speaks. "A face be a terrible thing to waste for one such as ye. No such luxury for me own mug, but what's a piraten without a few wanted posters, aye? Yarharharhar!" She gives a cawing laugh, before hopping to another spot on the ship to continue work. "Aye, matey, right to scheme! Me hope's a dozen more, and a dozen after! Yaaaah!" She seems... QUITE enthused about working with Sombra.     Albert looks over the pistol. He examines the sights. He rapidly -- with disturbing precision -- disassembles it and reassembles it in about ten seconds. "Good. Not great. Within our means." They can't afford to make or maintain "great" weapons right now. This is what they need. Albert makes a grateful sort of grunting sound. "Thanks." That's about all he can say here. "Don't spend too much. Can raid, can earn, can do whatever's needed." He says, wanting to make sure there's a chance at some point, in some way, to properly earn their keep. Albert still doesn't like the idea of not being fully independent, and he's keeping whatever independence he can manage. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     The latina lets go of George's hand, only to raise her hand and touch her index finger to his nose. "Boop."     Next she takes the offered tea, giving a polite nod to Moonfin. So they will let her look at the data? Perhaps it would be prudent to keep silent about the fact that she copied whatever she could get her hands on when she hacked into their chatroom the other day... "Gracias. I can do that while I enjoy this tea, amigo." With tea cup in hand she walks over to the ship, and she chuckles at Pavo's flattery. "I know, I know... I'm wanted in this world, though very few people know my face. Why, some even think that Sombra is a group," she chuckles, sipping her tea. Her free hand reaches up, and with a few movements of her fingers her gloves come to life it appears, purple lines appearing between her and the ship. In response the circuits on the ship light up, looking quite alien as Sombra brings up a screen. "Hmm. This shouldn't take long."     For now she remains on the ground, crouching down into a sitting pose, looking over the data and information from the SAIL unit. "Hmmm. You reset it after my visit the other day, did you?" she smirks. It was to be expected. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Teeeeea. Maaka snags a cup, sipping it as she raises the cup to Moonfin. "Cheers." she grins, before she leans against the table Albert's at. Watching him disassemble and reassemble the pistol is impressive considering he's only had it for ten seconds. "Sure know your weapons, mate." She muses.     She goes over inventory, as well as potential hot zones. "I'm thinking we could go for another raid once you guys are back to snuff. What do you need to fix your armor?" she asks suddenly, wheels turning in her head as she tries to narrow down targets; ANother Izunagi site, South America, Seoul, Dubai... 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     George is booped. For some reason, it makes him laugh a single, solid laugh. "Ha!" He says, for no particular reason. Moonfin has more to say. "Quite an understandable position. George's extensive history is a bit troubled by that sort of revelation. As Concord members, your face shall be safe with us. Though, is there perhaps something you might wish for us to call you, should you find yourself in the physical presence of our group and of non-Concord individuals, during work?"     "Ssskull friend!" Biteblade calls out. Where was she? Wherever she was, she's falling down from above now, and landing with the group. "Floran isss baaaaack! Wasss patrol! All clear! Perimeter, very tight!" She looks proud of herself. "Floran kill many big prey! Meat isss menu for tonight! You!" She says, gesturing strongly to Sombra. "Ssskull friend! Ssstay for eat meal with Floran? Floran hunt big prey! Show you!" And there's also Maaka here! "Cyborg friend! Floran missssed!" She immediately launches at Maaka, intending to basically glomp her hard. "You, definitely ssstay! Come come come! Floran cook for you now! Now now pleeeeeeaaaaassse pleassse!"     She's practically trying to drag Maaka away for some delicious meals. Very proud of her kills, apparently! And just as friendly as Maaka might remember. Then she nods to Sombra. "Yeah! You break in, Floran ressset! Make sssense. Hope, isss not offend? Floran trussst, but alwaysss caution. Right?" More :>-style eager grins on her way out. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka is about to say things, but suddenly     SUDDENLY BITEBLADE. Maaka is glomped full force by the Floran, and she's dragged off. She can barely resist or protest, beyond the initial 'Oh hey I miss-OH GOD!' Flailing, she's forced to do nothing but indulge Biteblade. THis could either be amazing, or terrible, knowing the Floran's habits. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     "People will know about me sooner or later," Sombra says, brushing it off with her free hand as she crouches. "Call me Sombra. The Overwatch has already seen me, as long as the entire multiverse doesn't know my face I can't be too bothered. Nicknames are fine if you got them, si?"     Which Biteblade seems to have covered. The floran's arrival earns an amused look from the hacker as she glances upwards, then down to where she lands among the group. Skull friend, huh? "That works, amiga. And si, I will stay for dinner." It's not like she has other stuff planned, and perhaps it's better to stay away from the Concord base for now.     No, there are no hard feelings. Sombra shakes her head, her gaze on her screen as she works. "No, it's okay. Caution is wise. I would have done the same." It's more amusing than anything, really. After a few more seconds Sombra arches an eyebrow, then brings up a section. "Ah, I found your missing data. I will have to get it back into your system, anything specific you don't want overwritten?" she inquires Pavo and George. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     "Certainly, then. I shall endeavor to hasten it little, but will make no inconvenience of the matter." Moonfin says, doing that little bow-like nod he used to do. He looks at Biteblade with a little distaste, and seems relieved when she disappears. "Thank you for the company, then, Ms. Sombra. And of course, for the assistance."     Albert grunts, hefting crates of weapons onto the shuttle. He interposes on the question to George and Pavo. "Plenty of room now. Lattices being repaired. No need to overwrite. Avoid deleting designs. Delete sensor records if necessary. Extraneous now. We'll figure things out later." He says, as he walks. "Thanks." He says, again. More terse. He's about as well-spoken and friendly as Reaper, albeit less constantly angry and less constantly edgy.     Seft remains conspicuously lacking in contact. She looks rather Omnic over there, robotically toiling away at the manufacturing station. Pavo calls out, "Aye! Thank ye, lass! Lackin' the materials to use those designs again, but whatever of 'em we can keep in our back pockets is a blessing! Yarharharharhar!" She finally finishes up on the top of the vessel, leaping down to Sombra. "Thinkin', anything we can't use, we sell! Anything left, we'll find a way to make it useful! Thinkin' we can use some dregs of the Spellsword Project ye restored already! Aye, wager Moonfin can do somethin' useful..." 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     "We're amigos now, si? So we help each other. You helped me get the intel I wanted yesterday, and you got a start to rebuilding your group again. After our next raid then you ought to have even more resources, and so will I. Keep on assisting me, and I will lend my help in return." Having their skills is worth lending her hacking talent for, indeed.     Even as Albert cuts in and gives her a runover on what needs to preserved and not, Sombra gets to work. Delete sensor records... design folders? Let's clean those up there. Such a messy system, but then again, if they've had little room to store all their data, that's only to be expected. "Are you always so eloquent, Alberto?" she muses. Perhaps Seft is a bit uneasy around somebody who wields tech as easily as a sorcerer utilises magic. Nevermind that, Sombra sees no reason to hack her. Instead she focuses on the friendly Pavo. "I've cleaned up your system a bit too, made things a bit easier to read for you." Another sip of her tea, and then the hacker smirks. "After our next operation you might not need to sell. The tech up there should be easy enough to convert to something usable for you, and huh... maybe you have some information to sell after we've done." After she's found the stuff that she wants to keep for herself, that is. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Albert grunts. "Albert. Albert Petrov." He clarifies. It's got a vaguely Russian tone. "I don't bother with to much speaking. No use in more words than the minimum. Goals and mission, only thing relevant." Another grunt is fairly final about that point, indicating Albert is unlikely to budge on his philosophy, flawed as it may be.     "Albert over there was chosen as a test subject in the unethical scientific pursuit of permanently lodging a stick up someone's ass." George offers, doing a little fingergun gesture at Albert. He makes an angry grunt in return. "Don't worry about him, he's kind of a shut-in. What's on the menu next time, S?" George seems quite eager to get into the next mission.     Seft cocks her head slightly, and her eyes briefly display an icon of a mic's sensitivity turning up. Pavo calls out, "Aye, lass! Tell yer tales! Me ship's light on loads, and ready to take a new mark! What's ye plan with yer new data?" All five of the present Starbounders take an attentive posture, eyes lit up with dramatic attention. Just like before, Sombra might feel that weight in the air, of the group ready to bring their tremendous force against their objective. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     "Si si, whatever you say, Alberto~" Sombra agrees. Well, if this guy reminds her about Reaper, then he might as well take a joke or two. This guy is less likely to apply threats of asphyxiation. She hopes.     George's joke earns a wry grin, clearly the latina appreciates his sense of humour. His question, now that makes Sombra smile with amusement, eagerness twinkling in her eyes. "Next time, chicos... we're going to the moon."     All it takes is a gesture of her fingers, laquered titanium nails tapping into the air with a 'boop' as a holographic projection appears. The moon, indeed. Using two fingers Sombra zooms in on a section of it for them all to see. "Horizon Lunar Colony... constructed by Lucheng Interstellar. Home for genetic experiments and space exploration. The data they hold might give me some new leads as well... and the equipment there has been abandoned, ripe for the taking." Yes, this will do just nicely. "With nobody there the risk of interference is low, though beware... there might be genetically enhanced gorillas about." Winston's family might prove a problem, but not too much. There's a major difference between the crew she'll be bringing and the scientists that used to work there.     Turning her gaze towards the Flotilla captains, Sombra stands up, sipping her tea. "So how do you vote, capitanes...? Si? No?" Not that she can't imagine their answer already... 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Albert fires an exhalation out of his nose like it was a return volley against the attack. Classic gorilla style. But he doesn't seem like the kind to start hurting allies. Just to get all worked up in a bad way at some point.     George and Pavo both circle in on the data. Moonfin joins them, standing behind, ominously. George raises an eyebrow. "Lunar colony, huh? Genetic engineering, monkeys... Well! I got some experience with this sort of business! I used to be a genetically enhanced monkey!"     "No you weren't." Moonfin crosses his arms critically, and shakes his head. Then he leans in on this. "But, quite a useful goal to take. If we can extract even a few small samples, even a single access point's worth of data... The technological advancement that we could undertake would be tremendous."     "Aye, and the profits! A great chance, lass! See yer goal now, and I love it, matey! Ye will have our crew on this job for sure! Yaaaaah!" Pavo calls out, cheering again. "We'll get ye to the moon, and get ye what yer after, no question! Pick a boat, lass, and it'll be yers for the ride! Let's get the Concord to the /moon/!"     They seem quite excited. And they seem quite prepared. Come Saturday, they'll be ready to launch... And to make their way to the moon. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     As expected... this is the ideal mission, high gain and low risk. With the exact resources that they all want. Sombra smirks knowingly as the Flotilla members gather around her projection, and with a flourish of her hand she brings up more data for them to read, a list of inventory and specs regarding the lunar colony. "Make a new shopping list, amigos. We shall take what we want, and after this our fleet ought to be ready for some real missions." It's useful making friends like this, especially if they can help her in the long run. Firepower is just what she needs.     "Any boat?" she muses, then brings up yet another screen, using her fingers to flick pages as she inspects the various vessels that the Flotilla has. Finally she settles on one, the one that's the most technological and most useful to her. "That one." It doesn't matter whether she gets along with the captain well or not, they have a job to do. "Si. A la Luna." A smirk crosses her lips, and a single touch to the projections causes them all to burst into a firework of pixels.     "Boop." 
}}

5351/Intruders and Invitations

2017-07-04T21:38:00Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/07/04 |Location=Summer |Synopsis=The Flotilla chatroom has an unathorised user log in. Though she doesn't appear to have hostile intentions, r..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/07/04
|Location=Summer
|Synopsis=The Flotilla chatroom has an unathorised user log in. Though she doesn't appear to have hostile intentions, rather the opposite.
|Cast of Characters=1117, 672, 632
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     Sending packet. Uploading 25/100.     Interference detected.     run sombra_protocol.exe.     Connection established.     user Sombra has entered the chatroom.     The chatroom that the Starbound Flotilla normally uses sees its second session within short time after a long time of inactivity. Except this time the user who initates the session is new, and uninvited. The dark room is empty in one moment, and the next a cloaked figure steps in, each step leaving hexagonal echoes as if stepping onto water. Raising her hands, the figure summons up a holovid screen, slender fingers spreading to creatre more screens. With ease her fingers dance across the screens, typing away in a near furious tempo as invitations are sent out.     Recall userbase. Users found. Find last IPs. Send invitations? y.     The holovid screens flare with life as the invitations are sent out to the users who were connected to this chatroom last. It shouldn't take long now... 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     The Starbound Flotilla isn't much of a Flotilla anymore. They're one ship, with one SAIL unit. The all-purpose AI-based processing system centralizes most aspects of their computing, teleportation, and communications, though thankfully it's utterly disconnected from manual systems like life support. It's also generally not much capable of defense against Elite-level hackers at the moment. The only thing keeping them away is the idea that there's not much worth stealing; they've lost most of the Irradiance, Spellsword, and Galactian project data during the upheaval.     Not much worth stealing, maybe, but there might be something worth contacting. They're currently parked in a sense, drifting in space with George on the outside in a hardsuit doing hullwork to piece it together using some recently recovered materials from Septette's homeworld. It's not much, but it's enough to get it spaceworthy for a mission. The others are at work inside, trying to get their armor in working order and ready for use. When the SAIL unit beeps the alert that its chat program has activated, they perk up, curious. Well, a few of them do, anyway.     Sombra's first visitor is, well, the SAIL unit itself, actually. "Based on intrusion risk assessment, I've determined that you may have significant levels of control over this server." Says the flickery holoman, a blank and blue form that's neutral in all ways. "Due to my lacking computing power, I cannot perform any significant defense. Instead I will kindly ask that you not cause damage while you are here, as we are amid space-based repairs and it may cause unforeseen consequences with peril ratings exceeding three hundred morts. Thank you for your consideration."     The second one is Moonfin, who prods the SAIL interface and gets the telepresence chat set. The server is tenuously connected, so the bandwidth is low, their semi-holographic forms to and from digital space are flickery and glitchy, but it's working. "Greetings, visitor. I am Haruto, a Moonfin of the Hylotl and once-captain of the SFS Connoisseur. It seems you wish to contact the Starbound Core Fleet...?" The politeness has a conspicuous tenseness, the calculated tenseness of someone who recognizes the show of power and secrecy involved in the contact, and who is making a point of being polite specifically out of that sort of respect. He folds his webbed hands in front of him. "We shall connect as we are able. How can I help you?" 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     The arrival of the SAIL unit is met with a cant of the head of the intruder. As her hood falls slightly to the side, a calavera can be seen underneath it, lifeless eyes staring back at the neutral form. The voice that speaks is distorted, though it hints towards female. It's impossible to get a voice match on this however. Seems somebody takes their security rather seriously. "Ah, you're right about that. There's no way you're throwing me out, but don't worry... I have no mal intent. I'm just here to talk," she states with a note of humour in her voice as she waves her hand in a flourish. "It wouldn't do if your crew came to harm, that would only upset the plans I have."     With Moonfin logging in, the hacker turns to them. "Aaah, buenos dias! Yes, I do. If I merely wished your data, I would have taken it without you knowing. It's so much easier to get ahold of you all when I send out invitations like this, it's kind of you to not keep me waiting, I'm a rather busy person," she states, and unlike Moonfin there's no tension whatsoever to hear in the distorted voice. "But I will wait until you're all here."     Bringing up her hand, she summons another screen; one that shows the chat the flotilla had the other day. "I do see that you all have a voice in this, and I do wish for you all to consider my proposal. A proposal that can be beneficial to us all, amigo~" With that said, the intruder claps her hands as a digital chair appears in the middle of the chatroom, one that she sits down in, reclining with complete confidence as she crosses one leg over the other. Yes, it appears that whoever this is, she considers this chatroom to be hers for now. So much that she begins changing the settings for now. Within seconds the place turns a cool purple, the lighting becomes slightly more dim, with calaveras floating around in the distance. Chairs are summoned in front of her own, all ready for the members as they arrive. 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      Organics tire and sleep, but Septette never truly takes a break from her duties. It takes a handful of milliseconds from the invitation being received for her to decide to accept it, patching the strange transmission through to her radio and camera-set. In contrast to the wavering holographic forms of the Flotilla, she appears as a face on a screen: the space-age technology of the Flotilla is still a little strange to her taste.      When it switches on after a few moments, her video feed shows a black-haired lady with faintly glowing lavender eyes and a simple headset; the camera is tightly focused enough on her face that the rest of the room isn't visible. There's a sound like cutlery being sharpened as she laces her fingers together below the pan of the camera and inclines her head forwards slightly.      "I'd almost forgotten this channel existed," Septette murmurs- an affable, humanizing lie. "Moonfin, to whom do we owe the pleasure?" Her voice is soft, emotive, but clearly synthetic in timbre- one could be forgiven for assuming she's using some form of vocal modulation software. Her eyes are fixed on the video transmission Sombra provides, soaking in every detail. One never knows when a stranger might let something useful slip in their slightest quirks of affect. 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Pavo is the next to log in, flickering her own deep yellow form into the digital area. "Aye, matey? A proposal?" The bird flickers into resolution on the telepresence, pacing up near Moonfin and peering at the mysterious figure. "If it's business ye seek, we've little to trade. If it's services ye seek, well, we've always need of income, but ye sure as anything will find a better deal if it's something to make our little group more spaceworthy."     Moonfin nods. "My friend speaks accurately. We are certainly quite willing to hear all proposals, especially from one who demonstrates such... Significant information awareness. Of course, I shall have the others join us. Friends?"     Albert grunts. His login is brief and doesn't do much. He's busy disassembling and repairing guns. Seft pings, and connects via her own actual digital interface, her own visual form in digital space being a sort of empty suit of armor. George connects via external telepresence. He's upside down, and Sombra will detect that's not a hacking thing, he's just sort of like that right now, floating upside down in space. Biteblade... Doesn't connect? No, instead she shoves her face up to the screen where Septette is transmitting. "Floran, isss alssso here! Hiiiii!" Looks like she'll be screensharing with Septette.     Moonfin smiles. "You have our attention, visitor." He says, gesturing wide to the multitude of digital presences. Then he bows. "How may the Starbound Flotilla assist you?" 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     Once Septette has logged in and her feed appears, the hacker gestures towards the screen, flicking it towards one of the chairs. "Kind of you to join us, amiga. You may call me Sombra."     The video transmission that Sombra provides is clearly not real, but virtual. The avatar she's invaded the chatroom with will do for now. Nothing about this is real. Her appearance, her voice... all digital.     Here they all arrive one after another. Excellent. "Welcome, I'm glad you could all join in since this is something that concerns all of you. After all, it appears that you all are in need of resources, no?" The previous chat is brought up for them all to see, a transcript behind Sombra and her chair as it scrolls down in a slow tempo. "When I ran across it, I couldn't help but feel... simpático. And I wish to help you, since I could use your firepower. Especially if you wish to join the Concord."     All it takes is one gesture from Sombra, and they are given more information that pops up on their screens. In the chatroom, it's a small holovid in front of each of them. George's is placed updown for his convenience as well. "The Earth I hail from is a technological marvel compared to many, and it should suit your needs." A map of Africa is opened for each of them, with coordinates provided. "The city of Numbani.... a place where omnics and humans leave in peace, very progressive in many ways. Especially when it comes to space travel. I will help you raid it... if you make sure to help me get the information that I seek." 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      When Biteblade shoves her way into the frame, Septette makes a kind of undignified "ackpfth!" sound and scrunches up her face before settling back down and zooming the camera out a bit. It appears the camera is angled upwards slightly, which would give her a slightly imposing look if not for the fact that she's sharing her screen with an overenthused plant. The new angle shows her wrapped tightly in a faded lavender shawl, sitting in a wood-furnished room with simple stucco walls. Judging by the cup in her lap, it seems the pair were interrupted in the middle of tea.      Arcubielle's face falls back into its gentle smile, but internally her mind is racing as the milliseconds stretch out like molasses. She covers multiple possible sequences of events, but one is most likely and most prominent in her thoughts. Extrapolating from known voting behaviors in the Flotilla regarding piracy or violent intervention for profit: Biteblade will assent. Pavo will assent. George will likely assent. Albert will assent provisional on confirming it isn't some form of setup. Seft will likely dissent. Moonfin is harder to predict but ultimately will not cast a deciding vote. Predicted vote: 4-2 or 5-1 in favor, assuming favorable conditions and likely profitability.      Given that the Flotilla has a high chance of agreeing, whether now or after due diligence, the only decision left to Septette is whether to aid them on this 'raid'. It is almost certainly illegitimate and illegal, or this 'Sombra' would not be contacting them through such means. It is almost certainly going to be dangerous, or Sombra would not bother recruiting muscle. Nonzero risk of injury to Flotilla members. Likely nonzero risk of civilian casualties. Given all that...      It would be irresponsible not to accompany them. Failure to do so could lead to greater chance of Flotilla casualties, which indirectly affects the safety of her own world. And if she's in on the raid, she could sway them in favor of tactics less likely to cause casualties among defenders or civilians.      "Go on," she replies a fraction of a second later, lifting the teacup to her lips with one skeletal, metallic hand. "I'm listening." 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     "Awww, you felt sorry for us? What a generous person!" George says, clasping his hands behind his head and grinning through the hardsuit's solid helmet. "You're a real friend here, you know. Sounds like a hell of a place to get things properly restarted! I'd love to get a real assembly setup to work with, you know, welding stuff out here by hand is just bad."     Albert grunts. Septette's prediction isn't wrong. "More information. What do you want? Need to make sure this isn't a trap." He looks up for once from his extensive weaponwork. It's not clear if he's making a tactically judging sort of grimace, or if that's just the natural state of his face at all times, since he's never NOT making that face.     Seft already looks uncomfortable. Her digital avatar shifts and looks awkward. "Worried. Mr--*beep* Ms. Sombra, I wish to avoid dealing with too much violence... The sort that come from threats or excessive breaching. If we take this offer, I will be helping even if I would rather not hurt a city like that, but..." The empty suit of armor actually fidgets in a mechanical way. "Nervous. Will you be providing any access codes or similar? It would make me feel much better to avoid as much of the combat as possible."     "Matey, you've already a deal from me, probably Bitey too! A smash and grab on a space center, aye! 'Tis just what we be needin' to fix up me boat!" Pavo cheers, raising a hand. "Castin' me vote in favor of this operation already! Ye just tell me what ye be needin' in that place, matey! We'll take it all and give nothin' back!" 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     The hacker remains silent as the members voices their opinions, though she is still typing away at her virtual keyboard, her right hand not slowing down as text runs down one of her private screens, too quickly for most eyes to follow.     When they have all said their part, she nods, addressing Albert first. "I want information on the Lunar colony. There are safe guards set in place by the Overwatch that I can't get past without being there physically. But since you have need of resources, I thought I would be effective. After all," she begins, amusement lingering in her voice, "why not get two birds with one stone, amigos?" Albert's concerns are completely valid, and Sombra leans forward in her seat slightly. "If we do this right, then this can just be the beginning of a wonderful <amistad>, Alberto. I am willing to provide information if you are willing to be muscle, especially for the Concord."     Seft gets Sombra's attention next, "While I do not care whether you kill any people or not, I did read up about you." Tapping one screen, Sombra then sends it towards Seft. "Here are the access codes, they will be valid for two more days. There are various clearance levels, but these should take care of all of them." So worry not.     As the others appear to be in favour, Sombra chuckles slightly. "I'm glad you are amiable towards my proposial, niños. I will send you a package with tools that ought to make it easier for you, including a way for you to get the information to me. Don't worry, it's idiot proof." After all, she had to create tech that /Reaper/ was able to use.     "There should also be information there about the people leading the space program, and if we use that information correctly, we might be able to get our hands on even more resources. For you, and for me. Though I do warn you, there is a task force on said Earth, the Overwatch." Dossier folders are transmitted to the users of the chat rpp, all done with a tap of Sombra's finger on a hexagonal purple light on her keyboard. "I suggest you read up on the information beforehand and be prepared for their... interferencia. Do not underestimate them. I will do my part to prepare beforehand so that you may easily enter the space center. I have assembled an inventory list, maps of the place, and I will remotely do what I can to shut down their security system. That way you will only have to deal with the Elites that will surely respond sooner or later. Hopefully my aid will give you the time needed so you can acquire what you need to get back to business." 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      Ah, there's the inevitable catch. A local Elite taskforce- that's why she needs hired help. A strobe of indistinct lights plays across Septette's face as she flips through the pages of the dossier as quickly as they'll load, committing their contents to memory. "Ah, yes. ¿Por qué no los dos? Sound business model, killing with a borrowed knife." Despite the dispassionate words, Septette's tone remains outwardly cordial.      "Such funny names... 'Reinhardt', 'Soldier 76', 'Mei'. They look almost like a team of adventurers from back home, albeit with shinier gear. I'm sure we'll be alright, Sombra." If there's one piece of advice the little war-machine is sure to disregard, it's the one about 'not underestimating them'. Maybe she'll wise up after a few pulse rounds to the face.      "I think this information will suffice. Has anyone else been tipped off to this opportunity, that you know of? I'd hate to see any other potential collaborators fall victim to a 'shoot on sight' policy." Off-camera, she scribbles something on a sheet of paper on the table, and silently slides it over to Biteblade: "Restore SAIL and all ship drivers from latest external backup afterwards." 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     Biteblade taps the paper and does a little thumbs up. Her eager, bright, cheerful persona isn't stupid. She even avoids nodding or anything like that onscreen! She does, however, give her own input. "Moon colony! Floran think, we can help! We help you get to, too! Floran get to space center, rebuild... Then, you come with! We go to moon together! Yeah! Floran think, agree for proposssal." She seems quite eager to propose even more collaboration!     Albert grunts. "Once links are made with the Concord, this will be enough." He says. Seems to take that as acceptable. "Tools. Good. You supply, cover, we'll act." He clicks a heavy emitter on one of his laser guns into place, locking it with an ominous THUNK sound. "Have the firepower to cover any other gaps. Will bring all our force. I won't underestimate. Maximum prejudice. I agree to the proposal."     Pavo says, "Aye aye, lass. Send ye list, we'll take 'em all. If ye can give us help like this, all the better we're hoping to join up on the Concord." She's already looking over the Overwatch data with eager eyes, hoping to break through security of that significance.     George has been contemplative, but he finally speaks up. "Oh hey, blackmailing a space program big-wig? Yeah, definitely count me in. Especially if it takes us to space colonies. Love those places! Let's hit 'em, perfect job for me." He says, gesturing in both comically exaggerated ways, and ways that somehow keep his upside-down state utterly stable.     Moonfin nods several times... "Well, it seems we are mostly decided. The Starbound Flotilla shall take your offer, work to acquire your data, and hopefully restore ourselves. Potential collaborators... Perhaps it would be good to make a full and proper contact with the Concord sooner rather than later. We will establish our links shortly, in that case, and thank you greatly for the opportunity, Ms. Sombra." He bows again, a common gesture for him. "We shall carve from this city the gem of their achievement, and return to the state of our namesake in turn." 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     "Nobody else knows. I prefer keeping things on the low. And I'd hate to risk allies that prove themselves useful to me. It is a public area, so I can't stop any bystanders from calling in reinforcements. It it was in a remote area, then it would be easier. But I trust you will be able to handle the situation. Otherwise I wouldn't have contacted you."     The comment regarding the Overwatch agents are rather amusing, and Sombra points at Septette and Biteblade's screen. "I would greatly appreciate it if you're able to keep my involvement in this entire deal quiet, it will make it easier for me to assist you in the future. The Overwatch is not particulary fond of me, desgraciadamente..."     The fact that the members of the chatroom now seem to be less tense, that's a good one. "I'm glad to hear you're all on board, just as I expected. Sí, I'm sure we will talk more once you're formal members of the Concord, and then we can meet face to face. I trust you can understand that somebody like myself must act with caution." Rising to her feet, Sombra closes the screens, all while her chair disappears into a thousand tiny partickles. "I'm certain a successful mission will ensure the Concord accepting you as members, and I will vouch for you if needed." She too bows to the members, peering up through her hood, the calavera skull almost looking mischievous thanks to the shadow falling over her 'face'. "Should you need me for whatever reason, whether it be intel or friendly chatter... just say my name and I'll step out of the shadows, colega." 

:'''{{#var:632|Septette Arcubielle (632)}} has posed:'''      Septette nods wordlessly, seeming satisfied, and cuts her feed. Then she takes a long, slow sip of tea and scruffles Biteblade's leafy hair, while staring into empty space with a contemplative expression. She's rarely one for long pauses (save for dramatic effect), but this one stretches out for several seconds while she appears to be deep in thought. Then, electricity arcing between her fingertips, she reaches out and fries her own camera. Not worth the effort of going through all her comms devices for potential contamination.      "Biteblade," she finally says, "I think it's time to go shopping. I'll need my adventuring supplies again." 

:'''{{#var:672|Starbound Flotilla (672)}} has posed:'''     "A name such as yours is better spoken among friends than among enemies, Ms. Sombra." Moonfin says, with a wry grin. "We acquired such tools through an anonymous supplier; all else is beyond our reach." The Flotilla won't say anything, though they take no responsibility if Sombra's tools and hacking get traced back to her. "It is our pleasure to have made your acquaintance, and to have made this arrangement. If all goes to plan, you shall find the data transmitted to you within 36 hours, alongside notice of our membership in the Concord."     There's a moment. A singular moment where the eyes of every Flotilla member present all seem to gleam. Even Seft's empty armor shines ominously. The coordinated group, even with dissenters among them, commit fully. By tomorrow evening, Sombra will have what she was after, and so will the Starbound captains.     +_+ +_+ +_+ +_+ +_+ +_+     "I look forward to our upcoming meeting, Ms. Sombra. And all that comes from it. Farewell." Septette's camera fries, and that heralds each Starbound member flickering off. Seft, then Albert, Pavo, George, and finally Moonfin, giving that elegant bow with the precise noble posture... The meeting is completed. Plans are in motion. They're bound for the stars again. 

:'''{{#var:1117|Sombra (1117)}} has posed:'''     "Bueno. I'm glad we have reached an understanding," Sombra states, the distorted voice sounded rather pleased. If they can do this without mentioning her name, the better. If not, then that's fine. "Adiós." With that the hacker's avatar disappears into a myriad of purple electronic particles, just as the other users log off.     Opening her eyes, Sombra stretches in front of her work station, all her screens illuminating the hidden lair. "Hmmm, as expected. Perfecto." She stretches her legs, her pj bottoms hiking up slightly on her calves. "Now we just have to wait... What do you think, Señor Sleepy Bear?" Sombra asks, readjusting the teddy bear that is propped up against one of the screens. "Oh, this is brilliant! Gabe will love this, especially if those hombres can take out any of the Overwatch agents," she adds in a different voice, only to revert back to her normal one. "Quizás, Señor Sleepy Bear. Quizás..."     This will be fun either way. 
}}

Sombra

2017-05-12T02:23:41Z

Varnani:

{{CharacterRedux
|NameOnMUSH=Sombra
|Color=#bd218a
|Char_id=1117
|Img=http://i.imgur.com/O3Beeje.jpg
|FullName=-REDACTED-
|Gender=Female
|Species=Human
|Theme=Overwatch - 1
|Chartype=FC
|Active=Active
|Function=Hacker
|Faction=Concord
|Rank=Associate
|Ranktype=Member
|Quote="Everything can be hacked... and everyone."
|PAge=30
|AAge=30
|Aging=Yes
|Height=5'5''
|Weight=135 lbs
|Hair=Brunette/purple
|Eyes=Purple
|Voice=Carolina Ravassa
|Song=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XBBf5Rv4zk
|Profile=Who is Sombra? Newsagents and bureaus have over the last years reported various cybernetic attacks across the globe, mostly aimed towards politicians, larger industries and governments. That threat has now gone multiversal as the mysterious entity has set her eyes on new targets to use her superior hacking skills and high tech against, places to infiltrate and people to manipulate. It’s a game of cat and mouse as she does what she can to upset the status quo without being found herself. It’s all a challenge to her, and she has a tendency to get too cocky, not to mention she’s unable to resist the urge to mess with people in charge and attempt to unravel their secrets.
|Defining=Cybernetic graft: Sombra was an infamous hacker even before she got herself a cybernetic graft, a technical implant connected to her brain and spine. After she got it, she can hack anywhere at anytime. With extensions from the graft Sombra can easily interface with various technology by mere touch, though she’s also able to hack things up to ten meters away as long as she has a clear line of sight and is undisturbed during the process. She can create holographic touch screens, able to interact with them like anybody else would a physical computer. Finally, she can also charge up her graft to unleash an EMP charge that affects vulnerable technology near her.

Technical: Technology is Sombra’s friend, and she’s used to working with it, able to fix broken equipment and understand how to reverse engineer it so she can use it if necessary. Information technology is intuitive to her, and she learns easily due to her interest in it. Likewise she has an easy time with tech in general, figuring out how she can use new things without much trouble. Likewise this makes it easier for her to hack. It’s something she truly enjoys, and she takes it as a challenge when she runs into new tech and security systems.
|Significant=Invisibility: The cybernetic graft also allows Sombra to turn invisible through thermoptic camouflage for short periods of time, though she can still be heard and be picked up by infrared cameras and heat sensors. If Sombra takes damage the invisibility drops, nor can she remain invisible if she’s attacking somebody or performing a hack.

Translocator: This stolen tech from Winston of the Overwatch is something Sombra relies on quite a bit to get herself out of tight situations. After placing the translocator somewhere it will be stuck to the spot until used. Sombra can then move away from it, and later use her cybernetic graft to interface with it, teleporting herself back to the translocator. The further away Sombra moves from the translocator, the shorter is the time window she can teleport back to the translocator, with a maximum time window of thirty minutes. Certain magical wards and technology, if sufficiently powerful, can prevent Sombra from teleporting with her translocator (OOC: Requires consent if used in such areas).

Athletic: Moving in the shadows and being quiet is something Sombra is used to. She’s agile and quick, able to run without making much sound at all as she moves about. In addition she’s got some parkour skills, able to use the terrain around her to quickly get to where she needs to be.
|Minor=Machine Pistol: A modified machine pistol similar to a MP7. It’s relatively small and lightweight, and it gets the job done in a pinch.

Combat training: While she isn't a master combatant, Sombra does know how to punch and kick should she need to. This is mostly used in combination with stealth and hacking, as she will often attempt to disable her opponent by hacking whatever technological advantages they might have, like weapons.
|Disadvantages=Troll <Trouble>: Sombra is so confident in her abilities that she tends to be a bit reckless at times. She's pissed off people with her hacking before, not to mention she teases, she can be condescending and in some cases outright enrage people with her behaviour. Her constant urge to mess with people doesn’t make her popular, and her manipulative ways and tendency to break the law will earn her some enemies.

Magic <Significant>: Sombra is outclassed when it comes to people with magical abilities or extraordinary powers. This is partially because her own world is mostly technological, and her own abilities rely on interfering with technology and twisting it to her advantage.

Partial computer <Minor>: With the cybernetic graft set in her brain Sombra is partially a computer herself. Not only would it make her unable to hack effectively should this graft be broken or destroyed, but it can also cause severe injury to Sombra herself in a worst case scenario. Despite having safeguards in place she would still be distracted in such a moment if pressured to focus on keeping her system secure. If her graft were to be broken or destroyed Sombra would be out of commission until getting it repaired or replaced with her supplier, which would take a week considering her need for secrecy in doing so. There’s also the risk of other extremely skilled hackers or technology that can try to hack her.

Hiding <Minor>: When she found the global conspiracy of her world Sombra had to give up her old identity as they also found her. Despite her precautions, she is still somewhat paranoid about the possibility that she can be found by the people who are looking for her. She doesn’t know who they are, so she can’t take any chances. Thereby Sombra does her best to not be noticed by the public at large, sticking to the shadows and laying low as much as possible. It’s okay if people know that there is a Sombra, just as long as they don’t know /who/ Sombra is.
}}

Sombra

2017-05-12T02:20:50Z

Varnani:

{{CharacterRedux
|NameOnMUSH=Sombra
|Color=#bd218a
|Char_id=1117
|Img=http://i.imgur.com/O3Beeje.jpg
|FullName=-REDACTED-
|Gender=Female
|Species=Human
|Theme=Overwatch-1
|Chartype=FC
|Active=Active
|Function=Hacker
|Faction=Concord
|Rank=Associate
|Ranktype=Member
|Quote="Everything can be hacked... and everyone."
|PAge=30
|AAge=30
|Aging=Yes
|Height=5'5''
|Weight=135 lbs
|Hair=Brunette/purple
|Eyes=Purple
|Voice=Carolina Ravassa
|Song=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XBBf5Rv4zk
|Profile=Who is Sombra? Newsagents and bureaus have over the last years reported various cybernetic attacks across the globe, mostly aimed towards politicians, larger industries and governments. That threat has now gone multiversal as the mysterious entity has set her eyes on new targets to use her superior hacking skills and high tech against, places to infiltrate and people to manipulate. It’s a game of cat and mouse as she does what she can to upset the status quo without being found herself. It’s all a challenge to her, and she has a tendency to get too cocky, not to mention she’s unable to resist the urge to mess with people in charge and attempt to unravel their secrets.
|Defining=Cybernetic graft: Sombra was an infamous hacker even before she got herself a cybernetic graft, a technical implant connected to her brain and spine. After she got it, she can hack anywhere at anytime. With extensions from the graft Sombra can easily interface with various technology by mere touch, though she’s also able to hack things up to ten meters away as long as she has a clear line of sight and is undisturbed during the process. She can create holographic touch screens, able to interact with them like anybody else would a physical computer. Finally, she can also charge up her graft to unleash an EMP charge that affects vulnerable technology near her.

Technical: Technology is Sombra’s friend, and she’s used to working with it, able to fix broken equipment and understand how to reverse engineer it so she can use it if necessary. Information technology is intuitive to her, and she learns easily due to her interest in it. Likewise she has an easy time with tech in general, figuring out how she can use new things without much trouble. Likewise this makes it easier for her to hack. It’s something she truly enjoys, and she takes it as a challenge when she runs into new tech and security systems.
|Significant=Invisibility: The cybernetic graft also allows Sombra to turn invisible through thermoptic camouflage for short periods of time, though she can still be heard and be picked up by infrared cameras and heat sensors. If Sombra takes damage the invisibility drops, nor can she remain invisible if she’s attacking somebody or performing a hack.

Translocator: This stolen tech from Winston of the Overwatch is something Sombra relies on quite a bit to get herself out of tight situations. After placing the translocator somewhere it will be stuck to the spot until used. Sombra can then move away from it, and later use her cybernetic graft to interface with it, teleporting herself back to the translocator. The further away Sombra moves from the translocator, the shorter is the time window she can teleport back to the translocator, with a maximum time window of thirty minutes. Certain magical wards and technology, if sufficiently powerful, can prevent Sombra from teleporting with her translocator (OOC: Requires consent if used in such areas).

Athletic: Moving in the shadows and being quiet is something Sombra is used to. She’s agile and quick, able to run without making much sound at all as she moves about. In addition she’s got some parkour skills, able to use the terrain around her to quickly get to where she needs to be.
|Minor=Machine Pistol: A modified machine pistol similar to a MP7. It’s relatively small and lightweight, and it gets the job done in a pinch.

Combat training: While she isn't a master combatant, Sombra does know how to punch and kick should she need to. This is mostly used in combination with stealth and hacking, as she will often attempt to disable her opponent by hacking whatever technological advantages they might have, like weapons.
|Disadvantages=Troll <Trouble>: Sombra is so confident in her abilities that she tends to be a bit reckless at times. She's pissed off people with her hacking before, not to mention she teases, she can be condescending and in some cases outright enrage people with her behaviour. Her constant urge to mess with people doesn’t make her popular, and her manipulative ways and tendency to break the law will earn her some enemies.

Magic <Significant>: Sombra is outclassed when it comes to people with magical abilities or extraordinary powers. This is partially because her own world is mostly technological, and her own abilities rely on interfering with technology and twisting it to her advantage.

Partial computer <Minor>: With the cybernetic graft set in her brain Sombra is partially a computer herself. Not only would it make her unable to hack effectively should this graft be broken or destroyed, but it can also cause severe injury to Sombra herself in a worst case scenario. Despite having safeguards in place she would still be distracted in such a moment if pressured to focus on keeping her system secure. If her graft were to be broken or destroyed Sombra would be out of commission until getting it repaired or replaced with her supplier, which would take a week considering her need for secrecy in doing so. There’s also the risk of other extremely skilled hackers or technology that can try to hack her.

Hiding <Minor>: When she found the global conspiracy of her world Sombra had to give up her old identity as they also found her. Despite her precautions, she is still somewhat paranoid about the possibility that she can be found by the people who are looking for her. She doesn’t know who they are, so she can’t take any chances. Thereby Sombra does her best to not be noticed by the public at large, sticking to the shadows and laying low as much as possible. It’s okay if people know that there is a Sombra, just as long as they don’t know /who/ Sombra is.
}}

Sombra

2017-05-11T14:56:57Z

Varnani:

{{CharacterRedux
|NameOnMUSH=Sombra
|Color=#bd218a
|Char_id=1117
|Img=http://i.imgur.com/O3Beeje.jpg
|FullName=-REDACTED-
|Gender=Female
|Species=Human
|Theme=Overwatch-1
|Chartype=FC
|Active=Active
|Function=Hacker
|Faction=League
|Rank=Associate
|Ranktype=Member
|Quote="Everything can be hacked... and everyone."
|PAge=30
|AAge=30
|Aging=Yes
|Height=5'5''
|Weight=135 lbs
|Hair=Brunette/purple
|Eyes=Purple
|Voice=Carolina Ravassa
|Song=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XBBf5Rv4zk
|Profile=Who is Sombra? Newsagents and bureaus have over the last years reported various cybernetic attacks across the globe, mostly aimed towards politicians, larger industries and governments. That threat has now gone multiversal as the mysterious entity has set her eyes on new targets to use her superior hacking skills and high tech against, places to infiltrate and people to manipulate. It’s a game of cat and mouse as she does what she can to upset the status quo without being found herself. It’s all a challenge to her, and she has a tendency to get too cocky, not to mention she’s unable to resist the urge to mess with people in charge and attempt to unravel their secrets.
|Defining=Cybernetic graft: Sombra was an infamous hacker even before she got herself a cybernetic graft, a technical implant connected to her brain and spine. After she got it, she can hack anywhere at anytime. With extensions from the graft Sombra can easily interface with various technology by mere touch, though she’s also able to hack things up to ten meters away as long as she has a clear line of sight and is undisturbed during the process. She can create holographic touch screens, able to interact with them like anybody else would a physical computer. Finally, she can also charge up her graft to unleash an EMP charge that affects vulnerable technology near her.

Technical: Technology is Sombra’s friend, and she’s used to working with it, able to fix broken equipment and understand how to reverse engineer it so she can use it if necessary. Information technology is intuitive to her, and she learns easily due to her interest in it. Likewise she has an easy time with tech in general, figuring out how she can use new things without much trouble. Likewise this makes it easier for her to hack. It’s something she truly enjoys, and she takes it as a challenge when she runs into new tech and security systems.
|Significant=Invisibility: The cybernetic graft also allows Sombra to turn invisible through thermoptic camouflage for short periods of time, though she can still be heard and be picked up by infrared cameras and heat sensors. If Sombra takes damage the invisibility drops, nor can she remain invisible if she’s attacking somebody or performing a hack.

Translocator: This stolen tech from Winston of the Overwatch is something Sombra relies on quite a bit to get herself out of tight situations. After placing the translocator somewhere it will be stuck to the spot until used. Sombra can then move away from it, and later use her cybernetic graft to interface with it, teleporting herself back to the translocator. The further away Sombra moves from the translocator, the shorter is the time window she can teleport back to the translocator, with a maximum time window of thirty minutes. Certain magical wards and technology, if sufficiently powerful, can prevent Sombra from teleporting with her translocator (OOC: Requires consent if used in such areas).

Athletic: Moving in the shadows and being quiet is something Sombra is used to. She’s agile and quick, able to run without making much sound at all as she moves about. In addition she’s got some parkour skills, able to use the terrain around her to quickly get to where she needs to be.
|Minor=Machine Pistol: A modified machine pistol similar to a MP7. It’s relatively small and lightweight, and it gets the job done in a pinch.

Combat training: While she isn't a master combatant, Sombra does know how to punch and kick should she need to. This is mostly used in combination with stealth and hacking, as she will often attempt to disable her opponent by hacking whatever technological advantages they might have, like weapons.
|Disadvantages=Troll <Trouble>: Sombra is so confident in her abilities that she tends to be a bit reckless at times. She's pissed off people with her hacking before, not to mention she teases, she can be condescending and in some cases outright enrage people with her behaviour. Her constant urge to mess with people doesn’t make her popular, and her manipulative ways and tendency to break the law will earn her some enemies.

Magic <Significant>: Sombra is outclassed when it comes to people with magical abilities or extraordinary powers. This is partially because her own world is mostly technological, and her own abilities rely on interfering with technology and twisting it to her advantage.

Partial computer <Minor>: With the cybernetic graft set in her brain Sombra is partially a computer herself. Not only would it make her unable to hack effectively should this graft be broken or destroyed, but it can also cause severe injury to Sombra herself in a worst case scenario. Despite having safeguards in place she would still be distracted in such a moment if pressured to focus on keeping her system secure. If her graft were to be broken or destroyed Sombra would be out of commission until getting it repaired or replaced with her supplier, which would take a week considering her need for secrecy in doing so. There’s also the risk of other extremely skilled hackers or technology that can try to hack her.

Hiding <Minor>: When she found the global conspiracy of her world Sombra had to give up her old identity as they also found her. Despite her precautions, she is still somewhat paranoid about the possibility that she can be found by the people who are looking for her. She doesn’t know who they are, so she can’t take any chances. Thereby Sombra does her best to not be noticed by the public at large, sticking to the shadows and laying low as much as possible. It’s okay if people know that there is a Sombra, just as long as they don’t know /who/ Sombra is.
}}

Sombra

2017-05-11T14:55:12Z

Varnani:

{{CharacterRedux
|NameOnMUSH=Sombra
|Color=#bd218a
|Char_id=1117
|Img=http://i.imgur.com/O3Beeje.jpg
|FullName=-REDACTED-
|Gender=Female
|Species=Human
|Theme=Overwatch-1
|Chartype=FC
|Active=Active
|Function=Hacker
|Faction=League
|Rank=Associate
|Ranktype=Member
|Quote="Everything can be hacked... and everyone."
|PAge=30
|AAge=30
|Aging=Yes
|Height=5'5''
|Hair=Brunette/purple
|Eyes=Purple
|Voice=Carolina Revassa
|Song=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XBBf5Rv4zk
|Profile=Who is Sombra? Newsagents and bureaus have over the last years reported various cybernetic attacks across the globe, mostly aimed towards politicians, larger industries and governments. That threat has now gone multiversal as the mysterious entity has set her eyes on new targets to use her superior hacking skills and high tech against, places to infiltrate and people to manipulate. It’s a game of cat and mouse as she does what she can to upset the status quo without being found herself. It’s all a challenge to her, and she has a tendency to get too cocky, not to mention she’s unable to resist the urge to mess with people in charge and attempt to unravel their secrets.
|Defining=Cybernetic graft: Sombra was an infamous hacker even before she got herself a cybernetic graft, a technical implant connected to her brain and spine. After she got it, she can hack anywhere at anytime. With extensions from the graft Sombra can easily interface with various technology by mere touch, though she’s also able to hack things up to ten meters away as long as she has a clear line of sight and is undisturbed during the process. She can create holographic touch screens, able to interact with them like anybody else would a physical computer. Finally, she can also charge up her graft to unleash an EMP charge that affects vulnerable technology near her.

Technical: Technology is Sombra’s friend, and she’s used to working with it, able to fix broken equipment and understand how to reverse engineer it so she can use it if necessary. Information technology is intuitive to her, and she learns easily due to her interest in it. Likewise she has an easy time with tech in general, figuring out how she can use new things without much trouble. Likewise this makes it easier for her to hack. It’s something she truly enjoys, and she takes it as a challenge when she runs into new tech and security systems.
|Significant=Invisibility: The cybernetic graft also allows Sombra to turn invisible through thermoptic camouflage for short periods of time, though she can still be heard and be picked up by infrared cameras and heat sensors. If Sombra takes damage the invisibility drops, nor can she remain invisible if she’s attacking somebody or performing a hack.

Translocator: This stolen tech from Winston of the Overwatch is something Sombra relies on quite a bit to get herself out of tight situations. After placing the translocator somewhere it will be stuck to the spot until used. Sombra can then move away from it, and later use her cybernetic graft to interface with it, teleporting herself back to the translocator. The further away Sombra moves from the translocator, the shorter is the time window she can teleport back to the translocator, with a maximum time window of thirty minutes. Certain magical wards and technology, if sufficiently powerful, can prevent Sombra from teleporting with her translocator (OOC: Requires consent if used in such areas).

Athletic: Moving in the shadows and being quiet is something Sombra is used to. She’s agile and quick, able to run without making much sound at all as she moves about. In addition she’s got some parkour skills, able to use the terrain around her to quickly get to where she needs to be.
|Minor=Machine Pistol: A modified machine pistol similar to a MP7. It’s relatively small and lightweight, and it gets the job done in a pinch.

Combat training: While she isn't a master combatant, Sombra does know how to punch and kick should she need to. This is mostly used in combination with stealth and hacking, as she will often attempt to disable her opponent by hacking whatever technological advantages they might have, like weapons.
|Disadvantages=Troll <Trouble>: Sombra is so confident in her abilities that she tends to be a bit reckless at times. She's pissed off people with her hacking before, not to mention she teases, she can be condescending and in some cases outright enrage people with her behaviour. Her constant urge to mess with people doesn’t make her popular, and her manipulative ways and tendency to break the law will earn her some enemies.

Magic <Significant>: Sombra is outclassed when it comes to people with magical abilities or extraordinary powers. This is partially because her own world is mostly technological, and her own abilities rely on interfering with technology and twisting it to her advantage.

Partial computer <Minor>: With the cybernetic graft set in her brain Sombra is partially a computer herself. Not only would it make her unable to hack effectively should this graft be broken or destroyed, but it can also cause severe injury to Sombra herself in a worst case scenario. Despite having safeguards in place she would still be distracted in such a moment if pressured to focus on keeping her system secure. If her graft were to be broken or destroyed Sombra would be out of commission until getting it repaired or replaced with her supplier, which would take a week considering her need for secrecy in doing so. There’s also the risk of other extremely skilled hackers or technology that can try to hack her.

Hiding <Minor>: When she found the global conspiracy of her world Sombra had to give up her old identity as they also found her. Despite her precautions, she is still somewhat paranoid about the possibility that she can be found by the people who are looking for her. She doesn’t know who they are, so she can’t take any chances. Thereby Sombra does her best to not be noticed by the public at large, sticking to the shadows and laying low as much as possible. It’s okay if people know that there is a Sombra, just as long as they don’t know /who/ Sombra is.
}}

Sombra

2017-05-11T14:34:39Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{CharacterRedux |NameOnMUSH=Sombra |Color=#0099FF |Char_id=1117 |Img=http://i.imgur.com/O3Beeje.jpg |FullName=-REDACTED- |Gender=Female |Species=Human |Theme=Overwatch-1 |Cha..."

{{CharacterRedux
|NameOnMUSH=Sombra
|Color=#0099FF
|Char_id=1117
|Img=http://i.imgur.com/O3Beeje.jpg
|FullName=-REDACTED-
|Gender=Female
|Species=Human
|Theme=Overwatch-1
|Chartype=FC
|Active=Active
|Function=Hacker
|Faction=League
|Rank=Associate
|Ranktype=Member
|Quote="Everything can be hacked... and everyone."
|PAge=30
|AAge=30
|Aging=Yes
|Height=5'5''
|Hair=Brunette/purple
|Eyes=Purple
|Voice=Carolina Revassa
|Song=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XBBf5Rv4zk
|Profile=Who is Sombra? Newsagents and bureaus have over the last years reported various cybernetic attacks across the globe, mostly aimed towards politicians, larger industries and governments. That threat has now gone multiversal as the mysterious entity has set her eyes on new targets to use her superior hacking skills and high tech against, places to infiltrate and people to manipulate. It’s a game of cat and mouse as she does what she can to upset the status quo without being found herself. It’s all a challenge to her, and she has a tendency to get too cocky, not to mention she’s unable to resist the urge to mess with people in charge and attempt to unravel their secrets.
|Defining=Cybernetic graft: Sombra was an infamous hacker even before she got herself a cybernetic graft, a technical implant connected to her brain and spine. After she got it, she can hack anywhere at anytime. With extensions from the graft Sombra can easily interface with various technology by mere touch, though she’s also able to hack things up to ten meters away as long as she has a clear line of sight and is undisturbed during the process. She can create holographic touch screens, able to interact with them like anybody else would a physical computer. Finally, she can also charge up her graft to unleash an EMP charge that affects vulnerable technology near her.

Technical: Technology is Sombra’s friend, and she’s used to working with it, able to fix broken equipment and understand how to reverse engineer it so she can use it if necessary. Information technology is intuitive to her, and she learns easily due to her interest in it. Likewise she has an easy time with tech in general, figuring out how she can use new things without much trouble. Likewise this makes it easier for her to hack. It’s something she truly enjoys, and she takes it as a challenge when she runs into new tech and security systems.
|Significant=Invisibility: The cybernetic graft also allows Sombra to turn invisible through thermoptic camouflage for short periods of time, though she can still be heard and be picked up by infrared cameras and heat sensors. If Sombra takes damage the invisibility drops, nor can she remain invisible if she’s attacking somebody or performing a hack.

Translocator: This stolen tech from Winston of the Overwatch is something Sombra relies on quite a bit to get herself out of tight situations. After placing the translocator somewhere it will be stuck to the spot until used. Sombra can then move away from it, and later use her cybernetic graft to interface with it, teleporting herself back to the translocator. The further away Sombra moves from the translocator, the shorter is the time window she can teleport back to the translocator, with a maximum time window of thirty minutes. Certain magical wards and technology, if sufficiently powerful, can prevent Sombra from teleporting with her translocator (OOC: Requires consent if used in such areas).

Athletic: Moving in the shadows and being quiet is something Sombra is used to. She’s agile and quick, able to run without making much sound at all as she moves about. In addition she’s got some parkour skills, able to use the terrain around her to quickly get to where she needs to be.
|Minor=Machine Pistol: A modified machine pistol similar to a MP7. It’s relatively small and lightweight, and it gets the job done in a pinch.

Combat training: While she isn't a master combatant, Sombra does know how to punch and kick should she need to. This is mostly used in combination with stealth and hacking, as she will often attempt to disable her opponent by hacking whatever technological advantages they might have, like weapons.
|Disadvantages=Troll <Trouble>: Sombra is so confident in her abilities that she tends to be a bit reckless at times. She's pissed off people with her hacking before, not to mention she teases, she can be condescending and in some cases outright enrage people with her behaviour. Her constant urge to mess with people doesn’t make her popular, and her manipulative ways and tendency to break the law will earn her some enemies.

Magic <Significant>: Sombra is outclassed when it comes to people with magical abilities or extraordinary powers. This is partially because her own world is mostly technological, and her own abilities rely on interfering with technology and twisting it to her advantage.

Partial computer <Minor>: With the cybernetic graft set in her brain Sombra is partially a computer herself. Not only would it make her unable to hack effectively should this graft be broken or destroyed, but it can also cause severe injury to Sombra herself in a worst case scenario. Despite having safeguards in place she would still be distracted in such a moment if pressured to focus on keeping her system secure. If her graft were to be broken or destroyed Sombra would be out of commission until getting it repaired or replaced with her supplier, which would take a week considering her need for secrecy in doing so. There’s also the risk of other extremely skilled hackers or technology that can try to hack her.

Hiding <Minor>: When she found the global conspiracy of her world Sombra had to give up her old identity as they also found her. Despite her precautions, she is still somewhat paranoid about the possibility that she can be found by the people who are looking for her. She doesn’t know who they are, so she can’t take any chances. Thereby Sombra does her best to not be noticed by the public at large, sticking to the shadows and laying low as much as possible. It’s okay if people know that there is a Sombra, just as long as they don’t know /who/ Sombra is.
}}

5134/Rockin' Sixteen

2017-03-13T04:31:45Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/03/12 |Location=Earth-199999 |Synopsis=Toph turns sixteen. Of course there will be party! |Cast of Characters=20, 385, 1076, 434, 136, 857, 18..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/03/12
|Location=Earth-199999
|Synopsis=Toph turns sixteen. Of course there will be party!
|Cast of Characters=20, 385, 1076, 434, 136, 857, 188, 930, 301, 42, 774, 325, 39, 525, 7, 206
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The normally peaceful beach below the Stark house out on Malibu Point is something else whenever there's a birthday going on. First and foremost Toph herself has been rather busy all weekend getting everything ready, which includes bending stone benches from the sand where people can eat and sit. Cateters have been hired, and they have been provided with a small rock gazebo to prepare the food in, ready to serve all the guests. There's even a fancy bar area with a bartender for the older guests, as some of them did request alcohol, so why not? If people get too rowdy and obnoxcious then Toph herself plans to deal with it. Beach chairs and parasols are set out as well, so people can enjoy the ocean. People /were/ warned that it's a beach party after all, so why not be able to swim? There's even some sets with a small bucket and shovel, clearly intended for younger children who wish to have fun at the beach.     As for decorations... well, it's clearly not lacking. Not only are there several rock statues of badgermoles, cats, a large one of Toph herself in full earthbending gear, a chocobo here and here, but there's also a whole tons of colourful stuff to break up the stuff that Toph has made. Tons of streamers, balloons and glitter, table cloths, table decorations have been set out, all in bright pastel colours, the balloons spelling out 'happy' 'birthday' '16' and 'Toph' in various groups. Why, there's even a large chocolate fountain set up on one of the tables, and it plays cheery music! Around the places where those colourful things have been set up there are a whole lot of hoof prints...     Either way it should be easy for the guests to find the way down to the beach, as said path is bended wider, and there's lots of blinking arrows and signs, further accented by balloons, pointing out the way down there.     Toph herself stands atop one rather large dome set out in one area of the beach, wearing something fitting for a beach party; shorts 

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:''' "Happy birthday, Toph!" Yuna calls out as she finishes descending the stairs to the beach, hurrying over to try and give the birthday girl a quick hug - probably one-armed, since she's also holding a package in one hand. Of course, if Toph tries to dodge the hug, Yuna won't press the issue. "Sorry I haven't been around to visit more often, work is still busy ... but at least I was able to make the time to come by today!" she grins, a little sheepishly. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka was collapsed on the ground, panting and weezing. "O-okay, we're finally good, right?" Hey, he wasn't LIKE her. He couldn't just tap the ground and make stuff fly about. He had to do everything ANALOG. He slowly sat up and then grinned to her. She... was probably curious what some of the stuff he brought was for. Like, why he brought a 20 foot wide flotation... stage? thing. Or the fifty melons. Yeah, the fifty melons were probably the big one that raised questions. But he told her nothing yet. He then smiled to her and looked around. No one here yet. So... "Hey... Toph. Wanted to give you this before the party started. It uhhhh... took a bit of time to gather. But I got it." He then pulled out a small... box? He'd shove it into her hands and... she could probably see it had earth in it? Little vials? But before he could explain, Yuna arrived. He yelped and quickly looked away. "Huh? Err, heyyyy. How you been?" His cheeks flaming. 

:'''{{#var:434|A-ko Magami (434)}} has posed:''' Arriving not long after Yuna is A-ko herself, also arriving with a present in her hands. "Hello Toph! Happy birthday!" She says loud enough for the Earthbender to hear as she sets the package down long enough to give Toph a two-armed hug. "It's so great to see you!" 

:'''{{#var:136|Rarity (136)}} has posed:''' Amongst the myrad of foot steps there's the light whup-whup of wheels clattering along. This is mainly due to Scootaloo using her scooter and wagon to carry a rather large present down the walkway, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom hanging on the sides to keep the wrapped object from falling off. Despite the haphazard transverse she manages to make it down the slow and careen to a stop at the gift table. "Girls, I told you not to rush ahead!" By the time Rarity manages to catch up the trio is already lifting the gift onto the table, though it takes a little magical push from Rarity to get it up. Rarity looks over the present for a moment, then lets out a sigh of relief. "Looks like you got it here in one piece." Then turns to the trio of fillies. "Now you girls need to be on your best behav--" Rarity doesn't even get to finish before she's nearly blown over by the Cutie Mark Crusaders make a mad dash for the beach. "--I should of expected as much," she sighs, having to take a few moments to un-windseep her mane. 

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''     Eve shows up with Yuna, the littler blonde following after the idol singer. "Happy birthday, Toph." she says, her tone lacking enthusiasm, but she's not really insincere. She's just stoic. She doesn't try to hug Toph either. Not that she objects to hugs. She's a fan of hugs, at least in the right circumstances, but actually GIVING one to someone like Toph is ... likely to end up in problems.     Eve's dressed in a peach-colored sundress. Beachwear, though not quite swimwear. Maybe she has that on underneath. Other than that, Eve seems pretty much her normal stoic self. She peers at Sokka dubiously, and that's fairly normal too. But she's obviously curious why he's reacting so strongly to Yuna... 

:'''{{#var:188|Lute (188)}} has posed:'''      There is a sudden explosion of sound in the sky. A large number of fireworks, suddenly going off. Red and orange flashes in the blue sky, seemingly launched from a plane passing through the sky. It is a really elaborate display of beautiful lights, which spells 'Happy Birthday Toph' on it. It is, really, somewhat of a waste that the target of this over the top display is blind. But who would be so insenstive as to forget that?      The answer comes soon after, as someone parachutes out of the plane. A giant parachute opens up, with Lute's face on it. It looks like a superdeformed Chibi version of him, making a V sign. Lute is, of course, the skydiver. In his arms, he is holding some sort of large package for Toph. His clothing is... somewhat fitting for a beach party, but not entirely. A pair of black speedos, and a white labcoat.      As he falls, he shouts, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOPH!" to the gathering crowd.      ...It'll be a long time until he actually /finally/ lands, though. 

:'''{{#var:930|Alden (930)}} has posed:''' A large, periwinkle wolf appears!, carrying a small catgirl on its head... and a package with festive wrapping secured on his lap!, awkwardly stashed between those sharp looking spikes on his shoulderblades/back. He is kind enough not to try to walk into the party area in that form, no point freaking everyone out!.      The Gabumon devolves, and picks the present from the ground, looking around for the gift table/plataform, and making his way to place his own there, suitably impressed by the sheer size of... everything. "Wow..." he mumbles, "Quite a party." he says outloud, while Katze nods, "Should have got a present too..." muses the Shinki.      IT's then that he spots the birthday... woman?, rushing to greet her, Sokka, and other familiar faces, offering a hug to Toph, Sokka, and everyone that will accept, "Happy birthday!" he congratulates the earth/metal bender. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' In addition to the caterers, Toph's adoptive father has been pressed into service for the grilling of meat. Which means You and Dummy got pressed into service in the digging and construction of a temporary fire pit trench, lined with concrete blocks and overlaid with a grill upon which various cuts of chicken and pork are sizzling over an open flame. It smells pretty amazing. Dummy dutifully turns a huge rack of ribs at regular intervals while You swivels back and forth basting everything in barbecue. Tony himself just hangs out nearby where he can keep an eye on the bots and another on baby Robert currently fast asleep in his climate controlled baby rocker on the sand, with a towel canopied over him to protect him from the sun. This is really Toph's day after all, and far be it from /Tony Stark/ to try to make himself the center of attention at such an event. He is also dressed casually in white shirt, shorts and sandals, and a bottle of beer dangles from one hand as he contentedly looks over his realm. RJ, miraculously, keeps sleeping right through the fireworks. He must be used to strange noises. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     The beach! Staren sets his labcoat and bag aside and has donned a pair of sunglasses. Before the party, he asked Toph for a rock platform to put something on later -- a large box like for a home appliance has been carried down to it and a tent erected around it so some sort of surprise could be prepared -- but now, he's out and about. "Hey Toph! Happy birthday!" He extends a hand and leans in in that uncertain way of someone unsure whether a handshake or a hug is appropriate here. "Sixteen huh? Congratulations!" Then he asks somewhat conspiratorially, "So uh, do you know what the melons are for? Is this some sorta custom from your homeworld?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''      "Yeah, we're good," Toph asides to Sokka. Not that she can't blame him for being tired, as he doesn't have bending to make stuff easier for him. Not that she knows /why/ he got all those melons... The small box that he shoves into her hands does make her blink, and she's about to ask. At least until the guests start arriving. "I'll open it later, okay?" she tells him, punching him in the shoulder as she slides down the side of the dome, grinning in greeting as she walks over to greet the older girl. "Heya! And no worries about visiting often, we're all busy kicking ass, right?" she points out, letting Yuna hug her if she wants to. It's not like she's the type who tries to hug her all the time, after all! And it /is/ her birthday, she can deal with some birthday hugs. And there's A-ko too! It's been rather long since she last met her, hasn't it? "A-ko! You came just for the cake, huh?" she teases, then oophs as she's pulled in for a hug. "It's great to not-see you!" she jests back too, punching A-ko in the shoulder.     Trust the ponies to show up too, and heh, this time it's a bit better than the last time she met the trio. "Nice of you and the girls to come, Rarity! And I bet they'll be busy with the toys I set out, I guess. I guess Pinkie did a good job decorating, huh?"     The blonde girl that follows in Yuna's wake doesn't go unnoticed, and Toph is kinda glad this is another place than the last time she met Eve face to face too. "Heya Spoopy, glad you made it too." Okay, she actually sounds like she means it. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka grinned when he saw all the kids. So first thing he did? Why, he flirted with the older gals! He quickly tried to hide his earlier embarassment by walking forward and gently taking their hands and placing a kiss upon both. "Hello. A pleasure to meet you two fine, beautiful ladies. I don't think we've had the honor of meeting yet. I'm Sokka. Toph's boy--" Pause. "Hold that thought." He walked towards the kids. "Hey, kiddos, I've got a surprise for you four." There was that mischievious gleam in his eyes. Toph probably knew what was going on here. He'd then toss them each a small, wrapped chocolate. And it wasn't any chocolate, either. It was those fancy, like 2-3 bucks a pop candies. The kind good kids only got when they were VERY good. Before he could say much... his eyes were drawn up and he stared. Then, as Lute arrived... "THAT WAS AWESOME! Dude, that was the fifth most incredible entrance I've ever seen!" What? He knew Toph and Iron man. He should be thankful he even made the list. Next came Alden. "Yo, how's the best mount in the world? I might need your help for something later. If you feel you're up to it. How much can you pull, anyway?" Then glanced to Staren, before shaking his head. "Nahhhhh. It's for one of the party games. I'd tell you what it's called, but it's a surprise." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The moment the fireworks begin however... Toph lets out a loud yelp, winces and reaches her hands up to cover her ears in an expression that Sokka of all people should know. Because Toph is not found of loud noise like that due to her sensitive ears. "WHAT THE CRUD?!" she yells, not sure who is responsible for all this. But then a voice she hasn't heard in a while rings out, and the birthday girl's expression turns deadpan. "... should have known," she mutters, then she turns her head skywards as she yells out. "NEXT TIME DON'T SKIMP ON THE BEAUTIFUL FIREWORKS, DUNDERHEAD!" Oh yes Lute, you're going to hear it. Let's hope he's not giving her more dead cats this time. He's also goddamn lucky he didn't wake her baby brother, or else she would have had to punch him when he eventually lands. Is he flying or something?     The arrival of the digimon earns less of a sarcastic response, and she blinks when she's hugged, but repays it. "Heya Alden, nice of you to make it! Heya Katze! No need to worry about presents, I'm just happy people can make it. And we Starks are known to give out stuff on our birthdays anyway. You joining the contest I got planned?"     For today Staren will get pulled into a hug, and Toph punches the boy in the arm. "Heya cat boy! And no, I have no cruddin' clue what Sokka is planning, but eh, he usually doesn't do too stupid stuff, right?" Right. It doesn't look like she's upset with Sokka saying hi to the older girls and calling them beautiful at least. 

:'''{{#var:434|A-ko Magami (434)}} has posed:''' A-ko pretends to ooph and giggles at the jokes. "There's more to it than just that, you know!" She playfully responds to Toph punching her by tickling her lightly, since she doesn't want to risk hurting Toph with a playful jab that could have serious consequences thanks to her superhuman strength. After that, she looks up and waves to Tony Stark as he enters, before she picks up her package and looks for a place to put it. 

:'''{{#var:136|Rarity (136)}} has posed:''' "I am certain they will. We do not get to visit a seaside beach very often, even with the Multiverse outside the proverbial doorstep." Rarity glances up at the mention of the decorations. "She most certainly did. But that is hardly a surprise, considering it is Pinkie Pie." Said pink pony sneaks past behind them while Rarity is looking around, tiptoeing (tiphoofing?) towards the table with the giant chocolate fountain. "I wonder where else she could of gotten off to, though." Pinkie stops and leans forward slowly... Sticks out her tongue towards the fountain... "Hopefully not getting into the chocolate before the guests get a chance to sample it." And then Pinkie just as slowly backs away from the table, tongue still hanging out, before she's noticed. 

:'''{{#var:930|Alden (930)}} has posed:''' Alden allows Toph to greet everyone else, no poitn swamping her!, instead, he focuses on Sokka, "Doing ok, glad to see you recovered from those stings." he says with a grin. Katze pipes up, "Alden got beaten up in a fight at a grill!, I have a video!". Cue groaning, "IT was just for show, and I'd like you to take a punch like that." he protests.      He blinks at the question, "To be honest?, not sure! I know I am fairly strong, I'd love to help any way I can really." he says, before leaning closer to whisper to Sokka, "What's the contest about? any hints?" he says, trying to be discrete. 

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:''' Yuna blushes a little, but it might be lost in the bright, sunny smile she responds with. "It's good to meet you, Sokka!" she says - partly out of long practice as an idol singer who has to greet her fans, but also because she really *does* like meeting new people, no matter who they are or where they're from. The sound of the fireworks makes Yuna look up at Lute's display - right before Toph yells at what's probably the top of her lungs. Impressive lungs, too. "The fireworks just say 'Happy Birthday,' and Lute's coming down the slow way. He's got a parachute." She pauses, double-checking where Lute and his parachute are, relative to the fireworks. Hopefully he wasn't so dumb as to set off fireworks where he'd wind up gliding through hot debris from same ... "For now, anyway," she adds. For now, she adds her present for Toph to the table where gifts are going, and turns her attention back to socializing. She already greeted Eve on their way in together, but there are others! "Hey A-ko, good to see you again! And hello again ... Alden, right?" She gives the Digimon a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of her head. "Sorry - when you Digivolve, it kind of changes your face, so I can't depend on that like I would usually ..." And there's a fashionista. "Rarity! I didn't know you'd be coming to Toph's party - how's business back home?" Yuna pauses briefly, "Doesn't the sand kind of get in your hooves? I mean, I guess it wouldn't be much worse than 'between your toes' for us humans ..." She'll be making her way over to the grill shortly, and will say hi to Tony when she's over there. 

:'''{{#var:774|Dorian Pavus (774)}} has posed:'''     Dorian arrives a little after the fireworks. But they were a good guide towards where the area was where this was being held. That and Toph's yelling at the likely scare. Which despite himself, he can't help but smirk a little at. The mage has a gift with him, of course. It's a small box, and what's in it isn't very imaginative. But at least it isn't as dangerous as his gift to Toph this past Christmas was!     The mage himself is dressed in a pair of white swim shorts and green flipflops. Pretty plain overall, but one would expect him wear white; that's kind of his thing. But even with there being a beach involved, he's got his hair and mustache carefully groomed. He's also a little late. But he'll call it 'fashionably late' and dismiss it if approached about it.     He heads over to where Toph is, and places his present with where he assumes others have placed theirs. "Happy birthday!" he offers jovially as he gets within speaking distance of the earthbender. 

:'''{{#var:188|Lute (188)}} has posed:'''      Lute hears the greetings as he approaches the beach. Sure, Toph is annoyed, but he knows her. She simply doesn't know how to express her feelings in general, let alone her almost certain affection for him. And that... really dorky dude who totally sucks at flirting with women? Yeah. Not surprised some young NEET he doesn't even know would be impressed by him and how /awesome/ he is.      Unfortunately, the moment he lands on the beach? His parachute catches in the wind a bit. The wind forces him back, Lute stumbling to try and keep his footing and avoid being pulled into the water. He trips a little, falling face first into the sand, the package in his hand accidentally flying forward towards where Toph is.      He lays flat on his face for a moment first, before disconnecting the parachute and standing up and dusting himself off.      "I /meant/ to do that!" Epic smile. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     He also set a small box on the present table.     Staren pats Toph on the back during the hug, and oofs at the punch. "Well, I guess we'll see! Looks like this party is gonna be action-packed, huh?"     Also, there's a Lute. Staren stares. He's... /aware/ that the trainer has joined the League, but hasn't had a chance to talk to him yet. "Hi, Lute." he says somewhat neutrally, not really knowing where they stand now. 

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''     Okay, people here are weird. Eve looks between Sokka and Yuna. Why are they BOTH blushing? Eve may read a lot, but she's not exactly adept at subtle social situations. But something's going on here that people aren't explaining. Which only encourages her to make note of it and find out. Later.     Now, she's kind of stuck watching the fireworks in wide-eyed delight. Oh, and Lute's up there. Well, Eve doesn't have anything either for or against Lute since she's officially beneath his notice. But the fireworks are definitely neat.     Eve resists the temptation to go to the grill. The contest will come, and she wants to be sure to be in ideal shape for it. But ... well, what would it hurt to check out the chocolate fountain? She pads over to it, looking around to see if anyone objects. Then grabbing some of the dipping food and taking chocolate anyways. It's CHOCOLATE! 

:'''{{#var:325|Rhapsody (325)}} has posed:'''     It's a damn shame the girl of the hour isn't fond of fireworks. It tends to be an Izzet League specialty! Still, not one to upset the birthday of the one being celebrated, the glorious Izzet firework will simply need to be used on a different occasion. As a result of not making a dynamic entrance, Rhapsody and her siblings reach the bottom of the stairs, Ryxinel carrying a small package that gets placed with all the rest.     "Heeey! Toph! Happy Birthday!" the dragon calls, making her way for the Earthbender to greet her properly. "I think you put in too much work for your own shindig, here, but it looks great! Maybe for 18 you can leave it to 'dad' eh? She muses, smirking, despite the fact it probably won't be seen. The guildmaster will get to greeting everyone else in juuust a moment. And yes, Sidonia is fully visible and not skulking around the perimiter. Clearly a birthday miracle. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony returns A-ko's wave with a salute of his beer bottle and greets Yuna amicably when she wanders over to inhale the delicious smells oozing from his section of the beach. The last several weeks have been a crazy life changing odyssey for him but it seems to have been good for him; he looks relaxed and cheerful and lacking the burden of factional politics. He does glance upward though, as Lute's parachute sails off in the wind and catches up against the cliffside. Now that's a fire hazard if it should come drifting near. "Jarvis," he murmurs, and moments later a pair of lightweight armored figures come flying up over the precipice and swoop in to gather up the billowing cloth. 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:'''     For a girl like Jinx, one might exect a louder entrance. Like, you know, actual explosions and not just fireworks and things like that. But there are a lot of people here, a lot of people Jinx only knows from being on the Other Side of the War. More people who are with those Paladin cops like Toph. But she was asked nicely to come, and she was trying the Not Being A Jerk thing more.     And so the young lady is here, carrying what appears to be a grocery bag with a box inside, looking to all the people present and trying to find a friendly face, somewhere. 

:'''{{#var:525|Inga (525)}} has posed:''' Sand is extremely difficult to walk on, all shifty under one's feet. It's a small price to pay for the beauty of the beach however. Inga is pleased to see the ocean, and may even go for a swim. This time, she's actually dressed for the occasion, wearing a pink, ankle-length sundress in a soft, flowing material with skinny straps. There's a lace-weight knitted shawl around her shoulders in case it was a little chilly. In one hand, her walking stick, in the other a fabric-wrapped present for the birthday girl. That will be her first order of business. Spotting Toph, Inga heads in her direction. "Toph! Happy birthday! Thank you for inviting me," she says, handing over the present. "I hope you like you gift," she adds. Inside, theres fresh made donuts and a leather braided bracelet that also looks to be hand-made. Funky, not too feminine, very cool, tough. Like Toph. There are others around that she knows, and she flashes a smile to any looking in her direction. Inga looks toward the water as well, hoping the waves will not be too big. She'd surely like a swim. 

:'''{{#var:434|A-ko Magami (434)}} has posed:''' "Yeah good to see you too, Yuna!" A-ko says with a smile, stopping briefly to remove her shoes so she can walk comfortably through the sand. "It's always nice to see a familiar face here," She adds as she walks alongside Yuna for the time being. "These things fill up fast, so it's always nice to find someone to stick with for a little while." 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' It was time for a party for Toph she was Sixteen and that always seemed to be a magtical brithday. It was a big to do and she didn't want to thin of howmuch cash went into this. Likely more than she sees in several moths. Even back when she was making more money with the Flotilla. She had a grin on hef face s she came in to enjoy the party and wish Toph the best. Your only Sixteen once after all right? She arrives a bit later than some of the others, and she does see a few old faces from even the Confederates. Then agin the war's over and she's honestly glad the horror of that conflict is no longer. She was in good spirits and now would be trying to seek out the brithday girl herself! 

:'''{{#var:136|Rarity (136)}} has posed:''' The Crusaders now have fancy candy to suck on while playing on the fancy beach. Best party ever! And with them being well entertained Rarity can do what she would prefer to be doing -- socializing with the others. "Yuna, dahling, so good to see you again! ... And why would I not be? Toph is still a friend, even if we have a difference in ... certain tastes." She pauses to glance over her shoulder towards the beach. "Besides, she's rather fond of the trio. Even took them to meet her 'other' family -- the badgermoles -- one time." Then turns her attention back to Yuna again. "Oh, it is no bother. I just got my weekly pony-pedi so my hooves are as smooth as can be." 

:'''{{#var:930|Alden (930)}} has posed:''' Alden smiles to Yuna, "That's me!" he says, his doglike tail wagging rapidly, "Nice to see you as well." he says, offering the girl a hug, but otherwise, seeming intimidated somewhat by the group, watching from the sideline since he is trying to remember all the faces!. He offers polite smiles around, including proper greetings to new arrivals, before the chocolate gets his attention!.      Meanwhile Katze decides to stick around, jumping down from Alden's head, the Shinki glancing curiously at Rarity for a moment, then at the others gathered nearby, not knowing many people. She remains there a few moments, before approaching Sokka, and casually climbing on his shoulder for a better view, figuring that the human might be amiable to that. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     For those who have brought presents there is a large table, and Pinkie seems to have set out balloons and signs around there too; 'Presents!'     "Eh, I'm sure she's here somewhere. For some reason even /I/ have problems tracking her," Toph sighs. She can pick up ants walking, but Pinkie? She's lighter than an airbender. A-ko earns another playful punch, and Toph grins as people seem to be gathering.     Dorian earns a big grin from Toph, and she waves to the mage as she points over to the bar. "Bar's over there if you want a drink, Lover Boy!" she points out. "Want to join for the contest? Or do you want to slack off in the shade or in the adult corner with Goldie?"     The package from Lute hits Toph in the back of the head, and the blind teenager acks before she turns around, kicking the ground to raise the package. Heck, Lute better be happy she can hear that he's not being sincere about meaning to fall face first and drop the package. And well, he's not malicious today at least. So she sighs, rubs the back of her head, then hands the package over to one of the caterers, who merely blinks and accepts it. "Eh, thanks... next time you might wanna make your entrance a bit more practical. And really, no need for fireworks..." Really. Don't. "Grab yourself a drink."     It's a good thing the dragon from Ravnica decided to not use fireworks, as Toph grins towards Rhapsody. "Heey! Of course I had to put work into it, it's not like I'm going to ask dad and mom to decorate /my/ parties, right? They have their hands full with diaper duties!"     When another guest arrives though Toph turns her head, her expression a bit serious... all before she /waves/ at Jinx. "HEY! JINX!" Get your butt over here. "I got a bar like you wanted, so now you can grab some drinks and mess with the fun police!" Inga too earns a wave, and Toph smiles a bit, "As long as I don't hate them people are always welcome to parties like this. And huh, you got me snacks...?" she asks curiously, sniffing at the present. It... smells like leather too?     Kotone might be arriving late, but she too earns a wave from the girl. "Heya, you're just in time, Kotone!" she calls out. "Hurry up!" Because it's time to get started.     "Okay, so who wants to join the contest? I've got some prizes for everybody, with a grand prize for the team who wins! It's a physical contest, just be warned. Which is why there will be teams for it all to give everybody a chance. Jarvis will make them as even as possible." Because he has his uses besides nagging at her to read and tattle on her to Tony.     Speaking of which... "DAD! You wanna join the contest? I can watch RJ!" Not even he should know what she's gotten planned.... which she makes evident as she kicks into the sand... and the dome falls together, revealing a small arena with walls and a beach volley ball net.     "EXTREME BEACH VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT! Who's got the stones to compete for the grand pize?" she calls out. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka gives Alden a wink. "Can't tell you that. You'll need to wait. I namely just need to know if you can pull a chariot. Was gonna use the chocobos, but you might do better." And then, before he can respond, he's off! What? He has to make sure everything is right for the party. He moved to Staren's side. "Hey... you manage to get it done?" he asked, giving the guy a nervous smile. "I think Tony got his stuff dad." Then called out. "You got it done, right old man?" he joked. And then his eyes fell on Jinx. And he grinned. "Be right back. Or not!" Then ran off and SCOOPED poor Jinx up into the greatest spinning hug OF ALL TIME! For a guy without powers. He gave her a very tight hug before winking to her. "Heh, happy you managed to make it. I know it'll mean a lot to Toph that you're here. Also, here!" And then popped one of those fancy chocolates into her hand. "Come on!" And then, holding her hand, dragged her into the party and to Toph. Well, she wanted a friendly face, she's going to GET ONE. "Hey guys, look who showed up!" Poor, poor, poor Jinx. The target of Sokka's 'let's get you socializing and making friends!' energy. He then blinked. Wait, she wanted him to enter a physical competition. Well, her birthday. If she wanted to see her boyfriend get his butt kicked... fine. "I guess I'll join." His... heart wasn't really in it. He knew tooooo many people here with mega powers. 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:'''     "AH GODS WHAT?" Jinx can barely think before Toph and Sokka both call for her atention in different ways. The hugging and the screaming kickstart her loudness engine anyways. "YES HELLO I'M JINX STANDS FOR JINX FFFFAAAHHHHH HELLO YES YES HELLO" 

:'''{{#var:525|Inga (525)}} has posed:''' Inga winks. "Snacks are always good, are they not?" she says. As long as Toph doesn't confuse which gift is to be eaten and which is to be worn, they'll be all set. At mention of the contest, Inga raises a brow curiously. Oh. A physical contest. Inga looks, briefly, disappointed. Soon enough her expression is passive-pleasant. "I will happily watch this contest. I haven't a clue what beach volleyball even is," she comments with a shrug. Better get a drink, find someone to hang around with so she doesn't feel like a complete wallflower. Inga spots Dorian, ready to swimming too. Well, that's good. Maybe she will have a companion there. She wanders over toward her fellow mage, raising a hand in greeting. "Good to see you Dorian, planning on a swim? Or will you be taking part in the ah...contest?" she asks. 

:'''{{#var:188|Lute (188)}} has posed:'''      Lute dusts himself off a bit more, smirking a little as he looks towards Toph and the others. He gives a bit of a wave towards the others he knows here, such as Staren and Yuna. But, really, there are so many people that he can't keep track of them all easily. Such is a party. He'll focus on the most important person here first. He turns to the birthday girl, smiling at Toph.      He shrugs a bit, "Ehh, the fireworks weren't a big deal. I still have some spare cash around from some of my more... criminalistic days." Hard to tell if those days are entirely over, though. Lute is a bit of a wild card. He stretches a bit, his labcoat fluttering a bit on the beach's breeze.      He considers the offer of the drink for a moment, nodding a little. "Mm. I'll grab a drink. But... Mm. Before I do that, well. The box isn't the /only/ present I have for you." He slides his hand into his pocket, as if about to reach for something, while approaching Toph. As he gets near, suddenly, he reaches out for her. A hand at her waist, the other at her back. And his lips go in, trying to dip-kiss her.      It was nice knowing him.      If, somehow, he survives that without grevious injuries, or at least leaving Toph temporary stunned long enough for him to talk? He pulls a camera out from his labcoat.      "I'll photograph the volleyball so we can all have memories of this." 

:'''{{#var:930|Alden (930)}} has posed:''' The Gabumon is stunned at the offer to pull a chariot, but if his tail is a sign, he did not disagree to the idea, even if his friend runs away before he can answer!. He is stopped from trying to mix chocolate with other stuff by the reveal of the main contest, blinking, "What is volleyball?" he asks outloud, tilting his head, and returning to the group. Mr Stark gets a rather enthusiastic wave, but he resists the urge of talking too loud, instead just smiling to him. When Inga mentions confusion, he relaxes, glad to not be the only person around unfamiliar with that... thing. 

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:''' "Hey, Mr. Stark!" is Yuna's greeting to Tony - cheerful enough, but restrained in volume so she won't wake up RJ. "Congratulations again on your son's birth; may he grow up healthy, blessed with your intellect and Pepper's patience. I'm sure he'll never lack for love in your family." She'll take a hot dog for now, with ketchup and relish and a sprinkle of cheese if that's available. Then it's time to go greet some of the other attendees. She doesn't really know Dorian yet, but she knows Lute and Staren and Rhapsody; the dragon actually gets a quick hug from Yuna as well - albeit one-armed again, since food. Even Jinx gets a wave, "Hello Jinx! Haven't seen you in a while; you look like you've been doing well!" It's a good thing Yuna doesn't usually hold grudges, isn't it? And then Toph announces the contest. "Oooh, I'll take part! I haven't played volleyball in a while ..." She polishes off her hot dog, and ducks into a changing booth or something to peel out of her sundress, emerging in a simple dark blue one-piece swimsuit. (Anyone who's followed Yuna's occasional modeling work - part of being an idol, really - might recognize it as something she wore for a recent shoot.) 

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''     Having sampled the chocolate fountain, Eve continues to study the rest of the crowd, not being particularly gregarious... unlike some. She sneaks a bite of the chocolate Sokka gave her. Okay, she doesn't sample it. She makes it vanish like a magician with a coin.     "Hello Jinx ffffaaahhh hello yes yes hello." Eve says, in a quiet voice that probably doesn't carry anywhere. No, she's not mocking Jinx. She honestly figured that must have been some weird full name. She then shrugs, turning to head towards the volleyball stadium. She had expected something else, some more ... solo sort of athletic contest. But she's not going to let a little something like a team sport get in the way of showing off. She HAD challenged Sokka, more or less. So long as she ends up on the opposite side from him in the competition, she doesn't mind too much. And if they end up on the same side? Well, she didn't have any say in the matter right? 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony now finds himself in the awkward position of trying to excuse himself from playing volleyball - far from his best sport - whilst also protesting Sokka's label of "old man" as applied to him. If he declines the invitation to play he's going to look like an old man for sure now. "Get out," he retorts cheerfully to Sokka with a brilliant smile that somehow makes it sound like a compliment. Oh, what the hell, it's Toph's birthday, he can humor her. "Well I wouldn't want to make anyone feel outclassed," he replies casually, as if beach volleyball is something he does every day. "And it wouldn't exactly be fair for me to win any of the prizes. If you really WANT to watch RJ though, I think he just pooped himself, so have at it." 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     "Contest?" Staren asks when Toph mentions it.     And oh hey, there's Jinx! He's given most of the people he knows friendly nods -- she gets a more curt one, just because he barely knows her -- as Souji's bodyguard and a League member he hasn't really met.     Toph explains the contest! "Of course! Who doesn't love games, right? Although, can you see the ball okay?"     Sokka's question gets a brief nod and a smile, with a knowing glance towards the tent The Present is set up inside.     "You two know eachother?" he looks between Sokka and Jinx, surprised. Also wow is her demeanor totally different when she's not bodyguarding or what 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa grins at Toph for a moment. "Don't worry I'm not lagging behind any longer also happy birthday Toph!" Toph's also more or less grown up hoppin the multiverse too it's been a wild life for Toph she suspects but? She seems happy as the talks about teh contest and she grins for a moment. "I'm up for Beace Volleyball1" Kotone is very pumped for this it should be fgun a heck of a lot of good fun, and she might get to do something stupid with the ball, she just hopes they are made to stand up to Elites. She also spots Staren and gives him a wave too. She seems to be in /very/ good spirits! 

:'''{{#var:774|Dorian Pavus (774)}} has posed:'''     Dorian blinks as Lute just sort of... faceplants on the beach. "Ah, but if the ladies think you're injured they may come to your aid," he points out. That's the point of showing off, right? Well, it is for most people.     Toph pointing him at the bar gets a smirk, which only widens at the use of that nickname. Nope, he's never going to live that down. He will, however, head for the bar for a drink. Because he's a social drinker. No getting drunk right now.     He does, however, notice Sokka being... well, sort of enthusiastic at joining. Not really. And it probably doesn't take him much to discern the cause. Dorian's got issues with that too, believe it or not. Even with his magic, underneath it Dorian is still just a human. A one from a very well-bred lineage, but still a human. It can be intimidating.     So Dorian foregoes the drink for the time being and heads over to where Sokka is, and Toph's just revealed the extreme volleyball arena. "I'm game," he comments. "I'm in reasonably good shape." Which he is, and is pretty clear since he's not wearing a shirt. He's not RAAAR huge and muscley, but he's fit.     And then Jinx is yelling, and his eyes go a bit wide. "It's all right, no one's going to smack you for not speaking up in class," he offers with an amused note to his voice. Yuna gets a polite nod and a smile; no, he doesn't know her personally, but she's Toph's friend he assumes, so he'll consider her a friend by proxy!     Inga's words draw his attention and he walks in her direction. "Ah, Inga. You're looking quite beautiful today," he compliments honestly. The question of swimming gets a shake of his head. "No, I'm afraid not. Never had much love for the sport." Which is Dorian-speak for 'I can't swim'.     And there goes Lute. Dorian facepalms a little. He isn't worried for Toph, he knows she's capable of taking care of herself. Still. Sigh. 

:'''{{#var:136|Rarity (136)}} has posed:''' "Volleyball?" Rarity has no idea what Toph is talking about now. "I presume that is some kind of human compatition?" 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka froze in place. He saw the wrist grab, the hand on her back, the-- Poor, Poor Jinx would discover that when Sokka WANTED to move fast, he COULD move fast. He was there in a flash, still holding and dragging poor Jinx around behind him. And right before the lips could lock, his arm shot out, swung down the guy's head and just clothes lined him across the chest. It took him a second to realize what he just did. He stared for a few minutes, then glanced to Toph. "Errr... so. Um. Is that something you two normally do, or was that justified?" Poor, poor jinx, completely forgotten and still held onto the death grip that was jealous Sokka. 

:'''{{#var:325|Rhapsody (325)}} has posed:'''     Starting to wander from one spot to another, checking out the decorations and the ocean, it's only a matter of time before Yuna finds and gives the Rhaps a hug which she is happy enough to return in kind, "Nice to see you, Yuna,". Spotting the hotdog, the dragon realizes there is FOOD here and turns for the grill spotting a man she has a massive amount of respect for and rarely gets to see. That and she had something for the Stark family, anyway.     "Tony!" the dragon calls, reaching into her coat as she wanders over, likely to grab some food, but to deliver something else. "I had planned to give this to Pepper but, something came up the other day on the radio and I felt a little bit obliged to make up for it." What's offered is a small stack of papers, about five of them, each with a jagged symbol on it. "Pepper was worried about your son's name getting out, so, these are wards. Just put them on the bottom of any crib he's in and if any magic is cast within about 50 yards or so, it'll activate. To turn it off all you have to do is have you or her poke at it." Small smile, "I hope everything's been going well for you. There may be another Presentation day soon, it'd be nice to see you there if you have the time." 

:'''{{#var:525|Inga (525)}} has posed:''' Inga blushes slightly. "Well, thank you," she replies. She feels a bit out of place. Over-dressed. Better over dressed than under, she supposes, adjusting her shawl a little. "Aah, pitty. I shall have to go in alone then," she smiles. "I'll cheer you on for the ah, volleyball though," she says, eyeing the net. Huh. Oh, Kotone is here as well. Smiling, Inga waves. "Good luck to you Kotone!" There's others she knows, but she feels suddenly, oddly shy. So, booze time. She takes a seat and orders whatever fruity conconctions are served on the beach. It's probably in a coconut. 

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:''' Yuna nods to Rarity, "Yeah, it's a human sport. You have a few people on each team, there's a net in between their halves of the field, and you hit the ball back and forth between the sides - usually with your hands or arms. You keep the ball going back and forth, trying to make it hit the ground on the other team's side of the net." 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:'''     But Sokka isn't going to be the only one aiming for Lute. She barely has to see what's going on, when she gets to her feet, letting out a cry. "Oh HELL NO."     And as she's dragged, there's a sudden flash of ribbons and light and hearts and stuff... and there's a very fancy looking Jinx charging right along side the Water Triber. "STAR GUARDIAN JINX SAYS DON'T MESS WITH LOVE, JERKBAG!" He may be going for a clothesline, but Jinx is aiming to take him out at the knees. 

:'''{{#var:136|Rarity (136)}} has posed:''' Rarity laughs a little at Yuna's explaination. "Well, I do believe that counts me out of the possible compatition." Because, you know, no hands. And magic would be considered cheating. "I shall have to contend with watching and cheering for the other participants." 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Robert James Stark is probably the most well-protected kid in the Multiverse already, but Tony has never felt entirely comfortable about his magic-blocking capabilities. He DID manage to teleport-proof his homes, but there are so many different KINDS of magic it's hard to keep up. Even so, the conflict is visible for a moment on his face before his cheek gives a little twitch and he takes the papers from Rhapsody. "Thanks," he says, and he means it. "I'm sure we'll both sleep a little better now." A thoughtful pause. "...hey you couldn't make these with a 'go-to-sleep' spell on them too, could you?" He really does miss not being awakened every few hours, but that query was of course facetious. He passes the wards to Toph to take inside along with RJ as she walks past, and takes a moment to stick out his tongue at her too. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Snacks are awesome, really," Toph asides, amused as Sokka goes on over to greet Jinx. He was kinda right, wasn't he? About Jinx being lonely and needing friends... so this might be good for her. Because she /did/ promise to not shoot up the party.     Lute's comment about the fireworks does make Toph roll her eyes a bit. "You /do/ know that for me fireworks are only noise, right?" she reminds him, pointing to her eyes. Though she does look curious as he states he has another gift for her and reaches into his pocket? "Hmm?"     Perhaps it's the fact that her sense is somewhat dulled in the sand here on the beach. Maybe it's because he's so close, or perhaps that she didn't expect it... but it's not often that Toph is taken by surprise. This is one of the times. When Lute reaches for her, Toph blinks before her eyes go wide and she finds herself dipped. And kissed by somebody /besides/ her boyfriend. Which might be why she looks absolutely flabbergasted, her face turning completely red as she is trying to understand /why/ this is happening.     Sokka reacts before she does somehow, and it's only after that that Toph herself raises her foot... and the sand underneath Lute erupts upwards, and Toph reaches a hand up to wipe at her lips. "Don't do /that/, dunderhead!" she calls, turning towards where Lute might end up. It's not hard enough to send him way out to sea, though she /does/ look a bit annoyed. Here she thought the entire multiverse knew by now that she was dating, at least from how other people described her crush on Sokka.     Nevermind that, let's get started on the contest rules! Even if she's still blushing a bit. "OKAY! So there will be teams, and each team will play together! No powers, no attacking the other team. Prizes for all, though the winner team gets the grand prize! Jarvis, list of the teams please?" she calls out.     "The teams are as follows," Jarvis intones from a nearby speaker, "Team Cuddly Cobras: Miss Rhapsody and Mister Sokka. Team Gangly Giraffes: Miss Eve and Mister Pavus. Team Hyper Hawks: Miss Kagurazaka and Miss A-ko. Team Snuggly Sheep: Mister Alden and Mister Stark. Team Scary Squirrels: Miss Yamakawa and Mister Staren. First match will be Team Cuddly Cobras versus Team Gangly Giraffes. Enter the arena."     With that Toph heads on over to pick up RJ from his crib, muttering a bit as she walks past Tony. "At least you can't complain at me for dating somebody like Lute," she asides to him. "Okay Mister Stinkerino, let's get you changed inside!"     Inside the arena the beach volley ball is waiting for the first two teams. 

:'''{{#var:325|Rhapsody (325)}} has posed:'''     Tony gets a little smirk at the suggestion, "Ah, but then you wouldn't get to experience the glories of paarenthood, now would you?" A hotdog is stolen and Rhapsody spin-dances away with a wave, "You should really show up at the next presentation!" she insists before the teams start to get called out for the volleyball tournament. She's going to have to get through her snack in a hurry and just grab some more later.     To date, the most Rhapsody knew of Sokka was through the radio, and that he sometimes seemed to come across as a little ... silly? Welp, looks like she's going to find out just what he's like, then! The hotdog she thieved from Stark is 3/4ths gone by the time she spots the guy who just decked Lute. Seeing as all she remembers of the trainer was that he was in the Confederacy, Sokka has now gained a point or two, even if Lute was in the League now. "Sokka, over here!" 

:'''{{#var:774|Dorian Pavus (774)}} has posed:'''     Aha! Dorian can still make a pretty lady blush! "Are you sure?" he asks. "That's a beautiful dress. It'd be a shame to ruin it with saltwater." He'd been near the bar anyway, so he can still talk to Inga for a moment or two more before the contest begins. Or flirt with her, as the case may be. Hey, Harry's got nothing to worry about. Dorian just likes flirting.     Suddenly though, there's a kerfluffle on the beach, as Dorian assumed there would be. Toph strikes him as the kind who would... well, strike out at Lute. And Sokka as well. but he wasn't expecting 'Magical Miracle Love-Love Guardian Jinx' to do it too! He can't help but wince a bit. Three-on-one is a little unfair, but well... there's also the concept of 'asking for it', isn't there? And when he seems to go flying? Well. 'Asking for it' definitely applies.     Then Jarvis is calling out teams, and Dorian looks to Inga again. "Do please excuse me. I should be back momentarily. Hopefully in one piece." He winks. Yes, he's kidding. He's a pretty athletic sort, despite being a mage. A battlemage, if you will. He heads over to where Eve is, and offers a smile. "I'm not sure either one of us are 'gangly giraffes', but, shall we?" 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren wasn't watching Lute, but he can figure out what happened pretty quick as Sokka and Jinx rush off. "Seriously, dude?!" Like Lute isn't used to being chastised by now.     If Lute ever visits Equestria though, Staren's positioning himself between him and Twilight at all times =_=     Staren looks at Kotone. "'Squirrels? More like cyborgs... but we're not scary... ah, I guess we are..." 

:'''{{#var:188|Lute (188)}} has posed:'''      Lute has been in situations like this before. It's, quite simply, one of those things that he never learns not to do. No matter how many times he kisses a girl randomly and then gets immediately punished for it, it is something he will still keep doing.      And so, he is taken by surprise by the follow up attack. It's made worse by not being who he would have thought who would attack him. He had assumed if anyone, it'd be Tony first, for taking his daughter's innocence. But, he is clotheslined. And then Jinx hits him at the knees, at the same time. The wind is taken out of him, and he falls hard into the sand. He takes in a sharp breath, quickly speaking.      "...Jinx, if you were jealous of me kissing Toph you don't need to do it violently, you can have the next kiss."      Immediately after, he is flying through the air, bursting into the sky as Toph sends the sand up. He flies a bit away, near the water. He's so out of it at the moment, that he can't even control his fall properly. As such, he lands in the water, bellyflopping. He floats there for a moment, floating almost like a corpse, face down. A few airbubbles pop out from the water. And then finally, he takes a gasp for air before swimming back to the beach. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka grinned and then patted Jinx on the back. "Yo. Go hang out with Toph, help her with the baby, okay?" Then... as Toph left, he gave her a spin and kiss. "To wash away the taste," he whispered. Then he turned and walked away, into the arena. He gave his colleage a grin. "Come on, let's kick some butt! I'll try not to hold you back or anything, okay?" he said with a wink. "And I don't think we've really met so..." Took her hand, gentle kiss. "It's an honor to fight on this battlefield with such a lovely lady." Then glanced to his opponents and smile to Eve. "Hey, Sparky. I'm expecting big things from you. If you don't kick my butt in this, i'll be severly disappointed," he said with a grin. Hey, he knew he was going to lose, so why fret about it? Then he glanced back. "Wait. Jarvis, am I the cuddly, or the cobra?" he yelled out. 

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''     Good news, Eve is in immediate direct competition with Sokka in the tournament. Bad news... well, it's beach volleyball and she's tiny. And her partner isn't Yuna, which would've been wonderful. Instead it's Dorian Pavus, who is... not inspiring. She fixes him with a look that screams 'don't hold me back mageboi', then goes off for modesty's sake to change into her swimsuit.     When she returns, well, no one can fault Eve for her beachwear. She wears a nice two-piece that's still somehow got a little skirt to it. Just a frilly thing that's far more for style than modesty. And yes she's quite obviously still just a kid, and quite obviously no gangly giraffe. She doesn't smile back to Dorian. Nothing personal, she's just stoic. But she also seems relatively athletic even if she's a bit on the scrawny side. She fixes Sokka with a look. "Kicking your butt isn't in the rules of the game." she opines. "A shame. I'll have to settle for beating you so badly you'd only prefer to have been kicked." she expresses in a near deadpan. 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:'''     Ahhhhhhhhhhhh shit. Jinx blinks a bit as she's patted, watching Lute go flying. She really hadn't thought much in that entire charge. She blinks a few times, and looks down at her rather... Meguca outfit. Hands brush a bit selfconciously at the top, before she gives a proper Magical Girl V-pose, almost reflexively. "Dammit now I'm gonna have to like... get this undone again." She huffs and then starts to wander in the direction of the bar, nodding vaguely at Sokka. 

:'''{{#var:434|A-ko Magami (434)}} has posed:''' As soon as A-ko haers her name announced, she does a double-take, until she realizes she's been paired with Yuna. "Well, maybe this won't be so bad after all!" She looks towards Yuna. "Are you up for a game I hope? Because I play a mean game of volleyball, I'll have you know!" 

:'''{{#var:525|Inga (525)}} has posed:''' Inga waves a hand dismissively. She knows Dorian flirtations are entirely harmless. She knows she's not actually his type, but its nice to be complimented regardless. "I've worm something beneath it to swim in," she explains. The kerfuffle (that's a great word) gets her attention. She shakes her head. Toph can take care of it, and has plenty of others to intervene. She's been in that position. Bloody Merlin. She smiles back to Dorian. "Good luck," she says, and goes back to sipping the delicious alcoholic beverage in her hand, ready to watch the volleyball tournament until she's drunk enough to not care about taking off her dress so she can swim. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     It's a bit surprising when Jinx actually helps out, though Toph's not about to complain about that. Instead she huffs a bit at Lute's comment. Dunderhead.     There's no violent reaction to when Sokka leans in to give her a kiss however, even if she does blush just a bit and nod in response to his whisper. "You go have fun with the volley ball, okay? Rhapsody is good people, you all got a winning chance with this." And she did hear what Sokka said to Jinx. "Jinx? Wanna come and learn how to change shitty diapers?" You have been dared! For now Toph heads inside with RJ, taking the wards with her as well to put them in the nursery for Tony to find later.     Jarvis explains the rules a bit further to the two teams: "First team to get three points wins. Team Gangly Giraffe, you get to start. Miss Eve, the serve is yours." 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "Why am I a /sheep/?" Tony complains loudly. Jarvis replies, dryly, from the same speaker, "The team names were preselected by Miss Beifong, sir. I assure you, they were assigned randomly." "Uh-huh." Tony isn't buying that. "Okay Alden," he looks around for his teammate, "let's show 'em what we can..." he hesitates, considering the Gabumon with a skeptical squint. "--Do you know how to play volleyball?" 

:'''{{#var:774|Dorian Pavus (774)}} has posed:'''     Well that wasn't exactly a look of camaraderie. Unfortunately, since he can't read Eve's mind -- and he's always going to think the worst of any situation -- all he can interpret the look as is 'Ew, I didn't want YOU as a teammate'. The assumptions are flying in his head right now, but he's polite enough to keep them to himself. His smirk, however, is a grim one. Ah well. Makes it all the more interesting if even his teammate can't stand him.     As it is, though, he gets to where he's supposed to be, waiting for Eve to return in her swimsuit. He offers her a polite nod as she returns. And then offers, "I'm sure Toph will let you switch with someone if you'd prefer." 

:'''{{#var:930|Alden (930)}} has posed:''' Alden was still listening about the sport... seemed interesting enough, he just hopes he won't be a disaster in the field!. He looks at the other teams, and then back at Mr. Star, "So we are playing together I guess." he says with a grin, before hearing the polite question, "I will admit I haven't... but I promise to do my best!" he says cheerfully... he certainly has energy at least. 

:'''{{#var:136|Rarity (136)}} has posed:''' Rarity is just going to watch, so she helps herself to some of the non-meat items to munch on in the meantime. She would rather leave the physical activities to the ones more suited for them. 

:'''{{#var:325|Rhapsody (325)}} has posed:'''     Well, he certainly seems polite, too! "Well met, Sokka. Well met.." she compliments before realizing that, yes, they're first against another team. "Right. Butt-kicking time. Lets see if we can spike the ball hard enough to make it explode, eh?" Rhaps would then slip out of her coat, hand it off to the closest person that would hold it, and then she'd get into position on the court. 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:'''     Jinx still seems a bit dazed, but manages to swing past th bar to grab a Malted Fruity Beverage before following Toph on her way inside. "Ah, Lute's had that coming to him for ages, from me especially. Call it... payback. Ain't happening again unless he's tryin' to be a homewrecker." She pops the top from the bottle and then looks around the place. "Man this is really damn fancy. Like the Tower back home." That'd be at the Murasame Zaibatsu. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded and got into position. "Okay, let's do this! Eve, I'm expecting big things from you, don't let me down!" he called out. Fortunately for him, he might ACTUALLY do pretty well in this. He has no powers or special abilities. He just has his own body, that he has trained and honed and tested for years. Sports like this without powers? He has a pretty good shot at. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony nods to Alden. "Works for me." He wasn't expecting to win anyway, but if the 'old man' and a 2.5 foot tall doglizard could actually win this, that would be good for some bragging rights. "Just watch the first couple teams play and you'll get the idea," he advises. "Don't let the ball touch the ground on our side of the net. Hit it over, try to get it on the sand on their side." 

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''     Eve fixes Dorian with another look. One that might call him a doorknob, but not one that's actually hostile. "We're teammates." she claims simply. She's not about to abandon him even if she didn't choose him. She gestures towards the volleyball field, saying no more. Maybe she doesn't actually hate him, who knows?     She sets up, getting ready for the first serve. Eve's not actually practiced in such things as volleyball but she's physically-adept and an incredibly quick learner. Having essentially perfect mind-over-body control certainly helps too. She COULD use nanomachine-shifting to make herself even better but she's just not sure enough of how the volleyball will act to make that a good option. Besides, it'd probably be cheating. She can't claim to have beaten Sokka if she uses such dubious techniques to do so. 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa Says "Thanks Inga, I'll try to make it look good for eveyrone elses's amumsement!" Yuna's quick to explain how the game works and Kotone seems ready for the game this should be a lot of fun she hears s she ends up with Staren? All right this should be a good dela of fun, Kotone for once is in good spirits a she moves to hook up with Staren to get ready for the match, she's glad she brought a swimsuit of her own, she goes off to change before her match comes up though. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The inside of Tony's home is indeed fancy, and the house practically screams luxury. As Jinx enters she might become aware of a black cat that comes on over, meowing as he rubs his face against her leg. "Don't mind Buster, he is an attention whore," Toph asides to Jinx. "And heh, he needed a punch. Guess I should have seen that coming since he has sixteen set as the age for when he starts hitting on girls, huh?" Oh well, it's not like she's that scared of him doing anything bad. She's got a boyfriend after all. "And yeah, this is really fancy. I was kinda floored the first time I visited here before Goldie became my supervising officer, really." Up to the nursery they go, and Toph gets started on changing RJ's diaper, making sure to instruct Jinx to stand to the side and not in front of RJ. "Glad you could make it, by the way. You can meet more people that way. And maybe realise not all us Paladins are dirty pigs. Cops. Whatever." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka was there! And went for the ball, and then... BAM! A flock of seagulls flew over right then and they all got to see as the birds voided their bowls over the guy. Which was enough of a momentary distraction to make him miss the ball, get clocked in the face, then trip over the bird poop. He laid there for a second, covered in poop and just sighed. The sigh of a man who REALLY should have seen this coming. Like, he didn't even get up. This was his life now. He was just going to lay there for a few days, let them play around him. "Damn enemy birds." 

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:''' Whatever Yuna might have been planning to say by way of responding to Rarity is forestalled by violence. Against Lute, on the joint parts of Sokka (no real surprise there) and Jinx (ditto). Yuna is distracted for a long moment by staring at Jinx's Star Guardian get-up. When did she become a magical girl ... ? ... oh right, that incident with the transformation artifact, back before the Union and the Confederacy collapsed. At least she seems to be taking to it well. "I'm a little out of practice," Yuna says a little sheepishly to A-ko as the teams are announced and teammates pair up, "but I'll do my best!" She flexes playfully, and briefly, then turns her attention to the first set. "Go Eve! Good luck, Dorian!" she cheers her friend on, along with Eve's partner. 

:'''{{#var:325|Rhapsody (325)}} has posed:'''     WOOSH goes the serve, right toward Sokka, "You got- wha?!" Birds. So many birds. An an ace for the other team. "... What just happened?" Rhapsody looks insanely confused by this occurence. 

:'''{{#var:774|Dorian Pavus (774)}} has posed:'''     Dorian is a little confused, to be honest. Even after as long as he's been in the Multiverse, he's not used to people having neutral opinions of him. Or even 'vague dislike'. Old habits die hard, it seems. But he offers a nod to Eve nonetheless.     He offers a smile to the other team. "I do wish there was something else to wish one when starting a tricky endeavor besides 'good luck'. It implies that luck is needed. I think you'll both do fine without luck." He's being honest here, not taunting.     So the game is going well... right up until Sokka takes a birdie bomb to the everything! Dorian winces. But he does at least TRY to find a bright side. "...In some cultures that's massively good luck, I'm told."     ...Yeah no. That probably doesn't help.     But he does look up at whoever's refereeing this. "Can we get a time out on account of droppings of mass destruction?" he asks. Sokka looks like he needs some help... 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka was thrown off his game after that FIRST round. Like, heavily. He did okay, but, really? He was just... not so good. He had to even jump in the ocean. Then the third point came around and the BIRDS CAME BACK! The last thing he heard was their caw. Then another bomb on him. THERE WAS A YELL OFANGER! Then he just stormed off. But, really, who could blame him? Who WOULDN'T after THAT?! 

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''     Eve peers at Sokka's absolutely horrific luck. She wants to beat him, but ... well, that's a bit much. She doesn't wish horrible things on him after all. "If anyone's doing that with magic, please stop." she mutters, annoyed. She's going to win on skill alone! That said though, she sets up for more volleyball. She doesn't serve every time however, and it's got to be said she's a whole lot better on defense than on offense. She's quick, but not particularly strong or accurate when it comes to balls. Still it should be enough, with hopefully some good teamwork with her partner. In the end she wins, but ... it's not quite as satisfying as she might have hoped. Still, she won. 

:'''{{#var:325|Rhapsody (325)}} has posed:'''     Well the dragon would have done a lot more but you know. BIRDS. At least there was a decent volley back and forth for the second point. "Good game!" 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "...Okay maybe that wasn't such a good example," Tony asides to Alden. "Try doing... everything that Sokka didn't." 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:'''     Buster gets a nice friendly scruffle, as she settles in to watch babywork. And then she seems more than familiar with the baby stuff for some reason. "Don't hold your breath on that one. Cops are cops are cops." She seems less sure about that one, but well, no one's here in uniform with lights and sirens going. "And Lute's a pig and he's going to get everything he deserves."     A glance around the place, and the girl twirls one of her long red tails. Something... like anxiety. Her heart rate is picking up. Something really exciting about being in a place like this, somehow?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Team Gangly Giraffe wins," Jarvis announces. "Next match: Team Hyper Hawks versus Team Snuggly Sheep." Yuna and A-ko, Tony and Alden, better get ready! 

:'''{{#var:434|A-ko Magami (434)}} has posed:''' Meanwhile, A-ko has stripped to her swimsuit, and is taking a few minutes to stretch and warm up before her volleyball match. After that, she cracks her knuckles and smiles, looking to Yuna. "Let's do our best out there, OK?" 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "Sheep rule!" Tony declares as he steps onto his side of the field. Dumb hawks. 

:'''{{#var:774|Dorian Pavus (774)}} has posed:'''     Hopefully after Sokka gets cleaned up, the match can continue. Bird poop on the volleyball is a bad thing, definitely. Of course they come back, and Dorian shakes his head. Poor Sokka. Birds really do not like him, do they? "Not me," Dorian replies, raising his hands to show they're empty. Not that that's a problem, but the gesture is understood, he assumes.     For most of the match, Dorian is mostly setting up the ball so Eve can swat it over the net. For all his bluster and vanity, he's not trying to 'be the star' here. He knows his capabilities and doesn't overreach them. He'll set up, or if it's set up for him, he'll swat it over himself.     But, Eve and he won, even if it was thanks to the birds. "We'll need to try that again where there aren't any marauding seagulls," he says to Sokka. 

:'''{{#var:930|Alden (930)}} has posed:''' Alden follows Tony, "Sheep are great!". he agrees, while Katze continues to watch the games, making videos of everything to post later. 

:'''{{#var:525|Inga (525)}} has posed:''' Inga is well into her second rum drink now. She's not swaying on the barstool or anything, but she's starting to feel it. It would wear off quickly, so she'll have to take advantage of the buzz while she has it. Grabbing her walking stick, Inga begins to amble down to the beach, avoiding the volleyball match. She cheers them on though. Dorian's doing well. Looks like his teammate didn't expect that. That brings a grin to Inga's face. Using the match as a distraction, Inga pulls the straps of her dress down and lets it pool around her ankles. Beneath, she's wearing bloomers. Oh yes, with little bit of lace at the knees and all, and a bra-type top. She immediately wades into the water without looking back, praying no one is staring. Once the water is up to her waist, she dives into the next wave like a fish and surfaces a little ways away, grinning as she swims out past the breaking point of the surf. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka headed into the house to take a long, long shower. Frankly, after that, he deserved it. Seriously, what did the birds have against him? It was the universe, he swore. Of course, once he was clean, he headed in to see the girls. "How's my favorite girls? You two doing okay?" Now with 99.9 percent less bird poop! "Need any help?" He's touched a lot of poop today, some baby one won't be so bad. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' As if he was just waiting for Sokka to enter the room, RJ giggles and squeals as he twists around and sends a spray of urine tinkling in his direction. 

:'''{{#var:325|Rhapsody (325)}} has posed:'''     While her partner heads inside, Rhaps stays outside to watch the other games, and even cheers on the Sheep team. "GO STARK!" 

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:''' Yuna does some warm-up stretches as well, possibly including some cooperative stretching with A-ko, and steps into the 'field' with her red-haired partner. "Here we go ... good luck, you two!" she calls it to Tony and Alden before moving to the back line - to the extent that there *are* lines. She's probably better off serving and letting A-ko take the front field ... 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "It's okay Alden, that was a good hit," Tony encourages his midget teammate. At least they didn't run into each other. They seem to have a pretty good spatial awareness, actually. Like they're in sync. However Yuna's amazing serving skills are just too much for them to successfully return the ball. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Eeeh, Lute will always get what he deserves," Toph comments, wiping RJ's bottom as the baby is happy about having his pants off, kicking his tiny baby feet as he makes some content sounds. "At least we're all having a truce today, so there's that. I won't even kick Lute's ass for kissing me back there, even if he deserves it." When Sokka arrives in the nursery though, the blind teen raises her head a bit. She did hear water running earlier... "Were you just showering?" she asks, arching an eyebrow. "And don't stand the--" Too late. A sigh leaves Toph, and she quickly moves some nappies to intercept the urine. "You... might wanna go shower again, we'll finish up here, okay?"     It doesn't take too long for Toph to finish getting him cleaned up, nor does she have problems putting on a clean diaper and making sure his pants are back on before she heads back outside with Jinx. "Let's grab some food and drinks! The bartender makes various stuff, so get what you want." Once they do get there Toph picks up some food, and sits down in the shade, with RJ resting in her lap so she can observe the contest going on. 

:'''{{#var:930|Alden (930)}} has posed:''' Alden was giving it his best, he was trying to get his mind in the game, running and trying to hit the ball as quickly as he can... unfortunately,a tiny chubby lizarddog form proves not to be the best at quick sports, at least he does not slam into Tony!, or trip or something too humilliating... yet. 

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''     Eve's pretty animated on the sidelines. Not cheering aloud, but her body language is audible enough for those who look. She twitches and nearly bounces in excitement when Yuna makes a good play, wincing when she's in trouble. She's not the most expressive of cheerleaders but Eve does wear her heart on her sleeve. 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:'''     Well Jinx already has a beverage, and she swigs from the Beverage with a bit of a grin as she watches the last of the mess with the baby and well. The smile flickers for a second before plastering itself back on her face as Sokka comes in. "Hey nerd! Did you win out there? Or not? I wasn't paying attention."     Though Sokka does get a little bit of pointing and laughing at his predicament.     Back outside though, the Erstwhile Magical girl snags a big veggie skewer to go with her Beverage, plopping down to watch everything going on. It's a few long moments of quiet as she Thinks. It's hard and painful. "...Thanks." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Once again Jarvis speaks up once the match is over, "Team Hyper Hawks win. Next match will be Team Scary Squirrels versus Cuddly Cobras. Miss Rhapsody, Mister Sokka... be prepared to meet Miss Yamakawa and Mister Staren in the arena, please." 

:'''{{#var:325|Rhapsody (325)}} has posed:'''     Welp, after that game is done, it seems Rhapsody and Sokka are up again, "Alright!" Back onto the court she goes. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The 'thanks' from Jinx does make Toph arch an eyebrow. Though she's a bit quiet before she responds quietly. "... thanks for not blowing stuff up. And for joining the fun. So... does sound like they're having fun down there." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka just sighs. Baby piss as... And then Jinx pointed and laughed. He quickly turned and walked off. It... was definitely not the right move and he ended up staying in the showers a lot longer than was to be expected. By the time he finally came out, he went straight to the bar and it would be fairly obvious to Toph that he was, indeed, sulking. On her birthday, no less! What a jerk. He'd order something mildly alcoholic(water tribe related too, if they had it.) And then he gets called down first. "Oh by the... please no, not again," he mumbled, groaning. 

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:''' That first serve was a beauty, and it's a memory which Yuna will treasure for a long while. She doesn't carry the game on her own, though, and Yuna is glad to shake hands with both Tony and Alden after the round is concluded. Maybe she ought to work out how to adapt volleyball for ponies and other non-bipeds? Rarity certainly sounded somewhat interested ... and Alden is doing his best. So is Rhapsody, for that matter. 

:'''{{#var:434|A-ko Magami (434)}} has posed:''' A-ko smiles as Yuna performs a great game of volleyball, and at the end, she goes over to give Yuna a big hug (but not too big, she doesn't want to crush her!) Then she walks off with a big smile on her face. 

:'''{{#var:930|Alden (930)}} has posed:''' Alden tries!, he does his best, he is sure they can turn this around!.... that they can win?.... maybe just not end at a zero score?. It's the final play, and he tries to stop the ball from scoring the final point of the game!, he dives after it!... he miscalculates and misses... only for the ball to hit on his horn, impaling it!. "Does this count as missing?". 

:'''{{#var:525|Inga (525)}} has posed:''' Oblivious to the rest of the world now, Inga has laid back in the water and is floating over the rolling waves with relative ease, completely relaxed. She's alive, right? Probably just drunk. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony laughs and almost hauls Alden to his feet by grabbing the back of his pelt, but switches his aim at the last moment to just give him a hand up. "Hey, you hit it, man, I think it should count as a save." Safely disqualified now, he saunters over to sit near Toph at the sidelines. "Ba!" says RJ, making grabby motions with his chubby fists. "That's right, buddy," Tony agrees. "Sheep rule." 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:'''     It's hard to Tsun while your hands are full, but Jinx turns it back on at the last moment in order to Prevent Feelings. "Yeah, well it's a nice party and you're... and okay person, so it's... it's natural that I'd come here. I mean, I'm not on the job or anything so I'm not... blowing up the house, you know?" She takes a bite of her kabob and watches the proceedings, trying to formulate ideas in her head on how not to screw this up. 

:'''{{#var:325|Rhapsody (325)}} has posed:'''     "WHY BIRDS, WHY?!" One round Sokka gets attacked, one round Rhapsody gets attacked, and then out of anger she manages to get a really good spike! "Eh, at least we got a point that time. Good game, all." 

:'''{{#var:930|Alden (930)}} has posed:''' Alden accepts Tony's hand and slowly gets up, moving outside, following his Team mate, "Thank you... i feel a bit silly." he says, chuckling a bit himself, waving to the baby. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka headed out, and sure enough... within a few minutes, he is peppered with bird poop. Like, it's not even a small splattering this time. There's like a whole flock of them up there, just swirling about and unleashing on him. What in the world was going on?! And then Sokka just stormed off, letting Rhapsody do the rest herself. Because, frankly, he was going to be in the shower for like an hour and have the MOTHER of all Sulks. Like, at that point his cope was in the negatives. He didn't even say good game or anything, his mood sufficiently obliterated. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Team Scary Squirrels win," Jarvis announces. "Team Gangly Giraffes versus Team Snuggly Sheep, please enter the areana." 

:'''{{#var:325|Rhapsody (325)}} has posed:'''     For her part, Rhapsody just dunks herself in the ocean for a little bit. Still, she thinks maybe going to reassure her partner wouldn't hurt. . . . . Eh. Let him come back out first. Or maybe... 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren plays to win, because exercising mastery and overcoming challenges is how you enjoy games, right?     He shows no mercy, staying close to the net and spiking whenever he has a chance.     When the round is over, though, he watches Sokka go with concern. "You alright, man?"     Maybe they should have invented something to keep seagulls away... 

:'''{{#var:774|Dorian Pavus (774)}} has posed:'''     Dorian had been being lazy at the bar while the other matches were going on. And he'd noticed those birds. "Violent little bastards," he mutters. As his team's called back to the arena, Dorian says firmly, "If I see a bird within 'drop' distance of me, it's getting barbequed the hard way." He will go back though. Can't let Eve down. Figures nature would be their worst enemy while trying to play outside. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "Still sure he's the One?" Tony murmurs to Toph as Sokka storms past covered in bird shit again. 

:'''{{#var:136|Rarity (136)}} has posed:''' By now Rarity is watching the games while the CMC are playing on the beach. And by watching, I mean she's actually sunbathing on one of the beach chairs. Which might be watching still, but she's just as likely to just be zoned out entirely while she's relaxing. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Hey, Sokka...!" Toph calls as Sokka storms on by, just sighing. But she can't exactly leave RJ alone either as Tony has to get into the arena, and she rolls her eyes as Tony murmurs to her. "As sure as you're an asshole, dad," she asides and punches him in the arm a bit. 

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''     Eve sets her sights this match. Tony Stark isn't her enemy. She likes him well enough, given he's the one who is raising Toph. Then again he's also the one responsible for her unseemly ego. Well, possibly. It's also possible she MAY have had an ego before meeting Tony... as hard as that might be to imagine.     Regardless, Eve plays to win. She's still no master, but she shows perhaps startling improvement over the previous round, no longer relying on the bad luck or bad judgment of her opponents to make scores. She also plays a good team game, setting Dorian up or receiving a set-up equally well. It's not enough to win every point, but she's still pleased at her accomplishment given... well, given that this isn't really the sort of thing she'd expected. It WAS fun though.     As the match ends, Eve brushes sand off herself and approaches Dorian. "You were a good partner." she says, stoically raising a hand for a traditional volleyball maneuver. The famous high five. Or in her case, medium five. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     As for Jinx's comments, Toph moves RJ a bit in her lap as she listens to the older girl talk. "I do consider myself an okay person, yeah... and I'm sure dad is thankful you're not blowing up his fancy house. Not that we don't have anywhere else to go, but it's home, you know?" Toph shrugs, letting RJ suck on her sleeve. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony actually feels a bit better as the second match starts. He actually picks up Alden and hoists him up to spike the ball after setting it high for him. And it gets them a point! But he's not in the suit, and Alden is heavier than he looks. Or at least he feels heavier than he ought too. Or maybe he really is getting old. He's clearly out of breath on the next two volleys and although Alden miraculously sets him up a beautiful shot, his spike clips the net and sets the stage for an easy winning point by the Giraffes. "Okay I need a drink," he pants, and makes his way to the bar for another beer. Look, he usually does his superheroing in a suit of armor, ok? 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "A good try, Sir," Jarvis intones to Tony. "The next match is The Hyper Hawks versus The Scary Squirrels." 

:'''{{#var:930|Alden (930)}} has posed:''' Alden starts the game kind of...badly, or rather, seems to keep a similar pace as before, watching Tony zoom around and apparently making up for his own lack of experience in the game!. He even gets assisted by Tony to spike the ball!. He honestly does not blame his partner for the game, he still feels it's his fault things went as bad as they did. He follows his team mate to the bar, even if he just gets water, "Thanks for hoisting me for that spike." he says. Perhaps he should have asked if he was allowed to digivolve before the game, no special powers, just tall wolfman!. Maybe next time. 

:'''{{#var:774|Dorian Pavus (774)}} has posed:'''     Dorian was right to be wary. The second round those birds decide to come and try their luck again. Dorian's response to seeing them overhead? He reaches a hand up and emits a gout of flame from that hand. This incinerates the 'bomb' on the way down, as well as the offending 'bomber'.     Unfortunately it also distracts him from the game, so immediately afterwards he takes a volleyball to the face. Karma! He stumbles back and falls onto his rear. "Ouch," he comments, rubbing his nose. And further karma? The barbequed bird lands on his head. Fortunately it just bounces off. But it's still five pounds of bird. "Agh!" He raises his hands to cover his head. "All right, this is a bit ridiculous."     However, he manages to recover, despite the embarrassment. Enough to win! He returns that high-five from Eve, with a grin. "You as well," he returns with a smile.     As for their opponents? "Good game, both of you!" See, he can be sporting! 

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:''' "Here we go again," Yuna says idly, swinging her arms back and forth a little to loosen back up as she sets foot once more onto the field of battle. Or of volleyball, as the case may be. "Kotone, Staren, do your best, because A-ko and I aren't holding back!" .... Much, she doesn't add. 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:'''     Jinx's grin manages to stay there. "Yeah well, I don't start fights like this. Not how you're supposed to do stuff. Hospitality and all that. I mean, if I invited you over to the Zaibatsu... well I wouldn't shoot up the Zaibatsu anyways so."     The skinny girl waves to Tony as he wanders over. "Ahoy, nerdlord." 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "That was a good play, huh," Tony grins at Alden. "I just hope Toph thinks it was worth it when I have a heart attack later." 

:'''{{#var:434|A-ko Magami (434)}} has posed:''' A-ko does some light warming up as well, before heading into the playing area again. "Time to show them what we got, Yuna!" She grins widely as she says this. 

:'''{{#var:525|Inga (525)}} has posed:''' Inga wanders out of the water again, wishing she'd brought a towel. That was a bit of an oversight. She's just in time for the end of the contest though, judging by all the cheering. Then she sniffs the air, blinking. "Why does it smell like burnt seagull over here?" 

:'''{{#var:774|Dorian Pavus (774)}} has posed:'''     Dorian's heading away from the arena as Inga nears the group again, and happens to catch her question. He kicks the charred remains out of the arena so it won't intefere with anyone's game, before he notes, "That's why. The gulls are having a grand old time using the volleyball players as targets, and generally making a nuisance of themselves." He reaches down and picks up the bird, finding a receptacle to discard it in. "This one thought my head was a good place for its... 'payload', so I answered in the best way I know how." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Well, at least the mornings in Malibu will be a bit quieter with some of the local sea gulls culled.     As the matches go underway and Jarvis taking control to keep score and all, Toph suddenly gets up from her seat and heads on over to the gift table. "Time to open up the gifts!" she declares, still carrying RJ with her. Tony does need a breather, after all. So she'll begin opening the gifts with one arm, using her bending to do so, keeping a good grip on RJ so she doesn't drop him. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka finally comes out, his arms crossed and... still sulking a bit. Also, making sure to keep under cover. He actually dives for it when he hears the caw caw of a bird up above. But hey, Toph was opening her gifts. There was NO WAY he was missing that. 

:'''{{#var:525|Inga (525)}} has posed:''' Inga, momentarily forgetting how soggy and unclothed she is, looks to the dead bird and then Dorian. She shrugs. "Seagulls are assholes. And they don't even taste good," she informs him, tossing a very wet braid over her shoulder. "So, did you win then?" 

:'''{{#var:774|Dorian Pavus (774)}} has posed:'''     "I believe so," Dorian answers, to Inga's question about the outcome of the matches. "Though I believe they're still ongoing." Then he notes, "Oh, Toph's opening her gifts." He offers his arm to Inga escort style, not seeming to mind her soddenness one bit. "Shall we?" he offers. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' RJ squirms and tries to grab the shiny wrapping paper so he can put it in his mouth. Tony, restored to health by a fresh beer, comes up behind her and offers, "Sure you don't want me to take him? You may need both hands for some of those presents." "Ba!" the baby agrees happily. 

:'''{{#var:525|Inga (525)}} has posed:''' Inga picks up her dress from the sand, gives it a shake, then yanks it over her head before accepting the offered arm. She appreciates it, shifty sand is bloody difficult to walk on. "I think she's already figured out half of my gift by the scent," Inga says with a small smile. 

:'''{{#var:206|Harry Dresden (206)}} has posed:'''     There's a ripple in the air near the bar, like someone ripping a hole in space and time. A blast of fragrant floral notes, and then Harry Dresden steps sort of sideways out of the rip to the Never Never. He's dressed in a long hawaiian shirt and baggiepants, and is carrying a rune-carved hockey stick and a parcel of boxes. "Hey! Sorry I'm late! Dorian, get your hands off my girl!"     He doesn't actually sound mad, but it /is/ Harry Dresden. 

:'''{{#var:930|Alden (930)}} has posed:''' Alden seems in good spirits after the game, and gets rather curious about the gifts too, so he approaches to get a better view, tail twitching. 

:'''{{#var:136|Rarity (136)}} has posed:''' Rarity glances up when Toph heads for the present table. "Hold on a minute, dahling." The unicorn sits up, and magics a whistle from somewhere to blow on. FWWWWWWWWT. "Sweetie Belle, bring the girls back up from the beach! Toph is about to open the presents!" She knows they're going to want to be here for it. "Give them a moment before you open ours, dahling. Wouldn't want them to miss it." 

:'''{{#var:774|Dorian Pavus (774)}} has posed:'''     Dorian hears the call of his name and chuckles. "Terribly sorry," he offers. "I thought I'd keep her company until you arrived. If it makes you feel any better, I've been a perfect gentleman." A look at Inga. "Haven't I?" He does, however, make to pull his arm back, just in case Harry's actually upset. One of these days he'll have to let Harry know -- well, both of them, really -- that that... well, Inga's not really his 'type', in a very specific way... 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "When Tony offers to take RJ, Toph does nod and hand him over, and Jarvis takes this into consideration as he decides the next match. "Team Hyper Hawks, stay in the round to face Team Cuddly Cobras."     Toph does begin opening one of the presents first.. which happens to be Lute's. As she opens it and realises what's inside, she can't help but frown a bit. "Hey, you already got me one of those," she says, arching an eyebrow. Well, she can always donate it to the museum again... right? Next she opens Dorian's, and as always minerals is a sure way to make the blind teenager happy. "Thanks!" Likewise does Rhapsody's mizzium bar catch her attention as she begins bending it. And she does wait a bit for the pony's to walk up to the present table before she begins opening that one. She has time to open all of the gifts at least. 

:'''{{#var:525|Inga (525)}} has posed:''' Inga looks over toward Harry, blinking. She wrinkles her nose at him, as if she's resisting the urge to stick out her tongue. "Tch, that is what you get for being so late," she scolds. If Dorian really wants to pull his arm away she'll let him, but she doesn't look worried. She's well aware she's not Dorian's inclination. She's fairly sure Harry suspects as much as well. She is pleased that Harry is there, though, obviously. She'll have to drag him for a swim after Toph opens her gifts. "Well, come on. Toph is just about to open her presents, better add yours to the pile," she says to Harry, taking him by his arm with her other arm. She'll stroll between two men and make it look perfectly reasonable. "And Dorian is always a perfect gentleman," she adds. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony hoists his son in his arms and immediately starts making goo-goo talk to him that would be mortifyingly embarrassing if he seemed to give even half a shit what anyone thinks of him with regard to this particular aspect of his life. RJ squeals in delight and braces his hands against Tony's face, mushing a bit of chewed wrapping paper into his cheek. 

:'''{{#var:206|Harry Dresden (206)}} has posed:'''     Harry grins a bit at both Dorian and Inga, and helpfully provides Inga with his Hockey Stick as a cane. It even helpfully lights up the runes as the Chosen grabs at it. "Yeah yeah, love you too." He kisses Inga on the cheek, and then hoists himself thorugh the crowd, using Tall Man Privalge to get to where he needs to go. That being exactly where he needs to be, over at the gifts table and also at the bar.     Well, the bar and Tony and RJ. "Heya, pal. Nice seeing you again." He bumps Tony on the shoulder and then leans down to make a face at RJ. "Little squirt got his mother's looks, I see. That's a relief." 

:'''{{#var:774|Dorian Pavus (774)}} has posed:'''     "Well, not always," Dorian admits, to Inga's mention of him being a gentleman. "I have my bastard moments. But I do try to be a gentleman the majority of the time." Then he asks of Harry as he heads over to the bar as well, "How are you doing?" 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "My goatee though," Tony quips back smoothly. "Gotta shave him every couple days." 

:'''{{#var:206|Harry Dresden (206)}} has posed:'''     Harry ruffles the baby's head with a big hand. "Yeah well, can't win the genetic lottery all the time." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Music is something Toph does enjoy, so Yuna's gift does make Toph smile despite it not being earth or metal samples. "Huh... neat, where did you find a music player with Braille?" Toph asks Yuna. There are some gifts from people who aren't here, but she will open those later and focus on opening the gifts from the people who are here now.     When she opens the bag that Jinx brought she looks a bit curious... Instant Soup Cups? And some strange firework thingies, spray prant... and a Braille note that Toph begins reading with an intent look on her face. Though she does become aware of Jinx suddenly... not being there. Where did she go to? Maybe she will have to check out stuff on the radio later once she has the time to do so. 

:'''{{#var:136|Rarity (136)}} has posed:''' It's hard to miss when the trio of fillies arrive back at the main party... Considering they come tumbling over each other they're in such a hurry, Applebloom tripping while trying to kick a pail off her back hoof and crashing into the other two, the pail ended up on Sweetie's head, and Rarity barely stepping out of the way in time for them to go skidding past. She just sighs softly, and goes into 'big sister' mod, picking up all thee with her magic, setting them down on one of the beach chairs, and tugging off the pail from Sweetie's head. The Ponies' present is rather large, but not very heavy. Once she starts getting off the wrapping paper Toph would be able to tell why. Especially when it feels a bit familiar. Because it is not unlike the badgermole plsuhie she had Rarity make for RJ. Except rather than a plushie this one is a badgermole shaped beanbag. 

:'''{{#var:525|Inga (525)}} has posed:''' Inga smiles warmly to Harry. She wasn't actually angry with him to begin with, just teasing. She'll follow over to Tony and RJ. She hasn't met the little one yet! "Tony, good to see you...and this must be the babe. May I hold him?" she asks. Her expression suggests she is /so/ ready to fawn over the baby. She's a little soggy from her swim and smells like seawater, but hopefully that will not be a problem. "Hello little one," she coo's. To Dorian, she laughs. "Oh, is that so? Well you've always been a gentleman to me and that is what's important," she says with a smile. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony grins. "Didn't get enough fish pee on you, need some from him too huh?" It's Inga, and he trusts her, so he nods and carefully transfers baby Robert into her eager arms. The small human-spawn stares up at her in solemn awe. It's not often he gets held by someone outside the immediate family, but he seems cool with it. "Ba," he says. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "It appears that Team Hyper Hawks are on a winning streak," Jarvis announces after the next match is done. "Will Team Snuggly Sheep please enter the ring and fight Team Cuddly Cobras next?" Now that should be a treat, Alden and Tony versus Rhapsody and Sokka. Those two teams haven't won yet.     With the ponies all present at the table Toph begins opening the large gift from them, and she looks a bit curious at the shape. It's not metal or earth, so she can't tell what it is at first. So she looks a bit curious as she touches it. "What /is/ it? I can't really tell... is it a large badgermole plushie?" she asks, looking a bit hopeful. She does kindaaa recognise the face from the plushie that is currently in RJ's nursery. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' It turns out to be just as well Inga wanted to hold the baby as Tony finds himself called back to the volleyball court. Faced with Sokka as one of his opponents... he actually feels like he ought to go easy on the kid. At least that's how he'll tell the story. 

:'''{{#var:325|Rhapsody (325)}} has posed:'''     "Hiiii Tony!" Rhaps calls happily, maybe even EVILY as she strides onto the court opposite of him, "Lets go!" 

:'''{{#var:930|Alden (930)}} has posed:''' Alden stretches a bit, from his chat with KAtze, trying to convince Katze not to keep the vide with the... volleyball speared on his head, when he is called to the field!. He rushes to meet up with Tony, looking confident!, or trying to. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka did a half hearted round against the hawks. He, well... he was still kind of out of it. He didn't want to leave his team mate high and dry, though, so he at least TRIED. Failed, but tried. Then his future father in law. Ah. Crud. And the best mount ever. He actually gives it his all this time and... Actually, he does fairly well. He's in peak physical condition, he's used to using his body, he has no powers to depend on. Frankly, he has a huge edge in this kind of thing if for no other reason than it's the only thing he CAN do. And still gets his butt kicked after diving for a point and missing. Gosh. Darn. Mother... 

:'''{{#var:525|Inga (525)}} has posed:''' Inga takes the baby, sure to support him properly. She bounces gently with him, shifting her weight from one foot to the other as she looks down at him, smiling gently. "Hello Robert. I think I rather like that name. It suits you. Oh...and what a journey you have ahead of you!" she says softly. Inga is good with babies. She's been the first face many children have seen when they first came into the world. "Daddy has gone to go hit a ball over a net. Not very exciting of a game if you ask me," she comments. Inga looks back to Harry and Dorian. She gives Harry a look, then sends him to get her another drink. More of the coconut stuff, please! 

:'''{{#var:136|Rarity (136)}} has posed:''' Rarity laughs slightly. "It is a similar beanbag, yes. It's not quite lifesized, but definately large enough to be slept on... Oh, I should of sprinkled some dirt on it so you can 'see' it better, shouldn't I. Oh bother." 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren tries, but victory does not favor Team Scary Syber Squirrel this time! "Ah well. Maybe we can have a rematch later." He grins, and offers his opponents, and Kotone, handshakes. "Good game!" 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa has just been having fun with the math she doesn't relaly care about winning or losing she's just been having fun in the sand getting to do something utterly normal for all intendt and sh. She's enjoyin it and she looks over to Staren grinning as she moves ot shake Staren's hand, then she will offer her hand to her oppenets as well. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony, to his surprise, finds himself actually rather enjoying this matchup. Alden seems to be hitting his stride now that he has a couple of games under his belt, and they're able to pull off some nice smooth combos. Tony grins fiercely whenever he finds himself facing Sokka across the net -- of course he enjoys the competition with Rhapsody as well but, well, Sokka is dating his daughter. Still, he's surprised when they actually get to three points first. "Nice!" he congratulates his teammate, holding out a hand for as high a five as Alden can reach. 

:'''{{#var:325|Rhapsody (325)}} has posed:'''     It's nice to have a chance to go against Stark in some friendly compeition! They may not win, but hey, it's a good round and there's no birds. BONUS. "Good stuff!" 

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''     Eve doesn't really want to destroy Yuna, even in a friendly competition, but this is also a chance to prove her ability right? She could convince Yuna that she's a worthy partner for battle and... well, it's just a game. She plays hard and well, but she doesn't seem too enthused about it! 

:'''{{#var:930|Alden (930)}} has posed:''' He is a bit surprised the game went as well as it did!, congratulating Tony with that high five, jumping quite high!, tail a blur, before smiling to the other team, "Great game!" 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     So, present time! There's... the tent. Staren explains as he leads Toph towards it. "So, this is a group present from... well, it was Sokka's idea, so this is a group present from him, me, and Tony! Come on in, everyone! Er... well maybe it's a bit cramped to get /everyone/ into the tent, but those who want to see..."     Staren unzips the door and leads in. The tent is mainly to keep sand from blowing in, there's some mesh to let air through so it doesn't get stupid hot inside.     The floor is the rock platform he asked Toph to make. And in the center of that platform is a box of plastic and metal. About 2 1/2 by 2 feet across, and several inches thick. Inside the plastic frame are a grid of little metal squares two or three hundred across. Staren looks at Sokka expectantly. It's his idea, he gets to explain the pitch.                         ------------------------------                             Once Sokka finishes speaking, the box... turns on. And those squares turn out to be more like square pegs or rods as they shift up and down. The elevated pegs spell out TETRIS and PRESS START in pixelly letters, and Staren hands Toph a controller. "So, uh, these blocks 'fall' from the 'top' there, towards you." he points at the screen. "You can move and rotate them with the controller, and you want to form lines and stop them from piling up to the 'top' of the screen. There's other games too, but we thought this was a good classic to lead off with." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka grinned and, once inside, pointed. "Well, Toph. You know how you've been playing games with Tony and... well, less playing, more making comments? I talked with Staren and Tony about setting up some kind of output system you could see with your metal bending. Tony has been working on the software, Staren has been working on the hardware, and I've been... well, doing whatever they need me too. They're the brains of it." He'd show her how to put her feet on it, then tap the controller. "Best part? Multiplayer. So you can hook it up to tv for us normal people, while still playing on your console, so we can all play games together and you can trash talk us WHILE kicking our butts. Sound fun?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Another match is done, and it's clear, "Team Gangly Giraffe wins. It's rather close between the leading teams. Team Scary Squirrel and Team Snuggly Sheep, if you would please enter the arena."     After graciously accepting the beanbag from the ponies, Toph can't help but grin a bit. "I doubt mom would approve of the dirt, though." The gift from Tony, Staren and Sokka however does seem to need Toph's attention, and she blinks as Staren explains matters. Huh? This is kinda weird... It's kinda large, isn't it? But she does listen to Sokka. Yeah, she's been amused by listening to Tony play those shooting games and then having fun trash talking all the guys on the game. Mostly because it's hilarious when they play against some guy calling himself Iron Man and speaking with a girly voice. "Wait, you... actually got me a game that I can /play/?" she asks, looking amazed where she stands. Okay, she doesn't understand exactly how it works yet, but does that really matter. There's no hiding that smile, and she moves in close to give Sokka a /tight/ hug, and then she hugs Staren and Tony too. "Thanks guys! I gotta try it out tomorrow! Now get your asses into that arena!" She will inspect this game thing a bit better in the meanwhile. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren smiles and hugs back, patting her on the back again. He's glad to see her happy, and eager to finally see the device played by its actual target audience... "Wait what? Arena?" He's off to... that, while Toph tries to figure out the game. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka got the big hug, and blushed. "Eh heh. Well... it was worth it just to see you so happy. You deserve it, Toph." See? Maybe he wasn't such a BAD BOY FRIEND AFTER ALL! Bird poop or no. "GAHHH!" And threw out the boomerang to hit a seagull that dared to approach. "BAD! BAD SEA GULL!" he yelled. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "It's a prototype," Tony cautions, after returning from his last game and redeeming himself, at least somewhat. The old man and the little doglizard won two of their matches after all! "We'll need input from you to improve the interface." He wasn't really sure how well Toph would be able to translate the three dimensional 'images' she sees with her feet to a 2D bas-relief, but they have a start here. He twists his head around to catch a glimpse of Inga and make sure she hasn't run off with his child. 

:'''{{#var:525|Inga (525)}} has posed:''' Inga is just sitting with the child, and now that no one is paying her any mind, she simply looks a bit sad. No running off though, as if she could. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     After some more matches, it's clear that there are some teams who are indeed superior. Perhaps the sea gulls are to blame, or some players being less lucky. But in the end, after gifts have been handled and Jarvis informs Toph about the results, the blind birthday girl claps her hands. "OKAY GUYS! You did very well, and you're all getting prizes! It's kinda the deal with birthday parties here in Malibu, we Starks just want you guys to have fun!" Sure, she might not have taken the Stark name, but Toph seems to have taken some cues from Tony who loves handing out stuff on his birthdays. So why not do that?     "Team Gangly Giraffe wins the grand prize! Step on forward!" Eve and Dorian will get a large box each... and inside they will both get... a Nintendo Switch package, with limited edition games inside. People do seem to be rather crazy about these gaming consoles, after all. There's also a gift card inside for TVs that they can pick up, all so they can play the games in their own homes. If Dorian has electricity, that is.     "Second place... Team Hyper Hawk!" A-ko and Yuna both get a gaming console each, a Nintendo 3DS with five games for each. That ought to be enough games to last for a while!     "Third place... Team Snuggly Sheep!" Alden gets a large gift card for one of the nearby malls in Malibu, good for any store around there. And Tony? He gets a Braille note that he gets to read. It certainly doesn't look like a gift card...     "Fourth and fifth place, Team Scary Squirrels and Team Cuddly Cobras... you all get gift cards too." Though as she hands out the gift, Toph does give Sokka a peck on the cheek... before she punches him in the arm. "Damn birds, am I right?" 

:'''{{#var:325|Rhapsody (325)}} has posed:'''     It was a rough night, but it was a game and it was fun, either way. "I had a good time, despite the stupid birds! Maybe next time Jarvis can do something to protet us from them, or something, right Sokka?" Seems that the Guildmaster's views on Sokka have changed drastically from what she got from the radio. 

:'''{{#var:930|Alden (930)}} has posed:''' The 'doglizard' is rather happy, he won a couple games!... well, Tony won with his help most likely. He grabs the gift card and smiles, "Thanks!" he says, pondering what he might get with the card, admiring the other prizes and smiling, "Those are great prizes." he says softly, moving towards Toph, great game. 

:'''{{#var:774|Dorian Pavus (774)}} has posed:'''     Thankfully Dorian's been staying in a more modern place of late. He needs electricity to investigate what's going on with the games in that one world. So there should be some way for him to use his prize. Seems the Multiverse is going to turn him into some degree of gamer yet! "Thank you," he offers to Toph as he accepts the prize. And to Eve? "Also thank you, because you were a very good teammate." And the effort was half hers too! 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony decides he'd better rescue Inga, and after giving Toph a teasing hair-ruffle -- she'll never be too old for that -- he heads back over to her, running his fingers bemusedly over the card. His Braille isn't good enough to read it quickly; he'll need a few minutes to sit and puzzle it out. "He's not giving you any crap, is he?" he asks, as he sits down next to her and tries not to be too obvious about the way his joints pop as he does so. "Kid's a real back-talker." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blinks and gets a kiss. He then shrugs and gives Rhapsody his prize. "I'm dating the judge and all, probably shouldn't get a prize anyway. And toph's mine." Then gave her a kiss on the cheek. Err, Toph. "I hate these birds. Every. Last. One of them." Then... glanced to Jinx. "Heyyyy... jinx, how are you at extermination? Of seagulls, at least? I--" Then his phone rang. He paused and... "I, err, i'll be back soon." 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     "Maybe I need to practice my sports more..." Staren comments. Fourth place, tsk tsk!     Also, he does have another present to give, personally, aside from the group effort: The box on the table turns out to contain... a rock. Large enough to be held comfortably with two hands if you're strong. It's strange in the way its edges are rough and uneroded, though, and its composition might be strange... "This is a rock from the moon! Well, /a/ moon. I thought it might be interesting to compare to the rocks you're used to. Be careful of the moondust though -- it's worse than sand at getting into everything!" 

:'''{{#var:525|Inga (525)}} has posed:''' Inga smiles to Tony, shaking her head. "He's lovely. Indeed, he is quite asleep," she informs him. The bundle of baby seems content, but Inga will pass him back if Tony is eager. "I'm happy enough to hold him while he sleeps if you have something else you need to do," she says. She wants more baby snuggles, but she'll give him back if his daddy wants him. She ignores the knee popping. She's no one to tease in that regard. 

:'''{{#var:434|A-ko Magami (434)}} has posed:''' A 3DS with five games? Cool! A-ko gives Toph a hug then looks to Yuna. "Once we get these set up, we should swap Friend Codes, OK?" She chuckles. "I feel like my younger self on Christmas morning!" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The hair-ruffle is accepted, as Tony is among the few who Toph lets get away with it. Even if she's kinda too old for it now. Instead she calls on over to Tony and Inga, "He'd better not be having any crap left to push out now after all that he left in his diaper not long ago!"     Dorian earns a nod when he accepts his gift, and she grins. "Go save the digital worlds, hero. Some people say that game is pretty fun. And with lots of pretty colours."     Sokka gets leaned into, and she lets Sokka kiss her cheek in return. "I doubt people would like it if you killed off all the birds though..." she points out before Sokka heads off to answer his phone.     It /is/ nice to see people happy about their gifts, and she grins when she hugs A-ko back. "You guys really played well out there! Hope you had fun!" 

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:''' "Friend whats?" Yuna asks quizzically. She smiles at seeing what she's been given, though, and Toph's likely to get another hug for her trouble. "Thank you! I'm looking forward to trying it out when I get home! Hee, this is going to be so retro to a lot of my friends back on Fraulein Earth ..." 

:'''{{#var:7|Kotone Yamakawa (7)}} has posed:''' Kotone Yamakawa accepts the gift cards with a grin. "I wasn't expecting to get something thank you Toph!" She's beaming and in a veyr good mood she's then laughs about the birds for a moment. "Yes they seem to be out in force. There's an old man where I live always calls them shit hawks. I think I see why now." She's going to back off for a bit now and she looks to Toph. "This has been one of the best parties I have been to 
}}

5111/Hisoka, Yosoka, Byesoka

2017-02-26T09:57:50Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/02/25 |Location=The Four Caverns |Synopsis=During one of their trips Toph and Sokka run into somebody that they both find difficult to handle...."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/02/25
|Location=The Four Caverns
|Synopsis=During one of their trips Toph and Sokka run into somebody that they both find difficult to handle.
|Cast of Characters=20, 1076, 799
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Part of the glory of the multiverse is all the expanding worlds, so different and yet strangely familiar at the same time. One could spend a lifetime just going from world to world, but what's the point of that? Why not check what each world has to offer? At least that's the mission for today when Sokka and Toph had headed out. Lunch is going to be interesting either way.     That much Toph can be certain of as she follows behind Sokka in the crowded market. This place has people and non-people of all shapes and height, some only slightly humanoid. Not to mention the food itself smells a bit strange to the blind girl, and she makes a slight face as she sniffs at a vegetable. "Do these have strange colours too, or what?" she mutters, then places it back in its basket. Fortuantely raw food isn't all they have here, as the scent of meat and sauce drifts upon the air, and there are various finished foods being sold from stands all over the place. This truly is a place to find whatever you need. "And hey, you mind if I check out if they have some new metal stuff around here? I think there's a jewel merchant down the aisle over there," she points out. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka was in a market. Was in heaven. "Oh my giosh, just LOOK at this tunic! It'd go awesome! Oh, and they have a wonderful hair tie! Oh my gosh, look at this bracelet! Oh, wow, look at this badge, I could put it on my sword!" She was in love with a dork. He went from market stall to market stall and seemed to have no qualms about eating the food here. "Oh, wow. It tastes delicious! A bit like meat dipped in celery. Not the best, but not bad. Oh, this one tastes a bit crunchy. Actually TASTES crunchy. How dod they do it? Here, try some." And yes, he sampled plenty of different kinds. Finally he blinked and nodded. "Hmmm? Oh, of course. Go right agead, tophikins!" before taking her hand and guiding her through the crowd. 

:'''{{#var:799|Hisoka (799)}} has posed:'''     A market. Well, Hisoka shops too... perfectly coincidental he might be in this particular market on this particular world. Right when Toph and her friend are here. Coincidences DO happen after all, and he isn't exactly the type to go chasing his playtoys around. No, when he seeks out a meeting with a playtoy, it's NOT in a crowded market. Sometimes it really IS coincidence.     "If you think that's good, you should come back in a few hours!" one vendor boasts. "We ran out of prime Arko meat an hour or so ago, but a hunter said he could catch some more. Give him maybe two or three hours to get back, then a half hour or so for the grills to get going. Best meat you'll ever taste!" he boasts. "If the hunter's good at it anyways. A good hunt takes a while, if you don't want to risk being dinner yourself!" he laughs. "Got to wait for Arkos to nap, then sneak up on them... Oh hey, here comes the hunter now!"     Yeah, that was quick. And coming down the street is a tall and lanky man, hair a bright orange, carrying what appears to be a velociraptor on his shoulder. The thing probably weighs half a ton, but it doesn't seem to be slowing him down any. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Of course she knew Sokka would react this way, considering he loves shopping for new stuff, and hey, even seeing new things. Nobody can claim hanging with Sokka is boring! And the merchants pick up on the young man being somebody they can possibly get to buy their items, not to mention he states his positive opinion of their food out loud, so why not offer samples in such a case? "If you buy two of these meals I'll give you a cheaper price, young man," the man with the crunchy meat dish offers with a amiable smile, seeing his chance for a sale.     Meanwhile Toph does try the food that Sokka offers her, chewing on it and trying to decide if she likes the crunchy texture or not. "Hmmm, I have no idea... but yeah, it's not bad." As usual she doesn't have any objections when Sokka takes her hand, though she does let out a sigh. "You of all people should know I can walk around here without bumping into anybody," she reminds him. "Now take it easy so we can check out each booth, okay? It's not like we're in a hurry or something!"     When the vendor speaks up about some other type of meat however, Toph turns her head a bit, curiousity on her face. Huh, meat from a predator? What does that taste like? "Huh... well, we could probably wander about for half an hour and come back later, I guess?" Toph says with a shrug, though suddenly the blind teenager tenses where she stands, her eyes widening. And right after that the vendor states that the hunter he hired is returning. Tugging urgently on Sokka's hand, Toph makes sure to not turn around to face the man carrying the dinosaur, and she quickly walks ahead, seeking to lead him around the corner of the booth and into the masses of shoppers. "Don't talk and follow me, quickly." It's not often Toph speaks in a serious tone like that, but for some reason she suddenly seems to be in a hurry! 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nods. "Sold!" he buys four. And then grins, munching as they go. "Huh? Of course you can. But I like holding your hand," the flirt. He then blinked. "Wait, best meat I've ever tried? I find that hard to believe. I've had some of the finest meats the multiverse has to offer," he said with a smirk. "But, I suppose I'll give it a shot." He then... "Hey, so that's the guy? He kinda looks like a clown. Why is--ack!" And suddenly he's dragged. He frowns. "Toph, what is it?" he whispered, following behind her, going as quietly and calmly as he could, one hand reaching for his sword. Something was up and he didn't like it. 

:'''{{#var:799|Hisoka (799)}} has posed:'''     Seems they're in a hurry now anyways. "But wait!" cries the vendor, sensing a sucker getting away. If he bought four of these, what might he have paid for prime meat!! "Or at least come back soon! This is going to be the best! The best I say! Half an hour, mark my words, and don't blame me if we're sold out again within minutes!"     Hisoka, the hunter - or the Hunter - in question, has a certain sense for prey. Running from the Hunter is a good move in some cases. In others, it just attracts the Hunter's attention. Well, he can be patient. This would appear to be little Lychee after all, one of his most promising playtoys. And ... she has a playtoy of her own, it seems! Oh yes, very interesting indeed. He marks where they go while at the same time seeming not to notice their narrow escape. He returns the raptor to the vendor, who sings praise on the hunter's luck for having clearly found and taken down a sleeping beast so quickly, so shallowly within the nearby forest instead of tracking one back to its lair like so many hunters do. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Don't reach for your sword," she says quietly, dragging Sokka with her and away from the booth. Just keep on walking, act casual and hope he didn't see them...!     Because if there's one person she really doesn't want to run into Sokka, then it's the twisted clown himself. Sure, he might not be a threat to Sokka, but that's the thing... you can never quite know with Hisoka, which is the danger that man represents.     The loud vendor does annoy her somehow, but as they walk, Toph can't help but let out a slight sigh. Okay, there's some distance between them now. But even so, Toph leads Sokka to the outskirts of the market, not slowing down. It's only when they no longer are in an ocean of people that she speaks up again. "That Hunter," she begins, "is trouble. I suggest we go shop elsewhere. Besides, if we want food we can find that all over this place." It's not often Toph tries to stay away from certain people, now is it? 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka frowned and followed behind her, his arms crossed as he listened. And then she said THAT. "Toph? Are you actually scared of that guy?" he asked, eyes narrowing. "Who is he? WHAT is he? I've never known you to run from anything." Oh, now his interest was peeked. And there was no way he could jsut let this slide. Heck, he was already typing away on his computer, trying to find some information about WHO that guy was. He had to be something... unique alright. 

:'''{{#var:799|Hisoka (799)}} has posed:'''     It's not like Hisoka is a complete unknown in the multiverse, though you have to know how to search for information on him. In the WMAT for example, he entered under The Magician. Finding him by facial recognition would be pretty tricky indeed, particularly if you don't want to attract his attention by taking his photo.     Collecting Arko meat was just a way to casually pass some time. A whim, based on descriptions of how dangerous the Arkos were if not hunted JUST the right way. By the time the meat's done grilling, likely Hisoka will have forgotten about it entirely. It wasn't really worth his attention, so it won't stick around in his memory.     He has a vendor to settle with though, for now. It's money, and money is money. Nothing that a good Hunter ever worries much about. No Pro Hunter would ever consider it particularly difficult to get their hands on enough money for anything important. Anything important, almost by definition, simply can't be had simply for the price.     That done, Hisoka sets off on the trail of his prey. Something you can't have with money indeed. Only of course, he's not going to follow in such a simple way as to be easily seen... or easily heard for that matter. He knows enough of Toph's abilities to make sure that, if he does approach her, she won't recognize him until it's too late. Better yet if she walks into his path while he's standing still, so she can't recognize him at all until it's far too late. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     It's almost as if Toph tenses up when Sokka suggests that she is scared. "No, but... he's /strong/ and he's got some weird ability. His name is Hisoka, and he..." Ugh, how to /explain/ this? It's nearly as impossible as explaining Hisoka himself. "And I'm /not/ running, I'm being sensible! Hisoka is like a wildfire, you stay the hell away from it."     "He's troublesome to fight, and he's a complete nutcase too. There's not too much information readily available on him, I think. But there might be some under the nickname Magician," Toph offers, standing still as she 'looks' throughout the area. Okay, no footsteps headed in their direction, just people walking around like shoppers would. So whew... "I heard there's another market down by the river, let's head there instead," she suggests, tightening her grip on Sokka's hand, clearly not giving him an option to go elsewhere. That was just too close! 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka frowned and walked with her, looking him up and then letting out a low whistle. "Huh. Impressive. A nut case? We've dealt with nut cases before." He gave her hand a light squeeze. "And people who are evil. And a lot stronger than me. And I know he can't beat you," he teased. "... Are you scared he'll attack me or something? I'm sure I could take him," he said, before looking back at his file. "Okay, maybe not take him in the traditional way, but i could at least make him regret fighting me." Oh, he was VERY good at that. 

:'''{{#var:799|Hisoka (799)}} has posed:'''     It's been a long time indeed since Hisoka ever regretted anything. Anything at all. It's one of those things that happens to other people, not to the murdergician. Besides the only fights he's regretted are those that end too soon, and Sokka probably doesn't want to be one of those all considered.     Another market? Well, THAT can work out well. Let it not be said that Toph's the only elite who can hear at a distance. Hisoka's no Senritsu, able to hear a whisper at half a kilometer's distance, but he can certainly overhear a conversation from around a corner.     Smirking, Hisoka sets out to the second market. Keeping an eye on his targets from well outside normal recognition range. He gets ahead when he can, and as a result he's there waiting as they arrive.     This market, much like the other in many ways, simply caters to a slightly different crowd. It's a little less boisterous, a little more cultured. Why, there's even a mariachi band playing in a little spanish-style cafe off to one side of the street as Toph and Sokka arrive.     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l_x9R6yAxQ     As the music comes to a resounding crescendo and abrupt halt, a deep and subtly-menacing voice rings out from the cafe's outdoor audience. "You know, I can't abide rudeness." Hisoka says, raising a glass of some local drink. Just ... how long has he been sitting there? Or did he somehow steal the drink and just blend in? "Such as not introducing me to your friend? I know you're not normally rude, Lychee, so I imagine I shouldn't take it personally. You're probably in a hurry, and didn't notice me at all..." he claims. Knowing for absolute certain that it's no such thing. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Well, this is beyond Azula-level," Toph admits, her lips tightening when Sokka suggests that there's no way Hisoka can beat her. Immediately she thinks back to the fight in Brockton Bay, where Hisoka was just toying with the Union forces, them being unable to keep him from escaping. It's even worse when Sokka suggests that he could take on Hisoka... Sure, she laughed at Sokka when she first joined the group, finding it silly that a non-bender thought he could fight on the same level as her, Aang and Katara. Just what is she afraid of? Just what would Hisoka do to Sokka? Probably nothing, as he seems to only want to fight strong people. Yet, his last comment can't help but make Toph sigh, a weak smile crossing her lips. The most amazing fighter Sokka might not be, but then again that's not what made her fall for him, now is it?     Okay, this riverside market might not have as many wares as the other, but it's all worth it if Hisoka isn't here. So Toph leads Sokka along, walking past the mariachi band and towards the tables a bit further down. "I can sense some metal over there," she says, extending her hand.. only to freeze in her tracks when the voice speaks up. Her grip on Sokka's hand tightens, and she holds her breath. But... how? Even as Hisoka speaks Toph stands there, not really sure just how he was able to get here so quickly. But there's no doubt about it, he /did/ see her back there at the bigger market.     When he talks about her being rude for not introducing him to Sokka, the metalbender moves to stand between the two, a shield against whatever threat she might imagine that Hisoka is to her boyfriend. And there is no direct comment to whether or not she noticed him or not, because Toph knows fully well what he means. Instead she speaks up, her voice calm but carrying a hint of annoyance to it. "You two don't have anything in common anyway. Besides, you of all people shouldn't talk about rudeness." With that she tugs on Sokka's hand, intending to lead him with her into the market and away from Hisoka. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka sighed as they walked, keeping up as best they could. Something was definitely off. Toph was worried. REALLY worried. She was the most confident person in the world, and yet this guy had her running scared. Sure, she denied it. But she was. And that meant whoever this guy was, he was a danger. Someone he definitely needed to know about... and who'd probably kill him in a second. And then the guy was there. Sokka frowned and turned towards the guy. Then his eyes flowed back to Toph. Yeah. She was DEFINITELY worried. Was she actually scared? Was she AFRAID of what was going to happen here? His hand reached for his sword, but then stopped. He turned back to Hisoka and it was obvious he was sizing the guy up. He didn't look like much. But that didn't mean much he knew. And if he had Toph that worried, well... Why not make it worse? "So, you're Hi-soka, huh? You know, I appreciate the gesture, but really, I'm not really that good, no need to be my fan. You probably could have gone by the name Hi-aang or Hi-toph. Or maybe how-do-you-do-sokka," he said with that big, goofy grin, his eyes never leaving the guy, making mental judgments and measurements. "I'm Sokka though, nice to meet you." 

:'''{{#var:799|Hisoka (799)}} has posed:'''     Hisoka was addressing Toph, but he knows her already. He didn't pay too much obvious attention to Sokka. Deliberately slighting him, in fact. It's true, Hisoka doesn't really care about rudeness. All he cares about is that people treat him with the respect he wants them to. To dismiss him when they don't know any better, and to cower in fear when they turn out to be the trash he knows them to be.     Once in a while though, someone he decides is trash turns out to be interesting enough to give a second chance. Leorio was one of these. Sokka... well, that remains to be seen. Hisoka merely smirks at his impertinence, not deigning to reply to it directly. "Sou ka?" he says instead, quirking an eyebrow. "Do you always hide behind her, I wonder? Who are you, that she wants so clearly to protect you? Are you that worth protecting..? Or is it just that she doesn't think you can handle anything by yourself?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     It should be easy enough for Sokka to tell that Toph tenses up when he... actually makes jokes at Hisoka's name. Immediately she elbows him /hard/ in the side, her expression dead serious. This is /not/ the type of person who you joke with.     That much is evident when Hisoka seems to hit on just the right buttons, making Toph want to wince. Has Hisoka been spying on them? Has he read up on Sokka? Or is he just good at reading people? Please, don't fall for it, Sokka...!     "He's not hiding," Toph snaps at the Hunter, narrowing her eyes as she tugs on Sokka's hand again. Let's /go/! Before Hisoka can say something that really gets to Sokka. Because she knows just what kind of mindgames the man is capable of doing, and just how far he will go when he seems set on something. And now it appears that he is trying to rile Sokka up by playing to his insecurities that Toph is only oh so well aware of. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka eyed the guy for a few moments, eyes going up and down and... He looks quizical for a few moments. Then he kind of smiles, before giving a wave of his hand. "Well, normally no." He then reached out and grabbed Toph's shoulders and pulled her to his chest. He whispered into her ear. "Calm down. A guy like this, the more you try to yank me away, the more he's going to cause problems. If we're really THAT far out of our league... then we just have to play his game. And trust me, I'm good at games, okay?" ... He just didn't feel he liked this one. He was playing with a guy he only knew a little bit about, in a game he didn't know. "And frankly? Probably not. She's like, a thousand times stronger than I could ever hope to be. And if she's trying to keep me safe from you, you're probably really, really far out of my league. Judging by the few things I picked up from our logs, you're one of those annoyingly awesome people who keep showing me up all the time. I swear, you guys always pop up everywhere I go. Really makes it hard for a guy to show off, you know?" he said with a cocky smile as he focused on the guy's face now, staring into his eyes. 

:'''{{#var:799|Hisoka (799)}} has posed:'''     Of course Hisoka doesn't entirely understand why some people protect other people. It's an instinct he can recognize though, and one he's manipulated many times. Right now he doesn't know what Sokka is or what he can do, but that hardly matters. He's having fun being a genuine dick, and also probing. This might be, after all, what drives the little Lychee to truly want to kill him.     But Hisoka doesn't try to murder everyone he comes across. Some he leaves because they'll be more fun later. Some he leaves because they're not worth him acting. And some he likes... and probably intends to use some later time. Which one of these Sokka might fall under, well, no one knows. Perhaps not even Hisoka himself.     He breaks into a seemingly-genuine grin though, and gestures to the table he's sitting at. "Sit down." he offers pleasantly. He CAN be charming when he wants to be. And Sokka, whatever his faults, isn't triggering his murderous intent. He's not uppity trash. He might be weaker than Toph but he's also suitably humble. Trash only offends when it pretends to be important. The rest of the time it's something easy enough to simply accept. "Don't worry, little Lychee. You're both safe from me here. Until you decide you intend to fight." he smirks. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     When Sokka grabs her by the shoulders the blind teenager can't help but blink, then winces when he whispers into her ear. He's slightly correct about things, but then again, he's also grossly misunderestimating just how good Hisoka is at his mindgames. So even if Sokka tells her to be calm, there's no hiding that look of worry as she pulls back from his chest. This isn't reassuring at all, because somehow she feels that Sokka just swallowed a massive bait just like Hisoka wanted him to. But... at least Sokka doesn't seem to be riled up by those comments. Which makes her worry what Hisoka is going to say next...     When Hisoka gestures to the table however, the blind girl does look slightly surprised. And then she narrows her eyes. "Right, because you're all about sipping drinks and having friendly chats now," she says, the sarcasm clear in her voice. "Let's /go/." With another tug on Sokka's arm she urges him to follow her. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka frowned, glancing between the two. Would the guy even let them go? What were the actual chances of that? The man could probably see his mind racing as he weighed the pros and cons. On the one hand, this guy obviously had a vested interest in tormenting Toph. On top of that, he was obviously faster than them. Judging by the look on his face, the guy wouldn't be getting tired out by them running off. He'd probably move to intercept them again. Or worse, take a more active role. Escalate things. He gave Toph's hand a squeeze and leaned in. "Trust me, I know what I'm doing." A partial lie, but not a full one. He'd dealt with guys like this before, at least. Confident, but could back it up. For now, just needed to make him get bored. Which, sadly, meant playing along. "Come on," he said, guiding her towards a chair if she allowed it, and even pulling one out for her. "M'lady," he teased. He then sat down and... "So then, we only have about ten minutes or so, but then we really do have to go. But please, tell me about yourself. What brings you to this world?" 

:'''{{#var:799|Hisoka (799)}} has posed:'''     Would Hisoka let them go? Well, he's killed recently. He has no reason to attack, and plenty of reason not to. He'd simply find them in another place and time, no doubt. It would be interesting though, to see their fear and know what might drive them to act in a certain way. It would be a new way to play with a toy.     He smiles at Toph, actually putting on the charm. "After all the times I've helped you!" he insists winningly. And falsely too, of course. He's speaking pure bullshit and quite clearly doesn't care who knows it. "Go, if you like. I won't force you to stay." he claims, reaching one arm up over his head. He curves it around to the opposite ear before waggling it in a 'shoo' gesture. "Or stay. Myself? I'm here because I heard there were interesting things for a Hunter to do." he claims. "And you~?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Wait, what is Sokka saying, he isn't seriously... shit!     Toph's eyes widen when Sokka pulls her along to the table, and she looks like she very much /wants/ to protest when he pulls out the chair for her and sits down himself. But there's no way she can leave Sokka alone with Hisoka, is there? So she sighs inwardly, only muttering a bit when Hisoka speaks to her with an obvious smile in his voice. "... helped me my ass..." she mutters, keeping her feet on the ground so she can keep an 'eye' out incase Hisoka /does/ try something. But right now she's not sure what to say, instead observing Sokka and Hisoka both. Luckily there's lots of earth and metal around them if she should need it... 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka just grinned at the guy. "Shopping, of course. I was thinking about getting a new bag. Got a few food things to try, too. Always have room to try new meats, you know how it is. So, you're a hunter, huh? I used to fancy myself a hunter myself. Eeyup. I once caught a fish this big!" about a foot across. It wasn't very impressive. "You seem like an interesting guy. So, why the tattoos? Are they a sign of your rank, or you just like the kind of clown look?" he asked with that big grin of his. 

:'''{{#var:799|Hisoka (799)}} has posed:'''     "A Hunter, a magician..." Hisoka flourishes, shuffling a deck of cards from out of nowhere. He's not sure what game Sokka's playing here, but he doesn't seem to mind playing along. Besides, Toph's near-panicked reaction threatens to make him laugh. He settles for a smirking grin. He fans the deck face-down on the table, then puffs a sharp breath of air across the spread. One card, a joker, flips face-up. He waves his hand over the cards and the face-up card is suddenly gone. Face-down again, or perhaps even vanished entirely. It's hard to say unless you were watching closely, and any magician masters misdirection as practically his first art. "The look helps to announce who I am, don't you think?" he asks with a smirk.     "And so you're no longer a hunter?" Hisoka asks, for all the world as if he were interested. "Such a shame. Why, to think what you might have been, had you not stopped. So... what are you now?" Hisoka asks, a suddenly-dangerous gleam in his eyes. Not with the intensity of lethal intent, but of someone watching to see the moment a victim falls into a trap. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Sokka seems to be taking this way too lightly, but then again that's part of his personality, isn't it? "He's not THAT kind of hunter," she asides to Sokka. "Read up on it later..." It might be useful. Especially if Hisoka seems to want to talk to Sokka for whatever reason.     The tone in Hisoka's voice doesn't go unnoticed by Toph's sharp ears. Her expression hardens, her jawline tightens. It should be easy to guess that she really is struggling to watch her tongue now. Sure, she's tempted to talk right now, to interfere... but that might be just what Hisoka wants right now. For her to react, to step in and rile up Sokka. Sokka, who is strong in his own way, but... against the likes of Hisoka, he would be in serious danger. Under the table, Toph's hands clenches around her knees as she grips them tightly. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nods. "Ohhhh, I see. Going for something flashy, then?" he glanced to the cards. "Heh, a magician then, too? You ever try pulling any hustles and the like? Toph and i used to be great at those. We got a lot of fire nationers good," he said with a laugh. "Though, not like we do that now. But, fancy card tricks. However! Can you do this?" He stood up. "Watch, and be amazed!" And yanked off the tablecloth in a single motion. Sending everything on it flying through the air. Most of it landed on his head, and he fell down when a particulalry heavy thing hit his head. A few moments later he sat back up, his cheeks burning. "It... it worked l-last time I did it... honest..." Thump as he hit the ground again. "Just... just gonna lay here a moment." After a few more minutes, his voice came from the other side of the table. "And i just... hunted animals and stuff. Now I mostly just memorize laws and try to keep Toph from causing too much damage..." 

:'''{{#var:799|Hisoka (799)}} has posed:'''     Is the fool's act real, or is it truly an act? Hisoka studies Sokka through narrowed eyes, his gaze intense and with the malevolence only barely concealed. It's not obvious what he concludes. He doesn't laugh, doesn't smile at the failed attempt. Neither does he obviously show signs of disgust or annoyance. It's not the frozen face of someone caught off-guard however. It's the alien expression of someone disturbingly inhuman who simply doesn't react in a way that could be considered normal.     After an uncomfortably long time just staring, Hisoka blinks and pushes back, rising to his feet and standing in an odd lopsided pose. "Keeping her from causing too much damage?" he says, a grin that bears several parts sneer to it beginning to show. "I'm not sure why you'd even want to do that. She's likely to destroy more than I ever could though." he adds, almost offhandedly. He turns around, presenting his back, then turns his head back around so he's looking almost owl-like back at Sokka. Like, seriously. Almost boneless. "You'd better train hard. Stopping her from destroying will take far more strength than you now have." he advises pleasantly. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Being flashy is kinda Hisoka's deal, isn't it? Even she who can't see it knows it, and she can only imagine him being more eyecatching than others according to what others say about him. So why is Sokka acting so calmly around him? And being so familiar, even talking about stuff that Hisoka would most likely not give a rattle frog's ass about?     The moment Sokka stands up however Toph turns her head, that wariness towards Hisoka turning to worry about what Sokka is plannin-- oh hell no. "Sokka, don--!"     Too late.     A quick motion of her hand causes a rock spike to shoot up and block anything from hitting her and Sokka's heads, but of course Sokka doesn't stand still and gets hit by things anyway, falling to the ground. "I told you not to do that, because it didn't work correctly the time before you did it /last/ time," she points out with a huff, sending the earthen spike to return back into the ground.     While Sokka gathers his wits down on the ground, Toph resumes her observer duties. If only to frown a bit when Sokka states he's got the job to keep her from causing too much damage. She's not /that/ bad! After all, she does bend stuff back /after/ she wrecks it, so there. Hisoka's response though, that doesn't make it better. But... ugh, what can she really say that won't be wrong here? Something that Hisoka won't read too much into... oh, screw it!     "There aren't many people I always listen to... but Sokka is one of them," she snorts in Hisoka's direction, then does a quick motion with her hand, causing the earth underneath Sokka to shift and push him upright. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka gets up with a shake of his head and then manages to sit down, holding his head. "I really gotta be more careful about that. Ugh." He then blinked a few times. "Well, yeah. I guess Toph could do that. I mean, heck, if she really wanted, with her powers she could go wrecking entire cities by herself." He then shrugged. "But what'd be the point of that? If it came to that, we'd just have to stop her. And she'd end up missing out on all the fun times. Ugh, Toph, can you look at this? Is it swelling? Oh, right. Blind. I mgiht have to have the nurse look at it after. Besides, that'd be boring. With her powers, it's probably a lot harder to take care of the job without destroying anything, and I think she prefers the challenge," he jokes, putting an arm around her shoulder, yanking her in and kissing her cheek. "She's just being nice. She really ignores me half the time," he jokes. 

:'''{{#var:799|Hisoka (799)}} has posed:'''     Hisoka's body, still facing away, twists slightly. His arm comes up and points forward, away from Sokka. Then it stretches around, further and further. He seems to wind up under the tension of his body, like a bow or the torsion arm of a catapult. The tension in his limbs, if released, would make his body swing around in a powerful and probably deadly arc. "You listen to him when he tells you not to destroy." Hisoka croons, continuing to wind his body up tighter and tighter, until it seems like something must break. "You ALWAYS listen to him. So if he wasn't there, you would cause more damage..." Hisoka pauses, then pushes himself just a little bit further, impossibly wound up.     Abruptly something makes a noise. A crack like bone giving way. And Hisoka relaxes. He rotates his head back, grinning the shit-eating grin of someone who never apologizes for being a complete ass. "Just kidding~" he claims, utterly insincerely. Then he flexes again, seemingly happy with the release of tension caused by what must have been an epic spinal self-adjust. Man should add chiropractor to his list of jobs. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Okay, so far it really does seem like Sokka isn't taking the bait that Hisoka tosses out. Then again, /he/ was the one who noticed that Azula was stalling them back during the invasion. And yet, he's also the person who failed to notice her having feelings for him until this year, so maybe there's another explanation for it all.     With a sigh Toph reaches a hand out to where Sokka points. "I'm blind, my other senses work perfectly fine. It doesn't /feel/ swelled. Pulling her hand back, Toph idly wonders how long Hisoka will keep this up... though her calm expression cracks slightly when Sokka wraps his arm around her and pulls her close to kiss her cheek. Despite her deadpan expression her cheeks do get some slight colour, but she chooses to ignore it.     "I don't destroy," Toph grumbles. "That would kinda go against our faction." By now Hisoka probably knows they are Paladins. It's public knowledge, so... no use hiding it. Just... what is he doing? Is he planning something? Just what is going on? "And don't be stupid, it's not like I will begin destroying crud if he isn't there to hold my hand or something!" Ugh, he's so frustrating...!     When Hisoka finally cracks his back and relaxes, Toph becomes aware of her holding her breath, and she silently exhales through her nose. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka cocked his head to the side, looking the guy up and down. "Huh. You're a bit... interesting yourself," he mumbled, eying the guy up and down. "So I'm guessing you want Toph to destroy a bunch of stuff? Like... I'm sorry to tell you, but even if I wasn't here that wouldn't really be her thing. She just likes kicking as much bad guy butt as she can. And she's really good at it. Really all I do is make sure she doesn't break too many laws when she does it, and the collateral damage is low. I'm hardly some great beacon keeping her on the straight and narrow." He was oddly calm during that, though toph might notice he did tense up a bit. He then blinked and glanced at his wrist. "Actually, though, we do have somewhere to be." He reached down and took Toph's hand. "It was nice meeting you, Yo-sokka, hope we can meet up again sometime." And then tried to steer her away. Hopefully they'd spent enough time now, that they guy would let them go. 

:'''{{#var:799|Hisoka (799)}} has posed:'''     There's nothing wrong with liking to win. Or with liking to destroy either, in Hisoka's opinion. He's known plenty who like either or both. He doesn't judge such people and can understand them. The ones he has trouble with are those who hold themselves back for arbitrary reasons. Not out of fear of someone stronger, but of some nebulous virtue.     He looks back, then turns halfway to face Sokka, still twisted up and weird but at least partially addressing him. "I don't want anything of the sort." he claims, though the smirk on his face makes the claim dubious at best. "I just want to see her when she's not holding back. When she's as strong as she possibly can be. It would be delicious, don't you think?" he asks. And with that, he turns away again and makes his way offstage. Yeah, he'll let Toph and Sokka go. He never intended to hold them in the first place. An implied threat is more than good enough in many cases. Actual violence has its own best time and place. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Interesting doesn't even begin to describe Hisoka, now does it? Who knows what Hisoka wants and why he has talked with her in the past, and why he took notice of them now. It might be better to not know.     It's a bit hard to not seem too eager when Sokka suggests that they should leave, and Toph lets Sokka take her hand and help her up from her seat if he wants to. It /would/ be good if they could get away from him without too much trouble, indeed.     It's somehow disturbing when Hisoka states what he wants with her, and Sokka might notice her fingers tightening their grip on his just a bit. See her at her strongest...? That's puzzling, and also alarming. And for him to refer to it as delicious...? Ew! A shudder runs down her back, and then Toph swallows a bit as she lets Sokka steer her away. Since he's not saying anymore, then she won't need to either. Instead she's quiet until they're some distance away from the disturbing Hunter, and Toph exhales. "He's crazy about fighting, and he has no qualms about killing..." she informs Sokka, all while wrapping her arms around his, her fingers digging into his sleeve. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded. "Yeah. I realized that pretty quick. You're right, by the way. Complete and utter psychopath. I'm pretty sure he would have at least tried to kill me if the notion hit him. Or at least if it seemed interesting. Or possibly just to see if you'd try to save me." His own hand tightened on hers. A lot. Possibly starting to hurt a little bit. "Damn it..." No, it wasn't like they'd just escaped yet another situation where, surprise surprise, he'd been absolutely helpless to do a damn thing about anything, and had been forced to balance his life on the point of a dagger while he struggled to bluff or talk his way out, or let Toph protect him. He ground his teeth, the frustration on his features obvious for anyone who could see. "It's fine. We're out of there. Let's just go home." There was a tension to his voice now, though. hat he'd managed to keep hidden before. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     At that comment Toph is reminded about something that happened while she was searching for potential metalbending students, and she swallows. "He... tried to kill a guy in front of me. For no real reason at all." Maybe he had a reason in that disturbing head of his, but there was no logical reason she could think of. Maybe Hisoka would try to do that sometime, put Sokka in danger to egg her on... She winces a bit as he tightens the grip on her hand.     "You... handled that better than me, really," she admits. It wasn't easy... if she had interfered too much it would have hurt Sokka's pride. And it's not easy for him, she knows. That's something he's conscious of most of the time, how he's a small fish in a big ocean here, an ocean that's got lurking anglerfish, great whites and leviathans. It's not something that Toph can fully understand, as she was always considered weaker than she truly was by her parents. Like... a shark kept in a goldfish bowl where it wasn't allowed to swim properly.     Okay, this situation is seriously messed up when she compares herself to a freaking /fish/.     "Yeah, I'm not really that hungry now," she admits. "At least I won't be until we get back to the Ad Coelum or Malibu." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nods, giving her hand another squeeze. "Yeah. Let's just... go home," he muttered. There's another sound to his voice this time. He doesn't even sound angry, or upset, or sad. He just sounds resigned. Of course, who could blame him? It was like Toph was thinking. He was a little fish. Granted, he was more thinking of himself as like, a mouse trying to survive in a forest surrounded by lions and tigers and panthers. He was becoming distressingly more aware that they were almost all stronger than him. His hand loosened on hers. And there was nothing he could do about it. He could train every day for the rest of his life. Develop himself to perfection. But there was no closing those gaps. No way for him to cross that gorge. These people were born special. Like Toph. And he... he just was a guy with a boomerang. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The moment Sokka loosens his grip on her hand, Toph halts, moving her arms as she seeks to pull him close for a hug, her arms around him. "Don't you even /dare/ think about that again," she half whispers to him. He should know well enough what she means by those words. "And he said those things specifically to hurt you, you know... to hurt me too." Like hell if she will let it get to her!     With a heavy sigh she seeks to bury her face against Sokka's chest. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blinks and holds her close. "What? The... oh. No. I don't even remember the stuff that guy said. He was just trying to egg me on and, frankly, he was nowhere near as good as Azula was. Frankly he was just wasting his breath." No it wasn't the other guy who was making him feel this way. It was Toph. The way she'd shaken, the way she'd been obviously intimidated and scared. Of someone who was actually dangerous to her. To them. And there'd been nothing he could do about it. No, Hisoka's words had just glanced off. But Toph's movements? They'd been like a spear through his heart. 
}}

5093/Wheat and Weapons

2017-02-18T11:40:51Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/02/17 |Location=Ad Coelum |Synopsis=A King totally doesn't get lost. Farmlands are the best places to have philosphical talks about law, treas..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/02/17
|Location=Ad Coelum
|Synopsis=A King totally doesn't get lost. Farmlands are the best places to have philosphical talks about law, treasure and opulence.
|Cast of Characters=20, 1099
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The farmlands onboard the Ad Coelum are tended to around the clock, with the artificial lights making it possible to grow things far quicker than normal. It's hard work to tend to the fields, to ensure that the food that goes on the plates to ensure the law enforcers have the strength to their jobs.     And she could get this done without even breaking a sweat...!     Perhaps that's what makes it so frustrating for the small teenager as she drives her hoe into the ground over and over, perspiration building on her arms and shoulders. How far has she gotten now? Ten, maybe twelve feet? Within seconds she could have cleared most of this entire area... But still, her instructions were clear. So the blind girl sighs, rolls her slightly aching shoulders before she resumes tilling the earth along with the other workers, who are clearly more used to this work and the physical labour as they chat amongst themselves, working far quicker than Toph as she's lagging a bit behind them in her row.     Only fifteen hours left... 

:'''{{#var:1099|Gilgamesh (1099)}} has posed:'''      The King has not yet learned the ways of Multi-Vars, the secret walks and paths that those familiar with the winding countries take. He has not yet learned to avoid the winding paths that lead to danger, but nor has he learned to avoid the winding paths that lead to /boredom/, and unfortunately for the King of Heroes, boredom is a foe he cannot simply send from his sight.      The farmlands are, at least, a familiar, lazy sort of boredom. He is the King; though he is not a farmer, and does not know their ways, he has seen farmers before, seen the rolling fields and hills, seen the men working the land with their tools. He has seen grain, and seen the breweries where it becomes beer, and the mills where it becomes bread - the foundations of all civilization. He has seen wonders, too, though they are not the wonders of modernity.      Even before he's 'visible' to Toph's feet, Gilgamesh's presence is impossible to hide. The aura of Divinity around him is a palpable thing, a charisma and beauty supernatural, supernal, in nature, Divine in a way that instantly marks him as more than a man and instantly explains /so much/ of what he says. Being a King is not a crown he was given, nor a thing he won through blood, nor a thing he was born into; it is an essential part of him, a radiant part of him, baked into his very existence on a fundamental, spiritual level. He can no more not be the King than the earth can not be dirt or a rock cannot be a rock; it is not a choice he made, nor a choice he can unmake. He *is* the King. If he is not, he is nothing.      The first thing Toph notices when he does enter her field of tactile sensation is that he is barefoot, like her. His feet, though, are smooth and uncalloused, and he walks lightly, though not /delicately/. His bones and muscles are flawless in a way that humans simply *aren't* - none of the characteristic creaks and groans of a human body accompany his walking, nor the ticks and twitches Toph is probably used to hearing from people who *aren't* ancient Sumerian Demigods. There is a sense of control in every motion he makes, of grace and fluidity that isn't so much trained as it is, like his Divinity, a property of his existence. The shape of his body, too, is young and beautiful, perhaps seventeen at the oldest, and the air running through his hair says that it is short but not /cropped/, brushing loosely across the side of his head. His breathing is light and unlabored, and there is a sense that he is not tired from his walk, nor particularly easily tired at all by just *how* lightly he breathes. It gives her the shape of his body - thin, and fair, but interlaced with deceptive muscles hidden beneath the surface, more than powerful enough to do whatever might be needed. Despite his ancient origins he smells fair and sweet, too; with a bit of thought Toph can probably place the soap as a well-to-do British brand thanks to her jet-setting adopted father.      There's something fluttering around his body; Toph's best guess is a dress, or some kind of robe, made of patches. She can hear the fabric's seams stretching; the patches are clearly not meant to be together.      The King stops near her and the other workers, and watches. He is silent for the moment; again there is that sense of regality baked into the air around him, that essence of a King watching the farmers go about their business permeating the sky in tangible form. He does not appear to be focused on any one farmer, and the muscles around his lips are tight, speaking of, if not a frown, then a solid line of apathy, disinterest, and boredom. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Even as she works the blind girl isn't completely ignorant about the stuff that happens around her. So while her focus might be on the earth that she's working with, she can still pick up the light foot steps and the figure that approaches the area where she's working. It's only when he's not too far away that the other teenager stands fully up, resting her aching hands on the hoe and draws breath. "This is hardly the right place to be with fancy clothes like that, you know."     Unlike him, the younger girl doesn't appear to exude greatness as she stands up and blows some dirty hair out of her smudged face. Likewise, her clothes are simple. Sturdy jeans that seem almost one size too big, as well as an oversized t-shirt with an almost childish cat print on it. Her feet are absolutely caked in mud and dirt at this point, though she doesn't seem to care, nor for the fact that areas of her shirt are soaked in sweat. But her voice should be familiar enough for Gilgamesh to recognise it, if her demeanor shouldn't be enough. She's clearly no regular farm worker, judging by the fact that she's blind, got blisters on her hands and clearly not working at the pace that the others are working on.     "You're not going to be smelling fancy out here either, I think they're bringing out the manure soon too," she adds with a slight grimace. 

:'''{{#var:1099|Gilgamesh (1099)}} has posed:'''      Toph can hear his eyebrow rise at 'fancy clothes'. Presumably, the King doesn't find whatever he's wearing all that fancy, but, then, who can say? "I do not, in fact. I came here by wandering. I followed the road until here it led through the winding countries of Multi-Vars. Though I am not so ignorant of the world as to not recognize a farm when first I see it."      There's a sense of mild scorn at the idea that he /wouldn't/ know what a farm is, but it's restrained and clearly reflexive rather than an actual offense taken - a 'getting used to the idea that people don't know who you are' thing. That's clearly taking him some work.      The comment, however, brings a laugh from him. Like everything else about him, it's beautiful in a way that defies physicality, like the ringing chime of a perfectly-tuned instrument. "That, at least, is familiar to me. Modernity has not changed so much, then. If still men master the earth with till and beast, then the world is still not so far beyond my understanding."      "Why are you here? You are not one of these people." The King's eyes narrow - in thought, rather than suspicion. Eventually, he shrugs.      "I cannot say that earth upon your hands does not suit you, though." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "So you got lost?" Toph offers, clearly not meaning it seriously, Hah, to imagine the kingly Gilgamesh himself wandered into the farm lands... who'd have thought?     When he laughs Toph can't help but smirk a bit, then shrugs. "Well, you know... shit is shit, and it's the best way to make sure that the stuff actually /grows/, you know. At least it's useful for something." Can farming really escape a lot of these old fashioned things? "In the world I live in now this stuff, or at least lots of it, is done by machines. But not everything. Strangely enough it's far more effective in the world where I come from, and there's little technology there so far, though it's coming along since the war there ended some years ago." A war /she/ helped end.     The question about why she, an Elite, is here and helping out seems to bring some pause to the blind girl as well as a pondering look to her face, and she shrugs yet again after a few seconds. "I was told to help out, so I'm here." It's far easier to respond to his comment about her hands being dirty though, and she grins. "Nobody likes earth better than me!" At least Eryl got that thing right by assigning her here.     At least she has an excuse to work a bit slower now with Gilgamesh here, and she gets a solid grip on her hoe again before she continues working. "I think there are prettier places to see around the multiverse though if you're interested in pretty sights. Not that I would know, obviously..." And there she drives the hoe into the earth again, tightening her grip on the handle. 

:'''{{#var:1099|Gilgamesh (1099)}} has posed:'''      And here, the King's youth makes itself plain in his face as he recoils from the idea that he got /lost/. "I do not get /lost/! I simply wandered somewhere I do not know. But I am clearly not *lost*; it is a farm, and farms are all the same, in the end!" There's the noise of a /hmph/ as his head turns away from her. Again, none of the clicking and clacking of a normal person's body; just a smooth motion and near silence, vibrations only Toph can see.      "Why would you farm by machine? What use has the farmer if a machine steals his place?" Gilgamesh sounds fascinated by the mere idea, drifting closer along the ground to her as if to better examine the tilled earth with his own feet and hands. He doesn't, of course, but that's what it feels like as he walks. "Does he simply starve? Does the machine receive his food?"      He stops somewhat closer to her. His eyes track hers, watching her motion. Either he's never been around a lot of blind people, or he's just used to looking people in the eye when he gives orders and commands. "Yes," he says quietly, "I can see that. The earth is in your blood."      Then, again, that petty childishness resurfaces as he clucks his tongue, crosses his arms, and looks off into the sky. "Beauty is not something so mundane to the King as a fair sight. What I find beautiful is what I find beautiful; the routine, boring things that others call art may occasionally pique my interest but my fascination is mine and mine alone to define, and none shall ever tell me what I may and may not find beautiful."      "You said you were born this way, did you not?"      Gilgamesh leans in close to her face, staring carefully at her eyes. "That in and of itself is beautiful," he says finally as he straightens, turns away, and starts walking along the farm. "A life trapped in darkness and eyes untouched by the world are a kind of beauty all their own."      "Besides," he adds idly, "You are missing little, save my face. Modernity is a grey and ugly thing. I find it wanting." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Yup, he's totally lost, isn't he? The blind girl arches an amused eyebrow, though she doesn't press the issue as she continues working. "Why? To farm more and lessen the cost, the machine is controlled by the farmer, so it doesn't take the food. Machines don't think," Toph points out, then grunts as she feels the hoe get stuck on a rock. Damnit. She yanks on it, ignoring her temptation to bend the rock away. Idly she can't help but wonder if Gilgamesh has ever seen anybody do farm work before since he seems so interested in it.     And as he has done on the radio he seems to be fond of talking. His comment earns a slight snort, and Toph cants her head a bit. "What? You can see what people are capable of now?" Sure, /she/ knows she's got bending in her, but it's not something she's aware of other people being able to tell about others. Except maybe Iroh, because he knows everything.     He babbled a lot too, but about different things. Gilgamesh seems rather occupied with beauty, but then again royalty seem to like stuff like that, don't they? "Well," the blind teenager begins, "I think that's pretty normal that people have their own taste and such. I don't have any idea about beauty and all that crud anyway, so--" The moment that the King leans in closer to her face however, the blind earthbender tenses up, and then moves to /shove/ a hand up in his face unless he pulls back. "Hey! Heard about personal space?" she asks, narrowing one eye just a bit even as he continues talking. "Okay, now you sound like my dad. He claims his face is a gift to mankind too. Also, modern stuff isn't /all/ bad. It gave us movies, lots of awesome food, not to mention various inventions that make things easier. Like making it possible for me to read," she says, then adds some words after a second or two. "Just don't tell anybody I said that." 

:'''{{#var:1099|Gilgamesh (1099)}} has posed:'''      "Then what do the other farmers do?" Gilgamesh asks pointedly, "If a single farmer can do the work of more than one by use of a machine, what do the others do? Do they simply laze about and eat?"      Gilgamesh seems lost in thought. He wanders for a moment before he actually answers her next question. "No. I am observant. I am not capable of seeing your power. Your hair is the color of earth. You are happy, surrounded by the earth. Your hands are calloused and your feet are bare. I do not need magic to see that you are close to the land, that it lives with you as it did the farmers of my realm."      "Also," Gilgamesh adds somewhat coyly, "I have a fine memory, and I recall your introduction."      "It is easy to tell people things they have told you themselves!" He throws back his head, plants his hands on his hips, and laughs, a booming, beautiful laugh.      Then he looks off to the sky again. "There are wonders in modernity. But there are wonders in every age. It is not a question of whether modernity has brought great things to the world. It is a question of what has been sacrificed upon its altar."      "As you said yourself...a machine can do the work of more than one man, yes? Let us pretend that it does the work of five men. There is only so much land that can be farmed; if one man works the land for five with his great machine, then four men do not work. They become a drain upon society. They eat and breed and consume without working their trade. Yes, perhaps some will learn a new trade; become scholars, become artists, become craftsmen. But others cannot. Other men are born farmers, and forced out of it by the machine they cannot beat." The King makes a motion with his shoulders, sending his patchwork dress rolling. "And society will bear their burden."      "There is value in modernity. But there is emptiness in it, too. Steel souls in little clay jars. Mediocrity where once was glory. The wonders are the machines, now - not the men." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "They do other farm stuff, obviously." Duuuh. This guy... he really likes talking and asking questions, from the sound of it. But hey, at least he shows he does listen too as he points out he did listen to hear when she introduced herself on the radio when he first joined the Paladins. Though she does look a bit amused at his comment. "Just because my hair might be the same colour as earth doesn't mean that I'm connected to the earth, you know. The waterbenders I know don't have blue hair. Or at least I don't think they do." But yes, she /is/ happy around the earth, and not even the mighty Pepper Potts has convinced her to wear shoes.     Modern life can be really amazing, there's no question about that. Luxurious food, items to make life easier... not to mention all the entertainment. So why is this guy talking about sacrifices and whatnot? The speech seems grim and pessimistic, and the blind teenager sighs where she stands, clearing out another part of the field, nearing the end of the row. "Man, you must be fun at parties..." she mumbles, then raises her hoe above her head again before driving it down. Once she's dug up the part, she stands up fully again, turning her face towards him just slightly. "With modernity people live longer and safer lives. And it allows those who can create to create more things. And well, the artists earn a lot of money and focus, people want to be entertained. It's all weird until you get used to it, really... DONE!"     Her voice is raised as she calls out, and one of the nearby farmers turns his head. "You sure, lass? You've only worked for one hour an--" "I got another blister, I'll be here early in the morning after breakfast," she reports, setting her hoe aside as she gets out of the field and onto the path next to Gilgamesh. The farmer only sighs and nods. "Just don't sleep in again like you did earlier this week." "Yeah, yeah, I'll be here. I don't have any missions planned, so I can work longer tomorrow." With that said and done she kicks her foot into the ground, and immediately all the dirt that was clinging to her drops off, landing around her before she begins walking. "Trades come and go, and that's not just due to machines, you know." 

:'''{{#var:1099|Gilgamesh (1099)}} has posed:'''      With only a hint of smugness, Gilgamesh says, "I am the King. I am the *lifeblood* of parties. No man turns away the King."      He lapses into silence, though, as if thinking about her words, as if he's turning them over and playing with them in his head as they walk.      "In the end, though, it is the same. The farmers till and spread leavings over the soil. The bakers take the wheat to make bread. The brewers take the wheat to make beer. The prostitute gives comfort to the bodies of the workers in the night. The artist makes art to relieve their souls. The priest gives guidance to relieve their hearts in times of trouble. The scholar gives succor to their curious minds. The names may change; the products may change; but they are still farmers, and bakers, and brewers, and prostitutes, and artists, and priests, and scholars."      A moment later, a loaf of sweet-smelling bread falls into his hand - as far as Toph can tell out of *literally nowhere*. He snaps it in half and takes a bite, chewing thoughtfully as they walk. It smells unbelievably delicious - top-quality, at the least, with a rustic, earthen smell that's probably more familiar to Toph's original homeworld than her modern life. He tosses her the other half. It is *fantastic*.      "If a machine could do your job - could bend the earth and warp the world as you do, or even better - would it please you?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     A slight snicker leaves Toph when Gilgamesh speaks, "Now you sound even more like my dad," she comments, clearly finding that funny.     As he speaks she seems to listen as she falls into step next to him, idly rubbing her sore hands a bit. "Some people are told what they should be instead of letting them decide /what/ they are though, that's the problem," she states firmly, though a bit confused when she suddenly smells something. The confusion doesn't go away when he tosses whatever it is over to her, and she brings it up to her nose as she takes a whiff. "... where the crud did you get the bread from?" she asks. And why? It's not like they don't have food in the gigantic cafeteria onboard the Ad Coelum...     For a brief moment there's silence after Gilgamesh poses his question... and then the girl next to him suddenly lets out a roaring laughter, having to halt as she leans forward and rests her free hand on her knee. "A machine... that can outbend /me/? Yeah, right!" she snorts, snickering as she shakes her head and stands upright again. "Not even my dad could invent something like that! A machine could never even come /close/ to what I do! It can't think like I do, that's the key! Nor does it have a connection to the earth, it doesn't have the the /attitude/ of an earthbender! Which is why I'm not worried. Earthbending isn't just about making the earth move, it's /how/ you do it!" Toph declares, then resumes walking even as she tears off a piece of bread to try it. Huh, that's... some damn good bread, actually. 

:'''{{#var:1099|Gilgamesh (1099)}} has posed:'''      "I have only the finest of things in my treasury," Gilgamesh replies idly as they walk, "I do not eat like a commoner except by my choice."      "Men adapt to hardship better than choice. When a man must accept a role for the sake of his family, or his life, or his city, he sees it as a noble burden." He shrugs again.      "Of course it is ridiculous. It is as unlike as the idea a machine could be made to be King," Gilgamesh says, gesturing with his free hand, "But suppose for an instant that it is possible. Suppose that it is done. Would you welcome it? Would you be the farmer who plows the field for five men? Or would you scorn it as a competitor, as a thing that had taken your talent and hard work and transformed it into something that others who are not so skilled can wield?"      "That is the sacrifice of modernity. You spread excellence among the many, and it becomes the standard. A man who works as hard as five men is no longer a wonder; he is a man with a machine. A man who kills from a great distance is no longer skilled; he has one of these 'guns'. That displeases me."      "I have not yet decided if the pleasures of modernity outweigh the cost, but I do not deny that it has many. The freedom for a man to find his own place is not ignoble, though I find it displeasing. These mo-vees provide fascinating insight into worlds within the Box. Bards can play great symphonies of many instruments with only a small object. Do not think my vision so short-sighted that I can only see the flaws of this grey box of a world!"      "I am simply testing its weight."      Gilgamesh pauses. "I have asked you much. You have asked me little. Have you things to ask me?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "So," Toph says after a few seconds, "You got the world's most expensive fridge." Hey, it works for her. Sokka would probably like having a treasury like that if it meant he could store food within it...     Noble burden... those words make Toph frown as she walks. "Or man becomes miserable when he must pretend to be something he's not and only exist for those around him instead of exisiting for his own sake. Some people do better when they can do something with all of their heart." No, Toph does /not/ buy into that train of thought. If she had then her life would have been very different. So silly, just as silly as imagining that a machine could replace /her/. "Nah, I would push the limits once again and show that machine just why it will always be inferior to the real deal. That's what true talent and skill does..." Not to mention she could always easily destroy the machine, hah! "Then again, I'm no farmer. Farming isn't my thing, I prefer fighting."     Half of her bread is gone at this point, and she eats eagerly as she walks. "Yeah yeah, I know you're getting used to it all... you did come from another time, I'm pretty sure Gawain mentioned that..." she mumbles, talking with her mouth full before she swallows. Yes, she's aware of him talking a lot and her listening. There are some things she /is/ wondering about, that's true. "So how did you end up being a king?" she asks. It's something she asks most of the kings she's met through the years. "And why did you decide to join the Paladins?" 

:'''{{#var:1099|Gilgamesh (1099)}} has posed:'''      "I did not. I was born King. I was designed and crafted for the purpose of being King. It is what I am. If I am not the King, I am not."      He rolls his shoulders again. "When I was born, I was complete. Two thirds of god, one third of man, I was born with the knowledge, the duty, the power, and the right instilled within me from the very beginning. As a boy I ruled the land, and as a man I rule the land. I am the shepherd who guides humanity towards the promise of the future. It is why the gods made me. It is why humanity cried out to me. Before me there was no other who could truly call himself the King, and after me there will never be another who can truly call himself the King. There will be kings, I have already understood, who walk my path, and heroes who follow my footsteps, but there shall never be another who is like me."      Gilgamesh stops walking to pull a cup out of thin air and sip from it. "I chose to join your order because its words are in the shape of my own. The echo of my words rings through these laws. I do not know at what time, or at what place, my words take on such import, but I recognize them in the laws of many worlds. I recognize my own mind. It is not a direct hand, but it is the echo, diluted across time."      "To join a group that did not respect that is to disrespect myself. It is to invalidate my own word, even if it is my own word as understood by people far from my own time." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     It's clear that Toph doesn't exactly buy into his words, but at least she seems to consider her words before she speaks. "So... one of your parents were a half god who did the naughty with a human, most likely one of them royalty, and decided that you should rule?" she ventures. "Like a super baby?" Give her a break, she doesn't know how godhood works. "And how old are you anyway? You don't sound nor 'look' much older than a teenager, in most places we're still considered kids," she adds. Really... no other like him? Lots of royalty seem to be just as wordy as he is and with an ego to match, but eh... she sees no reason to go into that argument now.     It's easier to understand why he joined the Paladins. In short, he agreed with the creed; to uphold the laws of the commonwealth. The blind girl nods her head. "Just wondering, since some kings that I know of isn't in the Paladins, but other groups. I don't really know too much about them, I'm still trying to get used to /this/," she says, then shoves the last piece of bread into her mouth as she chews. "I just... it's hard learning /all/ of the laws, you know? I'm kinda used to just doing what I feel is right most of the time..." Okay, what else to ask him...? "Do you always talk that much?" 

:'''{{#var:1099|Gilgamesh (1099)}} has posed:'''      Gilgamesh shakes his head. "No. It is not that simple, but explaining it is...extensive. I do not doubt that I can put it into terms you would understand, but I suspect it would take me far longer than I would like to find words to fit the concepts in modernity."      Gilgamesh looks away from her again and scratches his cheek, and once again seems much more *human* and much less imperious. "I am sixteen years of age. Did I not say that already? I am certain I said that I was sixteen years of age. The opinions of the world do not matter to me; I have seen and done more in my life than these empty shells ever will in theirs. I am a man." THAT was definitely a boyish assertion, even if he walks and talks like an ancient king. That was that hint of immaturity that keeps leaking through, that teenage boy who says that because he says it, he's a man. He might be right, in his own culture, but here and now it sounds like a rejection, a determination, rather than a statement of fact.      He shrugs. On the subject of other kings he appears to have nothing to say. He listens to her troubles, but he also appears to have nothing to say there, either; it's probably not *ignorance* so much as he just doesn't know /how/ to relate to the problem. It's probably hard to relate to 'don't know all the laws' when 'my word is law' is part of your very metaphysical fabric. "I do not know what you mean by 'right'. The law is there to mete out justice upon all. Acting against it is injust, even if intentions are noble. Is it better to be just, or to be noble? I do not know or care. I am the King; by definition what I do is both."      "I do what I please, when I please. Sometimes I give the world the gift of my voice. Other times I withhold it." He shrugs. "My whim." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Then think about it so you can explain it some other time," Toph suggests with a shrug, wiping her hand on her shirt after she's done eating the bread. "Thanks for the food." Unlike him she seems content with saying things in a simple manner. "And yeah, you did mention you were sixteen. So you're barely older than I am. I don't think people would like being called empty shells though, as most of them actually do have thoughts and feelings. Even if it might not seem like it," she quickly adds. It's funny, Gilgamesh seems to care what people think about him, which might explain why he acts the way he does. "I was the greatest earthbender of all time when I was thirteen, so age doesn't really matter that much. Even kids can be greater than men who have lived for decades," she claims. It certainly sounds like she believes in those words.     He... doesn't know what she means by that? At that Toph raises an eyebrow. "Okay, I'll put it like this... I didn't care what the law said, I did what I could to keep people safe, and I would often break the law to protect people. Because sometimes, the law doesn't really make sense to everybody. Heck, it was the law in my world that female waterbenders couldn't learn how to fight. If I followed the law I would still be a prisoner in my father's house. So sometimes the law is not just. Must be a bit weird, but..." As for what she would choose? "Right now I would have to say just, considering I'm a paladin. But if given the choice I would like to be noble too. Just... not /a/ noble."     So... he does talk a lot, in other words. "What do you think you can contribute to the Paladins? Got any specific skills or powers?" 

:'''{{#var:1099|Gilgamesh (1099)}} has posed:'''      Gilgamesh audibly shrugs. "I am two-thirds god and one-third man. Ordinary men are not as strong as I. I have my treasury. I have slain many monsters to amass it. I am not without skill. All the treasures of the world are within my treasury; it is not merely full of gold, and art, and fine foods and drinks. I rule all things, so it is only natural that I have all the treasures."      The King doesn't seem to understand what she means by /a/ noble. He's visibly confused by that. It's probably a time-spanning confusion. He shrugs again. The idea of an /unjust/ law is probably also completely alien to him, and it's pretty clear in his motions and his mannerisms that he thinks that way, too, as he drinks from his cup and frowns. Again, there's that apparently-uncharacteristic silence as he walks and drinks; apparently he *can* just shut up for long stretches of time and lapse into thought, he's just...wordy whe he *does* talk.      He's trying to process it. It's clear. He's trying to divorce himself from the Law, from the idea that his actions could be unJust, that his laws could be unJust, that his *words* could be unJust. He's trying to figure out *how* that could happen, when he is, as far as he's ever known, the definition of the terms. It's writ plain upon his face, even for Toph's sightless sight to see.      Finally, he just shrugs again. "Men are not always given the choice," he decides, and then brushes it off. Just like that; the moral dilemma is discarded. It must be nice to be someone so self-assured, so /impossibly/ self-assured.      "I suppose I could display some of my treasures for fun, if you wished to bear witness to some small fraction of them, however you perceive the world. I have forgotten most of their names, so I could not truly say all the might I bring to your Pala-deens." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     It's easy enough to assume that somebody who claims to be a demigod is strong. And he's used to fighting and killing, and he's got tons of stuff that might be useful in many ways, it sounds like... "Things that /you/ consider treasures, I assume. Because people will always have different treasures." At that she points a finger up towards his face. "So don't even consider trying to get the stuff that I consider to be mine." No, she remembers him stating that he doesn't steal. So at least she didn't use that word again.     It's strange to hear him be so silent, and Toph is silent a bit after she finishes talking and giving him something to think about. While she can't see his expression, she does notice other minor things that others wouldn't see. His short reply earns a snort, "That's why some men make their own choice to escape what others have planned for them." There's a brief pause, "That's what I did. Because nobody is perfect, not even me." Or you. Or her adoptive father, no matter how big their egos are.     The offer he gives her does make her cant her head just a bit as she walks. "You like showing off your stuff, huh?" The side comment amuses her more, and she grins. "I see with my feet! Or rather, with my bending. I can sense the vibrations of the earth, and I can feel the earth around me. That includes metal." It's kinda public information by now, so she has no problems letting people, especially allies, know how it all works. 

:'''{{#var:1099|Gilgamesh (1099)}} has posed:'''      "It is fun," is actually all Gilgamesh says in response to 'you like showing off'. No epic speech, no big boisterous description of how it's all his treasure and power; just a simple, short response.      "Very well then. Do not move."      And then she's surrounded.      It isn't a sudden surrounding, like weapons simply appearing out of thin air. It's a violent, forceful surrounding. Spears, daggers, swords, hammers, sickles, shields, weapons in stranger shapes the likes of which Toph has never felt before, weapons that strangely resemble modern ones, weapons that are almost alien to her; the list goes on and on, spreading outwards in a field around her as they upturn the path like they were fired out of a cannon. It's a never-ending stream of weapons that just keeps on *coming*, keeps on *falling* around her, never getting close to her or threatening her, but still just.../falling/. After a few moments, Gilgamesh snaps his fingers, and the rain of weapons ceases.      As far as even Toph's senses can tell, she's surrounded by weapons. All of them feel spiritual, magical, /powerful/. They aren't just...'nice-looking things.' They're magical weapons. They're ancient magic, old magic, from a time when magic was all they ever had to work with.      "A fraction. Appreciate as you wish. I will return them to my treasury when you are done." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     That comment acutally makes Toph smirk impishly. "I know, I love showing off too." Though her expression turns a bit confused at first when he tells her to not move. "Wha--"     Before she can finish that first word she senses something dropping into the ground all around her. It's a good thing they're not out in the farming fields right now. While she doesn't look alarmed, she does look a bit baffled where she stands, keeping still as she feels more and more weapons hit the evergrowing mountain all around her. Her face remains turned ahead, though she does seem to wonder just what is going on. Once the rain stops she turns a bit and leans forward. "You... let it rain weapons," she points out, then she reaches a hand out for one of the nearest ones. "... heh, you really /are/ a teenager." Because boys in a certain age really do seem to have a thing for weapons, especially the guys she knows in that age group. "So you can open up your treasury at all times, is that it?" she asks further, even as she seems interested in checking out a shield. The metal in it.. it's really something else. As a matter of fact, there's lots of strange metal items around her. The magic in them isn't something she cares for much, her focus being on a far more geological level.     "What do you do with all the stuff you collect? Do you ever use any of these?" 

:'''{{#var:1099|Gilgamesh (1099)}} has posed:'''      "It was most inconvenient," Gilgamesh replies idly, "If you could see, you would have been able to witness the opening of my treasury. Unfortunately, since you cannot, I had to fire my treasures at an angle that would not hit you."      "Wh, what does that mean?" He demands, and again, that childishness is just *right there*, front and center. "Of, of course I am sixteen! What does my treasury have to do with my age? Hmph!" he crosses his arms again and closes his eyes. As she touches one of the swords, his eye opens.      "Sometimes. It sits within my treasury beyond time and space, mostly. Sometimes I draw them forth to do battle. It is not just weapons in my treasury. I have wonders I cannot even remember from all across the world I rule. There are wonders comparable even to modernity's vast machines, and I could not possibly remember all of them."      He shrugs. "I have only the best in my treasury, whether food or blades. It is a heaven of wonders. It has no need to have a purpose beyond existing." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "/Fire/?" Toph echoes, then arches an eyebrow. "You have cannons in your treasury now?" Well, it would make sense, considering all the other weapons he has...     She does look a bit amused though when he reacts like that, smirking. Yup, seems he's sensitive about his age. Then again, most guys seem eager to be considered /men/. Kinda like how Sokka acted when his voice was still breaking back when he was younger. "Just saying that kids our age seem to have a thing for weapons. You should have seen Sokka once when we took him into a weapons shop, he went gaga for all the weapons in there." Luckily for Gilgamesh it doesn't appear that Toph actually is greedy for the weapons, merely curious about how they've been made and the materials in them.     Next she inspects the shield, picking it up and running her hand over it curiously... before she knocks gently on it and brings it up to her ear to listen to the metal resonate. "Yeah, I mean... weapons are cool and all, but there's other neat stuff out there. Personally I like making statues with the materials I gather around the multiverse. If you come to my birthday you should totally check out the wedding present I made for my dad and mom, /that/ is the most opulent wedding present ever according to one of the guests," she grins widely, looking rather pleased with herself. 

:'''{{#var:1099|Gilgamesh (1099)}} has posed:'''      "Somewhere, probably," Gilgamesh replies offhandedly, "But my treasury itself is what launches them."      "Sokka...Sokka...the other one who was in the Box with you when we first spoke, yes?" Gilgamesh rubs his chin thoughtfully. "Yes, I could see him being proud of a good blade. It suits him." He's /probably/ reacting visibly to the 'kids our age' comment, but in a way Toph can't see, like an angered blush or something.      The shield is flawless craftsmanship. It's something that deserves to be called a masterpiece; the metal within is gorgeous, pure, and strong, of some type Toph cannot immediately identify. It might be iron; it might be steel; it might be something more like magic in the shape of metal, or something like metal that is beyond classification. Slowly, row by row, the weapons seem to vanish into thin air, as if something is drinking them. Toph briefly has a sense of vibrations around their hilts and handles as they vanish, some kind of disturbance in space. Probably the treasury he keeps talking about.      "As I said; I collect all the treasures of the world, not merely those that have a bladed edge. It is simply easier to show you swords." And, yeah, he clearly really *likes* his swords. Toph's pretty bang-on in that analysis.      "I have said I will try to come to your feast, have I not?" Gilgamesh reminds her, "Your invitation did not fall on deaf ears."      /The most opulent/ rings through his ears.      /The most opulent/.      /The. Most. Opulent./      "I hope that it lives up to your boasts, then! That alone shall be worth my presence. And I have not forgotten that you must also be given a present to mark your survival. As is custom, I shall also bring food." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Is the treasury sentient? Or close enough to being alive and reacting to Gilgamesh's will? Eh, she might learn that another time.     "Yeah, Sokka's a warrior. He's got a sword that he made from a meteorite, and he gave me the leftover part!" she states, pulling up the left sleeve of her t-shirt to show off the dark metal ring there. "It's unique metal, though he lost it at the end of the war some years ago, he wouldn't stop whining until I helped him find it with my bending."     When the weapons start to vanish however she raises her head, then sighs and studies the shield closely in the time she has left before it too rises from her hands, shaking a bit before it is no longer there, and she sighs. Well, it was fun while it lasted! "Yeah, I get that it's easier to show me these things. I think weapons are okay, but even if I'm more macho than most guys my age doesn't mean I'm all that weapon crazy. It was interesting to study them a bit, though!" she admits.     Her birthdays are usually rather fun, and having many guests is the best part. Even if she had a smaller birthday last year, this year she totally needs to make it big since it seems to be a big thing. As long as she doesn't need to make it like those stupid sweet sixteen parties. Ugh. His comment regarding the wedding present she gave Tony and Pepper does make her blink. "Well, of course it does! I worked hard for it, and for somebody like me it's easy enough to make sculptures! I mean, I only need to study some faces, and that's easy enough. Presents are nice, get me some new metal or ore that I can work with, huh?" she suggests with a grin. "There will be food, dad's going to make his speciality, /and/ I'm ordering catering. There will also be contests and prizes. It's a beach party, so wear clothes that you don't mind getting wet. I live by the beach in Malibu, in the largest and most expensive house there. Considering my dad is a billionaire superhero philantropist and stay-at-home-dad nowadays." 

:'''{{#var:1099|Gilgamesh (1099)}} has posed:'''      The words 'billionaire superhero philanthropist stay-at-home-dad' go in one ear and out the other, and it's clear that they mean about as much to him as him speaking of Sumerian Gods would to her. Of much more interest to him is the sky-metal ring; he bends in close again. No, personal space isn't a concept he seems to have much of, but then, at least he isn't a creeper about it. It's probably a result of living in his time rather than some intentional 'I must get up close to your face' thing. He examines the ring with the critical eye of a master collector. Eventually, he nods, and straightens again, leaving her personal space bubble.      "Metal. Very well then. I will find some metal worth your time."      "Ah. These are 'swim cloths,' yes? Seras spoke to me of these when I asked her what a spee-doh was. A strange and barbarous custom to be so ashamed of your bodies, but I will ensure I acquire one of these swim cloths to conform to your rituals." He pronounces /spee-doh/ poorly. He also sort of blinks at 'Malibu', though he clearly understands /largest and most expensive/. That...yeah, he gets *that*. THAT is a concept inherent to him.      "Very well, then. I will make certain also to receive directions, so that my wanderings do not take me beyond my mark." That's a funny way of saying 'so I don't get lost'. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     It's a bit different when he leans in to look at the ring that she's actually showing him, it was just weird when he got all up in her face earlier. Heck, she even bends the ring off and then holds it out for him so he can take a closer look. "Yup. Space metal. It's the gift from Sokka that I kinda appreciate the most, since it was his first gift to me," she says with a shrug, as if pretending it's not a big deal. Nopes, Gilgamesh isn't the only one who really enjoys gifts and fancy trinkets.     There's little need for Gilgamesh to pronounce the word correctly, as Toph blinks and gives him a deadpan look. "Swim shorts is usually the norm unless you really want to show off." Which he might, so... "Just go for swim shorts, as that's what most people will wear. And hey, some people aren't used to showing off their bodies, so what. People who show up nude will get launched into the ocean, and yes, I will be aiming for their butts." Directions are easy enough, as Toph reaches for her radio and fiddles a bit with it before the directions are transmitted over to Gilgamesh's radio. "Just follow that signal, and you'll find your way there. If not you can call me, I'll keep it on while we prepare for the party."     With that said and done Toph bring two fingers to her forehead in a rather informal salute. "Right now I'm kinda itching for a hot shower and some food, plus I think Sokka is waiting for me. I'll catch you on the radio, and maybe we'll run into one another on a mission on something. Take care, mister Left-turn-at-Albuquerque!" she grins, then turns and walks off, bending the metal ring back onto her upper left arm. 
}}

5086/TRUE PSYCHIC TALES: Heart Attack

2017-02-17T03:35:59Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/02/12 |Location=Afterus |Synopsis=Flamel gathers a task team to eliminate the Heart Render. |Cast of Characters=1094, 799, 22, 151, 70, 894 |p..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/02/12
|Location=Afterus
|Synopsis=Flamel gathers a task team to eliminate the Heart Render.
|Cast of Characters=1094, 799, 22, 151, 70, 894
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     PREPARE YOUR MIND, TRUE BELIEVER! Last issue (No. 422), Sasha Nein and Milla Vodello finally defeated the Ghost of Watchpoint X, finally re-opening the mind's eyes of the Psychonauts to nightmare tracking again before the vile Doomthought could enact his plan! Now we turn back to fresh Psychonaut Flamel Parsons, about to lead a fresh, temporary taskforce. The fresh information from Watchpoint X has finally pinned down a location in the Collective Unconscious for the notorious nightmare, "Heart Render", and Agent Parsons intends to lead a team to hunt it down...     Parsons has found a good spot for projection. Abandoned buildings have some of the best ambient psychic energy around! The old boarded-up theater he's chosen has been spruced up just enough to make it not horribly inconvenient to visit, and secretive eye-symbol signs marked on surfaces and the windowless black van outside mark it as, yes, the correct address. Inside, Parsons has some comfortable chairs surrounding a central round table made in a sort of prefab sixties semi-futuristic aesthetic, and surrounding it, a swarm of holoscreens moving in circular patterns, indicating the high ambient psychic energy and how he can use it, as well as data about tracking the Nightmare.     Agent Parsons himself is in a trance at the table, oddly, sitting calmly and zoned out. There's a small... Door? A small door, yes, on his head, right on his forehead. It looks just as much like something out of spy fiction, a strange spy agency door with a triangular eye motif on it. The chairs are an invitation to sit, of course, near him at the table. And as soon as one does, the door will pop open, revealing the bright white light within, and one's ASTRAL PROJECTION is invited inside, tugged insistantly from one's body as a strange white ghostly shape.     https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/201370883/MIND_DIVE.mp3     Agent Parsons has a sort of jumping off point in his mindscape. A psychic spy super-plane, of course, where those who accepted the invitation will now find themselves sitting, alongside any gear they chose to bring. Looks like it's already on the way out of his mind, too. A mix between that same sixties spy fiction aesthetic with a sort of luxurious lounge, its interior has an extensive mix of psychic comforts, letting people settle in before time to go. Agent Parsons himself seems to be seated up at the front, flying the mind-jet. "So." He says. "We've tracked this one out to a region of the Collective Unconscious, but we don't have an exact location. It's looking for a breach point on minds in the Explorer archetypal range, so we're going to be out in the woods. I'm going to put us down in a clearing as close to the last sighting as I can get, I think it should visualize as a fairly wilderness sort of thing. To answer the tactical considerations early, we're expecting something that ought to manifest at human-like size, lots of melee power, and a focus on tearing into the chest. Animalistic tactics are what you'll probably have to deal with. Shouldn't be more than one target."     The plane zips through a dramatic landscape of dark blues interspersed with "clouds" of cyan nerve-like visual motifs, but as any good spy-fiction superjet would, it soon demonstrates its vertical landing ability. As he begins having the psionic psychic superjet, projected from his mind, descend into the Collective Unconscious directly, massive "nerve trees" will become visible through the broad, rounded windows of the jet, as will the "ground" that seems like a much more solid depiction of the surface of a massive-sized human brain, creases and all. Doors, shut and locked tight, scatter through the landscape at odd angles and with odd visual motifs. True to his word, it's a clearing in the dense cyan nerve-trees, and the luxurious lounge-like interior's door opens wide into the outside. 

:'''{{#var:799|Hisoka (799)}} has posed:'''     Whoever thought it would be a good idea to invite Hisoka to a psychic invasion party? Of course he IS a member of the Concord. He's also got access to all kinds of information even without that faction's network. But if anyone actually asked who he was or why he was there at the initial meeting, he would've just shrugged and feigned complete ignorance as to the purpose of the gathering. Curiosity, but no actual foreknowledge. Lying blithely of course, and doing so in such an obvious manner that he might as well have admitted his information source... but that's not Hisoka's style. His style is more like he's the sort to just sit down at the table with an unconscious psychonaut, and just happen to find himself inside a mindscape, looking about with the feigned wide-eyed innocence of a child he probably never was.     Of course even if Hisoka's innocence weren't badly feigned, his question would probably suggest he's not the naive wanderer he insincerely portrays. "What happens when we get our hands on it?" he asks. "Will it fight to survive, or just to kill?" he asks with a grin. "CAN it die?" 

:'''{{#var:22|Medusa Gorgon (22)}} has posed:'''     Over the centuries there have been several instances where people have claimed to be psychic. In her own world it's a different matter, and Medusa isn't unfamiliar with psychiatry herself. It's only after Flamel Parsons introduced her to the concept of mind diving that she's taken interest in actually going into other people's heads instead of just figuring them out from the outside. It's an experience that only a fool would decline. And since he needs help defeating this Heart Render thing, then why not? Perhaps she can learn something new, both about Flamel and also about just what goes on inside people's heads.     Since she's familiar with the door and what it means, Medusa doesn't take long to take a seat. The concept of becoming an astral projection isn't too jarring either, and she opens her eyes when she finds herself onboard the plane, blinking slightly as she peers around curiously. As Flamel speaks up the witch offers a knowing smirk in his direction, listening to his intel on this mission. It sounds simple enough; fight a vicious nightmare that sounds rather feral. "Understood. Melee shouldn't be too much of a problem," she drawls. As for Hisoka's question? The witch looks amused as she casually rolls her head to look at him. It's been a while since the two of them have crossed paths, but this might be a good time to catch up. "We intend to dissect it, so I assume it can die."     It's rather strange to be observing things like this, but then again, Medusa wasn't sure just what she expected from a collective unconscious. But she does inspect the ground closely, poking at it with her bare toes. "I assume that these doors lead to other minds?" she inquires to Flamel. Is there a way to force yourself into these doors, perhaps...? 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     Ainsley arrives by taking a company car of sorts, wearing her policewoman-like Paladin uniform with the winter lining. Once she confirmed she was in the right place, she found her way to her own seat. She hadn't much to say, though she hadn't been warned completely about how they would be doing this. She takes a seat in her chair and senses the tugging at her mind... realizing what that means fairly quickly, she allows the sensation, her eyes closing and her mental projection ending up in that psychic super-plane.     "Understood," is all Ainsley says to Flamel, or anyone, about the mission specifics, after finding an appropriate place to stand around looking incredibly uncomfortable. She has a big frown on her face, her feathers are slightly ruffled, her tail won't stop fidgeting like a cat's would. Despite this crack in her usually mellow demeanor, she maintains a steady posture while keeping an eye on the others among the group.     Hisoka is given a mild skeptical look, just for a second.     Ainsley's gaze looks less intense when she spots the landscape, if that's what it should be called. She mumbles things like 'neurological symbolism' and 'doors leading to connected minds,' apparently making quiet mental notes about the properties of this mindscape.     "A nightmare about heartbreak," she muses aloud. "Maybe its the proximity to Valentine's Day that is manifesting it like this..." She glances aside to Medusa, her question's answer interesting the feathered serpent woman just as much. 

:'''{{#var:70|Priscilla (70)}} has posed:'''     Priscilla does not /quite/ know enough of these tropes to make the correct 'is this guy serious' face upon walking past an unmarked black van, and Illuminati tags, into an abandoned theatre, to sit down at a seance table. She is mostly just weirded out when she arrives to Flamel Parsons comatose (in a trance) at one end of the table, with a tiny door on his forehead. Is that always there? Nobody ever mentioned he has a door in his head. She had only met him the one time, and he had been wearing headgear.     Of course, she had come wearing a Queen of Sunlight's regalia, but when she pops into the flying spy plane, she is wearing that big, fluffy, fur dress, and not much else, including a total lack of pendant. She almost seems surprised at this, but it looks like she knows why. One's mental image of themself isn't changed easily. She's more or less looked like this for so incredibly long that it's been very deeply internalized. The only things that aren't 'original' about her are the Scar of the Worldslayer carved into one of the platinum scales at her throat, and the Black Dragon's eye (though her normal one is back to being green again), more or less because those are parts of her psychic being now.     Most of what she ever brings with her is . . . weapons, really. She has to make them visible to lean them up against one of the luxury VIP tables, before taking a seat, curling her fluffy tail around to her knees. It's almost a little odd, having the equally terrifying and beautiful scythe, sword and dagger right there, when she looks so much less imposing than usual.     "Very well. And, well met once more, Sir Parsons. We had very little opportunity to speak with one another before. It wouldst almost seem unfortunate, that we hunt a quarry in the forest, once again. Aside, I am curious as to whence this 'beast' cometh from, and why it threatens thee so."     Priscilla had been expecting a different kind of forest though. Something with leaves. You know. Normal. Most of her familiarity with what human brains look like comes from having seen people's skulls split open, so having to walk on it seems a little icky, especially seeing as she goes everywhere barefoot, and so she seems to hesitate stepping out of the plane, after picking her stuff back up. "I assure thee very well." Priscilla says to Hisoka, only glancing at him once, with a queer kind of utter seriousness. "There is nothing that cannot die."     Otherwise, she knows Ainsley too, and knows her to be relatively harmless. Hisoka works for her now, so there's significantly less to fear from him than there ever once was. Medusa is the most unfamiliar one there, and so after very much hesitation and consideration, Priscilla turns to introduce herself. "I presume, then, that thou art dispatched from the League of Progress? Perhaps thou knoweth of me, but I am Priscilla, First of the Concord. I shalt see with mine own eyes, what it is that thou learn'st." 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     Hisoka gets a nod. "Oh, it'll fight hard! I think once it knows we're here, it'll come to us, actually. Nightmares only feel fear and hatred, and this one isn't a runner, so it's probably mostly hatred. Since it feeds on suffering and killing, surviving and killing are the same. Watch for an ambush, though. They're always watching, everywhere, you know."     "It can definitely die, though. Haven't found an immortal Nightmare yet!" Agent Parsons assures Hisoka. "Fight it the same way you'd fight any monster, and everything will probably work out." 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     "You're right, yep!" As the group progresses out and begins the hunt, Medusa gets a nod, which is awkward now that Parsons has his "weapon" up by pressing his fingers against his temples. "You can't get through them without a bit of a stronger connection than we've got here, but when there's a real cause, you can get in through the back entrance for some minds. It helps for long-distance projections, but there's other risks for it."     Medusa's examination of the doors leads to seeing one that appears to have been damaged! It has been smashed at from the outside by a heavy, massive clawed limb, possibly as wide as a person's arm is long. Whether or not the attacker broke through, the door is now locked tight and re-sealed, but the damage on the brightly colored construct remains. 

:'''{{#var:894|August Kohler (894)}} has posed:''' Among the group of Concords, League members, and a Paladin, is one person who isn't a member of any of those factions. A teenaged redhead, August Kohler is dressed in a hoodie, wearing a mirrored bracelet over his sleeve. He has no weapons, as he joins the group through the door and into the Collective Unconsciousness quietly. Once they're inside, August finally speaks, first introducing himself. "August Kohler. So, Nightmares. Do they have any particular weaknesses, usually? Elements? Emotions? Anything that can be used against them, or should we just strike with raw force?" There's a nod of his head to Ainsley, who he recognizes, and he does stare at Priscilla and Medusa for a few moments, as he's gotten into altercations with both of them. But her turns back to the mission at hand. "My specialties are fire and bullets. I can also buff the attributes of allies, specifically strength, agility, and endurance. If you need a buff, please ask." 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     "Could be. Jungian-type projections always are a little weird on the symbolism. Keep it in mind. Try not to fall in love, maybe? The reptilian overlord race's demands to obey, sleep, and reproduce might interact weirdly here." Oh right, Agent Parsons is /that/ guy. August has similar questions, so the next part gets a broader answer "Most of the people who hunt this thing just die before they get much of a good look at it. We don't have much data! Aside from it hurting a lot." 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     "Good seeing you again!" Agent Parsons is friendly to Priscilla, but then he's friendly to everyone. "Looks like you came well-armed for the melee. Nightmares are born out of traumas, fears, and stress. They kill and devour positive thoughts, and then when pickings get too slim or too protected, they can sometimes break out and escape into the collective unconscious. That's why they're a collective psychohazard! They can put thousands of people into a stressed or fearful state hard. The only ones qualified to put the populace into a state of fear are menacing government agencies and their agendas, when nightmares do it it just increases the risk of problems for humanity. I mean, what's worse than a person who's overstressed and afraid?, right?" 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     August is the last to get here, and enters the Collective Unconscious last. He's the only one who gets to hear something that sounds like a clawed limb impacting the jet, as if landing from a leap, before bouncing off elsewhere, right as he leaves the jet and heads down its ramp.     Something quietly whispers, "I can see every little piece inside you..." Only August and those with super-senses will detect that, but it's already gone by the time there's a chance to react. 

:'''{{#var:22|Medusa Gorgon (22)}} has posed:'''     The theory that Ainsley voices out loud does seem to hold some merit, and Medusa glances towards her with a slight shrug. "Perhaps. It might be premature to say at this point, but I wouldn't rule it out as a possibility. Many people do seem to act in a specific manner around that day." Humans are strange, after all.     Of course the witch is familiar with Priscilla, even if they have not met in person before. As the woman introduces herself the witch offers a polite nod towards her, turning fully to face her. "I am, and I do know of you even if we have not crossed paths before." Perhaps her voice is familiar at least, but if not... "I am Medusa Gorgon. Mister Parsons has sparked my interest in focusing on the mind for now, and this offers a whole new way to study it... I look forward to working with you," she concludes with a bright smile that looks a bit too cheerful considering their situation.     Another familiar face there, and Medusa looks amused as her eyes glance at August. "Mister Kohler... how pleasant to see you again in a situation where I don't have orders to attack you~" She sounds sincere...     So, explaining their powers to the others doesn't seem like a bad move. Most of them already know what she can do anyway, so... "I can focus on quick attacks towards it and possibly create openings for the rest of you," she offers, looking around the strange mind forest. Upon seeing the battered door she does frown. "Do you think something could have escaped through here...?" she says, pointing towards it. "That door appears to have had better days." 

:'''{{#var:894|August Kohler (894)}} has posed:''' August nods to Flamel. That makes sense, though he frowns. He stares at Medusa without much revelation of his feelings, replying. "Likewise, I guess." And he's about to say something else, probably about the doors... When August freezes and shudders. He leaps to turn around, moving his mirrored bracelet up to eye level, but he doesn't see anything. When he speaks up, he's shaken. "We're not alone." 

:'''{{#var:799|Hisoka (799)}} has posed:'''     Anything is possible, and Flamel's particular brand of insanity is the sort of thing entirely possible in Hisoka's homeland. Unusual perhaps in the same way that Hisoka himself is unusual, but not an exception. Likewise with Ainsley or Priscilla's appearance, though they'd both certainly deserve a second glance or two. But of course Hisoka does know the Concord's leader by reputation if not by sight. She may not be as safe from his lethal intent as she might expect, but for today she's safe enough... at least from him.     Hisoka's pupils constrict abruptly at Priscilla's assurance. Not the dilation of eager anticipation, but an altogether more disturbing sort of narrow focus. He controls himself however, turning a bland smile upon her. "But does IT know it can die?" he asks mildly. "A fight is a lot more fun when the fighters are struggling for their lives, don't you think? When they have the chance to rise above their own limits?" he says in a casual, almost conversational bantering tone.     He seems impressed, or at least pleased, by Flamel's explanation. And yes, he does intend to keep his eyes open. As for falling in love... well, Hisoka tends to fall in love only with things he expects will be fun to kill. That won't be a disadvantage when it comes to dealing with this Nightmare, most likely.     He glances at Medusa, and his pleasantish smile gets slightly feral. He's pleased to see her again. It's been entirely too long. But he nods. "That should be good to see. And yes, I came armed." he says, flourishing his hand to reveal a deck of playing cards that appear as if by magic. Well in this landscape maybe they did... or by an act of mental juggling at least. "Quite the collection of strong individuals here today..." he muses, conscious of the apparent non-sequitur. "I look forward to seeing every detail." he says. And he intends to do just that, keeping his senses fully alert for ambush, to be aware of both friend and foe alike. Perhaps especially he intends to be aware of friends... because today's friends are likely to be tomorrow's opponents, while today's opponents will just be dead. 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     "..."     Ainsley was going to mention that she is in a functional relationship that has been going for more than a year but the reminder that Flamel Parsons manifests the most peculiar perception of the world creates a reaction of dumbfounded surprise. She doesn't want to contradict him -- at this point any response to that tinfoil hat comment would be contrary -- so she focuses back on other aspects of their task, which seems to draw her back to her dubiously calm state.     "I'll focus on trying to keep it from getting in clawing range," she tells the others, "If it only attacks at close range then the threat can be greatly lessened." ... "Or I just anger it and it singles me out. Either way it will be easier to fight," she tells the others, her eyes half-lidding at remembering most of the times she's been out fighting things like this.     August's remark gets her to pull a metal-bound book out from her coat, holding it at the ready in a similar fashion to what he's doing. While holding that, she carefully walks across the gross brain landscape to get a closer look at the door possessing those huge claw marks. 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     "Definitely, no question." Agent Parsons nods to Medusa. "Breaking into and out of minds, that's how the Nightmares work. Whether it got in or got out doesn't matter if--" And then August reports what he's heard and Agent Parsons immediately takes cover near a tree, one hand held out like a pistol. "If it's still here. You might be able to find something more if you look for the traces. Might give some insight, but don't look too hard if it takes too much focus." He says, in an unnerved tone. "Get ready. It's been aggravated somehow. I think--" Then there's a moment where he's interrupted. By what, exactly, will be explained shortly. 

:'''{{#var:22|Medusa Gorgon (22)}} has posed:'''     If she's upset by the feral grin, Medusa doesn't show it. Rather, Hisoka gets a pleased smile. "I'm glad you are prepared. Do leave the dissection to me if you would, please?" she chuckles. "And I would say we are, which is good if this thing is as vicious as Mister Parsons intel suggests."     At August's words the witch looks towards him, narrowing her eyes before she scans the area. "Is that so..." Ainsley isn't a fighter from what she knows, but the others should be okay. Flamel knows more about this place than the rest of them, so it would be prudent to make sure he doesn't get injured either. Who knows what happens if he's injured, after all. For now the witch remains quiet, observing as her golden eyes glance around, trying to catch any sudden movement, her ears listening for that voice that August said he had heard. Flamel seems spooked... 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     August's report got Parsons on-edge. He can see him preparing to defend himself over near Medusa. He'll experience an... Odd sensation. Like something tugging at his Persona. And yet, not psychically. It's as if someone was trying to physically grip the thing, even when it's not manifested. It can't get a grip, by any means, whatever it is either doesn't understand enough or doesn't have enough power to hold on properly, and yet... Something about the Tin Soldier is drawing its attention.     "I just need to get them out..." 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     "Nightmares know they can die. Fear. Fear and hate. That's what they are. You'll have plenty soon." His full alertness for ambush winds up being helpful. He can hear a twig snap. He hears a heavy breath and a noise like a claw on metal. It's from the other side of the jet. He knows which direction to watch for, but it'll be one more moment before he can use that information, and it's just before a startling interruption to Parsons' explanations... 

:'''{{#var:894|August Kohler (894)}} has posed:''' When August feels the creature basically pulling on his mind and /soul/, he backs away from the group, and is entirely wigged out. He moves the mirror up to eye level and keeps it there, but does not say the necessary words. He's a bit /afraid/ to. "What is its motive? Does it have a motive, or is it just a beast? It's talking, so..." 

:'''{{#var:70|Priscilla (70)}} has posed:'''     Well, Medusa seems like a nice enough lady. She's even got snakey eyes and realizes that shoes are for plebeians too. She can't possibly be all that bad. "Likewise, I am certain. At the least, for the time being." It feels a little weird to be acting all official while she's dressed all fluffy again.     August, meanwhile, is just sort of there. This is a young man Priscilla has never met. Clearly.     Parsons is as friendly as ever, which is a pleasure as before. He is also factually correct. "In theory, very little." she concedes to his very good point. "Man is known well to be the least predictable, and most oft, the most destructive, of all common creatures." Lords know they don't need horrible monsters tearing through their psyches, eating up their sanity. Sanity is hard enough to come by as-is.     Tactics time. "For the part most, mine specialities art irrelevant. If it exists, in any way, shape, or form, even partly, as a living or combatable entity, I am apt to slay it, regardless of what defense or nature it may layeth claim to. Though I doubt it of little use here, I am possessed of countermeasure against magic. I am most comfortable within the clash of arms, but fire from distance is possible. I believeth I shalt open with support, however. Whence thou seeth the mark of a baleful eye, strike whence it appears, and behold."     A leery eye is cast on August, trying to size up what about him attracts the beast so. 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     Ainsley's metal-bound book comes out.     As soon as the metal catches the light of the neuron sun, there's a noise that sounds like the middleground between a lion roaring and a girl screaming and sobbing. The left engine of the psychic jet-projection, twisted into a gargantuan clawed shape as if by some form of ferrokinesis, arcs into the air and slams down claws-first towards where Ainsley's standing, or, hopefully, was standing just before it landed. It can be intercepted, but it's a tough, well-crafted spear of a strike. An opening shot from the ambusher, to distract and likely cover a sudden melee rush. 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     "Has a motive!" Parsons shouts back to August. "The motive is 'kill'!! And now that's ours too!" He leaps into action, firing bolt after bolt in suppressing fire at the creature, trying to keep it behind cover of the jet. This may be a bad idea: The powerful crunching sounds and the aggressive roaring turn up, not down, as the midsection of the entire jet shears off. The creature, yet unseen, shoves the whole mass forward, going after August especially with the intent to strike him with the /entire front segment of the jet/.     Its words remain whispers. Normally that would be difficult to hear. For some reason, it's not.     "Only I can do this for you... Let me help you..." 

:'''{{#var:799|Hisoka (799)}} has posed:'''     Tactics are probably a bad idea to share, right in front of an enemy. Hopefully the group understands the creature well enough to make their plans useful at least. Hisoka listens intently, nen-amplified senses catching everything he can sense, seeing extensions of power that are normally invisible, hearing things others don't necessarily hear. He doesn't let on if he can sense the beast. No, he prefers to not show off advantages without exploiting them first. Especially not to allies of momentary convenience. And he won't be using his full powers... not unless absolutely necessary. In this fight he intends to be a strong presence, but much simpler and straightforward than he's truly capable of.     The Magician approaches where the creature is rending the jet, moving carefully and slowly as if wary of an invisible beast. He intends to provoke it into a melee attack. He could throw cards effectively, but it's more fun to catch the thing with physical attacks. It might well be stronger than he is, given its ability to tear a jet to pieces. That's okay though. Hisoka can focus his power, and timing is everything. It doesn't matter how strong it is if Hisoka can interrupt its attack with a perfectly-timed punch with all his strength and all his considerable power behind it, stepping in to counter-attack when it's presumably expecting itself to be unseen. 

:'''{{#var:894|August Kohler (894)}} has posed:''' Well, Priscilla isn't acting like she recognizes him. That's useful to August, atleast. But he's still pretty put off, attempting to move for cover... When the creature moves to attack August with a jet. His eyes widen, and the bracelet moves up straight to eye level. As it whispers, he can feel that this isn't the smartest choice. But he can't leave himself defenseless. Blue energy arcs around him as he stares into his reflection, and his words have power, as he speaks. "PERSONA!" Out of the blue energy, directly in front of the jet, spawns a robotic man. Eyeless, with empty indentations where eyes should be, wearing Danish military dress. The machine is covered in burn scars, and one of its legs is missing, instead an old-fashioned military rifle. The Tin Soldier makes no natural noise, and is not actually a machine: it's a psychological construct. August stops moving, as the Tin Soldier rushes forward, gun pointed upwards at the jet to spray it with fire, to attempt to melt the bits that are coming at it down. The Tin Soldier's body shifts mechanically as it moves, its clothing bristling with every step. August only says one thing. "The hell are you?!" 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     "Marking with a baleful eye would be /fantastic/ to do right now!" Agent Parsons calls out to Priscilla, still blasting at the cover with bolt after bolt as it rushes towards August. "We've got two about to close to short range, we need to get this thing off its momentum /fast/!!" She's about to get a line of sight on the thing and a chance to help some melee assaults soon, with August and Hisoka both clearing things up, and Medusa just about to join in as well! 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     Medusa is mostly left without too much issue. The creature is distinguishing between targets for some reason. Ainsley and August were targeted, but the others, less so. Her guardedness means she can detect the signs of the attack and the assault incoming with her senses, but only just before that awful claw comes down. It's time enough to react, but not to counter-ambush. More than enough that she can do just with reacting, though, given the proximity to Ainsley! 

:'''{{#var:22|Medusa Gorgon (22)}} has posed:'''     Whatever this thing is it appears to have an effect on August, as the young man seems rather spooked and nervous about this entire deal. Just what has such an effect on him?     The whisper might be part of it, however, and Medusa looks around as she tries to figure out where it came from.     The screeching sound as the plane is torn apart is hard to ignore, and immediately the snake witch has turned around, assessing the situation as the plane engine twists and clearly attacks Ainsley. Rather than intercepting it however, Medusa has another plan.     "Vector Plate!" Two black arrows appear on the ground. One underneath Ainsley, and one under Medusa. Right before the claw strikes at Ainsley she will find herself tugged off to the side, over towards Medusa who is also hurtling through the air, and the witch grabs onto Ainsley to soften her landing, digging her feet into the ground as she skids along. At least it shouldn't be a rough landing for Ainsley, though Medusa seems more interested in looking for their attacker than asking whether the lizard girl is actually okay.     Where is it? And how is it using the plane as a weapon against them? 

:'''{{#var:70|Priscilla (70)}} has posed:'''     Invisible enemies are uncommon, but Priscilla would be about the dirtiest liar in the universe right now if she said she has no experience fighting when invisibility is concerned. Parsons is correct in assuming that what she'd promised would help, or so it seems.     Priscilla doesn't play her own card yet, even if she was doing it before it was cool and this guy is just a copypcat. Instead, she hones her senses on the sounds of the scraping, crunching metal, sliding one foot back with her eyes roving over the area. As the chunk comes loose at Ainsley, and then at August, she quickly traces the ballistic paths of both pieces, figuring a common source, and then her left eye, made that bloody, molten orange, blazes a star of baleful, fiery light, and an area of the ground follows suit. Though she cannot directly see the thing itself, it seems she can project the power to fill the central, focal area of her vision, covering a fairly significant, circular plot.     More importantly, in the middle of a psychic landscape, the evidence of the power is extremely obvious, as its effect resonates directly with the mindscape all around. The trees shiver, the ground quakes, the air ripples off of the grey matter as if scorched air off of white hot metal, and quivers with an actually audible, keening screech. The sound is horrific, like steel being cut apart with nails made of glass, and layered underneath it is a river of crawling, scorching whispers, of something far more unintelligible than what August hears. Little bits of the ground burn and peel away like flaking paint under Priscilla's gaze, turning into a blowing drift of ash.     The effect remains roughly the same, despite the incredible theatrics though. Should she catch the Nightmare anywhere within her line of sight, the mark of Kalameet's eye of disaster should appear on it, even hovering in midair. Not only will this mark it out, but also dramatically amplify all damage done to it, by some incredibly arbitrary means. 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     Hisoka punches square through the jet assault, ripping a hole through it and letting it slam around his body without much harm. The advantage of detecting an ambush a second early is unspeakably great. His counterattack runs into some problems, in that something... Odd has shown up. He'll notice a very gentle glow on... Of all things, his heart? That is to say, the heart on the surface of his chest. The creature, in what brief sight he gets of it, takes the strike hard. Amid the dust and noise, the shining light of Priscilla's ability is clear, and there's a sound of flesh and bone snapping and striking hard.     The creature sobs. It is both a sound of pain and a sound of rage.     Six massive five-clawed arms rush out of the dust abnd debris of /whatever/ Hisoka just punched, striking at him. They're intent on pinning every limb and plunging a claw straight through the heart segment on his chest. The good news: This is a lot easier to survive as an astral projection, where having a hole in your chest is closer to a bruising experience. The bad news: If it's successful, it'll still hurt like hell. 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     Ainsley is already preparing to summon her Persona when she finds herself pulled off her footing by another force. Medusa's words make it clear the witch is making sure that she doesn't get struck directly by the attack, and the reptile girl finds herself in uncomfortable proximity with Medusa Gorgon, the person that keeps harassing her beloved. The reptile girl politely and hurriedly thanks Medusa and pulls away from that, then draws the book up to prepare something... she looks down into the book, hunching a little as if trying to find the right angle.     "Persona!"     Similar to what August does, a Persona emerges in a surge of blue light from near Ainsley. This turtle man seems elderly and sitting in the air with crossed legs and a gentle and friendly expression. He holds a wooden pipe up to his mouth with one hand and his other hand rests on his knee. He seems clad in modern fisherman's gear, with a old-timey hat on his head. There's a fishing net strewn over his massive shell.     She points toward Hisoka, and Urashima Taro, the turtle man, turns his head with a ponderous movement, all the joviality disappearing from his face. He holds out a hand, and an array of mirror-like flat projections appear to try to repel the claws that are directed to Hisoka. They're fragile but serve to try and reflect some of the force back at the creature. In a scenario like this, it's like redirecting the negativity back at it. "Tamatebako!" Ainsley shouts while she casts this ability. 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     Tin Soldier makes short work of the plane heading towards August. In a sense. He'll still have to deal with proximate masses of superheated metal, which can cause TREMENDOUS damage if not evaded, but it's better than getting his astral projection kicked early! And it's at least a bit easier to evade now...     But more importantly, it's depriving the creature of its weapon that it was hoisting with its brutal claws. Disarming the creature of the huge masses it was using to assault the group provides a significant ATTACK DEBUFF to the foe, an effective match to the DEFENSE DEBUFF Priscilla has provided. Unfortunately, this has drawn more attention.     "I'm sorry... I'm s-so sorry..." The whispering, sobbing noises of the Nightmare are still audible. "I only want to help... I need to get them out..." There's a glint of green light from where the "eyes" of the creature marked by that shining orange eye might be, the hunched and many-armed shape. That's when its back seems to errupt, like a jaw opening, and eject a swarm of horrific little deformed orange figures. They're no taller than a foot or two, but the dozen or so of them dash at the Tin Soldier, screaming, and intent on tackling it to the ground, and then /exploding/. It wants that specific entity on the ground and waiting shortly. 

:'''{{#var:799|Hisoka (799)}} has posed:'''     Gyo is a very useful ability, and core to the strengths of any Hunter expecting to do battle against strong and varied opponents. Hisoka's nen energy, shifted to his eyes, allows him to perceive things otherwise hidden. He can see the Nightmare literally inhabiting the section of the plane it hurls. It BECAME the plane. By counterpunching its attack, Hisoka knew he would be striking the Nightmare's form itself. Not a truly physical being, but that doesn't matter really. With nen, psychic energy, the jester's using power-infused weapons that just happen to be fists, feet, or whatever parts of his body he chooses to use.     It also lets him see the creature manifesting claw-arms from the dust and debris, giving him a moment's early warning. He twists and dodges, his body moving in awkward and almost inhuman ways to dodge blows. It's not wholly effective. The Nightmare's claws are going to score. But between Ainsley's redirection and Hisoka's measured agility, none of the hits will strike his core.     Hisoka leaves his body unshielded by nen, letting the Nightmare tear at an arm that happens to be where his heart used to be while his other hand closes down hard on the attacking claw-limb. He twists, heaving with power-imbued might, intending to either hurl the beast up into the air or rip the claw clean off it. He doesn't much care which, and his 'allies' should be able to take advantage of either. Could be that he hurls it deliberately in Medusa's direction. Whether he intends it to turn its attentions on her or because he expects her to murder it properly, who knows? 

:'''{{#var:70|Priscilla (70)}} has posed:'''     That's just creepy. Priscilla had assumed a Nightmare like this to be something of hate and rage and animalistic carnage, not this kind of . . . weepy, apologetic panic. It elicits a contemplative sound, as well as one of quiet concern, as the crossbreed talks to almost nobody in particular, with her unusually quiet voice nearly melting into the background. "It is as if the thing fears the heart, as such it hast seen a heart do something terrible in past, and wishes to rid the world of them, such that none else may suffer it. How . . . bizarre." she admits.     Physically, as a person descended from amortal beings of stone and mist, Priscilla kinda doesn't have one, or else the merest vestigiality of one at most. She may also be thinking too literally, just for the moment. Her train of thought would continue, but Parsons has just dubbed the bizarre little sprites 'personal demons', and that's just too weird. "This aberration is born of a single man's psyche?" she asks. That's the only way she can imagine it having anything 'personal' at all.     There's nothing to be gained by sitting back though, especially not when one of the Concord's is pressed singlehandedly into melee combat with the beast. The black and silver greatscythe fills Priscilla's hands, at least for now, exactly how she visualizes it in her head, rather than being some weird psychic manifestation like how her eye had worked. "Lady Medusa, if thou wouldst." she shoots off, crouching down to await a Vector Plate of her own.     Should she get one, the crossbreed adds her own considerable acceleration to the launch, becoming a person-sized streak of white, and then disappearing in whirling wake of freezing air. Shortly thereafter, it's the curved inner edge of the scythe catching the target, in a horrific, bladed clotheslining maneuver. 

:'''{{#var:22|Medusa Gorgon (22)}} has posed:'''     Ainsley is allowed to pull away as Medusa doesn't have any interest in holding onto the girl after she's made sure she didn't fall and hit her head, thereby making her a liability in this fight.     Priscilla's magic does the trick, and Medusa's gaze snaps to the strange six armed creature, all while a look of distaste crosses her face. There, their target. A sobbing piece of darkness that attacks Hisoka, all while it spawns more creatures that seem intent on taking down Kohler's persona for some reason. "Perhaps we can figure out where it came from and why if we manage to stop it," Medusa asides to Priscilla. The woman delivers a request, and the witch intends to grant it as she gets into the action herself. Again Medusa kicks off, muttering under breath as she closes in the distance between her and Hisoka as he seems to hurls it towards her. "Vector Plate!" One for her and Priscilla both. Again she is sent flying forwards, and this time she twists her body while in the air, swinging her leg around in a roundhouse kick that she aims directly for the creature's head in an attempt to send it flying towards Priscilla who seems eager to use her scythe. 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     The engine remains crashed down where it landed, looking like a massive organic claw. In fact, more organic than claw-like; it's visually not especially claw-like, but has every medical and tactile element of a massive animal's claw. "Fur" is lovingly rendered by sheared scrap, and its musculature is perfectly modeled. Horrible thing, though.     Oh, right, and here it comes... Hurtling through the air. Thrown by Hisoka, in fact. We'll get to how that happened later. Medusa gets her first good look at it: Its head looks like the shape of a mix between a gasmask and a feudal helmet, with bright green eyes. Its body is elongated, over six feet tall when hunched, with an unspeakable number of churning, massive clawed arms. It lacks legs, having only a strange mass of shadow where it connects with the ground. And now, after some fiascos elsewhere, it seems like it has a heavy mass bored out of two of its arms, by something done elsewhere in the battle.     Something about August's Persona has its attention. It tries to meet Medusa in mid-air, swiftly enough to try to plunge a heavy claw straight through her chest and right to the back... And whisper, "They're so small... But they'll kill you if I don't..." Whether it accomplishes this attack depends on her swiftness. But it does launch away from her, elsewhere. Soon Priscilla will have to deal with it. But Medusa gets a view of its eyes. Its primary objective has something to do with that freshly-spawned Persona. An obsessive, strained look. And then it's away, off to the half-breed to deal with. 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     Hisoka manages to withstand the damage against his body. The creature... Isn't focused on his arm, though, it does its best to get to his heart. As many times as it can. He lets the metallic thing -- armor shattered over the flesh where he smashed through it -- twist and scream and tear at him, but protects his core. In turn, Ainsley's powerful Tamatebako turns the attack against it. By letting the creature assault him, tanking the eviscerating damage, the mirrored strikes, inverted claws ripping through the Nightmare, manage to tear through two of its arms and dig a horrid hole through its own chest.     Hisoka can see a glint of something. There's a single beating heart... And something gleaming, lodged in it. But soon the creature seals itself back up, seeming desperate to protect it. The swing manages to HURL the beast, interrupting its planned rush against August! It launches up into the air, finally in full sight. 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     Medusa manages to kick the bloodied beast in mid-air to Priscilla. The scythe tears through metal and flesh. The massive orange eye's effects FLASH and shine through it, letting the blade rip another arm into a mangled mess and shear a heavy mass of flesh from another. The scythe plunges into it, reaching the heart... And stopping.     Clang!     Priscilla can feel a heart beating right on the edge of her blade, but something stopped it just short. Something metal? The creature's sobbing intensifies. "I can get them out of you... Shhh... Please, please be quiet, stop struggling..." Then its hands latch onto the scythe lodged in it. "Why can't feel your heart beating anymore...?" The sob intensifies, a sound of abject despair. "It's just metal now... I only wanted to help... They were so small..."     The bright green in the eyes begins to BURN. The sob/roaring sound intensifies as the creature self-destructively attempts to PLUNGE the two into the ground, pressing one of its remaining claws against her chest with the intent of tearing... A hole through the chest, even if there's no heart, but it seems to lack the same urgency. Now it seems strained and hateful in an abstract way, not a personal way, and yet, all the more destructive for it. 

:'''{{#var:894|August Kohler (894)}} has posed:''' Well, that's a lot of metal. The Tin Soldier's reaction is to dive at August, covering him on the ground, allowing the two to narrowly dodge the superheated metal. August stays still for a moment, at the Tin Soldier gets up and begins dodging the Nightmare's attacks, as a few explode against it, knocking it back and denting and scarring it. However, the Persona refuses to go down. And then, as the others fight, there's another whisper. And then the group is in danger, with the creature moving to rip Priscilla's heart out. The Nightmare is obsessed with the Tin Soldier, but it's distracted. And that means it might kill someone else. August can't allow that to happen. It wants him. So it gets to /have him/. The Tin Soldier, damaged by the explosives, turns to face the Nightmare. The gun leg begins lighting up as bullets pour out, moving to strike at the monster's arms. The Persona taunts silently, a 'come at me' with its hands, as it stands still, away from anyone else. It taps its chest. It wants the Nightmare to pursue. And if the Nightmare does, in fact, pursue? As soon as it gets up close, the Tin Soldier points that gun upon itself, and sets itself ablaze. Like a phoenix, or perhaps a wickerman, the Tin Soldier begins burning uncontrollably. It flails at the Nightmare, August losing direct control over it, and is in terrible, horrible pain from the fire. August falls to the ground, meanwhile, feedback from the fire attacking every nerve as if the fire was burning him itself. It would seem that Fire = Bad. 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     "Dark Introspect!"     This next phrase is shouted as the creature comes into visual range for Ainsley as well as the others. She points at it while she says this, and Urashima Taro opens one eye, pulling the pipe from his smiling mouth and frowning. One eye opens and reveals it is a sharp Yellow, hammering the being with a power not unlike what it is made of. Because it is made of negative emotions, the debuffing spell tries to chain it down with them, slowing it down, enfeebling its attacks, generally making it harder to fight by turning the violent emotions inwards back at it... or perhaps weakening its defenses. Ainsley struggles against the invisible weight of the spell, as she isn't made for extended conflicts and this is starting to take its toll on her. 

:'''{{#var:799|Hisoka (799)}} has posed:'''     Hisoka's arm should probably be severed after that monstrously strong creature savaged it while it was unprotected... but he feels fine. Bruises instead of spurting blood, which is something he can ignore with impunity.     He'd noticed the metal gleam, and has a decent idea how to kill the Nightmare. With a feral delight he pounces after the creature, his limbs flailing in an oddly effective motion, elbows and knees pistoning with more enthusiasm than athleticism.     Hisoka doesn't even care if the Tin Soldier immolates itself. Hisoka's willing to plunge into the fire, his fingernails extending like tiny claws, buttressed by his power. He shouldn't burn TOO much, not with his power in his hands and the Tin Soldier on the other side of the beast besides, but he doesn't care. He's seeking the beast's heart, intending to tear it out with his bare hands. That or the metal thing surrounding the heart or embedded within. He doesn't much care what he grasps and rips out, so long as it's significant. 

:'''{{#var:70|Priscilla (70)}} has posed:'''     It's been a while since Priscilla has cut into something with this level of force, and not come spraying blood out the other side. The jolt that catches the crook of the scythe and strains her arms, forcing to tense the rest of her body to stay level with the ground, takes her by surprise, as does the steady *thump-thump* she can feel faintly reverberating down the haft. "It protects itself. There is something steeled around its own heart, as if--"     So close, and yet within an instant, she winds up flat on her back as the creature's ridiculous pile of arms bears down on her, and goes for that which she does not have. The thing's claws plunge towards her flesh, where she deftly twists the scythe about like a polearm, and interposes the haft against its palm, such as the claws stop dead where they rip open the fabric of her dress, and no further, drawing only the barest points of inhumanly dark red on the pale skin exposed. Priscilla wrestles with the ungodly mass of arms leveraging its weight down on her, as the squishy ground provides very poor leverage to fight with, until August responds in the nick of time, drawing the creature away.     Priscilla rolls to her feet as easy as blinking, guardedly tugging her dress upward a little by the collar. "Fool of an aberration. Thou knowest not the sins thou commit." She holds her arm over her chest as she takes in a deep, deep breath, braces back, and then spits out the White Dragon's deadly breath. Hersn effulgent ray of gleaming, blue light, as thick around as an arm, follows. It lances across and through the Nightmare's body, burning with white hot soulfire where it touches, and inflicts a horrific curse that turns flesh and metal alike into rapidly expanding crystal, like some terrible cordyceps of razor sharp grey glass, whorled with the patterns of screaming faces. 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     The creature is weakened by the debuff. There's no difference between a psychological dampening and a physical dampening in the Collective Unconscious and other psychic pursuits. The sobbing/roaring noise is screamed in Priscilla's face, but the Nightmare isn't interested in focusing on her. It's focusing on the Tin Soldier! It's rushing towards it! It's going to try to tear out its heart!     ...No it's not, actually. The burning man is soundlessly tackled by the six-foot screaming, crying monster. "I'm the only one..." It cries. "I'm the only one that can help you. I'm the only one that can get them out. I'm so sorry. They're killing you... They're killing you, I need to get them out..." It's burning alive, the fire easily searing flesh from its body. The grim smell of cooked flesh is on the air. "I'm... killing you...!!" Its voice is desolate and despairing. But it's not focusing on the Tin Soldier's heart.     It's trying to remove its gun-leg. Something about the metal embedded in its body -- specifically the idea of metal, embedded in the body -- seems to be enraging the nightmare, prompting it to try to tear it out. All remaining claws focus on pinning the Tin Soldier down and cutting the gun-leg out, even while it burns alive...     And becomes vulnerable to others' attacks. 

:'''{{#var:894|August Kohler (894)}} has posed:''' The Tin Soldier is trying tp wrao its arms around the Nightmare, in order to keep it pinned in the fire, even as it silently screams from the pain. The tearing at the gun-leg is even more painful, but the Nightmare will find trouble actually tearing it off: it's a core part of the manifestation, and will require /strong/ effort to tear off. Here's hoping it doesn't succeed. 

:'''{{#var:22|Medusa Gorgon (22)}} has posed:'''     This is clearly something that is non-biological by the looks of it, indeed. So can it be killed by conventional means? That remains to be seen!     As her foot connects with the thing it also seems to get her, even as she twists her body brings up her arm, earning herself a wicked slice that digs deep to the bone. The witch gasps from the pain, though luckily the creatures doesn't get to do much more as it's launched off towards Priscilla, and Medusa lands on her feet, blood dripping from her arm. It's most likely not something that will carry on to the real world, but still, that's painful. For some reason, despite the torn muscles she seems able to move her arm however, and she looks down at her arm with morbid interest. "So that's how it works here, hmm...?" More inspecting later once they've dealt with this thing!     While the nightmare is busy tearing into the Tin Man, it seems they are to unleash their final attack, and Medusa isn't slow to join in as she stands in place, extending both her arms as she begins moving them in a near hypnotic motion, her left swinging back and forth rhytmically as she twists her right one, turning her wrist as black vector snakes begin pouring out of her back. "Nake Snake, Cobra Cobubura...! Vector Arrow!" With a combined gesture of her hands towards the twisted creature, she unleashes the summoned snakes, all of them heading to tear into the creature while avoiding her teammates for this mission. Right now she's blind to August's suffering as he made himself a target to distract the thing, but she makes a mental note to check up on him once they've stopped the creature. 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     Hisoka finds the flesh still tough. Even in spite of Priscilla's massive defensive debuffs and half of Ainsley's heavy debuffing, even in spite of the tremendous amount of damage it sustained, the monster's horrible flesh remains hard and tough. He got through it once, but that was before it was on fire, which has ironically softened the armor such that it's a little more flexible. Now, there's another challenge. Luckily, Priscilla has risen to meet it. Her damaging beam rips through the burning flesh, combining crystalizing corrosion with brutal flames in a way that's especially destructive, ripping its flesh-and-metal hide apart. A hole begins to open, right at where her scythe tore into it.     As the beam carves the beast's body open, bolstered by so many different defensive debuffs, Medusa's vector arrows rip through the body, plunging upwards... Her surgical experience, her anatomical knowledge, and her powers of mundane medicine mean that the heart is ruthlessly, though difficultly, extracted, though heavy cords of what look like some kind of eastern plant combined with rock are wrapped around it, keeping it firmly connected to the body through the wound Priscilla carved, one that has uncanny trouble healing. The screaming/sobbing/roaring continues, and intensifies, with each bit of progress. The exposed heart is pure flesh... With a massive piece of twisted metal embedded in it. It seems to feed power into the heart, making it more and more resilient each time the heart itself is attacked. "I'm the only one who can help you... It's my power. I'm the only one who knows how. I know how. I can do it. I can do it, I promise, just trust... I'm sorry, I'm sorry... Please stop screaming, stop struggling... I'm trying, I'm trying to help, they'll kill you if I don't... I'll kill you if you keep... HHHH!!!"     The choked sob when Hisoka yanks the metal shard out is the sort of thing that people have heard before only in fiction. The kind of noise you hear in a movie that makes you think they had to kill a puppy in front of the voice actor to get a sound like that. The sobbing grows more quiet after, the lashing at the Tin Soldier's limb grows less painful... It tries, as best it can, to rip the gunleg out, but a spark of yellow energy rushes along its body, showing that Ainsley's debuff managed to just barely reduce its strength under the threshold for dismembering August's Persona.     The burning figure's sobbing grows more despairing and less energized each moment as it seems to run out of psychic force... Until, at last, the voice seems to fall into a gentle sort of sleep. And the dismembered, eviscerated Nightmare, still burning, slowly extinguishes as it turns to stone.     And that's the death of Heart Render, the Nightmare. Time to recover a little... And then get to work on figuring out where it came from by pulling it open even more. 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     Ainsley witnesses the violent demise of the Heart Render. She seems troubled by its insistence that it's only trying to help. The insistence suggesting that it has killed people because they tried to struggle. She appears greatly disquieted as it starts to calcify into an inert form, but she relaxes when it no longer makes those hideous mournful noises that make her scales crawl.     She approaches it when Parsons confirms it is dead, her Persona dispelling in a shower of gentle blue light. She stands so close to it that, if it were alive, it could've reached out and plucked her head off her shoulders. She seems eerily confident and comfortable with the proximity. She activates her Sight and begins her probe of the Nightmare, searching the chaotic mental projection for key phrases and meanings associated with it. She seeks out puzzle pieces to its story, perhaps spoken names or locations, anything that may have formed it. She grimaces, steeling herself for a horror show. That's usually what happens when she does this. 

:'''{{#var:22|Medusa Gorgon (22)}} has posed:'''     There's a sense of gratification as the vectors tear into the Nightmare, and Medusa looks pleased as she lowers her arms with the creature finally going silent after its incessant prattling. Blessed silence.     It's an interesting thing to see it turn to stone, and Medusa exhales as she turns to the others. "Who requires first aid? Hisoka? Mister Kohler?" The others appear to be okay from what she can see. And she can tend to them while Ainsley does her thing. 

:'''{{#var:799|Hisoka (799)}} has posed:'''     Hisoka's never been particularly bothered by conscience over people he's killed, let alone nebulous nightmare creatures. He's probably created more nightmares than he's killed anyways, so he's owed at least partial credit for this one. Caring about its insistence about only trying to help... that's for others, not for the murdergician.     True to his word, Hisoka turns to watch the dissection. Only to be vaguely disappointed when the first investigative step turns out to be magical probing rather than surgical steel. Instead, he shrugs to Medusa, propping one arm on a hip and lifting his other arm up so his hand cradles the back of his head. Posing weirdly, he smiles. "Nothing worth your seeing to." he claims, not at all bothered by pain. Not lying, in fact, though he might seem like he is. "Next time I'll have to try to get more injured so you have something to work on." he says warmly. Is he... flirting with Medusa by offering to get grievous bodily harm? Why... yes. Yes he is. 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     Oddly, it seems, this mode of projection refuses to work in words, or at least refuses to work PRIMARILY in words. What Ainsley manages to pull out are Figments of the Imagination, or so Agent Parsons tells her when he says, "Oh, you're doing a Figment extraction just on your own? Wow, lots of veterans can't manage that one." Agent Parsons offers a telepathic link to Ainsley, to receive and interpret, and subsequently broadcast, the data, letting her display her findings immediately and dynamically.     "Alright, so, most of this is going to be digging through its first victim's stray thoughts. We'll get to see hints about whatever they were thinking about a month or so ago, when this first got out. We can piece it together from that, and fill in the details with my clairvoyance by surgically cutting this thing open." Parsons says. And with that... Assuming Ainsley accepted his small telepathic connection for just this information, Ainsley will find her first Figment, a clue as to the identity of the originating dreamer.     The first figment of the victim's imagination is... A Paladin badge. 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     The phrasing that Parsons uses makes Ainsley confusedly furrow her brow. But she realizes what he means when it reveals a Figment and it's something she knows well. In fact, she has a Paladin badge on her coat right now. She reaches up to self-consciously rest her hand on it, and quirks a corner of her mouth at the sight of it. She accepts the telepathic link, of course. She keeps looking for more Figments after this, as it has hooked her curiosity thoroughly. She even reaches out to touch the Nightmare to help with her focus, even if she can't really see where she rested her hand due to how her Sight works. 

:'''{{#var:70|Priscilla (70)}} has posed:'''     Priscilla finishes breathing out, as the brilliant lance of light sputters out into fluttering sparks, with a little puff of unhealthily cyan steam. Seeing the ridiculous chunk of metal lodged into the heart absolutely explains what she had run into, though the rest is a little confusing. Thankfully, it's unsettling pleas for cooperation die out, and the thing turns to stone at last.     This leaves Priscilla time to examine her weapon, examine herself, shuffle her dress into place where the tear is less obvious, and walk back over to examine the corpse turned stone. "Am I to suspect, then, that there is a less than metaphorical design to all of this? I believeth it is after something quite different than simply the heart, as was the original victim traumatized by." 

:'''{{#var:894|August Kohler (894)}} has posed:''' The Heart Render's pain was unbearable, and August is still sitting on the floor, clutching his leg (the one that matches the Tin Soldier's) tightly. The Tin Soldier eventually fades away once the fire goes out, disappearing into energy. "...I can use medical attention, y-yeah." 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     "...Huh. Okay, so, Paladin badge is a positive thought. Alright, so, either it's a natural positive opinion towards government authority, which is just what happens when you drink fluoridated water and go outside on chemtrail days, or it's someone who actually has a personal reason to think highly of the Paladins. That cuts out a fair chunk of the multiverse, so you're making a lot of progress!" Mr. Parsons says, putting a hand to his chin. He gives a few nods to Priscilla. "I'd say there's something iffy about a heart somewhere! In the real world, I mean, someone's got a heart with... Something wrong with it, who knows. Some of this stuff is pretty literal, I know you secret government reptilians usually wind up getting all the info you need eventually without the speculation."     See, though, this time, he's actually speaking to a secretly-reptile-related conspiracy-covered-up government stealth person, and it STILL sounds silly when he says it. 

:'''{{#var:22|Medusa Gorgon (22)}} has posed:'''     As expected Hisoka doesn't seem to be in need of medical help. It had been the same the first time they had talked together as well, and Medusa does look somewhat amused at Hisoka's reaction to being injured. And his offer to get more injured next time? Now that makes the witch smile warmly in his direction. "By all means~" She wouldn't mind if he does, unless it's a waste of her time, that is.     For now she moves over to August to tend to him, kneeling down beside him as she looks through her pockets, finding various syringes with medicine and enhanced witch potions. The young man gets medical in the form of a syringe that Medusa administers to his leg, and it's clear that it's a painkiller, a fast acting one. It should still hurt however when the snake witch pours some medicine over his leg, and it begins sinking into his skin and to the tissue underneath, causing an itching sensation. But at least it's not outright painful treatment so far.     If she has any opinion on Flamel's conspiracy talk, she doesn't offer it as she's occupied with working. But within minutes August should start feeling better, and at that point Medusa offers him a vial. "Drink this." Why should he care what it is? For now she's done with the basic stuff, and she reaches into a pocket on her thigh, revealing a sharp looking scalpel. "Is it time to look at what it ate then?" she inquires as she looks at Flamel. Clearly this is something they have discussed beforehand. 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     The next couple of figments are less helpful. One of them is gemstones! Lots of gemstones. Cut and uncut, these gemstones seem to be entirely in black-and-white, though they're very defined. Whatever thought of them sure didn't think of them in color though. Whoever this is, they've got a lot of knowledge and positive thoughts about gemstones.     Then things take a turn for the distinctly unhelpful. The next figment is rock. No, it's just... A rock. That's what they were thinking about. There doesn't seem to be anything the least bit interesting about this figment. "Thanks, Nightmare." Mr. Parsons says, rubbing the bridge of his nose frustratedly. "But, I guess, it was something they had positive thoughts about. So, rocks, gems, Paladins. Is this adding for anyone?" 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     "There are a couple of candidates for who this belongs to that come to mind immediately," Ainsley speaks up, as she turns her Sight off and steps aside for Medusa to give it a go. "I know of exactly one Paladin that thinks of rocks positively," she tells everyone, and then she says, "This form the Nightmare has taken is very weird, though. I'd need to quiz them on it, and see if they remember the imagery." She rubs the feathers along the back of her neck, and looks to Flamel uncertainly.     "Could you..." she trails off, sighing to herself. "We aren't all from the same race, okay? That's a little ... distracting." There is a very clear impression that while she is not lying she is trying very hard to word it politely. "I'm hardly a /secret/ government reptilian," she adds, trying to defuse her own discomfort with some levity. 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     "Oh, oh! Right. Of course." Agent Parsons nods, agreeing to just sort of not do this. "Of course, I'll stop." He does an unexplained sort of leaning gesture and cocks his head. There's a long pause while this goes uncomprehended, before he says, "Oh, right. I'm winking. Under my sunglasses." He gives another friendly head-cock gesture and whispers, "Wink."     Jesus fucking Christ.     "Okay, well, I think we've got some initial data! You work on the quizzing. For now, Ms. Gorgon? We're finished with some of the thought skeletons, now the dissection will be best. It should still be straightforward to cut through, even if it's a little more petrified. Try to separate out anything that looks organ-like besides the heart, the samples will help tell us where in the dreamer's mind it originated, so we can know where to breach, among other things about the identity if Ainsley is wrong." 

:'''{{#var:22|Medusa Gorgon (22)}} has posed:'''     The figments are certainly curious, though Medusa doesn't seem as curious about them as the creature itself and the chance to dissect it. As Ainsley steps aside the witch isn't slow to take her place, leaning over the creature as she /jabs/ the scalpel into the stonelike texture, pleasantly surprised at the ease it takes to cut it open in this state. It will take a while to open it up completely, and she puts her fingers into the cut, then grunts as she /tears/ the ribcage of the Nightmare open. "Okay, do these things even have a stomach to begin with..." she muses for herself. It had a heart, that was easy enough to find. It helps with Flamel's explanation and suggestion however, and she nods as she looks around, not minding the gore and this new creature for her to cut apart. Though within seconds Medusa slices something inside the creature, sticking her arms uncomfortably deep into its chest cavity, then yanks something out for Flamel. This is from a vesica up near the heart," she informs him... and hands him what looks like a strange creature with long claws, a bulky body and a long tail. A creature that Flamel might recognise from elsewhere. 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     "... r... right..." Ainsley says, seeming to deflate when he does that, especially when she places a hand to her face and closes her eyes. 

:'''{{#var:799|Hisoka (799)}} has posed:'''     Who the hell SAYS wink? Well okay, Hisoka knows a few who probably would, but none of whom he particularly cares to remember.     He does pay attention though, looking up when Medusa's called upon to cut into the Nightmare. He's a lot more interested in that than in the mystery. Someone who thinks in shape rather than in colors. Someone who likes rocks and gemstones. Someone aligned with a powered enforcement squad. Someone who embeds metal into other people's hearts. Well okay, perhaps not that last one.... but the rest form a picture. A boring picture. If someone provides some major revalation about why this is happening and it resonates with Hisoka's interests that's one thing, but until then he's not terribly interested in the riddle. 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     "Huh." Mr. Parsons looks at the psionic construct. This and the other 'organs' that show up are similar. Physical objects that... Have no right being inside a creature. Several large rocks show up. A sword. What looks like a metal helmet of some kind. Some strange wooden eastern-culture objects. But he focuses on the creature. It looks like a stone carving of...     "I remember seeing one of these. Never caught the name. Looks like a badger. Or maybe a mole? Weird. Definitely saw it in that girl's mind, though. Maybe she'd know the name?" Yes, it is indeed a badgermole. An invisible hand grasps each object, hoisting it telekinetically, while he presses two fingers to each temple, scanning them with clairvoyance just to be sure. 

:'''{{#var:894|August Kohler (894)}} has posed:''' August begrudgingly lets Medusa stab him with syringes and give him medicine. At first it begins itching, but the pain starts to go away! And then she tells him to drink a vial. Well, if she was trying to kill him, this probably wouldn't be a terrible way to die, so August drinks the vial, before watching the surgery from a distance. "So, what the hell is going on here, anyways? I've never seen a Collective Unconsciousness like this. The one I'm used to is more...well, firmly shaped?" 

:'''{{#var:22|Medusa Gorgon (22)}} has posed:'''     The figments are indeed strange as Medusa pulls them out of the creature for Flamel to take. A black sword of unqiue design... delicate tea sets, a black cat, an Iron Man helmet... and of course the badgermole.     "I don't know what's going on here either, but I assume there are different versions of it from world to world..." Medusa muses as she works, pulling up yet another figment that she hands over for Flamel's psychic powers to take. A brief look of distaste crosses her face as she looks at it; the stylised head of a young man with a wolf tail, and she quickly resumes digging for figments. 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     "Oh, that depends on your projection methods and regions!" Mr. Parsons says, still closing his eyes while he scans. "This is a non-archetypal Jungian-Adler technique I developed for multi-person exoprojection and introprojection. Things look different from if you used... I don't know, it sounds like you're using a leyline-energized archetypal Jungian holistic-exoprojection technique, which is kind of weird and insane by the standards of how my world works, but, works for you, right? If it works for you, that's impressive and good enough for me."     It's LIKE a helpful answer, but not really. 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     Ainsley stares as each object pulled from the Nightmare seems to support more and more of her theory of where this came from. She has a conversation over the radio with someone she is certain is connected to this... somehow. Don't question psychic weirdness. The reptile woman turns and addresses Flamel directly, "I've confirmed someone at least connected to this. Parsons, could you confirm the source of a Nightmare if you met with them in-person?" 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     Parsons nods to Ainsley. "Oh, definitely! Match a psychic trace to the sample and bam, as easy an info-gathering as a systematic alien infiltration wiretapping the entire United States telecommunications system." Wait, what? "I can work on clairvoyance scans of this stuff in the meantime to find the source. It looks like it was mostly just driven out by another mental image, probably something more healthy, but if the source mind gets into a bad place again, it'll probably spawn another of these. So, we've got plenty of time to try to track down a nest of these!" 

:'''{{#var:70|Priscilla (70)}} has posed:'''     On the subject of secret scaled people covered up by the government who now own the government, Priscilla opens her mouth to say something, and then promptly closes it. Vexingly, Parsons is not actually wrong. This is somehow troubling.     Instead, she frowns mildly at the 'audible wink', and at how patently ridiculous this is kind of getting, recording the expert babble Flamel rattles off using her radio regardless. Those sound like important words. "Mine own question is if this sample itself is quite dead enough. Sometimes, these things claimeth to be more difficult to terminate." 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     "Oh, this is definitely dead." Parsons says, nodding firmly. A small translucent hand emerges from his mind on a translucent noodle arm, then taps on the stone corpse of the Nightmare. "Not ever seen a nightmare come back from this. Now, if you're worried it'll come back, that's a sensible worry. If a mind spawns one Nightmare, it can spawn two, or four, or however many its psychological ecosystem and psychic bandwidth can support, until you resolve the stresses, traumas, or stuff like that, that cause it."     He makes a broad gesture. "Psychohazards!" 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     "Marvelous." Ainsley makes that remark, but then immediately mutters under her breath, "Terrible," because her magical state makes sarcastic remarks nearly impossible. 

:'''{{#var:22|Medusa Gorgon (22)}} has posed:'''     It appears that they are done, and Medusa wipes off her hands on the ground before she rises to her feet. "Mister Parsons is right... I can't imagine this thing crawling about again. I don't suppose there's a way we can take it back to the real world from here...?" Medusa asks she looks over at Flamel. 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     "Oh, no." The agent shakes his head there. "But you can keep it in mind. Keep ahold of it, and I can send you data for a Nein-type Brain Tumbler device to work with the corpse in your own mind, if you're interested in a full dissection, Ms. Gorgon!" Very encouraging! "I have to admit, I want to know what you find out too." 

:'''{{#var:22|Medusa Gorgon (22)}} has posed:'''     Now that's an interesting suggestion. Medusa looks quite pleased, smiling a bit. "I must admit, I've never dissected things in my mind before... though does mental training affect that, I wonder?" Either way his offer is greatly appreciated. "I will make sure to share my findings with you, perhaps it will be useful in your work to get an outsider's opinion on these things..." 
}}

5090/Minding Your Business

2017-02-16T04:28:31Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/02/16 |Location=Earth-199999 |Synopsis=Information and conditions regarding a potential mind dive are exchanged. |Cast of Characters=20, 301,..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/02/16
|Location=Earth-199999
|Synopsis=Information and conditions regarding a potential mind dive are exchanged.
|Cast of Characters=20, 301, 1094
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     There's no question about it, the young earthbender who had been identified as the reason for Heart Render being set loose in the Collective Unconcious had not been happy about it at all. Even less at the suggestion of having people go into her head to clear out whatever had created the monstrosity. For one, she had experienced somebody going into her head, albeit briefly, once before, and she had not been pleased then and fought tooth and nail to kick the intruder out. While Toph isn't a quiet girl by far she doesn't always like to talk about personal things, and she seldom likes to talk about her feelings. Few people get to see her softer side, and instead get to deal with the selfproclaimed greatest earthbender of all time. A loudmouthed teenager with enough power and skill to make things rough for many of her opponents.     Today however she's possibly going to put herself into a situation where she has little control nor experience. It should be easy for her adoptive father to notice her discomfort, but still, it's she who asked him to be here for this little meeting at one of Malibu's downtown cafes. As always the weather is nice, and Toph's busy sipping at her iced tea as she waits, and picking at her metallic bracelets inbetween sips, just to have something to do.     "... either way he should be bringing that psycho-portal thingie and some written info, and if I decide on doing this then I'll talk with the Paladins to get it sorted out legally," she asides to Tony. If. That's the keyword here. Because she's still not sure if she wants to do this, nor are the people around her. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' At best, the attitude of Toph's adoptive father toward this whole thing might be called ambivalent. Tony somehow managed to finagle an /Irish/ coffee from the cafe management, and sits brooding over it while he waits for this "mind agent" to show up. "I just don't see why it's YOUR head in play here," he complains, more to keep his mouth busy than anything. Tony Stark does not like sitting quietly. "Nightmares happen. Everyone has them. Even horrible recurring ones. Shouldn't we be more worried about whatever phenomenon caused yours to come to life in the first place? 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     Agent Parsons somehow manages to embody every bit of essence of a grainy, suspiciously circumstantial photograph of a SHIELD agent from the 1960s in the background of a major world event, seen on a strange old geocities-era-design website. What an oddly specific impression for the man. He's wearing his suit, his sunglasses, and his oddly positive look as always when he slips into the Malibu cafe. Somehow he's managed to mix up a combination of the look of someone making a secret dead drop and someone bringing a gift. The heavy metal-lined suitcase he has with him no doubt contains the materials he's here to deliver between the factions.     "Mr. Stark. Miss Beifong." He says, identifying the latter rather quickly by her familiar psychic trace and the former rather quickly by his being an incredibly famous billionaire with extremely distinct features. The tone shifts from secret agent right into a friendly, upbeat feeling. "A pleasure to meet you both, again in one case, and thank goodness for the better circumstances. How are you two?" He sets his suitcase on the table, and begins fiddling with its elaborate locking mechanisms and defusing its thorough failsafe traps. All this for something a bit more low-value than it implies; one assumes it's just part of his whole archetype, going through this hassle. "So, I have a psycho-portal and the associated documentation for you, Mr. Stark, and the brochures and other documentation for... Also for you, but for Toph also." He's swapped to her first name, less out of familiarity and more because he gets the feeling that it's best to call her that just by how she functions socially.     "Do you want me to take it from the top and summarize everything, or would you like to focus on any particular questions?" His posture when he sits is like someone going to a movie they're looking forward to, a friendly and attentive look entirely out of place in his visual archetype. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Bending one of her bracelets a bit doesn't stop Toph from hearing what Tony has to say, and she sighs. "That's kinda what I'm wondering about too... but I don't think Ainsley would lie about this, you know?" No, she wouldn't have a reason to. "He said that it was forced out by happy feelings or something, and he knew /when/ I stopped having it too, that's a bit too precise..." And kinda creepy, ugh.     Despite Flamel's upbeat and cheery demeanor, the blind teenager doesn't seem thrilled when he enters, keeping both feet on the floor even if she's slouching in her chair as if she's in for a boring business meeting. "I could be better," Toph replies perhaps a bit too honestly. Then again, that's her, not the type to sugarcoat anything. She's quiet when Tony's handed the psycho-portal, the item that she had only briefly heard about herself. But she had told Tony about it beforehand, that it was the device that would be used so they could go into her head if they decided to pursue that route. And that Parsons had promised to bring one so Tony could examine it and possibly modify it.     Summarising it all might be for the better, and Toph nods. "The only thing I know about it is what you've said briefly before," as well as the time when he went into her head briefly during that fight, "and well, it was kinda hard to understand it all then."     ... just why is he acting so /giddy/ about this? This all seems just a bit too serious for her liking. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "Are you selling me a timeshare?" Tony retorts acerbically in response to Parsons' cheery attitude. "I'm not interested in /brochures/. Tell me why you want to get inside my daughter's head and you don't need to look so cheerful about it. HOW," he stubs one finger against the tabletop, "did this thing obtain a physical form, and WHY," another stab, with two fingers this time, "is the solution 'psychic brain surgery' instead of 'finding out how the hell this happened in the first place and stopping it?'" He also doesn't like problems he can't solve via brilliant, groundbreaking engineering. Or at least punching. "You're creeping me out," he adds in a mutter as he sips his doctored coffee." 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     Agent Parsons pops the briefcase open and hands Tony Stark... A door. It's a very small door. It looks like the entrance to a spy fiction facility from the 1960s. But it is, no doubt, dense with electronics. "Then we'll take it from the top. We already know how it happened, actually! It's well-studied." He says, as if this was a normal thing to do. He still seems positive, but he tones it down, by request. Instead of producing a brochure, he pokes something inside his briefcase, and a small holoprojection initiates. It's a human brain. "Toph's nightmares did not take physical form, at least not a definition of physical you're familiar with. They entered a pseudo-jungian psychic space called the Collective Unconscious. You may be familiar with the concept of society-wide stress, the idea that as individuals grow more stressed, so do the groups around them."     The view of the brain zooms out, linked with many others in a "landscape". "This phenomenon of passive psionic connection is what caused the Nightmare being forced out by happier thoughts to persist in that psychic network; that it had enough energy to stay alive in the first place is only because she has a strong mind." A flicker on the holographic brain marks the emergence of a shadowy, gasmasked figure, which begins prowling the network, diving in and out of brains. "It doesn't hurt or kill anyone physically. Instead, the Nightmare increases overall stress and psychological weakness. This is more dangerous, by our standards. A monster kills a hundred people and then is hunted and killed in turn. A psychohazard stresses out thousands of humans, who cascade their stress through their immediate associates and society at large, sparking massive sociological problems. We call this a psychohazard, a subset of our tracked UPEs. As a vague yet menacing government agency furthering secret agendas, we make it our business to root out and neutralize psychohazardous UPEs, to help ensure that human minds remain minimally overstressed and that society at large experiences minimal detriment."     He zooms back in on the brain, which continues to flicker. "The potential for Toph relapsing into a Nightmare-spawning state exists. It's not a guarantee, and I'm not going to demand access to her brain. But, if given it, I can enable some beneficial psychic combat with the sources of the problem, and prevent the spawning of another Heart Render. If I'm not given it, well," He shrugs vaguely. "My vague yet menacing government agency and I will hunt and fight more Nightmares as they come. Her mind may or may not continue spawning them based on emotional relapse until she eventually works through the problem on her own in a few years. Or doesn't work through them, and escalates the psychohazard risk."     And then he looks pleasantly ready for questions, folding his hands in front of him. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony stares blankly at Parsons throughout this whole spiel. Then looks at the door. Then back at Parsons. He sips his coffee again. He... DOES realize that Stark spent the better part of his young adulthood, selling weapons to the already-best-armed people in the world, right? In addition to all of the boozing and womanizing, of course. Point is, he recognizes a sales pitch when he sees one. The thing he can't figure out is WHY. What does Parsons have to gain from this? "So she's in no danger," is what he summarizes from all of that. "She just might have another nightmare at some point that might upset some other people in your psychic commune." He looks, finally, at Toph. "Can't we just hire a psychiatrist?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     It's rather easy to tell that Tony doesn't like this, and well... that's part of the reason why she wanted him here. It's easier when it's confusing stuff like this, and even if she trusts her own intuition and ability to tell when people are lying to her, it's good to have another set of ears and a critical mind to assess this. Besides, Tony /is/ her parent, it wouldn't be right to not involve him.     It's a bit weird to think about, and it all sounds a bit Avatar-y to her. Stuff being connected, minds being linked somehow... Personally she's not heard much about how people can get stressed besides actually being in a stressful situation or around stressful people, but whatever. Well, she's determined, that's nothing new... so that might be why the Nightmare was strong too and able to survive out of her mind. Or however these things work. "UPE...?" Toph asks and arches an eyebrow, not familiar with that term.     Aaand now it sounds like he's saying that she's going to create more nightmares, even if she's not intending to do so. And to hear the name of that nightmare again... it makes the blind teenager tense up a little bit, looking uncomfortable. Because she can imagine rather well /why/ it's called that.     It's surreal to imagine that the Nightmare has been harming other people too in some way, there's no denying that Parsons is telling the truth.     "If... if I let you into my brain, then would it be like the time when we fought?" she asks. "And how is psychic combat done? What are the risks? Besides you snooping around in my head, that is." 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     "Not in any physical danger, nope! I don't actually know what's going on in her head. For all I know the Nightmares could be symptomatic of a massive impending psychological cascade that will drive her insane. Or they could just be some part of her mind rubbing up badly against another. Sometimes both!" Then he nods. "Yes, you can. That's what I'm here for. Think of me like a combat psychologist. Instead of spending a few weeks trying to talk you through thinking out your problems or advising medication, I take a few hours to beat the astral personifications of her problems into not hurting her."     "UPE, unregistered paranormal entity. When a UPE starts getting hazardous to humans, my secret agency's hidden agendas direct us to hunt it and prevent it from harming people. That's called a psychohazard." Then he grins a little bit. This is his favorite bit. "Psychic combat is done the same way you do normal combat. Let's say I bring Tony Stark here in with me, he just... Finds the problem and shoots at it. Or punches it. I guess it depends on what armor he decides to wear when he astrally projects, or his mood, or tactical thinking. The point is, it's about as straightforward as it gets. The reason we do this at all is because it makes solving problems like this so much easier. You come in, shoot lasers at the personification of whatever psychological impulse is hurting Toph, and things are solved. Well, it obviously gets more complicated than that, but that's the principle of the thing. Collateral damage risk is pretty minimal, since only passing thoughts and stray ideas are ever really vulnerable to collateral damage. Everything that's important to the human mind working takes... A hell of an effort to hurt or change, really. It's very resilient."     He nods a few times though. "In some ways the same as when we fought. In some ways, different. You might not get full awareness of it for a deeper projection. Though if Mr. Stark feels like manufacturing a Brain Tumbler, you could join us in fighting it too, if that'll help you feel more confident about this." 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Manufacturing a what? Tony feels like he's being bombarded with terms and concepts here to Gish Gallop him into acquiescence. His eyes narrow. "This sounds a little too good to be true to me. If beating your inner demons into submission is possible, why aren't more people trained to do it? I mean I sure as hell could have used that kind of therapy a few times." He drains his coffee cup. "This sounds like a lot of bullshit to me, Toph. But it's your mind, and... well, you've dealt more with this spirit world crap than I have. Maybe you should ask Aang about it," he suggests uncertainly, and it sounds like it takes a lot out of him to admit said uncertainty. "This guy creeps the hell out of me, no offense," he glances at Parsons, and the way he says 'no offense' makes it pretty clear that offense was meant. "But you're old enough to make your own decisions. Whatever you decide, I'll back you. I'm sure as hell not letting someone raid your brain without me there to keep an eye on them." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     ... a massive imprending psychological cascade...?! Toph's eyes widen where she sits, and she tightens her grip on her iced tea. "I'm /not/ going crazy!" she protests with an almost insulted huff. A psychiatrist... talking about these things aren't easy. And medication? Like hell she wants to take /that/ kind of medication! Perhaps it's not so strange that she's even considering this entire thing, as Toph prefers dealing with problems head on by combat.     Her only worry is about what people might see in her mind, and Parsons seemed to understand that back when she was first informed of the Nightmare coming from her, considering his talk about privacy.     "So you're saying that... even if you go into my brain, there's little risk of you actually messing up the stuff that actually makes me /me/," Toph concludes. She had threatened Parsons on the radio if he were about to make her into somebody she isn't, after all. One thing is clear, this girl has a pretty well defined personality, and a clear image of herself.     his all doesn't sound all too good to be true for Toph, no matter what Tony thinks. "Maybe... not everybody /can/ do it. Just like how not everybody can learn how to be benders," she points out with a murmur, closing her eyes.     After Tony has shared his two cents, Toph nods and looks rather serious. "I... don't want to have that nightmare again, and even after talking with my therapist it was still there until... well, happy thoughts forced it out." Who knows if something bad will happen and cause the nightmares to return? "If we're going to do it, I have a few demands." Here she raises the index finger on her left hand. "One. We do it in a safe place for me. Two," she continues and raises her middle finger as well, "I get to decide who goes into my head to clear it up. Three, you don't no snooping around anywhere you don't need to." Then she sighs, her expression slightly worried for a bit. "Will... you guys see that thing again in there, or...?" How does it work?     It doesn't seem like Tony is the only one who finds Parsons creepy either, as Toph sighs and nods. "He creeps me out too." 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     "Oh, there are more people trained to do it! It's just that a psychology that doesn't suffer under the stress of violence only rarely intersects with the psychic powers sufficient to perform an astral projection. The Psychonauts are a worldwide organization, though, for my world. Very large sort of thing." Agent Parsons says, nodding. "I'm just one of the few on the MOB -- the Multiversal Operations Bureau -- which has only really gotten in full swing recently. Do you still have those inner demons? I can help you with those too, if you want."     He makes a friendly sort of dismissing gesture. "Don't worry. I'm a spook, being creeped out is the right reaction. But, I hear you're a smart and tough sort of guy, it'll be good to have you! Thanks for the help!" That's not what was being offered, Parsons. God damn it.     "Oh, I couldn't do it by accident. I probably couldn't do it on purpose either, not without a dedicated team, or a lot of time, or very obvious signs to you. Minds are tough. If I start doing something you don't like, you're going to start fighting me all the way, you know." He makes a plaintive gesture. "Getting my face broken hurts even when I'm astrally projected. And enough of that could kill." Then he leans back and nods a few times. "All three terms sound fine to me. Anything too secret will be hard for me to find. Anything relevant will come to the surface on its own. Mr. Stark can alter the psycho-portal's thresholds for memory vault recovery himself, if he wants! I'm pretty sure he can figure it out. As for what they'll see, well, we probably won't see much. A few figments of your imagination mostly, but... Well, you don't have much visual memory to work with, you know? The thing itself... I'm not sure. It's a bit more likely we'll run into the conditions of its spawning, whatever psychological impulses are responsible for it. The Mother of Nightmares, so to speak."     And then, a few nods. "Alright. I'll let you two prepare as long as you like, approve or deny any of the co-projectors, and then, we'll make this happen. I admire the courage to let this go through, Toph. Take some time to yourself and ready up. Psychonauts motto is 'prepare your mind', you know."     He closes his briefcase and stands. "Was a pleasure meeting with you again, under the better circumstances." He offers a hand to shake, and a smile. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The prospect of actually running into what made this nightmare even begin, now that makes Toph look rather worried where she sits, tapping her fingers against her glass of iced tea. With her main worry about this trip into her mind being a ruse to alter her, to brainwash her or something similar, there's some less worries. But to imagine them actually /seeing/ the nightmare she's been having, that's something that she doesn't like the thought of. Especially not if Tony joins the people who actually enter her mind. A heavy sigh leaves Toph as she sinks down a bit in her seat, considering this.     "Well, I dunno how brains normally are, but it's not like I can be blamed for not having had visual imput, right...?" she snorts. "You know what I mean. If you poke into my memories, then... well, I trust dad will punch you," she states and jerks a thumb over in Tony's direction.     It's not like she has major secrets, any darkness besides her blindness that would ruin people's perception of her. But still...! "I'll let people know from my end and gather people I trust. We... might want firepower for this." As for Parsons calling her courageous, that earns a deadpan look on Toph's face. "I didn't become who I am by being a little wuss."     When he rises she doesn't take the offered hand, but she does nod. "I'll let you know when I'm ready." 
}}

5088/Scratching at Old Wounds

2017-02-14T08:53:17Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/02/14 |Location=Earth-199999 |Synopsis=After much consideration Toph decides to ask Tony about his help and opinion regarding an old matter th..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/02/14
|Location=Earth-199999
|Synopsis=After much consideration Toph decides to ask Tony about his help and opinion regarding an old matter that's resurfaced.
|Cast of Characters=20, 301
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     For the most part Toph has been making sure to visit Malibu often, though there are times when she's busy with Paladin work. This weekend she had been busy, and left a message for Tony that she would stop by on Monday instead.     Clad in her casual clothes she shows up in Malibu, her bag over her shoulder. Though for once she seems to be lacking in energy as she walks, barely greeting Jarvis as she steps in, waving a hand that has some bandages on it. Through her bending she can see where Tony easily is, and heads where he is, most likely busy taking care of RJ or watching him sleep while he's working on something. He's really gotten into the whole dad role, but then again he had taken paternal duties seriously before that, Toph of all people knows that.     And it's mostly due to that that she's even considering this, even though it's something she really doesn't want to talk about... 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony is in the living room, in fact, with the news on the TV at low volume while he bounces a screaming infant in his arms, murmuring softly to him such calming phrases as, "Please shut up," and "You know I could ship you to Abu Dhabi, right?" although it's all in soothing tones meant to help. RJ continues to pound his tiny fists on the spit-stained towel on his father's shoulder and bawls like he's being tortured. Tony turns a bleary gaze toward Toph as she comes in, and manages a wan smile. "Welcome home," he offers whimsically. The baby wails counterpoint. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     It's easy enough to hear her baby brother, and Toph offers a tired smile in return. "Hi dad... want me to try and calm him down?" Maybe that helps, she did have experience with watching Liz, while Tony didn't dare handle her. Besides, Tony is probably tired since he has to take care of the baby 24/7. After setting her bag aside on the couch Toph extends her arms to pick up RJ if Tony wants a break, and then place the baby against her shoulder and walk back and forth with him. Babies like that, right?     "Anything new going on here the last week?" she asks, then offers what's new on her front. At least the easy stuff first. "Sokka and I have been planning contests for my birthday party, and I'm trying to come up with some good prizes. Without copying your birthday stuff, of course." There there, RJ. Big sis is here. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "Other than colic?" Tony replies sardonically. But he carefully shifts his grip on the baby to transfer him to Toph's waiting arms. Then he flicks the towel off his shoulder. "You may want this too. He's awfully burpy tonight." And then he crashes into a chair, legs stretched out before him, arms limp at his sides, face tilted blankly up at the ceiling. "I've been walking and bouncing and petting and singing to him for almost an hour," he groans. "I think he's just got a bellyache, but try explaining that to him." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Oh right, that bellyache thing. Toph makes a wince, making sure she's got a solid grip on the baby. Even as Tony flicks the towel towards her the blind teenager reaches out, grabbing for it and barely managing to snatch it. "Yeah, because I'm so concerned about my clothes being clean," she jokes, even as she puts the towel in place. Because dirt is way better than babypuke.     At least now Tony can get a break from the crying and rest his arms. And Toph does her best to soothe the crying baby, making cooing sounds for him, all while rubbing his back. Hmmm, wonder what might work... Though as she walks, she does turn towards Tony, a slightly worried expression on her face. "Dad, there's... something we need to talk about." Somehow she seems rather hesitant to do so. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "I already said I'd do up some barbecue for your birthday party," Tony replies, clearly misconstruing the important thing. "AND I promised no more sand sculptures from Dummy." RJ hiccups mid-wail, belches some white goo onto the towel and then resumes crying with renewed vigor. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "No," Toph sighs, shaking her head, "It's something else, and..." Ow, just how loud can RJ be? The blind teenager makes a pained face as the crying gets a little too close to her ear, and she shifts RJ a bit as she tries to rub his tummy in an effort to help ease the bellyache.     "Last night, I..." she begins, sighing and looking like she's really not wanting to say this, but she jumps into it. "Ainsley... said that she and some League members killed a beast last night. And that... it came from my nightmares or something." It's hard to explain it, especially to Tony. Who's familiar with her having nightmares a few years back, even if she hasn't wanted to talk to him about them before. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony slowly lifts a hand and pinches the bridge of his nose, massaging that spot between his eyes for a moment. Then he drops his hand and opens his eyes. "A beast," he repeats, to make sure he heard that correctly, "from your nightmares. You mean a spirit that's tormented you in the past? It wasn't Mu was it?" He seems to be taking this completely seriously. He's seen some Things. RJ balls up his fists and flails his pudgy arms, his voice rising to a high keening whine. Although the tummy-rubbing does make him pause for a moment and fart. He takes another few seconds to catch his breath before resuming his crusade. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     At Tony's question Toph shakes her head a bit where she walks back and forth. "No, not that one," she mutters, idly wondering just how many beasts have haunted her before. "The... nightmare that I mentioned. Where I kill--" The one she refused to go into detail about with Tony, but instead talked to Stan about. But only parts of it. Mu she doesn't remember anything about, which might be for the better.     Okay, since the tummy rubbing helped Toph shifts RJ in her arms, moving him over so she can rub his tummy some more. "Let the stinkies out now, you little shriker," she half coos at him, finding it easier to deal with the screaming infant rather than facing Tony, even if she can't see his expression after her breaching the topic of the nightmare she has refused to talk about before. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "Where you kill me," Tony completes the sentence quietly. "But you haven't mentioned that one in years, Toph. It's not still bothering you is it?" He'd thought that was something she'd put behind her long ago. He shakes his head. "Okay, so, nightmare. How did it turn from nightmare into this beast thing? And if they killed it, that's-- good, right?" RJ fusses more, his little face scrunched up as his feet kick in seeming frustration. Then there's another pause, and his diaper suddenly feels much heavier. Almost immediately, he lets out a noise that might be interpreted as relief. ...and then he starts to squirm uncomfortably because now he's sitting in poop. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Yes. The nightmare where she kills him. That's basically all Tony knows, and that Toph doesn't like it. Sure, she's been having nightmares at times, that much Jarvis should know, and that sometimes she doesn't sleep well at all.     As for whether she still has it or not, Toph frowns. "I... used to have it until Sokka began sneaking into my bed after you saved us from the ship in the ice," she reveals. "I kinda sleep easier when he's next to me..." It's tougher to explain just how it came to be, and the blind teenager needs a few seconds to collect her thoughts. "This mind guy said that it escaped from my brain into the Collective Unconscious due to it being chased out by happy thoughts... or something like that. And that my mind might create more of them."     As RJ fusses and screams and kicks, Toph does her best to keep on rubbing his belly and keep on moving... only to scrunch up her nose when she both hears and smells something familiar. "Man, to think he can create such a stink...!" But she's already moving towards the stairs, trying to not squish his diaper more. And as she walks she keeps on explaining to Tony, trusting that he will follow her to the nursery.     "Anyway, I talked a bit with the mind agent guy, and he... suggests going into my mind to fix up stuff there." Judging by the sound of her voice, she's not exactly happy about this. "... but I don't want complete strangers going into my brain and potentially mess stuff up." Or see things that they shouldn't see. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony snickers a little bit as he hears the telltale sound of a very wet evacuation -- since the baby is in Toph's arms it's her problem! He presses his lips together in a thin line at the comment about Sokka chasing the nightmares away. It's not that he can't relate -- Pepper was his rock after his experience in Annu -- but Toph is Too Young and Sokka is too... Sokka. He does push himself up out of the chair so he can continue the conversation while Toph takes care of diaper duty. "Don't you think... I don't know, counseling might be a better first step? Letting people inside your brain seems a bit drastic." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Into the nursery they go, and Toph finds the changing table easily enough, working on taking off RJ's pants, but leaving the diaper on before she digs in the drawers, finding what she needs with only some fumbling to remember where everything is. It's not like she's too familiar with the baby stuff yet considering she's been far busier with the Paladins the last month. But she eventually finds a clean diaper, wash cloths and powder, and she makes sure to stand by RJ's side when she begins changing his diaper. Unlike Sokka she doesn't intend on getting peed on!     "... I really don't know, but... I've tried that, but it was still there. And if Stan can't help it, then..." A frustrated sigh leaves Toph as she works on cleaning up RJ, being careful with her hands. Man, that's a lot of poop! "Ainsley said I should tell you, and... I'm going to talk with that mind agent guy. I don't know what it's like, but he was in my head briefly during a mission, it was sort of like blacking out, and we were in this weird place. He said he was only in my fighting space, so to say..." It's all such a mess to think about, and the blind teenager shakes her head. "It was really scarred, the nightmare... and Parsons said that more of it might reappear and bother people. I... I don't like it, but..." There's one thing she's certain of however. "If... if I'm going to let people into my brain, I want people I /trust/ to be there too." Tossing the wetwipes into the trash bin she turns her head slightly towards Tony.     "I... I don't really want anybody to see that, especially you, but..."     If she can't trust Tony, then who can she trust? 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Toph is wise, for as soon as the diaper is off RJ seems to take that as his cue to send an arc of urine gently spraying upward. He seems relieved to have the dirty diaper off, though, as his fussing stops and turns into neutral grunting noises as his feet wave in the air. Tony whistles softly on sight of the load his kid just dumped. "No wonder you were uncomfortable, buddy," he remarks, and Rob turns his head at the sound of his voice and makes an indistinct sound that might be recognition. "So let me get this straight," Tony continues. "This... mind agent guy thinks that your brain is a nightmare factory and wants to do some extremely up close and personal cleaning up before another one -- somehow, we still don't know how the first one supposedly did -- manifests physically and attacks someone. I'm sorry but doesn't this all sound a bit... I don't know, convenient, if this guy just wants to get in there to mess with you?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "He's a little shit machine," Toph comments, "At least you guys feed him enough." On goes the powder, and Toph begins fastening the new and clean diaper. "Okay little buddy, the next time you do the pooping /before/ big sis arrives, okay?"     Tony's concerns are thoughts that Toph has had herself, and she sighs a bit as she picks up RJ after putting on his pants again, carefully trying to hold those kicking legs still. "Ainsley suggested this too, and she's never done anything to make me doubt her before. And... he's not lying from what I can tell. But I want to talk with him face to face first.. and make sure that he's not going to mess with me. I was able to fight him when he went into my mind briefly the last time, but... I'm not going to let him in there without talking to him first and making sure he tells the truth. I-" she explains, rubbing RJ's back as she holds him tight, "I just wanted to talk with you first... since the nightmare concerns you too. I don't really know how all of this works, and... I thought I was finally free of that damn nightmare since I haven't had it for two months now. The exact time that it appeared in the Collective Unconscious." 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' RJ burbles quietly, fast fading into somnolesence now that the persistant colicky discomfort is finally gone. He relaxes, rests his cheek against Toph's shoulder and drools onto her shirt. Tony on the other hand tenses further. "He's beein in your mind /before/? And you had to /fight/ him?" he repeats disbelievingly. "And you want to let him back in?" His opinion on whether or not this is a good idea is pretty clear. "--Toph, you know I'll back you up whatever you need to do. I'll even go into your head if you want me to. If me being there will help convince you that you could never hurt me like that. But I really want you to think hard about this. How well do you know this guy?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     It's far easier dealing with a baby when they're like this, and Toph continues stroking his back to help ease him into sleeping, judging by his breathing. Whew, big sister duties done.     There's no use lying about it, and Toph nods her head while keeping calm lest she upset RJ. "He did it since he knew I would kick his ass in real life, so... he claimed that he did it to prevent injuries," Toph explains. Sure, she can hear that Tony isn't happy about it... and she understands him. At the same time there are other things at play here. Just... how many people would get hurt because of her?     "I... would never hurt you, I know that. But I still had that nightmare," Toph muses quietly. "And I am thinking hard about this." For one, he doesn't seem like a good liar. "I was planning on meeting him tomorrow and really press him about this, and I'll make up my mind then. If... if you want, you can come too." Tony knows people, so maybe that would be wise. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "I think that'd be a good idea," Tony observes, a bit sternly perhaps but only from genuine concern. The nightmare was bad enough before people started telling her it had come to life; somehow he doesn't feel like Toph can be entirely objective about this. "You've already had enough people mess with your head for one lifetime," he adds, thinking back again to Mu. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     If it helps ease Tony's mind, then she doesn't mind him coming along to talk with Parsons about it. It's a difficult thing to deal with, and it had been easier to simply just let it be there and not talk about it to people besides Stan. But it didn't sound like she had much of a choice but to consider this option. Sure, she's happy with Sokka, but... what if something happens to upset her again? It's a deep wound that's been gnawing at her for three years now.     So she nods a bit, leaning her head forward a bit, resting the top of her scalp against Tony's chest. And the proximity only makes her more aware of the root of her nightmare as she senses the tiny fragments in Tony's chest, each one standing out prominently unlike the time when she first began having those terrible dreams. At the time she wasn't able to make them all out, nor know exactly where they were, or how many.     But now, she can't help but sense them all.     All 21 of them. 
}}

5080/A Deal Set in Stone and Fire

2017-02-11T06:17:07Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/02/10 |Location=Avatar World <AW> |Synopsis=Toph and Sokka oversee a business merger outside of Yu Dao on behalf of the Paladins, where things..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/02/10
|Location=Avatar World <AW>
|Synopsis=Toph and Sokka oversee a business merger outside of Yu Dao on behalf of the Paladins, where things mostly go as planned.
|Cast of Characters=20, 1076
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Ever since the war ended some years ago the nations have been focused on rebuilding, but also to look toward the future. Where the four nations, espcially the Fire Nation, worked alone, a wind of change has begun. Word had been that a business man from the Fire Nation had shown interest in mining and refinery on the western coast of the Earth Kingdom, not too far from Yu Dao. Legally though it was a difficult manner. The law was clear on it; only an Earth Kingdom citizen could be permitted to run such a venture.     Recently the Paladins had gotten a request from the Earth Kingdom to oversee this matter, to ensure the law was being followed. And a particular young Paladin had taken interest when her family name had been mentioned. That had been an extra incentive to go, really. If her father was going to enter a business agreement with the Fire Nation, then it was best to oversee the area and the proceedings. It was best to have a pair of seeing eyes with her too, so she had asked Sokka to come with her. Not that it was difficult to ask him to accompany her anywhere, really. Tony had stated before he didn't like the idea of Toph being alone with her father, so now she's got somebody watching her back just in case something were to happen. Which she doubts. There is something else she's far more concerned about however.     "... I told you, no telling him!" she states as she walks on towards the building site by the river. It's just in the beginning of construction, with lots of people about. Unlike the regular Earth Kingdom construction it appears that there are Fire Nation engineers about, using steel for something besides weaponry and armoured vehicles for once. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded, giving a small nod as he walked. He listened, and then gave his rebuttal. "Why not? I mean, it's not like we're making out and stuff like horney goat poodles. We're two mature, adult grown ups who... well, okay, we're not mature. And you're not an adult for another month. But we're both grown up. Well, actually, you've kinda more... grown down. Huh, is that why? You think he'll be too upset you're dating someone two, three feet taller than you?" he teased. He was walking full casual today, sword over his shoulders, fire nation garb. Why? One, he made fire nation look good. Two, Toph had the earth kingdom look handled. Having a cop from both nations, or at leastl ooking like they did, would hopefully keep people at ease. Besides, he was starting to grow fond of the fire nation. They made all kinds of nice, spicy meats that were just awesome. "I just don't get why it upsets you so much? You worried he won't approve? I can already tell you he won't. He probably thinks I'm an idiot," he said with a smirk. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     A heavy sigh leaves Toph as she listens to Sokka talk, or rather, babble a bit around the topic, not interrupting him. "I know he won't approve," she admits with a nod. "And well, you know things aren't exactly that well between him and me..." The blind teenager doesn't look happy, though she does reach out to punch Sokka slightly in the arm, a reassurance that she's okay. "We'll overlook this stuff, and we'll... tell him sometime later, okay? It's not like we can keep this hidden for ages, you know?" So no, she's not embarrassed by you, Sokka. Rather, she knows her father well enough to know he's probably not going to like her dating choices no matter what.     As Toph leads them to the tents nearby the building site it's easy enough for Sokka to spot a large, rather rotund man that approaches them. Clearly Fire Nation, judging by the clothes. And he appears to be rather pleased at the sight. "Aaah, you two are the representatives from the Paladins, are you not? A pleasure to have you here! I am Loban, Lao Beifong's business partner in what will be known as the Earthen Fire Refinery," he says in introduction as he looks down at the two teenagers. "Sokka... and Toph Beifong, was it?" He can't help but give Toph a curious look.     The blind earthbender nods. "Yes, that's correct. The Paladins chose to send me as I'm family." Speaking of which, a familiar figure leaves the tent at that moment, and Sokka should recognise Lao immediately as he looks in their direction, offering them both a nod. And even if she hides it well, Toph does stiffen just slightly next to Sokka. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blinked and then, when he walked forward, his hand brushed against hers a little. Just a reminder. Subtle. He was here. He was there for her. He wouldn't let anything bad happen to him, no matter what. Even if he had to punch out half the people here. I mean, sure, she could take everyone here but her dad. But she'd take care of him. He held out his hand to the man. "Hey, nice to meet you. I'm Sokka, alright. We're just here to make sure everything is up to code. You know, no hidden bandits, no secret second mines, no hiding bodies. The good ol' look around. We won't be here long, so don't worry. Or worry if you're doing anything bad," he jokes. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Loban looks pleased enough, chuckling. "Ah, everything here is up to code, and we're getting the legal documents prepared now, it only requires official approval from the Paladins to ensure that we're following the law. And then we can get set on adding industry to this part and move on as one of this world's first international enterprises!" He honestly looks pleased and relaxed, but then again it wouldn't be so weird if he's wanted to enter this business agreement for a while. Lao too doesn't appear to be tense, though his attention is of course on Toph.     "Father," she offers with a nod towards him, and he returns it. "Toph... I'm glad you could come here." There's nothing in his voice to suggest that he's insincere. "It's been a while... and this is a joyous occasion, too. The Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom has fought too much the last century." At that comment Loban laughs, then reaches out to pat Lao /hard/ on the back. "Indeed! Now we finally have the opportunity to create some jobs and export in this area. All the metal around here should be useful!"     Toph nods at that, turning her head to Sokka just a bit. "I can't see anything that seems out of place here," she states. "Everybody is working, no noise..." There is an awful lot of iron in this area, so no wonder they wanted to mine here...     "This way," Lao gestures towards the tent. "We have refreshments and the papers are nearly done. Sokka, I assume you will be the one to do the reading." Considering Toph can't read non-English text with her reading glove. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded. "For the msot part, yeah. Toph can read pretty well now, but it still annoys her and she doesn't like having to do it. I tend to be better at the whole law stuff, anyway. Toph's better at the 'kicking everyone's butt into action.'" He started walking with him to the tent. He then glanced back. "Toph, how about you have a look around, see if there's anything here out of the ordinary, do some of that fancy earth bending stuff of yours. But keep in contact with radios, okay? Let me know if you see anything causing troubles. or like, if we end up disturbing some ancient demon monster thing or something." It was a joke but like... with their luck. "So, how long have you two been in business together?" He was totally not trying to give Toph a few seconds to relax after seeing her daddy. Nope. Totally not. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     As Sokka gets to revealing just how her reading progress has been going Toph can't help but sigh, clearly not too fond of the others hearing about it. Loban chuckles a bit in amusement, then nods. "Benders do seem to be a bit restless at times, but they are quite handy. We have a various benders from the three nations ready to work with us once the refinery is done, though that won't be until much later this year." There is a lot of things to be done, and the machinery needed will also take time.     Sokka's suggestion seems to catch Toph by surprise, but she does nod in agreement. "I can do that while you read it." That way they will save time, which isn't too bad. It won't take them long to get back to the Ad Coelum, but still... "I don't see anything here besides lots of metal in the ground, otherwise this place seems rather quiet." It's the kind of place Aang would like, she assumes. With the plan laid out, the blind earthbender takes her leave and walks off to inspect the area from top to bottom.     As they are left to go over the business deal Lao sits down at the table, picking up his already poured tea. "Do you want some tea, Sokka?" Loban offers, gesturing towards the tea set with snacks. All while Lao makes a slight face of worry. "Perhaps not while you look over the official papers..." He does know the young man, after all. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded and watched her go. Good, this would give her a chance to cool down and get any conflicting emotions out of the way. He was sure she had been prepared but... well, still. Her dad just had a way. And it was best she stay level headed. He sat down and pulled over the papers. "It'll be fine. Now..." He started perusing over them and frowned. "Huh. interesting. So the distribution is being... hmmmm..." He tapped on his computer to bring up some earth kingdom laws and stuff, comparing the two. "Interesting." Of course, if lao tried to go after toph, he'd keep asking him questions, clarifying things, ensuring he couldn't go after Toph until she wanted him to. It wasn't long before he nodded, writing a few things on the contract. "Well, a few minor issues, but nothing major." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Fortunately for Sokka it appears that Lao might be tempted to go after Toph, but he remains seated at the table as Sokka goes over the contracts and checks up on the local law books. Both he and Loban sip their tea, observing intently and obviously ready to answer any questions that Sokka might have. It's a solid contract, that's for sure. And one that shows that this is really a partnership, with both Loban and Lao owning half each, with just as much obligations into this deal. It's clearly something that the two have been working on for quite a while, with several advisors offering their suggestions and legal advice.     The fact that Sokka seems to content for the most part clearly pleases the two men, and Loban nods. "Well, what do we need to change then? The distribution? Or the trade deals in order to buy resources?" At this point Lao does glance over to where Toph went, though he does offer his own opinion. "I do think we should look over the shift arrangements, as we have to make sure the workers get their fair amount of time off between shifts. The benders can work for longer, but the ones operating the machines have a more physical demanding job." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded. "Honestly, yeah. It's not an issue yet, but these are still Earth Kingdom lands. There are bound to be some issues in the long term as i imagine you two expect to make quite profitable incomes off this, yes?" he asked, glancing over. "I'd just make sure you have proper legal experts on retainer, because I can almost guarantee you it won't be long before some other fancy rich guy comes along and decides they wanna cut out the fire nation from this deal. And likely you too, Lao." Sokka wasn't really one to cherry pick his words, he was going to be as blunt as needed. "But, for now, this meets our expectations and seems to be good, legally. A few minor typos, but nothing major. I'd like to examine the shift arrangements, as well as this new equipment you've mentioned and the safety set ups." He stood up. "If you'd be so kind?" He'd tap his radio. "Looked over the contract, going to examine the shift arrangements, safeties and new machinery. Anything to report?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "We will abide by Earth Kingdom rules," Loban confirms with a firm nod, "and that is why I approached Lao Beifong. It does make sense for me to handle the exports to the Fire Nation, and I refer to his adivsors when it comes to the business contract. It needs to be profitable for both of us, after all."     It appears that Lao wasn't expecting Sokka to refer to him as casually as he does, and an initial look of surprise is seen on his face. Though his expression hardens more at the suggestion that others might try to cut in on this business venture. "That is why we want to get the Paladins involved to ensure that the law is on our side. That would ensure that nothing untoward happens and that we keep control here," Lao explains. So he had a reason to involve the Paladins besides seeing Toph again. He does gesture to one of the servants, and the man brings Sokka some more papers. Schedules and shift papers, detailing how the workers will be paid, the living quarters and working conditions.     Sokka's radio comes to life, and Toph's voice can be heard. "Things appear to be good on my end, nothing that strikes me as weird about the working conditions for the engineers here either, it's not going to be a wimpy little treehouse when they're done..." Her voice pauses a bit before she speaks up. "I'm heading back to the tent in just a moment." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded, going through them. "All looks good here, too. Follows all the rules and..." He trailed off a bit, then shook his head. "Looks good." Was it his imagination? Was that a Water Tribe name? A few of them? Meh. Probably just someone with a desire to sound cool. Cause water tribers are awesome. He then handed them back. "Okay, let's go see this new machinery of yours." He tapped his radio. "Gotcha. Take as long as you need." Casual, but a subtle little nod to let her know she didn't need to rush back if she wasn't in the need for it. "Paperwork is done, we're headed off to see these new machines of theirs. Meet us there if you can, Toph..." He almost called her Tophikins. Almost. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     No, Sokka's not mistaken. On the list of workers there appear to be some names from the Southern Water tribe, some of them even familiar to Sokka.     "Sure, I'll meet you by the big building," Toph replies, all before she cuts the connection.     "Ah, it's good to have the paperwork over with and the inspection not far behind!" Loban says, sounding rather pleased as he rises from his chair. "I will return to talking with the other inspectors, but I will be available if you need me on the other side of the build site." Just in case Sokka has other questions. "Lao, I will leave the rest to you." In response the Beifong patriarch nods. "Very well." His gaze turns to Sokka. "I will be there shortly, I will submit these papers to some couriers so they will reach the officials in Yu Dao." So Sokka is free to walk ahead. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded and... "Ah, speaking of. I made copies with my computer, for paladin HQ. They'll need a record for, well, our records. Obviously," he said with a chuckle. "Just standard operating procedure. Now, onto the awesome stuff." He followed Lao around, looking around for any sign of them. He wonder why Southern Tribers would be down here. He knew there were a few issues, with expansion going on and all, but he thought fishing was working well. Oh well. "We're coming in. Lao will be with me. Loban is heading off to drop the paperwork off. Be there in a minute or so, Toph." He then glanced to Lao. What to say... 'I might be your son in law soon?' Yeah, no. "So, how's the misses?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Very well," Lao nods, all while he signs the papers and lets Sokka copy them once he's done. After that the servant will take the papers and seal them before he excuses himself and leaves the tent.     It appears that the workers in the refinery aren't all here yet, as there are mostly engineers and earthbenders here as they work on getting the area and foundation for the buildings set. It's still several months down the line before any production will actually start here. As they walk Lao is quiet, walking in his own pace as he follows Sokka towards the main building where Toph said she would meet them. He is aware of Sokka looking at him though, and he arches an eyebrow. "My wife is doing well, though she would have liked to been here and seen Toph again. We will simply have to talk with Mister Stark and see if we can visit soon," he states, all before his attention shifts to Toph who rounds the corner and heads towards them. The blind teenager walks towards them, then nods. "Things are up to standard here, from the looks of it," she confirms. "I doubt the Paladins would have any problems with this place." She does appear awkward, uncertain of what more to say to her father, and he too is quiet for a moment. "How is your training in the Paladins going, Toph?" In response the young earthbender shifts her weight to her other foot, resting her hands on her hips. "It goes well... it's a bit strict, but we're learning," she admits, not feeling like going into more details than that at the moment. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded and then... of course, Toph is asked how she's doing. So Sokka has to interject. "Bah. She's just being humble. Toph is doing amazing. She hates to admit it, but she's slowly developing a real knack for all this paperwork and stuff. She's really getting the hang of what counts as justifiable force. Heck, just the other day she apprehended a couple of joy riders without wrecking the streets," he said proudly. "And so far just about everything looks good to go, Toph. Just wanna check out these new lines they're setting up, look over the blue prints and stuff. You know, make sure everything is up to code. Now, the paladins are probably going to want to send out an inspector to check thingso ut once everything gets going, but if you keep following the rulesl ike you guys have been? i don't foresee any issues." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     When Sokka answers for her, Toph can't help but look a little bit nervous where she stands. Lao however looks at the boy and misses the expression on his daugher's face, and he arches an eyebrow. "Really... well, as long as you are learning and not getting hurt, then that's preferable." It might be a good idea not to mention what happened to her back a while ago when she heavily poisoned.     With things mostly settled it does sound like they have a course of action ready for now, and both Toph and Lao seems to agree with it. "We don't intend to stray from the agreements that are stipulated in the contract you have read through," he assures Sokka. "And we do expect the Paladins to perform regular inspections, so we have no objections to that." Things... are actually rather civil. Even so, Toph seems eager to get moving. "Let's check out the lines?" she suggests. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka opened his mouth, about to say more, but then paused. "Yeah. She's being careful. Keeping herself out of trouble. Heh. She's better at it than I am, at least." He then looked ahead. "Yeah, let's inspect the lines." He started walking towards them and... "Oh, Lao, you coming to Toph's sweet sixteen party? I hear it's going to be awesome. Wait, are those the lines? THOSE LOOK AWESOME!" And then runs off to examine them. Accidentally abandoning Toph at the -worst point-. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Okay, this isn't too bad, they can get through this and...     Oh man...!     The moment Sokka invites her father to her birthday party however, Toph's eyes widen and she looks shocked. Lao merely looks surprised, and he peers down at Sokka. "Sweet Sixteen...?" he asks. Yes, he's aware that his daughter turns sixteen soon, but then again birthday parties in the Earth Kingdom aren't quite as... loud as some parties get. Toph struggles to find words, especially when Sokka takes this time to abandon her as he runs off. "W-wait, Sokka!" she calls, then hurries after the older boy. Damnit, what did he do now?! There's no way she can be alone and explain this to her father. So she runs, keeping up with him. And once she actually catches up, she reaches out for Sokka's arm, grabbing onto his sleeve. "Sokka, why...?" she asks, though she's not exactly angry. She looks more upset and worried, really. "You didn't just invite my /father/ to a beach party, did you?" This is different than Tony and Pepper's wedding last year where people actually wore formal clothes. Because swim wear will be more difficult to explain to her father, won't it? 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blinked a few times and looked down to her. "Yeah? Of course I did. I mean, he's your dad, this is an important day for you. Heck, here you'd be an adult." He reached out and patted her head. "If anyone should be there, it should be your parents. Both of them." Then he frowned. "Wait, did you not want him to be there? Is there something wrong with him coming to a beach party? I'm sure he's been to the beach sometime, right?" Oh gosh. Nooooo. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Even as Sokka pats her on the head Toph can't help but look worried where she stands. "I... I don't think it's a good idea," she admits. "I mean, /you/ freaked out seeing me in swim wear, didn't you? And it's different when him and mother being there for a formal occasion like the wedding they attended last year. A birthday party is different, there will be more rowdiness, noise and stuff that they don't like, and... no, they haven't been to a beach party before. Nobles don't attend parties unless it's all formal and high strung, remember?" Toph points out, her head hanging. There's also the matter of whether or not Tony would like it. It's different inviting multiversal people, but one of the people that Tony gets along with the least with few adults being there...? That's a different matter.     Toph's hand tightens its grip on Sokka's sleeve a bit. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded, then reached out and took her hand in his. He pulled her close, one hand holding her hand to his chest, the other grabbing her waist and pulling her against him. He leaned in close and gave her the most delicate kiss on the lips. "It'll be fine, okay? I'll deal with it. I'll talk with Tony, too, if you want. Toph, this is your day. Important for you. The people who are important to you should be there. And I think your dad can keep his act together for one day so he can be there for his little girl. The guy may be a jerk, but even I can tell he's calmed down a lot. And, most importantly, he loves you. And you're more than worth making happy on this occasion. So just trust me, okay?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Even as Sokka reaches out and takes her hand, Toph looks uncertain. And she suddenly raises her head, looking nervous. "Sokka, i--"     Whatever she was going to say however is cut off when he kisses her, and Sokka might notice that for some reason Toph isn't kissing him back. Rather, she looks nervous for some reason. But unable to speak as he is busy talking.     It's only when Sokka is done reassuring the blind girl that he might notice somebody standing behind him.     Lao. With a look of utter surprise on his face.     Immediately Toph steps forward to get between him and Sokka, still a bit on edge. "Father, it's okay," she says, trying to sound as firm as she can and clearly ready to shield Sokka from whatever reactions this might have. Fortunately it doesn't look like Lao is about to be angry, though he doesn't seem to like it either as he looks down at Sokka. "I can't say I approve of this," he begins, his voice calm. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blinked a few times, then cringed. "Well... crap. That... wasn't exactly how I expected... universe just loves this, doesn't it?" he muttered. Then blinked, and chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "Don't suppose you, err, would buy that... yeah." "Well, in for the dollar, might as well go in for the pound. Yes we're dating. Yes we love each other. Yes you can throw a fit, but it won't change anything. I still think you should come to your daughters sweet sixteen party, it's an important day for her, and you're important to her, so you should be there. Now, if you wanna take a swing at me, I'll give you one free shot, but that's it," he joked with a grin. He then reached out and tapped her shoulder. "And Toph, it's okay. Anything he says isn't going to change my mind. Well, unless he like... draws a knife on me. But then it'd probably just change my mind on where we should spend holidays." Bad. Time. For. Jokes. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     There's hardly any reason to lie about this, Toph figures. And so she doesn't stop Sokka from talking, even if her cheeks are flaring up into a slight blush. For now it's easier to let Sokka talk since he doesn't seem to be saying anything upsetting. Even if she's not sure why Sokka insists on getting Lao to come to her birthday party.     The invitation to punch him is met by a frown from Lao, who is hardly the type of person to get physical like that. "I'm doing no such thing." Strange, it sounds like he's almost offended by the suggestion. "Nor am I going to attack you." That would be so beneath him. His eyes glance between Toph and Sokka, and he settles on the young man. "I will ask you to show proper decorum if you insist on this. Both of you. And I will have words with mister Stark about this matter."     The blind earthbender relaxes just slightly where she stands, then sighs as she half whispers under her breath. "Not the time to joke..." she suggests, then turns her attention back to Lao. "... if... if you're coming to the birthday party next month, then bring mother too." No, she has no objections to Lao contacting Tony. Perhaps he might even help and put things into perspective. She hopes.     "I think we should go for now," she suggests, clearly not comfortable with all this. "If you have any questions, then you can contact the Paladins."     Another heavy sigh leaves Lao, and he nods. Not without giving Sokka a warning look. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nods, glancing back to Toph. "Yeah. I think we've got all we need, leaving might be for the best." He resisted the urge to take her hand and instead started walking. Once they were out of ear shot... "Welp. Your dad is going to hire some assassins to have me killed, but it'll be fine. I took down boomy boom boom man, I'm sure I can take down lizard rider girl too," he joked, reaching out and patting her head. Then sighed. "Sorry. I know that's... not how you wanted him to find out. About us. I was just trying to comfort you and... sorry." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     She's in a real hurry to get away from here it appears, and Toph doesn't slow down even as they are out of ear shot and heading towards the edge of the building site. "No, I doubt he will do that..." Toph says, her tone a bit shaky still. "Because he knows he's already on thin ice from what happened before, and well... dad's punched him before." It's not like Tony disapproves of them dating, after all. Otherwise he wouldn't have suggested that Toph kiss Sokka in the first place, right?     When Sokka apologises however, Toph turns her head towards him... and then reaches out to hold onto his arm. It's something he seems to like her doing when they're walking in places where she can't see with her feet, and it might help reassure him that she's not upset with /him/. "He would have found out sooner or later," she points out. "And... at least now we don't have to worry about /that/ anymore, I guess... and he did take it better than I thought he would." She looks a bit uncertain though. "... my birthday party is going to be really weird this year, isn't it?" 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded, then chuckles and pulls her in close, a hand moving over her shoulder. "Yeah. It's going to be your weirdest birthday yet. I'll get you some of our Southern tribe seal wine. It'll grow hair on your chest." He paused. Didn't mention his own chest. "And yeah. It's going to be fine, Toph. Because we have each other no matter what, okay?" Gave her a comforting squeeze. "I will do everything I can to make sure you have the best possible time, okay? And... I'm sure your dad is just... confused. Can't say I blame him. I mean, why you're with a loser like me, no one can know," he said with a chuckle. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     This time Toph doesn't object to the closeness, and she leans slightly into Sokka as they walk. "Just make sure to ask dad and mom first," she says with a chuckle. "They do let me taste wine at special occasions, though I doubt they would want me to get drunk." Nah, that would be a pretty crappy birthday. As for why Lao didn't like it? "Most noble people in the Earth Kingdom don't get to choose who they date, Sokka. It's kinda decided by the family. Except I'm not exactly part of that anymore, thank spirits..." she mutters. No, getting into an arranged marriage isn't what she wanted. "I think father understands that he can't control me like that anymore, but I do think he's not going to be happy when he talks to dad..."     But that's probably something they don't have to worry about. "I know you're going to help make my birthday special," she says with a grin. "I mean, with the contests and stuff? It's going to be fun!" 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blinked and his hand tightened over her. His heart beat faster. "No one should ever have the right to choose who you date or marry, Toph. No matter how good they may think it is for the tribe." Odd way of phrasing it. "But let's be honest. You're Toph. I'm not sure there's any guy out there who could even be partially worthy of you," he joked, grinning. Giving her another little squeeze. "And yeah, I already have the first one planned out. We'll make it work out, promise. It'll be awesome. I got a guy who got me some things I can use for it." ... Oh dear. This would be an... experience. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Eh, you know me, I'll do whatever I want," Toph jokes with a shrug, a bit more relaxed now that they're out of the building site and heading towards the warp gate. "Not like I was going to let that happen either way, right?" No, that would have been another incident with her running away. "And you know you're worthy because I say so," she adds and punches Sokka in the arm she's holding onto.     Okay, she's feeling better now. No need to regret her life decisions, right? No matter what her father says. They did what they had to do here for the Paladins, so that's good. And now they can do some more planning for her birthday party to ensure that all the guests have a good time. 
}}

5067/Not so Trigger Happy today

2017-02-04T22:48:33Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/02/04 |Location=Avatar World <AW> |Synopsis=Two bitter rivals walk into a bar... |Cast of Characters=20, 39 |pretty=yes }} {{Poses |Poses=:'''..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/02/04
|Location=Avatar World <AW>
|Synopsis=Two bitter rivals walk into a bar...
|Cast of Characters=20, 39
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     It's the weekend, and that's a time to take it a bit easy. Which includes heading home to Malibu to see the family. Even if she's a Paladin, Toph Beifong has become rather attached to her new family. So much that she even goes out of her way to ensure that she brings delicious treats home. Of course this allows her a quick trip to the Beifong Academy as well, all before she heads into Yu Dao to pick up some food on the way home. Sure, they aren't Gaoling dumplings, but these ones are good too, not to mention there's soup and other delicious stuff. Sokka is probably coming on over too, so better grab some extra food. And Tony will want extra dumplings...     So Toph sits down at a table near the kitchen, her feet up on the table as she waits for all the food she ordered to be finished so she can grab it and head on home to feed her not-so-poor and not-so-starving family. Considering she was out on a Paladin mission last night she's dressed in her bending clothes, and her Paladin badge is still fastened to the front of her tunica, visible for all. Then again, most of the people in this city knows Toph by now after she chose this location to set up her academy after all. Chances are most criminals already know to stay away from her. 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:'''     SLAM.     A meal tray smacks into the table across from Toph, and a familiar lanky frame is sitting there, probably grinning by the soud of her voice. "Heya, dirtball. Long time no see." Jinx... has pho. A lot of pho. More than she should probably be able to put into herself, but she seems like the sort of girl who would try.     Jinx... it feels like she's wearing more clothes than normal. Almost like she's got on that outfit she fought Toph with in the WMAT. That eastern Ionian get up, and one can assume that her fireworks based Pow Pow subsitute is somewhere nearby.     The rap tap tap of chopsticks on the table, and the young bandit mmmmhs. "How's life dealin' with a new babby in the house?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The slamming of the table makes Toph jump just slightly, her eyes just barely widening where she sits, lowering her right hand from her ear as she mutters something. And once the familiar voice speaks up, her left eyebrow twitches just faintly where she sits. "... what are /you/ doing here?" she asks, then sniffs the air. Oh, she's got herself food. Was that what she meant on the radio by getting herself some food? But why /here/? In a town that Toph herself frequents on a regular basis? It's not like Jinx has been the type of person she's gotten along with before, especially not the last time... when Jinx had been hanging all over Sokka. It was one thing to watch Sokka and Suki together when they were dating, but Jinx all over Sokka...? Now that was something that made her want to throw a boulder around.     It's almost as if Toph considers speaking up, but when Jinx poses that question, the blind teenager... looks surprised. "Huh?"     Why would Jinx care about /that/? Isn't she here to badger her for becoming a cop or whatever? So pardon Toph for actually needing a second or two to actually process that question. "Uh... it's okay...?" she ventures. "I mean, I'm not home all that time nowadays, but dad and mom are happy, especially mom now that RJ is out..." At least that unexpected question did wipe away that initial hostility and memory about their last meeting, it seems. 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:'''     Toph gets another... not angry noise from Jix. There's something actually... serious about her, maybe? A firm nod as the skinny girl slumps into her chair like the lowborn she is and cracks her neck a bit. Then she's dumping sprouts and lemon and a bunch of hot stuff into her pho broth, the smell of lemon grass and fresh basil and peppers filling the small lunch table. Smells like a seafood pho. Mmmmmm.     "Well. That's. Important." She's actually taking her time saying these words, as she settles in. Her chopsticks point at Toph. "You know I envy you, a whole lot. Like... a whole bunch." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The slumping doesn't bother Toph, nor the cracking sound. Even if Toph was raised as a noble it's not like she's let that become the main part of who she is. She might be a noble, but she's an earthbender first and foremost. Being a Beifong is just part of it. No, she's more curious whether Jinx is actually planning to do something destructive like she's done before. But... it seems she's simply eating right now. Jinx is right about that, there's no reason for her to interrupt her lunch if she's just going to eat and not do anything illegal or bother people. The other patrons of the restaurant are all eating happily, nobody here knows Jinx, so...     Of course it's important that her family is happy. RJ is growing like a weed, Tony and Pepper get to spend time with the little thing and raise him right, heck, Pepper is spending less time at the office which is always a good thing. When Jinx points her chopsticks at her Toph arches an eyebrow, expecting... something completely different than what actually comes out of Jinx's mouth.     Silence lingers at the table, and Toph sits still, her arms crossed over her chest. 'Who are you, and what have you done to Jinx?' That's a tempting question to ask. Perhaps Toph would have asked it, but... no, there's no insincerity in the older girl's voice from what Toph can hear. So she settles for a different question. "... okay, why? Why are you envious of me, and why are you telling me that? Considering our earlier run ins I got the impression you hated my guts. Especially now that I'm a cop." 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:'''     There's a vague noise from Jinx and she swirls her pho, and... an indecisive sound in her throat. "I'm telling you cause there's not really anyone else left to tell. Souji's... gone. Everything's all busted up 'cause of the Calamity, there's... there's-"     Beep beep goes her phone and Jinx's words fall silent. She just... flips it over to stop seeing the happy picture.     Oh man, oh man this hurts. Jinx's heart races, and she swallows. "You wanna know why that is? Why that was? That... you. You have people."     Jinx's words stop again, and she just slurps her pho a bit, trying to think. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Oh right, Jinx spent time with those people, didn't she? Toph sits still, unmoving in her seat as she has a neutral look on her face as she listens.     It's easy enough to notice the reaction in Jinx when she looks at the photo on her phone. Her heart is anything but calm, but it's not the heart of a liar. No, this is perhaps the most sincere Jinx has been when she's run into her. And as Jinx reveals why she's envious of her, it all makes sense all of sudden, and the older girl should be able to see the dawning realisation on Toph's face where she sits.     Seconds pass as Jinx slurps her pho, and Toph inhales slowly. "... I didn't have any friends until I was twelve," Toph begins. "And even if I had a family, I was lonely." Mostly because her parents didn't understand her. They still don't fully do... Is that how Jinx feels now? Is she really... lonely? That only raises more questions however, and Toph seems to be uncertain of what to say for a moment. All before she opens her mouth and speaks up.     "... you wanna come to my birthday next month?" 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:'''     There's a quiet moment. Toph asks that question and makes that statement and...     "You /have/ a family, Toph. I have a sister who sold me out 'cause some stupid Big Hat sweet talked her a bunch and a buncha egg-heads I work for but that- that."     A grumpy, growly sigh and she falls quiet again, contemplating. "And don't even try askin' me to be a cop. That ain't happening, ever. I do good work and ain't none of it legal and there's a reason." She takes a massive mouthful of noodles, heart still racing. She hasn't said no. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Yeah, I got a family now... wasn't that easy to find it, though I guess I was lucky..." Probably wouldn't have happened if Tony hadn't been assigned as her supervising officer in the Union, thinking back on it...     "I didn't know you had a sister," Toph admits. Then again, how would she have known? It's not like they have talked much aside from flinging names, boulders and explosives at eachother over the years, right?     That one comment there makes Toph arch an eyebrow. "I know you don't think the world of me, but I'm not going to ask somebody who dislikes cops to become one," she points out. That wouldn't make any sense at all! So Jinx is doing her own thing... good work? Eh, it's not like she can know that, but it's most likely not legal considering her history. But this isn't the time to badger on about that, because Jinx is still stressed judging by her heart...     "So... there's nobody left?" she finally asks. 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:'''     Jinx's face finally sets on a proper emotion now. That of... resignation. She's talking now and emotions are happening now and there's not going to really be an end to them now is there?     "Yeah I do and I don't like talkin' about her. But if you go and... and look up stuff about Piltover you can probably guess who it is."     She swirls her pho again, and her shoulders set forward, as she thinks. "So no, there's no one. I guess that's sorta my fault for like... doin' stuff that isn't... isn't." Isn't being out and meeting people. A good way of putting things. A look at those blank eyes of Toph, and Jinx grumps. "So yeah. You're... you. And if I come to the party, are a buncha cops going to arrest me?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Expressions don't really do much for Toph, so perhaps it's good for Jinx that those unseeing eyes aren't watching her now in her moment of weakness. Making a mental note to check out Piltover, Toph nods. "I won't ask then." Jinx clearly doesn't want to talk about her sister, so there's no use prodding at that, it's none of Toph's business either way.     Things could have been different. Toph met Aang and the others, a group of nice people who helped her grow more social. Could things have been different if she hadn't met other people when she ran off on her own? It's hard to know, really. In the Union she made many friends, learned how to get along with others, and become slightly less stubborn. And a bit less dirty.     There's no need for Jinx to finish that sentence, Toph understands what she wants to say, or at least she thinks she understands her well enough.     "The only police you have to worry about at my party is the fun police that will get you if you're a downer," Toph replies calmly. "And if you make my baby brother cry. Then I'll punch you." 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:'''     There's a huff and puff from Jinx...     "...Okay but there better be cake and also booze for the older people." A blink. "And babies are weird, they cry for the dumbest stuff sometimes, so no promises. Besides, if there's a lot of people, it probably won't be me doing it."     A nod, and Jinx holds out her hand. "For like the weekend, I agree not to shoot up the place." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     A snort leaves Toph. "Of course there will be cake, there won't be a birthday otherwise! Dad's always bought a big cake every year so everybody can get some. Pinkie Pie will probably add stuff to the party too, she loves decorating and crud. As for booze... I guess I can arrange for there to be an open bar as long as you promise not to get completely wasted. There will be contests and crud too."     It's a good thing Jinx makes that promise. "Good, because the Iron Legion is right there, and I doubt dad would be happy about people shooting up my birthday party. Neither would I be since I turn sixteen and all, it's supposed to be a big thing," Toph says with a casual shrug before she reaches out... and takes Jinx's hand, shaking it once. 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:'''     And with that done, Jinx... straightens up. There's a moment, and then that flippiant attitude is back, and she smiles haughtily. "GOOD! Well, I can't promise that either and if there's cute people there I might hit on them."     A moment. "Exept that Sokka guy, I figured that out~" A teasing lilt there, but... nothing more. Honestly, there's a little ruffle of her heart beat again at even making that joke. Jinx knows better, now. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Okay, that reassurance seemed to help put Jinx back into a state of less nervousness. "Fine, just watch it if you need to puke," Toph says with a roll of her eyes. "And don't whine if you aren't well enough to join the contest activities."     The talk about hitting on people, that doesn't get much of a reaction from Toph until Sokka's name is mentioned. A slight flush rises to Toph's cheeks, and she turns her face slightly away. "Everybody figured that out, apparently," the blind teenager points out. "He didn't figure it out until I said it to his face." So yeah, good luck trying to hit on Sokka now. sure, he might do some innocent flirting back. But he'd better know better than to take it further than that! For that matter... "DID you have to be all over him at the beach at that time, for that matter?" Toph says with an annoyed huff, though she doesn't look angry or upset. 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:'''     "What, he was cute and dumb!" Jinx grins, and sticks out her tongue a little bit, before leaning forward on a shoulder and pointing her chopsticks. "Besides. You didn't chase at him all that hard at first." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Sokka's not /dumb/!" Toph protests, a look of irritation on her face. "I've known him for four years, he's smarter than most people even if it doesn't seem like it at first, okay?" He's just... oblivious to certain things. "And for your information I was dropping hints left or right, but he didn't pick up on it until I kissed him at New Year's, okay?" Ugh, having to explain it was so... annoying. "Just eat your food before it gets cold, okay?" 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:'''     A gigglefit from Jinx, and she sighs. "You know, I could pay him a visit from the STAR GUARDIANS~!" She puts on a V-Pose with a snap and a grin, and wiggles her butt. "I don't have that Valentines Day outfit I made a while back, but." She fishes a bit piece of calamari out of her bowl and pops it into her mouth. Smiles and smiles. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Okay, now Toph is slowly reminded why she's had problems with Jinx before. "No."     The blind metalbender shakes her head, looking annoyed where she sits. "I have no idea what that outfit looks like, but save it. Sokka's /my/ boyfriend, and if you mess with him you'll regret it." Damnit, she just started dating him a month ago. Stupid Jinx. "Find yourself another dork to date, I'm sure there are more of them out there." 

:'''{{#var:39|Jinx (39)}} has posed:'''     A snicker, before Jinx's voice turns serious for a second. "I'm not trying to take your BF, Toph. I'm just bein' silly. I... wouldn't do that to people." Stealing money, sure? Breaking hearts is another thing.     That said, though, Jinx stands and slides her phone back into her pocket, one last glance at the picture of daddy and the baby. A sigh. "See you at the party, Dirtball. ...And thanks." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Hey, I'm just making things clear here. You've stolen stuff before, and well," Toph shrugs, still looking a tad annoyed. "Besides, I trust Sokka. He seems to think you're fun, so it's not like I can tell you guys not to hang out." She's not lying so that's good.     With her lunch over with it seems that Jinx is leaving, and once again she surprises Toph by actually /thanking/ her for the invitation. At least she assumes that's what Jinx is thanking her for. "Catch you there, Miss Trigger Happy. Bring a swim suit, it's at the beach after all." From the counter one of the restaurant workers seems to be done with her order, and Toph rises from her chair too. Better get the food home quickly before it gets cold! 
}}

5063/Nerdy guys and the girls who love them

2017-02-01T11:47:11Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/02/01 |Location=Avatar World <AW> |Synopsis=Ziggy stops by the Beifong Metalbending Academy and meets Sokka! |Cast of Characters=20, 1076, 535..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/02/01
|Location=Avatar World <AW>
|Synopsis=Ziggy stops by the Beifong Metalbending Academy and meets Sokka!
|Cast of Characters=20, 1076, 535
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The students are slowly advancing now that they've finally figured out the knack to metalbending, and that requires more supervision from Toph as she heads off to the Beifong academy. Of course Sokka is dragged with as he usually is nowadays, because hey he gets to share in the glory or something like that. There's no big secret that Toph likes bossing people around, and well, it's sort of bossing Sokka around.     For now the three students are sitting on the floor, holding onto their own large hunk of ore, their eyes closed with concentration on their faces. Slowly the ores shift, and the metalbending master nods where she too sits on the floor in front of them. "Good, now make them into cubes next. Slowly, focus on getting all the sides even now," she instructs them, doing it herself with her own ore. A good teacher is able to do it easily themselves, after all. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka hummed happily as he chopped up vegetables and other things, humming happily and chop chop chopping. "I just met you, and this is cra~zy, but here's my number, so call me maybe..." Yes he sang as he cooked. And yes he liked that song. Go ahead, make fun of him, everyone already does. See how much delicious smelling chicken hog stew they get. He glanced back and humphed. "So, any special prizes you got planned for today?" he called to Toph. "I've got a home cooked chocolate sueflet. There's three cherries... one for you, one for me, and one for whoever completes your challenge." 

:'''{{#var:535|Ziggy Grover (535)}} has posed:''' He hadn't been by since the he ran a talent show -here-, but with Venjix's being quiet for now, and Tenaya having slowed down in her obsession with Storming the Doctor's Lab (seriously, how did she keep slipping in? He would have thought Dr. K would have beefed up the security with more than just a cannon in the fridge. Although why she insisted on setting up loudspeakers, Ziggy wasn't going to ask. Maybe she just liked imposing her violin on everyone...) Whistling a little tune of 'Just Before the Battle, Mother', Ziggy knocks at the door at precisely the time one of Toph's students is doing something that requires extreme concentration. "Here's Ziiiiiggggy!" He practically sings out, swinging the door open... 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "... does he /have/ to sing?" The Dark One mutters as he opens one eye, peering towards the kitchen in the back. "I hate weird music like that doesn't make sense."     Meanwhile Penga appears to have made her ore into a sphere, her tongue sticking out as she concentrates with her eyes closed. And Ho Tun? He's the one who seems the most motivated to win. "Please don't let me be doomed, please don't let me be doomed...!"     A snort leaves Toph at Sokka's contest. "I'm not teaching them so they can get additional prizes." No, the prize they are getting is to be taught by her, for free! They live at the academy for free, she pays all their expenses so they can focus on learning. "Besides, you're already making extra stuff, so why should I do that when you've got it covered?" Unlike her students, Toph is able to shape the ore back and forth between a perfect cube to other various shapes, including figurines.     Though the blind girl turns her head a bit, all before grinning and rising to her feet. Just as Ziggy enters.     The loud knocking takes the students by surprise, letting out startled sounds as they drop their eyes and turn towards the door. "Ziggy...!" Penga says with a frustrated whine, and Ho Tun looks down at his ore with dread. "No, my chances of winning that souffle is doooomed!" Only The Dark One seems to take it all in stride, merely letting out a huff. "Hi."     Toph looks amused however, waving to the older boy. "Nice of you to drop by! I was thinking of stopping by Corinth, but eh, been a bit busy with family, Paladins and new stuff... speaking of new stuff... SOKKA!" she calls over her shoulder towards the kitchen. "Get your butt out here!" 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka rolls his eyes. "Toph, really? Is that what they mean by a booty call?" he asked, stepping out while wiping his hand with a towel. "And the soufle is for everyone. It's the cherries on top that are the special reward, my little Tophioka pudding cup," he teased, sticking his tongue out. Then his eyes lowered on Ziggy and he gave a wave. "Yo. If you're here to pick Toph up on a date, you're about a month late, sorry. Snooze yah lose and all that. Otherwise, welcome to the academy," he said with a big, dopey grin before walking over and... "Think fast!" Tossing the towel to Toph. 

:'''{{#var:535|Ziggy Grover (535)}} has posed:''' "I'm not even asking what Toph is gonna do with booty other than kick it," Ziggy comments, regarding the ore with some curiousity. "Although I see you're having your students getting their rocks off." Blithely crossing the area to give Toph a hug, Ziggy blinks. "Oh, you're dating Toph?" He squints a bit curiously, before eyeing Toph. "Is he like, another metalbender?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     What the crud...?! Toph blushes a bit at Sokka's joke, letting out a slight huff. "Of course you're making dessert for everyone..." she comments. But hey, of course he would joke with Ziggy. "Sokka, Ziggy's a friend," she points out, already raising her hand when Sokka tosses the towel over to her. It takes a lot to take her by surprise, after all!     Okay, now the guys are both doing bad puns that really shouldn't be done in front of Penga... the youngest student looks a bit confused. "No, these aren't rocks! They're ore, Ziggy! We figured out how to metalbend, though we're still learning all the tricks to it...!" Ho Tun looks embarrassed where he sits, and The Dark one simply rolls his eyes. "I hate puns."     It's none of Ziggy's business what Toph will do with booty! And she looks a bit surprised when Ziggy moves in to give her a hug. Though she does have to add a punch to his arm to make it somewhat more macho. At the question regarding Sokka and who he is, Toph first nods then shakes her head. "He's my boyfriend, but no, he's not a bender. He's the idea guy, plus a warrior from the southern water tribe. Ziggy, meet Sokka. Sokka, meet Ziggy Grover. He's a Power Ranger, buddy of mine and he kinda helped out with the academy. Including somehow managing to find me one student," she stays and jerks a thumb in The Dark One's direction. And the dark teen only lets out a huff as he and the other two students go back to bending their ore clumps. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka snorted and grinned to the guy. Yesssss. Pun time! "Oh? Ziggy, huh? Guessing you like to zig zag around a lot, then? Nice to meet you. Ahhh, come on, Darky, we're just trying to be punny. Don't mind him, he's just dirt poor when it comes to a sense of humor. Me-tal-ed him that they were gonna happen regardless, but iron-ically he just stared at me. Dead -pan-." Wiiiiiiiide grin. "Power ranger? So like... you fight forest fires and stuff? Is that like those rangers you told me about at the parks? Is it like... a stronger version of them? Do rangers get power ups?" 

:'''{{#var:535|Ziggy Grover (535)}} has posed:''' Ziggy Grover takes a moment to eye Sokka, before jerking a thumb. "Is he called that because you sock him a lot?" He shakes his head, then, frantically and waving his hand. "Oh no no, I'm totally not a -park- ranger. It's -Power- Ranger. We kinda get powered up, though." Holding up his wrist morpher, Ziggy points to it. "We just say some words, kind of like an unlocking mechanism, and then push a switch, and ta da, Power Ranger. And then we do a lot of flippy, take out the bad guys, and then get into giant animals and smack things around really quick." Waving a hand lightly, Ziggy adds, "Why delay the fight, take them out quick and get it over with, right?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Actually, he does zigzag now and then," Toph says with a casual shrug. Though Ziggy's retort does make her snort a bit in amusement. "I do punch him a lot, yeah..." Only to shake her head a bit when Sokka decides to pun at The Dark One some more. The boy frowns where he sits, glaring daggers in Sokka's direction before he pointedly turns his attention back to the ore in his hands, all while muttering something that might be cursing under his breath.     Let Ziggy explain the Power Rangers, it's not he needs Toph's help for that considering he doesn't get too wordy. But she has to add one thing. "When he uses the morpher he essentially dresses up in spandex." And yes, she can't help but smirk a bit at that comment, crossing her arms across her chest. "There are other power rangers too, they're not bad. The place they live in is in pretty bad shape since robots are taking over the world there." 

:'''{{#var:535|Ziggy Grover (535)}} has posed:''' "IT IS NOT SPANDEX!!!" a voice can be heard shrieking from Ziggy's comm. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded. "Really? Evil robots taking over the world? Heh. And... really? You fight in spandex? Giant animals? well, I guess it could be worse. At least you don't fight in giant cars with googly eyes or something," he said with a wave of his hand. "That'd just be silly." "But hey ,you've got powers too. Just like. Everyone. Else in this place. I swear sometimes," he muttered that last bit under his breath. TOTALLY NOT JEALOUS! TOTALLY! He's totally FINE being the only NORMAL guy in town. "... So, did anyone else hear that very angry, slightly hot sounding voice there a second ago?" ... And that was why Toph punched him all the time. 

:'''{{#var:535|Ziggy Grover (535)}} has posed:''' "Uh... those -are- cars with googly eyes," Ziggy ventures to volunteer. There's a pause, and then a "Hot? Uh, that's Dr. K. She calls herself our mentor... and uh, ix-nay on the andexspay." "Ranger Green, I am quite familiar with pig latin, and it is -not- spandex. It is a memory..." "Sorry about that, she's kinda touchy about the suit. She made it herself, and it's a complicated metal thingy that she made herself and that Toph's not allowed to bend either. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     As the voice shrieks from Ziggy's com Toph can't help but laugh, obviously not surprised by it. "Heya Doc, nice of you to join us!"     And there Sokka goes, moping about being normal. "Hey, you're the guy with the coolest sword, you're the one who comes up with ideas and make sure us people with powers have awesome plans to follow," she says, reaching a hand down as she /slaps/ Sokka on the butt.     His follow up comment on Doctor K's outburst does make Toph arch an eyebrow however. "Yes, we heard her. And she can hear you. Doc is... special in her own way. And I don't have any interest in bending the suit, you know that. Though I /have/ been thinking of bending my own armour, I did some brainstorming with dad earlier." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blinked a few times. "Cars with googly eyes? Okay, THAT I've got to see. And so? Mentors can be hot. I mean, sure, I haven't met many, but I'm sure they can be." Pause. "Wait, I'm dating someone's mentor. And Toph is like, super hot. So there." That made him pause. "Wait, you're making ARMOR? Toph, you've GOT to let me help you! I'll make it look AWESOME! I swear! Come on, please? Let me help! Please, pretty please? Please please? You'll look so cool no one will EVER want to fight you!" 

:'''{{#var:535|Ziggy Grover (535)}} has posed:''' "Your own suit of armor... pfft..." Ziggy replies. "Like you need one." There's a brief stare at Sokka. "Oh no no, Doctor K is -not- hot. I mean..." Somewhere around there, Ziggy moves his hands about, like someone about to give birth to a gigantic ripperslasher beast. "No, wait, Doc, I swear, I'm not thinking of you in -any- manner! Other than... you know, the lady that makes the Spa... memory metal alloy suit! And the very loud sonic disruptor. And the Zords. Who is totally -not- our mentor. At all." He shoots Sokka a look. "So, uh, Toph. What's the suit like now, and -are you even thinking of giving him one too?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     At Ziggy's comment Toph arches an eyebrow. "... googly eyes? Seriously..." Somehow she doubts that Tony, who seems to be one hell of a fancy car fan, would want a car with googly eyes. Not that she can see it, but it sounds kinda... lame.     "What matters about mentors aren't whether or not they're hot, it's about how good they are at teaching, dunderheads," Toph mutters, though she's blushing a fair bit when Sokka refers to her as 'super hot'. It's not often the blind teenager /squirms/! Regarding her plans to make armour for herself, Toph cants her head a bit. Of course Sokka would be excited about that... "I don't know if I need help, I need to get the right materials first, but... sure, something that covers my torso and some of my upper legs would be good. Nothing like dad's... no need to make it look cool, otherwise he would be jealous," Toph explains. Besides, she doesn't need to make it too heavy.     Her attention moves to Ziggy, and she raises her eyebrows. "I recently got my back clawed out, it's still healing up," she explains and points to my back. "Sokka freaked out, dad nearly freaked out, I think they would appreciate it if I took some precautions. Besides, armour can look badass. Just... normal armour that I can bend, you know? Titanium based."     It's kinda funny to listen to Ziggy bicker with Doctor K, and Toph grins widely as he tries to dig himself out the ditch he plummeted into. "He's totally whipped, huh?" Toph asides to Sokka, leaning closer to him. As Ziggy poses his question her way though she shrugs. "Dad's the one with the suits. I don't think he's giving Sokka any suits anytime soon. Maybe dad's going to make a new suit or something now that he's no longer tied to any factions and being a stay at home dad." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded, then grinned. Wide. Evily. "Oh, I get it. So, Ziggy. Dr. K is your GIRL FRIEND." Oh gosh he definitely said that loud enough to be heard. "Now, no need to be jealous or nervous. Toph is more than enough for me." Pause. "Definitely more than enough. So I have no intention of trying to steal your girl. Nor would I. I just thought she had a hot voice." It was probably good that Sokka was under toph's protection. And that most people were smart enough not to mess with Toph. Otherwise he'd be dead. "And hey, there's nothing wrong with being whipped." Pause. Grin. "After all, I think you're super cute when you're whipped," he teased, then kissed her before she could object. Then blinked a second later when he realized how that actually sounded. "Err... as in... you do whatever I say. Not that I'd ever hit you with a whip." He then sighed. "A-and no hitting my butt. Don't forget antlers," he grumbled, cheeks getting redder. "And come on, how often do I get to make armor for my girl friend? It'd be awesome! Fashionable! And useful! You'll love it, I promise." 

:'''{{#var:535|Ziggy Grover (535)}} has posed:''' "She's... the -not-a-mentor," Ziggy emphasizes, articulating the last few words with exaggerated mouth motions, doing his best to ignore the spluttering from the comm that preluded the pressing of a Berserk button. "And never associate -her- with 'hot voice', okay? I mean, -everyone- thought it was a -guy-." Pause. "No, wait, I mean, uh, Doc, it's a... SO! Toph! He wants antlers in his butt! Let's introduce him to some." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The denial on Ziggy's part makes Toph sigh. "She /is/ so your mentor, deal with it." At Sokka's realisation of just how things are or at least might be between Ziggy and Doctor K, Toph looks rather incredulous. "You figure that out but not that I've was crushing on you for ages?" she asks, then groans. "Man, you're such a Meat Head..." Why did she ever begin liking him in the first place?     But still, there's no way she'd ever let anybody or anything harm Sokka. Not even when he's embarrassing her like that...! The whipped comment makes her turn her face sharply towards him, only to have her eyes go wide when he leans in and kisses her. Only a faint blush crosses her cheeks, though she does note what he said earlier. "I'm the one with the metal whip, remember...?" The one Tony made as her Christmas present. Also... "If you're going to talk like that and kiss me in public, then I cruddin' will slap your butt, Meat Head." So there.     Ziggy does not know that Sokka sometimes give people nicknames, does he? "He's talking about one of the Paladin officers. He's kinda on Sokka's ass," she explains to Ziggy. "Besides, he did get a saber moose lion on his ass one time too. Their antlers are pretty fierce." With that she tugs on Sokka's arm. "Now let's go eat whatever food you've made. Lily livers!" The students immediately rise to their feet. "Zigmeister, you come along too." Off to the kitchen and to food! 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blinked. "What? It's obvious he likes her and I bet the fact she gets so mad means she totally has the hots for him too." OH MY GOSH! Ziggy, just shut off the coms already!" Then paused. "I don't think her voice is that of a guys." He then snorted, patting her on the head and ruffling. "Now, only about twenty days to go, Tophie, so control yourself. I don't want Antler's riding my ass if I can avoid it." He sighed. Yeah, those saber moose lions suck. I swear I've run into more of those than anyone has any right doing. Supposedly they're rare. MOST people never even see them. I swear they're hunting me. Yeah, come on. I'll make you some stew and chocolate souflet to take to your girl friend, Ziggy. I'm sure she'd like that." Before he followed her into the kitchen. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Sokka," Toph sighs, placing her hands on her hips. "Remember how we talked about you talking less sometimes? This is one of those times." And her cheeks flare up when Sokka speaks next, all before she reaches out and punches him in the arm, /hard/! All while hissing something under her breath for his ears only.     Let's indeed eat instead of talking more about silly things. 
}}

5054/Slithering Into The Depths

2017-01-27T05:26:52Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/01/26 |Location=Beacon of Progress |Synopsis=Flamel leads an expedition into Medusa's mind to showcase just what a psychonaut can do. Just wha..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/01/26
|Location=Beacon of Progress
|Synopsis=Flamel leads an expedition into Medusa's mind to showcase just what a psychonaut can do. Just what is a witch's mind like?
|Cast of Characters=22, 325, 42, 1094, 945
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:22|Medusa Gorgon (22)}} has posed:'''     Tonight's preparation was easy enough to do; Medusa's medical office at the Beacon of Progress has been aired out. With all the old tomes she keeps the air does have a certain smell to it, even if the Beacon of Progress is a new building. Perhaps it's all those medicines and potions that the witch creates as well. Or the old furniture that she's pulled in. It does add a certain charm, and the couches and old chairs are comfy despite their age.     Crona is desperately trying to stop Ragnarok from eating the cookies that have been set out. Their bickering echoes a bit, with whining from Crona and verbal abuse from the demon weapon as he pulls on the teenager's cheeks, eliciting loud wails.     All of this is ignored by Medusa as she stirrs her tea cup, perfectly calm as she awaits the arrival of tonight's volunteers. This might be interesting for all of them. How well can a person know their own mind? And just how much can other people learn from visiting hers? Not that she's concerned that they will learn things that they shouldn't. Mindreaders are rare, but she's run into them before too. Of course there are those who will try to learn secrets from others, but somehow Medusa doubts that this is a risk tonight. If it is... she'll simply have to deal with it. 

:'''{{#var:325|Rhapsody (325)}} has posed:'''     The very concept of diving into someone elses mind was something Rhapsody only thought of as an enemy tactic. The darker forces that work in Ravnica would love to get their hands on such a refined ability. Dive in, procure what you want or perhaps damage something you don't want someone to remember. Or just enact a scorched earth policy and see what happens to the hapless victim. Today, she viewed the dive as an experiemnt. A chance to see something new, and perhaps understand what goes on in the minds of other people. For as much as many people worry about how others view themselves, it would be interesting to see just how much another person that of.. well, her.     As the appointed time arrives, the Izzet Guildmaster would knock on a closed door, or the frame of an open one, before entering. To this day, the dragon hadn't required a visit to the League's nurse. For once, a meeting with medical personel was going to be due to decent circumstances, and not dire ones. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     The very concept of diving into someone's mind is a terrible invasion of privacy... a tactic of desperation against an enemy, perhaps, or the only way to deal with certain problems an ally might have, like the parasite that infected Staren and Dresden.     But, you know, if someone's VOLUNTEERING for it, man, there are so many questions to be answered! How does this process even work?!     So given this rare chance, of course Staren shows up. Walking in after Rhapsody, he offers Medusa a nod of greeting and Rhapsody a smile and a 'Hi, Rhapsody. Good to see you."     After a moment's thought, he gives Medusa a curious look. "So why did you volunteer for this, anyway? Aren't you afraid we might see something private?" 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     Mr. Parsons meets Medusa for the first time in person. And he has that look about him like he's come here to investigate aliens or something. His classic MIB suit and his typical grainy-coinspiracy-photograph mannerisms are in full force, but so, too, is his constant positivity and friendliness. A short knock precedes his entry, polite as he ought to be, though quick on the way through the door. He loves getting to see the minds of others.     "Ms. Gorgon." He says. "Thank you for volunteering for this exercise. We'll enter and investigate immediately, and converse on the outside to discuss what we see and what we need to know about your mind simultaneously. If all goes well, every one of us should maintain enough awareness to be able to speak." He says. He also offers a handshake, a firm and friendly greeting even while those sunglasses seem to constantly be hiding peering and scanning and general examining. "Here, Ms. Gorgon." He offers a... Small door? It's a small door. It looks like the door to a very tiny spy headquarters, all fancy steel and ominous eyeball-related symbols.     "Put this somewhere on your head to enable some less inconvenient projection, please." And it very much will click into place, mysteriously, if she does. Flamel, meanwhile, takes a seat, seemingly oblivious to Crona's wails, settling well into his relaxed posture in the old furniture. His relaxed posture looks like the unseasy observation of a mysterious agent of vague yet menacing government agencies, but I guarantee, it's relaxed.     "A few things before we begin." He says. "Certain areas of a mind will often demonstrate a quality of being 'off-limits'. Guards, security measures, and other things like that. Normally, treatment protocol says to immediately breach any high-security area to harvest secrets therein, to help treat the mind. This is volunteer protocol. Try to avoid doing that if security is any more than light. It won't be hard to know where Ms. Gorgon doesn't want us to go, even if Ms. Gorgon herself doesn't consciously know." This is partially to assuage Staren, who he speaks to directly. "Oh, if a person is afraid of others finding out information about them, usually that information is stored under higher security. Memories become locked in high-security mental vaults instead of low-security, guards will become more dense, the mindscape's mechanics will be designed to challenge any attempt to reach it, or things like that."     He also takes a more friendly look for a moment. "Knowing your own mind can give you insight. Psychonauts traditionally undergo a Brain Tumbling at some point in their lives, a process that forcefully projects them into their own mind, to learn about themselves more. Knowing who you are can give you incredible potential in any sort of work, not to mention Medusa's curiosity about how this all works. Tell Medusa what you see as you see it. I think it'll be of interest to her."     He readies himself for the dive. Tiny motes of light are drifting around his head. 

:'''{{#var:945|Lima Ultimos (945)}} has posed:''' There is an undead pirate here, in a straw tricorn and a ratted pirate coat. He has a plant for a shoulder. He is also Lima Ultimos. When he arrives at the tea party, his first action is to greet Medusa, "Ahoy, lass!", and then take a seat and start trying the cookies and tea. And only partialy listen to Flamel's explanation before the exploration, which is the /cool/ part. "So, what it be like in there, ye be thinking?" 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     "Yes, thinking is usually what people are doing in there." Mr. Parsons nods to Lima. The deadpan delivery is broken shortly after by the grin that spreads over his face after. "Hehehe, okay, but, generally, you'll see a mindscape that is similar to the public-type environment a person's most familiar with. Artists tend to have more artistic environments since they're most familiar with their creations, and some people have more niche familiarities, but, for her... Huh, whatever you think she's most familiar with is what to expect." 

:'''{{#var:22|Medusa Gorgon (22)}} has posed:'''     When the first knock falls on the door the room inside is silent for a while, though the door does eventually open, Crona's face on the other side. But the strange teenager is quick to step aside, nodding their head. "Lady Medusa is waiting for you..."     Medusa's greeting is far warmer, and she gives the arrivals a nod along with a warm smile as she gestures for the couch and the prepared tea cups there. "Please, have a seat and a cup of tea before we start." It's the polite thing to do, after all. Not that knows how this mind dive will work, but she's certain that Flamel will explain it all. The question that Staren asks does make the witch chuckle slightly. "I might have my secrets, but I trust that you won't try to learn them like some have tried to over the centuries..." Lima gets an amused look, and the witch looks mischievous. "I'm glad you managed to find your way back after your ship took off last night when we were at the museum." As for what her mind is like? "I don't know," she offers with a shrug. "Pretty full, I imagine. I have lived for quite a while, so all the memories, experiences and things I have learned should be there."     And here is one of the key people to this exercise... The woman turns to him, takes his hand and shakes it firmly even as she peers up at him. "Mr. Parsons... the pleasure is all mine. I'm always open for new things." Not to mention she's not afraid of risks worth taking for the sake of learning. It's not like she's done worse things in the name of science than to let people into her head.     The offered door does incite some curiousity, and she turns it around in her hands. "Hmmm. A rather different method than I expected, I must admit." Different worlds, different powers indeed. She will wait with placing it against her head until after the explanation is given, however. She does sit down in her own chair as she listens, and Crona works on serving tea and cookies to those gathered.     So her mind will place barriers in place to prevent any breach... that's interesting to know. "I consider myself a woman of mental fortitude, so I do think there will be high security in places..." she muses, then places the tiny door against her forehead. "I must say, this is... new."     Do your thing, Mr. Parsons. 

:'''{{#var:325|Rhapsody (325)}} has posed:'''     When the door opens, Rhapsody gives a nod to Crona. "Thank you," and then Rhapsody heads inside. The decor is interesting. Something about the furniture causes Rhapsody to realize, maybe for the first time, that Medusa may be older than she appears. Which or not, the dragon hadn't given it a lot of thought until just now. "Hello again, Medusa. Interesting day, yesterday, wasn't it?" she asks before moving to take a seat on the couch. Cookies will be nommed, tea will be sipped, very delightful.     "It's nice to see you too, Staren. Been a while, hasn't it? I can't say I'm surprised your in for this, though. About as curious as I am?" Then more cookies!     As Flamel enters, and begins to explain just how the dive works, the guildmaster can't help but smile, "Some day, maybe, I'll volunteer for this. I imagine it would be a lot of steam, magic, and explosions. Could be really exciting! And extremely eye opening, but that's something she'd have to realize when and if it ever happens. At the sight of the door, her head gives a curious tilt, but she doesn't really ask what or why. She'd rather find out.     And then a pirate! "Lima, nice of you to join us. As curious about this whole mind-dive as the rest of us?" tea sip, cup settle, then she leans back against the couch. "Huh. Will this be anything like a lucid dream, Mr. Parsons? I can't imagine being conscious in two places is very easy. 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     "It helps." Mr. Parsons says. "I can open the door on my own, but something physical is useful. Now, this process will be distracting." He's speaking to the whole group here. "Do not try to move your physical bodies too much. Walking around gets unsafe, for your connection and for other purposes. Most of your mind that could normally handle things like moving around is going to be in hers." He gestures to Medusa. "And Ms. Gorgon will be a bit distracted while she has us on her mind."     He sips at his tea, and nods pleasantly to Rhapsody. "People who are like you, people who are academics or engineers or scientists, tend to benefit most from this." He says. "Psychonauts can clear out mental cobwebs, help process mental challenges, or other things like that. Let me know if you ever decide you'd like to. For now, Ms. Gorgon, League members for this excursion..."     "Prepare your mind."     https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/201370883/MIND_DIVE.mp3     The door opens, and instead of Medusa's forehead beyond it, a shining white light emits from within. Mr. Parsons takes off his sunglasses, revealing white, glowing eyes. He plants two fingers on either side of his temples, and a shimmering, shining white projection of himself drifts up out of his head. He gestures to the other exploring Elites, once each in turn, gently tugging their perception out of their bodies. It's a tug that they could easily resist, but there's no cause to, not right now. As their own projections join his, he guides the whole swirling white mass in a spiralling entry into the door on Medusa's forehead, which soon shuts on its own behind them.     On some level, they're going to retain awareness of their physical body. They'll be able to see and hear and speak and do some limited motions -- enough that Mr. Parsons is still sipping his tea casually. But trying too hard to do things like walk around is going to be far too distracting and risky to their 'connection'. As for where they wind up, they should land somewhere at the "top layer" of Medua's mind, as a group. Mr. Parsons isn't aiming for any particular region of the brain this time. Instead, he's looking for whatever is Medusa's most convenient entry point. When they land, though, they'll establish their mental body, their astral projection, and find it... Pretty much retains all their physical properties and equipment perfectly! It's convenient.     Where they land is another matter entirely. 

:'''{{#var:22|Medusa Gorgon (22)}} has posed:'''     The first thing one might notice about the area that unfolds is that it's light. The evening sunlight shines in through the southern windows of a large circular hall that rises several meters above, the light breeze gently caressing the translucent curtains. The smell of antiseptics is in the air, it's clean and quiet for the most part, save for some voices coming from some short distance away on the northern wall of the hall. In said direction there are several corridors heading off into the distance. Though they are straight to begin with they begin to curve and slither off, so far that it's impossible to see where they end. What's most curious however is how there are doors upon doors, too many to count, lining the walls of the corridors.     As for the hall they are standing in however, it's got a large desk with various medical papers on it, some medical equipment and large file cabinets... and a skeleton sitting in a chair behind it. Next to it, a lone grammophone plays a slightly scratched record, its soothing tones echoing softly throughout the room. Nowhere in sight is a guard, a security camera... nothing but them in a spacious hall with white walls, a marble floor. It's clean, with no cobwebs, no dust. There is an additional source of light however, a ball of light that is floating around the room, its movements slow, its direction shifting like an inflated balloon carried by a current.     Mood music: https://youtu.be/Y5byOKfin3w?t=21m12s 

:'''{{#var:325|Rhapsody (325)}} has posed:'''     The mind of Medusa Gorgon is a lot better lit than Rhapsody expected... for some reason. With her mental self tugged into the nurse's mind, it's clear that the guildmaster is a bit surprised at the clean hall, the order of it, and even the smell that's similar to the office they left behind... but are still in. Strange, that.     For a moment, Rhapsody checks herself over, even pats herself down, just wanting to understand how real the mental projection is. It checks out as 'pretty real' before she turns to look at the rest of the group. "No guards, interestingly enough," she says both in the projection and outside so Medusa can hear. "Just a skeleton. . . For a secretary, I think.." Then just in the mental world. "Hello?" 

:'''{{#var:945|Lima Ultimos (945)}} has posed:''' The pirate waves back to everyone who greets him, but continues munching on cookies. He's still munching on them when he gets pulled into the mindscape. Lima Ultimos blinks a bit, before glancing around the hospital room. "Ooh, this be her mind?", he says outloud in the projection. "I be seeing. Let's see here..." and then he spots the skeleton, and walks up to the desk. "Ahoy there, matey! I be Lima Ultimos, captain of the Coma Navajo. Who be ye?" He also extends a hand to the skeleton, for shaking. 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     "A /mental/... skeleton." Mr. Parsons says, as he looks at it, peering and examining contours. "Who knows what sort of symbolism it could have? Here, you deal with the skeleton, you're a ghost." Mr. Parsons wanders over to the other matter. The light! He wanders to it, and tries poking and prodding at it. "Let's look for directions for visitors." He says. "This seems like a hospital. So we should be able to head into its inner areas by following directions for visitors. Being here to see Dr. Gorgon, I suppose?" He sees if there's anything notable about the orb of light, closely examining it and poking at it. But if neither skeleton nor light seem to demonstrate unusual properties, he may decide to head through a door at random on the north side. Or maybe something unusual might happen if he prods the light towards the skeleton? 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     This process involves putting a door on her head. Wat.     Still, Staren is put at ease by Flamel's explanation that they can't /accidentally/ learn Medusa's secrets. He simply nods to Medusa, and to Rhapsody's question about curiousity. Lima gets a nod hello.     And then it's time! In they... uh... he's not actually sure what's happening, as he suddenly has an out-of-body experience. How does THAT work??     A hall of doors. Huh, he didn't actually expect a familiar metaphor. He jumps slightly as he notices the skeleton. "Uh... hello?" he says, sort of vaguely at the skeleton and the ball.     Outside, he pulls up his left sleeve, exposing his multitool armband. It projects a holographic screen, showing... Medusa's office, as seen by his eyes. <<"Oh, right. Of course that wouldn't work.">> His voice comes from a speaker on the armband, and the image goes away. <<"It's a hallway full of doors. There's a skeleton sitting at a desk with filing cabinets here. There is also a floating ball of light. Would you be okay with us trying some of these doors? I mean... I guess they should be locked if they hold anything you don't want us to see...">> 

:'''{{#var:22|Medusa Gorgon (22)}} has posed:'''     The skeleton is either very rude, or it's a normal skeleton that's unable to return Lima's friendly greeting.     The light very much acts like a balloon when Flamel pokes at it, and it quivers as it floats up a bit closer to the ceiling.     Staren's words don't earn a reply at first, but eventually Medusa's voice will be heard, coming from some old speakers hanging up on the walls. An old and somewhat crackly intercom system? "If the doors are open, then by all means..." The voice breaks up though as Flamel pokes at the ball of light again. And this time it lets out a high pitched sound as it shakes even more furiously.     The skeleton begins rattling slightly, and the curtains wave more as the wind outside picks up. Somehow the sunlight doesn't seem quite so warm anymore...     Upon inspection the doors in the hallway mostly appear to be locked, but the doors closest to the central room are all open, and filled with various memory fragments. Shimmering items of various medical equipment, brooms, snakes... it's a mess, but a tidy mess by the looks of it. But the doors further in are all locked with heavy pad locks, obviously not meant to be opened. And from further in one might hear the faint echo of voices, whispering. It's too bad that due to certain actions you won't be able to go further in there however.     On the ball of light a crack appears, from the spot where Flamel poked at it several times. The crack speads, speads... and then the light /bursts.     The sunlight instantly fades, leaving behind a creeping darkness as the windows blow open, curtains whirling as the glass shatters, striking the floor and crushing it. The travelers are in for a plummet into utter darkness as the grammophone comes to a screeching halt!     Mood music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wFA0bAnGSU&t=82s     The fall doesn't take too long, and the landing isn't too rough as the four will land in cold water, albeit not too far from shore in a dark forest, with a tall tower in the distance. The moon illuminates the area somewhat, though there are clouds as well passing in front of it, making it hard to make out certain areas too far away. It's nighttime, the wind is howling, and this place is not the hospital. 

:'''{{#var:325|Rhapsody (325)}} has posed:'''     When the skeleton doesn't seem to respond, Rhapsody figures that it's just a skeleton and nothing more. You'd thinik in a dreamscape it'd at least rattle a little! Alas, not a major disapointment. As the others start to poke around at the ball of light, and the skeleton, the guildmaster had wandered a little further down the hall, peeking into a few of the rooms that were open. It all seemed to be the mind of a decent nurse, granted, with a liking for snakes. That wasn't so bad, not a bit.     Satisfied, and noticing that the other doors were locked, the dragon turns back to the group. "It seems rather simple in-" She's cut off as the little light balloon pops and -everything- changes.     The drop to the landscape below causes the dragon to shift on reflex, yet even in her true form, she still splashes into the water below. Hopefully everyone doesn't mind a bit of a splash. Once she's on her feet, and shakes off the water, her gaze is cast around the far more gloomy atmosphere. "Er... what .. did you do?" she asks in the mindscape before she speaks outside. "Everything changed.. just now. It's a forest with a tower not far off.." she describes, making her way to the shore. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     When someone else starts looking into doors, Staren gets curious too. "Medical equipment? Huh. I'd have thought there'd be scenes from her past or something..."     And then they fall. "AAAH WHY?!" Staren lands in the water and immediately moves to shore, "Cold cold cold!" He takes off his shoes and socks, and his coat, trying to shake some of the water out of the coat. His shirt and pants are quick-drying.     Since they can't see much, he takes this opportunity to ask Parsons some questions: "So, since we're in the mindscape now, what determines what we can actually do? Are we projections based on our physical bodies and gear, or is it entirely mental and we can do whatever we want?" He wills himself to turn into a pony to see if it works. That's not normally one of his forms. 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     "Oh... Ahhh!" Agent Parsons seems concerned for a moment that he's done something, but then he pauses, thinks, and continues his poking efforts. When the crash comes, he's nervous. "Ahhhh! AUGH!" The floor gives out, and he's falling like the rest. Luckily, he has his Levitation abilities, allowing him to slow his fall and come to rest above the cold water, drifting above it carefully. "Ohhhh, oh, oh. I'm seeing what this is." He drifts towards the coast, and faces the forest when he speaks.     "It's not a matter of 'what did I do'." He says. "It's a matter of 'where did we go'. I don't think I did anything to Medusa's mind, I think we... Transitioned between two psychological regions. The first seems like one side, but there's a distinct second side... Manic-depressive, bipolar, or similar types of disorders and dysfunctions can produce a mindscape like this, but so can long-term calculated efforts to maintain facades. Don't worry, I think we haven't done anything to Medusa herself."     "Oh, but do worry about the possible danger. If we find monsters in these incredibly spooky woods, it'll hurt if they attack us and kick us out of her mind. Let's be respectful, right? The tower is the most visible thing, so it's probably where we should look." He drifts towards the forest, intent on heading through it, and towards the tower. His head lights up like a floodlight, but the darkness here is psychological; it's likely that he'll only be able to project short beams of visible light into the forest, if at all. "Careful. Atmosphere is everything here."     He shakes his head to Staren, on that note. "Astral projection is a defined sort of thing." He says. "You can take equipment through it, or sometimes equip your astral self with astral equipment that isn't physical, but you don't have the infinite wellspring of psychic energy needed to do changes like that in a defined mental space like this. If you had access to an unending well of, say, positive mental feelings, or aggressive feelings, changes like that could possibly happen All theoretical, though, that's the sort of thing only very strong mental images can do." 

:'''{{#var:945|Lima Ultimos (945)}} has posed:''' Lima Ultimos frowns at the skeleton. It's not a very nice skeleton. "Yarr, ain't ye be hearing me? I be talking to you!" There's a high-pitched sound coming from nearby, but Lima Ultimos ignores it, and eventually, the skeleton begins rattling. "Okay, now ye be responding! Listen, do ye be thinking ye can tell us what be going on around he-" As Lima Ultimos is ignoring everything else to converse with the skeleton, the sunlight fades, voices echo, the music stops, and the glass shatters. And in the end, the floor collapses. "-errrrrree!" The pirate screams as he collapses into the water. He hits his head, but quickly jumps up to his feet. "Well, that be a fun trip!" Lima Ultimos shakes the water off of him, before glancing at the others. He once again only partially listens to Flamel. "But I don't be seeing two polar regions! I do be getting the part about beating up the monsters and investigating the tower, though, aye." He draws his cutlass, and begins moving towards the forest. "What type of monsters we be talking about here? Big ones? Small ones? Crawly ones?" 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     Parsons answers to Lima quite well. "Oh, well, we were at one pole before, and now we're at another. See? A safe healing hospital, and a spooky, dangerous-looking forest. Poles. But, maybe not. Maybe it's something else. Anything that divides behaviors into halves or differing states can create a mind like this. Just follow along with it. Honestly, the academics don't matter as much as following the symbolism and the flow of the mind."     He looks around with caution at the forest as they enter, keeping a flow of light. "Down here, it's whatever Medusa thinks about. If I had to guess, this might be a storage space for her ideas about more dangerous biological creations or alterations, or it could just not have anything dangerous in it and be where she collects the psychological darkness that comes from what's in the tower, but I'd need to see more to know for certain. Keep an eye out." 

:'''{{#var:22|Medusa Gorgon (22)}} has posed:'''     Even as the small group gets to shore they might be aware of eyes in the darkness, several of them, eyeing them closely without drawing closer. Some figures show up though, as black lines slither up from the ground very much like smoke, though they don't actually touch them. Instead they keep on circling them as they begin heading into the forest. Though if they reach out towards the wispy lines, then they will crackle... and hiss warningly as they grow, turning into black snakes. Yet they do not attack for some reason.     The trees in the forest are very old, some lack leaves, and their bark is blackened, as if burnt in a fire. The ground is dry, with barely any grass at all. In the corner of their eyes they might perceive something moving, though upon turning it will be gone. In the distance something lumbers, creaking past the trees with one giant eye peering at them. 

:'''{{#var:325|Rhapsody (325)}} has posed:'''     Once on the shore, Rhapsody doesn't even bother to shift back. Something about being true to herself in a place such as this was reassuring... even if she was being circled by .. something. Her gaze slips to the group, and then stays on Flamel, moving to follow just behind him. With her bit of extra height, she keeps a look out as best she can in the dark mindscape as they head for the tower. This time, there isn't much to say. Perhaps the guildmaster is actually a little spooked at everything. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren nods at Flamel's explanation. He ponders trying it anyway, trying to focus on the positive emotions of, say, love for his girlfriend, but distantly recalls the Union warning him that trying to pull stunts like that is for emergencies only. He pulls his shoes and socks and coat back on and follows the others, pulling a pair of glasses from his bag and trying to use the built-in camera to see if he can get improved night vision or infrared or the like. Do mental projections of electronics work exactly the same, interacting with the imaginary photons of the mindscape?     There are so many questions!     For that matter, he wonders if there's a way to record in here. Can he establish a wireless connection with outside? Staren continues poking and prodding at the scientific workings of the mindscape as they walk through the forest. Possibly bumping into the occasional tree from distraction. 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     "Oh, this is very definitely a space for storing her thoughts about something dangerous." Mr. Parsons says. "This will only be the sort of thing she'd talk about with the League if we're not being attacked here. Don't get towards more dangerous-looking spots, if you can help it. Inside a person's mind, if they have an idea about something, if they... Know how it would work, in a way, it's a real thing. Complete ideas, full ideas for something, are as dangerous as the completed thing itself, but it can only work inside the mind. So anything she at least mostly knows how to create, biologically, exists here as a real entity. I think this is mental images of something she creates. Let's, uh, keep on any paths they keep us on. If there's this... Many... Then it's a powerful idea. Nothing more dangerous."     Staren should find that it won't be hard to record, but that the recordings come out fuzzy. Things that Medusa herself might not fully remember or know will be blurred, even if Staren's own perception isn't. His understanding of things helps shape his perception and fill in gaps, but Medusa's defines the end-result information. Recordings can work, though. Parsons explains, noting his efforts. "Some things can come out of a mind, but only as psychic energy. Recordings are one intangible thing that can almost make it out, but there's a few ways to get some tangible things as well. Not much, but a few. If you wear a hat with enough tin in it, nothing gets out at all. Psychonaut Tip." 

:'''{{#var:945|Lima Ultimos (945)}} has posed:''' Lima Ultimos sort of wants to poke a snake with his sword. However, he behaves, and instead keeps heading forward towards that tower. As he's moving, though, he stops, spotting the giant eye. "Hey, I be seeing a monster. Be we investigating it?" 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     Lima gets a glance, and then a response, as Mr. Parsons turns to look at the one-eyed creature, cautiously pulling back a moment. "Careful. Even Medusa might not know about what that is, if it turns out to be a latent inspiration idea rather than one she's already got." He then gives a nod, though, and a smile. "If the mental defenses don't keep us away, though, it might be good to take a look at! See what it is."     Out in the real world, Mr. Parsons asks, "Ms. Gorgon? Are you having any ideas recently about biological work for anatomies that are large, with one eye? Or would that be memories? We might be in a memory space as well, I'm wanting to see how much investigation should go on." 

:'''{{#var:22|Medusa Gorgon (22)}} has posed:'''     With the group making their way through the mental forest, with several places that might give people a general idea to stay away from. A dark purple mist also seems to build up, making sight much harder. Near one large tree several vines are seen creeping up the trunk, with the tree slowly withering away where it's constricted by the vines. Unlike the hospital layer, this place has loud whispers that carry on the wind. Strangely enough there are no blurry areas to be seen here in this forest. The moment Flamel makes a move to step towards the large one eyed creature however, the snakes wake up, rising as they practically get up into Flamel's face, hissing in warning. And he might call out for Medusa, but there is no reply to be heard.     As Staren bumps into one tree however, it creaks... and then rises...? No, it grows.     Twisting around as the bark lets out a low screeching sound, the tree looms above them. Until several yellow eyes open all over, blinking at different times. Within seconds the tree is twenty meters high, its gnarled branches hanging down over them. And a voice can be heard on the wind, like a distorted whisper that carries a strange sense of urgency.     < Find... the... fragments. The... shadows.>     Around them the eyes creep closer, and with the large tree looming above them there is little moonlight to illuminate the area. 

:'''{{#var:325|Rhapsody (325)}} has posed:'''     Shadows and snakes were one thing, but treants and Medusa being unresponsive was something -completely- different. "... Er... problem?" It's said in the real world, and in the mindscape, but it is entirely clear that Rhapsody is on alert as her stance widens, her wings opening half way, ready to go at a moment's notice. With everything going on at once, Flamel irritating the snakes, and this massive tree rising up, all the eyes appearing in the darkness, she doesn't even catch the voice on the wind about the shadows. "Mr. Parsons? Ah, I'm wondering if we should be in this part of the mindscape at all.." 

:'''{{#var:945|Lima Ultimos (945)}} has posed:''' Lima Ultimos was about to run towards the eye monster, despite everything getting weird, because he was told to. He droops noticably when told over the radio not to, but quickly gets out of that funk. "So, these fragments, what may they be? We should be finding them! A treasure hunt is always great fun." 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     "If something's not attacking us, then, we're okay to be here. Anywhere we're not supposed to be, we'll get... Er, very strongly assaulted, probably. Strong minds like these are quick on the draw. Not a lot ambushes you without warning in a mind. Aside from Nightmares. Those try to hunt and kill you, probably." Mr. Parsons says, backing away from the snakes with his hands in an open-palmed placating gesture. "It's okay." He says. "It's fine, I'll keep away." And he gestures to Lima, "I think we ought to stay out of there, though. See? Principle of guarding."     He looks up at the tree as it expands, jumping in startled motions. "Augh! Okay, here we are-- Nnnh!" He holds his hands to his ears as the screech sounds, then stares up, listening closely. "Fragments. Shadows. Okay, we have plenty of shadows here. Try to find something fragment-like. Mental logic is unique to each person, so who knows how that will work. Try anything." The eyes closing in are intimidating, but they also define a space. He's going to search in the area bordered by their observation. He pokes at the shadows physically and non-physically. Fragments, fragments... The tree is above them, right? Maybe it's the fragments of the moonlight that shine through? He pokes and prods, trying with both physical self and his shadow to see what interactions he can have with both the shadows and the dim moonlight. He'll leave things like the eyes, or more broad-area searching, to the others. 

:'''{{#var:22|Medusa Gorgon (22)}} has posed:'''     As the four speak with the tree, the mist lifts slightly, revealing three different paths... all going in opposite directions. Who will go where? To the one leading towards the tower? Deeper into the forest? Or one leading into a cave? 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren's focused on the tablet when he bumps into a tree. He doesn't apologize or anything, simply starts to go around it... then steps back as it GROWS... and talks. "The, uh, what?" He starts to reach for the beam sword at his belt, then thinks better of it and sticks close to the others. "Nightmares? What?! If a nightmare kills us in here, do we die for real?"     More paths appear. Staren gives a long, curious look to the tower, but refuses to split the party. He sticks with Parsons. Thinking back to the journey he took inside his own mind and how quickly things changed... it would be far too easy to become lost in here. 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     Mr. Parsons looks up, examining the tree while he considers these paths. "I'm going to head to the tower." He says. "That seems more vertical, and maybe less dangerous, maybe more likely to have the sort of issues I can deal with. I can levitate, so maybe that'll be a better suited task for me. If I had to guess, the forest path might be more dangerous. I can't begin to guess what the cave path is like. Split among what suits your interests and skills, though. Remember, keep away from what the snakes warn you off of. Unless suddenly that seems like bad advice to follow. Honestly, I'm making this up as I go."     He shakes his head at Staren. "No, they'll just butcher your astral projection for parts. You'll be fine after a recovery period, it's just incredibly painful and lightly traumatizing." This is one reason why there are Psychonauts. "Let's split the group, I can pull us all out if we get too lost. Match your skills to the paths as best you can." 

:'''{{#var:22|Medusa Gorgon (22)}} has posed:'''     The different paths offer no great challenge as the four walk down them to their destinations... though the moment they arrive, they might notice that the snakes move behind them, as if making sure they do not move back on the path. Which might be tempting at this point.     THE CAVE... is a dark and musty place indeed, offering no light. And once Rhapsody enters the cave, she might be able to tell that she is not alone. But which way should she go though? The path forks, with footsteps echoing all around. Off one of the tunnels there is a brief light however, and a shadow moves upon the wall... quickly followed by another.     THE TOWER rises in front of Staren and Flamel is anything but new. Old, rickety, looking as if it's going to collapse in certain places... it's not a marvel of architecture, that's for sure. Further up in the tower a lone violin can be heard... and the door swings open, revealing stairs that go up. It's a long climb, but eventually the two will find themselves in what appears to be a dungeon... a lantern shines upon the wall, reflecting a shadowy figure that climbs up the wall.     THE FOREST seems even darker where Lima is set to walk. It's also near silent, save for the cries of a murder of crows that circles above him. Eventually though he will find himself in a clearing... and behold, what is there? The skeleton from before. Though this time it's standing on its own. 

:'''{{#var:325|Rhapsody (325)}} has posed:'''     "Well, in that case, I'll head for the cave and follow the cliches I hear so many worlds have of dragons. Sleep in caves, kidnap virgins, hoard gold..." pause. "Eeeh heh.. some of them are kind of accurate. Ah well! Be careful, everyone!" A wave is given with one front limb and then Rhapsody wanders off down the path toward the cave, at a nice swift pace. Why? Well, the tree was spooking her, the -dark- was really starting to spook her, and all she wanted to do is blast some fire and not have to worry about the dark because. . . DARK. No more dark please.     Her wish is not granted. As she approaches the cave, she has to shift back to her bipedal form, take a moment to focus, and conjures a light orb of flame that hovers up from her open her hand and starts to lead a bit ahead of her. IT DOES NOTHING FOR HER. Fear levels are rising, slowly, and the echoing steps and moving shadows are starting to cause memories of her own to surface that she does NOT need to think about right now.. "he's not here, he's not here, he's not here, he's not here.." 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     "Good to know..." Staren says dryly, and a bit nervously, after Parsons explains what happens if you die here. "Looks like there's only three ways now..." The tower was the most interesting and Parsons is going there, so... yeah. "Huh. Does music mean anything?" And then there's a shadowy figure... "Hey! WHo's there?" Staren calls. 

:'''{{#var:945|Lima Ultimos (945)}} has posed:''' Lima Ultimos splits off on his own, down the forst in a random direction. "We be meeting back up later, mateys!" He wanders into the woods, looking up at the crows that circle him, as he whistles and twirls his sword. Eventually, he reaches a clearing...and sees a familiar face. "Skeleton! It be good to see ye be safe! Our introduction got interrupted before, so let's be starting over. I be Lima Ultimos, the Revenant Spaniard, captain of the Coma Navaja. What be ye name?" He reaches out his free hand to, once again shake the hand of the skeleton. 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     Following the path in a drifting way, Mr. Parsons reaches and enters the tower. "Music is a marker here, I think. Remember that grammophone? Keep an eye out. Someone might be playing it... It could be her mental image of someone she knows, an abstract concept personified in her mind, or just another recording. It's a good flagpole, we just don't know the flag yet. Let's head up."     And they do! Finding the strange dungeon, and its shadow... "Oh. Here's the shadow we were told about. Now we just have to see the... Fragment." He approaches cautiously. "Hello?" He calls, softly, to the shadow. He's going to see if there's a response. If there isn't, he's going to investigate that latern... He's going to see what the latern's about. Is it like the orb he poked at before? What IS it, really? It seems important... 

:'''{{#var:22|Medusa Gorgon (22)}} has posed:'''     In the CAVE Rhapsody will be able to see some more with the conjured flame orb, and this causes more shadows to be cast on the walls, flickering as the flame does. The further in she walks into the cave, the foot steps can be heard behind her, and a deep male voice speaks up.     "... you will pay for what you did!"     Behind her stands a man made entirely of dark purple smoke, the wispy tendrils rising from him like steam. Without hesitation he charges at her, a long sword made of the same smoke appearing in his hand as he swings it at Rhapsody!     In the TOWER the shadow doesn't wait for Staren, instead it keeps on crawling the wall. The lantern that Flamel picks up luckily doesn't shatter like the orb of light he poked earlier, and its light is cast on the other walls, revealing more shadows... including a larger shadow suddenly leaps from the wall towards them, letting out a piercing shriek!     The meeting in the FOREST is watched by several eyes that peer at Lima as he approaches the skeleton. And while the skeleton still doesn't reply, this time it does move. The bones on its right arm rises slowly towards the captain... its bony fingers reaching out for him. 

:'''{{#var:325|Rhapsody (325)}} has posed:'''     And from down deep in the cave there comes a -shriek-. It's extremely likely that came out in the real world too. Just on reflex, Rhapsody reaches for one of her spellblades, not caring which one she takes hold of, and slashes in the direction of the blade coming toward her, trying to knock it away. "I didn't do anything!" she calls out, frantic, backpedaling regardless of the result of the swordswing. 

:'''{{#var:945|Lima Ultimos (945)}} has posed:''' Acceptance! The skeleton has truly accepted Lima Ultimos! He grins brightly, and as it reaches its arm out towards him, Lima Ultimos moves to grip the skeleton's hand tightly. "Ye be a good matey! I know ye be a figment of the mind, but I be thinking. Would ye like to be getting out of here, and join me pirate crew? We can always be using good sailor material like ye there!" He has no idea what might actually be in store for him. 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     "Unresponsive. Might not be ideas? Maybe it's not supposed to interact with the outside. We could be looking at memories, possibly. There's more here or it's-- AUGH!!" He tosses the lantern to one side, hoping that "de-illuminating" the shadow will make it stop, catching it in a translucent telekinetic hand that's suddenly nearby. But whether or not it does, it frees up his hand for him to plant both on his hands on his temples, and pulse out a thick shield. "AAAAH!!" Very caught off-guard. "Who are you!! Who do you work for!!" That second one is called out more by instinct than due to any particular assumption that the shadow works for anyone. He's going to focus on defense first, and let Staren handle any offense, functioning as a tank due to his work in mental defense, and the fact that he accidentally drew aggro first. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     The lantern MAKES shadows, and one attacks! Staren dives out of the way, drawing his laser pistol and standing, but he second-guesses whether fighting in Medusa's mind is a good idea before he pulls the trigger. If the shadow doesn't go away, he keeps the gun trained on it now. "Nothing to say? If you can understand us, no sudden moves." He'll shoot if it leaps at them again. 

:'''{{#var:22|Medusa Gorgon (22)}} has posed:'''     Blades clash, with Rhapsody's spellblade pushing the shadow man further back.     "I... I trusted you, and this is how you repay me, you bitch?!"     Again he lunges, this time letting out a scream that echoes in the cave. And now he's putting all of his force into the slash, bringing both his arms overhead as he seeks to bring his shadowy blade down upon Rhapsody with all of his might and fury.     Silence is the entire response that Lima gets for now, and the skeleton moves closer to him. All before it yanks on his arm, moving to swing him around! The skeleton's left arm reaches out in the opposite direction... all while the wind blows in some deep tones that rise throughout the clearing, the moonlight shining down on the small area around Lima and the skeleton.     Sadly it doesn't seem that dropping the shadow causes the shadow to disappear into the darkness again, and it /shrieks/ against the thick shield that Flamel creates. Its massive maw opens, thick mist coming out of its mouth as it tries to gnaw through the shield, its claws digging in. It's easy enough to shoot it like this, and the laser pistol pierces through the shadowy figure, causing it to crack... and disintegrate with a banshee like wail that causes the tower to shake around them, dust falling from the ceiling high above.     A fragment of light is left behind, and the light fills the room. Again there are shadows upon the wall, but none of the ones left from before. Instead a grim visage unfolds. A lone, muscular shadow, struggling against chains that bind its arms as it throws its head back in a mighty scream... all before it all twists and turns into a twisted elongated blade that seems to be dripping.     After some seconds the shadow puppetry fades, leaving behind a small ball of light that settles into Staren's hands. 

:'''{{#var:325|Rhapsody (325)}} has posed:'''     The swords clash, Rhapsody's trek backward continues, and as she goes the second blade is pulled free. The problem with her current state is that she's in a panic, she's forgotten this is a mindscape, and she has someone bearing down on her, in a deep dark cave, and it's only stirring things she hadn't recalled in years. As the blade comes crashing down, the dragon stumbles, ends up dropping one of the blades, and just scrambles away from the spectre, wanting to put nothing but distance between herself and him. Problem is, he was blocking the way out.     The scrambling ends up putting her near a wall, and being cornered is the one place she needs to -not- be. She spins around, back pressing against the wall, the other spellblade clatters to the ground, but in her desperate state of mind, she does the only thing one may expect of a cornered dragon. There's a breath, and then there's a massive blast of white, fire-like energy pouring out of her at the purple swordsman. 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     "AaaaaAAAAAH!!" Flamel's shield crunches and shining bruises show on his body where the damage seeps through from the teeth that grind on his shield, crunching into layers and layers. Thank goodness that Staren backs him up quickly, letting him disperse it without too much issue and rub the bruises where they built on his torso. "What an awful thing. Fascinating! Looks like a high-stress memory of some kind. I think something about this can contribute to re-transitioning towards the hospital level."     He looks on with a sort of horrified fascination. He loves any insight he can get into his allies, even if the obvious pain and stress surrounding it intimidates him badly. His eyes are wide as he watches the shadow. He knows, roughly, a few things about Medusa's world... Why does she have these fragments of memory? Memories of... Torture? Hmmm.     "Hey, Staren. Let's head back down, towards the tree. The others will probably be done soon." He drifts up off the ground again, pulling the latern back to him for use as a light on the walk back. "I can hear screaming on the radio, so, they're probably fine." 

:'''{{#var:945|Lima Ultimos (945)}} has posed:''' That is not how you return a handshake! Lima Ultimos is sent spinning behind the skeleton, being tossed around due to his complete surprise and lack of preparation for this. "Wait, skeleton, please be letting me go, we be supposed to be friends!" Obviously, this is probably not going to work. Luckily, Lima Ultimos knows, from past experience, exactly how to befriend people. You cut off their body parts! With his sword in hand, he moves to slice it straight through the skeleton's arm, the one that is tossing him around. The blade is magical, and rots whatever it touches, attempting to seep through the mindbone and rot it away. This may or may not be a terrible idea. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren blasts the shadow, and his ears splay at the unpleasant banshee-like wailing.     There's clearly some symbolism here, about a strong but bound entity and a bloody sword, but damn if he knows what it is. What happens next is much clearer! He smiles, holsters his gun, and holds the light up with both hands like a videogame character. "We found a fragment!"     In high spirits now, he keeps the fragment clenched in one hand as he makes his way back to the fork. "So, mindscapes don't usually generate puzzles or fetch quests like this?" 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     "Oh, they actually tend to." Mr. Parsons says, as he drifts back. "Depends on your goal. But people have different motivations and ideas, and they all fit together in strange deadlocks. Ideas have ideas about how to get around their competitors, memories are useful tools in broad ways... Sometimes there's fetching memories or concepts, or sometimes there aren't. It's all up to how much your mind turns in on itself about these sorts of things." 

:'''{{#var:22|Medusa Gorgon (22)}} has posed:'''     The shadowy man chases Rhapsody, moving with a speed that few can hope to match. "Stay and fight me, snake!" he yells, his words amplified within the narrow corridor of the cave. Soon he's got her cornered, though there's no glee in his voice. "Finally... I shall right all the wrongs...! And make amends for what I did!"     Sadly he doesn't get the chance to swing his blade at Rhapsody as he is engulfed in flames, screaming in pain as the fires burn his shadowy limbs. And burn he does, burn until nothing is left... that is, a small fragment of life that seemed to be stuck inside him. Fear not Rhapsody, the light chases away the darkness, save for two shadows upon the wall as they move. A kneeling man, and a hooded figure that walks towards him with sword in hand... all before said sword is thrust right through his chest as he coughs up blood and falls over. As the shadow puppetry ends this fragment too seeks out Rhapsody's hands, offering her light as she sees the exit to the cave nearby.     Strangely enough the skeleton isn't about to let go of Lima's hand, and it turns towards him again, moving with calculated ease despite its lack of muscles and tendons. At least until the arm is cut off and lands on the ground. Immediately the wind stops, and the skeleton turns its empty eyesockets down onto the ground. Then it crouches down and picks up the arm, which does not rot for some reason. Instead it reaches one hand out towards Lima again, more insistently in its body language... and this time the wind blows through the leaves on the old, rotting trees... like haunting flutes. 

:'''{{#var:325|Rhapsody (325)}} has posed:'''     The blast of energy took a lot out of Rhaps. Mostly because she put a hell of a lot into it. When the fires fade she's already sitting against the wall of the cave, a bit of a mental wreck. She at least manages to glance up, catch the shadows on the wall. A quiet wince slips from her as the scene plays out. When the light finds her hands, though, she clutches onto it like a life line. At least until she realizes that it keeps any light from it from escaping. "Time to go.." she whispers, wimpers? Doesn't matter. She gets up, collects her blades, and walks right the heck out at a -very- brisk pace. Back to the tree? Sure. Why not. 

:'''{{#var:945|Lima Ultimos (945)}} has posed:''' It's come to this. The skeleton refuses to be a friend. Lima Ultimos must fight it. He doesn't want to kill it, but he might have to. (He doesn't entirely realize that it's already dead.) "Ye leave me no choice...engarde!" The pirate captain rushes forward with his blade, moving to parry that arm away. It'll begin swordfighting, if the arm could be considered a sword. And as he closes in, Lima Ultimos will move to impale his sword, Corpserot, straight into the skeleton's torso...and pull upwards in an attempt to cleave through this. "I be sorry about this!" Though, if this doesn't work and it keeps moving, he's going to instead pull his sword out and /run the hell away/. 

:'''{{#var:22|Medusa Gorgon (22)}} has posed:'''     The skeleton's arm gets pushed away, and said skeleton stands still even as Lima closes in, seeking to stab his sword into the bony character's chest. Sadly though, it doesn't seem like the skeleton has such ideas today.     A sudden mist overtakes Lima where he stands, wrapping itself around his limbs by force. What trickery is this? It keeps him place, even as the skeleton moves even closer, its white fingers reaching out towards him... and takes his hands in its own.     The wind rises, all while the skeleton swings Lima to the side again... as it begins to waltz with him, a shimmering light starting to rise from the skeleton's chest.     Across the ground a shadow is cast, and Lima might catch a glimpse of it all as the skeleton swings him around. A man and a woman dancing, though the woman's silouette looks rather sinister as tendrils escape from her shadowy form.     And as the mist that controls Lima dies down... so does the skeleton as its bones turn into dust, leaving only the last fragment of life there. 

:'''{{#var:945|Lima Ultimos (945)}} has posed:''' Even when he tries to stab the skeleton, it fails. Lima Ultimos is starting to get worried. How powerful is this enemy? It's even locking his limbs in- And then he realizes, that this is not an enemy. It had no malevolent tendencies. It's a dancer. As it forces the waltz, he no longer tries to resist. He was wrong, and behaved incredibly rudely. His sword drops to the ground, as he finishes that skeleton's last dance. The shadow glimmers against the ground, that of a man and a sinister woman. It all makes so much sense. But then, it all fades away. The mist falls, and the skeleton crumbles. All that is left is a fragment, and dust. He scoops up a handful of dust, retrieves and sheathes his sword, and then takes the fragment into his hand. He looks over the dust, and speaks. His accent's gone as he does so, no longer a weird pirate accent, but that of a Spanish man. "I'm sorry, tiny dancer, for my rudeness. May you rest in peace." And then, Lima Ultimos returns to the crossroads, with the fragment and the dust. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Somehow, Staren's not surprised at Flamel's assertion. It feels right somehow, after seeing Sburb. He simply nods as they make their way back to the fork. 

:'''{{#var:22|Medusa Gorgon (22)}} has posed:'''     As the four gather back at the looming tree with many eyes, it appears it has been waiting for them as it leans forward with a creaking sound as it blinks, one yellow eye after the other.     < You... brought them.>     With that the tree reaches out from some of its branches, picking up the fragments... or rather, the fragments drift towards the tree. A soft hum escapes them as the tree pushes them together, and they become one larger orb of light that shines brilliantly, giving some light to the dark crossroads.     < I... will... not have to... destroy you after all... >     Without warning the tree rises again, blocking out the moon as it turns its attention on the constructed orb. Another creak can be heard as the tree shifts more, a twisted mouth opening with sharp teeth dripping with saliva. Slowly, carefully, the tree pushes the orb into its mouth, all while the orb lets out a piercing scream, even as the tree closes its mouth and the orb disappears along with the scream.     Immediately afterwards the tree turns its many eyed gaze down on the four.     < ... you were quite lucky. >     Slowly the forest around them starts to shake and rumble, as if a massive earthquake threatens to tear it all apart. But before that happens it all turns bright...     Once again the soft music of a grammophone can be heard, the gentle sunlight streams in through the windows as they find themselves once more in the hospital. And this time, the orb of light rises higher up underneath the tall ceiling. 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     Mr. Parsons watches with both fascination and horror as the tree assembles some kind of memory amalgamation, and then devours it. His face twists with both of them roughly equally and in oscillation. When it's over, he settles on fascination as best he can, pushing the horror down a little.The ground rumbles and he thanks goodness in general for his levbitation. And then, back to the hospital! BAck away from the orb of light. He gives it some distance, gritting his teeth awkwardly.     "Well!" He says. "That was a terrifying excursion. So, that's what Ms. Gorgon's mind is like." He says, and then, with a snap, there's a light tug on the mind, like the tug that pulled their astral projections out of their body. "I think that's more than enough for one session. Ms. Gorgon should decide how much more exploration she wants done into that... tree. In the meantime, finish up anything you need to, then eject with me." That means save your recording file, Staren. Once everything's all done, he plants his fingers on his temples one last time, glows brightly, and snaps the group right back into their bodies, the door on Medusa's forehead snapping open one more time in a sudden popping noise and disgorging a small swarm of bright white shades into their bodies.     The proper ones. No getting to be a dragon today, Lima. 

:'''{{#var:325|Rhapsody (325)}} has posed:'''     The little fragment is offered up. As it goes, Rhapsody marches right over to Flamel and waits, rather expectantly, to get out. It's a little strange to watch the tree DEVOUR the light-balloon, and as a result it returns them all to the hospital hallway. A bit of a look is given the light bubble, then the others, before she murmurs, "Izzet Lesson #1. Don't poke things you don't understand." That's all she has to say about -that- excursion while waiting to head back to her body.     And just like that? Back in her body! YAY. A glance around the room is given, but her gaze says it all when it settles on the nurse in the room. Is she even in the room? If she is, her gaze basically says it all. Why weren't you saying anything?! 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     The orb is screaming as it's eaten. That's certainly messed up, but Staren's not going to intervene for a mental figment in Medusa's mind.     And they're back in the hospital. "DON'T POKE THE LIGHT." Staren warns, watching the others.     But it's time to go. Staren looks at Flamel curiously. "So... how do I send the recording outside?" Once that's explained, they're back! "Where do you want me to send the recordings?" he asks Medusa. 

:'''{{#var:22|Medusa Gorgon (22)}} has posed:'''     Once the four are out of the mindscape, Medusa sits up straighter in her chair, opening her eyes as she reaches a hand up to rub at her temple. "This was... different," she offers. Behind her Crona looks passively at the figures as they return fully to their bodies again.     Slowly the witch glances towards Staren, all while her pupils go slightly slitted for a mere moment. "Send a copy of them here... to my office. And I will look at it later. I'm not sure exactly what you saw in my mind, but I /am/ curious." 

:'''{{#var:1094|Flamel Parsons (1094)}} has posed:'''     "First time is always strange. You probably want to stay unfamiliar with it, honestly." Flamel says, awkwardly shifting his hands around. He plants a pair of fingers on one temple and draws his Psycho-Portal back to his own hand. "Informative, though, I'll hope. It should give you a good idea of what a Psychonaut is, and a little more of what you are." 

:'''{{#var:325|Rhapsody (325)}} has posed:'''     Peeeeeeeer. Sigh. The dragon offers a nod to everyone, "That was... Unique. I think I'm going to.. .. something.." she trails off. That was maybe a little more intense than expected, but make no mistake, she wasn't going to hold it against Medusa at all. From the way Flamel described it, it's not something that's consciously controlled. "Have a good night.." she finally manages to add on before she shows herself out. 
}}

5031/Punny Moments

2017-01-20T12:05:58Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/01/19 |Location=Avatar World <AW> |Synopsis=The masters of pun meet at long last. |Cast of Characters=20, 1076, 127 |pretty=yes }} {{Poses |Po..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/01/19
|Location=Avatar World <AW>
|Synopsis=The masters of pun meet at long last.
|Cast of Characters=20, 1076, 127
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The Northern Earth Kingdom is a bit chilly, but still warmer than the South Pole ever was. It's easy enough to get there with the warp gates, and Toph seems to know exactly where she's going as she leads Sokka to someplace that she's sure he'll enjoy. Especially since she kinda hyped it for him. A place like Earth Rumble VI. But /bigger/.     It's a large set of caverns, a place that this coastal village seems to place a lot of pride in as it draws in lots of people, both to fight for honour, glory and money as well as people coming to watch. Toph leads Sokka past the ticket salesmen, and she leads him inside the caverns. There are benders posing along with fans, and it seems like there's something unique here; benders fight on a team together, two and two in a pair. And there are lots of them, just not big buff guys like there was at Earth Rumble VI save for Toph.     "Okay, we can wait here for Kilik and the twins to arrive, and then we can all go buy some snacks." Better not tell him about the betting offices further down the hall... The blind girl does let out a slight sigh. "Kilik used to be in the Feds, but... he's a nice guy. We fought a few times, but no hard feelings. Kinda funny, some people thought him and I were dating even though we're just buddies," she snorts. "I think you two might get along great." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka chuckled, "Because we're nice guys? Wait, they do teams here?" he said, his eyes going wide. Then blinked. "Oh. Wait. Benders only, right?" he said, giving a sigh. At least earth rumble was earth benders ONLY. Wasn't benders only. Oh well. He grinned and of course got them some squirt beetle gummies and a bag of candied floornuts. They're like walnuts, but bigger and tougher. He of course went for the seats RIGHT IN THE ACTION! Because when would sokka let the chance of flying boulders smashing him stop him from getting a front row seat of people getting pummeled into oblivion. He'd then glance to her. "Hey, if you say he's a good guy, I'm sure I'll like him. And well, if he doesn't like me, I can just hit him with boomerang until he does," he said with a snicker. 

:'''{{#var:127|Kirikou (127)}} has posed:'''     Takes a bit of time for Kirikou to show up, but show up he does. Most of the time was spent arranging transportation and actually getting to the site, since he doesn't typically go around with something appropriate to this universe. Not that he minds standing out, when the need for it occurs at least, but he tends to try to adapt himself to his surroundings when he has the time to try.     Of course once he actually GETS to the underground fighting ring, the rest goes quickly enough. He shows up, one of the twins holding each of his arms, navigating them through the crowd to the seats that were presumably reserved. Or failing that, he just lets the Twins push their way through to Toph. They like Toph, and while a lot of the crowd might take offense at Kirikou, they're a lot less likely to take offense at some sweet-looking children. even if those children have rather creepy wide-mouthed grins.     "Yo, dirtbender!" Kirikou finally calls out. He takes in her companion too, looking him up and down but seeming affable enough about it. "Wanna introduce us? Don't forget the Twins!" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "No, you and Kilik have the same type of humour," Toph points out. Better prepare for all the puns...     "It's set teams only, yeah. And you can't have the same type of benders on the same team. Like two waterbenders." Man, did that give her a headache. "I actually went here last year right after it first opened up, looking for metalbending students. But I didn't find any here," she snorts, crossing her arms across her chest.     "If he doesn't like you, then that's his problem." So there.     And soon enough Toph perks up, turning her head a bit as Kilik and the Twins approach. "Heeey, Gloves! Kids!" The blind girl waes in greeting, then crouches down, extending her arms for the two blonde children so she can actually hug them. Though she does stand up when Kilik asks for her to introduce them. "Well, I thought it was kinda obvious... Sokka, this is Kilik, he's a meister, these are Fire and Thunder, she adds, pointing to the twins one after another. "They're shamans, kinda in touch with the earth, and they're also Kilik's weapon partners. Also, they can't talk for some reason." Toph never asked, kinda like how people shouldn't ask her why she's blind. They're mute, so what? After that she gestures to Sokka. "Gloves, kids... this is Sokka." Pause. "My boyfriend. His sister was the Avatar's waterbending master."     With that said she will let them interact and greet each other before she drags them all off to get snacks and get to their seats. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka grinned wide. Yes. Thunder and FIRE? Oh gosh. He glanced to Fire. "Welp, you must be the hot one then." Then to thunder. "And you must be the sparky, loud one, right? I bet this'll be a shocking encounter, but I'll try not to get burned." Wink. "So, you're his weapons? Does your hair like... connect together and he wield you like numchucks or something?" he asked with a chuckle. He then glanced to Kilik. "Nice to meet you, Kilik. So, why she call you gloves?" He held out his hand to shake, at least, that big dorky grin on his face. Which got wider. "Toph tells me people used to think you two dated. I hope you don't still have your... eye, on her." .... Yes. Yes he had to. 

:'''{{#var:127|Kirikou (127)}} has posed:'''     Kirikou laughs uproariously. "You have a BOYFRIEND, Dirtbender?" he chortles. This is totally rich. He figured something of the sort based on what was said on the radio, and... well okay, Toph's growing up and is actually not too far off the cute scale. But he still had a hard time picturing it, and definitely figured it'd be worth ribbing the girl over.     While the Twins greet Toph enthusiastically, Kilik checks Sokka out. It's a casual look. There's no obvious jealousy or hostility there, which is probably a good thing. "Fire's the hot one, yeah." he agrees. Fire just glowers. "Shockingly, Thunder's not loud at all." he grins. And the other twin smiles. The smile is silent, and juuuust a little creepy. "They're pots. No, not Potts. Don't ask. Until you see it, you really won't believe it." he says. "As to why she calls me gloves? 'Cause I punch things." he explains playfully. He disdains Sokka's handshake good-naturedly, instead bringing his hand up and his knuckles around the other side to tap Sokka's. One warrior to another.     "She told you that huh?" Kirikou grins wickedly. "Maybe you should ask if I got my gloves on her!" he chortles. "Which I did, once or twice, but only when we were fighting... Really man, I kinda prefer girls. Know what I mean?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Pardon Toph for blushing just slightly when Kilik sounds surprised. "Yeah, so what if I do? I mean, if you work at it you might be able to snag yourself a boyfriend too." Oh yes, she will rise to your challenge, buddy!     As expected the two boys are both punning it away, and she listens as the two interact. Perhaps a reason why she doesn't find the Twins creepy are because she can't see their expressions. "Yeah, I told him because it's hilarious." Of course Kilik touched her a few times as he did punch her. At that Toph sticks her tongue out at Kilik. "I'm still in the lead though. And hey, it's not my fault that I'm more macho than you." With that said she reaches out to take Sokka by the arm, hauling him off. "Let's grab some snacks, you can babble more between the matches!"     It doesn't take long for the teens and kids to get their snacks, and Toph leads them to their seats, which is pretty close to the area. Of course she sits down next to Sokka, getting comfy. "If any elements come our way I'll deal with them," she promises the others. There's enough earth here for her to bend for defense. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka grinned even wider. "Ohhhhh, the fist bump, nice!" he said with a chuckle. "So, you like to punch things, huh? I've been known to delve into that a few times myself. Ohhh, I'm guessing Fire has a bit of a hot head, huh. Well, don't worry, Toph's hot headed and she got someone like me." Pause. "Okay, worry a bit." "And nah. If you put her gloves on her, I'm sure I'd have heard of it. And you'd probably still be walking with a limp. And I don't know." He pulled Toph in close, arm around her shoulder. "I know she doesn't always act it, but under this tough, rocky exterior is a beautiful young maiden just waiting to burst free. I wake up every morning thankful I got such a wonderful girl to fall for me." He then gave her a little kiss on the cheek. "I know, dear. And if any boomerangs come this way, I'll keep you safe no matter what, okay?" he said with a big grin. 

:'''{{#var:127|Kirikou (127)}} has posed:'''     Kilik doesn't seem offended by Toph's claim, and instead escalates. "More macho than me? You're more macho than most sports teams!" he replies. He allows himself to be dragged along, being kind of used to it thanks to his everpresent minions. And it affords him some opportunities along the way!     He digs in a jacket pocket, pulling out a pair of shades, and pushing them onto Toph's face. Or at her face anyways. "Got TWO eyes on you now!" he crows. "Hell I was walking with a limp for days after I first met her, you know? She broke my ankle. We kinda got off on the wrong foot. But then we stole candy together so it kinda worked out, ya know?"     A pause. "As friends, I guess. Never figured her for anything else. Maybe you're okay mining that exterior. If I wanted to mine for nuggets though, I'd start picking my nose. That's more her thing though, not mine. So I guess you're also her type?" he says. Another pause. "Actually... huh. You know, I never figured Toph's type was athletic and dark-skinned. Maybe she's with you because I'm off the market, huh?" he smirks. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The glasses are of course pushed away, and Toph frowns a bit. "Hey, no need to put anything up in my face!" she snorts. No thank you! At least she's easily cheered up again by reminiscing about previous fights. "Man, I got you good that time, didn't I?" Toph grins. Not that he didn't knock her off of her feet during that fight, of course... it was quite rough, and ended with the both of them in the hospital. But hey, that's tournaments.     As Sokka wraps that arm around her shoulders she does lean into him a little, cheeks slightly red from the silly words that escape Sokka's mouth. Though she doesn't say anything to protest them, even if she grumbles just slightly.     As for her type... "News flash, Gloves... I don't care what people look like. Sokka's my best friend, we've kicked ass together, I like him... if you wanna call that my type, then whatever." Though what Kilik says next does make Toph turn her head slightly as she puts some of her candy into Sokka's lap. "Wait... you /do/ have a boyfriend, Gloves?" she asks, listening intently. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka snickered, nodding. "Oh yeah. She ever tell you about the time she took down the ENTIRE earth kingdom rumble earth benders all by herself? It was one of the most AWESOME things I'd EVER seen." Ohhhh, he liked this guy. "Oh yeah, she does that. You gotta make sure to step lightly around her sometimes. And stealing candy? Is it the return of the runaway? She ever tell you about the scams we used to pull in the fire nation?" He then glanced down to his skin. He wasn't THAT pale, was he? Tanned, a bit? Maybe? "Nah, she just likes guys who are funny. Oh, and who can kick ass. So sadly you never had a shot." Yes. He was throwing down the glove. Then blinked. "Wait, you're a guy, aren't you?" 

:'''{{#var:127|Kirikou (127)}} has posed:'''     Okay that's a bit grating. "I'm not interested in boys, Dirtbender." he says, tucking his shades away. It was a good joke attempt, but ... nah. "Figured you'd know that since I didn't have the hots for ya!" he explains. As for a girlfriend... well, hopefully he doesn't have to answer that. "Guys who are funny and kick ass? Yeah, like I said. Well, maybe she figured I was off the market because I treat her like I would a brother." he teases. Fair is fair right?     "And of course I'm a guy." he glowers. Perhaps he should explain. "Now, I like a girl who can kick some ass, sure. But my TYPE's a girl who's got at least a little sweetness to her, know what I mean? Maybe some brains too?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Down in the ring the announcer begins his spiel, welcoming people to the arena and to enjoy tonight's fights. It appears that there are a lot of fights lined up for tonight, with several teams fighting to get a spot in an upcoming tournament. First off there's two female teams, both consisting of one firebender and one earthbender.     "You said you were off the market, Gloves... /do/ you have anybody you like then?" Toph asks, even as she leans into Sokka and gets comfortable. This... isn't a bad way to enjoy some fighting, really.     "We kinda went nabbing candy from the nurses at the hospital we were in, Sokka," she explains. "I do think I told you about all those things Sokka and I did. Didn't I?" she asks Kilik, only to snicker when Sokka questions the meister's gender. "I'm not really sure if Gloves looks like a girl..." For now she doesn't take offense at Kilik's comments. Mostly because she's not concerned with being sweet. If he thinks she doesn't have brains to her, well... too bad for Kilik! 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka glances down to Toph. Then snorted. He gently noogied her. "Oh, Toph's got plenty of sweetness to her, and lots of brains. One of the smartest, most talented girls I know." He leaned in and gave her a little kiss on the cheek. There was nothing but pure adoration to his voice, every word the truth. It was at least obvious he really liked her. Then he said that. "Hmmmm?" He glanced over."Oh, trust me, she doesn't let something like that stop her. And well..." He eyed kilik a bit. ".... Maybe a little bit. I doubt many would think he was, though." And then... "OH YEAH! PUT THE HURT IN THE DIRT! THE QUAKE IN THEIR WAKE! BURN THEM DOWWWWWWN!" Okay, so he got into it a little bit and was now jumping a bit. 

:'''{{#var:127|Kirikou (127)}} has posed:'''     Of course Kilik's also attracted to the type of girl it's possible to save once in a while. Part of being a man, right? But saying so would make him a chauvenistic asshole, and to be fair he doesn't even consider that an obvious factor. He might be an asshole on occasion, but Kirikou's not a chauvenist.     "'Course there's girls I like, Dirtbender. Aren't you paying attention?" he teases. But a special girl? He gets a bit of a look on his face. Kind of wistful.     "You mentioned your avataring a few times." Kirikou nods. Then he looks over at Sokka, snorting at the yelling as much as his overly-oogieness. Then he starts up, standing and shouting. "Don't just sit there like a rock! Shake, rattle and roll if you gotta!" he yells, pumping his fists into the air. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The kiss to the cheek isn't protested, and Toph blushes slightly as she cants her head against Sokka's. By now she's getting used to him talking like that, and judging by her expression she doesn't mind it. Instead she turns her head to kiss his cheek in return. "I /am/ the greatest earthbender of all time, after all." Who cares about being sweet or smart when you can kick ass?     Likewise it appears that Toph doesn't get surprised when Sokka yells out loud to cheer for the fighters as the two teams get fighting, earth and fire flying back and forth down in the arena. By the looks of it it's a one sided match, as one of the teams has far better team work. Sure the other team is strong, but they don't work as well together, their elements clashing a bit as they unleash their attacks. In contrast the other team, a bit younger than the others, coordinate their attacks and seem to have a good flow going. At least it's not a boring fight, and both teams are clearly pushing themselves.     Through all of this Toph does arch an eyebrow, even as she picks up some snacks and pops them into her mouth. "So... who's the lucky girl then, Gloves? Do I know her?" Toph inquires with a slight song song quality to her voice, and a shit eating grin on her face. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka is too busy watching the match now. "Oh, come on! Work on some defense! You've got the fire girl there, try blocking some of those stones instead of just sending your own! You're supposed to be a team! This isn't what team work is!" He shook his head. "I've seen ardvark bears with more coordination!" he yelled, making giving up gestures. See, if he wasn't like... in front stage this probably wouldn't be so annoying for them. But they were RIGHT BY the stands. Hey, at least if anything happened Toph could show them some REAL defense! 

:'''{{#var:127|Kirikou (127)}} has posed:'''     "Gonna get a rock to the head if you keep it up, dude." Kirikou notes affably. Then he shakes his head. What nonsense is Toph going on about? He's about to deny everything, but... well, he knows she can tell when someone's lying to her. Hell, for all he knows all girls can do that, and he's not really that big on lying anyways. So instead he just laughs.     "Hell naw, I ain't telling you anything like that!" he insists. "MAAAYBE you know her. I'll tell you she's badass, utterly ruthless with her enemies, but kind and gentle with innocents and with her friends." he says affectionately. Cute too, but that kind of goes without saying, particularly to the blind. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     It's good that Sokka is enjoying the show so far, and Toph can't help but smile a little where she sits. "What do you expect, though?" she says without raising her voice, "it's not like they're used to fighting that much." Not like she is, at least. Heck, they wouldn't even last three seconds against her on her own. But she'll spare her friends any commentary she might have on the fighting prowess on the people in the areana tonight. They're here to have fun and to relax, right?     "I call dibs on throwing rocks at Sokka's head for now," Toph snorts. If anybody sends them at his head, then they'll have to deal with her instead. Though Toph does look rather amused when Kilik doesn't deny that there is a special girl out there. So she /does/ know her, huh? "Sooo... one of your previous Fed friends?" Toph pushes, clearly curious. Anything to get info to tease Kilik about!     The younger team are clearly in the lead now, earning themselves point after point until the judge blows the whistle, ending the match after some minutes. "Team Eruption wins!" 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka lifted a fist into the air. "YEAHHHHH! ERUPTION BRINGING DOWN THE HURT! SMASHING THROUGH LIKE A VOLCANO!" he yelled, pumping his fist into the air, before grinning back to toph and sitting back down. "Man, it's too bad Katara isn't here. You two would SLAUGHTER this place." There was a slight twitch in his smile though, after he said that. His gaze lowered just a bit, that smile faded just a smidge. "The earth kingdom ones are better, though. The fighters were a lot more intense there." 

:'''{{#var:127|Kirikou (127)}} has posed:'''     "You're the rock-throwing expert." Kirikou says. The Twins, meanwhile, break into a cheerleading segment. They start waving their hands in the air, swaying side to side in synchronization, kicking their legs and cheering with silent, open-mouthed roars.     Kilik's amused, which makes Toph's needling a bit annoying. "It's not like that." he complains. "Sure, she was a Fed. And we were friends, yeah. We sometimes hung out after work, when it got tasteless or rough. That's all." he says. More, they had to unwind after their mission companions became too bloodthirsty or uncaring. It happened often enough. "She probably has a lover. I dunno. She joined the Concord." he grumbles. Seems he's lost some interest in the fight, not to mention his good mood. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Ooooh, her and Katara? "Oh yeah, me and Sugar Queen would own every one of these little noobs," Toph snickers. With two bending masters, each incredibly strong and with proper experience? The others wouldn't stand a chance! "And for your information Sokka, we're still in the Earth Kingdom. Just in the north. Earth Rumble VI is in the south where I grew up."     "So she's not in the same faction as you now..." It's easy enough to tell from the grumble that Kilik lets out. "Tell you what, drag her out sometime and we could go on a double date or something," Toph says with a shrug, then reaches up with some snacks with the intent to pop them into Sokka's mouth. "If you're friends, then at least you can hang out together. And what makes you think she already has a boyfriend?" 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded nd then glanced over. "Hey, if you like her, tell her. Worst comes to worst, she doesn't like you and then, boom, you're over with it. Sure, it'll hurt, but at least you'll know and won't be pining, right? Or you can just mope after her for years and then, when she gets an actual boyfriend, mope even worse because you lost your chance." And then Toph feeds him and he blushed, grinning. "See? Told you she's sweet. Just need to make yourself worth the effort to her," he joked, before leaning down and giving her ear just the tiniest little nibble. Yes, he'd found them to be sensitive. 

:'''{{#var:127|Kirikou (127)}} has posed:'''     Sugar Queen? Heh. Kilik listens, even if he's not really in a mood to discuss his love life. Or lack of it. Then suddenly, "Huhwha?" he exclaims. "We're not dating or anything! We're just ... going out for drinks, or to hang out and relax, or for food or... uh..." he pauses. "I mean, I wouldn't mind dating her I guess, but we're friends and we work well together, and if I start hitting on her she'll probably hate me!" he complains. ESPECIALLY if she has a boyfriend already. Because hey, why wouldn't she?     "I do NOT need relationship advice from you." Kilik says to Sokka, a bit sourly. "And I'd rather not get poisoned either. I don't wanna be that guy. You know, the jerk type? Damn sure she wouldn't like THAT type, and I'm cool with her liking me as buddies." he complains. Yeah, THAT type. The type who nibbles on a girl's ears without invitation, or something like that. Kirikou averts his eyes from the PDA, studying the ring as they prepare it for the next match. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Somehow it appears that Sokka's words aren't what Toph expected to hear from him, as she raises one eyebrow where she sits, leaning against his shoulder. "When did /you/ become the relationship expert?"     Not that she has a problem with that. What she does have a problem with is how Sokka decides to put his lips other places than her cheek when they're in public and in front of one of her friends. The teeth at her ear causes Toph to let out a slight 'eep', jumping just a little where she sits. "Sokka!" The protest is high pitched, and there's a faint colour to her cheeks as she punches him slightly in the side. Lowering her voice a bit she continues. "Don't do that /here/!" Because Kilik will undoubtedly see and then tease the hell of her for it.     While she recovers from her embarrassment she'll turn her attention back to Kilik, listening intently. "Sounds to me like you're very good friends at least... and eh, if you're too chicken to ask her out, your loss." Not that she knows who this girl is just yet. If she did it might be easier to assume how she would react. Though there's one word that Kilik utters that catches Toph's attention. So... there's a big hint there.     "So she deals with poisons, huh?" Not many girls like that... Just who could it be? It should be easy enough to tell that Toph's thinking and trying to figure out just who it is that Kilik has his eye on. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka shrugged. "So? Don't hit on her then. Just tell her you like her, but you're fine being friends. And if you wanna be more, then heck, you'd like it. It's easy. Sure, she might freak out a bit at first. And I never said be a jerk. If you think I'm saying be a jerk, you aren't listening. In the end, just be honest about how you feel." He then glanced down to Toph. "What? I'm GREAT at relationships. And I've never hesitated to let a girl know I liked her. Sometimes I just... have trouble realizing other girls like me," he said with a grin. Then glanced to Kilik. "Fine though. It's your life. If you'd rather just pine after her, that's your choice. But if you decide you ever wanna try and see if you can get something more. Maybe what Toph and I have, just let us know. Double dates should be fun!" And then grinned to Toph. "Ah, come on, you're just so cute when you get all red and embarrassed!" 

:'''{{#var:127|Kirikou (127)}} has posed:'''     "HEY!" Kirikou complains. "I'm NOT a coward. And you know that, Dirtbender." he adds, more than a little annoyed. Actually he figures she does know that, and she's trying to manipulate him, and that annoys him too. "And quit trying to figure out who it is. If it works out, MAYBE you'll find out. And if it doesn't... fuck it." he shrugs. He doesn't care if Toph finds out, but he surely doesn't want her going all knowing or whatever if he screws up and this is something purely one-sided. NOT that Kilik has a crush or anything. But he does like her... as friends, or as whatever.     Annoyed, Kilik abruptly lashes out verbally. "What YOU have? Oh let me guess. You're trying to claim like you made your feelings perfectly clear and she accepted them, while I'm betting Dirtbender threw you to the ground and SAT on you until you admitted you liked her!" he smirks. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Of course I'll figure it out sooner or later, Gloves. She used to be a Fed, she's on Concord now, she deals with poisons... how hard can it be?" Toph shrugs. "And don't worry, I won't tell. I've got enough stuff on my plate right now rather than trying to fix your lovelife." Getting Sokka to notice her was hard enough, damnit!     What they have is rather nice though, and Toph nods a bit. Only to elbow Sokka slightly when he says she's cute when she's blushing and all flustered. "Maybe you should eat some snacks so you talk less. Or focus on the matches," she suggests with a mock huff. The current fights aren't all that exciting for somebody who's seen Toph and Katara fight up close. Though as fire and water meet in the arena it does get a bit steamy.     Somehow Kilik's assumption about how the two ended up together makes Toph snort. "That's not how it happened at all, dunderhead." No, there's no way she's going to tell Kilik about those messy days, especially not about how she felt like an emotional wreck after confessing. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka snickered softly and shook his head. "Oh, no. I'm suggesting you do what Toph did. i had absolutely no clue she liked me. Then she kissed me and it was a wonderful little shock. I reacted poorly, of course. But then I realized I did have feelings for her. Just like she did for me, so I acted on them. The thing is, if she'd never told me, I'd have never known. She would have pined away helplessly. But she did tell me. Now we're dating. And it's freaking awesome. So, if you want what we have, be more like toph. Sure, it's probably terrifying to do that but... it's that or just being alone. Never knowing how or even if she has feelings for you. Is that really worse than knowing?" He paused and then his mood got darker, slightly "Besides. We live in a horrible area. What if she died tomorrow and you'd never let her know how you feel?" He then glanced to Toph. "I guess. But I mean, after I've fought besides you, Aang and Katara, this is kinda... meh," he said with a smile. "Besides, I could probably kick half their butts and I'm not even a bender." Hey, he'd gone up against Azula and LIVED. Not many could claim that. 

:'''{{#var:127|Kirikou (127)}} has posed:'''     How hard could it be indeed? Well okay, Kilik can't decide what might be worse... Toph discovering the truth about who he likes, or her deciding on some OTHER former Fed that joined the Concord and poisons people. Like there's much of a shortage there, honestly. Though few of them could be considered particularly kind to friends, let alone the innocent.     Fortunately Toph doesn't have to tell what happened. Sokka tells it all, or at least enough! Kirikou stares, then abruptly laughs! "Hah! Sorry man, that's just... HAH!" he laughs again, seeming genuinely amused. "She didn't throw you down, but she DID make the first move! And you're tryin' to make sure I'm not bein' a dumbass." Kilik grins, and the grin is somewhat infectious. "He really IS a lot like me, isn't he Dirtbender?" the youth teases. "Shiiiit, I wish you two luck, really." he says, abruptly immensely amused. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Is that a pout that crosses Toph's face when Kilik laughs? Possibly. "So what? He was too dense to figure it out when I tried to make it obvious to him that I like him, but everybody else noticed obviously!" she complains. Way too many people commented on that later! Indeed, Sokka is kinda like Kilik in some ways. But they're still two different people. At least Kilik is decent enough to actually say something nice, which does take Toph slightly by surprise. "... thanks," she replies, snuggling up a little closer to Sokka. "Not that we need much luck, I think." They'll make it work. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded. "Of course she made the first move. I was completely clueless. But that didn't mean I didn't like her. It just never occurred to me. OTherwise I probably would have made it." He then paused. "... I was really stupid for a bit there, actually. I came so, so close to losing the most wonderful girl in the world." He gently took her hand, guiding it up to his lips. "I came so close to... making that mistake. And you're Toph's friend, you know? I just don't want you to miss your most wonderful girl in the world just because you're too worried to make the first move. and heh, I'll take that as a compliment, Kilik." He paused. "I still need to decide on a nickname for you... hum. Goggles? You look like you'd wear goggles..." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     While Sokka seems perfectly at ease with public displays of affection, Toph appears to be more shy about it as her face turns a bit red as Sokka's lips touches the back of her hand. Though he's not doing anything wrong, so it's not like she can kick him or anything for it. It's... just his way of showing affection. So she shows affection her own way while punching him in the arm. "Let's just focus on the fight, okay?" Talking too much about relationships and feelings in public isn't exactly her deal, after all. 

:'''{{#var:127|Kirikou (127)}} has posed:'''     "You'll need all the luck you can get." Kirikou says, speaking from the endless wisdom of one who knows how hard most people struggle to form a committed relationship. Weapons, after all, are as much a relationship as any pair of lovers. He's better at it than most, even if he hasn't the slightest idea how to treat a girl like a girl.     "And I wouldn't go THAT far." Kilik adds, looking over at Sokka. "Most wonderful girl in the world?" He coughs. Then glances at Toph. "I, uh... mean my girl, that is." he says, obviously lying. "No one'd call you the MOST wonderful though, right? And Goggles? Come on man, you can do better than THAT!" Kilik insists. "I've had great nicknames. Like Zap Explosion Punch Guy!" 
}}

4999/Love and Pleasantness in Ponyville

2017-01-09T19:34:09Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/01/08 |Location=Equestria <KE> |Synopsis=Several ponies and non-ponies meet in Ponyville, trying to deal with the icy cold and warm feelings o..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/01/08
|Location=Equestria <KE>
|Synopsis=Several ponies and non-ponies meet in Ponyville, trying to deal with the icy cold and warm feelings of love and friendship.
|Cast of Characters=20, 1076, 136, 385, 1072, 42
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     So Sokka wants to be a stallion? Fine, why not drag him with to Ponyville and get some stuff done?     Toph leads the way into Ponyville, trotting along. It's been a while since she was here last, but she still seems to remember how to walk on four legs. Being a pony is rather strange, but whatever. It's part of the deal coming here, and it will only last while they are here. So Sokka better be used to seeing Toph as a light yellow pony as she heads on towards Rarity's boutique, her satchel hanging around her neck. Either way she doesn't seem bothered by the way he is now, she's been here with many other humans who have been ponies before.     "Keep up, Meat Head! Rarity's shop is straight ahead!" she calls back to him. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka had since mastered the art of walked! Okay, sure, it had been hit and miss at first. and he'd somehow managed to slam into Toph like five times already, as well as accidentally take out a cabbage cart. But, for the most part, he now had it! He was walking a bit clumsy and awkwardly, but he was walking! Unfortunately, he uhhh... "I really don't like this," he grouched. Why? Because he was bucking neon blue. He almost GLOWED IN THE BLOODY DARK. It was NOT a very warrior like appearance. And of course he was an earth pony. How was he supposed to be awesome and cool looking when he glowed in the dark? He was willing to bet there were NO awesome blue ponies. Not a single one. Still, by the time they made it to Rarity's he was walking decently fast paced. "So, can you bend like this? And wow my jaw feels weird. you know what? Magic is weird. I'm just saying that now. All magics. Why did I let you talk me into this?" HER TALK HIM INTO IT?! 

:'''{{#var:136|Rarity (136)}} has posed:''' The loud grumbling is hard to miss as it approached the circular building with a definate carasoul design to the appearance... Let's face it, Rarity's boutique is one of the flashiest structures in the otherwise rustic looking Ponyville. Sticks out like a sore.. uh.. well it's intentional to draw attention, of course. "Goodness, somepony does not sound very happy," Rarity murmurs as she opens the door to look outside and see who or what is causing all the fuss. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     It was a good thing that Toph is steady, and she's ready to nudge Sokka back on his hooves. "Hey, you were the one who wanted to be a stallion!" she grins with amusement.     "And of course I can bend like this. Your jaw might feel weird since we both have plant eating teeth now. Ponies don't eat meat after all, so... It's not exactly magic, it's multiversal stuff, deal with it. We're not going to stay long here if you don't want to." Toph states as she continues onwards. "For that matter, I did not talk you into this, /you/ wanted to come along and be a fourlegged stud!" she teases.     And there's Rarity! Perfect! "Oh, he likes to whine a lot, don't worry about it. I'll make sure he gets some meat when we're human again, and he'll be happy. So... I brought some belated gifts for the girls! Are they still around, or did they run off?" Toph asks with a smirk. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka shuddered. "No meat. I only agreed to eat a salad because I thought there'd be a friend suffering otherwise. Why, why have I agreed to this? And I thought it'd be fun! I didn't realize I'd lose meat!" He lamented his fatte. And then Rarity. "Oh, hey, fashion pony! Long time no see. This your place?" He leaneed forward to hold his hoof out for a shake. And lost his balance, toppling forward. He managed to slam, head first, into the ground, topple over and flip fully, landing on his back with a whimper. ".... I hate being a pony." 

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:''' "You'll get used to it if you spend enough time here," another voice says from behind Toph and Sokka. The speaker is a white unicorn mare (filly?) with a blonde mane and a gold horn; the two might have spotted her earlier, chatting with Lyra and Octavia a little distance away. Sokka probably won't recognize the newly-arriving unicorn; Toph might not either, but the unicorn's flank mark is pretty distinctive - something resembling a high-tech faerie or sprite, white and blue and gold. 

:'''{{#var:136|Rarity (136)}} has posed:''' Rarity smiles at seeing at least one familiar face in Toph's pony form. "Hello there, dahlings." But that makes it pretty easy to guess who the brightly colored stallion is with her though. "To what do I owe the occassion? Social visit or are you looking for more items to festoon the new addition to the family with?" Though after that she hmms thoughtfully. "Actually, I hadn't considered baby fashion yet..." As if to answer Toph a trio of fillies stick their heads out of an upstairs window. "Hello Toph!" "Didn't know y'all were comin' for a visit." Scootaloo on the other hoof snickers as Sokka topples over. "Looks like somepony has four left hooves!" Sweetie Belle reachs over to give her a swat. "That only applies to dancing!" Scootaloo shoves back. "I'll apply it to whatever I wa--oops!" Cue all three tumbling out of the window as Applebloom gets caught in the middle of the shoving, landing on the awning overhead and sending snow cascading off in multiple directions. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     When Sokka moves to shake hooves with Rarity, the blind pony arches an eyebrow right before he falls down. And once he's fallen she stomps the ground. And he will get proof that Toph can still earthbend as a pony as the ground shifts, pushing him up. "Just make sure to keep three hooves on the ground at the same time, mind your balance."     The voice is familiar enough, and Toph turns her head before offering a smile in Yuna's direction. "Heya, Songstress! You're here to visit too?" It's been a while since she has met her, but it's always a pleasant meeting.     And there are the little fillies! Toph grins, lowering her head a little. "Heya girls! I gotta admit, I forgot to deliver your gifts." As for Sokka? "Eh, it's his first time as a pony, cut him some slack. OKAY, line up!" With that Toph lowers her head so she can slide the satchel off and begin digging around in it with her face. And after a few seconds she pulls out three matching leather folders that are practically begging to be opened. And if they do... they will find matching metal badges inside with three ponies on them. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka stared up at the roof. "I don't think that's a good idea. I--" And, because the universe hates him, the thump from up above sends a pile of snow flying down onto his head. He lays there, buried in snow for a few moments. They could even hear the sigh of resignation. Not annoyance. Not anger. Just resignation. This was him. This was his life. Beingburied in snow, falling flat on his face. He burst out a moment later, shaking the snow from his body and glowering. "FINE! YOU KNOW THAT?! BRING IT ON NATURE! HIT ME WITH A TORNADO FOR ALL I CARE! I'VE HAD WORSE!" he roared, shaking a fist at the heavens. For a moment nothing happened and he took a step. "That's what i--" A second snow drift buried him a moment later. "... Gosh... darn... nature... But I probably deserved that one." 

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:''' "Let's not taunt the weather ponies, shall we?" Yuna says wryly, trying to help brush some of the snow off of Sokka. "I don't think we've met yet, certainly not in this form. I'm Yuna Kagurazaka, idol singer, formerly of the Union." She'd offer Sokka some help getting back on his feet, but starting from when he's flat on his back, she's not *quite* sure of the best way to go about it. So she answers Toph, "Actually, I was going to see if Rarity's schedule has cleared up enough for me to commission a couple of things ... two for concerts, possibly one for pers--" She leaps to one side just before another clomp of snow falls off, on top of where she'd been standing. "I forget, Rarity, who brings the good ponies presents on Hearthswarming Eve?" 

:'''{{#var:136|Rarity (136)}} has posed:''' Rarity scoots back from Sokka as she hears the touble overhead. To be fair she was only backing up because she knew snow was incoming just because it's the trio, that it happened to fall mainly on Sokka is just... coincidence. "Sokka, dahling, cussing at nature will do you no good here... As it is the weather is controlled by teams of pegasi. So if a certain somepony hears your challenge..." She does stop to look up for a moment, but there's no sign of a certain cerulean pegasus. Then back to the others when Yuna mentions needing more work done. "You're in luck dahling, it is still the post-holiday lull. And we usually have large social gatherings for exchanging gifts, in rememberance of the original gathering that first chased away the Windigos." It takes a bit of climbing to get down from the awning, but the trio just make use of the second Sokka snowpile to slide down to the ground, and gather around the metalbender to collect the folders. "Thanks Toph!" is squealed in unison. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "What the others aid," Toph adds to Sokka. "Pegasuses are in charge of the weather here, it works kinda different."     If there's somebody you want to commission for things, it's Rarity. "You should have seen the plush she made for my baby brother," she grins. "I might have to ask you to make some baby clothes later for him, I think dad and mom would appreciate that." In all of this she doesn't seem to be bothered with Sokka, though she does kick the ground to clear some snow away from him. "At least you're used to snow, right?" she points out, then turns back to the three fillies. "Now you have official Cutie Mark Crusader badges! I didn't really know what else to get you three..." And Toph does like them, considering they have been to most of her birthday parties and all. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka sighs and crawls free, shaking the snow from his mane. At least he couldn't get any bluer, as he sighed and moved up against Toph, grinning at her. "Your warmth. I must steal it. My weak, pony body is not made for dealing with this cold as my normal body is." He paused and glanced down. "Or maybe it's the fact I'm not wearing anything. I could really use a jacket about now... how do you ponies do this..." granted, most probably WERE wearing jackets and such. 

:'''{{#var:136|Rarity (136)}} has posed:''' Interestingly enough you're likely to see Ponies in hats and scarves and even boots, but not jackets. Then again, they are more accustomed to being like this in middle of winter. Rarity of course is wearing a jacket, but one look gives the impression it's more for the style than concern for warmth. The trio give Toph a hug in unison, before scurrying off inside with their new prizes. "And try not to knock anything o--" Something can be heard falling over in their rush. "--anything -else- over. Or--" Cat screech. Rarity facehooves. "--step on Opal again," she sighs in defeat. 

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:''' "Being adapted to it naturally probably helps," Yuna answers Sokka. "I mean, what do ... oh, badgermoles do when winter hits in your world? They have fur of some kind, I'm sure, but beyond that they just burrow into the ground or something, right?" This may have been a bad example. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Hey, what is he doing? When Sokka pulls up next to her, Toph blinks, her cheeks turning a slight shade of pink. "You wimp," she snorts, though she does bump her head against his briefly. "Rarity does make clothes for ponies, so you /could/ get something to wear for winter here," she points out.     She doesn't stop the little fillies from giving her hugs either, grinning down at them. "Enjoy!" And beware, it sounds like. The noises from inside does make Toph snicker a bit. "You got your hooves full, huh?" she asks Rarity.     Yuna does ask a relevant question, and Toph shrugs. "Eh, they hibernate in the areas where it does snow. In Gaoling we don't get much snow at all, so they don't hibernate. There's still stuff for them to eat all around." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blinked a fewtimes. "I'm from the southern tribes. I am not burrowing under the ground. In times like this, we would go inside and huddle in a giant pile of warmth." He paused. "ThoughI have discovered that some people find that odd. Toph doesn't mind, though." He then smiles to Rarity. "Okay then, Rarity! Can you make me a cut that not only shows my masculine side, but has to go with my coa and mane. Also, ummmmm... has to keep me warm. That's important too. 

:'''{{#var:1072|Star Caster (1072)}} has posed:'''     Looks like it's a pony party in Ponyville! ... At the boutique, specifically. All the noise is enough to attract attention from a return visitor as he makes his way slowly down the snowlaide paths of Ponyville. His own approach is heralded by the sound of bells in two-step time; the clarion chime of his hooves as they occasionally hit rough patches of earth, muted by the snow on occasion.     Star Caster walks carefully along toward the boutique; the young unicorn knight has his winter armor on today; and more - a thick winter cloak trails him, of royal purple, and upon his (silver! oo upgrade!) breastplate is the emblem of Lunaria itself; it matches his shield, beating a sun of gold being eclipsed by a silver moon. He approaches the small group otherwise quietly; carrying a large basket on one arm, and in the other arm, what appears to be a carefully wrapped cluster of flowers;, yet unseen for being covered. He stops, wide-eyed, just shy of the boutique, taking in the many ponies there, then politely clears his throat. "Ah-. M'Lady Rarity, am I, interrupting something?" 

:'''{{#var:136|Rarity (136)}} has posed:''' "As for baby clothes Toph, perhaps once he is old enough he won't immeadiately outgrow it? I understand human foals grow rather rapidly at first." Rarity cups a forehoof to her chin as she regards Sokka for a moment. Snorts softly. "At least you are not green." What's green got to do with anything? Maybe it's a difficult color to work with? "Hello, Star Caster. Wait just one moment, dahlings." Though Rarity has hurried inside before anyone can ask about the green thing. 

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:''' A new challenger* has appeared, and this time, it's somebody Yuna's never met. She turns to regard the approaching knight, and ducks her head in a polite gesture akin to a bow. "Good evening!" she greets him, taking a better look as she lifts her head again. "Star Caster ... that's what Rarity called you? It's a pleasure to meet you; I'm Yuna." She bows again - And then she has to fumble to keep her scarf from falling loose and sliding off of her completely. A native Equestrian unicorn could probably have gotten the scarf more securely into place to start with; Yuna has to fumble about, trying to sling it into place with her hooves and *without* losing her balance. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Oh yes, Toph is blushing when Sokka comments that she doesn't mind huddling up.     The new arrival does catch the blind teenager by surprise a bit, and she turns her head a bit in his direction. Who's this? "I don't think you're interrupting anything, no." It's not like they're talking about anything private, after all. Star Caster, huh?     The unicorn makes a fair point, and Toph nods. "Gotchya, I'll give you some measurements to work with later once he doesn't grow quite so quickly!" And then Rarity rushes inside, leaving the others to wait. And well, might as well get to know this newcomer. "I'm Toph Beifong, this is Sokka," she says nodding towards the blue stallion standing next to her. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded, posing dramatically. "Southern water tribe warrior, a pleasure to make your--" His pose ended badly as he hit an ice patch, fell forward and BAM! Head butted Rarity's house. And, would you believe it? A third snow drift. well, you know what they say. Three times and it's not a coincidence. "Universe just looooooves shoving me around, doesn't it?" he asked noone in particular, before his head popped out of the snow. "Nice to meet you. So, Toph. Let's go somewhere that's... not icy soon, okay? Like somewhere inside." The roof would probably cave and dump ice on him. 

:'''{{#var:1072|Star Caster (1072)}} has posed:'''     Star blinks at Yuna, and nods; he doesn't seem to realize the difference between non-Equestrians and regular; despite the fact that he's a bloody well unicorn walking on two legs and bearing actual hands! He smiles: "Greetings, M'lady Yuna. Yes, I'm Star Caster." He uhms, shifting his bundles about in his arms, "I would bow as is required of a knight meeting a lady but I brought gifts for Miss Rarity and I am not sure where to set them.." he says, confused. He shrugs sheepishly. "It is a pleasure to meet you! I hope the winter is not being too harsh here in Equestria?"     He turns his attention then to Toph and Sokka, and offers them both a curious smile as well- "Greetings, M'lady Toph, Master Sokka." He uhms. And again justles his parcels a bit. With a sheepish grin he adds, "Nan never told me what I was supposed to do when greeting people with my arms full!" with humor in his voice. "I was unsure, you all seem to be quite busy, and I'm still getting used to the outside cultures." he says. "That's why I'm here; the Queen wishes me to bring those I have met gifts for this past Holy Day so that we can forge proper alliances." 

:'''{{#var:136|Rarity (136)}} has posed:''' Rarity trots back out of her shop, and just blinks a moment at Sokka again being half buried in snow. "Keep this up Sokka, and Ditzy Doo is going to have compatition for most snowbanks fallen into this year." Gentle teasing asside, she magically tosses a dark blue jacket and matching scarf to Sokka. "This should tide over keeping you warm, dahling." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Man, it seems Sokka has extra bad luck today. "As I said before, you make it too easy for the universe," Toph sighs, then helps him up again and out of the snow. "Let's head inside once Rarity returns."     How do you greet people with your hands full? "You can always give a polite nod," she suggests. "So you're here to make friends, is that it? I dunno who your queen is, but eh, as long as people play nice."     So there Sokka gets some clothes. "Now you don't have to freeze!" 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka stared at the clothing and... well... "Errrr..." He lifted a hoof nervously. ".... How... in the world do I put it on? I don't even have fingers. Or hands. Or really much of anything." Pause. "Actually, wait, how do you ponies even build houses? Do the unicorns do all of that here?" he asked, looking around in confusion. "Yeah, I don't know WHY the universe hates me so much today! Did it decide now that I've got a girl friend, it's sokka season? I swear it's like being at the north tribe all over again." 

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:''' Now that, Yuna can help answer. "It's a joint effort, really," she explains to Sokka. "Earth ponies help bring supplies and do a fair amount of the heavy lifting, unicorns help with fine adjustments, pegasi pitch in with the upper floors and roofs. Plus, there are ponies whose unique talents let them help with specific parts of building work." Yuna grins, a little sheepishly. "I got to see it in action while my cottage was being built ..." 

:'''{{#var:1072|Star Caster (1072)}} has posed:'''     As Rarity reappears Star ah-hahs! "M'lady Rarity!" He dips his head, then steps foreward, before casually setting down the basket before her: "This is a gift from Queen White Snow, as we have recently celebrated the Holy Day." He says. Should she look inside, she would find several yards, folded neatly, of a cloth woven with what appears to be threads of fine spun silver. And then he clears his throat, and adds, sheepishly, "And then my mother suggested as long as I was bringing you some Starsilk from the Queen, I should bring you some snow flowers," he says, before unwrapping the bouquet in hand, and offering it to her; blossoms of white and blue that seem to be covered in fine sparkling dust.     He seems quite embaressed, the poor boy, blushing slightly in his pale furred complexion. Then he looks to Toph and Sokka, and offers, "I could try to heat things up? I'm supposed to practice my sun magic.." he grins nervously: "Of course the last time I tried, I set my friend Moon Prism's tail on fire. You'd think he'd be used to it, though, he's a dragon for goodness sakes.." He then pauses, and listens, head canted, to the explaination of how these four-legged ponies do their work, his own ears pricked at attention. 

:'''{{#var:136|Rarity (136)}} has posed:''' "You put one foreleg in one sleeve, the do the same with the other. It's not really any different from normal for you... though instead of standing you may want to just sit on your haunches for stability." It is hardly the first time Rarity has had to give an explaination for this seemingly simple thing. But Star Caster quickly steals her attention away when he presents his basket and the flowers. "Holy Da--Oh, you must have something akin to Hearths Warming. Or.. what does most of the Multiverse call it... Christmas?" She looks at Yuna for a moment to confirm, before opening the basket far enough to see. "... Queen Snow has quite the taste I see~" Exotic materials, always a win. "... And I will have to put these up where no pony mistakes them for a snack." She's talking about the flowers. It may be a joke. Maybe. They do serve some kinds of flowers at the cafe... 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     That theory of Sokka's makes Toph snorts. "As if that is likely..." Though she does look a bit curious when Yuna says she has a cottage. "Wait, you live here?" Do non-ponies move here? Well, it's a nice place, nothing about that, but... wouldn't it be weird being a pony all the time when you weren't born as one?     Somehow she seems to think that something is amusing when Star Caster presents his gifts to Rarity, as she's grinning slightly.     The offer for him to turn up some heat makes Toph shake her head. "It's fine. It's not too cold here," not when you've been to the South Pole. "Though if we're going to stay here for longer we might wanna go inside before more snow falls on Meat Head here," she says, gesturing towards Sokka. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nods and looks between the two ponies for a moment. The real ponies. And... "Oh! So you must be Rarity's boy friend, right? Or would it be stallion friend? The ponies have weird names..." He then proceeds to try getting the garments on. Not an easy task. Honestly, there were mornings he couldn't even get his normal shirt on. And that was with HANDS. Without them? It was borderline impossible! She they got to watch him hop about and do a bit of a dance as he struggled to get into the jacket, eventually managing to get completely tangled and roll around on the ground. "Gosh darn hooves! Yes, going inside is a good idea!" 

:'''{{#var:1072|Star Caster (1072)}} has posed:'''     Star nods to Rarity, and then murmurs, "I shall tell Queen White Snow that you approve, then," he says, and NOW he gives his flourishing bow, sweeping his cloak about him and back as he dips slightly on one leg. He then stands upright again, then looks to Sokka and Toph; "I think your friends would like to go inside, M'Lady Rarity, to warm up. I would create a fire out here for such purposes but as I said, I am not very skilled at it uhm, yet." He grins sheepishly, running his hand against the back of his head.     He looks at Toph funnily at the 'Meat Head' comment, then decides maybe it's a thing these two .. do. He mentally shrugs. Then he offers, "As long as you are alright, M'Lady Toph, Master Sokka." He smiles warmly! ... Kid means well but is easily confused, yup. And. Then. Oh. Dear.     "B-Boyfriend?! I! Uhm! N-No, Uh!" Star splutters and squeaks, waving his hands in surprise as he steps back a moment, "N-No, I'm not her boyfriend, it would be wrong of me to court a lady of her stature, for I am just a knight, and she is c-clearly a mare of high standing! It would be-be-be discourteous to her to even presume!" He squeaks. And oh goodness has his face turned pink with embaressment as he stammers. 

:'''{{#var:385|Yuna Kagurazaka (385)}} has posed:''' Yuna grins, maybe a bit abashedly. "Well, I've been involved with Equestria since it Unified, and there was a point where this was one of the most convenient places for me to live. It's ironic - my own home's a lot closer to the parts of the Multiverse that I deal with now, but a piece of my heart still calls Ponyville 'home'. I love this place so much ..." There's a faintly wistful tone to her voice as she trails off. "Anyway. Good to see you, Toph, Sokka, Rarity ... and it's a pleasure to meet you, Star Caster." She ducks her head briefly to the rest of the group, shrugs to keep her scarf from falling off again. "I'd better head home for the night. ... Rarity, I'll drop by again sometime soon, okay? Good to know you're getting some downtime." And with that, she trots off towards her cottage. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     The telltale beam of light descends from the sky in the direction of the library. Several moments later, a white unicorn stallion with a wild brown mane -- and, probably to Sokka's consternation, a white cloak and coat, and sea green scarf -- trots over. "Oh, good evening Rarity! What's going on here so late at night?" He nods to the CMC and Star Caster as well, and squints at Toph a moment. "Toph?" And then looks at the blue pony curiously. "Who's your friend?"     The voice is recognizably Staren's, at least. 

:'''{{#var:136|Rarity (136)}} has posed:''' Rarity was going to use her magic to try and help Sokka, but ends up sputtering about just as much when Star Caster is called her boyfriend. She, however, quickly recovers. "Now now, as flattering as that may be, seeing as he is a prince and all, just because he is being gentlecoltly in giving me several likely expensive gifts from his home land does not a boyfriend make... You would not want someone presuming simply because you gave something to Toph that she was your girlfriend after all, would you?" Turnabout is fair play, apparently. That and she knows that it will get a reaction out of TOPH regardless of what Sokka thinks of it. "Later Yuna, it was nice seeing you sometime other than the fields of defending love and freedome for a change! And hello Staren." So a wave goodbye also becomes a wave hello. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     It's a bit evident that Sokka isn't used to being a pony, huh? And well, she /could/ help him, but... where's the fun in that? Instead Toph stands still, just observing. Though she does arch an eyebrow when he calls Star Caster that particular term in relation to Rarity. And then it's Star Caster's reaction too...     Toph punches Sokka a bit in the shoulder, then gestures to Star Caster. "THAT should be familiar to you, Snoozles. And it's kinda ironic that you notice this in others and not when it's in matters that actually concern /you/!" Oh yes, she can joke about that now. But don't worry Star Caster, the wise Toph Beifong has some words for you too. "Dunderhead, listen here. Some girls don't give a crud whether you're of the same standing or not. Do all you boys worry about that or something?" she snorts. Seriously!     That does make a lot of sense when Yuna explains it like that. "Eh, I can see why. It's a nice place." And the ponies are /nice/. Even the ponies who were in the Confederacy were mostly nice with only a few exceptions. Oh, she's leaving? Toph isn't one to argue about it, instead she nods her head. "Take care, Yuna! Catch you later!" Instead they get another pony to talk with, as the familiar voice of Staren can be heard. "Heya!" If there was any doubt besides her being a blind pony with that familiar hairbun, as well as a metallic ore as her cutie mark, then Toph's voice should be easily recognised. "This is Sokka, you heard him on the Union radio didn't you? He wanted to be a stallion, so I brought him with me here to visit. Sokka, this is Staren."     Strangely enough Rarity's comment doesn't get THAT large a reaction from Toph, who merely blushes slightly where she stands next to Sokka. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka groans and then sits up, rubbing his nose and looking around. "Huh? Oh, right. I guess they don't know yet, huh?" He then blinked. "H-hey, standings are really, really hard to get around, you know? It's kind of hard to hit on a girl when she's like, super out of your league. Practically a star compared to you and stuff," he mumbled. Then glanced to Rarity. "Well, considering Toph and I are dating now... turned out, all she had to do was tell me." Pause. "And kiss me. And then wait for me to stop panicking." he coughed sheepishly. "But hey, if you two are just friends, that's cool! I was just reading into things, I guess." Then looked over. "Hey, staren! Long time no see! I... never thought I'd see you as a pony. Heh. And yeah, I know, I'll be coming by for those gun lessons eventually." 

:'''{{#var:1072|Star Caster (1072)}} has posed:'''     And then Rarity speaks. And Star's eyes widen. *squeak*. "... P-Please d-don't mention the P-Word, I don't- I'm not- That's not who I am!" he squeaks quietly a bit again, now even more flustered. He beginms looking about seemingly frantic, and worried. Swallows noisily, then 'Hah Hah hahs!" Loudly. "Oh Rarity! You're such a kidder, how could I be a Prince!" Says the unicorn in ROYAL ARMOR baring the ROYAL SHIELD.     Yeah, Star is fooling NO ONE, not at present.     When Toph gives him VERY solid advice, he turns an odd shade of embaressed, and then remarks, quieter, "... I H-Have to worry, because of... reasons." He takes a deep breath, and leaves it at that, obviously unwilling to say further, evidenced by him turning to Rarity then: "M'Lady, I hope you enjoy the Starsilk, and the Snow Flowers. I will t-take your appriciation to Queen White Snow. If you would like any other fabrics, please l-let us know. B-But I must be going now." He bows to her with a full flourish, then turns to Toph and Sokka with a similar bow. "I-It was a pleasure to meet you both." He turns to walk away-- but oh goodness is hw now brooding on something. 

:'''{{#var:136|Rarity (136)}} has posed:''' Rarity blinks a few times. "... If he is trying to not be obvious about it, I am -definately- going to need to give him a few pointers about dressing down...." 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren lowers his head and neck closer to Sokka's level since he's on the ground, then tilts it as Sokka explains they're dating now. "I don't think any of that matters. You just tell someone how you feel and see where it goes." he smiles. "Congratulations! I'm happy for you two!" He extends a hoof to help pull Sokka up... somehow. He may not be very dextrous with them, but he ahs at least learned how to grip with them... somehow.     He gives Sokka a slightly confused look when the man says he never expected to see Staren as a pony. "...So. How've you been since the Multiverse rearranged itself?"     Star Caster also gets a wave. "Oh, uh, bye!" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     For a noble Toph is not really hooked on etiquette, manners and social standings. Why should it matter? Most nobles are snobbish bores. Though Toph does look a bit... bashful when Sokka speaks about girls. And when he does say that they are infact dating. Aaaand then gives more details than he needs to. Which warrants a punch to his side. "You don't have to give /all/ the details!" she protests with a huff.     So why should Star Caster be worried? He's clearly flustered though, and there he goes... Toph sighs. "Yup. He likes you all right," she asides to Rarity.     The congratulations from Staren does earn a slight nod from the blind pony. "Thanks... It was a bit rough to get it through that skull of his." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blinked a few times, then looked to Toph. "Please. Please tell me I was never THAT blind. I mean... come on!" He gestures to the two. "I mean, it's clear as day! You'd have to be blind to miss something like that." Paused. "Well, even if you ARE blind." he motioned to Toph. "Exhibit A." He then blinked. "Oh gosh that was weird. I had this sudden urge to burst into song. That... was mildly horrifying," he gave a shudder. "And I've been mostly good. I've been training with Lloyd and joined the paladins. Oh, and I started college. It's been a blast. I'm learning about all kinds of stuff." 

:'''{{#var:136|Rarity (136)}} has posed:''' "His skull is probably as hard as Rainbow Dash's." Rarity glances up for a moment after saying that. The pegasus has probably been napping all day after the snowstorm duty though. Which reminds her. "I should go make sure the girls actually go to sleep at a reasonable time. Take care, dahlings." As she heads back inside Rarity can be heard muttering something about how sleepovers seem to rarely involve any sort of 'sleep'. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren is kind of oblivious to Sokka and Toph's previous relationship -- he wasn't there! He nods as Rarity and the girls head back in, "Goodnight Rarity, goodnight girls!" He looks... slightly sad as Sokka mentions the Paladins. "The paladins, huh? You too? Seems like so many people I know are going there..." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded. "I mostly went there for the girls, don't worry," he said with a grin. "Toph, to be precise. They're pretty good, you know. The paladins. A bit rough and... up tight. but for the most part they're tough, hard working guy trying their hardest to do what's right. and I think mostly succeeding." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Yes Sokka," Toph sighs, "You /were/ that blind. Blinder than me, which takes a lot." You're lucky that Toph is the stubborn type.     The teenager nods at Rarity though when she declares her need to depart back inside. It is getting late, isn't it? "Sure thing, you go babysit! Hope they behave!" Oh yes, sleepovers seldom involve too much sleeping in Toph's experience. Even if she's only had one slumber party for her previous birthday. It still counts!     She nods in agreement when Sokka talks about the Paladins. "We were headhunted for it. Apparently Stadler thinks there's a cop in me waiting to burst out. It's a bit strict though, and we have Amalthea as our instructor," she adds with a slight grumble. "Oh well, at least we get to enforce the law and beat up bad guys!" The last part is not said without a big grin crossing her lips. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded. "i guess i was lucky you never gave up. i coulda missed out on the best girlfriend ever. So if the fashionista is going away how about we head home or somewhere... warm. with meat. lots of meat." He gave a nod. "Strict but fun. you just need to know where to look and how to do it. if you can figure it out the paladins can be a blast. antlers apparently even likes ne." 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren quirks an eyebrow as Sokka says he went Paladin for the girls. For a moment, he's not sure how to judge that. Does the League have 'interesting' girls? He can't tell, he only has eyes for Twilight.     Then he realizes Sokka is probably joking. "I see. Doing what's right is certainly hard. I hope that I can influence the League to do it more often than not. Stadler and Amalthea, huh? Can't say I'm surprised... Antlers?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Toph is definitively blushing when Sokka refers to her as the best girlfriend ever. Getting used to dating is a bit weird! It's easier when he mentions wanting to go somewhere warm with meat. "Eh, we could head to Malibu and stop by home if you want?" Toph suggests.     Somehow it looks like Toph is surprised when Staren mentions that he is in the League. "Wait... you're in the /League/? And eh, he calls Stadler for Antlers for some reason..." Toph shrugs. Or tries to, it's a bit difficult when you're a pony. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded. "Doing right can be tough. fortunately im a natural. Yes. that would be great. cause im cold and wanna cuddle my girlfriend but this body makes it weird." he glances over. "so what's this league supposed to be? they nice? And antlers suits him!" 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren raises his head up again to look at Toph, ears splaying at the way she says that. "...I'm tired of always having to make the world a better place by fighting and killing bad guys. It's my hope that in the League, I can get other members to listen to me and not do bad things, if I can find better ways to achieve their goals. I haven't /really/ gotten to test this hypothesis yet, but..." he sighs. "Like I said, I'm tired of just fighting whatever bad guy is in front of me while it never changes anything in the Multiverse. I'm bad at talking to people, but the League is a place where productivity and logic matter more than politics or just being persuasive... hopefully."     He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes for a second, then looks to Sokka. "The League is a group of researchers, crafters, and their hired muscle that seek technological Progress in the multiverse. It's not a charity, though, if they just gave technology to everyone they'd run out of resources. So they have to find a way to make a buck while advancing science and technology and their own understanding of the Multiverse." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Tell me about it, not having hands is weird," Toph says. "But eh, you get used to being a pony now and then, and this is a nice place to visit. Most of the ponies are fun and friendly." With that she turns slightly to Staren. "I guess that's our cue to head off then since Sokka is cold and hungry then..." And it would be kinda cruel to let him starve. The cuddling isn't bad either, she guesses.     "So they're scientists," Toph concludes, preferring the shorter version. "But yeah, I can see where you're coming from. So not the right place for me to be," she adds. Science is not her thing. "Just leave the fighting to us and do your own thing, I guess that's the best since I /love/ fighting! And you got the science stuff down, right?" she grins.     That said though, she nudges Sokka with her head. "We're off then, catch you later Mister Whiskers!" 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren nods. "Yeah, but like I said... I'm not going to the League because they're sciencey, it's because I hope that their scienceyness gives me a new way to do good." He looks away. "...There are some pretty bad people in the League. Or at least, people who did terrible things while working in the Confederacy. If it was just about the science, I could never stand to work with them." Then he brightens, and looks back to Toph. "Oh, but imagine if I could get such people to do /good/ deeds with their intellect? How much better for the world that would be than simply killing them, right? Assuming they're even killable..." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded. "i dont know. a group of scientists could be fun. i mean i might not be up to date on most the science things in thr multiverse but you could create a lot in a group like that. " He paused. "but you could also hurt a lot of people if theres n restraint or control..." 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren nods, gravely. "I'm not going to be able to stop /all/ the bad things that they do. But if I were fighting them, it's not like I could kill them all, either. I just hope that I can make /enough/ change." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka shrugged. "well if you manage to save a few lives itll be worth it in the end, right? just do your best and make sure you keep trur to yourself and youll be good." 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren nods again to Sokka, somewhat less gravely. SORRY POSE SYS, SOMETIMES POSES ARE SHORT. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Even as Sokka and Staren continue talking, Toph is already walking away. "If you want that meat and cuddling then you better come along, because I'm freezing my butt off here now!" she calls back to Sokka. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blinked and ran after her. Then tripped and head butted her in the butt. "ouch!" face planting to the ground. 

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''     Staren smiles as Sokka runs off. It's good to see his old friend and his new one have found happiness together! 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "OW! You at least can watch where you're going!" Toph yells, and immediately the sound of earthbending can be heard, though it doesn't look like anything dangerous as the earth shifts to help Sokka back up on his hooves. "And keep your head away from my butt!" 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blushed. "Trust me toph im trying to keep away from your butt." dont do it. Dont do it! "Butt I needed a soft landing." he did it. He quickly jogged on ahead with a big grin. "Come o. im starved and cold!" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     This time it's all Sokka's fault when the ensuing earthbending involves far more earth and added force.     At least he'll get launched a bit closer to where they're headed towards! 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka hit the ground and groaned. "Ugh. Yeah i definetly didn't miss that." He smiled none the less as he got up. "I love you too Tophie." 
}}

5003/Attention Hogs

2017-01-09T08:33:03Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/01/09 |Location=Earth-199999 |Synopsis=Robert James Stark gets to challenge two new people after tiring out his dad and mom. |Cast of Characte..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/01/09
|Location=Earth-199999
|Synopsis=Robert James Stark gets to challenge two new people after tiring out his dad and mom.
|Cast of Characters=20, 1076, 301
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     There's no question about it. One week in, and Tony and Pepper feel the effects of less sleep than they are used to. But fear not, there is help. While she isn't related by blood, a certain big sister takes her duty seriously and has offered her services as a babysitter. And with her boyfriend there to help her, it will be easy, won't it? Sure it will! Babies sleep most of the time, right?     The nursery is as modern as can be, and Toph looks rather content as she leans over the crib. "So what do you think? Who does he look like the most, dad or mom?" she asks Sokka, considering he's the one with the working eyes. Personally Toph thinks he has Tony's nose. This babysitting shouldn't be too bad, should it? Maybe they can grab some pizza and soda later if RJ keeps on sleeping like this... 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka hummed and looked the kid up and down. Finally... "He's lucky. Looks a lot more like his mom. Has his dad's eyes, though," he said with a nod. "Also has his dad's goatee, which is pretty cool." Yes, just mess with the blind girl. That's the nice, mature thing to do. He nodded. "So, want me to order anything in? We're gonna be watching the kid for eight hours and, well, there's no telling what can happen. You think fire benders are bad, Gran Gran used to have me babysit all the time when I was a kid and some of those kids did things way worse than throwing fire at me. I'd have paid for some fire." 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony and Pepper have taken the offer of an evening off to have dinner at one of Pepper's favorite local Italian places. Local, because yeah no they're not going to go more than a few minutes away from their week old infant, but oh god, the chance to relax and be waited on for an hour or two instead of running around at the behest of a screaming baby is greatly appreciated. The volunteer babysitters have been shown where all of the supplies are kept and instructed in the art of warming up a bottle for when Robert inevitably gets hungry. In reality, RJ looks most like Tony as most infants tend to favor the father at birth. It makes them more likely to hang around. He opens his eyes as Sokka leans over him -- big grey-blue eyes with a hint of brown around the pupils -- makes an inquisitive noise, before kicking his little feet and slapping his hands on the soft cushion of plush badgermole beneath him. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Dad ordered in some pizza for us that's down in the kitchen, best pizza place in town," Toph explains. "And they won't be long for THAT long, we might be able to watch one movie or something." Not that it's too bad. And she also promised to call them if there was something that she and Sokka can't handle. Having proven herself an effective babysitter for Liz before, Toph isn't too worried. And besides, she and Sokka are Elites. The baby is safe, with the parents just down the road.     Snickering a bit, Toph nudges Sokka in the shoulder. "Well, you had to watch them without any modern technology. I mean, we got the bottle warmer, diapers if he craps himself... I mean, /how/ hard can it be for just a few hours?" The noise from the crib makes Toph reach one hand down, searching a bit for RJ's. "Heya little brother... aren't you going to sleep a little?" At least he isn't crying! 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka grinned and shrugged. "I don't know. Gran Gran used to tell me that when I was born, mom and dad probably would have dumped me off on the first couple they could if they could have got away with it," he said with a laugh. Then paused. "Wait. HEY! Gran gran..." He glanced over. "Toph. Notice how I'M not the one saying how hard can it be." Because he'd babysat before. It sucked. "I mean, at least he's not a bender. But still." He reached down a finger for the little kid. "Heyyy, RJ. My name's Sokka. I'm your big sister's boyfriend. Yeah, I think she's silly for it too, but I'm the only one who can get away with giving her cr... dooky." 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' RJ is probably an Elite too though, given his origins. That's no guarantee of an easy time! When Toph's fingers brush against one of his flailing hands he makes a pleased noise and wraps his tiny fingers around one of her digits, beaming up at her toothlessly. Quite the grip on this kid. As if in response to Sokka's claims of Tophly rights, though, an unholy stink suddenly wafts upward from the crib. Rob kicks his feet some more, then his face wrinkles up into a tiny frown as he feels the uncomfortable squishiness inside his diaper. He doesn't quite cry, but he does let out a noise that is clearly one of distress. "Eh... eh... eh..." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Your Gran Gran really thinks the world of you, huh?" Toph titters a bit, and then smiles when she feels RJ grab onto her index finger. "Good boy! Someday big sister will help you get even stronger!" Just wait until he's strong enough to train with boulders!     "Look Sokka, I have babysat before too, it's not THAT bad!" No, RJ isn't a bender luckily. But it smells like there will be enough stuff to handle. The moment she smells the stench, the blind teenager wrinkles her nose. "How the crud can a tiny thing like that make such a horrible stench?!" she gasps. "Right now he's the one giving us crud!" Though she's quick enough to scoop the baby up, minding his head. "Ew, the diaper feels all wet and heavy, no wonder he's whiny... come on little buddy, big sis and your kinda brother is gonna get you all clean again. Sokka, find the diapers and get the washcloths." For now she will move RJ to the changing table and work on taking off his diaper. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded and quickly got to work! Within a few moments he had everything and then paused. "Wait. Are you sure you're able to change it, toph? I mean, well..." ... Did earth bending work with poop? gosh, he hoped he never had to find out. That'd be horrifying. So, so far beyond horrifying. Possibly one of the worst things ever. He plopped everything down, placing the powder, towelettes, wipes, diapers, out and neatly arranged for her. Or, if she didn't want to do it, he'd even change the diaper for her. He'd changed dozens 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Now Robert is being picked up, and while he does know Toph, she hasn't been around for most of the week and she is NOT Mom or Dad. He grunts and wriggles in complaint as she hoists him up out of his crib, particularly when her supporting hand under his bum makes his diaper squish again. A high-pitched squeal erupts from his tiny mouth and this brings Buster trotting curiously to the doorway to see what the humans are doing with HIS brother. RJ does however find a fistful of Toph's shirt, and clings to that ferociously like a security token. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "I can do it, it's not like I won't be able to tell where his legs are, you know? And I gotta learn this since I suspect I will have to babysit a lot in the future. Just help me out here," she says, doing her best to handle the upset baby. And she grunts when RJ clings to her shirt. Okay, this makes it hard to move! "Shh shhh, it's okay," she assures her baby brother, kissing his cheek. Take it easy, they're trying to help!     Eventually she does manage to get his diaper off, and she reaches for the wet naps, standing on RJ's side as she works on wiping his behind. "Ugh... can you get the powder and powder him up, Sokka? And get the new diaper?" 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded and quickly set about to work, grabbing the powder and giving it a few thumps. he totally hadn't studied in preparation for this event. Not at all. Not like he'd watched half a dozen tutorials on it. Noooooo. Once he was satisfied, he held out the diaper and grinned. "Here you go, Toph. You're going to make a great mother one day." 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' RJ fusses as he's made to relinquish his hold on Toph's shirt, but he becomes much happier the instant his diaper is off, freeing him from that uncomfortable web feeling. He his little feet kick with reflexive pleasure. Freee! Buster hops up onto the changing table to see what's going on, then freezes for a few seconds with his mouth open to clear the smell of tiny human poop from his sensitive kitty senses. Then he sniffs Robert's hand and then tries to insinuate himself under Toph's hand. She should be petting him, not the baby. Rob sneezes at the application of powder; pauses for a moment as if deep in thought, and then suddenly a stream of pee arcs gracefully upward and tinkles onto Sokka's cheek. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Toph takes the clean diaper, looking rather relieved when RJ sounds less distressed with the old wet diaper gone, his behind cleaned with the fresh wet wipes. "There, much better... Buster!" The blind metalbender stops herself from raising her voice too much, but she does reach out in attempt to shoo Buster off of the changing table. "Not now--" And of course the cat wants attention /now/. Sighing she pets him once, then moves her hand and begins putting on the new diaper, only to yelp when she feels her arm getting /wet/. "Augh, is he peeing?!" she says. Ew, she got it on her arm! 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka sighs. Just sighs. He knew it would happen. He then wiped the kid up, and himself. "Yeah. He was aimed at my face. It was only a natural occurance at this point. If I got a dime gold coin for every time this happened back in the water tribes. I swear, kid could have not had anything to drink in two daysand then bam, the moment I'm within reach... Oh well, are worse things to get splashed with." He then wiped her arm. "Go ahead, you're up Rock eater." 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Between being shooed by Toph and the pee flying around, Buster huffs and jumps off the table to the safety of the floor. Where he proceeds to wind around Toph's ankles. Rob burbles to himself as his his wet parts are wiped, and seems content to just lay there for now, until the next opportunity to make things difficult for his babysitters should present itself. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     ... at Sokka's face? Okay, at that Toph can't help but laugh a bit. "Seems the universe is paying you back, huh?" she comments. Whew, it makes it easier with Buster down on the floor and by her legs. As RJ has stopped peeing she grabs another wet wipe, makes sure he is clean before she puts on the new diaper and fastens it. "There! At least with him being small it's easy to clean... now go clean yourself so you don't stink," she asides to Sokka, lifting up the baby and resting him against her chest. That might be more comfortable for him. When it comes to Sokka's earlier comment about her going to be a great mom, that makes her snort a bit. "I might consider it in ten years or so." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded, and soon he came back, all freshened up and smelling nice. He then walked over and put an arm over her shoulder, holding her close. "Ten years at least. I hope the dad is--" Then choked. "Oh cra-- crudolla. I just remembered we're dating." "Wait, no, that came out wrong. I just meant I wasn't, I didn't mean, I... how about that movie now? They've got tvs everywhere here. I swear." 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Robert definitely likes being held close, and snuggles into Toph's chest, his hands making little grabby movements at her shirt as if to anchor himself. He mushes his face against her, gets a hunk of cloth between his gums and tries to suck on it, then whimpers when no milk comes out. Buster jumps back up on the table and meows, nudging Toph's elbow insistantly with his head. Make that thing be quiet and pet me! As Sokka hugs Toph to him, RJ makes another frustrated noise and noses around against her left boob, looking for a nipple. Buster stands up on his hind legs, bracing his forepaws on Toph's upper arm, and lick's Sokkas fingertips where they grip her shoulder. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Okay, Sokka walked right into that one.     The blind teenager's cheeks flare up slightly, though she does manage to keep her cool better than Sokka. "It's not like I would want to have a kid with just anybody, you know. And we better still be dating when we're adults," she adds. Let the topic rest for now!     Becauser she has one demanding baby brother and an even more demanding cat to tend to, it appears. It's bad enough with Buster nudging at her elbow, but when Rob's face moves around she looks startled, clearly not expected that. So Sokka's suggestion about a movie? "Only if we can feed the Squid some milk at the same time, I think he's hungry...!" So with that she pulls away from Sokka and begins heading down the stairs. "Try feeding Buster some snacks! Jarvis, you gotta be my eyes so I warm the milk up right!" The milk warmer is easy enough though, just put the bottle into a small machine, and it gets warmed up to the right temperature.     It's a quick trip to the kitchen, and Toph finds one of the bottles in the fridge, it's easy when they have a system after Toph moved in so she doesn't have to search through the fridge and freezer like she did when she first began spending time around here. "So uh... I just put it in, right? And it will ding when it's warm enough for the baby to drink?" she asks. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka turned even redder. "R-right." Stradler. Think ofwhat stradler would have done to him. Three months. Then have to be less careful. He picked up Buster and began to scritch him. "Okay ,you want snacks? I'll get you some snacks," he said soothingly, before going to the snacks and... cupping some in his hands and offering them out. "Make sure you test the temperature just to be sure! Babies are sensitive!" Pause. "Like you sometimes!" he teases. Before coming back down. "Why is it I feel like the cat sitter now?" he asked with a snort. "Just be careful. Kid's can bite a lot harder than you'd think." 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "That is correct, Miss Beifong," Jarvis confirms calmly. "Mr. and Mrs. Stark always squirt a bit on a wrist to test it, first. Young Master Robert becomes... fussy, when the temperature is not ideal." Buster purrs happily and headbutts Sokka's chin as he's scooped up, kneading his collarbone. Maybe he was just jealous of all the attention the baby has been getting, in lieu of himself. He makes a dissatisfied grumble-noise when he's dumped on the floor again, then starts 'mow'ing loudly when he sees Sokka go to the treat cupboard. Yes, he wants snacks. Rob freezes momentarily at the cat's loud vocalizations, not fearful, just listening. Then he returns to gnawing on Toph's shirt front and whining, himself. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Not knowing why Sokka seems a bit distressed, Toph makes a mental note to ask him about that later once RJ is asleep. For now that's the most important thing, and maybe Buster will calm down.     "Of course I'll test the temperature so it's not too warm or too cold," she assures him. Pepper did tell her about that. "And I /dare/ you to call me sensitive again." The last words are said with a slight huff. But she's not worried about being bitten. "It's not like he has teeth yet."     The milk is easily warmed up, and Toph squirts some of it on her wrist. Hmm, feels like it's bodytemperature, so that's right, isn't it? "Let's move to the living room then," she calls to Sokka, carefully carrying Robert and the bottle with her. Normally she flops down in the couch, but she knows better than to do that when carrying her baby brother. Sitting down carefully, she shifts Rob to the nook of her arm, moving the bottle to his mouth with great care so she doesn't shove it into his eye or anything. "Here you go, little bro... food! So Sokka... what kinda movie should we watch? There's this silly movie about killer sheep that dad and I laughed at, I wouldn't mind listening to it again!" 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka walked up behind her after scooping up and petting the cat. "Yes, yes. Buster, you're a good cat. Much better than Chickzula." Yes, that was his name for it now. "Ehhhhh. Probably something non-violent. With lots of colors. The kid might get nightmares otherwise if it's something too bad." He then leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "You're sensitive sometimes. And your sensitive side is adorable and makes me want to kiss you all over your cute little face~" he said in ateasing tone. Gosh. Darn it sokka. He hummed and... "But not the teletubbies. I started that and... it was NOT what I expected. It was horrifying..." 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' RJ probably can't even see the TV from here. His eyes aren't developed enough. He knows what a nipple is when it's put in front of his face though, and he latches onto it with tiny ferocity, making greedy little grunts as his eyes drift shut. Nyar nyar nyar. Buster makes strangely similar noises as he gulps down the cat treats so quickly one has to wonder how he can even taste them. Then he strolls into the living room, pauses to sit and lick one paw in dignified manner, then hops lightly up on the couch, squeezing himself between the two lovebirds so he can get leech warmth from the both of them. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Fine," Toph sighs, "We'll put on a Disney movie. Jarvis, queue up Tangled!" They will just have to watch Black Sheep later, she guesses. At the kiss on the cheek she blushes a bit, leaning her face into Sokka's. "I'm /not/ that sensitive, and you know it..." she half-protests. Sure, she's aware of Buster jumping up onto the couch and squeezing in between people like he usually does, but eh, that doesn't matter. Right now the baby seems to be settling down as he drinks milk. Good, she got it the right temperature then.     Sokka might be pleased to see the Disney logo come onto the big TV, the soothing melody playing over the speakers as the movie begins with the tale of the magical sundrop that turns into a flower, only to later have its power transferred into the hair of a princess who gets kidnapped. It's a story that Toph is fond of, and well.. it's kinda romantic too.     So Toph gets settled, leaning against Sokka's side. "I hope that dad and mom are able to relax..." @ 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded. "Oh, not always. But sometimes you are and it's adorable. Watching you get all pouty," he said with a grin. "So. I noticed a lot of the disney movies were romantic. Was that yet another hint I blindly missed?" he asked with a light chuckle. He reached down and started scritching the cat gently. "You're a good cat, Buster," he says fondly. Then... "Now that I think about it, you are pretty princessy... and I am kind of that nameless dork who gets lucky enough to get you. Heh heh." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "I don't pout!" Toph protests... complete with a pout as she rests her shoulder against his. This... isn't bad. Her little brother seems happy, the cat is content... and she gets time semi-alone with her boyfriend. "And well... I like Disney movies, not all of them are romantic, but... yeah..." she admits, cheeks slightly pink. "L-like that Little Mermaid one? When you talked during that song and all... man I wanted to punch you so bad." When he compares her to a princess, she seems to ponder something. "That's it, I'm showing you Mulan next."     Rob kicks his legs a bit where he rests on his back, his eyes opening a bit as he looks up at the strange humans. But hey, as long as he gets fed, lies comfortably and is clean, everything seems okay by him. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka grinned wide. "Oh? So I should...." And then he kissed the girl. "Hmmmmm. So does this mean I'll have to fight off a giant octopus later? Cause I gotta tell you, after fighting the first two, the third will probably be easy." ... Just what had he been up to the last few years? He then glanced to Rob. "Hey kiddy. You're going to grow up to be pretty lucky. Your parents are awesome and your sis kicks butt. And don't worry. I'll tell you all the stories about the crazy and wild things she's done, just in case you think she'salways been an up tight cop." He then leaned in. "And yes, I saw you grab that form the other day... without having to search to find out what form was needed~" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The kiss does take Toph a bit by surprise, but she isn't slow to kiss Sokka back, licking her lips a bit when he pulls back. Okay, this is something she's slowly getting used to.     Rob looks up at Sokka when he speaks. Or maybe he's thinking about boob and milk, drinking hungrily from the bottle that Toph keeps in place. Chances are he will hear a lot of stories as he grows up. Though Toph doesn't really agree with all of them as she frowns.     "So what if I learn where the forms are?" she grumbles. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka grinned and nestled up, laying close to her as an arm found its way around her shoulders, pulling her close. "It just means the great Toph... is getting a mind for paperwork," he whispers seductively in her ear. It wasn't fair he could make the word 'paperwork' sound sexy. "You know, you're adorable when you blush." Oh gosh he was laying on the charm. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     A huff leaves the blind metalbender, and she gets comfy all while she makes sure RJ too is comfy and gets to drink up his milk. "If you tell Stadler I'll punch you so hard that it looks like /you/ are blushing." Still, she does lean up to kiss him on the cheek. 
}}

4992/Everybody Loves Sokka

2017-01-07T16:46:06Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/01/06 |Location=Avatar World <AW> |Synopsis=Luna comes to visit the Beifong Academy. Love triangles ensues? |Cast of Characters=20, 993, 1076..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/01/06
|Location=Avatar World <AW>
|Synopsis=Luna comes to visit the Beifong Academy. Love triangles ensues?
|Cast of Characters=20, 993, 1076
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The Beifong Academy has been a quiet place for a while since the multiverse went through its massive change, but things do not stay the same for long. Especially not when the sifu of said academy returns to check on her students.     "So you're a police officer now, Sifu? What does the uniform look like?" the youngest student, Penga, asks Toph with wide eyes, clearly the one who's the most curious to hear about the Paladins. The other two, Ho Tun and The Dark One both look a bit uncertain about this, but they know better than to voice all of their suspicions at least, having earned Toph's wrath quite a few times. Toph herself is rather casual about it all as she inspects the training hall. "I dunno if we actually have uniforms, I was thinking of making myself some metal armour for that later..." Good, the academy has been well kept since she left it last year. And the three students that are actually here appear to take it seriously. "So how goes your progress? Have you been listening to Peridot?" At least a little... because Toph knows the gem can talk a little too much at times and her students aren't sure just how to feel about her, even if they aren't antagonistic towards her.     "Um, Penga /did/ manage to wriggle a coin the other day... we think," Ho Tun says, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. "Or it might have been the hippo lizard that crawled by it," The Dark One adds.     Either way Toph knows what that means. "Then set up your coins, get into your horse stances and show me, lily livers!" Toph demands, pointing ahead. To which all three students respond with a 'Yes, Sifu!' And Toph herself stands, waiting as she rests her hands on her hips. Good, things are finally getting back to normal around here. It's a sad thing that she was unable to return here sooner. 

:'''{{#var:993|Princess Luna (993)}} has posed:'''      As Toph directs her students, they might notice they have a visitor. Princess Luna has made her way into the academy to see the famed metal bender and her students. The tall alicorn woman's ears perk as she hears both the instructions and the tone Toph uses, leaving Luna a bit bewildered. But, she doesn't say anything yet. Her hooves clop lightly as Luna heads to stand at the side of the practice area. Her ethereal mane and tail flow in some unseen breeze as she stands there, wings and hands folded behind her back. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The students focus intently on the coins in front of them, clearly trying to do /something/ to the small pieces of metal. The three might not notice the alicorn woman, but the teacher of the academy itself seems to, even if she doesn't turn towards Luna. "Who might you be?" she asks, still standing there in place as if she is taller and bigger than she actually is. The famed metalbender is quite short for a girl nearing sixteen, but her demeanor is everything but small. "Come to watch, or do you believe you have what it takes to become a metalbender?"     As they become aware of the visitor, the three students turn around, glancing at Luna. But their attention is quickly brought back to their coins however as Toph stomps her small foot into the ground, making the floor /shake/. "I didn't say you guys could stop focusing! Lemmie see those coins move!" 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka came marching in suddenly! He had a bag over his shoulder as he walked over. "hey Toph look what I picked up!" he dropped the bag on the ground. "A whole batch of chicken moles! On sale and quite the bargain! figure i can start up the fire and we can have a good old barbaque." he looked over the students. "Two servings of my famous grilled chicken moles to the first one to bend a coin at my head." Then he scooped up Toph in his arms and gave her a big kiss. Then paused and glanced back. "princess? Hey yoi came back! hoe you been? i was worried about you with the whole universe imploding." And then he scooped her up in a hug. That had to be a crime. 

:'''{{#var:993|Princess Luna (993)}} has posed:'''      Luna's ears perk again as she is addressed without a glance. "Both may apply to me. I came to watch, and I have the ability to transform metal. Though, I believe I would qualify only as a novice if thy powers are to be believed. I have never seen thy talents for myself, but Sokka-"      And then Soka is here! And...he scoops up and kisses Toph? Luna stares for a moment, caught off guard and left a bit dumbfounded. And then Luna is caught in a hug, and apparently lifted up in the process! Luna blinks in surprise before hugging Sokka a bit uncertainly. "I..ah...yes. I was never able to see Toph in action last time I was here. I was hoping I might see a bit of her talent." she says, though her expression is suddenly a bit...frowny? "Toph and thee are...together? Thy did not mention such when last we spoke." she says to Sokka, even as she peers at Toph and keeps ahold of Sokka even after he sets her back down. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     So that's where he went off to, huh? The blind teenager's attention turns towards the watertribe warrior as he marches in. "Chicken moles? Those barely have any meat on them, though!" she comments. "But eh, a whole batch might be enough." The price he offers to the students does earn a nod of approval from Toph. That might motivate them! Especially Ho Tun, that glutton.     When Sokka decides to scoop her up and kiss her however, the metalbender blinks, blushing a bit before she kisses Sokka back. It's only when he breaks the kiss that she mutters. "... did you /have/ to do that while everybody were watching?" Seriously. But oh, Sokka knows this person? As she's set back down Toph brushes herself off. "A friend of yours...?" she asks.     As for Luna, the blind metalbender arches an eyebrow. "You want a demonstration?" That's easy enough, as Toph raises her hand, and in return a metal shield on the wall flies off towards Toph, wrapping itself around her arm. The comment about her and Sokka being an item, now that makes Toph's cheek turn a slight red. "Y-yeah, we are." Which makes Penga let out a gasp. "What? You love Sifu Toph, Sokka?!" The young girl seems... disappointed. Seems that there are more girls who have crushes on Sokka here.     At that moment the girl's coin wriggles a bit where it rests on its pole, and the other two students look surprised. All before they return their focus on their own coins, looking determined.     "Yeah, we kinda got together after New Year's," Toph explains. "The next one of you who digs into my private matters don't get any chicken mole at all, not even if you /do/ manage to bend your coin at Sokka's head!" Toph snaps before she walks over to Luna and Sokka. "So Princess, you have a name?" 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded. "Yup! Princess Luna. shes pretty cool. Moon princess of equestria too. She's a bit sad a lot though. Really a... long face." Really sokka? "You should join us." if she hadn't pulled away he would, heading towards the back. He did pause though. "Hey Penga. i think you've almost got it. come on just alittle more! i believe in you!" and thumbs up. " so princess, joining us for dinner? I know its not royal food but i can make it look exyra fancy. wait. you're a vegetarian aren't you? I can grill up some fruits and veggies." 

:'''{{#var:993|Princess Luna (993)}} has posed:'''      Luna watches in surprise as Toph suddenly pulls that shield from the wall with just her mind and wraps it around her arm. "That is quite impressive. I might be able to do such a thing, but my transformation magic is not as strong as others."      Luna then watches as Toph approach her and doesn't actually speak up again until Sokka introduces her with that terrible joke. Luna blinks, misunderstanding since...well, all of her people have long faces. "I do not believe I am sad any more than anyone else." she says, then finally extends a hand to Toph. "It is as Sokka said. I am Princess Luna of Equestria. I met Sokka last time I was here. He gave me a ride on some sort of lizard creature. I told him he did not need to, as I can fly, but he insisted due to my royal status.      She looks over as Sokka cheers on the students, then looks back to Toph and Sokka. "Yes, I am a vegetarian. I am not sure I will stay for dinner, but I appreciate the invitation. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Oh! You're a different version of her!" Toph suddenly says, a dawning look of realisation on her face. "I met a Luna before, but she was a pony. You're... kinda more human," she comments, then nods with a grin as she does shake Luna's hand in greeting. Still, there's something... tense about this Luna. Why is that?     For now Toph follows Sokka however, her focus on him. "Let's get those chicken moles to the kitchen. And yeah, we do have some fruit and veggies here if that's more in your style."     At the encouragement Penga looks like she was just given a love poem, and she nods. "Yes!" Watch her concentrate! But Ho Tun and The Dark One appear to focus more, with their coins wriggling slightly as well. Who will be the first one to bend a coin at Sokka's head?     "Also, that is just a tiny demonstration of what I can do with my metalbending. It's something that I expect my lily livers to do soon," Toph asides to Luna as they walk, holding up her hand as the metal there shifts into the shape of a flying lemur. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka chuckled and shook his his head. "Come on you can sit in the best seat in the house. by toph. And tell us all about your holidays. i tried my first christmas and new years this year. it was pretty cool. its where toph kissed me. apparently she'd been crushing for years and just never said anything. and yes i do have to tell everyone Toph. you're Adorable when you blush and it's worth the punches to see it." "But toph is kinda a night person too" he calls from the kitchen as he gets to work. "on account of it being quieter." 

:'''{{#var:993|Princess Luna (993)}} has posed:'''      "She kissed thee?!" Luna exclaims, then blinks and coughs. "Erm...sh-she kissed thee?" she says in a much more calm voice. When Sokka insists that she stay, Luna sighs softly before smiling lightly to him. "Very well. I shall stay. But, I hope thou all shalt not take it as an insult if I do not meet thy gazes while thou art eating." she says. She giggles a bit as Sokka teases Toph a bit about their relationship before her ears perk a bit. "Thou art a fan of the night as well, Toph?" she says, a bit of the tension leaving Luna. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Of course Sokka's comments don't make Toph blush any less, and she reaches out to punch him in the arm. "Are you going to blabber about /all/ of it?"     What's more telling though is Luna's reaction, which makes Toph blink. Why is she getting all worked up about that? "What? He was the one who said that if a girl wanted a boy to get a clue then she should kiss him. So I did that. And because others encouraged me to as well," Toph explains, trying to act all casual about it with a shrug.     Is she a night person? "Eh, when it's dark all the time it doesn't really matter unless it gets too cold. And yeah, I like it when it's quiet." With that Toph begins finding the stuff that Sokka will need to prepare the food. "I can slice the veggies and fruit. Sooo... how did you two meet?" 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded. "Yeah kissed me right on the lips in the middle of the fire works. Kinda hard to miss a sign like that. And honestly thats just good advice. If you like someone then tell them. otherwise you might miss out." he coughed a bit. "I mean sure i panicked. but thats cause toph is awesome." He set out aome things for her to chop. "dont lose a finger or i'll start calling you stumpty." "I met her in gaoling. brought her herr to meet you but you guys were out. i uhhhh, actually flirted with her a bit before i found out who she wad. sorry princess. but we worked it out. i agreed not tp flirt or do anything too stupid. she agreed to never fall in love with me. I swung by to see her winter solstice too. you were pretty awesome Moonie. sky looked extra pretty that night. but with the verse puking everywhere kinda lost touch. was honestly a little worried aomething happened. i tried to find your verse a few times but couldnt. can't tell you happy i am you're okay." 

:'''{{#var:993|Princess Luna (993)}} has posed:'''      Luna is blushes herself and her hands are clenched into fists as she listens to the recounting of how Sokka and Toph got together. But, when Sokka mentions her promise Luna lets out a little 'meep' and tries to relax. "Ah..yes, Sokka has been very accomidating and a perfect gentlestallion." she says, then smiles brightly at Sokka's compliment to her winter solstice sky. "Thank thee, Sokka. I tried to make sure all the stars and auroras were especially fetching that night. I knew of thy visit, and wanted thee to have a good time. As for the multiverse...it was a bit difficult at first, but other than the changes in location it really is not much different for Equestria. Thank thee for thy concern, however!" Luna's voice turns particularly cheerful on that last sentence. "Art there any tasks with which I could help?" she adds as she watches the other two work on dinner. "It is so kind of thee to prepare my meal for me, Sokka." she says, giving him a warm smile. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Wait, Sokka /flirted/ with Luna? The blind teenager arches an eyebrow. And then... Luna calls him a /stallion/. Which immediately makes Toph blush furiously where she stands, chopping up the vegetables.     Stars, the sky... all stuff that Toph doesn't care much about. But it does seem like Luna is sincere, and well... if she likes Sokka that's okay, just as long as she doesn't try to get /too/ close to him. But still, Toph does reach out and slaps Sokka on the butt.     "If you wanna help you can wash those fruits over there," she says to Luna. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka lets out a yelp when she does THAT! "Tophie!" he shrieked, blushing loke mad. "Dont smack my butt." Stadler's words ran through his mind again and he gulped. He was so going to end up in trouble. "Well it really showed. One of the most beautiful things i'd ever seen. though pales in comparison to the three lovely ladies i'll be dinong with makes it pale in compariaon." oh even a bit for the student. "and hey it's no problem. you're welcome to dinner here anytime. you're awesome company moonlight." he hummed and started guttingbthe things. "luna dont look over here." He tried to be subtle about it at least. Then he snickeref. "Gentle stallion huh? Wouldn't that be a sight eh Tophieoka? could you imagine me as a horse?" 

:'''{{#var:993|Princess Luna (993)}} has posed:'''      Luna doesn't realize the implications to humans. To her, a stallion is simply a guy. She raises an eyebrow in a slightly confused look as both Toph and Sokka take notice of the term, then blinks. "Oh dear. Is it improper for me to use that term regarding humans?" she asks, holding a hand up to her mouth with a worried expression. She blinks again at the use of Moonlight as a nickname, then smiles a bit. And averts her eyes when warned. She does not want to see any creatures being sliced up, and actually looks a little paler even at the idea of it. To distract herself, Luna goes about washing those fruits and veggies. "Wouldst thou like to try being an Equestrian? I am sure thou wouldst make quite the handsome stud." Another word that has more connotations to humans. But, even if it isn't as strong, there are still connotations even in Equestria. Luna is likely teasing Toph and Sokka this time. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Why not?" Toph snorts. "You keep lifting me up and kissing me, so there."     The term that Luna used isn't one that Toph wants to go into. Instead she blushes and turns her face away. Sokka as a pony? "I went to Ponyville a few times, it's a bit weird being a pony," she says. "I kinda prefer being me. But sure, we can go there sometime if you wanna..." The vegetables are sliced up, and Toph places them on a plate. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blushed worse. "Thats different. kissing is okay. Oh nah. call me a stallion all you want. Just never been called one is all." After a few minutes he nodded and cleanrd off the knife. "No more cutting. just cooking now. Heh. be an eqistrian? Sure why not? I'll try anything once. what's the worst that can happen? Wait you were a pony Toph? I'd have paid to see that." soon the smell of grilled meat! as he got to work on the sauce. 

:'''{{#var:993|Princess Luna (993)}} has posed:'''      Luna had been willing to stay, but when the smell of that meat wafts through the air she covers her mouth and nose with a hand and coughs. "I..um...I believe I left my video game system running back in Equestria. I should return in order to ensure nothing is damaged. I am terribly sorry." she says, trying not to make things awkward for the meat-eaters. She then starts for the exit. "Sokka, if thou dost ever wish to experience life as an Equestrian, simply stop by the castle at some point." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     So kissing is okay? Toph turns her face slightly towards Sokka. "Well, you can see me as a pony there then. And you can be a stallion yourself if you wanna be that," she adds with a blush.     Yumyum, the smell of meat! Though there's no missing the fact that Luna reacts to the smell a bit... badly. "You okay there?" Toph asks, a bit worried. But there she goes, and Toph looks a bit concerned. "... I don't think she likes the smell of meat." Which is kinda surreal considering both Sokka and Toph are avid meat eaters. "Nice girl." Though she does lean up and gives a quick peck on Sokka's cheek. "Just as long as you don't flirt /too/ much with them it's okay."     And then she slaps his ass again for good measure before she leans in to sniff at the chicken moles. "Are they ready yet?" 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded, then watched the girl go. he let out a low whistle. "Yeah. Next time she comes by, make sure I remember to just have a salad." he shuddered. "But we can't have her over THAT often then. And she really is pretty nice. Really sad, too. Apparently the people in her world idolize her sister and pretty much ignore her, or something like that." He hummed softly as he worked, sniffing the meaty snacks. "So, try to be nice, okay? Even if not a big fan of the moon, it'd probably mean the world to her if you pretend the night is the favorite time. Trust me, it can hurt a lot being so overshadowed by others." And then he turned, leaned in and cupped Toph's chin, leaning in close so his lips were mere inches from hers. "And no, they're not~ Stop smacking the cook's ass or I mgiht not do this anymore," he said before leaning in and kissing her lips, gently stroking his tongue along hers. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "What?" Him eating salad? Voluntarily?! Toph arches an eyebrow at him. "You. Eating Salad. Right. I have to see it to believe it."     To hear that people idolize Luna's sister and ignore her, that does make Toph halt and ponder. "That can't be easy... and yeah, I'll be nice. I don't have anything against the night." Of course Sokka would know how it's like being overshadowed, spending time with powerful benders and with him as the only non-bender of the group.     When Sokka leans in close though Toph blinks, her cheeks flaring up again as she feels his breath on her lips. "But what i--" She doesn't get to finish the sentence, and she holds still, closing her eyes as she tilts her head into the kiss, gently parting her own mouth a bit. After a few seconds she pulls back, eyes still closed. "It's... a bit different than I thought it would be... w-with the tongue and all." Nopes, did not expect that. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka frowned. "I-I've eaten salad! I don't LIKE doing it, but I've done it. A handful of times." He shuddered. "It was not a pleasant experience. But for a friend, I'd endure." He shifty eyed. "I'd just make sure to soak it in meat fat first," he whispered with a grin. Oh yeah. That and the moon princess thing... there was a good reason he was so fond of her. She'd always have a special spot in his heart. Unfortunately, not that spot. "Besides, having someone awesome as you think he nights are awesome have to be worth like, a dozen, no, two dozen people liking the day." He nodded. "It's called whale kissing." He paused. "In retrospect, not the best name. But it's a lot of fun. Apparently got the name because whales have big tongues. I don't know. There was a girl up in the northern water tribes who taught me it. She uhhhhh... she was an interesting girl. It only lasted a few hours, but it was a terrifying few hours." he ndoded. "I still remember that harpoon." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Heh, what you don't do for friends. Toph looks amused at that, chuckling and shaking her head. Silly Sokka.     "Of course my opinion matters more than most," she adds, leaning a bit into Sokka as she waits for the chicken moles to be done. Though she does look curious when he talks about... whale kissing. "Wait... somebody went around and kissed /whales/ or something?" she asks, making a slight face. Only to snort when Sokka tells the tale about how he learned it. "I obviously have a lot to learn about kissing," the blind teenager concludes. Might not be that bad though. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded, glancing back to her. "You're right. You have a ton to learn." He started picking them up off the cooker, onto plates. "In fact, you have a ton to learn about kissing. hours and hours of studying to put in." Started walking away towards the main area. and then, loud enough for her students to hear. "I guess this just means you and i will need to kiss alllllll the time so you can get the proper learning experience, huh? No harpoons though~" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Sure, she's not that experienced with kissing. But still, to put it like that! Toph blushes as she follows Sokka, though she doesn't seem like she's opposed to the idea. "You're enjoying this a lot, aren't you?" she half jokes. It's okay, being oogie isn't that bad, not when you're the one doing it. "I can't promise that there won't be a boulder or two, though!"     But what hits Sokka though is a coin square in the forehead, and from the main hall a triumphant cry can be heard from Penga. "I DID IT! DOUBLE CHICKEN MOLE FOR ME!" Ho Tun's voice follows. "Oh no, I was so close too...! My dinner is doomed!" 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka grinned wide. "Well who wouldnt enjoy it? my new girlfriend is awe--" Plink. He stares for a moment and..."Toph? I think it's time you gave that girl a hug," he said with a big grin. true to his word her platr had double. and she got the biggest grin. "See kids? You can do it! Sure its hatd. but you know what? YOU'RE TOPH'S students. that makes you guys already tougher than half the people in the cities. heck in the whole world there are just three benders she chose to teach this art to. Penga you're the first. But soon I bet all three of you will be bending." his voice swelled with pride. And he pushed toph towards her student. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Why should she give her a hug? "I don't hug my students!" she protests, digging her heels into the ground. Nopes, she can be oogie with Sokka, but not be affectionate towards her students. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka crosses his arms and pushes her closer. "Do it. hug her. shes earned it." he gave a sigh. Then leaned in and whispered in her ear. " Come on. it'd probably mean the world to her. knowing you were proud enough to do that. Yoi're their mentor after all. That's a special bond." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "They already know I'm proud when I don't throw rocks at their heads!" Toph hisses back at Sokka, stubborn. All while the three students look uncertain about what's going on. "Uh, I don't really need a hug..." Penga begins, interrupted by The Dark One who grumbles. "I hate hugs." "Does Sifu Toph even hug...?" Ho Tun asks the other two.     And Toph mutters under her breath. "See? They know me, and you know how I am towards my students. If I go soft on them they won't learn how to be proper metalbenders!" 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka sighed for a moment and then nodded. Then used the evil line. "Right I guess you know best. I just know when I was training and succeeded it would have really made me feel a lot better if my master had given me a hug. But I guess positive reinforcement isn't that important." He was totally guilt tripping her. "Though I guess I could just give her a hug instead." He grins to her. "Besides. you're plenty soft when you need to be and you're the best metal bender ever." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "You're just like your sister, you know that?" Toph asides to him, recalling how Katara had talked to her about positive reinforcement, gentle judges and crud like that.     Toph Beifong is /not/ gentle in her teaching methods.     "If you're trying to make me feel bad, it's not working," the blind teen informs him with a huff. "Also, I'm the inventor of metalbending, of course I'm the best at it! And who are you calling soft?!"     Ugh, fine! If he's going to be like that... Toph steps forward towards Penga, who looks surprised. Slowly Toph extends her hand, places it on the younger girl's shoulder... and pats it twice. "Good going. Now you explain how you did it to Ho Tun and the Dark One."     Face it, Sokka. The only person she is gentle with is you. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka grinned and then put a hand on Toph's shoulders. "That, Penga, was Toph's way of saying she's very proud of you and she thinks you're a great student." Pause. "Also, that she'll put up with a TON from her boyfriend." He then sat down and grinned and... Totally put an arm around Toph's shoulders as they ate. "So, Penga, how about you tell us what it was like? You finally did it, so you must be really excited, right?" he asked with that big dopey grin. He'd also completely missed the other girl having a crush, too. As was the sokka way. How many broken hearts had he left in his wake? And he did take his hand off her shoulder after a bit... And instead lightly held her hand under the table. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The only comment Sokka gets to his interpretation of Toph's words and action is a slight huff, as well as Toph crossing her arms across her chest when Sokka wraps one arm around her shoulders.     But she doesn't grumble nor complain, instead she follows Sokka to the table and sits down next to him. Penga meanwhile is excited, chittering away about what she thought about, like shoes and stuff, but then she had noticed something in the metal and gotten it to move a bit... and then it flew towards Sokka's forehead. The others don't have an easy time getting a word in, and so Toph focuses on eating. Though she pauses a bit when she feels Sokka's hand move from her shoulder... and down to her hand. Her expression remains unchanged, but underneath the table, her fingers entwine with his, squeezing his hand in return. 
}}

4988/A Pleasant Forge Visit

2017-01-06T13:10:07Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/01/06 |Location=Aselia |Synopsis=Toph and Sokka drop by Lloyd's forge. Sokka gets some training, Gnome shows up and shovels people, and much t..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/01/06
|Location=Aselia
|Synopsis=Toph and Sokka drop by Lloyd's forge. Sokka gets some training, Gnome shows up and shovels people, and much teasing is had.
|Cast of Characters=373, 20, 1076
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:373|Lloyd Irving (373)}} has posed:'''     The former General and current Paladin was working up a storm in his forge this day, the ring of metal on metal sounding through the trees surrounding his home. Birds fly off at the sound, but it doesn't let up at all. A courier arrived and left a package outside the forge building, peering at the door for a moment before dashing off again. It's not until quite a time later that the ringing stops, and the door opens with a burst of smoke. He glances down at the box, noting it was from Toph and placing it on an empty table inside. He's drenched in sweat, but he seems pleased with himself nonetheless, carrying two small boxes in his hands. He pulls up a spot on the bench outside, setting the boxes down beside him as he stares into the sky.     "Huh," he says, "Nice day." A warm breeze blows through the air, sun shining over the forested landscape and casting shadows all about. It's one of the things he really enjoys about home, and it's clear as he closes his eyes and falls into a strange, sitting rest. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     When Sokka had suggested that they should go here, Toph was a bit uncertain at first, but then again, it's not difficult for Sokka to talk her into doing this. After all, he does get certain priviledges now, like dragging her along and telling her that it will be fine.     Even if she's not looking forward to any teasing that she fears she will hear in Lloyd's voice.     At least the weather /is/ nice, and the walk to the forge isn't bad at all. The area is nice, the air is clean, the birds and wildlife are skittering all about. A perfect place to walk hand in hand with the boy you like. At least until they reach the forge, that is. As they near it Toph moves to let go of Sokka's hand, as she's able to 'see' that Lloyd is seated outside. Once they are in clear view though, Toph raises her hand and offers a wave. "Yo, Angel Boy." What's he been working on today? 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka has ALWAYS dragged Toph around and it been fine. Just now there was often more oogies while they waited. Or cuddling when they were on a boat or something. Really, all in all, not much had changed except for kissies. They'd always cuddled. Okay, maybe Sokka SHOULD have noticed sooner. And yes, he had come to get some training in. He let her hand go when she left him. Awww, sad face. He then glanced up. "Hey! Ironing!" ... Lloyd Irvene. Lloyd Ironing. Shut up it was funny. He gave a quick wave. "So, I finally talked things out with Toph." Grinned. "Worked things out, but she gets custody of the paladins in event of a breakup, I only get visitation rights on the weekends," he joked. 

:'''{{#var:373|Lloyd Irving (373)}} has posed:'''     Lloyd starts as he hears footsteps approaching, a glint of panic in his eyes and a racing thumping of his heart. Toph would immediately register a fleeting fear, and Sokka might notice the flash of terror before his face breaks into a wide smile. "Oh, hey there you two!" he says, standing back up and stretching. He looked tired, but seemed energetic enough. "Good to see you," he says, offering a nod toward Sokka as he speaks up. "Eh... needs work. I can see what you were going for, but it wasn't... refined." He lets it hang without so much as a chuckle, smiling instead and nodding again. "I can see that. I'm glad to see it. Now I can finally say tell you. Hey Sokka, Toph has a crush on you." He crosses his arms, rolling his shoulders as he does.     "Well, I thought it might work out, so I made you both something," he says, turning back and picking up the boxes. He offers one to each of them, speaking up again. "I don't really get a chance to do pieces like this these days, but I think they came out alright."     If they were to open the metal boxes, they would find that each holds a bracelet. Toph's is made of White Silver, the design of the band invoking the thought of lapping waves. Toph might be able to feel the subtle waves in the metal, and the centerpiece is an Aquamarine. Sokka's is made of Black Silver, designed with stylistic stalactites and stalagmites. The material seemed less shiny that Toph's, the Black Silver infused with earth provided by Gnome centered with a Ruby.     "To be honest," he says, "if this HADN'T worked out, I dunno what I would've done with those." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The silly nickname Sokka has for Lloyd makes Toph snort slightly, and she keeps up with Sokka as they walk up to Lloyd. And of course Sokka has to make another joke, and one about how they patched things up after the brief hitch in their friendship. "At least you get the TV," she jokes. "Not my car though, I got that one years ago." Even if she'll never drive it!     When Lloyd decides to be funny and 'tell' Sokka about her crush, the blind teenager snorts, blowing some hair away from her face as she crosses her arms over her chest. "You really /were/ itching to say that, huh..." Oh yes, there is some colour to her cheeks. But not that bad, actually. She does look curious when he holds out the boxes to them however, blinking. Though with her ability to sense earth and metal around her, she already seems to know what's inside the box as she opens it. Yet she's able to get a closer look when she opens it and can actually touch the bracelet inside. "You... made us semi-matching bracelets," she comments. And yes, she's able to tell that she got an aquamarine stone in hers, and that there's a ruby in Sokka's. That colour in her cheeks isn't going away just yet, and Toph does nod as she moves to put the bracelet on since she assumes Sokka will be all crazy about this. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka gasped! A hand going over his chest. "WHAT?! Toph has a crush on me?! I don't believe it! Toph, did you know this?" he asked, giving her a little grin. Oh, he probably deserved to get punched for that. "Hmmm?" "Yeah. But you'll still take me for drives, right? we went right through the market earlier, wasawesome." No they didn't. But he wanted to see if Lloyd jumped. "Lots of screaming." He opened it and... "Hey, awesome! I used to make stuff like this a lot, too!" He glanced to Toph's arm to a special piece he'd made ages ago. "You know, I think this will go perfectly with a pair of those clothes I got earlier. Apparently they're called skinny jeans. The lady said they were all the rage." 

:'''{{#var:373|Lloyd Irving (373)}} has posed:'''     Lloyd snickers softly, nodding a bit. "Oh yeah, just couldn't wait to get that off my chest," he says, before moving toward the clearing outside the forge. His swords are on his waist, and he draws them in a flash. "Right... You didn't hurt anyone, right? I mean, the paperwork for the market is already going to be a nightmare, especially if I tell Stadler. He likes triplicate." His eyes gleam, calling the obvious bluff. He then gestures toward Sokka with one of his blades. "You practiced that arte at all, Sokka?" he asks, smiling brightly, "Because I want to see you do that by the time you head out today. Toph, you might get a kick out of this." He rolls his shoulders again. "Do you need another demonstration first, or will your latent talent carry you through again?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     For that Sokka gets a punch to the arm! Toph does look semi-amused though. "All I know is that your skull is thicker than granite," she comments. "If we /did/ take a drive in the car you wouldn't need a helmet at least. And relax, he's joking in case you couldn't tell," she assures Lloyd.     As expected Sokka is all about the jewelry. The armlet from the leftover space earth that Sokka used for his spacesword is still on Toph's upper left arm, as she seldom doesn't wear it. Unlike Sokka she doesn't care much for mixing and matching, but hey, if he wants to have something that goes well, then fine by her, he's the one with the seeing eyes.     So Lloyd wants to train with Sokka... fine by her! Toph moves to sit down on the bench, her left hand touching the bracelet as it rests around her right wrist. "So what kinda move is this anyway?" 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded, drawing his sword. "Of course. I've been practicing and I think I have it down. I'm having a bit of trouble with the landing, but..." He took a deep breath And then got into his stance. "Toph, stand by. HIYA!" he yelled, before jumping spinning and... HE GOT IT! He actually bloody got-- Oh dear. He landed, alright, even on his feet, buuuut... his momentum carried hi mthrough. He stumbled forward, spun a bit and then... BAM! Slammed RIGHT into Toph, body checking her out of the bench and knocking them both to the ground. He laid there a moment, cringing. "Ow. That hurt li--" He then stared down. And his cheeks turned scarlet as he stared. "Err... T-toph? You okay? You uhhh... make a nice landing cushion." Diffuse with a joke! It didn't work! 

:'''{{#var:373|Lloyd Irving (373)}} has posed:'''     Lloyd chuckles, watching the two with a bemused expression. It was adorable watching them interact, but he did have to maintain some air of professionalism instead of just teasing them constantly. "All but the landing, huh? That's one of the most important parts, you know. But feel free. The floor is yours." He sheathes his blades and stands aside, giving Sokka plenty of room to work. "It's called Tempest, Toph! Try to focus on Sokka's sword and you'll understand why," he adds, smiling. Sokka launches into the air, and his technique is good! Lloyd nods a bit, then shakes his head and softly facepalms as he goes careening into Toph. "And that right there is why."     He shakes his head, placing his hands on his hilts. "I mean, if you just wanted to be that close to Toph, you could've just said no, you know." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Content with 'watching' the training for now, Toph gets comfy on the bench. And huh, seems like Sokka put a lot of force into that spinning jump or whatever it is he's doing. Perhaps it would have been easier for her if she had working eyes, but the moment Sokka stumbles, falling forwards, Toph's eyes widen. She /could/ get an earth pillar up, but then there's the risk of it actually hitting Sokka in the head, and... too late! Just before Sokka crashes into her the blind earthbender throws her arms up, and the ground behind them softens into sand, just in time to dampen their fall even as Toph lands first with Sokka on top of her. Even if the ground was softened, she does wince... and reaches up to hit Sokka over the head. "Watch it next time, Meat Head!" And then she mutters. "Be glad I didn't give you a rock cushion to land on..."     As for Lloyd's comment? "We've always been close, even back when we were just friends... it's not like that has changed!" she protests. Except now she doesn't feel quite as embarrassed when he does decide to snuggle with her. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka gulped and quickly got back to his feet, his cheeks burning bright red. "R-right. Y-yeah. I ummm, o-of course. I, err, I-I think I've mostly got the hang of it. I just need to ask that... well... errr... w-what's the point of it? I mean, it seems, err, very... air bendery," he said finally, occasionally glancing back to Toph. "I can see it being a decent way to get behind someone. But it requires a lot of energy and really leaves you exposed when you're over them. I'd never wanna use it against a fire bender. and wouldn't going around them be more efficient?" 

:'''{{#var:373|Lloyd Irving (373)}} has posed:'''     Lloyd smirks, "Right, right," he says in a teasing tone, but lets her comment go without further dispute. He's more concerned about addressing Sokka's question. In answer, he draws his swords again and falls into his stance. "Not only is it good for mobility and damage should you catch an opponent in the right situation, the repositioning allows for following up with different techniques. Such as... this one." He flies into the buzzsaw Tempest attack, landing on the ground slightly hunched. Before he even seems like he should be steady, he twists on his heel, blades slashing around him as his shoulder juts forward. He doesn't call out this attack, but it sort of announces itself. A lion's head, made of blue and white mana, bursts from his shoulder, complete with a vicious sounding snarl.     "It's more of a setup technique, but it can be used in advanced forms as well. ONCE, of course, you stick the landing without cuddling your girlfriend." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     For now Toph gets back on her feet, then kicks the ground to bend the sand off of her clothes, then another kick to turn the ground back into earth again. She listens to the explanation Lloyd gives, 'watches' his demonstration of the move, and she nods. Well, that makes sense, doing it like that.     Yet she lets out a huff when he comments on how Sokka landed. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded, watching him. Then... stared. "I don't think I can do the lion thing. I mean, it's cool and all. But I don't really have any of the magic stuff. Though I guess it's an interesting technique to learn. Can you help me learn to better stick the landing?" he asked with a smile. He then moved away from him, his cheeks burning a little more and, once again, attempting the move. He... almost sticks the landing. He doesn't fall into Toph. Instead he stumbles head over heels, landing on his back with a pained off. "I'm beginning to suspect you taught me this one next just so you could see me get hurt." 

:'''{{#var:373|Lloyd Irving (373)}} has posed:'''     Lloyd chuckles at Toph's huff, waving his hand. "Let me have my fun. I won't get too much a chance before it doesn't bother you anymore, you know?" He watches Sokka attempt the Tempest again, this time slipping and falling backwards. He shakes his head as he sheathes his blades, walking over to help Sokka back up. "No, I taught it to you because I think you can make good use of it. You seem like a creative fighter, and Tempest is a creative arte. Now, the secret in the landing is to flip into it. You'll get it with time, but you want to come out of the flips in a way that leave you mid-rotation when your back is to the ground. Open yourself up at the point, and your momentum will carry you into the perfect sweeping landing."     He takes his stance, but doesn't draw his swords this time. He goes into Tempest again, letting Sokka watch him land this time without the distraction of the Material Blades. "It's tough, but when you master the landing, you're in a powerful position." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Sitting back down on the bench, Toph sighs. Whatever lion thing Sokka is talking about is probably something with Lloyd's move, not that she can 'see' anything magical like that. When Sokka falls next, there's no softening of the ground, he might note. Toph sits still on the bench, merely observing the training.     "Just wait until I find something to tease /you/ about, Angel Boy," Toph retorts to Lloyd, at least she's looking calm.     "You need to balance a bit better before you jump," she offers helpfully, sticking her pinkie finger in her ear. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded, listening to them both. He then took a slow, deep breath as he backed up. Then, once again he ran. He jumped into the air, blade out and circling, flipping in mid rotation as shown by Lloyd. He came down hard, sword out, slashing in a diagonal landing and, while he didn't perfect the landing, he did far better. He fell down to one knee and he left himself a bit open as he tried to rebalance himself. But he didn't face plant. Sweat was beginning to form on his brow as he worked, though. "Woo. That move really takes it out of you, doesn't it? But... it's not so hard once you get used to it. Heh. I think the demon fang was easier though. Less telling gravity to leave me alone." He then chuckled. "Really? Toph hasn't found anything to tease you about? She must not have known you very well." 

:'''{{#var:373|Lloyd Irving (373)}} has posed:'''     Lloyd rolls his eyes, not that Toph can see it. "Right, right," he says, "I'm SURE you'll get some sort of chance." Fat chance there. "Ah, good observation. Make sure to push yourself up with your back leg." He has to give Sokka credit: Before he perfected the technique, he only performed it once a day to recover. "Yes, it's taxing until you're able to do it without thinking. Like all things, perfection comes with practice, and managing your stamina is key. One more tip, though. Don't fight gravity. Work WITH gravity. Let it do what it's going to do, and flow your body with it."     At Sokka's last statement, Lloyd blinks. "What do you mean?" he asks. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Huh, Sokka really did better, didn't he? Flicking some ear wax off from her finger, Toph grins in Sokka's direction. "Throw in another spin and you can dazzle your opponents, giving you enough time to recover after the jump to throw the boomerang at them!" she jokes. It's defintively good natured, however, and there's nothing but mischief to her expression.     So what if she doesn't have a lot to tease Lloyd about? "It's not like Lloyd and I have been hanging out a lot, you know. I mean, I came here to meet Gnome, deliver some metal... that's it. But..." Her expression turns serious where she sits, narrowing her eyes. "Keep on teasing me, and I'll pay it back tenfold. Understood?" 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded and sheathed his sword. "R-right. Think I'm going to take a few minutes. Catch my breath. You should have seen me the first few... dozen tries I did with it. I almost broke my neck once. Luckily I did it over the training mats, so a lot softer on the landing." He then paused. "Actually, that's not a bad idea! You know, I bet I could get like, some glitter balls I could release when I do it. Really throw off some razzle dazzle. They'll never see it coming." He cocked an eye. "Really? Toph makes fun of EVERYONE! You should have seen her the first week we knew each other. 'Three verse three... plus sokka.' Though, I won't deny that one stung. And... who's gnome? Your pet?" 

:'''{{#var:373|Lloyd Irving (373)}} has posed:'''     The swordsman smirks over at Toph, shrugging. "I think I can take it, so I guess I have free reign," he says. "And, well, she doesn't have much material when it comes to me, Sokka. She... might now, after this much time, but somehow I don't think she'll come up with a whole lot." Was that a challenge? That might've been a challenge.     Then Sokka calls Gnome a pet.     The earth shakes violently around them, centered specifically on Sokka, and the Summon Spirit of Earth appears in a flash of light. An almost comical looking gopher creature with a red bow on its head and a shovel in his short arms, Gnome descends on Sokka with a clear intent. <Who you callin' a pet, huh punk?!> he says, before whacking Sokka on the head with his shovel. He turns toward Toph afterward, offering a small dance. <Oh hey, it's Toph! Still bending the best element, right? Earth forever!> 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "No breaking your neck," Toph asides to Sokka while cleaning her fingernails. "It was tough as shit confessing to you, I don't wanna go through that shit again." Ugh, how do playboys and casanovas to through that all the time? Weirdos. Even weirder than Sokka and his glitter ideas.     Ah, don't remind her about how she underestimated him back then...! Toph sighs. "Look, I'm sorry about that, I wasn't used to non-benders actually being strong! Heck, I had only fought small fry up until then, remember?" The question about Gnome is far more interesting.     "This world has spirits, like ours. Except they are elemental spirits, and Gnome is the best one of course!" Want to take a guess to what kind of elemental spirit he is?     It seems like the ground has ears however, and Toph laughs when Gnome whacks Sokka on the head, leaning forward as she wraps one arm around her abdomen. When Gnome turns towards her she grins in greeting, offering a nod. "Like I'd ever want to be any other kind of bender! Sorry about that, he," she states, gesturing to Sokka, "hasn't been to this world before." But Sokka is one of the few people aside from Aang who has serious respect for the spirit world. Not that she can blame him for that. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blinked. Then... "H-hey! I'm not a small fry!" Yes he was. "And yeally? You can't think of ANY strong non-benders?" he asked, glowering. Then he yelped and nearly fell on his butt. And then BAM! On the head with a shovel! "OW!" He then glared up at it and... "Oh, great. A spirit." he paused, then sighed. "Great, more magic. So, you're the earth spirit of this world?" He chewed on his lip for a moment, then nodded. "Right. sorry for calling you a pet. I assumed with a name like gnome..." Pause. "Aaaaaanyway. So, you're a friend of Toph's, then? Wait, spirit of... so he can do the fancy earth bending too?" 

:'''{{#var:373|Lloyd Irving (373)}} has posed:'''     Lloyd chuckles. "Aww, and here I didn't think much intimidated Toph. Who would've thought confessing to a boy would be the undoing of the greatest earthbender of all time!" He takes an instinctive step backward, wincing as Sokka takes a shovel to the head. Gnome crosses his stubby arms, scoffing audibly. <Yeah, well, alright. If you want me to forgive your boyfriend, I guess I can oblige!> He raises his shovel to the sky, nodding triumphantly. <That's right, shovelface! I'm the great Gnome, Summon Spirit of Earth. And, can I earthbend?> He plunges his shovel into the ground, and the ground rumbles again. Out in the clearing where they had been practicing, a statue raises from the stone.     It's an incredibly detailed effigy of Gnome hitting Sokka with his shovel.     <You better believe it, bud! Only one who can even compete is Toph, but I use magic I guess. So not really the same.> His bow spins with excitement, and Lloyd walks over to the statue. "Gnome, this can't stay here," he says blankly. <Oh, right, you train there. Picky, picky,> the spirit replies. The statue slides across the dirt, moving to sit by Noishe's pen. <There! Now we can all bask in its glory!> 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "You got the Kyoshi warriors, and those two friends of Azula's," Toph shrugs casually where she sits. "I just hadn't met them yet at the time, you know?" There aren't many non-benders who would beat her. Or many benders for that matter. Even as Lloyd is stepping backwards Toph gestures slightly with her hand... and a small rock comes flying towards Lloyd's head from the side.     "Of course he can do fancy earth magic, why else would he be the Earth spirit?" It only makes sense. There's only the faintest blush when Gnome refers to Sokka in that manner, though she doesn't protest. Instead she looks greatly amused when Gnome creates the earthen statue, snickering. "Man, it looks just like you two!" she laughs, only to snort at Lloyd. "Really, you have no sense of good art when you see it." Luckily it's easy enough to move earth like that, and if Gnome hadn't done it she herself would have moved the statue to somewhere it can rest in peace. Like on the roof for all to see. "I missed you, Gnome! did you get the earth I send you for Christmas?" she asks. Of course he had to get a Christmas present just like Lloyd!     "Also, don't hit him too much with your shovel," she adds and points to Sokka, "I kinda want his head intact. So does he, I guess." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka groaned and shook his head. "Oh my gosh. all this time I thought it was just a Toph thing. I guess all great earth benders are like that." He eyed the bow. Then glanced to Lloyd. A grin formed on his lips. "So, Lloyd. Is your earth bender crushing on you, too?" This time he'd be ready for the shovel, drawing his sword to parry it if need be! "So, are there other spirits, or is this more like... guardian of the planet earth spirt, the one and only?" He kept his mouth shut about what he thought of THAT. And he gave the statue the dirtiest look. Ohhhh, someone was getting pouty. 

:'''{{#var:373|Lloyd Irving (373)}} has posed:'''     See, Sokka WOULD expect the shovel. Instead, Gnome gets creative and flicks his hand up. A pillar of earth erupts under Sokka, knocking him into the air and onto the roof. <Your head full of rocks or something? Wait, no, it'd have to be air. Rocks aren't that stupid,> Gnome says, crossing his arms. Lloyd smirks, then takes a rock to the head for his efforts. As he yelps and rubs the point of impact, he can't seem to help himself. "I bet you want his head intact," he says before he can stop himself.     In for a pebble, in for a boulder.     <Nah, I'm just the best of the bunch. There's eight of us,> the Spirit explains, <Got one for every element. Fire, ice, light, dark, water, lightning, earth and... ugh, wind.> Lloyd rolls his eyes. "Each element has its opposite, so Gnome and Sylph don't get along." Gnome shrugs. <Eh, they're alright. They're cute enough, anyway.>     Lloyd softly facepalms, shaking his head. Gnome claps and nods. <Yep! Thanks! I've got it stored in my seal. I didn't know what to get you this year, so I helped Pointy over there with your bracelets.> 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "I think that Sokka's head is a mystery to us all," Toph says, all before her head snaps to the side, her expression going stern even as her cheek flares up to a lovely hue of red as Lloyd's comment reaches her ears. What follows is a kick to the ground, and the earth explodes underneath Lloyd, rocks and dust whirling up. "Be glad I don't yank you down into the ground this time!" she half-snarls at him, even as she crosses her arms across her chest. Hmph!     Though when Gnome says that Lloyd was working on the bracelets along with Gnome, Toph blinks. "Wait... how long did you spend making these anyway...?" Did he start on them /before/ she even got to confess to Sokka or something? Oh man. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka just lays there a few moments, staring at the sky. Yeah, his mood was sufficiently darkened. Ugh, it was just like the last four years of his life. Gosh dang benders. He was not their toy to toss around! He just laid up there for a few minutes, before forcing a grin. Right. toph's friend. And Lloyds. No throwing a boomerang at the insanely powerful earth spirit. He hopped down a moment later, landing on the ground. "What, wait? Sylph? Cute enough, you say?" he asked with a cheeky grin. "I bet he made them around the same time I started making your gift, Toph. At least, ifit was as obvious as everyone made it out to be." 

:'''{{#var:373|Lloyd Irving (373)}} has posed:'''     Gnome floats up to Sokka, looking at him curiously. <Man, you're no fun. I thought you'd fight back!> he says, then shrugs. <Ah well. Nice to meetcha, bud!> Lloyd blinks, then is immediately surrounded by dust and stone, falling over as the ground explodes under him. "Ow!" he says, pulling himself back to his feet. "So touchy." He considers asking Sokka's opinion on Toph's blush, but decides he would like to remain above ground.     <Oh yeah,> Gnome says, <They're pretty cute, if you like wind I guess. Nothing like Celcius, though.> There's a chill through the area, and Gnome shakes his head. <Joking, joking! Hey, not here, Cels!>     Lloyd dusts himself off, rolling his shoulders. "Well, I had the idea for them after you hit me with that plate," he says, nodding proudly. "It took me a long time to finish them, though, even with Gnome's help. Not to mention all the other work I had to do in between, of course."     As Sokka comes back to the ground, Lloyd smiles. "Oh wow, I forgot about that gift. That was a clever idea, still have to say." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Since Sokka isn't getting up Toph gestures towards the earth there, helping Sokka to his feet. "Well, it was obvious to anyone but you. And it's not like they knew we would end up together or something," she shrugs, trying to act casual about it. Oh right, the plate incident. "When you guys first recruited us, huh?" That's when Lloyd figured it out if she recalls. Talk about optimist if he thought that she and Sokka would become a couple after only seeing them together once!     As the chill goes through the area Toph shudders a bit. "No cold, please! I had enough with that at the South Pole! Sokka is the one who likes ice!"     The gift that Sokka got her is still resting in her room aboard the Ad Coelum. A really nice gift, and not to mention special, something that only she can fully appreciate. With her bending and all, able to see what's on the inside of it. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka shrugged. "Eh. I learned long ago not to try fighting over confident earth benders unless I'm sure I can win. It just eggs them on otherwise. How do you think I survived long enough to date the world's greatest?" Ohhh, just slide that compliment in there! "Really? Planning it that long? Was it really that obvious she had feelings for me? How did I miss them? I must have been blind." Pause. "I couldn't SEE anything," he said with a big, wide grin aimed at Toph. He walked over and put an arm around Toph. "Don't worry. If the cold comes, I'll keep you warm. I won't let you drown or anything, I promise." 

:'''{{#var:373|Lloyd Irving (373)}} has posed:'''     Lloyd chuckles. "Celcius isn't to be trifled with, Gnome. She's too cool for your shenanigans," he says. Which earns him a smack from the shovel as well. Lloyd just can't seem to keep his mouth shut, huh? As Sokka moves to put an arm around Toph, Gnome shakes his head and flies up. <Yeah, I'm outta here,> he says, fading away, <See ya later, kids!> And with that, the Spirit is gone as fast as he arrived.     Lloyd shrugs. "Seemed pretty obvious to me. I mean, it was either that or she had a secret boyfriend, so I had a fifty fifty shot at it." He smirks, then stretches, closing his eyes. "Oh man," he says after a moment, "I didn't see those puns coming." He had to. As Sokka puts an arm around Toph and says what he does, Lloyd lets out an involuntary 'awwww!' and turns away.     "Well, training's done for the day, Sokka. I don't want to push you too hard on Tempest quite yet. And, well, we might see if you can use Beast next. You thought you wouldn't be able to use Demon Fang, and look how that turned out!"     He turns back to face them, smirking. "Now, unless you guys want to help me with another present, I'm going to be heading back into the forge. I have a big project I'm working on for someone." Sokka might notice that Lloyd looks completely exhausted despite his upbeat nature, and Toph might notice that his rhythms seem off all of a sudden. "I hope you like those, by the way," he says after a moment, gesturing toward the bracelets, "I know it's not much, but I am really happy for you both." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The puns from Sokka earns a long groan as Toph rolls her eyes. "Now you're just stealing /my/ jokes!" No rocks are sent in his direction however, not even as he moves on over and puts his arm around her. All she gives is a slight pout... until she allows herself to lean into him a bit. "You'd better not let me drown if you know what's best for you, Meat Head." No comment about him saying he'll keep her warm, however. It's a bit strange with Gnome saying he'll be off at that, but Toph nods, giving the Earth spirit a nod. "Catch you later, buddy."     A secret boyfriend...? "Like I would ever have that," Toph snorts. "Not that you need to babble about us, that is," she adds. If people know, it's no biggie. There's just no need for there to be an announcement or anything. Don't think she didn't hear that 'awww', Lloyd! It's a good thing he turns away however, and Toph lets out a sigh of relief... and then kisses Sokka briefly on the cheek since nobody can see it. The training is over, so it's time to head on to the Ad Coelum, isn't it?     "Eh, I can help you out at the forge another time," Toph says with a shrug. "You should probably go rest, you seem tired." The last comment about the bracelets though, that makes Toph nod a bit, not blushing that much. "... thanks." For believing in that silly crush of hers, even if he /did/ tease her a lot about it. "Let's go!" she asides to Sokka, holding onto his arm as she aims to drag him with her. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka grinned, then glanced to Lloyd. "Oh? What are you working on?" he asked. "Want a hand? You know I'm always down for some blacksmithing. unless you'd rather we get out of your way?" And then dragged off. "Well, I guess that answers that!" he said with a laugh. Then soon started jogging to keep up with her. "So, I haven't been to this world very often. How about..." And suddenly he scooped her off her feet! "I take you out to dinner. My treat. Anything your heart desires. As long as no spirits join in. Okay?" 

:'''{{#var:373|Lloyd Irving (373)}} has posed:'''     Lloyd would answer, but Toph seems to have gotten the point. Or maybe she just wanted to go do something else. Either way, Lloyd waves the couple off. "I can handle it. You two have fun, alright?" He smiles and waves, then turns back into his forge. Once he makes sure the door is closed...     He collapses to the ground, body no longer able to support itself. Looks like he's sleeping on the forge floor tonight. On the center table is what Lloyd seemed to be working on: a massive hammer. Who could that be for? 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Sorry Sokka, but it seems that Toph has decided that Lloyd should rest for the rest of the day, which means that it's time to go!     As Lloyd calls after them Toph raises her hand to wave. "We're gonna grab some food, Sokka always likes tha-- HEY!"     What's with Sokka and scooping her up? A sigh leaves Toph, but she doesn't fight it, instead letting Sokka carry her. "Okay, I want something with meat and cheese. Cheeseburger or something..." If they don't have that in this world, then they can surely find it on the Ad Coelum! 
}}

4977/Tempering the relationship

2017-01-05T04:58:10Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/01/03 |Location=Aselia |Synopsis=Sokka and Lloyd have a talk by the moon light. Lloyd even teaches him a new way to break his neck and what to..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/01/03
|Location=Aselia
|Synopsis=Sokka and Lloyd have a talk by the moon light. Lloyd even teaches him a new way to break his neck and what to say to Toph.
|Cast of Characters=1076, 373
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka was... working. Hard. It was like three AM and he was out there, swinging his sword about, performing the demon's fang. He was actually getting pretty good at it. He had about ten feets reach with it now. He'd also made a few things already and was letting them cool. And was obviously just... not in his right mind set right now. Considering the way he was moving, panting, covered in sweat and swinging his blade at 100% every time, not pacing himself in the slightest. His movements were all over the place, wild, erratic and just... not him. Very emotional. 

:'''{{#var:373|Lloyd Irving (373)}} has posed:'''     Lloyd wasn't one to sleep much. It was difficult for him, plagued as he was with nightmares still. He could grab enough to function, but there was a reason his forge had grown to the massive construct it now was in the forest. And tonight, it seems, he's not alone. As it happened, he had been out gathering materials for a new piece he had thought up, and when he arrives back to the forge, he finds Sokka practicing the Demon Fang. But the motion was wrong. He wasn't practicing in a way that made sense, and even Lloyd wasn't dense enough to ignore the signs. He drops a large bag, which clangs with a muted metallic sound, in the door of the forge, noticing the pieces left there to cool before stepping back outside.     Crossing his arms, Lloyd moves to stand in front of Sokka, drawing his blades and splitting the Demon Fangs as they reached their outer limit. "Well well," he says, "What's got you all worked up, Sokka? And why'd you come here? I would say I'm surprised, but I'm not. This is where I come to work off emotions, too." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka yelped, and looked over. He then gave a small smile. "Heh. Hey, Lloyd. I err, hope I didn't wake you," he said with a weak smile. The two had been working with each other for a while. So... Lloyd would likely pick up that something was odd. Namely in the fact, Sokka was normally filled with spirit and energy. Sure, sometimes he got a bit down on himself, but he cheered up fast. Now it looked as if his spirit had been beaten, shot, then buried out back. There was a fake, false smile. Obviously fake. And Lloyd had probably heard about how Sokka hadn't made any jokes or puns in.... well, a while. The radio had been oddly quiet. Well, assuming lloyd went to the paladin areas often. Right after the kid got born, too. 

:'''{{#var:373|Lloyd Irving (373)}} has posed:'''     Lloyd shakes his head. "Dad sleeps like a rock, and I sleep when I can. I was actually harvesting some materials that are hard to find in the daylight. Moonlight makes them glitter just..." He lets his words trail off, sheathing his sword and moving off to one side, moving toward the water tribesman. "Obviously I've missed some things," he says, "because you look like you just had to swallow a thousand needles or something. What happened?"     His voice is warm, but also quick to the point, "It doesn't seem like you to be... this agitated and... well, frankly, beaten down. I mean, I'm glad you're working hard and all, but with that form and the fact that you're pushing yourself too hard, you're on a one-way ticket to pain at this rate." He gestures with his hand toward a bench set up outside the main house. "Sheathe your sword and let's have a chat." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka sighed and sheethed the blade with a flourish. "You'll probably figure it out soon enough. Toph told me she loves me. I have no idea how to cope with this. With any of this. I thought she was just..." He groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I thought I could talk her out of it, but i jsut made things *worse* and I have no idea what to do about it. And I swear if YOU knew that she liked me too, I am going to scream! Was I the ONLY one who didn't know?!" ... Yes. Yes he was. "And I don't really want to talk about it. I just want to forget it happened but that's not really an issue, is it? Toph's my best friend and I can't just ignore this, because now she's hurting and apparently she's in love with the biggest idiot in the paladins and I DON'T UNDERSTAND ANY OF THIS!" he yelled, kicking. The training dummy. The stone one. His eyes widened and he fell over, clutching his foot. "Ow ow ow ow owwwww." 

:'''{{#var:373|Lloyd Irving (373)}} has posed:'''     Lloyd blinks. "Oh," he says dumbly, eyes going wide. "You... you what? You tried to talk her OUT OF IT?" The swordsman rubs his forehead lightly with his palm, leaving a smear of dirt there as he does. "And, honestly, Sokka, I'm surprised YOU didn't realize it after dinner the night we recruited you. You remember how I called you Toph's boyfriend and she threw her plate at me? Why did you think she reacted like that, man?"     He sits on the bench, shaking his head numbly. "I guess since she's told you, I don't have to hide anything anymore, which is a relief. But why would you try to talk her out of it? Given how you talk about her, I thought you'd be thrilled!" As Sokka kicks the training dummy, Lloyd pulls himself back up and moves toward him, reaching out and clapping him by the shoulder. "Alright, I'm gonna do this, and you'll thank me in a second. But you're being hysterical." And, with that...     Lloyd smacks Sokka with the flat of his other hand on the back of his head. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blinked a few times. He laid there, staring at the sky. Okay, calmed. "Wait, what? I thought that just meant she liked you or something. I mean, that'd at least make sense. You're awesome." He then groaned. "Of course I tried to talk her out of it. Toph is AMAZING. What could I possibly have to offer a girl like that? She's smart, talented, beautiful, high class, quite possibly the strongest bender in the world. Not to mention, just look around! Look at the paladins! Every day is spent surrounded by smart, amazing, talented people. People far smarter, stronger than I could ever hope to be. And they have their own magical powers half the time! He shook his head. "I'm just some... I'm normal. I'm just the normal guy. How could I do anything but end up holding her back?" 

:'''{{#var:373|Lloyd Irving (373)}} has posed:'''     Lloyd shakes his head. "You're pretty well off the mark there," he says, reaching a hand down to pick Sokka up out of the dirt. "And you need to start giving yourself a bit more credit, Sokka. You picked up a technique it took me weeks to learn and managed to produce results in three swings. You're wielding a sword made out of a meteor that you forged yourself. You have determination, heart, and energy to spare, and a positive energy when you're not sulking around at 3 in the morning. You are the one she wants. And then you, the one who spouts admiration with every breath, you reject her feelings because you don't feel like you measure up? Because you think she deserves better than the one SHE picked?"     He shakes his head again, but this time it's a sad gesture. "You basically told her that she was an idiot for following her heart. You want to know how you can do something other than hold her back? How about answering her feelings with honest ones instead of trying to run away from it, huh?" He sits back on the bench. "Do you even know how you feel about her, Sokka? In an honest way, I mean. I know you sing her praises, and I know she's a close friend, but could it be that you feel the same way about her and are just terrified that she'll wise up later on and dump you for being, in your words, normal? If that's so, then consider this."     "She fell for your normalcy. So maybe, just MAYBE, you have the wrong mindset." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blushed a little bit and then... "Kinda?" he said softly. "I don't know... how I feel about her. Honestly. I mean..." He groaned. "I've gotten... called an idiot and stuff. But everyone seems like... they expected this. Like it's okay. Tony thought I was going to..." His cheeks blushed. "Well, stuff, with her. Which is definitely NEVER happening. But... she's my friend. And honestly..." "If it was anyone but Toph, I think I'd be super excited. I'd have tried to make her feel like she'd never regret this decision. But... it is Toph. And I'm terrified I'm going to ruin things. Or... make them even worse." His fists clenched. "What if I do end up holding her back and... she gets hurt because of me? I can't protect her. I've... tried." 

:'''{{#var:373|Lloyd Irving (373)}} has posed:'''     Lloyd listens, and gears seem to click in his head. "Yes, a lot of people expected this because if you paid attention, Toph wasn't exactly subtle about how she felt about you. At all. But you had to be able to read the signs. And, I've told you, I missed similar signs once, and now that chapter on my life is closed. I can't regret it, it wouldn't be fair to, but a part of me will always wonder what would've happened if I hadn't been such an idiot." He stretches out a bit, shaking his head again. "Well, Tony is Toph's dad. He's... got her best interests at heart. And well... It's Tony, so I can guess what he probably said to you." He rubs his face with one hand again. That probably wasn't helping matters, thanks Tony.     At Sokka's last statements, Lloyd shakes his head again. "You are completely in the wrong head space, Sokka. Toph doesn't need protecting, and if she DID, and you feel as strongly as it sounds like you do about her? I believe you'd find a well of strength that no one, magic, bender or otherwise would be able to stop. I mean, can you picture it? I mean, vividly picture Toph in danger, and you are the only one between her and injury or worse. If there's anything there other than a raging inferno in your heart, then maybe that's your answer, but if I know you as well as I think I might? I think you'd be surprised how fast you'd race to her defense, and how much you'd be capable of. But beyond that..." He smirks slightly. "You need to dispel that thought. Because THAT is not what love is about. In fact, I think the reason you are resisting so much is because you're afraid. Not of what you say you are, I mean, but of how much you actually care about her." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blushed even redder. "Oh gosh was it that obvious? How did I never pick up on it?" he asked with a groan. "I must be the world's biggest idiot." Then... Lloyd said that. He leaned back a bit and... "It... did happen once. In the last day of the war," he mumbled softly. "We fell," he whispered. "I caught her. Just barely. But... I couldn't do anything. I could feel her slipping from my hand. I could feel our finger tips just barely holding on as I struggled to not lost her." His fists clenched. "I couldn't do anything. More of the soldiers came and... and I knew we were going to die. That I'd fall there and... and then she'd fall to her death. if Suki hadn't... come right then..." His arms moved up around himself. "It was probably the only time Toph needed me to save her. and I failed. I couldn't hold on. I couldn't protect her. I still sometimes have... nightmares about it. About her slipping from my grip. Of her... falling." He shuddered. "... Don't... tell her about that. Please. I never... really... told anyone. There wasn't any fire, thought. Any hope. There was only that despair of knowing my friend was going to die... and I couldn't do anything about it. And that hope that... I'd die first." 

:'''{{#var:373|Lloyd Irving (373)}} has posed:'''     Lloyd shrugs. "Sometimes we don't see things because it doesn't fit in our mind," he says, "It's clear that you think of Toph as a friend, so you didn't see what the rest of us did. It's nothing to worry about, Sokka." He claps the youth on the shoulder again, then listens. It's a long... LONG moment after he stops speaking that Lloyd seems to find his voice again. "I lost Colette, too," he says, "I lost her spirit, it's a long story, but she was just a shell for awhile during our journey. I lost my best friend, someone who cared about me more than anyone else I knew at the time, and I felt that same pang. Like I failed. Like she was gone forever. But I still didn't figure it out. And then... there was another. We went on a mission that was supposed to be one way, and it was only in that moment that I realized that I felt strongly for her. I... expressed it badly, and I knew that I couldn't protect her, even though I knew she didn't need it, even though I knew she was actually stronger than me at that point. And then... after that, she was seemingly killed. I had to face her parents, with these feeling in my heart that I never thought I'd be able to express. I... think we've drifted apart too much now, and maybe it wasn't real, but I know it felt real then."     He looks up at Sokka, smiling weakly. "You can't let that fear hold you back, okay? Yes, you both are in danger. Constantly. And there will be situations like that, I can't tell you there won't be. But if you let THAT be the reason why you won't be true to your feelings and hers... then you're going to end up locked in nightmares and what-ifs. She survived that event, and you fought with everything you had to protect her. Even if you can't, that's probably why she likes you. Because you would stake your life for hers." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blinked a few times, then sighed. "Yeah. In a heart beat. I'd be dead by now if not for her. A dozen times over," he muttered with a happy sigh. "I do love her. Probably more than I've ever loved anyone other than my family. But... I don't know if I can love her in that way. It's not... easy. You know? Separating the feelings?" He gave a sigh and glanced off to the side. "But... I... think i might want to try. As scared as I am... I think... the idea of hurting Toph is so, so much worse." Another slow, deep breath. "I guess I'll just talk to her." Then groaned. "So... Lloyd... any advice on how to tell a girl who can beat you from here to... well... anywhere really, without getting buried under an avalance?" 

:'''{{#var:373|Lloyd Irving (373)}} has posed:'''     Lloyd smirks a bit as Sokka finally seems to dig his way out of the maze he'd built in his mind. "There ya go," he says, "That's what I was hoping to hear. You've got a lot going for you, Sokka, but overthinking is something you have to get past. You have to face your fears and accept that life is going to throw things at you. But, if you keep up your training and accept things as they come, changing what you can and doing your best, you'll be just fine." He stands up, clapping the youth on the back heartily.     As for Sokka's question, that just causes him to laugh a bit. "Start with what you just told me, and work from there. Be honest about everything, and don't hold back. But don't be mushy about it. You might just get... rocked." He shakes his head, as though the pun hurt even him, but he's trying to lighten the mood, damnit! "You don't have to be eloquent or anything. Now you just have to be honest. And hope she didn't change her mind about you, of course. I still can't believe you tried to talk her out of it. You're gonna spend a long time pulling your foot out of your mouth after that particular stunt. Idiot." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded. Glancing up at him. "Hey... Lloyd. Ummm... when you invited me into the Paladins. Did you think I was worth it? I mean... I figured it was just because Toph was.. well... you know." He paused. "But I talked to Stadler about this, too. He's actually pretty nice. Said I could come to him whenever I had any troubles, even women troubles. He... said he thought I was capable. Sorta. And that I... well... I figured you guys just took me on as an extra. For toph." He didn't even REACT to the pun. My gosh, how out of it was he?! "And yeah. I will. It's... going to be hard but... I guess Toph is worth it. Working it out. I still don't get where this came from, though. I mean, she says she fell in love with me within like... a week of us meeting. What in the world did I even do? By that time all she'd done is thrown me fifty feet in the air and steal my club." 

:'''{{#var:373|Lloyd Irving (373)}} has posed:'''     The former General shakes his head, face going serious. "You put too much stock in what others think. But, since you asked, yes, I did think you were worth it. I wouldn't have invited you to join if I didn't. I've said it before, you remind me a lot of myself when I was younger, and the Union took a chance on me. I became a General, so it can't have been too poor a choice, right? And I know you have the potential for greatness, but you have to start seeing it in yourself or you're never going to reach it." He smiles at Sokka, patting one of his sword sheathes. "You'll do great, but you're your own worst enemy, you know? A lot of us have that problem, standing in our own ways, but you'll get over it. I know you will."     Lloyd smiles in earnest as Sokka continues talking, rolling his shoulders in a shrug. "Love sometimes doesn't make any sense. Maybe it's because you were so different from the other boys she knew, or maybe it's because you have some sort of charm. I don't know, and maybe she doesn't either. You could always ask. Maybe explain when you realized that you cared so much for her, you know? Swap stories." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blushed and looked off to the side. "Heh heh. Thanks. I ummmm... yeah. I guess I can get a bit insecure sometimes. I guess it's just... you know... used to being... over shadowed and stuff. Sometimes I wish i could do some kind of... bending thing. Or something unique. Had a bit more to offer. Used to be the idea guy, was proudo f that... but... not really the idea guy here anymore." "Other boys she knew? There weren't a lot..." and then snorted. "That's it, she must love the fact she can beat me up a lot easier if I ever give her some lip," he joked. Then blushed as he thought about the kiss they'd shared. 

:'''{{#var:373|Lloyd Irving (373)}} has posed:'''     Lloyd shrugs again. "We all have moments of weakness. Nothing to be ashamed of, but you can't let it hold you back, or you'll spend your life wondering how things ended up the way they did. And that's no way to live." He shakes his head, smirking again. "You're SOKKA. You have that unique combination of things going for you, and maybe you just haven't discovered your major 'thing' yet, you know? You have talent with a sword, and you're skilled in the forge. You learn fast, and that's nothing to take for granted. Maybe you can train yourself to do something that no one else can! But don't let that bog you down. Just get a foundation for yourself, then figure out what makes Sokka Sokka later, okay? You're still young. You've got plenty of time to find the thing that gives you your edge, and it may be something you never expected."     He stretches, staring up into the sky. "Heh, maybe. But somehow, I think there's more to it than that. I think that may be more a result of how she feels than a reason she does." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded, snickering. "Oh, well, my teacher always did say I was one of a kind. So did gran gran, actually. But I get the feeling she was mocking me." He frowned, the snickered. "Oh, that reminds me... I still need you to see what the next arte you'll teach me is. I think I've about got this demon fang mastered. So there's gotta be something new I can learn, right?" he asked with that big, dopey grin of his. The scary thing was, there probably was something new he could learn. He then sighed. "I'm.... a lucky guy, aren't I?" 

:'''{{#var:373|Lloyd Irving (373)}} has posed:'''     Lloyd shakes his head, smirking a bit. "You certainly are unique," he says, "and I'm not mocking you." He stretches out again, then laughs out loud. "Oh, you're pretty confident in that, huh? Alright, I think I can toss another basic arte your way. Try... this!" He draws his swords, positions his feet, then leaps into the air with a call of "Tempest!" He spins like a buzzsaw through the air, somersaulting in an almost wild way and sailing in a smooth arc. As he reaches the end, he lands on his feet, coming to a dead stop and straightening back up. "Work on that one for next time! And... well, yeah, I'd say you're pretty lucky, Sokka. Just make sure not to squander it." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blinked a few times, staring at him. Opened his mouth. Closed his mouth. "Can... can you show me that again... one more time?" Oh, yes. It was going to take him more than three times to learn that one. Because he WILL be falling face first on the ground. All the time. With that. It'll be hilarious. "How do you even... that doesn't even... How? Don't you fall on your face doing something like that?" 

:'''{{#var:373|Lloyd Irving (373)}} has posed:'''     Lloyd smirks, sheathing his sword and shaking his head. "Not tonight, Sokka. It's nearly sunrise, and we both need to rest. Go get some sleep, talk to Toph, let me know how things work out, alright? When we meet up again, I'll show you the technique as best I can. Until then, see if you can figure it out on your own." He smiles, then waves, making his way back toward his house. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka sighed and sheathed his sword, giving a light yawn. "I... guess you're right. I still need to get back to the ship, anyway... ugh... Toph is going to hate me.... I'll... see you around, okay? Thanks for helping me... talk." He took a deep breath. Yeah, this was going to be rough. 
}}

4983/River vs Mountain

2017-01-05T04:57:41Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/01/04 |Location=Earth-199999 |Synopsis=It happened. Toph and Sokka like each other now. Prepare for oogies. |Cast of Characters=1076, 20, 301..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/01/04
|Location=Earth-199999
|Synopsis=It happened. Toph and Sokka like each other now. Prepare for oogies.
|Cast of Characters=1076, 20, 301
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka took a deep breath as he walked through the streets of Malibu. He could do this. He would do this. He'd... make it. Some how. His heart hammered, his mouth was dry, his hands were clenched. But he'd make do, somehow. He'd talked to his friends and other people, and they'd cleared things up for him. He'd been an idiot. So, what else was new? So he walked up to the Stark household and took a long, slow breath. He could do this. "It's me, Sokka." He told Jarvis. "Please open the gate." If, well, he didn't, he'd just jump it. It'd hardly be the first time he broke the rules and this time it was important. This time it HAD to be done. He'd make his way up to the house. If the door was unlocked, he'd push it open... otherwise... "Please tell Toph to come out. We need to talk. And I'm not leaving until we do. If she wants, she can call the cops to have me arrested, or toss me out herself. But I'll just come back. I can be just as stubborn as her." He wasn't exactly thinking clearly. Heck, he was on the verge of panic, his heart pounding so fast it might explode. But his friend was hurting. Because of him and if ever there was a reason to do something stupid, now was it. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     As Sokka arrives at the Stark estate, there's nothing that keeps the gate closed. Perhaps Tony himself had a hand in that as he did suggest that Sokka should crawl back to Toph on his knees and beg her forgiveness. Jarvis speaks up as the young water tribe warrior enters. "Miss Beifong is in the living room. As for your stubbornness matching hers, I am inclined to disbelieve that considering the times I've butted heads with her," the British voice intones with what might be humour.     As said, Toph is curled up on the couch and visible from the entry hall. All in all the girl looks tired, as if she's half asleep and only partially paying attention to a movie on the wall sized TV. Which might be the reason she doesn't seem to have noticed that there's somebody arriving. And she doesn't look elegant either, half snoring, wearing a dirty t-shirt with what looks like some dried baby vomit on the shoulder. At least it seems like she's been busy helping take care of her baby brother. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka took a slow, deep breath before pushing the door open. He walked inside, as quietly as he could and then... when he was behind her. "Toph. We need to talk." Yeah, sneak up on the incredibly powerful, and distracted earth bender, this would end well! And then he grabbed her by her shoulders if she tried to flee. His heart hammered all the worst and he stared at her. "Toph... I..." And the words disappeared. Mother. Fricking. WHAT COULD HE POSSIBLY SAY?! He'd hurt her! He'd hurt her so much! He'd stomped on her feelings like she stomped on the butts of any earth bender who opposed her! She should hate him! He deserved it! GAH! 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     An undignified snort leaves Toph where she leans back on the couch, smacking her lips a bit as her head rolls to the side. With her feet up on the couch it's an easy task for somebody to walk around Toph without waking her up, especially in a place where she's not on constant guard, and with the movie running in the background. Strange, it doesn't look like a really good movie... only with a strange man running around an island filled with sinister women. And the man seems to be overacting. A lot.     The moment Sokka grabs Toph by the shoulders however, her eyes snap open, and she's awake within seconds, her eyes only growing wider.     Her hand jerks up, and suddenly the floor underneath Sokka tilts, threatening to send him tumbling back into the window behind him unless he's quick to react. And if he isn't? Well, these windows are enforced to withstand the Hulk, so at least there's no danger of him cracking them.     Turning around slightly, Toph clutches her blanket close, face pale where she sits, even as she moves one foot down to the floor. "What the crud do you think you're doing, sneaking up on me like that?!" she snaps, looking awfully flustered and nervous. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka hit the window, hard. He was totally off his game. He slammed into it and groaned. "Ow. Was... hoping to avoid that, heh," he said with a chuckle. "You know ,that's dangerous. What if you need to jump out a window? you'd be stuff," he said before slowly getting to his feet. He walked forward again, moving in front of her. "Toph. I..." SPEAK! "Things can't go back to the way they were. Not... after that." And he reached out to grab her shoulders. "But... you're... you're my best friend in the whole world and... and I..." What? I love you, but I don't love you in that way? But I DO love you in that way? "You're so far above me it's not even funny. I... I can't begin to imagine what made you think that. What makes you feel that. And... and I..." Why was it so hard. He tried to speak, but the words didn't come out. Nothing came out. "I..." he rasped. He was going to lose her. He was going to hurt her. Well FUCK that! He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, closing his eyes and using his mouth to do what his words can't say, pinning her lips between his and holding them together for dear life. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Then don't sneak up on a sleeping bender, dunderhead!" Toph grumbles with clear annoyance, not answering the second question. When Sokka moves forward, the blind teenager tenses where she sits, gripping her blanket tighter. And she swallows, looking like she wants to be anywhere but here when Sokka states that things won't be same as it was before the clock struck twelve on New Year's Eve. And then he grabs her by the shoulders, making her tense up even further before she reaches up to push his hands off of her. "D-don't!" she protests, turning her face away, even as he babbles about her being his best friend. Are they though? It doesn't feel like that, not when he shut down after her confession. Right now he can't even talk properly to her, and it's all her fault...     Sure, she's a bender, he's a non-bender, is that why he doesn't think she can possibly feel that way about him? There's a pained look on Toph's face, and she shakes her head slightly, her lips drawing thin as she speaks up when he finds himself struggling to find words. "Look, I get it, so just stop it and m--"     It's rather hard to speak when she's suddenly aware of Sokka leaning in and something presses against her lips, causing her eyes to widen in shock, her cheeks no longer pale. After a few seconds she regains her wits however, and she pulls back, her left hand moving up to her mouth that's still partially open. Okay, she no longer looks annoyed. Instead she looks merely nervous... and flustered. "S... Sokka?" 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka smiled down at her, giving a cheeky grin. "I've more or less made it my life's work to fight people who out classed me at every turn." He moved so one knee was on the edge of the couch, leaning in close over her, trapping her. "In every possible way." He softly stroked her cheek. "So maybe it's time I start applying that mentality to my dating. I can't imagine why you decided someone like me was worth falling for. But..." He moved in a little closer, lips centimeters from hers, his breath... oh my gosh he even BRUSHED HIS TEETH! There was no scent of meat! "If you still... feel like giving me a chance, I'll spend every day of the rest of my life doing everything I can to be the boy friend worthy of you. Because you're worth every ounce of effort, Toph." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Okay, this she did not see coming. Literally.     True, Sokka does tend to surround himself with powerful benders. His younger sister, the Avatar himself, the new Fire Lord... and herself. He... he's actually getting onto the couch! The blind earthbender swallows, looking tense as she shifts slightly. The fingers stroking her cheek does bring the blush out more, and she turns her face slightly to the side, but not completely away from Sokka. His breath smells so fresh, and it's so close. And it seems like he doesn't have much problems talking right now for some reason, while she finds words difficult at the moment. Then again, she's busy listening to him speak now, so maybe she doesn't need to say anything just yet.     Is he seriously...?!     The blind girl swallows where she sits, raising her hand slightly. This time without bending anything. Instead she moves it to rest it on Sokka's arm. Her voice is a bit raspy when she speaks up. "So... you're not mad at me...?" she asks hesitantly, blinking her eyes a few times as she lets out a sniffle. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka shakes his head. "Mad? At you? If anything I'm mad at myself. Apparently I was the only one who didn't notice. I mean, how could I be so thick headed?" he said, leaning in a little closer. "I have so many years to make up for. So many kisses i could have given you. So many hugs i could have wrapped around you. So many words I could have spoken to you." He paused for a moment. "But... there's one thing. I... I can't guarantee this will... work out in the end. I'll try but... i doubt i live up to what you're hoping. And... if I don't. No matter what happens, let's always be friends. Okay?" He softly stroked her cheek. "Because there's no one in the world more important to me than you. And... I plan to show you that. Every day from now on." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     It did seem like everybody but him did notice that she had feelings for him. Thick headed is an understatement! Toph snickers slightly where she sits, lowering her head as Sokka leans in a little closer. "Your brains must be made of gravel or something..." Just what made him change his mind though? And what nonsense is he babbling about? "What? You've hugged me a lot, and it's not like we haven't been talking, Snoozles!" she snorts. "Well, except the past days, I guess... but you know what I mean!"     Of course he babbles some more now... seriously, did one kiss mess up his ability to talk and then another fixed it again? Wouldn't that be typical? And there he goes, talking about doubts, living up to expectations. So Toph reaches up to rub her knuckles /hard/ against the side of his head. "You numb nut, what are you talking about, live up to what I'm hoping for? You're not a stranger, you..." Pause. "You're my best friend, aren't you? Shouldn't that matter? I-if you like your best friend in that way, I mean... doesn't that just make it better instead of falling for some superficial dunderhead you don't even know all that well?" Perhaps Lloyd was right in his assumption after all.     The suggestion Sokka comes with does earn a nod, and Toph smiles weakly. "... yeah. You're one of my oldest friends, and... it's never boring being around you." He always listens, he doesn't underestimate her, he makes her laugh... stuff that matters! "So... we're boyfriend and girlfriend then?" she asks, the blush returning a bit to her cheeks where she sits, her hand still resting on his arm. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded. "Yeah. I guess I have. I..." He then blinked a few times. and then sat down. Wow, that was a bit heavy. "Huh. I... I guess we're dating. You and I. That's... pretty amazing. I mean, I figured I might date someone awesome one day, but... well, I guess I have but... I mean... wow." He had to just sit there for a moment, glancing over and his cheeks bright red. "And yeah. I'm your best friend. This is going to be awesome." His fingers slowly wrapped around hers, intertwining them. "So... ummm... wanna watch another movie?" he asked. "Could watch more disney ones. And--" Pause. "Wait, is this why you got so mad at me yelling at the little mermaid? I stand by what I said. She should have just kissed the big dope." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     So it's decided.     Right now Sokka isn't the only one who thinks it's amazing, not judging by the blush and soft smile crossing Toph's lips where she sits. At least Sokka doesn't have to worry about Toph seeing how bright red his face is. Instead she's able to hear the way his heartbeat and breathing has increased slightly from the embarrassment. Her own fingers intertwine with his, albeit a bit slowly. At the question of watching another movie she nods her head a bit, only to let out an amused snort when Sokka begins to babble again. Rather than saying anything though, Toph yanks on Sokka's hand, pulling him closer so she can lean in and press a kiss to his lips, this time not quite so hesitant and rushed as the one on New Year's Eve. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka was distracted, watching the television. And then was... pulled in closer. "Huh? Yeah, To--" And then kiss. For a moment he froze. Then... slowly... his other hand moved up, gently going around her back to pull her a little closer. His eyes closing and he held her body against his, his heart pounding in his chest. If her lips had parted again, she'd soon feel his tongue gently sliding out, stroking softly against her lips before sliding through the parted gateway, stroking once across her teeth. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony wanders down the stairs and through living room with a couple of bottles in his hand to be washed. He looks like he's gotten about four hours of sleep in the last couple of days, and it takes him a moment, as he hesitates mid-stride, to blearily sort out what's going on on his couch. Then, he announces, "Oogie," and proceeds methodically into the kitchen. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Sokka will have to watch Nicholas Cage in bearsuits punching women another time, it seems.     Toph doesn't seem opposed to being pulled closer, letting out a soft sound as she tilts her head a bit more into the kiss. Okay, this is not as awkward as it was, though Sokka clearly knows how to do this better than she does. Slowly she raises her arms, moving to wrap them around Sokka's shoulders even as her own heart tries to keep up with Sokka's.     Of course the moment that one word is heard the mood is completely changed, as Toph pulls herself away from Sokka, eyes wide and cheeks flaring red. "DAD!" The word is slightly whiny, desperate, and she looks like she's tempted to throw something after Tony as she hears him walk towards the kitchen. Instead she lets out a groan and buries her forehead against Sokka's shoulder. "Ugh, I can't believe he saw that...!" And never did she imagine that Tony would use that approach against /her/, even after all the times she's complained about Tony and Pepper being affectionate in front of her. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blinked a few times and then, suddenly, Toph on his shoulder. He gave a little squeak and instinctively he hugged her. Friendshi-- wait, no. Girl friend hugs. Oh, okay. This was a little... more difficult. Normally he'd just hold her when she's upset. It was so easy before. Now a million things went through his mind. Was he doing this okay? was she okay? What if he screwed this up? Oh gosh what if he ruined everything? Instead, he rested his head on hers and grinned. "Oh, he's just jealous." Pause. "He's heard the stories of my amazing kissing talents and wanted first go," he jokes, hoping to crack the ice with a bad joke. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Considering the fact that Toph isn't pulling away from him, it does appear that Sokka is doing something right. Her face is warm against his shoulder... and when he rests his head against hers and makes that joke... she lets out a snort.     "No offense, but I think he's a bit hung up on Pepper considering he was acting like a moron and tried to figure out how to propose." Except she was just a big idiot when trying to figure out how to confess to Sokka. "So, uh..." she begins, "You might get pulled aside by Amalthea sometime soon." Warning him might be better. Though maybe she should talk with her later and try to stop that. Like hell if they need to involve lots of people in this! It's bad enough that she spoke with Tony /and/ Amalthea about this whole mess! 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blinked a few times and chuckled. "Yeah. and, err, Stadler might wanna talk to you. I uhhhh... kinda talked to him about it." Pause. "and Lloyd." Pause again. "And your dad. And the barista. And the... well, lots of people called me an idiot. And I had to agree." Yeah, a real shame to involve a bunch of people in this. "... You know, I don't think I've had more than a sandwich in the last few days. Wanna go out somewhere, get some food?" ... Wait. Was he asking her on a DATE?! 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     At that Toph's expression falls, and she sits upright, although not pulling away completely from Sokka. "Wait, you... you talked with STADLER about this?!" she half yelps. Only to sit there and 'stare' in shock as Sokka keeps on naming all the people he talked with about what should have been between just the two of them. No, he... he didn't! "W-why... why did you talk with /him/ about it?" she demands, pointing towards the kitchen where Tony went. Or Lloyd. "Is what why Lloyd has been trying to talk with me on the radio?!" she demands, looking horrified. Oh man... And just then she reaches up a hand to the radio piece in her ear, clearing her voice.     Okay, clearing up this mess isn't going to be fun, but at least the main mess is dealt with! And that's what made her feel the worst, actually. It's not only Sokka who's eaten poorly the last few days, so Toph blinks when he suggests going out to grab something to eat. Well, it certainly beats going into the kitchen where Tony is right now. "Sure, just lemmie change my shirt or something, the squid gulped up on me earlier and I don't think I managed to wash all of it out."     It's not like they haven't gone out and grabbed food before, so at the moment Toph doesn't think too much of it. "I'll be back in a minute!" she says before she heads towards her room. All while fiddling with the radio on the way. Goddamn Lloyd...! 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blushed. "Stadler kind of... interrogated me. I asked him to transfer me so... I wouldn't distract you while in training. He... said no. And then he weaseled the reason out of me. Sorry... And the others, well, errr... I mean, lloyd is like, a teacher of mine..." He then blinked. "Oh. wow. i hadn't even noticed. Heh, I guess you just make anything look good." ... And he was being freaking honest. He laid back and relaxed, closing his eyes. Oh my gosh what had he done it was both awesome and so, so scary. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Things suddenly make a lot more sense, knowing that Stadler spoke with Sokka. So as Toph heads into her room, yelling back all the way, she does sound a bit irritated. "I /knew/ he was acting funny when I talked with him on the radio!" she snorts. "And Lloyd is a cruddin' wise ass, he threatened to blabber to you!" Except not, as he was just teasing, but still...!     It doesn't take long for Toph to return, having changed to a comfy sleeveless tunica instead. "So ummm... what kinda food should we get? Burgers? Pizza? Mexican?" Huh, it's kinda funny actually feeling /hungry/ again. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "Eh.... heh heh. Err, he did? Lloyd was going to tell me? Oh, wow. I guess that's what he meant by all of those... wait, was he hinting at me towards you? How did I miss it?" He would be saying that a LOT! "Hmmmmm. You know what? I could really go for something... fishy right now. Let's getsomething with fish in it, okay? You know any good fish joints?" Truly it was time to teach sokka about sushi. "Something deep fried, too." Oh yes, sushi. When he stepped besides her, however, he nervously reached down and took her hand. She could probably feel his heart beat through it. The way it pounded in his chest. Shaking. And... "You look... beautiful, Toph. Breathtaking." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     At that comment Toph snorts and rolls her eyes a bit. "The way you missed everything else, Meat Head." And huh, he wants fish? "Well, you got all the snooty sushi bars, but you also have this place who has fish burgers, fish and chips..." she begins, listing up on one hand. And as he reaches out towards her hand, Toph is already moving said hand towards his. Not without a slight flush to her cheeks, though at least she manages to act casual about it. They've held hands before! And... then he of course has to say silly comments like that. "And I guess you look like you always do." Kinda hard to tell! "So ummm..." Taking a slight breath, Toph moves her free hand to her satchel, resting it on it. "Seems everybody kinda knew. And they might figure it out quickly. Not that I feel like telling them." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka shrugged and then sighed. "Yeah. I guess I was a bit of a meat head, huh. How could I miss the most awesome bender in the world having a crush on me. I'm surprised you never dropped a rock on me for it." Then blinked. "Wait. If you HADN'T had a crush on me, would those flaming rocks HAVE hit me?" Probably. He then nodded. "You choose, you know the area. And yeah, they'll figure it out." He really considered telling her about the... thing stadler told him. About the laws and stuff... but... no. He wasn't going to worry her about it. It'd just be his problem to worry about. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Oh man. Toph lets out a sigh. "I got you out of the ground without squishing you back when I began training Aang, remember? I could have easily let him try, and I... didn't feel that way about you back then." As for the flaming rocks? "Melon Lord does not show mercy, you know that."     Okay, so it's up to her. "Fish and chips then, and we can bring some food back home for mom and dad too. Or just mom." Tony can get his own food if he's going to be complaining about her being oogie for once! "It's not too far away," she informs him as she leads him out of the house and down the road, holding firmly onto his hand. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka snickered and then leaned in, ruffling her hair. "Oh? So Toph loves me, but to Melon Lord I'm just another any waiting to be squashed, huh? Alas, however will I survive if I encounter such a fierce warrior a second time?" He gave her hand a little pump. "Sure. So fish and like, the lays, right? Or is it doritos? Seems like a weird mix of foods, but hey. This whole world is weird. They don't even have kangaroo bulls." He shook his head. "So weird." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     It seems that Toph only lets out a slight sigh when Sokka ruffles her hair. "Melon Lord will show up whenever she is needed, and you know it. Do not incur her wrath." It's nice when he's actually acting like himself again... even if they're holding hands in a different context now. But they're still acting like they used to, which is what Toph missed the most these last days.     Sokka /still/ doesn't know about all the awesome foods they have in this world. "Fish and chips, with means battered and fried fish, served with fried potato slices, topped with sauce. Messy but tasty. Remind me to ask dad to bring us poutine sometime when he's flying near Canada." That's one major good thing about having Iron Man as your dad, having somebody who can get takeaway from all over and still bring it back home in a short amount of time.     It's good thing to have somebody else who can agree on the strangeness of other worlds too. "I know! Back when I joined people were all so cruddin' confused," Toph exclaims as they walk. Fortunately Malibu isn't too long away, especially since both Sokka and Toph are used to walking. For now Toph leads Sokka along down some streets, coming to a small diner that is quasi filled up. "Knowing you, I assume you want the biggest portion size they have," Toph concludes. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka smiled down at her. He missed this too. all of this. Having her near, being able to laugh and chat with her. It felt awful the last few days thinking he wouldn't have his best friend. That he'd come so close to losing her. He blinked a few times and had to wipe his mouth. "O-oh. Oh my gosh that sounds a-amazing," he mumbled, licking his lips. "Why have I not had it yet? How many other great foods are you hiding from me, Toph?" he asked with a grin. "Confused? Can't blame them. It's like every animal here is half of one. Of course. We're dating now, aren't we? We can get one to share." ... and he was using his flirty tone. On Toph. She might remember it from when he dated suki. "Nothing with two heads. Last time I did that, I was sick for days." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Don't ask me why you haven't had it yet, I'm not your mom," Toph jokes and sticks her tongue out at Sokka. "And we'll just have to make a point of trying new foods around the multiverse now and then. I'm certainly not hiding any of the food." He's the one who's the glutton, not her! Though she does appreciate tasty food too.     So they're splitting a large portion, huh? Toph actually blushes a bit at that, though she manages to keep her composure, not looking bothered by it. "Sounds good." Oh yes, she does recognise that flirty tone in his voice. "And huh? When did you eat something with two heads anyway?" That... sounds a bit icky. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka shuddered. "Oh dear. Toph as a mom. Now that'd be scary. Oh? so should that be our big goal as a couple, travel the universe, experiencing the finest of cuisines? You'd best be careful, I'm not sure you'll be able to keep up with my iron stomach." "Remember that lake, when Katara pretended to be the maiden of the mists or whatever? I got that two headed fish. It WAS a better deal. I did get more for my money! But seriously, that stuff was nasty." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Eh, if you wanna travel and eat good food, I'll come along. I already know I can't eat as much as you do, I don't intend to end up with a burst stomach," Toph states as she heads up to the counter, pulling out her card with her free hand as she orders the largest portion of fish and chips that they have; the family size. Which means that it might just be enough for Sokka and herself.     There are some things you remember more fondly when travelling around the world with friends. Two headed fish in a muddy river village? Ewww. "Yeah, if you want to travel to places like THAT and eat, then you're travelling on your own while I order tasty takeout!" Toph huffs as she drags Sokka with her to a free table. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka chuckled and let her drag him along. And then they were sitting together and he almost pulled his free hand. Then, with a blush, remembered they weren't just friends. This was a date. She'd feel his heart getting faster, his hands grow a bit clammy. "Well, ummmm, I think I'll stick to nicer areas this time around. I don't want to get sick again. It was almost enough to turn me to Aang's weird 'don't eat meat' life style. Worst ten minutes ever." What? He'd suffered, but at least not for long. "So... errrr..." He reached out and gently brushed her hair back. "Toph... I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm so, so sorry. I... panicked." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     At that Toph agrees with a nod. "Yeah, it's not like we're struggling for cash, getting paid by the Paladins and all." Not to mention Toph getting a hefty allowance from a superhero billionaire. "And if it's a comfort, I doubt you would be able to stay on Aang's boring diet for long." At least he wasn't upset with them eating meat, so all was well with her.     The fact that Sokka reaches over and begins messing with her hair, that makes Toph blink where she sits. And she sighs a bit herself. "I'm sorry too... but it's over. The next time you panic I'll knock some sense into that thick skull of yours. And you can ruffle some sense back into me, I guess..." the blind earthbender shrugs. "It will be easier getting back to training again now. I... actually tried to switch rooms on the Ad Coelum," she admits. To not have a room across the hall from his. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded, giving a little chuckle. "Yeah. He used to give us a little grief about it sometimes. but I think that was more because we were doing it at some secret air bender place than anything else. I don't know how he did it. People are NOT made to eat meat. It's just not right." "Knocking me out, huh? Shouldn't we date a while before you start threatening me with the kinky stuff?" Oh come on the joke just slipped out, he couldn't help it! And then blinked and turned so red. "O-oh, I mean, err, what? Move? But then how would we sneak over at night and study and hang out and make fun of our teachers?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Yeah, at some spiritual temple to whatever..." Toph snickers. At least Aang has grown a lot as the Avatar, so there's no trouble with him not understanding others.     It's a bit hard to understand Sokka at times though, and when he delivers that joke... Toph actually blushes where she sits. Though she does squeeze his hand a bit instead of commenting on it instead talking about the next comment instead since that's easier."Well, I thought you didn't want to be around me, but Amalthea would have denied that request anyway. So now I guess we can sorta sneak back and forth to hang out. I dunno about making fun about the teachers though, who knows who might overhear?" Not that people usually have the same type of freaky hearing that Toph does! 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blinked a few times, then snickered. "Really? when has that EVER stopped you from taunting someone? I figured them hearing just made it better for you," he said with a hearty laugh, before leaning in and giving her a little kiss on the forehead. "I'm happy she denied it. Hanging out with you is the best part about being in the paladins. And hey, now we can, ummm, even gross people out with oogie," he said with a little blush. Their food arrived and he quickly buried himself in it, trying to keep his heart steady as he let her hand go. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Well, true..." Toph shrugs, then holds still as Sokka leans in to kiss her forehead, which makes her squirm just a bit in her chair. "I... I'm kinda happy she denied it too now," she admits. Indeed, spending time with Sokka is never boring. The talk about grossing people out with oogies though, that makes Toph blush. "What? Are you planning on getting back at people for all the time you had to see /them/ being oogie now?" she asks. "It... wasn't bad at all though." Not until Tony interrupted them! But hey, what's the rush? Besides, they can't talk if they're kissing. Or eat. Toph lets Sokka let go of her hand as the foot arrives, and she picks up the pieces of fish and chips, dipping them in the sauce before she begins eating. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded. "Of course. The moment I see my sister again, I'll start making out with you and..." And then blinked. "And oh wow that just killed the mood. Thinking about my sister during kissy time is not a good idea. Ew. Just ew." He glanced down and smiled. "Of course not. You're a pretty good kisser for a rookie. But don't don't worry, I'll train you well in the art of proper kissing. But you'll have to call me sifu," he said with a chuckle, before taking a fry. "Why aren't all foods deep fried? I mean, it would make the world a better place." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     What... the... crud? Toph arches an eyebrow at that. "Yeah, I was kinda wondering about that, because having family members nearby sorta ruins the mood for /me/." That's something she can attest to even with her very short experience with kissing.     And now Sokka wants her to call him Sifu? An amused snort leaves Toph. "So kissing is style of fighting now, huh..." The praise does draw out a faint blush, and she distracts herself with munching on a fry. "And I dunno, they're probably worried about people not being healthy and crud... lots of people are health nuts and on the Aang diet here in Malibu." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded. "Yeah. I really, really didn't think that one through. ugh, how did Aang and Katara do that for so long? It--" And then shuddered. "And now I can't get it out of my head. Ew. Ew ew. Ew. Fish. Fishie friends. Distract me with your tasty fishness." Nomf. He glanced over. "Wait, so people do it who AREN'T air benders? Man, sometimes this world sucks," he said with a light chuckle. "And yeah, kissing can be used to fight. Maybe next time we spar together I'll kiss you into submission." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     An amused titter leaves Toph where she sits, dipping some fish a few times. Man, silly Sokka is the best Sokka.     "Yeah, there are people who are kinda hip on eating only plants, no animal products, though most of them are like Aang and not whining at people who do eat meat. There are some nut jobs out there though, just ignore them."     The threat of kissing during their next sparring though, that makes Toph huff just slightly. "That would be cheating, and you know it." So there. But still, she does blush a bit and doesn't look like she's protesting much as she resumes eating. Man, she was hungrier than she thought. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka just stared with a distant look of horror on his face. "... I can hardly believe it. What a travesty to live in a world, without meat. I don't think I could handle it," he said with a chuckle. He then humeed. "You know... I think I could eat a second one of these." He was a heavy eater during the best of times. at a time where he hadn't eaten in days? Well, of course he was going to go a bit wild. He then glanced back to her and grinned. "Hey, after this, wanna head back, watch some more movies? What was with that weird one? Why all the trucks coming out of nowhere?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "We'll order some more then... and then bring some home for mom and dad, it sounded like he was dead tired, must be because of the little squid." Here she thought babies were going to sleep most of the time!     Heading back to watch some movies doesn't sound too bad, so Toph nods. "We should maybe watch Robbie though, so... watch it on low sound and sit in the nursery. And hey, you haven't even seen my baby brother yet, you dunderhead!" Toph notes, punching Sokka slightly in the arm. "We can do that /and/ watch that weird truck movie, it's awesome." 
}}

4979/Troubled Teenaged Tenants

2017-01-04T02:47:24Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/01/03 |Location=Ad Coelum |Synopsis=How will Amalthea reeech theeese keeeeeds? |Cast of Characters=20, 395 |pretty=yes }} {{Poses |Poses=:'''{..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/01/03
|Location=Ad Coelum
|Synopsis=How will Amalthea reeech theeese keeeeeds?
|Cast of Characters=20, 395
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Over the holidays Toph had been home in Malibu, spending time with her family and Sokka and obviously having a good time when she had been on the radio. From New Year's Eve and onwards however, the usually loud teen has barely been heard on the radio. Part of it might be explained by the news of a new addition to the Stark family, as Toph surely has been busy helping out with her new baby brother and all.     Today however, she's done a quick return trip to the Ad Coelum. And handed in a request for change of rooms.     Currently Toph is in the proccess of filling up a cardboard box with various items from her room, and she's even stuffed her backpack with the clothes she keeps here for training, sleeping and so on. Not that she's put a lot of stuff in her room here, considering she doesn't put lots of stuff on the walls. But there are enough rocks, metal, the soft pillows, duvet... It's one hell of a load that Toph hefts up in her arms as she kicks the door open and heads out into the hallway. Okay, onwards to the elevator! 

:'''{{#var:395|Amalthea (395)}} has posed:'''     Holidays are over. It is back to work now. Though Amalthea hasn't scheduled anything just yet on a larger scale since the Caverns and a Creatures session yet, this does not mean she cannot have smaller meetings with her students on a more personal basis.     Like right now.     It's unexpected, unannounced, and possibly even unwelcome at the moment, how she seems to suddenly just be there. There was no sound. Not so much as a breath to hint her arrival. To the blind girl so reliant on sound, she might as well have been invisible until just now, when her voice comes from the doorway. Her tone is soft. Inquisitive, but most importantly somewhere between non-threatening and genuinely curious.     "What are you doing, Toph?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     As Toph turns around and suddenly hears that voice, she nearly jumps in place. But her surprise should be the easiest seen on her face, judging by her wide eyes.     At least she manages to not gasp or yelp in surprise.     Instead the blind teenager clearly tries to compose herself, standing up straight as she adjusts her grip on the carboard box. "I'm just changing rooms before I get too settled here," Toph explains, then nods her head towards the wall. "It's a bit noisy here due to something in the wall, so... I'm moving to the floor above. Just delivered the paperwork for that, so that should be in order. At least that's what the clerk told me," she quickly adds. Okay, you can move now so she can head past you. 

:'''{{#var:395|Amalthea (395)}} has posed:'''     So much can be seen right then and there in that jerking instant. Catching someone off guard can always tell you the world about them, but Toph's expression alone screams volumes of suspicion, when the unicorn catches the Bender flat-footed. But Amalthea says nothing for a breath, letting the girl compose herself and give an answer. But now there's a footstep. Approaching. Amalthea is entering. "Huh, really?"     There's a soft buzz as one floppy ear pricks up, and she spends several seconds listening intently. "Well I can't hear anything." She is well enough aware Toph's sense of hearing is probably better than her's, but what she's doing is something else entirely.     She's calling the Blind Bandit's bluff.     "Really? So sudden? Just... Changing rooms like that?" She muses. "Well, if the noise is bothering you, then there's no helping that I guess. But I'm sure it would be just fine if we had a tech come in and inspect what's in the panels, too. Just takes five minutes."     Hey look at that, she hasn't gotten out of the way. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     ... why is she walking /into/ her room? Well, her former room...     The blind earthbender stands still as Amalthea listens, and at the comment Toph shrugs just slightly. "Well, I do have a better sense of hearing than most people," she says in a way that she hopes sounds casual. Her expression is calm, but there's something hidden behind those unseeing eyes... something similar to when Amalthea summoned Toph to talk about her cheating in the first training session. It's even easier to see when Amalthea talks about getting a tech to inspect the panels, as Toph looks... slightly nervous? "No, that's not necessary, ma'am! It's just my overly sensitive ears! Somebody with normal hearing can take this room and I can take the free room on the other floor, I don't mind!" Really!     You can move now... please? 

:'''{{#var:395|Amalthea (395)}} has posed:'''     No... No she hasn't moved. It looks like she's still not going to, just yet, shifting lazily to lean herself on the doorframe. She counters Toph's argument by sort of just brushing it off entirely. "So how were your holidays? I heard Pepper had the baby. Are they both well? How is Tony, I haven't spoken with him in too long now." So casual, so relaxed, as she folds her hands behind her head.     "You know, I'm a few hundred years old. I could bullshit you with smalltalk for a few hundred more, if I wanted. You could only keep it up for maybe a few hours tops, so how about we just jump ahead a not waste time, because I'd like to read my daughter another fairy tale before her bedtime." She swings in, ever still so completely casual.     "The paperwork was really sudden." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     How were the holidays? "Oh, m-mom's well, so's the little squid. And Tony is really happy and proud, kinda proud that he made the little poopy machine... and an actual diaper changing machine," she says, wondering where this smalltalk came from but all too eager to talk about it. Which might have been Amalthea's intent as she springs her trap.     The sudden confrontation makes Toph halt, keeping quiet. And ugh, no fair bringing Ariel into this, as Toph likes the little unicorn girl. So she exhales through her nose where she stands, still not dropping the cardboard box. "I... guess it was. I just need another room, okay?" Toph says, a slightly pleading tone to her voice. "It's no big deal or anything..." Then why are Toph's hands clutching the box tighter? Why does she look so uncomfortable where she stands? 

:'''{{#var:395|Amalthea (395)}} has posed:'''     There's a hitch to Toph's voice. Like a shark smelling blood on the water, Amalthea is on it, and if her prior request to cut the crap wasn't going in for the kill enough, now she's quiet. It's nice that Tony and Pepper had the child but that's not really why she's here and they both know it. Amalthea will bring Ariel into whatever argument she pleases though, there is no fairness in dealing with curious unicorns. "You just guess?"     And then there's that plead. Amalthea heaves a sigh.     "Toph." She says, so much more firmly. "I'm not blind, you know." A pause. "That didn't come out right." Try again. "I need to know if there is something that will disrupt your lessons or will distract you." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     When does Toph ever guess? She's certain of herself and what she can do, guessing isn't something she does.     The faux-pas does lighten the situation a bit however, and Toph lets out a slight chuckle, though it should be clear that Toph isn't quite herself when she doesn't jump on that chance to crack a joke at her own blindness like she usually does. And all too quickly Amalthea reels the conversation back, becoming more direct in a way that it will be way harder to away from. Drawing a deep breath through her nose, Toph takes a moment, then... speaks, if not a bit hesitantly. "I... just don't want to have a room near Sokka right now," she admits, which might come as a surprise. Considering how the two have been like peas in a pod so far, partners in figurative crime and so on. "I kinda... messed up." Toph's jawline tightens a bit. "It won't distract me, so don't worry about that." At least that last line sounds sincere. 

:'''{{#var:395|Amalthea (395)}} has posed:'''     To the root of the problem it is then, and Toph bears the truth of the matter. She doesn't want a room near Sokka. The sigh Amalthea heaves is most weary and patient at the same time. She steps into the room further. And shuts the door.     Then comes the sound of Amalthea sitting herself on the edge of Toph's bed, planting hands on her knees.     "That is kind of a big deal. And there is no way in hell I believe for a moment that it will not be distracting for either of you. If you don't want to be near him now, what can I expect during group training? I'm not going to have whatever this is about between the two of you spread to the other Squires, and make it hard for everyone to focus; myself included."     She pats the space beside her, pointedly audibly.     "Sit. Talk to me?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Okay, why did Amalthea sit down? And no, it doesn't need to be a big deal for other people, so why won't Amalthea just accept that reason and just let her handle it in her own way like Toph knows she'll be able to? ... or at least she hopes she'll be able to. It's never been a secret that the stubborn earthbender doesn't like talking about her feelings nor involve others in her personal problems. When Tony died on Reptilon she basically shut down her emotions for a whole month, never talking about how she felt as she worked doggedly to help retrieve the Dragon Balls. But most of those who knew her would have been able to tell that she was everything but alright during that time.     This is different though, at least it is in Toph's mind. So she does actually... look a bit annoyed when Amalthea speaks. "It's not like /that/!" she audibly protests, her fingers digging into the carboard box. "I... just don't want to be alone with him, okay? It's okay if there are other people there, really, I..." Another heavy sigh leaves Toph as she turns her head sharply away... and then she lets out a snort as she sets the cardboard box firmly down on the desk in the room before she sits down next to Amalthea on the bed, crossing her arms across her chest. 

:'''{{#var:395|Amalthea (395)}} has posed:'''     Amalthea sat down because it is Talk time. It would seem Toph's answer might not just be acceptable to her. A slow breath and Amalthea spends a moment in thought, fingers drumming on her knee before the mechanical mythic sucks on her teeth. "I don't see what the issue is. You're here. He's across the hall. There are two doors between you, with locks on both of the," She decides. "It's not like you actually have to see him passing in the hallway."     That one was intentional, but she is serious once again.     "No, it's going to be like that. And what if whatever this is ends up getting worse with other people around?" She points out.     "So." She tries again. "Are you going to huff and pretend to find the wall interesting despite both of us knowing you can't watch paint dry? Or do you want to maybe actually talk to me. It is not just my job to whip you both into shape, it is my desire to see excellence out of you both and help as best I can." And then she rubs her face. "And I haven't heard one of his damned puns on radio in days, and that is kind of really bugging me." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Sure, their rooms aren't right next to each other, but they are still too close for comfort when it means they might bump into each other even more than necessary. So isn't it better to do something about it by changing rooms?     "No, it won't be worse with other people around," Toph interjects firmly, "I won't let it." So there!     The young earthbending master has always been a girl of action rather than a girl of words. So it might not come as a surprise when she sighs and rolls her eyes slightly. "I don't get /why/ we have to talk about it though, I've already talked with dad about this, and I'm dealing with it!" Is Sokka though? Not a day goes by without him making a pun on the channels, that's for sure... so why hasn't he been speaking up? Even if Toph hasn't been talking too much on the radio she /has/ been listening. "I don't know what's going through that gravel brain of his, so why don't you talk with him?" If she can get him to actually say words instead of just repeating the same noises over and over again, that is. "I mean, what /do/ you want me to talk about anyway?"     The blind girl sighs, blowing some hair away from her face as she turns her face away from the wall, finally. "About how I messed up our friendship by actually telling him how I feel?" Heck, according to Tony it was obvious to everybody just how she felt about Sokka, so why bother trying to hide it anymore? "About how he doesn't want to be around me right now?"     The girl's expression is stern, but it doesn't quite reach those milky green eyes where she sits. 

:'''{{#var:395|Amalthea (395)}} has posed:'''     There is a patience in Amalthea that she finds now, a patience she did not have years before in dealing with others. It has grown, and grown far and wide. But there are moments, when this patience can't hold up, and the irrascible old nag within flashes her fangs.     This is almost one of those moments.     But the unicorn steadies herself, taking her time, speaking very level, as calm as she can without giving the hint that Toph's evasiveness, grudging stubbornness, and hostility have not just jabbed on an old nerve. "We have to talk about this because I'm not your father, I'm your instructor. AND Sokka's instructor. At the same time. I'd rather cut through the bullshit now than step on landmines with either of you; which means I am probably going to have to hunt Sokka and sit him down like this too."     Poor Toph doesn't know it, but the shake of Amalthea's head sends a small dusting of glitter everywhere, including on the bender. "Toph I'm not oblivious. He practically sat on your lap, and you turned half the shades of a rainbow when he--... You were as red as..."     God /DAMN IT/.     "I noticed. And now this. And if you think others will not pick up on things you do many people around you a sore insult." This is when she tugs her legs up, folding them under her with a cluck. "That's what happened then?" That explains much. But now it is Amalthea's turn to snort. "And he did not take it very well did he?" Gravel brain indeed. "There is a difference between not wanting to be around someone, amd being afraid to be around them, you know. I would imagine, if he cares for you in any fashion, as I think he does... He's probably feeling just as vulnerable as you are. Maybe even just as confused and hurt. But I tell you now, what will hurt your friendship with him is if a wall forms between you both." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     It's bad enough to talk about these things with Tony, who's one of the few people who can get the stubborn earthbender to talk about things she usually hides from the world. Toph swallows hard, but she doesn't protest when Amalthea points out the obvious fact that she has to deal with both of them.     Once again Toph's cheeks flare up a bit where she sits, a look of discomfort on her face. "W-well, I was hoping it wasn't /that/ obvious since that Meat Head never got the cruddin' hints!" Toph points out with a huff. No, being a teenager with feelings is seldom an easy thing. Ugh, and she's thinking of talking with Sokka too?! No, that's not something she wanted to know.     Obviously Sokka didn't take it well, considering Toph trying to keep her distance from the older boy that she nearly spent all of Christmas with. "Look," Toph sighs, "I'm not going to avoid him forever! I know I can't, I... I just need some time to deal with this, okay? It was just a silly crush." What does she mean, if he cares for her? He's the one who tried to explain how she couldn't possibly have those kinds of feelings for him. So why should he be the hurt one? And their friendship was hurt when she was stupid enough to actually think it could be something more.     "Sokka will be making his puns again in no time, I'll be tossing rocks around... but fine, I'll keep this room then." She'll... just have to keep a figurative eye out on the hallway. 

:'''{{#var:395|Amalthea (395)}} has posed:'''     This is the kind of thing that will not stay a secret among recruits. Regardless of the disparate ages. And that means it's something that needs to be settled quietly and fast. The fact that Amalthea now knows, on top of Tony, and by Extension Stadler, says it all. There's no way any of this would have stayed discrete. Not one chance in the world Toph and Sokka could have handled it on their own silently. On their own sure, but silently... No.     "It was obvious." She once again confirms. "From an outside perspective, at least."     But she ponders a moment. And holds up one finger as though to emphasize whatever point she is about to make. Pauses. And lowers her finger.     "Not forever. Get it handled, Toph. The quicker the better. I'll speak with him myself soon, most likely. As it stands, some breathing room is a good idea, but don't make rash decisions. Trust me this isn't a one way thing."     Amalthea is pretty certain it's as rough on Sokka as it is on Toph as she stands up. "It's good you decided to keep the room though. I mean imagine settling this and asking for a room change again- you'd just make more work for some poor paper pusher." Noted as she makes for the door, stopping just short of exiting.     "I would have denied the request anyway~."     And there she goes. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     ... why was it so obvious to everyone but Sokka?     Get it handled, she says. That's what Toph was trying to do by adding some safe distance between herself and Sokka, but no... And to hear that she's going to talk with Sokka, ugh. Just how is this going to end if not making it worse? Then he'll know she's talked to somebody about the whole mess, and that won't make it easier to face him later, that's for sure!     Just what the crud is Amalthea talking about? "What? I wasn't going to ask for a room change after I got settled in the new room, I don't like moving my stuff around!" Toph protests with a huff as Amalthea stands up and walks to the door. The fact that she reveals that she would have denied the request for a room change though, that makes Toph actually pout where she sits, and she snorts again as she turns her face to the wall. Man, she could have said that in the first place, couldn't she?     After Amalthea leaves, Toph remains seated on the bed for some more minutes, all before she pulls herself up and over to begin unpacking from her backpack and the box. The clothes are easily put back, as are most of her various knickknacks, though as she reaches in to find her figurines of Tony and Pepper, her hand brushes against something at the bottom of the box. A blue and white necklace. For a moment Toph halts, running her fingers across it. All before she pulls her hand back, her face pulling into a grimace before she resumes getting her room back in order. Yes, she's definitively going back to Malibu later as planned since there's no training for the next day anyway. 
}}

4973/Teen Angst Part IV: the Revenge

2017-01-03T01:51:15Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/01/02 |Location=Earth-199999 |Synopsis=Tony has a man to man talk with Sokka. |Cast of Characters=1076, 301 |pretty=yes }} {{Poses |Poses=:'''..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/01/02
|Location=Earth-199999
|Synopsis=Tony has a man to man talk with Sokka.
|Cast of Characters=1076, 301
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka was miserable. And all of just jokes had just... died. When Tony had called, there'd been no jokes. no puns. Nothing. Tony could have lightly tossed one over the home plate and he wouldn't even try to punt it. And the morose tone to his voice was... completely out of character from what tony had likely seen up to this point. The boy was freaking miserable. And considering how fun and perky he was normally, it was quite disheartening. He met Tony at a diner, a bit away from the mansion. Cliched, but... well... that. Worst of all. He just ordered a coke. They had a steak dinner here. A good one. And he didn't order it. My gosh you'd think he was dying. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony Stark shows up to the meeting a bit later than planned, because having a newborn baby in the house does tend to screw up the timing of things, even things as important as slapping some sense into the dumb kid that your adopted daughter for some reason is heartbroken over. Why Sokka chose this place in particular, he has no idea. The Audi parked outside costs four times the value of the vehicles parked next to it. But Tony is wearing the stndard Marvel superhero disguise of a ball cap and sunglasses, so probably no one will recognize him. He steps into the diner, has a quick word with the waitress and points across the dining room to the morose young man with the coke in front of him, and is waved on by. The bench seat across from Sokka creaks slightly as he slides into it. "So," he remarks casually, "Here we are. You want to start or shall I?" He glances at the menu, then orders just a coffee when the waitress stops by to check on them. Cheapskates, she thinks, taking up a perfectly good table in her section just to drink coke and coffee, but she plasters on a smile and goes to get the drink. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka gives a soft sigh and waves his hand. "Go ahead, let me have it." He was expecting yelling, screaming, possibly cursing. Well, if they were in private. What he actually expected was annoyance, a bit of anger. Being called stupid, idiotic, a waste... a lot of different things. Nothing Sokka wasn't already calling himself. Nothing he didn't already know he was. He sipped his coke, not even looking the guy in the eyes. The life that usually gleamed in his eyes, especially over hte last few days was gone now. Granted, Tony might have heard about this. Sokka did have a rather... morose side when the time came for it. He prefered the term pragmatic. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony lets him have it. First, though, he lets the waitress place his coffee cup on the table before him, thanks her, and gives himself a moment to savor a sip. Then grimaces slightly. To be fair, it's not bad coffee, it's just not his particularly favored fine blend. He also needs the extra few seconds, if he's being perfectly honest with himself, to figure out how to handle this. He has to admit, he does kind of just want to yell and scream at the kid a bit. It's what he'd do if confronted with his own younger self in a similar situation. But he knows that won't help things. "So Toph is feeling pretty shitty today," he opens, as he reaches for a sugar packet to dump into his drink. "Thinks you'll never want to be friends with her again after that display you put on last night. Want to clue me in to your thought process, there?" 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka sat up a little straighter. "W-wait, she is? Is she okay? I didn't--" And then... "Ugh..." He buried his face in his hands. "I'm an idiot. Just... I'm an idiot. I thought... I tried to... I mean, it doesn't even make sense. Toph is... Toph. And I'm me. It's like..." For once, he was struggling to speak, not a normal thing for him. "I don't even know. She's just... amazing. It's just... a lot to handle. I wish there had been some kind of warning. Some kind of... if she had just given some hint to it so I could have figured it out on my own." ... Oh my gosh. "She says she'd felt that way for years! How am I supposed to react to that? She's never even dropped the slightest hint!" And then face planted on the table. "I panicked. I said she probably had a crush on Aang too and... ugh. She hates me, doesn't she? I just... I said the wrong things and... you should have seen how mad she was yesterday. When she kicked me out and just..." His hands went over his head, digging it into the table. "I mean... why... me? It's... she's so... amazing. In every possible way. She's smart, talented, beautiful, powerful, high class, probably the most powerful bender in our world and that's including the old fire lord AND Aang and just... I'm a guy with a sword. That's it. Why in the world would she have ANY feelings for a guy like me?" 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "Shockingly," Tony drawls dryly, stirring the sugar into his coffee in the hopes it will become more palatable, "She doesn't hate you. She is in fact still hung up on you, for reasons I certainly can't fathom." Ouch. He sips his drink, and grimaces slightly less this time. "I'm not even going to get into how blind you must be to not see all the hints she's been dropping since you came back. Seriously, I think you're the only person she's interacted with who HASN'T realized she likes you." He gives a short sigh through his nose. "--Look, let me give you some free advice here, Sokka. When an amazing talented woman likes you -- don't question it. Well, unless she's asking for your credit card numbers. Otherwise... just go with it, man. Whatever reasons she has for liking you are HER reasons. It's not up to us. We're just the meatheads who count ourselves lucky." Another coffee-sip. "Let me ask you something. Do you like her?" 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka sighed and managed to feel even more miserable. Not that he didn't deserve it. And then Tony asks the million dollar(billion for him) question. Did Sokka like her? He glanced off to the side and... "I'd have to be the biggest idiot in the world to... say I didn't." He sighed again. "She's... incredible. She's my best friend. We get along well enough, we like a lot of the same things. She's smart and clever. And ummm... I... just realized the... errr..." And his cheeks turned red. And then he sighed again. "But... she's also... I know how..." He groaned. "I know about her softer side. I know how easy it is to hurt her. What if I do that?" And head desk again. "What if I break her heart into a hundred pieces? I love being her friend, but if... if I... did this... I'd be her FIRST boy friend. She deserves to have the best boy friend in the world, someone who can really sweep her off her feet and... and who's incredible as her! Not someone who just... holds her back..." 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony spends the time Sokka is yammering on, folding up his paper sugar packet into a tight triangle. When he seems to have talked himself out, he gives it a neat flick with his fingers, aiming to ping him in the face with it. Right between the eyes. "Hey," he interrupts the flow of the self-pity stream. "You like her. She likes you. This shouldn't be rocket science. And I AM an actual rocket scientist, so you should listen to me on this. Yeah, if you let her down you might hurt her. You might both get hurt. That's part of the gamble. That's every relationship you will ever have. But you know how to be absolutely SURE of breaking her heart? It's to keep acting like this. And you know what else? She'll get over it. She'll get over you. She'll go on and find someone else -- but YOU," he stabs a finger at Sokka's chest, "Will never forgive yourself. She'll always be the one who got away, because you were too chickenshit to give the two of you a chance." "So do what you have to do, Sokka. If you don't like her in THAT way, tell her. Things will be awkward for a while but she still wants to be FRIENDS with you. That's what she's most scared of losing right now, her best friend. Or," he drains the coffee cup and sets it down with a ceramic thunk on the tabletop, "if you really do think she's that incredible, what you should be doing right now is going to her on your knees to ask for forgiveness and admit you handled that night poorly and beg her to give you another chance. Trust me," he adds sardonically, "the alternative is not pretty." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka cringed, closing her eyes. Then... "She's... scared of losing me? She thinks I'd stop being her best friend over something like this?" he asked softly. Then groaned. "You know what I hate the most? The fact you're right and I hate it." He buried his face in his hands. He was quiet for a second. "Honestly, i'm surprised you're okay with this. I half expected you to come in here, in the suit, telling me to stay away from your daughter. I'm pretty sure her... original... would have." Sokka still didn't like that guy. He then went silent for a few more moments. "Though... errr... there is one more thing that... Stadler kind of... mentioned. Apparently, err, due to our ages... in this world it's kind of... illegal. For us to date." 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony chucks a thumb over his shoulder. "I have a suit in the car, if you think that's necessary," he offers, garnering an odd look from the waitress when she comes back to see if he wants a refill. He puts a hand over his cup and shakes his head in a little no-thank-you. "Toph is almost sixteen, and she's been through enough ACTUAL trauma that I trust her to make her own decisions -- and mistakes," he adds, though the corner of his mouth twitches upward slightly, "-- in matters of her love life." He rolls his eyes at the mention of Stadler. "You can date," he assures him. "You can go out together just like you have been all along, only with more kissing. Just no... birds and bees stuff until after she turns sixteen. Or ever. Ever sounds good. Are we clear?" 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka stared at him for a few moments and... "... Is this an enemy birds thing? Did Toph tell you about that? I wasn't being paranoid! You never know who's listening when you're in enemy territory. We didn't meet any enemy bees, though." Completely clueless. Then he squeaked, his cheeks flaring. Wait, he figured it out? "I-is that like... an engagement thing here? You give birds? I-I'm not planning to marry her immediately! I-I'm only thinking a-about namely dating her! We're not getting engaged!" 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "Sex, Sokka, I'm talking about sex," Tony states it outright since metaphor clearly gets nowhere with this doofus. "Do not. Have sex with my daughter." More eyes are looking their way now. "Please don't tell me I have to have THAT discussion with you too," he remarks dryly. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka shrieked, his eyes going wide. "W-WHAT?! NO! NEVER! I'D NEVER! Not with, WITH TOPH?! Are you kidding, she's Toph! That's never, no no, no no no, NO!" he jumped back so hard his coke was sent spilling over the table. And he didn't even notice. "That is most definitely NOT EVER HAPPENING!" He even made an X with his arms. "No." 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony grabs for a wad of napkins from the dispenser and slaps it down on the table to stop the flow of coke before it ends up in his lap. Superhero reflexes, ladies and gentlemen. Then he eases himself up and out of his seat, just in case Sokka's next convulsion might send the whole mess tipping into him anyway. "Sorry," he tells the waitress who hurries over to mop up the spill. All this for a four dollar tab, this is so not worth her time. "You may feel differently in time," Tony tells the Water Tribe dork, as he unfolds another hundred dollar bill from his pocket and presses it into the waitress's hand. "Really, sorry for the trouble," he murmurs to her. She looks at the bill then at him, then a little harder at him and her eyes narrow. Tony turns quickly to leave the diner. "Word of advice," he remarks over his shoulder, "Maybe don't open with that angle when you talk to her." 
}}

4970/Teen Angst Part III

2017-01-02T23:13:11Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/01/02 |Location=Earth-199999 |Synopsis=Tony and Toph have a talk about stupid boys. |Cast of Characters=20, 301 |pretty=yes }} {{Poses |Poses=..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/01/02
|Location=Earth-199999
|Synopsis=Tony and Toph have a talk about stupid boys.
|Cast of Characters=20, 301
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Day two, and little Robert James Stark is still alive and kicking. Not to mention screaming, pooping, farting and making lots of other nonsense sounds, but isn't that part of the entire deal? The kid is the safest kid in Malibu, that's for sure. Not only does he have his parents looking out for him, but a certain big sister seems to take her duties very seriously as she's been sticking close to Pepper ever since they got home from the hospital, offering to help out even more than usual. Food, drink, items... things are fetched, and if she could it's likely that Toph would have gone to the bathroom for Pepper as well. But one thing she can do is to keep a figurative eye on the little one while Pepper takes a much needed nap.     The blind earthbender is sitting right next to the crib, fiddling a bit with the large custom badgermole plush that she commissioned for her baby brother, listening to him breathing. Who would have known that babies sleep so much? But at least his breathing is even, his heart is still beating fast... so no need to bother Pepper, who can get some time for herself since she has been rather busy with the baby otherwise.     Though it does get a little too quiet for Toph's liking as she sighs, leaning a bit over the crib as she resists the tempation to bother the sleeping baby. Instead she sits back in her chair, pulling her feet up underneath her as she begins bending one of the nearby figurines she made for the nursery, making it fly through the air towards her hand. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' The last 36 hours have been a whirlwind, for sure. It's actually quite remarkable that baby Rob is 'alone' in his crib, as between his mother and father both he's barely been out of someone's arms since he arrived. Even superhero parents need to sleep though. With Pepper catching a nap and the baby quiet, Tony sneaked off to the kitchen to make himself a sandwich and catch his breath. No need to haul around a baby monitor with Jarvis on the job, although he can't help but check the visual feed on his phone every few minutes. And so he notes that Toph is still in the nursery keeping an eye on the squid. And he gets out an extra hoagie roll. Some minutes later, his familiar stride can be heard on the stairs and then he edges into the nursery, nudging the door open with one elbow. In each hand is a plate bearing one of his patented overloaded BLT sandwiches and some potato chips, and tucked in the crook of each arm is a bottle of iced tea. "Hey," he announces his arrival quietly, not wanting to wake the baby. Hopefully the smell of bacon won't do that for him, either. The kid is far too young for solid food, but the allure of bacon is magical regardless. "Thought you could use some lunch too," he offers one of the plates to Toph. "No seriously, take this before I drop it." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The familiar steps coming up the stairs does indeed catch Toph's attention, and she sits up a little straighter the chair, though she's still bending the little rock figurine. At the greeting she nods, "Hey." Yeah, let's not wake the baby. Because he usually makes a lot of noise when he is awake and doesn't get Pepper to cling to. He's already a lot like his dad, huh?     When Tony holds out the plate to her Toph blinks, then sets the figurine down in her lap before she takes the plate, although with some hesistance. "I'm not really all that hungry," she says, "Still... kinda full from breakfast." Wasn't she busy making faces at Robert while Tony and Pepper ate during breakfast? She does grab the bottle of iced tea though, opening it and taking a hefty sip from it before she nods her head in the direction of the crib. "He's been sleeping so far, no snoring to report yet." So that's good. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "There's always room for bacon," Tony asserts confidently, pulling up another chair so he can sit next to Toph near the crib. Good to hear that his boy as yet exhibits no signs of apnea, however, "I was actually thinking maybe we could talk. About last night. Before Rob stole your thunder." He takes a big crunching bite out of his sandwich, trying to catch all of the crumbs on the plate on his lap. Wipes at a bit of mayo at the corner of his mouth with one thumb, chews, swallows. "From the way you two were skirting around each other, I'm guessing he was a dumbass about it?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Always room for bacon... heh, he might not be too wrong about that. So Toph picks a bit at the sandwhich, pulling out a piece of bacon that she carefully nibbles on, all while still listening to the baby. Seems like calm voices don't disturb his sleep, which is good.     At the time she had pushed Stan away when he had asked her if she needed to vent about what happened. Mostly because it wasn't the time for it, when Pepper was having a baby. Secondly, it had just happened. It's still fresh in mind right now, however, but... it's in their home, with just them there. Sure, Tony might see it, knowing Toph well enough by now to notice the small signs that she usually hides rather well. For one, the look on her face, an attempt of being neutral, a look that doesn't quite reach her eyes. Not to mention she's quiet even as Tony takes a bite out of his sandwhich. The silence should be telling enough.     But still, even as he points out how he's noticed that the two best friends aren't hanging out like they have been doing all Christmas, the blind teen takes a breath, then... shakes her head. "No... I... I was the dumbass," she adds, attempting to give a casual shrug that doesn't look entirely convincing. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "Who are you and what have you done with my daughter?" Tony retorts mildly, a little smile coloring his tone. "I don't have any dumbass kids. I have /awesome/ kids, one of whom is trying to navigate a difficult situation and may be having some trouble with it, but definitely not a dumbass." He sets the sandwich down, picks up his drink bottle from the floor and has a swallow. "So," he prods, "you kissed him. I know I promised I wouldn't look but I only saw enough to know you went through with it. What happened?" Meanwhile the door swings open ever so slightly as Buster noses through the gap, winds around Toph's ankles and proceeds to lick the floor for the crumbs that Tony's plate missed. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The joke does draw a slight smile from Toph where she sits, though it's only briefly before she lowers her head as Tony points out just what's happening. If she's not a dumbass, then why does she feel like one?     Her own sandwhich rests on her lap along with the bottle of iced tea, and she's quiet as Tony inquires further about what happened. Perhaps she would have been upset at him breaking his promise and actually looking at a moment she would rather have kept private, but... What happened? Shouldn't he know? It's not like he's stupid or anything. Except when it came to his own relationship and he was still trying to build up the courage to propose to Pepper.     Toph takes another deep breath, then begins tearing at her sandwhich again, picking apart some pieces of bacon that she drops down for Buster as he feels him walking around her ankles.     "He... freaked out," she finally says quietly, swallowing. Just like she was afraid he would do. "I was stupid and told him, and now..."     A sniff leaves Toph, and she turns her face away a bit as she blinks. "So yeah, I was a dumbass for messing it up." 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "Hm," is Tony's immediate response, his face settling into stern thoughtfulness as he chews another bite of his sandwich. Robert makes a soft noise and knuckles a tiny fist into his cheek, then settles down again with a sigh into the softness of his plush badgermole. "It seems to me," Tony says calmly after a moment, as if this is a conclusion he's come to after careful consideration, "that if he freaked out then /he's/ the one who acted like a dumbass. Telling someone the truth about how you feel is never dumb. I seem to recall a very wise young girl telling me that once." He gives Toph a sidelong look, smiling. "So what did he say? Because it's obvious to me that he loves you. Maybe... maybe not in the same way, that he realizes, but definitely in a way that he's not going to throw away your friendship over it. He'd have to be WAY dumber than I gave him credit for to do that. Maybe he just needs some time to process. Remember how dumb I acted when Pepper told me she was pregnant?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     More and more bacon pieces are torn off and dropped down on the carpet for Buster, who appears to be happy about the food and not really questioning why so much of it is dropped.     Toph herself is quiet where she sits, her face still turned away as she breathes slowly through her nose. Though she's clearly listening when Tony speaks, not saying anything yet. And when he says that it's never stupid to tell somebody how you feel, that does make Toph lower her head a bit. Did she say that to Tony back then? Honestly, she can't recall. Just... that she thought he made things needlessly complicated about something that she thought should be simple. But... right now she thinks she can understand how he felt back then. "But..." she begins, all before Tony continues talking.     Is that really obvious, or is it just that Sokka cares for her in a way different than how she likes him? That really is the problem. Toph swallows, blinking her eyes a few times. "He... didn't say much, but..." she begins, then halts, as if she's trying to gather her thoughts. "... he babbled about how I was confused or something." Like hell if she's confused! She's never confused! "B-but what if I did mess it up and he's not my best friend anymore...?" Because she was stupid and actually kissed him instead of being happy with just being his best friend.     Another intake of breath, and Toph is unable to keep her eyes dry as they water up where she sits. "It... it was different for you two, you guys were already dating." 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony actually laughs softly at that. "Yeah, we were dating. After I dragged my feet for /twelve years/ before I got up the courage to kiss her." He reaches out and rests a hand over Toph's, nominally to prevent the wastage of more good bacon. "Food goes in your mouth, not on the floor," he chides, teasing but with a note of 'no really' -- don't think he didn't notice how little she ate at breakfast. "Listen, if Sokka is the kind of person to dump his best friend over something like this, then he never deserved your friendship in the first place." He lets that hang for a moment then adds, "But I don't think that's the kind of person he is. If I did he wouldn't have been at that party in the first place." He puffs out a philosophical breath. "He's just being an idiot right now, Toph, most guys have those moments, myself included. Give him some time and he'll come crawling back. If he knows what's good for him," he offers a little grin and squeezes her hand. Buster helps by standing up on his hind legs, forepaws braced on her knee, to find out what happened to the rain of bacon. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "I... wanted to kiss him for over three years," Toph weakly responds where she sits. As the larger hand rests over hers she sits still, then sniffs again. "I'm... not really hungry." Which is rare for the girl who's known to plunder the fridge and keep it clean of leftovers. She certainly did eat a lot during the holidays, raiding the kitchen along with the boy who's not here now.     Sokka was here because she had invited him to celebrate the holidays with them, as Toph clearly has enjoyed his company, even going to the South Pole with him. Heck, she didn't even bother to kick him out of her bedroom if he stumbled in at night and curled up next to her with his own covers. They had both been asleep on the couch on Christmas morning, waiting for the time to open the presents.     For now it looks as if Toph has enough with focusing on breathing where she sits, though she does move her fingers to wrap them around Tony's as he squeezes her hand. "He... thinks I should be with somebody else," she admits, then attempts a forced laugh, even as a tear runs down her cheek. "I mean, he did treat me as a kid most of the time, right...?" Maybe they are both idiots about this. Give him some time? Easy, it's not like she can face him now after being all up in his face and confessing her crush. Because she's already chased him away enough with what she said. No, Sokka isn't a bad person who would hurt others. But maybe she's the one who didn't deserve his friendship in the first place.     Her fingers tighten their grip on Tony's, and she finally turns her face back towards him. It's clear that his words aren't quite able to convince her, but at least she isn't bawling her eyes out. "... does it always hurt this bad?" 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony pulls an uncomfortable grimace. "When it's someone you really care about? Yeah, I think so," he replies. "That's why I wasted a good chunk of my life not letting myself care about anyone. But when it DOES work -- it's so worth it, Toph." His eyes drift again to the sleeping form of his infant son. "Don't make the same mistakes I did, okay?" He squeezes Toph's hand again, then lets go so she has her hands free to eat. "At least eat the bacon, okay?" He swipes a thumb over her cheek to wipe the tear away. "You're going to need your energy to properly chastise him when he does get his head out of his ass," he suggests lightly. "Remember what I told you the other day. 'Needing some time' doesn't mean he's looking for an escape route. It just means he's as confused as you. If he really had no idea you liked him in /that way/, right now he's having to re-process all of your interactions and beat himself over the head with how much of an idiot he was to not see it sooner. And if I can apply some of my own experience here, he's probably also trying to work out how on earth someone as awesome as you could ever be interested in /him/." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     That... explains a lot about Tony's past, doesn't it? Not that he talks a lot about it, but Toph does know enough to know the context of that comment. It's only the last years he's begun to really care again, huh? Don't make the same mistakes, he says. Right now it seems so easier to just pull back rather than facing that one big mistake again, however, that much Toph must admit where she sits.     It's kinda ironic. How she tried to get Tony to eat during the anniversaries of his parents' death the last years, making him food and snacks. And now the thought of eating makes her stomach squirm. There's no way she'll be able to eat a whole sandwhich. And the bacon... Toph doesn't move when Tony swipes his thumb across her cheek, though she does nod her head just a bit. She'll try. So she pulls out a piece of bacon, this time not breaking it up into bits for Buster, who lets out a loud meow as he leans up a bit further, pawing at her knee some more in attempt to get her attention.     A tiny bite is taken, and she seems to struggle with chewing it while Tony talks about strength, time and other stuff she's trying to focus on. "I'm not confused," Toph clarifies weakly. She never was. Sure, she's met lots of guys, some guys she's been a bit sweet on, but... never somebody like Sokka. It's kinda weird though, how Sokka had asked her why, and how Tony is now commenting on the same thing. "Why? Because we act like dunderheads when we really like somebody," she half-snorts, then sniffles and reaches up with her hand to wipe at her eyes.     Okay, get it all out while she's at home. Because when she heads back to the Ad Coelum she can't afford to act like this. Especially not if Sokka is there. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "Of course you're not," Tony agrees. "You know what you want and you made a move to take it. There's nothing wrong with that. It was the smart thing to do. All of the confusion and idiocy here I'm putting square at HIS feet." He smiles as she at least tries to nibble at the best part of the sandwich, and reaches out with one arm to hook her into his side for a hug. He might even press a light kiss to the top of her head, but he won't tell anyone if she doesn't. "All I mean is, I /still/ can't see how I deserve Pepper, but I've learned to accept that for whatever reason, she decided I was worth her time, so I've tried to just stop questioning it and accept it. He needs to do the same. It just takes some time with us thick headed guys." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Earthbenders are steady and grounded, right? Even if she feels like she's going to crumble up like some extra dry dirt that's been forcefully pulled up from the ground. Is Sokka really a confused idiot in all of this, or is he just being honest?     There's no struggling on Toph's part when she's pulled in for a hug, and she even closes her eyes and buries her face against his shoulder for comfort. It gives her a break in the gargantuan task of eating the slice of bacon.     ... will Tony always wake up each morning wondering how he managed to end up with Pepper or what? Even now that they have a baby together? "You guys really /are/ stupid," she mutters, trying to make it sound like a joke. "I... I'll try to eat something later." Toph sniffles slightly where she sits, not pulling back from Tony. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "Something to do with that Y chromosome," Tony agrees with a chuckle. He'll let Toph lean on him as long as she wants to; he just keeps kneading his thumb slowly over her shoulder to remind her he's there for her. "Figure out what sounds appetizing at all and we'll have it," he offers. If BACON couldn't do the trick, he'll just have to pull some 'I'm a billionaire' strings to get whatever will work. Buster, however, is out of luck. After sniffing around on the floor to make sure he got all of the bacon bits that were dropped, he licks his paw haughtily, then jumps up and into the crib, where he curls up near Robert's feet and promptly goes to sleep. 
}}

4967/A New Year and A New Stark

2017-01-02T23:04:28Z

Varnani:

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/01/01
|Location=Earth-199999
|Synopsis=A New Year's Eve party at the Stark mansion takes a sudden turn as there's a latecomer to the party!
|Cast of Characters=20, 204, 301, 1076
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     New Year's Eve! A day for celebrating a new year, a time for new beginnings, a time to better oneself... and a day that some people dislike for various reasons. For Toph? It's always been about those goddamn noisy rockets. So in the years that she's been a resident of Malibu it's been customary for the blind teenager with the sensitive ears to withdraw to her room nearing midnight, even when there have been guests over. Why would you need a specific time to say happy new year to anybody anyway? That's what she had claimed anyway before putting on her noise cancelling headphones, listening to loud rock music in attempt to cancel out the ear shattering ruckus going on in the skies outside.     Tonight however it's a different story, and sometimes you have to go through some discomfort whether you like it or not.     This is one of the few times a year when Toph does dress up, and at least she has a comfy dress that Pepper got her, and bracelets aren't too annoying to wear. With the extended family here Toph is cheery enough, especially upon meeting Liz again, her young little cousin who gets scooped up and introduced to Sokka. And Stan, Pepper's step-father? He gets a hug like always as well as a /gentle/ punch to the arm. It's family time, after all. And it's nearing midnight and the new year is approaching steadily. As usual Toph does stick close to Sokka, chattering up a storm. Even if they did eat dinner earlier there's always the snacks that need to be eaten up. And it does stop her from chattering too much, she feels. Because man, does it feel like her guts are twisting around over and over...!     "So yeah, the fireworks are bound to start soon," she asides to Sokka, leaning back on the couch. "Goddamn noisy stuff..." 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     Well, this year Pepper had taken precautions regarding Toph, and had sound-proofing installed in the livingroom. Because she's a good mom and would never, ever forget she was pregnant.     It's afully hard though, considering the size of her belly, the discomfort she was feeling and the rather brave face she had on, padding around in flats with that pregnant person waddle going on as she supervises snacks (with a tut-tut from Georgie, she's got this), drinks (not that Carolina would let her touch anything -- she's pregnant!) and greeting the guests around (which Stan and Tony have marvelously handled).     Liz is tagging around with Sokka and Toph. When introduced, she kicked Sokka in the shin, interpreting 'Sokka' as 'Soccer', which her dad was teaching her how to play by letting her kick balls around for their dogs.     Following Liz was the latest in-training, Moose, who was a big, brown lab who really, really liked sour cream dips. And carrot sticks. Yum!     Pepper herself leans back and sits down on the couch, gingerly, wearing a bright red dress with a maternity bubble. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony is just sauntering down the stairs with Stan, after giving the old man a tour of the high tech nursery he'd presented to Pepper as a Christmas gift. Diaper changing robot -- will need some calibration obviously -- holographic mobiles, forcefields everywhere. This will be the safest kid on the planet. And of course the piece de resistance, the Lion King/Avengers mashup mural that takes up the whole back wall of the room. You and Dummy worked hard on that. "Such language Toph," he scolds as he crosses over to the coffee table to pluck up a roast beef and cheddar cracker and pop it into his mouth. "If Steve were here he'd be shocked," he continues with his mouth full. Can't get through the night without a few digs at Cap, after all, especially with Stan in attendance. He turns to beam a bright smile at Pepper, nevermind the cracker cumbs sticking to his facial hair. "Almost midnight, honey, shall we step outside to enjoy the explosions?" He holds out a hand to her, waggling his fingers in a little invitation. At the least, he needs to stay close by now so he can follow through on his promise to Toph to kiss Pepper at midnight. For... reasons. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka was, of course, still not having any clue what half this stuff was. Though, he still obviously felt touched about being invited. He'd even brought gifts! A shield, forge made by him, for Toph. As well as ten tickets for fre foot rubs. Yes he'd noticed she liked them. No he hadn't picked up on WHY. For Pepper, true to Toph's suggestion, hand made toys from the water tribe! Made of wood! They wouldn't melt like his old ice ones(they were often told to keep their toys outside.). And for tony, booze. Southern water tribe booze, to be exact. The stuff could peel the paint off a canoe. Aside from the kick, and his initial worry about the whole intruding on her family time. H'd found the whole holiday to be pretty awesome. Well, he'd been pretty disappointed by the whole... mistletoe not actually BEING missiles. But he'd gotten over it. He'd enjoyed the snoopy christmas, though. The tv was always cool. And once he'd warmed up to everyone he'd been more than happy to share all kinds of stories about their past deeds with them. By the end, he made it sound as if Toph had taken down the whole fire nation fleet with a single tap of her foot. Or might as well have. But now, it was about time for fire works. He took Toph's hand and... started tugging her. "Come on, I can describe them to you," he said with a charming grin she would never see. "Hey, I bet we could get a really good view from the roof." .... He... he wasn't serious, was he? 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     It's about time that Pepper takes it easy, but no... seems she'll never learn how to rest, not even when her belly is bigger than a humongous beach ball, huh?     Still, Toph did her best to make sure Liz was kept safe, not that the young girl is as small as she used to be, but that way Pepper will have less stress and Georgia, Liz's mom, can focus on the snacks and drinks. Besides, Liz seems to really enjoy bending, which Toph is happy to demonstrate as she bends various figures out of metal for the little girl. Including a Moose one, as she makes the dog move.     "You've heard me say far worse!" the blind teen comments back to Tony, "And I know better when uncle Cap is around!" So there, she's not stupid, you know!     When the guys seem to be eager to see the fireworks though Toph blinks, her cheeks a faint red as Sokka takes her hand and starts tugging at her. "You know how I feel about fireworks," she comments, though she does let Sokka pull her up from the couch as she sets the metal aside on the coffee table. Swallowing, she notes how Tony too invites Pepper to come with him, and she shakes her head a bit at Sokka's suggestion. "N-not on the roof!" For... reasons. "I mean, hearing it all around me makes it even worse! Isn't the view good enough from the patio?" This is asked in Tony's direction. Come on, help her out here! 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     "Actually, I thought I'd enjoy it right from here." Pepper states wisely, giving a puff of air out. "There is no way I'm going to go out there like this -- kid might get scared and stay in there /longer/." she protests. Georgia starts laughing.     "Any longer than that, Gin, and you're gonna have to start charging the squirt rent.     Stan eases himself down into a chair, and gives a wry little smile. "That is quite the nursary you have going on up there -- Tony said the mural was your idea, Pepper. How valiant of you choosing a movie that's... what... thirty years old? Thirty-five?" his eyes squint. "... maybe that was the year it came out?"     To the dig at Cap, Stan gives a sniff of indignant old man.     "Well. If he were here, he wouldn't have heard it, because /I/ certainly didn't hear my granddaughter say anything terrible. I doubt she even knows any curse words." he states with confidence, and though he knows she can't see him, Stan gives a big ol' smile in Toph's direction and adjusts his glasses. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "I think the patio will be sufficient," Tony agrees mildly, then makes a pouty face at Pepper as she elects to remain on the couch. Undeterred, he flops down beside her and nibbles at the neckline of her dress. "The Lion King," he turns his head and informs Stan with a severe look, "is timeless. And it remains the best movie Disney ever made." He rests a hand lightly on Pepper's roundness, and smirks. "And my son needs to know that everything the light touches will be his, someday." Hopefully he's not planning to be trampled by a stampede of wildebeest, though. "You kids go on outside then," he makes a little shooing motion with his other hand. "You don't want to see us being oogie, anyway." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka chuckles and gives her hand a little squeeze. "Come on, Toph. It'll be fun. I promise I won't let you fall off and I'll keep you safe. If it makes you feel safer, you can sit in my lap even," he joked. Of course, once they were outside, if she looked too nervous... "We can watch it from the patio, Toph. It's okay." Patting her head. "And you don't need to be scared. I promise I wouldn't let anything like fire works hurt you." He glanced to the roof and grinned, an idea forming in his mind. "Though... hmmmmm... maybe..." Once she made her decision... he'd still scoop her up sideways and hold her head to his chest, one arm around her head to cover her other ear. "There. Now I can tell you about them and they won't be as loud, okay?" He had to be doing this on purpose, right? 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     When Pepper states her intent on staying inside on the couch Toph blinks, turning her head slightly as she halts in her tracks. "Or maybe the fireworks will persuade Bitchin' Camaro to evacuate the premises," she jokes.     As for Stan's comment? Toph only smirks slightly, certain that Stan can't imagine half of the curse words she has learned over the years. Hanging out with big, burly men for a while does teach you certain terms and such. Then again, he does like to jest with Tony, be the cool grandpa and ignore stuff that doesn't really matter.     What? No! Tony and Pepper can't stay behind inside, can they? Not that she wants to 'see' them being ooige, but... There's a slightly panicked look on Toph's face where she stands, digging her heels into the floor. There's no way she can let Sokka drag her outside now, can she? And there he goes, talking about her sitting in his lap...! "And I'm not scared of fireworks, you know that!" she protests loudly, looking rather flustered. "It's just that... H-HEY!"     Being scooped up doesn't sit well with her as she wriggles, though also reaching down to make sure her dress doesn't get hiked up. "L-LET ME DOWN!" Though her struggles cease slightly when he holds her head to his chest, her eyes wide as she swears her face is burning up.     Okay, this is pretty much hopeless... isn't it?     "S... Sokka, you don't have to..." she begins, although she trails off. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony leans in a little further and murmurs to Pepper, "I kind of promised her I'd kiss you at midnight so she'd have an excuse to kiss Meathead without it seeming weird. Can we at least move to the doorway for moral support?" 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     ".. you know, I had this place fitted to be sound proof right? So it wuoldn't bother her?" Potts turns and asks Tony, with a wry little smile on her face as she brushes a kiss by his forehead. Liz tottles her way to her mother and demands to be picked up. Her dad scoops her up and laughs, fuzzing a tummy.      Pepper looks aruond, at her family, her fantastic family with all these people that she loves, about to be added to.     And her stomach cramped. Maybe oysters were not a good idea while /very/ pregnant, but she wanted to have just one. One couldn't hurt, right?     "All right. But if this kid gets scared and hangs out there another week, you are carrying me everywhere." she states playfully, and draws herself up. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded, glancing down. actually, now that he had here there he was beginning to doubt this was such a good idea. He really ,really hated to admit it. But she was adorable in that dress. He'd actually froze a little when he first saw it. He quickly pushed those thoughts out of his mind. It was the pool allll over again. He gently smiled none the less. "Of course I don't have to, brat," he teased. Yes, call her a kid name! "But hey, you're light and worried, so what's it hurt? It's quieter, right?" He glanced up and... then, softly so only she could hear. "You know, Toph. Your family is pretty awesome. And... so are you. I had plans for this year and... this isn't exactly how I imagined them. But... I... don't think there's anyone I'd rather have rung in the new year with than my best buddy." Pause. "Well, except maybe that cashier, but she was pretty cute. Shame about her already having a boyfriend. Better luck next year, right?" 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "Deal, as long as you don't mind me wearing the suit to do it," Tony grins. He pops up quickly to his feet and offers Pepper both hands to help her stand. She's not alone in wanting that thing out of her. Anything else aside, he hates to see how uncomfortable she's been lately. Especially knowing it's his fault. Well, half his fault. It's not like she wasn't a willing participant. "It's our first new year, Mrs. Stark," he addresses her formally, and bends to grab another cracker and pop it in his mouth even as he settles his other hand at the small of her back to provide token support for the walk to the patio door. "Wouldn't want to miss any of the experience, would we?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Brat? It's not often that Toph frowns at being called that, but then again, having Sokka think of her as a kid isn't exactly what she wants. But sure, it is quieter when he's muffling her ears like this, except she's more focused on listening to his heartbeat and breathing.     Then he goes all serious, talking about her family... yes, they are awesome. Tony himself seems to enjoy that fact the most of all, and Pepper is one hell of a guardian and rolemodel. And her family are people she's learned to care for over the years too. And Sokka is here too... just how she had wished to celebrate New Years.     Except he had other plans? It's most likely him joking, but... it still makes the blind teen go quiet, no longer struggling and trying to get her feet back onto the patio floor.     Sure, she's aware of the others filing in after them on the patio, and the sound of the fireworks starting up isn't something that she's able to miss. Why is it so easy to chicken out about this when other stuff is so easy to go through with? Sure, Sokka might be as dense as a rock, but that doesn't mean it's easy like earthbending to handle him at times!     "Y-yeah... this year might be better," she finally says a bit quietly, licking her lips. Okay, this isn't the time to be a yellowbellied airbender and dance around the topic, is it? There's fireworks, he's holding her, even if he is only doing so in a friendly way... come on Tony, just kiss Pepper already!     ... never in her life did she think she would /want/ her adoptive parents to be oogie. 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     This is no time to be a yellowbellied airbender and dance around the topic.     Pep was leaning against Tony, her eyes were upswept. Stana nd Carrie, and Rodger and Georgia and Liz were com ing out to enjoy the fireworks, then Potts gets a peculiar feeling, truns, and brushes a little kiss to Tony's cheek.     "This kid is tapdancing on my bladder." she mumbles to him in the most romantic voice she can muster in her position,a dn then turns to head back in.     Meanwhile, Stan is there. Stan glances around to everyone, and then states, out loud: "I think of all the men here, I'm the luckiest. Not only do I have the fiestiest wife, but she gets more and more beautiful every day. Either that, or I'm going blind." he states, playfully.     And then /Stan/ goes all oogie on Carrie! There's hooting and hollering and Liz goes "oooooogggiiiiiie!" 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' As the first blossoms of fire begin to poof against the night sky over the Pacific, Jarvis counts down the precise time to midnight on the west coast, his dry British delivery punctuated with a matter-of-fact, "Happy 2017," when he reaches zero. Tony doesn't make a huge production of it; the point being to demonstrate how perfectly normal sharing a kiss at midnight is, after all. He just chuckles at Stan's announcement, murmurs, "He's wrong you know," and leans in to meet his wife halfway in a soft kiss. "And I AM sorry about your bladder," he adds, when their lips part some moments later. He sneaks a sidelong glance toward Toph and Sokka. Mission accomplished, on his part at least. "We can go back inside now," he offers Pepper an olive branch. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded. "Yeah. I think this year will be better." Pause. "For one, I won't have to watch my sister and Aang get all oogie. I mean, come on. It's just like... no. Ew. I get it. You two love each other. And they tell me to knock when I come outside! I mean, really, who does that? Just don't make out outside, duh! No one wants to see that." And then grinned. "And this time I get to spend the whole year with my bud, not going to drag my feet anymore. And who knows? I bet there's a cute girl out there right now, just waiting for me to come sweep her off her feet." And then oogie. He laughs, momentarily distracted before looking up. "Oh, that's a big white one. Like a flower." And looked down. "Happy new year." It was now or never. Would she have the guts? 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     There's talking all around them. Stan and Carrie, Georgie and Rodger, Liz whining about oogies, such a good little kid... not that they really matter now. And as Jarvis begins counting down Toph becomes aware of one fact; she can't 'see' what Tony and Pepper are doing, considering Sokka is holding her and she's not in contact with the ground. Oh crud!     But surely Tony /is/ kissing Pepper, right? And the other married couples are kissing too, right? Oh shit oh shit oh shit...!     Okay, Sokka is babbling about something. About what? She's not really sure, as all she can hear is her own heart hammering against her rib cage, and the loud fireworks exploding all around them in the sky. Perhaps she looks a bit shocked where she's resting in Sokka's arms, her expression one of confusion and nervousness. Okay, okay, Toph Beifong... get it together! This is it! Even Sokka said that earlier this day, that this is the way to let a guy know! Tony told her that this was the right thing too, and even if he's made a lot of mistakes before it's not like he would want her to mess up, right? Or maybe... no. Just do this, all it takes is a couple of seconds...     Even as Sokka turns his head to look down Toph's arm is already moving as it reaches up behind his head and pulls him further down, her face red as a tomato. Tilting her own head up the blind girl somehow manages to not miss her target too much as her lips quickly and clumsily press against Sokka's, her fingers digging into his hair. Okay, perhaps not the most elegant kiss, but... at least it's a kiss as Toph seems frozen in place, pressing her eyes closed. 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     Pepper had given a smile when Tony kissed her, and she gave him a little peck on the cheek in return, feeling still very uncomfortable. Once the fireworks begin, she is already waddling to the bathroom when she realizes that it wasn't a bladder problem.     She looks down. She looks up in the mirror, and somewhere, Captain America's language senses might be tingling.     THe door cracks open. "/Mom/." Pepper hisses.     Carrie pokes her head back in. She looks to Georgie, who hands off the wee tot to her husband, and all the wo men begin to close ranks.     Stan pauses. He looks at Tony.     "You might want to grab the bags." 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' The bags? Tony stares blankly at Stan for a moment, then his genius brain manages to put two and two together. "The bags!" he agrees, and dashes past his father-in-law, knocking shoulders as he charges toward the garage where he's had Pepper's hospital prep gear stowed in the Rolls for the last week. "I'll meet you out front!" he calls over his shoulder. "Toph!" he shouts more loudly even as his voice fades from the bottom of the stairs, "Let's go, your brother wants to join the party too!" Evidently he got his sense of timing from his father's side. Less than a minute later, he's parking the big car next to the front door, leaving the engine running as he leaps out in readiness to escort Pepper to the vehicle. "Is she okay?" he asks Stan first, then looks anxiously past him. "It's okay honey, everything's ready!" It seems like he may need that reassurance more than she does. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka looked down, a smile on his lips, ready to make another comment. And then kiss. On the lips. Full on kiss. Toph? What? WHY? He pulled back instantly! Except he didn't. He meant to. He was just shocked. That was it... which was why, after a few moments the shock faded and... this wasn't bad at all. His eyes drifted closed. Slowly, his hands, which had been around her, began to move. Rather than pulling away, his right hand moved down and... gently positioned on the small of her back, pulling her a little more to him. What was he doing what was he doing?! This was toph! INSTNCTS TURN OFF! INSTINCTS TURN OFF! But alas, they did not. Slowly his left hand reached up and he, ever so delicately cupped the side of her cheek... and then moved his lips with hers. While she had no experience, he had plenty. He pushed in slightly, his lips capturing hers and gently his tongue would dip out, to gently stroke against her lip as he kissed her back. AND THEN YELLING! "Huh?" he yelped, letting her go and performing, out of sheet panic, the yen yard Toph toss. "ACK! TOPH!" Wait, what? What was going on? WHAT? "The baby! Toph, are you okay? The baby, I tihnk it's, err, w-we're going!" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The butterflies fluttering in her stomach doesn't ease down when... oh man, he's kissing her back?! A bit uncertain just what to do, Toph merely goes along with it as she feels Sokka's hands move, one to the small of her back and the other stroking her cheek in a way that makes her want to squirm. But she keeps still, just not wanting the moment to end.     Sadly it does as suddenly she's aware of Tony shouting. Huh? What's going on?     Toph blinks and blushes as she pulls her head back, about to ask what the crud is going on. But then she's aware of not being held anymore... and she yelps as she hits the floor, wincing and letting out a string of words that girls should not say out loud. And once on the floor she becomes aware of what's going on, her eyes going wide. "Oh, you've /got/ to be shitting me...!" she grumbles as she gets to her feet, rushing over towards Pepper to help her out to the car as well when Tony rushes back inside. First the kid won't arrive in time for Christmas, and now he picks /this/ time to pop on out? Damnit, maybe Pepper should have stayed inside after all...!     "We've got you, mom!" Toph assures Pepper, doing her best to help Pepper out and into the passenger seat of the waiting car. "Should you call the hospital or something?!" she then asks Tony. They're not closed on New Year's, are they?! 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     "She already sent a text to the hospital, they were on watch." Carolina states to Toph gently as she eases Pepper -- who's changed from that lovely maternity dress to an oversized T-shirt and sweats, and is squeezing her mother's hand as she goes. "He has your sense of timing, dear." she replies through grit teeth to Tony, and as she's eased out, Georgia's taking her own ponytail holder out to sweep Pepper's up into one.     "Just you waituntil your contractions start in earnest, Ginny." Georgia teases. "Then you'll start shocking maybe even TOph." she laughs, and the grouping eases outside, and Pepper's lead right into the car. She reaches up, and ruffles Toph's hair.     "I'll apologize for the poor timing. You'll miss the after party." 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "Jarvis--" Tony blurts, only to be interrupted coolly by the AI's measured tones from the car speaker. "Confirmed, sir. The reserved suite will be ready by the time you arrive." Tony relaxes just enough to grin at Pepper's complaint. "Hey, what can I say, I always did like to be /fashionably/ late." He gets in the way more than he helps in the matter of making sure Pepper is comfortably seated and buckled in. "Kid must have heard the fireworks and thought that was his cue," he quips, then dashes back around to the driver's side and throws himself in. "It's kind of appropriate. I mean, explosions and all." Raising his voice, "Everyone in! Stan, you'll follow us?" 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     "I'm driving. He said Carrie was the most beautiful woman, obviously his eyesight is going." Rodger pipes up, holding up his keys.     Which Carrie grabs on her way by, tossing a thick scarf over her shoulder. "Like hell. My grandchild. You get to sit back and shut up."     ... Rodger looks /deflated/, but follows. Georgia finishes clipping the young Liz in. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka was in mild panic mode. Which, in this situation, meant he just kind of... stood there, on the patio, watching in a stunned stupor as people did... things. And stuff. And things. He didn't know what to do in this situation! he was a guy with a fancy sword! He was NOT equipped to deal with this kind of thing! NO ONE WAS! He hugged himself nervously and... Was likely promptly dragged off. He didn't have any idea what was going on anymore, so didn't even offer objections! He just followed obediently. His mind struggling to reboot. Okay, so toph was a woman, there was a baby, wait, was toph having a baby?!!! ... wait, no, wires crossed. Pepper was having a baby. Toph was a woman and had KISSED him! And it had felt good. And... and he'd kissed her back and WHAT WAS GOING ON?! 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Pepper's in a lot of discomfort, isn't she? Toph bites down on her lower lip, looking concerned. Even when Pepper reaches up to ruffle her hair doesn't Toph smile. "Mom, you'll be okay!" It's not that far to the hospital, and Tony's not a slow driver at all.     Though there's some hesitation there as Toph stands still by the side of the car, turning her head slightly towards Sokka. And then the blind girl kicks the ground, making the concrete underneath Sokka's feet move until he was standing next to the car, and then Toph grabbed his wrist, her cheeks flaring up in full intensity as she yanked him into the car with her. "Move your butt, Meat Head!" she yells, getting into the seat behind Tony, and making sure Sokka gets seated behind Pepper. And once Toph gets her seat belt on she hits the seat in front of her. "Let's get going before Bitchin' Camaro decides to get born on the road!" And yes, she's still blushing like mad. 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     Pepper's sitting back, her hands around her stomach before she reaches up, and brushes her hands over Toph. "Everything's going to be fine, Toph. I'm uncomfortable at the moment, but once we get to the hospital I'll be all right. Until then --" she winces, and she blinks as the girl kicks the ground, and brings Sokka into the car. She purses her lips, glancing to the kids in the back suit, thent o Tony.     "She's right." 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony barely notices Sokka being piled into the car with him; his attention is all for Pepper, with a little bit spared for the road ahead. "We're going," he agrees, and the Rolls leaps forward before Sokka can have a chance to figure out his seat belt. The car can go 0-60 in about 6 seconds and it isn't at a pace much slower than that, that Tony races down the long drive. "Just keep breathing, honey," he coaches, although Pepper seems to be taking this quite a bit more in stride than he is, over all. It's a half hour drive to the hospital. The car screeches to a halt at the main entrance twelve and a half minutes later, thanks to Tony's maniacal driving and Jarvis helping out by persuading some stoplights to stay green for them. And yet, despite the breakneck pace to get there, Tony sits frozen behind the wheel for a few seconds after braking to a stop, knuckles white on the wheel as he tries to remember what comes next. Oh yeah. "Toph," he commands, glancing over his shoulder -- he does a bit of a doubletake seeing Sokka in the back seat with her -- "Find out what room number we're in and wait here to let everyone else know when they get here." He lurches out of the car and tosses the keys to a smirking valet who has seen more than his fair share of anxious fathers-to-be. He does a bit of a doubletake of his own, though, when he recognizes Tony Stark as the one in question tonight. "Keep it quiet," Tony instructs him firmly, and presses a hundred dollar bill into the young man's hand as he jogs around the car. Some nurses are already heading to the car with a wheelchair for Pepper, and Tony hurries to get the door for her and help her as much as they'll allow his interference. "You know what to do if any paparazzi show up," he adds to Toph with a meaningful look. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka would just sit there. He didn't say anything. He just sat there. His mind was trying to make some kind of sense of what happened. Did she trip? No, no, no one kisses like THAT when they trip. Did she... Did she what? Think he was someone else? Walls across his mind began to crumble away as he struggled to process the what and why. Mostly the why. She was TOPH. The amazing TOPH. And he was just Sokka. Wait, when did he get in the car and... he was near toph. He cringed, but didn't move much. He was just... so... confused. Why? Just... why? He wanted to ask, but there was a BABY! He couldn't ask now, even HE had more tact than that(barely). And then he was left alone in the car with toph. Oh, and their valet. Who probably left them alone. He jsut stared at the chair ahead of him and finally... "So... a baby." 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     Pepper breathes, wincing at contractions, btu over all is taking things very much in stride, keeping her eyes on the road as the buildings whizz by. She's mentally going through her packed bags, considering if they have any safety pins in the glove box in case they get halted. Tony's mad pace driving delivers faster than Dominos, and soon she's being helped out of the car and into a wheel chair. THere is not a person here who doesn't know who they are, what's going on, but the nurses all cheerily greet Pepper as Mrs. Smith, and they begin to cart her in saying that the birthing floor is being prepped as they speak, and what marvelous timing on little 'Baby Smith's' part 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The ride to the hospital is one of Toph's least favourite rides as she hangs onto the seat in front of her, gritting her teeth and really putting her trust in Tony getting them all there safely. He's used to mach speeds after all, and well, this time of night it's not like there are many cars on the road. Finally they do arrive though, and Toph lets out a sigh of relief as she unbuckles her seatbelt, getting out of the car. Getting some solid earth under her feet does help, even if she's still nervous for several reasons. So it helps when Tony gives her something to do, a way to be helpful in all of this. "Got it!" She'll lead the others to the room that Pepper will get in, and she'll protect the privacy of the family in this time. Paparazzi should recognise her well enough to know that they shouldn't go near. But of course they might wonder at seeing Toph outside the hospital, won't they? Oh well, time to deal with that later.     For now she grabs Sokka by the hand, blushing as she drags him inside after the nurses wheel Pepper and lead Tony away. She herself drags Sokka with her to the front desk. "Y-yeah... the baby's arriving. So don't faint again like you did the last time, huh?" she jokes weakly, laughing a little nervously before she turns to the clerk. "I need to know which room my mom's in... Mrs. Sta--- Smith." Hopefully the clerk will recognise Toph, considering her celebrity status in this place.     Once that is done, Toph drags Sokka back outside, then lets go of his hand as she wraps her arms around herself, waiting for the other car to arrive. And just being all too aware of being /alone/ with Sokka, not knowing just what to feel or to do for the first time since knowing him. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony Smith, meanwhile, doesn't leave Pepper's side or indeed even let go of her hand once he's able to grab hold of it and squeeze for support. Whether the support is for her or for him is up for debate. They're here /together/ and that's the important thing. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka stared. Stared. Stared. He finally... "Toph. You... you kissed me," he said finally. "Why?" It was a simple enough word. But it was all his mind could process. He looked spooked. Empty headed. As empty headed as most seemed to think he was... 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     When Sokka finally decides to talk, he is Captain Obvious it appears. How absolutely great for her, as she's already embarrassed and trying to deal with it. It would have been easier if they hadn't been alone right now, but... "I... did," she nods, swallowing as she leans back against the wall. As for why she kissed him? The blind girl licks her lips slightly, tightening her grip on her arms where she stands. "B-because you told me to, Meat Head," she states, thinking back to the thing he said earlier that day. Or was it yesterday now? That the best way for a girl to let a guy know she loves him was to kiss him. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blinked a few more times. "I... I did? When I..." And then leaned back against the wall and slid back. "Oh. When I told... w-wait. Toph, I'm not... I don't do those things for you... I-I was... jsut telling Eve that so she... I wasn't trying to make you think you were in love with me or a-anything!" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Sokka's words don't make it all easier, and Toph bites down on her lower lip, letting her head hang where she stands. Okay, this is confusing! Didn't he kiss her back? It felt like that at least... "I always know what I think!" she interjects. "I don't need other people to tell me what to feel! I..."     This is exactly what she was afraid would happen. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka slowly hugged his knees to his chest. He... didn't have any idea what was going on. Half his mind was on 'BABY!', the other half trying to proess... this. "How... long? I mean... did this happen... today... or? Was it because I joined you in the union? Or because of what happened to the Union? Toph... I'm not going anywhere. You don't need to try and... sacrifice yourself like that so I'll stay. I wouldn't do that to you." 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     You know those scenes in movies, and TV, and the spare moments where the woman is on the table, scremaing because she's pushing SO HARD --     IT's all a lie. Pepper's epidural took, thankfully, but that long-ass needle made her get second thoughts at first. She certainly did /not/ want her mother, her sister, her stepdad in there with her, but Tony was okay.     They don't prepare you that birth can be messy. That it can be gross. That Things can happen. Potts is in pain and a whole lot of discomfort sitting there on the table, with the doctors and nurses and techs around. Holding Tony's hand and squeezing it. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony thought he was prepared for the Gross Things, but actually being there in the room with them is a bit unnerving. He majored in physics and engineering, not biology. He's glad he's considered 'okay' to be there, all things considered. "So hey," he tries to keep the mood light, for his wife's sake. "We made it. You're gonna get this watermelon out of you, finally, that'll be a relief, right? Before you know it you'll be able to wear your favorite shoes again and everything." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     It's kind of hard to imagine a time she didn't feel this way. As Sokka sits down and hugs his knees close Toph remains standing, looking smaller than she usually does. And at his question whether this is a receont thing she can only shake her head, her bangs flying back and forth. "No!" she protests, looking like she is contemplating bending a hole in the ground that she can disappear into. But she doesn't. Instead she clears her throat. "... since we went through the Serpent's Pass..." she mutters weakly. "I..." Okay, she has to say this, doesn't she?     "I... love you." With that she turns her back to Sokka. Ugh, why can't Carrie and the others get here already? 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blinked a few times, staring at her. "Serpants pass? As in... that was years ago! How did you... you've... that's not.... what?" He stared at her. Then... his eyes lowered. "I just... I... I need some time to... to process this... Toph. I..." Paused. He did love her. But not in that way. Right? He glanced up at her, staring at her in that dress. She... was hurting. A lot. He wanted to walk forward and hug her, to hold her to his chest, to tell her it'd be okay. That they'd work all this out. But what if they couldn't? "I... don't know... how to feel. About this. Toph. I'm.... sorry." 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!     "EVERYBODY OUT OF THE BOAT!" Roars Carrie, as she abandons the car, and everyone starts disembarking looking positively frazzled. Liz is crying. Stan looks pale. Rodger may be sick.     Georgia meanwhile chirps completely at ease with her mother's driving, "Does anyone need a pitstop before we start storming the birthing floor?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Yes, years ago. Years that she's been harboring feelings for the older boy from afar, not saying a word. Not wanting to mess things up between him and Suki, because that would have been mean of her to ruin things for her friends. People she cares a whole lot about. But with Suki not being here, with Sokka not being with her for a while, it was okay, wasn't it?     When Sokka speaks, it /stings/. Stings to the point where her breath stops and she stands as if petrified.     Before she gets to say anything the other car comes screeching up the road, coming to a stop as Carrie announces their arrival, and Toph pushes quickly away from the wall. "They're in room 106," she announces before she quickly hurries inside, this time not dragging Sokka with her. 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     "We made it." Pepper agrees, a nurse dabbing at her forehead. "And so help me, if he's born wearing a goatee, I'm divorcing you." she replies, wincing, and giving another push.     "That's it, Virginia. Another push." the midwife says calmly.     "I AM PUSHING." Pepper replies in the exact opposite tone.     Meanwhile, as everyone else bustles in, Stan pauses, tipping the valet and then tailing the bender.     "... need to vent, bubbeleh?" he asks, hanging back with Toph a moment, watching as the others go. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "With a cigar in his mouth?" Tony continues the mental image cheekily, squeezing Pepper's hand supportively as she strains. "Look, it's not MY fault if you can't handle our kid being the suavest infant in history. But I think you're gonna be ok on this one." He didn't grow his beard out until he was in his early 20s, after all. "Bet he looks just like you," he continues, keeping up a stream of chatter just to keep her mind occupied. As long as she's annoyed with him she isn't focused on any discomfort. Or at least, not as much. "Without the boobs though. That'd be weird." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Keeping her own pace Toph doesn't seem to register that Carrie, Georgia and the others are hurrying past her to the delivery room, hugging herself as she keeps her head lowered. When she hears the familiar voice of Stan speaking up next to her she slows her pace for just a fraction of a second, then she halts, not raising her head as she seems to consider his offer. Sure, he's talked with her before. But that was about things that she wasn't still trying to process had just happened.     Shaking her head, Toph hurries onward. "Not now," she manages to croak out weakly as she follows the rest of the family, though she'll be keeping her distance for a little bit.     Hopefully it won't take long for Pepper, and maybe they don't have to sit out in the hallway for long. 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     "Ah, well, then I shall. Your grandmother is a madwoman behind the wheel. I had no idea that minivan was capable of doing zero to seventy, let alone in eight seconds." Stan replies, and then he gives a soft 'oh!' sound.     He pats himself down. He pauses, and then gives a frown, "now where did I -- ah, yes." he states, and he's holding something out to Toph.     "I myself was an older sibling. Though I had six older sisters. /Six/. This little pupik is lucky not only that he's just got the one, but that she is an amazing young lady, so I hope you don't mind that I got you something."     It's a flat box. There's some kind of jewelery inside it.     Meanwhile, Pepper is trying not to laugh, because it hurts. "Don't you dare start making me laugh, Tony Stark, this kid will NEVER get out!" she laughs, and then gives a cry as the muscles contract, hard. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "You got this, you got it," Tony sucks in a breath in sympathetic tandem with Pepper's cry of pain. And then, "I don't know," he counters, flashing a wink to one of the nurses who is politely trying to hold back a giggle herself. "It might be kind of like when you sneeze, and things just kind of... slide out? What is it they say, better out than in? Although I don't know, putting him in there was pretty fun if you ask me." He can keep this up all night if he has to. He kisses Pepper's sweaty temple and tucks some loose hair behind her ear. "I love you, honey," he whispers. "You're a rockstar." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Strange... it does help when Stan vents, actually. Anything to get her mind off of recent events and to focus on what's happening now. "I think Pepper got her driving from her mom," Toph agrees carefully as they reach the area of the hallway where the Potts women have settled down along with Rodger and Liz. "I think Carrie is eager to get another grandkid," she adds with a weak chuckle, reaching up to brush some hair behind her ear.     When he's holding out something for her though, Toph blinks and listens. Wait, he... got her something? Silently Toph reaches out and takes the flat box... and begins opening it. 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     The box is foil on the outside. It has foil on the inside -- probably Stan's attempt to stop her from 'seeing' into it. Inside there is an old gold chain with a new gold locket. The gold locket has a pair of gemstones and a relief on the front of a woman in profile, very small -- maybe the size of a pinky nail, but the chain is very, very strong and finely made. There is also a metal hair pick with two fine chains and little silver flowers hanging from it. Not too awful feminine, but pretty enough for formal occasions.     "Happy new year, Toph. May your accomplishments this year be far more awesome than last year's." Stan gives a smile, scoots down just a tad and gives Toph a hug.     And then, provided she lets him, picks her up and swings her around. Because he can.     Potts, meanwhile, vies another cry out, this time at the mention of the putting it in. "/ANthony Edward Stark if You Do Not St--/"     But she 's cut short, and there's another hard contraction.     THeres a gurgling, crying sound as a new set of lungs takes in hair. And thankfully it does not have a goatee.     "Congratulations, it's a boy."     Outside, in the waiting room, 'Rock-a-bye-Baby' plays in a musicbox style through the speakers. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     It's a silly attempt at making her not see what's in the box really, but Toph won't let Stan know that. It doesn't really matter, and she can act surprised after she gets a decent 'look' at the item inside. Jewelry, huh? Toph runs her fingers over the gold locket, feeling the gems in it as well as its general shape. Something meant to put pictures inside? Maybe she could put something else inside it. And the metal hair pick is something she seems to study carefully, all while smiling carefully.     She doesn't pull back when Stan moves in to hug her, wrapping her arms around his waist as she buries her face against his chest. "Thanks, grandpa... you're the best." And she lets out a slight eep when she's picked up and swung around, though she doesn't protest, only clinging onto Stan and the jewelry in her hands. Not many people can give Toph jewelry and have her actually be happy about it!     Though the moment the sound of tiny lungs cries out, Toph jerks her head upright, blinking as her sensitive ears pick up the sound. Bitchin' Camaro...! Immediately Toph pulls away from Stan, stuffing the jewelry into the sash of her dress before she hurries towards the doors, waiting with baited breath as she presses her lips together. Carrie might get a contender for the first person to rush in here! 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony just giggles insanely at Pepper's rage, because he'd rather have her mad at him than in pain. He /squeezes/ hard on her hand along with the contraction, and stares with wild anxiety at the doctor who seems to be doing something serious at the other end of his wife. And then he hears his son cry out for the first time. His son. He made that. Him and Pepper. It's both of them. He cranes his neck anxiously to see, but they're whisking him off and cleaning him up and all he can catch is a glimpse of wrinkled pink skin and a shock of dark hair. He's a dad. "That's it?" he asks, stupidly. "I mean -- he's okay? Everything's okay?" "Everything is FINE," one of the nurses assures him, smiling beatifically at Pepper as he pats her forehead with a warm damp cloth. "They just need a minute to get him cleaned up for you and then you can hold him," he tells her calmly. Tony is still clutching her hand though, and has to make a conscious effort to let go of it so she can take the baby when he's finally handed over. He hovers, staring as if his eyes will bug out of his face. "...Are you okay?" he asks her, belatedly. She did all the work after all. 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     "Oh my god. Let's not do that again. Ever." Potts states, feeling completely drained.     "Temperature's good, reaction is good, ten fingers, ten toes, three eyes, two noses..." the doctor states, and then the Midwife glares.     "Everything is fine, Tony and Pepper. What's the name you want on the official paperwork? ... it's not Bitchin-apostrophe-Camero, is it?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Are they going to let us in or what?" Toph mutters, nearly bouncing in place where she stands by the door. She does look rather restless, with a determined look on her face. The concrete of the wall is starting to get cracks as Toph drums her fingers impatiently against it. Okay, if Carrie tries to push ahead of her then she can always use her bending, because damnit she's going in first...! Pepper is okay, isn't she? Why isn't Tony out here dragging them inside yet?     Damnit, she needs something to say and do instead of just standing here...! 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony glances at Pepper for confirmation. They have discussed this, but god knows if she may have changed her mind in the last hour. "Robert James Stark," he replies, a little dry mouthed, and gulps. "Bitchin' Camaro is a family name," he adds, in a whispered laugh. "I'll get my tubes tied," he promises Pepper, planting a kiss on her cheek. Nevermind that that's... not how that works. "I should go... ride herd on the minions," he stammers, running a hand through his hair as if he's forgotten quite what else to do with it. "I'll hold them off, give you a chance to get--" cleaned up, "--situated, and then I don't think I'll be able to withstand Hurricane Carolina any longer." He kisses her again. "God. I love you so much, you're amazing, I'll be back -- I'll be right back!" A minute later he bursts into the hallway where Toph is vandalizing the wall and Carrie is ready to spit nails, disheveled and wild-eyed. He stares around at everyone for a second, then blurts the obvious, "I'm a dad!" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The moment Toph feels familiar vibrations on the floor approaching the door she halts, standing still even before Tony opens the door. And once he blurts out that silly line Toph snorts, reaching out to punch him in the arm before attempting to hurry in past him. "A biological dad, dunderhead," she corrects him. She didn't call him 'dad' all this time for nothing! Okay, now to rush in before Carrie! Otherwise she might hog the baby and not let Toph see him. The others have eyes to see with, after all! 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "Right, that's... what I meant," Tony amends, dropping a hand to Toph's shoulder to give it a squeeze as she tries to get past him. "Just... wait a minute, okay? They need to do some doctor stuff and then we can all go back in." He'll spare them the details of the mess. In the meantime, he stares at his in-laws. "I made a human being," he states hoarsely. "Oh god, tell me I can handle this. He's... he's got my hair," he runs his hand through his own again, clutching at the roots for support. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The hand on her shoulder does stop Toph from rushing in. Though she is a bit quiet before she nods, instead crossing her arms again as she stands next to Tony, her face turned towards the door. She's aware of Tony talking, though she only speaks up after his hair comment. "Does he have your beard too? If so then I'm not hugging him," she jokes, moving one hand to rest it on Tony's arm. He'll do okay, of that she's certain. Otherwise she wouldn't have settled down in Malibu in the first place.     But just in case she will remind him, lowering her voice just for him. "You're an awesome dad, remember? You haven't failed any of the tests so far." He did all right with her, and this time he'll get to start from the beginning and hopefully have an easier job with a kid he doesn't have to explain periods to, not to mention the kid most likely doesn't have super powers. Besides an inherited super ego, perhaps. 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     The women are all happy. Liz says 'Oogie!'. Stan is already standing, having swung Toph around and then come back to Tony. He reaches up. He takes him by the shoulders and shakes him a moment before he says "Run as fast as you can, it's almost too late!" and hten blinks, then shaeks his head 'Wrong script!' he mutters playfully, and then just embraces TOny.     "Congratulations, boy. You're a father."     And with great reverence, Stan hands Tony... a pack of big red gum.     "No smoking in the hospital." he states, patting his hand, and hums in amusement.     Meanwhile, the Doctor comes out, and the midwife is all smiles. "She'll take visitors, but she might be a itsy bitsy bit... cranky." 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony smiles appreciatively down at Toph, and tugs her against his side for a one-armed hug. "I got you after after all the hard parts though," is his opinion. There's nothing /easy/ about taking care of a baby! "You were already awesome, I just... pointed it in the right direction." He realizes something and his brow furrows slightly as he gives another glance around the hallway. "Where'd Sokka get to? I wasn't hallucinating him in the car, was I? How did the plan-- oh, tell me later," he interrupts himself, at the news they can see Pepper and... and baby Robert now. "I don't smoke," he replies to Stan with some mystification, before he draws the connection to the traditional cigars, and chuckles. "Oh. Right. Thanks." And this makes Stan a grandfather again, though he isn't actually related to any of his three grandkids, oddly enough. But why should Pepper be cranky? She finally has that basketball out of her, she should be feeling better now, right? "Okay go on," he grins at Toph, releasing his hold on her so she can charge into the room. And he stands well out of Carrie's way. 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     Carrie and Georgia are hanging back a bit -- mostly because Liz won't be allowed to see the baby. Stan and Rodger stand back so that Toph can have first dibs.     Pep's in a nursing johnny now, the bundle of wrinkled snoozing sleep as Robert lays nestled against her chest, swaddled in a blanket.     "Hey, Toph. " Pep gives a smile, "Meet your baby brother, Robert." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     It's not often Toph doesn't let Tony pull her in for a hug, it's one of the rights he's earned. "I'm more stubborn than most, though," she admits with a shrug. Not many people get to give her orders and have her follow them without too many questions. Babies just sleep, drink, poop and pee, how hard can it be to taking care of them? When Tony asks about Sokka however he might notice how Toph immediately goes tense, her expression deadpan. It's a good thing he doesn't pry further, as it looks like Toph isn't about to respond to that question.     Trust Stan to add humour to any situation. Heck, it makes Toph's lip draw up into a slight smile for a brief second where she stands, waiting. And once the physician and the midwife give them permission to enter again, Toph isn't slow, especially when Tony tells her to go ahead. Heck, she's used to Pepper cranky. And Pepper wouldn't be too cranky with her, right?     Within seconds the blind earthbender hurries inside, expecting Tony to follow her. And once she hears Pepper speak up she slows her pace a little, swallowing as she walks on over to the bed. Robert James, wasn't that? The name they had whispered between themselves when they thought she couldn't hear. Nothing is said as she slowly extends her hand, reaching towards Pepper's torso where she can hear the quick heartbeat she recognises from within Pepper's belly all these months. Carefully she touches the side of the baby's face, halting even as she holds her breath. And then a careful smile crosses her lips. "Robert...? I think I like Bitchin' Camaro better," she jokes, moving her fingers down the baby's arm towards his hand. Man, the baby's /tiny/ compared to how big Pepper's belly was! 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony comes into the room on Toph's heels, wearing a dopey grin as he crosses to Pepper's bedside and leans in to give her another kiss and extends a finger to tickle the baby's chin. God, he looks just like his old baby pictures, it's kind of eerie. "He's perfect, honey," he says softly, and how couldn't he be, considering the genetic lottery he won? "And you young man," he adds, mock-sternly, "It's about time you stopped kicking your mother." He sits down on the edge of the bed and slides an arm around Pepper. "How about you, you okay?" 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     "They won't let us put it on the paperwork, but we can still call him Beecee. Because iI could like at least one of my children to have a clean vocabulary until at least highschool." Pepper replies, but she cuddles the baby a little closer, breathing out quietly. "Hey, take a seat. Tony gets to hold him first while I /finally/ get something to eat, and then Toph."     Stan comes in, careful not to crowd too many people and he leans in, kissing Pepper on the forehead. "Nice work, kid." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     A slight laugh leaves Toph where she stands as Tony mock-tells the newest Stark to stop kicking his mother. "He'll be kicking you now that you'll be a stay-at-home dad," she says, her thumb gently stroking the back of the baby's hand. And then, a bit more brave, Toph leans forward to sniff at Robert. Babies... don't smell bad at all, considering where they came from. "And I guess he can kick me too, and I won't kick back until he's big enough to handle it," she adds with a quiet smile, letting her nose gently rest against Robert's cheek. Her baby bother. Who's getting tons of nicknames, some of which she's already thought up just now.     "Are you okay, mom?" she asks, sounding a bit concerned. Didn't that... hurt? But Pepper does seem to be okay, if not a big hungry. Which isn't so weird. To hear that she will get to hold the baby after Tony, that makes her nod. Of course Tony gets to hold him first, since he's the dad and all.     So Toph moves to sit on the other side of the bed, brushing off the skirt of her dress, sitting still. Okay, this evening hasn't been /perfect/, but... at least this makes her feel better. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony has just been itching for clearance to hold his son, and reaches eagerly to scoop the tiny human being off of Pepper's chest. "Beecee, Arjay, Robert, Rob, Bobby, Bobert, we're gonna give you a /complex/, aren't we?" he coos to the baby, who fusses at first at being moved but then seems to settle when Tony speaks to him. "He's so /light/," Tony exclaims softly in disbelief. Buster weighs more. Even if he's actually a bit on the heavy side for a newborn, having gotten a few extra days to cook before he decided to come out. He tilts his head down and plants a tiny, careful kiss on baby Rob's forehead. And he's quiet for some minutes, just staring down at the little bundle in his arms. Then he squeezes his eyes shut tight and has to wipe at them with the back of one hand. "I just wish... Mom and Dad..." he takes a deep, steadying breath -- and Robert opens his eyes and looks up at him and gurgles. Tony chokes back a little sob and grins stupidly through tears still shining in his eyes. "He has your eyes," he declares in wonder, even if it isn't entirely true. They are that same stormy blue-grey he's stared into a thousand times, except around the pupils where there's a touch of darker pigment. Hazel, isn't that what they call it? "Hi buddy," he says softly. "I'm your daddy." And he's going to be a better father than Howard. If his own experience growing up wasn't enough -- he just experienced what it was like to meet someone for the first time and know you'd die for them without a second thought. He's going to be the BEST dad. He has to. 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     Stan gives a slight smile. And he puts his hand on Tony's shoulder. He just gives a small nod, understanding to what Tony was trying to say. Pep's hand brushes against Tony's elbow, and she gives an unsteady breath out. "Yeah." she agrees quietly. "Yeah he does." she replies in a whisper, and leans back against the pillows, giving an exhausted sounding sigh. Her head lists to one side.     "You're his daddy." she whispers, and then reaches over and holds Toph's hand. "And I'll be fine. I just... it felt like trying to pass a basketball." she gives a laugh. "I'm going to be sore the next few days." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "That's not what mom said," Toph jests, unable to keep herself from joking about all the times Pepper complained about how heavy the weight was. But she'll be quiet, letting Tony bond with his son. There will be enough jokes and snarkiness as he grows up, after all. And then... there's the sound of Tony's breath changing, a sound she usually doesn't hear from him. That makes Toph turn her head slightly towards him before she reaches her hand out, resting it on Tony's back. No, Robert won't ever meet his other grandparents, will he? But maybe it will be okay. Perhaps Tony will be able to move on now that he has more people he can depend on. Sure, let them talk about what the baby looks like and all that crud... Stuff like that doesn't matter to her. It's pretty much clear that the baby belongs with them. And... it's a bit different with Tony acting like this, but it's a good thing.     When Pepper takes her hand Toph turns her focus towards her, and then... makes a face at the description of what giving birth felt like. "Okay, I'm never having kids," Toph snorts, wrapping her fingers around Pepper's. "I'll be a crazy old hermit lady and settle down in a forest with the badgermoles, they're better than cats." Ew, a basketball? That sounds unpleasant! 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "And that's why we're going to be very good and take care of Mommy, aren't we?" Tony coos. "No more kicking. And definitely no biting." Robert wrinkles up his face and sneezes, then starts to whimper, because that was a new thing and he wasn't ready for it. Tony shushes him softly and strokes his cheeks with one finger until he quiets down again. Finally, he looks up and smiles at Toph. "Okay, time to let your big sister hold you now." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Of course they're going to be taking care of Pepper! By letting her rest and to help out with the baby as much as possible.     The whimpering makes Toph look a bit worried, at least until Tony manages to calm him down. And then Tony announces that it's her turn to hold the baby. Letting go of Pepper's hand, Toph nods. Okay, she remembers this from when Liz was a baby. Support the head, the neck muscles are weak... keep the baby close, they freeze easily and feel safer when they're held against somebody. Carefully the blind earthbender leans close, holding out her arms so Tony can place the baby there. And then she pulls him close, slowly and making sure his head is kept steady against her arm. "Heh... he's tiny," she says, reaching her right hand up to carefully trace her fingers across the baby's face. Does the baby have Tony or Pepper's nose?     "I gotta say... at least you made him right." 
}}

4969/A simple request

2017-01-02T18:08:59Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/01/02 |Location=Ad Coelum |Synopsis=Sokka goes to Stadler about women troubles. Teenagers. Gosh darn teenagers. |Cast of Characters=1076, 300..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/01/02
|Location=Ad Coelum
|Synopsis=Sokka goes to Stadler about women troubles. Teenagers. Gosh darn teenagers.
|Cast of Characters=1076, 300
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka took a deep breath as he walked to the office. It had been... a while since then. Since everything. He hadn't slept. He'd gotten a drink from the bar(just one. Despite his antics he actually WAS responsible and knew better than to get drunk). Still, rumors were likely spreading. Sokka was... not the kind of guy who could be ignored. Chances were most the people here knew him. He was happy, charming, chipper. He was none of those. and it was likely spreading. His mood was... un-typically dour. He hadn't made a pun in hours. NOT ONE! He'd let obvious ones just slip by. not to mention he was back from leave early. Considering the happy news about Tony's baby, well, rumors were probably starting to spread that maybe the baby hadn't made it after all... So when sokka knocked on the door to Stadler's office, it likely wasn't that big a surprise. 

:'''{{#var:300|Richard Stadler (300)}} has posed:''' Stadler had noticed... something was amiss with Sokka. In passing. Normally he and Toph were thick as theives (and he wasn't going to rule out that being literal). He had to admit that the behavior was odd, given the news from Earth-19999. Healthy baby boy in that family, so he expected some contact happiness, or at the very least befuddled jokes, not... morosness. It was an issue. But thankfully, Sokka was one of Amalthea's charges. Training them was one thing, but being the /offical/ consueling resource for those two. So he was in his office in the new tree (He'd never thought he'd have a weirder office than a giant tree, but a space ship was weirder). His uniform coat was neatly hanging on a hook to the side, with his cap on top of it, a cheap, well-made government pen scrawling across paper work (how the hell does he /print/ that fast). Scrawl scrawl, another one for the out box... Then the knock. He looks up, and years of training has his face an impassive mask of stone at who it was. Oh, damn it. He was the /unoffical/ consueling resource. Well, calm down. Maybe it was something mundane. "Sokka. Come in, have a seat." He says, indicating the chair in front of him, hands lightly fiddling with the pen. "Something I can help you with?" 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded. "Yeah, Stadler, sir." Oh gosh. Not even a pun. Not calling him antlers. Nothing. Just... Yup. Teenagers. He moved to the chair across from him. "I... ummm... I'm back from leave early and I need to make a request. There's, err been a minor hiccup between Toph and I. So I need to request to... be moved to a different training group. For a little bit, until things calm down. To avoid causing any... problems with the group." 

:'''{{#var:300|Richard Stadler (300)}} has posed:''' Stadler paused for a moment. His first name, serious. Nothing good. For a moment, Stadler /hopes/ it's teenager trouble and not the fact that his world had just gotten occupied. Just for a moment though. Then the request, and the hiccup. And he actually had to admire the kid's professionalism. No drama, no badmouthing. Personal problem with someone, looking for a good way out. And it would be a simple issue of approving it and minding his own business. An internal sigh. He could, but this wasn't an infantry company where you could take the easy way out and seperate two PFCs who coupled and found that decoupling was difficult. And he was a better officer than that. "I should say that Amalthea is your direct superior. You really should be talking to her about any sort of transfer to a different training group... but we're a small organization this high up, Sokka. You'd still have to interact with her often... and I don't think your head would be in the game even if I did. A direct glance. "Is there anything you'd like to... talk about?" 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blinked, then shook his head. "Err, no, sir. It's... personal." It looked like Richard was going to get away with it! No teenage drama dumped on his face! Just-- "It's just I kind of... messed things up with Toph." Damnit. "And I'm not sure how I'll be able to... focus around her. I think as long as I stay away from her and avoid the problem, I'll be able to keep my mind clear. But... if I... have to work with her, I'm not sure I'll be able to. My... emotions have cost me a lot before. Not just me." He gripped the edge of his chair. "I'm not sure I'll be able to control them now. And I don't want to end up reacting... badly when I need to have a clear head. And get someone else hurt. If... it's not possible, it may be best to suspend me from active duty for the time being." 

:'''{{#var:300|Richard Stadler (300)}} has posed:''' Oh, no, Stadler wasn't getting out of this. The minute he asked a mopey teenager to sit down he was trapped in this sort of thing. "I gathered it was a personal issue, but it's going to affect your professional work, which means it's less personal than you'd like." And when he says something about messing up with Toph, there's a simple, 'Uh-huh.'. As if there was anything else it could be. But Stadler's look grows more and more pained as Sokka goes on. hands moving to the bridge of his nose, pushing up his glasses. "Sokka, there are times to avoid a problem. Very few times, and I don't beleive this is one of them. I need you to be able to focus on your operation. I can't seperate you, not effectively, not in this small of an organization. And I can't suspend either of you, because we need every agent we can get." A pause. "So. Did who turned who down?" 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka sighed and glanced down. "Sir... I... maybe it'd be better if you just... removed me, then. Let's be honest, I was never really... worthy of being in the group. The only reason I even got allowed in was because you guys wanted Toph. which, I can't blame you. She's amazing and incredible. And I'm... well, not. I'm just... a guy with a sword." Not even the boomerang. Ouch. "There are countless people who'd be better at this than I am. Who wouldn't... screw up as much." He had a look in his eyes that... would have likely been all too familiar to Toph. If she could see. He then cringed. "I didn't turn her down. I just... didn't... I don't know... how she even... why she'd even care about me like that! I mean, she's amazing and special and I'm... just not." 

:'''{{#var:300|Richard Stadler (300)}} has posed:''' And there it was. Someone was feeling down beacause he made a mistake. Goddamn teenagers. And as much as Stadler just wanted to tell Sokka to get a grip, he... was going to do /exactly/that. "Sokka, do you think this organization runs on goddamn nepotism? Do you think we can burn time, training resources, and equipment on an extra? For fuck's sake, you have a badge and a /hell/ of a lot of authority in a hell of a lot of countries. What, we just handed that over because we need an Earth bender going on 16? You would not /be/ here if we didn't think you can make it. That sort of whining is unproductive, so /lock it down./ Are we clear?" And he just continues on right past that. "You think none of us screwed up before? Christ, I yo-yo'd between officer and Sergeant back in the old Union, and I was in my 40s then. You're a goddamn teenager, so you have a hell of a lot to learn. Esspecially about woman. Another subject I shouldn't be lecturing about, but I'm going to give it a shot because like /hell/ if I'm sending this over to the Unicorn. So, let's stop asking ourselves 'why', and take it as a given. And then ask what you're going to do about it. You're /supposed/ to be good at plans." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka squeaked, leaning back in his chair. "I... w-what? You did? I... I do? I just thought, I-I mean, you came and got Toph and... and I hadn't really done anything by that point. I just thought you... chose me because I worked good with her. I mean, y-you've probably seen my reports, there's nothing really... special about..." Oh gosh he was squirming in his chair. It was like being scolded by Piandao. "you... really think I have a shot? Like... on my own? I thought you hated me!" ... Wait, was THAT why he went to Stadler? Because he thought he'd just kick him out? He gulped and looked down. "I-I don't know. I mean... she's... toph. I mean, if she were any other girl I'd be 'yay' and... and go and buy her flowers. Or... or take her to dinner or try and sweep her off her feet. But... but this is Toph. She's..." He groaned and buried his face in his hands. "She's smart and beautiful and high class, probably the strongest bender I've ever met and that's INCLUDING Aang and pre-lost bending fire lord! She's the kind of person who could change the world! I'm just... I'm a rube from the southern water nation. she deserves like... a general or like... someone who rules a town or something. Like a head of some council." He shakes his head. "Or even someone who has at least something about them! I mean, we spend every day around the most incredible people! People with machines and technology and magical powers and all kinds of weird things! How in the world can she even look at someone like me... like that?" 

:'''{{#var:300|Richard Stadler (300)}} has posed:''' "Sokka, you don't seem to be listening to the orders I'm giving you. I said lock it up. I don't have time to build you up right now; that's a job for your CO or an actual consuler. You're spending an awful lot of processing power trying to find the reason for all this. That's admirable, but you're getting locked up. YOu have a badge. You're drawing pay. We've got you with one of the longest serving officers I have had the pleasure of knowing. So. You have a shot." Another sigh. "Maybe this is my fault. A tiny bit. If at all. I don't hate you. I think you're like every other 19 year old with a modicum of talent. You think you're a cocky badass without there being much proof of it. That's every other 19 year old I've met. And I don't just toss those away because they /annoy me/." He leans forward again. "Back on target. Spend the next few years puzzling this out if you want, when you have the luxury for it, but now is the time for action. The /reality/, inthis case, is that whatever you think, she thinks different. She thinks she deserves you. Now, you have a few options. You don't like her that way. Action is to tell her and see if you two can remain friends. Or you like her that way, but you're not ready for a relationship. Tell her that, let her know you both can come back to it in a couple months. Or you like her. In which case, so long as neither of you make officer and outrank the other on a permanent basis, go with my blessing and neck in the underdeck like every other young couple. Just do me a favor and wait until she's 16 so you don't have to report yourselves." A shake of his head. "But none of that, 'I'm sure there's someone better for her' bullshit. She has her own goddamn metrics. Respect them and find an action plan." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka stared at him. What, cocky? Bad ass? Well, okay, he was cocky at times and... "Wait, what?" He cocked his head to the side. "What's an underdeck? And I-I'm not planning to ask her to marry me! W-why would her being sixteen matter?!" ... Right.Different culture. He then squeezed his legs and stared at the ground. Finally... "You're right, sir. Toph... is an adult. Almost. In three months. She... can make her own decisions." He took a slow, deep breath. "And ummm... a year ago... I would have said no but ummmmm...." His cheeks burned redder. "I... I can't deny having noticed... things..." Oh gosh. No. No Sokka. Not here. Poor Stadler. "I... I remember when she was... well... so tiny and short. She's still pretty tiny and short but... she's also... ummmmm... I mean, I saw her in what they call a bikini and just, wow." OH MY GOSH! "I-I don't know. I mean, I think... she'd be an amazing g-girl friend." Oh gosh he had to just stop there. His cheeks going red. He had to actually process that. You could almost seem the walls in his mind come crumbling down. "... I... don't know... what would you do, sir? Ugh, it was times like this I wish I was irresponsible enough to get drunk..." 

:'''{{#var:300|Richard Stadler (300)}} has posed:''' "Ship. It has decks." He says, pointing down. "Bottom of the ship. Underdeck. Usually just maintaince areas down there. Not usually my thing, but I've been on a few Arleigh Burkes to see what the E-3s do down there. Again, back on target. I'm /certainly/ glad to hear that you're not asking her to marry you; at your ages, that is a recipe for disaster. But that doesn't mean you can't court. In three months." He makes sure to remind him. And then he just gets horomones /everywhere/. "I do not need to hear this. I really don't. But I'll ask you to see if you can shut down those overactive glands and think, /think/ for a moment. Is she someone you like? Someone you like a lot? Someone you connect with? That's going to be more important than how she looks in swimwear." At least he was coming to some decision that wasn't actively running from the problem. "First, no, you doubt. Alcohol creates more problems than it solves. Second, how the hell should I know, kid? When I was 19, I was a freshman in college, same age as Kathy, and there wasn't much friction between us then. And recent history had two very brief relationships with a detective with a symbiote on her arm and Yunomi's mom, who was pleasently free of bullshit. You need to concentrate on what /you're/ going to do." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka looked even more confused. "So... you're saying Toph and I are ships? Or... we need to be shipped? Or... we're... going to deck each other?" Okay, that metaphor was getting nowhere. And then he blinked. "Wait, what? There's laws against that? Err, hold on." He pulled out his tablet, did a quick look and... "Huh. Whaddaya know. Some of the multiverses are weirrrrrrd." Pause. "Oh, wait. Earth, earth... oh, dang. Wait, eighteen to get married? What kind of... Oh. Wait, that's just..." Pause. "How many countries does that world HAVE?! How does anyone manage those laws?!" He then shook his head. "Like? Ofcourse! she's been my best friend since like... well, since we first met almost. That's why it's so hard! She's my best friend. If I mess this up..." He sighed again. "I've always had her to...talk with. She's always supported me after... and... I've always tried to be there for her. I don't know if... if I ruined it and lost that...." "I don't know. I'd ask my dad what to do, but mom harpooned him to get him to go out with her! Or was that Gran Gran?" 

:'''{{#var:300|Richard Stadler (300)}} has posed:''' Richard Stadler /sighs/. "Remind me to talk to Amalthea about working on that thick skull of yours. Forget that. Different places have different laws, too, but age is odd here. Worry about that, but do your own research. If you want to be safe, wait until she hits her next birthday. Doesn't solve the problem you have right now. About managing the laws, /defintitly/ work that out. You're a cop, for fuck's sake." Working past all of that and getting back on track. Damn, Sokka likes to overreact. But that was all teenagers. His voice gets a bit quieter, as he gets to another root of the problem. "And where are you right now? You're in my office asking for a transfer because you can't be near her. You've hit a point where action is needed. But, if you want my opinion, not as an officer, but as a human being, do you think you could stay friends now? Knowing the way she feels about you, and you feel about her? Or do you think that would always be lurking below any friendship you two have from this point on? You can regret actions, but sometimes you regret the status quo even more. You get me?" 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded, looking down. "Right. And I can't help it. Some of these books are... huge." He gripped his knees, before getting up. "Thank you, sir. You've given me a lot to think about. I... I guess I need to figure this out. I'll be in my room." And then reached out and patted his shoulder. "Thanks, Stadler. It's good to know that whenever I have a problem with anything, including women, I can come straight to you. I'll make sure I'll keep that in mind. Bye!" Before he walks out the door. Wait, what just happened? 

:'''{{#var:300|Richard Stadler (300)}} has posed:''' Discretion is the better part of valor, which is true with Stadler after he get's shoulder patted, standing straight up and yelling out the door at a retreating Sokka. "No, you go to your CO first- /damn it/." He says, as Sokka's already gotten out of range. Back in his seat, now. At least this night couldn't get any more awkward, and the present crisis was over... There's a trilling at his desk, eyes flicking down and looking at the caller ID. Thin lips. Another sigh. Then picking it up. Listening for a moment. "No, Beifong. I don't sleep. What's on your mind?" /Goddamn teenagers/. 
}}

4968/Unstoppable meets unmovable, young love edition

2017-01-02T09:12:33Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/01/02 |Location=Earth-199999 |Synopsis=Sokka tries to make things better after Toph's confession! Sokka's an idiot! Do the math! |Cast of Char..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/01/02
|Location=Earth-199999
|Synopsis=Sokka tries to make things better after Toph's confession! Sokka's an idiot! Do the math!
|Cast of Characters=1076, 20
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka took a slow, deep breath as he stood outside the house. He'd walked home and well... it had been interesting. Long, mostly. But he'd figured it out, finally. It hadn't been easy. And he was tired. But he was finally, FINALLY, able to discuss things with Toph. So he walked up the house and... "Hey, Jarvis, can you tell Toph to meet me outside? But only if she's not busy! Otherwise, just... wait until she has a chance." He'd then go and take off his shoes, dipping his feet in the pool with a sigh. all he had to do now... was wait. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     It's been a long day, that's for sure. The night had been a long one in the hospital, with various standard tests on the littlest Stark, making sure Pepper was okay. At some point Toph had fallen asleep in a spare bed, not bothering to change out of her dress. No, there's no way she's going home to change or anything. Buster can take care of himself for some hours. Hospital food isn't the greatest, but she wants to be here. Even if they're learning how to change diapers and give baths. But it's her little brother, it's important. Not that she's planning on changing a lot of diapers, but heh, it might be handy in a crisis. Because she's bound to be left as a babysitter now and then.     And it keeps her from thinking about something else.     Later that day however it seems that she's not avoiding that topic, as Jarvis alerts her to the visitor. The Starks just got home not long ago, though they're inside now and not on the patio. At least not until the door slides open, and Toph steps outside, closing the door behind her. Rather than the dress from last night she's wearing cut off jeans as well as an oversized t-shirt, something far less feminine than she was wearing the last time they were on this patio. Rather than walking over to him however she opts for standing by the door, leaning back against the glass as she crosses her arms cross her chest. A few seconds passes, and she turns her face away from him.     "...hi."     Okay, that's the shortest and least friendly greeting he's gotten from Toph ever since he, Aang and Katara snuck into the Beifong gardens to look for her all that time ago. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka cringed, taking a slow, deep breath. "hi... Toph. You look... nice. Can ummmm... can we... talk?" He patted the ground by him. "I... understand if you're mad at me. I... reacted... poorly. It was a lot to take in and I... really... wasn't... sure... how to react. I mean, you're... well, you. And I'm me. But... I think... I've got my head on now. I think I... understand." His heart was hammering. "And... I don't think... I've been treating you fairly." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Even as Sokka pats the ground next to him, Toph doesn't seem like she's about to step away from the door. Instead she's quiet, still keeping her face turned away from Sokka without a response to him saying she looks nice. That's not the issue here, and well... this is just some comfy clothes, not meant to look nice. Because he's babbling, isn't he?     Is she mad at him? It's hard to tell from her expressionless face, though she does lower her head a bit when he admits he reacted poorly. Was it really that much to take in?     Tony did mention that she was out of Sokka's league, but does that really matter?     The blind teen doesn't stop the older boy from talking, though she doesn't say anything as Sokka seems to have this talking bit going well enough on his own. But she will swallow before she speaks up, her voice a bit more quiet than usual. "What do you think you understand, then...?" she inquires. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka took a long, deep breath. His gaze lowered. "Do... you remember when we first met? Well, no. when we... when you first asked your dad to come with us?" He then glanced up. "I think I finally understand why you think you love me." Oh this would not end well. "When you first left, you told your dad you'd never even had a real friend." Oh no. "And so what happened? you ended up traveling with two guys who you'd never even, well... you'd never been near two guys before. It's only natural you'd develop feelings for them. I bet you had feelings for Aang before you realized Katara had them." Oh my gosh he was going to make it worse. Men the world over felt chills. "And then it ended up festering and boiling inside you. And... you deserve so much better than that, Toph. You're one of the most amazing people in the world. Hands down. You deserve someone who well... makes you feel as amazing as you ARE. You're possibly the most amazing person in the world I know. and I am INCLUDING Aang in that. You shouldn't let some imagined crush throw off your life and stopping you from finding what you actually deserve." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Of course she remembers when she first met Aang and the others. About how she ran away from home to go with Aang to teach him earthbending. The next words that leave Sokka's mouth however, that makes Toph's eyes barrow where she stands, and her jawline visibly hardens.     No, she hadn't made any real friends before that time considering she hadn't met other people close to her age. Only snobby people that she never connected with. At the suggestion that she had feelings for Aang however, the silence is broken by a loud snort of derision. "I've never felt that way about Aang!" she protests loudly, her face snapping towards him as she scowls.     Still he goes on, and Toph looks like she's fuming where she stands. "Do you think I'm fucking /stupid/ or something?!" the blind earthbender suddenly snaps, her hands digging into her arms. "It's not like I haven't met a lot of guys since I ran away from home, numb skull! I joined the Union not long after that, helping them out while we were fighting the stinkin' Fire Lord! If you're going to come up with silly theories and think you understand what's going on my head then just /leave/!" she yells, pointing off to the stairs leading to the front of the house.     No, Toph does not look pleased at all. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka stared, his mouth opening. Okay he... he started to say something. Anything. But really, all he could do was make things worse. He looked off to the side. "Toph, I... I never meant to... I just... I..." He reached out for her, his hands shaking. Then he pulled his hand back, making a fist and shaking. "I just... I..." He chewed on his lip. "Damn it... Toph I don't... I..." He wanted to say so many things. But what right did he have? Toph was right. he had been so sure. he'd say this, she'd realize it, they'd laugh off the whole thing. But she was right. "I just... I..." This was Toph. This was the number one person he could ALWAYS talk to. And here he couldn't. And... she was telling him to leave. "... Whatever you say," he finally said, getting to his feet, sliding his shoes back on and turning to walk down the stairs. "I'm... sorry." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Standing still, Toph continues pointing towards the stairs, listening as Sokka babbles, unable to form complete sentences.     Just what more can she say? What didn't he mean to? He had said some other stuff outside of the hospital earlier, things that made it appear that he didn't think she was serious. Since when wasn't she, the greatest earthbender of all time, serious about whatever she put her mind and heart to? The moment he reaches out for her the blind girl pulls her arm back, crossing her arms across her chest again, not saying a word as she holds her breath. Are her hands shaking slightly?     Why isn't he saying anything? Why can't he say something now of all times? He's usually good at babbling, so why is he...     Toph's lips draw thin, and it certainly doesn't look like she's about to laugh. Instead she looks rather upset, trying to carry herself with that confident demeanor befitting of a powerful bender. But the expression, the way she's clutching her arms tight, that speaks more of her being the young girl she really is. And she's not talking.     When he agrees to her demand she swallows, closing her eyes as she stands still while he gets to his feet. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka made it about three steps down the stairs before he stopped. His hands clenched and then... finally he turned and looked back to her. "Toph... I just... why?" he finally asked. It was all he could do. His heart hammered, his hands were clenched into fists. He didn't know what he was going to do! Toph was his best friend inthe world. And... he'd hurt her. Bad. And he didn't understand why. He didn't understand any of this. She was the most amazing person in the world and he was... well, he was sokka. It'd make sense if he'd fallen for her. She was so far beyond his league it was like a grass hopper trying to jump on a star. And yet somehow that star had fallen for HIM of all people? He wanted to accept it. He just couldn't. He didn't deserve something like that. But then, he hadn't deserved Yue. Or Suki. Or really... any of them. So why? Why would someone like her... for him? Heck, if the paladins found out, he doubted any of them would believe it. Oh gosh, Tony was probably furious about the whole thing. Her whole family was. His hand reached up to his head, a pounding headache inside. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Why?     Does he honestly believe she's able to answer that question? Well, partially it's hard because she has to guess what he's asking about. Why did she kiss him? Why did she say that she loves him? Why did she fall for him in the first place?     The earthbender stands still, unmoving like a rock as he poses his question. Seconds pass, and then Toph speaks up, her voice barely audible. "... like hell if I know. Just forget it." With that she turns and moves to open the door, her back to him. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka sighs and shakes his head. He then walked away and... by the time he was at the bottom of the stairs he was RUNNING away. He didn't even think about all those meat snack down in the house. For once. All he thought about was... her. There. Hurt. Because of him. And she thought she was in love with him? Seriously? He was the worst guy in the world! How could she feel ANYTHING for him? 
}}

4967/A New Year and A New Stark

2017-01-02T07:36:54Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2017/01/02 |Location=Earth-199999 |Synopsis=A New Year's Eve party at the Stark mansion takes a sudden turn as there's a latecomer to the party! |C..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/01/02
|Location=Earth-199999
|Synopsis=A New Year's Eve party at the Stark mansion takes a sudden turn as there's a latecomer to the party!
|Cast of Characters=20, 204, 301, 1076
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     New Year's Eve! A day for celebrating a new year, a time for new beginnings, a time to better oneself... and a day that some people dislike for various reasons. For Toph? It's always been about those goddamn noisy rockets. So in the years that she's been a resident of Malibu it's been customary for the blind teenager with the sensitive ears to withdraw to her room nearing midnight, even when there have been guests over. Why would you need a specific time to say happy new year to anybody anyway? That's what she had claimed anyway before putting on her noise cancelling headphones, listening to loud rock music in attempt to cancel out the ear shattering ruckus going on in the skies outside.     Tonight however it's a different story, and sometimes you have to go through some discomfort whether you like it or not.     This is one of the few times a year when Toph does dress up, and at least she has a comfy dress that Pepper got her, and bracelets aren't too annoying to wear. With the extended family here Toph is cheery enough, especially upon meeting Liz again, her young little cousin who gets scooped up and introduced to Sokka. And Stan, Pepper's step-father? He gets a hug like always as well as a /gentle/ punch to the arm. It's family time, after all. And it's nearing midnight and the new year is approaching steadily. As usual Toph does stick close to Sokka, chattering up a storm. Even if they did eat dinner earlier there's always the snacks that need to be eaten up. And it does stop her from chattering too much, she feels. Because man, does it feel like her guts are twisting around over and over...!     "So yeah, the fireworks are bound to start soon," she asides to Sokka, leaning back on the couch. "Goddamn noisy stuff..." 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     Well, this year Pepper had taken precautions regarding Toph, and had sound-proofing installed in the livingroom. Because she's a good mom and would never, ever forget she was pregnant.     It's afully hard though, considering the size of her belly, the discomfort she was feeling and the rather brave face she had on, padding around in flats with that pregnant person waddle going on as she supervises snacks (with a tut-tut from Georgie, she's got this), drinks (not that Carolina would let her touch anything -- she's pregnant!) and greeting the guests around (which Stan and Tony have marvelously handled).     Liz is tagging around with Sokka and Toph. When introduced, she kicked Sokka in the shin, interpreting 'Sokka' as 'Soccer', which her dad was teaching her how to play by letting her kick balls around for their dogs.     Following Liz was the latest in-training, Moose, who was a big, brown lab who really, really liked sour cream dips. And carrot sticks. Yum!     Pepper herself leans back and sits down on the couch, gingerly, wearing a bright red dress with a maternity bubble. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony is just sauntering down the stairs with Stan, after giving the old man a tour of the high tech nursery he'd presented to Pepper as a Christmas gift. Diaper changing robot -- will need some calibration obviously -- holographic mobiles, forcefields everywhere. This will be the safest kid on the planet. And of course the piece de resistance, the Lion King/Avengers mashup mural that takes up the whole back wall of the room. You and Dummy worked hard on that. "Such language Toph," he scolds as he crosses over to the coffee table to pluck up a roast beef and cheddar cracker and pop it into his mouth. "If Steve were here he'd be shocked," he continues with his mouth full. Can't get through the night without a few digs at Cap, after all, especially with Stan in attendance. He turns to beam a bright smile at Pepper, nevermind the cracker cumbs sticking to his facial hair. "Almost midnight, honey, shall we step outside to enjoy the explosions?" He holds out a hand to her, waggling his fingers in a little invitation. At the least, he needs to stay close by now so he can follow through on his promise to Toph to kiss Pepper at midnight. For... reasons. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka was, of course, still not having any clue what half this stuff was. Though, he still obviously felt touched about being invited. He'd even brought gifts! A shield, forge made by him, for Toph. As well as ten tickets for fre foot rubs. Yes he'd noticed she liked them. No he hadn't picked up on WHY. For Pepper, true to Toph's suggestion, hand made toys from the water tribe! Made of wood! They wouldn't melt like his old ice ones(they were often told to keep their toys outside.). And for tony, booze. Southern water tribe booze, to be exact. The stuff could peel the paint off a canoe. Aside from the kick, and his initial worry about the whole intruding on her family time. H'd found the whole holiday to be pretty awesome. Well, he'd been pretty disappointed by the whole... mistletoe not actually BEING missiles. But he'd gotten over it. He'd enjoyed the snoopy christmas, though. The tv was always cool. And once he'd warmed up to everyone he'd been more than happy to share all kinds of stories about their past deeds with them. By the end, he made it sound as if Toph had taken down the whole fire nation fleet with a single tap of her foot. Or might as well have. But now, it was about time for fire works. He took Toph's hand and... started tugging her. "Come on, I can describe them to you," he said with a charming grin she would never see. "Hey, I bet we could get a really good view from the roof." .... He... he wasn't serious, was he? 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     It's about time that Pepper takes it easy, but no... seems she'll never learn how to rest, not even when her belly is bigger than a humongous beach ball, huh?     Still, Toph did her best to make sure Liz was kept safe, not that the young girl is as small as she used to be, but that way Pepper will have less stress and Georgia, Liz's mom, can focus on the snacks and drinks. Besides, Liz seems to really enjoy bending, which Toph is happy to demonstrate as she bends various figures out of metal for the little girl. Including a Moose one, as she makes the dog move.     "You've heard me say far worse!" the blind teen comments back to Tony, "And I know better when uncle Cap is around!" So there, she's not stupid, you know!     When the guys seem to be eager to see the fireworks though Toph blinks, her cheeks a faint red as Sokka takes her hand and starts tugging at her. "You know how I feel about fireworks," she comments, though she does let Sokka pull her up from the couch as she sets the metal aside on the coffee table. Swallowing, she notes how Tony too invites Pepper to come with him, and she shakes her head a bit at Sokka's suggestion. "N-not on the roof!" For... reasons. "I mean, hearing it all around me makes it even worse! Isn't the view good enough from the patio?" This is asked in Tony's direction. Come on, help her out here! 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     "Actually, I thought I'd enjoy it right from here." Pepper states wisely, giving a puff of air out. "There is no way I'm going to go out there like this -- kid might get scared and stay in there /longer/." she protests. Georgia starts laughing.     "Any longer than that, Gin, and you're gonna have to start charging the squirt rent.     Stan eases himself down into a chair, and gives a wry little smile. "That is quite the nursary you have going on up there -- Tony said the mural was your idea, Pepper. How valiant of you choosing a movie that's... what... thirty years old? Thirty-five?" his eyes squint. "... maybe that was the year it came out?"     To the dig at Cap, Stan gives a sniff of indignant old man.     "Well. If he were here, he wouldn't have heard it, because /I/ certainly didn't hear my granddaughter say anything terrible. I doubt she even knows any curse words." he states with confidence, and though he knows she can't see him, Stan gives a big ol' smile in Toph's direction and adjusts his glasses. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "I think the patio will be sufficient," Tony agrees mildly, then makes a pouty face at Pepper as she elects to remain on the couch. Undeterred, he flops down beside her and nibbles at the neckline of her dress. "The Lion King," he turns his head and informs Stan with a severe look, "is timeless. And it remains the best movie Disney ever made." He rests a hand lightly on Pepper's roundness, and smirks. "And my son needs to know that everything the light touches will be his, someday." Hopefully he's not planning to be trampled by a stampede of wildebeest, though. "You kids go on outside then," he makes a little shooing motion with his other hand. "You don't want to see us being oogie, anyway." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka chuckles and gives her hand a little squeeze. "Come on, Toph. It'll be fun. I promise I won't let you fall off and I'll keep you safe. If it makes you feel safer, you can sit in my lap even," he joked. Of course, once they were outside, if she looked too nervous... "We can watch it from the patio, Toph. It's okay." Patting her head. "And you don't need to be scared. I promise I wouldn't let anything like fire works hurt you." He glanced to the roof and grinned, an idea forming in his mind. "Though... hmmmmm... maybe..." Once she made her decision... he'd still scoop her up sideways and hold her head to his chest, one arm around her head to cover her other ear. "There. Now I can tell you about them and they won't be as loud, okay?" He had to be doing this on purpose, right? 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     When Pepper states her intent on staying inside on the couch Toph blinks, turning her head slightly as she halts in her tracks. "Or maybe the fireworks will persuade Bitchin' Camaro to evacuate the premises," she jokes.     As for Stan's comment? Toph only smirks slightly, certain that Stan can't imagine half of the curse words she has learned over the years. Hanging out with big, burly men for a while does teach you certain terms and such. Then again, he does like to jest with Tony, be the cool grandpa and ignore stuff that doesn't really matter.     What? No! Tony and Pepper can't stay behind inside, can they? Not that she wants to 'see' them being ooige, but... There's a slightly panicked look on Toph's face where she stands, digging her heels into the floor. There's no way she can let Sokka drag her outside now, can she? And there he goes, talking about her sitting in his lap...! "And I'm not scared of fireworks, you know that!" she protests loudly, looking rather flustered. "It's just that... H-HEY!"     Being scooped up doesn't sit well with her as she wriggles, though also reaching down to make sure her dress doesn't get hiked up. "L-LET ME DOWN!" Though her struggles cease slightly when he holds her head to his chest, her eyes wide as she swears her face is burning up.     Okay, this is pretty much hopeless... isn't it?     "S... Sokka, you don't have to..." she begins, although she trails off. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony leans in a little further and murmurs to Pepper, "I kind of promised her I'd kiss you at midnight so she'd have an excuse to kiss Meathead without it seeming weird. Can we at least move to the doorway for moral support?" 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     ".. you know, I had this place fitted to be sound proof right? So it wuoldn't bother her?" Potts turns and asks Tony, with a wry little smile on her face as she brushes a kiss by his forehead. Liz tottles her way to her mother and demands to be picked up. Her dad scoops her up and laughs, fuzzing a tummy.      Pepper looks aruond, at her family, her fantastic family with all these people that she loves, about to be added to.     And her stomach cramped. Maybe oysters were not a good idea while /very/ pregnant, but she wanted to have just one. One couldn't hurt, right?     "All right. But if this kid gets scared and hangs out there another week, you are carrying me everywhere." she states playfully, and draws herself up. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded, glancing down. actually, now that he had here there he was beginning to doubt this was such a good idea. He really ,really hated to admit it. But she was adorable in that dress. He'd actually froze a little when he first saw it. He quickly pushed those thoughts out of his mind. It was the pool allll over again. He gently smiled none the less. "Of course I don't have to, brat," he teased. Yes, call her a kid name! "But hey, you're light and worried, so what's it hurt? It's quieter, right?" He glanced up and... then, softly so only she could hear. "You know, Toph. Your family is pretty awesome. And... so are you. I had plans for this year and... this isn't exactly how I imagined them. But... I... don't think there's anyone I'd rather have rung in the new year with than my best buddy." Pause. "Well, except maybe that cashier, but she was pretty cute. Shame about her already having a boyfriend. Better luck next year, right?" 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "Deal, as long as you don't mind me wearing the suit to do it," Tony grins. He pops up quickly to his feet and offers Pepper both hands to help her stand. She's not alone in wanting that thing out of her. Anything else aside, he hates to see how uncomfortable she's been lately. Especially knowing it's his fault. Well, half his fault. It's not like she wasn't a willing participant. "It's our first new year, Mrs. Stark," he addresses her formally, and bends to grab another cracker and pop it in his mouth even as he settles his other hand at the small of her back to provide token support for the walk to the patio door. "Wouldn't want to miss any of the experience, would we?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Brat? It's not often that Toph frowns at being called that, but then again, having Sokka think of her as a kid isn't exactly what she wants. But sure, it is quieter when he's muffling her ears like this, except she's more focused on listening to his heartbeat and breathing.     Then he goes all serious, talking about her family... yes, they are awesome. Tony himself seems to enjoy that fact the most of all, and Pepper is one hell of a guardian and rolemodel. And her family are people she's learned to care for over the years too. And Sokka is here too... just how she had wished to celebrate New Years.     Except he had other plans? It's most likely him joking, but... it still makes the blind teen go quiet, no longer struggling and trying to get her feet back onto the patio floor.     Sure, she's aware of the others filing in after them on the patio, and the sound of the fireworks starting up isn't something that she's able to miss. Why is it so easy to chicken out about this when other stuff is so easy to go through with? Sure, Sokka might be as dense as a rock, but that doesn't mean it's easy like earthbending to handle him at times!     "Y-yeah... this year might be better," she finally says a bit quietly, licking her lips. Okay, this isn't the time to be a yellowbellied airbender and dance around the topic, is it? There's fireworks, he's holding her, even if he is only doing so in a friendly way... come on Tony, just kiss Pepper already!     ... never in her life did she think she would /want/ her adoptive parents to be oogie. 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     This is no time to be a yellowbellied airbender and dance around the topic.     Pep was leaning against Tony, her eyes were upswept. Stana nd Carrie, and Rodger and Georgia and Liz were com ing out to enjoy the fireworks, then Potts gets a peculiar feeling, truns, and brushes a little kiss to Tony's cheek.     "This kid is tapdancing on my bladder." she mumbles to him in the most romantic voice she can muster in her position,a dn then turns to head back in.     Meanwhile, Stan is there. Stan glances around to everyone, and then states, out loud: "I think of all the men here, I'm the luckiest. Not only do I have the fiestiest wife, but she gets more and more beautiful every day. Either that, or I'm going blind." he states, playfully.     And then /Stan/ goes all oogie on Carrie! There's hooting and hollering and Liz goes "oooooogggiiiiiie!" 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' As the first blossoms of fire begin to poof against the night sky over the Pacific, Jarvis counts down the precise time to midnight on the west coast, his dry British delivery punctuated with a matter-of-fact, "Happy 2017," when he reaches zero. Tony doesn't make a huge production of it; the point being to demonstrate how perfectly normal sharing a kiss at midnight is, after all. He just chuckles at Stan's announcement, murmurs, "He's wrong you know," and leans in to meet his wife halfway in a soft kiss. "And I AM sorry about your bladder," he adds, when their lips part some moments later. He sneaks a sidelong glance toward Toph and Sokka. Mission accomplished, on his part at least. "We can go back inside now," he offers Pepper an olive branch. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded. "Yeah. I think this year will be better." Pause. "For one, I won't have to watch my sister and Aang get all oogie. I mean, come on. It's just like... no. Ew. I get it. You two love each other. And they tell me to knock when I come outside! I mean, really, who does that? Just don't make out outside, duh! No one wants to see that." And then grinned. "And this time I get to spend the whole year with my bud, not going to drag my feet anymore. And who knows? I bet there's a cute girl out there right now, just waiting for me to come sweep her off her feet." And then oogie. He laughs, momentarily distracted before looking up. "Oh, that's a big white one. Like a flower." And looked down. "Happy new year." It was now or never. Would she have the guts? 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     There's talking all around them. Stan and Carrie, Georgie and Rodger, Liz whining about oogies, such a good little kid... not that they really matter now. And as Jarvis begins counting down Toph becomes aware of one fact; she can't 'see' what Tony and Pepper are doing, considering Sokka is holding her and she's not in contact with the ground. Oh crud!     But surely Tony /is/ kissing Pepper, right? And the other married couples are kissing too, right? Oh shit oh shit oh shit...!     Okay, Sokka is babbling about something. About what? She's not really sure, as all she can hear is her own heart hammering against her rib cage, and the loud fireworks exploding all around them in the sky. Perhaps she looks a bit shocked where she's resting in Sokka's arms, her expression one of confusion and nervousness. Okay, okay, Toph Beifong... get it together! This is it! Even Sokka said that earlier this day, that this is the way to let a guy know! Tony told her that this was the right thing too, and even if he's made a lot of mistakes before it's not like he would want her to mess up, right? Or maybe... no. Just do this, all it takes is a couple of seconds...     Even as Sokka turns his head to look down Toph's arm is already moving as it reaches up behind his head and pulls him further down, her face red as a tomato. Tilting her own head up the blind girl somehow manages to not miss her target too much as her lips quickly and clumsily press against Sokka's, her fingers digging into his hair. Okay, perhaps not the most elegant kiss, but... at least it's a kiss as Toph seems frozen in place, pressing her eyes closed. 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     Pepper had given a smile when Tony kissed her, and she gave him a little peck on the cheek in return, feeling still very uncomfortable. Once the fireworks begin, she is already waddling to the bathroom when she realizes that it wasn't a bladder problem.     She looks down. She looks up in the mirror, and somewhere, Captain America's language senses might be tingling.     THe door cracks open. "/Mom/." Pepper hisses.     Carrie pokes her head back in. She looks to Georgie, who hands off the wee tot to her husband, and all the wo men begin to close ranks.     Stan pauses. He looks at Tony.     "You might want to grab the bags." 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' The bags? Tony stares blankly at Stan for a moment, then his genius brain manages to put two and two together. "The bags!" he agrees, and dashes past his father-in-law, knocking shoulders as he charges toward the garage where he's had Pepper's hospital prep gear stowed in the Rolls for the last week. "I'll meet you out front!" he calls over his shoulder. "Toph!" he shouts more loudly even as his voice fades from the bottom of the stairs, "Let's go, your brother wants to join the party too!" Evidently he got his sense of timing from his father's side. Less than a minute later, he's parking the big car next to the front door, leaving the engine running as he leaps out in readiness to escort Pepper to the vehicle. "Is she okay?" he asks Stan first, then looks anxiously past him. "It's okay honey, everything's ready!" It seems like he may need that reassurance more than she does. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka looked down, a smile on his lips, ready to make another comment. And then kiss. On the lips. Full on kiss. Toph? What? WHY? He pulled back instantly! Except he didn't. He meant to. He was just shocked. That was it... which was why, after a few moments the shock faded and... this wasn't bad at all. His eyes drifted closed. Slowly, his hands, which had been around her, began to move. Rather than pulling away, his right hand moved down and... gently positioned on the small of her back, pulling her a little more to him. What was he doing what was he doing?! This was toph! INSTNCTS TURN OFF! INSTINCTS TURN OFF! But alas, they did not. Slowly his left hand reached up and he, ever so delicately cupped the side of her cheek... and then moved his lips with hers. While she had no experience, he had plenty. He pushed in slightly, his lips capturing hers and gently his tongue would dip out, to gently stroke against her lip as he kissed her back. AND THEN YELLING! "Huh?" he yelped, letting her go and performing, out of sheet panic, the yen yard Toph toss. "ACK! TOPH!" Wait, what? What was going on? WHAT? "The baby! Toph, are you okay? The baby, I tihnk it's, err, w-we're going!" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The butterflies fluttering in her stomach doesn't ease down when... oh man, he's kissing her back?! A bit uncertain just what to do, Toph merely goes along with it as she feels Sokka's hands move, one to the small of her back and the other stroking her cheek in a way that makes her want to squirm. But she keeps still, just not wanting the moment to end.     Sadly it does as suddenly she's aware of Tony shouting. Huh? What's going on?     Toph blinks and blushes as she pulls her head back, about to ask what the crud is going on. But then she's aware of not being held anymore... and she yelps as she hits the floor, wincing and letting out a string of words that girls should not say out loud. And once on the floor she becomes aware of what's going on, her eyes going wide. "Oh, you've /got/ to be shitting me...!" she grumbles as she gets to her feet, rushing over towards Pepper to help her out to the car as well when Tony rushes back inside. First the kid won't arrive in time for Christmas, and now he picks /this/ time to pop on out? Damnit, maybe Pepper should have stayed inside after all...!     "We've got you, mom!" Toph assures Pepper, doing her best to help Pepper out and into the passenger seat of the waiting car. "Should you call the hospital or something?!" she then asks Tony. They're not closed on New Year's, are they?! 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     "She already sent a text to the hospital, they were on watch." Carolina states to Toph gently as she eases Pepper -- who's changed from that lovely maternity dress to an oversized T-shirt and sweats, and is squeezing her mother's hand as she goes. "He has your sense of timing, dear." she replies through grit teeth to Tony, and as she's eased out, Georgia's taking her own ponytail holder out to sweep Pepper's up into one.     "Just you waituntil your contractions start in earnest, Ginny." Georgia teases. "Then you'll start shocking maybe even TOph." she laughs, and the grouping eases outside, and Pepper's lead right into the car. She reaches up, and ruffles Toph's hair.     "I'll apologize for the poor timing. You'll miss the after party." 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "Jarvis--" Tony blurts, only to be interrupted coolly by the AI's measured tones from the car speaker. "Confirmed, sir. The reserved suite will be ready by the time you arrive." Tony relaxes just enough to grin at Pepper's complaint. "Hey, what can I say, I always did like to be /fashionably/ late." He gets in the way more than he helps in the matter of making sure Pepper is comfortably seated and buckled in. "Kid must have heard the fireworks and thought that was his cue," he quips, then dashes back around to the driver's side and throws himself in. "It's kind of appropriate. I mean, explosions and all." Raising his voice, "Everyone in! Stan, you'll follow us?" 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     "I'm driving. He said Carrie was the most beautiful woman, obviously his eyesight is going." Rodger pipes up, holding up his keys.     Which Carrie grabs on her way by, tossing a thick scarf over her shoulder. "Like hell. My grandchild. You get to sit back and shut up."     ... Rodger looks /deflated/, but follows. Georgia finishes clipping the young Liz in. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka was in mild panic mode. Which, in this situation, meant he just kind of... stood there, on the patio, watching in a stunned stupor as people did... things. And stuff. And things. He didn't know what to do in this situation! he was a guy with a fancy sword! He was NOT equipped to deal with this kind of thing! NO ONE WAS! He hugged himself nervously and... Was likely promptly dragged off. He didn't have any idea what was going on anymore, so didn't even offer objections! He just followed obediently. His mind struggling to reboot. Okay, so toph was a woman, there was a baby, wait, was toph having a baby?!!! ... wait, no, wires crossed. Pepper was having a baby. Toph was a woman and had KISSED him! And it had felt good. And... and he'd kissed her back and WHAT WAS GOING ON?! 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Pepper's in a lot of discomfort, isn't she? Toph bites down on her lower lip, looking concerned. Even when Pepper reaches up to ruffle her hair doesn't Toph smile. "Mom, you'll be okay!" It's not that far to the hospital, and Tony's not a slow driver at all.     Though there's some hesitation there as Toph stands still by the side of the car, turning her head slightly towards Sokka. And then the blind girl kicks the ground, making the concrete underneath Sokka's feet move until he was standing next to the car, and then Toph grabbed his wrist, her cheeks flaring up in full intensity as she yanked him into the car with her. "Move your butt, Meat Head!" she yells, getting into the seat behind Tony, and making sure Sokka gets seated behind Pepper. And once Toph gets her seat belt on she hits the seat in front of her. "Let's get going before Bitchin' Camaro decides to get born on the road!" And yes, she's still blushing like mad. 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     Pepper's sitting back, her hands around her stomach before she reaches up, and brushes her hands over Toph. "Everything's going to be fine, Toph. I'm uncomfortable at the moment, but once we get to the hospital I'll be all right. Until then --" she winces, and she blinks as the girl kicks the ground, and brings Sokka into the car. She purses her lips, glancing to the kids in the back suit, thent o Tony.     "She's right." 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony barely notices Sokka being piled into the car with him; his attention is all for Pepper, with a little bit spared for the road ahead. "We're going," he agrees, and the Rolls leaps forward before Sokka can have a chance to figure out his seat belt. The car can go 0-60 in about 6 seconds and it isn't at a pace much slower than that, that Tony races down the long drive. "Just keep breathing, honey," he coaches, although Pepper seems to be taking this quite a bit more in stride than he is, over all. It's a half hour drive to the hospital. The car screeches to a halt at the main entrance twelve and a half minutes later, thanks to Tony's maniacal driving and Jarvis helping out by persuading some stoplights to stay green for them. And yet, despite the breakneck pace to get there, Tony sits frozen behind the wheel for a few seconds after braking to a stop, knuckles white on the wheel as he tries to remember what comes next. Oh yeah. "Toph," he commands, glancing over his shoulder -- he does a bit of a doubletake seeing Sokka in the back seat with her -- "Find out what room number we're in and wait here to let everyone else know when they get here." He lurches out of the car and tosses the keys to a smirking valet who has seen more than his fair share of anxious fathers-to-be. He does a bit of a doubletake of his own, though, when he recognizes Tony Stark as the one in question tonight. "Keep it quiet," Tony instructs him firmly, and presses a hundred dollar bill into the young man's hand as he jogs around the car. Some nurses are already heading to the car with a wheelchair for Pepper, and Tony hurries to get the door for her and help her as much as they'll allow his interference. "You know what to do if any paparazzi show up," he adds to Toph with a meaningful look. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka would just sit there. He didn't say anything. He just sat there. His mind was trying to make some kind of sense of what happened. Did she trip? No, no, no one kisses like THAT when they trip. Did she... Did she what? Think he was someone else? Walls across his mind began to crumble away as he struggled to process the what and why. Mostly the why. She was TOPH. The amazing TOPH. And he was just Sokka. Wait, when did he get in the car and... he was near toph. He cringed, but didn't move much. He was just... so... confused. Why? Just... why? He wanted to ask, but there was a BABY! He couldn't ask now, even HE had more tact than that(barely). And then he was left alone in the car with toph. Oh, and their valet. Who probably left them alone. He jsut stared at the chair ahead of him and finally... "So... a baby." 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     Pepper breathes, wincing at contractions, btu over all is taking things very much in stride, keeping her eyes on the road as the buildings whizz by. She's mentally going through her packed bags, considering if they have any safety pins in the glove box in case they get halted. Tony's mad pace driving delivers faster than Dominos, and soon she's being helped out of the car and into a wheel chair. THere is not a person here who doesn't know who they are, what's going on, but the nurses all cheerily greet Pepper as Mrs. Smith, and they begin to cart her in saying that the birthing floor is being prepped as they speak, and what marvelous timing on little 'Baby Smith's' part 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The ride to the hospital is one of Toph's least favourite rides as she hangs onto the seat in front of her, gritting her teeth and really putting her trust in Tony getting them all there safely. He's used to mach speeds after all, and well, this time of night it's not like there are many cars on the road. Finally they do arrive though, and Toph lets out a sigh of relief as she unbuckles her seatbelt, getting out of the car. Getting some solid earth under her feet does help, even if she's still nervous for several reasons. So it helps when Tony gives her something to do, a way to be helpful in all of this. "Got it!" She'll lead the others to the room that Pepper will get in, and she'll protect the privacy of the family in this time. Paparazzi should recognise her well enough to know that they shouldn't go near. But of course they might wonder at seeing Toph outside the hospital, won't they? Oh well, time to deal with that later.     For now she grabs Sokka by the hand, blushing as she drags him inside after the nurses wheel Pepper and lead Tony away. She herself drags Sokka with her to the front desk. "Y-yeah... the baby's arriving. So don't faint again like you did the last time, huh?" she jokes weakly, laughing a little nervously before she turns to the clerk. "I need to know which room my mom's in... Mrs. Sta--- Smith." Hopefully the clerk will recognise Toph, considering her celebrity status in this place.     Once that is done, Toph drags Sokka back outside, then lets go of his hand as she wraps her arms around herself, waiting for the other car to arrive. And just being all too aware of being /alone/ with Sokka, not knowing just what to feel or to do for the first time since knowing him. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony Smith, meanwhile, doesn't leave Pepper's side or indeed even let go of her hand once he's able to grab hold of it and squeeze for support. Whether the support is for her or for him is up for debate. They're here /together/ and that's the important thing. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka stared. Stared. Stared. He finally... "Toph. You... you kissed me," he said finally. "Why?" It was a simple enough word. But it was all his mind could process. He looked spooked. Empty headed. As empty headed as most seemed to think he was... 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     When Sokka finally decides to talk, he is Captain Obvious it appears. How absolutely great for her, as she's already embarrassed and trying to deal with it. It would have been easier if they hadn't been alone right now, but... "I... did," she nods, swallowing as she leans back against the wall. As for why she kissed him? The blind girl licks her lips slightly, tightening her grip on her arms where she stands. "B-because you told me to, Meat Head," she states, thinking back to the thing he said earlier that day. Or was it yesterday now? That the best way for a girl to let a guy know she loves him was to kiss him. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blinked a few more times. "I... I did? When I..." And then leaned back against the wall and slid back. "Oh. When I told... w-wait. Toph, I'm not... I don't do those things for you... I-I was... jsut telling Eve that so she... I wasn't trying to make you think you were in love with me or a-anything!" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Sokka's words don't make it all easier, and Toph bites down on her lower lip, letting her head hang where she stands. Okay, this is confusing! Didn't he kiss her back? It felt like that at least... "I always know what I think!" she interjects. "I don't need other people to tell me what to feel! I..."     This is exactly what she was afraid would happen. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka slowly hugged his knees to his chest. He... didn't have any idea what was going on. Half his mind was on 'BABY!', the other half trying to proess... this. "How... long? I mean... did this happen... today... or? Was it because I joined you in the union? Or because of what happened to the Union? Toph... I'm not going anywhere. You don't need to try and... sacrifice yourself like that so I'll stay. I wouldn't do that to you." 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     You know those scenes in movies, and TV, and the spare moments where the woman is on the table, scremaing because she's pushing SO HARD --     IT's all a lie. Pepper's epidural took, thankfully, but that long-ass needle made her get second thoughts at first. She certainly did /not/ want her mother, her sister, her stepdad in there with her, but Tony was okay.     They don't prepare you that birth can be messy. That it can be gross. That Things can happen. Potts is in pain and a whole lot of discomfort sitting there on the table, with the doctors and nurses and techs around. Holding Tony's hand and squeezing it. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony thought he was prepared for the Gross Things, but actually being there in the room with them is a bit unnerving. He majored in physics and engineering, not biology. He's glad he's considered 'okay' to be there, all things considered. "So hey," he tries to keep the mood light, for his wife's sake. "We made it. You're gonna get this watermelon out of you, finally, that'll be a relief, right? Before you know it you'll be able to wear your favorite shoes again and everything." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     It's kind of hard to imagine a time she didn't feel this way. As Sokka sits down and hugs his knees close Toph remains standing, looking smaller than she usually does. And at his question whether this is a receont thing she can only shake her head, her bangs flying back and forth. "No!" she protests, looking like she is contemplating bending a hole in the ground that she can disappear into. But she doesn't. Instead she clears her throat. "... since we went through the Serpent's Pass..." she mutters weakly. "I..." Okay, she has to say this, doesn't she?     "I... love you." With that she turns her back to Sokka. Ugh, why can't Carrie and the others get here already? 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blinked a few times, staring at her. "Serpants pass? As in... that was years ago! How did you... you've... that's not.... what?" He stared at her. Then... his eyes lowered. "I just... I... I need some time to... to process this... Toph. I..." Paused. He did love her. But not in that way. Right? He glanced up at her, staring at her in that dress. She... was hurting. A lot. He wanted to walk forward and hug her, to hold her to his chest, to tell her it'd be okay. That they'd work all this out. But what if they couldn't? "I... don't know... how to feel. About this. Toph. I'm.... sorry." 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!     "EVERYBODY OUT OF THE BOAT!" Roars Carrie, as she abandons the car, and everyone starts disembarking looking positively frazzled. Liz is crying. Stan looks pale. Rodger may be sick.     Georgia meanwhile chirps completely at ease with her mother's driving, "Does anyone need a pitstop before we start storming the birthing floor?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Yes, years ago. Years that she's been harboring feelings for the older boy from afar, not saying a word. Not wanting to mess things up between him and Suki, because that would have been mean of her to ruin things for her friends. People she cares a whole lot about. But with Suki not being here, with Sokka not being with her for a while, it was okay, wasn't it?     When Sokka speaks, it /stings/. Stings to the point where her breath stops and she stands as if petrified.     Before she gets to say anything the other car comes screeching up the road, coming to a stop as Carrie announces their arrival, and Toph pushes quickly away from the wall. "They're in room 106," she announces before she quickly hurries inside, this time not dragging Sokka with her. 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     "We made it." Pepper agrees, a nurse dabbing at her forehead. "And so help me, if he's born wearing a goatee, I'm divorcing you." she replies, wincing, and giving another push.     "That's it, Virginia. Another push." the midwife says calmly.     "I AM PUSHING." Pepper replies in the exact opposite tone.     Meanwhile, as everyone else bustles in, Stan pauses, tipping the valet and then tailing the bender.     "... need to vent, bubbeleh?" he asks, hanging back with Toph a moment, watching as the others go. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "With a cigar in his mouth?" Tony continues the mental image cheekily, squeezing Pepper's hand supportively as she strains. "Look, it's not MY fault if you can't handle our kid being the suavest infant in history. But I think you're gonna be ok on this one." He didn't grow his beard out until he was in his early 20s, after all. "Bet he looks just like you," he continues, keeping up a stream of chatter just to keep her mind occupied. As long as she's annoyed with him she isn't focused on any discomfort. Or at least, not as much. "Without the boobs though. That'd be weird." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Keeping her own pace Toph doesn't seem to register that Carrie, Georgia and the others are hurrying past her to the delivery room, hugging herself as she keeps her head lowered. When she hears the familiar voice of Stan speaking up next to her she slows her pace for just a fraction of a second, then she halts, not raising her head as she seems to consider his offer. Sure, he's talked with her before. But that was about things that she wasn't still trying to process had just happened.     Shaking her head, Toph hurries onward. "Not now," she manages to croak out weakly as she follows the rest of the family, though she'll be keeping her distance for a little bit.     Hopefully it won't take long for Pepper, and maybe they don't have to sit out in the hallway for long. 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     "Ah, well, then I shall. Your grandmother is a madwoman behind the wheel. I had no idea that minivan was capable of doing zero to seventy, let alone in eight seconds." Stan replies, and then he gives a soft 'oh!' sound.     He pats himself down. He pauses, and then gives a frown, "now where did I -- ah, yes." he states, and he's holding something out to Toph.     "I myself was an older sibling. Though I had six older sisters. /Six/. This little pupik is lucky not only that he's just got the one, but that she is an amazing young lady, so I hope you don't mind that I got you something."     It's a flat box. There's some kind of jewelery inside it.     Meanwhile, Pepper is trying not to laugh, because it hurts. "Don't you dare start making me laugh, Tony Stark, this kid will NEVER get out!" she laughs, and then gives a cry as the muscles contract, hard. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "You got this, you got it," Tony sucks in a breath in sympathetic tandem with Pepper's cry of pain. And then, "I don't know," he counters, flashing a wink to one of the nurses who is politely trying to hold back a giggle herself. "It might be kind of like when you sneeze, and things just kind of... slide out? What is it they say, better out than in? Although I don't know, putting him in there was pretty fun if you ask me." He can keep this up all night if he has to. He kisses Pepper's sweaty temple and tucks some loose hair behind her ear. "I love you, honey," he whispers. "You're a rockstar." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Strange... it does help when Stan vents, actually. Anything to get her mind off of recent events and to focus on what's happening now. "I think Pepper got her driving from her mom," Toph agrees carefully as they reach the area of the hallway where the Potts women have settled down along with Rodger and Liz. "I think Carrie is eager to get another grandkid," she adds with a weak chuckle, reaching up to brush some hair behind her ear.     When he's holding out something for her though, Toph blinks and listens. Wait, he... got her something? Silently Toph reaches out and takes the flat box... and begins opening it. 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     The box is foil on the outside. It has foil on the inside -- probably Stan's attempt to stop her from 'seeing' into it. Inside there is an old gold chain with a new gold locket. The gold locket has a pair of gemstones and a relief on the front of a woman in profile, very small -- maybe the size of a pinky nail, but the chain is very, very strong and finely made. There is also a metal hair pick with two fine chains and little silver flowers hanging from it. Not too awful feminine, but pretty enough for formal occasions.     "Happy new year, Toph. May your accomplishments this year be far more awesome than last year's." Stan gives a smile, scoots down just a tad and gives Toph a hug.     And then, provided she lets him, picks her up and swings her around. Because he can.     Potts, meanwhile, vies another cry out, this time at the mention of the putting it in. "/ANthony Edward Stark if You Do Not St--/"     But she 's cut short, and there's another hard contraction.     THeres a gurgling, crying sound as a new set of lungs takes in hair. And thankfully it does not have a goatee.     "Congratulations, it's a boy."     Outside, in the waiting room, 'Rock-a-bye-Baby' plays in a musicbox style through the speakers. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     It's a silly attempt at making her not see what's in the box really, but Toph won't let Stan know that. It doesn't really matter, and she can act surprised after she gets a decent 'look' at the item inside. Jewelry, huh? Toph runs her fingers over the gold locket, feeling the gems in it as well as its general shape. Something meant to put pictures inside? Maybe she could put something else inside it. And the metal hair pick is something she seems to study carefully, all while smiling carefully.     She doesn't pull back when Stan moves in to hug her, wrapping her arms around his waist as she buries her face against his chest. "Thanks, grandpa... you're the best." And she lets out a slight eep when she's picked up and swung around, though she doesn't protest, only clinging onto Stan and the jewelry in her hands. Not many people can give Toph jewelry and have her actually be happy about it!     Though the moment the sound of tiny lungs cries out, Toph jerks her head upright, blinking as her sensitive ears pick up the sound. Bitchin' Camaro...! Immediately Toph pulls away from Stan, stuffing the jewelry into the sash of her dress before she hurries towards the doors, waiting with baited breath as she presses her lips together. Carrie might get a contender for the first person to rush in here! 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony just giggles insanely at Pepper's rage, because he'd rather have her mad at him than in pain. He /squeezes/ hard on her hand along with the contraction, and stares with wild anxiety at the doctor who seems to be doing something serious at the other end of his wife. And then he hears his son cry out for the first time. His son. He made that. Him and Pepper. It's both of them. He cranes his neck anxiously to see, but they're whisking him off and cleaning him up and all he can catch is a glimpse of wrinkled pink skin and a shock of dark hair. He's a dad. "That's it?" he asks, stupidly. "I mean -- he's okay? Everything's okay?" "Everything is FINE," one of the nurses assures him, smiling beatifically at Pepper as he pats her forehead with a warm damp cloth. "They just need a minute to get him cleaned up for you and then you can hold him," he tells her calmly. Tony is still clutching her hand though, and has to make a conscious effort to let go of it so she can take the baby when he's finally handed over. He hovers, staring as if his eyes will bug out of his face. "...Are you okay?" he asks her, belatedly. She did all the work after all. 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     "Oh my god. Let's not do that again. Ever." Potts states, feeling completely drained.     "Temperature's good, reaction is good, ten fingers, ten toes, three eyes, two noses..." the doctor states, and then the Midwife glares.     "Everything is fine, Tony and Pepper. What's the name you want on the official paperwork? ... it's not Bitchin-apostrophe-Camero, is it?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Are they going to let us in or what?" Toph mutters, nearly bouncing in place where she stands by the door. She does look rather restless, with a determined look on her face. The concrete of the wall is starting to get cracks as Toph drums her fingers impatiently against it. Okay, if Carrie tries to push ahead of her then she can always use her bending, because damnit she's going in first...! Pepper is okay, isn't she? Why isn't Tony out here dragging them inside yet?     Damnit, she needs something to say and do instead of just standing here...! 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony glances at Pepper for confirmation. They have discussed this, but god knows if she may have changed her mind in the last hour. "Robert James Stark," he replies, a little dry mouthed, and gulps. "Bitchin' Camaro is a family name," he adds, in a whispered laugh. "I'll get my tubes tied," he promises Pepper, planting a kiss on her cheek. Nevermind that that's... not how that works. "I should go... ride herd on the minions," he stammers, running a hand through his hair as if he's forgotten quite what else to do with it. "I'll hold them off, give you a chance to get--" cleaned up, "--situated, and then I don't think I'll be able to withstand Hurricane Carolina any longer." He kisses her again. "God. I love you so much, you're amazing, I'll be back -- I'll be right back!" A minute later he bursts into the hallway where Toph is vandalizing the wall and Carrie is ready to spit nails, disheveled and wild-eyed. He stares around at everyone for a second, then blurts the obvious, "I'm a dad!" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The moment Toph feels familiar vibrations on the floor approaching the door she halts, standing still even before Tony opens the door. And once he blurts out that silly line Toph snorts, reaching out to punch him in the arm before attempting to hurry in past him. "A biological dad, dunderhead," she corrects him. She didn't call him 'dad' all this time for nothing! Okay, now to rush in before Carrie! Otherwise she might hog the baby and not let Toph see him. The others have eyes to see with, after all! 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "Right, that's... what I meant," Tony amends, dropping a hand to Toph's shoulder to give it a squeeze as she tries to get past him. "Just... wait a minute, okay? They need to do some doctor stuff and then we can all go back in." He'll spare them the details of the mess. In the meantime, he stares at his in-laws. "I made a human being," he states hoarsely. "Oh god, tell me I can handle this. He's... he's got my hair," he runs his hand through his own again, clutching at the roots for support. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The hand on her shoulder does stop Toph from rushing in. Though she is a bit quiet before she nods, instead crossing her arms again as she stands next to Tony, her face turned towards the door. She's aware of Tony talking, though she only speaks up after his hair comment. "Does he have your beard too? If so then I'm not hugging him," she jokes, moving one hand to rest it on Tony's arm. He'll do okay, of that she's certain. Otherwise she wouldn't have settled down in Malibu in the first place.     But just in case she will remind him, lowering her voice just for him. "You're an awesome dad, remember? You haven't failed any of the tests so far." He did all right with her, and this time he'll get to start from the beginning and hopefully have an easier job with a kid he doesn't have to explain periods to, not to mention the kid most likely doesn't have super powers. Besides an inherited super ego, perhaps. 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     The women are all happy. Liz says 'Oogie!'. Stan is already standing, having swung Toph around and then come back to Tony. He reaches up. He takes him by the shoulders and shakes him a moment before he says "Run as fast as you can, it's almost too late!" and hten blinks, then shaeks his head 'Wrong script!' he mutters playfully, and then just embraces TOny.     "Congratulations, boy. You're a father."     And with great reverence, Stan hands Tony... a pack of big red gum.     "No smoking in the hospital." he states, patting his hand, and hums in amusement.     Meanwhile, the Doctor comes out, and the midwife is all smiles. "She'll take visitors, but she might be a itsy bitsy bit... cranky." 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony smiles appreciatively down at Toph, and tugs her against his side for a one-armed hug. "I got you after after all the hard parts though," is his opinion. There's nothing /easy/ about taking care of a baby! "You were already awesome, I just... pointed it in the right direction." He realizes something and his brow furrows slightly as he gives another glance around the hallway. "Where'd Sokka get to? I wasn't hallucinating him in the car, was I? How did the plan-- oh, tell me later," he interrupts himself, at the news they can see Pepper and... and baby Robert now. "I don't smoke," he replies to Stan with some mystification, before he draws the connection to the traditional cigars, and chuckles. "Oh. Right. Thanks." And this makes Stan a grandfather again, though he isn't actually related to any of his three grandkids, oddly enough. But why should Pepper be cranky? She finally has that basketball out of her, she should be feeling better now, right? "Okay go on," he grins at Toph, releasing his hold on her so she can charge into the room. And he stands well out of Carrie's way. 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     Carrie and Georgia are hanging back a bit -- mostly because Liz won't be allowed to see the baby. Stan and Rodger stand back so that Toph can have first dibs.     Pep's in a nursing johnny now, the bundle of wrinkled snoozing sleep as Robert lays nestled against her chest, swaddled in a blanket.     "Hey, Toph. " Pep gives a smile, "Meet your baby brother, Robert." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     It's not often Toph doesn't let Tony pull her in for a hug, it's one of the rights he's earned. "I'm more stubborn than most, though," she admits with a shrug. Not many people get to give her orders and have her follow them without too many questions. Babies just sleep, drink, poop and pee, how hard can it be to taking care of them? When Tony asks about Sokka however he might notice how Toph immediately goes tense, her expression deadpan. It's a good thing he doesn't pry further, as it looks like Toph isn't about to respond to that question.     Trust Stan to add humour to any situation. Heck, it makes Toph's lip draw up into a slight smile for a brief second where she stands, waiting. And once the physician and the midwife give them permission to enter again, Toph isn't slow, especially when Tony tells her to go ahead. Heck, she's used to Pepper cranky. And Pepper wouldn't be too cranky with her, right?     Within seconds the blind earthbender hurries inside, expecting Tony to follow her. And once she hears Pepper speak up she slows her pace a little, swallowing as she walks on over to the bed. Robert James, wasn't that? The name they had whispered between themselves when they thought she couldn't hear. Nothing is said as she slowly extends her hand, reaching towards Pepper's torso where she can hear the quick heartbeat she recognises from within Pepper's belly all these months. Carefully she touches the side of the baby's face, halting even as she holds her breath. And then a careful smile crosses her lips. "Robert...? I think I like Bitchin' Camaro better," she jokes, moving her fingers down the baby's arm towards his hand. Man, the baby's /tiny/ compared to how big Pepper's belly was! 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony comes into the room on Toph's heels, wearing a dopey grin as he crosses to Pepper's bedside and leans in to give her another kiss and extends a finger to tickle the baby's chin. God, he looks just like his old baby pictures, it's kind of eerie. "He's perfect, honey," he says softly, and how couldn't he be, considering the genetic lottery he won? "And you young man," he adds, mock-sternly, "It's about time you stopped kicking your mother." He sits down on the edge of the bed and slides an arm around Pepper. "How about you, you okay?" 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     "They won't let us put it on the paperwork, but we can still call him Beecee. Because iI could like at least one of my children to have a clean vocabulary until at least highschool." Pepper replies, but she cuddles the baby a little closer, breathing out quietly. "Hey, take a seat. Tony gets to hold him first while I /finally/ get something to eat, and then Toph."     Stan comes in, careful not to crowd too many people and he leans in, kissing Pepper on the forehead. "Nice work, kid." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     A slight laugh leaves Toph where she stands as Tony mock-tells the newest Stark to stop kicking his mother. "He'll be kicking you now that you'll be a stay-at-home dad," she says, her thumb gently stroking the back of the baby's hand. And then, a bit more brave, Toph leans forward to sniff at Robert. Babies... don't smell bad at all, considering where they came from. "And I guess he can kick me too, and I won't kick back until he's big enough to handle it," she adds with a quiet smile, letting her nose gently rest against Robert's cheek. Her baby bother. Who's getting tons of nicknames, some of which she's already thought up just now.     "Are you okay, mom?" she asks, sounding a bit concerned. Didn't that... hurt? But Pepper does seem to be okay, if not a big hungry. Which isn't so weird. To hear that she will get to hold the baby after Tony, that makes her nod. Of course Tony gets to hold him first, since he's the dad and all.     So Toph moves to sit on the other side of the bed, brushing off the skirt of her dress, sitting still. Okay, this evening hasn't been /perfect/, but... at least this makes her feel better. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony has just been itching for clearance to hold his son, and reaches eagerly to scoop the tiny human being off of Pepper's chest. "Beecee, Arjay, Robert, Rob, Bobby, Bobert, we're gonna give you a /complex/, aren't we?" he coos to the baby, who fusses at first at being moved but then seems to settle when Tony speaks to him. "He's so /light/," Tony exclaims softly in disbelief. Buster weighs more. Even if he's actually a bit on the heavy side for a newborn, having gotten a few extra days to cook before he decided to come out. He tilts his head down and plants a tiny, careful kiss on baby Rob's forehead. And he's quiet for some minutes, just staring down at the little bundle in his arms. Then he squeezes his eyes shut tight and has to wipe at them with the back of one hand. "I just wish... Mom and Dad..." he takes a deep, steadying breath -- and Robert opens his eyes and looks up at him and gurgles. Tony chokes back a little sob and grins stupidly through tears still shining in his eyes. "He has your eyes," he declares in wonder, even if it isn't entirely true. They are that same stormy blue-grey he's stared into a thousand times, except around the pupils where there's a touch of darker pigment. Hazel, isn't that what they call it? "Hi buddy," he says softly. "I'm your daddy." And he's going to be a better father than Howard. If his own experience growing up wasn't enough -- he just experienced what it was like to meet someone for the first time and know you'd die for them without a second thought. He's going to be the BEST dad. He has to. 

:'''{{#var:204|Pepper Potts (204)}} has posed:'''     Stan gives a slight smile. And he puts his hand on Tony's shoulder. He just gives a small nod, understanding to what Tony was trying to say. Pep's hand brushes against Tony's elbow, and she gives an unsteady breath out. "Yeah." she agrees quietly. "Yeah he does." she replies in a whisper, and leans back against the pillows, giving an exhausted sounding sigh. Her head lists to one side.     "You're his daddy." she whispers, and then reaches over and holds Toph's hand. "And I'll be fine. I just... it felt like trying to pass a basketball." she gives a laugh. "I'm going to be sore the next few days." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "That's not what mom said," Toph jests, unable to keep herself from joking about all the times Pepper complained about how heavy the weight was. But she'll be quiet, letting Tony bond with his son. There will be enough jokes and snarkiness as he grows up, after all. And then... there's the sound of Tony's breath changing, a sound she usually doesn't hear from him. That makes Toph turn her head slightly towards him before she reaches her hand out, resting it on Tony's back. No, Robert won't ever meet his other grandparents, will he? But maybe it will be okay. Perhaps Tony will be able to move on now that he has more people he can depend on. Sure, let them talk about what the baby looks like and all that crud... Stuff like that doesn't matter to her. It's pretty much clear that the baby belongs with them. And... it's a bit different with Tony acting like this, but it's a good thing.     When Pepper takes her hand Toph turns her focus towards her, and then... makes a face at the description of what giving birth felt like. "Okay, I'm never having kids," Toph snorts, wrapping her fingers around Pepper's. "I'll be a crazy old hermit lady and settle down in a forest with the badgermoles, they're better than cats." Ew, a basketball? That sounds unpleasant! 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "And that's why we're going to be very good and take care of Mommy, aren't we?" Tony coos. "No more kicking. And definitely no biting." Robert wrinkles up his face and sneezes, then starts to whimper, because that was a new thing and he wasn't ready for it. Tony shushes him softly and strokes his cheeks with one finger until he quiets down again. Finally, he looks up and smiles at Toph. "Okay, time to let your big sister hold you now." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Of course they're going to be taking care of Pepper! By letting her rest and to help out with the baby as much as possible.     The whimpering makes Toph look a bit worried, at least until Tony manages to calm him down. And then Tony announces that it's her turn to hold the baby. Letting go of Pepper's hand, Toph nods. Okay, she remembers this from when Liz was a baby. Support the head, the neck muscles are weak... keep the baby close, they freeze easily and feel safer when they're held against somebody. Carefully the blind earthbender leans close, holding out her arms so Tony can place the baby there. And then she pulls him close, slowly and making sure his head is kept steady against her arm. "Heh... he's tiny," she says, reaching her right hand up to carefully trace her fingers across the baby's face. Does the baby have Tony or Pepper's nose?     "I gotta say... at least you made him right." 
}}

4958/Some hard hits

2017-01-01T12:53:45Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2016/12/31 |Location=Earth-199999 |Synopsis=Toph and Sokka have a training match! And then Eve showed up and... well, Sokka had a little talk with..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2016/12/31
|Location=Earth-199999
|Synopsis=Toph and Sokka have a training match! And then Eve showed up and... well, Sokka had a little talk with the young, love struck maiden.
|Cast of Characters=1076, 20, 857
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka sighed as he followed Toph through the house. "Listen, Toph, it's okay. All I'm saying is it's a perfectly natural part of the woman's body, it's nothing to be embarrassed about. I understand why you got all upset yesterday, but it's really not necessary." Oh my gosh. "Every young lady goes through it. There's absolutely nothing to be ashamed of." Just the thing a girl wants to talk with her crush about. Menstrual cycles. "And if you ever wanna talk about it, it's fine. Gran Gran sat me down a long time ago and explained everything to me and Katara, so I'm pretty much an expert on the process." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     This was so not happening.     Here they were, with the New Year's Eve party happening later today, where Pepper's family would come, when Tony had planned a setting for her where she could try to get things moving in the right direction with the boy of her dreams... and here he was, trying to discuss icky stuff with her.     "For the last time, Sokka," she groans and rolls her eyes, "I don't need to dicuss /those/ things with /you/!" How many times does she need to tell him? And why is Sokka of all people so ready to talk about it when Tony himself would curl up and wince even if somebody uttered the word 'period'? Men are so weird and do not make sense at all.     "You're not an expert on it, you don't have them nor do you know what it feels like, so just let it rest, okay?" she adds, stretching her arms above her head as she walks down the stairs leading to the beach. "Besides, I've already talked with mom about it several times!" Please get the hint already! 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded and kept following behind her. For a few moments he was silent... then... "I'm not saying you have to tell me. I'm just saying if you ever need anyone to talk to about it, I understand. I know all about it. Mood swings, bleeding, grouchiness, cramps, more mood swings. As a matter of fact, down in the south pole I even built a few things to help with the process." He paused. "Gran Gran did not appreciate that. At all." "But hey, if you don't wanna talk about it, that's fine. I just know how it's kind of that thing that can be hard on a girl, so I wanna be there for you." He went silent again. "Well, assuming you've had them. I mean, if you're upset because you haven't reached that point yet, that's no problem. I mean, all girls mature at their own speed." Oh gosh he was making it worse. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Why is he continuing?!     When he talks about having built a few things to help with the process, Toph blinks, making a face of disgust. Just how the crud are you supposed to help with that kind of stuff?! No, forget it. She doesn't want to know. She halts in the stairway, then holds up her hand, a signal for him to be quiet. "Sokka... if you really wanna be there for me, then just... don't talk about it unless somebody begins discussing it, okay?" And then he has to make the suggestion that she /hasn't/ had those changes yet. Which makes her groan in frustration. "Would I be saying these things if I /hadn't/ started having those damn things already? SHEESH!" she exclaims, then hurries down the stairs. "Though I sometimes wish I didn't have them yet! Now shut up unless I decide to use /you/ as a training dummy instead to make you busy with crying and screaming instead of blabbering!" 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka sighed, nodding. "Right, right. sorry." Pause. Long pause... "I just know if I was going through something like that, I'd probably want some friend to talk to about it. but I'll let it go!" he said quickly, raising his hands defensively. He then smiled to her. "Sooooo... on that actual note. I know it's probably nowhere near the challenge you're used to, but... do you think you'd want to train against me? I mean, I know I'm no match for the melon lord. But maybe I can get one scratch in. And I could show you the training Lloyd's been putting me through. He's a pretty good teacher, you know." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Ugh. Just... discussing these things with the boy she's got certain feelings for is not what she wanted to do today.     Wait, he wants to train with her? Toph blinks and looks confused, then holds up the steel baton she was carrying in her left hand. "I was going to train with this thing that dad made me for Christmas, but... well, I suppose you could." Oh right, he's been training with Lloyd. "So... what have you guys been working on?" she asks a bit curiously as she steps out onto the beach. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka grinned to her, reaching out and patting her back. "Something he calls artes. I've only learned demon fang so far. But I'm getting a lot better at it." He crossed his arms and walked besides her. "And feel free." he then snorted. "Though, I do hope this isn't some plot of yours to tie me up and leave me helpless. I'd hate to imagine what you'd do to me if I was at your mercy." He gave a shudder. "Fortunately we don't have any of that wasabi stuff in the house that I know about." As he walked on ahead of her. "I still remember how brutal you used to be with aang whenever he was trapped by you." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Artes? "Oh, those moves of his, huh?" Toph asks. "I'll guess I'll see it when you show me then." It's not like she's fought much alongside Lloyd, but that might change now in the Paladins.     When Sokka jokes about her tying him up however, her face turns a deep shade of red before she reaches out to punch him /hard/. "As IF!" she snorts, perhaps a bit too loudly. He did not just say that!     "And Twinkle Toes only got what was coming to him, and you know it!" Toph adds, walking a few steps away before she turns, extending the steel baton. And then swings it in the direction of the ocean. The titanium wire extends with a hissing sound, twenty feet of cable that lashes into the sand and whirls it up, even as Toph swings her arm and clearly does her best to control the angle of the wire with her bending. At least this weapon is easier to control in the hands of a metalbender. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded, moving away from her and then... that. His eyes widened. "Errr... wow. Maybe this was a bad id..." He then shook his head. "Nope. Nope. I went into this expecting to get my butt kicked. So. On the off chance I actually get close enough to hit you. Let's count the flat of the sword as a blade, okay? Cause there's no way I want to cut you." He moved away from her, sword out. Oh, this was going to hurt him. "Just say the word, whenever you're ready." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "What?" Toph turns her head slightly, "You're the one who wanted to come with me to train, Meat Head!" She pulls her arm back, and the titanium wire gets reeled back in as Toph turns back towards Sokka. "And it's not like I'm going to hit you hard with this thing, it could seriously injure somebody if I'm not careful! And I only aim to bruise my students, so relax, will you?" But she can agree with him not wanting to cut her. "Flat of the sword is okay by me," she nods, then assumes a wide stance that Sokka should know well enough. A defensive stance, signalling that she is ready.     "Ladies first," she grins, gesturing for him to go ahead. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded, pulling his sword back, holding it in his right hand. For someone like Toph, normal means don't work. He knows he's not going to win, that much was obvious. Someone like Aang could do it, but he was soooo not Aang. But he could do something like him. He needed to be unpredictable. Toph was a very... wait and react fight. And he saw whath appened when someone worked a little too hard. The poor boulder. So that meant he had to be quick, light, unpredictable. He took off quickly, leaping into the air, and while in the air he grabbed his boomerang and tossed it, landing a second later as the boomerang spun off towards his right, aimed to come around towards her left foot. He then approached in a zig zag, keeping his feet light and soft, never putting too much pressure on each step, very little force. Just enough to keep moving. Not commiting and ready to get out of the way if she pulled something fancy. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The blind teen stands still, listening and ready to react should her senses pick up anything. Sokka knows her combat style by now, but still... is he able to land a hit? They're standing on sand, which makes it a bit harder for her to read the field effectively. But still, she's not at the level she was when they crossed the dessert on their way to Ba Sing Se nearly four years ago.     Off he goes, and Toph moves forward, not backing off as she hears a familiar sound of something moving through the air. The boomerang! If she keeps still it will be easier for Sokka to hit her, and so she does her best to head off to the side, trying to avoid the boomerang. It does strike the back of her ankle however, and she winces as she swings the steel baton, the titanium wire extending to lash out in front of her, towards where Sokka is heading towards. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka kept running in, the boomerang coming to his hands. He then leaped into the air again. As the wire struck, he used his sword to deflect it away, sending the boomerang out again, right at her chest. Depending on how well she felt through the wire, she might even realize it was coming. Of course, that meant the wire was still a problem. He deflected it, but he only had a second to react, his feet shot down and he then pushed off the ground, leaping OVER the wire, trying to go over the opposite side and letting it grab at where he had been. Granted, it was dangerous as he was flying over the wire at the time, unable to maneuver. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The feeling of something striking the wire does tell Toph easily that Sokka isn't going to back down, and she extends her other hand, making the wire strike back again towards Sokka without her needing to draw her right arm back and then forth again. No, with a metalbending the whip can move differently than a normal whip. So when Sokka leaps Toph blinks, and at the same time she yanks her hand upwards, causing the whip to go up and attempt to wrap itself around Sokka's foot.     Of course this is at the same time when the boomerang comes flying at her. It's only the fact that she hears it coming that Toph is able to avoid being struck directly in the chest. Though as she moves to the side she isn't able to completely avoid it, and it hits her hard in her left shoulder, making her cry out. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka grinned, it was working! He just had to keep moving and-- Oh shit she had him by the ankle. This was going to hurt. He slammed his sword, trying to cut the wire. Wait. Super high tech. This would not end well and as boomerang came towards him he started to fall, catching it and throwing it one last time... Aimed at the hand holding the whip. His only shot. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     There! Feeling the whip grab onto something Toph can't help but narrow her eyes, and she raises her left hand, gesturing for the whip even as she begins swinging her right arm downwards. The vibrations as he tries to cut the titanium wire is felt, though seriously... this is Stark tech, made by Tony himself. It's not going to be flimsy, considering he made this one himself as a gift that was meant to be used in battle. It's not going to be easy to cut.     This time however it seems that the boomerang won't hit, as Toph suddenly rushes forward, even as the whip reels in some before she manages to finish the downward swing. The boomerang rushes by her as she heads slightly off to the left, and she's closer to Sokka when he does get slammed into the sand.     "Like I will fall for that a third time, Meat Head!" she declares with a huff, then yanks on the whip, making it uncurl from Sokka's leg. "You okay?" Since she shortened the length of the whip the impact should have been less, and well... they are on /sand/. If this was solid ground it would have hurt more. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka sighed and a moment later his hand snatched out to grab boomerang. He sheathed it and gave a nod. "Heh, I'm fine. About what I expected, Toph. You're as amazing as ever," he said with a hearty laugh. "And here I thought fighting you on sand might slow your reaction time down just a bit." He jumped to his feet and sheathed his sword, before bowing politely. "But thank you, Toph. Out of league, but at least it's good training. I hope I wasn't too disappointing. And no, I really didn't think it'd work a third time. Heh. But was kind of a desperation play." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Out of league... huh?     Recalling Tony's words Toph can't help but blink. And here Sokka calls her amazing... It makes the blind girl's cheeks flush just slightly where she stands. "Oh well, I... I'm kinda used to training on the beach by now, you know?" she excuses herself. And she's not going to say that the fight would have been over quicker if she had used something besides her metalbending. Sandbending would have ended the fight within seconds, that's something she's certain of. But she wanted to just try with metalbending and see how the whip works. "No, you're not disappointing..." Not at all. Far from it, actually. Any time spent with him is not disappointing at all! 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka chuckles and reaches out, patting her on the head. "Ah, no need to be nice, Toph. Admit it, you liked kicking my butt. Just like old times, right?" he said with a snicker. He chuckles and shakes his head. "You're one of a kind, Toph. Here I could probably take one two or three of those annoying dai li agents. And then there's you, a girl I'm lucky to even throw off balance. Never let anyone not tell you you're special." Then nodded. "I guess if I ever want a chance, I'll have to try less common tactics. Like this." And then picked her up over his shoulder. "MWA HA HA HA! Vengeance for--" Then blinked. "Oh crud you still have the whip." He didn't think this through. 

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''     It's really not like Eve to put herself forward, but this IS the holiday season. She's not really doing anything major, just hand-delivering some ... cheer. Yes, cheer. What with the upheavals and uncertainties, what with not being in the same faction as her rival, she has to have other tings to keep her in touch. Things like... cookies.     And so, JARVIS would announce a visitor! It's not like Eve could just walk into Stark Haven Malibu unannounced, right? Or that she would, even if she could. She might even be expected. Just not necessarily right this awkward moment. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The patting on the head makes Toph grumble a bit, and she turns her face aside slightly. "You're cruising for a butt whooping if you continue patting me on the head like that..." she mutters in a warning tone.     Of course she's one of a kind. She's the original metalbender, the greatest earthbender of all time... there's a reason the Avatar chose her as his earthbending teacher, right?     "Those Dai Li are child's play to me," she adds. Throw several at them and she can handle them easily now with her superior bending and perceptiveness. "And of course I know I'm special, even-- ah!"     Why is he picking her up? The blush on Toph's cheeks grow intense now, and she's confused for a few seconds until he reminds her that she's still got the whip. Oh, right. "Yeah, and I'll use it if you don't let me down!" she threatens!     As Eve has visited this place before and is somebody that Toph considers a friend, Jarvis has no problems letting her in, registering her as a guest should Tony check the logs later. "Good day and happy New Year, Miss Eve. Miss Beifong is down at the beach training at the moment, if you would be so kind to take the path to the right of the house you will be able to get there and spot her," Jarvis offers as a greeting to Eve, clearly not seeing her as a threat considering her behaviour on her previous visits to the Stark house. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded, chuckling and putting her down. "Really? I guess I'm lucky you're so merciful." He started walking again, taking her hand and leading her towards the house. "Well, I don't know about you, but I worked up quite the appetite. What do you say we go try some more of those new years treats? Also, I can't wait for tonight. So a big metal ball just falls from the sky, right? That'll be pretty awesome. The tech on this world sure is something special, isn't it?" LEading to them heading up towards the house as Eve comes back... 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     When he puts her back down Toph's face is still red, especially when he takes her by the hand and leads her back towards the house. It's a bit hard to think about other things, she must admit... And she wraps her smaller fingers tighter around his as they head up the stairs. "Y-yeah, I'm kinda hungry. There might be leftovers and such still," Toph agrees with a nod. Then blinks when her feet notices somebody approaching just as Sokka talks about the party that awaits them later that day. "Spoopy?" the blind girl calls out. 

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''     Cue Eve coming down towards the beach, and meeting Toph and Sokka on the way up. Holding hands. She probably doesn't see Toph before Toph sees her, so... that hand-holding must be deliberate, right? Eve's quick. Frightfully quick, at least with visual perception. She takes in the scene in a quick once-over, the details burned into her mind for later evaluation as necessary.     She doesn't react though. It's no big deal to her at all if they're dating. She's too young for that sort of thing. And besides, if she were jealous right now it'd be of Sokka taking her rival's time. And since Eve hasn't done much to be noticed and acknowledged by her rival, she's got no complaints of Sokka keeping Toph away. So, everything's fine. Everything, that is, except for Eve's eyes lingering just a moment or two on the joined hands while a speculative look crosses her face.     Finally Eve gives a theatrical sigh. "You aren't tired of that nickname yet?" she asks. "Hello Toph, Sokka." she says politely. "I brought cookies." she adds. They're even GOOD. Eve's no fool, and made sure to test the cookies before bringing them. This MAY have something to do with why she's bringing cookies on New Years instead of the more-traditional Christmas... or it may not. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blinked and then stared down at the girl. Then grinned. "Wow. I guess it's a new years EVE, isn't it? I figured you'd pop by EVEntually. How you been, twerp? I hope you haven't gotten lost trying to find the place. You know we'll always help you find the place, EVErytime." Oh gosh she only brought this on herself. And he let Toph's hand go. "And no, she doesn't tried of nicknames. She still calls me Meat head, and we've been best friends for years." He then blinked. "Wait, you brought snacks? Sweeeeeet. You should come by more often!" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     No, Toph will never tire of nicknames. "Not really, Egg Slayer," Toph says, not really looking surprised when Sokka takes the chance to deliver some puns based on Eve's name. Why, she doesn't even reach out to punch him. Though she does look a bit nervous when Sokka lets go of her hand. Did... Eve see that? Hopefully not.     Eve brought snacks? Immediately Toph looks a bit suspicious. "What kind of cookies?" she asks, though she's not outright dismissing them at least, which might be a good thing! "Did you use recipes from the book I got you, or...?" Because the cookies in that book should be easy to make if one followed the recipes. 

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''     Funnily enough, the look Eve gives Sokka for his repeatedly punning her name is exactly the same as the look she gives Toph for the nicknames. A world-weary tolerance that has no business being on the face of a 12 year old girl.     "Best friends?" Eve deadpans. Oh yes, she noticed. There's no sign she disapproves, exactly. That sourness MAY simply be left over from the punning and the nicknames. But it changes to annoyance at Toph's perceived snark. "Several kinds of cookies. GOOD ones." she insists. Chocolate chip, oatmeal, macadamia nut, sugar cookies and shortbreads. "... Some from the book, yes." she adds, reluctantly. Then defensively, "If you don't want any that's fine. Sokka can tell you how good they are." she insists tartly. Possibly fuelling Sokka's ego here, who knows? 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka snickered softly at that thought. "Oh? So I'm advancing from best friend to food tester? What's next, body guard?" he asked with a light chuckle. "I'm sure if you made them with all your heart, Toph will be happy to accept them. Because that's what friends do for each other." "So, I guess you made EVEry cookie type you could, huh? I guess you're a regular cookEVE gourmet." No, they would never stop. They weren't even that good. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     It's too bad for Toph that she can't see the deadpan look on Eve's face. At least she can hear it in the younger girl's voice.     "Y-yeah, Sokka and I are best friends," Toph confirms, though the blonde might be able to notice something in Toph's expression and the way her hand reaches up to scratch at the back of her neck. A visible discomfort to those who look.     It's a good thing that there's something else to talk about, and Toph's lip qurik up slightly as Eve talks. "Well, the recipes in that book were decent. And I dunno, Sokka has an iron stomach... he could eat garbage and survive that, I fear. So I guess I just have to taste for myself," she shrugs. "And you know damn well that I'm /your/ bodyguard, Meat Head," she asides to Sokka even as she reaches out a hand towards the younger girl. "We can go sit down on the cliffside if you want and eat there, Goldie says the view from there is decent." 

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''     "Only best friends?" Eve asks dubiously, then nods. Fair enough, if that's what they want to claim. She's not really into tearing people down, evidenced by her complete lack of trash talking. That knowing look speaks far louder than words anyways. To anyone who isn't blind at least.     Eve sees nothing incongruous in Toph reaching out to her, and there's no hesitation in the blonde before she assumes the role of guide. She even does it right, not engaging in grabbyness. She's done research into the blind, of course, though that's not really a big deal. She's also done plenty of research into waste disposal and fashion trends among ponies. The books were available.     "I'm not sure about that. Toph seems to think I'm not a good cook." Eve notes dubiously to Sokka, after a bit. Okay so she ruined the eggs. And the picnic. Stupid chocobo. It wasn't her fault! She hasn't ruined the cookies or anything... probably! 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blinked a few times and chuckled. "Really? But isn't the less important person supposed to guard the more important person?" he asked with a chuckle. "Also... isn't the bodyguard supposed to be older than them, too? I mean... you're not even technically an adult for another three months. I'm sure there's a law somewhere saying you'd need to be at least that to protect me," he said with a light tease. He took both their hands and started directing them towards it. "So, Eve. Toph was about your age, I think, when she started saving the world. That why you come by? Hoping she'll teach you how to better kick butt? Just a warning, she is a tough teacher. And I'm sure your cookies are delicious, Eve. Besides, as long as you try your hardest, there's no shame in not getting it right the first time. I mean, look at me. I fail all the time but I've never let it stop me." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The moment Eve speaks in that dubious tone Toph can't help but freeze, her face turning pale. No, she did NOT just say that...! Does Eve notice it too?! A warning glare is sent in Eve's direction, and Toph's jawline hardens visibly. Don't. You. Dare!     It seems that Eve also misunderstood her intentions with reaching out. There's not like she needs help navigating in this area. But Toph allows it with a slight sigh. And the comment about her not thinking she's a good cook. "Are you still defending those eggs...? And hey, food isn't supposed to be soaked through. Just saying...!"     "There's no age restrictions to being a body guard. What matters is skill and ability, not to mention conviction." And hey, who says that she's more important than Sokka? Some people might think so, but it's clear that Toph doesn't belong to that group. "I protect dad and mom all the time. Heck, if I wanted to I could seriously run this house and decide the rules," she points out. Except she doesn't, letting her adoptive parents decide. 

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''     There's definitely something going on here, and from her lofty height of wisdom and experience Eve's pretty sure she knows exactly what it is. Toph's glower gets a gently soothing pat which probably comes off as condescending, especially since Eve's the younger by three or four years.     A weary sigh later, "I'm not defending the eggs. It was my first time cooking!" she complains defensively. Defending herself, not the eggs. "And you can blame your silly chocobo for the soaking." she adds in a tone of peeved indignity. Well, Faruja's chocobo. Whichever. She has more important things to worry about, and one of those is helping out Toph by setting Sokka straight.     "Toph is better at fighting than I am." she admits. "Though I'm training daily, and I don't know if her fighting style would help me even if she agreed to teach. I'd be willing to train at her academy though, if only to show her students a form of metalbending that's different from anything they could do." she notes loftily. Of course there's more to it than showing up the students, even if she DOES want to show up the students. But that's another story. "And I try not to fail at something more than once. But you worry too much about age." she says, not quite casually.     In fact, Eve's just warming up. Toph might not see what she's up to, but the nanobender has a plan. A clever clever plan. "Toph was my age when she began saving the world? That shouldn't surprise anyone, but we women can usually do far more than people give us credit for." Yes, she said women. "And just because someone's twelve when you first meet them doesn't mean you should dismiss their feelings either." she adds. And the true horror begins. "We DO get older, you know." she says, intending to provoke Sokka into realizing that yes, Toph is indeed old enough to be taken seriously. For anything. This can't possibly go wrong, can it? 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka completely misses the look of Toph's, he just keeps walking the walk of cluelessness towards the nice area, finally stopping once they arrive! He then blinks. "Conviction?" he glanced back with a cocked eye. "Oh? So you're dedicated to keeping me safe now, Toph? I'm flattered. Really, I am. But you don't need to worry about me like that. I may not be as tough as you, but i can take a punch, sword, bullet and club like nobody's business." He gave a firm nod of his head. He nodded. "Oh? I know that tone. You're like a little Toph already." He then paused. "Dismiss their feelings? What feel--" And then his eyes widened as he connected the dots. He stopped and turned to her. Then ,gently reached out and patted her on the head. "I understand. Fresh cookies, arriving late on new years. For christmas, correct?" He shook his head. "Embarrassed by first mess ups with cookies? Trying to get me to eat all the cookies?" He went down to one knee and took her by the shoulders. "I understand. Okay, Eve. I think it's best if we have a little talk." Oh by the stars. "I understand, trust me, I do. I've had plenty of kids your age crush on me. But... you're only ten, I'm nineteen, you've got your whole life ahead of you. No need to rush off and try to force yourself to grow up. And definitely don't fall for some idiot you just met. Listen, in ten years, if you're really still interested, sure, maybe. But now... enjoy your youth. Have fun with life." Oh by the heavens. "And learn to enjoy what's all before you. Because you're going to find someone way, way cooler than me. You shouldn't settle when it comes to love, ever." He took a slow, deep breath and got a steely eyed look of determination on his face. "When you find that person for you, that perfect person, you'll know. You need to find someone who always, always has your back, no matter what. Someone who, whenever you're feeling down, they will be there to take your hand and lift you back up, even if you make it hard for them. Someone who you feel safe enough with you can tell them anything, no matter how much it hurts you or embarrasses you, and you know they'll never use it against you." Good advice. WRONG TIME. "Someone who, when they take your hand, your heart skips a beat. Who always, ALWAYS thinks you're the most amazing person in the world, even when you don't feel like it. But who also respects you enough to call you out on your bull sh... balogna when you do something stupid or go too far. Someone who, even when you feel week and vulnerable, they make you feel safe and secure. Who can make you laugh even when all you want to do is cry, and will hold you close when all you can do IS cry. Most importantly, that person needs to be someone that, even if you aren't in love with them, you could still be best friends with them and never leave their side, no matter what. And never, ever fall for someone who tries to force you to change. It's one thing to want to be a better person for them. But if you try to force yourself to be something you're not, all that will happen is you'll be miserable for the entire relationship. And no one deserves to suffer that." He gave her that parent look. "You're a cute kid, Eve. But follow Toph's example. Don't go rushing off, looking for love. Wait patiently until the right guy comes along who is all of that for you. Because you deserve nothing less. Isn't that right, Toph?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Don't you pat her, you little brat! She doesn't need that kind of condescending attitude from you! Just be quiet and don't say anything! It's already bad enough as it is with people pointing it out and Sokka dismissing it! And Sokka's words does make Toph snort. "I know you're not a wimp, I'm just saying that there are some benders out there that I can be more effective against. And I know the multiverse better than you and I can give you some pointers until you know them well enough to work out viable strategies against them!"     "Weird, you do sound awfully defensive," Toph points out with a snort, pulling her hand free once they get to the cliff so she can sit down on the rock there, letting her feet dangle off of the ledge facing the Pacific. "And I already do blame Nugget for a lot of things, she wasn't the one who put the food in her satchels. She's just going to do what chocobos do."     Oh right, Sokka doesn't know about Eve, does he? "Eve has metal in her body that she can control. It's not like metalbending, but to somebody who doesn't know better they might confuse one for the other. As for our fighting styles? It's different, yeah. You just need more experience," Toph offers with a shrug. Experience like she had. You don't get stronger fighting only opponents weaker than you, now do you?     What is Eve doing, talking about... oh no. She's not. Toph sits still, biting the inside of her lower lip, just letting her feet dangle. But she does let one heel slam back into the cliffwall, and underneath Eve a tiny, sharp spike shoots up from the ground. It's not dangerous, but it will give a sharp poke and hopefully a hint to /drop it/.     Then Sokka turns to Eve, and Toph turns pale again. No, he didn't figure it out, did he? But then why is he... kneeling... oh man he got it wrong AGAIN?     Where she sits, Toph looks like she's chewing on something sour. Why oh why does he connect the dots in all the wrong ways? The blind girl just tenses up when Sokka talks, describing just what kind of person he thinks everybody should find. And the description makes her head hang, even as she reaches a hand up to rub at the bridge of her nose. Oh spirits, give her strength....!     When Sokka speaks to her all he gets is a low and inaudible muttering in response. 

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''     Eve means well, but not everyone turns out to be appropriately insightful. Someone here's blind, and it's not Toph. Eve doesn't clue in immediately though. She gets a hint when Sokka goes down on one knee. She gets a lot MORE of a hint when Sokka opens his mouth. And pours out the completely WRONG things. Being a complete fool, and making Eve's cheeks flush. In anger, not in embarrassment. Well, okay in embarrassment too. Him kneeling down to her and explaining the facts of life in such a way is humiliating.     She gets jabbed with a tiny spike, but Eve's wince could well have been for Sokka's words. Eve's got a good pain tolerance, but it's not like Toph has to repeat the warning. The blonde girl's shut up now, and quite aware she said the wrong thing. Well, aware for the wrong reasons perhaps. But at least she's aware and has no inclination to explain further. To make things worse. She wouldn't mind clarifying, but she's getting the strong impression that anything she'd say wouldn't get through. Sokka is... thick. He's a good match for Toph... they both have rocks in their heads.     She even starts getting dizzy, dazed by the sheer drivel pouring out in seemingly endless waves of missing the point. That or the heat in Eve's own face is cooking her brain. Really, this is ridiculous, and Eve's frustration and annoyance build past the breaking point. Yet somehow she holds it in, waiting for Toph's response. Surely Toph will say something cutting, or call him a dunderhead, or explain or SOMETHING. Maybe there's some salvaging this.     When Toph does nothing but mutter, Eve's patience breaks. She raises her hand, then waves it in Sokka's direction. Only it's not just a wave. As her hand moves, a bat forms and extends. Meant to clonk Sokka senseless. Senseless, after all, seems the appropriate state for Sokka. Despite her wielding nanometal, she doesn't form the bat quite solid. Just solid enough to slap him silly with. Again, it seems appropriate. It's also his default state.     Yep, Eve just broke out a clue bat to whap Sokka with. Hopefully it doesn't do more than daze him. She's not actually intending harm. Nothing that won't heal certainly, though it's only fair that it leaves a lump.     That done, regardless of Sokka's state of consciousness or whether or not Toph intervenes in the fast nanometal assault, Eve's finished. She doesn't struggle, doesn't follow up, not with weapons at least. She dismisses the clue bat, sending it back into her body through her palm with a certain... satisfaction? "I'm not ten." she states, perhaps a bit sulkily. Then to Toph, "He really doesn't get it does he?" Eve says, with entirely too much sympathy. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka blinked a few times. Wait, she could do some kind of metal bending thing too, really? That's pretty cool! And then she decided to hit him upside the head with a bat. He probably deserved that. He hit the ground with an oof, laying there a moment. "Ow... heh heh. Yeah, I guess I deserved that. Heh heh. But listen, kid. You're great and all, but..." Then blinked, sitting up. "Wait, you're not ten?" Then he groaned. "This isn't another one of those... looks like you're ten, but really you're a two hundred year old super powered demon from yaya azula chocobo bitch queen land, is it?" he asked with a groan.At least he was able to sit without falling over. "Sorry, just trying to look out for you, kid. But hey, I'll give you another piece of advice. When the time does come and you meet a guy you like like that..." he shrugged. Oh gosh he was going to give more advice. Didn't he ever learn? "If telling him doesn't work, just give him a kiss. I mean, no guy can misunderstand something like that." ... No guy. Right. JUST HAVE TO MAKE THINGS HARDER, DOESN'T HE?! 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     If Toph picks up on Eve's annoyance with Sokka being denser than granite easily enough, though she doesn't move. Not even when Eve shapes the clue bat to slap him silly does Toph intervene, instead she sits there, looking as if she's weighed down by the most depressing thoughts ever. "Eve is nearly thirteen," Toph offers when Sokka seems shocked at her not being as young as he thought she were. And Eve's question? That earns a shake of Toph's head along with a heavy sigh. Nopes, he doesn't get it at all. Which makes it even harder to even consider telling him.     But just then it seems that Sokka does give some helpful advice that happens to coincide with what Tony adviced her to do yesterday in order to confess her feelings to Sokka. Just... give him a kiss. Though, after all of these incidents, she does have a sneaking suspicion that even Sokka might misunderstand a kiss. 'Oh, just a little sister kissing her older brother'. 'Platonic kisses, you know'. Stuff like that. But... when he says it like that...     The earthbender's cheeks flares up, and she slowly raises her head a little, licking her lips nervously before biting down on her lower lip. "S-so are you going to share those cookies or what?" she asks Eve, seemingly desperate to change the topic. 

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''     For whatever it's worth, Eve doesn't hold grudges. Having put the clue bat 'away', she reaches out a hand to help Sokka back up if he needs it. He suffered the consequences, so there's no reason for her to continue to be hostile. Sokka's a friend. Well he's Toph's friend at least, and Eve doesn't dislike him despite his puns and cluelessness. But then, Eve doesn't dislike a woman who's poisoned her twice. Her acceptance of people is sometimes questionable.     "Twelve." Eve says. "Probably. My first real birthday was last August, one year after I was freed. The Union doctors said I appeared to be eleven years old, if I was human-standard enough for them to judge properly. I don't really remember enough to claim otherwise." she says. And that statement is said with a certain weight. For Eve not to remember something is pretty momentous.     Too heavy really. It's rare for her to speak of such things, but she's not averse to it. The moment just has to be right, and that moment passes quickly enough when Toph changes the subject. "I doubt it." she says in a rather loud whisper, the words perhaps meant only for Toph but loud enough to easily be heard by Sokka. "Some boys are too dense to see what's in front of their nose." she mutters, again too loud to be properly private. She nods, and fetches cookies. Better to share cookies than commiseration, right? 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka gives another light groan, rubbing his head. "Ugh, got a mean right hook there, too. With that bat of yours. Heh, no wonder you're friends with Toph. She attracts all the people with special powers and stuff. Wonder how long it'll be until she finally decides to ditch me for an upgrade," he said with a light chuckle. And then cookies and... he'd of course take a chocolate chip. And then give her a grin. "Wow, these are really good, Eve. I can tell you really tried hard to make them good." And patted her on the head. With that big, dopey, completely ignorant smile of his. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Who knows just how old Eve is? Does it really matter? She's growing older, so she's not going to be a kid forever, so that's good.     Eve's whisper makes Toph turn her head slightly, her expression passive. And the comment about some guys being too dense to notice what's really going on? That makes Toph roll her eyes, even as she reaches out to take a cookie. She bites into it, chewing softly and looking lost in thought even as Sokka prattles about nonsense and then praises the younger girl for her baking skill. No snarky comment about the taste is delivered, instead she seems to be somewhere else as those unseeing eyes are pointed in the direction of the Pacific Ocean. 
}}

4953/A Favour Repaid

2016-12-31T03:52:55Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2016/12/30 |Location=Earth-199999 |Synopsis=Usually one might think that Tony Stark is the wrong person to ask for help regarding romance. |Cast of..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2016/12/30
|Location=Earth-199999
|Synopsis=Usually one might think that Tony Stark is the wrong person to ask for help regarding romance.
|Cast of Characters=20, 301
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     There's nothing like celebrating Christmas at home with the family, that's for sure. And Toph seems to have been in an extra good mood this year as well, helping out even more considering Pepper obviously needing more rest. Of course Sokka has helped too, with Toph making sure he's not just been a slacker and freeloader on the Stark family. Perhaps Toph did feel sorry for the game that her best friend had run in the dining room, inviting various people to join them.     It appears that Sokka isn't on Toph's heels today, giving the girl some much needed time alone to focus on her bending. Something she works on in the gym today. She does tend to get restless if she doesn't get to work on her bending and work up a sweat, and after having eaten so much for the holidays she's got extra energy to work off.     The sound of dull metal striking the punching bag echoes through the room, and Toph pulls back, her arm joining the movement as the pieces of metal fly back through the air to wrap itself around her fist. All before she rushes forward to punch said fist into the punching bag. A couple of more punches follow, all before the girl pulls back and reaches out for her water bottle and rolls her shoulders. Okay, just a little more and then she can go slack off a little before she has to go read that boring stuff. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony has spent the larger part of the day in his workshop, after being chased out of the room by Pepper for being too mother-henny at her. Seriously, when is that kid going to pop out? The due date was what, three days ago? It's not his fault if he feels bad about seeing her miserable and big as a house (if not a mansion) and needs to keep offering snacks and footrubs until she's driven to distraction. So, the workshop. Safer there. Having looked up at some point and noticed he's been working for hours and skipped lunch, though, just now he's strolling through the living room on his way to the kitchen. He pauses to adjust the blanket draped over his slumbering wife on the couch, a private little smile softening his face. He is NOT thinking how like a beached whale she looks. As he passes through the dining room, he pauses again, and purses his lips as he recalls a Talk he'd meant to have with Toph about something involving that... oh yes. A few minutes later, Tony steps into the gym, munching on a santa-shaped sugar cookie, and observes his adopted daughter beating the shit out of his punching bag with flying metal gloves. "Not working out with MY Christmas gift?" he inquires, with theatrical hurt. For he had indeed engineered something unique and tailored just for her. A steel baton, with a hollowed out center containing a high speed reel and about 20 feet of tightly coiled fine titanium cable. Essentially, a metal bullwhip. He'd thought she might find it handy for snaking around things. Or people. Of course it's just a prototype. The design could certainly be improved with feedback. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Tony isn't the only one worried about Bitchin' Camaro taking his sweet time, that's for certain. Whenever Sokka hasn't been clinging on her Toph has checked up on Pepper, offered her pillows and blankets, drink, foot rubs and the like. And quite a number of hugs.     As Tony enters the gym Toph turns around slightly, taking one last sip of water before lowering the bottle. "Oh, I figured out that it would make mom worry less if I trained with it outside in the beginning." Not that the gym isn't large, but... the baton whip can extend quite a bit. "Not that I can't control it, but I'd rather get used to it on my own first and figure out how the metal behaves when force is applied to it. Wires can be a bit tricky. Snap it wrong and you could put somebody's eye out at worst," she shrugs. At least they don't have to worry about her running around the house and not being careful with it.     "So... were you going to work out too?" she asks. Does he want to spar? He's been mostly hanging around Pepper the last days, as well as doing his usual thing in the work shop. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony puts the cookie between his lips to hold it, and has a quick whap-whap-whap flurry at the training dummy standing near the door. "Mm," he takes the cookie out of his mouth, and bites off another chunk of Santa. "Not really. Just remembered I skipped lunch so I came up for some empty calories. I did want to to talk to you though." He walks slowly further into the room, nudging a stray medicine ball out of the way with his foot, until he's leaning on the apron of the boxing ring. He works his jaw and the remainder of the cookie disappears into his mouth, save a few specks of crumbs that cling to his goatee. "That game night you guys had last week? In the dining room? Really would've liked to be consulted first." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Ah yes, the sugar cookies and all the other Christmas snacks they have around the house. Something Toph and Sokka have been helping themselves to a fair bit. Though when Tony says he wanted to talk to her, Toph arches an eyebrow. And when he reveals /what/ he wanted to talk to her about?     The change on Toph's expression says it all, as there's no hiding the guilt there. "I'm sorry," she says, not trying to hide the fact that she should have known better. "Sokka wanted to run a game, and I was going to set it up at the academy instead of here, but when I was going to get it all ready, Sokka... had already set stuff up here, and he was so excited about it and he didn't hear me when--" A heavy sigh leaves Toph as she reaches a hand up to her forehead, wiping some of the sweat there away. "So I tried to do damage control as best as I could. If Sokka wants to run a game like that again I'll drag him out early before he can do it, he... just gets carried away," Toph adds, shifting her weight to her other foot, clearly looking uncomfortable. "I'm sorry."     Clearly Sokka has the same effect on her that Pepper has on Tony. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "It's just that the Union doesn't exist anymore, so we don't really have that exception to fall back on whenever you want to have friends over," Tony continues. "Not that I want you to feel like you can't invite your friends over, but... there's a lot of sensitive stuff around here." In both the technological and intelligence sense. "An argument could be made for the Paladins, maybe, even though I'm not a member, but..." he grimaces. "I just... I don't know. And especially that League guy. /Really/ not comfortable having unknown quantities in the house." There, he got out what he needed to say, that this isn't just a 'because I said so' thing, he has legitimate concerns. "It's okay," he adds, after all that, since Toph has already apologized. "Just... keep it in mind for the future. Check with me or your mom first." A pause, and then he fixes her with his patented bemused/annoyed glare. "And how about you /invite/ me next time? You think your old man has no game? After all the join trash talking we've done?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     These are things she already suspected that Tony would say, but Toph does listen, only nodding at certain points. Even if he's not raising his voice or anything, she's taking it seriously and she does look like she does feel bad about it. Which might be why he doesn't do anything besides explain why he was uncomfortable with Sokka inviting people over for that game without asking Tony or Pepper first.     So she nods again, clearly taking this as seriously as it should be.     As for invitations to the next game? That seems to surprise Toph a little, but she nods, reaching a hand up to scratch at the back of her neck. "Oh, yeah... I'll mention it to Sokka when he gets back. I think he's using the gift card I got him to buy some clothes..." As for the trash talking? "And I dunno how shooting games translate to sitting around a table rolling dice, but..." A weak grin crosses her lips at the thought though.     Taking another sip of water, Toph turns fully away from the punching bag. "So uh... is Pepper's family still coming over for New Year's?" she asks, looking a little nervous. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Toph thinks he can't roll dice? He'll have to take her to Vegas sometime. "That's the plan," Tony replies, segueing smoothly into the new topic. "I think maybe Carrie thinks if she stares at her belly hard enough something will happen. We've already told her we're gonna induce next week if the kid doesn't budge on his own." A beat. "And well, let's face it, we have the nicest house for party hosting," he adds with a sardonic smile. "Which reminds me, I need to put out more mistletoe..." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     To be honest, the people who roll dice in Vegas and those who fight imaginary trolls with dice aren't usually the same type of people.     Carrie thinks she can make anybody do her will, and including unborn babies into that group doesn't seem like a far stretch. "Heh, she's really in a hurry to get another grandkid, huh?" Toph says with a slight chuckle. At least then she would get to smother somebody else with that perfume of hers. Poor kid... no wonder he's so comfy where he is now.     The Stark house is indeed large enough for lots of people, with all the guest rooms. Not that Sokka has been spending lots of time in his own guest room, instead deciding to grab his covers and camp out in Toph's bed for some reason. Heck, since he has been on her heels a lot while being a guest here it's been a bit hard, especially with all the mistletoe that Tony decided to hang up. Which is why Toph's face turns a deep shade of red when he talks about hanging even /more/ of that stuff up. "NO!" The protest is immediate, and Toph looks flustered, squirming uncomfortably in place as she swallows. "You have enough mistletoe to smooch mom under, and you lead her to all those places anyway..." Which is clearly not the problem she has with it, as she has made sure to /not/ tell Sokka about the meaning of those weird plant things in many of the doorways of the house. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "I can kiss Pepper whenver I want, I don't need mistletoe," Tony states as if this is an accomplishment to take some pride in. Well, considering how long it took him to Stockholme her into marrying him, it kind of is. "The mistletoe is for YOU, Toffee," he puts a certain inflection on the nickname to indicate that he has noticed it's Sokka's favorite thing to call her, in addition to a stupid paparazzi misnomer. "I mean, it's basically a get out of jail free card; you can kiss him--" who /him/ is needs no explanation, "--and then pretend it was just some dumb my-Earth tradition that you followed to humor me, not like you /really/ wanted to kiss him, how crazy would that be?" He's grinning openly now, and it's audible. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "You certainly don't need mistletoe the rest of the year to smooch her," Toph mutters, crossing her arms across her chest where she stands. True, she's not going to stop them from being oogie, but at least she gets to complain about it now and then considering she's a teenager and it's her duty to think any affection that her parents show are gross.     Oh no.     It's not often Tony uses that pet name for her, and it's mostly to tease her. The name is nothing compared to the other things that he's saying though, and Tony gets rewarded for the teasing immediately as Toph's face flares up, her entire body tenses up as her hands twitch, grabbing onto her upper arms tightly until her knuckles turn pale, and she looks like she just sucked on a lemon as her lips draw thin. And don't think she can't hear you grinning!     "I can't do that!" she protests loudly in frustration, looking like she is sorely tempted to punch out at something. Seriously, does everybody but Sokka know at this point? "I mean, it's not like I can just tell him! W-well, you heard what some people have said on the radio and blabbered their goddamn mouths off, and he still talks to me as if I'm a kid!" And the incident at the pool didn't make things better either! All in all Toph does look rather miserable where she stands. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "Well," Tony points out, very reasonably he thinks, "maybe if you kissed him he'd realize you're not a little kid." He reaches up to play idly with one of the ring ropes hanging by his ear, still watching Toph with amusement. "It's all about establishing dominance. I was younger than you when I went off to college with kids... years older than you, but after the first semester," he shakes his head and laughs a little. "Nobody thought I was a little kid." Toph, however, seems to find this less amusing than he does, and he takes pity. Pushing himself off the boxing ring he walks over and rests a hand on her shoulder. "I'm just teasing, you know that. He'll come around. He just... needs to do some growing up. Girls mature way faster than boys, just look at me and Pepper." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     This doesn't seem to be amusing to Toph where she stands, hugging her arms close to her torso as she tries to swallow her discomfort. "But... how am I supposed to do /that/?" she asks, clearly finding this entire matter hard to deal with. True, she's the one who's the bossy person in their friendship, and Sokka clearly doesn't have any problems following with her and hanging out with her, not worried about cooties or what other people think for having a girl as a best friend.     At least she doesn't push away the hand he rests on her shoulder, and she lets out a heavy sigh... before letting her head fall forward so she can rest her forehead against his shoulder. "I know, I just..." She draws a breath again. "... are boys /always/ this dense? I mean, that League guy even referred to him as my boyfriend, and Sokka began protesting. What... what if I mess up and he doesn't even want to be my friend anymore...?" Her voice is weaker than usual, and there's real concern there. Because the two have been friends for longer than she's been in the Union, and it's clear that the two enjoy spending time together. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "I... really doubt that would happen, Toph," Tony replies, audibly holding back another chuckle. "He's obviously crazy about you, he's just... an idiot and maybe he needs to be told straight out that you're interested in... uh, more," he leaves off a little awkwardly. Yes, he may have been his world's most prolific playboy for... decades, but it's a little different casting it in a parental light. He clears his throat. "Speaking from MY perspective... if he's NOT already trying to get into your pants he must REALLY like you." Frown. "That came out wrong. What I mean is, whatever you guys have is already pretty special. Which means it's not gonna just fall apart overnight." Even if the night is New Year's Eve and kissing under the mistletoe is involved. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     It might not happen, but what if it does? What if Sokka thinks of her as stupid for thinking they can be more than friends and what if he gets uncomfortable and pushes her away and...     There's no denying that Sokka is a special kind of idiot. Though when Tony suggests that she outright tell Sokka that she wants to get closer to Sokka in certain ways, now that makes her blush return in full force. And she's kind of happy that Tony can't see her face right now. And then the talk of getting into pants and whatnot, that makes Toph idly wonder if Tony is going to return to The Talk that they had two years ago.     Fortunately he doesn't, and Toph clears her throat, turning her face to the side. "But how do you do it when your gut is telling you to not do it?" she asks. "A-and there's no way I could do that with all you guys there in the house!" What? Toph has something she's not courageous about? The girl who charges into battle and doesn't back down from larger opponents?     "I... I mean, do I just pretend to bump into him in a doorway and laugh, babbling about traditions that I usually don't give a crud about and act like a freakin' moron?" she laments. Oh yes, she's been thinking way too much about this it seems. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony takes Toph by the shoulders and pushes gently, bracing her up so he can look her in the face, even if she can't return his gaze. "You're overthinking it," he assures her. "Look, your mom and I are gonna be there, yes, and forget the mistletoe. We're going to kiss at midnight because that's just something people /do/. Not because it's 'tradition' but just because it's a fun way to mark the new year. That's when you make your move. And us being there will just reinforce how normal it is." He lifts one hand to ruffle her hair. "Besides, you are WAY out of his league. If anyone should be nervous it's him." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     When she feels Tony's hands on her shoulders she doesn't struggle against it, letting him move her so he can look at her face or whatever he's doing. There's a look of confusion there when he claims she's overthinking the whole situation, and she exhales through her nose, looking like she's about to protest when he continues talking.     Yes, she's aware of how lots of people kiss at midnight as the New Year gets welcomed with loud fireworks, singing and champagne. Most of those times she prefers to be in her room with headphones on to drown out the noise of the fireworks that seeing people claim look fantastic. It's not like she can enjoy them after all. But Tony's suggestion, no... plan, seems to take Toph slightly by surprise.     The hair ruffle doesn't do anything to draw her out of those thoughts, and she's still blushing a fair bit where she stands. "That's easy for you to say, you're used to being all oogie," she comments, then sighs. "Besides, Sokka is in a league of his own." Way too many people underestimate him. Though they can also wonder why the self proclaimed greatest earthbender of all time, a noble girl and adopted daughter of a great super hero of this world has decided to fall for the goofy water tribe warrior of all people. There's not like there's a lot of strong, handsome and fun guys out there in the same age range. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "A league of his own in density, sure," Tony teases back, trying not to let her sink back into thoughts of Sokka being somehow out of her reach. "And hey, we all had to start somewhere. My first... kiss," he was about to say something else and then thought better of it, "was incredibly awkward. I didn't know what to do or where to put my hands. /She/ had to do all the work. I've had a lot of time to practice since then. It's not fair comparing yourself to me /now/." He re-settles his grip on Toph's upper arms, fingers individually squeezing in a ripple. "So what do you say, I can help you out by providing the context, you make the move. And I'll even promise to be too occupied with Pepper to see it." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     That teasing does bring a slightly embarrassed smile to Toph's face, and she hangs her head a little, trying to obscure parts of her face with her hair. It's kinda weird to hear Tony admit that he wasn't always the suave casanova he acts like around Pepper. "So... where /do/ you put your hands when you kiss somebody?" Toph asks. It's a valid question!     It's a bit weird to think about. Her father probably wouldn't want her kissing boys, but that's a mute point right now considering she's living in this house under Tony and Pepper's rules. And well... if he was being opposed to this he wouldn't be trying to /help/ her convey her feelings to the boy she likes. A few seconds passes as Toph stands there, cheeks bright red... and then she nods her head quickly a few times. "Y-yeah." Can she do it though? Muster the courage to kiss her crush with several other people in the room? "But... what do I do afterwards?" she asks, a bit lamely. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony shrugs. "Play it by ear," he suggests. "It'll be a party, you don't have to DO anything. Just kiss him, laugh and go on with the partying. It'll give him something to think about. I'd lay money he'll be too stunned to say anything. Which is not a bad thing," he is quick to add. As for advice on technique? He removes one hand from Toph's arm to scratch at his cheek. "Where your hands go is... uh, that's just something you have to learn to /not/ think about and let it flow," he says finally. He is so NOT demonstrating that for her. "But when in doubt, going for the hair is usually a good one to fall back on." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     So... just don't think so much and just go for it? That sounds like the earthbender approach to a lot of things. So she really should just go with that approach to kissing as well? "So... stunned doesn't always mean that you fucked up and somebody is trying to figure out how to get away from you," Toph concludes. This is a bit difficult to think about.     So hands go to the hair. Well, that seems like a good suggestion. Plus it might make it easier to kiss the right place too. "O-okay," she nods. Just how long should she kiss Sokka for though? Ugh, lots of these things are things she does /not/ want to ask about. "So uh... what if he freaks out? Do I get to punch him then?" she jokes, still nervous about possible rejection. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' "Stunned can just mean that you can't believe that just happened and how amazing it was and you need a minute to commit it all to memory," Tony smiles, thinking back to the first time he really kissed Pepper. Before Rhodey ruined it. One thing he can definitely agree on though: "If he freaks out, definitely punch him," he nods decisively. He is still grinning though. "Remember: establish dominance. You're the one out of HIS league." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Just.... is she really going to kiss Sokka tomorrow? It's a bit surreal to think about. But Tony's on her team, doing his best to help her, even if sounds like he's having an awful lot of fun with this entire deal...     "Freak out, punch to the gut to make him stop. And then go out and wreck something after raiding the freezer for Ben and Jerry's," Toph nods with a firm sigh. Oh yes, she's nervous about this all and not sure how Sokka will react. Besides, he might not be the only one freaking out at it all. Establish dominance? "... I really hope you're not suggesting I hit him over the head and knock him out before dragging him off for oogies," she snorts. 

:'''{{#var:301|Tony Stark (301)}} has posed:''' Tony laughs out loud this time, and ruffles Toph's hair again, before turning and planting his hand between her shoulder blades to suggest she head back to the kitchen with him. "Nope. I think if he freaks out you should let him sit and stew for a while. Think about what he's missing out on." He considers for a moment. "Maybe wear meat-scented perfume the next day." Considering the target. He prods her in the back again. "C'mon, I'm still hungry. You can help me get dinner on before Pepper wakes up." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     There's no mistaking those signals, as Toph is used to Tony guiding her around like that before. Sure, he could say it, but he seems to like to gesture for her, which might be a habit from when he first met her and didn't realise she's more capable than she looked. As it's not done out of pity it doesn't bother her, and the blind teen does move as directed to head back up to the kitchen with Tony.     Let him think about what he's missing out on, huh...? Though at the comment about meat-scented perfume, Toph frowns. "Eww, no! I'll just stick with the grass scented shampoo," she adds with a faint blush, "Sokka seems to like it." Or so he's said out loud.     Right, dinner. "Fine!" Toph heads up the stairs, reaching behind her to drag Tony with her. "Maybe Sokka will be back in time for that too, he tends to get carried away while shopping!" It's a good thing she gave him a lot of value on that gift card. 
}}

4949/3 am

2016-12-30T09:10:01Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2016/12/29 |Location=Bar and Grill at the Edge of the Multiverse |Synopsis=Three Paladins find themselves in the Bar and Grill for late night food..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2016/12/29
|Location=Bar and Grill at the Edge of the Multiverse
|Synopsis=Three Paladins find themselves in the Bar and Grill for late night food and talk.
|Cast of Characters=20, 300, 363
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Lots of people stop by the Bar and Grill now even after what happened. Perhaps because it's one thing that still feels the same; offering a place to meet, hang out, play some games, relax. And also to eat.     One figure who has frequented this place a lot has decided to stop by right after the clock strikes 3, the time when the tired truck drivers has stopped by to get their dark and smelly coffee. When some ladies are on their second pack of cigarettes at the bar as they talk the ears off of anybody willing to listen. It's not something the young guest is interested in as she walks up to the bar, scratching her bunny pajamas covered butt, her face barely visible under that enormous ball of messy, dark hair. After food has been ordered she turns around, reaches up and picks at her nose and then walks off to find herself a table. Upon finding a free booth she flops down, yawning... and lies her head down on the table as she waits for the waiter to come on over with her food. 

:'''{{#var:300|Richard Stadler (300)}} has posed:''' There's the sound of a throat clearing, and then the word, 'Beifong' uttered, not as a question, but as a matter of fact statement. If Toph was able to pay a bit more attention than her sleep addled mind was capable of, she probably would have spotted Rick in the opposite end of the booth, looking at first concerned, then amused, then /be/mused at the fact that Toph was sitting across from him. The steaming cup of coffee (strongest that could be made at this place) was resting in his hand, Class A jacket neatly folded across the back of the booth, tie loosened and top button undone. Another, louder indication. "Beifong. I didn't see you on any of the mission lists for late night action." That was more polite than saying, 'what the devil are you doing her in bunny PJs at this ungodly hour?' 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     The initial throat clearing doesn't get a reaction from Toph where she has parked her butt and forehead. But when that familiar voice speaks up again the teenager sits bolt upright, her tired eyes blinking underneath that wild mass of hair. "... huh? Oh, heya Stadle--" Her sentence is broken off by a long and drawnout yawn. Seems somebody really is tired. "No, I... just woke up and wanted some grub that isn't leftovers from Christmas. Dad makes good food, but after some days in the fridge... you know." The blind girl rubs tiredly at her eyes before she leans on the table again. "Not signing up for late night duty when mom's about to pop anytime soon anyways..." 

:'''{{#var:300|Richard Stadler (300)}} has posed:''' Stadler may be /slightly/ disappointed that there wasn't a stronger reaction, but can certainly understand it. A lift of his mug for the moment, emblazoned with USAMRIID's crest, another sip of the lifeblood of coffee, and then a remark. "Do you normally have a habit of starting your day at three AM? Because most of the people I know don't leave a warm bed half asleep and trudge through time and space because the fridge of their rich father doesn't quite have what they're looking for." He notes. Another pause. "Are you... sure everything is all right? No trouble sleeping, insomnia? Dreams?" He says, prodding just a little bit to make sure. He'd heard about the meeting she had with Amalthea, and teenagers tended to make some big deals out of things. When those things themselves were already big deals... well. 

:'''{{#var:363|Heinkel Wolfe (363)}} has posed:'''   Growing up on the streets of Austria, Heinkel Wolfe had heard an interesting story from the more poetic minds among Salzburg's criminal elements. They had described the 'Hour of the Wolf,' that hour of the morning when one can't sleep, and all one can see is the troubles, the problems; the ways life should have gone, but didn't. All one can hear is the sound of one's own heart.   Heinkel Wolfe and the Wolf are on a first-name basis. She lives, unironically, in the Hour of the Wolf; has lived there for seven or eight years now. Most of the time she can manage herself well enough, but some nights, she hears only the sound of her own heart, and can see nothing but the troubles.   Tonight is one of those nights. That might explain why the door to the Bar and Grill bangs open, and through it strolls the lanky androgynous priest. She must have been up for a while, for she's dressed and looks more or less composed, if tired. The solidity of her suggests she has her weapons with her, although she doesn't need them in this place. It's only habit that she wears them.   The priest has a cigarette hanging from the corner of her mouth, and her hair looks just a little bit more unkempt than usual. Her boots are heavy against the floor, unmistakably solid, and a few spare shells jingle in one coat pocket.   Voices catch her attention. She hears them before she can even see anyone familiar. Keen ears can pick out the sound of Toph, and Richard Stadler... there aren't any other familiar voices here. Heinkel's heavy boot treads slow in an indecisive pause. Should she go be sociable? She doesn't really want to. All she really wants to do is empty her wallet here and tell them to bring her the strongest rotgut they have in the casks.   ...That rotgut is awfully tempting. There's a sigh, though, and the priest turns on her heel, shuffling back over to the table occupied by Toph and Stadler.   "Guten tag." Heinkel looks pretty bad. Although her eyes themselves are hidden by her sunglasses (who wears sunglasses at three o'clock in the morning?), the haggardness of the rest of her face suggests sleeplessness. "Vasn't expecting to see either of you here..." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Sometimes," Toph responds tiredly at Stadler's question as she picks at her nose some more. The waiter eventually walks over with a tray of food for Toph. She's... ordered quite a lot. Hash browns, bacon, lots of greasy eggs, but also some lighter foods. But clearly she can't eat all of this, now can she? A teenager she might be, but she's rather small sizewise.     When Stadler pries further into Toph's reasoning for coming here her expression turns slightly stern, and she lets out a tired huff. "/You/ aren't my father," she points out, then reaches out to grab the mug of tea from the tray before she pulls one of her plates close, then begins stuffing her mouth. "But no, it's fine.. just... hungry," she manages to get out between bites. "And couldn't grab food in Malibu, so... I went here. This place has good food."     Then there's the familiar voice and foot steps of... Heinkel? Oh yeah, that's her. "It's not exactly day yet, Squirrel Lizard," Toph half-yawns, waving a hand at Heinkel in greeting before she uses that same hand to stuff some greasy bacon into her mouth. And then she wipes her hand on her bunny print pajama bottoms. 

:'''{{#var:300|Richard Stadler (300)}} has posed:''' Richard Stadler observes the food that's brought out... and brought out... and brought out. A bit of a sigh. This wasn't a high-class restuarant, but it wasn't exactly Denny's either, and all of that added up. For his part, the only plate placed in front of him was steak and two scrambled eggs, which he leaves alone for just a moment. "I'm not, that's true. From that reaction, I can guess he's already asked. I am an officer, though, and working off limited sleep because something's keeping you awake at night lowers performance." Another sip of his coffee. Do as I say, and not as I do. "But if you're fine, you're fine. I'm suprised you universe-hopped instead of trying to find hole-in-the-wall Chinese. Certainly it would have been a shorter trek-" He turns to the new comer, eyebrows raised in suprise. "And more coincidences... though given where we are, I shouldn't be suprised. Hello, Sister Wolfe. To be blunt, you look worse than she does. Have either of you considered something stronger than coffee?" 

:'''{{#var:363|Heinkel Wolfe (363)}} has posed:'''   Despite her nonchalant body language, there's an edge of tension to the priest; a shadow of lingering restlessness. Indeed, her hand in her pocket is absently fidgeting with two of those spare shells. The metal jingles brightly even over the restaurant's ambient sound.   Her head turns to look at Toph directly, and the earthbender might sense the subtle shift in weight as she does. It's mostly for the benefit of her company, since most people don't know where she's looking with the sunglasses on; this lets them know where her attention is.   "Vell, it's more of a generic greeting," Heinkel explains, shrugging with a rustle of heavy fabric. The cassock she usually wears is made of sturdy fabric, but the coat is so reinforced that between its construction and its enchantments, it basically serves as light armour. It sure sounds like it when it moves. "The sun's not going to be up for a few more hours yet, in Rome."   It's a little ironic that Toph's settled on a nickname she'll absolutely refuse to change for a thing Heinkel doesn't even do that much. Honestly, she was just up that tree for a vantage point. Ferdinand Luke's doesn't have a convenient watchtower.   Heinkel makes an idle note to buy herself a pair of binoculars later in the week. In passing, she catches a member of waitstaff and puts in an order. She leans an elbow on the table, cupping her chin in her hand. A few minutes later, the waitstaff drops by with what looks like an omelette and an aromatic cup of coffee.   She's already busy shaking salt onto the omelette by the time Stadler notices she looks haggard.   "Hunh." It's mostly a noncommittal grunt. "I haf an uncommonly high tolerance for alcohol. Takes a lot more to get me drunk than I usually haf the budget for. Also, I haf other vays to distract myself from things than drinking. Drinking is just a temporary fix, und then you haf to deal vit a hangover." She pauses, setting the salt aside and rubbing at her jaw. "Vell, hangovers for people who aren't me, I guess. Excuse me."   She lowers her head over her plate, murmuring what sounds like it could be scriptures, followed by a prayer.   "...Amen."   She picks her head back up, and proceeds to stuff an eighth or so of the omelette into her mouth. It's a few minutes before she can talk again, because she's apparently ravenously hungry.   She arches a brow behind her plate when she does. "Besides," she adds, shrugging one shoulder. "I vould think the career soldier und Paladin vould advise things other than drinking to address von's problems." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Trust me, dad already has stuff covered, so no need to alert the authorities all worried about my parents not taking care of me," Toph reassures Stadler. No, Toph has never spoken badly about her home in Malibu, not even when she's been disciplined for various things. There's no risk of her running away from /that/ home. As a matter of fact she was pretty clear that she /was/ going home for Christmas to spend time with her family and not staying aboard the Ad Coelum.     Something stronger than coffee? At that Toph snorts, blowing some hair away from her face. For some seconds at least. "I don't even like coffee... and I'm going back to bed soon, "she informs Stadler and Heinkel.     As for why she didn't find a hole-in-the-wall Chinese place? "I did, but... it was noisy when some punk tried to rob it with a knife," the blind teen calmly explains. "That place has amazing fried prawns, but after I dealt with the punk it's not like I could demand that the lady make me food after all that, she was shaking." The blind girl stuffs her mouth full of egg. "Sho Ah went heh insteahd."     Unlike Heinkel it appears that the blind girl doesn't bother with prayers and such before eating. As for drinking? "She's got a point... I don't think dad and mom would be happy if I got drunk," Again, "after going out to grab food. They might even veto it, and where else am I supposed to find donuts, bacon and other nice stuff this time of night?" 

:'''{{#var:300|Richard Stadler (300)}} has posed:''' Richard Stadlergives a nod to Heinkel, now taking the time to grip his steak knife, making a cut into the steak and popping it into his mouth with a fork. The slightl grimace on his face indicates that perhaps it isn't as /rare/ as he would have liked it, but.. well, steak was steak. He won't speak to Hienkel's prayer. She knew where she drew some of her strength, and if God was on speaking terms with her, who was he to say otherwise? Instead, he addresses the last part of her statement, once she's down eating everything except for most of the porcelin. "Everyone always assumes I mean alcohol. As if whiskey's what one uses to keep awake and alert. I suppose my other solutions aren't quite the thing to offer someone who's knocking on the door of 16, but I might send you something if you make late nights like this a... habit, Wolfe." The last word was just a bit deadpan, but he was up at 3 AM too. "Even I owe it to my daughter to actually get some sleep- "There was a sudden look over to Toph as she mentioned exctactly what she did. "You... really." He says, unable to keep the suprise out of his voice. "Well, I suppose giving you a bdage does pay dividends over time. Though I... hope you realize you might have to head to the local police department to make a statement tomorrow. Not that you had much choice in the matter, but paperwork /is/ paperwork." He notes. Perhaps not the /best/ thing to say to a sleep deprived teen shoving food into her mouth. "But, again, no alcohol. Maybe when you're 21 I might recommend a glass of Guiness to ensure you remain a tee-toller, but that's for another time. 

:'''{{#var:363|Heinkel Wolfe (363)}} has posed:'''   The priest spares a bland look for the soldier's meal, but she offers no comment. Others can eat what they like, and the food is certainly good in this place, but the kind of temptation brought on by a rare steak isn't worth waking the Wolf. At the same time, it's been a very long time since she's been able to enjoy something like that, and the food /is/ very good here...   ...It's nights like these that she perfectly understands the struggle that Yumiko faces with every living moment.   "Oh, you mean stimulants." Heinkel wrinkles her nose. "Nein, danke. I haf to take too many, und then I just feel uncomfortably paranoid, jumping at efery little thing for the next however many hours. Tried thatvonce. Not vorth it either." The omelette must be good; it's vanishing at a rapid rate. Either Heinkel regularly half-starves herself, or she just didn't realise she was hungry.   She glances briefly at Richard. "I know somevon who has excellent scotch, und that's been enough for me, lately. Normally I'll just talk vit my partner. She has a vay of being very understanding... but since the incident, Iscariot's been scattered across the globe, trying to put out fires." She grimaces. "Guess I got the short straw, und I'm the bodyguard for Ferdinand Luke's, for the time being. I mean, I guess I should be flattered they trust my skills so much, but..."   "Ach, stop calling me 'Miss Volfe,' Stadler. I'm not that old--" She doesn't look a day over her early thirties, "--but that makes me sound like an old grandmother."   "Anyvay... I alvays haf late nights. It's part of vhat ve do, as soldiers of Iscariot. Don't vorry too much about it, und you're certainly not obligated to send me anything." Heinkel waves a hand dismissively, before scraping up the last of her omelette and pushing the plate aside. Her elbow returns to the table, chin cupped in her hand; the slight tilt of her glasses suggests her eyes are fixed on a point between Richard and Toph.   She arches one brow at Toph's story. Sounds like it was indeed a dividend to issue the earthbender a badge. Heinkel even manages a faint half-smile. There seems to be a very slight point to her canine teeth, but maybe that's just the lighting and imagination.   Heinkel snorts. "You know, there's nothing wrong vit vine. I don't drink it myself any more, but they say a glass of red a day /ist/ good for your health, you know." She reaches for her mug, wrapping her hands around it. "Yumie likes an occasional glass of vine. I used to. These days I just drink coffee. Tea, sometimes. That's vhy I don't really need stimulants." Heinkel snorts, amused. "Heh. I drink too much of that stuff." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Dad's promised to take me on a trip to France when I'm older," Toph asides tiredly to Stadler, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "I don't feel like being a rebel aside from tasting champagne and stuff during events with the family either, I don't see the point." She already got drunk once by accident, and she doesn't want to repeat that situation as she felt like total crud.     Why does Stadler sound so surprised when she tells about what happened on the way here? It's not the first time she's stopped small incidents like that in Malibu. "What? Was I supposed to just stand there while he was swinging that knife around at that old lady?" she asks, clearly awake enough to do some light sarcasm. "And I already gave a statement to the officer who came there to arrest the guy, it's not like they could have gotten the metal I bended onto him off by themselves!" Sheesh.     Toph lets out a burp where she sits, swinging her feet a bit from her seat. It appears she's slowing down on the eating, but... there's still lots of food left on her plates. "Staying up late sucks," she comments to Heinkel, all before she gestures for the waiter who walks by. "A doggy bag, please." 

:'''{{#var:300|Richard Stadler (300)}} has posed:''' Richard Stadler notices the look at his steak by Hienkel, a bit confused for a time, then slightly frozen as he realizes what that might mean, exactly. She had mentioned... well. Devouring it quickly might not be the best of ideas. Chief of which would be he wanted to enjoy it, but possibly because a Wolf seeing food vanish so rapidly might get desperate. So he just cuts off another chunk, and eats at a more sedate pace... while adding steak sauce. THat might help. "Most stimulants, I imagine, aren't strong enough. I've made a personal study, admittedly, of some good ones. Haven't really plied them on someone with a few... metaphysical properties, but I would relish the oppurtunity if you ever need a pick-me-up that isn't conversation. Though I do feel sorry for all the late shifts... Sister Wolfe." Well, if Miss Wolfe doesn't work, there were /other/ titles he could use. And then a look toward Toph. "I don't suppose a glass of wine would hurt with a parents permission, certainly. It's the... European thing to do, I hear. And not to say something aganist your father, but Stark has always been the type that might be okay with a bit of experimentation... Or not. A lot of people change when they become fathers, and I admit, I haven't spoken with him all that frequently." The steak was almost gone now, and he obviously wasn't looking to leave the eggs for later. A sip of the blackest of black Coffee. "Though that means I should take a look at the records. Call myself happy that my judgement of you was right from the first." A slight grin. "I would even wonder if you know the exact crime the man you stopped was charged with." 

:'''{{#var:363|Heinkel Wolfe (363)}} has posed:'''   If Heinkel notices that Richard deliberately takes a more sedate pace with his meal, she doesn't acknowledge it. To his observation, she only flashes a very slightly toothsome grin. "I don't know vhat you're talking about, Stadler. I just haf an extraordinary constitution."   The joke serves two purposes; one, it lightens the mood a little since he seems a bit nervous about his food, and two, it reminds him that it's not a fact she likes to flaunt publicly. Or at all. The fewer who know about her particular curse, the better.   Even in coming out into the open, becoming public entities, Section XIII doesn't advertise the various properties of its agents. They don't talk about Yumiko's split-personality berserkergang, they don't talk about Anderson's Regenerator technology, and they don't talk about the fact that Heinkel Wolfe is a literal wolf sometimes.   "Things like that never had much of an effect on me, even earlier in my life." Heinkel takes a sip of her own, mulling over the flavour. It's not roasted too much, and it even has hints of things that are not straight-up bitter or too strong. A good blend. "I preferred not to rely on them in my previous line of vork. Even if they vork, they're compromising your head, ja?" She taps a finger to her temple, just above the frames of her sunglasses. "Too jumpy, too villing to squeeze that trigger, especially vhen it's vhat you /shouldn't/ be doing. Besides, I haf to drink too much of it to haf any effect, anyvay. Coffee's more of a suggestion."   It doesn't really wake her up in the morning, not unless she drinks an entire pot of the stuff, and that just leaves her uncomfortable for the rest of the day. The only reason she does any more is because it had become such a morning routine that even pointless habits are hard to kick.   "Hunh." Heinkel leans back in her chair, folding her arms. "You're good at finding loopholes und technicalities, aren't you? You haf an aversion to using peoples' names, or vhat? I don't know about you, but I'm not on-duty right now. Also, I really don't care if you call me by my first name. I know some people are a little veird about that, but not me."   The priest reaches for an ashtray. "Sorry. Hope you don't mind if I smoke. I'll keep it avay in the other direction. Reasons," she adds. 

:'''{{#var:363|Heinkel Wolfe (363)}} has posed:'''   It means she won't smell that delicious stake or be tempted to order her own. Meat has a way of waking the Wolf, and of waking aggressive, dangerous instincts she would rather not give the time of day to. She'll indulge once in a while, but giving it up for the most part was probably the healthiest choice she could have made at the time -- for herself as well as others. Especially for others.   ...Really, though. A priest who drinks and smokes? Heavily? What kind of church is that, anyway?   Rather than cut in on Toph's answer, Heinkel pushes herself to her feet, shrugging out of that coat. It looks a bit like a cassock in its stylings, but once it's off, it's clear that it's not the coat that bears a collar, but the sleeveless garment she has on under that. The coat is uncerimoniously tossed over the back of the chair, and Heinkel settles back in. The first that's obvious is that she's not nearly as solid as the coat makes her look -- more lanky than anything else, all limbs.   The second is that her job has not been kind to her. There are scars everywhere, of all kinds of different denominations; but the one that takes the cake is a broad, white stripe that tracks halfway around the left side of her neck and shoulder. /Something/ tried to take her head off, and nearly succeeded. It looks very suspiciously like an animal of some kind tore into her throat.   Oh, and the third thing is that Sister Wolfe is definitely a Sister. One can see how she might use clothing like the cassock and coat to conceal that, though.   Ditching the coat, however, is a lot more comfortable. She twists, fishing into the coat pocket and producing a carton and a chrome lighter. Lighting herself a cigarette, she lets it droop from the corner of her mouth and drops her chin back into a hand. A streamer of smoke is exhaled, but Heinkel is considerate enough to breathe it in the opposite direction.   Curiously, she hasn't ditched the sunglasses. Wouldn't most people get rid of those as soon as they went inside a building? 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Whatever looks Stadler and Heinkel give eachother and her are missed.     The talk about Tony though, that makes Toph snort. "He can be strict... in a good way though. You should talk more with him though if you haven't, even I've noticed he's changed after he got married." Before that, really. After they all became a family. Who would have thought that Tony Stark would look forward to family movie night, dinners and just spending time with the family he's managed to gain after losing what he had? "Pepper wears the pants though, she's kinda the highest authority."     A snort is all the reply that Stadler gets regarding his judgement of recruiting Toph for the Paladins. Regarding his crime? "First degree assault and attempted robbery," Toph mutters tiredly as the waiter arrives with a doggy bag for her, and she begins packing up the leftover food. "I stopped him before he could harm the old lady, of course. Malibu is my turf now, and damnit that old lady should get a medal for all the times she's made me food late at night," the blind girl adds.     It's a good thing she's eaten already, as Toph makes a slight face at the talk of smoking. Though rather than comment on that, Toph nods. "He seems to have an allergy for first names, doesn't he?" With that Toph reaches for her mug of tea... and downs the rest of it. Her body language looks less tired now, though she doesn't appear to be completely awake yet either. "I say we punch him until he learns our names when we're off the clock," she half-teases. "I should get my ass headed back to Malibu before Jarvis decides to get all whiny and nag at me, or worse... wake dad or mom up." With a heavy sigh she rises from her seat. 

:'''{{#var:300|Richard Stadler (300)}} has posed:''' Richard Stadler gives Heinkel a look, a very quick one, but one of his skills was the keeping of secrets, and Heinkel seemed to want this one under a few different locks. "Oh, certainly, certainly. But that still doesn't mean I wouldn't like to tick that box off for seeing a woman of the cloth take them. I hae a bingo card that, for some crazy reason, hasn't had 'chaplin' checked off on it." Another smile, now that the metaphysical comment was neatly cleaned up. "But that feeling is prefereably to being bone tired. The perfect solution would be to get a full six hours," Who the hell could count on 8?, "but we all know that isn't possible. So, when it isn't, it's good to have something to relay on beyond black coffee, ammonia capsules, and the odd amphetmine bottle- The last ones I would /not/ recommend, Beifong." Important to say that. Another bit of a smile to both of them, this one just a little bit smug. "Of course I am. I live in paperwork and I've been involved in public health for a while. You start to learn the little places rules can be moved past, other laws being used as a bridge, and such. A bit of a lesson for our newest agent here, perhaps. Or perhaps she's right. And I'm allergic to first names. I am a soldier after all, and figuring out which John out of 15 in a company you're refering to is a tough one. I'd advised /aganist/ pummeling me, though. Mutated monsters couldn't get me to use first names often. And they have tried." The cigerrete smoke was something he wrinkled his nose at. Not because the smell was bad, but because, if Hienkel had a weakness to steak, he had a weakness to Nicotine, and it had not been as long as he'd like since his last pack of them. "Can't complain about it, but try to blow it another direction. Don't want to be digging into my own stale stash when I get home; that stimulant I can keep with out." A pause. "Wolfe, I must ask, It can't be easy to see in those things." He says, finger moving up to indicate his own glasses (of the non-sun variety). A bit of an entry in there. FOr Toph, though, Stadler can't help with a grin as she qoutes the crime. A bit of a debate if she new the difference between second and first degree, but... that would be later. There was a scaffolding of an idea to be pursued when people weren't completely dead from tired. Instead, he simply nods to Toph. "I think I should visit him more often. Keep the lines of communication open... but I don't doubt you should get back to it. YOu're sure you don't need a ride back?" He says, the questioning tone at least /something/ that should be uttered to a teenager walking the mean streets of rich Southern California right after the bars close. 

:'''{{#var:363|Heinkel Wolfe (363)}} has posed:'''   Heinkel looks down over her ashtray, intermittently tapping the ash on the end into it. She even holds her cigarette like men often do, the base close to the join of her index and middle finger, the rest of her hand splayed across the lower half of her face. Her brows are slightly furrowed, as though considering what the others have to say.   Or maybe her mind's just wandering. It's hard to say, since Heinkel is the kind of person who keeps her emotions close to her vest.   "Heh. Guess I'm not surprised. Fraulein Potts alvays struck me as somevon vit a spine of titanium." Heinkel grins around her cigarette. "Not that Herr Stark ist any less, but she's tough. I vouldn't mess vit her."   When Toph comments on Richard's aversion to names, she looks over, shrugging one shoulder. "Ja? I vas thinking just shoot him in the kneecap. Efer been shot in the kneecap? It's really unpleasant. Has a vay of making somevon agree vit you real quick." One has to wonder how a priest knows that kind of oddly specific trivia...   "You did good." Heinkel reaches out and claps Toph on the shoulder, offering a lazy wave when Toph make a comment about excusing herself. "I'll recommend you for a raise if you keep that up. Auf wiedersehen. Try to get some kind of sleep, ja?"   Leaning back in her chair, she turns her head back to Stadler.   "I prefer tvelve, actually. That's the downside." To the curse, that is. Heinkel sighs, stubbing the end of the cigarette around the ashtray before taking another drag. "Metabolism is ten different kinds of fucked ofer. I need a lot of sleep, I eat a lot of protein. I kick a lot of ass vhen I need to." The passive benefits are great. She can now do the same horrifying things that Yumie can do when Yumie's in full berserker mode.   Heinkel shrugs at the issue of stimulants. "Maybe for you, ja. I told you, they don't haf much effect on me. I start hafing to take so much I overcompensate. Iscariot's doctors haf never really been able to find a steady dosage. It's like my body rejects things like that. Foreign agents. Survival measure, I guess."   That look from Richard over the cigarettes is telling. Heinkel sighs, casting him a bland look. "Ach, don't gife me that sad puppy-dog look. You vant von? I haf pletny."   She tilts her head at his comment. The sunglasses do look very opaque, but if he looks very carefully, there's just a hint of a gleam behind them suggestive of an eye. She shows her teeth again. "Maybe not for you. I can't see vitout them. Yet another product of that." The curse, that is. A finger taps the temple. "Efen vitout that, I vas born vit veak eyes, but as that kind of thing goes... vell. You efer see me go down in battle clutching my head, it's because some idiot knocked my glasses off my face."   All trace of play fades from her expression; her features turn grave. "I'm effectively blind in daylight vitout these, und the pain is like nothing else I'fe efer experienced. They vere designed by Iscariot engineers to help. Unlike Toph, I can't go do my job if I can't see vhat I'm doing. I'd show you, but the room isn't dark enough."   "Trust me vhen I say the pain ist crippling." Her bland smile suggests she has firsthand experience with that. "My partner usually looks out for me, und makes sure my glasses are safe if I'm not vearing them. I do the same for her glasses. Ach, but she's not like me," Heinkel adds, hastily. "Hers are just normal prescription glasses."   "Ach, she'll be fine." The priest waves a hand dismissively. "I think if she can handle herself in a holdup situation, she von't haf a problem valking home by herself. She got here, didn't she?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "If mom was born in my world she would have been an earthbender, she's /that/ stubborn," Toph mutters, not without a degree of affection. It should be no secret that the blind girl cares deeply for both her adoptive parents. And that they're one of the few people she listens to without needing much persuasion nowadays.     Of course the best thing for tiredness is to get enough sleep. So Toph snorts when Stadler speaks of other things. "If you don't recomment it when why are you taking it yourself though...?" she snorts. Silly Stadler. "And I don't think there are other people in the Paladins with my name. Toph isn't THAT usual around the multiverse from what I've heard." Maybe she should stop responding to him unless he uses her first name or something... yeah, there's a plan!     With the leftovers packed Toph seems intent on leaving. "You can always come on over and visit after Bitchin' Camaro pops out... I swear, we've been waiting for weeks now, and that little brat is just sitting still. I mean, he should have arrived in time for Christmas!" Huff. The praise Heinkel gives her for clearing up the small situation at the takeout place does make Toph arch an eyebrow. "It was just a tiny robbery that I stopped." Heck, she did far better when she stopped one of Serori's beasts from causing massive destruction on Hawaii.     The offer of a ride home however, that makes Toph shake her head. "No need to wake the house, and I managed to make my way here on my own, didn't I?" She's a big girl! With that she offers a wave to the two, then heads off, scratching her butt a bit as she walks off, doggy bag in hand... and then lets out a massive parting burp. One might wonder how she is a first class Earth Kingdom citizen and raised to be a fine young lady, considering she doesn't act like it most of the time. 

:'''{{#var:300|Richard Stadler (300)}} has posed:''' Richard Stadler eolls his eyes slightly. "Oh, shooting in the kneecap. Yes, I know how painful that is. Went to town on someone with a chunk of rebar once. Misadventures of youth, I don't recommend it, either. Too much paperwork and regret afterward." He notes, before realizing he's in somethingof a side track. "Still. I'd also advise against that. I have standards, you know, and that sort of pain will get you nowhere. I suppose plying me with cappucino might work for a time." He notes, before nodding again to Toph. "And on the case of stimulants, I'll start recommending them in... hmmm. A decade should be long enough. Until then, it's not my place hand over things that can be rather addcitive. It's different when your fifty. I'll be sure to schedule a visit one of these days, Beifong. If you're sure, get home safe. I'll see you... soon." A bit of a wrinkle at that belch. Well, no need to tell her that they'd be sitting next to her next time Amelthea runs a training excercise... better she be suprised. After Toph does walk off, he looks back to Wolfe, waving his hand slightly. "Quite a girl, that one. Be wonderful to see how she looks when she's 30. And no, thank you. It's incredibly tempting, but I learned along time ago that nicotine withdrawl in a survival situation might get you killed. I limit it like I do scotch. Only when I need it, and I don't need it just yet. Despite whatever my big ol' puppy dog eyes say." At least he can smile at that. In terms of the glasses, what jovality he had runs off his face. That... was something he hadn't known about. "I see. A rather... well. More debilitating danger than my astigmatism, it seems. I'm sorry to hear that... but I am glad you've got a pair of them. Last thing we need is you on the floor because some idiot can't watch his hands." But with that, his plate is empty, his cup is done, and he's buttoning that shirt button back up. Tie straightened, as he goes for his jacket. "That's Deckfast. Or Binner. Really should invent a work for this sort of meal in this sort of shift, but I've got to get back to the paperwork. Some /fascinating/ stuff on renovating one of our nuclear weapons facilities that the Department of Interior asked me to deal with. Small priced to pay for some forest rangers every now and again. I'll see you tomorrow, Wolfe?" 

:'''{{#var:363|Heinkel Wolfe (363)}} has posed:'''   "Had it done to me before. It's not fun." Heinkel grins. It's not a very nice expression. "You should haf seen the other guy vhen I vas finished vit him."   That show of teeth suggests it was not a pleasant outcome, for the other guy. The tough and independent-minded priest does not react well to such things. If she's threatened and the other person's gone over that event horizon, well, she tends to react with shocking violence.   To think that she's one of the most moderate personalities within her organisation might be a little bit scary.   "At thirty? Probably about the same as she ist now, only taller. Just as snarky, just as ass-kicking, und just as tough." Heinkel grins, a little fondly. "Reminds me of... me. I vas a jackass vhen I vas young. Ach. I still am, but I like to think I'm a little less frustrating to deal vit."   Tilting her head, she seems a little nonplussed by his sober expression. "Ja. Normally my partner puts herself in charge of them, but..." The priest shrugs expansively. "Iscariot ist scattered to the vind right now. There are too many fires burning east und vest, und too few of us to put them out. Ve can't rely on the Paladins at all times to manage our own problems. There are as many as a few hundred Iscariots, now, but there vere never that many of us to begin vit. Those few hundred are now scattered across the globe to help vit the upsving in freak und ghoul incidents."   "Ja. It is. But it doesn't happen too much." She smiles, a little hollowly. "Maybe if I'm lucky, my partner vill be reassigned to me. Eight years I've vorked vit her, so ve know each other pretty vell. Ve don't efen need to communicate vhen ve're in the thick of an incident to know vhat the other vants to do. Probably scares the piss out of the two-bit freaks. I hope so."   She looks up as Richard straightens himself up and reaches for his jacket, and she pushes herself up from her boneless sprawl across her chair. Honestly, if she hadn't been bitten by a werewolf, it probably would have been a big cat. She certainly has the behavioural patterns of the latter.   Shrugging into her own coat, she fastidiously adjusts her clerical collar, settling the lay of the coat over her shoulders. One hand digs around for her wallet; once she finds it, she leaves payment for all three on the table, slightly crumpled.   Cigarette dangling from her lower lip, she shows her teeth to Richard again, although it doesn't quite reach her eyes. "Ja. I think I'fe had enough of crowds und light. I'm going to go home und try to get some sleep." Heinkel hunches her shoulders, slipping her hands into her pockets as she turns for the door. Long and lanky strides taking her straight to the door. She doesn't look back as she lifts a hand in a lazy wave. "Ja. See you later, Richard." 
}}

4923/Wang Fire's flaming game

2016-12-26T09:12:43Z

Varnani: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2016/12/23 |Location=Earth-199999 |Synopsis=Wang Fire's first table top game! Can the group work together long enough to save some poor town? Proba..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2016/12/23
|Location=Earth-199999
|Synopsis=Wang Fire's first table top game! Can the group work together long enough to save some poor town? Probably not! But tune in to find out!
|Cast of Characters=1076, 930, 20, 262, 1080, 857, 644
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka was lounging in the dining hall. Wearing his great, marvelous beard. There was paper. There was dice. There were books. Most importantly... there was Wang Fire. The man. The legend. The DM. The lights were dim, the table was prepared for the crowd that was bound to gather. There was snacks(chips and cokes). There was the seat reserved for Toph at his right side. It. Was. Time. So of course he really, really had to pee and quickly had to run out of the room for just a minute to deal with that! 

:'''{{#var:930|Alden (930)}} has posed:''' Alden had no clue what kind of... game this is, but he was not one to refuse an invitation for fun, silly things with his friends, so when Sokka mentioned this meeting, he had to be there!. Thus, the gabumon made his way to the Stark Estate, and at the time, was eating a couple chips. In front of him was a couple of sheets of paper scribbled around, part with digi script, part of it with regular letters, scratching his chin as he pondered on the character he was making. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     While Sokka is the cavern keeper for this game, it's Toph Beifong who greets the guests as they arrive. After all, this is her home, and she wants to make sure that nothing disturbs the Christmas peace of this place. There are some wildcards after all, and the greatest earthbender of all time needs to set things straight. All the people who had expressed an interest in joining the game had been sent coordinates to the Stark estate in Malibu on Earth-199999. It's easy enough to find the right house, as it's the only house in the area, a majestic white manor that sits upon Malibu Point as it overlooks the pacific ocean, the beach down below the house. Clearly this isn't the home of a poor person. And when they arrive every person gets a reminder of the rules from a blind teenager who stands at the front door, dressed in loose jeans and a casual red tunica.     "No going anywhere besides the floor we're on. No bothering the cat. No breaking into the liquor cabinet. No dragging mud in, that's my priviledge."     They are simple rules, and while Toph doesn't look that physically impressive she does carry herself with great determination, especially when Dr. Jekyll arrives. He's the only person who she really doesn't know there, but she does listen to her allies. There's no war any longer, so she doesn't expect trouble. But it's better to be careful just in case.     Once everybody has arrived Toph takes it on herself to drag snacks and drinks into the dining hall. Only then does she flop down into her chair. Welcome to whatever Sokka has planned. 

:'''{{#var:262|Fiera Kitsun (262)}} has posed:''' It's while Sokka, aka WANG FIRE, is out of the room that Fiera slips in. She probably should have gotten here sooner, but navigation got harder with the recent Upheaval. "I'm not late, am I?" the Pokemon trainer inquires, unzipping her sweatjacket now that she's out of the cold. She does not have any Pokemon out when she arrives, and the first thing she asks Toph is, "Is it okay if I let one or two of my Pokemon out? If they'll trouble the cat by their presence, I'll keep them in their balls, but they're very well-behaved." She seems to relax a bit on that front upon seeing Alden, but ... well, Toph is the representative hostess, she's the one who has to answer Fiera's question. Once it's been answered (either way), she looks for a seat; where she sits depends partly on Toph's answer to the Pokemon question. Hopefully there's a rulebook of some sort that she can leaf through. 

:'''{{#var:1080|Henry Jekyll (1080)}} has posed:''' Jekyll has taken off his more formal clothes for a more comfortable, casual outfit for this. The guy is trivial to miss, and makes practically no sound when walking, so when Toph came to pick him up he made sure to scrape his throat and make some sound to ensure she knew where to find him. Once brought inside, he carefully takes off his shoes and leaves them at the entrance. When he reaches the dining hall he sits down and takes out a set of dice, a couple pencils and a notebook out of his bag, leaning back in his chair casually. "Hello everyone." The guy, who remains easy to overlook, looks around, "I'm Doctor Henry Jekyll, I wasn't sure if were expected to bring our own characters or make them here, so I rolled up a couple just in case." He flips his notebook and starts taking down notes. 

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''     Eve gives Sokka a LOOK as she comes in. She's apparently so not impressed by the beard. Or by Sokka. She's not even entirely sure why she's here. Well okay, that's not true. She's here after hearing Toph had fun in a teambuilding game and that Toph's friend was doing another such. And of course Eve accepts games, as long as they're serious games.     Looking up from a copy of the rulebook, which she JUST finished reading, she peers over the book's rim. Only to note Sokka's gone. Oh well. At least she glowered at him when she first arrived. She settles back, setting the book down. "Right. So we're supposed to ... create characters? Or ... hm. This is new to me." she says. She glances dubiously at the Doctor, who she obviously doesn't know. "I can take one of yours you're not using, if we're supposed to bring our own." she decides. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka returned a few moments later, freshly emptied(and hands washed). He walked to the head of the table and sat by Toph. He then nodded. "Okay, young lads. Are you all prepared for a world of excitement and adventure? You'll be stepping into our world, a world of benders and great power. This will take place before the war and I trust you've all had a chance to peruse your books. Now then!" He slammed his palm down on the table. "Introduce yourselves and your characters, please. Then prepare for your... adventure." He said, a grin on his face. 

:'''{{#var:930|Alden (930)}} has posed:''' Alden looks back at Toph, while Sokka is out, "What's up with that beard?" he asks softly, but before any answer is given, the others arrive!. He waves to Fiera, Mr, Jekyll and Eve, "Heya!" he says softly, tilting his head at the mention of pokemon, seemingly curious about the critters!. He then returns to the table and his sheet, scribbling randomly at something. "My character is..." cue some scribbling, "It's a water bender, Siku the ice bender." he finally says, looking around at the other players. It's clear the gabumon is a bit overwhelmed by the game, but wanting to try regardless. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "Don't ask about the beard," is Toph's reply to Alden once she gets the chance to speak up. As for Fiera's inquiry? "As long as the Pokemon follow the rules, then yeah sure, let them out," Toph affirms to Fiera. "Long time no see." The joke is added with a grin.     As for Jekyll's arrival, the blind girl actually jumps slightly when he speaks up, and there's a look of confusion on her face. How the...? Though she nods her head a bit. "Uh, hi... step on in inside. No walking to other floors, no bothering the cat, no acting out..." She doesn't 'look' in his direction however, and her eyes are a milky green shade. Though it appears that she moves about with confidence and without hesitation.     It's a bit of a surprise to 'see' Eve here though, and Toph grins. "Heh, nice of you to drop by, Spoopy! Haven't heard you on the radio! Did you get my Christmas present? And just why haven't you joind the Paladins? Thought that would be perfect for you.     With the books and all given out beforehand it should have been easy to create a character according to the setup. You could be a non-bender, firebender, waterbender, airbender or earthbender, which of course was the coolest. Duh. So Toph holds up her own sheet, putting it hard down on the table. "My character is Chilibreath the firebender," she announces, waiting for the others while she opens a bag of chips. After that she picks up a metal glove that she begins fastening on her left hand, the inside of it making some faint clicking sounds as sensors on the fingertips light up. 

:'''{{#var:262|Fiera Kitsun (262)}} has posed:''' With Toph giving the okay, Fiera goes ahead and lets Foxfire out of her Pokeball; the Ninetales does indeed take a brief stroll around the living room before settling down next to Fiera's seat - and in anticipation of that, Fiera picked a seat that she could have a Pokemon next to. She could let out her Pikachu as well, but Denki's presence isn't likely to be the healthiest thing for advanced electronics. As for her character, Fiera needs to refer back to the rulebooks while scribbling notes on her character sheet; she's sorely tempted to go with firebender - which is kind of the obvious choice, really, between her name and her starter Pokemon. Still, non-benders have some interesting options ... "As a player, I'm Fiera Kitsun, a Pokemon trainer," Fiera introduces herself. "But within the game, I'm Hisui Fudo, without bending powers of her own, but trained to counter-act other benders' abilities. She's not very good at it yet ... but she tries her hardest." "Nine?" [What about me?] the Ninetales queries from next to Fiera's chair; the trainer giggles sheepishly and pets the vulpine Pokemon. "Right, and this is Foxfire, most senior among my Pokemon. She won't be playing, unfortunately ..." Fiera gives Foxfire another scritch behind the ears, and the Ninetales subsides a bit, sitting back on her haunches. 

:'''{{#var:1080|Henry Jekyll (1080)}} has posed:''' "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you, I just tend to blend in with the environment." Jekyll answers Toph right after startling her, he sounds genuine. He picks a character sheet for Eve, handing it over. A rough, high physical stats low-int firebender with 'Arlock the Bookburner' as his name. Yes, he saw her read quite intensely, and is looking for reactions. After all, this is an exercise in getting to understand people. A research opportunity. He then places down his own character sheet, another one. "I will be playing Olmunstir the Wise, an elderly airbending gentleman who is coming along to make sure you young'uns don't get yourself in too much trouble." 

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''     Eve nods to Toph. "I've been quiet." she says, characteristically quiet even saying so. "And thank you for the book. I found it informative." she adds. The apron isn't mentioned, and she's surely not wearing it now. But hey, Eve DOES like frilly things so who knows?     Toph's other comment, however, brings a chill to Eve's expression. One that screams (to those who know the girl anyways) that she's hiding something, or at least that she's uncomfortable with the question. The Watch is secret, after all. While she doesn't mind others knowing about her situation there, she isn't about to out the organization when it's not public knowledge. Her invitation was sincere, and her response to it was well-considered and equally sincere. She's not a member simply out of expediency. Eve purses her lips, then sighs, just the slightest exhalation. "I was approached. I... sympathise, and I'll help the Paladins when I can. But I don't think I'd be able to commit to a group that has to follow the laws over doing what's right." she says. "I mean... when the Union rescued me, they were only there because local law enforcement wasn't allowed to act against Torneo Rudman." she explains. If they'd been Paladins sworn to law instead of freedom, she might still be an assassin.     The heavy philosophising, however, comes to an end as she accepts her character sheet and reads it at a glance. Then pauses, doubletakes, and reads it AGAIN. This time she stares at it for considerably longer than a second. Then she glowers, scowling up at Jekyll.     The glower remains on Eve's face as she shifts to look at Sokka. "I am Arlock the.... Bookburner." she says with reluctance. "A Firebender." Why couldn't SHE have been Olmunstir the Wise? She's USED to being the voice of calm reason and making sure kids (usually older than her) don't do stupid things. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded. "Gotcha. So two fire benders, an air bender, an awesome person," Yay fiera! "A water bender. Okay! So, the story up to this point is simple. The last Avatar, an earth bender, was killed in a war in the Earth Kingdom. The great emperor Kil Li has since stopped his assaults, after an illness spread through his body. However, as he has passed away, his son has taken over and the drums of war have once again taken hold. Your group, for one reason or another, finds themselves in a northern outpost of the fire kingdom, currently under sieged by an earth kingdom army." 

:'''{{#var:644|Neva Fernandez (644)}} has posed:'''     DINGDONG! It's Neva! She's late! "HI! I'm late! Sorry I'm late! I brought pizza! And a character sheet! And soda!" She calls in from outside. Toph would note that when Neva arrived, she sort of... Stepped out of nowhere. Not dropped from the sky, and it wasn't even sneaking, she just... Stepped into being. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     "There's usually no blending from me," Toph mutters slightly in response to Jekyll.     Eve's explanation to why she doesn't join the Paladins does make Toph listen closely, and eventually... she nods. "I can understand that." There is a pensive expression on her face however, and she doesn't say more about the subject.     When Eve receives her sheet and reads it Toph blinks, looking curious as she arches an eyebrow. When the name of her character is read out loud... the blind earthbender immediately bursts out into roaring laughter, reaching out to punch Sokka in the arm repeatedly. Obviously she finds this extremely funny. Why, she even has trouble breathing at one point, leaning forward and clutching one arm around her abdomen. Wheezing, she nods at Sokka's introduction to their setting. "Okay... so..." Snicker. "Chilibreath decides to... ah, deliver a speech to the people inside to motivate them to fight off the dirty earthbenders." This is hilarious.     Neva's arrival is met with a nod, and Toph points to a free chair. "Sit down, we're just getting started." 

:'''{{#var:644|Neva Fernandez (644)}} has posed:'''     Neva, once she has situated herself, placed THREE XL Pizzas and the Soda nearby, and coughs, "Sorry, Um... I guess nobody here actually knows me... Um, Neva Fernandez! That's my name... Not my character's name... My character is Shen, a Chi-blocker... I kinda figured some sort of Anti-bender person might be useful..." 

:'''{{#var:930|Alden (930)}} has posed:''' The gabumon gnaws on the pencil, checking back at his sheet, and back to Sokka... "Let's hope there is enough water around.". He seems curious about the outburst from Toph, tilting his head a bit, and about to ask something. Unfortunately, his attention is stolen by the Ninetales, waving to the regal looking fire fox, before turning back to Fiera, "Nice to meet you, I am Alden." he offers, his tail wagging, "I admit to eb new to pokemon, she is a cute fox.". He only focuses back on teh game after Toph begins 'roleplaying'. He nods a few times, "My character checks for the wounded, not the best, but he knows some healing, so he assists anyone that needs it. At the speech, he nods, "My character agrees, we need to stop the siege, before we run out of provisions." 

:'''{{#var:262|Fiera Kitsun (262)}} has posed:''' Well, they're jumping right in, aren't they? Fiera thinks briefly while the others settle into character, and follows suit. "Hisui is trying to take stock of how the Earth Kingdom's siege is arranged - whether there are any weak points that, say, a small group of unlikely allies could exploit to either sneak out of the outpost, or actually screw things up enough that the Fire Kingdom's forces can break the siege the rest of the way with that unexpected assistance." 

:'''{{#var:1080|Henry Jekyll (1080)}} has posed:''' Jekyll leans back in his chair as things unfold, smiling faintly at Eve when he notes her reaction. Like, actually takes notes. Toph's response is also written down, and he takes advantage of his ability to naturally blend in and not draw attention to observe more than he plays, for now. Eventually, he does bother to describe what he does, it's very simple. "I follow the group." 

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''     Eve is extra-not-pleased by Toph's reaction to her character. But of course, it's important to play the role. The rulebook made that clear. Roleplaying is about being something you're not, and if Eve's being laughed at, she'll just have to SEE who gets the last laugh!     Hint, it's really really not likely to be Eve.     Eve peers at Neva. "Hello." she greets in a soft voice. "Eve." she adds. Then swings back to Toph. "Hmmmph. Talk." Eve delivers in a harsher monotone much different from her usual uninvested tones. She glares at Toph, her mouth turning down in a frown. "Stupid Earth Kingdom...ers. Let's just burn them. Or something." she insists. Then, to Sokka, "Arlok looks for something to burn. Not books. Like... pots of oil maybe? Castles usually have oil for sieges right?" 

:'''{{#var:644|Neva Fernandez (644)}} has posed:'''     Neva bites her lip as she looks sort of catches a recap of what's going on, and she seems a bit glum, "Is this going to be a hack and slash driven game? I wrote a background and everything for my character..." She pulls out five additional printed pages, all of it being personality and backstory, and hands them to Sokka.     Neva hrmms, "Okay, so, I put points in a bunch of diplomacy skills and feats, so if we get caught, I think I can fast talk anything... And THEN we punch them if neccessaey... I... Also follow the party I guess." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded. "Toph, you are soon pelted by angry cabbage farmers, tossing rotten cabbages at you. Eve, you find plenty of books. Ones titled things such as 'One of a kind fire bending secrets for a new age' and 'the last diary of my long deceased grandmother.' Alden, you are able to help the wounded, but you can quickly see that the small outpost is being over whelmed. The walls won't hold for long and the army outside is monstrous. Fortunately, while the wounded are piling up, the army is still getting into position and hasn't surrounded your outpost yet." He scratched his beard. "Fiera, you do note that the river behind the outpost would make the best means of escape, but there are only a few boats, nothing near capable of getting the full outpost out. Eveni f you had time." 

:'''{{#var:262|Fiera Kitsun (262)}} has posed:''' "It's good to meet you too, Alden," Fiera asides to the Gabumon. Foxfire preens a little bit at being called 'cute'; she might have preferred a different adjective, but she's not going to object. Fiera's attention snaps back to Sokka as he announces results. "Okay ..." She purses her lips. There's a river. The players' party is limited to water, fire, and air. "Siku, if we needed to stop the river, how long could you keep it frozen for? We're probably only going to get one chance to try something like that, and as soon as the Earth Kingdom forces realize we're up to something, they'll be on us like locust-beetles on young crops." 

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''     Eve smirks at Toph as her fate's declared, but that smirk turns to dismay when her own situation's revealed. Why did it have to be books? "No, I meant..." she begins, then pauses. She rasps again, though her voice squeaks somewhat, shifting between her girly tones and the harsh dumb firebender voice in her consternation. "Arlok not looking to burn these! Arlok looking for way to burn ARMY!" she grunts. Hey, it's one way to avoid setting the books on fire! That's not something she'd lightly do, even in a game! She continues in her normal tones. "Arlok kicks the books before storming back to the others." she says. Then continues in Arlok voice. "Can't burn them all." she grunts. "Should leave. Come back when we have something to burn them all with." she adds. Then, switching voices to herself, "Arlok doesn't much care about the people in the outpost. He burns BOOKS after all." she glowers. 

:'''{{#var:930|Alden (930)}} has posed:''' The digimon resists the temptation to approach Foxfire to pet her!. In any case, he nibbles on his pencil again and checks the sheet for a few moments, "This is a rather nasty situation..." he finally says, before smiling to Fiera, checking his sheed, "I think a couple minutes maybe, not sure how deep the river is, perhaps more time." he says. "Did you have a plan?". 

:'''{{#var:644|Neva Fernandez (644)}} has posed:'''     Neva listens to the and glances at her character sheet for a bit more, before hmming, "I'm not seeing many opportunities for Shen..." She mumbles, "At least not yet... I mean, we could always use a mouth-piece person..." 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Jekyll's actions during the round does make Toph arch an eyebrow. "Way to waste a round, buddy..." Still, she's amused by Eve's character and she doesn't go entirely serious. Okay, if nothing else, this entire evening was worth it just for Eve's reaction.     Still, she turns her head slightly towards Neva. "I suspect this will be a silly," she states as she munches on some chips, then holds the bag out towards Sokka so he can grab something to munch on.     Seriously, cabbages again? Toph grumbles slightly where she sits, then reaches a hand up to pick at her nose. "Chilibreath decides ignore them if they're not going to be happy about it... instead he asks the others who have scouted around what should be done about the siege."     A snicker does escape her when Sokka explains what Eve's character finds though. And the way Eve plays it out amuses the blind teenager to no ends. "Of course you can burn the books, Arlok! You're a firebender! You could always burn the books and throw them at the earthbenders," she suggests. 

:'''{{#var:1080|Henry Jekyll (1080)}} has posed:''' Jekyll takes a few more notes, and smiles at Toph. "I'm sorry, I just didn't want to act rashly before I was fully aware of what was going on. I haven't played games like these before" He comments, and then he places his sheet down on the table. "Okay, using the prepared bending feat I can store up power over time," he points at it on his sheet, then moves to another power, "with the power I have stored I can use my solid air bending technique to uh" he looks around, and points at a few places, "build a wall out of air that should buy us, uh... let's check the rules." He flips through the book, "With this area and this much bending power it should last about 3d4+4 minutes, if I did my math right." He looks up to check people's reactions. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded as he went about. He took a mouth full of chips, then glanced to Toph. "Psssst. You missed some on your left side." ... They were so weird. Then nodded. "Stopping the water, for a little bit, should be possible. And..." Then he blinked, frowning. "Well... actually, yes. That would work. It would buy you a little bit of time." He grinned and nodded. "Okay then! I really should have thoughtm ore about that feat. But! Anyway! So, you now have a bit of time. What do you do now?" he grinned wide. "It won't last long, so you'd better move fast!" 

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''     Eve glowers hard at Toph who ISN'T HELPING AT ALL! "Arlok likes burning books I guess but it's hardly going to hurt the army more than just firebending at them, is it?" she states acidly. "I... he was looking for something that would spread the fire. Like oil. I just rolled badly. No point burning the books now." she observes. Nooo point at all. Book burning is stupid.     Perhaps interestingly, Eve nods in reply to Jekyll's calculations. Either she's just agreeable or she somehow managed to remember the feats and calculations from spending a minute or two flipping through the rulebook earlier. Pretty ridiculous concept, admittedly. Then again clearly Eve does love books so who knows?     Eve looks around, then shrugs. "Arlok charges out first." she insists. "He hates being cooped up in there." she adds unnecessarily. "Besides he's strong and not very bright. If any of the Earth forces are around, he'll shoot fire at them while we run past." 

:'''{{#var:262|Fiera Kitsun (262)}} has posed:''' Fiera doesn't seem likely to take offense if Alden decides to try petting Foxfire. Of course, the *Ninetales* might ... and for all Fiera's insight into how Foxfire thinks (and vice versa), she won't presume to speak for the fire-fox Pokemon. Besides, she's more concerned with being Hisui at this point. Eve/Arlok talking about burning books (or anything else) prompts a brief glance from the redhead to the blonde. "A 'couple of minutes' would only be enough time for us to escape, it wouldn't do anything for the rest of the outpost ...." She falls silent for a moment. A trap or something for the besieging army? They don't have -- Wait a second. "We don't have a way to lure the army into the outpost while we're sneaking out behind them, do we?" She looks at the firebender players. 

:'''{{#var:644|Neva Fernandez (644)}} has posed:'''     Neva in the mean time nabs a slice of Hawaiian pizza and noms on it chewing into the pinapple and ham delightfully, and points out, "You know... Fire does have this habit of grabbing people's attention. Maybe... I dunno... Set the outpost we're trying to escape from on fire...?" 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     At Sokka's words Toph reaches a hand up to wipe at the left side of her mouth. "I know, I know..."     So they have some time to use to escape the stronghold. And the others come up with a plan which she agrees with. "I say we fight to escape when the water is bended and escape that way. Any decent waterbender can create an icebridge, right...?" Let's hope that they have enough points in the waterbending category. It's just a game, but still... she doesn't want to bother rerolling a character after her first session. AGAIN.     There's no verbal reply from Toph when Eve speaks back to her, but that shit eating grin should say enough, shouldn't it?     At a certain point during the radio chatter when Toph seems to get some chips stuck in her throat, she leans forward over the table. At the same time there's something strange that happens to the floor underneath Jekyll's chair, shifting and threatening to tip the chair back. 

:'''{{#var:930|Alden (930)}} has posed:''' He reaches for some pizza, eating some food, and watching at Jekyll, "Good move, I should have researched that stuff more... but never did anything like this, still kinda confused." he says softly. When neva makes a suggestion about fire, "We need to rush the wounded away before we run out of time." To Toph's idea he nods, "I can do that too, guess that might be easier than parting the river to cross." he says with a grin. 

:'''{{#var:1080|Henry Jekyll (1080)}} has posed:''' Satisfied with his actions, Jekyll leans back, enjoying the idle banter on the radio while he keeps an eye on the game and the people who play it, studiously keeping notes. So when his chair is tipped backwards, he doesn't notice until it actually falls over. Now, while the chair may hit the ground with a satisfying 'thunk' he doesn't. Instead, he responds as soon as he notices something is wrong. Thus he finds himself barely maintaining a precarious balance, returning to sitting on the now toppled chair, just in more of a crouch, leaning on the side as though it's where he's intended to rest his arm. "I thought we were here to game, not to throw powers at one another." He comments in a mildly chiding tone. "And on that note, I would like to take advantage of my windbending to augment Arlok's bookburning." 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded. "True. Fire often DOES draw attention. Especially the great fires of their times. Such as... WANG!" slammed both palms down before giving the thumbs up. He blinked, turned on his radio and accidentally burped, then kind of hacked a few minutes later, choking on a coke before saying something frantically, making a very cringing face. Then, focused on the game. He took some pizza and eyed the board. He'd then nod. "Well, the winds are keeping them at bay, for the time being... however... when your water bender heads out you..." He rolls a dice. "Are able to form a bridge!" Then he grins. "As the people start making their way across, however, you see a small battalion of earth benders coming from underground, going under the winds!" 

:'''{{#var:857|Eve (857)}} has posed:'''     Eve blinkblinks at Sokka. In the pin-drop silence as he makes his declaration and slam, you can practically hear her eyelids meet. She shakes her head and sighs, turning to Neva. "We can't set the outpost on fire! There's PEOPLE inside!" she insists passionately. Then coughs. "Of course Arbok doesn't care, I suppose. It'll just encourage them to leave faster." she adds. "And I'm NOT burning books!" she adds, annoyed, to Jekyll.     "Not right now at least. I'm... er, Arbok is..." she pauses. Eve looks around, considering. "We have to worry about the Earthbenders tunneling in. That's something Arbok's pretty good at, right? All right, he's going to start fires, make it so the Earthbenders have to go through flame to get to us, not just through the earth. And they'll probably pile dirt on the fire, but Arbok has lots of stamina so he can keep this up a while! Just put some more fire down every time it gets covered, while we get away. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Why didn't he hit the ground...?     Toph frowns a bit where she sits as Jekyll doesn't fall to the floor along with the chair. This guy... is seriously creepy. This is best expressed at the annoyed frown she sends in his direction.     Let's focus on the game. "Chilibreath decides to kick low to the ground, sending a burst of fire towards the advancing earthbenders," she comments, looking slightly tense where she sits, tapping her gloved left fingers against her right arm. 

:'''{{#var:1080|Henry Jekyll (1080)}} has posed:''' Jekyll smiles as he sees Toph's frown. "If you're using some kind of non-visual form of perception, just so you know, due to a particular quirk of my current state of being, I am naturally difficult to detect or analyze. If you're in a faction, ask your allies about Assassin-class Heroic Spirits sometime." He then notes down Eve's response and turns to Sokka, "I use the bridge. The town is clearly lost, and I don't have any other way of helping people escape." 

:'''{{#var:930|Alden (930)}} has posed:''' Alden's character finishes building the ice bridge, when he hears about the earth benders tunneling!. He prepares to launch an attack, only to be beaten by Toph's character, "My character moves to assist Chilibreath on holding the earthbenders back, and trying to push back the ones that make it past Chilibreath's attack with water jets." 

:'''{{#var:644|Neva Fernandez (644)}} has posed:'''     Neva stands up, "Yay! Things to do!" She strikes a hero pose, "As the villainous Earthbender army pops out of from underground, Shen stands in their path!" She then shifts her tone to speak in character, "Your empire will not find victory today! We, the rebellion, will fight to the last man! And even if we die, our fire never will!"     She then strikes another pose, "I strike the Earth Benders, each in the pressure points to Block Chi, to render them unable to bend, in order to stall them!" 

:'''{{#var:262|Fiera Kitsun (262)}} has posed:''' Fiera shrugs gamely at Eve; setting the outpost on fire WAS kind of what she was thinking. It might not necessarily lure the Earth Kingdom soldiers in to investigate, but it might draw SOME of them. And the point was to try and get everybody out while the outpost was burning and the Earth Kingdom forces were distracted. "Not much Hisui can do at this point but help people get away," she states. "But if what she knows about chi-blocking is any good at all for helping to *encourage* the flow of chi instead of *preventing* it, she'll be trying to help some of the people who aren't hurt quite as badly get that extra bit of oomph ..." She's still talking when she leans forward, reaching for her dice. This is totally going to be a skill check - and she's going to need a REALLY good roll to overcome the penalty she's anticipating. 

:'''{{#var:1076|Sokka (1076)}} has posed:''' Sokka nodded and then started describing the combat scene. Thrills, chills, there's a daring fight where the fire benders manage to make smoke, then the earth benders fling earth(he actually may start through rocks. Yes, something is broken.) They manage to get about half the village out before the wall of wind collapses, however. They're then forced to retreat across the river, running for their lives, fleeing, jumping, the earth benders quickly trying to pursue, but the river is too much for them.(He covers Toph's mouth with a hand and pulls her to his side so she can't talk about how ACTUALLY they could just make an earth bridge. Sush. his story. It ends with them on the run, exposition, exposition, and then the drop. "The man shakes his head and says, sadly... We do not know. The Avatar was never found." DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUN. 

:'''{{#var:20|Toph Beifong (20)}} has posed:'''     Jekyll's words cause Toph to narrow her eyes just slightly, and it does look like she takes his words seriously.     Either way it seems like their campaign is going well enough, and none of their characters have died. Though she does look like she's just about to comment on the fact that Sokka of all people clearly should know that earthbenders can make bridges. Instead she's yanked to the side, her cheeks flaring up as he covers her mouth while pulling her close. Pardon her, she'll just sit there quietly, looking uncomfortable... at least for a few seconds until she jabs Sokka in the side with an elbow. "Fine, I get your point, Meat Head! SHEESH!"     The session for now is done however, and Toph sighs, brushing herself off. "Take some pizza slices and snacks with you, I'm sure Sokka will continue this another time." But at least it was fun, especially with Eve's character. That was the only thing that Jekyll did right, that dunderhead. 
}}