Personification Life IC IX - [Semi Open]

[Mincaldenteans]

Morning of…

A warm blanket covered her face that traced down from temple to jaw. It felt familiar, comforting, firm yet soft. It was a touch she knew from a memory long since passed and she was content to keep her eyes close and breathe in deeply. It was her mother’s touch, one she remembered of as a child sleeping upon her mother’s lap during lazy afternoons when there was actual free time to do such things.

“Time to wake up my dear,” her mother said affectionately, combing her hair between her fingers and giving her a peck on the cheek. “There’s much to do.”
“But I don’t want to,” she whined, hiding a grin of a spoiled child. The scent of her mom’s light perfume mixed with the natural environment around them. The sound of birds whistling atop a tree and the wheat field could be heard swaying with the gentle breeze.

Her mother chuckled with a huff, “No one does, now up and at ‘em.”

Yawning, she stretches her limbs, the tips of her toes and fingers tingle and strain as she reaches out to the extreme. Her mother didn’t push or prod any more as she took her time, which seemed a little strange but she thought nothing of it. Even Priestesses of Dwayna knew how to take a moment for themselves.

Finally, feeling as though she had dragged it out long enough, she opened her eyes, half expecting to see her mother. Instead an ugly visage greeted her; the fields were scorched and the hills were barren and cracked, her home was on fire and the sky was an ugly mix of red and brown, like a mixture of blood and dirt blending together.

“What?” She stammered as she pushed herself up. Where was her mother? What was this place? Her home, her parents! There was howling in the distance, not of wolves but of Char. Off at a distance she saw a pyre and something else. A figure was tied to it, and she knew instinctively who it was. She choked at the sight, her pulse raced and she could only cough out at the nightmare she was in while her legs moved at their own volition toward it, “By the Gods, mother…!”
Her mother called out to her and she ran faster, her legs threatening to buckle under the strain, her lungs burned painfully and she was nowhere closer, her mother was so far, so far away…

“Alexia!” Someone had jerked her awake and the monk sprang up from her prone position, a hand upon her shoulder to support her frantic jump as she reached for her wand instinctively. The monk stopped in her move as her eyes adjusted at the sight of Aiden, the handsome Paragon whose smile could warm a morning chill away. “Bad dream?” He asked softly, “You were talking in your sleep.”

She nodded absently, “No more than usual. How long since sunrise?” The woman yawned and rose from her hide blankets, pushing them away quickly. The irony of it, she realized, as she surveyed the landscape, was that her nightmare matched her reality. A land broken and torn asunder, skies that were a constant mélange of browns, greys, reds, and (from a far distance), light blue. The only peace out of that nightmare was her mother didn’t die like some sacrificial lamb on a pyre; no, she died defending Ascalon like so many others had.

“I’m not too sure actually, it was already sunrise when Anita and Preston woke me to be their eyes while they went out scouting. I’d say maybe two? Three hours, at most?” Aiden shrugged and moved off to wake the others.

Alexia nodded and began rolling up her blankets. Today was a big day. The big day, to be exact. They were close; she could feel it in her bones. They had searched for months, crossed back and forth in hostile and friendly territories in search of it. Of chasing leads, dead ends, and echoes long faded; each one had been a fight to get and most of it had been half-truths, higher risks and more often than not outright disappointments. It still amazed Alexia that despite their perilous (and grudgingly admitting only to herself, exciting) journey, her guild members had remained. She silently thanked Dwayna for it; she had a debt she could not repay for in one lifetime if they saw this through.

Anita and Preston could be seen at a distance, Paddles the lynx ever by Anita’s side, the Rangers slowly making their way back to the campsite. Soon, soft murmurs began to overcome the morning silence. Alexia rubbed her hands together in anticipation of finally finding one of Lord Odran’s portals.

---

That night…

“Keep running! They’re right behind us!” Alexia ordered.

“You’d think they just give up, if it weren’t for their reinforcement, we’d have had them!” Cherry huffed out, her legs were tiring as she struggled to keep pace.

“Keep moving!” Erick shouted ahead of them, Reyna ever by his side.

Aiden whispering a hymn to Dwayna, to speed the group’s movement; a slight fraction of that power sped the group's speed marginally. Shirley and Traxt stopped momentarily and both elementalists called up chilling winds and a field of fire respectively before running to catch up with the group. Anita and Preston nocked a few arrows back, a couple of which caught the creatures, piercing through the creature’s legs, crippling them. Anais and Elizabeth did nothing but kept running as ordered; their skills relied on something dying first. Cherry and Alec were likewise useless to halt the advance, their specialties also relied on engaging the enemy to do anything meaningful.

“There’s the portal!” Alexia exclaimed with a huff, short of breath but no shortage of eagerness to get there as fast as possible; a silent prayer to Dwayna floated in her thoughts to show mercy upon the tired guild and see them there quickly. As far as Alexia was concerned, the portal was the most beautiful thing ever created, as long as they reached it. They still had a ways to run, and the back of her mind was warning her they wouldn't make it. She ignored it, focusing on getting there instead.

It was said that Lord Odran’s portals led to different places in Tyria, even into the Mists, the Hall of Heroes, the multiverse itself. None of this could be substantiated as most of Odran’s journals were lost, possibly destroyed and what few remained were claims through word of mouth, rumors of rumors, and a few fragmented documents kept by other nations deep within their vaults. Alexia had only managed once to get a glimpse of the forbidden texts, no more than two minutes of it before she had made a run. She was an official renegade for breaking into Kryta’s vaults; to be executed on sight.

From there, she had approached Ascalon’s army with the idea to send an expedition and find one of the portals. They laughed at her, calling her a mad whimsical fool for thinking such portals existed. A myth at best, a fool’s tale at worst and they scorned her for wasting their time. Alexia didn’t bother defending herself; she had halfway agreed with their assessment. But she had hoped to find weapons, allies, maybe even power greater than their own, to fight against the Char and after that rebuild Ascalon one brick at a time. Without Ascalon’s funds backing her, she relied on her guild, and to her surprise the group agreed to the adventure, a journey eight months in the making.

Closer now. The portal swirled in a lazy clockwise spiral. Energy crackled and floated about in random fashion of blue, white and purples. Nothing could be seen on the other side, and Alexia could only imagine what they might be able to find once they stepped through. A weapon that could turn the tide, knowledge of the arcane, or even divine intervention to cease the madness that had tormented her home for so long. Anything, anything, would be better than what it was now.

“Make haste!” Aiden commanded, cutting her out from her reverie as she ran, somehow those simple words from the Paragon were enough and motivated the rest to keep pushing forward.

Distant howling (that felt uncomfortably close) could be heard and Aiden looked back, seeing a tide of Char at the horizon. The portal was just over the hill ahead of them, growing bigger by the moment and likely to be larger than life when they reached it. If they reached it. They wouldn't make it in time, with the char advancing swiftly; for the char were always faster and stronger, and no amount of spells or divine encouragement was going to do the trick. Humans stuck to their mortal coil with sheer will and stubbornness, but in the end none could stand in the way of these foul beasts.

This was the moment they had all waited for, but Aiden was struck with grim realization and the handsome man stopped in his tracks, the dust beneath his feet swirling in his sudden pause. Perhaps this moment was not meant for all of them.

Alexia noticed and stopped quickly almost tripping over her own feet; the rest of the guild did the same.

“What are you doing!?” She shouted, already weaving through her companions to face Aiden.

“We can’t outrun them to the portal. I’m staying back,” Aiden said firmly, gripping his spear and shield. He looked upon his group of friends with a charming smile that held an edge of sadness. “They’ll catch us before we reach the portal, I’ll buy you time.”

“No!” Alexia said vehemently, shaking her head. The char were advancing, but they still could make it – at least that what she had been saying to herself, “We keep moving, we don’t have time to talk about this. I’m ordering-”

“I’m sorry, Alexia, I can’t follow that order. You all should go now, don’t waste this.”

“I’m staying then,” Alec said, the young Mesmer said, placing his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “You can’t say no, family stick together.”

“Bloody idiot, that’s what you are,” Shirley huffed and gripped her staff, and no sooner she added, “So will I.”

“No!” Alec, her husband shot back approaching her as he shouted, “you will do no such-!“

She pushed him aside suddenly and walked a few feet ahead of the guild facing the looming char forces and thrust her staff into the air and screamed, pouring as much anger and will into her spell:

“By the stars in day and night
By Balthazar’s fury and might
I call upon thee;
With brimstone and fire
Rain upon mine enemy!”

Shirley gripped a piece of stone, a glyph of elemental power as she cried out her incantation, crumbling it to dust as her eyes shone white with magnified power. The heavens responded and a firestorm rained upon the Char; fireballs that descended from the skies and impacted with devastating blasts, peppering and scorching the already torn earth with craters. Screams and howls of agony filled the air, Char could be seen flying in different directions as the firestorm tore through their rank and forced them to break rank and run in chaos for any cover they could find. Shirley breathed heavily, gripping the staff with effort.

“There,” she panted, pleased with the effect of her devastating spell, “That should hold them off for a little.”

“You’re going with them!” Alec started again, ignoring the blaze across the land and the cries in the air.

“Shut up,” Shirley said evenly but reached out to hold Alec’s hand, “I’m going with you.” Before anyone could get another word in; the entire guild began arguing among themselves instead.

Paddles meowed a low rumble at Anita’s side, the lynx raising its head to look up at her master while Preston patted it between its ears. They two had kept quiet, but then they always did. Anita looked at Preston after a moment, and the ranger seemed to understand as he only nodded in response. The woman didn’t look at the rest of them but simply said loud enough for Alexia to hear, “We’re staying.”

Alexia’s world was suddenly very small at the sight of her guild, her only other family, shrinking before her eyes. She hadn't felt this way since the lost of her parents and she wandered through Ascalon with whatever detachment that would take her in as long as she could fight. How silly that I should get attached, she thought to herself bitterly. Guilds formed and broke apart frequently. It was something of a testament that she managed to keep the guild together this long. But she led them, she took care of them and they worked like a well oiled machine, so to speak. Now half of them were breaking to keep the rest from dying in vain. Her heart sank.

Aiden had reappeared by her side again, a soft thud upon the ground as he planted the butt end of the spear into it and the two surveyed both the arguing in front of them and the field of slaughter ahead of them. He was another issue, someone she had kept a good distance from though the man was only attracted by it. Odd, that she actually grew fond of him, but now... now was just dramatic cliche to declare her feelings.

"You know I’m right," Aiden started again, his voice soft, "We’ll hold them off, you and others get to the portal."

“You’ll die,” she said simply, purposely not looking at him.

He smiled, and Alexia caught it with the corner of her eye when she did look but turned away just as quickly. “At least it something worth dying for,” he said.
The Paragon wanted to do something more; to lift the woman’s chin up and capture her lips with his. He didn't and she made no move herself.

“We have to go,” Alexia said after a moment, conceding to the plan. Finally she turned to him, mustering the courage to look him in the eyes; those placid blue eyes that she always knew could lose herself in, “Aiden, I…”

“I know...” Aiden said and looked down for a moment. Something passed across his features for a moment and just as quickly it disappeared. His calloused hands gripped his spear and the straps of his shield tighter. “Go.”

And just like that, Dwayna’s Vigilant was split. Elizabeth walked up then, seemingly out of nowhere. Her disheveled and bloody armor did little to compare with the cold eyes upon her beautiful facial features. “Found a new type of minion I could raise with the Char. I just bought you all a little more time. I’ll be staying also, besides,” in a rare display, the Necromancer smiled at Alexia, “I have a score to settle.”

---

Portals are strange things, Alexia decided. Then again, she didn’t have any other experiences with portals to compare it with. She wondered if the rest felt the same sensations she did. Her body was pulled and stretched, compressed and empty all at once. Her mind was bombarded with images and glimpses of things she couldn’t comprehend.

This way.

Someone or something compelled her to reach out and follow the voice. She stopped in her… tracks? Was there even a road? Her mind could only adjust to floating about like an apparition in the vast void of… something. But there, the voice told her, an entrance similarly white and blue, though it moved in opposite direction. Was this it? Was this the key, or the way, to triumph over the char?

Alexia beckons her companions to follow; her voice is fleeting, disembodied. They follow just as she steps (floats? flies?) through the portal. Everything is white for a moment.

A blaring horn is the first thing to pierce her senses and Alexia fought the urge to cover her head. The sun was setting, but its fading radiance blinded her also. Another horn blared, likely the first one, again and again.

“Hey watch it, will ya!? I almost ran you over!”

“You,” Alexia spurted out irritated, her eyes adjusting quickly and she feebly shot back, “You watch it!”

“I’m not the one in the middle of the street, get out of the way!”

“What is this place?” Cherry asked softly, looking up to the buildings and their surroundings.

“Get out of the streets, you weirdos! You’re blocking traffic!”

Alexia pushed them all away onto the sidewalk, a few fleeting curses were shouted at them, and the monk just ignored it as she herded her crew to safety. She looked around slowly, amazed at what she saw. Moving metal objects, sharp angular buildings, and the people; they were looking at them as though they were the strange ones.

“Where are we?” Alexia wasn’t sure who asked; too busy looking at this strange place.

“Your guess is as good as mine, we should find shelter,” she mumbled after a moment.

“There are few trees on this road, why is that? This place is all metal and machines,” Erick said sadly, noticing how unnatural everything looked.

“No time for that,” Traxt interjected impatiently, “Let’s just go…” he looked around. The Apartment that was a few buildings down; it looked oddly isolated. He pointed to it, “That one.”

“Why that one?” Cherry asked crisply, folding her arms.

“Got a better idea?”

“As a matter of fact…”

Alexia paid them no mind, moving off to Traxt’s suggestion and weaved her way through bystanders and into the building. The group would follow her as soon as they took notice. The air was chilly inside, almost cold. She wondered what sort of magic allowed this place such comfortable climate. The interior was pristine, though it was as far as she could say; the furniture and the décor were all so very different.

“So,” Cherry piped up again. “Who do we talk to around here?”

“I wish I knew.”

[Torsiedelle]

Torii that known that cats always landed on their feet, no problem, so seeing a cat stumble like that was a sure sign that things were bad. She didn't really think Nick to be that exhausted, or maybe it was just a mistake, but she was nonetheless frightened, and sprang into action, running over to the cat and gently scooping him up into her arms, just as if he was her beloved pet. "Nick? Kitty?", She asked to him, holding him so that he could see up at her and others in the room. "Are you okay? Cat's should land on their feet. You're hurt, aren't you? Was there something in the vents?"

[The BranRiech]

"Oooh, the Automatic Translator sounds useful, and probably the Target-assist, if I ever needed it. Let's see, and what's the synchronizer?" Natiya spurted out her options and choices and questions in rapid-fire mode. She was just too excited to finally get her suit of armor, and she was so close to the end at this point, but she of course wanted something that would fit her needs, and living in an apartment with so many different people, the translator would probably be a very good idea for her to bring along.

[Fvaarniimar]

Torii that known that cats always landed on their feet, no problem, so seeing a cat stumble like that was a sure sign that things were bad. She didn't really think Nick to be that exhausted, or maybe it was just a mistake, but she was nonetheless frightened, and sprang into action, running over to the cat and gently scooping him up into her arms, just as if he was her beloved pet. "Nick? Kitty?", She asked to him, holding him so that he could see up at her and others in the room. "Are you okay? Cat's should land on their feet. You're hurt, aren't you? Was there something in the vents?"

Once Nick had gotten to his feet and finished being embarrassed, he snuggled against Torii, 3 healthy paws resting on her skin. <More or less (image of back right paw with bruise and understanding that there is a sprained toe, image of right side and understanding that there are bruises there). I've had worse, and I can still keep up. I'm not entirely sure what went wrong with the fall, though...(replay of Nick's sensory perception during fall)> The cat twisted to lick a paw, barely stopping himself in time; Torii would feel his nervousness and worry.

[Germanic Templars]

"Oooh, the Automatic Translator sounds useful, and probably the Target-assist, if I ever needed it. Let's see, and what's the synchronizer?" Natiya spurted out her options and choices and questions in rapid-fire mode. She was just too excited to finally get her suit of armor, and she was so close to the end at this point, but she of course wanted something that would fit her needs, and living in an apartment with so many different people, the translator would probably be a very good idea for her to bring along.

"Synchronizer makes your helmet and your suit as one, in zhe sense that if you vere to experience damage in your left arm, it would show up somevhere on your visor vhere you vere hit. Of course, I must tell you zhat initially zhe suit does not come equip vith any languages, not even english. If you vant languages installed, you would have to go to a library or archive und pick up the languages you vish to learn."

[Torsiedelle]

Torii that known that cats always landed on their feet, no problem, so seeing a cat stumble like that was a sure sign that things were bad. She didn't really think Nick to be that exhausted, or maybe it was just a mistake, but she was nonetheless frightened, and sprang into action, running over to the cat and gently scooping him up into her arms, just as if he was her beloved pet. "Nick? Kitty?", She asked to him, holding him so that he could see up at her and others in the room. "Are you okay? Cat's should land on their feet. You're hurt, aren't you? Was there something in the vents?"

Once Nick had gotten to his feet and finished being embarrassed, he snuggled against Torii, 3 healthy paws resting on her skin. <More or less (image of back right paw with bruise and understanding that there is a sprained toe, image of right side and understanding that there are bruises there). I've had worse, and I can still keep up. I'm not entirely sure what went wrong with the fall, though...(replay of Nick's sensory perception during fall)> The cat twisted to lick a paw, barely stopping himself in time; Torii would feel his nervousness and worry.

Torii believed that Nick could keep up and continue to help, but she was still worried about his fall and injuries. "I think you should stay back and relax for tonight, okay? FUBAR is guarding the door, and the adults have their weapons with them. We're done scouting. If you want, you can sleep with me, or with all of us if we sleep together; the Teens, that is. Is that fine with you?"

She didn't want the cat to be too tired or banged up tomorrow. They had just found safe shelter. She thought that he needed a good rest after such a trek.

[Cerillium]

Marcus had moved down the hallway again. His small flashlight was good enough for him to observe the situation at hand. The vault itself would be large enough for everyone (and a few couches). A quick search of offices revealed said couches as well as a calendar that was still flipped to July, 2015. He carried it out to the rest and handed it to Giovenith.

"Seems the world ended here later than expected," he shook his head and drew a steady breath. "Or maybe life continued after the first Drone invasion? I- I just don't know. Found couches though. We can move them into the vault."

Mezran shook his head, “No distractions are needed for such a prize. We have earned in through combat! Our price is meager compared to what we could demand!”

As they made their way deeper into the hall, the smell of pungent foods permeated and mixed with the warm interior, fire pits crackled and its flame gave the room a dark silhouetted atmosphere. The walls were redecorated, with paintings, statues and weapons (real weapons) on display. The tables were full of food, how Varth’s Chosen managed such a feast on a regular basis was nothing short of a miraculous considering Klingons’ bottomless stomachs. Mezran bit back a laugh, realizing why the guild had forgone with physical aesthetics in lieu of keeping their warriors’ stomachs full. The dining hall wasn’t as occupied as they last seen and the place, despite being as warm as a sauna, was clean for last night’s debauchery. The cleanliness, or whatever passed for in Klingon standards, would not last long; soon scores of their comrades would return and another night of celebration would rival the previous in food and song.

“And what do you want for you and your companions’ troubles?” A woman asked from the far end, having caught snippets of their conservation – or at least Mezran’s response.

“Bloodwine! And warnog!” Mezran all but demanded with a huff, seating himself to the same table as the woman.

She rolled her eyes, “Yes yes, everyone wants those, what else?”

Mezran thought about it for a moment, “your Rokeg blood pie recipe.”

The woman choked on her laugh, sputtering at first in disbelief before it turned into a full out guffaw. “What’s the matter, you great oaf? Your woman can’t make a decent blood pie? No wonder you are here!”

Mezran scowled at her, but couldn’t hide his own grin, “I have no wife, but my mate to be never knew when to stop with the spice. It was always a battle between her affections and my hatred for those pies.” The woman laughed as she listened, sipping on bloodwine carefully. Mezran took note, pretending not to by distracting himself with a plate of racht, still fresh, to start off. He also realized this was a bit more history about himself that he never talked about in the open. Oh well, his companions would listen and learn on the way.

“Did she at least bake it right?”

“Hence my battle,” Mezran said with a gruff laugh of his own, shoving a half fistful of racht into his mouth. He talked and chewed at the same time, “The recipe, barrels of drink and perhaps a few of those weapons on the wall.”

The female perked an eyebrow, “You ask quite little, you do realize?”

“I ask enough,” Mezran said carefully. There was the timeline to consider after all. A few weapons of the ancient time would be a proud collection to put on display in his own house and the drink was balm enough for days when the heart grew fond of home.

“As you wish, and you three? What do you wish for your bounty? Our guild will provide whatever you want within its ability.”

Dolf eyes the weapons and the barrels. So much to ask for! What was appropriate? He was temped to respond with "you" and not put any worry behind it (given that he was sterile) but he though that action would be a bit too forward. Besides, Mezran seemed to have that situation covered. Maybe. The cultist wasn't certain. Klingons were weird creatures.

Ha'nS eyed the weapons, statues and other interesting things but he, too, was at a loss. He had never given a second thought to liberating people of their priceless wares but this was the first time anyone had offered anything in exchange for services. His eyes fell upon an old mek'leth that didn't seem to hold any place of glory on the wall. It would look beautiful in ChryS' hand.

"This," he pointed to the weapon. "It gathers dust here. It belongs in the hands of a true warrior. It should sing once more, and should be promised the blood of enemies once again. The hand that wields it should belong to one who is not only deadly in combat but also," and here his voice lowered to a purr, "one whose heart beats in harmony to my own. The gods would fear us if we fought at one."

"Well, maybe not Atosh," Dolf quipped.

"Shut up."

"Everyone's a critic," Dolf groused as he helped himself to bloodwine.

The whiskers gracing Ha'nS' face tipped upwards as he smiled at ChryS. Light years away from Dia. Light years. "Or perhaps we should ask for bat'leth? Let us see which of us is quicker? Which heart beats stronger. Which of us has better prowess?"

"She's going to kick your ass with one of those," Dolf reminded his brother through their tether.

"Perhaps. Arousing, isn't it?"

"Different Lurker hun." Insidious replied walking over towards the piles of books and picking one up. She examined it briefly her skin taking on a leather like pattern before she handed it to Naomi. "Care to help us do a little bit of research?"

"Research? I suppose that depends on what kind." Naomi was eager to see more Luxan things but not eager to be a test subject. She'd learned long ago not to volunteer for anything and not to allow herself to be studied. Bones had driven that point home.

She shrugged at Insidious. "I'm not going to volunteer to be studied."

[Giovenith]

Neither scenario seemed preferential to Giovenith. She seriously pondered whether or not the fear of death was really so strong as to drive someone to keep fighting on in a place like this, and the idea that this great fall had happened in some circumstance unknown to their memories raised a hundred new questions to their already tall pile. Like they had told Torii though, this world was not their's, and following the itch of any possible morbid curiosity would only bring about their undoing. It was best to turn away and march on their own quest, not to saddle the fear and heartbreak of another's.

She sighed with measure. "Alright, thank you for confirming. Sterling and I will get the couches and bedding set up, everybody can do their shares too. It'll be done in a jiffy, Sterling said he can create light with his magic."

[The BranRiech]

"I'll take that then as well." Natiya said, looking pleased with her question. Her mind was finally set. She'd be able to go and grab some languages down at the Library if Aleki wanted to, and she'd be able to tell whenever she was getting damaged when she needed to. "I think that's all then. Don't want to drain you guys of all your stuff, so that'll be all, unless there's more?" She asked whimsically.

--

"Couches, eh?" Bran looked up. He heard Varona's request for her pistol back, but until they actually moved into the vault for the night, he'd be hanging onto it himself. Her turned to look at Marcus. "Maybe they did fight them off, eh? We've fought them off before, so maybe life did continue like normal. It'd be a shitty thing though, to wake up after defeating the world-taking drones, only to find every other faction beating down the door you just repair?"

[Germanic Templars]

"I'll take that then as well." Natiya said, looking pleased with her question. Her mind was finally set. She'd be able to go and grab some languages down at the Library if Aleki wanted to, and she'd be able to tell whenever she was getting damaged when she needed to. "I think that's all then. Don't want to drain you guys of all your stuff, so that'll be all, unless there's more?" She asked whimsically.

"Unless you vant to choose your helmet type, zhen ve are done. Just give us several hours to complete zhe project." The man kindly replied, as he gathered up the data onto the pad.

Through the entire thing, the gears in Alexi's head were clicking and turning and finally he asked the man, "Say, if I already have armor, is there anyway you guys can upgrade it or possibly make it better?"

To this the man looked up and replied, "Ya, you can, why got somezhing in mind?"

"Er, yes I do. When possible, I am seeing about adding a jump-pack onto my suit."

"Ah, good. Now zhen, your's is military, so if zhere is any benefit you have vith zhe military und you die in combat vith that armor und you have zhe jump pack.....Zhere is no benefits for anyone." The man stated. "Also, before I forget," He looked at Natiya, "your armor, since it is none military, has a tventy year varrenty on it. So if it were to ever break, you can just take it back to us und ve repair it for free."

[Transgravitas Directorate]

Mezran shook his head, “No distractions are needed for such a prize. We have earned in through combat! Our price is meager compared to what we could demand!”

As they made their way deeper into the hall, the smell of pungent foods permeated and mixed with the warm interior, fire pits crackled and its flame gave the room a dark silhouetted atmosphere. The walls were redecorated, with paintings, statues and weapons (real weapons) on display. The tables were full of food, how Varth’s Chosen managed such a feast on a regular basis was nothing short of a miraculous considering Klingons’ bottomless stomachs. Mezran bit back a laugh, realizing why the guild had forgone with physical aesthetics in lieu of keeping their warriors’ stomachs full. The dining hall wasn’t as occupied as they last seen and the place, despite being as warm as a sauna, was clean for last night’s debauchery. The cleanliness, or whatever passed for in Klingon standards, would not last long; soon scores of their comrades would return and another night of celebration would rival the previous in food and song.

“And what do you want for you and your companions’ troubles?” A woman asked from the far end, having caught snippets of their conservation – or at least Mezran’s response.

“Bloodwine! And warnog!” Mezran all but demanded with a huff, seating himself to the same table as the woman.

She rolled her eyes, “Yes yes, everyone wants those, what else?”

Mezran thought about it for a moment, “your Rokeg blood pie recipe.”

The woman choked on her laugh, sputtering at first in disbelief before it turned into a full out guffaw. “What’s the matter, you great oaf? Your woman can’t make a decent blood pie? No wonder you are here!”

Mezran scowled at her, but couldn’t hide his own grin, “I have no wife, but my mate to be never knew when to stop with the spice. It was always a battle between her affections and my hatred for those pies.” The woman laughed as she listened, sipping on bloodwine carefully. Mezran took note, pretending not to by distracting himself with a plate of racht, still fresh, to start off. He also realized this was a bit more history about himself that he never talked about in the open. Oh well, his companions would listen and learn on the way.

“Did she at least bake it right?”

“Hence my battle,” Mezran said with a gruff laugh of his own, shoving a half fistful of racht into his mouth. He talked and chewed at the same time, “The recipe, barrels of drink and perhaps a few of those weapons on the wall.”

The female perked an eyebrow, “You ask quite little, you do realize?”

“I ask enough,” Mezran said carefully. There was the timeline to consider after all. A few weapons of the ancient time would be a proud collection to put on display in his own house and the drink was balm enough for days when the heart grew fond of home.

“As you wish, and you three? What do you wish for your bounty? Our guild will provide whatever you want within its ability.”

Dolf eyes the weapons and the barrels. So much to ask for! What was appropriate? He was temped to respond with "you" and not put any worry behind it (given that he was sterile) but he though that action would be a bit too forward. Besides, Mezran seemed to have that situation covered. Maybe. The cultist wasn't certain. Klingons were weird creatures.

Ha'nS eyed the weapons, statues and other interesting things but he, too, was at a loss. He had never given a second thought to liberating people of their priceless wares but this was the first time anyone had offered anything in exchange for services. His eyes fell upon an old mek'leth that didn't seem to hold any place of glory on the wall. It would look beautiful in ChryS' hand.

"This," he pointed to the weapon. "It gathers dust here. It belongs in the hands of a true warrior. It should sing once more, and should be promised the blood of enemies once again. The hand that wields it should belong to one who is not only deadly in combat but also," and here his voice lowered to a purr, "one whose heart beats in harmony to my own. The gods would fear us if we fought at one."

"Well, maybe not Atosh," Dolf quipped.

"Shut up."

"Everyone's a critic," Dolf groused as he helped himself to bloodwine.

The whiskers gracing Ha'nS' face tipped upwards as he smiled at ChryS. Light years away from Dia. Light years. "Or perhaps we should ask for bat'leth? Let us see which of us is quicker? Which heart beats stronger. Which of us has better prowess?"

"She's going to kick your ass with one of those," Dolf reminded his brother through their tether.

"Perhaps. Arousing, isn't it?"

Nothing loath, ChryS jumped in with both feet. Metaphorically speaking.

"Bat'leth it is!" she declaimed, ringingly. There was no hesitation in her voice. "Live, yes? It would not be so real without genuine blades."

The mek'leth, too, looked promising, but she felt like only one blade as a prize was appropriate. No sooner had she thought that, though, than another female Klingon shoved past her and snatched at Ha'nS' right hand. Startled, ChryS took a step back, and then two steps forward.

"DoH!" she barked at the interloper who clearly took an interest in her man, and shoved the other woman back in case the command wasn't clear enough.

[Cerillium]

"Your....pet..." She mused over the words and now had to decide what was stranger: The creature, or the girl taking care of it. Then, she cast that judgement aside. Hell, the Guardian was crazy enough to domesticate a Psy Dog that could pry into unsuspecting people's minds at will. That relationship took trust to the utmost degree. She then looked to Torii. For a split second, her expression was just that much softer behind her mask. It was always nice to be appreciated.

Turtleboss' mouth crinkled into a smile as he voided his bladder on Varona's boot. He crooned as he piddled; clearly he was content to finally get everything out. He meant no insult by it.

"Couches, eh?" Bran looked up. He heard Varona's request for her pistol back, but until they actually moved into the vault for the night, he'd be hanging onto it himself. Her turned to look at Marcus. "Maybe they did fight them off, eh? We've fought them off before, so maybe life did continue like normal. It'd be a shitty thing though, to wake up after defeating the world-taking drones, only to find every other faction beating down the door you just repair?"

Marcus nodded to Giovenith. "I didn't really check the desks, and one of the offices had an extra jacket and umbrella behind the door but I wasn't sure if people needed those. Kale, maybe?"

Bran's statement brought a frown to the boy's face. "Yeah, I can see them holding back the Drones like last time, but wasn't that the time Sw- I mean, Charumati - went back in time to put a stop to things? Or was that the second invasion? I get confused. What did stop the first one?"

All but the last Drone invasion were prehistory to him. Childhood had a way of causing one to only remember the very good and the very bad circumstances and even that memory was clouded by only what the child experienced. He'd heard Hans tell stories of his early boyhood and, despite the aftermath of World War I and all the happenings going on in Germany, the cultist could only remember the time the river had stolen his little toy boat. If anyone asked Marcus to recount his own childhood in Vafflehelm, he would point out that the old building had electrical outlets with old fashioned brass cover plates and that the hallways smelled like popcorn and, occasionally, blood.

[The Drone Empire]

"Not even you?" Dia rumbled, though there was no irritation in his voice. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"I'm supposing it wouldn't be a good idea to give it a little poke and see what happens." He glanced at Varona, near the door, and then at Ki and August (wherever they were). "Maybe the five of us could go scouting and observe it for a while? It, and the nanites around it, didn't seem to notice me." He waved inclusively at the other three, so Dani would know whom he was referring to.

"I suppose it's something to do, regardless of the other things out there. Fine." She said finally, her speech sounding as though it had been still contemplating the thought, silently arguing with herself. She galnced at the enigmatic machine in the distance, wishing they could actually poke it. Or maybe throw a brick, but death wasn't something she wanted, at least, not anymore.

{I actually didn't see this... >.<}

[Giovenith]

"We'll check it out," Giovenith nodded and gestured to Sterling. "Come on Sterling, let's go see what we can get." And she headed after where Marcus has gone, expecting the unicorn to follow with light.

The couches themselves wouldn't be too heavy, as the two would soon find out. By no means light, but with their combined strength, and patience, it would be no trial to load up the couches back to the vault. Giovenith also made sure to grab the jacket and umbrella Marcus had mentioned, just in case somebody declared a use for it. If not, they could always leave them behind in the vault when they left.

[The Carlisle]

Kale smiled when Marcus helped her with the barrels. With his help, they were all in the Vault area. Kale grinned at Marcus. "Thank you," she said. She needed to remember that she could trust the others with helping her if they were ever in a pickle.

Kale perked up when asked about a jacket. " I don't need one. I'm fine in bad weather," she said.

[Monfrox]

"Your....pet..." She mused over the words and now had to decide what was stranger: The creature, or the girl taking care of it. Then, she cast that judgement aside. Hell, the Guardian was crazy enough to domesticate a Psy Dog that could pry into unsuspecting people's minds at will. That relationship took trust to the utmost degree. She then looked to Torii. For a split second, her expression was just that much softer behind her mask. It was always nice to be appreciated.

Turtleboss' mouth crinkled into a smile as he voided his bladder on Varona's boot. He crooned as he piddled; clearly he was content to finally get everything out. He meant no insult by it.

Varona had a very exasperated expression on her face as Turtleboss relieved himself. Somehow, she thought something like this would happen. She put the waterbear down on the floor and looked at her boot, now eloquently drenched in piss. "Scuttle along, now." She said to the creature as she set off to look for some water to wash the urine from. The stench alone would be enough to draw anything else to their position when they started moving again, and she'd rather not draw attention to herself by any means. She felt her hand along the wall and held out the pistol Torii returned to her in her other so she could defend herself should she need to while her other arms held her rifles. She hoped she'd find an old water cooler of sorts, as wishing for still running water at this time was only wishful thinking.

[Swith Witherward]

Varona had a very exasperated expression on her face as Turtleboss relieved himself. Somehow, she thought something like this would happen. She put the waterbear down on the floor and looked at her boot, now eloquently drenched in piss. "Scuttle along, now." She said to the creature as she set off to look for some water to wash the urine from. The stench alone would be enough to draw anything else to their position when they started moving again, and she'd rather not draw attention to herself by any means. She felt her hand along the wall and held out the pistol Torii returned to her in her other so she could defend herself should she need to while her other arms held her rifles. She hoped she'd find an old water cooler of sorts, as wishing for still running water at this time was only wishful thinking.

Turtleboss waddled alongside Varona until they came to the darker parts of the hall. Small, bioluminescent freckles along his back gave away his position as his fat little body propelled forward. His face jutted forward like a hound's and he nudged his way along the hall and paused in front of a closed door. The women's restroom. The employee toilets wouldn't be running but chances were high that the units were standard rather than high volume flush... which meant there might still be a fresh water reserve in the tank, although not much.

The waterbear pushed at the door until it swung open. His short stature only allowed him to see the floor level and an old toilet brush became a new toy. Varona would discover a very dark room that still bore the faintest scent of perfume.

[Monfrox]

Turtleboss waddled alongside Varona until they came to the darker parts of the hall. Small, bioluminescent freckles along his back gave away his position as his fat little body propelled forward. His face jutted forward like a hound's and he nudged his way along the hall and paused in front of a closed door. The women's restroom. The employee toilets wouldn't be running but chances were high that the units were standard rather than high volume flush... which meant there might still be a fresh water reserve in the tank, although not much.

The waterbear pushed at the door until it swung open. His short stature only allowed him to see the floor level and an old toilet brush became a new toy. Varona would discover a very dark room that still bore the faintest scent of perfume.

Varona's exasperation didn't go away as Turtleboss continued to follow her. She hoped the thing wouldn't follow her, but the hope was soon vanquished as it headed into the place she hoped to go. It's luminescent back reminded her of the spore plants that grew in the Metro underground. Without much choice, she followed the creature inside. The perfume invaded her sinuses, no matter how faint it was. She never smelt anything like it, as she never had a use for something like it in her life. She chalked the smell up to some kind of mutant flower's scent. She went to the farthest stall, making sure to listen for anything. The bank wasn't 100% secure, and she knew that anything could be hiding inside. She slowly pulled the door open and tried to look inside, her eyes still adjusting to the darkness.

[Transgravitas Directorate]

"I suppose it's something to do, regardless of the other things out there. Fine." She said finally, her speech sounding as though it had been still contemplating the thought, silently arguing with herself. She galnced at the enigmatic machine in the distance, wishing they could actually poke it. Or maybe throw a brick, but death wasn't something she wanted, at least, not anymore.

{I actually didn't see this... >.<}

Dia moved out ahead, all things settled, and paused at the door to the bank. "It shouldn't take long - and no zeroes for you. Only ones." The best jokes were ones that had their base in reality.

The glass portal swung open and he looked outside, also finding the big three-legged machine with his gaze.

{pineapple-flavored poutine}

[Fvaarniimar]

Once Nick had gotten to his feet and finished being embarrassed, he snuggled against Torii, 3 healthy paws resting on her skin. <More or less (image of back right paw with bruise and understanding that there is a sprained toe, image of right side and understanding that there are bruises there). I've had worse, and I can still keep up. I'm not entirely sure what went wrong with the fall, though...(replay of Nick's sensory perception during fall)> The cat twisted to lick a paw, barely stopping himself in time; Torii would feel his nervousness and worry.

Torii believed that Nick could keep up and continue to help, but she was still worried about his fall and injuries. "I think you should stay back and relax for tonight, okay? FUBAR is guarding the door, and the adults have their weapons with them. We're done scouting. If you want, you can sleep with me, or with all of us if we sleep together; the Teens, that is. Is that fine with you?"

She didn't want the cat to be too tired or banged up tomorrow. They had just found safe shelter. She thought that he needed a good rest after such a trek.

<Alright. I'd like that.> The statement was somewhat redundant, as his emotions would clearly indicate this to be the case. <Where are you going to->

"Your....pet..." She mused over the words and now had to decide what was stranger: The creature, or the girl taking care of it. Then, she cast that judgement aside. Hell, the Guardian was crazy enough to domesticate a Psy Dog that could pry into unsuspecting people's minds at will. That relationship took trust to the utmost degree. She then looked to Torii. For a split second, her expression was just that much softer behind her mask. It was always nice to be appreciated.

Turtleboss' mouth crinkled into a smile as he voided his bladder on Varona's boot. He crooned as he piddled; clearly he was content to finally get everything out. He meant no insult by it.

<I need to pee. Is her shoe where I should do so? That doesn't seem to be typical...> Confused, Nick stared at Torii.

(Torii would feel very, very much like she needed to urinate as well; if that was in fact the case, she would have to find a restroom ASAP. Otherwise, the sensation would vanish a few seconds after separation from Nick.)

[Primordial Luxa]

"Research? I suppose that depends on what kind." Naomi was eager to see more Luxan things but not eager to be a test subject. She'd learned long ago not to volunteer for anything and not to allow herself to be studied. Bones had driven that point home.

She shrugged at Insidious. "I'm not going to volunteer to be studied."

Insidious laughed genuinely her skin flashing between black and hot pink "What? No. We just need a hand sorting through these book silly."

[Swith Witherward]

The dusty sinks and toilet were difficult for Varona to see in the dark yet it wasn't nearly as dark as it should have been. Turtleboss rooted around in the stall next to Varona's. His hearing wasn't as developed as a mammal's but his other senses told him that water was to be found if one just looked hard enough for it. He waddled under the partition separating the stalls and thumped against Varona's leg.

The floor creaked. Something groaned. There was an earsplitting crack and Turtleboss found himself dropping. The floor had given way so quickly that there was little time to react. Waterbear and Varona found themselves dropping straight down... down... down... like Alice through a rabbit hole, on the speed was normal and there wasn't anything interesting to see as they fell. A loud splash accompanied their plunge into the subterranean stream. Turtleboss scrambled onto Varona's leg seconds before the toilet landed where he had been crouching.

Meanwhile, Nick's clever ears picked up the sound and he could feel a rumbling through his pads. Whatever senses Nex had to warn him of impending doom exploded into a herald of "get ready, time to go to work, Ferryman". The floor seemed to tip, and then it did tip, as the bank slowly shifted and plunged.

FUBAR burst into flight but, being trapped in a confined space, the unit had nowhere to go. It tried to scramble out the door with little luck and then diverted to knock Dani and Dia down. Mechanical structures at the ends of his legs dug into the marble floor as he stood over the pair in the lobby.

For everyone else not gifted with senses that alerted them, it was sudden and ended quickly. The sinkhole under the bank consumed the structure. Marble walls had withstood the test of time but were no match for gravity. Those inside the vault would feel their feet leave the floor as the massive metal structure dropped and crashed downwards. The entire building landed with a sickening thud, still intact, but the insides were a disheveled mess of useless money, desks, the vault and people.

Nex's senses told him that no one had died although he was now currently laying on top of Kale in a hallway. Due to whatever properties protected the bank, no one was seriously injured although bruises, scrapes and scratches abounded. Marcus picked himself off the floor and scrambled back to Giovenith to make certain she was alright. The lad pulled her from an old pile of money and wrapped her in a hug. Torii and Nick were behind the teller counter once again, this time surrounded by their food and water supplies. A green couch had smacked into Bran and pinned him against Sterling but he would be able to push it off easily. Ray was somehow inside the vault and covered in the contents from broken lock boxes. He had his share of necklaces, old deeds and several firearms. FUBAR raised himself so that Dani and Dia could stand up. A light blazed from one of his appendages to illuminate the space. Everyone else was a tangle of arms and legs and moldy paper in the bank lobby.

They had landed in a stream and the waters now coursed around the bank building. It was possible to wade through it to reach one of the narrow banks which bordered the water. The tunnel itself appeared to be natural rather than man-made yet there were old sconces set every few feet along the walls. These were not lit. Varona and Turtleboss had drifted away from the building before it fell and now clung to the embankment.

FUBAR looked upwards and realized that the climb would be impossible for the flesh bags.

"The nanites might move to investigate," he advised Dia and Dani as he stepped through the bank's door and into the water. Night was falling and only gloomy clouds could be seen in the dusk overhead.

[Swith Witherward]

Insidious laughed genuinely her skin flashing between black and hot pink "What? No. We just need a hand sorting through these book silly."

"Oh, alright then," Naomi's relief was apparent in her nervous laughter.

She looked about the room and the myriad of books. So many! They really should hire a librarian or three. "Is there anything in particular we're looking for, or are we just reshelving them?"

[Monfrox]

Varona coughed a bit before rolling over onto dry land. She was wet, but a quick recheck of herself made it clear that none of her equipment had gotten away from her. The lump on her leg seemed to be the creature that followed her, and she was a little glad that it was safe. She looked to the small streams of light barely illuminating the bank, and then to the waterbear. "Still alive? Good...I think..." She said to it as she pried it off her leg and carried it in her arms. "Just for future reference: I'm not a pee-on, so don't try it again." She began walking along the edge of the cavern, towards the bank.

[Terintania]

Nex had simply been leaning against the wall, wondering what he might do to help, when suddenly he got a bad feeling. He pushed himself away from the wall, suddenly seeming alert and alarmed, for no apparent reason, or that was how it might seem to anyone watching. It was probably the only indication to some people that something might have been wrong. Not that there was much that could be done about it at that point.

Once the building had settled, he coughed and blinked, and suddenly realized he was laying on top of a girl, and got to his feet quickly. Whether his did this because it was awkward, or because he didn't want to squish her, it was hard to tell. He was happy to know that no one had died, though he was a bit surprised, since his sense usually only kicked in when someone was going to die. Perhaps this world was messing with him a bit.

Not bothering to ask whether or not everyone was OK, because he knew they weren't dead, and that was good enough for him, he looked around, brushing himself off. The way he saw it, the best idea was probably to head in to the cave. Though the building had survived, it could easily have been damaged, and who knew if it would continue to stay standing? Deciding that he would go scout it out, he headed in to the water, wading over to where Varona and Turtleboss were. "How'd you get over here?" He asked, not knowing that they had fallen before everyone else, and couldn't quite work out how they had ended up outside the building.