Personification Life IC IX - [Semi Open]

[The BranRiech]

Willow tapped his chin, considering the Lamia's words.

"I like you," he finally pointed out with no change in tone, nudging a hoof in Toscha's direction.

"Hey! Thanks." Toscha smiled, eyes brightening up from an already happy level. That was, to him, the best judgement of friendship, when he could go from just meeting someone to getting a compliment like that! Deep down though, burning questions nagged at him. Where did the ponies actually come from? Were they not lying to him? How could he be sure?

"You're pretty cool yourself." He shot back.

--

He swallowed the oatmeal in is mouth before he gave her a kiss on the cheek and smiled. " Morning, dear. How did you sleep?"

"I slept just fine, thanks to Mr. Breakfast Breath over here." Natiya teased, settling into the couch with him without another word. She didn't think any needed to be spoken. "Anything good in the news today, besides the snow?"

--

Will's eyes snapped open and he walked to her side. He pulled a fork from his pocket and used it to cut away a small piece. Eying Yuna a bit warily, he popped the bite into his mouth.

"You know where you went wrong?" he asked her with a frown. "You went wrong when you said you couldn't cook. This omelet is rather good, my dear."

Yuna would find the plate pushed back towards her. It was her breakfast, after all. Will sat down next to Cook again and cross leg over knee. "After you eat, we're going to catch a bat for dinner. I'm the student. You teach me."

Yuna watched in anticipation as Will stepped forward to sample her cooking ability first hand. Her heart nearly stopped. Would it be good? Did she even make an omelet? Was it going to give Will food poisoning? Well, the more nagging thought was if it would give her food poisoning.

And then it happened to be just that, a simple omelet.

"S-Seee? She drawled out playfully, being in her late teens made her, no really. "Just like making a potion!" She grinned, taking all the credit she could. "Thanks for the help though, I was as blind as a bat without you." Which wasn't saying much, considering the Pyersai looked as bats not only as a good source of food, but also as quite intelligent. It was a human phrase though, so Yuna thought he'd at least get the idea that way.

"Yes, the lessons sound quite good. As . . . As long as you've either got a gun handy, or a nice throwing spear."

[Primordial Luxa]

Theirs a series of sparkling dark flashes in the hallway outside of the DEiMOS, like a set of dark unnatural mythical creatures dancing around each other. With a sporadic grace the begin to move through the walls of the building downwards to the ground level where the float before combining into the familiar form of Aegis.

[Swith Witherward]

Yuna watched in anticipation as Will stepped forward to sample her cooking ability first hand. Her heart nearly stopped. Would it be good? Did she even make an omelet? Was it going to give Will food poisoning? Well, the more nagging thought was if it would give her food poisoning.

And then it happened to be just that, a simple omelet.

"S-Seee? She drawled out playfully, being in her late teens made her, no really. "Just like making a potion!" She grinned, taking all the credit she could. "Thanks for the help though, I was as blind as a bat without you." Which wasn't saying much, considering the Pyersai looked as bats not only as a good source of food, but also as quite intelligent. It was a human phrase though, so Yuna thought he'd at least get the idea that way.

"Yes, the lessons sound quite good. As . . . As long as you've either got a gun handy, or a nice throwing spear."

Will's grin lit up his face. "I seeeee," he chided her. "You did very well, and you're welcome."

He nudged the sleeping man next to him, but Cook didn't stop snoring. "Cook here will get the dishes. Wolf that omelet down and we'll pick out spears. I'm eager to see aspects of your culture, actually. Diplomacy only happens when there's a desire for understanding."

He folded his arms and leaned back in the chair. He'd eaten many things, but never bat. He'd caught a few in his day. They were sometimes used as ingredients, but also kept as pets by a few cultists in the stronghold.

Theirs a series of sparkling dark flashes in the hallway outside of the DEiMOS, like a set of dark unnatural mythical creatures dancing around each other. With a sporadic grace the begin to move through the walls of the building downwards to the ground level where the float before combining into the familiar form of Aegis.

It was difficult to ignore anyone from the Luxa camp when they made an entrance. It was always a dazzling display and Naomi, prone to an unnatural curiosity when it came to grand entrances, was no exception.

She dogeared the page of her book, slipped it into her pocket and timidly approached the gold-mask being. "Hello... Aegis is it? Hello Mr. Aegis."

She offered her customary kindly smile. "How do you do that?" Her head tilted and she regarded him with a curious expression on her face.

[Primordial Luxa]

Yuna watched in anticipation as Will stepped forward to sample her cooking ability first hand. Her heart nearly stopped. Would it be good? Did she even make an omelet? Was it going to give Will food poisoning? Well, the more nagging thought was if it would give her food poisoning.

And then it happened to be just that, a simple omelet.

"S-Seee? She drawled out playfully, being in her late teens made her, no really. "Just like making a potion!" She grinned, taking all the credit she could. "Thanks for the help though, I was as blind as a bat without you." Which wasn't saying much, considering the Pyersai looked as bats not only as a good source of food, but also as quite intelligent. It was a human phrase though, so Yuna thought he'd at least get the idea that way.

"Yes, the lessons sound quite good. As . . . As long as you've either got a gun handy, or a nice throwing spear."

Will's grin lit up his face. "I seeeee," he chided her. "You did very well, and you're welcome."

He nudged the sleeping man next to him, but Cook didn't stop snoring. "Cook here will get the dishes. Wolf that omelet down and we'll pick out spears. I'm eager to see aspects of your culture, actually. Diplomacy only happens when there's a desire for understanding."

He folded his arms and leaned back in the chair. He'd eaten many things, but never bat. He'd caught a few in his day. They were sometimes used as ingredients, but also kept as pets by a few cultists in the stronghold.

Theirs a series of sparkling dark flashes in the hallway outside of the DEiMOS, like a set of dark unnatural mythical creatures dancing around each other. With a sporadic grace the begin to move through the walls of the building downwards to the ground level where the float before combining into the familiar form of Aegis.

It was difficult to ignore anyone from the Luxa camp when they made an entrance. It was always a dazzling display and Naomi, prone to an unnatural curiosity when it came to grand entrances, was no exception.

She dogeared the page of her book, slipped it into her pocket and timidly approached the gold-mask being. "Hello... Aegis is it? Hello Mr. Aegis."

She offered her customary kindly smile. "How do you do that?" Her head tilted and she regarded him with a curious expression on her face.

He briefly shudders as his form finally solidifies. He smiled at Naomi beneath his mask, here presence always enjoyable, but his external face did not mirror this motion instead defaulting to a vertical line that was a mixture of neutrality and apathy. "Yes?" he replied in a monotone deep voice that was laced with scarred vocals and distorted vox static as his mask raised a mechanical eyebrow. "Its the primary function of my S.P.A.D.E." he says tapping his mask resoundingly with a pair of his knuckles. "Its bends reality and space to allow surreal movement types."

[Swith Witherward]

He briefly shudders as his form finally solidifies. He smiled at Naomi beneath his mask, here presence always enjoyable, but his external face did not mirror this motion instead defaulting to a vertical line that was a mixture of neutrality and apathy. "Yes?" he replied in a monotone deep voice that was laced with scarred vocals and distorted vox static as his mask raised a mechanical eyebrow. "Its the primary function of my S.P.A.D.E." he says tapping his mask resoundingly with a pair of his knuckles. "Its bends reality and space to allow surreal movement types."

"S.P.A.D.E.?"

Naomi was terrible at guessing acronyms, mainly because she tended to insert words that were either cute or cheerful. She peered at the mask intently. It wasn't an easy task considering their difference in height but she compensated by standing on her tip toes and stretching her neck.

Masks unsettled her. It was a leftover feeling from when she was still united with Swith, and Totenkopf's Jekyll and Hyde assertion had left that part of Swith's psyche in a state of confusion.

"Your mask is a tool, then? I thought... maybe... well, you wore it because you worried we wouldn't like you for who you are."

[Primordial Luxa]

He briefly shudders as his form finally solidifies. He smiled at Naomi beneath his mask, here presence always enjoyable, but his external face did not mirror this motion instead defaulting to a vertical line that was a mixture of neutrality and apathy. "Yes?" he replied in a monotone deep voice that was laced with scarred vocals and distorted vox static as his mask raised a mechanical eyebrow. "Its the primary function of my S.P.A.D.E." he says tapping his mask resoundingly with a pair of his knuckles. "Its bends reality and space to allow surreal movement types."

"S.P.A.D.E.?"

Naomi was terrible at guessing acronyms, mainly because she tended to insert words that were either cute or cheerful. She peered at the mask intently. It wasn't an easy task considering their difference in height but she compensated by standing on her tip toes and stretching her neck.

Masks unsettled her. It was a leftover feeling from when she was still united with Swith, and Totenkopf's Jekyll and Hyde assertion had left that part of Swith's psyche in a state of confusion.

"Your mask is a tool, then? I thought... maybe... well, you wore it because you worried we wouldn't like you for who you are."

"SPace Altering DEvice, becasue S.A.D. dosn't sound nearly as cool" he said dryly. He bends down slightly to giver her a better view. the mask covers his entire head but ends at his neck. His eyes aren't visible for some reason and instead black pits stare back, while the various interlocking plates that make up the face and show his expression move through a quick cycle showing that is metal face is just as expressive as flesh. Thoughout the entire act gears and springs sound from its interior as the clock work mechanism move.

He laughs softly at her comment however. "We'll its a fashion statement first and a means of transportation second. But i've never associated it with insecurity. This face is more real than the one I have underneath it, that's why I wear it."

[Giovenith]

"Pleasure to know." Normally Willow would hardly ever have been so outright open to anypony/body/thing, but within the first few minutes of knowing him, Toscha has already espoused many of the same things that Willow himself believed in. Moving past bullying with integrity, having a confident but realistic view of your abilities, it wasn't a wonder that Sterling had found this one pleasant.

"My name is Willow Streaks, by the way."

[Swith Witherward]

"SPace Altering DEvice, becasue S.A.D. dosn't sound nearly as cool" he said dryly. He bends down slightly to giver her a better view. the mask covers his entire head but ends at his neck. His eyes aren't visible for some reason and instead black pits stare back, while the various interlocking plates that make up the face and show his expression move through a quick cycle showing that is metal face is just as expressive as flesh. Thoughout the entire act gears and springs sound from its interior as the clock work mechanism move.

He laughs softly at her comment however. "We'll its a fashion statement first and a means of transportation second. But i've never associated it with insecurity. This face is more real than the one I have underneath it, that's why I wear it."

"It's beautiful," she breathed, and resisted the urge to touch the mask with her finger to see if it was warm. Her eyes grew concerned, however. "Don't say you don't have a real face. Every being has one, Aegis. The face is the surface of the heart. It might be twisted in anger and insanity, or smooth like an infant's cheeks, but it's there. But if you mean you don't have a physical face...?"

Naomi cocked an eyebrow and settled back on her heels. "What happened to your face?" Swith had always told her that honey badgers would eat Naomi's face off if she couldn't marshal her curiosity and stop pestering peo-... oh.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry."

[Primordial Luxa]

"SPace Altering DEvice, becasue S.A.D. dosn't sound nearly as cool" he said dryly. He bends down slightly to giver her a better view. the mask covers his entire head but ends at his neck. His eyes aren't visible for some reason and instead black pits stare back, while the various interlocking plates that make up the face and show his expression move through a quick cycle showing that is metal face is just as expressive as flesh. Thoughout the entire act gears and springs sound from its interior as the clock work mechanism move.

He laughs softly at her comment however. "We'll its a fashion statement first and a means of transportation second. But i've never associated it with insecurity. This face is more real than the one I have underneath it, that's why I wear it."

"It's beautiful," she breathed, and resisted the urge to touch the mask with her finger to see if it was warm. Her eyes grew concerned, however. "Don't say you don't have a real face. Every being has one, Aegis. The face is the surface of the heart. It might be twisted in anger and insanity, or smooth like an infant's cheeks, but it's there. But if you mean you don't have a physical face...?"

Naomi cocked an eyebrow and settled back on her heels. "What happened to your face?" Swith had always told her that honey badgers would eat Naomi's face off if she couldn't marshal her curiosity and stop pestering peo-... oh.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry."

He looks away briefly before continuing, however it hard to tell without pupiled eyes. “Of course I have a ‘real’ face” he said abruptly “But it’s simply not the one I wish to show, this one reflects my true emotions much better that the flesh by virtue of its material alone.”

[Torsiedelle]

Torii, feeling as though she was becoming more of a third wheel, allowed her eyes to wander towards the other end of the hallway. She really felt out of place, but maybe finding a familiar face would help? Well, it certainly beat the hit drab of the hallways, with two strangers.

"Um...sorry, but I have to go do something. It was cool meeting you guys, though, I guess. So...later.", She waved and turned around, before walking away to pursue her own desires. Actually, perhaps she could go ask around about Tsu, or her sister. She was a little worried.

First off, though, she needed something quick to eat. The kitchen would provide just that, and so she decided to enter the room and look around. While there, she could also think over and organize some plans for herself.

[The BranRiech]

Will's grin lit up his face. "I seeeee," he chided her. "You did very well, and you're welcome."

He nudged the sleeping man next to him, but Cook didn't stop snoring. "Cook here will get the dishes. Wolf that omelet down and we'll pick out spears. I'm eager to see aspects of your culture, actually. Diplomacy only happens when there's a desire for understanding."

He folded his arms and leaned back in the chair. He'd eaten many things, but never bat. He'd caught a few in his day. They were sometimes used as ingredients, but also kept as pets by a few cultists in the stronghold.

"Mmm, yesh." Yuna gave a forced thumbs-up gesture before going back to stuffing her face with her creation. Luckily, she wasn't too worried to see it go, as most of the things she made were indeed meant to be consumed. Unless it was a rare occasion and she was forced to make a poison for something, those were most definitely not for consumption, but the people she made them for thought otherwise.

"Thish ish goog." She smiled through the food, forgetting simple manners at the moment, regaining them shortly thereafter. With quite the large gulp, she downed the last few bites of the omelet and . . . Well . . . Let loose quite a belch.

Her Greyish-blue cheeks were suddenly indistinguishable from a strawberry. "Y-Yeah, let's go and get those spears then, shall we?" She glided over it, as if it hadn't even happened. Will was starting to seem to her less and less like some pushy authority figure, or a boring mentor, and more like her brother that she was now cut off from, acting like herself, instead of the sheltered daughter of royalty she was expected to be in the Political world she was used to.

--

"Ah, like the tree, right? You all have names like that?" Toscha asked. He couldn't judge though, hell, when he picked the name "Toscha" upon immigrating, he thought it was quite different from his birth-name, so his question wasn't really that loaded, being just out of curiosity. "Ach, sorry, I'll answer any questions you've got for me if you want."

The sudden disappearance of Torii made him scratch the back of his head in confusion. He seemed to have been ignoring her for Willow . . . Although truth be told, humans, to him at least, were far more boring than a talking horse! He'd have to catch up with her later though, at least to be polite.

[Swith Witherward]

He looks away briefly before continuing, however it hard to tell without pupiled eyes. “Of course I have a ‘real’ face” he said abruptly “But it’s simply not the one I wish to show, this one reflects my true emotions much better that the flesh by virtue of its material alone.”

Naomi's eyebrow lowered. "I like this one," she smiled. "It's expressive yet not too much. It's pleasant to look at, also."

Ten questions sprung to mind, followed by twenty more. Naomi held her tongue however. She remembered Swith's admonishments.

"Do you drink coffee, Aegis?" she asked instead.

[Primordial Luxa]

He looks away briefly before continuing, however it hard to tell without pupiled eyes. “Of course I have a ‘real’ face” he said abruptly “But it’s simply not the one I wish to show, this one reflects my true emotions much better that the flesh by virtue of its material alone.”

Naomi's eyebrow lowered. "I like this one," she smiled. "It's expressive yet not too much. It's pleasant to look at, also."

Ten questions sprung to mind, followed by twenty more. Naomi held her tongue however. She remembered Swith's admonishments.

"Do you drink coffee, Aegis?" she asked instead.

"Sometime yes" he said shifting his weight slightly as his face slid into a less philosophical state. "However other sensory stimuli have conditioned me so its like thick water."

[Giovenith]

Willow's eyes followed Torii as she left, continuing to evaluate the hyoo-mun. Her shift was troubled, from indignant to concerned about something. Oh well, that was her business, and he could only blow luck in her direction. She seemed to be friends with Giovenith, so perhaps they would find one another.

"Names like what?" Willow asked Toscha, flicking an ear in thought. "If you're asking about our naming techniques, pony parents will name their children after pretty much anything, so long as it isn't embarrassing, for various reasons. A girl in my town, for example, was born with six different colors in her mane and tail, so she was called Rainbow Dash. Sometimes families will keep a certain theme for every member's name, usually depending on that family's talent tendency."

This seemed like the most obvious method to Willow. Truthfully, from all of the names he'd heard so far on Earth (Giovenith, Primordial, Torii, Rudolf, Toscha, Rachelle, etc.), none of them really sounded like... anything. Unfamiliar with the etymology of the world around him (even though it spoke the same language as Equestria), many of the names in it sounded like complete gibberish when laid alongside things like, "Apple Cider," "Lucky," "Sugar Glass," "Peppermint Crunch," "Spitfire," "Pink Cloud," "Pumpkin Cake," "Smart Cookie," or "Toastie" (many of which Willow was unaware would probably earn bucket-loads of hysterical laughter from the residents of this world). The most complicated pony name he'd ever heard was that of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza... and even then, most everypony just called her "Cadence": A melodic and/or harmonic configuration at the end of a phrase, section, or piece of music. Probably the most 'normal' sounding hyoo-mun name Willow had heard here so far was "Bran," which he was pretty sure was the term for the hard, outer layer of breakfast cereal.

"Does your name come from anything?" he asked, rather casually.

[Swith Witherward]

"Sometime yes" he said shifting his weight slightly as his face slid into a less philosophical state. "However other sensory stimuli have conditioned me so its like thick water."

"Coffee and a kilo of cocaine? That always cheers Minerva up."

Naomi secretly thought the Luxans could use a "reality check" (which is a metaphor for drying out for a week before hitting the good stuff again, because longing only adds to the rush.)

[Swith Witherward]

"Mmm, yesh." Yuna gave a forced thumbs-up gesture before going back to stuffing her face with her creation. Luckily, she wasn't too worried to see it go, as most of the things she made were indeed meant to be consumed. Unless it was a rare occasion and she was forced to make a poison for something, those were most definitely not for consumption, but the people she made them for thought otherwise.

"Thish ish goog." She smiled through the food, forgetting simple manners at the moment, regaining them shortly thereafter. With quite the large gulp, she downed the last few bites of the omelet and . . . Well . . . Let loose quite a belch.

Her Greyish-blue cheeks were suddenly indistinguishable from a strawberry. "Y-Yeah, let's go and get those spears then, shall we?" She glided over it, as if it hadn't even happened. Will was starting to seem to her less and less like some pushy authority figure, or a boring mentor, and more like her brother that she was now cut off from, acting like herself, instead of the sheltered daughter of royalty she was expected to be in the Political world she was used to.

"Better out than in," he chuckled.

He brought her down a new corridor. They passed what looked like a garage filled with large tanks. There wasn't any large door that would take them outside, however.

"We use devices to get around," he paused at the doorway so she could see inside. "The outside of the stronghold sits in the Void itself. Leaving would mean instant death for any of us. We're on a small rock floating along, in a sense. It takes some getting used to. There are access places, of course... roads of a sort that we use to travel to and fro. You'd need to be able to jump into shadows or else create a doorway on your own. Maybe, someday, if you decide to stick with us, you'll be able to as well. It can be done without the use of a daemon, if you have the right sigils on your body."

[The BranRiech]

Willow's eyes followed Torii as she left, continuing to evaluate the hyoo-mun. Her shift was troubled, from indignant to concerned about something. Oh well, that was her business, and he could only blow luck in her direction. She seemed to be friends with Giovenith, so perhaps they would find one another.

"Names like what?" Willow asked Toscha, flicking an ear in thought. "If you're asking about our naming techniques, pony parents will name their children after pretty much anything, so long as it isn't embarrassing, for various reasons. A girl in my town, for example, was born with six different colors in her mane and tail, so she was called Rainbow Dash. Sometimes families will keep a certain theme for every member's name, usually depending on that family's talent tendency."

This seemed like the most obvious method to Willow. Truthfully, from all of the names he'd heard so far on Earth (Giovenith, Primordial, Torii, Rudolf, Toscha, Rachelle, etc.), none of them really sounded like... anything. Unfamiliar with the etymology of the world around him (even though it spoke the same language as Equestria), many of the names in it sounded like complete gibberish when laid alongside things like, "Apple Cider," "Lucky," "Sugar Glass," "Peppermint Crunch," "Spitfire," "Pink Cloud," "Pumpkin Cake," "Smart Cookie," or "Toastie" (many of which Willow was unaware would probably earn bucket-loads of hysterical laughter from the residents of this world). The most complicated pony name he'd ever heard was that of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza... and even then, most everypony just called her "Cadence": A melodic and/or harmonic configuration at the end of a phrase, section, or piece of music. Probably the most 'normal' sounding hyoo-mun name Willow had heard here so far was "Bran," which he was pretty sure was the term for the hard, outer layer of breakfast cereal.

"Does your name come from anything?" he asked, rather casually.

"The guy at the government office told me it means I'm a good diplomat. I just believed him though, he was trying to get through as many of us as possible. My old name though? You'd have to ask my parents about that. It means something, but only your parents know what it is." Toscha explained. "So your names are sometimes chosen because of physical attributes, and then maybe some talents? You'd think some people would end up being named the same thing then. Ah, we have that problem here too though, I've met a few Vladimirs before. Humans are uncreative with their names, honestly, although I do like mine."

--

"Better out than in," he chuckled.

He brought her down a new corridor. They passed what looked like a garage filled with large tanks. There wasn't any large door that would take them outside, however.

"We use devices to get around," he paused at the doorway so she could see inside. "The outside of the stronghold sits in the Void itself. Leaving would mean instant death for any of us. We're on a small rock floating along, in a sense. It takes some getting used to. There are access places, of course... roads of a sort that we use to travel to and fro. You'd need to be able to jump into shadows or else create a doorway on your own. Maybe, someday, if you decide to stick with us, you'll be able to as well. It can be done without the use of a daemon, if you have the right sigils on your body."

"Makes it seem that that's my only option for leaving then, and it's not like I'm going to mooch an education off of you for nothing in return. I haven't made a decision yet though." Yuna admitted, although she probably wasn't even expected to make one yet. This was all so mysterious, it all had to do with gods and spirits, living underground, and things she shouldn't be exposed to. It was fun though, being able to meet all these new people, even though Will had technically stolen her.

But hey, what she didn't know didn't hurt her, and Will was considered too friendly for her to change her opinion now. "For spears anyways, you're going to want something small, but sturdy, bats aren't too large, like if you had a gun, you'd need a very small round to do it, which is why our guns fire small needles using air power. Never liked them though."

[Giovenith]

" 'Good diplomat'? Mmm, well if you were moving to somewhere, I suppose such a thing would make sense. Though naturally, I hope you learn the meaning of your true name as well," Willow paused, listening to the second part of Toscha's words. "Sometimes, sometimes not. I know one lady in town named Rarity, that's just another word for, 'not common.' On occasion people combine words, like in the name, 'Fluttershy,' which has flutter, to lightly fly, shy, averse to social interactions, and a play on 'butterfly.' My parents called me Willow because they met in a park with a lot of the trees, or something, I think. Like I said, pretty much anything that isn't embarrassing or demeaning is acceptable. I haven't met anypony yet with the same name as someone else."

For a moment, he thought of something.

"... Two of our princesses have slightly out of the ordinary names. 'Celestia' and 'Luna' mean 'heavenly' and 'moon' respectively, though a normal pony family probably would have just outright called them Heavenly and Moon, or some play on that. But they are not normal ponies, so I suppose the situation differs."

[Primordial Luxa]

"Sometime yes" he said shifting his weight slightly as his face slid into a less philosophical state. "However other sensory stimuli have conditioned me so its like thick water."

"Coffee and a kilo of cocaine? That always cheers Minerva up."

Naomi secretly thought the Luxans could use a "reality check" (which is a metaphor for drying out for a week before hitting the good stuff again, because longing only adds to the rush.)

Aegis smiled and his masked whirred to reflect it "That sound nice." He said only now Naomi's intentions begin to dawn on him. Truth be told his mind was in a different place worrying about a variety of people and things currently happening under his watch. However Naomi's suggestion snapped him out of his tunnel vision haze and back to the present, a place he hated to dwell too much on.

[Cerillium]

Klaus had responded to Sigtrygg's initial question with a very basic answer. "I'm an avatar of my pantheon's only god of War. All our gods wage war. The strongest warriors come to me. I know the Aesir. They are mighty indeed."

He'd gone on to explain the gods in his pantheon, giving the names they were known by in this current time: Plague, War, Plotter, Lust and the (seldom see) Malice.

"There are four, and five if you count the one god that keeps to himself. Those first four I mentioned broke off pieces of themselves and sent them out into the world. These pieces are known as avatars. I am such an avatar. Over time, we took on their own thoughts and personalities. We are still gods in a fashion but we have our own agendas and don't return to the beings we came from. I first settled in what is now Germany. This is why I'm known as the Teutonic War God."

He smiled at Sigtrygg as he ate. "You know, you would have made a good follower. I won't recruit you however. I have great respect for Thor and Odin. You belong to them and with them you should remain."

Tieria, near the coffee machine, began screaming and running around. Klaus raised an eyebrow.

It was at that moment that two men in Nazi uniforms ran in with buckets of milk. They doused Tieria with them - the milk kept pouring out. Gallons upon gallons as if spewed from an open fire hydrant. It soaked the man and the floor around him.

"Look sharp," Klaus advised the viking. He stepped onto the seat of his chair as the milk washed across the floor and lapped the toes of the godling and Krute and sloshed over the lamia's tail.

And still the milk flowed and soaked Tieria. It rolled into the halls and cascaded down the stairs and into the lobby.

"Genug! Stop! Das Feuer geloscht!" he barked at his men. They lowered their buckets and shrugged, sloshing away from the scene.

Klaus shrugged as well. He remained on his perch to keep his boots dry. "Wood for a boat? This is an easy remedy. There's a forest near here. It begins at the other side of the city. There are some mature trees tall enough to provide good planks. You'll need an axe and maybe a horse to draw the trunks out. There's a marina just off the Industrial District with a dry dock. Build the boat there. Or we can find an old, wrecked boat for you to repair? Either way, it'll give you work for your hands. Work keeps hands strong."

"Interesting. Your pantheon seems to embody some of the more negative aspects. Are there other gods, or just those four?" Sigtrygg asked following Klaus's explanation of his pantheon of gods. "So these avatars are like manifestations of the gods on Midgard? That is quite interesting....Were there any avatars of your faith in my home? Or was it just in Germany and other places?"

The recruitment comment brought up memories to Sigtrygg of when he was a child, and religious conflict between a solidified Astaru north and an increasingly Christianized south erupted during his Grandfather's reign. For over a decade, Sweden had splintered following the rebellion of several Lords after the King had converted to the Christian Faith following the visit of a merchant. The viking had been born during this civil war, and had been raised to his firm beliefs in the Norse faith as a result. The viking had been about to mention something about it, but Tieria suddenly screaming and milk being poured out of buckets distracted the viking.

Sigtrygg stood up and onto his seat as well, to avoid getting milk all over his shoes. Milk would definitely not be something nice to have sloshing around his feet all day, and these modern shoes seemed to be so porous compared to those of his own time. They were made of a strange material that he had yet to figure out. And the tops of them let water in so easily! during the rain the night before, his feet had positively been swimming! His own boots were made of much thicker stuff, that shed rain naturally. Sigtrygg did not want to get any milk in these shoes, especially. Who knew what it would do to them.

The screaming man was also quite interesting to the large viking. It seemed like the strange machine had given him something unpleasant. Especially with the tone of the screaming and the running around in circles. Sig made a mental note to never use that strange thing. It must not be a very nice one based on what was happening to the man who had gotten something from it. Did it hate men, or something? It must hate men, because otherwise it would have given that man something like it should have done normally.

And as the cow crashed into Tieria's head with a squeak, Sig rolled his eyes. It seemed these strange men who spoke an odd form of German(to him; German sounded slightly different during his time) were quite odd. First off they had dumped milk everywhere, of all things, and a strange looking cow had fallen from the ceiling onto the man who had been screaming, presumably because of them. This was turning out to be quite the odd day.

The viking's attention turned back to Klaus as the avatar of War began speaking again, and he nodded. "Either would work. Building a boat from scratch would be better left for the summer months though. I may do that next year. But restoring an old dragonboat or any other vessel would be good for this time as winter is approaching. I also do not think I could build a boat from scratch all by myself. Most require many men to work on them until completion. I think restoring the boat will help me relax. But where would we find a dragon boat in need of repair like that?"

The cultists continued to mop up the milk while Klaus gave the boat matter some thought. When he spoke again, it was in Sigtrygg's native tongue.

"Finding a boat is easy. Minerva could assist us by finding one in time that's been damaged or abandoned. There are so many things to consider when doing that. They study the boat's impact on the future, for example. Does the wrecked boat inspire a young woman who would one day give birth to a future king? It's dangerous to pluck things out of time without thought. We might steal one from a museum but the wood would all need to be replaced and it would be theft. I'm not fond of theft."

His finger tapped his jaw as he submerged into his thoughts once more. There was a right way to go about things. There was a wrong way. And then there was the best way.

"We'll buy one."

A smile creased the lines of his face. "Yes. Best way to do it. There's a place of keeping in what is now Roskilde, Denmark. They have five boats on display that were found at Skuldelev. Those ships were sunk to protect the harbor. But, my dear companion, this museum also has a boatyard and they build these beautiful boats by hand in the traditional ways. One of these would do well for you. It would be basic and rough. Your hands could complete the work to your satisfaction right here in Bielefeld."

His excitement grew. His eyes turned to the ocean outside the window and the small park near the building. (He chose to ignore Hans and Chrys huddled together near the concrete wall.)

"We could build a boatyard there, just beyond the park. It would be covered and heated. We'll buy the tools. We'll send men to harvest the wood. We'll acquire building permits! Building permits are the blessings of the lords of this city. They grant us permission to do our work. Very important, Sigtrygg."

Buying things and using proper channels seemed a stretch from Chaos' usual tactics but Klaus was a methodical being and, having dealt with the city's asinine government prior, he was aware of how touchy they were whenever anyone did something in the way of construction or alterations.

"What do you think? Also, how big? How many men do you want it to carry? There are many types and I'll confess that I'm not knowledgeable in this area. Don't worry about cost. I've been drawing salary for thousands of years and never use it. It's my gift to you, out of respect for your pantheon and the hospitality they've shown me over the ages."

[The Damnatius]

Smoke and sparks, blaring alarms and a consistent shudder, Calvin frenetically tried to regain control of the situation. His car's exterior engulfed in flames and smoke, he could feel it rapidly descending. Of course, his frustrations came to a climax as the tremendous shock of the engine bursting sent the vehicle into a tumble through the air, rapidly encroaching upon the ground. In brief glances, Calvin could see the tops of trees, and the slowly rising foothills of a distant mountain. The loud, screeching sounds had died with the car itself, and he could here it's skeleton rattle ans shake as it violently flipped through the air, a crisp trail of smoke following after him and his trail of metal debris. Far longer a time than what had actually passed seemed to go by, without end. The ground rapidly came upon him, however, and before he knew it, Impact, and he was out cold.

Hours later, he awoke, the subtle creaks as he shifted his position coming from his battered vehicle. Shattered glass had lacerated him in multiple locations, he could feel the broken bones and innumerable bruises, pain cascaded across his body, but his first course of action was to unstrap him self. Once he did, he became aware of his surroundings, his car partially buried into the soil, with a tree lain over it. Smoke rose from the heated ground, and small pieces of fiery debris were scattered around the black earth. He stumbled out of the car, falling to the ground and propping himself against the hot metal. He felt the warmth of blood having flown out his mouth, and the ache of his limbs as he slowly shifted. He coughed a couple times, bodily fluids in each painful hack. In spite of this, he reached into his pockets, grabbing the crushed package of smokes, opening it to grab one of the few intact sticks, holding it's end over the flames where the rear of his car once was, then putting it to his mouth and taking a series of drags. He slumped his shoulders, and blew the smoke out his nose. Inspecting himself, only one thing came to his mind in times like these;

"Well, shit..."


(I'll let some time pass before he gets to the building. Doing a bit of studying on the RP >:D)

[Tiltjuice]

"Mother doesn't know about my other partner.", Katya quickly, and bluntly, replied. "She'd disown me if she did. I think it's best that she never find out, either, for everyone."

God, just the thought of her mother finding out sent shivers down her spine, moreso than the cold outside. The phone call, the yelling, and then the eventual visit! Hell no. She wasn't going to let that happen.

Her eye flickered, for a moment, to Dora. "Don't you agree? Mother shouldn't know."
Her voice was a tad note serious than usual, hinting to Dora. The fact of the two's relationship was, to Katya, still relatively unknown, and she felt that it should stay that way. She didn't want attention in that area.

Dora nodded, and then relaxed her grip on her teacup again. MB, who knew nothing of Mrs Dimitrov, looked faintly curious. It was hard to tell on a rabbit's face; but the way his ears were swiveling gave it away.

"Though, if it came right down to it, I wonder if she'd take sides between Yoshi and me. He put you in the family way without adding a ring on top of that, and I'm female. What do you think, Katya?" Dora drawled lazily. In the knowledge that she could probably outmaneuver or out-stoic Mrs Dimitrov, she didn't really take the possibility as seriously as her partner. Besides, as Katya had said, poor Yoshi would probably attract most of the attention by dint of Katya wanting to keep Dora sub rosa.

MB, ever the mischief-maker, immediately perked both his ears up and began plotting. His whiskers twitched with excitement.

[Torsiedelle]

"Well...", Katya leaned back in thought. Her eyes narrowed in concentration, and a few strands of blonde hair fell over her eyes. Her body shifted awkwardly in her seat, leaning a little closer to Dora.

"Weeeellllll", She strained. "Hard to tell. I mean, Yoshi DID get me pregnant, and we're not married.....but you ARE a woman....but I think mother would still choose Yoshi....? I honestly don't know. She'd flip the hell out either way, really."

A little clueless, but she honstly couldn't say much more. She didn't think about how bad things would be....just getting yelled at. Her mother scared her no matter what.

....

The sweet air of the kitchen drew Tora in, and the girl was relieved to see one or two familiar faces. She kicked off her boots at the door, so that she could enjoy the cool feeling of the tiles on the floor as she walked across.

Maybe she would just get some tea. She could use a quick drink and rest, and she could see who was around for a while.

[The BranRiech]

" 'Good diplomat'? Mmm, well if you were moving to somewhere, I suppose such a thing would make sense. Though naturally, I hope you learn the meaning of your true name as well," Willow paused, listening to the second part of Toscha's words. "Sometimes, sometimes not. I know one lady in town named Rarity, that's just another word for, 'not common.' On occasion people combine words, like in the name, 'Fluttershy,' which has flutter, to lightly fly, shy, averse to social interactions, and a play on 'butterfly.' My parents called me Willow because they met in a park with a lot of the trees, or something, I think. Like I said, pretty much anything that isn't embarrassing or demeaning is acceptable. I haven't met anypony yet with the same name as someone else."

For a moment, he thought of something.

"... Two of our princesses have slightly out of the ordinary names. 'Celestia' and 'Luna' mean 'heavenly' and 'moon' respectively, though a normal pony family probably would have just outright called them Heavenly and Moon, or some play on that. But they are not normal ponies, so I suppose the situation differs."

"Yeah, heh. I thought I'd end up having to settle a dispute with you and that Human girl." Toscha laughed, exposing his razor-sharp fangs while he did. They'd normally look quite menacing under normal circumstances, but they genuinely looked quite comical when he was laughing. Although there was no one to make fun of him for them . . . Humans were usually too scared to, and other Lamias looked just as dopey when they laughed, so no one could really judge.

"So names seem a lot less lax than they do here, cool, Willow. Lamias are named somewhat (?) similar." He rasied his voice, as it was quite a stretch. "Parents name their children after, well, from my clan, the first thing the mother lays her eyes upon after looking into nature. I don't know that yet, but I know my last name at least., and I know it sounds cheesy." He chuckled, stopping his cheerful laughter. "Otherwise, I just go by Toscha. It gives me a human name, something valuable here."

[Erucia]

The building was white and clean, sleek six story complex with the words "Eldritch Medical" in giant blue plastic letters affixed to the side. A far cry from what could be expected of the Raptors usual gritty patched together style. Only two cars sat outside along the curb, a worn brown sedan, and a red Volkswagen bug with the paint peeling away. Along the roof a murder of mechanical crows sat, similar to the ones back at the Von Eldritch house. Their red eyes watching, observing, recording for their unknown masters.

In the file it recorded only two employees on site (Doris Perry the receptionist and Dr. Richard Cutter the on-site surgeon), both completely human. The file also contained a schedule of tours of the factory intended for investors (one of which started in ten minutes), and a decrypted layout of the place. The blueprint was vague with only details of the surface level, it seemed to go down for a mile into the earth but only fifty stories down the info ran out, and crude handwriting made guesses of what lied deeper. The top floors were labeled as show rooms, clinics, offices and reception areas. However the first ten floors below were labeled "organ manufacturing," the next twenty "cybernetics manufacturing," and the twenty below that was "robotics and equipment manufacturing." Everything below that point was unclear a handwritten note suggested a nuclear reactor somewhere there and another handwritten label suggested that there was "R&D Labs" and "Testing areas." The truth was that Fortu had outsmarted them there by encrypting the layout more securely than they knew. After all he used to be their computer security guy.

The security of the place detailed only mentioned "Nursebots," "Automated Laser and Ballistic Defenses," "Complete Sterilization," "Emergency Incineration Vents," and "Mashy Spike Plates" without actually going into detail as everything about them was either encrypted or missing.

Now for the last part of the file relevant to the current situation. The profile of the recipient of the envelope that had an outdated picture.

Name: Dr. Martin Fortu
(Image)
Species: Cybernetic Construct (and former Raptor)
Special Abilities (if any): Hacking, Medical Training, MacGyvering, Resistant to Elemental and Environmental Damage, Can survive without air, Immune to toxins and poisons
Weaknesses: Easily intimidated, Pacifistic (w/ the exception of self defence), Paranoid, Vulnerable to Balistic damage and mental attacks
Background: Fortu started off as a clone of Neil's. In his first day of life, he had his head cut off by a neighbor just because he walked by sipping a soda. The next few months were spent hanging from a wall, as just a head until Neil came and got him back. He was given internet access and a life support collar and stuck in Neil's fridge. During that time he learned to hack security systems and secure databases. Eventually, once Neil was taken away to Lunar Max, Fortu had to step up and created his own body that looked human. He became a computer programmer and worked to keep his place in the apartment. Eventually, he broke Gretta out and had to keep her comforted as she worked to reanimate Neil. After that he was hired by Monique to do a freelance hack to destroy a rival corporation. Fortu soon panicked and went to talk to a girl he had a crush on (she turned out to be a Drone that kidnapped him and reduced him to an AI and forced him to work for them). Eventually he was fired from making cyborgs for the Drones because his were too difficult to control, he was dumped back on Earth. He then designed another humanoid body so he wouldn't have to live out his life as an AI. After that he helped Monique hide while in a time of need and soon fell in love with her. Because of his relationship and choice of a humanoid body he is antagonized by a couple of the other clones of Neil (i.e. us). Later he realized that he was skilled at creating cybernetics and decided to focus on that instead of hacking. Fortu has a more well defined moral compass and is determined to stay on the good side and not succumb to insanity (a common affliction among raptor minds).
Additional Notes: Lawfully Good....but close to going crazy. Approach with caution in the least threatening manner possible.

The file turned out to be an interesting read-over for Ray, who began to scratch his head at some of the instances of rather silly-sounding examples listed on the paper. But of course, because this was the raptorverse, everything had to be treated as a combination of serious, threatening and 100% realistic. Well, 'realistic' was perhaps too far of a stretch. The better term was soon decided as 'real'.

But upon finishing the paper, Ray had to couple the given information together with what his task was: finding Dr. Martin Fortu. While the Eldritch Medical Facility wasn't guaranteed to hold any information, it certainly would be understood as a clear shot of attaining even barebones intelligence on where Fortu actually was. But there were two difficult parts that coupled together in this quest: finding out where to look, and not being subjected to the security systems of the facility.

Knowing that this was ripe in raptortech, all of the threats that had been listed were easily imagined as deadly and/or mutilating. Sterilization, Mushy-Pits, Incinerators and Nursebots all sounded equally horrible in the furry's mind, so avoiding them might be best. Of course, sneaking inside of the facility would prove to be difficult in itself since Ray had no clue where to start searching.

However, having glanced over the available facility tour for investors, Ray decided that the safest way to try and play it would be to enter the facility and try to join with the tour group. If he could cast himself off as a potential investor (considering his wealth and minor corporate status), then he could get a better look at the interior of the facility that would either confirm, add to or in-general better the current knowledge. After all, it was rather crude at best. And besides: trying to sneak inside with those crows watching probably would be a bad idea. Seeing as they were mechanical, they very well could be security measures, but their extent was unsure. But it was safe to assume that security both inside and outside the facility was tight. The best method HAD to be going inside with the group, even if the tour was limited.

.45 caliber Operator en-tow within his holster, Ray exited the vehicle and began to walk towards the front entrance of the facility. Hoping that he wouldn't be outright killed for stepping onto the property, he walked as normally as possible towards the front entrance where he hoped to join with the tour group when it began.