Personification Life IC IX - [Semi Open]

[Torsiedelle]

At the mention of the park, Kale's face beamed with excitement. "The park? There's a park here?!" she said, "YAY! Let's go to the park!" She dashed off ahead of the two, only to stop a few feet ahead. She turned back to then, red in the face. "Ummmm..... where's the park?" she said in an embarrassed tone.

"Oh, right!", Torii remembered that Kale was still new to the city. "The park...I've only been a few times, but I think it's to the north? It's a good walk from the building, but I'm sure we'll make it. I just gotta be back by five thirty, for a dinner. Is that cool with you guys?"

......

Katya had thought it over several times, and came to a decision.

She rubbed her forehead. It wasn't easy, but she believed it to be the best. "If Miss Minerva is willing, I'd like the child to be placed in her care. I am, frankly, unfit for the duty, and being young, I don't think it would be good for me. I can't let it go, however. I must still play....some part in this. I'll do it, okay? That's my decision, and I'm sticking to it."

[The BranRiech]

KCH-CLUNK!

Rylli's photo was the most pleasant of the ones Willow had taken so far, all wholesome and sweet. Not being all too privy to things military, he didn't find her jacket off-putting and slightly wondered why she would have asked if it had been okay.

"So your form said you were like, a Wonderbolt or something?" Willow asked, making small talk as he inspected the photo for any flaws. He was sure that probably wasn't the term for this place, but it was the only way he really knew how to refer a flying expert.

"Wonderbolt?" Was Rylli's first and only question as she got up, shaking her hair back into it's usual style as she did. Standing there, she realized she was still in front of the camera, and she quickly moved aside, moving back to where she came in only minutes ago. Her smile was questioning though, and she waited for an answer. "I flew planes, fighter jets to be exact." She nodded, remembering how she first got to the apartment, being the last time she had ever flown her jet, in her defection from the Branriech.

--

"Going to the park sounds cool."

Toscha shrugged. He didn't have any stakes in this, so wherever they went didn't matter to him, though he didn't know where the park was at all. He was quite relieved when Torii revealed her knowledge, and halted himself mid-slither, letting her take the lead as he fell in next to Kale.

[Torsiedelle]

"Excellent! Follow me, then!", Torii beckoned. First thing first, they had to find the direction. Lucky for them, they may not have had a compass, but, being in a city, they certainly had internet! Torii whipped out her phone and checked a local map for guidance. With navigation out of the way, and the quickest route known, the three teens set off. Being a fast bunch, it didn't take them much time to cover a portion of the trip, either, but it would be tiring if they kept on...

"So, they have a statue of a Giraffe. I think it was for Gio, which was sweet. There are others, of different people we know. Like I said, I didn't want one, but the idea was flattering. I want to see someone else, though. After that, we can play a game. Maybe hide and seek? I wouldn't mind checking out some of the woods around it, and the lake again. If only I had a fishing pole..."

[Giovenith]

"Geometric puzzle!" Pippa-Michelle answered happily, it being the closest thing she had to Giovenith's name in her system. Like a child or relaxed pet, she plopped herself down on the floor and sat there, taking in the whole of the room.

The fleshies were cooking. She tried to cook once. She was told she did a bad job.

"Geometric puzzle, Pretzels, Squirt gun!" the golem chanted happily, clapping her hands as she had happy thoughts about her creator, Willow, and Turtleboss, her favorite fleshies and critter. Surely these fleshies understood that, fleshies knew everything.

"Geometric... puzzle." He looked around from side to side and tried to think it over. She seemed to have the intelligence of a child... and then something crossed his mind. Sure, Saren was less than a year old and could still get the point across better than the paper golem, but his odd methods of thinking might let him comprehend what she was saying. He looked down at the shaking foal and kissed his forehead to calm him down. "Saren, tell you what... Papa will buy you a new hat... If you can figure out who she's talking about."

Saren's terrified frown quickly turned into an enthusiastic grin. And it quickly returned to a frown as he hadn't a clue what geometry even meant.

Eventually, Sherril placed a bowl in front of her twin and yawned loudly, stumbling away. "Bump your head against the door and I'll hear you eventually... I'm gonna hit the hay before I drop dead from sleep exhausting."

Recognizing that Cerril was referring to interaction between her and the littlest fleshie, the golem immediately made it's way over to the tiny foal. Her head tilted this way and that in observation of Saren, taking note that he was a similar shape as Pretzels, though not recognizing that this meant anything. He was small, that must have made him a child. Pippa-Michelle had many pictures involving children inside of her, and she selected one accordingly.

"Do you know the muffin man?" asked the foal cheerfully, "Who lives on wonder what you are. Up above the sat on a tuffet, eating black sheep E I E I O..." Pippa-Michelle couldn't actually "sing" per say, as much as she could slur her voice more-so at times than others, in an affect that almost resembled what an electronic toy's voice box malfunctioning after being doused in water would sound like, though without the drastic and frightening pitch changes.

KCH-CLUNK!

Rylli's photo was the most pleasant of the ones Willow had taken so far, all wholesome and sweet. Not being all too privy to things military, he didn't find her jacket off-putting and slightly wondered why she would have asked if it had been okay.

"So your form said you were like, a Wonderbolt or something?" Willow asked, making small talk as he inspected the photo for any flaws. He was sure that probably wasn't the term for this place, but it was the only way he really knew how to refer a flying expert.

"Wonderbolt?" Was Rylli's first and only question as she got up, shaking her hair back into it's usual style as she did. Standing there, she realized she was still in front of the camera, and she quickly moved aside, moving back to where she came in only minutes ago. Her smile was questioning though, and she waited for an answer. "I flew planes, fighter jets to be exact." She nodded, remembering how she first got to the apartment, being the last time she had ever flown her jet, in her defection from the Branriech.

"Aerial experts from my own country," the pony cleared, waving the photo in the air to dry it sooner and following Rylli to pack it away into the folder. "Mostly acrobatics, but double as an air force as well. I don't mean to sound clueless or ignorant, but I find it a little hard to imagine that one could fully enjoy flying without actually having wings. How do you have a full experience?"

For a creature that was born with wings and literally raised in the clouds, it was difficult to conceive "real" flight being achieved through, as Giovenith had described long ago, machinery. Not that Willow doubted the veracity of the ability, but to many pegasi, flight was more than the simple act of flapping one's back limbs in order to propel into the air--it was feeling the air, learning the spotting techniques, turning tuck/fold into instinct, and knowing the clouds trust you. It was going through all the scratches and scrapes of trial and error, learning what made you reckless and what made you weak, and there was no backing out of it. You were born with the damn wings, you were going to learn how to use them and use them properly, no matter how much you want to cry, race ahead, or stay plotted right where you were. It had it's ups and downs, but he couldn't see how what he assumed was pressing a button could ever recreate all that.

Meanwhile, aside from those thoughts, Willow also took to cleaning up the props the raptors left behind. No need to leave the place in disarray.

[TotallyNotEvilLand]

Recognizing that Cerril was referring to interaction between her and the littlest fleshie, the golem immediately made it's way over to the tiny foal. Her head tilted this way and that in observation of Saren, taking note that he was a similar shape as Pretzels, though not recognizing that this meant anything. He was small, that must have made him a child. Pippa-Michelle had many pictures involving children inside of her, and she selected one accordingly.

"Do you know the muffin man?" asked the foal cheerfully, "Who lives on wonder what you are. Up above the sat on a tuffet, eating black sheep E I E I O..." Pippa-Michelle couldn't actually "sing" per say, as much as she could slur her voice more-so at times than others, in an affect that almost resembled what an electronic toy's voice box malfunctioning after being doused in water would sound like, though without the drastic and frightening pitch changes.

Cerril set about eating the rather lukewarm soup, giving Saren enough time to blather on at Pippa-Michelle for a few minutes.

The foal widened his eyes curiously at her attempt at singing. Of course, to someone who was used to either Tinellian nursery rhymes, military chants outside, or Tinellian pop (The worst possible genre), the paper golem's singing was delightfully new. He clapped his hooves together and applauded, grinning widely. "More singing!" He yelled out, looking absolutely enthralled. She was weird, but... she was cool! And human. That made her interesting by default.

[The BranRiech]

"Aerial experts from my own country," the pony cleared, waving the photo in the air to dry it sooner and following Rylli to pack it away into the folder. "Mostly acrobatics, but double as an air force as well. I don't mean to sound clueless or ignorant, but I find it a little hard to imagine that one could fully enjoy flying without actually having wings. How do you have a full experience?"

For a creature that was born with wings and literally raised in the clouds, it was difficult to conceive "real" flight being achieved through, as Giovenith had described long ago, machinery. Not that Willow doubted the veracity of the ability, but to many pegasi, flight was more than the simple act of flapping one's back limbs in order to propel into the air--it was feeling the air, learning the spotting techniques, turning tuck/fold into instinct, and knowing the clouds trust you. It was going through all the scratches and scrapes of trial and error, learning what made you reckless and what made you weak, and there was no backing out of it. You were born with the damn wings, you were going to learn how to use them and use them properly, no matter how much you want to cry, race ahead, or stay plotted right where you were. It had it's ups and downs, but he couldn't see how what he assumed was pressing a button could ever recreate all that.

Meanwhile, aside from those thoughts, Willow also took to cleaning up the props the raptors left behind. No need to leave the place in disarray.

"I guess there is no full experience for us, but it's the closest. Flying a fighter is the closest we can get to real flying." Rylli nodded as she stood, leaning against the wall as she pulled her phone out, searching through her pictures until she settled on one of them. There was a fighter jet sitting on the tarmac, with a younger-looking Rylli standing in front of it, looking quite proud of herself. She was wearing the same jacket that she was wearing currently, and she was holding a flight-helmet in her arms. "That was . . . Oh, back when I was 16, so about 9 years ago?" She explained, flipping to another picture, taken from the ground as several of the same planes flew in formation. "Oh, and I must say, thank you for taking the time to take my picture."

[Tiltjuice]

Katya had thought it over several times, and came to a decision.

She rubbed her forehead. It wasn't easy, but she believed it to be the best. "If Miss Minerva is willing, I'd like the child to be placed in her care. I am, frankly, unfit for the duty, and being young, I don't think it would be good for me. I can't let it go, however. I must still play....some part in this. I'll do it, okay? That's my decision, and I'm sticking to it."

Dora stayed quiet, merely giving a nod of acceptance and clasping Katya's hand. "Good enough for now. We'll work everything out later."

The daemonette dipped her head. "I will consider that as you wishing to birth the child, and discuss with Minerva later; so I will merely numb the pain somewhat. Please, lie back on the bed."

[Giovenith]

"So you been to the market, And the meat looks good tonight, And the ladies in waiting, LAST FRIDAY NIGHT! Yeah we danced on bad romance, did you bring your baby here? Babies don't watch this! Take that thing outside and sky is falling down, what does the fox say SO FLY WITH ME! Baby, baby, ohhh I WANT MY INNOCENCE BACK!! Blood is call me maybe human or are we dancer, God is the one who gave you the cancer. The lovers, the dreamers, and me."

Pippa-Michelle spouted the series of choppy song lyrics of varying degrees of genre, relation, and rating. She couldn't differentiate between what were "kid songs" and what weren't, only that lyrics tended to be written in a certain fashion, and she looked for those as the fleshie commanded. Being the mess of paper mache she was, not everything was in complete order, leading to all the rampant discontinuity.

"Shoo bop, bop," finished the living Barbie creature, holding out a hand to the small foal.

--

"It isn't a problem at all, I should be thanking you," Willow kindly dismissed, smiling and draping a few strewn clothing pieces over his forearm. "These kind of independent projects are normally so hard to get started, you know? Ah, that's just the business though." He waved a hoof dismissively while landing on the floor, then swept it down to scoop up the prop typewriter. "Regardless of the nature of the experience, I hope you fly good and high soon another day. Oh, and once the finished painting is complete, it will be delivered the best I can give it, as well as it being featured in the art pamphlet. So look forward to that."

There was still more work. Three shoots were down, and three left to go, he was half-way there. But for now, Willow figured it'd probably be a good time to get started on the actual painting so he wouldn't feel swamped. Little by little at a time, after all. Realism wasn't a problem, abstract was his forte (though he tended to take time with it, so it might be best saved for later), but expressionism wasn't a strong suit (which he admitted was odd, but he probably just had trouble separating the physical and the "out there" in his head). Giovenith was out, he'd have to wait for her to return home to request her help.

The pegasus chewed on these thoughts with an ear flick and made a mental list:

3 more models (surrealism, impressionism, abstraction)
Get painting
Ask Giovenith

"I think I'll be closing up shop for the day, soon."

[Monfrox]

"What's a rainbow?" Sinyaya asked, ignorant to the joyous display of the color spectrum in the sky that happened when it rained and the sky cleared. The sky never cleared in the Zone. It was always a dull grey overcast, and sucked the majority of the happiness out of the landscape, if the landscape had any to begin with that is.

---

Cinnamon and Flint thanked Willow for the opportunity to be of service. After Cinnamon left, Flint offered the pony a magazine of Military Grade ammunition as payment, or as a tip, whichever way he took it.

[TotallyNotEvilLand]

"So you been to the market, And the meat looks good tonight, And the ladies in waiting, LAST FRIDAY NIGHT! Yeah we danced on bad romance, did you bring your baby here? Babies don't watch this! Take that thing outside and sky is falling down, what does the fox say SO FLY WITH ME! Baby, baby, ohhh I WANT MY INNOCENCE BACK!! Blood is call me maybe human or are we dancer, God is the one who gave you the cancer. The lovers, the dreamers, and me."

Pippa-Michelle spouted the series of choppy song lyrics of varying degrees of genre, relation, and rating. She couldn't differentiate between what were "kid songs" and what weren't, only that lyrics tended to be written in a certain fashion, and she looked for those as the fleshie commanded. Being the mess of paper mache she was, not everything was in complete order, leading to all the rampant discontinuity.

"Shoo bop, bop," finished the living Barbie creature, holding out a hand to the small foal.

Saren watched her sing, absolutely awe-struck by her 'performance'. When she was done, he applauded excitedly, slapping his hooves together and yelling out several 'yays'. Then he saw her hand... He looked up at Cerril for guidance, and, not getting any within two seconds, immediately went for the next best thing. He playfully smacked his hoof against her hand, grinning excitedly.

[Germanic Templars]

"Well not all animals have bans on them. Just most of them do. Livestock and non-exotic creatures or household domesticated creatures can be tested on. Same with criminals, though not to sure about the laws here in this town, possibly not on criminals. Yeah, would agree so after certain incidents." Sapphire explained to her little fur-less friend. "Tell me this, why do you like to eat glass so much? I mean, doesn't that stuff hurt your guns and/or digestive tract?"

MB shook his ears at her, comically. Mad alchemist did something. I was possibly infused with blood of French, like man who eats everything. Glass is metal is carrots is food. He paused. MB not household domestimacated creature?

"Rabbits can be, but your case is complicated because you are not just a "bunny" you are one with different properties...Okay, I can't explain why..May I ask, how old are you?" Sapphire asked; her curiosity was beginning to eat at her when her furless little friend mentioned a mad alchemist.

---

"Let's just get a nice burger or something."

Natiya nodded at the food court, likening it to those strange places in malls. They weren't like the traditional food court, and looked more like a trendy company break room, simply with different restaurants. She wanted something simple after their battle, and was nearly starving as her stomach was growling, letting her know it desired food.

"Alright we'll see the food they got and go from there." Aleki remarked as he looked up at the menu.

And so to move the story along, because from here is where we begin to go from an infant crawl to a zombie crawl with nothing but small chatter and one liner (most likely), we fast forward our heroes to the point after eating where they are sitting around for a moment. And.....Play.

Khro, looking up from her empty plate at the couple suggested them an idea, "Say, with only four hours to go til your suit is done, Natiya, do you two want to come to my place? I have a spare bedroom to where you two can nap and wash up before having to get your suit."

[Tiltjuice]

MB shook his ears at her, comically. Mad alchemist did something. I was possibly infused with blood of French, like man who eats everything. Glass is metal is carrots is food. He paused. MB not household domestimacated creature?

"Rabbits can be, but your case is complicated because you are not just a "bunny" you are one with different properties...Okay, I can't explain why..May I ask, how old are you?" Sapphire asked; her curiosity was beginning to eat at her when her furless little friend mentioned a mad alchemist.

Three years! MB preened. Alchemicisicizeded when one year. Not know what changes exactly, though. Other than eating glass. And this many color ear thing. You like?

He twirled his ears around in circles like a kid waving sparklers.

[The Carlisle]

Kale wandered about, her eyes gazing about at everything in wonder. The park was so nice! The trees, the flowers, the grass. She ran around a bit before plopping on the ground, looking upwards to the sky. The sky was clear blue, with some clouds scattered about. She sighed with relief. To be near the trees, to feel the soft grass underneath, to gaze up at the lovely sky, was one of the most relaxing things. She turned her head to Torii and Toscha. "Come, sit with me," Kale said calmly. She had a very relaxed look on her face.

[The BranRiech]

Natiya, freshly out of an entire week's worth of shit to do, swimming, seeing the sights, traveling through space, and getting in a large and deadly firefight, wanted nothing more at this point than her suit, but then again, she also wanted to sleep as well, so since she had time to kill before then, sleeping was the next best option. "Well, I wouldn't mind a rest and a shower." She noted, running a finger over her current articles of clothing, drawing a fair bit of dust from the surface of the fabric, mostly from the firefight she assumed.

"Yeah, that's actually be awesome, Aleki, want to head out there?"

--

Having realized on the way that there wouldn't really be anything to do at the park, Toscha had started to dread heading down there with his friends. They'd end up doing something and leaving him behind or something like girls tended to do with him recently. However he forced himself to press onwards, and was actually kind of surprised when Kale had asked them to sit with her. Approaching behind the bench, he quickly slithered up to the front, sitting himself down on the bench, leaving more than half of his tail to awkwardly sit there, so he did the only thing he could, coiled it up underneath him, giving him the sensation of having a nice footrest, well, sort of, if he had feet.

"Kale, you look tired, yeah?"

[Torsiedelle]

Katya had thought it over several times, and came to a decision.

She rubbed her forehead. It wasn't easy, but she believed it to be the best. "If Miss Minerva is willing, I'd like the child to be placed in her care. I am, frankly, unfit for the duty, and being young, I don't think it would be good for me. I can't let it go, however. I must still play....some part in this. I'll do it, okay? That's my decision, and I'm sticking to it."

Dora stayed quiet, merely giving a nod of acceptance and clasping Katya's hand. "Good enough for now. We'll work everything out later."

The daemonette dipped her head. "I will consider that as you wishing to birth the child, and discuss with Minerva later; so I will merely numb the pain somewhat. Please, lie back on the bed."

"Yea, yea okay...right!"

Katya laid back and allowed her head to rest on the bed. It was all surreal, everything that was happening. The intense pain, the heat, everyone prodding and looking at her, and especially the realization that she was having a child...in a clinic, no less. She hated clinics. They somehow amplified every uncomfortable feeling she had. With shallow, but regular breaths, she kept speaking lowly, comforting herself. "So this is why my mom hates kids, isn't it? I can see why. What do you think, Dora? You don't seem to be the kind of person who'd enjoy such a thing, either, but maybe my judgement is just foggy because of the pain and everything, I don't know. I'm never doing this again. I'm going on the pill the next time I get with someone, I don't care."

....

Torii said nothing at first. She didn't really need to, since Kale and Toscha already knew what was up. They were both nature loving people, if she remembered correctly, especially Kale. Torii was similar, since she grew up around woods and fields. She remembered waking up early and putting on her boots, hopping into the rusty old pickup truck with her dad on special occasions when they could hang out, grabbing her fishing pole and rifle so that they could both hunt and fish. She'd spend her day running through the woods, examining plants, and playing with strange bugs and animals, and she felt at ease in nature. She also remembered the times when they'd get their big tent and go camping at her favorite place, a stretch of land a little ways south of her Dad's place, where the grass and trees were all green, all year round, and the flowers bloomed brilliantly, and even storms wouldn't leave the place messed up or muddy....

She imagined that the park wouldn't be nearly as well off, but it reminded her enough of the place to make her feel that the long walk was worth it. She laid down in the grass on Kale's other side, put her arms behind her head, and inhaled the scent of the grass around them. "This is maybe...my third or fourth time being here. Somehow, it seems like my first time. This place is different, in a good way, don't you think?"

[The Carlisle]

"Not tired. Well, I could take a nap right now. It just feels so nice laying down here," she said. It had been a while since she had been near nature like this. In fact, she hadn't been to something like this since she arrived here. It felt new and refreshing. Kale turned her head to Torii, a chill smile. "It's your first time coming here with us," she said with a giggle, "Yea, but I feel the same. It feels refreshing coming here."

[Cerillium]

"I am Klaus and nothing trods along this path without coming under my scrutiny. You are safe here, Mab. You're standing outside our door. Come."

The shadows elongated into prying fingers that crept across the floor. They touched her own thin silhouette cast upon the decrepit parquet under their feet. The darkness consumed her shadow and enfolded her physical body in its embrace. Mab dropped through the floor.

Perhaps it was her fatigue or perhaps it was his dark magic that was, in part, hallucinatory in nature, but it almost seemed as if the inky nothingness surrounding her was comprised of unseen black feathers and the embodiment of mournful thrush warbles. (Looks were always deceiving and War's nature equally as deceptive; danger wore a mantle of jeweled butterfly wings while hope was the screeching laughter of a madman.) War never partook in the grotesque antics of the world. It preferred its own flavor of neurosis and this particular embodiment of that twisted god embraced looking glass nonsense and riddles rather than heavy-handed displays of power. And so it was that Mab would find herself everywhere and nowhere at all, and all the while gently cradled as she fell.

A black sphere appeared in the middle of the grand hall below. It shimmered and then burst into hundreds of crows which peeled outward to reveal the woman in their midst. The birds supported her until she regained her feet, and then they heralded her arrival with raw tongues and loud cries as they flew away from her and passed beyond sight into the darkness.

Klaus was already present although it was difficult to determine if he had arrived long before her or simply winked into being at that exact moment just because she believed he would be there. Either way, he was seated once again in his chair and, much as he had with the group that had been here previously, he was leaning forward to give her his full attention.

"Now we are safe. They're bringing food and drink for you - something more substantial than twinkies - and I promise that you'll have at least one night's rest in a soft, clean bed. You may speak freely here. These are dark days and none of us have time for veiled words. I trust you because you are not Nifid or Drone. You must trust me for the same reasons."



"How do you plan to send them back?" Klaus poured more wine into Mab's glass before adding some to Naomi's. "And where do you want them to turn up? Have you already chosen the group?"

Her words caught him by surprise however, and his brow furrowed. "What do you mean by "she's mortal"? I thought your people were impervious to aging and disease."

“Of course, I apologize if I seem… apprehensive,” she said with a grateful nod. She unlaced the straps of her scabbard from the belt loops of her pants and set the weapon down gently upon the table in front of her. The seat offered was a shade of winter blue, comfortable, soft and pliant under her weight. The simple feel of the soft material brought about memories she hadn’t entertained in a long while. Looking up to Klaus, Mab offered a small smile, “And thank you, Klaus, for your hospitality.”

Food and drink was brought moments later and Mab did her best not to jump at the sudden appearance of the tray. She hadn’t even sensed whoever it was that brought it and chalked it to the first effects of being a mortal.

Satisfied that they were alone, Mab picked up the hot cup of tea. Her fingers wrapped around the large brown mug and she took a sip of it with eyes closed, reveling in the sensation of it as though it had been an eternity. In some ways, it really had been. Opening her eyes, her tri-colored grey eyes looked as though she had regained a shade, a glimmer, of her old self back. She held onto the cup, letting the heat radiate through her fingers and up her arms.

“You have weapons,” she said without preamble. “Weapons that could be useful to change outcomes; perhaps not here – that notion has long since passed – but elsewhere. I noticed a group had appeared earlier, but their attempt failed; another group will be sent again to retrieve these items. I am here to help make it so. To do it, I’ll need a place to perform a ritual to get the group here, the sooner the better.”

--//\\--

Mab clasped delicate fingers around the wine glass and sipped it gingerly. A ’53. Rare vintage but most definitely enjoyable to the select palette; Mab herself preferred such wines and smiled in appreciation of it. Her eyes perked up at the questions set before her, the last one especially, as no doubt she had to explain fully how this was going to work.

“By all rights, you would be correct, Naomi,” she said with a small nod. “But my aspect has lost much of her powers, diminished, crippled even. She is but a shade of her former self and she hardly has the strength to challenge the enemy. However, what power she has left will be enough to make this journey possible and she has accepted the price for it. Her immortality, her very being as Winter, was the price. She has taken whatever is left and made herself into a being infused with the power of Winter. Sadly, however, that will fade and Winter will be no more... at least in that reality.

“What she can do in the meantime is what matters. While I am capable of opening a portal to that place, doing so would attract my counterpart thereby interfering with what needs to happen. It is our way: when one moves perforce the other will as well to balance the act. And because I cannot wait to explain things to her, and nor would she accept it even if I swore it upon my power, it would no doubt halt my efforts and likely be seen as an act of war by them.

“But,” Mab smiled then, taking another small sip of the rare wine before continuing, “Nothing says I cannot be summoned. Now, no Queen can summon another and in that place all my kind are gone save Mab. It would take a mortal tied to either court – with sufficient power – to do this. Mortal magic, blood magic. And what better solution than a mortal fae imbued with the power of Winter to do it. My aspect will perform the ritual but whereas I should appear before her the group will in my stead. She will repeat the ritual again once it’s time for the group to return.”

The Winter Queen paused another moment for another sip of her wine, placing the delicate glass upon the table and trailed her fingers down the stem and rested it along the foot of it after it. She tapped it softly, her fingernails making the tiniest of sounds as it clinked against the glass. “The group should be comprised of whomever you think it best to get this task done; my only request is that Dan accompanies this group. I confess however, I am unsure of an ideal place in which my aspect can open a portal, nor a place where the group should enter from without garnering their attention. For this portion of the plan, I would defer to any advice given.”

"Weapons we have, yes, although at the moment not in our possession." The meager light reflected off Klaus' jackboot as he stretched his legs out and crossed his ankles. "The problem isn't getting them. It's in the taking of them. If you want them, you'll need to use them before leaving here. They have a purpose to fulfill, which is why they were taken from us to begin with. As for a location? There are areas that would serve for good use, although some are more suitable to obfuscation than others."

---

[ooc: TG sent]

Xanthe and Blythe stood with baited breath and stared at a cone of light beaming down in the strange vault-room buried under a dune in the Sahara.

--

The only one really giving much thought into anything at all was Sanemi, and her mind dwelt on a possible autumn ball. "We should do it soon," she advised Thriller. "It'll give us something to do. In fact, why don't I send the invitations out today?"

The cellos, which died out for a moment, came back to life with a new tune to them. To this tune, once it got a heavy part, came descending slowly to the music was a winged knight with a long sword on his back with a hilt that represented a balance scale made out of fine gold with a blade made out of the most perfect, shiny steel ever to be forged.

When the tip of the knight's toe touched the ground, all the pillars caved inward towards the center as the lower elevated ground on both sides of the bridge gave way and crumbled into a an endless abyss. Now only two sides and a bridge stood in the room. For after the knight touched ground, the skeletons dissipated into nothing.

Samael stood speechless and impassive to the presence of the knight as if it were to happen. Superbia on the other hand took a defensive stance as he spread his wings out and clenched his fists.

---

"Good idea. I can see if I can put Levi or someone to use. Always good to use valuable resources." Thriller added. The sound of running water stopped as doors to the shower slid open. Thriller came out with a towel around his waste with his feet and hair still wet.

"Who is he?" Xanthe hissed into Samuel's ear. A delicate hand rested on his shoulder as she peered over it to look at the strange knight. She was on unfamiliar grounds. She'd attack, if the knight attacked, or she'd flee into a safe space and leave the others to sort it out.

The cello music had been nice but some angelic thing had come along and ruined it. Blythe's tail lashed once but then she seemed to grow emotionless. She stepped forward to stand beside Superbia. "Does he have what we need?"

---

"Mrs. Barox! That should be our first stop!"

Thriller's towel was liberated from his body but applied to his skull moments later as Sanemi began to dry his hair. "We really should see how she's doing. And then we need to go to market. I want to plan out a meal for the banquet. I can't do that if I don't know what's available locally. Plus I need to get the twins sometime this week. I'm sure they'd be happier here than stuck with Naomi."

"No, it never fades.. never." He said, the last word sounding more reflective, but he followed in his normal, passive cadence, "Why I do as I do is beyond anything other than habit, I have found. I have been told the 'Ilun' sequences trace back to early iterations of the Bio-Drone scouting units, though this is largely speculatory; A more basic reasoning would be that I receive positive stimulus for the more I learn... in the lack thereof, I suffer great mental instability." He said, his tone flatting out to a more somber voice.

"There are many of us; Surely you are aware of the Order XASD-87702, the order that you are to kill me? It is for that reason I am here now." He spoke, with ease pressing forward through the brief moment of seeming bleakness, after all, it was a condition construed through his own means, he would not dwell upon it; This place was far too kind for such thoughts.

"I am not aware of Order XASD-87702," Darius rumbled. "I am not aware of much that occurred before darkness swept the land. Dani activated me after I had long been dormant. She would deactivate me now, perhaps."

It was better to admit it than continue on as if he were in possession of all his wits. This damn creature beside him could trace sequences back through time, counting iterations for each generation, but he - Darius - couldn't clearly state his purpose or even where he'd been assembled. Something created him, surely, in a facility far from here. Some things fade; data is corrupted. Some things are methodically stripped away; data is harvested.

"Yea, yea okay...right!"

Katya laid back and allowed her head to rest on the bed. It was all surreal, everything that was happening. The intense pain, the heat, everyone prodding and looking at her, and especially the realization that she was having a child...in a clinic, no less. She hated clinics. They somehow amplified every uncomfortable feeling she had. With shallow, but regular breaths, she kept speaking lowly, comforting herself. "So this is why my mom hates kids, isn't it? I can see why. What do you think, Dora? You don't seem to be the kind of person who'd enjoy such a thing, either, but maybe my judgement is just foggy because of the pain and everything, I don't know. I'm never doing this again. I'm going on the pill the next time I get with someone, I don't care."

Your mom hates kids because she's selfish. Minerva tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear and leaned against the wall. She chose to remain in the shadows rather than intrude but Katya's statement had nearly caused her to voice her opinion.

The magic of childbirth. It was something that she could never experience. Her mortality had been stripped from her and Klaus' gift of life had robbed her of the ability to carry a fetus. How many had she inadvertently lost over the years? How many unknown lives had flared to existence and been destroyed by her body? She had watched when Rachelle arrived. Minerva was still sequestered at the time, per Perfection's orders, and could not ask to be allowed to comfort the child. She watched as children were born and then sequestered away in their apartments, only seen on occasion. Minerva wanted to be normal, to have normal things, to live a normal life. She wanted to experience Rylli and Naomi's joys and frustrations. The tough as nails battle bitch wanted nothing more than to step away from her duties and obligations and be someone's mommy for a good, long while.

The cultist leader slid down the wall and squatted in the shadows. Her hands pressed against her face to hold back tears, although it was uncertain if they were tears of joy and appreciation over this opportunity or if they were tears of sorrow for Katya as she endured the pain.

[Torsiedelle]

"Not tired. Well, I could take a nap right now. It just feels so nice laying down here," she said. It had been a while since she had been near nature like this. In fact, she hadn't been to something like this since she arrived here. It felt new and refreshing. Kale turned her head to Torii, a chill smile. "It's your first time coming here with us," she said with a giggle, "Yea, but I feel the same. It feels refreshing coming here."

"Yea..."

Torii probably couldn't tell it, but she was blushing. "These two are pretty awesome.", She thought to herself, basking in the sun for a few moments longer. She hadn't been out much lately anyway. She could use a tan, and maybe a little exercise to keep up her muscle. She sat up, then, and inhaled one more time. "Wanna see my statue? I was going to it anyway. I didn't tell you two before, but it was of me and my Girlfriend. She was really cool, you guys might have liked her. She, uh...she moved away last November, though. She was kind of...insane, too."

She wasn't so clingy as she used to be, and she wasn't looking through "rose-tinted lenses" like others said she was. She just missed her friend; Tsu had been the first she ever had, and she was sad that she never got to become friends with the other teens. It was also something of an early birthday present for Torii, coming to the park with her friends, and sharing a part of herself with them. She enjoyed sharing feelings, since it allowed her to vent and get everything sorted out, and it meant that they all bonded a little more. On top of that, it was like a way of looking into the past at herself, for the girl. She was far different from who she used to be before meeting more kids her age, and better for it. She had come to control herself better than she would have if she'd kept on running around in a weak relationship, or so she thought.

Finally, it would be like a goodbye. She felt like she needed to wrap things up before she went back to the apartment. She had a dinner date with Bran, and an internship to talk about.

[Rygondria]

Sir Reginald walked out of the murder room 3f.He was confused why this thing killed a researcher of that particular company. He wonderd about it as he walked to his room he was preparing to go to the pool area because he had just recently called the constables who where currently at the scene and he need to unwind. He walked to the Poll area elephant rifle in hand. He sat down in one of the table areas and started to clean the elephant rifle thinking to himself," I should really swim but i think maintenance of a hunters tools are more important at this time i shall swim when this appointed deed is done". So he continued to clean his rifle while staring at the pool.

[The BranRiech]

"I just haven't been here long enough to see the park yet, haven't had a reason to or anything." Toscha shrugged as he sat there, contemplating the nature around him as he took in the sights and smells, loving the cool breeze on his scales, despite the slight discomfort he felt from it. Looking to Kale and Torii in turn, he nodded at the suggestion to go and check out the statue, and quickly scrambled to a 'standing' position to head out. "It's in the park right? I'd love to see it."

[Giovenith]

"Never mind. Just watch."

Such a simple herald, but then, the oncoming display couldn't have been done justice by any other attempt at serenade. Perhaps it was better, the godling's short brush off acting as the gentle 'hush' as the space around them began to light up from all directions like a celestial theater. Lines of color began to swivel in all around the girls, bleeding into the blackness like watery roots of yellow, blue, green, and brown. It was unclear if they were drawn in closer to the brilliance, or if it was coming at them, but regardless the duo soon found themselves racing through sparkling, darkly colored clouds--or rather, the clouds were racing through them.

"It's okay, we're not really here," Giovenith explained in a calming voice, as if Sinyaya could be frightened by the odd, mesmerizing display. An arm pulled the girl down from above, and pulled her in close embrace. "It's just an image viewed from a good distance, is all. Like live TV. See?"

A pale hand gently came under Sinyaya's and guided it through the sparkling clouds, both hands passing through the display as if it were no more than sunbeam or shadow.

"It's called a nebula, it's where stars are born." Giovenith gently pulled down Sinyaya into a crouch and pointed out all the bright colors and lights. "Normally you wouldn't see one so good, but this place made it alright to watch. It's like how babies come from the hospital."

--

Meanwhile, while Willow was picking up the strewn props and wrapping up polite small talk with Rylli, he doubled backward in the air upon spotting a row of small, shiny rods left on his work space by Flint. What were those? Currency? Art supplies? Slowly, the pony flew over to the row and gently prodded the things, finding them heavy by the sounds they made against the table. The Tartarus? It must have been more human technology, though there were no buttons or prods to be found. Just plain, metal, cylinders, with little cones on top like a castle tower in Canterlot.

--

Speaking of Pippa-Michelle...

The golem felt great joy at all the positive feedback coming from the infant, especially from his return slap. She'd been given good graces and humored before, but never quite to what she realized was the genuine sincerity that Saren held. Saren was a baby, Pippa-Michelle a golem, and thus they shared something in common: Sheer simplicity. The kind of simplicity that waterproofed interactions from patronizing or socially-accepted lies, leaving behind wonder and rawness.

"Baby blue carriages!" she cheered, picking up Saren and hugging him as gently as she possibly could. It was a bold move for a golem to pick up a fleshie without being asked, told, or in an emergency, but she felt it was appropriate.

[The Drone Empire]

"I am not aware of Order XASD-87702," Darius rumbled. "I am not aware of much that occurred before darkness swept the land. Dani activated me after I had long been dormant. She would deactivate me now, perhaps."

It was better to admit it than continue on as if he were in possession of all his wits. This damn creature beside him could trace sequences back through time, counting iterations for each generation, but he - Darius - couldn't clearly state his purpose or even where he'd been assembled. Something created him, surely, in a facility far from here. Some things fade; data is corrupted. Some things are methodically stripped away; data is harvested.

"Perhaps." Ilun said in soft agreement; he was unaware of the relationship between the Dani human and this machine, but he was learning with each passing moment. The silence that followed as the two alien beings walked along was almost absolute, save for the prevailing noises of their movement, each step followed by a series of sounds as parts and devices fulfilled their tasks to complete each step, each sway of the arms, each turn of the head. So far, The exact purpose of this walk was not exactly apparent to Ilun; as interesting as it was, Ilun could not fathom why Darius would find this to be of any true matter, or take any enjoyment from this, especially when his very presence scared off every living thing that could sense he even existed for quite a large area.

"Where is it we are going, if I might ask?"

--

Streams of condensed light and superheated particles raced through the skies, as dani tailed ferociously behind the self-piloting Drone vessel. The shields, even on such a seemingly elder vessel as the one before her, held up well against her attacks, as they ascended ever higher into the atmosphere. Dani quietly activated the life support systems, as her ship pressurized; it had been a while since her ship had been piloted through the voids of space in earnest flight, she was slightly concerned with its condition, but not enough to stop now.

The clouds had vanished beneath them some time ago, and now blackness was beginning to encroach all around. Dani pushed her vessel, trying to persuade it to go even faster, as the two nimble Drone ships raced at extremely rapid speeds along the outer atmosphere. The moon was visible a distance away, and near it, a tiny speck, just barely visible. In an instant, her computer gave her a better look, and her suspicions were confirmed. A Drone ship had indeed arrived here, but something was certainly off. A slightly dated transporter was one thing, but a nearly ancient carrier was something entirely different. At further inspection, Dani opted to follow silently after.

Her ship vanished into the dark, and the vibrant lights of fire ceased to cross the shrinking distance between the two ships. What exactly this primitive ship was doing here she intended to discover.

[TotallyNotEvilLand]

Speaking of Pippa-Michelle...

The golem felt great joy at all the positive feedback coming from the infant, especially from his return slap. She'd been given good graces and humored before, but never quite to what she realized was the genuine sincerity that Saren held. Saren was a baby, Pippa-Michelle a golem, and thus they shared something in common: Sheer simplicity. The kind of simplicity that waterproofed interactions from patronizing or socially-accepted lies, leaving behind wonder and rawness.

"Baby blue carriages!" she cheered, picking up Saren and hugging him as gently as she possibly could. It was a bold move for a golem to pick up a fleshie without being asked, told, or in an emergency, but she felt it was appropriate.

Saren smiled excitedly, copying her cheers. "Babby blue cawwiages!" He declared, hugging her back tightly, his little hind legs kicking along in excitement.

Cerril seemed to be staring at the wall, and the sound of shouting immediately made him pick up his fork, being the closest thing to a knife he had on hand. Although after looking at Pippa and Saren, he seemed to calm down, letting out a sigh of relief and finishing his bowl of soup. "Can you put Saren on my lap and nudge me over to my room, if you'd be so kind? Greatest mind in all of Tinell can't work out a self-powered wheelchair, of all things."

[Primordial Luxa]

“I believe in everything until it's disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it's in your mind. Who's to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the here and now?” - John Lennon

“There are many who don't wish to sleep for fear of nightmares. Sadly, there are many who don't wish to wake for the same fear." - Richelle E. Goodrich

Aegis strode through the glades of the northern forest as quietly as he could but found that his robust physique made it incredibly difficult. He was trying to reach a state of mental peace one which had eluded him for some time and it was incredibly difficult with the constant cracking of leaves and twigs below his feet. He looked like a wraith with his large cape concealing his feet and hands as he glided across the ground looking up occasionally at green trees with as empty a mind as he could manage. It wasn’t enough however and his mind still wandered to darker places than he would have liked.

There were any animal nearby he could tell by the sound alone that they didn’t like his presence it was one of those strange effects he had on the wildlife but it was nothing he was ever overly concerned about. He paused and turned toward a large oak that was twisted up into a tight spiral that extended slightly higher than the rest of the trees. He placed his hand on it and listened as a subtle whisper began to fill his head. It was chitterling like the sound of walking beetles but there was also a coarse sound like a rolling tongue it began to subtlety grow in volume and Aegis drew his hand away causing the sound to stop.

He didn’t know why he heard the voices but he decided that he didn’t want to know. Instead he ignored the hundreds small animal bones that were hung from the tree and continued on deeper into the wood.

[Tiltjuice]

"Yea, yea okay...right!"

Katya laid back and allowed her head to rest on the bed. It was all surreal, everything that was happening. The intense pain, the heat, everyone prodding and looking at her, and especially the realization that she was having a child...in a clinic, no less. She hated clinics. They somehow amplified every uncomfortable feeling she had. With shallow, but regular breaths, she kept speaking lowly, comforting herself. "So this is why my mom hates kids, isn't it? I can see why. What do you think, Dora? You don't seem to be the kind of person who'd enjoy such a thing, either, but maybe my judgement is just foggy because of the pain and everything, I don't know. I'm never doing this again. I'm going on the pill the next time I get with someone, I don't care."

Dora took a seat at the bedside.

"Me? Not really. I watched my family get torn away from me. It leaves a sour aftertaste. Not everyone is like me, though, and it's OK to be that way." She settled back and watched Katya, cat to mouse and mouse to cat. "Will there be a next time? I don't suppose your mother's the sort of person who would try to arrange a marriage for you. Do they still do that sort of thing in Torsiedelle?"

Her voice tightened on the last few words. "There's a bit more going on here than you realize. I'd suggest keeping in mind that - Let's just say gold tarnishes but friends stay there through thick and thin. Keep it in mind. It's important."

The daemonette approached again, Betadine-soaked sponge and catheter in hand for the epidural. "Take a deep breath and hold it. This may sting a little."