Personification Life IC IX - [Semi Open]

[Giovenith]

Pippa-Michelle nudged her creator on the couch. Nudge-nudge, nudge-nudge... Giovenith stretched awake and cracked all the stiffness from her body, then looked up at the golem.

"Yes, what is it?" she asked, sitting upward and beginning pull her warmers and shoes back on. At least now they were finally dry.

Giovenith had told Pippa-Michelle very sternly before that she was to bring and all notices to her, with absolutely no attempt to eat them, and that is exactly what she did. The golem handed over the notice about the tenant meeting to the little teenager.

"Oh, I see," hummed Giovenith, reading it over. "Well then, I suppose it's best we get going then, yes? Don't want to be late for these things." And together, the two headed off for the dining room.

[The Damnatius]

(>_>)

Calvin awoke, the small, blinking overlay vanishing as he regained his senses. How long he'd been out he wasn't completely sure of, but he slowly got up. For the first few minutes he spent groaning and stretching, why he had fallen into such a state was not clear anymore, but the internal workings of his mind came to equanimity, with some help of the CCD's own intervention. Now aware that he was not only quite a distance from home but ages apart, he began rethinking his attack plan. Initially, he had thought to find the first plausible mode of transport off this rock possible. It was nice and all, but terribly antiquated. Now, he was stuck here, in Bufu, 2013.

Looking around, his device notified him that he was in need of various materials to maintain his personal homeostasis at optimal levels, or in short, he was hungry. The Assistant, a virtual construct built within the CCD's workings for guidance when necessary, directed him to the slightly perturbed stack of foods he was going to initially take back to his apartment for sustenance. Returning to the task, he crossed the kitchen, grabbing the bundle of foodstuffs and walking towards the exit.

[Swith Witherward]

"I believe that's it then. I can obviously drive back, although I don't have my forklift anymore to move the wire with." Bran said, thinking that the Tech Priests had come and taken it already. "No, wait, I've got a little crane in there, not as convenient, but it works." He noted. Well, it was more like a gantry, but he could lift the spools from the truck with it at least.

"Thanks a lot, Marcus. Do come over sometime."

Rachelle and him both got ready to leave.

"I will," Marcus smiled. "Thanks for stopping by. Come back again if you need more."

He returned to the building to prepare for the evening's vespers, thus freeing up Bran so he could attend the tenant meeting.

[The New Velociraptor Empire]

Ray gave a deep internal sigh at the sign that he'd passed without suspicion: or, at the very least, that he thought he had. He'd seemingly got off without being officially signed up for the tour, and now he was getting to go on it. But he didn't really put great importance or note on the fact that mentioning Arthur could have just put him in much more trouble than he otherwise would have been. Seeing as the raptors seemed to operate on such a need-to-know basis, and that the knowledge of one being held by an outsider was likely a bad sign to them.

Back onto the topic, Ray nodded to Doris and thanked her before walking towards the motioned door. The blue line directing him was a rather interesting touch in Ray's mind, and he went ahead and proceeded through the door anyways. He began to plan how he might try and get the information gathering done: the tour had to give off locations within the facility where personnel data had to be stored, right? And there had to be some clues of where Fortu was within the facility.

Of course, if Ray could also manage to avoid arousing any more suspicion, that would be wonderful too.

As Ray approached the only open door in the side of the tunnel, he would find a small station platform with a railcar sitting on the tracks. It was as white and smooth as anything else, but had a glass dome canopy that offered a great view out and in and an airtight door swung open for access. One camera followed him at all times, focusing, looking for suspicious behavior.

"The tour is about to begin, please remain seated for the duration of the tour, and please don't smudge the safety glass for your safety." An automated female voice instructed.

Inside the railcar there were two investors waiting in the white plastic seats that were uncushioned like every other seat in the place. The investor that stood out was a large metal robot with blue eyes (which were his only facial feature) and was wearing a tailored suit. he passed the time by reading a scientific journal. The other was a man was casually sitting in a nice suit, and making a call on a phone that was more like a piece of glass. Now up front, the upper half of a nursebot was attached to the seat that the driver would normally be.

"Uh oh," Caroline paused her efforts to neaten her scarf and offered a raised eyebrow to Jonathan. "What sort of alert?"

Knowing Fortu, it could be anything from a notice to darn his socks to an epically cryptic warning from a future or past self that spelled out world demise.

"Does it have to do with Eldritch?"

Maybe their stocks had suddenly wheeled towards outstanding numbers?

"One of the people going on the investor's tour triggered a keyword alert. He has associations with Arthur and the others. I don't want to worry too much unless something really happens." Jonathan explained as the headache faded away. He turned down the settings a bit more to prevent further disturbance.

"Let's just carry on, I can manage things from here." He assured Caroline, determined not to disrupt their new life too much. But Jonathan still has Fortu's cards up his sleeve in addition to the new ones he was dealt, in a figurative way of course. He smiled at Caroline and adjusted his tie as they prepared to get their own place.

[Swith Witherward]

"One of the people going on the investor's tour triggered a keyword alert. He has associations with Arthur and the others. I don't want to worry too much unless something really happens." Jonathan explained as the headache faded away. He turned down the settings a bit more to prevent further disturbance.

"Let's just carry on, I can manage things from here." He assured Caroline, determined not to disrupt their new life too much. But Jonathan still has Fortu's cards up his sleeve in addition to the new ones he was dealt, in a figurative way of course. He smiled at Caroline and adjusted his tie as they prepared to get their own place.

"Alright handsome," she nodded. "But under this new veneer is still your same old Monique. If you need my help, just ask. We're a team."

She brought both empty cups to the kitchen and then made certain Tina's pot was cleaned out for the next use. She considered asking Jonathan to make a microwave to keep the little coffeemaker company. What a dully existence, sitting on a counter all day.

The hall was empty when she opened the door but there was a little note taped to the door itself. Actually, the same note was taped every few feet along the hallway with several taped to the janitor's door and several more affixed to the ceiling above it. The tape made a soft snapping sound as she plucked the notice from Rodney's door.

"Looks like there's a tenant meeting later today," she muttered. Caroline showed the paper to Jonathan. "It might be the perfect way to meet the neighbors. I just hope this isn't about another Drone invasion."

[Erucia]

As Ray approached the only open door in the side of the tunnel, he would find a small station platform with a railcar sitting on the tracks. It was as white and smooth as anything else, but had a glass dome canopy that offered a great view out and in and an airtight door swung open for access. One camera followed him at all times, focusing, looking for suspicious behavior.

"The tour is about to begin, please remain seated for the duration of the tour, and please don't smudge the safety glass for your safety." An automated female voice instructed.

Inside the railcar there were two investors waiting in the white plastic seats that were uncushioned like every other seat in the place. The investor that stood out was a large metal robot with blue eyes (which were his only facial feature) and was wearing a tailored suit. he passed the time by reading a scientific journal. The other was a man was casually sitting in a nice suit, and making a call on a phone that was more like a piece of glass. Now up front, the upper half of a nursebot was attached to the seat that the driver would normally be.

Coming in through the open door, Ray headed straight for the railcar mounted on the tracks and listened to the automated voice. He supposed that smudging against the safety glass would result in everything from pushing it open and falling out of the car to having the daylights scared out of him from something that would appear on the other side. Thus, he ignored the camera and continued along, wondering if he'd be called upon for his weapon.

He supposed that his puny pistol wouldn't do much, anyways. His mind seemed to be semi-occupied with strange ideas about the raptors and their technology: they seemed to laugh at the laws of nature and flourish in whatever extreme perverted version of science they used. Of course, it was darn effective. And somewhat entertaining, if not confusing and annoying, to think about.

Entering the railcar, Ray glanced around and took one of the plastic seats as his own. He sat down and looked at the two other investors: they seemed to interest him more than the nursebot in all respects, particularly the robotic man. Ray presumed that they had come from alternate universes as well: it seemed to be the only explanation, as they both were quite technologically outfitted.

Feeling that he might have gone better without his hat, he took it off and held the grey fedora in his hands, stroking the black lining unconsciously. Ray wondered about asking the other investors about where they had arrived from, but the possibility that they would take offense or simply not care was very real. However, he did end up staring at the robotic man while he thought, not knowing that he was doing so.

[New Aksarben]

Drova just looked saddened, now unable to express his feelings. He needed to keep them bottled up. Absolutely needed to. Octavian was his best friend though, how could he not tell him whatever? Ah, he didn't even have any plans for today either. He wanted to get things done the other night, but his internal conflict kept him from that, and now it was keeping him from this. Plus, his sister was still missing. "I want to look for Yuna, if that's alright. You can accompany me, that sound good?"

"No problem. I can help with that. But how about we head out and get some breakfast in the communal kitchen first? No point searching on an empty stomach." Octavian nodded a little, and held out a hand to help Drova up. He still had that slight smile on his face, which had never left it since he had woken up really. There was some concern for his friend in his eyes as well. Much different from his normal indifference, hatred, disgust, or other negative expressions.

It was then that the little note about the meeting came in through the door. The prince heard the shuffling of paper against carpet, and said, "One second, amicus," before dashing across the room to see what it was. He bent over quickly to pick it up. After reading it, he shrugged. Well, whatever this meeting was it wouldn't be too difficult to attend. And the two princes were heading towards the communal area anyway. Might as well wait there, right?

"Hey Drova. Seems there's a resident's meeting today. In the Kitchen. We could head over there, get something to eat, and get done with that meeting before heading out and searching. Sound good? Then we won't miss important information!" The feline prince dashed across the room again and held out his hand for Drova to take, to help the Pyersai get up from the ground. "Or we can head out now, if you'd prefer."

[Primordial Luxa]

"I'm glad you enjoyed the experience" he said as they walked into the shop. The universal smell of roasting herbs wafting over them as they entered. "Normally the voids not so active, I assume they were speaking up at your presence." It was strange for the various creatures and beings that existed in the beyond to take active notice of someone travelling via persona DEiMOS and it was not an incredibly safe thing either.

"Oh?" Naomi's brow furrowed in concern. "I hope I didn't offend them by being there."

She breathed in the enticing aroma of coffee and teas, and the rich scents of baked goods caused her stomach to growl. Her little heart was troubled, however. She'd learned not too long ago that some beings just wouldn't like her. It didn't matter if she loved them or took the time to care. These creatures didn't have time for silly godlings. Swith had been very adamant about that. The entire conversation had left Naomi feeling somewhat useless.

"If they were offended, would you tell them that I'm sorry and didn't intend to intrude?" she asked Aegis. She wasn't sure who "they" even were, but it was very rude to just waltz through someone's dimension or niche without even asking them if it was alright to do so.

Aegis was assumed, everything this girl did was selfless and benevolent. “Don’t worry, they were simply curious. To them your incredibly stimulating, they just wanted a look at what they were sensing.” He reassured her. “Those creatures are form the most part just instinctual, I doubt I could convey your apologies if I tried.” It was partial true, the creatures from beyond were a lot like bugs swarming around light. Anything foreign attracted them and disabled their self-control, this meant that when approached thing from another realm their unrestrained powers would disintegrate them. It was a form of defense that the beyond had subconsciously implanted into the creatures that lived in it and while they were for the most part protected from the effects bringing such a powerful person through the beyond could test the DEiMOS’s natural shields.

Minerva finished gathering field reports. She entered the dining room but made a beeline for the far corner where she could sit in the shadows until it was time for all to gather. Likewise, a few other cultists made their way in and sought places where they'd have presence without encouraging conversation.

Primordial made a habit of knowing who was where in the building through a mixture of cloud born nanites and mental sensory devices. Thus when they detected the sudden gathering of unknown figures they quickly alerted their master and while they couldn’t detect Minerva directly Primordial was able to easily see several disturbances in the reading that were unique to her.

He frowned at this. Minerva was normal off doing other thing around the city, she was normal much to busy to just hand around here and the only reasons she came by where to interact with the Chaos group or to announce something big. And since none of her friends seemed to be with her he assumed it was the latter, and quickly pulled out his pocket watch and teleported down to join her.

[The BranRiech]

"Yeah, all I've got is a $20, and that's emergency money. My rent's paid for by my parents, and my school too." Toscha admitted, being as broke as a brick at the moment. "Well, no harm, no foul. At least you didn't break the machine, right? And you learned something new as well. But yeah, cupboards then, let's check those."

He wasn't that hungry, but a snack would at least tide Toscha over until a larger meal, maybe when he got more money or something.

--

Yuna watched as Will dug through the cages, selecting the bat that was to have the honor (Or sentance) of being Yuna's first pet. She mentally promised herself to keep it safe, and healthy, for she was now its caretaker. Of course, this could give her significant experience in giving care to something, that being one of her goals for life. Well, it was a minor goal, but she still wanted to learn, just in-case.

"Thank you, Will. I'll . . . Well I'll try to learn more about him, but their language?"

She looked down at the creature nuzzling her chest and shoulder, gently running a hand across his smooth fur.

--

And with that, because their user couldn't think of anything else to do, Bran and Rachelle drove off to be parked for the tenant meeting that was to take place, waving to Marcus as they left to drop off their supplies, and then home to the apartment.

--

"I really appreciate it, thanks." Drova nodded. He was glad he was getting over what he did last night, even though it wasn't much. Now both of the friends could do something productive, search for his sister. Did she catch wind that Will was going to take her and escape into the night? Drova wouldn't know, but he assumed the worst, that she was being held against her will someplace strange and foreign, worse still was what Drova refused to think about . . .

"Dammit, what's more important than Yuna? Ugh, fine. The meeting takes precedence. But then we search for my sister. You're right though." He admitted, crossing his arms.

[Giovenith]

"At least. The cupboards should fare bet-"

"Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Willoooooooooooooow!"

Oh sweet merciful Celestia.

Giovenith and her golem had come waltzing right into the kitchen after spotting the pony and Lamia whilst on their way to the dining room. Giovenith stopped and smiled wide, "Whatcha doing?"

"... Trying to find something to eat," said Willow, after a steady pause to make sure his tone would be even and not reactionary.

"Oh, who is your friend?"

He took a deep breath, then smiled politely and gestured to Toscha. "This is Toscha, he is new here."

[The BranRiech]

Ah!

Toscha had been checking something on his phone just a second ago, wondering if he could even text his family if he was so far away, but Giovenith's intrusion almost had him dropping the phone. Something seemed . . . Off, about the voice, almost too sweet.

He assumed that the two knew eachother, and then looked over to Gio when Willow introduced him.

"Yeah, I'm Toscha." Was all he really could say, even if it was quite awkward. "And you are?" He smiled, almost forcing it.

[Giovenith]

"My name is Giovenith," Giovenith introduced herself with a friendly smile. "Welcome to the apartment, Toscha! I hope we can make you feel right at home here. You guys are hungry, huh? Well we best be getting you a quick snack, because it will be time for us all to go to a meeting very soon."

"Meeting?" asked Willow, turning his head to the side questioningly.

"Yes, a tenant meeting! They're usually pretty important, so I wouldn't try to skip out... it's being held over there in the dining room! We..." She gestured to Pippa-Michelle. "... were just on our way there, when we spotted you guys! Thought to say hi and let you know, in case you didn't."

[Torsiedelle]

Over several minutes, Katya had returned home and made herself comfortable. She had seen the Notices outside of her apartment, and out them to consideration. She would be there, as would her sister.

After a shower and another meal...

"Oh, no, that would just be naughty!", She laughed at a friend over the phone. "Look, I'm kinda grounded for a few months, if you know what I mean, but I would love to do all of that again. God, I would just love to have a smoke right now....yea....I mean, I really think I'll like this, but I'm not letting it slow me down. I wanna do stuff, like skydive, or fight, or maybe go to a club....what do you mean I'm picking up my sister's accent? No!"

She enjoyed her time on the phone with friends. It really passed the time when there was nothing else to do.

Then, another thought hit her.

"Oh, shit! Shit!", She gasped. She was three months pregnant, and she still had not brought it up to Tora or her mother! How would Tora react? Katya hadn't grown enough for her to tell, but just gearing that her older sibling was three months in? What would her mother say, still?

She really wished she could smoke right now. Maybe she should just get going to the meeting area...

[Germanic Templars]

"Well from the letter he sent me, he did it for the safety of his daughter, to explore new planets, and provide better life for the lucky 10 million in his fleet."

__

"Why so long? Well the fighting took a while since assholes could just re spawn a few times. After the fight I had to help restore hell to an equilibrium state. Then after that, Superbia and I just messed around for a while.

"That sounds like him," Charumati sighed. "I honestly don't understand why he hasn't turned up here, or in Purgatory or Hell. He certainly wouldn't swap religions, and I'd know if his soul turned up in my area."

She rubbed her hands, fretting over the entire thing. Part of her was somewhat irked at Thriller for going MIA. These were the holidays. It would be their first Christmas together as a couple. How could she possibly expect the twins to not inquire about him, especially if Sapphire and the others were back? It would be impossible to restore him without his soul, but Charumati was losing hope.

"I should be going," she explained to Ms. Thriller, "because the twins will wake up soon, and I'm needed elsewhere. If Cornelius comes this way, will you tell him I'm looking for him?"

--

"Just messed around?" Xanthe furrowed her brow. Mortals did that and ended up tangled in mischief. When supernatural beings did that, things got wonky. She'd overheard what Lucius had told Ogoti, and so she was aware of the changes in Hell.

She rested her elbows on the table and leaned forward to meet Lucius' eyes. "What exactly were you two up to?"

"Don't worry, Swith, I'll tell my boy that you came through here looking for him. Now have a nice day now. " She gave a small nod and a smile on her last sentence.
_______
"Nothing much really, I mean, small things off in the distance of space, as in, far from Earth as possible in another universe."

[Urran]

Yoshi had been notified about the meeting and had lead Tora back to the apartment after their little shopping trip. He had had fun, it was not often that he got to spend time with her one on one like that anymore. He put his groceries away before making his way down to the lobby, where he assumed that the meeting would be held. He missed Katya and he allowed his mind to wander. He had not seen her or Dora in over a week. Were they together this whole time? She was spending more time with Dora than she was with him? That stung, even though he had not confirmed this information. It was his child! Not Dora's! His! Dora was a bad influence anyway, smoking and drinking and having multiple partners, though he understood the reason for the latter. If she had so many then she didn't need Katya! He let out a heavy sigh, trying to convince himself that they were both just busy and he had nothing to worry about.


--

"Help....help...help...Bah! What's the use" Tieria said to himself. He was still trapped under the fusion coil. "I did not want to do this, but.." His eyes glowed and the machine activated, disintegrated his body in a flash of white hot light, luckily, it was painless. His A.I. was transferred into a back up body, but it was naked. He dressed himself in an identical outfit and made his way to the lobby.

[Cerillium]

Sigtrygg listened carefully as Klaus spoke, and his smile grew as he mentioned buying a boat. The viking instantly agreed that would be the best thing to do. While his kin tended to steal riches as they raided villages and various other places throughout Europe, it was definitely not highly looked upon to steal from others when not at war. Raiding was war, and thus anything captured was spoils of war, and not stolen. The Vikings weren't alone in this idea by far. Many people throughout history had practiced similar systems, from the Mongols to the Romans. So It was a bit obvious which plan Sigtyrgg would agree to.

"Yes, It would be best to buy a boat. How should we get to Denmark, though? It is across the ocean, and we lack a boat to carry us across it." Sigtrygg responded in Old Norse. He was definitely not aware of the fact that airplanes could carry people long distances without a boat, so he could think of no other way to leave the city. "But if we could get there it would be quite nice to get a boat that would require very little effort to finish building.Then I could personalize it before it is finished, and get a good feel for it before even sailing. A captain must know his ship well after all."

The viking then stepped back onto the floor after seeing the milk seemed to be cleaned up for the most part, and listened intently as the War God spoke to him and told him about the 'building permits' and the possibility of having a boatyard to house whatever ship they would buy in the near future. He nodded in agreement to that idea, "Yes, it would be a perfect spot over there for a boatyard, I agree. I would be able to head over there often to check on the vessel to make sure it stays seaworthy during the winter, and to work on it over time. That is a great idea, Klaus.

"And these Lords are the same ones who I met for that gathering a while ago? When they offered to employ some of us to protect the city. I've been meaning to get back to them on that too. I do not do much besides watch for any fighting at Chaos. I would be quite happy to help serve the rulers of this city as I did the Roman Emperor in Miklagard. I would be very happy to help in some way or another. I just have not had the chance to go visit them as of late."

The Viking sighed happily at all of this planning, glad that he would soon have a ship to sail the water again. The viking always felt at peace when sailing, even if it was to war. It was calming to hear the nigh soundless ship slip through the water when it was calm and peaceful, and to powerfully stand strong against waves and storms when it was not calm. The boats created by the Norse were nearly as hardy as they were. It took a special kind of man to adjust to a new world as rapidly as Sigtrygg had. But even then, he felt like a stranger, and not a true resident of this new realm he lived in.

His revelry over sailing was broken when Klaus began asking him questions again. "Oh, A karve would be just fine. It is small and carries plenty of people for anything I would need it for. But I would love to own another longship. A Dragon Boat as it is called by the Frankish people of Europe. They are absolutely beautiful, but I would need several men to help me if I would ever want to go sailing. With a longship I might as well start a trade of ferrying people back and forth across the water! I could still do that with a Karve, but at least I can handle that ship alone."

Several men. Klaus grinned at the prospect. There were several cultists he'd trust with a longship. Two of them were men who, although not from the viking's time period, had experience with that sort of thing.

"Get in!"

"You want me to go on the water in that thing?" Klaus stared at the craft bobbing in the shallows and then at the scruffy man standing in calf-deep water. It was by no means akin to anything as modern as Sigtrygg's people would later build. The boat was little more than somewhat flattened wood planks held together with hemp and pitch. The slight curve along the sides kept the water from swamping it but the whole contraption precariously floated as a testament to Mankind's eternal desire to push Sanity's boundaries.

"Audo, it's safe. Perfectly safe. I assure you."

"Balls, I won't get in." Klaus crossed his arms.

Gunther rolled his eyes. "Get in or I'll leave you behind. Worse, I'll get to the other side and pray to Oden. He'll find out you're a coward."

"I'm not a coward. I just don't like water."

"You'll love the water, Audo. Trust me. We'll set out across the lake, arrive on the other side, and you can sleep with Hilde."

Klaus snorted and adjusted his skins. "No. The damn thing leaks. Look there. Water's pooling inside. It'll capsize and then it'll be a stone ship for both of us, Gunther."

"Balls!" It was Gunther's turn to be insulted. He'd spent all winter working on the long boat. "Just slap some pitch on. It'll hold. I'm telling you, this will work! It will. One day, men will sail the oceans. One day, we'll colonize the world. You'll see. Have faith. Get in."

Klaus reluctantly climbed aboard the primitive little vessel and his companion pushed away from the shore. The going was decent for the first few moments but then, just as they reached the lake's center, a small wave nudged the craft starboard and the whole mess sunk. Klaus and Gunther, laden though they were with wet garments and weapons, began the arduous dogpaddle to shore. Klaus' curses mixed with Gunther's laughter....

"I have an old companion who might just help you, if you don't mind his sense of humor." Klaus' mind had returned to the present and he sighed. "He was an innovator in his day but he's since retired to the libraries. You might be able to recruit enough men with his help. We'll wait on that until spring however. We'll focus on the Karve."

His eyes settled on Minerva in her corner. "That's the one we need to speak to. She can work her magic with time. Perhaps we might coax her to travel back a few months to put in an order? Then we'd have the boat here much sooner and you can begin work on it. My lads can get a workshop and shipyard set up in a matter of days. Let's see what she has to say on the matter after the meeting."

"Well I was having a dream, I then woke up. then after that I started to examine my object, after that while observing it I blanked out for I do not know how long. I shrugged it off though thinking it was nothing and went back to observing. After a while my head started to hurt a little, a few minutes later it started hurting even more." He explained fully.

Barox made an attempt to squeeze his hand but it came out a bit light. Again he tried to mumble something, though due to it being only one word it sounded close to "yes".

"Hmm," Wren frowned.

She really didn't know what sort of genetic tinkering they'd done to the boy. Was it common for him to strain himself when focusing too hard on something? She looked at Barox and then down the hall.

"Let's have the pediatrician check you out," she said, "just to be safe. I don't want you blowing a blood vessel while in my care. Your Dr. Smith would never forgive me.

Wren squeezed Barox's hand and then moved to the phone. She asked the switchboard to page one of the surgeons VitalWrench frequently networked with. She sat down again and sighed.

"For now, just rest. Don't focus on anything, Datus." She drew him closer to her and planted a kiss on the top of his head.

---

Ceril walked into the dining room. It was a rare visit from him but he'd represent the tech-priests. He drew his trench coat around him and sat down towards the back of the room. It was getting rather crowded there. Minerva's lads and Klaus' men had taken to lingering at the fringes.

The old cyborg helped himself to a Saltine cracker and waited.

---

The intrepid cultist dodged and weaved, making it to the Raptor's front door. He rang the bell and left a notice so they'd be aware of the meeting next door. They may have moved out but they were still "family". It would be good to have them on board.

The man vanished into the shadows.

[The Damnatius]

Calvin discarded the plate of food he had finished, having eaten what was supposedly a sufficient quantity of his body's nutrients to maintain proper form with minimal exercise necessary. In his hand was a glass of water to wash it down, as he strolled through the narrow hallway. Thoughts slowly flowed through his head like the slag rivers of Etan Six. An internal debate with himself, he was concerned with what exactly he should do... he wasn't particularly experienced in anything locally available except for maybe menial forms of labor, something he was only just so proud of himself to stoop to. Of course, the only other option was to continue on his rather illegitimate method of gathering currency, something he wasn't terribly comfortable with making a habit of, no matter how clean he made off.

He sat on his bed, placing the glass on the naked wood floor. He stretched, and felt a sleepiness come about him. Getting up to turn off the lights, he noticed a paper that he forgot he placed down when he first came in here. Apparently a notice given out to all tenants new and old, there was a meeting to be held in the dining room. This came off as strange, but he disregarded the affable nature of the apartment's keeper as simply something of the times, that somewhere along the years people had become cold and distant with one another, a prospect not too far fetched to dispel.

A terrible cough overcame him suddenly, numerous alerts appearing as the assistant attempted to diagnose the issue. After Calvin had regained his composure, a compilation of various internal abnormalities were displayed before him. They were summarized by a single string of text at the bottom;

"Negative reaction to atmospheric mixture."

By this, it meant his body was simply not reacting well with the qualities of the air. It took some time for the effects to show, but the simple fact was his body needed air with a slightly less hospitable mixture to it, something humans adapted to survive in. He felt slightly concerned, this could become something far worse if he let it idle. He sent the Assistant off to find some sort of resolution to his predicament, and then returned to his normal doings. He still had a small amount of time before he had to get going, by whatever feeling compelled him to attend.

[Cerillium]

Eyelids opened to reveal vibrant blue eyes but the steed didn't lift his head from Tipper's warm side. A bubblegum pink tongue as long as the steed's head serpentined from the snout to wag in the air before retreating again with a wet smack. Satisfied that the Astartes occupying the doorway was the same as slept in the bed, the steed abandoned his protective duties. Clawed feet carried him from mattress to ground so gently that Tipper didn't stir.

"Weedle," he warbled softly, as if the sound could explain the entire situation. He approached Volturius in a manner that revealed his familiarity with the more chaotic Astartes in the universe. If it came to an actual fight, the Raptor would win but the Steed would get a few good licks in before his own demise.

Yep, that's right, I'm a Steed. You're a kitbash of some awesome Blessings, but check me out. I'm born from Chaos, baby! Vroo stretched upwards to better see Volturius' face. His eyes conveyed a sense of sapience and were highly expressive in nature. We're on the same team, so don't you swat at me or I'll coat you in caustic piss.

The only thing Volturius would hear, however, was "Vrooooo."

He bowed to sniff at the Raptor's odd feet and then craned his neck to touch snout tip to wingtip. Volturius' appearance was fascinating. His eyes fastened upon the nearby carcass and a sigh escaped him. There wasn't a gods damned thing to hunt on the Outside. At least, nothing worthy of chase. Slow, stupid animals occupied all of nature. It didn't matter if it was deer or squirrel... the challenge was completely absent. Vroo's demeanor perked up as he realized he wasn't the only one suffering this inglorious existence.

"Vroo." He righted himself and bobbed his long head at the Raptor. Yeah, sucks to be us.

"Volturius?" a rather sleepy Tipper lifted her head and squinted at the pair.

She pushed herself upright and drew her knees towards her. "I'm sorry I got mad earlier. Please forgive me." Her arms folded across her kneecaps and she rested her chin on them, a physically fragile being in a large room filled with deadly things.

(ooc: with Swith's permission:)

Tipper raised her head and listened. Their prior discussion mattered little; Chaos was assembling.

The room became dark as she slipped into her trance and Volturius, through no fault of his own, was hauled along with her through their bond.

Whisperings. Voices which spoke in dread. These tumbled through the bond shared by Tipper and the Astartes and she served as a buffer which prevented him from going insane. It was a chorus which growled Khornate wrath and Slaaneshi ire; it spoke of rare uncertainty from Tzeentch and the prevalent despair which fueled old Grandfather. And then the gods spoke and Tipper's mind was nearly torn asunder as she strove to protect her mate's own.

Let us consider the avatars which are in place.

Vroo, standing beside Volturius, raised his head and warbled a solemn note. The voices faded. The room seemed to expand and lighten.

Tipper pulled herself from the bed and wrapped her cloak about her. "We are called. We will attend."

Thus the Astartes would find himself taking a seat in the Communal Dining Room alongside his mate. Vroo curled up behind the pair and laid his head in Tipper's lap.

---

(ooc: NOTE TO NEW CHARACTERS -
Feel free to skip the usual "moving in" part. Have your characters assemble with the rest.

NOTE TO EXISTING CHARACTERS -
Some of you might be frozen in scene with an offline player. I recommend you grab hold of that character and haul them to the dining room. Love stories, gossip, silly adventures and other things can pause while info is divulged; you can pick up again afterwards.)

[Cerillium]

Elsewhere, Luce had finally talked MB into flash-jumping Dia back to Dora's apartment. The room shook as the big man sat down heavily.

"Excuse me," Rudolf tapped Luce on the shoulder. "I believe you're wanted at the meeting."

He wasn't too concerned with how the Conservator chose to get there. He knew the man would arrive right on time, no pun intended.

[The BranRiech]

Being back at the apartment now, Bran was sitting around the dining room, chatting with Kei, who was there as well. Both were waiting around for the meeting to start, both were engaged in somewhat of an engrossing conversation. Although it was obvious Kei didn't even know about planes at all, so it was just Bran holding up the conversation.

--

"Well, I'll head over there now, how about?"

Toscha had just grabbed a snack and was in the middle of eating it when he decided to head over there. "Willow, want me to save a seat for you? I could save one for you as well." He said, the tip of his tail pointing at Gio.

[Torsiedelle]

"Yo, hurry up, Yoshi.", Torii called. She intended to make it early to the meeting, and get a part of the action before anyone else.

She walked down the hallway towards the meeting room quickly, taking no time to wait for her "big brother".

....

" Shit! Gotta go!", Katya squealed, running out of her room and down the hall, leaving the dog all alone again. She wasn't paying attention, and almost blindsided Torii as she took several skips to stop her momentum. She almost knocked herself out on the wall.

[The Damnatius]

Calvin appeared before the rest, all of which people he'd never seen before. Feeling discomforted by this, he found the most distant location available to sit, here only for whatever arbitrary business was to be announced. He was half interested and half annoyed, still unsure as to why he came. Regret was something he dealt with on a regular basis for a variety of things. Never the less, he put forth all the effort to come on down, he might as well stay. He took brief snapshots of the room silently, reviewing the images mentally as he inspected some of those present without actually showing any sign of interest at all.

He suddenly broke into a small coughing fit, the Assistant springing into action, quickly remedying his brief circumstance. Calvin tried to return to an inconspicuous state once more, he wanted to watch in isolation, absorb what was necessary, and continue resolving his current plight. He leaned back in his chair as much as he could, running his hands through his hair. He had the aching urge for another smoke.

[Giovenith]

"Well, I'll head over there now, how about?
Toscha had just grabbed a snack and was in the middle of eating it when he decided to head over there. "Willow, want me to save a seat for you? I could save one for you as well." He said, the tip of his tail pointing at Gio.

"We can all go together right now, I'd like to hear what needs to be said," said Willow, looking between the two. "I'm not that starving, so a snack can wait."

"Hooray!" cheered Giovenith, marching ahead to lead them along, expecting the others to follow close behind. The dining room wasn't far off, and as they were entering, Giovenith thought of something. "Oh, Willow, I heard this joke I thought you'd like!"

"Uh-"

She went on before Willow could explain he wasn't big on jokes, "So a pony walks into a bar and coughs. The bartender says, 'Wow, that doesn't sound very good, sir. Are you feeling alright?' and the pony says, 'Yeah I'm fine, I'm just a little hoarse.' ... A little horse! Get it?!" Giovenith thought that is was absolutely gut-busting. Willow wasn't laughing. "... You know, because he coughs, so he's a little hoarse, and he's a little horse, because he's a pony? A pony is a little horse? And you're a pony..."

"I get it, Giovenith." Willow flicked his tail without mirth.

"... Okay then!" Giovenith coughed into her fist, a bit caught off guard by the lack of laughter she had drawn. Shame, she had thought the ponies would have appreciated that one.... "So, Toscha was it? You're a Lamia?"

[Mincaldenteans]

The building looked so unlike the structures he was accustomed back in Faerie, this complex, and so many like it had all the dressings of cutting edge and modernity. He stood, paused, gazing across the street at his new soon-to-be-home and as Dan continued to stare he couldn’t help but feel a little overwhelmed by the sight of it. Clutching at his backpack, Dan reminded himself this was going to be his new life until the Queen welcomed him home – he needed to get used to it sooner than later. Looking for his chance to make the short gap between him and his new home, he crossed the street and entered the lobby, fumbling for his keys that were provided already when he arrived in Bielefield. A small folded note was attached to it, directing him to the floor his apartment was on. Looking around, Dan smiled at the immediate surroundings, taking a liking to the façade and decoration that adorned the lobby. So different, so unlike home. He walked into the elevator and headed up, curious to know what his apartment would look like. Upon stepping out and making his way to the front door of his new home, a message was posted on his door informing him of a tenant meeting being held in a few minutes. It highly encouraged him to attend. Folding the note, he unlocked the door to his apartment and entered it, eyes already scanning the area.

Wood floors, white walls, and furnishings that was very angular; it denoted all the styles of the modern city and architecture. Not unwelcoming, but detached at the same time. “Hmm,” was all he managed out as he looked around, dropping his backpack on the couch and made his way to the bedroom. In it, he found a stack of boxes all marked under his name. He’d go through it later; stepping out of the room and to the balcony that overlooked the city. It was a nice view, and Dan could make out the building at a distance that he’d have to head on to in the next few days. For now, he had time to settle in as much as possible.

Walking back in, he found a note he hadn’t seen on the dining table. Coming from Faerie itself, and when he opened it, the note shone in a soft light and evaporating warmth that held all the mystifying glamour of the Queen herself:

My Fair Child,

This new realm you’ve been placed in should provide the safety I cannot in Faerie. Make the most of it; I should expect many splendid tales upon your return. Until then, be safe and be well.

~Titania

The words on the note, now cold to the touch, faded in a silvery hue and Dan simply placed the note back on the table. He wasn’t sure how he felt about this. In fact, he hadn’t had time to actually process the entire extent of his situation. One moment he was under instruction from Lady Aurora on his application of healing, and the next the Queen’s Head Marshal had been sent to fetch him. Within a day, he was given an alias, a trove of information about where he was going and a farewell by Aurora herself.

Clearly something important in Faerie was happening and he was someone’s target or instrument. Dan just wished he knew exactly what and irritated that, once again, the nobles of the Summer Court were plotting against one another. Maybe the few people he had come to trust would update him on events while he was stuck here, though Aurora did warn that such communications would be few and far between until things in Court were settled. For now, he’d just have to make do and live a life outside the comforts of home.

“And they say the Unseelie are bad,” he muttered to himself in annoyance. Sighing, he rummaged for a jacket he had stuffed in his backpack and put it on. For now, he’d go downstairs and attend the meeting and hopefully afterwards explore the complex and see what this new home had to offer for him.

[The New Velociraptor Empire]

Coming in through the open door, Ray headed straight for the railcar mounted on the tracks and listened to the automated voice. He supposed that smudging against the safety glass would result in everything from pushing it open and falling out of the car to having the daylights scared out of him from something that would appear on the other side. Thus, he ignored the camera and continued along, wondering if he'd be called upon for his weapon.

He supposed that his puny pistol wouldn't do much, anyways. His mind seemed to be semi-occupied with strange ideas about the raptors and their technology: they seemed to laugh at the laws of nature and flourish in whatever extreme perverted version of science they used. Of course, it was darn effective. And somewhat entertaining, if not confusing and annoying, to think about.

Entering the railcar, Ray glanced around and took one of the plastic seats as his own. He sat down and looked at the two other investors: they seemed to interest him more than the nursebot in all respects, particularly the robotic man. Ray presumed that they had come from alternate universes as well: it seemed to be the only explanation, as they both were quite technologically outfitted.

Feeling that he might have gone better without his hat, he took it off and held the grey fedora in his hands, stroking the black lining unconsciously. Ray wondered about asking the other investors about where they had arrived from, but the possibility that they would take offense or simply not care was very real. However, he did end up staring at the robotic man while he thought, not knowing that he was doing so.

"Please remain seated while the railcar is in motion..." The Nurse-Bot asked as the door sealed. The two other investors looked up from their distractions as the tour began The door ahead opened as the railcar silently and smoothly passed through a ring of nozzles that sprayed the exterior of the railcar with a gaseous antiseptic.

"Welcome to Eldritch Medical, founded in 2013, right here in Bielefeld, we are the number 2 domestic supplier of Artificial Organs. Established by our visionary CEO, Dr. Martin Fortu, our philosophy is to give those in need legs to stand on...sometimes literally!" the nurse-bot said, adding a prerecorded laugh, as they entered the factory floor.

It was as clean and white as the rest of the place, with robotic assembly lines and small growing tanks similar to the ones used to grow Ray's body, but way smaller and shinier wit smooth white plastic casing where greasy angular metal would have been if it had been built by any other.

"As you can see, the manufacturing process is completely automated to cut costs down to make these organs affordable to as many that need them. In addition to keeping the equipment 100% sterile to eliminate chances of contamination. In fact this very railcar is kept on a negative pressure to avoid contamination by tour groups." the nurse bot continued.

"What quality assurance procedures do you have to make sure that you aren't shipping out defective replacements that could be dangerous to the users?" The Robot Investor asked.

"Everything shipped out passes through 4 sets of scanners on independent systems. Two sets are made here, and the other two are bought from separate contractors to ensure that if we make an error the others will catch them. 10% of everything manufactured is randomly selected for more rigorous QA tests for weaknesses and flaws." the Nurse-bot replied with it's fixed smile.

"Alright handsome," she nodded. "But under this new veneer is still your same old Monique. If you need my help, just ask. We're a team."

She brought both empty cups to the kitchen and then made certain Tina's pot was cleaned out for the next use. She considered asking Jonathan to make a microwave to keep the little coffeemaker company. What a dully existence, sitting on a counter all day.

The hall was empty when she opened the door but there was a little note taped to the door itself. Actually, the same note was taped every few feet along the hallway with several taped to the janitor's door and several more affixed to the ceiling above it. The tape made a soft snapping sound as she plucked the notice from Rodney's door.

"Looks like there's a tenant meeting later today," she muttered. Caroline showed the paper to Jonathan. "It might be the perfect way to meet the neighbors. I just hope this isn't about another Drone invasion."

"I hope not, I don't think we can withstand another one." Jonathan commented as they headed out.

After getting their own place and moving their few belongings in, they left for the meeting. Leaving a few unopened boxes behind and Tina patiently waiting on the new counter. He saw new faces as well as familiar faces. Now was the moment of truth, was their new faces good enough to escape their old lives. Jonathan and Caroline sat down opposite of NVE and Arthur.

The intrepid cultist dodged and weaved, making it to the Raptor's front door. He rang the bell and left a notice so they'd be aware of the meeting next door. They may have moved out but they were still "family". It would be good to have them on board.

The man vanished into the shadows.

NVE attended the meeting despite his objections, Gretta was still preoccupied with defrosting Neil. In the Communal Dining Room he saw many of the inferior mammals and the ones that thought they knew him. Arthur was there as well, the slippery raptor-man grinned at NVE still never giving a clue to whose side he was on while remaining very helpful. The two sat together lighting what they smoked, for NVE it was a pipe, and Arthur a cigarette. They paid no mind to the two strangers that sat down across from them. NVE dismissed them as "typical inferior mammals" while Arthur almost thought he smelled something familiar, but it could have been anyone in a room with this crowd.