PL IC Thread IX++ //Oddsbodikins & Atomic Kittens//

[Tsuyoi Tekikoku]

Tsu hopped off the bus and looked around. StrexCorp was now stuck in her head and she wanted to find out what it was but put it aside and leaned against the bus staring at the construction workers,her eyes locked on like missiles ready to fire. Something was up here and she could quite put her icy fingers on it. Overall,Tsu didn't like this place at all even though they just arrived. All she wanted is to go home and make it up with Torii.

[The New Velociraptor Empire]

Bran would find all the products on the shelves were "Strex" brand but otherwise normal. The fuel station attendant motionlessly stood behind the oddly red counter, her head following Bran mechanically. The hot dog machine looked like it had overcooked the shriveled lengths of meat and the pizza slices being held warm had unidentifiable toppings, teeth, and bits of hair. The real surprise was the bloody handprint in the glass fridge door that held the drinks.

[The BranRiech]

With the strangeness on the inside of the store reminiscent of the depressing nature of Eastern Europe, Bran was unfazed for the most part, except when he stopped at the pizza rack, looking inside at the slices within, covered with disgusting pieces of organic toppings, teeth . . . And hair!?

"Uh, excuse me, hello." He looked over at the woman behind the counter. "This pizza's disgusting, what are you capitalists trying to pull here?" He asked whilst grabbing a Strex drink resembling one of those Sobe things that he tried once.

[Fvaarniimar]

"I have no idea, never been here before. But I'm sure there will be a local map in town." NVE answered Tsu and Bran. The city they arrived in seemed quite, no chaotic activity in this small city. The only other vehicles moving around were delivery trucks and a a few helicopters that patrolled the skies (some were yellow and some were black). There seemed to be civilian cars, but they were all parked . As NVE drove past the edge of town development where new home were being built, the construction workers were oddly coordinated and had yellow uniforms with an orange triangle and an orange "S" on the back. Office buildings dominated the majority of the city and factories expelled their smokey waste into the air. The radio continued as the cheerful man continued speaking.

"This just in, a bus full of tourist have arrived in our humble little burg. How exciting, to have people interested in our home and stimulating the local economy! If you see them listener be sure to give them a nice big Desert Bluff welcome! Make them feel right at home.

Let’s go to an important message from our parent company.

Got something to say? Need to say it? Unfulfilled? Never made sense of what you are, who you were, who you will be?

Unfulfilled?

Do you forget sometimes about your own skin, your own hair, or other people’s hair and skin? Can you make more hair, more skin? Do you need more hair and/or skin?

Unfulfilled?

Are you satisfied with it all? Do you see it all? What room are you in? What room do you want to be in? How big is your room?

Unfulfilled?

Have you ever said a thing inside your brain, and then sent it to your hand to move a pencil to write it into symbols onto a paper, which used to be a tree, and then used your eyes to translate those symbols back into the thing you just said inches away in your brain, and then re-said it with your mouth into an ear? Whose ear was it?

Unfulfilled?

Ever eaten things that made you think differently? Breathed things?

Unfulfilled?

Feel things? Felt things?

We are you. StrexCorp."

NVE narrowly missed hitting the gas pumps of the "StrexCorp Fuel" station and brought the bus to a halt. "Okay, if anyone is hungry thirsty, or needs the restroom. Now's the time to do it. I gotta check under the hood to see if we can make another jump forward. And don't forget a map." NVE said to the group as he got down and began looking under the hood of the bus.

...took Ijj's hand and they looked at the orange sky, whereupon a hair floated up and turned into a yawning crack in the sky and then their feet lifted from the ground and then...
Rmwtyliin was rudely awoken by being all but thrown forward by a large, fast change in acceleration. Although she came close to screaming at her unfamiliar surroundings, her training prevented her from doing so during the soon remembered her odd circumstances.

Remembering did not solve all of her problems. She was grumpy, she was sore, she was tired. And while she had not understood the raptor's announcement, that did not prevent it from applying to her; she desperately had to use the bathroom. The door of the bus stood open; she exited. Looking around for plants, she found a large, green, oval-shaped thing, next to which she began to dig a deep hole in preparation for the obvious. (As the sand was easy to move aside, she quickly found, there was no need for a shovel.)

[Torsiedelle]

"I guess..."

Torii huffed. She'd think over everyone's words later. Now, however, they had stopped at a gas station, and Torii needed a drink.

Tsu could make up with Torii as they went, if she wished, but she'd have to catch up.

Torii wouldn't take her rifle with her, but she did check her pockets and bag. Besides her rifle, she also had her sidearm, since she was still in-uniform. She hopped off of the bus, waving for everyone to follow her if she wish, and hoping for her friends. She joined Bran in checking the store, and was disturbed at the things she saw, especially the pizzas.

With the strangeness on the inside of the store reminiscent of the depressing nature of Eastern Europe, Bran was unfazed for the most part, except when he stopped at the pizza rack, looking inside at the slices within, covered with disgusting pieces of organic toppings, teeth . . . And hair!?

"Uh, excuse me, hello." He looked over at the woman behind the counter. "This pizza's disgusting, what are you capitalists trying to pull here?" He asked whilst grabbing a Strex drink resembling one of those Sobe things that he tried once.

"It's America Bran.", Torii mumbled from several feet behind. "They could be babies from those awful abortion clinics, or maybe pieces of illegal immigrants."

She was serious, and walked back around the store, noting the details. She was still distracted by so many things, however. It was making her tired and moody. She was moving to leave the store and get her rifle to the the bus. She knew this place wouldn't be good.

[The New Velociraptor Empire]

The attendant just started shaking, and sparking, and humming when Bran inquired about the questionable food. Mechanically she looked at the drink to be purchased and rang it up on the crimson damp cash register which prompted "$2.99 Please." in the stained readout.

[The Carlisle]

Paul carried Kale out of the bus and set the girl down. Kale got down and hugged the earth. She was happy to feel ground beneath her feet, even though it was covered with concrete. "I missed you," she said. She then promptly vomited. After chucking her waffles for 15 seconds, she got up and wobbled to the store. Paul got to the ground and started cleaning her mess, clearing the area for people to walk.

Even though she was down on Earth, she still felt weird. This place gave her a weird vibe. And it was not because it was a capitalist monopoly nightmare, nor was it because of the severe environmental terrorism going on, but it was something else.

Kale grabbed a few bags of potato chips. Mostly for her, but also some for the others. She wandered around, stopping by Bran when he voice his complaints. "Something wrong?" she said, thinking of the irony of her question. Everything felt wrong here, but she was curious on what made Bran openly voice it. She then saw the "food" they were selling.

She dropped her bags and vomited again. After she was done, she crawled to Bran's legs and wrapped her arm's around them, her entire body shaking. Paul started cleaning the second she stopped.

[The BranRiech]

"Probably, though I doubt it's that bad around here. Never been to America proper." Bran nodded as he handed over the change to the woman's robotic motions. "I know you're all slaves the the corporations, comrade, but you don't need to take it literally to the letter." He chuckled in his eastern accent, trying to see if the woman would respond to the humorous jab at their society. "Well, in any case, have a nice day, and thanks for the drink, any restaurants around here?"

Looking now at Kale as she clung to his legs.

"Kale . . . Not gonna' do this again, we're in public." He sighed, picking the entire girl up off of his leg and holding her like a parent would hold a child. "Let's head back out, alright?"

[The Carlisle]

Kale looked at Bran, a defeated look on her face, and nodded. She was done.

Paul took Kale out of Bran's hands and cradled the girl. He then carried her out of the store. Along the way, he walk-kicked a bag of potato chips on the floor, sending it flying into the store window. It crumpled and fell to the window's base. It was like the only form of protest she could raise at this point.

[Torsiedelle]

"Yea, I wanna see how everyone is doing now that we've, uh...came to a stop.", Torii said. Opening the door, Torii stepped back outside, and faced the desert heat. It wasn't too bad, she thought, but she was definitely used to Bielefeld's more temperate climate.

"Yo, let's go!", She said. "I don't really want a drink anymore. I just needed to calm down...but I can wait until we get home."

She returned to the bus, only a short walk away, and climbed back in, grabbing her rifle off of the seat. She looked to Gio and Marcus and the others. "The store is fucked up. Human teeth in the food, and blood everywhere. This was is like one of those redneck backwoods towns you see in scary movies. Not good."

[Tsuyoi Tekikoku]

"Yea, I wanna see how everyone is doing now that we've, uh...came to a stop.", Torii said. Opening the door, Torii stepped back outside, and faced the desert heat. It wasn't too bad, she thought, but she was definitely used to Bielefeld's more temperate climate.

"Yo, let's go!", She said. "I don't really want a drink anymore. I just needed to calm down...but I can wait until we get home."

She returned to the bus, only a short walk away, and climbed back in, grabbing her rifle off of the seat. She looked to Gio and Marcus and the others. "The store is fucked up. Human teeth in the food, and blood everywhere. This was is like one of those redneck backwoods towns you see in scary movies. Not good."

Tsu silently stared at Torii before lightly tapping her back,all nervous and jittery. "Hey...Torii..could we talk?". She asked in a breaking voice and was covering herself,bracing for a possible punch to the face. For the first time in a long while, Tsu's finally is gonna tie up loose end with the one she hurt most.

[Rygondria]

Reginald walked into the gas station and saw the nasty food. Apparently some one also vomited and he saw the blood stains on the refrigerator he said to himself," This is as worse as my Safari to Portuguese Angola". Reginald as he wandered through the store saw the only thing that was not incorporated by that company he was seeing Crackerjacks the delicious caramel covered popcorn with peanuts as well. Reginald seeing them said," Yes this is what Ive been looking for. Danm it i gave my money to the reptile. I know what i must do. I well steal it no one well ever know". Reginald then shoved the crackerjack bag into his pocket and started to walk past the clerk as calm as he could

[The New Velociraptor Empire]

The attendant said nothing but pointed back at the food with a blank expression. When Kale vomited in the store and the subsequent mess cleaned up by a plant creature, the attendant began extruding a thick black smoke from her nostrils, yet remaining motionless and fixated on the mess.

NVE continued fixing the sensor array and then hopped back in the driver's seat to check the instrument panel. "Yes, right dimension and criteria, this is a major nexus of interdimensional activity, about twenty to twenty-five miles in diameter.... only nine miles Zorth of Bielefeld and a year behind." NVE muttered to nobody in particular as the yellow helicopter passed overhead.

"And now, the Community Calendar.

Tuesday is Work Day! All StrexCorp-owned homes and businesses, which is to say all homes and businesses, should work all day in their most productive and enthusiastic way. Work is how we all become better people! You do want to become a better person, right? You want to be valued, you want to have value, you want your value, numerically speaking, to increase? Then work! It’s Work Day!

Wednesday is Work Day. Keep working, StrexCorp employees! Don’t stop!

Thursday through Sunday are also Work Days. Wow! What an exciting and productive week we have coming up here in the Greater Desert Bluffs Metropolitan Area!

Monday is a lie that someone told you in order to poison you against the idea of starting your work week. Who told you this lie? Point them out to us, and we’ll make sure that they don’t tell you any more lies. Isn’t that nice? Just honest folks, dealing honestly with other honest folks. Just point out the liar, and denounce them.

This has been the Community Calendar."

At Reginald's risk, the attendant snapped and began walking towards the Englishman in a robotic fashion as she twitched and sparked. Her jaw fell slack as motor oil dripped out as she walked towards him.

[Giovenith]

As gross as the place was (she had followed the others toward it to see if she could grab anything they needed), Giovenith felt deep disapproval at some of her friend's behavior and words that she witnessed and heard around her. They were all shaken and tired from their recent experiences, and everyone had their own views, but that didn't give Torii and Bran the right to say such negative things to or about the people here. The people working there were the ones who were providing them with food and supplies (even if they were in terrible condition), the least one could do was not spit in their face with stereotypes and assumptions. Even when faced with less than fantastic circumstances, it was common courtesy. She held her tongue for now, packing away the chastisement for later.

Focusing on essentials, Giovenith piled up several packs of water bottles, some tissues, and a bag of ice onto the counter, along with the cash needed. Her pockets would keep everything cool until needed, and there wasn't much else in terms of nourishment to be found in a gas station. "Thank you very much. Sorry about any of that, we're all just a little stressed is all."

[Torsiedelle]

*tap**tap*

Torii looked behind and met eyes with Tsu. Stoic in appearance, she listened to what Tsu had to say, and gave it a few seconds of thought.

Her mind was made up. She'd listen to Tsu, but she wasn't happy at all about it. She grabbed Tsu by the arm and dragged her out of the bus, and around the back before stopping. Her rifle was still hanging by the strap, in case there was trouble.

She looked up and Tsu and crossed her arms. "What do you want?"

[The New Velociraptor Empire]

At Gio's courtesy, the Attendant froze, not sure whether to continue to pursue Reginald or return to the counter. More smoke came out as she hummed and sparked, but the attendant's jaw slowly closed back up. The attendant went back to the counter and processed Gio's purchase, discontinuing the pursuit of the thief.

[The BranRiech]

Getting out of there with his drink before any consequences would need to be faced with Tsu and Torii, Bran shuffled back outside right before Reginald decided to attempt to steal his own food. Looking back, he saw that the attendant was spewing oil from her mouth and smoke from other orifices. "I fucking knew it! She's a robot!" Bran cried out, dropping his drink as he rushed back, pushing himself into her mechanical body, trying to bowl her over as she turned back to the counter.

[Rygondria]

Reginald seeing the attendent distracted made a run for it with his crackerjacks. He shouted," I have my crackerjacks finally and all i had to do is to avoid a tin attendent". he then started to eat the crackerjacks

[Tsuyoi Tekikoku]

Tsu rubbed her head after hitting her head on the bus'door way from being dragged out. After a few nervous chuckles and giggles, and a awkward smile. The winged amazon opened her mouth to speak with a hushed tone. "I-I..wanted to say how sorry I am..for all.of the pain and trouble I caused.." She hung her head low and refused to look Torii in the eye. "I'm real sorry..for being a terrible waste of life..I really want to make it up to you..". One of her wings attempted to help by presenting Torii randomly picked plants that it found around the station.


"So..what do you say..forgive me,just a tiny bit?". Tsu wasn't excepting much or her to get off the hook easily with a sorry or that she was gonna be forgiven even just a bit,but it was worth trying.

[Torsiedelle]

Tsu rubbed her head after hitting her head on the bus'door way from being dragged out. After a few nervous chuckles and giggles, and a awkward smile. The winged amazon opened her mouth to speak with a hushed tone. "I-I..wanted to say how sorry I am..for all.of the pain and trouble I caused.." She hung her head low and refused to look Torii in the eye. "I'm real sorry..for being a terrible waste of life..I really want to make it up to you..". One of her wings attempted to help by presenting Torii randomly picked plants that it found around the station.


"So..what do you say..forgive me,just a tiny bit?". Tsu wasn't excepting much or her to get off the hook easily with a sorry or that she was gonna be forgiven even just a bit,but it was worth trying.

"Just a "tiny" bit?"

Torii began tapping her foot on the ground. "Why? First off, before I begin to forgive you for ANYTHING, I want to know just why the hell you left in the first place. Why did you do it, Tsu? Do you know that I was worried sick? When I finally found out that you and your family had disappeared, did you know just how embarrassed I felt? Everyone was right, and I was just a foolish girl in an abusive relationship, like they all said. I really did miss you at first, but I could only take so much. You never came back. I couldn't wait for you, and then I saw you for what you were. I hate you, I hate you so much, but you know what? You came back, so that counts, right? I mean, it's so easy to come back after a year and act all apologetic and ask for my forgiveness. I'm surprised you even had the BALLS to come and talk to me after that shit."

She uncrossed her arms. Torii stepped forward and shoved Tsu back, hard. "I'd love so much to just fucking wail on you right now. If I do, I'll be in trouble. You're really fucking lucky, you know? Look, I don't know if I can really forgive you, but you're really sorry, apparently, so I'll let you at least try and redeem yourself, and maybe one day we can be friends again, but I will NEVER forgive you for that BUllSHIT you pulled last November."

[Tiltjuice]

AWKWARD! JERRY! said MB to Swith, and anyone else looking in the direction of his clouds of colorful dust.

[Giovenith]

Having skedaddled from the odd scene and made her way back to the bus, Giovenith had arrived in time to overhear the live roasting Torii had given Tsu. She was silent, not even giving away any facial answers, but deep down inside, the godling had burst into applause for Torii. The comments in the station well near completely slipped her memory in light of this new stance. Yes, good girl, that was absolutely the right thing to say.

Of course, she was not in the position to jump in. She pretended to not be paying attention, boarded the bus, and kept an eye and ear out the window.

[The Fourth Reborn Ophanim Empire]

"That depends" Aegis said to the elf pointing towards the way the plane came from "Do you want to go to Vietnam or the Western Front" pointing to the blackened tree's. His voice was almost drowned out by the sound of a horn and a thunderous amount of shouting followed by the very recognizable sound of 155 millimeter artillery. From the other side was the shouting of people in panic tones right before an echoing click and then a large explosion. "This entire universe is just one large landscape composed for every battlefield across the Omniverse. I'm sure if we walk far enough in any direction well find the Red Coats, the Tanith First Company and the Nova Corps." his point was pushed home by a large space ship about the length of a skyscraper falling down on horizon firing beams of light that cut through a squadron of F-22's nearby. "As you can see not a safe place to be."

"Safe is relative..." Venyx found himself murmuring, backing up almost against Aegis, his fingers twitching around the blaster in his hand. The Song of War. It echoed in the soldier's head, the instruments - the orchestra - different in every direction he turned, but all playing along to the same age-old tune. The music itself became a musician in the Ophanite's chest as the beat plucked effortlessly at his heart and his very being, and dear god, it could have been so much worse but no: Aegis' wayward portal had thrust Venyx right into the heart of everything he was born to do. "I think I could get used to War World."

Fear was not an option, simply because it was the only option. It became Venyx like the calm before the storm, pulsing adrenaline through his veins and powering his survival drive like fuel to the heart of an engine. He had wept in war. He had screamed in war. He had fallen to his knees and begged for mercy from whatever deity was listening to his petty cries in war. War was a constant. War was the only thing that ever gave Venyx anything, even when it had taken away so much. Love itself was nothing but a battlefield, a fight every day to be better for the other person who has seen you at your worst and still loves you for all of your flaws. Every fight he faced, every opponent he challenged became a proving ground, and now, again, it came down to love. Screw the vacation, that was long gone, he had come to accept - now he would just have to fight his way home to Erris.

"Which way do I point my gun?"

[Fvaarniimar]

Rmwtyliin concluded her business, and shoved handfuls worth of scooped-out sand (some of it slightly moist) back into the hole. Someone who'd watched cats concluding their business in a litterbox would have found both the action and the sound it made to be rather familiar. Following this, she re-boarded the bus, selecting this time a seat far towards the back. There, she lay down - bracing herself, even to the point of using a few cords which she'd found to tie her body to the seat - and (as her handler needed to get off NS and wouldn't likely be able to get on at any time the following morning) went back to sleep. This time, she'd be more comfortable. If someone tapped her enough, she'd wake and follow; otherwise, while the girl hadn't stopped being concerned about the situation, she was experiencing the time-travel equivalent of jet lag. She'd been yanked out of her time around 7:15 pm. While she'd gotten a bit of sleep, several hours had still passed. Furthermore, her normal bedtime at this time of year was about 8:45, and, as mentioned, coping had proven exhausting. She'd sleep, this time, rather deeply, and due to the cords stopping of the bus wouldn't fully wake her.

[The New Velociraptor Empire]

The Attendant was caught by surprise by Bran's tackle, falling to the floor and the head cracked open with a thunk. She powerfully pushed Bran off and got back up facing away from him. As she turned around metal shone under the fleshy wound. Blood and oil stained her yellow uniform as smoke poured out of her clothes, starting to fill the station with a thick cloud. She made some raspy noises as she advanced on the attacker.

NVE pounded the dashboard furious, still trying to work out the correct course. He had started writing equations on the exterior of the bus trying to work it out. "Not enough power, just need to coax a little more." he muttered to nobody and paced around the bus. The helicopters began circling the station, a group of three military models all painted yellow with an orange triangle logo with an "S" in the center. NVE couldn't think with the noise, but he remembered they had to fuel the bus, so he did, grabbing the diesel nozzle and pulling the trigger. He thought he might pay afterwards once it was filled up, quite oblivious to the happenings in the store.