Personification Life: EPIC (IC Thread XI) [CLOSED]

[Torsiedelle]

---

OPERATION: SYNTH
DIMENSION: 544C
LOCATION: Earth
TEAM: Alpha

---

The Luxans had always intimidated Tora. It was mostly because of the way they dabbled in such dark magic, and worshipped Lovecraftian monsters, and acted so nonchalant about it all. There was that, and their looks. They always made Torii feel like she'd be barking up the wrong tree if she tried to work with them.

Still, she wasn't nervous about letting Insidious help her. She appreciated the help, and the view, though she'd be the last to admit it to anyone. She forced a blush back and focused on loading their weapons back up.

She hopped in with the rest of the group, excited to get back home and begin analyzing their catch. She hoped she'd run into Marcus. She wondered if he would be impressed with what she had found. He hung out around that Thaddeus guy, right? Torii rarely ever worked with the adults anymore, and she really only every knew the Nikanors and the Conservators, and Minerva and Klaus.

She really needed to know her comrades better again. She was almost twenty, and-

She suppressed that thought. The guns were all that mattered.

[Swith Witherward]

SYNTH AND SOUND

"I wouldn't recommend it," Will flicked the cigarette away, watching it tumble cherry over butt as it fell towards the smooth ocean waters below. "Unless you don't mind swimming back? Don't worry, we'll be at the Building in ten minutes or so."

The cultist fished a fresh cigarette from his pocket and clamped it between his lips. "So, you play guitar? You should look up Miss Tora or Mr Marcus after you've signed your papers. They're both musicians of a sort." He cupped his hands to block out the wind, and smoke puffed from between his fingers moments later. Will exhaled a fresh plume. "Looks like the Alpha team is catching up with us, too." The man slid along the tub's edge to give Otonako a good view.

Several tubs sailed along behind them, the shower curtains billowing out like great sails. There were people inside, their faces clearly visible in the bright morning sunshine, though they were still some distance away. Yet Otonako would be able to determine that the passengers were three women, one with flaming hair, and a yellow-skinned man. The red-haired woman had a tub to herself, and there appeared to be a large combat robot suspended below it by lines.

Minerva squinted at the tub in the distance. She had spent enough years working with Will to recognize his silhouette, though the young girl with him was a stranger. Perhaps a new Resident? Meh. Volker would have two to sort out today, then.

"Hmm?" her attention turned towards Opa, and she peered over the tub's edge to regard the android below. "I suppose we might see about locating your home dimension. That would be easiest. And you know, nothing comes easy when it comes to Demens." The woman frowned as she tried to recall what little she knew of Opa's people. Things would be much less confusing had Septimus not vanished. Yet hadn't Thaddeus grumbled something about a market the other day?

"Opa," the cultist leader's face appeared over the tub's edge again, "Thaddeus would be the one to ask. He might know."

She settled into her tub again before peering across the way to smile at the Synth. "You asked about a dossier earlier? Yes, Demens usually ferrets out very basic information before drawing people to him. But you'll be able to ask the receptionist about that. His name is Volker. German fellow, very helpful when he's in the mood."

Whether it was due to Will slowing his tub, or due to the wind pushing the alpha team's along, but soon the distance between had closed enough for each group to shout a greeting to one another. And, true to Will's promise, both groups arrived back at the Building shortly thereafter.

"Tora, would you mind showing our new neighbors to the lobby reception desk?" Minerva asked as she stowed Opa's cables. "Insidious and I can tuck these weapons into the hangar for the tech boys to retrieve later." She shrugged at the Luxan and added, "Unless you've got somewhere to be? Personally, after this, I'm going to take over a corner in the dining room."


LOBBY

Volker rifled through an assortment of sticky notes and coffee-stained envelopes. "Ja, the General. Where is the lizard. Ah, never mind. She's is behind you. Stand still, lizard! Now we just wait for-"

The PA system crackled to life again, this time to page the two Force warriors in the dining room.

"Ja, them. We wait for them. That's all I know. You four are to go to the roof, and the Gatehouse. Lizard knows the way."

"I do," Nila confirmed with a brisk nod of her head. She pressed a finger to the counter to trap an errant biscuit crumb, then licked it off her skin. "What are we getting?"

"Fuel. That's all I know," Volker huffed as he finally produced the paper containing the arrival list. "Now go find the Force people, because I have new Residents to take care of. They should be down any minute."

[Torsiedelle]

OPERATION SYNTH? More like operation....done? I don't know.


Torii hopped out. She had no problem showing the newbies around. She did grab the one pipe rifle, however. "Mind if I keep this one? Might want to do some looksies of my own. I always had a thing for patchy weapons like these."

She waved for the new girl and the synth to come along. Torii was only a bit older than Otonako, at nineteen. She was pretty small, average in height, but quite pretty, with her blonde hair and blue eyes. She stuffed her free hand into the pocket of her camo jacket and slung the rifle over her shoulder with the other. "Privet.", She let slip, smiling a bit deviously, perhaps from that morning's missions. She didn't often let Russian slip in when she spoke to strangers, not anymore. She was allowing herself an exception this one time. She was in a playful mood.

---

"Eh, I guess that's one drawback, but I can't break as easily as I could if I were all flesh.", Sozewe replied. He preferred synthetic bits to fleshy limbs that could die any day.

When the intercom kicked on, Sozewe leaned back. He was a little surprised. "And what do you suppose we should be needed for?", He asked.

[New Aksarben]

OPERATION SYNTH? More like operation....done? I don't know.


Torii hopped out. She had no problem showing the newbies around. She did grab the one pipe rifle, however. "Mind if I keep this one? Might want to do some looksies of my own. I always had a thing for patchy weapons like these."

She waved for the new girl and the synth to come along. Torii was only a bit older than Otonako, at nineteen. She was pretty small, average in height, but quite pretty, with her blonde hair and blue eyes. She stuffed her free hand into the pocket of her camo jacket and slung the rifle over her shoulder with the other. "Privet.", She let slip, smiling a bit deviously, perhaps from that morning's missions. She didn't often let Russian slip in when she spoke to strangers, not anymore. She was allowing herself an exception this one time. She was in a playful mood.

The synth carefully stepped out of the tub as the young girl had done the same. Good to be on solid land again, though what in bloody hell was what looked like a pristine apartment building doing in the middle of nowhere like this? He hadn't even seen a damn road going up to it! The Synth frowned and dusted off his clothes, wondering where all the dust had gotten onto his outfit. Either way, he seemed safe for now. The one girl let something slip out in Russian, a language he had heard plenty of during his time in Finland, though it wasn't common at all in the wasteland now. "You from Russia, young one?" Sakarias asked, recognizing the weapon that she was holding as one of the kinds the raiders had been wielding while attacking them. They looted the raiders for their weapons? Odd, they seemed pretty well armed already compared to such a rag tag group.

"I'll look at the dossier when I can, thank you. Got to make sure this Demens got all the information on it right, after all." He shrugged, guessing from what the obvious leader had told him that he'd be following this Tora around. So he stepped over to her and gave her a nod, "Ready for you to lead us when you are."

---

The Squib's ears flicked back for a bit, slightly startled by the speakers calling for him and Sosewe. "Seem need us for some Job, Maghrl think. Follow Squib!" He grinned, hopping up and collecting his saber, trotting towards the stairs and expecting the Sith to follow behind him. Probably wouldn't be anything too big, though Maghrl was expecting it was some sort of away mission for them to go on.

"Keep up, Sither!"

[CAT XIII]

DON'T KNOW WHAT TO TYPE HERE, SORRY!

Otonako takes in the atmosphere and the new scenery. She can hear the others talking in the background. Will's words are still in her mind, "Musicians of a sort, huh? Maybe they would know about that spell I've been looking for?"
She looks properly at the apartment building, "This is where I live now then? Oh well, I mean, it seems like a nice place. Everyone has been kind to me so far, and the view is good. I just want to know how Aquario's doing. Jeez, knowing that guy he'll have asked everyone in the town where I am..."
She is dragged out of her own thoughts as they seem to be heading off. "This is it then, I guess."

[Torsiedelle]

"Not Russia exactly. Little country just under Russia, but I was born in Stavropol, and grew up in Kalmykia.", Torii replied. "But I am ethnic Russian. I love Russia. It's the greatest nation in the world."

She stopped to give Sakarias a lookover again. "I like you. Anyways," she began to adress the two of them. "I'm Tora. Well, that's my actual name. Most adults call me by my real name, but I usually go by "Torii", with two "I's", because it looks cool when you write it.," She said, trying to make conversation. "Though I still write "Tora" when I sign anything anyways..."

Her gaze fell on Otonako. "I was really confused and lonely when I came here. That was around four years ago. It's okay, I was just a weird sixteen year old loser at first, but I've done good for myself."

She made a little click with her tongue. "By the way, nice guitar. I have a Les Paul, though I never play it. Leave it to me to have something cool like that, and still prefer my Dad's old acoustic. Oh, and I think you'd like my Big Sister, new guy. She plays violin, and piano. She's amazing."
.....

"Keep up? Yeah, got it."

The Sith stodd, collected his own lightsabers, and made a jog for the door. He knew that if they were needed, then it was most likely at the front desk. That was how the place worked, right?

[CAT XIII]

Otonako thinks, "Is everyone here strange, or is it just me? Ah well, I am the one with the capability of destroying people's eardrums so I'm one to talk."
"Cool, I'll try to write your name properly." She holds her guitar in close to her, it's the only part of her old life she has with her now. She grits her teeth "I've got to move on. No, stop thinking about Aquario!" There's a hint of a smile on her face as she quickens her pace to keep up with the other two.

[Torsiedelle]

"Righto. Well, let's get a move on, eh?"

Torii propped the door to the lobby open. "It's a pretty big building. Well, it's big to me, and that's still after seeing some big buildings. We have pools, a gym, all that fun stuff. I like to use the pools, myself. Oh, there's a cool kitchen and living room, too. We like to hang out and have breakfast together."

She nodded towards the fellow in the Nazi uniform. "You'll see those guys, and the British guys. They're good people, even if a little shady...don't tell them I said that. Everyone here is weird in their own way though. I mean, I guess I'm weird just because I'm not weird. Me, me sister, and a family of good neighbors downstairs are the only mundanes here, mundanes being regular old Humans."

She allowed the two entrance and led the way. "Two new people, though I guess you already know.", She said to the cultist up front. She always had trouble with their nanes, except for Mr. Klaus and Hans. She had her little history of run-ins with them, when they were the law. She held the clunky old pipe gun out. "Like it? We scavenged a bunch of them, and some real guns, too. I bet we can make our own, but better."

[New Aksarben]

Sakarias followed along behind, glancing around and taking in everything. Seemed strange for them to have a pre-war style building as their home, especially an apartment complex. This was all so strange. As someone who was used to living in decayed, broken buildings or ramshackle new structures made of the junk of the old world, seeing such an intact building was almost unnerving. There were no holes letting the elements inside, and there was electricity! Lights, heating, everything he could barely even remember from the old world before he woke up in this form.

"Quite impressive, Torii. On the subject of those guns, if you have any sort of proper manufacturing you definitely could. Raiders make those by slapping together old gun parts and whatever they can find to make stocks, barrels, et cetera. Not hard to make, though prone to exploding in your hand. Though like you said earlier, I'd be happy to meet your sister Torii. Been ages since I've been able to play a duet with anyone, especially another violin player."

The violinist gave a nod of hello to the front desk worker, wondering what they would have to do here.

-------

At the same time, Maghrl strode into the lobby with the Sith in tow, one of his lightsabers on his belt and wearing just his tunic at the moment. His robes and most of his things were back in his room, though he could always grab that if they had the time to and needed it. "Volker call Maghrl, Sosewe? What need from Forcers?" The small alien gave a wave towards the reptilian woman and larger human human nearby, guessing they were going to be an away team going to grab something from the worlds they were connected to.

He also noticed a strange android made humaniform, a pair of young girls one of which with multicolored hair. He did recognize Torii, though hadn't really spoken to her in depth before. Seemed like a nice young woman though, and pretty mature for her age at least so far.

[Primordial Luxa]

Insidious and Blackwater

“Not at all captain,” Insidious said as she moved to help Minerva move the various pilfered weapons “I don’t have anything planned for today.” He skin had reverted back to its traditional grey and black while she began picking pieces of post-apocalyptic forest out of her hair.

“Say captain weren't you asking me something earlier before you got cut off?” She said as the two ladies began picking up armfuls of assorted weapons many of which seemed strangely primitive to the Luxan.

[Highfort]

Nuts and Bolts

Opa waited patiently, standing ramrod-still as Insidious and Minerva unloaded it of the weapons cache that Tora had scavenged from the settlement. Its injured face betrayed inner processes as wires lit up beneath metal plating. Only one thought pulsed through Opa's processing unit as the load lightened and the unblinking optic of the riot android stared forward into the distance atop the Building's roof:

Thaddeus. It had to find Thaddeus, and figure out how to work out the signal - how to contact the Confederation.

How to go home.

"I shall take. My leave. I have. Business. With Brother. Usseio," Opa offered as it moved to leave, brushing past the leather-clad Captain and the skin-shifting Insidious, "If I am. Needed I. Will be in. The Basement."

Plodding steps took the android to the elevator, a quiet hum from its systems overshadowing the usually-dull cranking of elevator pulleys and irritating elevator music. By the time Opa got off on the first floor and plodded toward the basement, the newcomers would have been getting set up with Volker at the desk. It was no matter to the robot what they did - so long as they adjusted to their new life and contributed to the well-being of the people of the Building.

So long as they helped and did not hinder its existence, Opa was content to let them be. The riot android had much more important affairs to deal with.

Which is exactly how the hulking metal machine found itself knocking its shield against the laboratory door of the Techpriests, intent on badgering Thaddeus for information about Septimus' disappearance and possibly contacting the Confederation.

[Giovenith]

Aegis and Yuna

"I'd have to agree with you there, Aegis," Smart Cookie nodded to what the Luxan pony had to say. "Usually we're a practical tribe that puts action before prayer, but everypony has their times. It's not something we should worry about right now though. The Chancellor didn't come home while I was still awake last night, and she wasn't back this morning. She can't be hurt otherwise I would have been told, but she must be very busy..."

SkyWishes nearly tripped over herself trying to balance a muffin on her nose. "Well taking care of monsters must be the busiest thing in the world!"

Cookie, again, nodded, and stopped for a moment to address the extra-dimensional travelers. "Regardless, we should look for her so that your pegasi friends can be formally greeted. They'll probably be safe so long as they have tokens, but I want to be on the safe side. It will probably also help in getting all of you a private place to talk about your unique issues."

The small band of ponies soon arrived once again at the Chancellor's cabin, roof newly covered in a fresh layer of snow but chimney smoking. Cookie took note of this, remembering that she hadn't set a fire this morning since she had set out so soon. Somepony home? The secretary took the lead and opened the door.

"Chancellor?" she called into the small main room. "Are you here?"

Chancellor Puddinghead practically flew in out of nowhere with an unexpected squawk, frightening both Cookie and SkyWishes, who lurched back. The Chancellor was in an even more frantic state than usual. Her hat seemed to be missing and her poofy brown and pink mane was askew in all directions, and there were dark circles under wide eyes.

"Smart Cookie!!" the Chancellor sighed with great relief, grinning and placing her forelegs on the secretary's shoulders. "I'm so glad you're all here!"

The green-haired mare tentatively bit the bottom of her lip and carefully pulled the Chancellor's hooves off of her. "Are you alright, Chancellor? What happened last night?"

"Oh what didn't happen last night!" The leader of the tribe paused for a short coughing fit. "Listen, today, I need you to go the unicorns' junk heap and bring back as many texts as you can, pronto, okay?"

"But Chanc-"

"And then after that you have an appointment with Sundae Surprise!"

"What?!" This caused Smart Cookie to snap a little, brow instantly narrowing. "Why?"

The Chancellor scratched her hair. "This whole incident has been one great big enigma. I figured it's time we start consulting an expert on the otherworldly."

"Expert!" Cookie was offended by the word choice. "Sundae ein't an expert in jack diddly squat! She makes it all up as she goes along and tries to feed it to the rest of us! You know that!"

Puddinghead pulled out her wide-brimmed hat and adjusted it upon her head with minimal concern. "She's as much as expert as any of us, so far as I'm concerned."

Normally content to go along with what her boss said, Smart Cookie deviated greatly from her status quo today in that she was clearly having none of that. "Remember the time Sundae broke in here and tried to burn some of my most valuable books?" the secretary demanded, counting off on her hoof. "Or the time she made poison blow-darts and sent one of the visiting unicorn traders into a seizure? Or the time she told the schoolponies that loving 'Mother Earth' was more important than loving their parents? Or the time she ground up psychedelic mushrooms in the community feast bread to try and give us all a spiritual epiphany?"

"Remember the time a cannibal pony burst into a town meeting and killed somepony in front of everypony?" the Chancellor snapped back coldly.

SkyWishes looked at Aegis and Yuna with clear anxiety.

Smart Cookie paused, blinked, and tipped her hat. "I see your point. But just because we're confused doesn't mean we should just start throwing anything at our problems. It ein't logical."

"Yeah, well not everything can be done your fancy, shmancy 'logical' way, Cookie," the leader growled, demeanor growing notably defensive. "I'm the one everypony expects to make the tough calls! I'm the one they elected! Unless you'd like to be the Chancellor now, I'd suggest you stop nitpicking how I do my job, and start focusing on yours, which is doing as I say!"

There was a moment of tense silence. You could almost hear the snowflakes hitting the ground. Part of Willow's story was already coming true: The Chancellor was defending her authority, succumbing to the pressure.

Her heart would soon be frozen.

The secretary didn't dare to sigh, yell back, or even glare. She merely narrowed her eyes and said in a simpler, quieter tone: "We have pegasi flying in here later today."

This caused Puddinghead to growl and facepalm. "Yet even more to do!"

"How will you plan to greet them?"

"You greet them!" the Chancellor shoved her way past the other four out of the cabin and down the steps. "I've got a full day as it is, I don't need to hear anymore of their whining and complaining about not getting enough food because of the damned winter that they caused! Make sure to do what I told you too."

"But Chan-"

"Make it work!" the leader snapped one last time at the four before sprinting off into town toward other duties.

There was another moment of silence.

"Gosh," SkyWishes folded her ears. "I've never seen Puddinghead that upset before..."

"Me neither," the secretary shook her head, adjusted her hat, and sighed sadly. "C'mon ya'll, let's get inside where it's warm. We can discuss there."


Rache and Willow

The two younger ponies both stared at Rache. Willow with a deeply unamused frown and Cloud Duster in blank confusion.

"What's a snatch?" he said.

"You guys are both idiots!" Willow gave a small bang to the cloud table, evidently not comfortable with the subject and converting that discomfort into antagonism. "Especially you! Why doesn't a seventeen year old know this?!"

"They don't teach us till we're twenty-five," Cloud Duster explained, clearly just a little put off by Willow's sudden hostility. It was always an odd experience when ponies thought he was fucking with them when he genuinely wasn't.

"Why?"

"I don't know."

Willow threw his forearms up in an, I'm so done! gesture and got up from the table sputtering indignantly, feathers ruffled like an insulted/frightened bird, trotting away into the next room. Cloud Duster said nothing, looking after the direction the grey pony went, at Rache, and then at the direction again. It took a few moments, but when Willow eventually realized he didn't actually have anywhere to storm off to he came trotting back with head low and slowly retook his seat. There was another brief moment of silence. Cloud Duster ate another berry.

"So after breakfast we get Pansy then?" the Private asked.

"After breakfast, pass the berries."

...

The last drop of cold milk slid down Pansy's throat, and after a sigh, she looked down at the bottom of a cup with a guilty ear fold.

An older, yellow mare with tri-color hair gently took the cup away. "It's okay honey, you need it more than me."

If there was one thing Pansy could truthfully claim to have an advantage in, it was that she had a loving family. Well, if you could call just her and Aunt Petunia a "family," but the love was there regardless. Petunia was her late mother's little sister, just barely older than Pansy herself when custody went to her upon confirmation of the soldier's death. Apparently their parents weren't in a very fit state of mind to be handling another babe, and Pansy's father had died so long ago before all that he was barely noted. None of it mattered much to Pansy. Her focus was here in the present.

Speaking of the present.

"So your new friends have quite the ambitious scope of things, don't they?" Petunia asked before Pansy could bring it up, flapping over beside her niece and beginning to shift the latter's modest orange mane into place. "It takes an awful lot of bravado to determine to track down the ghoulings' nest when you know the Commander is supposed to be away on secret..."

Pansy would have nodded save for not wanting her hair tugged. "That's one of the reasons I don't think he should go, what if the Commander and the other ponies with him get really mad at Grimmig Rache for suddenly showing up? It could end badly."

The young auntie patted the filly's head reassuringly. "Don't be so sure," she said with a notably confident tone. "I heard about what he did with that ghouling the other day, I'm sure even Commander Hurricane would be receptive to a miracle." Petunia flipped a strand of purple highlight and rolled her eyes with a smile. "Sometimes it just needs to be forced on him a little."

"How do you know-"

Pansy was cut off by a knock at the door.


As planned, Rache, Willow, and Cloud Duster had arrived at the mares' residence after breakfast, and were standing in patient wait after a few brief knocks.

"So..." Cloud Duster was looking up at Rache, still with wide-eyed confusion. "... The mother puts her butt in, the father's butt...?" He gently pressed the tip of his hooves together repeatedly in questioning demonstration. His mind still hadn't wrapped around the idea of sex.

"Oh my god," Willow growled with frustration. "Would you shut the hell up about the- hiiiii!" The artist did a complete 180 as Pansy answered the door. "Heeey, Pansy! Hey, we're here to uh, do everything we said we're going to do today. Yeah."

The filly looked between the three stallions. "How did you three figure out where I live?"

[Swith Witherward]

The Lobby

Ah, the Lobby. It appears differently to each resident, shaping itself into whatever they most found comforting. For Nila, it was a large white room containing tasteful white chairs and clean-lined tables. For Minerva, it was the broken down bits of an abandoned mental institution. But how it appeared to Sakarias and Otonako? Well, it's best if they described it for us. I certainly shan't.

Some things remained the same no matter who stood in the room. The foyer contained mailboxes and buzzers tucked into a tiny vestibule, and beyond it was the lobby proper, where a man in a woolen WWII Nazi uniform (swastikas replaced by a strange emblem) sat behind large reception desk. A drop box for payments and leases sat on the wall behind him. This desk is the first stop for every new resident, of course.

There was also a large front window and comfortable seating. Several doors lead off the lobby - Bomb Shelter, Chaos Quarters, Gym and Pool. A worn wooden bench occupied a bit of space near the main stairway and elevators. A door market "Maintenance" sat at the far end of the lobby. And, of course, the doors for two restrooms were tucked into a corner.

The Nazi at the desk seemed to be in the middle of addressing a very large man in an equally large suit of power armor when the newcomers arrived. A small, anthropomorphic lizard stood near his elbow. They were shortly joined by... lord only knows what?! One of these creatures was furry and robed, and the other was just weird and robed. All four seemed intent on what the Nazi had to say, but he held up a hand to pause the conversation once Tora approached.

"Good morning, Miss Tora. Nice pipe gun," his voice, ever cheerful, always made Nila the lizard feel good, but it was especially pleasant-sounding today. He glanced at the new arrivals before fishing two clipboards from the desk to pass to Sakarias and Otonako. "And Miss Tora brings us new Residents, eh? Well, don't you worry. There's room here. Fill out the lease application. When you're done, there's some coffee ready in the upstairs dining room, and some Residents roaming the halls. You'll be right at home here, trust me."

He turned his attention back to the four oddly assorted Residents. "Ja, as far as I know, the four of you are to go get some fuel. Myra's manning C&C. If you take a tub out there, she can give more details."

He glanced at Will and added, "And Captain Blackwater wants you to go find John."

As for that Captain...


The Hangar

Minerva cocked her head. "I'm always babbling about something or another. But I honestly can't recall what I was saying." She stacked the weapons in a corner, mindful to keep them away from Bran's helicopter, though she was rather puzzled by the memory slip. In fact, it wasn't a slip at all... it was a contrived dialog plot device meant to enhance the suddenness of the moment, but we won't tell ol Minerva that. She might take it too personally and sulk.

"How are things going in the new clinic?" she asked Insidious as she tucked the last pipe gun into its temporary new home. "I've been meaning to stop by there. I mean to do a lot of things. My life would be so much easier if there were at least two more of me."


Meanwhile, in the Basement

"What have those monsters done to your face?!"

It wasn't the most polite of greetings, but the priest that answered Opa's knock wasn't prepared to see the android in such a state. Had they no respect for sacred things?! Was it too much trouble on their part to return things as tidy as they found them? No, of course, it was far too much trouble. Poor machine. Poor abused, blessed machine.

"Come in, Opa," he stepped aside to allow the android to pass. "I take it you're looking for repairs. Brother Marcus is somewhere about. Mr. Usseio as well."

To say they were "somewhere" was stating it mildly. The tiny mechanical room was a far cry from its former shape. The priests spent the winter expanding it, and now the space truly was a warren; Passages branched off this way and that, some leading to obvious places while others simply lead to meditative spots. "Somewhere" was impossible to define.

"Have faith," the priest smiled as he gently patted the android's shield, "and perhaps recharge a while. I'll find one of them."


Rache and Willow

Rache's lips pressed into a thin line as he worked to hold back the humor welling within him. "Dunno," the word came out smallish and soft, "You have to ask Cloud Duster. He knows almost everything." Snorted laughter puffed from his flared nostrils, and his ears swept back in keeping with the asinine grin spreading across his face. "By time this day is over, I'll see to it that he knows all."

"Sorry," the daemon pony's eyes pinched shut as he frantically waved a hoof at Willow to ward away any potential rebuke from him. "Couldn't resist! Just... ahahaha!"

It took Rache a moment to compose himself properly. This writer won't trouble you with all the weird thoughts that trickled through the daemon's mind. They were disturbing, but so so was his customary sense of humor, what little there was of it. We'll leave it at that.

"Early start," he said once he regained a sense of professionalism. "We need to leave soon."

[Highfort]

Nuts and Bolts

A winter spent in the company of the Techpriests whenever the android had needed maintenance or simply had nothing to do hadn't managed to impress upon Opa why these cyborgs were so obsessed and reverent of technology. The war machine chalked it up to their silly religious beliefs, which at any rate kept it alive and thus were judged to be harmless - even beneficial - by its processor. Technology, at least in its view given the limited thought that Opa had devoted to the subject, was a tool and should be subservient to man, not the other way around. It made no sense for slaves to rule over masters.

Stepping past the priest into the warren and observing the many snake-like tunnels which emerged from the main room, some with signs and some without. The place had grown to become Opa's preferred place of residence, Neste's old apartment with FUBAR being a mere location for the android to charge when the priests were asleep and wouldn't let him in at late hours. Something about the priesthood, and Marcus in particular, struck Opa as fascinating and intensely familiar. Perhaps it was the robes, reminding the android's processor of the flowing red of Confederation government dress.

"Repairs as well. As a favor. I need to. Speak to Mr. Usseio," Opa clarified to the priest, trudging over to the nearby charging station that had been installed just for him during the harsh winter when many of the Residents had to stay indoors, "I will remain. Here to charge."

Sitting down in what almost looked like a comfortable, relaxed stance, the riot bot pulled a thick, metal charging cord from the station and popped a cap open on its chest, leaning forward to shut down whilst life-giving power was delivered to it.

[Giovenith]

Rache and Willow

Pansy, not in on the whole joke, merely raised an eye and nodded. "Okay..." Adjusting her front plate, she called back to her aunt: "I am going now, Auntie. I will be back later."

With admonishments to be careful from the aunt, the four were soon off. They explained all their current standings and plans to Pansy along the way who, as usual, seemed skeptical and worried.

"I'm not sure if you want to bring a whole heap of food down there," she said, flying alongside the others. "Assuming it's even true that you can get it. Ponies are getting pretty desperate, we shouldn't tempt anypony, stay on the safe side... maybe leave it all home until you can bring them back here?"

Shoot. Willow knew that wouldn't work, because if Aegis and Yuna were in anything but pegasus form, they couldn't enter the city. "They might need immediate treatment though, I uh, have a feeling that Earth pony imprisonment isn't the best of conditions. Especially in this winter."

"How many lost family members do you have?" Cloud Duster asked.

"About four."

"Hmm..." Duster looked ahead and narrowed his eyes.

Willow frowned with concern. "Is something the matter?"

The blue Private waved it off. "I only have a little bit of money, but don't worry, a few short stops and I'll have plenty."

Even if there was some basic agreement that they had to drop Cloud Duster's attachment to them at some point, Willow was at his heart, a complete and utter goodie-two-shoes. He didn't like the idea of wasting somepony else's money. "Oh, well if you're tight-"

"No, no, it will all be alright."

Pansy was in the same boat as Willow. "We could go back and ask my aunt for-"

"Shhhhhh..." Cloud Duster paused mid-flight, turning around and holding out his hooves to the two other ponies in reassurance. "That's very flattering, how considerate you are. But you don't have to worry, I have connections. I can make an honest bit in a short time no problem. Just follow along, be quiet, and trust me."

The painter and the Private exchanged looks, and the blue colt insisted by smiling and flying on ahead. Pansy and Willow soon complied, following.

[Primordial Luxa]

Insidious

Insidious shrugged “It’s effective and efficient. Not in the ways that I would personally like, but I suppose I can understand that the others hesitation to use the methods I prefer. None the less we are slowly reaching the point where we can respond absolutely to any problem. Everyone's contributing what they can, me and the others have produced quite a large amount of ReAnima for any potential inevitability but storing it so that it does go bad is a bit of challenge.”

Aegis

“It sounds like the Chancellor will be leaving the Pegasus situation in our han...I mean hooves,” Aegis said clumsily, “If she is as busy as it seems, might that work to our advantage? We could speak with our potential friends away from the prying eyes of the village if they're all busy talking, the cannibal pony and what not. It might make it harder to get that artifact the chancellor has but perhaps we could think something up once things settle down a bit?”

[New Aksarben]

Lobby

Sakarias glanced around the room as he accepted the clipboard from the strangely dressed man. Reminded him of the old Fascist uniforms of WW2, though he doubted this man was affiliated with such a group. Especially with such a strange symbol on his arm. Either way he started looking over the lease, humming to himself as he read.

To the Synth it looked like something out of a prewar photograph, at least to him. Like an almost the fantasy of a futurist of the 1950s, things seemed sleek, colorful, and bright. Low-backed colorful leather chairs and couches ringed wooden coffee tables, the room lit by low-hanging circular lamps. The floor was covered in a a colorful plush carpet with very abstract styles. All in all, a very comforting sort of sight for the old synth.

By contrast the squib saw it as something reminiscent of a Coruscant hotel. Smooth lines, metallic finishes, very comfortable seats and metal rimmed glass tabletops. It looked clean, bright, and almost clinically sterile in a way. That sort of image was broken though by art on display from various worlds, and other colorful flourishes added to the clean metals of the lobby, such as exotic alien flowers. In honesty it was probably more like a Squib reproduction of that style than truly something from the planet, the little weird touches and flourishes something Squib loved doing, embellishing styles to make it unique.

"Mag good join fueling run! Sither prolly good good, you bet." The little alien grinned, his fast-paced Basic as always having its strange grammar and accent, reminiscent mostly of chittering and squeaking than any normal accent. His species was considered closer to rodents than anything else after all.

Sakarias blinked as he observed the two robed figures. They looked like something out of a damn sci-fi novel in the old world, maybe even a comic. This place only grew stranger by the second...

[CAT XIII]

The Lobby

Otonako looks around. Her surroundings aren't at all what she thought they'd be.
"I mean," she thinks, "it looks wicked awesome but why red sparkly tiled floors and shiny black walls here? I didn't think it was that sort of place. I thought they were more army type people, with perfect organisation skills. If anything, I would have thought they would have picked a place with green carpets, wooden walls and bookshelves; like a library.
"There is a bookshelf over there though, wait, no it's a magazine stand? Cool!"
For the first time since she passed through the gate, Otonako relaxes. She pulls out a music magazine and sits herself down on a black leather couch, completely forgetting about the shiny, polished black desk at the front, with its red plastic swivel chair and propping her beloved guitar up against the wall.

[Torsiedelle]

Torii snorted. "Everyone sees the place differently. It's one of this place's crazy properties."

Of course, Torii - and Katya, and now Audette, having been told a bit about the place beforehand by Torii - saw the place quite the same. Dark red carpet, beige walls with the occasional wood panelling and dark, heavy wooden doors. The dining room/kitchen with its white tiled floors and wall, and black counters, the pool, which reflected the rest of the building...Torii wondered sometimes if other residents saw the place as such a warm, humble little hotel. She felt at home in these walls, and had come to associate those floors and walls with years of memories, some happy, some sad, but all good.

She looked a little more solemn, more relaxed, allowing Sakarias and Otonako to get their affairs sorted out. She felt a little sorry, as they both semmed to have been plucked away from their own worlds so suddenly. She was a little more lucky.

"I hope you enjoy it here.", She said suddenly. "I missed home a lot at first, but I met some great people here. By the way, how old are you two? And where are you from? I know you're Finnish, right, Mister? And Otonako, that's Japanese, right? I had a real good friend once who was Japanese, or what would pass for it."

She grinned again. "I'm nineteen, myself. I just turned sixteen when I moved in."
.....

Sozewe nodded. "You bet I'm good. What's this about fuel? I have my share of experience on ships, so I can help you there. If it's fighting, then I got that, too."

He looked about. To him, the place looked like a tasteful, old-fashioned hotel, with a mixture of stone and smooth plaster walls and floors. It was the impression he got, from thinking back on where he had been before being suddenly plucked from his own little universe. It was funny, he had no idea that the building was this strange.

[CAT XIII]

Otonako laughs, puts the magazine down and stands up.

"I get that a lot, don't worry. I was born in England and, more or less, grew up in Mexico alongside other magic users who formed a group and..." she trails off a bit, "Yeah, it was great." She collects herself a little before opening her mouth again. "I don't know why I have a Japanese sort of name, I get the feeling my parents just wanted to give me a unique name, but they never told me."

She looks down to her feet, trying to keep memories and thoughts out of her mind. "Don't let my hair change colour, please no."
She looks up again.

"I'm eighteen. I'll be nineteen on the 3rd of September," she smiles a little, "that's diecinueve in Spanish."

[New Aksarben]

The Synth looked up from the lease and raised an eyebrow. "Id say from how long I've been conscious.... roughly 90 years? That's not including my time as a slave to the Institute, nor the lapse in time where I was dead. Long story." Sakarias said with a shrug. His finger tapped against the clipboard he was holding a bit anxiously, but he continued to answer Torii's questions. It couldn't hurt after all, and it did seem like he'd be here for a while, at least in what this lease he'd been given implied. Though it was definitely going to be a weird stay he imagined.

"Originally Finland, yes, though a good portion of my life I've lived in the United States. My family moved there to escape the collapsing European Unionif I remember right, along with the threat of the Soviet Union. The Resource Wars drained both powers, the EU to the point of collapse and civil war. I suppose it never was a proper power, more just a confederation of nations." He sighed, giving her another shrug, and a sad look on his mechanical face. "Though that world's long gone. As you probably noticed going into my world: its a nuclear wasteland, and has been for at least two hundred years."

[Fvaarniimar]

One neither described princesses, nor for that matter diplomats, as slinking.  Perhaps a princess glided elegantly; a diplomat might march.  Or stride.

Cats slunk.*  Spies slunk.

And, although it was entirely unbecoming of her station and she wasn't on any sort of intelligence mission, Naaliiaszz Rmwtyliin Saagve Annvyeelee Fvvarniimalasaakuuliia slunk, keeping to shadows and in general avoiding most people she hadn't gotten to know by the time of Demens' appearance.  Such had been the case for some weeks, save in the hydroponics area, the hospital, 9C and 9A.

That had by this time become the hospital and her apartment.  The hydroponics people had been friendly but the technology confusing, and with her guardian - well, there had been tension.  If Rmwtyliin had been being honest with herself, she would have had to admit to a rather large role in exacerbating it.

Glancing nervously at the elevator, she checked to make sure that lunch (courtesy of Kwa'a the Infuriating) was packed.  The doors opened; bracing herself, she stepped through and fluidly pressed the 5.  Surprisingly enough, she didn't while away the time by styling hair, having learned of the need for sterilization.  While it would be permissible prior to her shift, after several re-washings of her hands she'd resolved to train herself to avoid doing so while on duty.

Instead she practiced English.  "Ah-ee ah-mm thrteen ihrs oldd."  "I ggo ttu hohspeetl."  "Ah-ee ahm, ih-oo arr, shzhee eez, wee -" Ding! Nodding to Duncan, she stepped off.  "Gooddah-ee, Ahnnahis!"

If her superior wasn't feeling chatty, working in silence would be fine.

--

*While perhaps another feline resident of the erstwhile 42 Subabsurdus St. may have been slinking, Nick hadn't been.  He'd taken to walking with head and tail held high.

At the moment, however, he was enjoying a post-breakfast nap on a comfy chair. Emphasis on WAS. An excited feeling, combined with voices, woke him up. With a mew, a large yawn, and a stretch, the brown cat waved at his friend and the friendly Squib before climbing the chair and turning to face Otanako.

The young woman might be a bit surprised; if she'd noticed him at all, she'd probably concluded that one of the seats had had a round faux-fur pillow. Of course, the voice coming from his collar probably would be considerably more shocking.

"Hi! I'm Nick..." Otanako's story had brought to mind how he'd come up with the name, but he'd decided that he'd prefer sharing that story with someone he actually knew. "Welcome to the Building, both of you!"

[CAT XIII]

Otonako looks towards Nick. She's slightly surprised to see a talking cat but her day has already been so weird that she's prepared to accept almost anything by now. Besides the fact he's a cat, he seems to have the same relaxed nature that everyone else has had so far.

"Hi! It's great to be here, I guess. Nice to meet you," she greets him and sits down on the couch. "So uh..." she pauses to think of something to say, "Do you like music?" She's slightly embarassed that it's the only question she can think of, besides the obvious, to ask him but it's her go to question.

While she waits for his answer, she remembers when she asked Kinaka (one of her fellow band mates) for her answer the first time she met her. She'd jumped up and down with excitement as she'd explained her love of techno rock music while Otonako had to hold back from telling her what an awful genre of music she thought it was.

Although Kinaka Tora is certainly one of the most annoying people on the planet, Otonako has a real soft spot for her as she is the youngest and most sensitive member of the group. She smiles slightly when she thinks of the energetic soul and wishes there was some way she could let her know that she was alright.

[Fvaarniimar]

Nick didn't mind the obviousness of the question; it was universal enough to be a good ice-breaker.  He did, however, have to think about it; hopefully the young woman wouldn't take sudden licking of Nick's paw as a signal that he'd lost interest. 

"I really liked the lyrics of country songs when I was younger."  He looked back up.  "Jazz has a nice sound, and rap -"  He wasn't quite sure how to describe it.  "It feels cool.  I can tap to the beat.  I like drums, when they aren't too loud."  As Nick's hearing was quite keen, they often were.

Normally he'd have kept going, but since getting the collar he'd started to pick up rudiments of normal conversation.  "You?"

[Torsiedelle]

"English, living in Mexico, with a Japanese name?"

Torii chuckled again. "You Westerners and your weird names, always moving around."

Torii listened with interest to Sakarias. Her heart skipped a beat when he mentioned the Soviet Union. "So the USSR never collapsed where you were from?", She asked, a look of sincere regret on her face. "That sounds amazing to me...no offense to you, but it's just me. I'm a Communist. My Mom and Dad grew up when the Soviet Union was still around. For my world, it collapsed and just became Russia and the near beyond, and that was in 1991. I was born in 1996. I never got to see the real Soviet Union."

She sighed. "But I have been lucky enough to visit across the border to Russia once. I love it. Sorry if I sound like some crazy nationalist, but I'm really passionate about my heritage.", She blushed.

Oh, was that Nick? Torii beamed. She squatted down to nuzzle the kitty with her nose and giggled. "I haven't seen you in a while! Yeah, you two, this is Nick. He's awesome."