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

by **Chedastan** » Thu May 12, 2016 8:27 pm

Romulus turned his head to see Nick struggled to keep pace with him, and had called to him to try and tell him something very important (it must be very so in a situation like this). After Sandy patted his helmet with his wing, he stopped himself in his tracks to turnaround to get Nick, but he urged Miyuki to continue on without him and run as fast as she can. "Just keep going, it's just ahead, don't stop for nothin until you're there!" He quickly told her before running towards Nick. Once he had reached him though, he snatched him up and quickly resumed running towards the Village, quickening his strides to make up for lost time.

"Please tell me there isn't going to be something worse than the Building going critical on us and causing a massive explosion, because I don't think we can handle reality tearing itself apart." He said to the cat as he caught pace with Miyuki again, barely breaking a sweat while doing so, but still breathing with adrenaline and anxiety attached. "Please tell me that isn't what's going to happen now, is it?" He said again, clearly concerned.

by **Mincaldenteans** » Thu May 12, 2016 8:31 pm

Anais' first concern was her guild and her feet moved automatically before she had time to register as other Residents poured out of the building, fleeing for the village. The Klingon brushed passed her, gruffly telling her to get moving as he rushed off in large strides while the ostrich had sprinted out in the same direction. Her guildmates had converged together by the trees in the outlying field waiting for her rather than running as told to.

Short on breath, but long in worry, she huffed out in a strained voice, "What are you doing?"

"Air," Traxt barely murmured. Anais could feel a tingling in and around her legs and she felt strangely lighter than a few seconds ago. A mass of cold wind then surrounded the elementalist and dispersed among the guildmates. She knew the spell, he'd done it a dozen times on her and Alexia, the only two mages that didn't have a speed spell. Already Erick and Reyna took lead and sprinted off moments after Anais caught up to them, with Cherry behind the duo in a dizzying apparition of some illusion trick that kept pace. Traxt only nodded to Anais and she took her cue to run once again, as did Alexia who ran by her side. She looked back to see a different spell working, clouds gathered around Traxt and quickly dissipated thereafter as he rushed forward to join them.

by **Relikai** » Thu May 12, 2016 8:41 pm

Konayama Miyuki

The panic seemed to spur Miyuki on, as she allowed the giant man to take her hand, leading her along with the other people to a 'village'. She felt the disturbance, and was already on the run. If only her outfit did not burden her down too much, as Romulus turned away for something. Stuffing her books into the pack, the idol continued her run, following the crowd as she tried her best not to trip over anything.

"Wh-what's going on?!" Miyuki cried as she tried to catch her breathing. There was too much going on in one day, she thought, the experience of being whisked from her world, to this world, to the Building and now to the village taking a toll on her. Hopefully they'd find a place to settle down soon, if she remembers correctly, there were wounded to heal, healers to support...

by **Northwest Slobovia** » Fri May 13, 2016 11:41 am

Pegasus Air Flight 100, Nonstop to The Burrows

The ground fell away beneath Sandy and his passengers as they made the minute-long flight to The Burrows. As they soared over the village's wall, Sandy banked into a shallow turn in order to study the situation on the ground. The Burrows-dwellers must have seen the smoke rising from the Building's upper stories, and their watchtowers could hardly have failed to notice the crowd rushing towards them. Sandy sought signs of their reaction, good, bad or indifferent.

As his circle brought him around, Sandy checked back towards the Building for anybody who might have stumbled while fleeing. He'd hate to have to go back to get them, but if he needed to...

And while he was facing that direction, he fixed his ears on the Building and Listened. He wasn't sure if Pegasus' Hearing would pick up anything at this range -- a "loud" source and sensitive ears vs a long distance -- but he couldn't resist trying.

by **CAT XIII** » Fri May 13, 2016 2:44 pm

Pegasus Flying

Otonako had never flown on a pegasus before, although she'd known a lot of magic users. The experience was pretty surreal needless to say. Her stomach was full of adrenaline as she dared herself to look down.

Everything looked so tiny, like a doll's village. Buildings appeared beneath them. It was crazy. That was enough though, she didn't want to fall off, not when she'd come all this way.

She dismounted Sandy when he landed, patting him on the back and thanking him for his help.

"What's the plan?" she asked sheepishly, glancing at Rmwtyliin as though she might know the answer, "We're here so what do we do now? Fight?" She gripped her guitar tightly as she said the last word, her hair flaming an enthusiastic shade of red.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be cheeky! I just wanted to know what we're doing- I didn't mean to come across that way," she blushed as she corrected herself.

by **Fvaarniimar** » Fri May 13, 2016 3:44 pm

Oh, there's the girl he was escorting, thought Nick, relieved, as they rejoined Miyuki. He listened, concerned, as Romulus all but begged him to say that things would get no worse. "Uhhh..."

Nick decided to just say it. "I can't. I have absolutely no idea what's scaring me. Maybe we had to evacuate because of it..." Romulus' dire predictions, however, frightened him. "Reality tearing itself apart?! You don't think...can that actually happen?!" He shivered. "Anyway, thank you. Thank you so much."

"I don't really know what's going on. Most of my floor collapsed..." He sniffed. "Wait, you're new, aren't you? Welcome to the..." What, to the trampled meadows?
"Er. Welcome!"

---

Northwest Slobovia wrote:Sandy's eyes went wide as he Heard Demens' discord. He didn't want to know why the old boy was burning so much power, or why he seemed to be running down, but he didn't want to be too close when he finally ran out.

There seemed to be no need for Sandy to get stragglers moving: Blackwater's warning and -- if he understood what he caught of what she said -- the Building's own emergency measures seemed to have done the trick. Sandy scanned the fleeing crowd, making sure people stayed moving. Rmwtyliin seemed to be sprinting; she'd never make the Burrows running flat-out like that. Nor would the unfamiliar woman desperately trying to keep pace with her. They might make the wall, but if Blackwater was right, that wouldn't be enough cover. And Nick... Nick shouted something to the General, but Sandy caught only the last part: Nick was already out of gas. Romulus should be able to get him, though.

Sandy decided he'd never catch the two women on foot, but he didn't need to. He quickly cast Apollonius' Fifth Metamorphosis and, gaining wings, leapt into the air. A few powerful wingbeats later -- one of which gently patted Romulus' helmet with a wingtip -- and Sandy had overtaken them. He landed a dozen or so feet in front of them and returned to human form. He paused a moment while they brought themselves up short.

"Ladies, you'll never reach the Burrows with that pace, and you won't have time to jog there. We need to move fast, now. We need to get as far from the Building as we can, as fast as we can. Let me change back into Pegasus, then hop aboard."

Sandy recast the Metamorphosis and knelt down so Rmwtyliin and Otonako could climb onto his broad back. They hesitated only a moment; something in Sandy's tone suggested they shouldn't dally. Once they were on, Sandy stood up, and made a take-off run: with two people aboard, he didn't want to risk a steep climb. He broke into a fast gallop, then flapped his wings and flew in ground effect for three beats. Sandy climbed barely high enough to keep out of the ground-pounders' way as they ran; the the downwash from his wings flattened the grass as he zoomed overhead.

[OOC: With Fvaar's permission.]

Is that a flying horse?!
Are any of the those who dwell here flying horses...yes, the one who's been missing since before the snow -

It didn't actually shock her that much when Pegasus turned into - "Mistduur Bellla!" She would have greeted him in a friendly manner, but he spoke in an urgent one. There was just barely time for a "Thannnk ih-ooo!" as she mounted.

The Building still didn't seem safe, but neither did the village. Rmwtyliin hesitated on Sandy's back instead of clambering off, cringing as Otonako mentioned the possibility of fighting and her hair turned the hue of blood. Squeezing her eyes shut, the Fvaarniimarn tried to compose herself. "I really hope not." Something potentially relevant occurred to her. "I have heard these people are friends, allies. Will they shelter us? Where ought we to go?"

Of course, she'd dismount at the slightest indication that Sandy wanted her off his back, thanking him again. Meanwhile, she used the time Duncan spent translating for a short plea to the spirit of the concept of shelter. Guard us, please. Keep me safe. Keep us safe. Keep family safe. Help us find shelter - and please, do not let me lose the shelter you helped me find.

by **Tiltjuice** » Fri May 13, 2016 9:24 pm

Torsiedelle wrote:"Loveliness?"

Katya was so confused! A hurricane of emotions, from comfort, to surprise, from yearning, to passion all exploding inside of her at the appearance of her old friend - and item of affection. It conflicted sharply with her sense of dread and fear, and confusion as what all was happening.

"It's not the time, you! Your romance can wait!

"R-right.", She stammered. "Can't have me not around! The place is so dreary, and while I'm no angel, I do like to feel as though I do bring something to the place.", She replied, but whether or not she was playing stupid or not with Dora's wink was only hinted at by the slightest of blushes. It disappeared quickly, however. She regained a new purpose. "I don't suppose we have everything entirely under control here? I'd like to help out in any way I can.", She started. "I'm not talented in much in the way of nursing or building, but if I can do it, I will. Will you help me?"

"Helping you? Naturally," Dora said without batting any eyelashes this time. "I think, though, there won't be any helping going on if we're all in pieces; so..." She knelt and scooped Katya up easily, then began to break into a jog with some effort. The swift movement came right before another, of a certain other type, and MB burst into view above the pair, landing on Dora's shoulder. Long whiskers brushed both women's faces.

Behind them, Luce skidded to a slow stop, looking extremely ruffled, with his clothes disheveled and soiled. "Everyone is out, I think, so - Ah. Miss Katya, good afternoon. I think we're all meeting in the village, are we not?"

by **Torsiedelle** » Sat May 14, 2016 7:21 am

"Oh!", The world went Topsy-turvy for a moment. She was surprised, though she didn't complain; she hadn't been active in a very long time, and even a short sprint was tiring to her.

Well, she still had to cover herself. Skirts weren't very concealing, and especially not her kind.

Even with all the madness and the danger, a certain sense of peace crept into Katya's thoughts. It was just like something she dreamt of when she was at home, being back among her neighbors and friends and being involved with God-knows-what, mundane or dangerous. The inclusion of MB perked her right up, and she responded shakily to Luce with a short "Hello."

She tried to recall who all she had seen leave. "I'm not sure if everyone is out yet. A lot of our neighbors and stubborn...and reckless. I know my sister is, but I doubt she'd put herself in danger like that."

Her stomach sank. Their belongings - her Grandfather's mementos, Torii's teinkets and gifts, all of their weapons and clothes...it frustrated Katya. They already were without their usual wealth. Torii may not mind it, but it put Katya in a very bad spot. Surely nothing bad could happen even further to the building.

by **CAT XIII** » Sun May 15, 2016 10:44 am

The Burrows

Otonako saw Rmwtyliin recoil as her hair changed colour,

"Sorry, it does that with strong emotions," her hair changed blue as she spoke, "it's difficult to explain. It just changed there because I'm sympathising with you. When I feel violent emotions, my hair goes red. When I'm feeling kinda down or thinking about how other people feel, it goes blue. Sometimes I'm feeling a mixture and it goes crazy..." Otonako realised she was rambling and stopped abruptly.

"I guess our best bet is to have faith in these people and find someone who can help us out, right?" Otonako silently felt her muscle memory burn all over her as her own words told her body that she could potentially be in danger.

She looked around for someone who could help them, shielding the light from her eyes.

by **Relikai** » Sun May 15, 2016 11:02 pm

As Nick gave that hurried introduction and welcome, Miyuki could only laugh a little as she continued her way with the others towards the village... meadows... or the village in the meadow.

"Ah... ah... Hi!" Miyuki said as she tried to draw enough breath to form coherent sentences while running. This was just like when they first started out, Miyuki needing to do stage plays and introductions to the crowd even after a vigorous performance! At least there were about three to four others to back her up while catching her breath, but this time, she was talking, even when running!

Note to self, find a treadmill. If there is one.

"Yes, yes! Thank you!" Miyuki said as she showed Nick a bright smile. "Konayama Miyuki, and..." Miyuki draws breath as she angled her body so air could be inhaled easier. "Yes, I'm new, I'll be in your care!"

by **Swith Witherward** » Mon May 16, 2016 10:15 pm

THE WOODS
Morbid curiosity arising, the civet sipped his wine while unabashedly staring at the ratel sprawled across his straw bed. Well, perhaps not sprawled, the civet thought to itself. No, he looked more strewn, bits of him covered by straw and grasses, so that it almost looked as if he had exploded. If one closed an eye. And turned their head sideways.

The fennec mimicked the coffee cat, one of her own eyes pinching shut as her head tilted. It didn't make much difference... the ratel still looked useless regardless of how one gazed at him. The poor creature was obviously diseased. He had recently invested much time and effort into taking care of her while she endured her own bout of bemoaning and wet coughs. It was only fair that she return the favor.

She sighed and tossed a shrug the penguin's way before turning to regard the sloth. He was obviously waiting for something Honey badgers did an awful lot around the woods, and the fennec hadn't gone wandering through them since her illness set in the week prior. But now all the ratel's work feel at her own tiny feet simply because he'd neglected (as usual) to tell his helpful companions a single fucking thing about what he had planned. She would have to help the sloth. And the civet. And the penguin. And the owl.

The owl! He'd recently begun investing much time into local bird politics. It was odd not seeing him on his customary branch, and even stranger not hearing him hooting his head off every evening. Ratel and owl had something Important planned, and with Ratel down and Owl out, that Important Thing had not been done. Or perhaps it had and the pair had tucked it away where she couldn't find it. Meh. Regardless, the sloth was waiting. In fact, he wasn't the only one. The squirrel and a few others were tapping their paws at the burrow entrance.

How the hell was she going to sort this? The Ratel was a powerful creature, so sure of himself as he went about his day... 45 pounds of pure bluster compared to the fennec's 2 pounds of nothing-but-squeak.

Her eyes met the sloth's once more. She blinked as she sat and kicked at her ear with a rear leg, an excuse to buy some time. The burrow filled with the soft thwap-thwap of her paw striking her thick ear, mingling with the civet's drawn-out slurps as more wine tricked down his gullet. Unable to stall any longer, she set her leg in place and rose. A swish of the tail. A sneeze. And she was off to sort what had been neglected.

ZOMBIE OR NOT ZOMBIE, THAT IS THE QUESTION

Giovenith wrote:Brit and Chrys

" 'Umbrum' means 'dark,' " Platinum noted, displaying what was honestly only a bare minimum of knowledge of Old Language. She'd wasted much a time during that class, to her now regret. The light lavender of her eyes was eerily lit by the crystalline blacklight as they drifted upon the mysterious gems. "I suppose that's appropriate. Are you a gem ex-"

The surprise of Chrys running away caught the two unicorns just as quickly as it caught Brit, and with just as much dread.

"Chrys, no!" Clover called frantically, reaching after the time traveler. "We don't know what's down there!"

What had gotten into her? Was this yet another part of the mind games Brit had described? Darkly influenced powers or no, if there was one thing unicorns knew just as well as the heavens and magic, it was the dangers of the mountains. The blonde pony could have fallen down any number of unreachable cracks or crevices, doomed to slowly starve in the shadows if not crushed immediately! Especially if the labyrinth was shifting and changing without warning! No time was wasted picking up speed to head down the dark path after their friend.

Chrys, meanwhile, was having a strange time indeed. The tunnel she'd sprinted down contained all manner of sharp turns and twists that were easy to collide into in the pitch blackness, darkness so thick even her goggles helped little, but the screaming reverberating off the stone was enough to lead her all the way to the end. It was as she finally came towards the end though that the screams stopped.

Not even an echo lingered. It was snuffed out as soon as suddenly as a flame against a gentle breeze. In it's place was the soft and distant sound of burbling water and chirping birds, and a soft glow crawled through the shadows round the last corner of the tunnel.

Claustrophobia was suddenly replaced by a perfect summer sky once that corner was rounded. The softest clouds drifted along the impossible blue, and below it was a splendid green garden filled with twisting vines and a full spectrum of flowers. All of it was centered around a small clearing overlaid with glistening white bricks and a pristine fountain made of shimmering crystal. The warm sunlight seemed to grow outward and overtake the Conservapony, who melted once again into a regular old Conservator in a shimmering gold shower as it did, and the opening to the tunnel behind her was soon gone, replaced only with more budding greenery.

SMACK!

Brit, Clover, and the princess ran into a wall.

Not a stone wall, no, nor even a brick wall. The labyrinth had not shifted, and indeed, nothing at all seemed to be in their way, and yet the solid force was there plain as day, crumpling them into a shocked and sore clutter on the ground.

"You said you'd lead the way!" Platinum complained, rubbing her head as she picked herself up.

Clover did not complain, but curiously trotted ahead and winced in front of them. Illuminating the path with her horn, she saw through the tunnel and shortly up ahead, the entrance to a huge cavernous opening. Standing there in the middle was Chrys, who in the rest of the group's eyes, was still in unicorn form.

"Chrys!" the teenage magician called out to the pony. But Chrys would not hear. Clover called her name again and tried to trot forward, only to once again smack into the invisible wall. She backed up and reached her hooves out to feel the anomaly - solid! Yet to the eyes, there was nothing there! It kept them back just out of reach of their friend while taunting them with the illusion of free passage. Clover quickly backed up, and despite the previous warnings about the labyrinth decreasing magic, summoned up her strength.

Luckily, whatever force Arrow had warned of before was suddenly lifted, and Clover's magic flourished. Unluckily, it had little effect. The violet energy blasted against the invisible wall and only deflected away, leaving behind a linger burn of sigils in the air which quickly faded away. The magician gasped in dismay but was soon flanked by her mistress.

"Try it again!" Princess Platinum commanded, summoning her own silvery-perwinkle aura.

The two hit the wall again with combined magic but to the same failure. It was as the second magical burn and sigils faded away that their sight was presented with something new and terrifying up ahead in the opening with Chrys. Platinum was the first to spot it's shape in the dark, and it caused her to instantly recoil and screech.

"What is that?!"

"Chrys, is that you?" the source of the screaming was now a gentle tone of beckoning curiosity, and a familiar Nazi emerged from one of the garden's vine fences and smiled once he caught sight of the blonde woman. Hans, actually Hans, not just Rache in the man's body, and not in pegasus form either. "There you are, finally! We've been searching for you all morning."

He quickly moved across the bricks to smile brightly at her, but with a twinge of concern.

"You seem fatigued," he said, lifting a hand. "Has something been troubling you? Here, sit by the fountain..."

It was hard to make out in the shadows at first, but the way it forced your eyes to adjust and slowly allow it's shape to pop out just made it all the more horrifying. It looked as though it was made of poisonous air and shadows, the dusty wrath of some pestilent storm coming to block out the sun and all life it gave, twisted up into a bony, ferocious, equine form and looming as a hunchbacked giant over Chrys, who gazed upon it with the same possessed eyes that had taken over Brit during her vision of Willow in the twisted library. Platinum and Clover had resorted to banging on the invisible wall with their hooves and screaming furiously in a futile attempt to get the other pony's attention.

Up above

Arrow held no regard for bottles or boxes, each of them flying off the shelves in a flurry and into the large bubbling cauldron in the center of her room as soon as she desired and located the ingredients contained within them. Each new piece of the brew caused a small explosion and burst of light in a new color every time that spooked Razzalia to no end. The blue socialite was having second, third, and fourth thoughts about all of this but still had yet to back out of the offer, feeling too much was at risk to chicken out now.

Still though, as Brit had already learned, Arrow was a bit much to deal with at times.

"Did I say you could stop stirring?!" the pinkish-purple witch snapped back at the other unicorn, taking a moment to look away from her ingredient shelf and check if the other pony was still mixing the brew like she demanded.

Razzalia snapped out of her thoughts and started quickly churning the large metal spoon with her telekinesis again. "Oh, I apologize!"

"Don't you dare screw this up for me! If I don't get what I want, you don't get what you need!"

"I know, I said sorry already!"

"Just do as I say!"

Arrow sighed, rolled her eyes, and tsked disapprovingly before returning back to her ingredient search. Gold shavings, she had gold shavings right? No? Damn these shortages! She'd have to use the cheap stuff. Patience though, patience, it would all be over soon. Eye on the prize.

Both eyes on the prize...

Even as a filly, Desert Rose had been as beautiful as she was talented, and even in a small academy exclusively for well-to-do daughters, it was impossible for her to not collect a small cult of admirers. Whatever troubles her parents had hoped to avoid with crowds of dazzled boys was just barely a success, for though the crowds of dazzled girls' attentions were not romantic (not for most anyway), she was scarcely any less of an utter muse to them. Everypony wanted to be her friend, and although she was golden hearted to top it all off, few truly got passed the simple politeness and earned her sincere friendship.

Back then, there was nothing Arrow valued more than her status as Rose's proclaimed best friend.

It wasn't just a simple superficial claim either, for although Arrow was just as taken with the other girl's popularity as any other, the two of them had a real understanding and heart between them that faced few challenges for a time. During recess they hid in their special spot behind the decorative wall to escape the smothering worship of their classmates and talk and laugh freely, and in the learning hall, Arrow was always just a few marks behind Rose, was always top of the class. There was always a small tinge of embarrassment whenever grades came back and showed that once again the little unicorn had stayed behind in 2nd place, wondering whether she could possibly work even harder next time, and wondering whether or not some part of Rose would rather not hang out with a "dummy" like her.

Rose had always laughed away such ridiculous concerns. "Numbers are for formulas, not ponies! Genius is genius! Embrace your talent silly, do not look such a gifthorse in it's mouth!"

That always brought her up.

And father always brought her back down.

Father held a much different philosophy than Desert Rose, and Arrow knew for a fact that Rose's own father was similar in temperament. That was another key difference between them: while Arrow was sure that Rose handled such critiques with grace and bravery, Arrow only lived in constant dread.

"There is a certain point," father would always say. "In the climb to success where stopping is not an option. If you were a simple child I would not care. But you are far from simple, and so two is much too far from one than you have any excuse being."

And he would burn up her ribbons, certificates, and prizes before her eyes with a flame spell. For though her teachers saw her status as just as worthy of celebration and reward, father had made it clear that any trophy given for less than that Number 1 spot was worthless in his eyes. 1, 1, 1, that was all that mattered. Until she could bring back that 1, there would be no smiles or parties in this house. Or any other house. While her friends dressed in pretty dresses and ribbons for birthdays and days out, Arrow stayed inside with the papers and books, knowing that the only path to ever combing close to such a luxury would be that shiny number 1 spot.

If she could only get there, she could have it all.

If she could only get there, she would stop feeling so empty.

If only.

That didn't mean she didn't occasionally cry. And it was those unlucky days that she was unable to hide somewhere before the tears squeezed through as she looked out at yet another happy herd of girls on their way to some special, magical moment that she feared the worst.

"Stop being such a baby!" father demanded.

"Stop being such a baby!" Arrow demanded.

The baby in question being a screaming and crying Razzalia as Arrow held up a live cat by it's tail with her magic and used a knife to slice open it's neck and let the blood pour into the cauldron. God, did the struggles ever end? She went ahead and dropped the rest of the cat's convulsing body into the mixture and began to inspect it's consistency.

"Stop blubbering or I'll beat you with a bag of oranges, Razzalia!" she snapped again, needing peace and quiet to make sure the brew was coming along well. "Yes, yes, I think this will do."

Razzalia slowly removed her shaking hooves from her eyes. "And, and, what now...?"

Arrow pulled the other unicorn back from the small lower floor layer that the cauldron resided in. "Now we prepare for the journey downward." Slowly, carefully, her magic pushed the cauldron on it's support and began to pour the noxious green brew into the lowered layer, burning away at the stone floor. The glow from the display washed the two's faces, of which Arrow's took on a malicious grin and Razzalia a nervous grimace.

"And you really meant it? Everything you said?" the blue unicorn questioned. "You're going to stop the winter? Save everypony? Give everypony their magic back, including mine? All of that, if we just get that one thing from down there?"

"Every word," said Arrow. "But I won't be able to if Clover, our princess, and the false ones get there first."

"But why wouldn't the princess want to do the same?"

"Because the princess is a vapid twitterbrain, and don't you pretend everypony doesn't know it. These are desperate times Razzalia, and they call for innovative solutions! We shall not stand around and starve to death as we wait for the monarchy to become useful!"

Razzalia sighed and folded her ears at these harsh words but felt no protest. There was only one thing she cared about at this point, and that was restoring her magic. It was already so low from her participation in the sunrise, and tonight with the moonrise, it would all be gone and she would be one of the Empty. Such a fate! There was no choice but to believe. Sensing these thoughts, Arrow grinned grimly and offered reassurance.

"Trust me, Lady Everfilly," the sorceress said. "After this, you will have all the magic you could ever want, and more."

The brew was finally done burning through the floor, but rather than burning through the ceilings of the lower rooms, it had instead offered them a portal leading directly into the tunnels of the labyrinth. Arrow handed a bag similar to Clover's packings to Razzalia and kept one for herself, and together, they jumped downward into their own quest in the depths of darkness.

Smart Cookie

The secretary had no idea what exactly it was her boss expected her to return with when it came to her order to search the unicorns' trash for more books and papers. It was snowing nonstop, for cripe's sake! Anything Smart Cookie managed to scavenge in her miniature expedition alongside the bottom of the north-east mountains where Caer Gloriana stood was nothing but a soggy, frozen, unusable mess by the time she managed to dig it up, so the only real reason Cookie was even taking this order seriously was so that Puddinghead wouldn't completely bitch her out for not following directions (Cookie was terrible at lying).

It was still a ridiculous suggestion. Unicorn trash mostly consisted of outdated encyclopedias, unfinished embroidery, and old copies of books that had since been re-printed into shinier editions all callously tossed out over the mountainside, unconcerned with whoever took it considering that any magical knowledge the discarded media contained was useless to non-magic users. If the nobility tribe held anything useful toward combating their situation, winter and cannibal alike, Smart Cookie severely doubted they wouldn't have held onto it for themselves. But still, she searched, hoping that maybe at least, she could find something to aid in her quest of helping Yuna and Aegis, odd things they were.

Other than the crunching of the snow and the occasional whistle of the wind, things were very quiet. Smart Cookie was far too far away to hear the commotion from the zombie fight her allies had found themselves in, but soon enough, she was facing her own issues.

It began with instinct creeping along her spine warning her she wasn't alone. That was followed by scraping and gibbering sounds, and fearing a unicorn presence, the secretary dove behind one of the larger ridges to hide and wait the presence out. She counted Missus Sippy's in her head and kept her ears peeled for a shuffling on away but everything felt the same for minutes on end, so she chanced a peak over the boulder to see what she potentially facing.

What Cookie saw was a deeply strange and macabre scene: Two pony-like figures were wrapped in ear to hoof in black cloaks so thick she couldn't see anything of their natural forms were standing with their backs to her and watching a miniature circus unfold before them. Zombies like the ones the others were fighting, two cannibals like the one that had attacked the night before, and several tiny furry creatures which she did not know the name of but others would recognize instantly as baby ghoulings were all dancing around in a little circle with each other in a dazed state. Cookie blinked and rubbed her eyes, sure she was hallucinating at first, and her heartbeat increased rapidly as she confirmed that this was in fact reality.

"Are the cold ones feeding well?" one of the cloaked figures asked the other in a voice Cookie couldn't tell if belonged to a male or female.

"They must be," the other one responded with a similarly ambiguous pitch. "The devastation for the ponies is great. If things go accordingly we shall have a nice symbiosis with them for a time, like the clownfish to the anemone."

"For a time?"

"We know not yet how we shall deal with them once we are fully ascended. Likely they will live out their use and we will shoo them away once they become a burden, if they have not already moved on to new feeding grounds by then. It is lucky for us that the cold ones are not particularly ambitious or advanced, they eat and they exist, but little more. No diplomacy is needed, they notice not nor care when we dip into their power for our own purposes."

What in the cold pits of Tartarus were these two talking about? And all those monsters! Smart Cookie didn't want to hear anymore and began to attempt to sneak away without being heard or seen. Gotta report this to the Chancellor!

"And what of the unicorn mare?" the first figure asked.

"The others say she has much bitterness in her heart, but for which of them is that not the case now? Still, she may be of use, however we will wait until that becomes important. Our patience felled the mighty Queen with good time, she and the rest will be little chore...."

Being so focused on looking back to make sure the figures didn't turn around and catch her, Smart Cookie hadn't been a very smart cookie to look in front of her, and wound up lightly bumping into somepony. Slowly, she looked upward to see the drooling, bloody face of Mr. Pepperstick, one of her old neighbors. In a half-second, her heart broke to see him in such a state. In the other half, she screamed in terror as he made a lunge for her throat and her hoof sent him flying across the snow - she may have been a bookworm, but like any good Earth pony, she was built of brawny stuff. But her cover was obliterated.

Cookie had zero time to recover and react, as soon as the cannibal Pepperstick went down, a ghouling babe had sprung into action and took a total of one second to gouge a wicked gash along the secretary's cheek and shove her to the ground with a pained scream. Her hat was knocked astray and bits of green hair sliced off by the attack went flying in her eyes and mouth. The babe swung back on it's tiny buzzy wings for a second attack but was met with a powerful hind smash and sent flying as well. Cookie scrambled back to her hooves and replaced her hat atop her head, ignoring the hot blood from her face cut clashing and burning away at the white snow it dripped upon beneath her, and quickly moved her head to try and make a nip for the utility knife she carried in one of her boots. She was obviously going to have to stab her way out if she wanted to make a run for it.

"You!" she heard one of the figures snarl.

Gritting her teeth, Smart Cookie unsheathed the knife and turned to face the two. "I am an authority of Groundtown! As you are here-"

Her sentence was stolen from her lips as her eyes gazed on the faces of the figures for the first time - the same smokey, shadowy, monstrous beings that Chrys and the others were facing below. They both screeched something inpony, melted out of their cloaks, and dove straight through Cookie's body in a noxious haze, disorienting her and causing her to stumble towards the mountainside - and down a narrow but steep hole into the caverns below. The light yellow Earth pony tumbled and rolled violently down, down, down the long dark rock chute, hitting her head too hard against one of the sides and falling unconscious, helpless to pick herself up as she finally reached the bottom and wound up dispensed motionless and alone on the labyrinth floor, many, many twists and turns away from the unicorn group.

Zombies

Yuna, Aegis? Yuna, Aegis! They were here!

"I've got you!" Willow called, and attempted to lower himself to the ground to aid in the fight, but was quickly chased back up by a violent lash out by one of the creatures. "AH!! Or, uh-..."

Not that the others needed it. The zombies were vicious and persistent, but they were physically weak, and with the combined efforts of Rache and the Earth ponies, the majority of them were cut and knocked down like wet tissue. They ripped and exploded against the ground this way and that, one practically disintegrating against Aegis' strength, and many others near-literally being reduced to confetti against Rache. Yuna would have had a little more of a struggle, but lucky for her, it soon caught onto what little intelligence the swarm had that this was a fight they would not win: Those who still had enough limb power to run turned around and began to head tail back into the trees from whence they came.

SkyWishes calmed, folded her ears, and looked around at the rotted carnage. Her ears slowly lifted again as she realized something. "These are all ponies we buried months ago," she said. "They died from cold, starvation, sickness..."

"So we weren't killing regular ponies?!" Willow gasped, finally able to come back down from the tree. "Thank Celestia!"

Cloud Duster came down from the tree soon after but Pansy lingered in utter confusion, staring at the scene below with wide eyes.

"And thank Celestia we found YOU GUYS!" Willow took a moment to outright hug Aegis and Yuna simultaneously. "That's two down, two to go!"

"Earth, ponies...?" Pansy asked quietly, shrinking back. "Your traveling companions are... Earth ponies?"

Primordial Luxa wrote:Aegis - Zombies
“Willow!” Aegis said with a gleeful voice “It is good to see somethings haven't changed. You look almost exactly the same but I suppose that figures. Tell me do you have any idea exactly why we are here? Me and Yuna have some guesses be perhaps you actually know.”

Aegis had had many encounters with the undead before and so as he spoke he went around grinding up the bodies and skulls of the bodies on the ground. He hoped this would make it harder for whoever had resurrected them the first time to do so again.

“Also are your...companions, aware of our “situation”?’

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the outrageous nonsense back at the Building, or to take arms against a sea of troubles here...

"Of course these ponies are our friends," Rache prodded Pansy's flank with a nose. "Well, two of them at least."

He winced as Aegis went off to stomp skulls. Crazy Luxans. Yuna drew towards him, and then alongside him. She pressed herself against him, and then buried her face against his shoulder. The princess' ears flattened to muffle the horrible sound of shattering bones. Rache's wing settled upon her, drawing her against him to hive her a moment of privacy, though the daemon was slightly unsettled by her proximity. Once again, he was forcefully reminded that nobody knew what he truly was. Even Yuna, who had seen his true form, seemed to momentarily forget he was, at heart, Chaos.

Perhaps? How much of that part of him was true anymore? His time away from the populated Void had left him without any food source other than Residents. Their kinder emotions were a broth packed with enriched goodness.

His expression was much softer when his gaze returned to the young private. "You can't choose your family, Pansy, but you can always choose your friends. Choose wisely, and without discrimination, and keep them close in your heart. They are your strength when life seems darkest."

The wing lifted in order to push the Princess towards Pansy. "This is Yuna. Yuna, this is Private Pansy. She's been a good friend to us. She's young, like you. And, like you, she's delightful to spend time with."

Yuna offered a timid smile to Pansy. "Hullo..."

Rache, now freed from dealing with Pansy and Yuna, tucked his wings tightly against his sides and approached SkyWishes. He bowed his head in humility before quietly uttering apologies made somehow softer by his Bavarian accent. "I heard what you said about these creatures. I deeply regret that you should have to see them in this state. My sympathies to you and to their families. Truly this winter has taken far too many good Ponies from us all. That they should be corrupted like this is beyond pale."

A hoof waved in Willow's direction. "This is Willow Streaks, my fellow countrypony. We hail from far away, you see. That young gentlepony over there is Cloud Duster. I am Grimmig Rache. Please, call me Rache."

Aegis rejoined them to pose his question. A sad smile crept onto Rache's lips. "No, and it's best if they didn't." He couldn't be certain what Yuna had shared with the Luxan or her Earth Pony companions. Aegis' opinion on matters would be greatly welcomed, if they could find a way to discuss things outside of the native's earshot.

WOODS
The fennec pushed the last of the oats into the lavender pony's bowl. It wasn't much, but it would hopefully tide her over. She had always been a patient pony, and that demeanor always brought the fennec peace of mind.

BUILDING
To say they were running would be an understatement. Over fifty Residents were pouring down the gentle hill, rushing towards the village on legs or wings. Some had been teleported.

The villagers had seen the smoke in the distance and had thought to assemble their fire brigade but, as the Mayor pointed out, the Building was a long way off and there wasn't any point because they hadn't any water source nearby. So, when the Residents finally made the village itself, there were people outside to greet them. Nobody could really understand why their neighbors had taken flight but, given how potent the Gatejumpers were, their cause had to be great (or greatly threatening).

"Hurry, this way," Ayla Mercer, the village's Cervitaur Mayor squeezed between two shepherds and Ignatius Jones, the village Blacksmith in order to reach the injured Kale. "Bring all the wounded to your clinic."

"This way," the blacksmith raised an arm to catch people's attention. There were residents in the mix that he'd never seen before. They wouldn't know where the clinic was located.

Rodney had other plans. He cast a final glance back and then headed down the street towards the Moon Under Water Pub. This entire day called for a stuff drink.

Minerva had mentally accounted for every resident as they darted down the grassy fields or gravel road. Brows knit together in concern, she turned to Volker, "Get Miss Giovenith and Miss Tora to the village. NOW! I'm going back for Thaddeus, Opa and Marcus."

Klaus nearly collided with Volker as he stepped into the sunshine. Sophie trailed in his wake, and baby Nash bawled in his arms. "Take them to where they're safe," his eyes locked with his lover's. "Go, Knuddlemaus. Go."

Minerva opened her mouth to protest as Klaus slipped Nash into her arms. He wagged a finger, but said nothing more to her. She opened her mouth again, but was nearly thrown off her feet by a second explosion from the 8th. The cultist leader's eyes widened as the pyrocumulus blistered outward only to suddenly stop in motion as the Building sucked it back in. Her mouth formed into an "o".

"Tora!" she was at the girl's side in a moment. "Take Nash. You run like the wind! Do you hear me? You run and don't stop!"

"Giovenith! The birds!" Klaus hopped the steps and darted towards her. "Use your ability to shield them! Birds! Walls! A bubble around the Building! Anything! Volker, up! You know what you have to do!"

The air around them suddenly dropped in pressure as Klaus ran to the godling's side. The breath seemed to pull itself from everyone's lungs, uncomfortably so. Minerva coughed as she lifted Sophie. A quick nod to Tora before drawing a ragged intake of air, and she was ready to bolt. "Now!"

Minerva set off down the gravel path. She wouldn't outrun the girl and, if necessary, she would thrust sophie into Torsii's arms and use the last of her energy to protect them.

Klaus dropped to one knee to scoop gravel from the ground beside the godling's feet. But this wasn't his dimension, and Demens didn't see his siblings as anything more than gods-for-hire. Please, grant me just a bit of my old power back!

Rock, paper, scissors, rock, paper--

He willed his insanity to warp the material in parody of the game. He held a fist up to her, and opened it to reveal the pebbles blossoming into perfect sheaves for her use. "I believe in you. I won't let you perish, Miss Giovenith," he met her eyes briefly before thrusting another hand down to scoop up more gravel.

WOODS
The fennec's dark lips drew back in distaste as she regarded the messy pile she'd made out of bits of string, and leaves, and lint. It wasn't pretty. In fact, she was rather ashamed of it. But it would have to do. She gently pushed it towards the other animals before turning tail to retreat into her burrow. The penguin and civet looked up as she entered. She imparted a fox's shrug to them before curling up nearby.

by **Primordial Luxa** » Tue May 17, 2016 12:56 pm

Aegis and the Ponies

“Well that's good to know,” he said scraping his hooves against a nearby rock trying to get pieces of zombie out of them.

“A pleasure to meet you Private, I am glad to see you are well after this frankly peculiar struggle. Perhaps we should all find a place a bit safer? We have a house nearby just a short walk from here where we could relax.”

He motioned back the way they had come through the woods towards the abandoned house which Yuna and Aegis had taken over. He paused for a moment worried what some villagers might think if they saw Pegasi which seemed to be a topic of contention. “If you do chose to join us I would caution that the town seems to be a small bit on edge regarding the other tribes and outsiders so we would all do best to keep a low profile.”

by **Northwest Slobovia** » Tue May 17, 2016 4:15 pm

The Burrows

Fvaarniimar wrote:Squeezing her eyes shut, the Fvaarniimarn tried to compose herself. "I really hope not." Something potentially relevant occurred to her. "I have heard these people are friends, allies. Will they shelter us? Where ought we to go?"

CAT XIII wrote:"I guess our best bet is to have faith in these people and find someone who can help us out, right?" Otonako silently felt her muscle memory burn all over her as her own words told her body that she could potentially be in danger.

Sandy shook himself, knelt down, and looked back at Rmwtyliin, giving her a few moments to dismount before regaining his human form. If she waited too long, she'd merely suffer the ignominy of dropping a meter or so as Pegasus disappeared out from under her as Sandy transformed.

Sandy couldn't have helped but catch the short conversation between them. He gave Rmwtyliin a puzzled look; she must know that they had patients to attend to. He spoke to her in a tone half-way between polite request and direct order: "Rmwtyliin, we have have injured Residents to care for. Please follow me to our clinic."

Then Sandy turned to Otonako. He paused for a second, trying to remember if he'd seen her before today. Concluding he hadn't, he introduced himself. "Pardon my haste. My name is Sandy Bela, coordinator of the Building's healers. If you can help the injured, please, please come with us. If not..." Sandy hesistated, and during that interval, his phone chimed twice: more messages from Amanda. He ignored it, and recalling the village's layout, suggested, "There's a pub just down the main street. The food's not bad. There are also shops along the street."

Sandy started to wait for their replies, but spotted a familiar form at the edge of his vision:

Swith Witherward wrote:"Hurry, this way," Ayla Mercer, the village's Cervitaur Mayor squeezed between two shepherds and Ignatius Jones, the village Blacksmith in order to reach the injured Kale. "Bring all the wounded to your clinic."

Seeing Mayor Mercer scoop up Kale, he hustled after her, barely pausing to give Otonako a terse "Excuse me" as he left. He hoped Rmwtyliin was at his heels, but he didn't look back to check: keeping up with the cervitaur's trot left him practically running after her. He did manage to get just ahead of her and hold the clinic door open so she could carry Kale in. "Put her on one of the examining tables. The rest of my staff should be here soon."

To Kale, he added with a smile, "You'll be fine. This is our outreach clinic. We're used to working here." The awkward angle of her leg told him she was going to need care from somebody with more medical knowledge than a touch of first aid. He waited for Mercer to set her down, hoping one of the other healers would arrive soon.

Woods
The sloth blinked groggily as he looked down at the fennec from where he hung from a tree root along the roof of the burrow. Waiting for her? Hardly. He'd been having strange dreams: something about a library in an antique land and strange creatures in the deeps. There was somehow something in common between the two, but it eluded him as he awoke.

by **Fvaarniimar** » Tue May 17, 2016 7:50 pm

Clinic
Rmwtyliin, having followed, glanced around. So this was the outreach clinic she'd been so hesitant to visit, in the village which had seemed so unsafe. The dwellers here seemed - she glanced at the deer-woman who was assisting her friend - rather kind. Thanks. Maybe there was more to this world than weapons and terror and the continual danger of messing up. Hesitantly, she smiled.

The smile faded as she got a better look at Kale's leg. If the plant splint hadn't kept it straight, she doubted she could do better; still, she glanced around, looking for bandages and something rigid (ideally rods or boards) with which to brace the leg.

Crippled. It was no death sentence, but would certainly be a shame. But, here... Rmwtyliin herself had been pouring magic onto wounds minutes prior. Elka's toe... Broken, or sprained? She had hardly had time to check. Rmwtyliin decided not to voice her concern over Kale's prognosis; sharing that wouldn't change her ability or inability to help.

The sandy-complected teen turned towards Sandy. "Would -" But Duncan was speaking. She waited, realizing that Mr. Bela was attempting to reassure her friend. "Would splinting it again help?" It was reassuring to be able to ask someone who, she expected, knew what they were doing. And speaking of reassuring - she knelt by Kale. "Hello. You will be okay." I think. "We are safe. We are with friends. Kale, do you feel alright?" The broken leg was most likely painful. "I can look for aheebfuprdovfen or ahcetomnfn, if you nneed hellbp with pain." Until Duncan translated the Fvaarniimarn, Kale and Sandy might wonder why Rmwtyliin was stating the obvious.

---

Running
The brown cat's blue eyes went rather wide as he clung to Romulus. Me, care for someone? He did have friends, but - Different. In my care sounds like I'm your dad, or doctor!
She isn't that little...
Nick could almost convince himself that Miyuki had caused his terror.
Almost.

Woods

In contrast to the sloth, the silver-ticked cat had been waiting eagerly for the fennec; granted, while amusing herself with a shiny new toy. Tail twitching, she glanced up at the former, running towards the burrow before hesitating at the entrance. "Mrew?"

The urge to nap came over her, but she resisted, collecting various sticks, debris, and a large clump of her own long fur. Kludging together a scene - kneading with her claws to felt, tying, shoving, embedding, weaving, even crocheting - she kept reminding herself that it didn't have to be perfect, but nevertheless licked down some rough edges before nervously nudging the piece over to the others' pretty piles.

by **CAT XIII** » Wed May 18, 2016 1:55 pm

Walking to the Pub

Otonako was going to tell Sandy that she would be happy to help the injured but upon remembering that her powers lay in destructive magic, she wasn't so sure it was a good idea.

"I'm new, as you might've guessed. I'm Otonako Irizari, if I didn't introduce myself before," she smiled.

"Anyhow, I'm not sure you guys will be needing me so I'll head off to the pub- although it'll be a case of coke or lemonade for me. I'll see you guys later at some point. Who knows, maybe I'll be able to provide some light entertainment?" she pointed to her guitar.

She waved as she walked off, feeling a little useless nonetheless. She wished she could have helped but dealing with injuries wasn't really her thing, she caused them more than she healed them, and she didn't really want to ruin her new start by sentencing a poor soul to their death.

"Oh well, I'm probably more suited to the pub anyway..."

She continued walking till she got there. She got lost several times but she did make it eventually.

She ordered a BLT sandwich, her favourite, and a glass of lemonade and sat down, resting her guitar against the window.

by **Torsiedelle** » Wed May 18, 2016 3:57 pm

She was handed a baby.

A baby.

Torii didn't complain, quick to run while Gio was needed elsewhere. She was worried to death, but Torii couldn't just stand around with a child near an unstable building, either. So, she ran, and ran as fast as her legs could take her, which was quite far; though not as active as she once was, Torii still managed to maintain a fitness level above her sister's, who had declined sharply.

Her mind was set on her single objective - safety - and she sprinted a good ways before she needed to slow down. The village itself was not far off, and running downhill made the distance feel so much shorter. Torii reached the edge, relieved, though tired, coughing still from the building (She may have been a good runner, but she couldn't sustain herself without a good deal of heavy breathing), and wondering where the hell Minerva or Klaus were.

Torii looked down at the little thing in her arms. She hated babies, absolutely, and not out of any terrible past experiences or traumatic events involving cannibal infants or demonic toddlers. Torii simply didn't care for them, with their crying, and messing, and sucking the happiness and life out of people, and...

Well, she didn't really know how to take care of them. It was scary, having responsibility for such a thing. She hadn't really given that much thought, or the fact of exactly whose baby it was. Yes, it was Minerva and Klaus's kid, but it was also Katya who had given birth to him. Torii was holding her nephew.

She shivered. It was a strange feeling, for sure. She hadn't seen the child much since her sister had it, and Minerva took it in. She wondered how long she would be around to see it, or if the kid would ever know just who she and Katya were, if they'd ever have some sort of relationship. It was an interesting thought...

But that wouldn't happen. At least, the chances of it turning out as Torii or Katya could imagine were slim. This was the child of Mrs. Minerva and Mr. Klaus. Torii just needed to get it to safety. Now, where would she find them, standing alone in the middle of the street near the group?

by **Northwest Slobovia** » Wed May 18, 2016 4:41 pm

Driving home

Amanda made out the dark column rising in the distance, but couldn't figure out where it was coming from. As the jeep ate up the miles between her and home, she ruled out a range fire and then a fire in the Burrows. The only possible source was the Building, and she pushed the jeep's gear shift back into highway gear and floored the accelerator, tires spraying gravel as she tore down the road.

A couple miles out, Amanda got a clear look at the smoke pouring from the Building and shivered: it reminded her too much of 9/11. A bit unnerved, she slowed to merely too fast, letting the engine's roar subside. A mile outside the Burrows, she caught a glimpse of a familiar flying horse, and tracing his route back to the Building, saw a mass of people running for the village. The Building was supposed to resist nuclear attack. What the hell hit us? How bad is it inside that everyone's bailing?

Approaching the Burrows' gate, Amanda slowed the jeep to a crawl. The main street was already packed with people -- humans, centaurs, minotaurs. She found the first convenient alley, and backed the jeep into it: she might have to leave in haste if things got worse.

She slid her phone out of her suit jacket's pocket, and texted Sandy to let him know she was there. As an afterthought, she sent another text, letting him know she had this morning's earnings. She expected no answer: people must have been injured, so Sandy must be in the clinic treating them. She killed the engine and got out, reflexively grabbing up her briefcase.

In the Burrows

Amanda walked slowly down the street, trying to figure out who was in charge. Ayla was nowhere in sight, but a muscluar man was directing healers to the clinic. None of the Building's leaders seemed to be around, but if there was a catastrophe at home, they might be needed elsewhere. Oh! There's Romulus! Amanda nodded to herself: if Minerva and the rest of the Chaos were up to their necks in crises, he'd be the most logical person to lead.

Passing the Moon Under Water, Amanda spied a unfamiliar young woman with fire-engine red hair sitting in a window seat. Amanda considered: the young woman was probably a new Resident, and since she was sitting alone, possibly so new she hadn't met anybody. Conversely, there was duty, but Amanda knew she had no idea what was going on, and since there was no obvious opponent to fight, nothing obvious she could contribute to the situation. She decided to enter the pub. Sandy could reach her if she was needed.

CAT XIII wrote:She ordered a BLT sandwich, her favourite, and a glass of lemonade and sat down, resting her guitar against the window.

Amanda's skirt swished as as made her way over to the girl. "Mind if I join you? I'm Amanda Bela, the Building's legal counsel. I think you must be a very new Resident, probably very confused about what's going on." Amanda smiled and extended her hand in greeting.

by **Giovenith** » Wed May 18, 2016 8:16 pm

Giovenith nearly tripped over herself she had been running so fast, so she was extremely caught off guard when Klaus called for her aid. The birds? Her birds? If she could harden them... The explosion shook her so hard her teeth clacked down against each other painfully. She winced with uncertainty. Would even that be enough? She had to try anyway.

Accepting the shears, the godling's hand dove into her pocket and she squirmed it around deep in there with all her might. She imagined her will filling up her hand till the fingers could barely keep it, took a deep breath, and then flung her arm out straight upwards as hard as she could.

The whoosh! from the swarm blew back her hair, and even she had to watch with astonishment as the colorful swarm began to behave very much like real flocks, dipping, diving, and waving almost like a single organism, before swarming out and hardening to form the shield that Klaus requested. Now they just had to pray it held.

by **Chedastan** » Wed May 18, 2016 8:57 pm

The Burrows

Romulus finally came to a halt once they arrived to the safety of the Burrows, at least he hoped it was relatively outside of the potential blast radius. No matter for that right now though, as right now he needed to help organize and oversee the construction and leading of the Building's relief center, as it was crucial the task be performed as soon as possible. As he stopped, he lowered Nick onto the ground, allowing him to get off at his own accord. He then looked down at both him and Miyuki, but mostly at the girl,

"Okay you two just stay out of harm's way and try not to wander off too far off from the Village for now. We're still in a crisis and I need to get to where the relief center will be built right away. I think there's plenty of communing places in the Burrow, pubs and such, no doubt you'll find other residents in those places, I think Nick could help you there more than I can." He said to them, then glanced to where he saw Deuce and the tech-priests were heading with the tent supplies, seeing his cue to go. He looked back at them, "I'll see you two later, and Miyuki, sorry you had to come to us at such a unfortunate notice. Hopefully this will all sort itself out soon." He nodded and then left them for where the tents were going to be set up.

While heading there, he soon realized he was probably the only other leader-type from the building currently present and both available to lead residents in the Burrow, given that he didn't see anyone else he knew of barking orders at people. He could tell from there that the weight of leading most of the residents that escaped would probably fall firmly on him, which was arguably the most dire thing he had to lead through in the last several months or so since he left home and dealt with Varg.

Once he finally found them though he wasted no time to start barking orders at them. "Deuce, you and the rest with tent supplies need to set up an AO for a relief center at the double! We need flat enough area terrain to lay down supplies and occupants. If your group needs more assistance, I'll requisition more supplies and bodies for you to work with, as I counted at least 4 dozen or so of our people here! I'll be back in a little bit, I need to find our damn healer next for a causality report." He swiftly left them to get to their tasks, then soon found his way towards the clinic to hopefully find Sandy.

Thanks to the directions of the Blacksmith, he walked into the clinic and quickly looked around for Sandy, calling out to him. "Sandy, where are you? I need a completed causality report from you right now, I need to know how many medical supplies I need to acquire from someone in order to meet our needs and how many people in triage we can file straight out of here if need be."

by **CAT XIII** » Thu May 19, 2016 1:54 pm

The Burrows- The Pub

Otonako was looking out at the scenery. It was quite bright outside and there were a few people out and about. She could see the mountains in the distance, it was quite an aesthetically pleasing view.

Suddenly Amanda spoke, pulling her out of her dreaming-style state. Otonako looked up at Amanda, shaking her hand. She seemed like a nice person. She smiled, it was good to have someone with her to talk to.

"Hi! I'm Otonako Irizari. You got it, I'm new here. Also, I am kinda confused, does this kind of thing happen often?"

Otonako's lemonade arrived along with the promise that her sandwich would only be another five minutes. She took a drink.

"Oh, sorry, I never offered you anything! Do you want something? I mean, I can only pay in Pesos and I'm too young to buy alcohol, but y'know."

"What do they actually accept as money here, I wonder..."

by **Holy Lykos** » Thu May 19, 2016 2:50 pm

The Burrows

Sakarias sighed and frowned, stretching himself out and feeling dust and grime dump out of the few panels on his body that he'd loosened. Kicking his legs against the ground and whacking his limbs and torso, soon he was feeling much less clogged up and sluggish. He nodded, working on dusting off his exterior next, determined to try getting a deeper cleanout of his systems, but that would require a bath or shower, one with sanitary water. He might have to go for a while without, if this village was any indication. Oh well, he got most the dust out. He glanced down at the ring of plaster dust and whatever else the building had been made of, glad his systems could work without impediment now.

And since he had really nothing to do, that one large fellow hadn't given him any orders(seeing as he was the one taking charge now), and he wasn't familiar with this place. Though he had heard something about a pub or bar or whatever it was called, so he started heading off towards where people had indicated that was in. He'd seen that one small fuzzy fellow head off after the medical personnel, his earlier strange goofiness gone and going deadly serious as he dashed off.

The Synth smiled as he managed to locate the building, opening the door and stepping inside. He glanced around noting that Oto was already here, and takling with some new woman. Was she a native of this land, or a resident of his new home? Only one real way to find out.

"Good to see you made it out well, Otonako. Sorry for leaving so abruptly once I dropped you off at the hospital, I really needed to get out of there and get myself cleaned out, my systems were starting to clog up horribly." He gave her a small apologetic smile, before extending his hand over to this woman who had joined her.

"Hello, Ma'am. My name's Sakarias Viitanen. I just arrived here, same as Miss Otonako here. Who might you be?"

The Clinic

Both Maghrl and Sterling were dashing off to the clinic to go aid those already going there. The pony might not be good at healing directly but he knew basic first aid from working with the healers group and was useful for grabbing what was needed to treat people. Plus he wanted to be useful, and not just sit on his hooves doing nothing while people were seriously injured. He arrived first of the two, his magic opening the door in front of him after the General's entrance, slipping around here. "I'm here to help too, anything you need Sandy?" A second later Maghrl entered too, more or less repeating the pony's sentiment.

The Jedi would be more directly applicable to healing people too, though he was getting pretty tired. It'd been a very long day for him so he might need to tap out at one point to go take care of his own thing. Either way He would be doing his best to help.

Woods

The squirrel hadn't been too bothered by the wait really, entertaining himself with space and other pursuits. He himself often forgot to show up when he needed to due to his recent fascination with that, so he's not really in any position to judge the tardiness of other animals. Even if he was, he was a patient squirrel and was just happy to be included!

by **Northwest Slobovia** » Thu May 19, 2016 6:00 pm

The Burrows, Under the Moon pub

CAT XIII wrote:"Hi! I'm Otonako Irizari. You got it, I'm new here. Also, I am kinda confused, does this kind of thing happen often?"

...
"Oh, sorry, I never offered you anything! Do you want something? I mean, I can only pay in Pesos and I'm too young to buy alcohol, but y'know."

"Thank you, that's very kind. But perhaps I should treat you: Pesos aren't worth anything here. The local currency is backed by O. C. Demens, the god -- excuse me, Greater Being -- of this world." Amanda took a seat opposite Otonako, setting her briefcase down on the floor. It smelled of fresh leather, and was embossed with the initals AMTB. A corner of a laptop peeked out the top of it. Amanda flagged down a server and ordered a roast beef sandwich with chips and lemonade to drink. It wasn't quite traditional pub food, but it would have to do.

Amanda was just about to go on, but she looked up as another person arrived.

Holy Lykos wrote:"Good to see you made it out well, Otonako. Sorry for leaving so abruptly once I dropped you off at the hospital, I really needed to get out of there and get myself cleaned out, my systems were starting to clog up horribly." He gave her a small apologetic smile, before extending his hand over to this woman who had joined her.

"Hello, Ma'am. My name's Sakarias Viitanen. I just arrived here, same as Miss Otonako here. Who might you be?"

"Oh, another newcomer! We must have started the rescue missions, then. Glad to meet you, Sakarias," Amanda replied with a friendly smile as shook his hand. "I'm Amanda Bela, the Building's legal counsel. Please, won't you join us?'

Amanda pushed her chair back at an angle to speak to both new Residents at once. She gestured with her right hand as she spoke. "To answer your question, Otonako, no, nothing like this has happened before. But then again, until last autumn, the Building was on Earth, in a city called Bielefeld, which was on a moving island in the Atlantic. I can't say I'd ever heard of Bielefeld before arriving there either."

"But perhaps we should start with something a little easier to think about. Where are you both from? Before my husband Sandy and I came to the Building, we lived in Philadelphia, in the United States, and the year was 2014. Since you mentioned Pesos, I'm going to say you're also from Earth, probably Latin America."

by **Ganonsyoni** » Thu May 19, 2016 6:03 pm

Kale had a near constant delirious look on her face ever since letting go of her powers. Fading in and out of consciousness. She barely could tell what was going on besides she was moving. People spoke to her but only have the words stuck. some didn't reach her as she was blacked out when they spoke them. Though, she could feel the concern in their words. Her magic took a toll on her, and if it wasn't for the help she would b unconscious.

But now, finally resting on a stable platform, she snapped awake. She looked around, noticing she was in some building, not the apartments most definitely. The village? Probably. She heard Burrows and village on the way there. She also saw the concerned face of Remilia and Sandy standing next to her. Remilia was examining her broken leg. The plant split still on it remained rigid, as it designed it to be. Though, it felt much more uncomfortable than before. A side-effect? Well, she would be happy if that was the only one. She expected something spectacularly terrible to happen with her usage. If it was just a too rigid and tight splint, than all the better.

"Changing the splint.... will do fine..." She said in an exhausted tone, struggling a smile for Remilia "And thank you.... so much..." She was truly grateful for all the help she had done for her in this whole ordeal.

by **Holy Lykos** » Thu May 19, 2016 6:32 pm

Sakarias Viitanen

"Seems many here are from Earth, or at least different versions of it. I've never heard of this Bielefeld, for instance." Sakarias replied with a shrug. "I'm from Finland originally. Moved to the Boston area with my parents when I was young. I'm a violinist and carpenter by trade, by the way. The year as far as I can tell from when I left my world was..... 2302 AD. Still was living near enough to Boston though in the 2070s, it, like the rest of the world, was blasted into nuclear wasteland. And as you likely can tell, I'm not truly human anymore, even if I like to gloss over that fact. I'm more a copy of the original, in a fake biomechanical body living hundreds of years after I died."

He sighed, taking his own seat at the table. "Sorry for that, did not mean to get quite so heavy so fast but that's the jist of who I am. At least this place seems to have proper food and lacks radiation. It makes everything taste horrible, especially with memories of prewar food. Speaking of food.... What kinds do they offer here? I don' really need to eat, but it'd help relax us after the disaster that just happened. Me and Oto got trapped in the room under the floor that exploded, after all. I'm just glad no one died, but Kale isn't in the best condition after she pretty much singlehandedly held up the ceiling while we were rescued." Sakarias dusted off his clothes while he spoke, bits of plaster falling on the floor near him as he did so. He definitely looked like his clothes needed laundered.

by **Northwest Slobovia** » Thu May 19, 2016 6:43 pm

The Burrows, Clinic

Sandy didn't get a chance to answer Rmwtyliin before Romulus burst in, seeking information.

Chedastan wrote:"Sandy, where are you? I need a completed causality report from you right now, I need to know how many medical supplies I need to acquire from someone in order to meet our needs and how many people in triage we can file straight out of here if need be."

Sandy called to him from the examining table. "Over here, General, with a patient. Kale's hurt; at least a broken leg." Sandy waited a moment while he came over, then gestured at the semi-conscious plant mage as he approached. "I only have a fragmentary report on casualties myself. I returned to the Building just a minute or two before you did, and Anais was... summarizing the situation before..." Sandy trailed off momentarily; explaining what he Heard to a mundane would take a while, so he decided to skip it. "Before the Building's magic started acting up and Captain Blackwater, um... suggested we might want to leave." Sandy flashed him a playful smile before going on.

"It didsn't sound like there are many casualties, nor that badly injured. There's Kale here, and Adri was being carried by her sister Crysal. I think there might be--" Sandy was interrupted by another pair of arrivals.

Holy Lykos wrote:Both Maghrl and Sterling were dashing off to the clinic to go aid those already going there. [...] He arrived first of the two, his magic opening the door in front of him after the General's entrance, slipping around here. "I'm here to help too, anything you need Sandy?" A second later Maghrl entered too, more or less repeating the pony's sentiment.

Sandy smiled broadly at Sterling, with obvious relief: perhaps now they might get a clearer picture of what happened. "Oh, Sterling! Your timing is excellent! Anais tells me you were one of the rescuers on the seventh floor. Could you tell us how many people you got out, and how badly hurt they were?"

Ganonsyoni wrote:"Changing the splint.... will do fine..." She said in an exhausted tone, struggling a smile for Remilia "And thank you.... so much..." She was truly grateful for all the help she had done for her in this whole ordeal.

Sandy looked down at Kale as she spoke; his patient got his complete attention. "Kale? Are you in pain? Can you tell me what happened to you?"

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

Who is online