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

[Monfrox]

It was all over in an instant. Brit had been through some shit. Hard emergency services training. Oral surgeries with two years of braces. Music performances. Boring family vacations. But this was new. Her face contorted as she felt a sneeze coming on. The perfume, or what she always called "smelly stuff", had the adverse effect on her. Afterall, she may have been a normal human (at a point earlier than this), but she always had slightly oversensitive senses. She couldn't stand heat and often sat back away the furthest from bonfires, she didn't like going to the movies because it was always really loud to her, she was a picky eater entirely, her eyesight was good enough to be a pilot, and she usually smelled things before others did. It wasn't anything notable, but she did have to experience it day-in, day-out.

"HAH-hnh!"

And yet, despite that, she had mastered the art of holding in sneezes. Afterall, years of allergies were the bane of her existence. She shook her head and breathed out. Wow, this was...wow. For a girl so used to liking simplistic dress, this was a total shock. She looked to Chrys, hoping she was at least finding more enjoyment out of it than her.

"I feel like a goddamn church bell..." She whispered.

[Tiltjuice]

And indeed she was!

But she had also been struck dumb by the sheer opulence of the glimpses of spot to spot, and unlike Brit, Chrys began to appreciate more the powers she held, from the other side. Things fell apart, and she herself had made that happen on more than one occasion. Was it worth trying to hold things together? Was such a thing possible?

Dia had once or twice pointed out, when they were both too deeply in their cups to hurt each other physically or emotionally, that she could be flighty and callous. Both trying to escape a too-serious past, and embracing it. And yet somehow she did it in a way that mocked the complexity of who she was, and at those points when he stood back and recognized it, he loved her all the more...

And so, not for the first time, she threw caution to the wind. She could do that here, for the sake of a good cause, with no heed for ulterior motives. With her head raised high, she gave Brit an encouraging smile. "Let's ring, loud and proud," she said,her own voice as close to Brit's description as it ever had been. Clownish or not, all that was left was to make the best of it, and it was easy when they looked at their best, praise Fate's whim!

And then, louder, to Razzalia and company: "Too true! Thank you, thank you, and please lead on!"

[Giovenith]

Brit and Chrys

Further delighted by Chrys' attitude toward their "talents" and ignoring Brit's own lack of enthusiasm, the three friends lead the way out of the small plush room and into the halls of the palace, stony things that gave an illusion of opulence due to how excessively they were lit up by enchanted lights in the ceiling and walls. Razzalia and her friends were chatty in nature, and as they lead the two newcomers forward, they unwittingly provided clues to the mysterious circumstances Chrys and Brit had found themselves in.

"Oh, it was very generous of the Princess to invite so many of us to stay with her in the castle during this horrid blizzard!" Diamond gushed, admiring the halls. "I do miss my own little splendid home, but I must say the beauty of the get-away is worth it!"

"Oh I do agree!" Razzalia cheered. "We must look on the positive side of all this."

"Astra Perks lost her magic today..." Sugar Glass said, in a morose tone.

"Did she? Oh goodness! Poor day! Well at least it was for a high honor."

"Can you not?" the pink Sugar Glass seemed not as inclined to force cheerfulness. "We all know how terrible the situation is."

"Glassy, Razzalia said to stay positive!"

"Diamond Desire dear, how am I to stay positive when we cannot even send our foals back to be with the Heavens?"

"Hush!" Razzalia bopped Sugar Glass' snout. "Once the blizzard has ended and wood is no longer precious, we shall give a grand funeral pyre for all those who have passed, and give gracious compensation for those who have sacrificed their magic. You are not curing or bringing back the dead by complaining."

"When will the blizzard end?"

"Soon!"

"You said soon over five months ago."

"Sooner or later, our magicians will force those feathered brutes to see reason," Razzalia sniffed with confidence in her step, maintaining her apparent dominance over the trio. "It is only a matter of figuring out a plan, I am sure dear Clover is working on one as we speak."

"Yes, our dear Clover the Clever!" Diamond agreed, nodding vigorously with a smile. "She'll explain to the pegasi our problems, and they will feel sorry and stop the blizzard."

"Oh dearest Diamond," Razzalia tsked with a hint of condescension, not that her rather dull companion would pick it up. "The pegasus does not "feel sorry," they're quite heartless creatures. The Earth ponies may be dirty and stupid, but at least they laugh, smile, and dance. The winged ones know nothing of loving or beauty. They even marry only to further their fighting! Our Princess and Clover will more likely than not have to be firm and abrasive with them, it's all they understand. It's nature."

"Oh Razzalia, you are so very clever at science!"

"Am I not?"

Sugar Glass, far less the sycophant than Diamond Desire, didn't comment. She followed along the path but let her eyes wander the wall and floor with a knowing sadness. Whatever was the full story behind this blizzard and the issues it created, it was clear from the littlest unicorn's expression alone that things were far, far more dire than Razzalia pretended. Whatever might she may have needed to convey this was simply not there though, and she merely allowed her friends to chatter on inanely about how everything was going to be okay and how beautiful the palace was and how intelligent Razzalia's racism made her. It might have been heartbreaking for anypony who knew better.

On the way to their destination they passed through a long hallway - an absolutely glorious thing, covered floor to ceiling in the most detailed and ornate tapestries, all of unicorns of the prime beauty and stunning displays of astronomical knowledge - before passing through the double doors at the end into a giant and equally stunning gathering room. It was packed with unicorns, many as stunningly dressed as the trio had made Brit and Chrys, but each's chosen wear clearly indicating wear and tear to the astute observer. Tables had been lined out with food, and while many ponies had sat to eat, others had chosen to instead socialize off to the sides with another. The air was mixed, not unlike the interaction between the trio, with some unicorns forcing joviality while others were clearly anxious. Up front was a boxed off display with a currently empty set of thrones.

And then the trio ditched Chrys and Brit. Not unlike how the Conservator described herself, they were flighty; silly things consumed in themselves, they had instantly forgotten about their much self-praised "generosity" the moment they saw better opportunities for socialization, and half-handedly assumed that the two would manage on their own in the crowd.

"Puce doesn't go with orange," somepony snapped, lightly but rudely shoving Brit out of the opening of the doorway. Said shover was a mare dressed nearly in all-black herself, looking far less cheerful than the original three friends. "Has the Princess and her mage entered yet?" she demanded to know.

[Torsiedelle]

Torii started to calm back down, slowly, but steadily. She still felt sick, but a little color returned to her face as she understood what Gio was saying. "An annulment sounds good, then. I mean, I just got back, and I'm in no place to be getting married, and then there's the legal stuff, and name-changing, and, well, the fact that my Mom and Dad would kill me.", She clamped her hands around nothing, as if strangling someone.

Audette, still quiet and observing, sighed. "Have you had your meds today?"

Torii scoffed. "I'm not doing that anymore. I'm sick of all those stupid "mental health and stress relief" things she was on about. I'm not crazy like the rest of my family, I can handle my stress, or something, right?"

Her arms fell back at her sides. "I hope I can handle it. Oh god, I just don't need all of this so soon. I've had a rough month, or day, or whatever it's been. Time is too confusing, life is all crazy, and I'm just trying not to die in it all right now. I just want to get this all sorted out and be done with it."

[The BranRiech]

"We can't work . . . Here?"

Yuna's words were lost, either because of the quick-firing Chancellor running over her, or the faintness of her voice as she listened onwards.

Her hooves clattered gently against the floor, tapping them impatiently as she thought of how to explain herself, and Aegis as well. She looked over at him, nodding slightly, prodding him to speak first. "Well . . ." She said, shaking her head, eyes darting around. They settled on Cookie, and she started. "We . . . We're not actually . . . Uh, Ponies?" She started. "Like, we're not from here. We were all sitting around a table."

As she spoke, the poor mare started huffing, fearing the non-believing tone she assumed was coming.

"We were all sitting around a table with our friend, and . . . And these things clattered, and we all ended up here, as ponies, I guess?" She looked down at her feet, feeling oddly natural in the form. She assumed it was her conscience, settling into the new 4-legged body. As much as she felt used to it, it still wasn't her body.

"We flew through some sort of . . . Portal, it seemed, ended up here, and then got dragged here."

She sighed, breathing heavily at the end of the story.

"Do you believe us?"

--

"So how do we go about getting an annulment when we're not in Bielefeld?"

Drova didn't want to be married to Torii as much as she didn't want to be married to Drova, but getting it cancelled out seemed easier said than done. Completely unaware of the plight of his sister, trapped in another time and world, he figured he was having the worst day out of anyone. Stuck in a harried marriage to the girl he liked. Some people might consider it good luck of course, until they actually lived it.

"We can go on living like we usually do, I mean, right?"

Sighing, Drova leaned forward, resting his forehead on the table, looking down into his knees, fiddling with his thumbs. His mouth shut the second Audette started talking, opting instead to listen to the exchange, his mind forming various ideas.

"Torii, we are still friends, right? We're not husband and wife, no matter what the paper says." He finally spoke up.

[Primordial Luxa]

Aegis the magical talking horse
As Aegis watched the retort and rebuttal between Smart Cookie and the Chancellor with a mixture of worry and hesitation, all the while drinking what remained of his sweet tea. On one hand he was happy that these color horse-folk seemed so ready to accept them and offer them help during what appeared to be a hard time for them. Although that was typical of what he knew about the ponies judging from his brief interactions with the ponies back at the building. However the strangeness of the Chancellor worried him greatly and he wondered if he wasn't backing the wrong horse by joining this clan.

When Smart Cookie confront them after the Chancellor had left he asked for a moment of privacy while he conversed with Yuna, and displaying more control over his form escorted Yuna into a corner with one hoof around her back. “Yuna” he whispered “This is very bad. VERY bad. Okay we need to be on the same page okay?” He was visibly worried in a way that most people had never seen Aegis this was mostly because his face was visible like it usually never was.

“Lets trade secrets.” He suggested before turning back to Smart Cookie and saying. “Okay. Well talk, but were hopelessly lost and confused. Well answer one question of your for every question of ours you answer deal?”

[The Carlisle]

Kale moved in closer to Torii, standing behind the girl and placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. She felt terribly bad for the girl, having to go through something like this. She was still freaked out despite trying to calm herself. But Kale herself was concerned that Torii was denying herself help.

"Torii... It's okay to take medicine to help yourself. I took some medication for depression in the past. It didn't get rid of it, but it suppressed it enough so it wasn't constantly weighing on me," she said in a soft tone, "It really does help and... I think you would do much better if you took them.." She hoped her words would help her consider. If she didn't she wouldn't push, but she'll worry a lot more if she didn't take them.

[Tiltjuice]

Wherein Chrys doesn't know what rhymes with orange

"Er...no?" Chrys tried, facing the newcomer to block out her vision while prodding Brit gently with a hind hoof and pointing in the direction of the tapestries, then waving around at some of the unicorns on the sidelines. Hopefully the teenager would recognize what she meant, and either listen in or try to join up with some of the idlers.

"Is she going to address us? No one here's said much, other than gloom...And is there any orange? I don't remember seeing anyone wearing one," she confided, trying to play the role of a ditz. "Most of these outfits seem a bit faded! In the middle of a blizzard isn't any time to fix things, is it?"

---

Beef rashers are beaten up in the country people's fashion?

The rabbit leapt down off the top of the tree, ten feet above the table and nearly brushing the ceiling, right at the Pyersai prince's head. Simultaneously, his chef companion entered pushing a cart for no apparent reason, as the massive floating silver tray behind him carried a platter stacked high with nasi goreng, capable of feeding everyone in the room.

"I hear congratulations are in order!" Cuisine said jovially in an Indonesian accent, lifting two tablespoons from the tray and handing them to Drova and Torii. "When did this happy occasion occur? I am sorry MB and I were unable to attend; there was some little trouble with a botanical garden. I believe the local police are still on the lookout for an unidentified rabbit. Have you met each other's families yet?"

He looked hopeful at this, as if seeking to figure out whether there would be additional celebration.

[Mincaldenteans]

Pots are stirring...

Primordial in the feast

Primordial nodded along with Anais’s description of the Fey. The term was typically used interchangeably with Fairy, which could also be interchangeable with Little People, Nymphs, or really any number of nature spirits. The term Fey was a catch all descriptions for something that could be anything, but Primordial was certain the classical definitions would hold true. “I’ll make sure I offer Dan a chance to join us when we go to contact you thanks for that piece of insight.”

“Atoms are just the building blocks of matter. Atoms can be combined in different combinations to create different types of matter. Gold is made out of gold atoms, water is made out of hydrogen and oxygen atoms, everything has different rules and there’s a lot of different types and variants but that’s the short of it.” He mused to Sterling question about chemistry while leaning forward and spilling a bit of his acidic drink.

He then turned his focus to Anais and alleviating her worries and concerns. He returned her sympathetic smile with a thoughtful respective one as he considered her conclave idea. “I understand your reticence to reveal anything private to me. Personally if I was in your position I would be hesitant to reveal the secrets of how I use my own gravitational field to smash atoms together to a person I just met. So let me tell you that I respect your privacy.” Primordial nodded and pursed his lips in a sympathetic manner before saying “But that said perhaps you could tell me exactly what field of healing or magic you specialize in? You don’t have to tell me how it works or why, but if I just knew what you could do I would really appreciate it. I would love to call for your help when it falls under you area of expertise.”

Sterling blinked as he heard Anais explain her reasons and honestly he'd agree. Magic was a dangerous thing in the wrong hands, but the pony was naturally inclined to friendliness and being helpful. That was just how ponies operated. They were open, kind, and helpful creatures by default. At least usually they were, sometimes it was hard to be nice all the time. Or like in Willow's case where he tended to be cynical and introverted. He still cared as deeply as any other pony, just in his own way. But Sterling right now was more interested in the science talk, and how it worked with magic.

"Strange, Is that true for most realms? In equestria we've never bothered to actually look that close at objects to see what they were made of besides well, what we could see at by the naked eye. We haven't needed to look any deeper than that. Human science sure is much more advanced than it is back home..." the pony mused, feeling a tiny bit uneducated despite his time at school. How much else were Equestrians blissfully unaware of? At least Scientifically, politically they seemed to be a lot more stable. Indeed aside from the invasions of other species pony kind hadn't known real conflict for a very long time.

"I've never tried to just grab one of those 'atoms' as you called them. How would moving them around change the properties of the items they make up? Isn't like, an apple atom always an apple atom? What else could it be?" Sterling seemed to misunderstand the very basics of chemistry, the closest they had was like alchemy and similar practices, or magic transmutation.

Talk of atomic make up and changing one for another was well beyond Anais' understanding. Magically speaking, the ritualist had never seen it unless one counted illusion casting but that was a vast study from parlor tricks of fancy to strategic deception for tactical advantage. The closest she knew with the ability to change properties was Traxt, though elemental shifts were a byproduct of his command of air and fire. She said nothing of that and instead listened to the exchange between Sterling and Primordial over the subject.

Primordial's response to her, however, was not well received and Anais could only offer a tired smile in response, "My field is preservation, but we return to my first point," she responded to his inquiry of what field of healing - though 'preservation' had a broad meaning of its own. She then pointed lightly at the direction of Sandy. "I already have a representative within the healers, and we've worked together. I fail to see why I would need a second when it would undoubtedly cause more errors in communication than it would behoove us as a whole. Do I disregard his objectives for yours? Does his agenda for the healers take precedence or are we to abide by your directives? And what of my people?"

Anais then raised her hand slightly more, to gesture to her guildmates, still engrossed in their own company, "I have three other magical principles to consider within my own guild. As I've said, they are bound to me: do they follow you now whenever you call? Or do they follow my direction as I am responsible for them?"

The ritualist shook her head in disappointment and held back a sigh, instead she took her cup of tea and sipped on it to reign in her growing frustration. Primordial's reassertion for the need to collect information on the magic-wielders among them, only to use them as tools later, disturbed her highly. It was presumptuous on her part to think him capable of such a thing, but as far as the ritualist was concerned, his approach to handling it went wrong the moment he expected information to be handed over without question. On that note, she couldn't relate to Sterling's exuberance in dispensing information so freely. Anais firmly believed a more polite dialogue would have been appropriate, but as it stood, her misgivings only widened when her suggestion for a conclave was completely ignored. She glanced over at Sandy, a concerned look upon her face that clearly stated he would need to be here.

[Primordial Luxa]

Primordial explaining the unexplainable and learning other points of view

“No.” Primordial said flatly to Sterling “I’ve seen universes where matter and energy are nothing like what most people are used to. Everything has an exception, usually a couple thousand, that includes the structure of reality. I don’t know about Equestria however, if you let me run some atomic tunnelling tests on you, I could probably tell. Your physiology has most likely adapted to this universe's rules but their might be traces of what it was like originally. Of Course it would take a very long time and be very uncomfortable.”

“Ok so...apples have water in them right. There filled with juice which is mostly water, those water molecules, are composed of two hydrogen atoms and an oxygen atom. Atoms are made out of electrons, protons, and neutrons. Different atoms have different combinations and that's what makes them what they are.” As he was explaining this he used his own telekinetic powers to float a group of peas, cranberries and nuts from the nearby food. They swirled about each other chaotically until it became clear that he was creating a chemical model of water as teaching tool to help Sterling visualize the entire process.

“So if you could move electrons, protons, and neutrons into our out of the atom you could change what kind of atom it is. In the apple example. If you added seventy one protons to all of the oxygen atoms they would turn into gold.” He floated a whole host of peas into his model from a nearby plate to emphasize his point. "That's the basis of alchemy, well my alchemy at least, other people do it other ways but most use a similar style of atomic manipulation."

He then responded to Anais who he was beginning to think was a lost cause. He explained that “I’m not trying to supersede or disregard anything the healers are doing and I never said this had any relation to them. I’m just trying to figure out who is the best at what so people can do what they're good at ok? I can’t imagine a single instance where the goals of this group would go against those of the healers we would be working on totally different projects. I’m not trying to make anyone do anything they don’t want to and frankly I think you’re taking this the wrong way for which I apologize.”

“All I want is to learn what each of our magic users can do so I know what kind of tools we have at our disposal. That way when a problem comes up we can call on the people who are most skilled at solving it. I’m not forcing you to do anything you don’t want and i’m not suggestion you can’t do anything you want to. Knowing that you’re good at preservation is really all I needed, so thank you. That gives me some ideas regarding food and storage which I may ask for your assistance with, if that's alright. But I do want to understand where you coming from and what you would like to see our magic community work towards? Please you seem upset, help me understand.”

[Swith Witherward]

LOBBY

There was a disturbance in the Force. Consequently, there was also a minor one in the lobby. The chandelier above the reception desk trembled, and then the lightbulb unscrewed. Volker sighed. Now? Really? What was it this time? An anthro alligator? A scribe from some ancient time. Or... oh gods, no... possibly a French mime? He folded his newspaper and rocked to his feet while the light bulb completed its spin.

POP! It vanished into the socket.

BLOOP! Out popped a body. Well... maybe not "popped". More like the body oozed, shapeless as it fell, only to reform once it struck the lobby floor. Volker leaned over the desk's high counter to observe the newcomer.

"A friend for Aegis!" he quipped upon catching sight of the mask. A soft click indicated that the light bulb was now back in place. Volker's head nodded. He lifted the clipboard and slammed it into the desk, breaking Demens' potent sleep spell.

"HEY! Are you Sozewe Oumech?" he continued to stare over the edge. "Wake up. You're far, far from home." His face vanished behind the counter. He'd wait, as patient as can be, until the new Resident righted himself.


UA

"Your cell phone won't have a signal here," Rodney patiently explained to Rmwtyliin. "You'll just eat up its battery while it desperately tries to find a signal. Unless you switch it to airplane mode."

He brushed aside the hair things littering his former seat, and then settled back into his former place. "The sooner we get moving, the better. I have concerning matters to deal with back at the Building." In fact, his only concern was the fact that the stupid bitch, NST, had gone off grid. Son of a fuck, HOW? Why did she have to be so ornery?! His eyes settled first on Thaddeus and then on Septimus. Damn human males couldn't be trusted around expensive equipment. Blah blah equality, blah blah. It pissed him off to no end.

Oh, but the construct! Damn thing couldn't go anywhere without getting herself into a predicament. How many times would the government have to step in to sort the damages she caused? His brow furrowed at his own reflection in the truck's rear-view mirror. "Stupid NST," he growled under his breath. "I'll decommission you for this one."

The knowledge that he carried heavy gold bars in his torso for nothing - because ammo was worth more! - further dampened his mood. Fine. Drive. Go. Get your primitive fossil fuels. The Nifid crossed his arms and lapsed into a broody pout.


DPoC: BSAM

Rache growled as the wounded pony crashed to the pavement. He had a difficult time seeing any of the ponies as warriors. They were simply too... cute. They were innocents in his eyes. His estimation of them rose a notch, however, once Willow finished fumbling with his front leg. Gauntlet knives for handless creatures - excellent! Willow offered the second gauntlet and Rache held out a leg to him.

"Look," he spoke into the pony's ear once his head was closer, "These ponies don't have a chance. Innocents do not deserve to suffer. Whatever happens, find the others. Make sure Chrys is safe. If I die, I'll materialize within Klaus. He'll know about your plight. I'll tell him with every fiber of my being."

His soft nose brushed Willow's grey forehead as the artist finished clasping the device. "You're a noble Pony, Willow Streaks. It's a pity we didn't meet up sooner. Now go, take cover. The world needs more artists. Would be a shame to lose you."

His legs kicked off and wings snapped open to catch the chilly air. Rache offered a wink to his companion. "But don't you ever tell Minerva I said that! She'll laugh at the notion that I appreciate art!"

Dark laughter barked from the Daemonpony's lungs (alas the morphing into a tiny horse creature had kicked it up an octave too high!) and he wheeled towards the hairy nemesis - rocketing toward it at a speed he hadn't guessed he possessed. No matter, speed was good. Very good.

"SLASH ITS WINGS AND STRIKE FROM BELOW!" he gave a savage cry to the others. "I'LL DRAW ITS WRATH!"

True to his word, and no stranger to pain, Rache wasted no time in closing the distance between them. The beast's overpowering stench kindled an old battle lust within him; this wasn't some Equestrian monster. His eyes only saw a manifestation of Grandfather and, for a moment, Rache didn't give two fucks about how nice Ogoti was. The blades spun out and affixed themselves into a comfortable position, and the Daemon drew upon a tactic that was all too common in a situation such as this. He opened his mouth and roared.

This new sound wasn't an octave too high. Empowered by the fear generated by the soldiers and citizenry around him, it was a Chaotic bellow that sent a focused shock wave directly at his foe's mind. Clouds cracked and trembled. Sapient or stupid, the thing was bound to notice him now. Perhaps it would take flight? Perhaps it would stare stupidly or else swat at him. Rache was prepared for some wicked mischief.

"Hello fuzzball," he growled. "Let's dance."

[New Aksarben]

"That.... is very confusing, to be completely honest. I might have to look into these sciences of alchemy or whatever its called here in the human world, though. It might be interesting to try that way of alchemizing things. Most Equestrian magic users who do alchemy do it through spells meant to turn things into the desired substance. Requires a lot of power and is quite unreliable and crude. But maybe it was because they weren't trying to do something that could make it more efficient..." He mused on that, having an idea to try doing something like that later. After proper research of course. Magic always required plenty of resource on the subject and its interworkings. But if he could figure out an efficient way to change things, he could be very useful! But who knew how dangerous manipulating such a minute thing such as these atoms might be....

Sterling listened to the other two discussing about the issue of sharing sensitive information and frowned. Being back in Equestria had made him forget how this place was. It was a rude awakening to remember that he couldn't be completely open like back in Equestria. Especially as people here might not have his best interests in mind. There had been some pretty sketchy people around here after all, last time he was here.

"I do think Anais' idea of a conclave might be better than going to each magic user individually. Last time I was here I very much remember many people who had access to magic. I'd be interested in joining that to learn about other kinds of magic myself. I'm not very worried about people taking the secrets of Equestrian magic, mostly as it requires parts and appendages only our species has. Is there any other people who could help organize that? I don't know who still lives here, and I was a bit of a shut in last time I stayed."

[Fvaarniimar]

Christmas already?! I don't have gifts for anyone! Nick quickly found, however -
"GLLURRRLGH."
- that he had rather more immediate worries. At first, he thought it had been the collar. Within seconds, he realized a desperate need for a litter box. Or toilet, or trash can... Is there a decent bush around here?! Not exactly. Faster than he'd realized was possible , the cat exited the room. Racing to the elevator, he swerved to a potted plant - he perceived more than a few of them in the halls.

Let's just say that once done, he ran halfway down the hall before remembering his need to use the elevator. Another gurgle and a cramp convinced him that yes, heading back into the stench was the best option. At least it was slightly more bearable than the skunk flowers had been.

The elevator ride took seconds. To Nick, as his digestive system contorted and gyrated and experienced localized XK-Class end of the world scenarios, it seemed far too long. As it slowed to a stop, he pressed against the doors, squeezing out the instant such became possible and arriving at the passage to his litter box so quickly that an observer would seriously have considered teleportation. Almost there! Hold it... Don't soil nice home... I can do this... And somehow he did, purring with relief...before he clamped his paws over his nose. Ugh! The stench! Not bothering to cover the feces, he jumped out and realized how lucky he was to have a self-cleaning box; soon he'd concluded that it was best to projectile poo into it so the function remained active continuously.

So he squatted, moaning and groaning as he released inner potential of a vile enough sort that the act perhaps could count as embracing the Dark Side. Would Maghrl feel a disturbance in the Force? Was it Rache's cooking? Was sheep wool responsible? The world may never know.

[Torsiedelle]

Dining Room

"I don't need to take anything, never have before I went home, never will.", Torii shot off. "Look, I'll talk about this in a minute, okay? Marriage stuff needs sorting out, and, well, yeah."

She wasn't freaking out so badly now, only because she was trying to clear up everything. "Married, married...I mean, sure, an annulment will work. Never happened, right? That's good; I can't be married to...well, I'm so sorry to say this, Drova, but I don't think I can be married to someone like you. I mean, marriage is sacred, and I'm Christian, and you have your beliefs, and then there's the racial thing. I mean, my parents would kill me if they knew I was legally married to an abhuman, and then there's skin color, and nationality, and all that. I mean, I have my reasons, and then religious reasons, and then family reasons, and..."

She sighed. What was she going on about?

"Yeah, we're still friends. I'm sorry, I guess we'll, uh, get this handled. I mean, I'm just not in my right mind right now."

Torii mumbled. MB and the chef weren't helping. "Sorry, Sir, we're not really married, and, uh...", She acknowledged the rabbit. "Hi. My sister isn't here, so..."

Lobby

How...surreal.

Red lenses flickered on from inside the eyes of the mask. Oumech gained his senses again and instantly hopped up, unsure whether to be alert or inquisitive. How exactly had he been brought to this place? The last thing he remembered, he had settled down in a more secluded area of a rather small world to rest and meditate, and yet now here he was, in a populated building.

And on another world, at that. Actually, he sensed, he was not just on another world, but somewhere else entirely. Was he still in the Outer Rim? The same galaxy, even? This was wrong, and the newcomer realized it immediately.

His attention fell on the Cultists. There was also definitely something wrong with him. All around him, really, a plethora of "bad vibes", for lack of a better phrase, swirled about. The man hadn't immediately attacked him, however, but still, it was unsettling. It was also interesting, and a certain interest in seeing what was going on won out overdrawing his weapon and preparing to slash his way out.

"Sozewe Oumech?", He asked, a very normal, human voice asked, with only a minor distortion caused by the artificial voice module on him. "Yes, I am. What...is this place?"

What else could he ask? He didn't quite know. He was no wise, cautious Master. He was confused, and curious, and paranoid, and still a bit caught up in how weird it felt, coming out of a chandelier of all things; it was a strange idea.

[Giovenith]

Brit and Chrys

"A simple 'no' would have sufficed," the black-wearing unicorn snapped, deepening her frown. Like the rest she was pretty, a pinkish-lavender coat with curly gold hair carrying purple highlights, but unlike the rest, she didn't seem to be attempting to put an air of positivity. Her own choice of outfit made her stand out from the rest, no gowns or ribbons, just a simple black cloak with a few gold clasps to keep it in place. Looking ever frustrated and, shall one say, bitchy, she looked up and around for something in contempt before turning her eyes back on the two, and caught a glimpse of something on Chrys. "... Oh!" she gasped with intentional volume. "Isn't that Crystaluck's brooch?"

As if the black-wearing unicorn had pressed a button, some other mare instantly caught on to her gasp, popping up from the crowd and bulldozing through to catch up with the three.

"Is it! Is it so!" the Crystaluck cried in indignation, gasping in anger when she saw it. "It is! Who gave that to you? Razzalia? That wicked thief!"

"Did not, did not!" Razzalia felt the need to defend her good name, teleporting on scene and facing off with Crystaluck. "You traded it to me for the 14 karats, remember!"

"I did no such thing! You are a liar and a tart, Razzalia!" Crystaluck spat back, "What else have you taken and pocketed? Everypony knows you haven't an original bone in your body for style!"

"Who are you calling unoriginal?!" Diamond suddenly popped up on scene beside Razzalia.

"Uh, her of course!" suddenly butted in a well-groomed stallion, who popped up to side with Crystaluck, who apparently had her own band of sycophants. "Last time I checked, the rest of us aren't the ones who mixed up the fall embroidery with the spring."

The unicorn in black said nothing, merely standing back and watching the nasty display with a silent smile.

"What else have you taken?!" Crystaluck snatched Razzalia's satchel with her telekinesis and dug through it against the other mare's protests, emptying it of baubles and trinkets for examination and judgment. "Hm, is this my mirror? Oh, is this Rosie's comb? I do think this is Adonis' buckle! And..." Crystaluck suddenly gasped in horror, and slowly lowered up a pink teddy bear from the satchel, pulling it close and giving Razzalia a wicked sneer. "Mr. Fuzzyfinks...!"

That was the last straw; Crystaluck went flying backward as she was shoved back by a telekinetic lash from an embarrassed Razzalia. This was quickly countered by a pull of her hair from another magic source, and soon the entire local group of unicorns were in a vicious duel-off with one another over the accused petty thought and social humiliation.

All this was put to an end by a sudden huge flash of magenta energy, an erupting dome which pushed all the quarreling unicorns backward and stunning them out of their fight. Once the dome dissipated, yet another pony was standing within it's former center, though with a difference. Rather than the flashy noble clothing of the mountains' citizens, this one was dressed in a ragged brown robe with a hood, which lowered to reveal a green unicorn with light violet eyes.

"Making trouble again, Arrow?" the new unicorn asked, turning to the black-wearing mare. Her voice didn't attempt the airy octave of the other nobles.

"Is it trouble to report a crime?" Arrow scoffed.

Rache and Willow

Nopony in the air or the fight recognized Rache, tight knit as soldiers tended to be. This, however, was not the time to question or ponder where he had come from, as they needed all the assistance and planning they could get taking this thing down. One pony who appeared to have already been in charge gave the orders to follow Rache's suggestion, the rest of the ponies abandoning their original positions to dive low and attempt to make their way to the beast's wings.

As for the creature itself, just as the daemon had planned, it's attention was drawn to the very un-pony growl that erupted from the puny pegasus that had flown to face it. It was not sapient but it was intelligent by animal standards, slowing and eerily considering Rache (not used to it's prey standing so blatantly in it's way), before it mistakenly pegged him as an easy mark and brought it's huge arms up in the air. It's hands, with pole-like claws bent inward, closing in together on pony-Rache, intent on peeling his skin away like an orange.

Just to make things worse, the wind and the cold had begun to pick up. The aforewarned blizzard was beginning to start.


Meanwhile, Willow was doing as told and galloping off scene in order to find cover. Not stupid, he knew this wasn't a fight he could participate in, years of getting his hiney whooped in Flight School had taught him as much. Unfamiliar with the organization of the city and not wanting to risk flying and getting caught in the battle, he kept to the same neighborhood, running along the edge of the cloud city to round away from the creature. He made it far enough to stay out of the fight but still keep it in sight and earshot when he found yet another storage area to duck into, a relatively quieter environment that was comprised of more younger Privates quickly wheeling out medical supplies and weapons to be used by their superiors. His plan was to cross to the other door and thus flee closer into the heart of the city so he could eventually escape and go in search of the others, but that was put on halt when he ran into a familiar face.

"You," Private Pansy gasped, stumbling out of Willow's way. She'd been carrying two forelegs' full of spears.

The scales fallen from his eyes due to their new circumstances, Willow couldn't help but stare at Pansy in a whole new light. This was Private Pansy, the Private Pansy. Major pegasus cultural figure, beloved childhood character, founder of Equestria: Currently nothing more than an innocent girl doing her best to dole out basic assistance to her fellow ponies in defending their home. Everything Willow knew partially rested on her back.

"You have to stay here," he suddenly said urgently, gently but firmly grasping her shoulders. "That thing is something out of Tartarus."

Not quite as inclined to entertain this stranger's oddities, Pansy shook Willow off and narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't tell me what to do, I have duties. We've defeated ghoulings before, we'll do it again; you said yourself you haven't been part of Cynisca."

"Please, you have to listen to me," Willow insisted, gesturing a hoof out the door. "You have to do your best to survive through this, through the blizzard itself, I can't explain but it's bigger than you know."

"I said go away!"

Private Pansy pushed her way past Willow with her load and winced at the cutting snowflakes of outside. The future Equestrian citizen bit his bottom lip and considered obeying her wishes, trusting that fate would find a way to guarantee her future and his present. Just as he was turning though, he heard her gasp and faced her again, just in time to see the wind and the bustle of busy pegasi push her over the edge of the cloud, the spears weighing her down. So the play had been accurate about one thing: She was clumsy. Celestia dammit!

"Private Pansy!" Willow dove over the edge after her. Not only that the death of a young filly would put a major dent in his conscious, but his existence as well.

Unknown the both, analyzing eyes were watching.

Building

Torii had a tendency to say thoughtless things that made situations worse. This was one of those times.

Unlike other times though, Giovenith chose to keep silent and watch what would happen. It wasn't as bad as other slip-ups Torii had made (such as the time the girl inadvertently called the godling a false idol to her face), but she knew this wasn't going stick well for Drova. Even if it was clear you would never have true, hard intentions of marrying your boyfriend or girlfriend, it was still probably one of the absolute worst things you could do by flatly laying out, 'I couldn't ever be with you that way because I'm religious this way, you're of this race, you've got a funny skin color, and are from a different place,' - Torii had essentially just delegitimatized her own relationship. It raised the question that if these things were a blocker to marriage, then what made them okay for a non-married relationship? Answer: That the relationship wasn't "serious" or "real enough" for these supposedly important aspects to play a part. All a game.

Fuck. Giovenith sighed, closed her eyes, and touched her fingers to her temple. Maybe Drova wouldn't care, she didn't know, but she wouldn't count on it. It was possible that he actually had similar opinions as Torii regarding her, which would mean far less fighting and heartbreak, but it would most definitely enlighten a rather superficial gleam to their relationship. Either way, Giovenith didn't feel like taking a bullshit moralistic position in all of it; she was only just past 18, and already too old for this shit. She decided to push on through with what was currently on the table.

"We don't technically need to be in Bielefeld to get annulled," she explained. "We just need Bielefeld official papers, you both sign them and the deed is done. Marriage really is all just paperwork, paperwork makes it, paperwork undoes it. When, if, we ever do go back, you just need to flash the paper to whoever it matters to."

[Tiltjuice]

Lobby

How...surreal.

Red lenses flickered on from inside the eyes of the mask. Oumech gained his senses again and instantly hopped up, unsure whether to be alert or inquisitive. How exactly had he been brought to this place? The last thing he remembered, he had settled down in a more secluded area of a rather small world to rest and meditate, and yet now here he was, in a populated building.

And on another world, at that. Actually, he sensed, he was not just on another world, but somewhere else entirely. Was he still in the Outer Rim? The same galaxy, even? This was wrong, and the newcomer realized it immediately.

His attention fell on the Cultists. There was also definitely something wrong with him. All around him, really, a plethora of "bad vibes", for lack of a better phrase, swirled about. The man hadn't immediately attacked him, however, but still, it was unsettling. It was also interesting, and a certain interest in seeing what was going on won out overdrawing his weapon and preparing to slash his way out.

"Sozewe Oumech?", He asked, a very normal, human voice asked, with only a minor distortion caused by the artificial voice module on him. "Yes, I am. What...is this place?"

What else could he ask? He didn't quite know. He was no wise, cautious Master. He was confused, and curious, and paranoid, and still a bit caught up in how weird it felt, coming out of a chandelier of all things; it was a strange idea.

"A place far, far away," Volker replied, and glanced at the clock on the wall. "The current time is...dinnertime, to put it easily. There is a feast going on upstairs, to celebrate the traditional harvest. Perhaps you could join them? Most of this building's residents are there."

---

The perks of being a teleporting rabbit meant changing course in mid-air was leveret's play, and MB thumped down on the table next to Giovenith instead. Both ears waved frantically, but Cuisine took no offense and pushed the cart in another direction, murmuring something about seeing if Primordial and Anais and Sandy would like something to eat, as they seemed rather unfocused.

The downsides of being a rabbit meant human social niceties flew completely over his broad, leaf-shaped ears. Did not think you were sort. A nose twitch. What is problem anyway, beside what Communist funnygirl says? he asked, looking up at Giovenith.

[Monfrox]

Brit really wanted to be anywhere but here, in anything but this kind of clothes. Walking around "naked" was a better prospect to her than this. She could smell the royalty thick in the air, and it stunk. Of course, she had come from a middle class family who was always getting by with a little more to spare, so being surrounded by all these people in dresses and all this extraordinary atmosphere (dull as it may be) was overwhelming. Still, she caught onto the present situation. Witches. Blizzards. Well, things were certainly not the best around here yet. She once again looked to Chrys and had a sort of apologetic look until the other unicorn commented on her dress, earning merely a grunt from her.

Course, then everything was degrading from there with the accusations and damning evidence of theft going on. Brit contemplated yelling out for everyone to shut up, but drawing attention to her and her partner in this mess wasn't exactly a good idea to her. "Fish out of water" was only the tip of the iceberg that she found herself stuck with. Still, she silently praised the other who came in and put a stop to things. She wondered how she could go out getting out of all this fancy dressing for a minute or two as she continued to watch the scene unfold. The more she experienced the displeasure of this horridly awful over-dress, the more she wanted to just tear it off.

[Giovenith]

Giovenith sighed and scooped MB into her hands.

"Sorry about all this, little guy," she nuzzled the bunny to her face. "It's just... it's a problem because being married is a strong commitment for humans. You can't do it by accident, the whole point is that is it a very strong, heavy choice."

Brit and Chrys

The pony who had halted the fight turned around deliberately to look at Chrys and Brit. She stared deeply, leaning in and narrowing her eyes, seeing something that was not apparent to anypony else. Her robe shifted as she attempted to reach for something within it, but she was interrupted by a cutting voice.

"You all should know better!" the voice cried, magic pushing crowds out of the way to make room for it's source's approach. From the crown and the cape, it was clear this was the Princess that had been so often referred to. Out of all the unicorns, she looked closest to what Earth stereotypically associated with the creature, with a snowy white coat and hair so platinum blonde it may as well have been white. She had the longest hair out of any of them, it just missing dragging across the floor by it's healthy curled bounce. "I've been working so hard, I cannot stand your fighting! Clover the Clever, who are you talking to?"

The humble green unicorn looked over to the Princess, then back again at the visitors. "I think these were the two to start it."

"Oh really now?" The Princess narrowed her eyes.

"Yes..." But then the one called Clover leaned in to Chrys and Brit: "Come with me if you ever want to return to where ever it is you came from," she urgently whispered.

Breakthrough.

[Monfrox]

Brit's face was always a bit reactive to her emotions, though she had gotten better at hiding them over the years. When the unicorn known as Clover the Clever accused them of such a thing as theft, she looked shocked and about ready to give her more than enough lip. That was, until she heard her whisper to them. She knew. Brit didn't care how, or why, but she knew. Her eyes went wide a bit before she recomposed herself and tried to take on that "resting bitch face" that she'd heard so much about. This was it, a light at the end of the tunnel for now. The closest thing to a rescue as she knew. And yet, were there others? Certainly Chrys wasn't the only other person at the table to get thrown in. It was worth it to check before making the assumption that they were the only two.

"Lead on." Brit whispered back, still trying to keep up an act for all their sakes.

[Tiltjuice]

"I don't...I didn't..." Chrys stammered, in reaction to the Princess' accusations. There was little else to do, though, but nod to Clover while trying futilely to keep out of everyone's eye.

The champagne-colored attire whispered as she moved closer and replied to Clover. "That would help. A lot. But how do you know we're not from here?" Hopefully, the regal-looking Princess wasn't the power-hungry tyrant sort. All signs pointed to no, though, as she and others had implied trying to bring about peace. Suddenly she remembered, and was thankful the spatha hadn't come with her. That would have killed any chance of keeping a straight story stone dead!

"V-very sorry, Princess," she said worriedly, shifting from side to side. "I didn't know..."

Balancing keeping attention away from Brit and dodging attention was tough - but she was an acrobat. A gymnast. She could do this.

[Giovenith]

Brit and Chrys

Clover raised a hoof gently, urging the two to be patient and keep playing along.

"Well if that's how they're going to behave, then they can just miss the feast!" the Princess stomped a hoof on the floor and sniffed in frustration, trying to keep some semblance of composure but at her wits end. "Take them away, Clover! Set them to chores!"

"Of course, your highness."

And Clover used her telekinesis to gently push Chrys and Brit back through the double doors and into the tapestry hallways before anypony else could start anything else. She closed the doors behind and breathed heavily, relieved at the relative peace and silence. From her robe, Clover's magic aura pulled a small chunk of chalk, and began to walk ahead the two, drawing lines on the stone floor ahead of her and walking over them as she did.

"The interdimensional travel residue on you two is so strong, I am surprised nopony else noticed before me," the young unicorn explained, cutting to the chase. "I suppose none of them study as much as I and my mentor though. I won't waste time on formalities, I will explain on the way, and once we get to my library, you can explain yourselves."

Looking over her back, Clover smiled when she saw the two cross over several of the lines she had drawn on the ground, turning around and waving the chalk before them. "This is Babylon Chalk, of the Seven Piece Babylon Set. You draw a line, and nothing that wishes somepony on the other side of the line ill will can cross it. I know I can trust you. You two may just be the solution I've been looking for." And thus they walked, and the green unicorn explained:

"My name is Clover the Clever. I am the apprentice of the famed unicorn Archmage Starswirl the Bearded, sworn to be Princess Platinum the first's own Archmage and adviser. You are in the city of the unicorns, Caer Gloriana. You've entered during a time of great turmoil; for months now, an unnatural, unexplainable blizzard has ravaged our country causing great famine and tension. Our neighbors, the pegasi and the Earth ponies, are suffering equally, though the winter has still caused tension with them as well..."

This might have been considered something of a Christmas miracle.

[Charmera]

"Maghrl unsure! Usually this one stay at Jedi temple, and Republic provide for Jedi. Should suppose-ask what people do foodwise normal-times. When no feastwise Maghrl means"

"Previously, people who didn't want to buy their own food made do with what was in the common kitchen." Sandy pointed out the adjoining room, but then turned back to Maghrl with an uncertain look. "Demens used to replenish it for us, but... But since some people spent the day building a chicken coop and getting chickens for it, I think we're on our own now." He brightened slightly, and sounded more upbeat. "Knowing this group, we'll work something out. There a few of us that can use magic to produce food, and more of us who can work for living to buy food."

"What Maghrl able help-aid with? Has bit of skill with healmending Forcewise, and can focus in Forceness to use 'Precogntion' as Master Luke say word-spoken. See glimpses of future. During battlefight can use too, see how enemy attackwise to help dodgewise or deflectwise. Goodwise against blasterguns!"

"Precognition, you say?" One of his eyebrows shot up, and he slowly leaned forward, captivated. "How much can you see and how far into the future."

Sandy probably would have waited all night for Maghrl's answer, had not the runesmith's practical question pulled him back to more immediate concerns. He looked at her, blinking, rapidly shifting mental gears. He was slow to respond.

"Is there any places that someone like myself could make myself useful? You know, with smithing or runes or something. Otherwise... I wouldn't mind knowing if you found anything metallic of interest."

"Yes, there's plenty to do here. A group of tech-priests is now responsible for the upkeep of the Building, and last I heard, they were hard at work trying to restore basic services here. Their leader, Adrastus, is at the other end of the table." Sandy pointed him out with a small, quick gesture; he didn't want to seem rude by pointing at him.

"Let me think about your other question. I'm no miner, but I've heard a bit about this world in the last couple of days." His gaze drifted down to the table, lost in thought. His eyes came across his plate, and he unconsciously took a forkful of potatoes, chewing them thoughtfully as he considered. He washed them down with some wine, then spoke: "The best I can offer you is a rumor of a rumor. There's a forest near here called the Freywold. It's home to the Fae, the fairie-folk. I was there this morning. Dwarves live somewhere in there, and if they're like the dwarves from my world's legends, they skillfully work metals, some quite exotic. I don't know if that's true here, but I wouldn't object to finding out." Sandy favored her with a grin; he wouldn't mind returning to Freywold, though he wanted some questions answered first.

"And your sorcery..." She paused. "How does it work exactly? I mean I'd like to know if your magic is the same as ours... still trying to get my bearings."

Sandy's grin turned into an appreciative smile: a clever one. "How does it work... as a matter of theory or practice? The theory would take a while to describe, and in my own world, I'm considered little more than an apprentice, so I don't have all the details. The practice is more straightforward. I learn spells... sets of magic words and gestures... which allow me to direct magic to the extent the spell allows. I cast spells by reciting it and making the appropriate motions. Like this." Sandy drained the last of his wine, then quickly chanted something in English while making a series of complex motions over the wineglass with the fingers of one hand. The glass refilled with wine.

"That's impressive." Asdra had spoken when he showed her that trick. It seemed more like the Wizards of her home rather the sorcerers, whom didn't need magic words, but she supposed there could be a language difference. As she thought on this she realized she had fallen behind in the conversation. Perhaps that fall had taken more out of her than she realized.

[spoiler]

The Building, Dining Room

Sandy shook his head at the Squib's request, a broad grin on his face: he's very excitable, and very excited. "Sorry, the best person to ask about things like that would be Adrastus. If he doesn't know, he probably can tell you who does."

Sandy recalled what he'd said previous to that, and chuckled to himself while he did. Domestic-animal handling abilities would have been a big help this morning. Somebody had a wicked sense of humor, probably Demens himself. But the bit about precognition... "With foresight for attacks like that and your little bit of healing, you might help us best on the battlefield. The redhead with the two kids a little further down the table? She's Captain Minvera Blackwater, the de facto commander-in-chief of our forces. You should talk to her at some point."

The Squib nodded, glancing at the people to memorize or at least remember who they were. Minerva Blackwater and Adrastus. Interesting names! They both seemed human enough, at least at first glance. But who knows maybe they used magic like Sandy did? Who knows? Maghrl sure didn't. He made sure to look over the two, making note of the bright red hair of the female(At least he guessed she was female. Humans didn't look that different to him. Though he didn't have much room to complain, Squib males and females were about identical, very little diamorphism in their species. But their fur could tell each other apart easily, and by smell. Speaking of that identification!

"Sandy-human? Could Mahrl see hand? Squib largely identify other by touch. Fur super special koovy! Can detect many-many minute detail, plus Mahgrl no good telling human apart usually unless spend ton of time with. Touch mean I know who are by touch, and too-many smells in air now to do by smell. Squib normally greet by rubbing cheek together. In Maghrl experience, most human greet by hand" He stuck out his small furred hand out to the man, offering a handshake in other terms as a way to help the Squib identify him later if not by clothes.

"Squibfurness even detect thing like forgeries! Squib trader species naturalwise. Helps with duplicitious-wise barterpartners. Squib great at telling intricate detail just by brushing furwise against thing. One reason most squib wear little clothes, besides pouch-pocket for junkthings. Oh yes-yes, Maghrl also much happy to help with preventwise deathness. Death no koovy at all! Jedi do best to support in battlefights. Maghrl go speak to Minerva-Commander in a bit. Introduce Maghrlself and tell abilities to let know how can help. Well when Minerva not busy of course."

[/spoiler]
"Do you also want my hand?" The Runesmith asked, mostly as her hands were gloved in heavy brown forging gloves at the moment and it might take some effort to pull them off. They usaully were like that. She didn't take them off in the forge, seeing as one was liable to touch scalding hot things or pointy sharp things, so she kept her protective gloves on for the most part. She didn't leave the forge much, and when she did she saw no reason to take them off.

[New Aksarben]

The Squib nodded enthusiastically. "Yes-yes! Will help for sure! But not needed, completely, if gloves too much hassle to take off. Thank for offering, though." Maghrl told her, smiling widely. His large tufted ears swiveled around the room, picking up bits of conversation. Another group seemed to be discussing magic and chemistry, and another marriage? Interesting topics to discuss at a feast. Then again they were also discussing pretty strange selections of topics too. The Squib offered his hands to the two at his table and grinned, his sharp teeth showing from that action. "Watch Maghrl's claws, though. Can be wicked bad injury causing!" He told them, just so they'd be careful.

Then, as the Sith materialized in this building Maghrl felt something strange ripple through the force as suddenly the man's power appeared. "Wait. What that? Mahgrl felt something through force...." He then felt another stranger sensation through the force but uh, he decided to ignore that one for various reasons. The other one was a more constant disturbance. It also felt strange, not like his own. "Another Force User?" He blinked, surprised as hell. What were the odds that two force users would come to this building at just about the same time?

[Torsiedelle]

"A feast, you say?", Asked Oumech, nodding a bit. "Well, I suppose it's a place to start. I, um, won't be needing tp eat...maybe. Not that I can't, and no offense to any cooks, but...um..."

Ah, to hell with it! Anyways, there was paperwork to be done, right? Sozewe almost chuckled at that - paperwork. They didn't use any modern computers? How old-fashioned! He liked it, though. He wasn't one to complain about the old pen and paper, keeping his own small notebook, which ended up helping him; he didn't need to look for a pen, after all. He scribbled his name on the lease given to him, and he was done!

"Forgive me, never had good social speaking skills. I suppose I'll be on my way.", The man spoke again, stepping away. It was then that, causing him to tense up, he felt a presence. It was enough to intrigue him further about what the strange place might hold. "So, the gathering is upstairs? Good."

[The BranRiech]

"Well then what's the bloody fucking point!?"

Drova was already quite upset by the day, and he hadn't even gotten to know where his sister had ran off to. But he was now just finding out that Torii didn't even like him because of who he was? Why the hell did she agree to be his girlfriend if that were the case. He was fully on-board with getting the marriage annulled, simply because they were both far too young to even know what they wanted yet, though of course, he felt like he had a pretty good idea (Don't all young adults?).

His face twisted with an emotion somewhere between confusion and rage, as he got up from the table, shoving his chair to the floor as he stormed off. "Even my friends don't like me, I fucking knew it!" He ranted. If it had been a cartoon, steam would have been pouring out of his ears, from all the built up pressure.

The second he thought he'd made amends with his friends, and that everything would have been fine, was rudely turned on it's head.

"Lying whore . . ." He muttered to himself, passing the new resident-Sith on his way down the stairs into the lobby, where he stopped to consider his next move. He wasn't going back up to his 'friends', and he certainly didn't want Yuna pestering to him about why he was home so early if he went back upstairs.