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

[Monfrox]

Brit grew angry, but then a thought struck her. She could still get out, but going back and forth with Arrow was almost...fun, in it's own way. Rarely did she ever have any sort of outlet for her anger, however little it was. To be able to just take her down a notch or two would be oh so satisfying. So, she rubbed her nose and followed up beside the narcissist.

"Back where I come from, we ride things like you for transportation purposes and sport." She stated openly in a deadpan tone. She wondered how Arrow would take that one.

[Giovenith]

Brit

Arrow snort-chuckled, pausing a moment to further inspect the walls with her hooves. She seemed to be trying to feel out possible patterns, or engravings. " 'My kind.' I assume you mean ponies, but I'll have you know that I am a gem among my tribe, so it doesn't surprise me that you used their kind as labor. But not my kind. I'm one of a kind."

Telekinesis tugged the dragonfly hairpin from gold and purple hair to once again rouse and sent off shimmering into the tunnel ahead, brightening the way and allowing Arrow to calculate. While the unicorn's narcissism often lead to acting before thinking, Arrow was not necessarily dumb, she could summon up enough ingenuity when a task depended on it. This wasn't at all what she had planned, but ultimately her own person obviously came before her plans, so until then she was willing to tolerate the shapeshifting peasant. Perhaps she could turn this in her own favor anyway.

"What kind of name is 'Brit' anyway? What is that short for, Brittle Bits? Seems fitting."

[Monfrox]

"See, now that's funny coming from the unicorn who was so quick to call me a ruffian because she can't tank a tackle worth a damn." Brit calmly said back as she watched Arrow work, or at least try to work. It was hard to tell what she was doing, let alone if it was doing them any good. "Besides, I've been called far worse than anything a snoody little pony like you could come up with. The "holier than thou" attitude is also really overdone back home as well so that doesn't ruffle me as much as you would like it to."

It was true. Brit had been the subject of bullying for the better half of her life and it didn't stop after school. As such, she learned to get a thick skin, and how to let things roll off her back. One of the things she needed to work on though was sticking up for herself. Still, she'd seen it all. Heard it all, too. She highly doubted that Arrow would be able to come up with anything new that would really bother her enough after being made fun of for just about everything she had or was at one point or another.

[The BranRiech]

"Wait . . . Any . . . Payment?"

Yuna stopped for a second, looking around as the pony with the name Yuna didn't care to remember tried to rope Aegis into the scam. Horrifying flashbacks filled her mind of the salespeople back home. All those potions that were just sewer-water, all those robes that were really just made out of paper, and . . . The one selling pet-rocks! Well, that last one wasn't really a scam, just something dumb. She probably still had that pet-rock somewhere in her room, it's little painted-on eyes chipped away over the years.

As someone who had been convinced to buy a pet-rock, Yuna wasn't so readily fooled, but maybe it was worth something. Who knew? Maybe she actually did have . . . Oh, say, the cure for cancer or something. "How about . . ."

She looked around, picking up a nearby stick, brushing the snow off of it.

"How about this? Make a trade of miracles? One of the Pegasi, yeah, them, one of them dropped this out in the woods." She winked, stepping up next to Aegis. "We really don't have time to chat, so how about we trade?"

[Giovenith]

Brit and Chrys

"Unicorns don't 'brawl'," Arrow corrected as if talking to a younger child. "It's beneath us. Fighting is for the pegasi, and they eat mush for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so I really doubt you want to be taking any tips from them."

The hairclip soon returned and hovered above it's mistress' hoof, the narcissist pausing to examine the magic hologram that emitted from it. It wasn't much, mostly just quickly put-together guesses of possible passages ahead. This wouldn't do - time to draw upon reading experience. Was it the right hoof, or the left hoof you put on the wall...? Left, she believed, assuming this was that type of maze, which she believed it was. Unfinished or not, the ponies who worked on the project had to leave a way for themselves to come and go.

"So, riding on ponies for sport, hm?" she asked in a suddenly casual tone. "You seem to take a lot of glee in that. I can only assume your comment was for the purposes of trying to make me feel... humiliated? You get glee out of humiliating ponies? Well, I can only imagine what you get into when you're not in our world." She turned off the hologram, turned around, leaned in, and slowly smiled from ear to ear. A hoof gently ran down Brit's foreleg. "Do you like to humiliate that pegasus of your's?"


Meanwhile, Chrys was having a far less vitriolic time with Clover, who were both blissfully unaware of their friend's precarious situation. Magic still in her grasp, Clover pushes the stars around and around in a glittering circle in the air above the servant of fate.

"Deflect these!" she ordered, jumping backward just was the stars rushed back into the air and then just as quickly redirected themselves down towards Chrys. They twisted and glittered beautifully, but were otherwise charging at her with an anxious speed. O falling stars!

[Monfrox]

Okay, maybe everything but that. Brit had a very keen inclination for suggestive thinking. Whether or not that was Arrow's attempt at it, even though she was sure it was, it caused her to freeze up a little. Thinking for a minute, she gave Arrow a scrutinized look.

"Ohh, sick!" She moved her foreleg away from her. "He's my friend, yeah. I like him, yeah. But that's taboo shit you're insinuating. This isn't my real form like his, remember? We don't do that with things like him, and those who do are usually frowned upon. It's disgusting. I like to try to keep my relations to things that look like myself, thank you."

Great, now she was getting defensive. No doubt lay in her mind that Arrow would keep it up. She decided to keep going along, only for the fact that she needed to get out alive.

[Tiltjuice]

HOSPITAL
"Are they good ogres or bad ogres?" Ogoti's face peered intently at Dora from the other side of a high counter. "And hello there, Dora. It's been a while since I've seen you. Been well?"

He rose and shooed Malaise into action, dispatching her to turn on exam bay lights and check on supplies. "I suppose the other healers will join us shortly?"

"Bad ogres. I think so, anyway; Rudolf hollered at us and took off running."

The hint of frost was apparent, but Dora, being Dora, completely ignored it and yet pointed it out all at once. "Hello, Ogoti. Same as always, I suspect," she replied calmly. "We've both been busy, but you're looking as poised as ever. I suspect that as well," she added to the end as a dangling answer on the other healers.

Brit and Chrys

That was her calling; with that, Chrys the warrior shoved down Herminia the soft young slave girl and Chrysanthe the woman. The flat of the blade came into play, throwing glints of light this way and that as the glassine sword thwacked stars away like tennis balls. Deft footwork tried to keep the stars angled away from her new friend; though with a narrow focus on the stars, the Conservator knew not whether she succeeded.

[Giovenith]

Brit and Chrys

"Oho, mmmhm," Arrow chuckled, letting Brit take a brief lead ahead. She knew the traveler knew there was no getting out on her own, and the act was a subtle way of acknowledging so. Go ahead, take the lead, she didn't need it to still be first here. "So you can turn into him, but he can't turn into you? That doesn't seem very fair," Arrow continued to condescend, as if this were a casual talk. "Though to your credit, none of us are allowed to let the eye wander to the Birds or the mud-dwellers either. That is also taboo." She trotted up beside Brit and leaned in. "But that doesn't stop them from wondering..."

Well, it stopped her from wondering, but that was because she was better than that. Shame on her tribefellows who crossed that line even in their own minds, but their sins were useful to her in this petty game.

BRRRMMMMMMMMMM...

That was put to a halt when the walls around them began to shake and chatter at the sudden sound of what seemed to be half explosion, half growl. It chipped pebbles off the walls and ceilings, nearly shook the two unicorns off their feet, until it ceased as suddenly as it came. Arrow stood still and silent, eyes wandering the hall in confusion, until she spotted something on the floor near Brit's feet. Lightly shoving her out of the way, Arrow bent low to observe it with close eyesight, before rising and picking it up with her telekinesis: a shiny black pebble.

She licked it, and took a moment to analyze. "Umbrum..."



Mirare collided into the stars as if they were little more than beanbags, catapulting them back into the deep darkness of space beyond the two's sight.

~

Meanwhile, back in the regular world, several shooting stars streaked across the night sky.

"Oooo," SkyWishes remarked from her lonesome spot on the snowy ground, on her way to the meeting. She brimmed a forearm across her forehead to better spot the sky. "Meteor shower! Make a wish!"

In Cynisca, two political leaders strolled in talk along an outdoor hallway, before the star fall also caught their eyes. They considered it for a moment, before one nudged the other.

"Go get it," Aurora Mist urged, elbowing the regent with the smile.

Star Catcher snorted and shook her head at the silent pun, and they continued their walk.

~

Clover smiled and blinked at the fading star streaks above them, taking mental notes and nodding. "Ah, good! That's the basics, you've shown that Mirare is indeed compatible with you. That's impressive, given you're not from here, but I suppose..."

The apprentice trailed off, realizing there wasn't much time to let Chrys know all the boring details of deep magical understanding. They needed to continue going over the basics of Mirare's abilities, so that they would be prepared to face what was to come. Clover summoned more stars above them like the previous, but began to stir them round, and round with her magic. As she did the stars began to crackle and catch fire, bright orange and red flames forming a ring that she was able to flex inward and outward. Backing up, she allowed the ring to stretch out wide and slowly lower it around Chrys, setting her in the middle.

"This is testing the force field abilities," she said. "I'm going to count to three, and you try to summon it in time. One..."

The cosmic fire snapped and flared.

"Two..."

It grew to a formidable size.

"Three."

It rushed in on Chrys from all sides, lighting up the space around them.

[Primordial Luxa]

Aegis
Aegis pulled his face off of the sales pony’s with a comical snapping sound and stood dazed for a moment both at her torrent of constant haggling and also at the strange physicality of this conversation. Aegis took a quick moment to recover and was about to trade the secrets of modern indoor plumbing when Yuna stepped in to save him from embarrassing himself. He was grateful for her company not only in this transaction but also in this confusing situation, things had been difficult at first but her presence was now becoming useful.

Yuna eloquently turned the sales pony’s own tactics against her offering something even less useful for something potentially useless. Aegis quickly interjected to help with Yuna’s claim saying “Yes indeed. Infact it will alert you whenever those nasty winged brutes fly overhead. All you need to do is add water.” He gestured to the stick and tried to make a series of hoof motions which hinted at its powerful properties. More lies of course, but Aegis was enjoying this little game with a small bit of sadistic glee.A trace of worry crossed his mind as he considered that such a claim might only harm their public image, associating Pegasi and magic were obviously frowned upon, but he hoped that folkish remedies were acceptable. He was reminded of Salem were things like astrology, fortune telling and magical medicine were commonplace and things only got sinister when claims of the devil being involved began to appear. Aegis knew he was wasting precious time in talking with this pony but it was hard for him to resist mysterious goo or potentially protoplasmic substances.

[The BranRiech]

Yuna

"He's right, you know."

Yuna stopped there, letting Aegis take over their counter-offer of the mundane, pegasus-repelling stick. She either had to think up more lines, or she was actually thinking that this was indeed a waste of time. It also served to almost let them miss the spectacle of light up in the sky. Her ears picked up the sounds of Skywishes, the pony that had served them their rather lackluster meals. Ah well, at least they were filling to say the most. She heard the young pony and her request that everyone make a wish.

Yuna turned her head skyward, and was utterly bedazzled. Dumbstruck was the wrong word to describe the sight. The sky was moving! Little arcs of light danced around. She was too concentrated on the sky to even think of a wish, her eyes trying to track each and every shooting star she saw.

"I-I wish that we'll find our friends."

She whispered it under her breath. Wasn't the legend that if anyone else heard it, it didn't happen?

Her hooves were planted firmly in the ground, body stiff as she looked up. The young mare, or more accurately, the young Priestess took it to be a sign. They were being watched over, her Gods hadn't abandoned her. Soon after her wish, and a few more seconds of staring, Yuna uttered a short prayer, again, unheard to everyone, with the exception of maybe Aegis.

"Never failing, never ceasing." Were the four simple words she uttered.

Of course, she left out the more . . . Usually uttered words of that prayer. In a society where more and more were becoming disenfranchised with the idea of their Gods, and a people who thought they'd been abandoned, most people would finish that prayer with "And never loving, or being there."

--

The older sibling

"Well, a Nazi? Should we follow the voice, and at least see what's going on?"

Drova yawned, baring his two sharp fangs, replacing the canines in his mouth. He was a little tired at the moment, and really couldn't be bothered, but it didn't mean the voice wasn't the least bit concerning to him. He'd rather crawl right back up into a ball and sleep the day away. The Prince knew it wasn't an option though, as much as he wanted to make it one. "I'd actually uh . . . I'd actually rather go." He said, backing up towards the door slightly.

What was he even doing in there?

He never even felt comfortable around his friends, considering that they were all either mean assholes, or so two-faced that they might as well have been carrying around masks (Torii immediately came to mind). Gio was alright, and Kale could be cool if he allowed himself to think so. But he hadn't really gotten to know Marcus well enough, and Gio seemed to be fawning over him too much to actually do anything as a group.

"And I'm here, all alone." He whispered to himself. "No one likes me, no one loves me."

"Ah, sorry." He turned to Thriller, hoping the Emperor didn't hear his silent rant. "I should be going now."

[Giovenith]

Yuna and Aegis

The salespony's smile slowly dropped and her eyes narrowed as to the two tried to counter-con her. Black Jack's ancestor wasn't an idiot, in fact, she assumed that Yuna and Aegis were mocking her. She lowered her chin and glared.

"I see," Moolisa sniffed. "It's your loss. My invention could very well save all our lives! Lead the world to the future! You won't get the chance to say you were there once Liquid Ebony makes me richer than all the unicorns combined!"

Ohohoho, in what universe does oil make somepony rich?

"Watch and learn!" the con-mare unscrewed the lid, teeth gritted in frustration. "Watch and see! I'll show you what you're missing out on!"

She began to dart her head this way and that, desperately searching for something to barge in and show off her "invention's" miraculous properties. Her ears caught a casual conversation between two ponies just a few paces away.

"Ohhh, I really do hope I haven't got bugs..." one complained, scratching their head.

"How can you have bugs? It's winter."

"I think they may have stayed inside our home to keep warm."

"Well don't bring 'em near me! Ya shouldn't be here."

"I don't know for certain, I-"

SPLASH! Moolisa jumped in without warning and threw the contents of her jar straight onto the head and face of the pony complaining about possibly lice, much to the shock and horror of their companion. The pitch black substance completed drenched the innocent stander-by's hair and face to the point of being unrecognizable, only their petrified eyes and expression peaking through the globby mess.

"I killed them!" Moolisa declared cheerfully, tucking her jar underneath her foreleg. "... That'll be 40 bits, please."

The oil-drenched pony screamed and turned tail, racing blindly into the distance, trying to shake the gunk off.

"What the Tartarus is wrong with you?!" the companion screamed in rage at Moolisa, before taking off after their friend.

The con-mare watched in slight confusion as the two raced off, before turning back to Yuna and Aegis. She shrugged with a smile. "She'll thank me later."


Meanwhile though, SkyWishes was just finishing up her own wish - wishing was her talent, hence the name - and making her way through the snow so that she could find a seat indoors. She stopped just short though, spotting an even smaller figure than her dashing through the newly fallen white fluff in a winded effort to reach the meeting grounds. They just barely managed to leap out of the way of the screaming, oil-drenched pony and her friend, tumbling sideways into the snow, leaving a pony-shaped hole.

"Oh dear," SkyWishes cantered over quickly to assist the pony up. "Are you alright?"

Sundae Surprise shook the snow from her mane and chattered her teeth. "From the fall? Yes. In general? No." The distasteful filly fixed her eyes upon the meeting hall. "This is the place? What are we talking about? The witches maybe?"

"I don't know," the food server brushed some more snow off Sundae's cloak and tried to comfort her. "But did you see the shooting stars? Lovely, yes? Did you make a wish?"

Sundae twisted her nose and shook her head. "Wishing on stars counts as trying to solicit the magic of witches, and that is forbidden."

"Feh, says who?"

"Says anypony who bothers to pray to the Mother Earth and hear her words!" Sundae insisted, although unlike with Yuna and Aegis, with much more patience. Unlike the two of them, Sundae held no ill will toward SkyWishes, and was indeed rather desperate to have the other pony be convinced of her beliefs. She was rather desperate to have any other pony convinced of her beliefs. They were the beliefs of the classic times! It was a tragedy that everyday, Groundtown moved further and further from that basic heritage. "Besides, shooting stars are inherently threats, you know. When you see a shooting star, you should be scared..."

Having lived here all her life, SkyWishes was likewise more used to Sundae's ramblings than the travelers, and thus had more sympathy and patience for the radical pony. Offering a foreleg to hold, the server chose to humor the healing supplier. "Whatever do you mean, Sundae? They're only twinkles in the sky. They cannot hurt you and I."

"If they were to land upon us, they could!" Sundae insisted, eyes suddenly widening in fear. "The unicorns could do that anytime, you know? You know? They make the stars move, they could make them fall and smash the Earth into rubble if they wanted to. Like how the pegasi could kill us all with winds and twisters if they wanted to! The world is so full of danger, so full of threat, that is why we need to pray and have protection, to ask for-"

"Shh, shhh, shhhhhh," SkyWishes urged Sundae to calm down before she erupted into hysterics. "They would never do that."

"They already have!" Sundae pulled her forearm away. "Look! Look around you! What is all this? One, or both, of their doing, obviously! They want to hurt us all!"

"But why would-"

"Folly is it to try and understand the ways of the non-Earths!" Sundae snapped, frustration amping up to 11. "It cannot be done!"

SkyWishes flinched backward at Sundae's outburst, looking the smaller pony up and down as she breathed heavily from her growing hysteria. Carefully she sighed, smiled, and again tried to take the other pony by the foreleg. "I'm sure at the meeting, everypony will be quite curious to hear what you have to say about all this..."

The orange pony shook her head angrily. "Not with Smart Cookie there! She never let's me speak the truth! She just..."

"Calm down. Everypony is guaranteed a say at a meeting. Smart Cookie believes in that more than anypony, it's going to be alright," the magenta pony tugged on her neighbor. "Let's go, you'll see." And the two made their own way to the hall.

[Swith Witherward]

BIOGARDEN

Adrastus shooed Thaddeus away. There would be time to talk later, and their questions would find answers. Let the pair have some privacy.

Gioventh's gentle touch brought Marcus further out of his fog. His eye closed as her warm breath bathed his nose and upper lip. What could she do with him? Dance in the raindrops, or somersault down grassy hills. Maybe go back to Bielefeld and clap their hands as street musicians livened the air with their creativity. And hold him. Yes, that would be the best thing. Hold him and never let go, even in the dead of night while they were curled up together.

Well that's a thought! Not that Marcus never had any like it. But this time, it carried a sense of reality to it. They'd put aside their sweet innocence one day to frolic, but the thought of pleasure was outweighed by the knowledge that they would share a tender proximity afterwards. It was a safe and secure feeling that grounded his fears and lifted his spirits. They could do anything. They could beat the holy hell out of every last knight in the universe as they championed the dragons, or set sail to see far away planets or strange dimensions. They'd succeed because of the foundation they built together. That's why he had to get well. No sense lying in bed when there were so many things to share, and friends waiting on them, and-

Hello!

The kiss was completely unexpected. Her moist lips met his parched ones, and the cosmos smiled and knowingly turned its face away to grant them a tender, magical moment. Marcus suddenly believed in fairy tales. How can any princess remain listless when someone offered them something so beautiful? The kiss banished the lingering fog, drawing him fully into consciousness, whereupon he promptly melted into a pool of prickly delight. Blissful tears toyed with the corners of his eyes. He raised a shaky hand to cup her cheek, the thumb gently caressing her soft skin as she continued her kiss. A sigh left him as she broke away. It took several heartbeats to recover from the emotional and physical nirvana in order to focus on her whispered words.

"Thaddeus told me... about you."

Marcus' eye widened. Ho shit. Please, for the love of all the universe, don't let it be anything embarrassing. Socially scaring images dropped from his consciousness like photos fluttering from a scrap book... Here, this is when Marcus was four. He coated himself in dirty motor oil and stole a tablecloth because he thought he was Batman. Ran through the whole compound butt-naked. Oh, and here's another! This is when he was three and caught his winky in his zipper. Our poor baby, he was afraid of zippers for months on end! We had to chase him down and sit on him in order to close up his trousers!

But these were silly childhood things. It was easy to explain them away as such. There were far worse things - the fears and trials endured by every person as they struggled to emerge from that childhood to find their identity. These deep memories were a viscous fluid that trapped humiliation and shame for all eternity. Thaddeus must have lit a candle and held it aloft to allow Giovenith to examine each and every last fearful emotion glittering against the black pitch. The blush that rose on Marcus' cheeks outmatched any that had occupied his face before. He gulped.

"What... what did Thaddeus tell you?"


LOBBY

Rodney tucked away the information he had gleaned. The ogre leaders words drew to mind two generals meeting before a battle. So this was an attempt to parlay? Perhaps. They seemed to assess everyone, taking them into account and gauging them. It was entirely possible the ogres weren't here to declare war. Hmm. Nothing was as it seemed here. He toyed with the idea of keeping things to himself, but just how badly would that affect his ability to sit on the porch to read the paper? The Nifid grunted and accepted reality.

"Hey, Itum," Rodney didn't bother to chime beforehand. His mind trotted along the temporary tether (which he hadn't bothered to snip yet) to swim through the cyborg Rep's alcohol-induced brain fog. "Hey, hello? They're angry, but they're also frustrated about something. Maybe we frustrated them? Maybe they think we're the solution to that frustration? Regardless, we're looking rather uncouth at the moment. We're not ogres, but we're civilized and rational Beings."



RACHE AND WILLOW

Thistle Whistle? Vows made to a warrior now fallen? Rache's eyes narrowed as Cloud Duster rejoined them. It was time to have words with the little shit. He was either mentally ill (thus deserved some slack) or a bastard (thus deserving an ass-kicking ala Daemon-style). Rache might have rolled up his proverbial sleeves and demanded answers regarding grave markers had Pansy not flown over to trot beside him. He was taken aback by her innocent concern for his well being.

Nobody had ever expressed that before. Not to him. Sure, his hosts had heard it over the years, but the words were often spoken by people who were unaware of his presence. Of course they worried about their comrade or lover rather than him. Ah, but this is the first time you've remained in full possession of your host for a long period of time, he reminded himself. Rache's ears rocked forward as he considered that fact. Her concern was for him, for the asshole Bloodthirster? The realization stopped him in his tracks.

"Pansy..."

No further words came. His mind fell back into old thought patterns. Of course she's concerned. She saw him as a pony. How concerned would she be if she saw him for what he really was? His ears made a soft thwapping sound as he shook his head to ward off these grim thoughts.

"I'm sorry about your mother, Pansy," his nose brushed her shoulder to express his condolences. "There is no greater honor than to fall while defending one's people... to fall while defending one's daughter. This is her gift to you, that you may live and carry on her honor and traditions." His ears perked to accent his smile as he added, "The pansy is a flower that symbolizes true friendship. Nothing is stronger than that. I appreciate your friendship, Pansy. It means more to me than you realize."

Ah, but this wasn't addressing her request! Rache sighed. How to explain without letting on that he and Willow weren't from this time period? The pegasus stretched his wings and then folded them tightly against his flanks while he considered his answer. Lips pursed. Brow furrowed. Nuts. "Our greatest chance of overcoming this winter rests with Commander Hurricane," he solemnly stated.

He cast his gaze at Willow before snorting and turning his attention back to Pansy. "I'd bet my life on it. And the time may come when he, as great as he is, might need tried and true soldiers covering his flank. He'll need friends. I honestly can't think of anypony that fits that role better than the pony bearing the mark of friendship on her rump. But to make it through, he'll also need somepony willing to travel to" -what was the world Willow used? Ah- "Tartarus and back to see that his purpose is fulfilled. I'm old. I've seen my share of battles. I'd rather fall while defending than grow old and decay in an alley."

[Giovenith]

Building

Giovenith sat up, sliding her hand down his arm to rest it in his own and squeeze it tight, and used the other to smooth a bit of hair from his face.

"About where you came from," she admitted quietly. "Why he got to take care of you, and about your birth mommy."

She couldn't be sure how he'd react to that, though she guessed that he would neither be casual about it nor cross with her. Still though, it would be a tough subject to tackle. That was part of being together, tackling these tough things together, especially if it meant coming to better understand one another. They were in a transitional stage, she supposed, with their relationship going from the utmost initial cuddles to the point where they now had to deal with deeper things.

"He told me that you're safe now," the godling added in for extra reassurance, bringing his and her hand up close and leaning in slightly with a smile. "We've got a lot to emotionally do, but when it comes to circumstances, you're free in this life. We both are. We don't have to argue with anyone to have a life the way we want..."


Rache and Willow

Pansy folded her ears and looked downward in spite of Rache's kind words. They only reminded her why she didn't want him (or Willow for that matter) to leave. For somepony whose name was apparently a symbol of friendship, she was a very lonesome girl who felt little to no companionship in this world before running into these two. Ignorant of her destiny, she thought that in these endtimes, at least she would not have to spend them all alone.

But still, she was raised to know better than that. It was selfish to beg Rache to stay behind with her when he could be out there potentially saving everypony. Accepting this, she carefully nodded, sniffed, and wrapped her forearms around his neck to give him a hug.

The two younger stallions behind the two of them looked on. Willow felt terrible in his heart for poor Pansy, his natural protectiveness for all his friends shining through. Cloud Duster looked interested. Not condescending, not smug, not superior, not even calculating or sneaky, just interested. He watched the tender moment with detached intrigue, like a child watching an exotic animal from behind zoo glass.

"It's cold," Willow suddenly said, flying forward and placing a hoof on both his friends. "There will be plenty of time to talk indoors."

Pansy reluctantly released Rache and nodded to Willow, who gave her a pat on the shoulder and lead her on the way back to the house up ahead of Rache and Duster, the latter of whom set himself up to trot after them.

[Northwest Slobovia]

Lobby

The ogres were now standing close enough to the Building for Sandy to examine them with his Sight, so he looked for the telltale colored shimmerings of their magic.

Quickly changing course, the girl arrived, bursting out, "I am so sorry for my lateness!" She bent down as she spoke, setting her bowl on the floor. "Um. I cannot do the incredible things some here can. I can bind wounds, splint, and give herbs I understand." She smiled nervously. "Will this help?" It had seemed to help somewhat last time, but there had been so many to treat that almost anyone could have proved useful.

“Mmmm?” Sandy turned to her, slowly making sense of her words while his pupils shrank back to normal size. He let the corners of his mouth float up into grin. The healers could use more help if things went badly: without communications, he couldn't easily reach them all, and had no idea if they were all in the Building. “Yes, that will help quite a bit.”

Sandy looked up from her, thinking. With Anais outside, Alexia was the only other healer down here in the lobby. Hmmm... “Actually, I have a better idea. Please follow me, I'd like you meet somebody.” Sandy led her over to where Alexia was standing, and made introductions. “I'm not sure if the two of you have met. Alexia, this is Rmwtyliin, who knows... I'd call it first aid and herbalism. Rmwtyliin, Alexia, a spell-healer.”

“I'd like to ask the two of you to do a couple of things for the healers, should the situation turn to fighting. Alexia, could you do triage down here for a little while while we get ready to accept patients in the new hospital on the fifth floor? And Rmwtyliin, should fighting start, please come up to the hospital and let us know. We'll probably hear gunfire, but we might not hear spellcasting or muscle-powered weapons. I'm going to go up to the hospital to see what's happening there, then briefly up to my own apartment to get some alchemetical cures I made last night. I'm going to then see what portable diagnostic gear we have in the hospital, and bring something back down here.”

Sandy waited for signs of agreement or disagreement, then jogged over to the front desk. Spying a sticky pad and pen, he wrote out a pair of identical notes, which he slapped on the doors and back wall of one of the elevators:

In case of emergency:
Patient and healer
transport only.


Thanks,
--Sandy,
healer coordinator

Sandy took the elevator up to the fifth floor, and saw the people gathering in the hospital and caught the tail end of a conversation. “The ogres sent three negotiators up to the Building, and we've sent our own people out to talk to them. Anais is one of them. Alexia and Rmwtyliin are in the lobby in case things go badly, and we need to start treating people. What's the situation here?”

Front Stoop

"Which one of you men is the actual chieftain, reigh, senator, king, president, or whatever-the-fuck you want to call him?" he set his arms akimbo and glared at all four, "Because I haven't got all night, and I'm not in any mood for talking with your mouthpiece. I am Knednar, Möf of the Har'Keth Tribe, and I will speak only to your chieftain."

Amanda had hurried out of the Building with the others, and she stood for a moment to regain her composure. Perhaps a moment too long, to judge by the other side's reactions, but she rolled with their unexpected request. So, they want a guy. Do they know Septimus is our leader, or are they sexist? Let's see if something close to Plan A works.

She spoke politely, but with firmness to her voice: Septimus put her in charge, and the others agreed to that. Amanda met Knednar's gaze evenly, then cocked her head in Septimus' direction. “He is our Representative, but he's incapacitated, and can't speak well enough to negotiate tonight. He's authorized me to act on his behalf and make decisions in his name. Greetings, Möf Knednar, I am Amanda Bela, Acting Representative for Demens Tower. What's brought you to talk to us tonight?”

There was a momentary pause, and then Amanda remembered her manners. It had been a long day already, and she was starting to slip. "It's a little chilly out here for discussions. Would you care to come in for coffee or tea while we talk?"

[Cerillium]

LOBBY

The snow began to fall a little harder, occasional flakes now replaced by fluffy, cotton soft clumps that didn't melt upon landing. Though silence reigned between delegations, Sandy's gift allowed him to eavesdrop on a soft melody that emanated from the ogres themselves. It was perhaps expectantly soothing, but such was the magic that imbued the Wold's children, and it seemed to stand in sharp contrast with their surly expressions and gruesome attire.

Volker nodded approval as he watched Sandy scrawl the notes. "Good thinking," he called to Sandy's back as the healer boarded the elevator. Oh but he didn't want shit to get real. Not tonight. The Building had finally absorbed the last of the blood splatters from the night before, and things were finally getting cozy once again. Really, were they going to go through this every night? The Front Desk Cultist rolled his eyes, then scooped his empty coffee cup from the desk. He pressed his lips to it, murmuring into the empty well inside.


Möf Knednar's expression would have remained stony had the ogre on his left not stuck an elbow into his ribs. "Eh, Möf, Deer Mayor was right. They're civilized," came the underling's pleased hiss.

"Tea, black," the Möf allowed his scowl to relax slightly before adding a bit stiffly, "Thank you, Woman Bela. Kuth, go back to the forces and tell them to entertain themselves a while."

Kuth, the ogre with the sharp elbow, nodded and trotted away, leaving the Möf and his shaman to handle the Ruinscrashers.

Polite or not, the majority of the Residents appeared to be human, and everybody knew humans were barbaric monsters that slaughtered first, never questioning after. The two ogres reluctantly unbuckled sword belts to leave their weapons on the door stoop, which was the polite way of doing things in the Wold. These were joined by an axe and a club. They ducked their heads to squeeze through the front doors, and the Lobby shifted to accommodate them. But Demens understood things that most Residents didn't, and a nervous ogre was a bad thing to have inside one's dwelling. The Building shifted itself, robbing the Residents of their preferred vision of its interior in order to give everyone the same setting.

Furnishings expanded, each padded chair broadening to accept larger backsides, and formed a small seating area by the windows. The carpets smoothed themselves into dark hued material worn slightly thin by years of heavy feet trodding across them. The floor beneath them took on the cool feel of hard stone, perfect for soothing the tired traveler's feet after a long march. Pillars quickly bubbled into thick bark adorned with pale lichen. The lights dimmed, and fixtures transformed into hard iron and glass lanterns to allow soft candlelight to bath the Residents and their guests. A scent rose up from the ground -- the telltale offerings of fresh pine and soothing wild sage. The ogre shaman sniffed the air, lips pursed as he considered the effort. The magic wasn't lost on the delegation. Yet it wasn't an attempt to fool them. They could clearly see human stairs rising up to convey people to the floor above. They also took note of all the humans and other creatures gathered within, and the hulking Thing leaning on the desk (Ocho raised a brow in greeting) and the large metal creature standing vigil to the side (Opa wasn't too unique to them, the ogres having suffered plenty at the hands of such creatures in the past.)

The Möf selected a large chair by the window and eased into it, and his shaman moved to a seat beside.

"Your castle has caused trouble," the former began without preamble. "For two lifespans, the Dragon-Litch has called the Ruins home. It's pissed off. Now it's attacking us. It is only fair that you settle the matter." His eyes scanned the room again, taking each Resident into account. "You lot seem capable of it. This is the Way of the Wold. Set right what you have caused to go wrong."


HOSPITAL

"Rudolf is always hollering about something. Used to drive his brother up the wall," Ogoti chuckled, eyes closed in mirth as he shook his head. Speaking of that, where had the other cultist gone to this time? Ogoti hadn't felt Rache's presence all day, which was a good indication that Hans had vanished. He tucked the thought away.

The Indian's smile turned mischievous as he considered the rest of Dora's words. "Poised, dear woman? Busy? I am just lazy. I suspect neither of us has done much of anything in quite a while. We really should have another adventure, Dora. Brand new place. There is plenty to get into. This time, you rescue me."

He folded his hands to thoughtfully regard her. Dora appeared well. Still healthy, still beautiful. Time was eternally kind to the former Conservator. The truth of the matter was that Ogoti missed her presence in his life. She brought a spark to it. She reminded him to breathe. "It has been so long since either of us has done anything at all. How about I pour some tea? I'd like to get caught up with Building news, if you don't mind, while we wait for the others."

Sandy's arrival waylaid those plans, not that Ogoti minded. The Indian nodded as the healer debrief them, then addressed Sandy with his typically polite, Indian English cadence. "So good to see you again, Healer Bela. Do not worry about a thing. Malaise and others have organized supplies. We stand fully ready to accept a high volume of injured, provided you can send up enough healers and doctors to handle the load."

Others began to arrive, much to Ogoti's pleasure. "We should set up a system. There are treatment bays designed for magic users and spell casters, and ones designed for standard medicine. We have two operatories on standby as well. And, should the need arise, I might scare up an extra nurse or two. Daemons, of course, but every one of them just as competent as Nurse Malaise."

[New Aksarben]

Lobby

Maghrl had moved out of the way of the ogres as they entered, noting as they left their weapons at the door. So they were polite and civilized after all. Though the small squib was used to appearances being deceiving in that manner. Some of the fiercest looking aliens were the kindest, the most benign appearing ones being the most dangerous. Maghrl and many species of their galaxy would agree that category was very much exemplified by humans, who had no real natural defenses and looked squishy, yet proved to be one of the most widespread and devious of all races.

But for now they were no threat, at least as much as a huge ogre could be. The squib sniffed at the air, the new scents slightly surprising him as the interior changed radically, from the sleek metals and plastics of the futuristic vision he saw, to the hugely primitive(especially to him) version that now showed. Quite strange, and for the first time the Squib realized there was more to this place than he thought. Magic indeed.

The Jedi then reattached his lightsaber to his belt, smiling up at the ogres as they passed, before padding across the room to sit on the floor and focus his power on the force towards them, to keep track of their emotions and falling into a force-aided meditation rapidly. If the ogres got it in their mind to attack, it would be quick for him to spring to action, but for now he wasn't needed, and would be content with sitting off to the side until that was so.

[Monfrox]

"I never asked for this." Brit replied in her best Adam Jenson impression.

And as she stood contemplating her own state of mind as far as Willow was concerned, she was interrupted by Arrow pushing her away. Rude, really, but at this point she didn't expect much from such a pony. And of course, the tremors weren't really helping to keep ensured that they could simply just find their way out through trial and error. She looked as Arrow took the black pebble up and gave it a once over.

"Umbrum?" She repeated. "The hell's that?"

[Highfort]

Septimus managed a slow blink at Amanda's suggestion, his processor still too busy churning away at the poisons in his liver to offer him any assistance. Not that it could, what with its lowered power setting, but his cyborg eye's HUD was oddly stripped bare. The usual bits of information he could glean without having to think very hard were now up to him to decipher, and so he did, silently.

The Ogres stood at twice the height of the average man and it showed. The cyborg representative, however, was not unaccustomed to such giant and full-bellied races in his many dealings. They were usually jolly, when they weren't angry and killing those who had offended them. Of course, the old stereotype wasn't always true but Septimus found it a good enough marker of the proceedings to come for the most part.

Möf Knednar's acceptance of Amanda's offer pleased the Representative, for the most part. While he wasn't keen on letting in a bunch of strangers with weapons - though they did deposit them at the door, bless their civility - Septimus knew that the Residents had little choice but to entertain their new guests. Enough blood had been shed yesterday, and they didn't need a repeat.

Ushering Amanda inside following the Möf and the Shaman, Septimus' hoarse voice whispered in her ear to the best of his ability, "If they have forces outside our immediate vicinity, we might do well to acquire them as allies. Ascalon is not the friendliest of places, and these warriors might help us tip the scales if the Council decides it's not in their best interest to leave us alone."

Unsteady steps propelled the cyborg in after the lawyer left her weapons on the front stoop. The alterations in the lobby mollified his nervousness - at least the Building seemed willing to cooperate with the newcomers. Whether or not it would remain so helpful was to be seen.

Amanda took a seat opposite the two hulking ogres, and Septimus stood behind her. The gesture was clear: even if he was not fit to negotiate, the Representative would be present for the proceedings, conferring his authority upon Mrs. Bela and ensuring she carried out her new duties to the best of both of their abilities.

Of course, his authority might have been mildly-diminished by his haggard appearance, the bags around his eyes still present and his robes still stained, though dry. Or perhaps they would take it as a sign he partook in the same sort of pleasantries they did in his off time.

"The Dragon-Litch might be the bargaining chip we need," he whispered to her, eyeing the ogres warily though offering a pleasant, diplomatic smile, "If we can get a promise for some sort of treaty in exchange for dealing with it, we'll be in good shape."

---

Opa noted with some confusion the alterations in the Building, the lobby transforming itself from the trash-ridden tenement to a pleasant backwoods-style cabin with natural growths intruding on the furniture. The Building appeared to be adaptive, something which clued him in on the fact that Brother Itum had not come here to run. This was no backwater planet of little importance - no, this was a special place. But how or why was beyond the processing capabilities of the combat droid.

Deciding that it would be useful to stay near Septimus in case the invitation to tea and pleasantries went wrong, Opa trudged over to the seat where Amanda was making herself at home. Septimus cocked an eyebrow but said nothing, and Opa turned to greet the newcomers with his pre-programmed civilian pleasantries.

"Good afternoon," the robot made sure to keep his shield and plasma rifle lowered, so as not to cause any undue alarm. Before he could proceed further, Septimus clicked his tongue and glared at the robot, and Opa fell silent.

[Germanic Templars]

The older sibling

"Well, a Nazi? Should we follow the voice, and at least see what's going on?"

Drova yawned, baring his two sharp fangs, replacing the canines in his mouth. He was a little tired at the moment, and really couldn't be bothered, but it didn't mean the voice wasn't the least bit concerning to him. He'd rather crawl right back up into a ball and sleep the day away. The Prince knew it wasn't an option though, as much as he wanted to make it one. "I'd actually uh . . . I'd actually rather go." He said, backing up towards the door slightly.

What was he even doing in there?

He never even felt comfortable around his friends, considering that they were all either mean assholes, or so two-faced that they might as well have been carrying around masks (Torii immediately came to mind). Gio was alright, and Kale could be cool if he allowed himself to think so. But he hadn't really gotten to know Marcus well enough, and Gio seemed to be fawning over him too much to actually do anything as a group.

"And I'm here, all alone." He whispered to himself. "No one likes me, no one loves me."

"Ah, sorry." He turned to Thriller, hoping the Emperor didn't hear his silent rant. "I should be going now."

Thriller crossed his arms raised an eyebrow at the peculiar behavior of Drova. His steady gaze examined Drova and his physical expressions - from his face to the rest of his body. Years of being a father and a grandfather taught him when something was usually wrong with someone. "Tell me," He cleared his throat before continuing "is there something you need help with? I am more than happy to help you out. Hell, anything to get away from the damn mech suit."

Thriller took a few steps closer to the prince as to better examine him. However, his Eye of Sauron possibly did not make the situation any easier on him. "You know, I can tell something is wrong with you. So why don't ya tell me. I am all ears and all eye."

Dammit. Thriller's mentally slapped himself over his horrible joke.

[The BranRiech]

Bran

With how many things had attacked him over the years, Bran was honestly surprised when the swords and the clubs came off, and the hulking Ogres were walking right in, without a single slash, or shot being fired. The man looked down to his rifle as they new guests entered, and switched the safety back on, before resting it against his back, slinging the leather strap over his shoulder. The snow was really starting to come down out there.

He noted that, and wondered idly if his chopper needed to be dusted off, or at least stored in the hanger. "Welcome." The man nodded, stepping back from the window he had positioned himself at, allowing the tall figures to pass.

Bran shuddered. Fighting these beasts would have been a hell of a time. Not only were they much taller than the average human, they also looked much stronger as well, which fit the word "Ogre" quite well. As he backed up as well, a table and chairs popped into existence, and the lobby changed just a bit. To Bran, the lobby always had a sort of low-hanging fog that concealed the ceiling, so for him at least, the perspective change wasn't too drastic, but enough to notice.

"Whoops." He stepped out of the way, probably seen as a nuisance.

However, he didn't leave, though he did stand a few feet away, listening to their demands.

--

Yuna

Yuna winced, watching the blackened pony run off into the distance, trying to clean themselves off as the Salespony demonstrated her product. "Well, if that stick isn't going to buy your gunk, I suppose we have . . . No more business here." Yuna shrugged, tossing the stick into a nearby snowbank. They truly were wasting time, but at least Moolisa could provide them with a bit of entertainment on the way to the meeting.

Yuna's wish though, was a bit cheesy, and it would probably come true in time anyways.

They were going to find their friends, no doubt about it anymore. Her Gods were watching, and she knew that she was foolish for ever doubting them, even though it was only for a bit.

"Aegis, come on."

She looked around, and back up at the sky.

"Ugh . . . I wish my brother would lighten up a little."

Who says a wish can't be changed?

[Chedastan]

Picking up two of the heavier, larger stacked crates of ammunition, and grabbing one of the two NSVs with its companion tripod from the wall, Romulus waited momentarily for the three others that came with him to get a hold of the remaining supplies they needed. He had a urgent feeling they were wasting too much time in the garage though as it was, he felt they should have been back in the lobby by now, every minute is going to be precious for the defense, and by Wilhelm where was the radio communication around here?

"Okay we got what we could get now, if we need more we'll get the rest. Now lets go, quickly!" He hurriedly spoke to the three who followed him here, then started walking off back to the lobby, worried about what could be happening back there. His pace steadily increased, he knew from past experience that ogres weren't something to underestimate, and had the capacity of being very brutal, at least with how he knew them back home, but he wasn't going to chance it with the ogres here, he had to assume the worst was going to happen out of necessity for preparation.

By the time he noticed a sudden, abrupt change to the walls and decor as he got close to lobby, he knew right away that something had to have happened. Something very bad perhaps, this had to have meant something big happened surely? At the mere worried thought of why exactly everything around him had changed now, he broke briefly into a sprint, until coming up to the entrance to the lobby from the garage, and stopped in his tracks. Upon seeing the unarmed ogres inside the lobby, Romulus dropped the crates and NSV onto the ground, causing a low sounding thud on the ground.

Thud

He looked at the ogres, then looked at someone he knew more, Amanda in this case. He raised a slight eyebrow at her, then figured that negotiations must had succeeded in some shape or form, he assumed the ogres were now their guests. That probably explained the sudden change in decor in the building, hopefully they'll be polite enough guests. Not wanting to interrupt any more of whatever was going on in the lobby right now, the General calmly moved the supplies back into the entrance way he came from (a kick really), where hopefully they'll now be moot for the rest of the night. He then calmly preceded to make his way to where the other residents had gathered in the room, then listened to what he assumed must have been the chief ogre who was speaking before he came in.

[Tiltjuice]

Brit and Chrys

"Oho, mmmhm," Arrow chuckled, letting Brit take a brief lead ahead. She knew the traveler knew there was no getting out on her own, and the act was a subtle way of acknowledging so. Go ahead, take the lead, she didn't need it to still be first here. "So you can turn into him, but he can't turn into you? That doesn't seem very fair," Arrow continued to condescend, as if this were a casual talk. "Though to your credit, none of us are allowed to let the eye wander to the Birds or the mud-dwellers either. That is also taboo." She trotted up beside Brit and leaned in. "But that doesn't stop them from wondering..."

Well, it stopped her from wondering, but that was because she was better than that. Shame on her tribefellows who crossed that line even in their own minds, but their sins were useful to her in this petty game.

BRRRMMMMMMMMMM...

That was put to a halt when the walls around them began to shake and chatter at the sudden sound of what seemed to be half explosion, half growl. It chipped pebbles off the walls and ceilings, nearly shook the two unicorns off their feet, until it ceased as suddenly as it came. Arrow stood still and silent, eyes wandering the hall in confusion, until she spotted something on the floor near Brit's feet. Lightly shoving her out of the way, Arrow bent low to observe it with close eyesight, before rising and picking it up with her telekinesis: a shiny black pebble.

She licked it, and took a moment to analyze. "Umbrum..."



Mirare collided into the stars as if they were little more than beanbags, catapulting them back into the deep darkness of space beyond the two's sight.

~

Meanwhile, back in the regular world, several shooting stars streaked across the night sky.

"Oooo," SkyWishes remarked from her lonesome spot on the snowy ground, on her way to the meeting. She brimmed a forearm across her forehead to better spot the sky. "Meteor shower! Make a wish!"

In Cynisca, two political leaders strolled in talk along an outdoor hallway, before the star fall also caught their eyes. They considered it for a moment, before one nudged the other.

"Go get it," Aurora Mist urged, elbowing the regent with the smile.

Star Catcher snorted and shook her head at the silent pun, and they continued their walk.

~

Clover smiled and blinked at the fading star streaks above them, taking mental notes and nodding. "Ah, good! That's the basics, you've shown that Mirare is indeed compatible with you. That's impressive, given you're not from here, but I suppose..."

The apprentice trailed off, realizing there wasn't much time to let Chrys know all the boring details of deep magical understanding. They needed to continue going over the basics of Mirare's abilities, so that they would be prepared to face what was to come. Clover summoned more stars above them like the previous, but began to stir them round, and round with her magic. As she did the stars began to crackle and catch fire, bright orange and red flames forming a ring that she was able to flex inward and outward. Backing up, she allowed the ring to stretch out wide and slowly lower it around Chrys, setting her in the middle.

"This is testing the force field abilities," she said. "I'm going to count to three, and you try to summon it in time. One..."

The cosmic fire snapped and flared.

"Two..."

It grew to a formidable size.

"Three."

It rushed in on Chrys from all sides, lighting up the space around them.

Time's grace would have granted Chrys the ability to stop the fire in its tracks; or merely even to draw down its fury. But that was in another place, at a different moment. This was now, and in the now, Chrys found herself questioning, too busy sliding back away from the heat she ordinarily embraced and thinking to even acknowledge Clover's compliment.

Force field abilities? The sword, Mirare...do you have force field abilities?

Thinking to it was perhaps rather foolish, but her partner was her partner, and thoughts were everything to him and his power. Testing an idea new to her, in this place equally new to her, was at least worth a shot even as she huddled in on herself away from the shrinking ring.

[Mincaldenteans]

"Of course, I'll set up the triage in the library," the monk said without hesitation. When Sandy introduced Rmwtyliin, Alexia smiled and extended her hand to the young lady, "Hello Rmw... Rwm..." she frowned and struggled on with the pronunciation, doing her best to mimic how Sandy had said it, "Rmwtyliin. I apologize if I pronounced it incorrectly. It's good meet you. Shall we begin?" She trailed off and gestured for the library.

Meanwhile outside, unexpected turn of events was not unwelcomed and Anais felt a wash of relief at the Mof's acceptance to tea, and better still, shelter from the snow that had grown heavier in the night. She trailed behind the lot, the grip of her staff had eased as the Mof and Shaman left their weapons at the door. She was the last one in, stopping by the doorway to address Cherry and Erick, who closed in eager for details. The others in her guild looked with cautious eyes, but the grins on the Klingons said otherwise, clearly finding acceptance to the physical features of the ogres.

"We break words," she murmured to them softly, while the surroundings took form to please their guests and the smell of nature filled the air. She welcomed the change, it reminded her of simpler settings much liker the Guild's hall.

"Fortuitous night, do you wish us to disband? We can keep elsewhere," Erick quietly asked.

The ritualist nodded, murmuring orders for them to head into the dining room area and handed her staff to Cherry. Satisfied with thinning the number out in the lobby, the guild members filed out, Erick garnering the Klingons' attention to follow; the ritualist paced behind Primordial and to the seats by the window. When Amanda took her seat and Sepitmus positioned himself behind chair, Anais parroted the move, standing by the cyborg's and leaving the empty seat for the Baron to take. The Mof had wasted no time, nor did he seem to care for any further pleasantries; initial formality was enough as long as each party was forthright, candid. The ritualist took mental note of that for any future dealings they would have with the Mof.

Mention of this Dragon-Litch sparked her interest, but Anais remained silent, glancing over to her team and perking an eyebrow. Their mere presence was becoming an avalanche into a placid river. Just what more had their arrival disrupted?

==//\\==

Fae and pony came into the hospital, with Dora, Sand and another there. He looked vaguely familiar, perhaps the one that passed him with the barest of touch and moved along the previous night. The night was tiresome, having spent most of his time lending his healing to triage first, and frightened children second. But in that moment, the fatigue he felt had washed away, replaced with vitality. Dan didn't understand where the sudden replacement of life had come, though he wished to thank him for it, the man had already moved on.

Looking at the three, the fae smiled, albeit a bit shy given he wasn't with the usual company, "Evening, everyone. I'm with the healer's group, Anais and Alexia mentioned this was the hospital level, and well, I'm here to help. Sterling here has volunteered to assist, as well."

The summer fae noted Sandy and extended his hand in greeting, "You must be Sandy. I saw you in the dining room, I've never formally introduced myself. Good to meet you, though I wish it were under better circumstances."

==//\\==

Hunter barely got out of the way when a crate came sliding forward, nearly sending the crate in his hands flying and what would have been a very unpleasant face to floor encounter. "A little warning next time, general, none of us have that swanky suit to compensate," he gripped, dropping the crate in his arms by the entrance. The bloody thing was heavy enough and when the general disappeared, Hunter only took note that something had changed, so much so that Romulus needed his cargo back. Huffing his irritation, the nevidian followed behind to see the lobby had changed significantly. The smell of pine and sage permeated the air. The nevidian felt somewhat at home, underground that is, although that usually came with rich smell of earth. Close enough, he thought to himself, silently moving about and settled himself far from the delegation by the window.

[Swith Witherward]

LOBBY

Rodney's interest was certainly piqued as the ogres entered the Building and the furnishings adjusted. His chair, so very nice and comfy, widened until he felt like a young child sitting on a grandfather's throne. Rodney took it in stride and allowed his legs to swing. A quick glance at Volker revealed the cultist was busy turning paperclips into large teacups. The Nifid wasn't one to be in the thick of things, and was tempted to make his excuses and depart the seating area once the ogres settled in, but that would have been rude. Instead, he was treated to Goody-Two-Shoes and the Idiot Brother's whispers... because Nifid hearing is excellent. Lord, how Rodney hoped the ogre's ears weren't as keen. His face formed into a half-scowl as he picked up snippets.

And here he was. The thick of things. Lovely.

"Ass!" the voice hissing in Septimus' head would be easily recognizable, but the sudden sound in Amanda's mind might give her a reason to pause. Multi-layered and comprised of many voices speaking in harmony, the usual melodic tone was tinged by scorn. "Oh, I had enough foolishness in Ascalon! You call yourselves lawyers and politicians? Did you not pay attention? Our tree landed on their porch. They've come to ask us to remedy it by removing the tree. They have every right to ask us to repair their porch and bring back their dead family, but they haven't done so."

Rodney crossed his legs and openly glared at Septimus before shifting his scorn to Amanda. "You don't treaty with the neighbor," he waspishly groused in their heads, "You don't hope to get anything out of the deal. You fix what was caused by your property. That tree might have been there before you moved in, but the plot's in your possession now. And not a one of us is familiar with this Way of the Wold nonsense, should they take us to court."

The Nifid clucked his tongue before allowing his face to return to neutrality. The entire rant had taken place in less than heartbeat, but he felt he'd made his concerns perfectly clear. Such was the speed of thoughts and the mind's ability to process them.

[Highfort]

His face remained composed, though a bead of sweat broke out on Septimus' forehead. The tether was for Her use and Rodney Bodkins had certainly not earned the right to intrude randomly with his own "professional" tether. With his mind not restricted by his processor and the alcohol still coursing through his veins, he struck back even as a composed, reserved smile lingered on his face. The ogres would be none the wiser.

"You would do well to control yourself, Mr. Bodkins," a cold voice passed through the tether, though rage bubbled beneath, "You do the Nifid no favors with your outburst. The ogres have come to us for help - what we get for that help is incidental, and if you have a problem with me playing the political game the way it is meant to be played then you can take over when my term is concluded. But I was voted into office and I delegated power to Mrs. Bela, so if you'll excuse us, the adults have negotiations to carry out."

Though his retort came out much slower than Rodney's lightning-fast critique, Septimus' rage cooled, seemingly satisfied by what he'd said. He hesitated to say anymore - the ogres would no doubt sense something was wrong if silence reigned and given Rodney's wording, Amanda had probably heard. It would befit them for her to get her word in and get negotiations moving.