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

[Tiltjuice]

Welcome to Island! MB signed in larger-than-normal rainbow-colored letters, standing straight up on all fours.

Volker smiled politely. "You were transported here, to join the other Residents of an apartment building looked after by Mister Demens. This is where we usually spend the holiday season, away from a rather dreary winter. But paperwork is paperwork, and the lease is something every new Resident gets. This is my sometime fellow desk manager, MB the magical bunny. The tall man over there is Cuisine, our resident chef; and there are other Building dwellers scattered across the island."

[Highfort]

RAIDERS of the LOST BOOK

OPERATION: BIBLIOPHILE
DIMENSION: Gallimaufry then 257P
LOCATION: Above the Max Thunder Fury Road Beyond Ascalon Dome
TEAMS: MU
RotLB

The five flying lizards descended upon the convoy as carrion birds to a dying beast. They circled with a measured pace as Sandy and company climbed high into the sky, two pausing mid-flight before rolling down and diving directly at the semi to pick away at it. Meanwhile, the Pegasus and his passengers caught the attention of two more of the lizards. They began to rise in pursuit.

The final lizard, strangely-enough, turned away from the main convoy. Behind it, the scouts had turned to approach and provide what meager fire-support they could. The dragon dove for one of them.

Sandy, Baron P, and Nick now had a choice - three groups to engage, and only enough time for one.

[The Irish County of the Beare-Mor]

Welcome to Island! MB signed in larger-than-normal rainbow-colored letters, standing straight up on all fours.

Volker smiled politely. "You were transported here, to join the other Residents of an apartment building looked after by Mister Demens. This is where we usually spend the holiday season, away from a rather dreary winter. But paperwork is paperwork, and the lease is something every new Resident gets. This is my sometime fellow desk manager, MB the magical bunny. The tall man over there is Cuisine, our resident chef; and there are other Building dwellers scattered across the island."

Mikael, on the Beach

Mikael was only as confused as ever, but tried to make sense of. "Demens? Who is Mr. Demens, and how did I get here?" he asked, removing his hand from his head as his headache faded. "The...bunny...a desk manager? I don't...I don't understand what's going on." Mikael sighed. "Where do I go from here?" he asked, curiously. "What sort of residents are there?"

"If they have a bunny, how many have...abilities...like I do?" Mikael thought to himself, deciding not to ask Volker.

[Holy Lykos]

Maghrl nodded in response to Dora's mention of him. "Help too. Pull baiters out danger, you bet." The squib's grammar was at least slightly improving. Maybe. He tucked his saber back into his belt again, setting to work stretching out his limbs for more strenuous running than normal. If they had time to prepare they were better to prepare as much as possible as soon as possible. He focused on pinpointing where those pockets of life were, to hopefully point the group in the right direction.

"I can help put together the pit. My magic has to be good for digging, just lift and move." Sterling chimed in, nodding enthusiastically. Neither he nor Maghrl were happy killing another living creature, but if it was to save one of their own they could stomach doing it, at least for now.

"Also, what does a boar look like? How dangerous are they? I can't say I've seen one before."

[Stormwrath]

Jungle

Her accent was... nearly incomprehensible to Macy, but she could get what she was saying. After all, it's just Katya's accent gone awry and more 'Russian', right? Nevermind that, there was a gun pointed at her! Maybe she should do what she says and avoid holes puncturing through her circuitry. Glancing at Kafka she stammered, "Ummm, o-okay! Please put the gun away, alright?"

She still had no idea what she said before, something about "Ankle-is-key."

She then placed her hand over her chest. "I-I'm Macy, nice to meet you!" She smiled and extended her hand for Kafka to shake, but maybe this was starting to get even more awkward.

Hopefully she can answer her question now—the soldier seemed like she knew where they were in this thick jungle.

[Northwest Slobovia]

The Island

"Muscle?" Sakarias reiterated, taking a sip of his drink before continuing. "Are you sure you weren't mistaking friends of his for muscle? What were they up to that gave that impression, shaking down a shop for protection money?"

"Friends make excellent muscle," Marin explained with a crooked smirk. "They don't charge money, and they won't cut and run if things go bad. But even if they were 'just friends', the situation started oddly, and then got stranger as the day went on."

His attention shifted to the fruit bowl. He picked up a greenish fruit and stared at it for a moment. His eyes then darted behind his glasses as images flitted across them, followed by a block of text: an image search turned up a hit. "Huh, 'mango'. Odd name. Never heard of them before, but 'pedia's linked to a market tracker for them." He showed the mango to Jeanne. "I'm supposed to cut it up, but not eat the skin."

She glanced at the fruit, then slid a thin knife from under one "arm-guard" and handed it to Marin. While Marin cut up the mango, she filled in the details. "Dr. Bela got the Bela-watchers' attention when some glitch-head decided to try to pinch his jeep. Why he thought he could get away with it in the Judge's turf is beside the point: he tried, one of the Judge's boys kinetically debugged him, and somebody mentioned that the jeep had been parked outside Lumba's shop for a while already. The talkboards lit up at that point: our friend the liquor merchant never visits the Uppers. They can't afford what he sells. And until then, he was a model businessman: he takes orders, delivers as promised, and doesn't seem to be up to anything. But now he was talking to one of the best sources for illicit tech in the city."

"Bit players in the Uppers started keeping an eye on the place, charging for what they sas. Time went by... a long time went by. And then Dr. Bela and his muscle -- or at least a woman who knew how to handle herself -- came out with, um, Nick, and another old guy nobody's seen before. Empty-handed, but all smiles. Uh-oh. Crowdword got all excited: maybe he and Lumba cut some sort of deal, made some sort of move."

Jeanne cocked her chin at Amanda. "And she seemed to confirm it: Dr. Bela's off on mysterious business to Alessio, where some of Lumba's gear comes from. But that's ahead of the story. Deals, or rumors of deals, between Lumba and Dr. Bela attracted some big names. They put tails on him... and he ditched them. We've got holo of that." She stopped to consider something: Sakarias wasn't a local. "Motion holograms of him ditching the tails. Professional tails. Way out of profile for him; only other pros should be able to do that. Then, poof! he vanished somewhere in the Littles. Strange, no?"

Marin finished cutting the mango into cubes, and tried one experimentally. Delighted by the taste, he offered some to Jeanne, who also tried a cube, giving Amanda time to interject. "Two questions: first, can I get copy of the holo?"

Around a mouthful of mango, Marin got out an answer. "We'll put it on a shard and leave it with Philippe. Bootleg copies were already circulating by the time we showed it to you, so it's not worth charging for. Second?"

Amanda tapped the table with a fingernail. "Second, how did Sandy manage to disappear? Only the cops can pick up transponders? And despite the city's sterling reputation for honesty" -- her sarcasm was thick enough to stand on -- "none of the police can be bribed to say where he went?"

Marin finished chewing, and his smirk reappeared, this time with professional admiration. "There's an old rule in Ascalon: if people expect technical, go crude; if they expect crude, go technical. People in our line of work are very technical. Dr. Bela went crude on all of us: he's taken to shutting off his transponder."

Amanda exclaimed an alarmed syllable, before catching herself and going on matter of factly. "Which, if any of the police noticed, they'd pull him over... and see the bottles left very obviously in back. Sandy would offer them one, and the matter would be forgotten, and another cop would leave him alone for good."

Marin's smirk held. "Right. And if the cop didn't get the hint, his boss would 'explain' things to him: a happy liquor merchant keeps the booze flowing... into all sorts of hands. That trick doesn't work Downtown -- the government vets the Downtown cops better, and pays them more to keep them honest, and spies on them besides -- but for most of Main City, he's a free man. On the morning shift, at least."

"So that's part of how he lost the tails. Still: how did he learn to drive like that, and why start now? What was he up to? It seems Alessio is part of the answer, but we still don't know who he talked to or why." He looked hopefully to Amanda, but she only smiled back politely. She neglected to mention asking Sandy about the tails, and finding out that he had no idea he was being followed. Boris was calling the turns, so he must have spotted them.

Jeanne picked up a mango cube, asking a question while holding it an inch from her lips. "And what were you up to, Maître Bela? No?" She got back only a puzzled look. "Oh, come now? Not even a hint?" She waited another moment, then popped the cube into her mouth.

[OOC: "I put the shotgun in an Adidas bag and padded it out with four pairs of tennis socks, not my style at all, but that was what I was aiming for: If they think you're crude, go technical; if they think you're technical, go crude. I'm a very technical boy. So I decided to get as crude as possible." --William Gibson, "Johnny Mnemonic", opening lines]

[Cerillium]

BEACH

"Mr. Demens is a very powerful Being," Volker smiled. "More so than a god, but not one to demand people worship him. And you were chosen. Probably for the God War, but that's a long story better suited to firelight chats. We are normally gathered in his Building. We're here on the Island for vacation, and so he brought you here. The Residents are beings just like you - people with extraordinary skills, powers, or talents. You're here because you are meant to be here. If you're like most new arrivals, you were brought here moments before you were meant to die in your home dimension."

"Volker!"

The cultist peered over Mikael's shoulder to better view Klaus striding across the sand. "Ja?"

"Have MB do paperwork. You're with Cuisine." This new arrival, Klaus, was also dressed in a WWII German uniform, though he had left his jacket somewhere and had selected to roll up the sleeves of his dress shirt. Klaus wasn't a physically imposing man, nor did he seem at all cold or wicked. He surveyed Mikael with kindly blue eyes and offeri a nod in greeting before turning back to business. "The dinner won't wait for anyone. See to it Cuisine has all the help he needs to pull off another flawless meal. The Men and Lads are setting up the pavilion now. Half are missing!"

Volker's brow arched. "But it's morning."

"Ja," Klaus' face momentarily reflected his frustration. "The fucking Teen Club. Now we're doing Christmas lunch. More European this way."

A smile danced at the corners of Volker's mouth and eyes. None of the Teen Club were teens anymore. No really. Yet they somehow managed to get themselves on Klaus' radar. Volker wasn't going to bother asking what they had done this time. "Okay, we'll get it done," he winked at MB and slipped the clipboard into Mikael's hands - it contained a standard lease, of course - as Klaus headed off to the jungle.



JUNGLE

"Grim! Macy!" The voice rang in the clearing, and echoed over the hill to reach the bunker remains. "Macy! Grim! Kommen Sie jetzt hier!" Klaus pushed his way through the ferns, pausing just long enough to toss an inquisitive look at the group gathered around Opa. They all looked a bit confused, in his opinion. His hands flapped as though scattering pigeons as he waded through them. "You're going to miss Christmas dinner if you don't hurry back. Move, move!"

Without sparing this group another glance, Klaus climbed up the rocky path to peer over the hill's crest.

"Macy! Grim! There you are!" Arms now akimbo, the avatar of War offered them a stern face. "Stop playing around, Monfroxian. We aren't all going to wait on you two."

He clamored his way back down. Sliding on gravel the last meter, he came to a stop in front of Giovenith. "If those two procrastinate, make sure Opa shoots them. Then leave them here." It was difficult to say if he was joking. "Now, finish whatever game you're playing and come back to the camp. Christmas. It means something to me!"

Marcus' teeth clamped onto the corner of his lower lip. Didn't Klaus realize what they had to do? Then again, he probably did, and dinner would be the perfect opportunity to see how many people would be willing to help them get the boar. "Er, okay," he watched Klaus stride back into the jungle, "So I guess we have a chance to plan? And Macy's okay?"

[The Irish County of the Beare-Mor]

BEACH

"Mr. Demens is a very powerful Being," Volker smiled. "More so than a god, but not one to demand people worship him. And you were chosen. Probably for the God War, but that's a long story better suited to firelight chats. We are normally gathered in his Building. We're here on the Island for vacation, and so he brought you here. The Residents are beings just like you - people with extraordinary skills, powers, or talents. You're here because you are meant to be here. If you're like most new arrivals, you were brought here moments before you were meant to die in your home dimension."

"Volker!"

The cultist peered over Mikael's shoulder to better view Klaus striding across the sand. "Ja?"

"Have MB do paperwork. You're with Cuisine." This new arrival, Klaus, was also dressed in a WWII German uniform, though he had left his jacket somewhere and had selected to roll up the sleeves of his dress shirt. Klaus wasn't a physically imposing man, nor did he seem at all cold or wicked. He surveyed Mikael with kindly blue eyes and offeri a nod in greeting before turning back to business. "The dinner won't wait for anyone. See to it Cuisine has all the help he needs to pull off another flawless meal. The Men and Lads are setting up the pavilion now. Half are missing!"

Volker's brow arched. "But it's morning."

"Ja," Klaus' face momentarily reflected his frustration. "The fucking Teen Club. Now we're doing Christmas lunch. More European this way."

A smile danced at the corners of Volker's mouth and eyes. None of the Teen Club were teens anymore. No really. Yet they somehow managed to get themselves on Klaus' radar. Volker wasn't going to bother asking what they had done this time. "Okay, we'll get it done," he winked at MB and slipped the clipboard into Mikael's hands - it contained a standard lease, of course - as Klaus headed off to the jungle.

Mikael Lunden, Beach

Mikael heard what Volker, "God War? What? Who....wha? Sounds...dangerous. But I was supposed to die? How? Why? How does this Mr. Demens know about me? About my...ability? I've...I've kept it hidden." Mikael said beginning to pace back and forth slowly as he thought through Volkers words.

Volker began talking with another guy, who offered Mikael a friendly nod. Mikael gave a half hearted smile and waved as he (Klaus) and Volker began discussing dinner, and a pavillion. It seemed confusing to Mikael.

Volker handed Mikael a clipboard when the other guy left.

"But...where am I supposed to go now?" he asked.

[Cerillium]

BEACH

"Hm?" Volker cocked his head as Mikael attempted to wrap his mind around all the details. "Go? Sign the lease and then come with me. We'll go to the pavilion. And then you can go wash up for the holiday meal, if you like. One step at a time, my friend. Later, you'll see your hut. And then we'll eventually go back to the Building. You'll have an apartment there."

His expression softened as he considering the stress Mikael surely must be feeling - no longer in a familiar place, with hidden powers now known to absolute strangers, and feeling very much like he'd just stepped into a dream (or nightmare!) - Volker wasn't an unsympathetic being.

"We must let go of the life we have planned, Mikael, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us," his hand came to rest on the other man's shoulder. "Here, you fit in. Here, people don't know what you can do but they won't reject you for being able to do it. Here, it is family. And it is Christmas. We celebrate together. Come with me. This is the first day of your new life."

[Tiltjuice]

BEACH

"Mr. Demens is a very powerful Being," Volker smiled. "More so than a god, but not one to demand people worship him. And you were chosen. Probably for the God War, but that's a long story better suited to firelight chats. We are normally gathered in his Building. We're here on the Island for vacation, and so he brought you here. The Residents are beings just like you - people with extraordinary skills, powers, or talents. You're here because you are meant to be here. If you're like most new arrivals, you were brought here moments before you were meant to die in your home dimension."

"Volker!"

The cultist peered over Mikael's shoulder to better view Klaus striding across the sand. "Ja?"

"Have MB do paperwork. You're with Cuisine." This new arrival, Klaus, was also dressed in a WWII German uniform, though he had left his jacket somewhere and had selected to roll up the sleeves of his dress shirt. Klaus wasn't a physically imposing man, nor did he seem at all cold or wicked. He surveyed Mikael with kindly blue eyes and offeri a nod in greeting before turning back to business. "The dinner won't wait for anyone. See to it Cuisine has all the help he needs to pull off another flawless meal. The Men and Lads are setting up the pavilion now. Half are missing!"

Volker's brow arched. "But it's morning."

"Ja," Klaus' face momentarily reflected his frustration. "The fucking Teen Club. Now we're doing Christmas lunch. More European this way."

A smile danced at the corners of Volker's mouth and eyes. None of the Teen Club were teens anymore. No really. Yet they somehow managed to get themselves on Klaus' radar. Volker wasn't going to bother asking what they had done this time. "Okay, we'll get it done," he winked at MB and slipped the clipboard into Mikael's hands - it contained a standard lease, of course - as Klaus headed off to the jungle.

Mikael Lunden, Beach

Mikael heard what Volker, "God War? What? Who....wha? Sounds...dangerous. But I was supposed to die? How? Why? How does this Mr. Demens know about me? About my...ability? I've...I've kept it hidden." Mikael said beginning to pace back and forth slowly as he thought through Volkers words.

Volker began talking with another guy, who offered Mikael a friendly nod. Mikael gave a half hearted smile and waved as he (Klaus) and Volker began discussing dinner, and a pavillion. It seemed confusing to Mikael.

Volker handed Mikael a clipboard when the other guy left.

"But...where am I supposed to go now?" he asked.

Demens knows all. MB blinked complacently, and twitched his nose at the librarian. Is no problem. We all get used to it. Many supernaturals here, from many different beliefs. And some without belief like me. Who just are.

The rabbit's whiskers waved up and down in the sea breeze, as his ears continued air-writing. Finish paperwork. Who likes papers? Only good for eating. Only light snack at that. Then come! More for holiday lunch is good! Klaus doesn't bite. You also meet others. Who also don't bite. MB introduce.

[The Irish County of the Beare-Mor]

Beach

Mikael sighed, but noted Volkers words. Volker laid his hand upon Mikael's shoulder as he spoke, and Mikael grinned a little, "Perhaps I don't have to hide my abilities, but I won't use them. Not yet, anyway." Mikael looked at the clipboard, read it over, and quickly signed his name on the lease located within it.

"There we are, I signed the lease." Once done, Mikael decided to walk with Volker, taking in the surroundings, no matter how different they are to the urban cityscape he was familiar with.

As he spoke he saw the bunny, MB, write some words in the air. Colourful words. Mikael looked at them, and read them.

[Giovenith]

Giovenith exchanged worried looks with the others.

"Macy?!" she called and started up the path that Klaus that had called their friend's name into, scrambling until she saw the muddy forms of the android and another person. "Macy!"

The godling ran over and assisted the two of them in making their way back to the group. She had been there all along! Ohhh, at least they knew for sure now she was safe, even if there was still the boar to take care of!

"Come on, let's get you guys cleaned up and head to the Christmas meal," she said. "We have a lot to plan there and there's little time to lose."

[The BranRiech]

Drova

Having bored himself of traipsing around the beach, Drova considered going over to find out what was going on, where everyone was. Commotion could be heard, but very little of it on the shore. His eyes, attuned to the dark, noticed a small-ish shack lit up off to the corner of the inhabited area. He considered for a moment going over there, but it seemed as if there wasn't much activity in the house. "Yuna'd already have dragged me off to find our friends." Muttered Drova, perking his eyes and ears up.

The creepy Nazi doorman, and that strange floating Rabbit looked to be introducing someone, or talking with them about something at least.

He waved over at them, at the very least, informing them of his presence, but his eyes were set on something else after he turned away from the Pavilion. It was the elegant tent erected on the beach, where Yuna and Drova had stayed last year. The Prince put his hands deep in his pockets, his hands having gotten a little cold.

Bran

The layer of dust caked Bran's rear, as he sat down in the chair that hadn't been occupied in a year or so. Even with their yearly outings to the treasured island, the small beach house had fallen into disuse, and sat there, unloved and un-lived in.

Until now.

The well-traveled conscript flicked the old lamp on, at the table in the window, sitting down with a small piece of paper, and a short pencil.

To my treasured Family.

Damn, his Cyrillic was always a little bad. He hadn't spent nearly enough time in school learning the intricacies. He was whisked off to the Military before he even made it to High School.

He sat back, pondering what to write next.

[Tiltjuice]

But introductions were perhaps unnecessary, since Book Man was with Volker. MB twitched his nose again complacently. Motes of light materialized into view, floating and drifting on invisible currents around the bunny, deepest blue and starkest red. It was always a sight to watch for newcomers. They collected, fusing as they met each other at random, until the air surrounding MB was a solid patchwork that from far away appeared to be a violet patch.

Then the swirling vortex cleared away to reveal no MB. He was, in fact, currently perched on the edge of the pavilion, peering down at an empty table.

[Stormwrath]

Jungle

Someone's calling from somewhere, and that someone seems to know her name. Had they finally found her? Oh thank goodness, her woes were finally over! Cupping her hands and facing where the sound came from, Macy shouted back, "Guys! I'm here! Guys!!!" She even waved her hands in the air in order to get their attention.

And there on top of the ridge, someone appeared, another soldier dressed up like one. "Klaus?" she called out. Guess he was the one who led the others to find her. Macy was so happy to finally see him, Marcus, Gio, and the others. But he didn't seem worried or happy to see here, not at all. In fact, he seemed like she may have ticked him off with something. Doesn't he know the circumstances that she had gone through before this point? For a moment there she thought was about to be sacrificed!

Well, guess she should get going, lest she anger him more.

Finally reuniting with the rest of the group, Macy went with the others back to the beach. Sure, she may be soiled and all, but a good bath in the sea or a shower can take care of that. But what did Klaus mean by...

"Gio," she asked, "What is this Christmas? I don't think I've ever heard of that holiday before, at least not where I came from."

[Torsiedelle]

Katya clapped. "Oh, wonderful! We have Macy, no worries, and is that a newcomer?", She tilted her head. "And here I thought we were dealing with a hostage situation!"

She laughed. "Well, no worries. You can't hunt on an empty stomach, right? Or perhaps you can, assuming you're determined to kill something to keep that empty stomach from hurting..."

Torii was still crabby. "What about my rifle?", She asked, flaring up. "I need that! It's important to me."

She said it in a strained, panicked manner, as if it really did hold great importance to her...

"And it's not just because it's my rifle, but....aaagh!", She bit her tongue, then stopped to close her eyes; she took a deep breath. "It's really important to me, and besides, we can't just let a hostile group sit right behind us with a loaded rifle. That sand and water in it won't work in our favor, AKM's don't jam, and I just can't sit around while it's missing!"

Why could nobody else see this? Opa was a war machine! The cultists fought a World War! Letting the enemy take a weapon was the worst thing one could do! It was grounds for discharge, or imprisonment!

She couldn't bring herself to calm down, while Katya was simply puzzled and waiting to see what the consensus was. She wasn't as distraught as her little sister; it was just island hijinks to her. She was certain they would fix everything up.

She did practically jump at Macy from behind Giovenith, however. "You don't celebrate Christmas?!"

[Stormwrath]

Jungle

Macy shook her head. "No, no I don't. That is why I am asking about it." Then, she remembered that her hut had an odd-looking wreath on the door, pine leaves strung on the walls, and a decorated pine tree that had bells, balls, and letters hung on its branches. Was that the holiday that they were actually celebrating while they were here?

After pausing she asked, "Shall I relate what we in Palmaria celebrate instead?"

[Chedastan]

Jungle

Before Nivea could try and decipher why Opa would refer to her and everyone else as a sibling, another resident had suddenly joined them. The man that came through had a similar outfit to Volker, and was apparently also looking for Macy, and someone else from the sounds of it. Though the man hardly gave much heed to them as he past by, but not before long he came back with Macy and another girl! She guessed the tribesman from earlier had literally meant that Macy was just over the ridge, but who was this other girl?

Maybe that'll be explained later? She was a tad confused now, but was glad that they at least had Macy with them again. She agreed with Giovenith that they should go back and plan their next steps, and hopefully recoup and get things in order to get these two boars that the natives still wanted. "I second that, Giovenith, we should start heading back now." She said to her and everyone else.

[Holy Lykos]

Jungle

Both Maghrl and Sterling were pretty stunned by the turn of events. Apparently boar hunting could wait? "Heading back is a good idea... Hopefully these guys aren't too dangerous... Maybe its just a prank they're trying to pull?" The pony asked, mostly just to try to break some of the tension. It was getting pretty tense after all. The threat wasn't about them killing Macy though, no it wasn't. It was about leveling their little hut cluster and killing everyone they could find. The savages would probably kidnap any of their non-human residents to try eating too, if they wanted to eat horse like him. It still disgusted him that the original plan of theirs was to capture him and eat him! What monsters!

The Squib hopped back up onto Sterling's back, with the larger pony merely shrugging and trotting after the group heading to the pavilion. It looked like a strange violet light was being made by something or another, before slowly vanishing. MB? Most likely. Sterling couldn't help but trembling a bit as he glanced towards the jungle they were leaving. Maybe he should turn himself over if they couldn't get the boars...

The pony swallowed heavily, head hanging a bit low as they continued on.

---

Convo with the Brokers

Sakarias glanced over at the group that seemed to be returning, making a silent note about that and the sudden increase of activity on the beach, near the pavilion. Some sort of party preparations? Must be Christmas. Or Thanksgiving. His internal time wasn't synced with local yet, it was something he needed those Tech Priests to correct, and soon. Being a robot meant having infallible time, more or less. It did get off occasionally, but having a constant count was nice.

The talk about what had occurred was rather fascinating. The old man and woman that could handle herself could be almost anyone. Especially if that anyone was among those at the Building. The proof of unorthodox behavior from Sandy was also troubling. Given Amanda's reaction it wasn't something that she would have expected at all, from someone she knew so well either. That was bad. Did Sandy have some other side to him? Sakarias had no fucking idea. He did know that this sand was getting annoying to keep out of his systems though.

"All that is.. Odd. I have no idea what to make of it myself, and it somewhat seems Amanda doesn't either. Is there any indication about what happened inside of Lumbas? You already said there was no word about why he's in Alessio. Wait... is he still there?"

[Giovenith]

"Torii, we'll see if they can give it back when we trade with them," Giovenith said. "For now, let's focus on one thing at a time."

Not wanting to cross any of the older residents, Giovenith took the charge on in leading them back towards the hut community in time for the Christmas feast. Along the way, she did her best to fill in those who were not familiar with the holiday.

"Technically Christmas goes way back, but we generally recognize it today as the birthday of Elohim's son and visage," she explained. "He's currently the most popular god, very nice I hear but his time is rather exclusive these days. It's a time of much glamour, there's eating, fellowship, and the exchange of gifts. You really should enjoy yourselves, but don't forget that we must hurry if we want to protect our community."

It really was such a mess, and such tension it wrought among them. Macy was bound to be shaken up, Torii was feeling rather radical today, and she could only imagine how Sterling felt being so debased by the native man. Plus there was the new person to contend with.

"Most importantly, it's about togetherness," she added, skipping ahead to address everyone. "And that's what need most of all right now. We're not going to let them hurt anyone. Not Macy, not Sterling, not anyone. I won't let them, we won't let them. Whatever you pray to or look to for strength, do it now, and none will fall."

They eventually would make it back home in little time.

[Cerillium]

Although it was still early in the day, the sun's rays didn't seem to beat down on the white pavilion on the beach. This was, in part, due to a bit of magic from Fritz. How else would the ice stay in place? A soft, silvery cloud floated directly above the structure to ward off the tropical heat and cast a wintry shadow about the place. Snowflakes drifted from under the unnatural weather's skirts though they vanished soon after landing upon the sand.

The pavilion's interior reflected many of the traditional things Residents had grown accustomed to. Twelve trees, each with unique decorations from various homelands, stood sentinel against a wall. These overlooked all the tables with their white linens and fine china plates. Unseen musicians played festive songs which enhanced the holiday atmosphere without overpowering conversations. The whole thing looked rather formal in its elegance, and one might feel the need to slap on a tie or nice dress - but for Minerva's attire. Her tropical print shirt and khaki shorts were difficult to miss as she rose from a chair to wave at Volker and Mikael.

"Come along now," she brushed loose strands of her fiery red mane from her face as she settled into the chair once more. "If you've brought a gift, put it under the tree. If you haven't, be sure you stop at the trees before you leave. You'll have a gift there."

It was only then that Volker noticed a few odd things near the trees. Cardboard cutouts. He spotted Willow first, then Hans and Chrys. The trio stood next to Aegis and Brit and Yuna. Beside them were Sandy and his team, and Venla and her group. It was almost eerie the way the light seemed to animate them.

Oh, wait, they were animated, right? They might be, if someone wished hard enough. The final cutout (Bones) wobbled. White hands held onto its paper shoulders as a small foot kicked its stand into position. Naomi emerged from behind it a heartbeat later.

"Like them?" she beamed at Volker. "I borrowed the idea from Charu." She neatened her tacky Christmas apron as she approached Mikael. Small and delicately boned, she could almost pass for a doll. Naomi swept chestnut strands of hair from her cheek. "I'm Naomi. You must be new." Her smile's warmth could light up the room - what else could you expect from the embodiment of Love?


Klaus wasted no time emerging from the jungle. He thought it best to show up for dinner neat and clean (and thus it was so). There were still final details to see to and, being the writer's tool character, Klaus crooked a finger to call Volker to his side. The pair stepped behind the pavilion (presumably to see to anything Cuisine needed).


The sight of the familiar spot lightened Marcus' heart. Suddenly the boar didn't matter, nor did the rifle. It was Christmas, and that meant time spent with the people he loved most. Giovenith was right, of course. And, of course, the sooner they took care of those boar, the sooner he could do the one thing he'd always wished (he had the guts) to do - walk the candlelit paths with her. Er, if she said yes to the suggestion. Would she?

His eyes drifted towards Torii. Please, Omnissiah, let her not be sullen tonight!

His grin broadened as they neared the festive dining spot. Someone had obviously taken the larger Residents into account. There was even a spot for Opa and FUBAR though everyone doubted the Drone would bother. This new thought unhitched his smile a bit. It was Christmas. Where the fuck were Neste and Septi- oh, shit. They were there, right there, next to the Christmas tree with teacups on it. They looked rather 2D.

Naomi waved to the group and then pointed to the cutouts. He inwardly cringed at her animated antics. Why? Why embarrass him in front of everyone. Drawing a deep breath, he pushed onward and offered more prayers that his stepmother would ratchet down her eagerness before the day was through. It seemed she had gone back to her conversation with a newcomer. Good. Salvation! Or, at minimum, a moment of mercy for his cred.

"Amanda!" he called to the woman as they passed her group. "You coming to dinner?"

And then his own group whisked him away. He found himself in the pavilion and pushed towards a table. Others had already gathered, but the writer is tired and wishes to go the fuck to sleep. Let's just say most of his lot had settled down, minus the ones not in the dimension or the ones currently occupied with winter queens. Grim and Mikael were treated to their first view of aliens and cyborgs and androids, talking lizards and ponies, fuzzy Jedi and pretty godlings, and a host of humans and other strange beings.

[Giovenith]

Giovenith took a deep breath and pulled a small digital watch from her pocket, fiddling around with the buttons and setting alarms so that they would stay on schedule with the boar hunt. From there, she tried to settle her mind, as she didn't want her own tension to pollute the air and make others feel uncomfortable on Christmas. Though, to be fair, they probably had reason to be uncomfortable...

It was soon upon approaching the set up that something caused her to gasp. "Willow!" she said excitedly and ran over to the pony... only for the displaced air from her dash over to knock the cardboard cutout over. The godling gasped again, this time with more despair, before sighing and repropping the cardboard up. Not real then. Giovenith had an interesting relationship with Willow; think of going to the library and getting a book. You love that book, it's a very unique book, out of print and hard to find so you can only ever enjoy it by renting it out over and over. You would love to own the book, you think it would be great if you could put it on your shelf and keep it for yourself forever and ever, but unfortunately the book belongs to the library, you're just allowed to keep it around. Willow was the book and the pony queen was the library. He was more than just a friend to Giovenith, she wanted to own him and take care of him in that possessive way only gods could experience, but unfortunately he was locked up tight and had "PROPERTY OF PRINCESS CELESTIA" written all over him. She only allowed Giovenith to play with her toys but could take them back anytime. She could potentially try to steal him one day, but her mama had taught her better than that.

Giving the cutout one last extra adjustment, she reached into her pockets and began to set about her presents. Marcus received a kinetic sculpture set, art pieces that were machine-like in that their appeal came from the way they were built and moved. For Torii, a set of high-packing, heavy duty, all-badass Nerf guns! - hey, she wasn't about to buy the real things. Besides, it was something they could all play together with! For her kitty friend Nick she got a nice tall cat tree, with tilts made from real branches and lots of platforms to hop on, scratch, and hide in. She hoped he was enough of a regular kitty to like it. Sterling got a set of books on astronomy, thinking it would perhaps be a fun challenge for the scholar to gain an understanding of the radically different cosmological setup of this world. Myra got bracelets and a long necklace made from dragon pearls; the godling that they were not the same type of dragon, but she still felt it was an appropriate show of kinship. Nivea received a handsewn quilt made from patches with soothing imagery like turtles and smiley faces, hoping it would be a comfort in times to come. Everyone else received a small clay figure fusing several different animal shapes together to create what Giovenith thought best represented them.

Finally she sat down at the dinner table. It probably was best to fill up and get some energy before the hunt, so she immediately began to dig in, breaking and swallowing bones from meat whole as she did.

[Torsiedelle]

Torii was silent the rest of the way back.

The sudden festivities did little to aleviate her anxiety and anger. She couldn't be happy as long as danger loomed over their heads, and especially with her rifle missing. Couldn't anyone see that this was no matter to brush aside?

She tried not to stick out, although in her state she almost certainly did. She had her eyes glued to the ground, and her arm shaking while she kept a death grip on her handgun. She said little as others poked at the cutouts, and she didn't find herself having much of an apetite with her head full of negativity. If anything, she felt worse, thinking that she had ruined it by having her rifle taken and not being able to fight back.

She forced a smile and accepted Gio's gift, which left her even more bitter. Torii had no gifts to give. What could she do? She couldn't just not give anything, but...

She just didn't know. She wanted to sit down by her friend, but she didn't even feel comfortable near the table. Maybe she would just slink away back to her hut, or hide somewhere.

[The BranRiech]

Drova

"Torii?"

He'd snuck up behind her, not intending to of course. Drova was just quiet that way. He carried a few gifts under his arms, the least he could do on such short notice. His tent out on the beach was filled to the brim with pointless decorations, and a multitude of tapestries, that Drova considered that maybe some of them could be put to good use as presents. The boxes he carried were small enough that he needn't make two trips.

"Eh, yeah, Torii." He said again, setting the boxes down by his feet.

A glimpse of white hair caught his attention, over by the rest of the cutouts. He didn't let that get in the way of his friend though. "Uhm... Well." He stammered. He hadn't planned on meeting her like this, but she had to be the first person he ran into.

[Northwest Slobovia]

The Island

"All that is.. Odd. I have no idea what to make of it myself, and it somewhat seems Amanda doesn't either. Is there any indication about what happened inside of Lumbas? You already said there was no word about why he's in Alessio. Wait... is he still there?"

Mischief lit Amanda's eyes and smile. "Oh, I know what Sandy and Lumba discussed, and why he's going to Alessio. It's just not for sale."

"As for my trip into town yesterday, both Thaddeus and I needed to do a little shopping, and we had two newcomers who arrived with little more than the clothes on their backs. Neither of them seemed to want anything fancy, so the shops near UGA seemed like they'd do."

Jeanne didn't seem satisfied with that. "And then you visited the UGA tower."

Amanda's smile because positively impish. "I had another errand to run."

Jeanne sighed deeply. "Followed by a light working dinner with your new friends and a couple of strangers you wanted to hire. Purely coincidental." Silence from Amanda's side of the table. "Might as well get used to being followed, then. That sort of coincidence involving very interesting people attracts all sorts of attention."

"Amanda!" he called to the woman as they passed her group. "You coming to dinner?"

Amanda looked over her shoulder as the young man went by. "Be there in a minute, Marcus!" While rising from her seat, she added: "That seems to be the dinner bell." She swept the crumbs and scraps Plutarch had left from the table, then gathered up the remaining food. "I'll be right back."

"Right back!", echoed Plutarch, still perched on the table. Amanda returned momentarily, having put the left-overs on the first flat surface she could find in her cottage, followed by splashing water on her hands and face. That would have to do under the circumstances. "Shall we? Oh, Marin? I don't think the rest of the High Chosen need to be recorded."

"I'll turn my glasses--" Amanda's glare suggested she meant he should do something more. Reluctantly, he took his glasses off, leaving him squinting, even in the dining fly's shade. He pulled out the sunglasses he'd found with in his care package: very stylish, with Demen's sigils subtly etched into the upper corners of the lenses. He and Jeanne followed Amanda to the pavillion, with Plutarch now perched on her shoulder.