Outside 43: Where the sun hurts your eyes and burns your skin

[The Tower - Second Floor]

"I wonder if I should turn him into something," says Phil, assuming the man is unconscious or incapacitated. "He probably won't be a threat, but I'm not sure. I'd be in favor of giving him a new life. Of course, some people would say that's just an elaborate way of killing him."

Phil picks up his mask and casts a mid-charge repaired on it [a cheerful gasmask for binding]. Then he looks around the room for anything that might be useful. In particular he keeps an eye open for hints at the ideologies behind the decor in the tower. He's studied enough Power magic that he doesn't want something like it to catch him off guard.

[Beach]

"An' why can't we free ye both?" Michalson adds.

[Not-North Forest]

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Flaming Eagle

"No, I'm saying us sparring is probably the only way we'll both enjoy this experience."

Heck stares at Judy for a while, his brow furrowed. "You aren't gonna make this easy, are you?"

---

Judy smiles in return. "Well, that's not what I was hired for, was it." she waves her hand for him to follow. "Come on. I know a perfect place to go."

[Not-North Forest]

Heck barely stifles a grin as nods. "Lead the way, then." He says as he follows.

[Beach]

"We will continue to play our part in the continue cycles of creation in the cosmos, naturally."
"Actually, yes, though my part will actually be doing something. His part is to wait and eventually do nothing."
"And we don't really know that you can't free both of us, but we were told at the time of our imprisonment..."
"Go ahead and try to free him, but free me first, just in case it only works once. It won't make a difference anyway. It's not like he'll actually do anything once he's free."
"...we were told that only one of us could be freed, and that someone had to choose to free us. It couldn't happen accidentally."

The Tower- Second Floor

The guy slumps over, as his recent memory is completely wiped and his brain tries to recreate a functional person when the last twenty or so years are now missing.

The gasmask changes shape, growing a pair of Mickey Mouse ears and a smiley grin. The next time it is worn, it will attempt to permanently bind itself to the wearer's face.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Arkhosia

Wir Sind Die Jaeger

The 7-meter tall giant enters the clearing, its Ken Doll Physiology as obvious as its bloated stomach and disproportionately long arms. a large head, tilted to the side as it stares vacantly ahead with glasy blue eyes and a creepy grin, lies upon its form.
Sophia doesn't seem fazed in the least by the horrors of the uncanny valley, and swiftly moves to action. a grappling hook launches from her gear and she takes a swinging start from the trees about the clearing, moving behind the giant with great celerity. The titan shifts to face the new opponent and runs towards her with arms waving side-to-side a she swings by its flank, and attempts to swing an arm and grab her. She swiftly uses gas jets to boost out out of the way, hooking to the arm and using her blades to unhand the giant. It reels in pain as steam billows from the stump, Sophia firing a hook between the giant's eyes and speeding at its face. She flings her blades into the titan's eyes, ejecting them from the handles and drawing new ones as she changes direction and arcs over the blindly flailing titan to deliver a swift, deep cut vertically downwards the titan's body in a blink-and-you'd-miss spin attack. the titan's nape is cut and it falls over and begins decaying, Sophia landing upon the forest floor with graceful ease as titan blood upon her outfit steams and dissipates

---

[Wir Sind Die Jaeger]

Mimi watches as the monster goes down. That sure was quick. Once it's all done she flits over to Sophia. "Pretty good I guess. Didn't look all that tough, though!" She claims.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Terumitsu

[The Woods]

"It's a short term detriment for a long-term benefit. I'd estimate maybe.. Three or so days on the outside.." Riss said, making a last push for her side of the conversation. Really, there couldn't be anything so desperate that just a few days would result in the world coming to an end... Comparatively, of course. "Maybe if there ever comes a time where you'd have a few days of rest or something.." she said, ending with a bit of a shrug. She didn't feel like pushing the issue too much would result in anything more than resistance so she felt leaving it at that would be fine.

"I mean.. I could probably make a sleave of some kind that could just work on a local area so that you wouldn't have to give up days at a time but it wouldn't do much to help you in the long-term." she added as the thought came to her. It was the boring option, though, as that was just like applying a bandage that only fixed the surface problem. Really, it was a little puzzling to her that someone wouldn't want to enhance themselves and cite such a stipulation in the process when the benefits were so comparatively much greater. She would have to ask Mimi about that later.

---

[The Woods]

"If you could give me something that wouldn't put me out of commission for so long I would gladly accept, but otherwise I can't." Lillian shakes her head.

"Mom's kinda really busy all the time." Mimi offers as a small explanation. She knows that her mom won't budge on this once her mind is made up. She's so stubborn.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gulaghar

[Wir Sind Die Jaeger]

Mimi watches as the monster goes down. That sure was quick. Once it's all done she flits over to Sophia. "Pretty good I guess. Didn't look all that tough, though!" She claims.

---

It's only because of lots of practice and learning from the fatal mistakes of many. I know I sound like a broken record at this point, so I'll just say that the unit I worked in, the one that actually went out and fought titans on a regular basis, had a 40% mortality rate for every time we fought.
Sophia replies, sheathing her blades as she does so.
Not to say we didn't have our own veteran warriors. If you think I made it look easy, you should see Lance Corporal Levi sometime. He nearly bested a shifter like me, which is saying something as we still have intelligence.

The Tower- Second Floor

Sorry, forgot that you guys were searching stuff. Both characters have pretty much ignored looting previously, so it slipped my mind.

The unconscious Mr. Hawaii has his heat vision goggles. The other bodies around him each has a club, tattered and ill-fitting clothing, and one has a knuckleduster in a pocket whilst another has a box of nine .308 rifle rounds. Ms. Wedding Dress has her pistol, and twenty bullets chambered for it. Mr. Hammer has a lump of bone in his pocket, carved into a Y-shape and with a smaller Y-shape pointed in the other direction bolted on. The Bone Charm makes its holder quieter when they move, so sneaking is easier. It doesn't affect noise deliberately produced, however; so musical instruments and talking are unaffected. Mr. Bowie Knife has his large knife, and also a silver amulet depicting a two-tailed comet around his neck.

In the apartment used as a torture chamber, there's a dead man stripped and tied to the bed, badly beaten; all four limbs are broken, and so are many ribs, his skull, jaw, nose and several other bones. There's an ornate flask made of cuendillar, an indestructible white material whose making has been lost for three thousand years perched upon a cask of Dunwall Whiskey.

Under the sofa in the apartment with the beaded curtain is a sword with a chain-driven blade marked with a two-headed aquila and the words 'CADIAN MXXXIII' stencilled on the blade. There's also a jewellery box with a broken lock containing a gold ring shaped like a serpent eating its own tail, a silver sword-shaped pin, and an orange, spiky stone. In the bathroom, the sink has been filled with water and red food dye, candles perched upon the edge and a small red banner hangs above it; the banner is emblazoned with a black rose-like flower with exaggerated petals.

The Tower - Second Floor

((WoT references all across the board here, awesome. 40k references come in as a nice second.))

Phil is particularly attracted to anything that looks like a magic artifact, so he examines the Y-shaped bone charm, the serpent ring, and the comet amulet. He does dwell a bit on the chain-sword but decides that he probably couldn't wield it anyway.

"Hotaru, you want this? I don't think Zither would care about it. I want to experiment on it, if you don't mind," Phil says, pointing to the chainsword. "I've seen weapons like this before. I think I can turn it into a different weapon from the same universe. Something much more powerful than the weapons I usually can generate."

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Earl of Purple

The guy slumps over, as his recent memory is completely wiped and his brain tries to recreate a functional person when the last twenty or so years are now missing.

The gasmask changes shape, growing a pair of Mickey Mouse ears and a smiley grin. The next time it is worn, it will attempt to permanently bind itself to the wearer's face.

The unconscious Mr. Hawaii has his heat vision goggles. The other bodies around him each has a club, tattered and ill-fitting clothing, and one has a knuckleduster in a pocket whilst another has a box of nine .308 rifle rounds. Ms. Wedding Dress has her pistol, and twenty bullets chambered for it. Mr. Hammer has a lump of bone in his pocket, carved into a Y-shape and with a smaller Y-shape pointed in the other direction bolted on. The Bone Charm makes its holder quieter when they move, so sneaking is easier. It doesn't affect noise deliberately produced, however; so musical instruments and talking are unaffected. Mr. Bowie Knife has his large knife, and also a silver amulet depicting a two-tailed comet around his neck.

In the apartment used as a torture chamber, there's a dead man stripped and tied to the bed, badly beaten; all four limbs are broken, and so are many ribs, his skull, jaw, nose and several other bones. There's an ornate flask made of cuendillar, an indestructible white material whose making has been lost for three thousand years perched upon a cask of Dunwall Whiskey.

Under the sofa in the apartment with the beaded curtain is a sword with a chain-driven blade marked with a two-headed aquila and the words 'CADIAN MXXXIII' stencilled on the blade. There's also a jewellery box with a broken lock containing a gold ring shaped like a serpent eating its own tail, a silver sword-shaped pin, and an orange, spiky stone. In the bathroom, the sink has been filled with water and red food dye, candles perched upon the edge and a small red banner hangs above it; the banner is emblazoned with a black rose-like flower with exaggerated petals.

---

The Tower- Second Floor

Hotaru squeals in delight when she spots the whiskey. That, along with the flask canteen (which she declares now her standard drinking material) and the are her top picks. She gives the bone charm to Phil, because she can be very quiet when she wants to be, and keeps the rifle rounds for Zither.

Everything else gets to be picked apart by both her and Phil, and the next thing she happens upon is the jewelery box and its contents. "Phil? What do you make of this?"

The Tower - Second Floor

"The ring is a classic symbol, though I didn't feel anything different when I touched it. It may still have something though. The pin is a sword and didn't make me feel anything special either. Clearly a martial symbol of some sort. Possibly a sign or rank or achievement for a soldier." ((WoT is not connected to Phil's universe))

Phil focuses a mid-grade beam at the chainsword. Weapon.

[bug command unit] ((randomly generated from a table of sci-fi weapons. As always, adjust as you see fit.))

[Beach]

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Nalix

"We will continue to play our part in the continue cycles of creation in the cosmos, naturally."
"Actually, yes, though my part will actually be doing something. His part is to wait and eventually do nothing."
"And we don't really know that you can't free both of us, but we were told at the time of our imprisonment..."
"Go ahead and try to free him, but free me first, just in case it only works once. It won't make a difference anyway. It's not like he'll actually do anything once he's free."
"...we were told that only one of us could be freed, and that someone had to choose to free us. It couldn't happen accidentally."

---

I sense no Free Magic about these orbs, but this world is not like the Old Kingdom; they may still be dangerous. And if so, they can't be left for someone less wary. "I need more time to decide," Tyrael says aloud, his hands removing the fourth bell from his bandolier - carefully, so that it cannot sound by accident - "and time is something I am short of at the moment. I shall take you with me, to decide later." With that, he rang Dyrim, the Speaker, a clear, pretty note singing through the seaside air. Tyrael focused his will upon the twin spheres, so that Dyrim would still their voices.

[Outside Outside]

"Hpfh." He lifts the fingers of his right hand, maybe half an inch apart. "I've seen 'em. A little thing about yay wide and so high, comes bubbling out 'ya mouth when you're dead an that's all of what you are. That's it. People make a fuss for it but it's not much more'n you are in living." Achka settles back in the seat, finding his place between the rumbling engine and the juddering spaces as the wheels climbs over the countless stones and falls of the lonely little path. He still winces, of course, and looks faintly green as the headlights turn and swing, but he can live. It's nothing but an overgrown carriage.
"An you may as well stop being such a mystery. I've made my mind up. Ain't gonna scare me back into the cold and the bare stone, waiting to turn into some long-neck goat, graze on grass all day. Not gonna have the next sap acolyte pokin' through me, lookin' to see if I've happened to chew up some wisdom." The monk plants his hooves against the partition, bracing himself against the shuddering ride. He folds his hands behind his head. "I'm going where you're going."

[Beach]

"Sounds like a whole lotta headache for nothin' to me," Michalson says with a shrug. "Take 'em if ye want, then let's be on our way."

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Arkhosia

It's only because of lots of practice and learning from the fatal mistakes of many. I know I sound like a broken record at this point, so I'll just say that the unit I worked in, the one that actually went out and fought titans on a regular basis, had a 40% mortality rate for every time we fought.
Sophia replies, sheathing her blades as she does so.
Not to say we didn't have our own veteran warriors. If you think I made it look easy, you should see Lance Corporal Levi sometime. He nearly bested a shifter like me, which is saying something as we still have intelligence.

---

[Wir Sind Die Jaeger]

Mimi looks past her at the decomposing corpse again. "So you just hunt those things all the time? Just cuz they're dangerous? You're not getting anything out of them." The other bodies being gone makes that pretty clear to her.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gulaghar

[Wir Sind Die Jaeger]

Mimi looks past her at the decomposing corpse again. "So you just hunt those things all the time? Just cuz they're dangerous? You're not getting anything out of them." The other bodies being gone makes that pretty clear to her.

---

Back home, it was because humanity was confined to a single massive city and hid behind walls from the titans. My branch of the military, the Recon Corps, went outside the walls to slay titans and hopefully, one day, reclaim the vast tracts of land we'd lost. I still hunt them myself because I've seen how grisly an end a titan can give, and that there are few roaming colossi to fight against so there are few creatures im suited best to kill.
Sophia sighs.
Little beats the thrill of a good hunt, but few creatures ive seen can do that.

[Pit Town]

Business as unusual.
A few people flew away on the Union's rescue ship, and there've been a few disturbing phonecalls, tears and threats. But nothing's really changed.

Exotic physical and magical radiation shrieks out of the pit, up into the sky, only fountaining out well above the new, ramshackle town gathered around it.
Constant construction carries on. Thirty buildings have become thirty five, and the foundation for a large many-circled something is being laid.
More rope has been laid in, the winches becoming a nearly permanent feature at the pit's edge.
And far from fading away, the silent song has been growing stronger, spilling across the surrounding countryside.
Come. Listen. The solution to all your problems is here.

http://i431.photobucket.com/albums/q...tionwanted.png

[Not-North Forest -> Dancing Fox Inn]

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Flaming Eagle

Heck barely stifles a grin as nods. "Lead the way, then." He says as he follows.

---

Judy will lead the way to the Dancing Fox Inn.

The Tower- Second Floor

I'm afraid the flask is a decorative one, not a hipflask; more a container for mulled wine or something waiting to be poured in a palace.

The Sun Stone in the jewellery box does emit unusual energy, but as I'm pretty sure neither Hotaru or Phil are secretly pokemon, I doubt it affects them.

The chainsword changes, the casing turning the glossy black of a beetle's carapace, the teeth becoming shiny white shark-like teeth. The words change, too, to THE GREAT DEVOURER. Whoever holds it, gains telepathic control over most standard insects, and also protection from mental attacks by psychic Tyranids and also acts as a synapse creature, able to direct any Rippers or Gaunts they may come into contact with... Unless a true Tyranid synapse creature is close enough to control them, anyway.

[The Woods]

Well at least this much could be considered a 'victory' of some kind although the muse wasn't sure that was really what you would call convincing someone to be healed. "Right.. Well it will take a little while to put together but I can have something ready for when we or at least when Mimi next visits." Riss said, subtly adding emphasis to her last few words as she gently tightened her hold on Mimi. Of course, she was also a bit to blame for not inquiring more after her pixie's family than she did but.. Well.. She didn't exactly have the best track record with the term to where it would have felt worthwhile until quite recently.

Still, she understood now where Mimi got her stubborn streak from.

Though.. Well.. Now what? That was all she really had on the matter seeing how Lillian didn't really seem the type to care about the more technical aspects and Riss was unsure what topic to move onto next... Though really she wanted to wrap things up here soon and get going back home.. Or at least get a little time to start testing out the changes inflicted on her now that she was aware of them.

[PASTURE OF GENESIS]
[LUNAR INFLUENCE: Phase 2/8]

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Arkhosia

Akane nods, and unleashes a volley of vermillion fae energy at the Mighty Poo Glob of Limited Intelligence, testing to see its response.

---

The amorphous creature reels from Akane's attack! Sadly, however, it does not succumb from a single barrage, only flopping backwards before it rights itself...as much as a mostly-shapeless pile *can* right itself. It starts to edge forward, but before it gets too far, its nearly-empty gaze shifts to Coriolis, who has started to glow strangely. His image is fading into black, the tattoos on his back are glowing with a pale, ethereal light, and isometric-looking lines are trailing outward from their outlines, spreading across his entire body. A few seconds later, a column of light engulfs him, and from it emerges an entirely different entity. Standing over seven feet tall, this lithe, off-white-skinned being strikes a much more imposing figure, clad in thin, pale-green armor, carrying a pair of bronze-feathered wings on its back, and clenching the gauntlet-clad fists on four arms. Its head is devoid of any semblance of eyes and instead features only a lipless, abnormally-wide mouth, lined with large, keen-edged teeth.

"Much better," says the creature in a snarling, slightly-deeper tone of Coriolis' voice.

((Guh, sorry for the wait on this one. I was running a bit short on ideas for the exact transformation for a while, trying to come up with a proper form for Corey's Asura.))

The Tower- Second Floor

In that case, Hotaru discards it on sight, going straight for the whiskey. The design of the flask does make her wonder about getting a new one...

((I'd have loved to have had that one to adjust, but Earl basically did the same thing I was thinking. Our definition of 'bug' is different, though.))

"Classic and martial symbols... oh, and this sunstone. I get the feeling I should show this to my pikachu... I wonder if swampotaur is okay waiting in the van... bad move, girl!" She facepalms, then pockets the sun stone. Maybe it wasn't a bad move, though, Mr. Swampotaur isn't a stealthy one...

As an afterthought, she grabs the pistol bullets and pocket them. Maybe Phil would help empower them for her to use as 'railgun' projectiles... "Want this flask, Phil? You look like a wine guy."

On seeing the bathroom, Hotaru stiffens for a short moment. "What the darn heck is this?" She half-whispers, half-chokes out... then she starts laughing. "Phil! Ehehehehe.... get in here, man!"

The Tower - Second Floor

Phil picks up the bug blade and begins to sense nearby insects. Oh yes, he can think of ways to use this. He's about to put it in his backpack when Hotaru calls to him, so he has it in his hand when he goes to see her.

"Wines are fine," says Phil, "though you know I'm used to drinking all sorts of things. What is it?" he asks in response to her latest question and laughter, sticking his head into the bathroom.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Nalix

"We will continue to play our part in the continue cycles of creation in the cosmos, naturally."
"Actually, yes, though my part will actually be doing something. His part is to wait and eventually do nothing."
"And we don't really know that you can't free both of us, but we were told at the time of our imprisonment..."
"Go ahead and try to free him, but free me first, just in case it only works once. It won't make a difference anyway. It's not like he'll actually do anything once he's free."
"...we were told that only one of us could be freed, and that someone had to choose to free us. It couldn't happen accidentally."

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Abhorsen

I sense no Free Magic about these orbs, but this world is not like the Old Kingdom; they may still be dangerous. And if so, they can't be left for someone less wary. "I need more time to decide," Tyrael says aloud, his hands removing the fourth bell from his bandolier - carefully, so that it cannot sound by accident - "and time is something I am short of at the moment. I shall take you with me, to decide later." With that, he rang Dyrim, the Speaker, a clear, pretty note singing through the seaside air. Tyrael focused his will upon the twin spheres, so that Dyrim would still their voices.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Morty

"Sounds like a whole lotta headache for nothin' to me," Michalson says with a shrug. "Take 'em if ye want, then let's be on our way."

---

(Reposting for ease of reference and so Nalix doesn't double post.)

[Beach]

The orbs remain silent in the sand. Tyrael can take them if he wants to. Carrying them will probably have no effect.

[Beach]

Tyrael picks up the orbs and puts them into his pack. "All right, let's move on. Hopefully we'll find the ship soon."

[Beach]

"Sure. Once ye've stayed 'ere for a while, you'll get used to this kind o' thing happening," Michalson says as he walks along the shore again. "Weirdness just pops up."

[Beach]

After walking a little while longer, Tyrael and Michalson round a bend in the shore and see another beached boat. This one is in somewhat worse condition than Tyrael's was, and seems to be abandoned.

"I think this might be it."

[Beach]

"Doesn't look like anyone's in it, though. Either your quarry sank to the bottom, or gave this place the laugh," Michalson observes. "We won't know 'till we search it."