[ACRO] Outside VIII: We cater birthday parties

[The Bushranger]

((Meep! Sorry I missed this earlier...
And, welcome back! ))

Brendan is busy looking around the university, and checking to see if any of the flickering lights are octarine.

He's distracted by the voice calling in his direction, and turns to look. Hm? Oh, I'm sorry, you must have me confused with someone else.

[Recaiden]

((That's alright. And hey! I'm glad to be home.))

The light on the central tower is.

That guy looks a bit confused. And they've been walking even closer. Oh, sorry. I was sure I felt-
No, you're right. Look at the fireproofing charms, interrupts the girl next to him, pointing at something in the bag.

2 others get out instruments, a dowsing rod and a hypnotism wheel, and the others start looking around them, expecting to see someone else.

What is this? wonders Ashna.

[The Bushranger]

It is?...oh dear.

I have no idea, Brendan whispers back, before clearing his throat. What I am is this fine lady's bodyguard, so I'll have to ask just what is going on here?

[Recaiden]

Oh, and it's connected by random bolts of lightning to the other ones. Nothing bad, I'm sure.

We're just taking these things up to the tower on 5th street. It's 9thday, there's no classes.
The one with the wheel taps him on the shoulder and shows them something on it. They all look back at Brendan and Ashna.
Her? But how would they get out of the tower?
Maybe the church meant it.

They continue discussing among themselves, ignoring Brendan.

((Short deadtime))

[The Bushranger]

Of course not...

Brendan clears his throat pointedly, resting a hand on his hip. Under his coat.
Which happens to be on the butt of his revolver, not that they can see that...
I beg your pardon, sirs, madams, but can somebody please explain why you find the two of us so fascinating? I don't like being fascinating to strange people. It makes me...twitchy.

[Recaiden]

Yeah, this is getting to be a bit odd.

The aura around one of you; we can't tell which one really. A great fiery thing. She nods, like this should be obvious.
See, you're Peter, and have amnesia. says the first.
Or she's Ashna, but we heard Ashna was dead too, he adds.
Or maybe Luna, if you could have snuk out and cut your hair, suggests the girl with the dowsing rod.
Or either of you could be part of her family, magically aged. The man shrugs, and slings the bag onto his other shoulder.
Or maybe you just left the wastes now, and have never been seen before, but the odds of that are, what would you say?
Couple trillion to one?
Come to think of it, you could be some sort of semisomajechimera made out of clones and infused with souls dragged through a reconfigured obelisk, right?
There's a pause, and a turning to look at him. How do you come up with this stuff, Derrick?
Okay, so probably not.
Anyway, whichever is true, you're coming with us to see the Valencis.

They walk a bit past Brendan and Ashna, and wait to make sure they follow. Never acting as though Brendan might be dangerous, or that they could disagree.

[The Bushranger]

Brendan's eyebrows climb throughout the conversation.
And, at one point, he leans over torwards Ashna and whispers very quietly.
Seems you're lookin' pretty good for bein' dead, love...

As they pause to wait, Brendan clears his throat.
'Name's Aiden Brown, and I've always been who I am. I'm not this Peter person. And if you think me an' milady are comin' along to see anybody, well, I really don't think so. So how about y'all just, y'know, forget you saw us? All this magic 'round here can make people think funny things.

Derrick being Exhibit A.

[Recaiden]

Ashna smiles and nods quickly to him. Who are these- Right. Back up Brendan's story. I've got no idea who those are, sorry.

Nonsense! You see, you really can't be Peter or anyone, now that we see you closely.
But she could easily be Ashna. Or part of Luna's family.
How is it we can't tell?
They looks pretty alike, don't they?
I guess so. I never realized so much.
Anyway, as long as you're not here to assassinate King Stephen-
Which would be a problem.
You're looking for Luna. Or you'll want to be looking for Luna.
We'll show you the way.

Yeah. The magic must be getting to him.

[The Bushranger]

Brendan is doing everything he can not to facepalm.
Yes. Quite. Please, lead the way.
Clearly, his thought is the sooner they humour these lunatics the sooner they'll be rid of them.

[Recaiden]

Who's this Luna? Ashna gets more and more concerned as their conversation wears on.

The 3rd one of you, of course.
I knew you'd come around.
Skates?
Skates.
Skates?
I bet the cultists are coming already. The second we leave the gates-
-they'll be after us like dinosaurs after a skimmer.
What? You afraid to die?
Running's more fun anyway.
Just put on the skates.
She's got to live, anyway.

There's a sparkle around all they're feet, and at Brendan's and Ashna's.
They set off as if ice skating across the open ground. Really fast.

Come on. So-
-What finally brought you here to find her?

[The Bushranger]

Brendan shakes his head helplessly, finding him quite unable to keep up mentally with the crazy people. "Like I said. I'm her bodyguard. Where she goes, I follow." He gives Ashna a smile that indicates he means that as much more than a mere bodyguard.

[Recaiden]

Then start skating!
I give it 3 more seconds before trackers kick in.
They've at some point switched their magic tools for strange looking guns.

Ashna decides it can't hurt to follow them. She gives Brendan a knowing smile as they leave. The crazy folk race along up ramps and along the city bridges.

So what does-
-Ashna need with a bodyguard?
I bet it's a cover. I mean, she's with fighting like-
-the Valencis with emotion. So really we-
-know we're safe. Even if you do insist on-
-fighting with a hammer instead of any-
-modern weapon, you could probably take all of us at once. Except for-
-Luna, with your 7th seal closed like that. Although a paladin might still have an edge,-
-right? So what are you really Mr. Brown?
This finishing each others sentences thing is getting odd.

((Shortish deadtime))

[Lex-Kat]

[Poplar Island]

Melody and Reinholdt continue to search for Gersemi.

[The Bushranger]

Brendan follows, smiling back at Ashna, then listening to the seemingly hive-minded kids with bemusement, shaking his head. What am I really? I'm just zis guy, you know? And if we were covering anything, I don't think I'd tell it to a bunch of strangers out in the open...

[Recaiden]

Here's her tower. I'd have thought we'd be ambushed by now, right?
They'll be waiting when we come out the elevator at the top.
No way. Security's as tight as by the king. They must be coming after us while in the elevator.
Ashna, can you still supercharge airship rings? I see you're hiding your fires away, so maybe not.

They have indeed arrived at an elevator, and the kids have gone in. It'll start up when Brendan steps inside.

I...what?

The cultists are going to show up-
-in attack airships while we're in this elevator.
Unless we're really lucky and they haven't found you.

There is, in fact, a humming sound getting louder. Might be something, might not.

Who?

-do you think killed Peter? I hope he comes back soon. she adds as an aside.

((Still gone a while longer.))

[The Bushranger]

((Bedtime for me, so, see ya))

Look, kids, you're confusing both me and her. Clearly you've figured out who she is, Brendan sounds somewhat perturbed by this, So if we are about to be attacked by somebody, I'd really, really like to know who is trying to kill the woman I'm in love with.

Whoops, that slipped out.

[Recaiden]

((Oh. Goodnight.))

Silly Brendan.

They don't seem to care if he's annoyed by it.
Just some nuts. Named themselves after some gemstone. Emerald?
Jade. Jade Talon. They're trying to confirm that -
-the undead can be recombined with symbiont spirits. So they can reconnect their leader to the underworld or some such mad thing. But really, they got lucky in killing Peter. We'll be totally fine-
Wait. Did you really say that? She, and then the other 5, start to laugh. So against what we hear. Good for you then. If you mean it. Luna could tell. Ha.
He does!

There's what appears to be a perfectly normal ocean ship, except for the spikes of crystal along its axes, flying up between the towers.

Well, false alarm. They shouldn't be here, but that's not a-
- talon ship. But that is. Blow the crystals, if you can. He points out a little spinning one, fanciful and manta ray shaped, behind it. The elevator's almost to the destination. Starting to slow down.

Sure, I get it now. Ashna waves at the little ship, and nothing at all happens.

[happyturtle]

[Poplar Island]

Melody and Reinholdt continue to search for Gersemi.

"Come with me. There's something wrong with her," One of the villagers says. He leads them into the largest house in the village, and takes them through to a locked door. "Please understand... we didn't do this to be cruel. The Seidhkona is very dear to us. She delivered most of the children in the village. We would never harm her."

[The Bushranger]

(Ashna's World)

Brendan listens with a mixture of bemusement and annoyance, not sure if he should just grab Ashna and rush back to the train station or continue to put up with this mixed bag o' nuts.

At the pointing out of the 'enemy ship', though, and seeing that when Ashna does...well...whatever it is she's supposed to be doing, the waving, it does nothing, he produces his pistol from under his coat, snapping the magazine into place.

Pardon me.

And, aiming carefully at the manta-ray ship (and judging his field of fire where the spent bullets are likely to fall), he squeezes off a three-round burst.

BLAMBLAMBLAM

This may or may not have to blast its way out of the elevator first, in which case he'll fire off a second burst through the hole the first one made...

[Reinholdt]

"Come with me. There's something wrong with her," One of the villagers says. He leads them into the largest house in the village, and takes them through to a locked door. "Please understand... we didn't do this to be cruel. The Seidhkona is very dear to us. She delivered most of the children in the village. We would never harm her."

"But?"
Cause there is clearly a but and he's just holding it back. Spit it out! And maybe open the door while you're at it.

[happyturtle]

[Poplar Island]

He opens the door. Gersemi is tied to a bed by wide strips of fabric, and another strip of fabric, twisted into a rope, has been forced between her teeth and tied in place. She seems to be asleep. A young man is sitting by the bed, softly playing a stringed instrument.

[Recaiden]

[Luna's House's Building]

No, the elevator is really just an open platform. At least one of the bullets hits a figure who just came onto the top of the little ship. It softly explodes.

It's must be air-powered, not fire-powered like most of them.

Pardoned. Nice shot getting the skull like -
Is that a real metal slug gun? Wow.
That could seriously mess up the crystals.
If you could make that shot. Seriously? That's just about impossible. Oh, shouldn't we be shooting? A pack of little blue rays shoots out of that gun. Just misses the port edge. It's followed up with a blast of fire and what seem to be tiny fish from the other guns, which actually manage to hit it. And do a little damage.

The elevator grinds to a halt. In between floors, 2 down from where they were going.

That's no good. Think this is-
-climbable? Maybe. How'd they do that?

Ashna has gotten out a similarly odd gun, and waits for another target. It couldn't hurt the ship itself. Which is weaving closer and higher.

[Lex-Kat]

[Poplar Island]

He opens the door. Gersemi is tied to a bed by wide strips of fabric, and another strip of fabric, twisted into a rope, has been forced between her teeth and tied in place. She seems to be asleep. A young man is sitting by the bed, softly playing a stringed instrument.

Melody just stares at the situation, mouth dropped wide open. She.... she's lost for words.

[The Bushranger]

[Ashna's World - Luna's House's Building]

At least they don't shoot whales and pots of petunias.

Yes, yes it is, where I come from they're common as dirt, Brendan observes, deciding to show off a little...

...by trying to draw a bead on the crystals on the manta-ray ship, at the base of them, then squeezing the trigger and holding it down, emptying the magazine (about another 12 or so shots) in one burst, letting the recoil lift the muzzle to track up them...

BRRRRRRRAAAPPPPPPP!!

[Recaiden]

[Ashna's World - Luna's House's Building]

Well no. How could a petunia hurt someone?

No wonder he was so annoyed.
We didn't realize you...
They're a bit distracted by the crystals cracking open, the wind rushing by, and the little ship falling down. Hope it doesn't hit anybody.

Good shooting. says Ashna, putting away her gun.

And the elevator lurches back up.

[The Bushranger]

[Ashna's World - Luna's House's Building]



Thank you, love. Brendan, realising the cat is completely out of the bag so there's no point pretending anymore, smiles and changes magazines before slipping the pistol back under his coat.
Now, then. He turns to the group with a somewhat more satisfied expression. Seems blowing away one's enemies is theraupetic. You didn't realise what?

[Recaiden]

[Ashna's World - Luna's House's Building]

Oh, right.

You're very welcome. she says, smiling.

That you weren't from around here. And I don't want to think about - what a place where slug guns are common would be like. A shudder runs through them all.

And they're at the balcony, the elevator stopped again.

[The Bushranger]

Probably not too different from a place where magic is common as dirt, Brendan points out levelly as he goes to take Ashna's hand. Is this our stop?

[Recaiden]

I don't know. Better to have than have not, right?
And yes it is. How'd you guess?

Ashna takes his hand as she steps out of the elevator.

The kids have drifted over to a set of doors with a pair of guards standing by them.
They're with us.

[The Bushranger]

Better to have it and not need it, BR says.

"It being the end of the line is a good sign," Brendan chuckles. He gives Ashna's hand a squeeze as they go to follow the kids. "Any ideas what's going on here?" he whispers to her.