[Nexus] Outside XXIX

[Lady Serpentine]

[Caves of Virtue]

When Spec dives off, and out of sight, Trium shouts "V'noxis!", which, assuming magic works properly here, makes her start giving off cold blue light at a level equivalent to that of an open field at noon on a sunny day.

And, once she's very likely temporarily blinded her girlfriend, the mage hastily, but cautiously, so as not to fall off, advances towards the edge of the platform, and tries to see where the assassin landed.

[Lex-Kat]

{Melody's Island}

Happy is just sitting and watching.

"They've been quiet as a cat." Reinholdt explains, standing to help Melody pass out the gifts should she need it.

Each gift is already bundled carefully as Meldoy hands them to Reinholdt to pass them out. This one's for Estia, and this one's Lyanna's. And here's Jezebelle's. And the last one's for Momma.

I didn't know you'd be here Momma. But since you are, I won't have to hunt you down. she says happily.

Happy's gift is in a jewelry box.

Lyanna

Spoiler

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Estia

Spoiler

Show

Jezebelle

Spoiler

Show

Happy

Spoiler

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[Reinholdt]

{Melody's Island}

Reinholdt passes each out in turn. Even the one for Happy if Melody didn't give it to her herself.

"We kinda had to guess just a little. I hope they all fit."

[happyturtle]

Melody's Island

"Thank you, darling. It's beautiful," Happy says. She puts it on at once, not requiring any help to clasp the bracelet, because shapeshifter.

[The Alexandrian]

[Caves of Virtue]

Spec lies on her back not far from the ledge. She doesn't appear to be in any major distress. Nothing important is broken. Her pride must be hurt, though. Perhaps her lower torso is bruised. At least she hasn't been impaled!

She holds her hands out in front of her as Trium thoughtlessly blinds her!

"Ouchie!"

She complains.

She evidently has not spotted the magical torches as of yet. She does remember the cave-in well, though.

"Oh my..."

"Trium? Trium, are you alright?"

She hasn't moved yet. Frozen in fear is she.

The earth better not have crushed Trium. She'll blow it all up if it has!

[Lex-Kat]

{Melody's Island}

Reinholdt passes each out in turn. Even the one for Happy if Melody didn't give it to her herself.

"We kinda had to guess just a little. I hope they all fit."

"Thank you, darling. It's beautiful," Happy says. She puts it on at once, not requiring any help to clasp the bracelet, because shapeshifter.

I'm glad you like it, Momma. Melody tries to hug Happy.

Lyanna and Estia will hug Melody from behind, even if she somehow misses the Happy hug.

Yes, thank you so much, Melody and Reinholdt. I'm not sure I can ever repay your kindness.

Melody's too busy with hugs to properly reply, for the moment.

[Reinholdt]

{Melody's Island}

"I'd probably be happier if you didn't. Just try not to get them too dirty, ok girls?" Reinholdt says with a smile.

"Well I need to get going. It's starting to get a bit dark." Reinholdt says, glancing out the window.

[Lex-Kat]

{Melody's Island}

Jezebelle goes over and tries to give Reinholdt a hug. At least accept this.

Lyanna and Estia will try to give hugs to Reinholdt as well.

[happyturtle]

Melody's Island

Happy accepts the hug from Melody, but refrains from hugging Reinholdt, for both their sakes.

[Reinholdt]

Melody's Island

It's not like they haven't hugged before. While mostly naked.

Anyways, Rein graciously accepts the hugs.
"See you next week, alright?" Rein says, finding it difficult to move in the pile.

[Lex-Kat]

{Melody's Island}

Yay! Lyanna just nods happily. Jezebelle quietly packs up the three dresses and carries them to their rooms.

The girls soon follow, ready to go to bed after a looooong, and excititing day.

Melody hugs Reinholdt, or tries to. Thanks again.

[Reinholdt]

{Melody's Island}

Reinholdt takes some extra time hugging Melody.
"Of course. Anytime."

[Mina Kobold]

[Outside of Trog's]

AM4 barely manages to turn at the sound before the hits know the automaton off the ground, a sickening shriek revealing a joint dislodging as the three combatants fall. The turned head saves AM4 from the worst blow, but still leaves a pair of cuts from the Gnolls claws. While the glow brightens from the machine's eyes, no beam is triggered this time. However, a memory is instead.

"Qauternarius, though I --- Throw them off! Release the downtro ---!"

Normally, a disjointed memory would only hamper a fighter. But the dazed robot Obeys this one.

AM4's upper body bolts around on a spine unhindered by human muscle and aims a fist at the head-clawing Gnoll's shoulder, strengthened by the velocity.

[Lex-Kat]

{Melody's Island}

Reinholdt takes some extra time hugging Melody.
"Of course. Anytime."

Melody lets go of the hug. Well, you better get back to Ermine.

[Reinholdt]

{Melody's Island}

"Ah... yes. Bye everyone! See you next week." Reinholdt says, letting go and then going to leave.

[Lex-Kat]

{Melody's Island}

After Reinholdt leaves, Melody will go back inside the cottage. Momma, I'm going back to GLoG, and then probably the Mall again. Would you like me to get you anything?

[happyturtle]

Melody's Island

"Maybe a chocolate bar. I haven't had one in a while," Happy says. "How are you doing for money?"

[Lex-Kat]

{Melody's Island}

I think I could afford a chocolate bar. Melody smiles. I am almost out though.

[happyturtle]

Melody's Island

Happy moved the loose floorboard under the sofa and took out a jingly pouch to give to her daughter. A few times a year, she went to the Raven's Nest and mined for gemstones in the little crevice he had found, and sold them to jewellers and collectors. It was enough to keep the coffers filled and to allow the islanders to purchase supplies they couldn't barter for. "I don't like you being without money. You should always have at least 100 gold on you."

[Lex-Kat]

{Melody's Island}

Momma! Melody gasps. Where'd you get this? she whsipers conspiratorially as she takes the offered gold. And why one hundred? she asks, adding confusion to the conspiracy.

[happyturtle]

Melody's Island

"One hundred just seems like a good number. Enough to satisfy most muggers, or to bribe someone if you're in trouble," Happy says. "You remember Uncle Raven's gemstones? I go to his mine sometimes to get more of them."

[Terumitsu]

[North Forest]

Walks were supposed to be calming, right? Therapeutic, soothing, alleviates stress.. I want to know whoever first said that so I can shoot them. A very lost and highly tense muse was trudging through the brush while leading along an abomination on a leash. One of the smaller, two headed sort with manticore spikes and a scorpion's tail. While neither the lion cub head nor the dog head seemed to be terribly put out at the moment, Riss was certainly feeling the effects of hunger. It wasn't as if she hadn't dealt with it before but having a good span of time of being well fed for the first time in... As far as she could remember at least, and her tolerances against hunger pangs had apparently vanished.

Not only that, it was dark, cloudy, and there was a clamminess in the air that she didn't recognize. While not physically fatigued, the muse had just about hit her limit psychologically. She couldn't name even half the things that were around her and that was just the plant life. She had shied away from pretty much everything that had eyes or legs save for the few things that Imp had growled at first.

At least she could recognize things from the mineral kingdom. A flat 'table' of limestone sat low to the ground near a.. Tree of some type. The kind that grew in a cone-shape with the needly green things coming off of it. That seemed like as good of a place as any to sit for a while. Really, the muse was highly unused to being completely cut off from any and all connections to any sort of network or device. Having lived so long with A.R., it was like losing a sense when it was gone. Riss soon started gently brushing Imp with the tips of her fingers again just to have something to do for the moment. While her problems weren't going to go away any time soon, it at least made her feel a bit better. Less on edge at least.

Of course, that would likely change if someone were to disturb her right now.

[Gullara]

[North Forest]

SUDDENLY! A pixie darts in front of Riss' face looking very stern. "Where do you think you're going?"

The pixie in question looks rather savage. Fight of all, she wears little more than a skirt that appears to be made of a number of leaves to keep her decent. Her skin isn't entirely bare, however. Her entire body is covered in complex, swirling patterns made of red and black paints of some kind. Blackness surround her already dark eyes to make them look like sunken pits, and her brown hair is streaked with red. Here and there pale skin peeks out from around the paint. On her back are a set of wings not unlike a dragonfly's and from her hairline sprout a pair of antennae. In her hand is a spear tipped with some variety of stinger. If one looks closely there is a couple droplets oozing from the very point. On her other arm is a shield made of the carapace of a black beetle.

"If you go much further I'll have to eat your bone marrow... And I hate bone marrow. It's nasty. I have no idea why the others eat it. I think they like the sound of bones being cracked in half. You won't like the sound of your bones being cracked in half though. So, uh... Watch out!" She bares her teeth in the most intimidating way she can manage.

[Terumitsu]

[North Forest]

Well, in the state Riss is in, intimidation tactics such as these were likely more effective than... Well, more effective than against any other person who didn't have a cripping social phobia. Even though a corner of her brain was quick to point out that she lacked bone marrow now, the rest of her mind jumped immediately into 'fight or flight.' Which is to say purely the latter.

As such, the muse quickly backed away, pushing with her feet while scuttling on her hands. She wouldn't get very far, though, as she was still holding onto Imp's leash and simply took to cowering with an arm raised to deflect any sort of attack.

While this might make the pixie feel rather good at her intimidation attempt, it might be cut woefully short by the loud, stereo growling coming from below. At least, it would sound like that at first before a lion cub's head and a dog's head both tried to snap at the pixie.

[Gullara]

[North Forest]

Self esteem restored! That'll teach those other pixies to say she's not scary. No one can stop her n- "IYEEEEE!!!" The pixie darts upward and away from the terrifying whatever that is. On her way up she collides with a branch. "Owowow..." She drops her spear and clutches at her head.

[Lex-Kat]

Melody's Island

"One hundred just seems like a good number. Enough to satisfy most muggers, or to bribe someone if you're in trouble," Happy says. "You remember Uncle Raven's gemstones? I go to his mine sometimes to get more of them."

Melody raises an eyebrow at the mention of bribery. How much trouble are you expecting me to get into, Momma? she says, a hint of laughter in her voice.

[happyturtle]

Melody's Island

"If you get into 5% of the trouble I got into at your age, that'll be more than enough," Happy says, in a matching tone. "Besides, I want you to have spending money as well. I know you spent most of what you had on gifts for everyone else."

[Terumitsu]

[North Forest]

Imp gave chase as best as a Cerberus-manticore-chimera-spawn could, snarling viciously with each of her heads while her blood red spines bristled. If Riss had any idea what any of those even were, the muse would likely just call it a 'chimantibus' due to the ease presented by portmanteaus. In any case, given that Imp quite literally had guarding in her blood, she wasn't about to just let this interloper get away scot free. Nor would there be a significant chance that Riss would call Imp off either.

Of course, the distinction should be made between having the ability to call something off and lacking any knowledge or having done any sort of hellbeast training beforehand to have even the prospect of calling off the noisome abomination that was currently scrabbling at the trunk of the tree that the pixie was closest to. While this chain of events could likely be rather distressing to both parties involved, Riss was only just recovering from the sudden shock and may not be so inclined to make the attempt at calming Imp down.

[Gullara]

[North Forest]

"Stopstopstopstopstop!" The pixie squeals and shoots upward. Not before dropping a shower of glittering pixie dust, however. Should this hit Imp, it should calm him down significantly. Of course, that's the desired effect. Imp certainly isn't the typical kind of animal this trick is used on.

[Terumitsu]

[North Forest]

Unfortunately, all the dust amounted to would be a simple irritant. Imp's dog head sneezed a few times but otherwise remained on watch. While the barking, yowling, and general noise had abated, Imp had clearly chosen to wait things out by planting herself right next to the tree and staring intently at the pixie. Quite likely to the dismay of said pixie. At least the barking had stopped although Imp was now growling at every attempt to move she made.

Riss, however, had finally realized that she was not exactly in danger at the moment and had picked herself up off of the stone slab in the meantime. Cautiously, the muse pulled in the slack from Imp's chain leash as she crept forward to get a better look at the would be assailant. A small humanoid with.. Things on her back that allowed for aviation? Wings probably although it was hard to tell due to distance, size, motion, and general translucence.

The pixie would be getting no handouts what so ever, though, as all the muse did was place a hand on one of Imp's heads and scrutinize the pixie with some guarded curiosity while still apparently viewing her as a threat. The lack of words would likely be a bit unnerving in this case.