[Nexus] Riverside VIII: A New Side

[happyturtle]

House of Virtues

"How very strange. I had hoped to return your hospitality by purchasing a slave for the household." Vita says. Felis had sold some of Vita's jewellery for her - he was always able to get the best prices on things - and so the twins had a small but comfortable amount of money to start over with.

[UncleWolf]

House of Virtues

Charlotte immediately halts at what she's doing when she hears what Vita had been trying to do. Closing her eyes, she sets the glasses back down and gives Vita a serious look. "While I realize you mean an Indentured Servant, I think it would be a very good idea never to speak of slavery in front of Razorfang. Her tribe had been forced into heavy labor. While they eventually escaped, she had been forced to be a...joygirl, to use Pet's term for it, and hadn't been so fortunate until much later." Charlotte explains as she offers Vita the drink.

[happyturtle]

House of Virtues

"She's a fugitive?" Vita blurts out. They were harbouring a fugitive slave? Vesta above, this just got worse and worse. What crimes were Charlotte and Rugal guilty of?

[UncleWolf]

House of Virtues

The slap that Charlotte gives Vita will be quick and loud, only drowned out by the sound of the glass she was holding shattering when it hits the floor. "You *****." She growls, eyes glowing with anger and disgust. "By your own rules you should be selling your body to strangers on the street to pay us back for saving your precious life. Only then would you be right to say whether or not she should have done so." She explains angrily, taking a step closer. The glass crunches under her bare foot, but she doesn't seem to notice, too caught up for the moment. "Not once since you've been here have we asked you to serve us or do something for us to pay us back, and here you are, saying she's wrong for breaking something she was forced to do. I have every reason to throw you out right now."

[happyturtle]

House of Virtues

Vita cries out and puts her burnt hand up to protect herself from Charlotte's attack.

And nothing happens. No flame. For whatever reason, Vesta was choosing not to get involved.

It couldn't mean Charlotte was right, could it? Vita reaches out mentally to her brother automatically, but withdraws at once when she finds him asleep. It was possible for one of them to wake the other, but it was never pleasant for the one being awakened.

"I... I..." she doesn't know what to say. And so she runs to her room and slams the door, sinking to the floor on the other side of it and bursting into tears.

The world is upside down. Felis might have a place here, but to Vita, it makes no sense at all.

[UncleWolf]

House of Virtues

Charlotte lets the young woman go, glowering after her before eventually sighing. She registers the pain in her foot finally and proceeds to clean up her mess as she thinks back over the conversation. She could have handled it much more tactfully and reasonably, she supposed, but it wouldn't have gotten the point across. After several quiet minutes, the guilt begins to settle in and she can't help but wince at what she did. With a heartfelt sigh, she grabs a few cookies from the cabinet and sets them on a small plate before heading to Vita's room. She doesn't say anything, instead sitting with her back at the door and sliding the snack under the door for the woman. It was a small gesture, but hopefully one that Vita might accept after a while.

[McBish]

Eastside Streets and Skies

Long enough, hit the button and the show begins.

It starts with two fireballs falling from the sky. And as they fall they take shape into two soaring birds, phoenix. And they fly through the skies there flames trail behind a beautiful gold and red swirling pattern in the sky. And after the 2 phoenix have flown high and low around a few blocks they spiral high into the sky and explode in a fireworks display filled with sparks and flashing colored lights. Each explosion of light rings out with a bell chime.

Alex smiles as he watches his display start to wrap up.

[Shadowcaller]

[Light's Heart]

Inside the citadel Tarim catches up with Riaz, "It's over now, there is no need to run." The pit lord states, positing himself in front of her.

She stares back at the other servant, "You know me well enough to know I never run. Least of all facing cultists. I just got so frustrated hearing the same lies all over again."

A smile slowly creeps up over the pit lords face. "Of course, so am I. That's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"...I knew you were hiding something behind all that acceptance. It was starting to get annoying."

Tarim let's out a deep chuckle. "You learned that subtly had it's value. Something you might need to think about..."

"Hmph, you burned a innocent girl because of paranoia, you're not well Tarim."

"I regret doing that now but it can't be changed. Perhaps I can redeem myself by saving the people in this city from the cultists corruption?"

Riaz glares at the pit lord, "What exactly are you planning?"

"First, we need to get in contact with people willing to aid us. Daeva is too naive to see just how dangerous these cultists are so she will attempt to protect them. We can do neither of these things personally of course, this places has ears and eyes everywhere. We must act through our must trusted agents. We are fighting something akin to Azurnizum here Riaz, not Yigoth. These cultists won't rush out screaming they like to 'purge' us until at the very last moment. You heard what they said at the forum. It seems to make so much sense that people won't even notice that they have been taken over. No one will even resist. They like us to look like the aggressors by acting so noble... until it's too late of course." He gestures towards the door. "Which is why you must pretend to apologize to Daeva. We must beat them at their own game or we will surely fail."

The other servant shakes her head, "So many lies... if this goes on we won't be much better then the demons we are trying to fight."

"I have done darker things to keep the demons from ending another world and I won't rest until we have banished them and each one of their gods forever."

"...I'll talk to Daeva. You'll stay put, we have more to talk about."

"Of course. I'll look forward to it..."

[Eastside Forum]

"Indeed, I need to talk to my superiors first about the peculiars anyway. Let's try to meet in your place shall we? I'd love to see it. You seem to have a lot of beauty here despite the rather gloomy surroundings." She gestures towards the run-down buildings around you.

[Moth Park]

Libra smiles at Copi, "I just want my power back." She says cheerfully before turning to Mintbalm getting a thoughtful expression across her face. "Hm, talking about stuff seems boring thought. Wouldn't it be much easier to bash her head open now that she's down? Otherwise she could just banish me when she wakes up and no one wants that right?" She smiles slightly. "I mean, I could totally resurrect her once I get my power back. She'd just die once, it's not like it was a torturous experience or anything. Just one knock at the head! ...maybe two or three... I dunno how thick headed she is." Libra shrugs.

[Exbourne Manor]

"Work? What exactly are you working with? I have barely done anything in days besides looking for Valente." Which is sort of a work, I imagine they'll pay for it despite her doing it on her free time as well.

[Eastside Rooftops]

As the fireworks finishes a huge eagle-like creature descends from the sky and slowly walks towards Alex. It looks like it's dressed up in a golden colored armor which covers most of it's body, the upper part of it's wings and it's head.
Two red eyes and a powerful black beak can be seen through the helmet. It appears to have managed to see him somehow despite being night.

"What are you doing? This one watches many things and now it have seen you several times, always doing something. Now it wonders, why are you doing this?"

[McBish]

Eastside Rooftops

Alex jumps surprised to have someone fly down to talk to him.

Oh, um well I guess I do it hoping someone watching will enjoy it. I guess it seems a bit foolish.

Plus it is fun to see these things fly through the sky, and sometimes you just need to have a little fun right? I'm Alex Hart by the way.

Alex stands up tucking his laptop away into his backpack as he does. He is a bit nervous, he wasn't sure if anyone was paying attention to his displays, and he was worried that if anyone was that they might not be happy.

[Shadowcaller]

[Eastside Rooftops]

"This one is known under the word 'Eljan'." The eagle replies. "It does not understand however, the one know as Alex Hart only do all this for 'fun'? What does Alex work as?" Eljan asks, turning his head to the side as his large bird eyes watches Alex curiously.

[happyturtle]

House of Virtues

House of Virtues

Charlotte lets the young woman go, glowering after her before eventually sighing. She registers the pain in her foot finally and proceeds to clean up her mess as she thinks back over the conversation. She could have handled it much more tactfully and reasonably, she supposed, but it wouldn't have gotten the point across. After several quiet minutes, the guilt begins to settle in and she can't help but wince at what she did. With a heartfelt sigh, she grabs a few cookies from the cabinet and sets them on a small plate before heading to Vita's room. She doesn't say anything, instead sitting with her back at the door and sliding the snack under the door for the woman. It was a small gesture, but hopefully one that Vita might accept after a while.

Vita isn't sure what to think. But after a moment, she puts her uninjured hand on the floor and slide it under, so her fingers just peek out from under the door.

[UncleWolf]

House of Virtues

Charlotte sees the fingers after a moment and reaches down to slide her fingers under as well, interlacing them with Vita's. "I'm sorry, Vita. I shouldn't have slapped you." She says quietly. It's possible her voice doesn't get through the door, but it's just as likely that it did.

[happyturtle]

House of Virtues

"It was my fault. I thought I didn't have anything to learn from you." Vita says. "Pride..."

[UncleWolf]

House of Virtues

Charlotte doesn't know quite what to say to that, so stays quiet for a moment, knees tucked up into her chest. She stays that way for quite a while before talking once more. "Need me to leave for a while?" She asks. "Or need anything else?"

[happyturtle]

House of Virtues

After a moment, Vita unclasps her fingers so she can stand up and open the door, bringing the cookies with her. She moves towards the fire, gaining comfort from the hearth.

"Could you... tell me about where you come from, and what are your beliefs?" she asks, her eyes lowered.

[Gullara]

[Eastside Forum]

"Of course, come at any time." Ramiro says. "I look forward to your visit. Good day." He bids her farewell, and then he and Durin will depart.

[Exbourne Manor]

"Cleaning." Cynthia reminds Astrana, speaking with her mouth full. Eadelain isn't employed in the same kind of job as Astrana at all.

[Slii Arhem]

[Moth Park]

Libra smiles at Copi, "I just want my power back." She says cheerfully before turning to Mintbalm getting a thoughtful expression across her face. "Hm, talking about stuff seems boring thought. Wouldn't it be much easier to bash her head open now that she's down? Otherwise she could just banish me when she wakes up and no one wants that right?" She smiles slightly. "I mean, I could totally resurrect her once I get my power back. She'd just die once, it's not like it was a torturous experience or anything. Just one knock at the head! ...maybe two or three... I dunno how thick headed she is." Libra shrugs.

Moth Park

Mintbalm's expression gets a bit more vicious as Libra fails to respond to reason, "She won't get the chance to banish you, because if you don't get that idea out of your head, I'm going to do it myself right here and now. I swear, the more I hear about you, the more I'm convinced you shouldn't ever come back." One sandled foot is tapping furiously on the path as the pixie's hands tighten into white-knuckled fists.

[Earl of Purple]

Westside Hotel

An obese, middle-aged man enters. He's wearing a loose pair of corduroy trousers and a Hawaiian shirt, pulling a suitcase behind him. He walks up to the receptionist and books a room on the third floor. He goes up for the night.

In the morning, he comes down again with his suitcase and hands in the key to his room. He's gone for an hour before the maid enters to clean up and sees a lump under the duvet in the bed. She double checks; the room should be empty, so she thinks it's a homeless person bedding down for a bit. She nods, and resolves to come back in half an hour and kick him out then, if he's still there. Half an hour later, he's still there, so she pulls the duvet back and screams. The guy has no skin!

Tenebras is called.

[Lost_Deep]

Exbourne Manor

Eadelain nods. "Something basic, but consistent, to earn my keep. I don't want to leave a poor impression on my superior."

Moth Park

"Forgive me if I seem vicious, but a banishment might be not permanent enough. Personally, I think that something more is required... Perhaps make her solidly, honestly dead. Or nonexistent, but that might be a bit severe. Perhaps make her unable to interact with matter? No, she has displayed some mental abilities. Perhaps specifically bind her to a rock and then throw the rock into the sun. Or just send to to the sun. But that might mess with the sun, and that would be bad. Perhaps a black hole?"

'If I seem vicious," indeed.

"In any case, Mintbalm, I beseech you to deal with Libra in the way you see fit."

And that's the third wish that Copi has made. She is a lot loose with those than Kate is.

[McBish]

[Eastside Rooftops]

"This one is known under the word 'Eljan'." The eagle replies. "It does not understand however, the one know as Alex Hart only do all this for 'fun'? What does Alex work as?" Eljan asks, turning his head to the side as his large bird eyes watches Alex curiously.

Oh for work, I don't do anything like this. I have two jobs, nothing special. I count money at night for one company, and I work at another shop just selling stuff. This is just for me I guess, and anyone else who wants to enjoy the display.

He shrugs a bit embarrassed, being a shop worker isn't very impressive.

So you saw some of my other effects?

Though he is a bit self conscious about his art he is curious about how others viewed them.

[Gullara]

Westside Hotel

An obese, middle-aged man enters. He's wearing a loose pair of corduroy trousers and a Hawaiian shirt, pulling a suitcase behind him. He walks up to the receptionist and books a room on the third floor. He goes up for the night.

In the morning, he comes down again with his suitcase and hands in the key to his room. He's gone for an hour before the maid enters to clean up and sees a lump under the duvet in the bed. She double checks; the room should be empty, so she thinks it's a homeless person bedding down for a bit. She nods, and resolves to come back in half an hour and kick him out then, if he's still there. Half an hour later, he's still there, so she pulls the duvet back and screams. The guy has no skin!

Tenebras is called.

Westside Hotel

Durin himself responds to the call, accompanied by an unknown Tenebras Enforcer in full armour. He heads straight to the front desk. "We're here from Tenebras. Tell me everything you know, if you would."

[Earl of Purple]

Westside Hotel

"Dude said his name was Gregory House, an' he was very fat. Maybe in his forties or fifties. He also used far too much aftershave, though there was something underneath that smell, a horrid sweet smell. He wore a cords an' a Hawaii shirt, but his tan looked fake, an' really weird. He paid in cash, up front, had the room for night, didn't come out once 'cept to leave. No questions asked, none answered. He'd been gone an hour before the body was discovered, and the maid thought it was just a homeless person come in for a quick kip. We get them occasionally; official policy is to kick 'em out, but some of the maids let 'em kip for a bit and others take 'em to Fallow's. Anyway, he'd been gone about hour and a half before the maid realised it was a body. We haven't touched anything in the room since, if you want to have a look." The receptionist sounds rather bored with the whole thing, like finding a corpse in one of the rooms is an everyday occurrence. "All the staff that were on duty when the body was found are still here, an' we have the names and addresses of everybody that could have seen him."

[Gullara]

[Westside Hotel]

Durin nods. "I would appreciate if someone would take us to the room immediately. Afterward I'd like to talk to whoever checked him in and someone that might have any idea where he's went."

[Earl of Purple]

Westside Hotel

"I checked him in, and you've spoken to me. I'll wake up the guy who he gave the key to; maybe they know something." The guy reaches up and presses a button, causing a bell that summons a maid. "Ah, Lucinda. Take these gentlemen to the room with the body in it, could you? That would be much appreciated. She found the body, too, should you wish to ask anything." The receptionist smiles.

Lucinda, meanwhile, curtsies and will lead the Tenebras vampires to the room with the body in it.

The room is rather small and plain, with a single bed, a wardrobe and a chest of drawers as the only furnishings. There's no on-suite bathroom. The body is lying on the bed, partially covered by the duvet. There's no blood, and also no skin. It's relatively fresh in appearance, and apart from missing its skin and blood it appears intact. The body also belonged to somebody who was obese, judging by the amount of fat coating the muscle layer.

[Gullara]

[Westside Hotel]

Once they arrive at the room, the Enforcer accompanying Durin takes a closer look around. Looking mainly for any personal effects that might have been left behind and anything else that seems out of place in the room. The body will be given another, closer look as well.

"Was there anything else strange about the room when you came to clean it? Before and after you discovered the body." Durin asks the maid to add to the Enforcer's investigation.

[Earl of Purple]

Westside Hotel

There's several books in the drawer- a leather-bound Tome of Insects branded with the two-tailed scorpion of Dalachrech next to a holy book of the Church of Saint Cunningham. Neither have been blessed; or rather, Saint Cunningham doesn't believe vampires are inherently evil so His works aren't hostile to undead and the Tome of Insects has been blessed in a vampire-friendly manner.

In the bottom of the wardrobe is an empty suitcase, and there's three hangers that don't match the others in the wardrobe. The body's been dead longer than it seems; some of the flesh shows signs of frost damage, though that might be more obvious during a proper autopsy. "The curtains were open, which I thought was unusual if the guy was sleeping. But, it turns out he wasn't." She's rather less shaken up about finding a skinless corpse than one might expect.

[Halae]

[Approaching the Court of One]

"That is a question for you to answer. I ask for nothing." Replies the raksha in the darkness.

[Approaching the Court of One]

Ormirrah frowns and nods, "I'll think of something, then. For now..." Ormirrahlooks towards the Grace once more, "I think I'm going to go put this to use. Thank you again, and I certainly enjoyed the way this turned out."

Ormirrah, aware that court generally would mean, at minimum, nobility, makes a sort of short curtsy. It's not a major thing, as Ormirrah has no idea what she's doing with a curtsy, but at least it's an effort. Unless stopped, she'll then turn to leave, her eyes twinkling as she continues to look at the Grace.

[Rebonack]

[Eastside Hospital]

Why is it that hospitals are always filled to the point of overflowing with undead in the Nexus? Why is it that only one of them is totally innocuous and safe?

Well...

Not that pixies with jet packs are terribly safe.

Relatively safe.

Anywho!

Winifred arrives!

She had followed her nose here and she's ready to nom some ghosts! She can feel a tingling at the base of her spine. She's not sure how many more souls she has to devour to get a fourth tail, but she knows that she's getting close.

Inside she steps, several foxfire wisps dancing around her.

[Shadowcaller]

[Moth Park]

"Hmph, it wasn't like they killed me or anything. I'm just doing it for, um, revenge. Yeah, that's it. They killed me and now I'm going kill them in turn." Libra tells the two. "It's so unfair you know? Why can't I act like me, why do I need to act like you guys like me to act all the time?"

[Eastside Rooftops]

"This one did as it it's is purpose to watch. Many strange things things this one have seen, but nothing quite like the one called Alex have made. Even more curious as he have made it all for 'fun'. If Alex can make such things, why does he not work with it?" It asks curiously.

[Eastside Hospital]

Winifred will find an abandoned construction site just outside the hospital. It appears as if someone have attempted to rebuild it but failed to do so. She will also find that there is in fact a fence surrounding the entire site with warning signs.

Says the area is dangerous and people that don't work there have no access.

The hospital itself as far as she can see are two buildings, or rather, one building at the remains of one as it appears to have burned down quite recently.

There aren't any obvious signs of ghosts but even people that didn't believe in such things (no matter how crazy it would be in a place like the nexus) would probably not want to stay a night here. Even if there weren't any ghosts your own imagination would probably scare the wits out of you by staying here over the night.

[Rebonack]

[Eastside Hospital]

Abandoned construction sites too?

Geeze.

These people just can't get anything done can they? Can't make a hospital that isn't haunted. Can't make a hospital that isn't burned down. Can't make a completed building...

Regardless Winifred will head into the only building that isn't a ruin or incomplete.

The Huldra isn't afraid of much.

And ghosts certainly aren't anywhere near the top of the list. It would be like a human being afraid of fresh fruit. And that would just be silly.

Three more wisps drift out of the Huldra's back. One binds around her body, forming a suit of rather revealing Fantasy Female Armor. She grips the second of the three it takes on the form of a rather unfriendly looking flail, the head of the weapon smouldering with blue flames. The third binds at her wrist, becoming a shield adorned with a snarling maw crackling with foxfire.

She means business!