[Nexus] AMEN XLIV: Beware Falling Flowers

[Sneaky Weasel]

Ilpholin's Office - Phineas

Phineas' face drops almost comically at Ilpholin's words. He stares down at the desk like a child who's just had a severe telling off by the principle. His words are slow and reluctant, and he obviously didn't think he was so easy to read.

"Yes, I guess we are desperate. Thing is, my Lady is nowhere near powerful enough to compete with those that frequent the Nexus. She needs to have allies, and resources, and a safety net to fall back on. I'm just not very good at being a diplomat, and I didn't want you to think she was helpless, that's all." He shakes his head, obviously despondent that he couldn't do better at this task.

[Artemis97]

[Front Door => Ilpholin's Office]

The drow enters, baffled. Why would he let him inside if he didn't have the password? What was the point? And why tell it to him afterwards? Was this some sort of joke?

He recognizes the large spider and nods politely in return and follows it to his Mistress' office.

[Reinholdt]

Ilpholin's Office - Phineas

"If you need allies, I don't recommend opening up with we shouldn't interfere with each other." Ilpholin says.

"Now, if your Lady is interested in joining our organization, great. Otherwise, I'm going to need specifics in terms of alliance, resources, or even manpower." And more importantly what she can offer in return.

Ilpholin's Office - Drow

Mister Squiggles knocks at the door three times before opening it. He steps inside and chitters very briefly before moving aside to one corner of the room. Ilpholin, for her part stands from behind her desk. "Vedui'. Please, come in. Make yourself comfortable."

[The Bushranger]

[Hallways]

After catching her breath against the wall for a little while, Becky, still grinning ear to ear, heads in the direction of her quarters.

[Artemis97]

[Ilpholin's Office - Drow]

The drow steps forwards and bows deeply. "Jabbress Ilpholin, bel'la dos whol talthalra xuil uns'aa ji queelas." He says to her in pefect Menzoberanni Drow.

[Reinholdt]

[Ilpholin's Office - Drow]

Ilpholin gives a slight nod in reply. "D' heen. Usstan zuch inbal draeval whol natha Xar'cha zahur. Lu'oh xal Usstan xxizz dos yallt?"

[Artemis97]

[Ilpholin's Office - Drow]

His movements measured, the Drow, here forth named Divoyn, reaches into his pocket and withdraws a cream colored envelope sealed with a spot of silver wax. He then offers it to Ilpholin. "I carry a message from Lord Sornnolu." She may recognize the seal, the dragon pressed in siler wax, as her half-brother's personal sigil. Any House symbol was absent. Whatever this was, it was private correpondence and not official House business.

[Reinholdt]

[Ilpholin's Office - Drow]

Ilpholin's brow furrows slightly, but she takes the correspondence. After a quick once over, she steps back a little and breaks the seal to examine the message contained within.

[Artemis97]

[Ilpholin's Office - Drow]

A note written in elegant drow script is contained within the enevelope.

Ilpholin,

First allow me to congratulate you on obtaining control of AMEN. I do hope the transition of power has gone smoothly. However, I have also heard rumors that you have designs on all of Inside. While an obvious goal, I did not feel it needed to be announced before the Council. I presume you had some reason for this unorthodox tactic, but I would like to be informed as to what it is, so I may adjust my own plans accordingly. I fear such drastic actions may cause our House to lose face. While this would be a devastating occurance at any moment, it is particularly damaging now, when, as I have just been informed, the Matron is coming to the Nexus. I request to meet with you about this as soon as possible, so we may prepare. Please make arrangements with Divoyn.

~ Sornnolu

[Mindfreak]

Main Room
The Mechano-Panther looks over at Magtok who was being attacked by ferrets.
It then looked back to Isabelle.
"Please cease and desist harmful activities."
Or else the panther will have to make her.
Initiative is all well and fine, but her ferrets attacking Magtok goes over the line.
Of its programming.
Word

---

Flying Fiasco
Megan is already sending orders to Greg to start making the silent jetpacks and the laser cutter.
Because it'd be a good idea to get those finished as soon as possible.

[Shadowcaller]

Flying Fiasco

"I would imagine the wards strengthen the castle's structure, perhaps serve as an alarm system, and protect against elemental damage. They might work together; raising an alarm when the structure is on fire, for example. But they're guesses, and they could be more violent, with the wards acting as tripwires for mechanical traps or triggering spells." Nephrim suggests. She has some familiarity with flying castles, but most of Pazuzu's castles aren't warded or are warded in such a way that nobody can enter except their vrock inhabitants.

Flying Fiasco

"Uh, yeah, that's a laser cutter. A laser that cuts. A... cutting thing that uses laser." Jeez Megan. You call yourself a scientist and you don't even know that?

"Well, I still think we should do this sneaky, but, well, that's just me, really sorta up to everyone. Uhm, in any case, I would like to know more about these wards?"

Flying Fiasco

"The only thing I was told about the wards is that they were standard. What that means for a flying castle full of vampires, I have no idea." Ilpholin shrugs. Probably just traps or something.

Flying Fiasco

"Well, I'll leave it to you three. Cybil here can provide any more answers to questions you might have and Megan will provide whatever equipment she can manage that you might need. Good luck ladies and gentlemen." Ilpholin bows and heads off, content that as long as they keep posting, they'll make it through ok.

Flying Fiasco
Megan is already sending orders to Greg to start making the silent jetpacks and the laser cutter.
Because it'd be a good idea to get those finished as soon as possible.

Flying Fiasco

"I'm no enchanter but from what I have been told, the infusions serves together as a single network. It was described to me like a spiders web around the castle, if you disturb one point the vibrations will carry over to the rest of the web and alert the spider. Same if you try to remove the web. The best tactic if you like to bypass the wards would be to somehow leave the web undisturbed, to go between the holes in it or something like that. I don't know what kind of resources you have though." The earth vampire attempts to explain.

[ThirdEmperor]

Flying Fiasco

Well that doesn't sound too bad. Not when the Cat Burglar was already bracing himself for a worst case scenario as per usual, with invisible summoned sentries on changing patrol routes, multiple layered defenses and a solid shell of detection wards around the whole citadel.

The one true advantage of his pessimism is always being able to breath a sigh of relief when things are merely terrible, as opposed to really, really terrible. "Um, yeah, not as good with magic defense-system-thingagummies as I am with more, uh, normal ones, but a spiderweb type thing sound do-able.. Unless you guys think you'd have trouble with it? You can both see magic, right?"

[Reinholdt]

[Ilpholin's Office - Divoyn]

The Matron's coming to the Nexus? NOW?!
Ilpholin may have forsaken her Xar'cha name, but that wouldn't stop the Matron from being a potential problem.

"Inform Sornnolu that while my duties as leader of AMEN prevent me from leaving here for any foreseeable future, he may come visit me here, with whatever escort he feels is necessary, as early as this evening and that I look forward to seeing him soon."

She even gets out some paper to write that down. Perhaps a bit more embellished and flavorful than that, but that all the same.

[The Alexandrian]

[Main Room - Not the Plane of Chaos]

Comatose seems to e the right fact here since he is under the influence of her knock out liquid. how long it stays is up to her, since I don't know how long it keeps up.

Chaos just steps out next to her and the plane portal close.

"What a wonderful day. This guy got his body back and I got a new one who allows me to use my own magic. It's.... Deliciouse."

[Main Room]

"Yeah, well you have fun with that. My recommendation for your next step? Introduce yourself to WATCH and HALO. Reliable sources have informed me that they're a joy to toy with and test."

Clarissa grumbles, tapping Zefir lightly on the cheek in an attempt at coaxing Zefir back to consciousness naturally. If that doesn't work, she'll have to whip out the smelling salts!

-------

[Ilphy's Office - Hatty]

"All the same, the moon makes a very poor reference." Better with past experience.

"I don't suppose you could be more specific on who said it couldn't be done, or who scoffed?" Ilpholin asks.

[Ilphy's Office - Hatty]

"My colleagues back in the temporal distortion lab on Arcia. They thought they had "solid proof" that nobody could bridge the gap between two realities running parallel to one another, but I did it anyway!"

The Hatter boasts as he simultaneously disses his peers! He facilitated his own translocation to the Nexus via a SCIENCE! portal!

"Too bad they died in that fluke accident in the labs. I told a million times them that they shouldn't have been experimenting with super-age-hastening matter but nooo! 'Vat's schtanding in ze vay of SCIENCE, Kohan, are people liek ewe!' Pfft! Well, he can't even stand anymore! Because he turned to dust!"

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Common Room]

"Cease and desist harmful actions? But all I'm doing is standing here." Isabelle smiles cheerfully at the mechano-panther. "And those ferrets are going to be very useful for AMEN. Is it really harmful overall if they cause a little bit of facial damage? In the long run they'll prevent a lot more harm than they'll cause."

'course, she's talking to a metal beast, so trying to reason with it probably won't get anywhere. But...well...nothing ventured nothing gained, eh? Might as well give it a try!

Meanwhile: Ferrets. Eating face. Magtok's flailing attempts manage to remove one of the ferrets. It drops to the floor and promptly tries to climb up his dress and start chewing on his arm. The non-fleshy arm of course. The other ferret stubbornly remains attached to his face, biting away.

*****

[Halls]

And the third ferret is scampering after Stu! This ferret will attempt to start chewing on Stu's suit's leg once it catches up.

[Drowlord]

Common Room
"By the House of Várn!"
The drow chanted a few verses in the odd, evil-sounding language Magtok has heard before.
The ruby's pentagram spins, then shoots out a beam of paralyzing light at the one on the cyborgs arm. The drow, with incredible reflexes, whipped out his sword. The hundred and twenty one red runes on it glow, and one loosens itself from the sword and attaches itself to the ferret on Magtok's face. Any that reads drow can see it says 'freeze' on it, and, if the ferret does not dislodge it, it will quite likely do that to the creature.

[Artemis97]

[Ilpholin's Office - Divoyn]

Divoyn will take the note with a short, respectful bow. "I will relay your message, Mistress Ilpholin. I am sure Lord Sornnolu will wish to come to you this evening."

[Reinholdt]

[Halls]

"GAH! Get off my leg you stupid rodent!" Stu starts shaking his leg furiously.

[Ilphy's Office - Hatty]

"For the record, people turned to dust tend to make poor references." Man did this guy write down a single usable character?

"Tell me about the Defenders of the Imperial Navy."

[Ilpholin's Office - Divoyn]

"I'll be ready for him then. Thank you." Ilpholin gives another nod.

How the heck is she going to get this place ready and presentable by this evening?! Ilpholin flails on the inside. FLAILS. @.@

[Zefir]

[Main Room]

Chaos laugths.

"Nice try, but I'm not so stupid. They are the good guys and I want to be prepared when shaking there heads of there body."

As said it depends on your stuff. He won't awake from poking.

[Artemis97]

[Ilpholin's Office - Divoyn]

The drow bows again, deeper this time, then turns and exits the office. He goes on to exit AMEN itself, unless something happens that would stop him.

[Reinholdt]

[Ilpholin's Office -> Magtok's Room]

Ilpholin will exit shortly thereafter, going to find Magtok. She peeks in the Common Room very briefly, but decides she doesn't want to get involved in all that. Besides that Magtok's mangled.

So she moves on to his room and knocks at it.

[The Bushranger]

[Halls]

It's a shame Stu is currently ferret-ified.
As there across the end of the hall goes Becky, in just her boots and something less than dental floss around her waist...

...of course, given that in the state she's in after her visit to the Masks Temple, she might actually be interested in Stu, this is likely a good thing for the rest of us he's ferret-ified.

Of course, Ilpholin might get an eyeful at some point, too.

[happyturtle]

Magtok's Office

"Go AWAY, flower, I'm NOT having sex with you!" Jeanne yells from behind her barricade. She's finally got her correct form yet, but hasn't yet recovered enough to suppress her lust aura. Ilpholin might even feel it a bit through the door.

[Mindfreak]

Common Room -> Halls
"You were warned."
And then the Mechano-Panther ran towards Stu!
And then looks at Stu.
And then back at Magtok.
It sent a message to Megan about the current situation for clarification.
It then just decided to watch Stu unless Stu asked for its help.
As Megan didn't want to ruin Isabelle's experiment.

[Sneaky Weasel]

Ilpholin's Office - Phineas

Phineas shifts uncomfortably. "Perhaps she would be interested in joining...I'm not entirely sure. She just sent me over here to 'test the waters', as it were. If it would be acceptable, perhaps she can come her in person to learn more about how you work, and what your goals are? I mean, she's not going to join an organization if she doesn't know exactly what it's all about, you know?" This is getting out of the realm of what he prepared for before coming here, so he's basically ad-libbing. Hopefully the Lady is actually amenable to joining, or at least taking a closer look, and he hasn't just screwed himself over royally. Making 'diplomatic advances' is proving to be a lot broader than he supposed.

[Reinholdt]

Ilpholin's Office - Phineas

"She's free to come in and ask me any questions she feels necessary." Ilpholin says. Though really it is in the name.

Magtok's Room

"Becky, I understand you're starved for a little attention, but honestly just waiting on my bed would have sufficed. Now do who you need to do in private and get some clothes on." Ilpholin says, peering down at Becky.

Before leaning against the doorframe and speaking through it.
"Call me a flower girl again and I'll break your spine in half and fertilize you."

Ilpholin, for her part, is unaffected by the lust aura. This is either because she's immune to it, being who she is, or because she lusts after everything anyways so it doesn't make a difference. One of the two.

[happyturtle]

Magtok's Room

Jeanne climbs over some of the furniture to peer through the peephole and sees someone who is Not Stu. "Oh, I thought you were that flower who was hitting on me. Were you looking for Magtok? He ran off."

[Reinholdt]

Magtok's Room

"I don't suppose you have a fresh one in there not being mauled by ferrets, do you?"

A brief pause.

"And who are you?" One of Magtok's new dates it seems.

[happyturtle]

Magtoks Room

"No Magtoks or ferrets, I'm afraid," Jeanne says. "Give me a minute, and I'll move the furniture so I can open the door."

After some grunting and furniture moving noises, the door is opened to reveal Jeanne, in her horns and tail form. "Jeanne of the First Circle."

[Reinholdt]

Magtoks Room

"Well Jeanne. Why were you in Magtok's room? Beside being terrified of a flower."

Ilpholin figures staying around here for a little bit is probably the best chance she has of a fresh Magtok showing up. At worst, she can always flash Magtok's hidden cameras again until he does appear.