[Nexus] AMEN XLIV: Beware Falling Flowers

[Mindfreak]

Outside Magtok's Office
Megan teleports here!
And tries to call Magtok.

[happyturtle]

MagOffice

Megan finds Jeanne here, who I think she's met before when she rescued her from the Mechanopanther and gave her a day pass. I think Megan did that anyway.

Jeanne is busy moving all the furniture back to its rightful place. It's awfully considerate of her considering Magtok turned her into a fish. I honestly have no idea why she would bother. Jeanne's lust aura is mostly suppressed, but not completely. Megan may feel an attraction to her.

[The Alexandrian]

[Main Room]

Zefir smiles as he looks down on one of his hands while holding his head with the other one. Since Becky and Clarissa are still in the kitchen Zefir went to the doorframe to be able to talk to them and so he has something to lean on.

"Me? A Half-dragon?" he laugths a bit loud. "Nice joke. I think I would remember such a bad day."

Then suddendly he is silent looking nowhere like he concentrates.

"Chaos and War. Seems like he took those objects." he whispers to himself. After that he looks up to the girls.

Oh girls get a room he thinks befor speaking up.

"So these mask guys are bad for us or what? I don't get it Becky says they are great you say they are bad. What aare they after all."

[Main Room]

Becky looks a little nervous at Clarissa's descriptions of the Masks! But when Clarissa turns cheerful again, she giggles and nods. "Wellll, I guess you could say I kinda like them -"

And then Clarissa zaps Becky's mind with the pleasure chemicals. And the skimpily-clad raven-haired shadowcaster closes her eyes and shudders with a soft moan of delight! The teasing tails don't help tremendously, goosebumps rising on Becky's thigh above her boot at the brushing. "I think...you're right...'an that's good, don't like trustworthy people." She manages to stick her tongue out at her friend!

[Main Room]

Get a room? Hee! As far as I'm aware, Clarissa and Becky have plenty of rooms to share between them! They've got Clarissa's AMEN bedroom, Becky's AMEN bedroom, Clarissa's temple, and every other bedroom they can break into in the entire Nexus to make use of whenever the need may arise! Perhaps sometime in the near future they'll need to test how sturdy and not bypass-able Zefir's door lock is if he decides to vocalize his disapproval of the Clarissa's public displays of affection for Becky.

Well, it is incredibly evident that the Masks are no anathema to the Beckster! She doesn't seem at all ambivalent concerning her feelings on the topic! The burgeoning demon likes the Masks and that's the end of the discussion, Clarissa is certain.

"Obviate your own destruction at all costs, Becky. It doesn't matter how many eggs you have to crack to survive all that matters is that you do, in fact, survive. Such is our way."

Clarissa's tone is free of any level of asperity as she speaks. If anything her tone is matter-of-fact. But she is somewhat troubled deep down inside. She would not remit her punishment of the Masks were the Masks to have the hubris to burden one of her intimate friends and earn her ire. She'd be a remiss goddess were she to were she not to demand bloody restitution from any party that offends her. The disparity between herself and alternative gods and goddesses is that she is not complacent enough to absolve mortals of their sin if it is against her. And if it is against her, it is a declaration of war.

"You need to take into account that the Masks may be the enemy, if their borders later are contiguous to our own. Fraternizing with the enemy will do nothing for developing relationships with your comrades here and it will allow the Masks to use you for their own secret agenda."

Clarissa attempts to stroke Becky's hair and nibble at her ear, one of her tails retrieving a bunch of purple grapes from a cabinet which she attempts to offer to feed to Becky.

And now for something a little more heartfelt...

"Just...just watch out for yourself when you're with them. There are people here who would miss you if you suddenly disappeared into thin air... People like me."

"And Zefir, you totally were a half-dragon! You don't remember any of it because that thing which called itself Chaos stole all your memories of it! Ask around or check the security feeds and you'll find I'm not joking or fibbing about any of that story. Also, the Masks aren't buddies of our organization. They hate our guts, I'd wager. Becky just likes them because...well..."

Clarissa glances over at Zefir with a smug smile.

"You know..."

-------

[Ilphy's Office - Hatty]

"Uh-huh. And where would you like to see AMEN in ten years?"

[Ilphy's Office - Hatty]

"In ten years? Wow! That's a long time from now... I want to see AMEN alive and well. The specifics are negotiable. The health of the organization is my primary desire."

The Hatter squeaks, his mind slipping away to contemplate something else before snapping back to the topic at hand. And by snapping back I mean slowly revolving. And by his mind slipping away to contemplate I mean almost nodding off.

[Reinholdt]

[Ilpholin's Office - Karyana]

Both, but the demonstration units can come later, since she can't exactly have them do much in Ilpholin's office.

"The designs are on here, if you'd like to go over them," Karyana says, going to set the datapad on the desk. "The demonstration units are currently elsewhere, but they can be moved to whatever testing area you wish me to show them in within half-an-hour, provided it doesn't have defenses against causing non-adjacent pieces of space to become so."

[Ilpholin's Office - Karyana]

Ilpholin picks up the datapad to look through the different screens and such.

"What are you saying? Warping reality so aircraft crash into each other?"

[Ilphy's Office - Hatty]

"In ten years? Wow! That's a long time from now... I want to see AMEN alive and well. The specifics are negotiable. The health of the organization is my primary desire."

The Hatter squeaks, his mind slipping away to contemplate something else before snapping back to the topic at hand. And by snapping back I mean slowly revolving. And by his mind slipping away to contemplate I mean almost nodding off.

[Ilphy's Office - Hatty]

How... sweepingly vague. Oh well.
"Alright. That's everything I needed to know. You can go. But I'm ordering you to get at least three days of sleep and no caffeine patches during that time."

[Lord Magtok]

Meeting Room => MagOffice

Spoiler

Show

Meeting Room

"Alright. Make sure it's set up in a secure room by the time I get back. But that is all, thank you."

Ilpholin says with a nod.

Outside Magtok's Office
Megan teleports here!
And tries to call Magtok.

MagOffice

Megan finds Jeanne here, who I think she's met before when she rescued her from the Mechanopanther and gave her a day pass. I think Megan did that anyway.

Jeanne is busy moving all the furniture back to its rightful place. It's awfully considerate of her considering Magtok turned her into a fish. I honestly have no idea why she would bother. Jeanne's lust aura is mostly suppressed, but not completely. Megan may feel an attraction to her.

Magtok nods, and then walks on down to his MagOffice, where he finds...Jeanne and Megan? Huh? Now what could those two be doing in here?

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Around AMEN]

Job done! Huzzah!

The last ferret begins the trek back to base..and stuff.

*****

[Ilpholin's Office]

Some time later, with a cage held by the handle in one hand, Isabelle approaches Ilpholin's office and knocks on the door.

[The Bushranger]

[Main Room]

"Don't worry..." Becky says, turning her head to kiss Clarissa. With a grape between her lips! "I'd miss you too. So I'm not going to vanish. I promise," she murmurs, giving Clarissa the closest thing she possibly can for her own heart-felt look...

...which might be spoiled by the smirk and chuckle she gets at Clarissa's comment to Zephyr.

[Mindfreak]

Main Room
It's a good thing Dave isn't around. He'd surely have some choice words about Becky!

---

Magtok's Office
Megan looks over at Magtok.
"Finally. I need your help, Magtok."

[happyturtle]

Magtok's Office

"Hi Magtok. I was just fixing up your office from before," Jeanne says. You know, she really out to get around to joining one of these days.

[Reinholdt]

[Ilpholin's Office - Isabelle]

"Come in." Ilpholin says as the door opens.

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Ilpholin's Office - Isabelle]

"Thank you." Isabelle looks particularly happy today. Her smile might well be just a little wider than usual. Even Cedric's greeting shriek sounds a bit more chipper than normal!

In Isabelle goes, plonking the cage down on the desk...assuming there's room. If not, it gets placed beside her as she sits down. "The ferrets are finished!"

[Reinholdt]

[Ilpholin's Office - Isabelle]

There's nothing really on the desk. In fact, there isn't much in here at all. I wonder what she does all day in that room.
Probably stuff that people do when they're bored.

"Well that didn't take long." Ilpholin says, moving to get a better look in the cage.

[ThirdEmperor]

Flying Fiasco

"Depends on where you enter. The upper levels is inhabited by the nobles, the artists live on the middle levels along with the servants and the guests. Most of the guards patrol the bottom levels of the castle but you can see them anywhere in Malechenar at any given time." Cybil explains to Nephrim.

"Alright, okay, I think we've about got it. Unless we don't? You guys have any questions?" The Cat asks, glancing over at his companions.

((C'mon guys, don't let this plot die))

[Earl of Purple]

Flying Fiasco

"I have no further questions." Nephrim smiles.

[Zefir]

[Main Room]

Get a room? Hee! As far as I'm aware, Clarissa and Becky have plenty of rooms to share between them! They've got Clarissa's AMEN bedroom, Becky's AMEN bedroom, Clarissa's temple, and every other bedroom they can break into in the entire Nexus to make use of whenever the need may arise! Perhaps sometime in the near future they'll need to test how sturdy and not bypass-able Zefir's door lock is if he decides to vocalize his disapproval of the Clarissa's public displays of affection for Becky.

Well, it is incredibly evident that the Masks are no anathema to the Beckster! She doesn't seem at all ambivalent concerning her feelings on the topic! The burgeoning demon likes the Masks and that's the end of the discussion, Clarissa is certain.

"Obviate your own destruction at all costs, Becky. It doesn't matter how many eggs you have to crack to survive all that matters is that you do, in fact, survive. Such is our way."

Clarissa's tone is free of any level of asperity as she speaks. If anything her tone is matter-of-fact. But she is somewhat troubled deep down inside. She would not remit her punishment of the Masks were the Masks to have the hubris to burden one of her intimate friends and earn her ire. She'd be a remiss goddess were she to were she not to demand bloody restitution from any party that offends her. The disparity between herself and alternative gods and goddesses is that she is not complacent enough to absolve mortals of their sin if it is against her. And if it is against her, it is a declaration of war.

"You need to take into account that the Masks may be the enemy, if their borders later are contiguous to our own. Fraternizing with the enemy will do nothing for developing relationships with your comrades here and it will allow the Masks to use you for their own secret agenda."

Clarissa attempts to stroke Becky's hair and nibble at her ear, one of her tails retrieving a bunch of purple grapes from a cabinet which she attempts to offer to feed to Becky.

And now for something a little more heartfelt...

"Just...just watch out for yourself when you're with them. There are people here who would miss you if you suddenly disappeared into thin air... People like me."

"And Zefir, you totally were a half-dragon! You don't remember any of it because that thing which called itself Chaos stole all your memories of it! Ask around or check the security feeds and you'll find I'm not joking or fibbing about any of that story. Also, the Masks aren't buddies of our organization. They hate our guts, I'd wager. Becky just likes them because...well..."

Clarissa glances over at Zefir with a smug smile.

"You know..."

-------


[Ilphy's Office - Hatty]

"In ten years? Wow! That's a long time from now... I want to see AMEN alive and well. The specifics are negotiable. The health of the organization is my primary desire."

The Hatter squeaks, his mind slipping away to contemplate something else before snapping back to the topic at hand. And by snapping back I mean slowly revolving. And by his mind slipping away to contemplate I mean almost nodding off.

[Main Room]

Zefir still shakes it off. She doesn't seem to make jokes. After all she called recources that might be trustworthy enougth to belive what she said. Best is not to know it for certain that way he could stay sane for a bit.

"OK so bad guys and... No?" He appears really confused by the last part. It is like something happened here while he is holding the door fram(or otherwise). He can't really imagine what Clarissa might mean. In fact he has as many of my chars less experience in either drugs or sex. So even I as the player can't tell for certain what she means.

[Shadowcaller]

Flying Fiasco

"So I'm guessing you're ready to go then?" The earth vampire asks the team. "If so, I need to tell my master at once. When are you planning to strike?"

[Mindfreak]

Flying Fiasco
Megan's robot dropped off another crate, this one holding the laser.
She opens both crates, revealing that the laser is the size of ruler.
"The jetpacks have enough power for a day's worth of flight and the laser has enough juice to cut for about 20 minutes. Enjoy."
The laser and the jetpacks are very user friendly and silent!

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Ilpholin's Office - Isabelle]

Could've taken a lot less time. But Shrimp actually had Isabelle do tests and stuff!

It was fun.

Also, Isabelle probably didn't do much else aside from work solidly away on those ferrets. She enjoys her work rather a lot.

"Oh, it took a fair amount of time...and a lot of dead ferrets. But you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs!" Isabelle reaches over and opens the cage, and out comes the ferret.

Evil read eyes, noticeably more muscular body, seemingly slightly out of shape in one or two places, a bulge in its head, but still definitely a ferret. It yawns, revealing its viciously sharp teeth. Oh, and there's something sort of odd about the nose, another sort of bulge behind it, probably a side-effect of enhancing its sense of smell.

Isabelle strokes the ferret, "Aren't they just adorable? These wonderful little creatures are eager to get to work for AMEN, aren't you dear?" She leans in as if expecting the ferret to reply. And then she leans back and her smile grows, as if she got an answer. "What do you think?"

[Reinholdt]

[Ilpholin's Office - Isabelle]

"It's so... cuuuuuuute."

Oh geeze. Here we go.

The ferret might find itself snatched up and cuddled in all sorts of ways, with petting, and cooing, and lahv.

[Lord Magtok]

MagOffice

Spoiler

Show

Magtok's Office

"Hi Magtok. I was just fixing up your office from before," Jeanne says. You know, she really out to get around to joining one of these days.

Magtok's Office
Megan looks over at Magtok.
"Finally. I need your help, Magtok."

"Hi Jeanne, thank you. Hi Megan, what do you need?"

Magtok tries his hardest to ignore that lust aura, pulling out that coffee mug again to get some mind-numbing booze in his system. Just focus on the one without the freaky uncontrollable pheromone magic and you'll be fine, Maggy.

[Mindfreak]

Magtok's Office
"Well I need you to help me finish taking control of a village for Ilpholin. Basically it's like this: They think I'm their god and that I'm replacing their chief with my child. And since you have so many of, well, you, I was thinking you could be the new chief."

[happyturtle]

Magtok's office

Jeanne snickers.

She can't help herself, really. The idea of Megan as a god or Magtok as her child strikes her as impossibly silly.

[The Alexandrian]

[Ilphy's Office - Hatty]

How... sweepingly vague. Oh well.
"Alright. That's everything I needed to know. You can go. But I'm ordering you to get at least three days of sleep and no caffeine patches during that time."

[Ilphy's Office - Hatty]

Woohoo! Alright! Ilpholin didn't revoke his membership, or so The Hatter assumes! If she had rendered it both null and void, he hypothesizes that a trapdoor would have swung open in the floor beneath his chair that would'a dropped him smack dab into the center of a pool of bubbling lava. Or into an endless perfume section of a department store. Brr! That'd be the worst way to go. Suffocated with saccharine scents by pernicious perfume pushers! Blech!

"But complimenting sleep is un-productivity! I..."

"Fine! I'll get some sleep."

The Hatter nearly protests, relenting at the final second lest he start up an argument with the boss!

He'll stand and victoriously stumble out of the room if that is at all possible. And by victoriously I mean he might accidentally bonk his head against the side of Ilphy's doorframe on his way out.

-------

[Main Room]

"Don't worry..." Becky says, turning her head to kiss Clarissa. With a grape between her lips! "I'd miss you too. So I'm not going to vanish. I promise," she murmurs, giving Clarissa the closest thing she possibly can for her own heart-felt look...

...which might be spoiled by the smirk and chuckle she gets at Clarissa's comment to Zephyr.

[Main Room]

Zefir still shakes it off. She doesn't seem to make jokes. After all she called recources that might be trustworthy enougth to belive what she said. Best is not to know it for certain that way he could stay sane for a bit.

"OK so bad guys and... No?" He appears really confused by the last part. It is like something happened here while he is holding the door fram(or otherwise). He can't really imagine what Clarissa might mean. In fact he has as many of my chars less experience in either drugs or sex. So even I as the player can't tell for certain what she means.

[Main Room]

Clarissa moves to requite Becky with a kiss of her own, attempting to nuzzle the nape of her neck tenderly and affectionately. She extends her pinkie finger to Becky, offering it to her with a refreshingly coy smile.

"Pinkie swear?"

She whispers before addressing Zefir with a roll of her eyes.

"You mean...you don't know how babies are made? 'Cause it's exactly like that except that the participants have no intention of making babies."

"It involves storks and extortion strategies. That's all you need to know."

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Ilpholin's Office - Isabelle]

The ferret is cuddled and stuff. It doesn't really seem to show any degree of approval or dislike of this.

Just kinda...stares at Ilpholin.

Isabelle simply smiles and waits. It would be rude to interrupt Ilphy, she is in charge after all.

[Reinholdt]

[Ilpholin's Office - Isabelle]

*PETPETPETPETPETPETCUDDLECUDDLESNUGGLE*

"So when can I see them in action?" Ilpholin asks.

[Ilphy's Office - Hatty]

Ilpholin does not offer any snarky comments to Hatter's bumbling as he makes he way out of the office. He's free to go.

[Lord Magtok]

MagOffice

"So what you're saying is, you want me to be the son of catgirl, and rule over a pit of squalor so that we can keep a pack of filthy savages under our thumb."

The cyborg stops for a few seconds, taking a long quaff of whatever booze he's got in that coffee mug, and then sighs in exasperation.

"Sure, if it's for AMEN. I'll need a hair sample, the coordinates of this village, and for you to go out in public to a karaoke bar with another AMENite and have them record you singing the Bonnie Tyler song of your choice."

If he's going to do this, he's got to make it worth his while, right?

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Ilpholin's Office - Isabelle]

"Oh, um, I did a test before bringing them here. Megan kindly donated a few mecha- mechano- err, rat things for me to test the ferrets on. And then she rather unkindly had the rats attack the ferrets without telling me she'd be doing so. Still, the ferrets dealt with them easily enough. I didn't think to record it for you though. Sorry."

Isabelle means magically recording it, of course. If you gave her a camera or the like, she'd have no idea what to do with it!

"I have half a dozen of the ferrets ready. With your permission I intend to let them out with instructions to sweep through AMEN thoroughly and root out anything that might be spying on us. It'll take quite a while, but after that I can just leave them to regularly patrol around and they should stop anything else getting in." Seems the magical-monster-making-mage lady has it all thought out. "I don't know how thoroughly you check newcomers, but if you want me to I could adjust another ferret to be on door duty to make sure no one sneaks anything in that way either."

[Mindfreak]

Magtok's Office
Megan writes down the coordinates, clips off a lock of her hair, and then will hand them over.
"I'll try to get someone special for the karoake."

[Lord Magtok]

MagOffice

Magtok nods. The hair and coordinates disappear into a pocket.

"You do that. Anything else I should know about this village once the clone's ready?"

[Mindfreak]

Magtok's Office
They're bronze age, but I gave them steel swords. They're going to be in an alliance with another village, you're a demigod so just demonstrate some highly advanced technology now and then, and try to get them into a position where we can start turning them into either a cash source or a source for warriors."
She will hand him the stag skull helmet.
"Oh. And you'll have to wear this. It's the helmet of the chief."