[Nexus] Home 13: Insert Silly Title Here

[Slii Arhem]

[Riss' Quarters]

Riss almost let herself simply be swept up in the moment but a flicker of a thought danced across the back of her mind just brightly enough to make itself known. It wasn't to say she didn't take her time, however. When she saw an opportunity, she did try to pull away just slightly; trying to lightly hold Misha's lower lip with her teeth before letting go.

With a few quick commands, the reclining chair that the pair were nestled on began to shift into a cross between a couch and a bed. Riss couldn't say if there was a name for such a piece of furniture but it was definitely made for comfortable lounging at least. Freeing a hand, the muse reached down to her nereid's hips with her fingers before running over the contours of her body; moving upwards until they rested gently on her lips. "Not this time, alright? You're wonderful enough on your own." the muse said, one finger lightly tracing Misha's lips. "Though.. You could just surprise me whenever you want..." Riss whispered, wearing a conspiratorial smile.

Riss' Quarters

"Thank you, it's just... saying those things reminded me how much you inspired me to test and push myself. I would have never thought to try tasting like fruit if I didn't think it would impress and please you. And that's just the beginning. Words that I don't even remember the meanings of roll off my tongue because I want to be more eloquent when I speak of you. If I'd never met you, I'd still be ditzy and flighty, looking for nothing but physical contact and companionship. I could never go back to that now that you've shown me how amazing everything is if you study it more closely. Beyond what you can see, even the things people dismiss as worthless can be secret treasures." The nereid bites her tongue as she realizes the second meaning to what she just said moments after it passes her lips, and then she smiles coyly as she realizes she'd been unintentionally poetic again.

[Murkus]

Vierzt smiles and accepts silently.

"So?" Gelley says, shifting her weight from hip to hip and propping a fist on the same place. "Doesn't feel very different, does it?" She twists off the cap without much effort and drinks, still looking at Vierzt intently.

[Dark Elf Bard]

Um... Vierzt is a little dumbfounded. Not a lot...

[Murkus]

Treehouse

"See? It really isn't such a big deal," Gelley attests, sipping and wandering around the kitchen to look for some munchies. "You weren't too bad at it either!"

[The Alexandrian]

[Doubt thou the stars are fire.
Doubt thou the sun doth move.
Doubt truth to be a liar.
But never doubt I love...]

"You don't need to ask, Spec. I freely volunteer, as I have done since I met you; I am sworn to do whatever is necessary to keep you safe, and that oath was given with full knowledge of what it entailed.

Also, it would not be the first time I have had a bounty on my head, and I have lived for thousands of years despite that. To kill me is hardly easy... Besides which, do you think that if they take you, and you have to go back, when to do so would cause you so much pain, I would not be hurt by your suffering?", she asks quietly, gently stroking her girlfriend's hair, and planting a soft kiss on her cheek, smiling gently at her.

((This looked much longer before I posted... Oh well.))

[Sparrow's Fall]

((Does length even matter (unless you're writing a grueling essay for school or an application) so long as you're having fun writing things?))

"I love you, Trium. I love you, and I don't want to see you hurt. I don't deserve to have your love. I daresay that I don't even deserve to know you. But I do, and I thanks the gods for that stroke of luck every night before I rest."

Spec attempts to caress Trium's cheek with a hand, teary eyes lovingly looking up to her. She wishes the tyrant, time, could cease and she could be forever lost in them. When Spec is around Trium, her world is brighter. She gives her hope and the strength to be a good person.

"You have to promise me something. If I'm in danger and you think you'd be gravely wounded if you were to rescue me, don't do it. Save yourself. These sick people aren't all bark and no bite."

They can do a heck of a lot more than ride a bike with no handlebars.

"If I'm recaptured, you might suffer, but if you die, everything that I am will die with you."

All hostiles from this corporation that will appear onscreen will be psychopaths down to the last child. Combat-heavy scenes with high casualties will follow this one, and certain neighborhoods of Inside may become warzones.

Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war.

[Dark Elf Bard]

I guess... It's only intensified my attraction towards you though.

[Murkus]

[Treehouse]

"Well that's not much've a surprise," Divebomb says in good humour. That warrants another swig, in her mind. She hops up and sits on the countertop, pressing her legs together whilst leaning back. "That's... okay with me, though. Not every guy would be able to get past the mask n' all."

[Terumitsu]

[Riss' Quarters]

Misha's words gave Riss pause, her eyes locking on to the nereid's colors of the sea. "You.. Really mean that?" she asked. Well, she wouldn't say it if she didn't mean it and... Wait, wait. Hold on.. Did I just think that without second-guessing? I've been doing that for a while now but.. Huh.. I mean, I understand that there can't really be love without trust but... Cognitively realizing that's what one is doing is.. Well it's not quite the level of realizing one is a mind that is thinking of itself but it's up there... Well, in my case, I guess. But still... That's the"first time someone's said I've been a good influence on them.. Or.. Well.. The first time I've been receptive to it, I guess." she said.

With a sigh, the muse would break eye contact for a while and try to gently nuzzle against Misha's neck as she let her mind piece things together."It goes both ways, though. I mean.. You remember how I was when I first ran into you. First time I woke up I nearly freaked out to see you next to me... But now.. Well I'd be worried if I woke up and you weren't here. I... I've not progressed all that far, I guess.. But I can blame most of it on you at least." the muse said with a small smile.

[ThirdEmperor]

Fortress Mountain

This is not a good day for nameless clone #67. In the space of about a second, his gun is stolen, a knee is brought into painful contact with certain tender bits of his anatomy and then, to top it all off, the same monster responsible for the last two acts sinks it's jaws into his shoulder. His reaction is the same as any wounded animal- A howl of pain and clawing, biting, kicking at the offender.

He is vaguely aware of his brothers scattering to avoid the bullets, of three of the battlemages grabbing three of the winged soldiers and shooting up into the air above the lift. These are not particularly important to him now. The only perspectives he finds important now are those of the commanders, telling him what to do.

It's not a course of action that's very accommodating to his continued existence. That doesn't matter much. Unlike a wounded animal, the winged clone's reason for fighting back isn't a desire to escape, but a desire for revenge. And that this course of action does offer.

Fighting against the pain he plants both feet firmly on the ground and tries to shove Clarissa backwards, just as the lift levels with the first landing- The not from which Clarissa escaped not so long ago. At the same time the two of his brothers remaining on the lift rush her as well, although one's arm has already been crippled by a lucky bullet and she could no doubt shoot down at least one of them with ease.

As mentioned, they're not particularly motivated towards preserving their own lives. Their only goal is to push Clarissa through the open doorway and into Daedalus's line of fire, where he waits with the artic cannon she so carelessly discarded.

[Slii Arhem]

Riss' Quarters

"I know that now. I didn't really see it fully until I saw what you'd done here just to make me happy, but we've both been trying as hard as possible to be better than we were, just to make the other smile a bit more each day. It's... amazing, and realizing it threw me off guard." Misha has never experienced that kind of bond before, and the implications of it have shocked her to her core.

"I think, in a way, you've just taught me what family is supposed to be. Comparing you to my home seems stupid now, I would never try this hard to be better for a pit full of water. If I had to choose between home and you, there's no question where I would be for the rest of forever."

[Terumitsu]

[Riss' Quarters]

Riss paled at Misha's admission. Sure, forever is a nice concept but.. Well, now that I think about it..It might actually be possible.. Though, that's a long way off isn't it? "I'm... Not entirely certain about that bit about family but I can understand what you mean." she said, leaning forward to try and lightly nip at the nereid's neck.

"Still, forever with you would be nice, I'd have to agree." the muse said. And I can live with just how sappy that sounds right now. If it were any other time, I probably wouldn't have been able to say that with a straight face. "But what do you say about now?" she asked, fiddling with the buttons on her shirt with one hand as she shifted just a bit to allow her tail room to maneuver. Sometimes, if she was forced to make it stay still for a period of time, she felt oddly restricted or just confined. Then again, it wasn't as if she minded that particular oddity.

[Dark Elf Bard]

[Treehouse]

"Well that's not much've a surprise," Divebomb says in good humour. That warrants another swig, in her mind. She hops up and sits on the countertop, pressing her legs together whilst leaning back. "That's... okay with me, though. Not every guy would be able to get past the mask n' all."

No, It adds mystery. Also, you're emotionally cute. He grins at her.

[Slii Arhem]

[Riss' Quarters]

Riss paled at Misha's admission. Sure, forever is a nice concept but.. Well, now that I think about it..It might actually be possible.. Though, that's a long way off isn't it? "I'm... Not entirely certain about that bit about family but I can understand what you mean." she said, leaning forward to try and lightly nip at the nereid's neck.

"Still, forever with you would be nice, I'd have to agree." the muse said. And I can live with just how sappy that sounds right now. If it were any other time, I probably wouldn't have been able to say that with a straight face. "But what do you say about now?" she asked, fiddling with the buttons on her shirt with one hand as she shifted just a bit to allow her tail room to maneuver. Sometimes, if she was forced to make it stay still for a period of time, she felt oddly restricted or just confined. Then again, it wasn't as if she minded that particular oddity.

Riss' Quarters

"Absolutely." Misha chirps, and then a lascivious smirk crosses her face as she gets a sneaky idea. Her body quickly turns to liquid in Riss' lap and surges forward, the mass that made up her torso attempting to slip beneath the muse's shirt and then resolidify, possibly popping all the buttons on the shirt at once. When the rest of the tricky water spirit reforms, it should be with her arms around Riss' neck and her lips crushed against the muse's, and from there the curtain can probably be pulled.

[Murkus]

No, It adds mystery. Also, you're emotionally cute. He grins at her.

"Now what does that mean?" Gelley asks with a giggle.

[Terumitsu]

[Riss' Quarters]

Some time later while whispering in her native tongue, Riss paused only to let out a deeply contented sigh before continuing her ramblings. That was really all they were, after all, as she was simply repeating things that Misha already knew quite well by now. Completely entwined with her nereid, she simply wanted to bask in her warmth here in the darkened room while listening to the babbling noise of the artificial creek.. Although she wasn't above a small pinch here or a quick grope there as the playful dancing of her fingers would make evident.

Having traded out her ruined shirt along with the rest of her garments for a thin sheet some time during the intermediary, it wound up as more of a bundled up cushion although she had half a mind to try and properly wrap up in it. To trust someone.. And not just that.. To love them and feel intimate with them.. I suppose physical intimacy on top of all that is just a bonus but.. Well it is certainly a nice way to affirm it all.

[The Alexandrian]

[Fortress Mountain]

I do believe that this combat scene calls for (somewhat) thematic music!

Clarissa can't help but wonder why none of these clones have any measurable survival instinct whatsoever? Survival instinct is, arguably, what separates the legendary soldiers from the dead! That, strength, and cunning! She guesses that life just couldn't stand to give her a break for once in this frozen fortress of solidarity and that Riv prefers controlling his followers to that extent.

Oh gods!

And now the dead men walking are trying to push Clarissa off of the lift! She just wants to warm herself for a minute or so and leave them in pieces! I mean peace! It isn't like every fiber of her being urges her to murder every single one of these grunts or anything! Riv and his infernal commanders just keep throwing wave after wave of dudes at her! She's temporarily trapped in this cold base of hostility and icy shoulders with no escape in sight! But "If fighting is sure to result in victory, then you must fight!" Sun Tzu said that, and, while I'm sure he didn't kill half as many people as Clarissa has, his point is valid!

Nameless clone #67 succeeds in shoving Clarissa backwards! What a stroke of good luck for Riv's gang!

Clarissa wasn't prepared for #67 to try to push her off of the lift! She tumbles backwards over the railing, attempting to pull #67 with her. If she's taking a fall, he's taking a fall with her (if she has her way) but he probably won't end up cushioning her fall to the floor of ice!

"Oof!"

Of course, being pushed off of the lift isn't exactly a bad thing. It brings her closer to the heat of the lower levels even if it deposits her...

Drat! Not this room again! Not the freezer with the psychos! Anything but the freezer with the psychos!

"I just want to leave! I j-just want to l-l-leave! Why do you guys w-want me to kill you? D-d-does it make you happy? Why d-does your elevator h-hate me? Where is the Milkman?"

Clarissa attempts to restrain #67, hug him for warmth, drink some more of his blood, and throw a tantrum! This floor! This chilly floor full of crazy people!

It is probably worth mentioning that clawing Clarissa will be like digging into a fireplace made of silly putty and that biting her will earn 67 a wad of burning paper and ash to the face. That and she winces as she is attacked.

[OrchestraHc]

[Lisa's Home]

"Heh, good guess. He was complaining for the rest of the time he was here. I'm surprised he stuck it out to the end, though. I almost thought he was gonna quit on me halfway through." Lisa said.

[Lisa's Home]

"It's so detailed, I don't think you could have done it very fast without losing some of the picture," Emmi compliments. "I don't think I've ever posed for an artclass without sitting down or without some sort of break."

[Gullara]

[Lisa's Home]

"I did give him a couple breaks. I'm not cruel you know." Lisa giggles a little.

From outside the room, there's the sound of someone coming down the stairs quickly. "Hey Lisa. You down here?" A male voice calls. The rabbitgirl groans, and Emmi finds out why moments later.

Another brother of Lisa's appears at the door; this one looks like he's close to her age. He's a bit tall compared tot he rest of the family, but still short overall. He's wearing some pants and a muscle shirt. He's fairly muscular, but gangly too.

"Oh hey. Never knew you had a girl over. She's cute. I approve."

Lisa's face turns beet red. "We're not together."

"Why not? She's way cuter than that redhead girl your lips were glued to all the time before." Lisa's glares at him. She suddenly seems a lot more angry than the situation calls for. Her brother winces and directs her attention to Lisa. "Anyway, I'm Garrett, Lisa's brother. Nice to meet you."

[OrchestraHc]

Lisa's Home

"I'm Emmi, and I suppose I'm flattered, but no, we're not like that. It's a pleasure to meet you too."

[Dark Elf Bard]

"Now what does that mean?" Gelley asks with a giggle.

It means, I'm not only attracted to your body, but also your personality. Vierzt stands and looks for something to eat, finally settling for some pretzels.

[Gullara]

[Lisa's Home]

Garrett laughs a little. "Yeah, my bad. Lisa here's more girl crazy than most guys I know, so I jumped to conclusions. Not that I don't have reason most of the time." A thought occurs to him. "Hey, have you met Dimi yet?"

[UncleWolf]

Ingrid's Home

Damn this cold... Maria mutters mentally to herself as she zips up her parka a little more and entered the bedroom that she and Ingrid had set aside for the freshly laid eggs. "You couldn't be like everyone else and like heat instead, could you?" She teases Ingrid goodnaturedly as she gently pours the 10lb bag of ice into the water surrounding the eggs in the shallow kiddie pool. The room couldn't have been above freezing, making it difficult for Maria to stay in it for any length of time, but she'd promised she'd do her best.

[Halae]

[Ingrid's Home]

Ingrid, contrary to Maria's Parka, is wearing a tee-shirt and sweat pants. When she moves, the large scar on her stomach from her emergency c-section is still fairly evident. She has a hand in the kiddy pool, idly playing with some ice as she smiles towards her eggs.

"Well of course not. That'd be far too normal," she says. She seems entirely comfortable in these conditions, though a hand still rests on her stomach; Healing magic may have closed and healed the opening caused by the procedure, but there was still a large scar.

[UncleWolf]

Ingrid's House

Maria sees the hand on the scar, and fearing that Ingrid might be self-conscious, kneels down next to her with a small smile. "You're right. And normal would be boring." She admits before trying to remove Ingrid's hand so she can lean down and give the scar long and soft kiss. "They're going to be just as beautiful as you are."

[Halae]

[Ingrid's Home]

Surprise crosses Ingrid's face when Maria kisses her scar, before the half-dragon smiles sweetly, "Oh geeze, I hope not. I'd be terrible to take after. You're a much better choice."

[UncleWolf]

Ingrid's House

"Well, they'll take after both of us, so they'll get the best of both worlds." The tiefling says with a warm smile before running her claw gently over the scar and leaning down again to kiss her belly. The kiss seems to last a long time, but Ingrid might get the feeling that something is wrong when Ingrid tries to move her head, but stops and whimpers, her lips stuck to the ice-cold scales.

[Halae]

[Ingird's Home]

Realization dawns on Ingrid when that happens, "Oh, Maria! Oh geeze. I'm going to stand up slow and walk out of the room so we can wait for you to thaw out, alright?"

Assuming Maria works with Ingrid, they should be out of the room relatively quickly, with Ingrid doing her best to avoid giggling.

[UncleWolf]

Ingrid's House

"Hograyyy..." Maria mutters, trying not to giggle herself. Assuming they get out of the room without issue and her lips thaw, Maria can't help but laugh before getting up to wrap her arms around her current lover. "I suppose now would be a bad time to use the phrase "I'm stuck with you anyway"." She obviously jokes, sticking her tongue out before falling into laughter again.

[OrchestraHc]

[Lisa's Home]

Garrett laughs a little. "Yeah, my bad. Lisa here's more girl crazy than most guys I know, so I jumped to conclusions. Not that I don't have reason most of the time." A thought occurs to him. "Hey, have you met Dimi yet?"

[Lisa's Home]

"I don't think so," Emmi says. She turns to Lisa's and asks, "Another sibling?"

[Gullara]

[Lisa's Home]

"No, she's my other friend. You saw pictures of her in my book." Lisa says. Emmi would be able to figure out she means the halfling girl easily enough.

"Okay, when you meet her, ask her about her and Lisa sometime." Garrett goes on."

"Were were bloody thirteen and stupid, you rat. You're leaving now." Lisa starts shoving him toward the door. Garrett laughs and lets himself get pushed slowly back.

"Oh come on. I just got here."

"Out, now." Lisa gives him a good shove, making him back step a bit.

"Fine fine. Hey, Emmi. If Lisa doesn't try to hoard you all to herself, we should definitely hang out sometime. Oh, and I like the shirt. Looks great on you." And with that, Garrett gets the door closed in his face.

Lisa turns around and leans against it. Her face couldn't be more red.