[NEXUS] WATCHTOWER 17: Through Cloud, Shadow, Earth, and Flesh.

[Terumitsu]

[Infirmary]

"Hair. Right. I'm just gonna let that slide and assume that's only a statement of habit." Ghoul said with a less than amused tone. She managed to look quite decent and even a bit handsome with her lack of hair but it generally wasn't something she liked being teased about. It was already a constant reminder of old, bad decisions and bringing it up was of no help.

A cheek swab was another thing, though. Finding a sterile swab wasn't likely a hard task and Cutter would likely soon be handed the result. The same with a petri dish and a small slice from a cuticle would follow although it was clear that the cut went just a tad deeper than intended. The painkillers seemed to block that out if not the headache although that was now just a dull pain at this point.

Either way, a pair of samples for Cutter to do with as he pleased.

[Reinholdt]

Courtyard

Stu is fortunate that the shots can't pierce armor or things would have been in much worse shape. He did, thankfully, purposefully position himself in between Jeremy and Harley during his flight, so his power suit will be taking the brunt of the blasts. Of course that's only so good against the spread of a shotgun and Stu only takes up so much room, so I suspect Harley will still be getting nicked. But it's not as bad as it could be. And yes, with itching it can always be worse.

Stu missed his cinematic moment as some of his petals were torn and he's whimpering a bit. "It's like bee season all over again. I hate bee season." Flowers are allergic to bees, don't you know? Itch itch.

They're not actually inside yet though Harley. Stu might have gotten them over the walls, but the front door to the actual keep is closed and locked. Hopefully the fearless leader has a solution to this conundrum.

[Shadowcaller]

Ilpholin's Room

As my edited post suggests. Cessie stays in Ilpholin's room. Waiting for the two to return., She wanted to check on her air elemental but not while she was watching Blake.

[Reinholdt]

Cessie's Room >> Out

"Is there still fighting anywhere else?" Darcy asks, as she takes Ilpholin's arm. "I guess we should get that murder-kid locked up first."

-> Ilph's room

Sorry, thought it was a given they were coming back after getting dressed. "Don't know. That portal could still be up."

[Shadowcaller]

Ilpholin's Room

I wanted to wait for one post before I replied. Cessie comes to meet them once they entered the room again, they wore clothes now. Much better.

"The portal is still up but you have a bit to explain to me before we do anything about it. Now we have I been keeping an eye on? Are there others attacking the base right now?" She gestures towards Blake.

[happyturtle]

Ilpholin's Room

"How should I know? I was in the shower when I heard Ilphy screaming and came running. Pretty sure she was still asleep when it happened, or she wouldn't have been caught naked and weaponless." Darcy says, sounding irritated.

[Deathkeeper]

Inside The Base/ Courtyard

It is at this point that Klitcht's player remembers he exists wakes up from his rare meditation break since apparently there's super serious stuff happening now. Which probably means killing things. Oh, the bittersweet joys of work.
The tall Thri-Keen charges out of his room with his swords and chatkas in hand and his combat eyelids down. He's probably heading towards the Courtyard since he has really no clue where anything is happening and it seems like a good place to start, but he can be ambushed or given an order along the way.

[5a Violista]

Courtyard

Since I assume Klitcht has to unlock the door to go through it, I imagine that it shouldn't be all that difficult for them to find their way inside.

But, first things first. The bird-shot pierced parts of Harley's legs, especially, and some of her arms, as well. Sure, it hurts, but Harley (being a shapeshifter) can just shapeshift the wounds close. So, she does that, to stop the bleeding.

Which, admittedly, isn't the best idea. If she left it all bleeding, then the itchiness would probably bleed out. However, with the wounds closed, that keeps the itching powder inside, irritating her cells constantly.

"Well, we're almost in," she says as she itches her right forearm. "Do you think they noticed us?"

Harley walks over to the door and tries to open it - locked. I know! She could try to pick it. Harley pulls out a bobby pin and tries to pick open the door.

...

This would be a perfectly hilarious time for Klitcht to open the door and either knock her over (if the door opens outwards) or run into her (if the door opens inwards).

[UncleWolf]

Outside Courtyard - Portal

As Jeremy is now disengaged and unable to get back over the wall for the moment, he shoulders his shotgun, kneels, and readies himself in case anyone else comes through, trusting the Watchies inside the wall to defend the place from two individuals.

Infirmary - Before the Attack

"Just habit, sorry." Cutter admits. Once it's all done, he leans against the counter and gives a small smile. "So, Dinner at 1900 hours?"

[Reinholdt]

Ilpholin's Room

"An AMENite. And possibly." Who Blake was specifically beyond that was both irrelevant and possibly conjecture.

Ilpholin will go to scoop up the mirror Object, making sure it stays wrapped up in a blanket and she doesn't touch it directly. "Let's move him before he wakes up."

Courtyard

There may be some edits causing them to be somewhere else, but Stu'll still reply: "We turbo jetted on their front lawn. They noticed."

[Shadowcaller]

Ilpholin's Room

"My apologizes if that sounded rude." Cessie says. "But what about this, you two take this AMENite to the detention cells, I've already placed that other AMENite there, the one that looked like a goat. Then you join me at the courtyard or search through the rest of the building for more infiltrators." She suggests. "I'm going to attempt to close down the portal now."

[Courtyard]

It's very likely they have been noticed since there is an loud alarm going off.

BEEP! BEEP!

Intruder alert! Intruder alert!

BEEP! BEEP!

Intruder alert! Intruder alert!

[happyturtle]

Ilpholin's Room

Darcy be helping her wench to keelhaul lockup the scurvy dog. Yarr!

[Terumitsu]

[Infirmary - Before the Attack]

"Make it 2000. Should probably have found something to wear by then." the muse said, tapping the side of her head as the throbbing sensation seemed to migrate slightly. "I don't think the pills are doing anything... You wanted to try something else, right? Have time for an impromptu scheduling or should I try sleeping it off?" she asked.

Maybe the additional time would be useful for Cutter's examinations of the tissue samples as well. At least, assuming this didn't delay anything. Still, having a somewhat limited wardrobe was at least easier to pick an outfit for although whether it would be good or not was the real question. At least she had gotten another eyebrow pencil, her old one being just as gone as the rest of her gear. Technically it was an unnecessary vanity but she preferred to not have a permanently pseudo-surprised expression if she could help it.

[Deathkeeper]

Barracks-Courtyard Door

I believe the doors open in, for the record. I can be corrected.
Regardless, this is super serious! Intruder alerts and everything! This is surely the time for Klitcht to cut loose, to cut heads, to finally get some credit for-
Why is there scratching at the door handle? He thinks to himself as he reaches for it. Huh. Someone trying to get in? Seriously, the barracks? Must have gotten lost, because Klitcht sure doesn't remember being given anything worth raiding. Still, this is a good time to practice his sneakiness. Klitcht steps to the right, next to where the doors will open. Either they won't get past the locked door, or they will, and he'll get a perfect chance to bring his shiny, currently raised khopesh down on their unsuspecting necks. Or they might step back or something, but no, we're not entertaining those thoughts.

[5a Violista]

Courtyard Door

Klitcht won't get to behead them just yet, because Harley just broke her hairpin. You didn't seriously expect someone to successfully open a door with only a hairpin? Come on, that only happens in the movies. "Shoot," she curses. "I was so sure I had it that time."

Harley turns around, looking at the other buildings in the courtyard that she just barely noticed. "Maybe the other ones are unlocked."

"Or, if we're lucky, someone might open a door and come out to look for us. I mean, we did just turbo-jet into their front lawn."

I remembered that I forgot to say Harley resheathed her empty scabbard. So, she still has it in one of her hands.

[Reinholdt]

Courtyard -> Training Tower

Don't know why the barracks door would be locked. Guess someone locked it on their way in or out.

"I'm sure they're over here!" Stu says, leading the way into the totally unlocked Training Tower, it being closest. Before sneezing something fierce, yellow snot pollen shooting out. I'm not sure why being itchy causes him to sneeze, but it apparently does.

Inside Keep

Well Darcy's wench makes sure Blake is nice and comfortable in a cell not next to Decker's. That done, she'll hurry to meet up with Cessie.

[Earl of Purple]

Ilphy's Room --> Cells

I thought Blake's feet were still stuck to the floor by Mr. Squiggle's web, but otherwise there's no resistance.

[Shadowcaller]

Inside Keep

Cessie will first drop off the muk from Ilpholin in the bathtub iplaced in the room right next to her own. She will then proceed to the front door but then decide to wait for Ilpholin and Darcy before opening it.

Meanwhile she can contact Jeremy to make sure he was alright. Jeremy? Are you alright? It's me, Cessie.
Darcy and Ilpholin will find her at the door during this conversation.

[UncleWolf]

Outside the Wall

I'm fine. Twisted ankle, but nothing serious. Two people have gotten inside. One a flower in power armor and the other a woman. They don't seem overly aggressive, just trying to rescue someone. Jeremy relays to Cessie.

Past - Hospital Tower

"Acupuncture if you'll let me. You'll have to disrobe and lay on the table though. I can put on music if you like." The doctor tells her, and if she agrees, he'll turn on whatever music she requests and grabs a large bin of needles. He'll even give her a towel if she wishes to cover herself.

[Terumitsu]

[Past - Hospital Tower]

Taking the offered towel and moving momentarily behind a curtain that would assumably be relevant in a ward (what with the need to separate patients and such), Ghoul would leave her folded garments on a nearby surface before laying down as instructed. "It occurs to me that you could be lying about this whole 'first time thing.'" she said with a small chuckle. "I've heard of worse ways of how to get a person naked, though, so I can give you points for style, at least.

"And.. Eh. Turn on something quiet if you have something in mind. Something relaxing although I may have to hurt you if you put on any smooth jazz." she said although she didn't seem all that serious about the 'threat.' Resting her head on her arms and closing her eyes, she nevertheless kept watch via sonar just in case something suspicious was in the works. She knew it was just paranoia but there had been reason for her to cultivate it in the first place after all.

[5a Violista]

Courtyard -> Training Tower

It was probably Conrack who did it. He sure does like to lock them doors. Probably just a bad habit he still has from being a mercenary.

Unfortunately, Harley only has one free hand, so she can only scratch one limb at a time, and everyone knows that you shouldn't scratch your legs, so her arm just continues to get itchier and itchier.

... Oh, and I'm sure there's still the final throes of the sandwich in her small intestines. They're getting quieter now, though. That sandwich is probably almost dead by now.

"Of course," agrees Harley. They must be in that unlocked building; after all, why would prisoners be trapped in a locked building? So, Harley follows Stu to the Training Tower.

((By the way, what are these Catacombs I keep on reading about, in the first post? I might have Conrack go there after his current adventure.))

[UncleWolf]

Past - Hospital Tower

Cutter begins to sing some Barry Manilow jokingly, but turns on some nice Tchaikovsky before humming to himself and begins the process. He's careful and his fingers are surprisingly delicate, but the process will take a long time. With any luck, her body will begin to feel more relaxed and her head relieved.

[happyturtle]

Inside Keep

I guess Darcy and Ilpholin will try to find the intruders. But maybe the potential self-rp for Reinholdt should send them in the wrong direction?

[Reinholdt]

Inside Keep

I forgot about the webbing, sorry. Fortunately, Ilpholin has a silver knife she can use to cut Blake free.

Also this sounds like a plan, to reduce number of characters overwhelming any part at a time. "Cessie. If you've got the portal covered, we'll sweep the keep." She suggests. Probably a good idea not to sit the target AMENites were after in front of the portal leading there too.

Training Room

Well the bottom floor has an armory with training weapons and the upper floors have the gym/danger room stuff.

Stu Ohhhhhhs and Ahhhhhhs and grabs himself a heavy repeating nerf gun. "Oh yeah baby, now we can do this in style. And can you stop your screaming? It gives our position away!"

[Terumitsu]

[Past - Hospital Tower]

It wasn't painful but... It certainly felt odd at first. Trying her best to relax, she found it to be quite a bit easier remarkably quickly although there was something odd over all about it. It wasn't something she could categorize as a physical sensation especially since her experience with Klitcht. Instead it was like.. It was like there were points inside her bones which had been dammed up.. Or, not even her bones but maybe.. It didn't seem to really line up with any structures she could put her finger on aside from generally following along her nervous system as a best guess but it felt quite similar, in a way at least, to that same sort of 'contact and pull back' thing the Thri-Kreen had done before. Of course, if not for that, she probably just would have categorized the sensation as simply a very deep kind of induced relaxation.

Of course, being this relaxed was enough for Ghoul to simply stop breathing seeing how it wasn't a necessity. It might be odd to watch but hopefully at least expected in some way by Cutter so that he wouldn't be too put off. Though, her hands and arms seemed to be slowly taking on a hard, black, chitinous appearance and her fingers certainly weren't normally shaped like long knives... The fledgeling had always felt more comfortable with them that way, personally, but it was not something that would be all that comfortable for most others, most likely. Of course, Cutter wasn't exactly 'most others,' after all, was he?

[Shadowcaller]

Outside the Wall

Thank Artaris, I thought that hand had killed you. What happened to it and the elemental it took over? Cessie asks. I think I know who they are trying to rescue. Hopefully we can make an exchange in case they capture some of ours in AMEN.

Inside Keep==>Courtyard

"I was about to suggest the same." The sorceress replies. "According to Jeremy there, uh, was someone in a power armor and a woman that came over the wall somehow. I have blocked all access ways to the keep so they must be in the courtyard or one of the buildings outside. Be careful, I will set Garn to guard the door, he'll recognize your voices if you have to be let inside." She will then unlock and open the gate, slowly starting to move out into the courtyard.

[5a Violista]

Training Room

Harley, on the other hand, prefers a good sword to complement her empty metal scabbard. Also, swords don't run out of ammo.

She notices a foam Long-Sword that matches her style of combat, and grabs it. Unfortunately, it's not metallic, so it doesn't conduct electricity or heat, but that's what her scabbard is for.

"I'm sorry," she apologizes. "It's not my fault. It's because of that fish. Probably my innards are weeping because of eating seafood again."

"If you're worried about your position being given away, we can split up. That way, we'll have a much better chance of finding and rescuing all three of our people who are here."

Oh, and itching-scratching. If Harley figured out what was causing the itchiness, she could just find a way to shape-shift it out of her, or maybe change her cell receptors or something. But that would probably take a bit more patience than she wants to spend. "We'll need a secret code, too, to tell each other when we find them or if we get ambushed. Usually, in the movies, they do a owl's hooting or a wolf's howl."

[Arkhosia]

[Sometime In The Future]

A tall, blond female with a long scar on her face walks briskly through the doors of the Keep's Main Room with her dark trench coat trailing behind her, searching for a person to pass in her resume to.

Name: Caelynn Turath
Age: 21
Sex: Female
Species: Faunus (person with animalistic features: Cat ears and eyes in my case)
Profession:Mercenary, Acrobat, Former Spy, Prostitute (Spying often requests rather unsavory cover jobs).
Reason for joining WATCHTOWER: To put my combat skills to a cause
Special skills/items you believe will aid/have decided to contribute to WATCHTOWER: I am very clever and intelligent, perceptive, and quick. Years of practice have honed my acrobatic and combative skills
Other Information: I wield shotgun-bracers that can release shock waves and boots that quicken speed.

[UncleWolf]

Past - Hospital Tower

Cutter will probably scoot the towel a little just to be able to get to some more points, but she'll remain decent the entire time if she wishes to be. And even though he raises an eyebrow at her transformations, he doesn't say anything right away and simply works around it.

Only once he's finished does he give a small smile and look closer at her hands before talking. "I admit, you seem...quite a bit like me. Just more attractive about it. Even your chitin is better looking." He teases with a wry smile. It might throw off her "inner balance" but a giggle should be worth it.

Outside the Wall

The Elemental vanished into the ground if that's what you mean. Probably going to try and come up from below. Jeremy thinks back to Cessie.

[happyturtle]

Searching the Keep

While Ilpholin and Darcy head off to search the Keep, Darcy takes the opportunity of being alone with her lover (especially with no one trying to abduct or kill her). "Ilpholin... I think we should leave Watch."