[Nexus] MagCave VII: Rest for the Wicked

[happyturtle]

Mofftok

"But you can fix it, right? You're a cybernetic genius!" Mofftok says. Though how exactly that could work without breaking up another Moff for parts, I have no idea. "You really are ... how did I never realize that before?"

Birthdaytok

Happy gets her slice of cake and sits down on the sofa next to Magtok. "I'll get that tiger rug all prepared for you, so it's available for your decor in other scenes. That was a pretty cool park, huh?" She's starting to get a little nervous and hopes it isn't showing. Isn't this where they'd start making out? Is that what she wants? Yes! No... Maybe?. Did she start doing this just to keep Magtok away from Reina? No, of course not. There was always that connection between them, from the first time he'd kidnapped her. But is it really possible to revive that spark? What if it all goes horribly wrong?

[Arkhosia]

Mofftok

"If you haven't noticed, I wasn't anywhere near AMEN's cloning tanks and/or whatever it is that killed you," Magtok rolls his eyes, taking a gamble and hoping this isn't a reborn Metal Jaw Moff or something like that.

Birthdaytok

"Oh, right! Cake!" We can mumble things under our breath about what jerks Watch are later, there's cake to be had! The dish thingy hiding the cake is removed, and a hooker jumps out and it's chocolate, yay!

CatTok

"It's entirely legal and widespread in the Nexus," Magtok points out, purely to see the cat cyborg's reaction to him saying so.

Really? Awesum!
CatTok replies happily.
He yawns.
I iz sleeping now!
CatTok curls up in a corner and falls asleep.

[happyturtle]

Brain Surgery

Of course it worked. It was Magtok poking around in there, not some rank amateur from the year forty-thousand or something. Sheesh, you people. Perfectly steady robot hands, years of experience, nigh-infinite book knowledge contained in a mind infinitely more capable of awesome works of mad genius that your garden variety human, and you have the gall, the unbelievable nerve to fear Magtok's cyborg graft expertise might somehow have failed you!

"The procedure was a success. You're going to need some paperwork or something to get you past your next set of metal detectors without stirring up tension, but other than that, everything is absolutely perfect. I can't think of a single brain in the Nexus that's as secure as yours is as of today."

It's not often Magtok gets to bask in the glory of a good deed done well and without any tragic complications, so he does so, and I'm not going to give him any flak for it this time around. I'm sure this wasn't what Charity had in mind when she asked him to talk to Sunny, but oh well, go Team Magtok!

Sunny gives Magtok the most adoring and worshipful look he's ever seen on anyone who wasn't bat****. (Not to name names, but Pat and Mara Magdalene come to mind... ) "I'll never be able to repay you for this," she says as she starts to sit up. Then she crumples back onto the bed, so suddenly that it might look as if she's fainted. But no, she couldn't have, because thick, painful sobs are being torn from her as she shakes and buries her face in the pillow.

[Lord Magtok]

MoffTok

"My best guess is the cyborg half of your brain has accidentally made you smart enough to pick up on incredibly obvious details like that," Magtok rolls his eyes, finding it obscenely hard to take this Moff seriously.

"I could fix it, yes. It won't work without breaking up another Moff for parts or using a blood sample to grow a big gross meat-blob specimen to attach to the not-robot part of you, though. Both options are expensive and time-consuming, though."

BirthdayTok

The cyborg shrugs, and takes another bite of cake.

"The park was alright. This whole 'Magtok is the distressed, swooning damsel while Happy's always kicking butt and saving the day' thing is wearing a little thin, though. The first time with the wolf was fun, though, and I guess this is kinda poetic justice or something with our past history being what it is, so I don't know if I should really complain."

Magtok sighs, shaking his head as he looks down at the cake. Another year gone by, and the world has changed so drastically all around him in those twelve months. Just like it does every year, really.

"...Happy, are we getting old? Or worse, are we already old? I'm not trying to be all broody and melodramatic here...okay, maybe just a little, but seriously, I have no idea. Another birthday gone by, and I don't even have a number I can feel safe attaching to it, and I'm more than a little confused as to what I should be doing if I'm ever asked to 'act my age.'

I mean, we both have kids who were either born a young man or are just now becoming a young woman, entire cities have popped up since we got here, and yet I don't have a wrinkle on my pretty face unless I deliberately put it there, and you still look like you were drawn by Frank Frazetta, except with more clothes on. Are we really, genuinely old, and just too fantastic to notice, or does everyone and everything else just age stupid-fast?"

CatTok

"You what?! This is my MagCave, you can't just go taking naps wherever you want! What kind of-"

You're wasting your breath, Magtok, the cat's already sound asleep.

"Fudging no good little Reinholdt prank why I ought to-"

Magtok goes stomping off, but not before ordering some Magbots to have fresh milk, that one scratching post he was going to throw out, and lastly, 'whatever the hell cats eat I don't know tuna maybe do I look like someone who has a lot of cats go die in a fire', in the cyborg's own words. Looks like he'll be letting the cat stay, at least for now.

[happyturtle]

Birthdaytok

"Hey, you saved the day in the crazy flying machine," Happy reminds him. Then he gets introspective. Happy makes a mental note to google Frank Frazetta, but then covers her silence with a few bites of cake.

"I think it's... both," she finally says. "It was only five years ago that we started GLoG, but they were a long five years. We were saving the world. We both died, more than once. We've lost people we loved. That would make anyone feel old. But then there are people around us who have aged far more than five years, like Quinn's kids, or the Xar'Cha twins. So maybe we're in a go-slow field compare to the rest of the world, or maybe it's all timey-wimey stuff, or maybe it doesn't matter so much because no matter how old you are, you'll never be old, because you're the most exciting person I've ever known." She could have said all of this to him without embarrassment before, but now every word was heavy with possibility. Her eyes stay on her cake except for one glance towards him at the end, quickly averted when their eyes almost meet. It might be enough time for Magtok to notice her face reddening.

Mofftok

Mofftok sighs, and runs his fingers through his hair.

Which of course only covers the fleshy half of his head. No wonder he had his hood up. "Listen, Magtok, can we start over? Get coffee or something? I don't know how this happened, and I don't have anyone else to turn to."

And then he gives Magtok the eyes. Yes, those eyes.



"Please?"

Of course it probably is only half as effective due to one of the eyes being a glowing red cyborg eye, but it's still a hard look to say no to.

[Arkhosia]

CatTok

CatTok sleeps for a very long time in short bursts, being a cat.
He devours the milk and meat or cat food provided.
You'd think he'd of figured out how to fuel himself via electricity or something by now.
Iz peeples here often?
CatTok asks

[Arkhosia]

Front Door - Not a -tok!

Talos Eyrecrad, AKA Lord Eyrecrad, knocks on the door. The esirie wears black metal armor with a violet emblem of a wyvern and a glaive rests on his back.
Hello.

[UncleWolf]

Brain Surgery

Carl slips a small arm around his wife and rests his head on her shoulder. "What's wrong, mon Cheri?" He asks, filled with worry and anxiousness.

[Lord Magtok]

Brain Surgery

Pat's not crazy! Well...not anymore than is expected of people in the Nexus, I mean. Compared to her sisters she doesn't seem the least bit unhinged, which I guess doesn't really say much, but other than that one time when she decided to go one-on-one with a dragon for Magtok's Thanksmas present-

...On second thought, you were right all along, Pat is totally bonkers.

"Sunny? Sunny, you know you don't actually have to pay me back, right? It's not...no, that's not it at all, is it?"

He looks to Carl, as if hoping her husband could just magically know the answer and solve everything.

Birthdaytok

An awkward silence strikes! The Magbots take this as their cue to leave the room, and silently slip out as inconspicuously as they can. Magtok himself doesn't seem to have noticed them, his attention rather consumed by Happy at the moment. He fumbles for a moment or two, trying to figure out exactly what it is he wants to say or do. Some variation of 'I love you too?' No, gods no, way too forward and too strong of a word and this isn't that kind of romance. Just jump straight to making out, maybe? No, he's too stupid and fumbling and awkward, he'd screw up the approach and she'd look at him with disappointment, make up some excuse, and then go home.

"Oh, hey, umm...you have a little bit of cake, right there."

Actually, no she doesn't, Magtok. In fact, I think that might be the one spot near her lips which doesn't have chocolate cake smeared. Just what kind of shenanigans are you trying to pull here, anyways?

Mofftok

Magtok sighs.

"Moff, it's fine, I'm not...I'm going to help you, okay? It's fine, stop giving me that look. We're not really friends, so I just need to justify it somehow by figuring out something you could do for me. So far I'm not coming up with anything, but I'm sure there's a thing."

CatTok

"Yeah, it gets kinda busy around here sometimes," Magtok admits. A Magtok admits, I should say. This isn't quite the same cyborg who met with CatTok before the feline fell asleep, as evidenced by his neon green prosthetic eye and odd choice of attire.

To be more specific, this Magtok seems to be wearing a bright green suit of power armor. Power armor that looks very much like it was put together from the shattered remains of two or three suits built by different designers, with extra armor plating in places that don't always make sense, and the logos of other factions mostly but not entirely concealed by the bold purple 'M' of MagCorp.

"Hey, did the guy in purple say how long you could stay? "

Talos Eyrecrad

Something suspiciously similar to the Seeker from XCOM answers the door. A big ol' techno-organic squid thing, roughly the size of two grown men, floating about and pulsating in the air, staring back at the foreigner with two glowing purple eyes.

GREETINGS, MORTAL! WHAT BUSINESS HAVE YOU WITH THE LORD OF THE CAVE?

[happyturtle]

Birthdaytok

Happy turns her head to lean into his touch. There are still warning bells inside, trying to convince her that this can't possibly work out. They're friends, good friends, and what if that gets ruined? But it's been so long since she's been touched like this, desired like this, and it's so easy to just ignore the klaxons long enough to raise her eyes to his, slide a hand around to the back of his neck, and simply let the kiss happen.

Spoiler: How do cyborg kisses work?

Show

"Something something soft metals supertech handwaving *flees*" said Magtok.

Brain Surgery

Unfortunately, Sunny isn't going to be capable of answering them any time soon. But if we handwave past the godawful meltdown she's going to be having for... say... the next twenty minutes or so, she eventually says, "I was so scared."

It's entirely possible Magtok vacated the premises before this happens.

Mofftok

"Of course there's a thing! There's always a thing - I'll do the thing! I'll owe you a thing!" Mofftok insists. Then he tilts his head. "Are you doing something... different... with your chrome or something? You look... well... great, really."

[Arkhosia]

Brain Surgery

Pat's not crazy! Well...not anymore than is expected of people in the Nexus, I mean. Compared to her sisters she doesn't seem the least bit unhinged, which I guess doesn't really say much, but other than that one time when she decided to go one-on-one with a dragon for Magtok's Thanksmas present-

...On second thought, you were right all along, Pat is totally bonkers.

"Sunny? Sunny, you know you don't actually have to pay me back, right? It's not...no, that's not it at all, is it?"

He looks to Carl, as if hoping her husband could just magically know the answer and solve everything.

Birthdaytok

An awkward silence strikes! The Magbots take this as their cue to leave the room, and silently slip out as inconspicuously as they can. Magtok himself doesn't seem to have noticed them, his attention rather consumed by Happy at the moment. He fumbles for a moment or two, trying to figure out exactly what it is he wants to say or do. Some variation of 'I love you too?' No, gods no, way too forward and too strong of a word and this isn't that kind of romance. Just jump straight to making out, maybe? No, he's too stupid and fumbling and awkward, he'd screw up the approach and she'd look at him with disappointment, make up some excuse, and then go home.

"Oh, hey, umm...you have a little bit of cake, right there."

Actually, no she doesn't, Magtok. In fact, I think that might be the one spot near her lips which doesn't have chocolate cake smeared. Just what kind of shenanigans are you trying to pull here, anyways?

Mofftok

Magtok sighs.

"Moff, it's fine, I'm not...I'm going to help you, okay? It's fine, stop giving me that look. We're not really friends, so I just need to justify it somehow by figuring out something you could do for me. So far I'm not coming up with anything, but I'm sure there's a thing."

CatTok

"Yeah, it gets kinda busy around here sometimes," Magtok admits. A Magtok admits, I should say. This isn't quite the same cyborg who met with CatTok before the feline fell asleep, as evidenced by his neon green prosthetic eye and odd choice of attire.

To be more specific, this Magtok seems to be wearing a bright green suit of power armor. Power armor that looks very much like it was put together from the shattered remains of two or three suits built by different designers, with extra armor plating in places that don't always make sense, and the logos of other factions mostly but not entirely concealed by the bold purple 'M' of MagCorp.

"Hey, did the guy in purple say how long you could stay? "

Talos Eyrecrad

Something suspiciously similar to the Seeker from XCOM answers the door. A big ol' techno-organic squid thing, roughly the size of two grown men, floating about and pulsating in the air, staring back at the foreigner with two glowing purple eyes.

GREETINGS, MORTAL! WHAT BUSINESS HAVE YOU WITH THE LORD OF THE CAVE?

CatTok
Nope!

Talos
Lord Talos Eyrecrad, leader of the Eyrecrad Clan. I wish to meet Magtok

[UncleWolf]

Brain Surgery

"You don't need to be scared anymore." Carl whispers to her, trying to pull her head against his chest to comfort her.

[Lord Magtok]

Birthdaytok

Well, as much as part of him wanted to hear her ask 'where?' and play along with the charade, the journey wasn't quite as important as the destination this time around. Just a shame this had to happen right after chocolate cake, though. I mean, it's definitely nowhere near as foul as the drunk kiss was, but the chocolate adds a certain stickiness to things, which, although it definitely doesn't ruin the absolutely wonderful experience, makes Magtok wonder in the back of his mind if he should maybe set out a bowl of strawberries or something next time they meet. Just in case, y'know?

The fussing in his head over the taste of chocolate is largely a cover, though. A distraction from the much more worrisome issue of whether or not they actually should be doing this. Magtok's been something of a slut lately, bouncing from woman to woman. Happy deserves someone better, someone more like her old husband, who could put her first and foremost, instead of just tied for first or second place with one or two other girls. How much of this is even about her, and not just his silly nostalgia for a less civilized and more optimistic era? He was really creepy and cloned her once only to just abandon her in another dimension with Affidavit, so maybe this is wrong and dishonest and spittle in the face of that one clone lady? Melody called him Uncle Magtok in that one Skyside post, is she going to be nauseous when she finds out about this? When, not if, because they're really not that subtle together, and...and umm...

...

Yep, those are all things Magtok would probably be thinking right now, if he wasn't so busy focusing on the taste of chocolate! Mmm, chocolate!

Brain Surgery

Of course he left. Twenty minutes, are you serious? He has tons of stuff to do, he can't just stand awkwardly in one spot for any longer than eight! A Magbot was stationed here to keep watch and let him know if the situation changes though, so he could come back and pretend to have been here all along.

Mofftok

"I'm using a new shampoo, actually. It's supposed to revitalize all these ugly split ends, and bring some color back to-Moff, do you actually hear the words coming out of your mouth? Are you feeling alright? Besides the obvious cyborging thing, I mean."

He was willing to wave off the coffee thing as just his overactive imagination being weirdly homophobic or something, but that chrome comment was pretty unmistakeable. Something is definitely off here.

CatTok

"Congratulations, you've just been adopted, then. Let's see if I can get you a place situated by my cage..."

Cage? No no, he obviously meant cave, right? There's no reason why there'd be a Magtok kept in a cage around here, is there?

Talos Eyrecrad

THE LORD OF THE CAVE IS PRESENTLY OCCUPIED WITH THE LIPS OF ANOTHER, BUT FORTUNATELY, I AM AUTHORIZED TO SPEAK ON THE LORD OF THE CAVE'S BEHALF. SPEAK, MORTAL, AND YOU SHALL BE HEARD.

Wow, this squiddly thing that has yet to be properly named sure is full of itself. I don't think it really has any right to be calling anyone else a lowly mortal, either. Anyways, it hangs in the air, blocking entry to the MagCave and gesticulating grandiosely with its multitude of appendages.

[Arkhosia]

Birthdaytok

Well, as much as part of him wanted to hear her ask 'where?' and play along with the charade, the journey wasn't quite as important as the destination this time around. Just a shame this had to happen right after chocolate cake, though. I mean, it's definitely nowhere near as foul as the drunk kiss was, but the chocolate adds a certain stickiness to things, which, although it definitely doesn't ruin the absolutely wonderful experience, makes Magtok wonder in the back of his mind if he should maybe set out a bowl of strawberries or something next time they meet. Just in case, y'know?

The fussing in his head over the taste of chocolate is largely a cover, though. A distraction from the much more worrisome issue of whether or not they actually should be doing this. Magtok's been something of a slut lately, bouncing from woman to woman. Happy deserves someone better, someone more like her old husband, who could put her first and foremost, instead of just tied for first or second place with one or two other girls. How much of this is even about her, and not just his silly nostalgia for a less civilized and more optimistic era? He was really creepy and cloned her once only to just abandon her in another dimension with Affidavit, so maybe this is wrong and dishonest and spittle in the face of that one clone lady? Melody called him Uncle Magtok in that one Skyside post, is she going to be nauseous when she finds out about this? When, not if, because they're really not that subtle together, and...and umm...

...

Yep, those are all things Magtok would probably be thinking right now, if he wasn't so busy focusing on the taste of chocolate! Mmm, chocolate!

Brain Surgery

Of course he left. Twenty minutes, are you serious? He has tons of stuff to do, he can't just stand awkwardly in one spot for any longer than eight! A Magbot was stationed here to keep watch and let him know if the situation changes though, so he could come back and pretend to have been here all along.

Mofftok

"I'm using a new shampoo, actually. It's supposed to revitalize all these ugly split ends, and bring some color back to-Moff, do you actually hear the words coming out of your mouth? Are you feeling alright? Besides the obvious cyborging thing, I mean."

He was willing to wave off the coffee thing as just his overactive imagination being weirdly homophobic or something, but that chrome comment was pretty unmistakeable. Something is definitely off here.

CatTok

"Congratulations, you've just been adopted, then. Let's see if I can get you a place situated by my cage..."

Cage? No no, he obviously meant cave, right? There's no reason why there'd be a Magtok kept in a cage around here, is there?

Talos Eyrecrad

THE LORD OF THE CAVE IS PRESENTLY OCCUPIED WITH THE LIPS OF ANOTHER, BUT FORTUNATELY, I AM AUTHORIZED TO SPEAK ON THE LORD OF THE CAVE'S BEHALF. SPEAK, MORTAL, AND YOU SHALL BE HEARD.

Wow, this squiddly thing that has yet to be properly named sure is full of itself. I don't think it really has any right to be calling anyone else a lowly mortal, either. Anyways, it hangs in the air, blocking entry to the MagCave and gesticulating grandiosely with its multitude of appendages.

CatTok
Okay!

Talos
I would like to propose an alliance.

[happyturtle]

Birthdaytok

Eventually, they have to come up for air.

*taps watch*

Aaaaaanytime now...

Happy rests her forehead against his while she catches her breath. "Magtok, this..." she starts to say. Then, "I think maybe..." She leans in for a second, briefer kiss - just a peck really - before saying, "Melody."

Mofftok

Moff tugs at his hair with his human hand. "Yes! No! I don't know - hells, Magtok, I remember you being as ugly as a aarkvark's ass. What's changed?"

[Lost_Deep]

Throne Room

Magtok sighs. This is getting nowhere, and he's still not feeling like his name's been cleared yet. "I don't know what you want me to do or say or be unaware of in order to prove I had nothing to do with this, Jade. I had nothing to do with this. Why would I use one of my own, an exotic one of my own with unique superpowers, to investigate...whatever, when I could just send someone with no known ties to MagSide, or shapeshift a disguise, or just ask nicely and see how much data that gets me?"

The diplomatic facade drops to reveal a more personable attitude. Is this one a facade, too? I don't know, she's a hard read. "I believe you. It's those I'm working for that have doubts. It's the line of work where you can't be too careful. The question is, what can you do to help either clear your name or at least be helpful enough they don't deem an investigation worth the trouble?"

[Lord Magtok]

CatTok

Wow, would you look at that, he did mean cage! It's more of a barred cell with nice widescreen TV, privacy shutters, a cozy bed, and other fancy amenities, but with the way HazMag is treated by the other Magtoks, it's only natural he would think of it in such negative terms.

"Cat, going to have to ask a minor favor of you, for later. Can you deliver a letter to a man named Marciano? He's also going by the name of Ritzy McKane, and has this casino up in...Skyside, I think? Anyways, I need to get a message out to him, and who'd suspect a cat?

...No offense, of course."

Talos

The Lord of the Cave's resources, influence, and power are known throughout the Nexus, and need not be repeated here. What does this alliance ask of us, and what would it offer in exchange?

The squiddly thing that has yet to be properly named gesticulates some more with those tentacles. It's not all that friendly, is it? Languishing in a pit of deadtime for years can do that to you, though.

Birthdaytok

"Does she hate me? I can usually tell, but I don't really see her ever, so..." Magtok's eyes sink as his sentence trails off. If she hated him, he wouldn't hold it against her. Shepherd would've had to kill someone else if Magtok hadn't made that foolish mistake to fly her over to her mother.

"What would we tell her? How would we define...this?" Is there a word for two old friends trying to rekindle what could've been? A widow and someone as close to being a widower as you can get without the wedding bells, clumsily trying to make up for lost time and a multitude of prior commitments that had to come first?

Mofftok

"The only thing that's changed is you, Moff. I don't want to go so far as to say your feelings aren't your own and someone is deliberately engineering a joke at your expense through liberal application of sudden, unexpected, and most certainly unrequited affection, but that's what it looks like we've got here."

Magtok reaches into a pocket, pulls out a small scrap of paper, and hands it to the Mofftok.

"Here, my number. When I figure out a thing you can do or if you come up with one yourself or I have that lump of flesh finished or whatever else, I'll call you or you'll call me. In the meantime, just do your best at walking with only one leg you can trust, and try not to punch anyone you don't actually intend to punch."

Throne Room

"I don't know, what can I do to help either clear my name or at least be helpful enough they don't deem an investigation worth the trouble?" Magtok asks, turning the question right back around on Jade. This whole situation is starting to vaguely annoy him. Whatever happened, happened, and he doesn't have anywhere near enough information on the occurrence to definitively point out anything that contradicts his usual behavior badly enough to not be him. That's the trouble with clones, no alibi.

"I'm obviously not busy right now. Is there somewhere in Riverside we could continue this conversation, where I could do some sleuthing at the crime scene, or you could hook a bunch of electrodes to my face and read my facial expressions for signs of dishonesty or holding back information?"

[Arkhosia]

CatTok
Okay!

Talos

I have a large repertoire of magical artifacts, paladins, and wizards that I will provide access to in exchange for access to Magtok's technology.

[happyturtle]

Birthdaytok

"I don't know what we call it." Happy says. She lets out a heavy sigh. "I'm sure she doesn't hate you. She doesn't hate anyone. I just... think we should tell her... something... before we go any farther." Sure, Happy. You're saying that, but you've somehow gotten even closer while you were talking, nearly in his lap, all floppy and snuggly.

Mofftok

Moff sighs, reaches for the paper, and at the last moment tries to grab Magtok's wrist instead. "No. You're coming with me." If his grab was successful, he rips open a portal and tries to drag Magtok through with him.

Brain Surgery

"I hate him, so much," Sunny says. "I hate him for still making me afraid. I wish he would go away, far away, and never come back."

[Lost_Deep]

Throne Room

"The idea I have is to help us hack your double. He is, of course, encrypted, and we want to know what's in his head. It's no doubt full of information that would clear you, and also perhaps some that you don't want us to see... and some we don't want you to see. Plus, the risk that he might have transmitted information out would be cleared up if we can look through him."

[Lord Magtok]

CatTok

"Alright, great. The letter's still being crafted right now, though, so we've got a few minutes. Any questions about...well, anything, I guess? Seeing as you're apparently from another world and all?"

HazMag puts on a helmet to match his armor, changing his text's font, and then turns on the television. On the news is none other than Magtok, screwing around with the EI building in Riverside. Ugh, typical. Those other clones just can't spend even five minutes without making headlines somewhere for something or other.

Talos

HAHA! YOU SPEAK IN SUCH VAGUE, NEBULOUS TERMS, LORD OF THE EYRECRAD! TANGIBLE GOODS CAPABLE OF THINGS ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT OF YOUR PARLOR MAGICIANS, IN EXCHANGE FOR THE SERVICES OF THE VERY PEOPLE WE WOULD BE PROVIDING ARMS AND ARMOR FOR. YOU OFFER YOUR SOLDIERS FOR MY LORD'S WARS, BUT INSIST THAT HE OUTFIT THE MEN HIMSELF FIRST.

The squiddly thing waves a tentacle dismissively.

YOUR AIMS, YOUR GOALS, YOUR INTENTIONS FOR THE NEXUS, LORD OF THE EYRECRAD. THEY MATTER MORE THAN ANYTHING. THE LORD OF THE CAVE DEMANDS TO KNOW YOUR MOTIVATIONS. HE WILL NOT WORK ALONGSIDE A CALUBLUFIOK. HE ALSO CANNOT AFFORD TO ALIGN HIMSELF WITH ONE WHO IS WEAK, WHO WILL PICK FIGHTS WITH THOSE BIGGER THAN HIMSELF, AND EXPECT THE MAGCAVE'S CALVARY TO RUSH TO THE RESCUE.


Birthdaytok

Magtok clears his throat, and holds his hand to his ear, as if the hand were a phone. Of course, seeing as this is Magtok, the hand might very well be an actual phone, so who knows?

"Hi Melody, how're things? Just calling to let you know I'm holding your mother prisoner. She thought...she had the gall to believe she could just waltz right in here and steal a kiss or two, right from my very lips! Well Melody, I can assure you that...hold on. I can assure she was very much mistaken! Terribly mistaken! Before the sun rises again in the morrow, I will have secured my vengeance. For every smooch she has snatched away from me, I will have taken away twelve in their place! Mwahahahahaha! So yeah, she might be...she might arrive home kinda late as a result, so don't freak out or anything, okay? I'll make sure she get back to the island alright. BEEEEEP! END OF MESSAGES."

Magtok puts the pretend phone down and stops nibbling at Happy's neck, pulling away to look to her for some sort of response.

"So...should I actually send that to her voicemail, or would you rather we do this in person? Or send something a little less silly, maybe?"

Oh phew, he didn't actually send it yet. Thank Raptor Christ, there's still a chance to prevent this catastrophe!

Mofftok

"What the fu-"

Magtok is gone, and annoyed! A little frightened, but mostly annoyed for now!

Throne Room

"But there'll probably be a naysayer or two, insisting I wiped whatever could've incriminated me, and should never have been brought to the crime scene at all," Magtok argues.

"It's what I would say if I was accusing me of that and wanted to try to save face after being proven wrong, at least. Do you have anyone qualified to watch what I'm doing, to know for certain I'm not operating on a level so far beyond his or her lowly mortal comprehension of technology that nothing untoward is being conducted right under their nose?"

Awfully big claim you're making there, Magtok. Possibly hurting your own case too, with such lofty statements. There are certainly better programmers in the Nexus, you just happen to be one of the more notorious of them.

[happyturtle]

Birthdaytok

"Oh my GAWDS, don't you dare leave that as a message!" Happy says in mock indignation, dragging his "phone" away and finding someplace else for his hand to be. Her hip seems like a fine place. Yes, her hip will do nicely. "In person. Even if leaving this as a phone message wasn't completely inappropriate, I can't get her to carry her phone or even keep it charged."

Happy finds herself looking into his eyes and going all butterfly inside, in that wonderful way that only comes right at the start of something new. "This is crazy, right? It's not just me thinking it?"


Mofftok

They end up here.

[UncleWolf]

Brain Surgery

"I know, love." Carl whispers to Sunny before kissing her cheek. "But you don't need to fear anymore. We're safe now." The Halfling promises as he gently lifts Luke up to set him in her arms. "He's missed you, you know."

[Arkhosia]

CatTok

"Alright, great. The letter's still being crafted right now, though, so we've got a few minutes. Any questions about...well, anything, I guess? Seeing as you're apparently from another world and all?"

HazMag puts on a helmet to match his armor, changing his text's font, and then turns on the television. On the news is none other than Magtok, screwing around with the EI building in Riverside. Ugh, typical. Those other clones just can't spend even five minutes without making headlines somewhere for something or other.

Talos

HAHA! YOU SPEAK IN SUCH VAGUE, NEBULOUS TERMS, LORD OF THE EYRECRAD! TANGIBLE GOODS CAPABLE OF THINGS ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT OF YOUR PARLOR MAGICIANS, IN EXCHANGE FOR THE SERVICES OF THE VERY PEOPLE WE WOULD BE PROVIDING ARMS AND ARMOR FOR. YOU OFFER YOUR SOLDIERS FOR MY LORD'S WARS, BUT INSIST THAT HE OUTFIT THE MEN HIMSELF FIRST.

The squiddly thing waves a tentacle dismissively.

YOUR AIMS, YOUR GOALS, YOUR INTENTIONS FOR THE NEXUS, LORD OF THE EYRECRAD. THEY MATTER MORE THAN ANYTHING. THE LORD OF THE CAVE DEMANDS TO KNOW YOUR MOTIVATIONS. HE WILL NOT WORK ALONGSIDE A CALUBLUFIOK. HE ALSO CANNOT AFFORD TO ALIGN HIMSELF WITH ONE WHO IS WEAK, WHO WILL PICK FIGHTS WITH THOSE BIGGER THAN HIMSELF, AND EXPECT THE MAGCAVE'S CALVARY TO RUSH TO THE RESCUE.


Birthdaytok

Magtok clears his throat, and holds his hand to his ear, as if the hand were a phone. Of course, seeing as this is Magtok, the hand might very well be an actual phone, so who knows?

"Hi Melody, how're things? Just calling to let you know I'm holding your mother prisoner. She thought...she had the gall to believe she could just waltz right in here and steal a kiss or two, right from my very lips! Well Melody, I can assure you that...hold on. I can assure she was very much mistaken! Terribly mistaken! Before the sun rises again in the morrow, I will have secured my vengeance. For every smooch she has snatched away from me, I will have taken away twelve in their place! Mwahahahahaha! So yeah, she might be...she might arrive home kinda late as a result, so don't freak out or anything, okay? I'll make sure she get back to the island alright. BEEEEEP! END OF MESSAGES."

Magtok puts the pretend phone down and stops nibbling at Happy's neck, pulling away to look to her for some sort of response.

"So...should I actually send that to her voicemail, or would you rather we do this in person? Or send something a little less silly, maybe?"

Oh phew, he didn't actually send it yet. Thank Raptor Christ, there's still a chance to prevent this catastrophe!

Mofftok

"What the fu-"

Magtok is gone, and annoyed! A little frightened, but mostly annoyed for now!

Throne Room

"But there'll probably be a naysayer or two, insisting I wiped whatever could've incriminated me, and should never have been brought to the crime scene at all," Magtok argues.

"It's what I would say if I was accusing me of that and wanted to try to save face after being proven wrong, at least. Do you have anyone qualified to watch what I'm doing, to know for certain I'm not operating on a level so far beyond his or her lowly mortal comprehension of technology that nothing untoward is being conducted right under their nose?"

Awfully big claim you're making there, Magtok. Possibly hurting your own case too, with such lofty statements. There are certainly better programmers in the Nexus, you just happen to be one of the more notorious of them.

The Eyrecrad Clan is devoted to preserving artifacts, training wizards and paladins, and learning about the world around us.

CatTok
Nope!

[Lord Magtok]

Birthdaytok

"Of course it's crazy. When we got our start, I was sitting on a chair, awkwardly fidgeting as Fan smashed his way to the dungeon, trying not to flirt with you from the other side of a barred cell. I made it AMEN's most critical mission to sabotage your boyfriend in every way I could and steal you away all for myself, but couldn't even admit any of that to myself.

Now, years later, we're here, with birthday cake on our faces and you in my lap. You're still the sexiest thing on two legs, I'm still that charming, eccentric menace to society, albeit one who's sorta getting better, and neither of us are dangling over sharks or handcuffed to a bomb. I had dreams that didn't dare go this far, Happy. It just didn't seem plausible enough, even for fantasy. This is one of the most insane things to ever happen."

The hand that was pretending to be a phone moments ago gives her hip a squeeze, and he looks mournfully off toward the door.

"We're umm...even if I had a telepad on the island somewhere, which unfortunately I don't yet, we'd still have to actually get up to go see her. Also, if I had a mom, I'd probably prefer to find out about her new whatever-this-is without the permanently scarring mental image of her in Magtok's lap, with his hand trying to sneak its way down to her butt."

Despite the insistence that they get up and go, Magtok's hand seems to be slipping downwards just as he described, stopping just short of its intended goal to give her a window of opportunity to smack it away.

Brain Surgery

Oh look, a touching family moment between Sunny and the two most important boys in her life. The thirdmost important just sorta stands waaaaaaay over here, waiting to be told they're ready to go or something. Wee, awkward shuffling!

Talos

IN OTHER WORDS, THE EYRECRAD IS NEW AND WEAK. NO, LEAVE THIS PLACE. ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING NOTEWORTHY ON YOUR OWN MERITS, AND WE WILL GRANT YOU A PROPER AUDIENCE FOR YOUR OFFER.

Ouch. Those are some rough terms. All that work and effort, not to forge an alliance, but to be worthy of being considered for one.

CatTok

"Really? Not even a little? Aren't your kind supposed to be curious or someth-"

Oh look, the letter's done! HazMag hands it off to the cat.

"You sure you can get all the way there and back on your own? I can get a tiny hoverbot over here and you can ride on its head or something."

[Lost_Deep]

Throne Room

"Yes. The main issue is the encryption itself, not accessing the code. We have someone quite capable in programming; she is used to higher-tech computers, but more than capable with lower-tech systems. Now, I don't know enough about technology to gauge just how good she is, but I understand she is quite gifted."

[happyturtle]

Birthdaytok

"Yes, we should..." Happy shows no sign of stopping his hand. "...probably stop soon..." She burrows back in and kisses his throat. "...just a few minutes more..." Their bodies are relentlessly assuming a more horizontal position on the sofa.

Events possibly start to need a big of forum censoring soon, though Melody is too close to her thoughts to allow Happy to actually go through with pulling the curtain. How frustrating!


Sunny

"I know," Sunny says, kissing Luke and causing him to fidget in his sleep. She knows she isn't the best at mothering, but she loves her son more than she ever thought was possible. It was having someone so vulnerable that she could lose that had driven her to such straits. She looks up, meeting Carl's eyes, feeling like she'd failed, but not knowing how she could have done anything different. "There were nightmares," she says, by way of explanation.

[Lord Magtok]

Throne Room

"Guess that's good enough, then." Magtok replies, just a hint of indignation in his tone at the idea of someone being used to more advanced tech than whatever's in the dead not-a-Magtok.

Birthdaytok

"Okay...okay, that's about as much running facefirst into a wall as I can handle for now. Wait n-Okay, now I'm done. Let's go see Melody." Magtok insists a few minutes later, pulling himself apart from Happy, despite a very strong urge to just go right on back to what they were doing. It's not even about the frustrating inability to curtain; he could've probably settled for this for the rest of the evening, but that damned little voice in his head just wouldn't shut up about Melody and helping Happy feel comfortable with this.

Speaking of helping Happy feel comfortable, there's probably some quick wrinkle-smoothing and straightening of clothes as the MagCopter flies over and parks in front of the door. Can't go meet with Melody looking like they actually took that step to something above and beyond Happy's line.

[Lost_Deep]

Throne Room

"It's either her or the man with experience with steampunk tech. We take what we can get. Now, I suppose we should arrange a meeting point," She relaxes visibly, "But I'm more interested in making a personal deal with you, now that the bulk of the official business is done."

[Lord Magtok]

Throne Room

"A personal deal," Magtok repeats skeptically, defaulting to paranoia and suspicion, since he doesn't really have any other idea as to how to respond to this situation. "We'll let's hear it then, I guess."