[Nexus] Random Places and Plots 8: Adventures! Thrills! Groceries!

[McBish]

[Cube Gate Room]

"Yeah because if someone opened up a giant portal right outside this cube you wouldn't react by sending dangerous people to investigate it." Amelia says staying in the back behind the men in the armor for now.

[GrandDM]

[Cube Gate Room]

"Yeah because if someone opened up a giant portal right outside this cube you wouldn't react by sending dangerous people to investigate it." Amelia says staying in the back behind the men in the armor for now.

"I would at least have the courtesy not to appear threatening. These people are quite heavily armed."

And indeed, as they close, it becomes visible that the figures are holding bows almost as tall as they are, with twin swords sheathed across their backs and a battleaxe at each belt. They pull up and hover in front of the portal. Each of them is wearing a white mask that obscures their features. One, the leader, whose mask has the left side painted blue, floats forwards and says something in a strange language.

Silver replies in the same tongue. There's a quick conversation, then Silver nods and turns to the black-armoured Cube staff.

"Out of the armour. We appear to be under arrest. Drop the weapons too. Don't worry unduly; they just want to talk. We aren't exactly under arrest arrest... it's kind of political, I think."

[Devixer]

Small Town, Big House

Thryza smiles, nuzzling her cheek. Hey, you... what's up? Sleep well?

"Of course I did, I was with you," Hildur says, trying to hold Thyrza's hand up to kiss it.

[Beans]

Small Town, Big House
"Of course I did, I was with you," Hildur says, trying to hold Thyrza's hand up to kiss it.

Thryza giggles, nuzzling her shoulder. Oh, you... mmhhh, let's get up before I start getting all lazy!

[Devixer]

Small Town, Big House

"Plus I really want a shower after all that traveling," Hildur says, before slowly standing up out of bed.

[Recaiden]

[Bishop's Car]

"Good! Glad you have it back. She really was. I wonder if you kind of have to be when you're someone like her. She mustn't have had much to focus on."

[McBish]

[Cube Gate Room]

"I would at least have the courtesy not to appear threatening. These people are quite heavily armed."

And indeed, as they close, it becomes visible that the figures are holding bows almost as tall as they are, with twin swords sheathed across their backs and a battleaxe at each belt. They pull up and hover in front of the portal. Each of them is wearing a white mask that obscures their features. One, the leader, whose mask has the left side painted blue, floats forwards and says something in a strange language.

Silver replies in the same tongue. There's a quick conversation, then Silver nods and turns to the black-armoured Cube staff.

"Out of the armour. We appear to be under arrest. Drop the weapons too. Don't worry unduly; they just want to talk. We aren't exactly under arrest arrest... it's kind of political, I think."

"Seriously so you are just going to surrender? Why don't you just shut down the gate?" Amelia sounds a bit surprised that Silver is telling his men to get out of armor. Fourtently for her she isn't wearing any, and doesn't have any weapons on her so she can continue to stand there and look not intimidating at all. She eyes the bows of the strange figures, trying to figure out what strength the tension in them would be, to get a rough idea how strong these people are.

[Beans]

Small Town, Big House

"Plus I really want a shower after all that traveling," Hildur says, before slowly standing up out of bed.

Thryza nods, standing up with her. "Yeah, same... mmhh, it's nice to relax like this."
---

[Bishop's Car]

"Good! Glad you have it back. She really was. I wonder if you kind of have to be when you're someone like her. She mustn't have had much to focus on."

Bishop shrugs. "Perhaps... you really won't have to try very hard to be a better Queen than her, I can say that for sure."

[GrandDM]

[Cube Gate Room]
"Seriously so you are just going to surrender? Why don't you just shut down the gate?" Amelia sounds a bit surprised that Silver is telling his men to get out of armor. Fourtently for her she isn't wearing any, and doesn't have any weapons on her so she can continue to stand there and look not intimidating at all. She eyes the bows of the strange figures, trying to figure out what strength the tension in them would be, to get a rough idea how strong these people are.

"Let me put it like this. We just opened a gateway into their territory. We're the ones in the wrong, technically. I'm willing to go along with them for now, because I have assessed them and while they are of impressive magical strength, I am still completely out of their league. If we get into serious trouble, I can get us all out easily. Until that happens, however, I would prefer to cooperate with them so that they will entertain the possibility of allowing us to explore their world."

The bows are actually fairly high-tension - the draw weight is probably more than a human could manage. Despite their slender frames, these people are evidently very strong.

[McBish]

[Cube Gate Room]

Amelia doesn't seem enterily convinced but gives a little nod showing she isn't going to argue about it. In her mind letting herself get arrested and thrown into whatever strange prison these people might have. She will just have to hope Silver is right in his assumption that he is out of their leauge. She also manages not to scoff at the idea of being arrested for opening a portal near these peoples home. So she will wait as the others disarmor and she will see what the next step is.

[Recaiden]

[Bishop's Car]

"Heh. That's for sure. Say, how many of us are here in the nexus? We were far to distant from each other."

[Beans]

[Bishop's Car]

"Heh. That's for sure. Say, how many of us are here in the nexus? We were far to distant from each other."

Bishop thinks. "Not all that many that I know of, relatively---around 1000 total, unless there's another Fangire kingdom somewhere."

[GrandDM]

[Cube Gate Room]

Amelia doesn't seem enterily convinced but gives a little nod showing she isn't going to argue about it. In her mind letting herself get arrested and thrown into whatever strange prison these people might have. She will just have to hope Silver is right in his assumption that he is out of their leauge. She also manages not to scoff at the idea of being arrested for opening a portal near these peoples home. So she will wait as the others disarmor and she will see what the next step is.

The ten aliens pull out short lengths of silvery cord and toss one at each of the people. As it flies, it steadies into a horizontal position and wraps around its target tightly, binding their arms.

They only seem to have one length each, so they ponder for a moment about how to deal with Silver and Amelia until the leader simply draws a bow, points at a distant bird barely visible through the portal and kills it with one shot. He then taps the bow and points at the pair of them, making it very clear what would happen if they tried to run.

Silver grins at that, before turning to Amelia.

"Your choice if you want to come or not. I can close the portal with you still on this side if you don't want to."

[McBish]

[Cube Gate Room]

Amelia considers for a moment and then shakes her head. "Nah, I'll come along." It was the fact that she had her arms free still. If they had tried to bind her she probably wouldn't have wanted to go. But it seems that they are underestimating her, and probably Silver as well. So she feels pretty safe about going. Her posture still showing that she is relaxed, but very aware. Her eyes rarely leaving the group of aliens.

[Lord Magtok]

Lanvus - The Blue City

Spoiler

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[Lanvus - The Blue City]

It has lost her attention and is subsequently denied from Magtok, as her gaze centers itself on him.
Some curiosity here, and imperious will.
"Less interesting to me than your plan."

Magtok gives her a cheeky smile, and shakes his head. It occurs to Magtok that he really shouldn't be grating on Feia's nerves like this, but this expedition wouldn't be nearly as fun if he only did the things he ought to do. "I'm flattered, darling, I am, but still not telling. Luck is a real, scientifically proven phenomenon in the Nexus, and it would be the worst sort of curse upon the whole enterprise to divulge the master stroke of my plan any sooner than the moment I unveil it before our enemy. Just don't hit me with any magic dampening fields, and it shouldn't complicate whatever it is you'll be doing in the meantime."

[Chaotic Bob]

[Lanvus - The Blue City]

Luck probably was a major factor in the vast majority of this cyborg's successes.
But luck is not a major factor in Feia's.

This poses a problem of a rather simple nature.

"I see. Then perhaps I should trade up for a superior model."
This is a fairly straight-forward threat.

Although...
There is a better option.
"But then again, perhaps I can simply train you to not be so reliant on such fickle features of reality. Make you the superior model."
That sweet smile has slithered back onto her face.

So pleasant and beatific, it's enough to make small puppies die on the spot.

[Lord Magtok]

Lanvus - The Blue City

"Implying that there is a superior model, or your way of doing things is best," Magtok fires back, not at all threatened by Feia's words. The closest MagSubstitute available to her is Affidavit, after all. Sure, on average, Affidavit's goons easily outdo Magtok in battle, but he has all the creativity of a sponge. Only the cyborg would have the audacity to invent a thing like Smaugtok, or Mechalomania, or that hideous abomination made of cancer and shoggothy awfulness from the end of Excelsior conflict.

"Is it that hard to believe that a seemingly unstable, eccentric clown, who has precariously balanced himself on the top of the food chain of the Nexus for years without so much as a flicker of real uncertainty and fear, who does not consider either the destruction of a patriarch deity or the saving the entire world to be his greatest achievement, is it really that difficult for you to believe I might know what I'm doing in a simple fight against a simple death goddess? Who doesn't even seem to have the kill-on-sight sort of powers we were initially worried about?"

[Chaotic Bob]

[Lanvus - The Blue City]

"Of course there is not a superior model, you have yet to properly mature."
Coupled with the somewhat distracted way she looked through Magtok there, that statement seems rather creepy.

"One must be prepared for every eventuality, with any high god. Particularly one settling in the domain of life's failing.
You seem sure that you can just fall your way through this latest conquest, even when it's likely that others will follow at her heed and call."
That eerie-sweet smile has become rather comfortable on her face.
"It's not that I do not trust you, Magtok. I simply do not trust fortune."

A hand is held up, a window pulled back.
It's the one from a moment ago, with the elf and Mr. Hat on the other side.

This time, the window is growing larger, to a proper portal size.

Another window is hailed and enlarged, this one revealing a massive sheet of ice, stretching off into the horizon. Clearly no where near their current desert locale.
"We have some time before we are required to make any moves.
So I would suggest to you a choice."

It's a fairly obvious choice.
And probably not an optional one.

[Lord Magtok]

Lanvus - The Blue City

"I'm terribly confused by your offer, for reasons I sincerely hope you'll never piece together," Magtok states plainly, staring into the frozen wasteland, and starting to worry Feia might be a one-trick-pony, with little to no real power over anything that isn't frozen water, and no real threats beyond 'Don't make me do what I did to Kirk to you'. "Supposing I explained the primary melee weapon I'd be using? It's more or less a giant tuning fork, that requires but a tap to get an item's vibrational frequency, and then a second to shatter it to bits. An employee's design, meant for dealing with heavy armor, like tanks and such. Would that be sufficient appeasement?"

[Chaotic Bob]

[Lanvus - The Blue City]

The various other windows in the room have since started to wink out one by one, dissipating like unfortunate soap bubbles.

"'Appeasement' is such an amusing little word."
A word often used by little rabbits, in the face of the hawk's impending dive.

Feiadyne glides around the other side of the two portals, the faintest trace of purple scales spreading out her eyes. Just above the dark tattoo probing its way up from her scarf.
Her expression has rather failed on the sweet department, but then, fangs aren't what most people dub "cute".
"Many things can happen in a second, Magtok. Are you prepared for all of them?"

[Lord Magtok]

Lanvus - The Blue City

Magtok shakes his head, watching Feia's every move with a cold, wary stare. She's in one of those playful moods, isn't she? "Nobody is. One can't hope to completely encapsulate infinite possibility, even if it's just the infinity dwelling within a single sixtieth of a minute. I can say I'm prepared for a great many things over a great many seconds, however."

Including you, he almost adds. An eye goes out to his right hand, and that mystery indigo substance still coursing through his veins. It stands at the ready by his hip, fingers curling and uncurling, like those of a eager gunslinger moments away from exchanging lead at high noon.

[Chaotic Bob]

[Lanvus - The Blue City]

Feia's head emerges around the side of the frozen waste's portal and her rapidly malignant grin seems even more sure of itself.
"Then make your choice.
To your goddess? Or to yourself?"

One hand emerges between the portals, pushing them slightly further apart, but slightly closer to Magtok himself.

[Lord Magtok]

Lanvus - The Blue City

Magtok sighs, and relaxes the hand. "I'm not here for my own sake, but for hers. We both know that. We both know you're willing to exploit, distort, and mutilate my intentions, but I'm arrogant enough to think I'll still find a way to achieve my goals anyways. I don't think Freyja warrants anywhere near this much fretting and fright and concern, however. Deity or not, magical powers saps the creativity right out of so many, and nobody is beyond death, even those who claim to own it."

Libby inadvertently demonstrated that quite clearly to our cyborg.

[Chaotic Bob]

[Lanvus - The Blue City]

"Excellent! I am quite glad we agree."
Wha-huh?

"Let us consider one little truth behind your success and your current point: disposability. Every little creature frittering away its existence upon the mortal coil is disposable, in the same sense that a blade of grass is disposable to a cow. It does not matter, and its time will come with nary a care by the rest of reality.
But you have taken it upon yourself to reconsider this trend, and take disposability in stride. Quite good, you can then die as many times as you please to achieve whichever end you happen to have your little eyes settled on at any given point.
Something goes wrong, pop goes the Magtok, along comes the next in line."
Feia's tone is one of light mockery, but evidently she values this capability enough to consider him at least somewhat worth her time.

"But wait! How many of you actually care about your little goddess? How many are lining themselves up behind you to take the next hit in your romantic little quest?
Just consider that for a moment. If something does go wrong, what then? You have died. No one else cares.
Your little goddess' shards continue drifting through the aether, awaiting some little scavenger to pluck them free and assemble whatever it wills from the sparks.
Do you want to chance failure without your oh so clever fallback?"

[Lord Magtok]

Lanvus - The Blue City

"Would it surprise you to here I already have a solution in place? The details are, of course, classified, but the end result is that unless someone goes out of their way to do a very specific thing, I get a new body after I die, and get to try again. Not a different Magtok, but the very same who dropped dead in battle."

Magtok looks at that right hand once more, holding it up to his face, frowning, and then putting it back down.

"You do still have a point, I suppose. Not safe to assume nobody will ever try that one specific thing, or that I'll be able to kill myself before they can succeed at doing that thing. It won't be the Norse who spoil things, though. Not a bunch of filthy, primitive Vikings."

[Devixer]

Small Town, Big House

Thryza nods, standing up with her. "Yeah, same... mmhh, it's nice to relax like this."

Hildur smiles and reaches for Thyrza's hand so that she can lead her to the bathroom attached to the guestroom.

[Chaotic Bob]

[Lanvus - The Blue City]

Dragons really are, more or less, serpents.
Which probably explains why Feia's expression is best described as "snake-like".

That curled, knowing little grin. Lidded, confident eyes.
And that way she's almost half-curled around the second portal now, with its endless view of ice.
"Well then. The poor Norse and their beloved pantheon of gods are clearly beyond salvation, from your deadly mind."

Fingers around around the portal and tilt it, very slowly spinning its view around.
"Perhaps then, the choice will be fairly simple after all."
The endless ice gives way to snow, sparse shrubbery, and in the distance, grass and mountains. Somewhere in the far distance, a great horn can be heard blowing.

[Lord Magtok]

Lanvus - The Blue City

"Quake, ye mighty, the hour of your Fimbulvetr is at hand." Magtok dramatically pulls his hood over his head as he makes his little proclamation and steps forward, and it turns as white as the snow beyond the portal as he does so. It gets a little thicker too, and there's a fur trim around the edges. Gotta keep warm while murdering entire pantheons, after all.

It briefly occurs to him that he might be tempting fate just a little by projecting so much confidence, but shakes that thought aside. We'll get through this. We have to get through this. Libby is at stake, and nothing, absolutely nothing can be allowed to stand between our cyborg and bringing death back to life.

[Beans]

Small Town, Big House
Hildur smiles and reaches for Thyrza's hand so that she can lead her to the bathroom attached to the guestroom.

Thryza walks with her, kissing her cheek as they go. Love you, sweets.

[Chaotic Bob]

[Lanvus - The Blue City -> Asgardian Field]

As Magtok steps forward, some measure of seriousness returns to Feia.
"Remember what we are attempting to do. More than one god will have their stake to claim in the coming moments.
I have no love of fortune, but you will succeed."
That sounds rather...enormously more supportive than she was a second ago.
Actually, it sounds rather like she was stating a fact.
"I will enter elsewhere, to stage a distraction. A slightly early Ragnarök, perhaps."

Presumably Magtok keeps forward through the portal, with a slight tingling sensation rather unlike his last travel attempt with her.
"Remember what happened."

With that last, mildly cryptic comment, Feia is going to close the portal behind Magtok, leaving him semi-stranded in the middle of a rather cold field.
As stated before, one direction is a rather unending sheet of unpleasant ice, while the other leads towards more fertile grounds.

The sounds of horns are originating from somewhere beyond that mountain over there. It's not too far away, maybe a good half hour's trek.