[Nexus] Home 17 - Where you know all your friends and all your enemies

[Gullara]

There's no place like home. Whether in the suburbs of Inside, a desolate mountain cabin, a dingy flat somewhere... this is where PCs live. This is a meta-location, as the houses themselves may be many miles apart from one another. Or in separate dimensions.

If you want an address in this thread, please PM me and I will post the locations in this post.

Spoiler: Examples

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123 Generic Drive: Home of John and Jack Doe and their daughter Jane. PM <player name 1> or <player name 2> if you want to interact here. Located Inside, near the Black Dragon's Den.

Mary's House: Home of Mary Moe. Located many miles from Inside civilization in an isolated mountain valley. Unlikely to be found by someone who doesn't know where it is. Mary Moe's player is <player name 3>.

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OOC Rules:

1. Please post location tags on each post. Ex: [123 Generic Drive] or [Doe House]

2. The players who own each residence control what goes on within it. A residence is a quasi-PC and cannot be godmodded. You can attempt to break in / burn it down / knock on the door, etc, but it is up to the player controlling the home to let you know what happens next. If a player wants to make their home entirely impervious to everything, that is their right (however boring that might be). Players are permitted to make additional ooc rules if they want that apply to their own homes. By entering their property, you are agreeing to roleplay within their cosmology.

3. Play nice. Any disagreements between players, please take it to one of the OOC threads or PMs.

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Spoiler: Locations

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75 Ocean Rd - Daisuke's new house, this house is near the beach, and has a mixture of traditional Japanese styling and modern comforts. Player: horngeek

134 Ninja Drive - a 1 story ranch style home owned by Dave Smith, professional Ninja. Player: Mindfreak586

1312 Hidden Valley Road: Home of Judy the Assassin and Mint, their daughter, Xerina, and adopted Grey Render; Rocky. Players: Lex-kat, Quinsar, Neon Knight

4224 Wing House - Home of George Kingsley. Player: Gimliggamer

Al's Lab - Home of AMEN scientist Al Rato. He does most of his experiments and research here. Living with him is the cyborg Delta 88, or just Delta for short. Her programming has been modified by Al, making her a live-in servant of sorts. Al's player is ApeofLight, and Delta's player is KerfuffleMach2.

Alhana's Dwelling - In the far reaches of Acro can be found the nice little wooden house of the banished elven princess, Alhana Starbreeze. She made it herself with some magical help from man known as Lee. On the outside and inside are intricately carved designs. It has two bedrooms a kitchen and a bathroom. Player: Viera champion

Basil's Cabin - In an especially woody and remote area, some ways from the city, a cabin sits in the woods. It doesn't seem much different from any of the other hunting cabins one sometimes runs across, except that its scale is sized for minotaurs rather than humans. Players: Wolfbane and Happyturtle

Brendan's Upstairs - The 'upstairs apartment' at Brendan's House of Hobbies. A fairly sizeable yet still cozy home for the proprietor, his wife, and their guests. Possibly infested with lionfish. Players: Recaiden and Bushranger

Clearing in the woods - A one story log cabin built in a large clearing in the woods not far from the Dancing Fox Inn. Complete with wooden fence. This is the residence of Zaydon, Opie, and Kate. Anybody can stop by, but if nobody's home, the place will be locked. Zaydon and Opie's players are KerfuffleMach2, and Kate's player is celtois. Note: Zaydon is now deceased, and Opie has taken to living in DFI. As it stands, the cabin is abandoned.

Crimson Tempest -

The ship was designed with the above image as a base.
The most prominent feature, the flame ring, has been pushed forward towards the front of the ship, while a secondary, lesser flame ring was inserted towards the back. Auxiliary and surplus power supply.
Barriers, that can be turned off as necessary, are constructed around the rings to protect them from light attack.
Primary Elemental Entrapment Ring - PEER
Secondary Elemental Entrapment Ring - SEER
Cannons are installed along the ship, each connected to small elemental rift-batteries to the plane of fire, that allow them to launch bursts of augmented flame in projectile form.
The various rooms within the ship have been magically altered to be Larger On The Inside.
This allows for more ships in a smaller space, keeping the ship's fairly lean. (Player: VampireRot)

Eldena's Cottage: The dwelling of the Viera red mage Eldena. On the outskirts of Town. Not very difficult to find. Appears to be shaped out of a tree. That's because it was. Yay magic! People are free to enter and exit as they please. But don't break anything unless Eldena is there. Player: Viera champion

Hallowmere Lake: Several hours away from the city, with no roads leading there, is a small lake surrounded by trees. On an island in the lake is a cabin, well built from fresh lumber and brick and connected to the land by a small bridge. The entrances of the house face East and West, allowing anyone who sits on the decks to watch the sunrise or sunset. There's a garage attached to it as well, and further additions seem to be in progress. A small metal sign hangs under the mailbox near the front entrance. On it, a pair of names is etched in by ornate laserwork: Sunny and Carl (players: Happyturtle and Wolfbane)

The House of the Rising Sun - Large house on a headleand facing the Emerald Sea, which, by strange happenstance, borders both Town and Acronymia. Home to Natasha, Oracle of the Dawn, and occasionally Khiansa Daggerfall, adventurer, and Natasha's sometimes lover.
Player: Kid Kris
Anyone can drop by to seek the Oracle's wisdom, or rest in the gardens, or just to say hi and share a pot of tea, but please PM, as the player may not read the thread.
Further Description, may update.

Jake Stevenson's Home: In the Victorian sector of Inside, Jacob Stevenson lives above his watchmaker shop and shares the space with his alter-ego, Augustus Acre. The room is a combination living room / bedroom, with well made furniture. The bed is a day bed, meant to work as either a sofa or bed, but because of that, it's the equivalent of a single sized modern bed. It isn't really appropriate for guests, so he rarely invites people here. Most people who wished to encounter Jake would meet him at his shop in Inside instead of his home. (player: Happyturtle)

Javert's House - It's a white house. Javert lives here alone and very rarely ever leaves. (player: singingnoodle)

Julie's Place - An apartment on the sixth floor of a fairly average apartment building. Julie Fiske, a succubus of moderate reknown and very little esteem, lives here, leasing it from a dubious landlord. (player: Slii Arhem)

Junkyard workshop - In a junkyard in the ACROverse, what looks to be a shoddy shack has been built. This building was made by Runner before he joined GLoG. Inside is a high tech workshop and laboratory. The building has very high security, and any attempt to break in immediately causes the workshop to alert Runner, which will bring him over to investigate. Runner and Sentry both have security access. Runner's player is KerfuffleMach2, and Sentry's player is FaceofEvil.

Marty's: This fairly large manor lays where the original Aceford manor was. The manor was built out of the previous manor's remaining architecture and walls, due to this a few rooms inside are boarded up. The house is bright purple with gold outlines. The manor has two sections.
Downstairs: this area took heavy damage during the original Aceford manor fires. Most of the walls are original. Marty had painted the burnt walls purple. The living room is here.
Upstairs: Marty's room and study are located here. There is also a grand ballroom.
Marty Aceford lives here along with his friend Griktak (players: singingnoodle, Agate 86)

Nabrius' Domain - Located in the depths of Hell, Nabrius' home is rather comfy despite its location. A fireplace provides most of the light in the room. The low, crackling hellfire lights up the carpets floor and the comfy chair and love seat off to the side On the left wall is a small bar, well stocked with wines and champagne, along with some harder drinks. Directly opposite of the fireplace is a bed. Red silk sheets cover it, a curtain hangs ready to be drawn around it, and it's easily large enough for two people to move around freely. The only exit from the room is a single, windowless door opposite of the bar. A small sword rack hangs on the door by the wall, able to hold a single blade. Player: Gulaghar

New Rock Household - A nice place in the city's suburban area, just inside the walls. It was specially built to appear larger on the inside than it does on the outside. It has the works - White picket fence, workshed out back, spacious basement(with attached laundry room), a study, kitchen, bedrooms, guest room(with it's own bathroom), living room, parlor, dining room, entry hall, three bathrooms...Everything a typical suburban family could want, complete with a nice hardwood floor.
Darn shame Lucas and Lillith are turning the study into a room meant solely for displaying adventuring trophies, and Arthur's going to be using the workshed for his crazy experiments. The neighbors are going to complain, no doubt.
Players: blackouttwo and Artemis97

Phil's Warehouse - 3224 Seaside Rd Big, slightly rusted corrugated steel warehouse that was once abandoned, sits on a lot that's been overgrown with weeds and small trees and bushes and such...has a gravel driveway leading up to it...and...near the docks...
Oh, yeah, it has a hydraulic lift leading to an underground garage! And the inside is full of parts and half-finished inventions! Run by TechnoScrabble.

Silvery ship: It looks like this field has been marred by a silvery teardrop of epic proportions. Easily fifty feet tall and about 90 feet long, it seems to have impacted the surface at a definite angle, leaving a long furrow behind it. This teardrop is covered in bumps and smooth protrusions, but the exact make-up can vary greatly from day to day. Doors, hatches, doorbells, cameras, and other things come and go on its surface. The inside is uniformly silvery, and the maze of halls, and rooms makes it hard to keep your bearings. Physics seems to stop caring, and looping hallways, physically impossible curves, and doors that open into the wrong places are the rule here. The entire ship is constructed of an amazingly durable material… No telling what it is, but it will take really, really strong weapons to break it if it can be broken. There is no evidence of weapons in the ship… but it’s possible they just haven’t been seen yet. (player: Lost Deep)

The Tarmikos Studio - This space serves as both a living area and workshop for artificer and plane-hopper Niara Tarmikos. It is, in fact, its own separate plane of existence - and a minuscule one at that. It comprises, in its entirety, of a single room (around 180ft. long, 60ft. wide and 30ft. tall), and is split into many separate rooms with simple partition walls. To those who know of its existence and have the means to travel there, it is easy to gain access to. Niara's player is Baeleck.

154 Oceanside Drive
An abnormally large two story suburban house sits in the center of a large parcel of land, although depending on the whims of the owner, Felandria, the house may be larger or smaller than usual when you visit, she welcomes company, just ring the doorbell, if you can reach it.
Located in the Blue Zone in Inside.
Player: Felandria

The Intermission
The divine realm of Carrie! The Intermission mostly consists of a great decagonal sort of tower, more wide than tall, filled with innumerable rooms for the deceased souls staying there until they move on to their afterlives. Also contained are the quartering complex for her "angels" the Sable Guides.
Player: Beans

Spoiler: Previous Threads

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Home 1
Home 2
Home 3
Home 4
Home 5
Home 6
Home 7
Home 8
Home 9
Home 10
Home 11
Home 12
Home 13
Home 14
Home 15
Home 16

[Devixer]

[Maxwell's Office]

Max swims out into the clear blue ocean. A hundred feet out, he dives, down and down, long legs kicking through the water gently. From nowhere, a stony cavern entrance appears, at the very bottom.

Should Shark try to swim back up for air, Max will try to seize his arm and smile. He opens his mouth a little as if to illustrate. No bubbles escape.

Actually, Shark doesn't try to go back up for air. Apparently, he's able to hold his breath for a really long time, more than able to get to the cavern entrance.

[Earl of Purple]

"It's how I arranged them before. Did I do it wrong?"
"It's how they were arranged before. Isn't that what you said?"

Derek makes some notes "It's not wrong. Just interesting that you all understood it differently." Which isn't what they did at all, it's just that the hive-mind isn't coordinated enough for exact words.
"If you would all follow me outside..." They have another experiment ready.

Alice will follow Derek and the others, tending towards the back of the queue.

[Recaiden]

[Coconut Bee Island]

Derek, then Jacqueline, then the other, and finally Alice, make their way outside, where he leads them to, of all things, a hedge maze, which looks terribly out of place in this climate.
He has each of the three stop at a different entrance.
"You're to find your ways to the center of this maze as quick as you can."
Then twist is revealed a few seconds later.
"Working together."
A different, red crystal on the helmets lights up, and Alice should stop being able to see anything in her own field of vision, only seeing what the other two could see, as the helmet tries to catch her perceptions and send them away.
From the surprised exclamation the nameless girl made, the same would have happened to them.
Derek starts a stopwatch and looks to his telepathic-clipboard to observe their progress.

[Earl of Purple]

Coconut Bee Maze

The helmet is successful in blinding, deafening and diverting all of Alice's sensory input. She'd scream, but as she can still see, hear, and potentially feel herself through the others she knows she still exists.

"Right, reach out for each other's hands. If we're going to do this, we're best off if we hold hands. I'll go last." Which will put her outside everyone else's line of sight, making her the most likely to trip and fall over. As she speaks, she reaches out towards where she thinks Jacqueline and the other are standing, hoping the others will do the same.

[Arkhosia]

Jace's Place

Celica returns after a long day of work.
Afternoon guys!

[Deathkeeper]

Jace's Place

Jace and Zebes are busy examining a small, colorful die as Cel comes in, which gets pocketed quickly.
"Hiya, Cel. Can we talk for a minute? Sit down a while." he says, gesturing to the couch.

[Arkhosia]

Jace's Place

Jace and Zebes are busy examining a small, colorful die as Cel comes in, which gets pocketed quickly.
"Hiya, Cel. Can we talk for a minute? Sit down a while." he says, gesturing to the couch.

Yeah, sure.
Celica replies, sitting down at the couch.
So, what do we need to talk about?
She asks, slightly worried about what the topic might be.

[Deathkeeper]

Jace's Place

Jace and Zebes exchange a look, and then Jace sighs.
"Cel, I just can't do it. I'm almost twenty-one years old, and I'm not ready for this to be how I live."
"Trying or not, you working means that we still get stuck taking care of Cheasadh, and we're just not up to the task. And no offense, Cel, but at your age you're not up to the task by yourself either." says the familiar.
"I won't pretend to understand why you feel bound to her, given the circumstances, but I really think that she should be moved to GLoG, even if you intend on staying with her. The rent you're paying me isn't any less than you'd be paying to commute to work from the camp, and whether or not you're their she'd be in the hands of people who actually understand how to raise kids. And with kids her own age, which is something she sure as Hell isn't going to get living here. You might be able to support a kid with your paychecks, Celica, but this isn't the place to do it, and it takes more than money for a kid to turn out right in the head.
I already talked to her about it. She said she'd be ok with moving."

[Arkhosia]

Jace's Place

Jace and Zebes exchange a look, and then Jace sighs.
"Cel, I just can't do it. I'm almost twenty-one years old, and I'm not ready for this to be how I live."
"Trying or not, you working means that we still get stuck taking care of Cheasadh, and we're just not up to the task. And no offense, Cel, but at your age you're not up to the task by yourself either." says the familiar.
"I won't pretend to understand why you feel bound to her, given the circumstances, but I really think that she should be moved to GLoG, even if you intend on staying with her. The rent you're paying me isn't any less than you'd be paying to commute to work from the camp, and whether or not you're their she'd be in the hands of people who actually understand how to raise kids. And with kids her own age, which is something she sure as Hell isn't going to get living here. You might be able to support a kid with your paychecks, Celica, but this isn't the place to do it, and it takes more than money for a kid to turn out right in the head.
I already talked to her about it. She said she'd be ok with moving."

Celica listens intently, and waits for the two to finish before speaking.
I'm perfectly fine with this. I see no flaws or issues in any of your points, and agree with all of them. I will move with her as well.
Celica replies, sincere in her words.

[Deathkeeper]

((We're the only ones in the thread, Ark. You probably don't need to quote me ))
Jace's Place

The sorcerer nods.
"I'll go with you, even if I'm not staying. I'd like to make sure the folks in charge know everything they need to, and she does deserve at the very least to get sent off properly. I'm sure I'll visit sometime."

[Arkhosia]

Jace's Place

((But it takes too long to type the location tag!))
When do we leave?
Celica asks.
Because y'know, that's kinda important to know.

[Deathkeeper]

Jace's Place

Jace makes a light shrug.
"I haven't called them to make an official time. Cheasadh doesn't have many things, even after a few months. So it's really whenever you have time to pack and go."

[Arkhosia]

Jace's Place

Jace makes a light shrug.
"I haven't called them to make an official time. Cheasadh doesn't have many things, even after a few months. So it's really whenever you have time to pack and go."

I have tomorrow off, so that would be a good time.
Celica replies.
I love nexustime being different than normaltime.

[Deathkeeper]

Jace's Place

Jace smiles.
"All right, we'll get it all done tomorrow, then. "
aaaand, closed, I think.

[Arkhosia]

Jace's Place

Jace smiles.
"All right, we'll get it all done tomorrow, then. "
aaaand, closed, I think.

Yep!
Celica nods and gets up to do stuff that will be handwaved due to lack of real importance!

[Murkus]

[Maxwell's Office]

Actually, Shark doesn't try to go back up for air. Apparently, he's able to hold his breath for a really long time, more than able to get to the cavern entrance.

Well lets see if he can keep it up. Max disappears into the mouth of the cavern, into the perfect silence and darkness. Then, briefly, his eyes glint in the black, beckoning.

[Recaiden]

Coconut Bee Maze

The helmet is successful in blinding, deafening and diverting all of Alice's sensory input. She'd scream, but as she can still see, hear, and potentially feel herself through the others she knows she still exists.

"Right, reach out for each other's hands. If we're going to do this, we're best off if we hold hands. I'll go last." Which will put her outside everyone else's line of sight, making her the most likely to trip and fall over. As she speaks, she reaches out towards where she thinks Jacqueline and the other are standing, hoping the others will do the same.

This is going to complicate things:

He has each of the three stop at a different entrance.

So reaching out for the others won't terribly be successful. Also, if Alice wanted to try to interrupt the proceedings with an ill-advised escape attempt, she could have done that.

The third woman is looking about in confusion, thinking all the sunlight has been covered somehow.
"Be calm."
Although Jacqueline, who is saying this, jumps a little when she realizes she can't hear herself speak, and repeats it a while. "Calm. Calm? Can anyone else hear me?"

[Earl of Purple]

Coconut Bee Maze

Gyah! Missed that. Oops.

"I can hear you! But, um. I can't hear myself. Sorry if I'm shouting." She is talking loudly, yes. "Oh, my name's Alice, by the way. Can somebody tell me what I'm looking at?"

[Devixer]

Maxwell's Office

Shark is still perfectly able to hold his breath. He swims towards Maxwell without any problems.

[ThirdEmperor]

[Fettina's Place]

Tina stalks out in front of the camera and stretches her arms, straining the tiny uniform. If Shrike's still beside her, she'll reach out and take the Exalt by the upper waist, pulling her close, their bodies maybe six inches apart. Her eyes drift from Shrike back to their photographer, hungry and buzzed.

"So how'd you want us, Sebastian? Together? One at a time?" She asks, voice honeyed with sensuality. I think she's still talking about photos. Gods, Tina, you're awful.

Fettina's Place

Shrike grins, cocking her hips just so and arching her back just so. Giggling, she leans against Fettina, her arm sliding around her lower waist, winking at the neon girl before looking back to Sebastien.

"Together would make for a better...composition, wouldn't you think?" she asks, winking.

"Oh yes. The two of you. Together." Sebastian agrees, maybe a little too quickly. The lucky fellow is looking a bit mesmerized by his companions. "Why don't you two... arrange yourselves? I'm sure you know what you're doing more than I." He asks, nodding to the bed.

And regardless of whether they're still talking about photos, I'd guess whatever happens next will be risqué enough to necessitate the curtain falling on this scene.

[Slii Arhem]

[Summit Springs - While The Muse Is Away]

Once Mimi (and quite possibly Misha as well) was back in her home, she might notice that there was something a bit different just inside the door. Rather, there would be a large package, comparatively at least, somewhat inexpertly wrapped and tied up with a large red bow that must have been a bother to tie up even considering the usage of tools made for fine manipulations. Some things just weren't a replacement for having fingers, after all.

Spoiler: Mimi's Gift

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Tucked inside would be a recording device resting atop a grey and blue bodysuit of a somewhat heavy mesh material under which was head-covering mask with goggles that seemed to be for more than just eye protection. Beneath all of that was a flat table sort of thing with a blue light up in the corner where it said 'power.' Pressing the 'play' button on the recorder would play back a cheerily toned message although slightly tinny given that it was the only thing not custom made for the pixie.

"Hello there, Mimi!" Riss would say across time. "I'm sure you're wondering just what I was thinking, dumping all of this stuff into your house and what it's all for. I know you spend a lot of time out hunting but, I'll admit, I'm always a bit worried when you come home beaten half to death. I'm hardly going to ask you to stop nor do I think I'd do anything but make you angry if I did but I do think I can maybe do something to get some peace of mind while you're out.

"What I've made for you isn't quite armor although it will help a little bit in that area. Instead, it's there to keep your wounds closed and your bones in all the right places... Well, that's half of it, at least. The other half is a set of programs for hunting... Things that normally wouldn't be seen in this area. You'll need to have the mask on for this part so you can see them but I promise you that each one will be a challenge..." The muse's voice tittered a little bit at this but didn't reveal anything else. "Other than that, it shouldn't get in your way. You can camouflage it with whatever you want and I think the only other changes you'll notice are that your scent will be masked a bit and it'll help keep you at a comfortable temperature. Oh! And before I forget to say, just make sure to put the suit and mask on the charging bench there when you go to sleep. Try them on! I think you'll really like them." And with that, the recording ended.

As for putting on the suit, it would slip on quite easily, especially considering that it was also form-hugging enough to be nearly a second skin, with just the perfect amount of space for the pixie's wings in the back. There were only a pair of fasteners over the shoulders that broke the illusion that Mimi really was that blue and grey mix of colors rather than simply wearing something. Putting on the mask, though, would result in a momentary tingling sensation like that of hairs pricking up from a buildup of static electricity before the muse's voice would sound near her ear. "Don't be alarmed. It's just the suit priming itself to give you sensory feedback when you go out hunting the things I programmed in. I can hardly expect you to take the hunt seriously if it doesn't feel real." came the chuckling explanation. "More than that, though... It lets me do this." Just as Riss spoke, the suit would tighten a little bit while the tiny electrodes that lined it would stimulate a few thousand nerve endings to result in a sensation of being gently hugged while the mask would do much the same to give the feeling of a light kiss on the cheek while the scent of cinnamon and chai briefly seemed to hang in the air. "I'll be with you again soon. Hunt well." came the quiet whisper before the various beasts that Mimi could choose to virtually hunt appeared in miniature through the goggles with an explanation on the finer details of how to operate that function.

In the days that followed, each time that the pixie would decide to don the suit and mask, there would always be that gentle hug and kiss although the latter wasn't always on the same cheek. And always it was accompanied with the muse's scent and some variant of the same words she had said that first time... At least until the tenth day where the message seemed to be absent altogether and it skipped right to the program. This time, it wouldn't be until the pixie had finished off whatever hunt she had chosen that the usual greeting would return. And this time, the message was: "I'll be with you again tonight. Come home safe..."

But until that happened, Mimi might have her hands full hunting the stranger and more elusive monsters that could be found in the Nexus... At least that was what it was hoped to feel like. Either way, things like pigmy manticores or drakelings, while not quite the size of their other monstrous kin, were likely to be plenty of a challenge for a single huntress.

Misha, on the other hand, would have to make her way back to her pool in order to claim what was left for her. Archimedes, citing the need to pick up specialty food for Imp, would gladly play escort for this particular trip seeing how the distance on foot was notably less easy to traverse than simply using the aircar. Of course, once she was there, the nereid would probably find it incredibly easy to locate what looked like a cross between a small projector and an unmanned submarine. The flashing green lights probably didn't hurt, though.

Spoiler: Misha's Gift

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A prominent play button glowed softly on top of the small submersible. Pressing it would result in it suddenly holding in place and turning to find the smoothest nearby wall before the projector bloomed to life. It was actually a highly sophisticated setup that managed to display on the selected surface in such a way as to give the illusion the it was flat and to keep the background colors from breaking up the image that was shown in real time. Of course, what might be the real shock would be that the sounds it produced had been delicately altered so as to sound the same as if one weren't under water.

The image and sounds were of a certain smiling muse sitting at a desk with the machine she was currently 'asleep' inside behind her. "Hey there, Vitae. I'm hoping you found this sooner rather than later. To be honest, what I've left for you didn't start specifically for this project that I've devoted so many hours and days to. As you'll see, it was back when we used to be in my employer's Cave that I had this idea where it might be for the best if I had some kind of record in case I had to be away for a little while. Back then, I was only guessing at what things those would be but I'm glad I started when I did so that I could build up so much content. Looking back over it all... I can't really call out anything that is all that important on it's own because a lot of it is really just me talking about nothing but altogether I think it's something you might enjoy. Of course at least two thirds of it all is me singing for you so you can skip the talking parts if they get boring." Riss said with a sheepish giggle while a free finger twirled a lock of hair. "You can pause at any time by hitting the play button again and you can backtrack or skip ahead with the buttons on either side in case you want to do that too. Now then, I've got to go upstairs now to see if I can drag you and Mimi into the springs for long enough for me to hide your gifts. I'll see you in two weeks, my love." Riss said, winking and blowing a kiss before the frame and sound faded to black.

It would come back up again to show her old lab in the Cave with her wearing an almost embarrassed sort of grin as she sat on a stool near the middle of the room. "Um.. Hello Misha. I.. Thought that I might start a kind of time-capsule diary thing in case I.. Well, I can't say I can guess what I'm gonna end up using this for although the you that this is playing for will probably know. Today was.. Good, I guess? I'll admit, I'm still getting used to the new horns and tail but I'm not sorry about them even though I made the decision about them while I was... probably more drunk than I had any right to be. I'm glad I decided to give Mimi a chance although I'm gonna admit you were a pretty big help in that decision... The rabbit was good, although I said that already. I'd like to try something like that again sometime... Um.. Today I'm mostly doing research but maybe in the future I'll talk about what you might see me making in the background or something. Anyway, I want to give you more than just a silly re-cap of the day so I think I'll end this entry with a song you probably know well by now.. It's really a weird kind of lullaby although that probably doesn't make sense because I haven't yet translated it to you. Maybe the you that I'm talking to would know, though. Maybe I've told you by then. Remind me about it sometime.. It's something best talked about in person, I think. Or maybe I'm just saying that so I have another excuse to spend time in your arms." Riss said, laughing a little before taking a deep breath and singing that slow, sweetly somber song that Misha should know well. Once she finished, she gave a small wave and the scene faded like before.

What followed were several more entries that were nothing more than more songs, some of them the nereid might remember from their first trip to her pool although the majority of them would likely be new. Occasionally, Riss would talk about this or that project in as clear terms she could use while other times she would sneak in short science lessons while she worked on something usually related to the properties she spoke about. Then one entry had her sitting with a bit of an unsettled expression as if she were unsure of where to start. "So.. Um.. I've probably just worried you and Mimi right now, leaving the room like that. It's not... I didn't hate any of it but... Well.. It wasn't.. I guess I should say that it's like... Misha, I'm not saying that I can't love two people at once but I feel very.. Caught in the middle, you could say? It's like I have to be careful or else I'll accidentally make one of you feel left out or unloved or... I don't know what else but it scares me and I just sort of.. Stress out over all of these 'what if' questions and have a hard time focusing on the two people that deserve my attention the most. I worry because you and Mimi are two almost completely different people with completely different wants and desires and I'm sitting here trying to be two things at once when I probably shouldn't be but..." Riss sighed and rested her head in her hands, sniffling slightly as she bit back the slight waver in her voice.

"I.. Really have no experience in any of this. I'm just trying to keep my head on straight and doing what feels like it makes sense or at least feels right to do but... I don't know. I'll probably figure something out. Really that's part of why I wish there were more of me. I.. I've never made it any secret that I'm no good with people or crowds. What I really want is just to be able to take either of you aside and be without any worries or stress about if I'm accidentally neglecting the other or feeling like I'm not doing all that you deserve from me so that I can just... Really, truly enjoy the time I spend with you. Because I want to be able to hold either of you in my arms and give you my full attention. Not think about the things I need to research or what engineering problem I've most recently run into or any of that while we're off... I don't know... At your pool, or visiting somewhere new, or-" Riss suddenly chuckled as her expression cleared a bit from before and seemed to tell of a silly thought that had come into her head. "Or maybe being completely indecent and unprofessional on one of Magtok's coffee tables while he's away although I doubt that'll ever happen." She held the smile for a bit more before she turned her gaze directly forward and spoke with a calm but firm voice. "What I'm trying to say is, I want to be able to let you know that, for all of those moments that I'm with you, doing whatever we might be doing, that you are my whole world. That's what I want you to feel and why I get so mixed up trying to split my attentions like just half an hour ago."

Letting out a long sigh, Riss stared for a few moments at the ground. She appeared to be quite relieved although also a bit tired at the same time. "That... Felt good. I wasn't lying to say that I had stuff to do but I needed to sort my thoughts out like this. I don't know when I'll actually work up the courage to actually say any of this to you or Mimi as I'm still pretty sure that I'm capable of some really stupid decisions despite what it might seem, but.. Well... Hopefully by the time you see this, I've not been so stupid as to let this get in the way or hurt the three of us. I won't lie to you here. I'm scared. This is all new to me and it's been going so well that I sometimes honestly fear that this is all some kind of dying dream of a brain slowly shutting down due to... No. If I go there I'll just be a useless wreck for the rest of the day. What matters is that I've got this amazing chance that I still can't fully comprehend and I've got to make sure that I'm not so scared of things going wrong that I miss out on it completely..." Another long sigh and the Muse cast her eyes down at the workbench in front of her for a long few minutes. "So that's all of that... I guess I could try telling you a few jokes that I read the other day during break. I think you'd like them, at least. I'd sing but my throat feels a bit tight still." she said with a nervous laugh before launching into a dozen rather lewd jokes before ending the entry.

That entry seemed to mark a bit of a change in the content that Riss recorded for the future. There were still plenty of songs and most of them weren't ones she had sung before although there was the occasional cover of some tune she had found and rather liked but now she seemed to have a more definite idea of just what she wanted to say. There was an air of confidence that had been lacking from before. Now it was things like why mint chocolate chip ice cream was the best aside from sorbet or gelato or why saffron was definitively one of the best scents or that she very occasionally wished she had a reason to go out in something other than her usual, rather boring outfit as she felt that her tail would look good with a few yellow ribbons tied to it. It was hardly anything great or serious and she made note of that in one of her later entries, this time in where Misha might recognize as the main room of their new home just after it had been carved out but before anything else had been done. "I haven't really gone over anything as serious as I did way back, have I? I'm going to admit.. I've not been as good at trying to fix... I guess fix me to keep from worrying but I want to think I've gotten better. Some days are harder than others but we're all still together so that has to count for something, doesn't it? Anyway, it isn't like I'm just trying to be vacuous or anything but... Well, I've just been noting that there are all these small, silly things that don't seem like they're important and they probably aren't in the grand scheme of things but it isn't like that means they're irrelevant. It's just.. Ever since then, I had this idea that, in a way, you are my future confidant. I know that I try to talk about the serious things as they come up but I feel sometimes I just might need to take a step back and put it all together and just send it off like I did... But at the same time, I want you to see all sides of me too. I want to see how your and Mimi's influence has kept me both sane and helped me start putting myself slowly back together. I know I seem fine around you both or at least I think I do but I'm not going to lie to myself and say that means I'm fine. I.. Well, I think you've noticed that I don't ever talk about my family or much about my past. I want to keep that buried, honestly, though I know one day I'll eventually have told you everything. What I'm learning is.. Well, what I'm getting is a chance to fill in all the gaping holes in my psychological foundation. I'm hardly doing an expert job at that and I don't ever expect to be without problems even with my projected lifespan but I'm getting to feel what it's like to have overwhelmingly positive relationships with someone... Or maybe some'two?' I don't think I'll ever like people in general, at least as a concept, but I'm learning that.. Well, maybe I can work on getting to know a few individuals at least. It's not going to sound like much when I talk about those small things but hopefully it's at least nice to listen to when I sing. It's just.. I guess my way of putting all the little bits and pieces together. It's me realizing all the little things that I told myself to ignore or just accept as out of my reach just to survive only made things worse for me in the end... That I had pretty much just turned myself into a nonperson and now I'm having to catch up on all those years that I missed out on because of that. It's... It's hard, some days, but I'm in a better place now than I would have ever wished for." Riss said, smiling like the sun. "And that's it for this entry. Sorry beautiful, I'd normally song for you, I know, but right now, the current me is going to grab the current you to ask for your opinion on a few things to do with what exactly we should do with the springs and I'm going to be unrepentantly ogling you the whole while.... Though I'm pretty sure you must think that's a pastime of mine by now... You'd probably be right about that too." the muse said, stifling her mirth as the entry ended.

There were yet more entries and more songs. Each one was like a brief snapshot of the construction of their new home although the latter ones seemed to be exclusively focused on the steadily growing machine in her lab. There were salacious jokes and occasionally stories she had picked up. Occasionally there was the humorous anecdote and oftentimes it was just simple natter over how construction was going and things she wanted to do in the future. She wanted to go see a beach, just the two of them. She wanted to get better at cooking as she had yet to really get the feel for how to 'deviate' from the standard recipes and really get creative. She was on the lookout for opportunities where she might be able to get to know someone else in a controlled sort of environment so that she at least would have a social contact if not maybe a chance at making a potential friend. She didn't need to mention it outright but she was finally putting some serious thought into wanting to plan for the future rather than restricting her focus to the present just so she wouldn't have the chance to dwell on the past.

Finally, the machine was complete in the background and Riss wore a nervous sort of smile. "Well, it's today. If you've been listening all the way through and haven't skipped anything or backed up to hear it again, you'll have listened to about 210 hours of me talking about.... Well, you've heard it all all now, I assume, so I don't need to say it again but for me its hardly felt more than twenty minutes" Riss said with a soft chuckle. "I'm a little nervous. I don't really expect anything to go wrong but.. Well.. I guess even a brain made of metal isn't immune to these things." she said with another shakey laugh. "Tonight, I only have one song for you. It's a weird sort of lullaby but... It's kinda fitting in this case, I think. It's an old one that I'm pretty side you know so no point delaying, right?" And with that, Riss began to softly sing that slow, sweetly somber song she knew by heart.

Once she finished, she gave a gentle smile. "I'll see you tonight, beloved Vitae." she said, blowing a kiss across time and space at Misha. "And no, not tonight by whatever odd time perspective ten days from this recording, I really mean tonight if everything has gone well. Surprise, I've not been away for a whole two weeks, I guess!" she said with a suppressed giggle. "I'll see you when you get here. Until then, my beloved Misha." and with that, the projection finally stopped as did the sound.

Of course, Misha needn't be still for that entire time as the submersible was actually shockingly light and could be carried with her if she wanted to leave her pool while still listening. It was well designed enough to keep playing as normal once it was above the surface of the water as well although that all depended on Misha's choice of action.

Misha's Pool and Summit Springs

The first actions Misha takes during the week are to finish drilling out the last of the tunnel to her pool from the mountain, which was nearly finished in the first place and eliminated the need for Archimedes to offer her a ride there. The connection floored her, for more than a little while, as she'd never added this much space and water to her pool at once before, and being able to feel the entirety of the water throughout the mountain's tunnels was immensely staggering.

So much so that she almost missed the benign little intruder to her pool, and even though she acknowledged it, it was some time before she actually went to check what it was.

After playing the beginning of the first recording, she swiftly made up for lost time by staying with the submersible for as long as there were images to play, completely engrossed by every moment. It would probably concern Mimi quite a bit, as her disappearance was both sudden and unexplained, but a few hours after the first full day of playback, she at least had enough awareness in her to drag the projector back to the springs in the mountain where Mimi can actually get her attention if she needs it.

Anytime she isn't occupying the pixie, she'll be watching the memories with awe. It's the most personal gift she could have ever asked for, and somehow Riss thought of it before she could even ask. Though she's tempted to skip towards the end, every song and word captivates her, and she doesn't want to miss a single moment of it.

When the final message is done, she practically flies out of her spring, forming solidly in mid-air completely in the nude as she goes looking for Riss. She needs to hug her muse so hard that whatever upgrades the be-horned woman went through will have to be put through stress diagnostics for certain.

[Terumitsu]

[Summit Springs - Riss' Room]

Spoiler: Because this one got a bit long too

Show

The little projector set out a tiny signal once it had finished it's playback although that coupled with the nearly immediate registration of Misha's footsteps on the floor brought a smile and a light sniffle to the muse as she sat in the dark. She had been sitting there for at least two hours by this point, agonizing over every last detail of how she would greet her beloved. Should she be standing, maybe? Should she have anything with her? Flowers or maybe wine or at least a bit of juice? Should she be laying back, waiting in some pose or maybe just sitting in one? Should she be sitting in the center of her bed or just the edge?

Really, the quick succession of signals were a welcome distraction from all of that although now the feeling of apprehension that had been dwelling in the back of her mind during all of this came to the forefront. Reaching out with her mind and taking control of her home's unique properties, she summoned her resolve and made a gently lit path leading from under Misha's feet to the door to her room. With Mimi, she at least had a plan in place, just waiting for the pixie to arrive at her own dwelling so she could set it in motion.

It was really sort of strange. Just before those signals, she would have sworn just waiting quietly like this was more agonizing than the nearly half-year, at least to her perception, she had spent in that strange sort of unsleeping yet dreaming state. It had taken considerable willpower for her to not simply rush out and dive into the springs during her wait but that was moot at this point. Now it was the strangest kind of mounting suspense, she could feel through the house's sensors each footfall and yet as eager as she was, part of her wanted to hide. When she had awoken, coughing up the last of the suspension gel from a too-eager attempt at breathing normally again, she had been elated. Just being able to feel things, to touch and see without the haze of a dream was a tad disorienting for a moment but as her mind pulled itself out of that strange un-sleep, she almost felt the need to laugh out loud. It was a triumph of a kind, really.

She had made sure to get as many tests done before she needed to wake up so as to limit the need to just lie there and run diagnostics so it was only a few minutes before she climbed out of one of the capsules. Being taller now than when she had gone in, there was a moment where she nearly stumbled taking her first steps but what surprised her was how she felt so light. She felt awake, aware, stronger and more energetic than she could ever recall being and while she knew a good part of that was from her body being such an amalgam of biology and technology, the almost floating sensation in her chest was almost making it hard for her feet to stay on the floor. she remembered thinking that this was what it must feel like when one said they had trouble not simply turning cartwheels in glee. And this was just with one form active. The next half hour had been an impatient wait as she ran the final diagnostics over three of the remaining forms before she cracked the valueless open and helped herself out.

It was a little odd at first as she hadn't yet taken the time to give herself any kind of appraisal beyond what her instruments and the like had returned but staring at herself was a small thrill in and of itself. While her fey had said otherwise many times, she hadn't ever really given in to the notion that she was an attractive person. Every mirror she had passed was a reminder to the muse of the conditions she had once accepted as normal; the traces of malnutrition and the years of stress and neglect and, near the end, quiet despair that had left her an almost skeletal wreck had never quite left her features despite her best efforts otherwise. In a way, she had thought of them as scars. But now all she could see was a face wearing a bright smile and a fit, healthy form mirrored by one just like it standing outside the capsule. It was new, untouched by any of those past cares and she felt almost as if those long, toiling years were just a part of the long, un-sleeping dream. It had been one thing to be told so but the actual feeling of being desirable, of being attractive in her own mind was definitely novel. She spent more time than she would ever care to admit posing for herself as she waited for her last form to finish the diagnostics. She knew just how silly and perhaps a bit narcissistic it was but she suspected that at least by this point she was allowed to have maybe a little bit of an ego.

She remembered the shock it had been when she had needed to put the pseudo-celebrations aside when the results first returned as 'abnormal.' Until that point, it had only been her newly made forms which had been pulled from their respective capsules; each with their horns fused together to form a sort of 'omega' symbol rather than ending in points. It had been an admittedly odd choice at the time but she had thought it might be worthwhile differentiating her original body from the rest of the new ones, just in case. Thinking back now, she was a bit gladdened by how she had already been thinking of herself as a full unit by then and not just several bodies with a shared mind when she began rechecking the results while cautiously moving over to her final capsule. At least it was healthier to think like they were now all akin to limbs of a sort rather than pseudo-individuals which might result in a fracturing personality. When the results came back the same, she tentatively began the unsealing process for her last form, afraid to link up to any sensory inputs in case something had gone horribly wrong.

She would expect anyone to be understandably confused when nothing seemed outwardly indicative of any problems especially when the diagnosis had listed her skin as one of the unusual traits. Hesitantly, she opened herself up to tactile sensations and felt nothing really out of the ordinary. There were no strange pains or unwarranted sensations that would indicate anything wrong and the trend continued as she did the same with her aural sense. It wasn't until her visual sense that she was a bit stunned by how bright the room seemed to be and it had been a surprise to find just how strong the last bits of suspension fluid had smelled. It had made her retch a little although she at least managed to keep from it running a chain reaction along her other forms. While she could accept the minor mutations of those two senses being more efficient, actually getting out of the capsule revealed more blatant alterations. She had at first been bemused by the her tail somehow ending up over twice as long as when she had gotten into the tank but after finding nothing structurally unsound nor muscularly lacking, she resigned herself to living with it for the time being. She could probably fix it without too much trouble if it became a problem but for whatever reason, it just wasn't registering as all that important. There were a few other things that were strange but nothing that was really harmful or really even detrimental and a few were at least novel if not actually beneficial. If she had to explain why this form was different, she would have to guess but what seemed most plausible was that she hadn't accounted for the potential non-physical 'contaminants' that would have accumulated over time in the Nexus. It was true this form was abnormal but it was hardly a failure.

It was the same form that now sat at the end of her rather oversized bed. Really, it was too large for even two people to share but she had been giddy at the time at having all the extra luxury space that she had decided to just fill up as much of it as she could with something she knew she would at least use. The rest of her, aside from the part of her that was waiting for Mimi, was still back down in the lab on the induction couches she had prepared. It was an alternative to eating, at least, as she couldn't expect to suddenly feed every form with the current state of things. Plus it was surprisingly restful in it's own way although she felt it would be hard to explain the nuances of it given how different an experience it was.

Her hair was still the tiniest bit damp from washing up earlier to get rid of that suspension fluid smell although it felt quite nice to be properly clean as well. She curled a lock of it around her finger while the tip of her tail swished back and forth on the floor. These last few seconds were nerve wracking and she was having trouble sitting still despite half of her wanting to freeze in place. She had considered sending up some other form to greet Misha with but, in the end, it hadn't felt right for some reason. Maybe I've gone a bit sentimental... Or just a little crazy in some other way now. She felt a heat spreading across her face, her first honest blush ever since she had made some adjustments to her respirocyte blood-surrogate so that she wouldn't look like a surprisingly healthy corpse.

Alright, she's nearly here. At least try to make an effort to seem like you have it all together. With a last, deep breath, the muse forced herself to appear as calm as she possibly could and faced towards the door with a radiant smile. True, she felt nervous and a bit worried about her nereid's reaction but that was trivial compared to the apprehension from having to wait what felt like the longest seconds that might ever exist.

Once Misha finally reached the door, the muse's golden eyes would catch just enough light to glitter in the dim illumination while the air from within would greet her warmly, suffused with the spicy scent of cinnamon and chai. In that almost haunting, entrancing voice of hers that normally only appeared after several glasses of wine, Riss would gently whisper: "Hello, Misha. I've missed you." genuinely smiling at seeing her nereid once more.

[Recaiden]

[Coconut Bee Maze]

"You are loud. Okay, good. I'm Jacqueline k-"
"I'm named Grape. The maze splits left and right about five steps ahead of you."
By contrast, Grape is speaking barely above a whisper.
"You're about to come to a cross of four pathways, Jack."
As for Grape, she sees the pathway curve slowly to the left ahead of her.
"We should try to find each other first, then the center."

[Earl of Purple]

Coconut Bee Maze

"Oh, sorry. Grape, your pathway is curving gently to the left, OK? And that sounds like a plan." Alice walks forward four steps to go down the right pathway.

[Halae]

[Inside Temple of Dalachrech]

A large orange creature is standing at the door here, searching for any metal it can find. Perhaps a doorknob, or hinge, but as it presses it's antennae to the metal, unless magically enchanted against this sort of thing, it will very quickly corrode to useless metal, followed by the creature reaching up to tear chunks off with it's mandibles. The sound of quickly rusting metal is hissing - that may bring some attention.

[Earl of Purple]

Inside Temple of Dalachrech

There's plenty of metal- the door's allegedly plastic, but actually steel coated in a thin layer of plastic as a defensive measure. The hinges are enchanted to reduce the weight of the door when it is unlocked to make its true nature harder to discern. There's also a brass millipede-shaped door knocker and a copper door handle. The hinges can't be accessed from outside the door, however.

[Arkhosia]

Jace's Place

Celica is packed up and waiting for Cheasadh to be ready to go to GLoG.

[Halae]

[Inside Temple of Dalachrech]

(Fixed the image link. Sorry about that.))

In that case, the creature is immediately going to start trying to peel the plastic off - it can smell the metal underneath, and the hinges are food as well. Unless someone comes quickly, it's very quickly going to work it's way through the thin plastic and begin having a glorious feast.

[Earl of Purple]

Inside Temple of Dalachrech

((That's OK- it was the image I was expecting to see.))

Yes, it seems nobody considered the downside to using a steel door on a building surrounded by an aura that attracts invertebrates to the vicinity.

The rust monster will have devoured most of the door and made a gap large enough to squeeze through by the time somebody arrives. Whether or not it squeezes through to find better-quality metal or stays to glut itself on bulletproof steel is the question.