Riverside 16: Turn and face the strain

[Holy-hunter]

[Riverside's Riverside]

Fixer turns around and frowns, recognizing the demon-man from Trog's. "I know that one. Called down a meteor on Trog's in a show of power."

Then the fireball is thrown!

In a flash, Fixer is in front of Kestrel, his purple magic shield covering his body and absorbing the fireball.

"I'm not surprised in the least, your solution to problems is calling down meteors." Fixer says, his voice dripping with hatred. "Remember me, hellspawn?"

((No, HH, this is not an invitation to fight. ))

Hahaha, don't flatter yourself... I would never consider you a 'problem'. But yesss, I remember you, I have been seeking you.

He carelessly walks towards the pair. With a swift motion he grabs his hooded cloak and and tears it off throwing it to the side.
He is not quite the man fixer remembers...

Besides missing an arm, he is missing his aura of proud arrogance. His once fearsome features replaced by disfigurement and sorrow. Symmetry a thing of the past, his bones are unevenly and horrifically formed. Skin loose in some spots and tight in others. The consequence of repeated demon possessions.

"You! You are going to help fix this! Do what magic cannot with your advanced constructions. Use the secrets of those soulless and lifeless constructs that run without magic.
Is it within your power to make me a new arm? "

[Lost_Deep]

[Fourth Tower Compound]

The only person in the room is sitting behind the deck reading a book. Or at least she was. The instant Kate walked inside, the woman's black, blank eyes were on her. She sits up straight, almost leaning over the desk toward Kate. "Can I help you?" The woman doesn't feel right, past the eyes and the strange skin that looks like layered plant matter, her teeth are slender points, dagger sharp thorns. She does, however, wear the poncho like garments that members of the Fourth Tower wear, though she dispenses with any other clothing despite her feminine shape.

"Uh, yes," Kate says, this woman doing nothing to calm her, "My name is Kate Kyland? I should have an appointment?"

[Morty]

[The Heist at the Museum]

Dipsnig is riding towards the location given to him by Cassidy on wolfback, at a rather high speed. He should be there before long.

[Cyber Punk]

[Riverside's Riverside... in Riverside!]

Fixer glances at Kestrel and back at the demonologist, keeping silent until the demonologist finishes speaking.

"I believe we have our answer, Kestrel." He reverts to a normal standing stance. "Kestrel could do that, if it wanted. What's in it for us?"

Fixer raises an eyebrow. "You can't expect it to be free. I'm a gun for hire, if you recall."

[ThirdEmperor]

[St. Certainty's Orphanage]

A squat little wooden building, all arched windows and faded red tile, wrapped in a rusting iron fence. A swingset on the lawn.
It sits at the base of a hill, and all around rise modern buildings, gas stations and convenience stores, twisting along with the crooked road up to the long row of factories above, smokestacks towering on the horizon. The orphanage has been here since the city was only a town clinging to the riverbanks, through cultists and vampires and endless night. A little progress has yet to shake it from it's lot.

But crouched on top of a factory roof, Adel the candypire casually tosses a stone the gem the size of the marble from hand to hand. Squinting through one eye, he lifts the stone in his palm to level with the orphanage's door, and sends it flying with a flick of his finger. In a long arc it falls, too small to be followed by anyone without a vampire's eyes. But as it bounces off the road below, it grows, suddenly the size of a baseball. Another arc, over a chain-link fence and now as big as a small dog. In leaps and bounds it carries down the hill - growing and growing.

boom. Windows blow out in a glittering shower of glass, and the boulder rolls on over rows of parked cars, filling the night with blaring alarms. Boom. A drop of the hillside sets it tumbling again, high enough to barely clear a roof and spare the house from a splattery fate. BOOM. Destruction rolls across a busy intersection, cars skirting over curves and crashing together as they try to escape, and finally, with a deafening crash that shakes the whole row - into the liquor store next door to it's target.

High above, Adel frowns and shakes out his wrist. Below him, people flee for their cars in the light rushing from doorways and windows, alarms and dogs barking wildly. A long fountain of water rises from a broken hydrant. People swerve across lawns to avoid a fallen telephone post and its tangle of sparking wires.

It will do for getting attention.

[Holy-hunter]

[Riverside's Riverside... in Riverside!]

Fixer glances at Kestrel and back at the demonologist, keeping silent until the demonologist finishes speaking.

"I believe we have our answer, Kestrel." He reverts to a normal standing stance. "Kestrel could do that, if it wanted. What's in it for us?"

Fixer raises an eyebrow. "You can't expect it to be free. I'm a gun for hire, if you recall."

"HOW ABOUT I LET YOU KEEP YOUR MISERABLE LIFE!" he snaps back in a viscous snarl.

With a huff he regains his composure and continues on more calmly.
"I suppose some form of compensation is in order, fine."

And with a flick of his wrist a small flame puffs in and out of existence at his feet, leaving behind an angry, leathery-skinned, old, deep red imp dragging a watermelon sized sack behind him.
"Oh and one more thing as a token of good faith."
The damaged man smiles a sinister smile that is only accentuated by his flawed skin. Some soft words burn on his tounge as his finger traces a circle in the air creating a dark hole that he reaches into.

Removing his hand you see he has retrieved a smooth white polished object, he holds it out, a skull with three eye sockets.

[Queen of Thorns]

St. Certainty's Orphanage

If it's attention he wants, it's attention he'll get. A light in the darkness is born. When all hope is lost, and the common folk live in fear, one person works to keep them safe.

"Birds of a feather flock together."
Justice isn't very good at one liners that make sense.

"Halt Evildoer!"
Comes a voice from behind the candypire.

[Murkus]

[Abandoned Building]

"You're asking me if I should be asking you something? How quaint." Sticks might get the feeling Ryhe is smiling underneath that helmet. "There is always the guardian of course. I haven't been updated on it's progress for a while. One of my warlocks even suggested that I should use of of their outsiders instead."

The tall man winces. "I was under the impression the bulk of the undertaking was to be our joint project, my lord," says Sticks. He has prepared a prototype, but Ryhe's putting this to him like he has every obligation to finish it himself. "I have a... basic framework, flight capable, spell-graft ready... Though I admit, my attentions have been divided of late." He's been neglecting Jim as much as anything else.

[Gullara]

"Uh, yes," Kate says, this woman doing nothing to calm her, "My name is Kate Kyland? I should have an appointment?"

[Fourth Tower Compound]

"Did you? I wouldn't know, I'm not really supposed to be here." The woman says. Does she blink? Kate hasn't seen her do so yet. "But I'll trust you are. And what would that be for?"

[Recaiden]

[Recursive Riverside]

"Trivial. What is in the sack and what is exceptional about the skull that would cause them to be of value to us?"
Kestrel lowers the shield and takes a few steps forward to look at the offered compensation.

This twisted man clearly has a high opinion of himself and his capabilities, but appears to lack any understanding of his opponents. It could be a ruse meant to lull them into overconfidence, of course. A test will be in order at some point.

[St. Certainty's Orphanage]

And attention is certainly had!
Of a less idealistic source as well.

A dozen emergency calls, a gap in the phone lines, and a shock of changing water pressure all alert the authorities to a bit of havoc going on.

Not moving at the speed of heroism, it will take them a little bit to get there.

[ThirdEmperor]

[Above St. Certainty's]

The vampire half-turns, glancing over his shoulder at the source of the shout. There is no pupil, no iris, only an angry red burning to his eyes, but the expression they wear is tired - it's so exhausting to have to deal with heroes when they want to be clever and trade their little quips.

"Vhat, vas that a fowl?" The sword at his side rasps as he draws it, the fearsome curved blade forged from a single shard of pure sugar. Monlight gleams upon the edge, upon the gems and gold of the hilt, and as he flicks it through the air too quick for eyes to follow, only the light remains - a murderous blurring of silver and gold. "Should I haff varned them to duck?"

[Cyber Punk]

[By The Riverside]

Fixer shakes his head when the demonologist snarls. He chuckles dryly when the gold and the skull are held out. "That sinister smile is doing you no favors."

Then Kestrel asks the obvious question.

"First, I'll say that I'm willing to forget the happenings of Trog's. Second, underestinmating your opponents is seldom wise."

[Holy-hunter]

"I think your friend will understand the significance of this skull" he says while leering at Kestral. He walks over to fixer and holds it out to him. "You do recognise it don't you"
There is a sick enjoyment in his voice and on his crooked smile "go on, use it if you wish, we will see who is underestimating who. It hasn't been used in a very long time though."

He then flicks his head towards the imp with the sack, the imp almost can't obey the silent command fast enough as he frantically pulls open the draw string revealing the soft glow of shimmering gold coins and shiney gems and jewels.

[Earl of Purple]

The Third Circle, Northside

A pretty young girl walks in. She has very short black hair, almost boyishly so, bright blue eyes and clear skin. She appears to be seventeen, and she's wearing a pair of tight blue jeans and a white short-sleeved blouse. On her right hand is a black glove, and she has a spiked steel morningstar hanging from a weapon belt at her waist. She has no holy symbol hanging about her neck and no obvious signs she is a cleric. Besides, of course, the belt buckle shaped like the Black Hand of Bane, and the glove emulating that same Hand.

She looks around curiously, trying to determine how the books are sorted and categorised.

[Recaiden]

[Recursive Riverside]

"That will do."

Kestrel waits for Fixer to make his reply, and motions for the monster to follow. You can't replace someone's arm out in the street, after all.
Well, not and do it well.

[Deathkeeper]

The Third Circle

Exar still hasn't returned from his mandatory little adventure, so Tep is still manning his own store, far too lazy to actually find a chair his size, and thus has chosen to remain in imp shape to properly fit the imp-sized front counter. The presently very small demon lord (described in this post) is reading from his oversized tome as the girl comes in.
"Can I help you, Miss?" he asks, his voice carrying a strange tone and baritone quality for someone only two feet tall.

[Earl of Purple]

The Third Circle

"Um, yes, sir. I'm looking for books on vampires, specifically identifying vampires and fighting them. If you have anything on Skin-Stealer vampires, I would be greatly appreciative of that. Oh, yes." Though since they're my creatures, I don't really expect Tep to have anything too in-depth. She smiles as she speaks, and sounds rather... Eager? Or something similar, at least.

[Deathkeeper]

The Third Circle

"No one comes here looking for paperbacks." Tep says with a sigh, once again hopping off his chair and winging his way over into the magical section in the back of the store, pulling a small black tome from the shelf.
"Finn's Codex of Vampires. Best I can do; people don't sell this kind of thing often." he says, offering her the book.

[Shadowcaller]

[Malechenar Castle - The Gardens]

Sharpe looks saddened. "I know that feeling. The only problem is that she's seemingly convinced herself she's a monster. She hasn't gotten used to it. If I were a blood vampire, she could have killed me." He sighs sadly. "I've learnt my lesson, though. The next time I speak to her, it'd be her approaching me. Now, since that can't ever happen... eh, no skin off my back. Totally, totally!" Though he tries to act like he doesn't care, it shows on his face that he does.

"So! About your body, dearie. I'm freelancing for this castle. I'm too loyal to my order to become a full member of this castle, you see, you see. Still, I now have access to research materials that could be used to make you achieve your dreams, while making sure you don't feed indiscriminately."

[Malechenar Castle - Fourth Tower Compound]

Kanya looks at the dagger and says, "Huh. Look at that." She sighs and says, "It probably means something. Some last message to me, one way or another."

The tall man winces. "I was under the impression the bulk of the undertaking was to be our joint project, my lord," says Sticks. He has prepared a prototype, but Ryhe's putting this to him like he has every obligation to finish it himself. "I have a... basic framework, flight capable, spell-graft ready... Though I admit, my attentions have been divided of late." He's been neglecting Jim as much as anything else.

[Malechenar Castle - Fourth Tower Compound]

"Not sure." Zhareen says as she stares at the dagger, seemingly lost in thought. "But there was something I was supposed to tell you though..." She strokes her chin and then suddenly snaps her fingers. "Ah! Right! I was supposed to tell you that you should try to get out and met some new people!"

[Abandoned Building]

"Of course, you simply have to ask. Everything within Malechenar will be at your disposal, including the fourth tower. I will help you in any way possible, I have promised." Ryhe claims with a nod. "We were exchanging information after all, weren't we? Besides, there is no real hurry now that you have a plan. That being won't be going anywhere. We have all the time in the world to figure it out and beat it. Time is on our side here and we all have private lives too, no?"

[Malechenar Castle - The Gardens]

Lihana keeps quiet as Sharpe goes on about Kanya, she only really speaks up once he mentions her body. "Truly? That would be amazing! What kind of material would you use? What would it look like? I need to know everything about it, Sharpe!" She sounds rather existed.

[Lost_Deep]

Fourth Tower Compound

"Um, installing a computer system," Kate says, still nervous. She's going to report this to someone as soon as she can. No matter the situation behind this, this is unprofessional and confusing.

[Queen of Thorns]

[Above St. Certainty's]

The vampire half-turns, glancing over his shoulder at the source of the shout. There is no pupil, no iris, only an angry red burning to his eyes, but the expression they wear is tired - it's so exhausting to have to deal with heroes when they want to be clever and trade their little quips.

"Vhat, vas that a fowl?" The sword at his side rasps as he draws it, the fearsome curved blade forged from a single shard of pure sugar. Monlight gleams upon the edge, upon the gems and gold of the hilt, and as he flicks it through the air too quick for eyes to follow, only the light remains - a murderous blurring of silver and gold. "Should I haff varned them to duck?"

The blonde woman he sees is clad all in blue spandex, only the yellow accents and eye mask providing any contrast.

She grits her teeth in annoyance. She knew she was bad at one-liners, but that didn't mean he had to throw it in her face that he was better. She shifts into a fighting stance, ready for anything.
"You should have not thrown a boulder at them. It's generally the polite thing to do."
She even goes so far as to waggle a finger at him as she scolds him.

"I'm obligated to give you the choice to give up peacefully. I'm not the only person who'll come here for you, just the fastest. So please, don't make this any harder than it has to be."

[Cyber Punk]

[Recursive Riverside]

Fixer gives the skull a once-over. "Never seen it." His arm transforms into a rather large pair of tweezers which then hold the skull. "Use it without knowing what it is? No thanks. You tell us."

Fixer mentally bids Felicity to investigate the skull. She can see magic, so she'll be able to know everything about it. All Fixer would be able to do is tell what it is made of and what creature it belonged to.

Afterwards, he'll make a small square on the ground surrounding the bag and skull, and cause them to be stored in a separate storage dimension. Thank you Hotaru.

After all is said and done, then he'll follow the two.

[Malechenar Castle - The Gardens]

Sharpe smiles. "I have a brother-in-law who's come to visit. He's a wind vampire as well, but from my world, so there are obviously differences. He might be more knowledgeable. You can speak to him while I do my research on the matter!" Then he'll be able to answer her questions without guessing.

[ThirdEmperor]

[Above St. Certainty's]

The vampire waves a white-gloved hand, dismissive. You could curdle milk with the look of condescension on his face - a face only vaguely human, sharp and gaunt, the dark hair slicked and carefully coiffed in a last touch of mortal vanity. Not the pretty kind of blood-drinker, oh no. "Yes, yes. And vith the pleasantries out of the vay.."

Adel's off-foot slides back, shifting his weight to a low, agile center of balance. With both hands on the grip he lifts the sword over his shoulder, the blade angled earthwards into to a guard. "En garde! This is what he's here for. The fighting and the bleeding. And if she's as new as she looks - and anyone who still offers a second chance must be new - it's already over, save for the crying.

[Cyber Punk]

[Westside Cathedral]

Raquel, on her way from Skullfort, bicycling down Riverside's road, comes across the Westside Cathedral. While she has no desire to become a member (she already has Miss Leah's gathering to be a part of), she pauses a bit and looks at the cathedral.

What begins as admiring the architecture ends with her being lost-in-thought while thinking about her girlfriend's health. She won't notice if someone approaches her, unless she's tapped.

[Queen of Thorns]

Above St. Certainty's

She's just polite is all.

She looks as if she's ready to move at him, but instead she just stands there, posed for fighting. And she stands. And stands. Realizing nothing's happening, she frowns.
"I'm sorry, I was sort of expecting you to make the first move."
She shifts position a bit.

"Well then, face the wrath of Madame Mallard!"
And suddenly, she's gone, no longer visible to the naked eye.

[Holy-hunter]

[Recursive Riverside]

The demonologist follows along with a soft smug laugh.

[Morty]

[Westside Cathedral]

Raquel will be approached by a short, broad-hipped and curvy dark-skinned woman with short black hair, wearing a white shirt and light green jeans.

"Welcome to the Cathedral of the Order of Cunningham. May we help you?" she asks.

[Cyber Punk]

[Westside Cathedral]

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Raquel curtsies. "Hello, ma'am. I didn't mean to intrude, I was just thinking of my sick girlfriend." She manages a weak smile. "It's been a long day."

[Morty]

[Westside Cathedral]

"Oh, you're not intruding," Sophie says. "Our cathedral is open for everyone. I'm sorry to hear about your girlfriend. I'm Sophie, by the way. One of the faithful here."

[Cyber Punk]

[Westside Cathedral]

"Thank you." Raquel C. curtsies again. "Call me Charity. My first name is Raquel, but I apparently have an evil twin that has a similar name." She says. Let's just get that out of the way, first.

"I... I just..." Charity starts, before the tears well up again. "I'm sorry, I didn't think I had tears left to cry. I just feel so... lost!"