Inside 65: A Very Busy Intersection

[Murkus]

[Streets of Ill Repute]

The stray bullet does about as much good as shooting at an oncoming train. Adir is upon the gnoll in seconds, huge strides eating up the gap, and he attempts to sock her across the snout with preturnatural strength. He lets Wenomir deal with the running goblin.

[Lots of Hope Hospital]

Laela is sullen and quiet while they wait. She wants to blab at Cora - or maybe complain at her - but she feels too guilty about lying to start that. So she waits.

[Lazorath]

[On the way]

"That is nice to hear." Mia replies. "But there is work to be done and we should head back."

Veya nods in response, and will proceed by following Mia with the new information they gathered fresh in their minds.

[Morty]

[Claire's Home]

"Looked like that, huh? Sounds kinda funny." Is someone just running around in cosplay? Claire smiles at the thought. "Otherwise I mostly just spend my free time drawing... Oh!"

Claire suddenly turns around and pulls open her desk drawer. She pulls out a piece of paper and hands it to Iknika. It's her drawing! Finished as promised. Looks like Claire finished it off digitally. She put a lot of extra time into this one. It's even fully coloured. "What do you think?"

Iknika gasps and her ears point upwards.

"It's amazing. You got me and the beetle so well."

[Shadowcaller]

[Streets of Ill Repute]

The gnoll is punched right at the snout and falls backwards unto the street, bleeding from her snout. It will be a while until she can get the back up.
"Stormy ****ing seas!" The goblin exclaims as he backs away, right into the blue alien who suddenly lifts him into the air.
"Got ya, goblin!"

"Ah! Help! Madwoman!" The goblin screams as he struggles uselessly.

Meanwhile, Wenomir steps in front of the goblin who now just raises her gun and fires it without hesitation. She is aiming straight for Wenomir's chest.

Run Down Street

The goblin is alone in the alleyway, seemingly attempting to climb over a fence which he seems to have some trouble with considering his height. He keeps glancing behind him as he climbs and might just notice Cassidy as she looks around the corner.

[Morty]

[Streets of Ill Repute]

As soon as the goblin goes for her gun, Wenomir's leg shoots up into the air, aiming to simply kick it out of her hand before she can shoot.

[Gullara]

[Claire's Home]

Claire positively beams. It feels so good to have your work appreciated. "I'm so glad you like it. You look great, uh, in it. I hope the armour looks right. I just looked up some refs online and guessed." It's a bit fantastical, but nothing crazy.

[Lots of Hope Hospital]

A few minutes later and they're called into the doctor's office. Sakura carries Laela in and seats her down in front of the doctor, a older elven woman with dark skin and greying hair. Cora will just cling to her mother's skirts and watch wordlessly for now.

"Well well, let's have a look at this ouchie." The doctor says in a kindly voice. She unwraps the bandage and gives the wound a careful look. "You had quite an accident, Laela. No tears from a tough girl like you, though, am I right?" She asks as she starts to clean the wound. It was inflicted by blunt force, but the cut itself is fairly clean.

[Morty]

[Claire's Home]

"It looks good. I had some, uh... ideas about armour when I started out," the little knight says. "Master Eschelle had to explain a thing or two to me."

[Recaiden]

Anima might get an odd sensation. At the same time stronger and weaker.
Willow used her powers on Anima for being spiteful and rude, and so now with this rudeness continuing Wicke has decided to just go ahead and activate the curse anyway.
She mocked W, so he’ll just go and make her sound hypocritical in hindsight. The more spiteful, rude, and destructive she behaves, the more she’ll start to lose her wild nature. Not much in terms of personality, because Wicke doesn’t believe in changing people’s minds save slight pushes. No, she’ll become more like the Willow she mocked instead, losing her destructive powers in favor of more gentle ones, and slowly bulking up as she slides down W’s animal scale slowly. He fully expects her to learn her lesson before she starts craving fresh grass or needing new clothes. But he does tend to be wrong about things.

Flames briefly flicker around Anima, taking stock of what's happened. Not too worrying. They could go get a god who's not so stupid remove the curse, there are several favors owed. Or possibly a mortal mage. But that shouldn't be necessary; Anima is the kindest, politest, most constructive champion to date, and even if she isn't a great student, surely this curse will be nothing to worry about.

However, this Wicke has clearly proclaimed itself an enemy. Maybe they should check to make sure he doesn't get in the way.
After lunch (even taken in the early-morning/late-night, if it's the right food, in the right style (in this case rabbits, caught by hand, eaten at an altar), it's lunch), she heads out and plants the staff. No reason to keep it now, with its focal properties diminished and the curse sprung. She finds a little spot by the side of the road, digs up a little pit with her forepaws, and fills the dirt back in around the withered thing.

Then, Anima heads back into the city and starts to inquire as to where W's worshipers and holy places might be found. Not what she planned for the day...but fun enough.

[Deathkeeper]

[Anima's Search]

Short form: there are none.

Long form: there's one tiny little shrine that Message built for W and then was immediately abandoned when W pointed out that there's next to no demand for a god of the homestead in the big city. Perhaps someone keeps the place tidy on his and Message's behalf, but she'll find not a word about worshipers. The only thing related to W she'll even experience is exactly three people bumping into her hard at different points of the search. One is polite, one is rude, and one is drunk, but none of them should be an issue if she's as polite as she thinks she is.

[Gullara]

[Claire's Home]

"Master Eschelle, huh?" Claire asks, expecting Iknika to elaborate. "What'd she have to say?"

[Devixer]

Run Down Street

It was fine if the goblin saw her - Cassidy was confident she could outrun him six ways to Sunday. Even better, it looked like he was alone. She saunters into the alleyway, making sure to turn on the voice modulator attached to her mask - she didn't want them to trace her back to MERC, after all. Better that they thought she was from some rival gang.

For now, she just walks towards the fence and the goblin. No need to exert herself just yet.

[Morty]

[Claire's Home]

"She told me that massive shoulder pads just weigh you down," Iknika says. "And, um... that lady knights don't have big... shapes on the front of their armour." She giggles.

[Shadowcaller]

Run Down Street

It was fine if the goblin saw her - Cassidy was confident she could outrun him six ways to Sunday. Even better, it looked like he was alone. She saunters into the alleyway, making sure to turn on the voice modulator attached to her mask - she didn't want them to trace her back to MERC, after all. Better that they thought she was from some rival gang.

For now, she just walks towards the fence and the goblin. No need to exert herself just yet.

Run Down Street

The goblins drops down as he spots her walking towards the fence, seemingly resigning himself to this encounter as he turns to her. He shows his palm and spreads his fingers which causes a teal barrier to appear right between them. Cassidy might note that he has some kind of gear attached to his fingers, like some type of metal exo-skeleton.
"Don't get any closer, I got more than this up my sleeve." He claims.

[Devixer]

Run Down Street

"That's alright. I can talk just fine from here." Cassidy stops just before the barrier. She doesn't even bother moving her hands from her sweater's pockets. Her voice sounds deeper through the modulator - it'd be tough to figure out the original voice coming through.

"Echo. Where's it made, and what does it really do to your mules?" While she asks, she examines the barrier, trying to see exactly what sort of barrier it is.

[Shadowcaller]

Run Down Street

The goblin blinks. "Even if I knew that, why would I tell some wanna-be masked vigilante?"
The barrier appears to be made up of a unknown energy-type as she is unlikely to have seen it before. Some form of magi-tech.
"Look, do you think some low-level grunt like me would know anything?"

[Gullara]

[Claire's Home]

"She told me that massive shoulder pads just weigh you down," Iknika says. "And, um... that lady knights don't have big... shapes on the front of their armour." She giggles.

[Claire's Home]

Claire laughs. "Right, no big shapes." At least twenty minutes of research helped Claire avoid that pitfall. "So Eschelle is the one teaching you, right? Does she have a school or something?"

[Morty]

[Claire's Home]

Iknika shakes her head.

"Not as far as I know. I met her when we were out in the city with my cousin and talked. I told her I want to be someone more than just another face in the crowd and she suggested knight training. It seemed cool, so I gave it a try. And now here I am. Much to my parents' chagrin."

[Devixer]

Run Down Street

"You think you're a corp now? Even the lowest grunts know where they get their supplies." In Cassidy's experience, even the "grunts" of gangs got hands-on work - her time cooking Jazz told her that.

She steps closer to the barrier, and lightly taps it with her knuckle. She's just trying to see if it's safe to touch, hopefully if there's some kind of kickback, her leather gloves will keep any harm from actually hitting her."As for why, I'm giving you some options. Either you walk out of here on your legs, or you take a ride in a hospital van."

[Shadowcaller]

Run Down Street

There is no pushback, it simply feels like a solid barrier. But this is the point where the goblin is raising his own gun at Cassidy and fires a laser beam straight at her. "Back off." He hisses, as if expecting her to survive that.

[Murkus]

[Lots of Hope Hospital]

A few minutes later and they're called into the doctor's office. Sakura carries Laela in and seats her down in front of the doctor, a older elven woman with dark skin and greying hair. Cora will just cling to her mother's skirts and watch wordlessly for now.

"Well well, let's have a look at this ouchie." The doctor says in a kindly voice. She unwraps the bandage and gives the wound a careful look. "You had quite an accident, Laela. No tears from a tough girl like you, though, am I right?" She asks as she starts to clean the wound. It was inflicted by blunt force, but the cut itself is fairly clean.

Laela takes what little stock of the old doctor-lady that she can. She shakes her head to the negative when queried about tears. "Mm-mm," she grunts in a small voice. There weren't any more tears, now. She even just winces when the doctor starts to clean her up.

[Streets of Ill Repute]

The gnoll is punched right at the snout and falls backwards unto the street, bleeding from her snout. It will be a while until she can get the back up.
"Stormy ****ing seas!" The goblin exclaims as he backs away, right into the blue alien who suddenly lifts him into the air.
"Got ya, goblin!"

"Ah! Help! Madwoman!" The goblin screams as he struggles uselessly.

Meanwhile, Wenomir steps in front of the goblin who now just raises her gun and fires it without hesitation. She is aiming straight for Wenomir's chest.

Adir decides to go and help. He twists, pirouetting on one foot, and lunges at the other goblin as he's held still by the blue alien. He stops just short of punching him in the gut.

The stag glares at him very hard. "Now think careful," he says. "When you answer. How'd you get to KABAL from here? It's an awful long way by car. Don't tell me you're on vacation, now."

[Shadowcaller]

[Streets of Ill Repute]

As soon as the goblin goes for her gun, Wenomir's leg shoots up into the air, aiming to simply kick it out of her hand before she can shoot.

Laela takes what little stock of the old doctor-lady that she can. She shakes her head to the negative when queried about tears. "Mm-mm," she grunts in a small voice. There weren't any more tears, now. She even just winces when the doctor starts to clean her up.

Adir decides to go and help. He twists, pirouetting on one foot, and lunges at the other goblin as he's held still by the blue alien. He stops just short of punching him in the gut.

The stag glares at him very hard. "Now think careful," he says. "When you answer. How'd you get to KABAL from here? It's an awful long way by car. Don't tell me you're on vacation, now."

[Streets of Ill Repute]

The gun is kicked into the air, but like a frightened rabbit the goblin suddenly attempts to dash in-between Wenomir's legs and give the warrior the olde' crotch head-butt while she's at it.

"L-look man, KABAL got a warlock and our blood. If we tell you anything, they'll do far worse than just kill us." The goblin attempts to explain, giving Adir and the alien woman nervous glances. "They'll feed our souls to demons or some **** like that."

[Lots of Hope Hospital]

Cessie just sits there, keeping an eye on her own daughter. "Cora, this isn't going to happen again, right? Can you promise me that." She asks.

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Closed Scene - A Back Alley in the Red Zone]

"N-now then gentlemen, I-I'm sure there's no need for anyone to get hurt here, right?" A young lady dressed much, much too finely for this part of town holds her hands up, backing away slowly from several cloaked figures.

The ruffians give a collective amused chuckle at this poor woman's naivety - seemingly unarmed and unarmoured, she'd seemed like an easy mark the second she stumbled into this part of Inside, and her hapless blundering had led her through a veritable maze of narrower and narrower streets. Probably got drunk off her ass and left it too late to make her way home.

"Here's what's gonna happen, lady." The lead figure grins, flicking out a knife that gleams in the moonlight "Yer gonna give us your purse, those pretty little earrings of yours, those rings and any other jewellery yer hidin'...and then yer gonna strip and give us that lovely dress of yours. And if yer lucky, maybe we'll leave it at that, eh?" The other figures draw similar knives, the four of them forming a half-circle around her and denying her any form of escape.

The lady winces as she takes another step back and her elbow scrapes against the wall behind her. "I, um, I-I have quite a lot of money, you know? If you let me go I-I'm sure I could get you all set up with nice houses i-in the finest part of town a-and ah!" She squeaks, leaning back as the lead ruffian presses his knife up against her neck.

"Maybe you didn't hear me, lady. I said strip!"

[Deathkeeper]

[Red Zone Back Alley]

Something also shines in the moonlight. Namely, one horrendously large, gilded nodachi that glows faintly with recently used power. Being of course held by a portly, hulking figure who's trying hard to hide his wobbling knees.
"The only thing stripped here is your morals, villain!" he cries dramatically. Then he pauses, knowing his audience.
"That's a fancy way of saying to get lost or I'll whack you with this oversized cutlery." comes Sam Bacon's actual demand.

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Red Zone Back Alley]

"Um..." The young lady tilts her head slightly, the light momentarily catching her rather short-cut and deliberately messy green hair, her hazel eyes peering at her rescuer in a mixture of hope and confusion (his appearance isn't exactly the most heroic-looking, after all).

The ruffians also look rather confused. The lead figure growls and presses an arm against the woman's chest, pinning her to the wall and holding his blade firmly against her neck. "Some dumbass thinking he can be a hero. Deal with it!"

The other three back off and turn to face Sam, fanning out as best they can in the narrow alley (so barely at all, really) and approaching warily. There's a look of doubt on their faces and certainly a reluctance to take the offensive - they seem to be hoping that advancing and looking menacing will convince Sam to back off.

[Deathkeeper]

[Red Zone Back Alley]

Sam sighs and shakes Steve the Sword, shrinking him into a more alley-practical short sword with a flash of light. With his other hand he pulls out a sawed off shotgun and extends a shield with one of his other arms.
"Look, pal, I'm a full-on MERC member, and I have a [expunged] gun. I'd rather not blow your guts out, but if I do, I ain't doin' time for it. So how about you think about this again." he blusters. Honestly, he's actually more comfortable in this mindset that being heroic, because telling gangers to get out of his squatter-town is something he's actually had to do pretty often.

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Red Zone Back Alley

Well that certainly does the trick. It takes a moment for the would-be brigands to realise what Sam just pulled out, but the sight of a shotgun is enough for them to realise that they're bringing knives to a gunfight and they turn and leg it, practically climbing over each other in their haste to get away.

The lead ruffian, sadly, is a little slower to catch on. "What the hell d-you think yer- oof!" In his hesitation he moved his knife away just a fraction of a second, giving the young lady some breathing room, resulting in a rather solid kick to the stomach that sends him crashing in a heap against the opposite wall.

"Ah, um, my hero? That's not something I've had to say before. Ahaha." The young lady laughs awkwardly, sidling away from the ruffian and trying to get behind Sam. She offers him a rather hesitant smile full of oddly sharp, gleaming teeth. As she moves, the moonlight plays over her dress, causing intricate patterns to dance and flow over her outfit like sunlight reflecting off a clear stream of water.

[Deathkeeper]

[Red Zone Back Alley]

Sam grins wide at her, revealing his perfect teeth, assuming you're willing to look past his porcine dental pattern and nubby tusks. Still, they're perfectly white and straight nubby tusks.
"All in a night's work." he says in a slightly shaking voice, as he slowly backs up, trying to back out of the alley with her. Hopefully the ganger lets them.

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Red Zone Back Alley]

The young lady quickly follows along, the ruffian seemingly having learned his lesson and deciding to stay down for the time being.

"Well thank goodness there's people like you around. I'm not sure what I would've done otherwise! You have my utmost gratitude mister-?" She asks, dipping her head in a half-bow and offering her hand. The otherwise graceful gesture (she carries herself with a certain poise befitting someone from a noble background) is almost ruined as she stumbles on a loose flagstone, her shoes not exactly being designed for anything other than a perfectly smooth floor.

[Deathkeeper]

[Red Zone Back Alley]

Sam sticks Steve back in his little jacket, and puts all his other gear away. He grins proudly at her.
He catches her with one of his hands, then takes her offered hand and gives it a small kiss with a bow like they do in the movies.
That's how prissy nobles like being greeted, right? Hopefully being kissed with a pig-like snout doesn't bother her. At least he's obviously clean.
"Sam Bacon, Ma'am. It's no problem. Just a chef at the right place in the right time." he tells her.

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Red Zone Back Alley]

If there is any particular objection to pig snouts, it isn't shown. "A chef?" She blinks and tilts her head in confusion, running a hand through her almost mossy-coloured hair. "I don't recall seeing any chefs so well armed before! Oh, but then I suppose I don't really spend much time in kitchens. I, uh, i-is that normal? For chefs around here, I mean. Oh, is chef like a codeword or something and you're actually, um, a-a police officer or something?"

The young lady takes a step back and leans against the wall, letting out a rather heavy sigh. Her crescent-moon earrings glimmer in the light, dangling from rather subtly pointed ears. Her dress appears to be woven from a myriad of metals, mainly copper coloured but with threads of gold and green running through it as well. It extends down a little below knee-height, following her rather slender figure quite tightly with just a little bit of play at the base.

"I-it's Lucy. A pleasure to meet you, I'm sure. An absolute delight, actually. I, um, I didn't really want to be...knifed."