Skyside 5

[Reinholdt]

[The Petroldactyl]

Butler is slightly taken aback, prepared for an interview. Though, now that he's faced with it, he hasn't actually done an interview in a while. The last few just kinda hired him too. Is he trying to be too professional?

Wonders the bare-chested catboy in shorts.

"Ah, well thank you ma'am," Butler says with a small grin. It's nice to know great things are said about you! "Well I could, uh, start today I suppose ma'am. If that works for you ma'am." He didn't have any other plans for the day. Working is a great way to spend the time.

[billtodamax]

[Undead Bar?]

those who might consider him as a new meal will properbly feel that something is off. It#s kind of hard to explain without telling what it is exactly. The best way to describe it would be some kind of Aura like that of a paladin or any other good priest that could purge undead, but in this case it doesn't got a 'good' source. Lesser undead might even consider worshipping this man with their life...or afterlife.

Arkant looks at the tall undead woman. She got enougth flesh to make the diference between male and female. His few goes up and down her body but stops at her back.
"This is a very effective way to keep your stuff, but isn't it painfull. at least when you pull them out or back in?"

Yes. Anastasia says, lip curling slightly as she's addressed. There's a moment of silence as she considers him. She picks up a bone the size of a femur and effortlessly crushes it between her teeth, before sucking the marrow out of the inside.

Anastasia you are not being a very good conversation partner.

[bc56]

Lightning Tower

When Ysabelle moves the joystick and presses the button, the monster lurches to the left and reaches out with its right arm, but is stopped by the heavy chains holding it in place. There's probably a way to remove those around here somewhere.

[Earl of Purple]

Lightning Tower

Well, now. That is interesting, but... It won't find Professor Barron, and that's what Ysabelle most wants to do. But there's also no where else to look. She doesn't want to get fired, so she can't really take it out for a joyride, but... Well, not outside the Tower, but perhaps a little inside. It's chained up at the moment, but that's OK. Ysabelle doesn't want it breaking free because she accidentally pressed the wrong button. She's going to experiment with the controller until she knows what all the buttons do, so far as she is able.

[Zefir]

Yes. Anastasia says, lip curling slightly as she's addressed. There's a moment of silence as she considers him. She picks up a bone the size of a femur and effortlessly crushes it between her teeth, before sucking the marrow out of the inside.

Anastasia you are not being a very good conversation partner.

[Undead Bar?]

Arkant takes a seat like he owns the place.

"How did it happen?" he asks. "I mean how did you become a zombie."

He doesn't seem to mind the bone crushing. It's a bit hard to taunt a man who thinks he got the upper hand here.

[bc56]

Lightning Tower

After some practice, Ysabelle can figure out how to move each of the monster's limbs and make it walk around, although the control is not very fine, being jerky and hard to handle at best.

[billtodamax]

Undead Bar

I died. She says bluntly as she finishes off the femur. Someone thought better. I do not need company. She adds, pointedly. Arkant you really should have asked before sitting down, weird compelling aura or no. Speaking of that same aura - Anastasia is clenching another bone from her plate, apparently stressed.

[Zefir]

Undead Bar

"I'm more intressed into the way you became a zombie. Someone or something sure did it." Arkant says. He got manners, but not if he wants something.

[Earl of Purple]

Lightning Tower

Ysabelle's going to try and make the thing dance, because she's bored and it might be a challenge. Particularly since she hasn't gotten close enough to undo the chains, unless she's pressed a button that does it by accident.

Banged-Up Brothel

It was a reasonably nice house, widely known as a front for a particularly seedy brothel and drug-den. It's a two-storey building, with a large front window and a red lantern above the door. The window's been boarded up and the words STILL IN BUSSINES have been painted on, and there's an old door propped against the side of the building. Standing next to the front door is a burly half-orc carrying a double-barrelled elephant shotgun.

Approaching from down the road is a man. Quite a short man, certainly smaller than the half-orc. He's just over a metre and a half tall and quite weedy looking. He's wearing a pair of loose black trousers, a white shirt (slightly stained, wine or blood; hard to tell) and a black leather waistcoat. He's also wearing a short cape, which looks like it was a red curtain at one point. Over his face he wears a white bandanna and on his head is a black bowler hat. White gloves cover his hands. At his approach, people start running away, ducking into buildings and hiding behind cars. The half-orc doesn't see him yet, however.

[KerfuffleMach2]

[Banged-Up Brothel]

One young woman doesn't run and hide at the sight of the man. In fact, she approaches him. Her hair is cut at her jawline, pure white, and slightly reflective. Like thin, fiber optic cables. Her skin is fairly pale, and her eyes are pure white. No iris or pupil. Just white. She wears sneakers, jeans, a dark cloth jacket, and a black beanie to hide most of her hair.

She will approach the man and bring a hand up, as if telling him to stop.

Hold on. Been trying to find you. Willing to help you with whatever you're doing here if you'll hear my offer afterwards.

[Earl of Purple]

Banged-Up Brothel

Shunt comes to a stop before Krystal, about a metre away. Far enough that he has some warning if she tries to use a power or ability against him to put his bubble up, but just about close enough that the first wave to hit her will probably knock her over and away. "Sure. I'm Shunt. That brothel's run by a group called the Followers of Joy. They're pimps and pushers, and one of their trademark drugs is a docility drug that wipes memories with moderate use. Eventually it kills, when an addict forgets how to breathe, or how to eat, or... Well, it's never nice. They also give medicine to free clinics, which sounds good, but they spike it all with nicotine and other trash, so people get addicted and need to start buying. I've hit them before, told them I'd hit them again if they kept pushing the docility one. Try not to get too close to me, though. My power's a little indiscriminate. I'm going to turn it on when the half-orc there sees me. Brace yourself, lean towards me, and try not to fall over."

[KerfuffleMach2]

[Banged-Up Brothel]

Well. This sounded like such a swell place.

Krystal nods a bit.

Okay. I'm on board for just tearing this place down. But...we gotta play this smart. He hasn't noticed us, so we got a moment to plan.

What does your power do? Mine does this. She brings up a hand in front of her and clenches it into a fist. Crystals slide from her knuckles, each one pointed. I can make them from my joints. And shoot them. Also heal really well.

[Earl of Purple]

Banged-Up Brothel

"I create a telekinetic bubble. Pushes out in all directions, getting weaker as it gets further away. It's big, two metre radius to knock people over, extends another two or three metres further. Hard to tell how far away it goes, since it's weak out that far away. It deflects bullets, but I can't use it to fly or anything. I push things away from me, I don't push myself away from things. I could also channel the whole bubble in a cone from my hands, increasing range and strength, but... If I do that, I'm vulnerable. I don't heal any better than anyone else when a bullet hits me." Not as showy as Krystal's crystals, but reasonably powerful.

The half-orc's noticed the street's gotten very empty now and has moved his shotgun, getting ready to fire as soon as he sees what's going on. He's scanning rooftops first, because rooftops are traditional hero pathways and he doesn't want to get surprised by someone jumping down behind him.

[KerfuffleMach2]

[Banged-Up Brothel]

Krystal wanted to spend some time hashing out a plan. But that half-orc guard was starting to look around, suspicious of something. Only a matter of time till he saw them.

She gives Shunt a quick nod.

Alright. I'll follow your lead on this. Take out the guys running the place, destroy the drugs, free the victims. Fun times.

[billtodamax]

Undead Bar

They did. Anastasia says. There's a pause. They got more than they bargained for. There's the tiniest edge of satisfaction there. Satisfaction and self-assuredness. The day before might have been bad and the days after were worse, but that day, that day was a good time.

[Earl of Purple]

Banged-Up Brothel

"That's the plan. The victims are upstairs, small cubicles with beds in. One per cubicle, might have a visitor in. Don't have to beat the visitors up, but... If they've got the money to visit a brothel, ask yourself how they got it." In Skyside, there's no laws, so all money is legitimate. Which means a lot of money comes from exploiting people somehow. "Front room's got the bouncer, and is where visitors hang around and maybe get drugs before picking a victim and going upstairs. Behind is the kitchen that prepares the meals, and several labs. You're probably better upstairs, last time I nearly hurt someone I didn't mean to when my power smashed the cubicle walls." Shunt turns to walk up to the brothel, activating his power when he thinks he's far enough away from Krystal to spare her the worst of it. Even so, she might stumble or fall, since it's not a gradual ramp-up of pressure- rather, a sudden wave of telekinesis starts pushing everything nearby away from him. His cape is caught in the effect and billows out behind.

There's a few oddities that Krystal may or may not note. One, it's not a continual push- it's a lot of smaller waves of telekinesis, about twenty a second (this one's pretty hard to notice). Second, the bubble only pushes physical things; despite the force of Shunt's bubble, it doesn't affect the wind, and she could lean into it whilst feeling the wind blowing in a totally different direction.

[Deathkeeper]

[Tempest Row-Streets]

Scuttling down the streets is a very small person with a very large mechanical lower body. She appears to be passing through with a bundle of groceries. Her orange eyes flicker about, checking corners. Can never be too careful in Skyside.
Anri isn’t in the best of moods. She had visited a clinic this morning and been told that her organs and body were far too indigrsted with her ridiculous prosthetic to have it replaced any time soon. So it seems she’s stuck with it for now. At least it isn’t that noisy, clicking faintly with its steel legs against the concrete.

[Zefir]

Undead Bar

They did. Anastasia says. There's a pause. They got more than they bargained for. There's the tiniest edge of satisfaction there. Satisfaction and self-assuredness. The day before might have been bad and the days after were worse, but that day, that day was a good time.

Undead Bar

Arkant sight a bit annoyed. No wonder he hasn't done much with undead. He shakes the thought off remaining quiet normal as he speaks again. "And what was it they did?" he asks. "I would like to know the details."

[KerfuffleMach2]

[Banged-Up Brothel]

Krystal narrows her eyes a bit as she walks towards the building. Yeah, well, willing to bet the visitors know what's going on here. Her voice is clearly not happy.

When Shunt activates his powers, it does catch the mutant off guard a bit, making her pause a moment so she can brace herself better. Once she's readjusted, she resumes approaching the building.

When she reaches the building, she'll lean back, bring a foot up, and drive it at the door.

KNOCK KNOCK!

[Earl of Purple]

Banged-Up Brothel

Whilst Krystal knocks on the door, Shunt deals with the half-orc. He carefully aims a ball-bearing at the half-orc's head before releasing it to be shot forward on a wave of telekinetic force, leaving Shunt's bubble with a lot of momentum and chipping the brickwork next to the half-orc's head. He raises his elephant gun, only for Shunt to direct his telekinesis into a cone at the thug's stomach, winding him and propelling him about five metres down the road, hitting the ground with a loud thud. Shunt picks the elephant gun up and glares at the half-orc, until he rolls over, climbs to his feet and starts to run away.

The door doesn't fall in, despite the power of the blows (assuming that's what Krystal's going for), as it's been reinforced since Shunt knocked it off its hinges last time. It is, however, opened, by a scared-looking young man- probably under twenty- wearing a pair of jeans and a bleached white shirt and holding a .32 revolver up by his head, to show he's got no intent of using it. He's holding it by the barrel, "I'm sorry, miss. I signed on for food, just... Please, don't hurt me." He'll open the door wide and let the heroes in.

Inside, it's quite nice, except it's all quite cheap. There's plush armchairs, thick carpets and a variety of forged and printed artwork on the walls. Light comes from candles on several coffee tables and a footlight shining up at a young lady dancing on a stage made from several pallets and scrap wood covered in more of the carpet. She doesn't seem to notice the interruption, and keeps dancing, her lithe form clad only in a set of sequined lingerie and a silver collar. There's a spiral staircase leading up, and a door hidden by curtains drawn across it.

[billtodamax]

Undead Bar

Why. Anastasia says, leaning closer to Arkant, looming over him. You better have a pretty good reason!

[Tempest Row-Streets]

Scuttling down the streets is a very small person with a very large mechanical lower body. She appears to be passing through with a bundle of groceries. Her orange eyes flicker about, checking corners. Can never be too careful in Skyside.
Anri isn’t in the best of moods. She had visited a clinic this morning and been told that her organs and body were far too indigrsted with her ridiculous prosthetic to have it replaced any time soon. So it seems she’s stuck with it for now. At least it isn’t that noisy, clicking faintly with its steel legs against the concrete.

Hey, spiderbutt, frig off will ya? Anri will see a red-headed woman leaning up against a door, testing the doorknob. She swears to herself before heading onto the next door. You're bad luck. She pauses to consider for a second. You don't happen to live around here do you? Got a keycard for anything? Let her into a building Anri, she probably won't steal your stuff.

[Deathkeeper]

[Tempest Row- Streets]

Anri takes one look at the woman and scoffs in her direction.
”If you insist.” she says, skittering on past and ignoring the question entirely.

[Zefir]

Undead Bar

Why. Anastasia says, leaning closer to Arkant, looming over him. You better have a pretty good reason!



Hey, spiderbutt, frig off will ya? Anri will see a red-headed woman leaning up against a door, testing the doorknob. She swears to herself before heading onto the next door. You're bad luck. She pauses to consider for a second. You don't happen to live around here do you? Got a keycard for anything? Let her into a building Anri, she probably won't steal your stuff.

Undead Bar

"I seek wisdom." Arkant says. "And maybe i can help someone heal him or at least make him feel more comfortable."
Sure this isn't the truth, but who can proove him lying anyways. He appears seriouse after all.

[Thunderhead]

As it happened befor several times now the Arkant company has bought warehouses and factories and added them to their company. Now they have achieved to hold half of the factories, warehouses and other facilities here.
This might be suspicious or not.

The result of this change will be noticable in the city. More and more people without a job start working there. And the transport from Skyside outside rise.

[KerfuffleMach2]

Banged-Up Brothel

Whilst Krystal knocks on the door, Shunt deals with the half-orc. He carefully aims a ball-bearing at the half-orc's head before releasing it to be shot forward on a wave of telekinetic force, leaving Shunt's bubble with a lot of momentum and chipping the brickwork next to the half-orc's head. He raises his elephant gun, only for Shunt to direct his telekinesis into a cone at the thug's stomach, winding him and propelling him about five metres down the road, hitting the ground with a loud thud. Shunt picks the elephant gun up and glares at the half-orc, until he rolls over, climbs to his feet and starts to run away.

The door doesn't fall in, despite the power of the blows (assuming that's what Krystal's going for), as it's been reinforced since Shunt knocked it off its hinges last time. It is, however, opened, by a scared-looking young man- probably under twenty- wearing a pair of jeans and a bleached white shirt and holding a .32 revolver up by his head, to show he's got no intent of using it. He's holding it by the barrel, "I'm sorry, miss. I signed on for food, just... Please, don't hurt me." He'll open the door wide and let the heroes in.

Inside, it's quite nice, except it's all quite cheap. There's plush armchairs, thick carpets and a variety of forged and printed artwork on the walls. Light comes from candles on several coffee tables and a footlight shining up at a young lady dancing on a stage made from several pallets and scrap wood covered in more of the carpet. She doesn't seem to notice the interruption, and keeps dancing, her lithe form clad only in a set of sequined lingerie and a silver collar. There's a spiral staircase leading up, and a door hidden by curtains drawn across it.

Krystal hears the sounds of Shunt's attack, but she's focused on the door in front of her, so she doesn't see it.

This door was giving her a bit of trouble. She was trying to recruit Shunt onto the team she was building. She had to look professional. Like she knew what she was doing. And she couldn't kick a door open? Shame.

Krystal was about to try cutting into the door when it opens. So the young man will find an angry looking, pale mutant with crystals sticking out of her right fist. She narrows her eyes a bit at him. Then she'll go to snatch the gun out of his hand. Give me that. If she gets the gun, she'll shove it into her jacket pocket.

Either way, she'll shoulder past him a little roughly. He seemed like he was just here to have money. So she didn't want to attack him. Unless he did something stupid.

She narrows her eyes at the girl on stage. Alright! Show's over. Place is closed for business! She'll roughly grab anybody there watching the dancer and try to shove them right out the door.

[Earl of Purple]

Banged-Up Brothel

Krystal easily confiscates the bouncer's firearm. He gulps at the look in her eye and backs away quite eagerly, standing in the corner with his hands up, trying hard to not look threatening. Shunt's next in the door, and helps bundle two men and a woman out from watching the dancer. One of the men is clearly on something, since he smiles and tries to shake Krystal's hand as she forces him out.

"Huh. That's a real good door. Stupidly good, really." Shunt closes the door and stands next to the boarded-up window, activating his bubble for a few seconds and smashing the plywood and sending shattered wood across the street, as well as knocking over a lot of the furniture and causing the dancer to stumble, before she straightens and continues her dance. "I could have just as easily done that from outside." He looks around, ignoring the dancer for now, and stares at the bouncer. "D'you know how many people are in here? Girls, visitors and cooks? Any thugs or anything?" Shunt has to look up to look into the guy's eyes, making his intimidation less impressive... Or it would, if he hadn't just effortlessly and without seeming to move, smashed half the room.
"U-um, dunno how many girls. I've seen six, might be more that haven't come down. Three visitors upstairs right now. There's four cooks, and two others. Um, I think they're waiting for you, Shunt. The others... They're gifted. One upstairs, one out back." The bouncer sounds scared, and looks it too. "Um, could... Could one of you hit me a little? So it's less obvious I just capitulated?"

The dancer doesn't seem to notice, and just keeps dancing.

[KerfuffleMach2]

[Banged-Up Brothel]

Krystal will help keep the dancer from falling over when Shunt takes out the boarded window. She frowns a bit as the dancer doesn't seem to notice what's going on.

At the bouncer's request, Krystal raises an eyebrow.

Really? You work at this hellhole that drugs up girls to the point that they can't even realize what's being done to them, and you're worried about not looking like you chickened out!? She's shouting by the end of the question. And then she obliges his request by swinging her right fist right at his nose. She's had a fair bit of fighting training, and practice, so she knows how to break a nose fairly well.

[Earl of Purple]

Banged-Up Brothel

The bouncer yelps as his nose is broken and his head smashes into the wall behind him. He gasps and pants, collapsing to his knees as blood starts to gush from his nose.

"So, they've got 'gifted'. Think that means capes? Or something else? Be ready for it. We don't know who or what they're capable of." And Shunt really hopes they can't project energy, as that's not something he can easily defend against- except by attacking first. "In light of this, do you want to split up and you go upstairs, whilst I go out back, or stick together? Upstairs, it's cramped and crowded. I can clear a space, but... upstairs is not somewhere I can use my power safely, with regards to bystanders." Using his power safely with regards to enemies is less of a concern, since they're usually trying to do things that aren't very safe for Shunt.

[KerfuffleMach2]

[Banged-Up Brothel]

Krystal nods a bit. Yeah, gifted probably means powers.

She'll try to get the dancer to sit down in one of the chairs.

Yeah, I can go upstairs. Give me a signal if you need help, I'll do the same.

And unless stopped, Krystal will head up the staircase, slowly. Gotta be cautious.

[Earl of Purple]

Banged-Up Brothel

The dancer can be led to a chair, and will stop dancing once she's off the stage. She seems quite happy to sit on the chair, not moving except to breathe. She barely looks at Krystal, and doesn't react to anything Krystal says.

Shunt nods and walks to the partially concealed door and activating his bubble, breaking the door's frame and pushing furniture around again before heading inside.

Up the staircase! The upper floor consists of a wide-open space separated into about ten small cubicles by cheaply built partitions covered in fancy-looking wallpaper. The cubicles have each been fitted with a flimsy door, to provide some privacy, and there's signs of damage- a small window has been boarded over and several of the partition walls look like they're propped up with sufficiently hefty beds. Standing outside one of the cubicles is a naked young woman wearing nothing but an iron collar. She looks up with fear as Krystal approaches, but doesn't move far- she can't; her collar is attached by a short chain to the wall. Very short- five links.

There's a flicker of movement as... Something approaches Krystal very fast, stopping instantly a short distance away to reveal a woman wearing a skintight pink-and-yellow chequered suit and a clown mask, swinging a baseball bat with nails hammered into it at Krystal's face. She's not a speedster, technically; she's a teleporter, limited to extremely short distances- each 'hop' covering maybe six inches, but chaining the hops together to mimic super-speed.

[KerfuffleMach2]

[Banged-Up Brothel]

Seeing the girl chained to the wall sets Krystal's rage even higher. Once everybody was out, Krystal was determined to tear this place down.

She holds her hands up, to show she was unarmed.

Don't worry. I'm here to get you out. Are you the only one up h-HOLY CRAP!

Krystal brings her arms up, her hands forming fists and curling in. Crystals slide out of the back of her wrists, a foot long each. She holds them crossed, to catch the bat on. Then she lashes out at her attacker with a kick.