Inside 68: Dawn of a New Season (or two)

[5a Violista]

[Quiet Evening's Interview]

The reporter nods. "That's a very commendable view, and everyone thanks you for your effort."

This is her big break! Her chance to get out of reporting for routine events and to go out and do actual useful journalism. She's not going to let this go to waste. "Have you ever seen anything like this happen before, or do you think this might be the prelude of something larger happening?"


[Quiet Evening's Encounter]

"Oh, that's awful," Nemo says. She tries to look over her shoulder at her wings, and opens them out wide to get a better look at them.

"You think I should get it looked at? I mean, if it were cancerous then I should definitely have it checked out especially because I know a lot of people who died of cancer."

She folds her wings back again. "Thing is, I...I recently got here in this town so I don't know where the nearest hospital is."

Turning into a monster seems like something she doesn't worry about as much as she ought to, though? At least, not much more than cancer.

[Rebonack]

[Quiet Evening's Encounter]

"It IS awful. Getting turned into a monster and eating people on a mindless rampage is pretty much the worst. There are movies about it," Zee confirms.

Lots of movies about it!

Hopefully that doesn't happen here.

"Are the wings new? Did you grow those after being exposed to the monsters?" she asks.

Which is an important question to ask. If she grew the wings recently then maybe the mutagen already did its thing to her but for whatever reason didn't make her ALL monstery? Just added some non-functional wings?

Zee can easily tell that they're non-functional. The anatomical changes required to allow a human-sized thing to actually fly would be tremendous. Just tacking on some flappers wouldn't cut it. Unless there's magic involved like those weird pastel colored pegasi. Then all bets are off.

"There's a hospital pretty close, though I think it would best to make sure the mutagen isn't contagious first," Zee says. "That way you don't accidentally infect a bunch of people."

Which would be terrible.

[5a Violista]

[Quiet Evening's Encounter]

"Oh. I've never really been to the movies recently, either."

"No, I've...I've had these wings for years," she says. Maybe even a decade or more. Not her whole life, though.
Regarding her wings, it's true: If Nemo could fly, she would totally be flying right now instead of walking everywhere.

"How will we find out if it's contagious?" Nemo asks, knowing fully well whether it's contagious or not. It is, but only through fluid transfer like blood or whatever, but won't do anything until activated. Maybe there's an activator protein that's needed, or something.

[Rebonack]

[Quiet Evening's Encounter]

"Hmmm..." Zee hums to herself.

Then leans in closer to peer at Nemo.

"HMMMMMMMMM!"

Then leans back and rubs her chin, looking contemplative.

"We should test it, probably," she reasons. "And figure out what activates it. What if it gets activated by smooth jazz? That could be a disaster if you have to ride in an elevator."

Everyone knows that smooth jazz is the best elevator music.

"Did the monsters wound you at all? Any idea on how you go infected?"

[5a Violista]

[Quiet Evening's Encounter]

Nemo leans back. Zee leaning in closer is pretty uncomfortable, and Nemo's concerned that Zee will somehow manage to figure something out.

"I'll make sure to stick with Bossa Nova elevators only, then," Nemo replies.
...but aren't those basically the same thing, anyway? Smooth jazz and bossa nova?

"Well, they did get me," she adds, pointing at a really shallow wound on her hand that probably only needs to be washed out and bandaged, "but that was before they turned into those things. They were still very people-looking."

Curious.
So maybe they caught it from her?

[bc56]

Quiet Interview

"Yes. Long time ago, when I hunt with Three," Kothar begins, "It dead now. This new, I think." An old enemy of his did similar things in the past, but that enemy is long gone. "Maybe happen more, maybe no. If we find source, it end quick."

[Rebonack]

[Quiet Evening's Encounter]

Concerned that Zee will somehow manage to figure something out?

Figure what out, exactly?

Zee isn't one hundred percent sure. She doesn't have a real solid chunk of evidence to work off of just yet. And she doesn't want to act without something less nebulous than hunches.

She examines the hand wound.

Hmm.

Yep.

Totally a wound. And she already knows that this stuff spreads via direct fluid contact. So if the people weren't physically monsters before, maybe they were just behavioral ones? Thugs and brigands.

That would explain several things, certainly.

Could be this woman is the source of the mutagen, but not in any intentional way. It just exists in her, dormant, waiting to activate when someone assaults her. Kind of like-

"Do you know how to squirt blood from your eyes like a horned lizard?" Zee asks.

These are very important questions.

[5a Violista]

[Quiet Interview]

"Ah, good, I'm sure the people of Inside are glad to know people like you are willing to step in and stop these threats." The reporter looks directly at the camera, and...waits.

Then the cameraman makes a signal - "Okay, we're off." The reporter sighs, because she was actually pretty nervous on-camera like that. She turns back to Kothar. "Thanks. I really thought I was going to die back then, but you handled that thing pretty well."

Meanwhile, the police are wrapping up capturing the wandering minions and are now collecting witness statements from everybody. A pair of them head towards the cameraman to request the film as evidence and for analysis.


[Quiet Evening's Encounter]

Too bad. Nemo's not going to tell Zee what she doesn't want her to find out.

Anyway.
Nemo holds her breath, anticipating what Zee asks next. Depending on what she asks, this could go in one of two direc--

Instead, there's a beat as Nemo blinks. "Wh...wha..." And then she laughs.
Seriously? Squirting out blood from her eyes? Like a lizard? And the way she asked it so seriously, too.
"Haha, ha, just, I wasn't expecting that, especially with your face that way...like a lizard? Why would a lizard squirt blood...no, I can't do that." She's also never tried.

...
If she tried, though, she would definitely be able to do it. But, at the moment, she's already a little low on blood so shooting more of it out of her eyes wouldn't be beneficial. I mean, she definitely has enough to be fine but if she squirted some out of her eyes then she'd start feeling more light-headed than she already is.

[Rebonack]

[Quiet Evening's Encounter]

She should TOTALLY tell Zee things she wouldn't normally want Zee to know. After all, Zee is super-trustworthy. She's exactly the sort of person you should inform of things like monsterization. Why? Because she is inherently trustworthy after all! Why wouldn't you want to tell this odd (but completely normal and human) female that you just met some of your deepest, darkest secrets? It isn't like she's trying to poke around inside your brain and tweak your emotional memory's reaction toward her so that your instinctual response will be complete honesty with her.

Haha!

Of course she couldn't do something like that! That's something that only people who aren't completely normal humans can do.

And Zee is clearly a normal human.

Which means she must be one of those uniquely and unimpeachablly trustworthy folks.

Zee laughs along with Nemo!

"Haha, I know right? You should have seen your face just now, you were so surprised!" she replies, her super-serious expression dissolving. It's a deep, hearty, snorty, contagious laugh that sends her shoulders bouncing. Zee alters her course to walk along with Nemo as if they had been strolling together through the dengy, darkened streets of Inside the whole time. "There are these funny little lizards that eat ants and store ant poison in their blood, right? And if they get startled they squirt it at things! It's pretty crazy. The mutagen in your blood kind of reminded me of that, a natural defense to ward off predators or brigands or whatever. It just seems kind of overkill, you know? Why not paralytic blood? Or soporific blood? That seems like it would be less... y'know. Monster-creating-y. Is it really a defense, or for something else? Have any other people who attacked you turned into monsters before?"

[5a Violista]

[Quiet Evening's Encounter]

It's true, Zee does seem exactly like the trustworthy kind of normal person you can talk to because it won't affect anything later. Nevermind how easily Zee took out that wasp-thing earlier. there's definitely nothing weird going on and she's totally normal.

"Shooting out blood is completely weird and overkill," Nemo says. "But if it's defense, it's a weird sort of defense because bee-monsters are definitely more dangerous than a robber." She leans forward and whispers at Zee. "Yeah, it's..it's happened before. Like, the first time was several years ago but honestly? those monsters are still really scary."

But then suddenly Nemo stops finding Zee so trustworthy. Which is strange because she ought to be trustworthy, right? Huh, that's weird, at the same time the mutagen briefly activated in her brain. "But...yeah, I have no idea why it happens."

[Rebonack]

[Quiet Evening's Encounter]

Normal humans take out wasps all the time, there's nothing weird about that. You just need a good rolled up newspaper or a coherent cancer beam.

"It IS pretty weird. I'm pretty sure only that one kind of lizard has figured it out. And certain types of blood-based undead by they're awful so they don't count," Zee replies with a firm nod.

Technically also certain types of blood mages, like Red Velvet. But she's also awful so she doesn't count, either.

"I would imagine. First you get attacked by some jerk, then the jerk turns into a horrible monster. Something like that happened to me years ago, too. Except the guy was a werewolf instead of a randomly mutating monster. I'm glad I managed to shake off the whole werewolf thing. Getting the hair out of my clothes was a huge chore."

Seriously.

Turning into a weird dog every month? Not recommended.

And then?

Mutations happen!

"AH! Just now!" Zee yelps, doing a little hop and pointing. "The mutagen did something to your brain! I think I know what, but..."

She gives a little 'hmm'.

"Maybe it would be better if you didn't go to the hospital? I could heal up your hand if you want, Nemo?" she offers.

Then she blinks.

Then she laughs.

"Haha, I haven't even introduced myself yet, have I? My name's Yezekiel. Most people around the Nexus call me Zee, though. I'm the bartender slash bouncer slash manager at Trog's Tavern. I WAS out for a stroll to get some holiday groceries but then I ran into the monster attack."

She scrunches her lips up a bit.

"And then a raccoon stole my groceries while I was punching that bee... Which is why I was walking back to Fluxmart before I ran into you."

[billtodamax]

Midnight Park

Yeah, too many guards. Violet agrees. Maybe if we had a counterfeit. Can you like... magically paint things? Violet asks. Despite the questioning it seems like she's given up on it. Just spitballing ideas because she's bored. When she's bored she thinks about crime. Celestia how long is this badge going to take?

[Rebonack]

[Midnight Park]

Violet is given a VERY 'are you serious?' sort of look from Airbrush.

Thankfully this nonsense doesn't have much more time to ferment because there's a unicorn mare walking up to them with a coat the color of old linen and a mark on her flank of a canopic jar with a little jackal head on it.

Airbrush goes wide-eyed when she spots the other pony.

"Is this the one?" the unicorn asks, looking at Violet with an appraising eye. Her tone is crisp and no-nonsense. She's got an interesting accent.

"M-madam Vizier! I didn't think- I thought you had today off?" Airbrush stammers.

"I did, but Switchboard informed me of this rather interesting case and I took interest in it," the apparently important pony replies. "You. What is your full name, miss?" she asks.

Well.

Sounds like Violet didn't need the badge after all.

[5a Violista]

[Quiet Evening's Encounter]

Nemo is about to comment on werewolves and how awful they can be, when Zee yelps about the mutagen and her brain. Nemo jumps at that moment.

"Okay, I...my mother taught me to not accept healing from random strangers," she says. Nemo considers what to do. On the one hand, it's just a small cut. On the other hand...oh, wait, there's just the one cut on the one hand. Where was she going with this again? Oh, right. She feels like she ought to trust Yezekiel, but at the same time it feels a little sketch. She should really just go straight back to CAVE. "Well, I don't want to trouble you and it's not that big of a cut. A bandage should be enough for it."

Trog's Tavern sounds really familiar, actually. Yezekiel talking about it makes Nemo reminisce going there...oh, but wait, those were different versions of it. Probably. Actually, though, that makes her wonder, since this is relevant information that a bartender would probably know: "Actually, you could answer me something: which apocalypses would you say are currently building up? Just want to be prepared for it."

Nemo is, of course, under the impression that the Nexus will soon be destroyed but isn't entirely confident on what will be the cause.

[billtodamax]

[Midnight Park]

Figures. Can't do any useful magic, just regular horse nonsense. Violet Wishes. I mean, just Violet. Violet says, annoyed. That one she noticed! Who're you? Her eyes flick to Airbrush. Fear, deference. Her opinion of Airbrush drops. Head of Security round here or something? Gotta know who's guarding the guns.

[Rebonack]

[Quiet Evening's Encounter]

Zee looks put off. "I'm not a random stranger, though, Nemo. We know each other's names and we were clearly meant to encounter each other. That isn't random at all! That's Nexus serendipity."

Sort of like how PCs always seem to stumble onto villain plots.

Somehow.

Or how adventurers always manage to encounter monsters that are JUST strong enough to be a challenge rather than monsters that aren't a threat at all or monsters that will absolutely slaughter them with no contest.

What a wondrous world we live in, right?

"And I'm not just worried about you," Zee adds. "If you're leaking everywhere on your way home someone else might be exposed to the mutagen in your blood as well and that would be bad."

Like mutated rats! That spread the infection to other animals! It would be terrible since the mutagen seems to be self-propagating.

That last question catches her a bit by surprise though.

"Uuh... there are probably three or four possible apocalypses at any given moment. None of them will end things, though. But they CAN end things for specific people which is still bad," Zee muses. "If I'm reading things right your mutagenic blood could be one, but that seems unlikely. There's something with killer robots. The Eternal Game has been quiet lately, but I've got a hunch that might start picking up. I don't THINK there's anything super immediate."


[Midnight Park]

"Violet Wishes," the unicorn repeats, possibly irritating Violet Wishes in the process. "My name is Myrrh Balm. I am the Princess' Vizier and one of her chief sorcerers."

She gives her tail a little flick upon announcing herself. Then she lights up her horn with a crown of shimmering light!

After a few moments? The edge of her mouth quirks into a ghost of a smile.

"You haven't been cursed at all. A djinn granted a wish that you made, likely in a fashion other than what you had intended."

The light around her horn winks out.

"It can be undone, but the process is more involved than simply unweaving a hex. Wishes are far more reality-altering in their nature."

[5a Violista]

[Quiet Evening's Encounter]

"You-you're right, but..." Nemo says, being partially convinced even though she feels like she shouldn't be convinced. "I mean, you're making some good points, but," but Nemo can't think of any counter-arguments.
"but...sure, okay, just make it quick."

She holds out her hand to get healed.

Nemo's own blood could potentially cause end-of-the-world scenarios, she supposes, but it's never happened before.

And, besides. 'None of them will end things'? That's what everyone says, right before it happens.

And, no, she doesn't recognize the inherent contradiction in her thinking.

[Rebonack]

[Quiet Evening's Encounter]

Well obviously it hasn't ever happened before.

If it HAD happened then everyone would be monsters are/or dead.

"Okay, I'll make it quick," Zee replies as she takes Nemo's hand.

There comes a sudden feeling of warmth.

Kind of like sitting outside with the sun beaming down on you. A pleasant warmth, not a stifling or muggy one.

When Zee takes her hand away the wound should be covered in a layer of... crystal? Resin? Something reminiscent of fire agate, a rich translucent orange brown filled with iridescent points of color. The 'bandage' will begin repairing the wound.

Not try to neutralize the mutagen, though.

Zee needs more information before she'll try something like that.

[5a Violista]

[Quiet Evening's Encounter]

It's good that she's waiting for more info because it's not entirely clear yet what causes it to activate, let alone what makes it so directed. Or even how it's created, because if there's a limited supply it'll eventually run out one way or another. If it somehow activated without any direction, it would probably just cause cancerous growths like you'd normally expect.

But it does feel nice. The healing. Nemo wonders why she was against this, because it's significantly better than the sting of wind blowing against a wound.

Nemo looks at the resin-crystal on her wound. "This will fall off on its own, right?" she asks. "Because, like I said, I should probably get going. I've got a bus to catch."

[Rebonack]

[Quiet Evening's Encounter]

Zee's got a sample of the stuff in a little vial. She'll be poking at it later.

But for now?

"Think of it like an extra sparkly super-scab," Zee replies with a nod. "It'll get itchy and fall off once it's done knitting the wound for you."

Well.

That's certainly pretty different from your average magical healing.

Less positive energy and more helpful biology.

"I hope your bus ride home goes well, Nemo. No more getting mugged, okay?" Zee says with clear and sincere concern.

[Morty]

[New Inside Embassy]

Once the soldier have his shirt on he straightens up and give Octavia an salute. "Yes, m'am."

"I apologize, sir. You startled me. I'm more than willing to answer your questions. I was at Castilia hospital getting my leg injury diagnosed. I was wounded it in an field excercise a few months ago and I was just getting one of my regular check up to make sure it was healing properly." He explains with a gesture at his right leg.

Octavia looks between the two but says nothing for now.

Michalson looks at the soldier for a while. Hm, looks like nothing to be gained from this one...

"Thank you for your answer. Bring in the next one, please."

[Recaiden]

One Saturday, probably in the summer before Anchor got mixed up in all this trouble at the beach, she came Inside to a certain fountain. One in the center of a perfectly survivable city square, and not in a nightmarish park. And in the square, a certain bar that's supposed to be a good place for lunch.
She's hoping to see someone here who's sometimes a bird, and sometimes much less of a bird.
She heard that she could probably find Jack here.

Anchor isn't as dressed up as at the masquerade. For one thing, no skull mask, just her normal sunglasses, short black hair with long bangs (maybe a little shinier than usual). But she is a little dressed up, with a nice jacket that's the color of the night sky (twinkling stars and all) and no obvious weapons.

Her shadow is behaving neatly, moving in lockstep with no weird features.

[Earl of Purple]

Fountain Square

It's a proper square, too, exactly a square. The square is paved with concrete slabs, and the central fountain is also concrete, moulded into the shape of a vase of flowers, water spouting from the centre of each one. It's not too busy either, most people wandering through on their way to elsewhere.

The burger bar is open on the southern side of the square, with a number of round metal tables set nearby. Sat at one of the tables is Jack, her chair set to one side so she can lean on the back without it getting in the way of her wings. She's wearing a pair of jeans, hiking boots and a red chequered shirt, holes tailored in it for her wings. When she sees Anchor, she smiles and waves. Her satchel is resting on the floor, her shovel set against it and immobilised to prevent theft. Currently, she's people-watching, but she's also eaten judging by the empty burger case on the table in front of her and a disposable coffee cup.

If Anchor fancies getting a burger first, there's no queue. The burger bar's cook is a male kor with white skin, barbels hanging from his chin and white hair. He's wearing a chef hat and an apron, and within easy reach is a chain ending with a vicious looking hook- nobody gets away without paying here, though there is a lunchtime discount on Saturdays.

[Recaiden]

A perfect square! How lovely. And concrete everything. More lovely.
The fountain is nice too. Wonder if you could get actual flowers to do that for any real reason...

Anchor's face lights up when she sees Jack waving, and returns the gesture.

She does head over to order a burger herself (no cheese!), sliding a little heap of gold coins across the bartop.

And then in time she goes and sits at Jack's table, setting her little backpack next to the chair.
"Hey Jack! Sorry if I'm late. I mean, you've already eaten."

[Earl of Purple]

Fountain Square

"Don't worry, it's fine. I didn't specify a time, except lunch time. I got here early, if anything." Jack smiles at Anchor. "How have you been?"

Anchor will also find that the burger is very nice, and as she requested, does not come with cheese. It doesn't quite taste like beef; the burgers are made from the meat of a Greathorn, a large cow-like beast from the cook's native Zendikar.

[Recaiden]

Anchor nods to Jack. Very gracious of her to take all the blame like that.

She takes a single huge bite of the burger and goes through that before answering.
"I've been pretty well, I mean, really good, actually. Recently I've mostly inventing new animals and looking after my little sisters."
"And you?"

[Earl of Purple]

Fountain Square

"Oh, I went to this little town in Outside, which had been conquered by metal-stealing robot things. Everyone was gone, and I don't know what happened to them. I did get a wand, though. But you designed an animal? That sounds incredible. What kind of an animal?" Jack leans forward with interest. She's really interested in that, because it's something she can't really comprehend.

[5a Violista]

[Quiet Evening's Encounter]

Nemo either doesn't know or she doesn't care about Zee's vial. Probably both.

"Okay." She still looks at the crystal-thing. "Probably shouldn't scratch it, either." Nemo will likely look at this later as well, to figure out what exactly it's going to do to her.

"I'll try not to," she adds, before heading off towards a bus stop that'll take her out of town. She'll call back, "Have fun buying your stuff!'

[Recaiden]

"Metal-stealing robots. Huh." What an ordinary thing for them to be after.
Anchor smiles as she moves on to answering Jck's question. It's good to have someone take an interest.
"This one's a big flying riding-beast, kinda like a hippogriff. But it's supposed to be fast on the ground too, and brave. It takes a lot of looking at existing animals. I mean, for reference and inspiration. The closer something is to another animal already out there, the easier. And that's not even getting into magical creatures." Which are just a whole 'nother level of complication.
"So it ended up with lots of wings, and this cute forked tail." She gestures vaguely to indicate the long and many-branched nature of the new creature.

[Earl of Purple]

Fountain Square

"Well, they also took the people. But that's kind of expected from evil robots. Taking doors off their hinges to steal the screws is less usual." Which they actually did!"How do you create a creature? Do you use magic or science?" Not that Jack can really tell the difference between the two, really. "Why did you create one, rather than use an existing animal of some kind?"