[Nexus] Inside 38

[The Bushranger]

[Erin's Emporium]

I'm sure you can help. Dorota smiles a little. It might involve dealing with other people, and you're much better than it than I am. Besides, it's always better to have company on this sort of quest.

Crissy blushes a little at the compliment, but nods happily.
"Alright then, just let me know when we set out on this quest and I'll be, like, totally ready!"

[Morty]

[Erin's Emporium]

I'm ready when you are, as they say. I think we should start in places where people create - forges, art galleries and such. Maybe ask around for someone who did manage to create a golem.

[The Bushranger]

EE

"Then let's go!" Crissy declares!
...what? She keeps a pack of stuff ready for an adventure behind the counter to be grabbed at any moment.

[Morty]

[Erin's Emporium]

Sure! Any ideas for the place to start? There's quite a few to choose from... Dorotha also grabs a convenient bag. Horatio is flying around her head, squeaking excitedly.

[Gullara]

[Red Zone]

Watching, stalking, hunting, killing, feeding. Thus has become the life of Adele De Luca. At the moment she skulks along a shadowy street, following the progress of a chipper young man off after a late night at work.

[Devixer]

[Outside Trog's]

Ashley teleports just outside the tavern. She looks for the caravan she'd been told to protect.

[Lady Serpentine]

((The directions were that it's up the street, not at Trog's. The construction business, in fact, though that wasn't specified.))

[Devixer]

((I suppose in that case, she'll head down the street until she finds the proper place.))

[UncleWolf]

Masks Temple

At the bottom of the staircase, Aubrey will see it lead into a ceremonial chamber, adorned with various shades of purple, pink, and gold cloth, cushions, and pillows. There are a few people laying on them, uncovered except by each other as they relax. One gives the pair a short wave before resting his head on a man's shoulder and closing his eyes as he drifts off.

The Black smiles a bit to Aubrey as she starts heading down a corridor. "Things are free beneath the surface here. I'm hoping you could join us eventually."

[Halae]

[Masks Temple]

Aubrey is blushing pretty hard at this point, not sure what to make of the whole situation. sure there was how the black had explained to her about all the different things Slaanesh was related to, but didn't quite expect to see this this quickly.

The black will be able to take him anywhere she pleases. "I... think I'd like that."

[UncleWolf]

Masks Temple

Aubrey will find herself carried into a simple room. Just a decent bed and a few personal items on a small desk. There's a rack of clothing in the back, but there's nothing special about the items, just tunics and pants for the most part. He'll be set down on the bed, and the Black shuts the door. With a predatory smile, she leans down to kiss the new Mask, pulling the curtain as she goes.

[Halae]

[Masks Temple]

Aubrey will have no objections to curtain pulling!

by the time its ended though, Aubrey should be laying down, panting. He'll look over at the black mask and say, "You know... it's been three days and... well, this wonder, and I still don't think I've asked your name."

You can decide what position they ended up in >.>

[Mr. Moon]

[Carter House]

The Tyranid Siren gets her tail grabbed. She doesn't seem too comfortable with this, flinching as an involuntary shudder runs through her body. That thing is touching her.

She probably looks pretty darn tiny next to the hulking Lictor. Amil had compressed herself back into her preferred human shape and now stands at an unremarkable five feet four inches. Her arms are hugged around herself protectively, the second pair having vanished into her back.

I'm going to die, aren't I? I'm going to be melted down so you can steal what makes me unique. Oh God... I never thought it would end like this... Amil's thinks in little more than a mental whimper.

Die? The Hive Mind scoffs back, as the lictor tries to drag the Lost Child out by her tail. It's not a terribly pleasant experience - that thing's claws were sharp. The Hive Mind's sense of triumphant amusement surrounds Amil, threatens to over-take her.

You will not die, as you put in such crude terms. No. There is no death. You will become a part of a whole. A building block of a much vaster, a much grander cause. Evolution, love. Vast pride fills the Hive Mind. It is excited, revelling in the glory of its cause.That is what we are. That is all we are. There is no more noble calling, nothing that deserves to stand in it's way. Every planet, every race, will become a part of the cause. They will slack our hunger and become a part of something greater than they ever were. Something so marvellous, so grand, that they cannot even comprehend it. Progress, love! And you will feed that progress. So much good will be gained from you. Such a unique mutation. You are beautiful, love. Here, the Hive Mind becomes almost terrifyingly affectionate. It feels exactly like it is running its reverent fingertips over the Siren's cheek. The knowledge we gain from you will go so far in advancing our cause. You should be proud, love. Because of you, we are so much closer to our ultimate goal.
Perfection, love.

[Rebonack]

[Carter House]

...

Amil is being dragged to her death by her tail. Not only is this creepy and terrifying, it's also really humiliating. Though with the Hive Mind so near, so... everywhere she can't even bring herself to dig her nails into the floor to make hauling her away to be dissolved in a reclamation pool more difficult.

The Tyranid Siren shudders under that mental caress, trying to shrink away. Trying to escape that revolting feeling. But she can't escape the Hivemind anymore than she can escape her own thoughts.

Her own will.

Stop that! she hisses back. Stop touching me like that. It's bad enough that you're going to kill me to make yourself better at killing everything else. And it's not like I can resist you at this point. Can you at least allow me the dignity of walking?

In rifling through Amil's memories this time around the Hivemind will find the conceptual blue-prints for three completely new bio-morphs as well as fragments and concepts of dozens more. It seems Amil has been working toward that goal of evolutionary perfection all on her own...

Two weapons. The FragFish launcher, a heavy weapon that hurls highly explosive symbiotic organisms at medium range. Symbiots that can easily be bred to have higher or lower explosive yields as the need arises.

Web Bolos, a weapon that fires an egg-sack ripe with tiny spider-like organisms that bursts upon impact, sending dozens of critters skittering over the target and quickly enveloping them in a cocoon of harder than steel silk. Not only does it boast higher range and accuracy than the traditional Strangleweb gun it allows for tighter coverage of webbing than a simple tossed mesh of silk would provide.

And finally alterations to flight abilities. Improvements to wings and additional flight membranes on the hips and tail to increase maneuverability as well as strength of flight. A Gargoyle so equipped would not only be faster and more agile in the air, they would also use less energy in their flight.

Other concepts abound. These few completed concepts are only the tip of the proverbial iceburg.

[Reinholdt]

[Formerly Totally Safe Park]

One catgirl with a fez hat arrives here and glances around. She generally feels uncomfortable and looks it.

But with any luck, she'll spot the person she's looking for!
She somehow doubts it though.

[Lady Serpentine]

((I suppose in that case, she'll head down the street until she finds the proper place.))

She should find the caravan at the construction business. It's composed of a blue-black serpent with wings, a human head, and a corona of shadows in which things seem to be moving, along with five creatures about the size of an elephant, which are six legged, and have a ring of eight eyes in their forehead. Their skin is green-grey.

The serpent says "Hello, Ashley."

[Devixer]

[Warehouse]

Ashley looks at the creature. "S'Kanthos. Am I guarding this caravan on my own? Just wanted to know."

[Lady Serpentine]

[Caravan]

"I believe Dipsnig said someone else had volunteered. If he doesn't arrive soon, though, I'm afraid that you will be, except for these.

Nine Quill Wolves step out from behind one of the elepantine beasts.

[Devixer]

[Caravan]

Ashley nods. "I guess we wait for the other volunteer, then?"

[Lady Serpentine]

[Caravan]

"I suppose."

He shifts to human form. He has pale skin, and is wearing black dress pants and a black button-down shirt.

[Devixer]

[Caravan]

Ashley doesn't say anything else, going to lean against a wall.

[Lady Serpentine]

[Caravan]

"By the way, that second job may have changed some. Karyana seems to have found someone who may be able to help. Of course, that's dependent on her not trying to kill them. But, if this other person restores her magic, would you be able to train her?"

[Devixer]

[Caravan]

Ashley thinks for a few seconds. "I could try. Never thought I'd be a teacher."

[Reinholdt]

The letter reads as follows.

Spoiler

Show

A countdown's what you failed to see
A mistake that might cost victory
Numbers, each hidden in a word,
Hidden to the eye but not unheard.

[Shopping Mall]

Reinholdt looks at the letter, then back to the original note. Tries reading it several times, and looks up at Boris and shakes his head.
"Just can't hear it. Or see it. Or whatever the case may be. Closest I can spot is the number four in for and two in to. Maybe ten in hidden. Seems a stretch though. You?"

He looks back to his original note. They've been to two and five. Reinholdt visited four. That leaves three and one. If it's a countdown...
Did you go to the Umbrella Factory or the Abandoned Temple?"

[Lady Serpentine]

[Caravan]

"I'm glad. So, what kind of magic do you do, then?"

[Devixer]

[Shopping Mall]

Boris thinks. "I went to the abandoned temple. You're thinking we should head to the factory, then?"

[Caravan]

"I'm an illusionist, mostly. Though, I also know a lot of elemental magic, and some other miscellaneous spells."

[Reinholdt]

[Shopping Mall]

"Well, it is number 1 and countdowns all lead to 1. It's my best guess. Unless you want to split up and hit two spots at a time." Reinholdt shrugs. Otherwise he intends to just go to the Umbrella Factory.

[Lady Serpentine]

[Caravan]

"Interesting. That's what she used to do, mostly, was illusions. Of course, she never really got the chance to try anything else before she lost her magic, so I don't know if it's just that that's what was easiest for her to start with. I have a feeling she'll be pleased to hear that you're willing to help her, though."

[Devixer]

[Shopping Mall]

Boris shakes his head. "I've already been to the Temple, I don't think there will be anything there."

[Caravan]

Ashley tilts her head. "Illusions aren't easy, at least where I come from. But, yeah, I can teach this Karyana about what she wants to use."

[Reinholdt]

[Shopping Mall -> Umbrella Factory]

"Well I didn't mean split up and hit the temple. There is still the off-chance 6 or 7 is the answer." Reinholdt shrugs again.

Before leading the way to the Umbrella Factory!