[Nexus] NO XII: Frostburns Are For Free

[Chaotic Bob]

[Exiting Infirmary]

Step 1, victory!
No grumpy backlash.
Onwards to step 2!

One hand holds onto the hem of her latest dress, while the other hand reaches up to give the puppy's side a little scritch.
Such a good boy.

Now, keep eyes widened for faint puppy-dog effect, tilt head slightly down with an upward glance, and maybe the faintest little side-to-side wiggle for optimum cute...
"I was wondering...if I could maybe...take care of this fuzzy-baby myself?"

[OrchestraHc]

[Corridor]

If Kuko can understand signals made by animals, he'll know that the cub has no name yet. Dipsnig would tell him that "Viima" and "Kullervo" aren't goblin names. He wanted something others wouldn't have trouble pronouncing.
For now, the pup is happy to trot along the corridor, bearing the Minish and recieving pets.

Corridor

Kuko is happy to ride around on the puppy's back, giving scritches. It was very different than riding a bird, to say the least. The bounce and slow pace were nice, a bit odd at first, but nice, but the minish still preferred the wind in his face and the way his scarf flapped in the wind.

An idea popped its way into Kuko's little head. He's not really aware of it now, but it's a pretty stupid idea. "Hey, puppy, can you show me how fast you run?" he asks the wolf cub. Yes, he's asking the cub, a naturally hyper active stage of any canine's, to run. While the minish is on it's back. Without a saddle.

At least he's holding on to some of her hair.

[LadyOfWar]

The door will slide open for the rider, but noone will immediately come out to greet her.

"Hello?" she calls out when the door opens. Her voice is surprisingly low for a woman's and it carries nicely.

As her player assumes this is the door to the main room, the Lady leaves her horse outside in the care of the boy who arrived with her and she heads indoors, looking about with a sharp, curious gaze as she goes.

[Morty]

[Exiting Infirmary]

Step 1, victory!
No grumpy backlash.
Onwards to step 2!

One hand holds onto the hem of her latest dress, while the other hand reaches up to give the puppy's side a little scritch.
Such a good boy.

Now, keep eyes widened for faint puppy-dog effect, tilt head slightly down with an upward glance, and maybe the faintest little side-to-side wiggle for optimum cute...
"I was wondering...if I could maybe...take care of this fuzzy-baby myself?"

On one hand, Kara won't be very cute to Dipsnig no matter what she does because she's an elf and he's a goblin. That, and there's no upward glance required, because he's not much taller than her, if at all. On the other hand, there's a pup on her head. Dipsnig's eyes narrow.
You mean he'd become your pet? Well, as long as you don't separate him from his parents, I suppose there's nothing wrong with that...

Corridor

Kuko is happy to ride around on the puppy's back, giving scritches. It was very different than riding a bird, to say the least. The bounce and slow pace were nice, a bit odd at first, but nice, but the minish still preferred the wind in his face and the way his scarf flapped in the wind.

An idea popped its way into Kuko's little head. He's not really aware of it now, but it's a pretty stupid idea. "Hey, puppy, can you show me how fast you run?" he asks the wolf cub. Yes, he's asking the cub, a naturally hyper active stage of any canine's, to run. While the minish is on it's back. Without a saddle.

At least he's holding on to some of her hair.

The cub perks up, her ears twitch and then she breaks into a full run. She's still small, so it's not that fast, but it is quick nonetheless.

[Chaotic Bob]

[Exiting Infirmary]

Karaglen's not particularly well-versed on the racial differences in adorability/beauty preference.
So might as well try to play the cute little child anyway!
Good thing she brought the puppy along anyway though.

Little guy is helping her feel better and disarming Mr. Dippy at the same time!
Whatever it takes.

The little girl gives a wide grin with the seemingly cautious agreement to her request.
"Yay! I would make sure mom and dad-Fuzzy still get plenty of time with him too!"
After all, Kara still has to help feed everyone down there, so the puppy will probably be with her.
"Thaaaaank you Mister Dippy sir!"

[OrchestraHc]

Corridor

"Oh Dear!" The speed isn't nearly so much the problem as the bouncing. Well not so much the bouncing, as the bouncing without any sort of harness to hold onto. He managing to hold onto the puppies fur, barely. He's not in much distress though. He seems to be laughing the whole way.

[Lost_Deep]

Main Room

"Hello?" she calls out when the door opens. Her voice is surprisingly low for a woman's and it carries nicely.

As her player assumes this is the door to the main room, the Lady leaves her horse outside in the care of the boy who arrived with her and she heads indoors, looking about with a sharp, curious gaze as she goes.

CB-484, seeing that no one else is attending to the woman at the door, rolls over. He is a five foot tall blue cylindrical robot with five arms and four eyes. A creepy robot.

"Hello, and welcome to NO. How may I help you?"

[Morty]

[Exiting Infirmary]

Karaglen's not particularly well-versed on the racial differences in adorability/beauty preference.
So might as well try to play the cute little child anyway!
Good thing she brought the puppy along anyway though.

Little guy is helping her feel better and disarming Mr. Dippy at the same time!
Whatever it takes.

The little girl gives a wide grin with the seemingly cautious agreement to her request.
"Yay! I would make sure mom and dad-Fuzzy still get plenty of time with him too!"
After all, Kara still has to help feed everyone down there, so the puppy will probably be with her.
"Thaaaaank you Mister Dippy sir!"

Dipsnig's ears twitch. You're welcome. The little guy is yours now. But I'd appreciate it if you didn't call me "Dippy".
The cub makes himself comfortable on Kara's head, curling up.

Corridor

"Oh Dear!" The speed isn't nearly so much the problem as the bouncing. Well not so much the bouncing, as the bouncing without any sort of harness to hold onto. He managing to hold onto the puppies fur, barely. He's not in much distress though. He seems to be laughing the whole way.

The pup doesn't show any signs of slowing down anytime soon. She's having fun.

[LadyOfWar]

The lady seems shocked and utterly confused by the robot. She looks it up and down. She peers at the black spot and the three red spots flanking it, trying to discern where the voice is coming from.

"Hello." she replies, tentatively. "Thank you for your welcome. My question is probably rude, and I do not wish to offend, but I must inquire, what are you?"

[Lost_Deep]

Main Room

"I am CB-484, medical robot. That is, I am an artificial intelligence inside a robotic body. I presume you are from some kind of world where such things neither exist nor are hypothesized? Pity. How may I help you?"

Another one from a primitive world? CB suspects she has magic, too.

[Chaotic Bob]

[Exiting Infirmary]

Utter, pure glee.
Karaglen would probably be literally bouncing around right now, if the little puppy hadn't decided to get extra comfortable.

So instead she excitedly (and remarkably quietly) claps her hands.
"Weee! I'll take good care of him!
And okedoke! I'll remember, Mister Dippy sir!"

Grinning almost enough to split her face, the girl skadoodles away!
Probably either to her room or the Beast Pens.

[LadyOfWar]

[Main room]

"In that case, I am glad to meet you, CB 484. You are correct, we do not have 'artificial intelligence' or 'robotic bodies' where I hail from. However, I should like to learn all I can of such things while I am here." She smiles politely, and if his artificial intelligence includes the ability to read inflection, he should realize that her interest is genuine.

"You could help me by informing me if the Neutral Organization has any work available for a capable warrior, tactician, horsewoman, and scout. I also may be able to bring up to five others with me as a ready-made team for larger endeavors."

She looks like a woman who would possess the skills she has just outlined. Her tall boots were made for riding and walking, her sword hangs ready at her side, and her stance has the firm grace of a seasoned fighter.

[Lost_Deep]

Main room

"Hmm... a horsewoman? While I'm sure you skills would be appreciated, I'm not sure we would need a you to bring ready-made team. This is a mercenary group, basically. We are the ones that put groups together for missions. Work may not be steady, but if you want to sign up I can run you through the process."

CB rolls over to a clockwork penguin, a couple of which are waddling around the place, and places a small, metal hand on it. "Bring me the membership papers." The penguin immediately stops whatever it was doing and immediately rushes off to do that.

"While helpful, those waddling things can't really be trusted with anything more complex that that. Ignore them."

[LadyOfWar]

[Main Room]

"That would be agreeable." she says to his offer of working her through the sign-up process. "Would there likely be some more openings available, however, for individuals skilled with their own weapons and a small variety of magic?"

She squints at the penguin as it waddles away. "What exactly are they?" she inquires, trying not to sound too much like she just fell off a farmer's wagon.

[Lex-Kat]

"Laundry? What? No, of course not. What a waste of time."

Vincent never does laundry! In fact he also never changes his clothes or bathes, though he looks and smells as clean as if he had had one.

Misty stops and looks at Vincent. Something smells in here. Are you feeling okay?

[Reinholdt]

[Vincent's Room]

"Yeah, I'm feeling fine. What on earth are you talking about?"

Vincent is confused by the crazy pet thing! He doesn't smell anything.

[OrchestraHc]

Corridor

Alright Kuko, you've got her moving. Now what?

Jumping to his feet to gain balance, he'll try to steer the wolf by leaning to the left while clutching onto the her fur.

[Lost_Deep]

[Main Room]

"That would be agreeable." she says to his offer of working her through the sign-up process. "Would there likely be some more openings available, however, for individuals skilled with their own weapons and a small variety of magic?"

She squints at the penguin as it waddles away. "What exactly are they?" she inquires, trying not to sound too much like she just fell off a farmer's wagon.

"The penguins? I'm not sure, you would have to ask someone else."

The penguin comes back with a single sheet of paper. "Here is the member sign-up form. If you join, you will be on probation until you complete a job or do some other good for the organization..."

CB will give her the information that can be found in the "New Members" part of the opening post.

"You may want to discuss things with Dipsnig, our leader, before you invite any friends along."

[LadyOfWar]

[Main Room]

"I understand, I will see to it that I complete a contract soon then." she replies to his mention that she will be a probationary member until she prooves herself.

"Are there any jobs in progress at the moment, so I may begin my work as soon as possible?" she inquires.

She is filling out the paperwork as she speaks to the AI.

[Lost_Deep]

Main Room

"All current jobs are there," CB says as he gestures at a blank bulletin board. "As you can see, there are not any."

Um... that's rather blunt.

[Morty]

[Main Room]

There are two fresh jobs, actually:

Spoiler

Show

"We don't care who, or where, you get it from, so long as we get the required amounts, and the samples are of sufficient quality."

"As for what it is, one to four pounds of Void-warped Citrine and Fae-touched Moonstone."

"Four to six pounds of Abyssal Quartz."

"And ten pounds of Hell-glass. Payment will be six hundred platinums a pound for the first two, four hundred for the second, and two the last, or an equivalent amount of your preferred currency."

"Or we can provide magical and technological items of a similar value."

[Dipsnig's Study]

The council did try Phil for the perpetration of a mass unwanted software tampering related "evil."

... The hacks!!!

The complete unconcern over subtle magical auras that Dipsnig has adopted is to Percilia's benefit. She really didn't want to explain the proceedings of that whole ordeal again. Especially not to someone partaking in a business contract of her design.

"I ask of you nothing beyond your abilities. I only desire that you perform a textbook full frontal assault and demolition on a factory barely within the jurisdiction of those that protect the City of Inside. The resistance shouldn't be too much of a problem. I'll need two or three ranged fighters that are reliable and experienced to accompany me for the extent of the assault. No more."

"Ensure that they have strong stomachs. The processing plant and its horrors alone will drive mad those of feeble mind or constitution."

[Corridor]

Kuko's attempts to steer the pup are largely in vain as the little wolf doesn't seem to notice them. She races along the corridors until they run into Viima, who is padding slowly towards them. Upon seeing her mother, the pup slows down and trots up to the big wolf.

[OrchestraHc]

Corridor

Nope, no go. Would be buch easier with a harness. That and a sparrow mid flight would be much more responsive to the little guys weight than a puppy, significantly larger than the mere minish.

But enough analysis of riding, it's Viima! "Umm, hello Viima," he says unsure of just how Viima would react to his riding her puppy. She's mostly been nice of the minish, but that was more of a "why worry about the field mouse" scenario.

[The Alexandrian]

[Dipsnig's Study]

((Thought I'd wait until OoC recruitment was done to finish this scene, but that's going to take awhile so...))

Percilia nods! This mission was ultimately a grand success!

"Thank you for your time, Dipsnig. Now with your permission, I will depart."

Percilia will attempt to slip Dipsnig a card with the number of her cell phone scrawled upon it because he'll need to contact her when his team is prepared to go!

[LadyOfWar]

[Main Room]

She hands back the form with the requested information.

Name: Raennall
Race: Northlander, Human
Profession: Warrior, diplomat.
Reason for Joining: Seeking employment that utilizes my skills.
Possible services offered to employers: Warrior skilled with sword and bow, also a skilled tactician and leader. Spy and scout, skilled in tracking and infiltrating behind enemy lines. Diplomat.

She then read the two jobs newly posted on the board. The one asking for fighters for a ranged attack catches her attention.

“I am skilled with ranged weapons.” She says. “And as for having the stomach for the job, I have both witnessed and endured atrocities in my time.”

[Lost_Deep]

Main Room

"Well, I would talk to Dipsnig about that. He has the details on the mission, and is presumably gathering the group as well."

CB takes the form. "Welcome to NO. I am CB-484, your medic. Do you want a tour now, or are you content to show yourself around?"

[LadyOfWar]

[Main Room]

"Then it is a pleasure to meet you again, CB 484, and forgive me for saying, may I never need your services." After all, who wants to get hurt? "I will need to see Dipsnig as soon as possible, then. I wish to begin work promptly."

"But first, a tour would be appreciated as long as it begins with a visit to the stables. My horses are outside." She motions toward the front door.

"Also, how do payment and lodging work? Is payment due upon completion of jobs or is it salaried, and is there lodging here, or should I go out and look for accommodations?"

[Lost_Deep]

Main Room

CB will go through a basic tour. Here are the stables/beast pens, those things can and will kill you if you mess with them, here are the member's quarters, this will be your room, there is the armory, you are not allowed in there yet because you're on probation, that's Dipsnig's office, this is the infirmary, the tour is done. He will also give her the way pay works, as he understands it. Admittedly, he only knows the basics; he doesn't know nor care if or how much he's getting paid. Apparently, robots don't care about money or some other madness.

And with that he rolls back into the infirmary.

[LadyOfWar]

Well, there is just one small snag with that plan... though CB certainly doesn't have to deal with it. This is probably one more of those questions best addressed to Dipsnig.

The snag in the plan takes the form of a young lad who the pair meet when Raennall goes to get her horses and take them to the animal area. He is riding his pony in circles in the snow, putting the short version of a horse through its paces.

"This is Thein, I would be willing to pay for him to have a room here as well, or if family members are not allowed we can live elsewhere and I will travel here for work each day." she points out, should CB be willing to listen.

If he's not up for that....

Then after the horses are secure in a pen she goes off in search of Dipsnig to bring the issue up with him. Thein is following behind her.

[Lost_Deep]

Tour

Yeah, CB will tell her to take it to Dipsnig. Raenall might get the feeling that CB does not care about her, or her squire-like assistant. He's cold, and emotionless. Not like a computer is emotionless, but like someone with severe personality problems is emotionless.

[LadyOfWar]

The lady thanks him kindly for the tour, and takes only a moment to ponder his reaction to her and file it away for future thought before she heads out in search of Dipsnig.

She heads for Dipsnig's office first, that is the most logical place to look first.