"Don't think I'm unaware of what is and isn't of value to this organization, Clarissa; I've been doing its finances and skimming from the top since before you were born. My AMEN is a living, breathing thing, and you have done nothing but suck the blood right out of its veins, demanding a home and security from those who would oppose you, whilst doing nothing to compensate us. An insubordinate bitch is of value to no one, Clarissa. No matter how many fireballs she can shoot out her eyelids."
Of course Magtok has to try to get the last word in.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gnrlshrimp
[Meanwhile, at Ilpholin's Office...]
Knock knock knock, Isabelle and Cedric are at the door!
Shame nobody filled her in on the whole "Ilpholin is not here" thing, otherwise she probably wouldn't have brought Cedric. As amusing as Magtok's reaction to the squirrel is, she doesn't really see much point in terrorising him without reason.
'course, there might not be a Magtok in Ilphy's office, I dunno.
If there isn't, then she'll go and knock on his office door next anyway...without Cedric.
With that done and sorted out, he retreats through a telewarp portal to his office door, walking in just before Isabelle can get around to knocking. He gestures with one hand for her to follow him inside, withdrawing a small orange prescription pill bottle from his robe as he moves towards his desk. A handful of blue mood-altering capsules make their way down his throat, easily several times the recommended dosage. Hopefully he knows what he's doing with that stuff.
"Hi Isabelle. Ilpholin's away on vacation, and I just had to release Becky and Clarissa for gross insubordination, so please excuse me if I seem a tad wound up at the moment. I'll try to keep any abrasive or uncivil thoughts to myself, but if I slip up, please let me know so I can keep such behavior in check."
"Ah, insubordination in the ranks? That's unfortunate." Isabelle shakes her head. Folks should know better!
But they're of no real concern to her either, she hadn't exactly talked to 'em much. If at all. lotta folks around here, she hasn't had time to get to know everyone yet.
"Um..."
Seems this news has got her a wee bit rattled though. Wonder why?
"Don't take this the wrong way, but...how trustworthy is Ilpholin?"
Oh. That'd be why. Isabelle wishes she hadn't decided to be nice and not bring Cedric, he'd totally back her up.
__________________
Before you criticise someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticise them, you'll be a mile away and you'll have their shoes.
Magtok shrugs, "I couldn't say. Trust means a lot of things, to a lot of people. Personally, I trust her. Our interests for AMEN's future march along the same lines, more or less. I consider her to be a sensible, intelligent individual, and since there's just the one of her, extremely unlikely to be of any threat to the MagCave, were she ever to be hypnotized or possessed or whatever. Safe, smart, and sane. Not a whole lot of that in the Nexus, y'know."
Isabelle nods slowly, "So I can be reasonably confident she's not going to bring AMEN down around us. But if you don't mind me asking, what are your interests for AMEN's future?"
__________________
Before you criticise someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticise them, you'll be a mile away and you'll have their shoes.
"Fear, respect, enough growth so that Remnant is genuinely unsettled by the idea of going to war with us, even if such a thing never actually happens. The strongest force for law and order needs to feel fear, to know that it is not invincible and cannot act indiscriminately, because we, the Association of the Malicious, Evil, and Nefarious, are watching."
Magtok shrugs, "I wouldn't mind a little more than that, but it's a start, right? From there, maybe a grab at bits and pieces of Riverside. Inside's Council has already made it known that anything short of an apocalypse could happen in that town, and they wouldn't lift a finger in resp-"
He glances at his left wrist, and that glance soon becomes a stare. His eyes glaze over for about six seconds, before he abruptly punches himself in the chest, and snaps out of it with a jolt and frightened expression.
"-onse! Sorry, heart stopped! Too many pills at once, didn't read the label! Right, so Ilpholin, trust, AMEN's future...did I ask you what prompted this line of questioning before I went legally dead for a minute there?"
She'd been wondering when he'd ask that. It is a bit odd to just ask this stuff out of the blue, after all.
Question is...does she want to get Megan in trouble?
Not as such, no. But...
"Well, um, Megan and I were coming up with an idea for a sort of secret weapon to turn the tables if AMEN ever came under threat. I don't know if that's really likely or not, but it seemed like something fun to do. But, we ended up arguing, because as far as I'm concerned something like that should be Ilpholin's to use if she deems it necessary, since she's in charge. And, well, Megan seemed to think Ilpholin couldn't be trusted with something like that."
Isabelle pauses for a moment, awkwardly fiddling with her hair.
"I, um, I don't think she has any rebellious intentions or anything like that. I've just been trying to figure out why she's so untrusting of Ilpholin. I mean, it's not like we were making something that could be used aggressively as such, it was a purely defensive weapon..."
__________________
Before you criticise someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticise them, you'll be a mile away and you'll have their shoes.
Magtok shakes his head. "No such thing. Every weapon carries with it the potential for offensive strikes, even if not intended as such. The atomic bomb, Tesla's particle beams, tasers, so on and so forth.
I do see your point, though. I'm not aware of any prior history between Ilpholin and Megan that would explain her behaving in such a way. Of course, I try to avoid knowing anything about her private interactions with the other AMENites, for reasons I'm sure you could probably figure out by now, so there could very well be some bad blood between them. It's more likely that Megan is just a bit overly cautious. Not always a bad thing to be in a self-professed association of evil."
"With respect Magtok, this weapon could not be used in such a way. I know animals, and the things I was designing...well...if it was ever let loose outside of AMEN, we'd have no control over it went. I'm sure it would do some damage, yes, but there'd be no way of getting it to do damage anywhere useful, if you see what I mean." Isabelle shrugs, "I suppose it doesn't matter now though anyway. I can see why you might think Megan was just being cautious, but it seemed like there was something else there she was hiding. I...doubt it will cause any serious problems though. Just makes working with her a bit harder."
...
Wait, Magtok said he was legally dead for a minute.
How did she miss that?
How did that happen?!
WHAT KIND OF PILLS DID HE TAKE?
As the penny finally drops, Isabelle just kind of...stares in confusion.
"Are you, um, alright? If this is a bad time and you're going to keep briefly dying, should I leave?"
__________________
Before you criticise someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticise them, you'll be a mile away and you'll have their shoes.
"I'm always going to be briefly dying. Just part of being me and all."
Magtok smiles at that, as if his deaths were something comedic. Funny, as opposed to traumatic memories and horrific disfiguring injuries weren't the stuff his nightmares are made of.
"But no, the chemical reaction which forced me to have to use an in-built defibrillator to revive is over and done with. This particular clone isn't going anywhere. Keep an eye on Megan, and let me know if this mystery ever gets solved.
...Unless, of course, the reason is one of those 'It's not your business and you'd really rather not make it your business, sir' sort of reasons. I've yet to completely embrace the Big Brother method of leadership yet. If there's nothing else, then you are dismissed, Isabelle. Good luck with your projects and further interactions with Megan. "
Clarissa has half a mind to seriously scuff Magtok up. Fortunately or unfortunately depending on the observer, the other half of her mind thinks it best to permit Magtok to shout at the back of her head and jovially laugh at him. She can't think of a more dissatisfying way for Magtok to conclude their conversation that doesn't rope magic or the process of slagging him into the equation.
When Clarissa and Becky have distanced themselves from the irate cyborg, Clarissa grins at Becky, attempting to kiss her on the neck and telepathically communicate with her.
"If you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen, huh? That frugal chunk of aluminum spilled the beans on a vast array of topics. He'd have inflicted less harm upon himself had he cudgeled himself at the start. Why, I don't even think this organization is remotely evil anymore, Becky!"
Which means that Clarissa will have to allocate her week of vacation to parle-ing with the unmistakably notorious villains of the Nexus just in case for the good of all of the evil in the Nexus! Hooray!
"Thank you for your time, Magtok." With a grateful smile, Isabelle takes a moment to adjust a feather in her hair, then heads for the door.
As she opens it, she stops and turns back for a moment. "I do appreciate how helpful the senior members of this organisation are. It just goes to show, you can be evil without being a jerk to everyone around you. And to that end, I apologise for my behaviour when we first met. I could've kept Cedric under more control, but I figured it was in my best interest to create a good impression." And with that, she leaves.
__________________
Before you criticise someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticise them, you'll be a mile away and you'll have their shoes.
Standing at the door is a skeleton. A skeleton wearing black sorcerer robes that drape across its shoulders like... well, robes over a skeleton. The skeleton looks Megan up and down.
I am looking to inquire about membership. I have heard this is an establishment that provides housing and resources for beings of less than good intentions. I have already taken the liberty of filling out the application form.
His voice is deep and gravely and old. He reaches into his robe and pulls out an application, holding it out for Megan to inspect, should she desire.
Quote:
Name: Zulfirous Sol Age: does not apply Sex: Hardly matters anymore Species: I had one once. It was terrible Profession: Professional grave filler Reason for joining AMEN: I am looking for a place to set up residence while I conduct research and go about my services. Special skills/items you believe will aid/have decided to contribute to AMEN: Arcane knowledge and experience with the occult (many of the occults, in fact), resurrections, embalming services, and tax preparation consultations. References (Victims preferred): The entire colony of Ragos 3. No references will be available to speak, however, as their souls have recently been annihilated. Past Experience: Tax preparer for the Colony of Ragos 3. Other Information: Pertinent information available on request, as needed.
__________________
Not really here. Just an illusion.
A blue, flickering, hologram of a man appears before the door to AMEN. It knocks on the door, requesting an audience with Magtok.
)(on my phone, please forgive odd sentence structure or spelling errors that may follow)(
__________________
In the end, only darkness remains.
But I will hold you 'til I'm forced to let go
Many thanks to Recaiden for the fantastic avatar!
Sigatars
Spoiler
Zane Darkstar(s), by Recaiden and The Mad Hatter. (Not showing until it can be shrunken down a bit, sorry)
If Mister Squiggles is still looking for her, her schedule has room for talking to giant spiders now.
__________________
Before you criticise someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticise them, you'll be a mile away and you'll have their shoes.
Magtok arrives, frowning suspiciously at the hologram.
"Who is this and what do you want?"
"Zane Darkstar, with your permission I will teleport you a package containing a note, whether you choose to share the contents publicly is of no concern to me."
the note reads 'in your blind anger you have lost valuable pawns, your move. E'
__________________
In the end, only darkness remains.
But I will hold you 'til I'm forced to let go
Many thanks to Recaiden for the fantastic avatar!
Sigatars
Spoiler
Zane Darkstar(s), by Recaiden and The Mad Hatter. (Not showing until it can be shrunken down a bit, sorry)
"Zane Darkstar, with your permission I will teleport you a package containing a note, whether you choose to share the contents publicly is of no concern to me."
the note reads 'in your blind anger you have lost valuable pawns, your move. E'
"Go ahead."
This body is of no real value to Magtok, and the lives of the people here are just as irrelevant to him. If the package has a bomb, it's of no relevance to him.
No Cedric in sight, which will probably be of some relief to Mister Squiggles.
Anyway, spider is chittering at her.
Which is sad, because it means Shrimp now has to make it clear whether she understands any of this stuff or not.
And the answer is: Yes, she does.
But her player does not, so Rein is still going to have to spell out what in blazes the chitters mean.
__________________
Before you criticise someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticise them, you'll be a mile away and you'll have their shoes.
This body is of no real value to Magtok, and the lives of the people here are just as irrelevant to him. If the package has a bomb, it's of no relevance to him.
The man nods and punches a code into a small, hand-held device. There is a bright flash by Zane's feet, and a small cardboard box appears.
__________________
In the end, only darkness remains.
But I will hold you 'til I'm forced to let go
Many thanks to Recaiden for the fantastic avatar!
Sigatars
Spoiler
Zane Darkstar(s), by Recaiden and The Mad Hatter. (Not showing until it can be shrunken down a bit, sorry)
Magtok promptly sets about opening the box, not even bothering to go into his office or something to keep AMENites
"So what's this nonsense about allies going on about, anyways? I don't recall anything of the sort, and certainly nothing E would know of."
"I wouldn't know. I'm just E's right hand, E's plots are his own.
Apparently you made a mistake. My master sees all, knows all, and calculates all. No loose ends. All for the advancement of the game.
I am his Bishop. You are playing the game now. You and the Nexus. Choose your pieces wisely. You'll need them."
when Magtok opened the package he would've seen an ebony, chess, pawn. (the pawn is actually a listening and tracking device)
"Is there anything you would like me to tell E?"
__________________
In the end, only darkness remains.
But I will hold you 'til I'm forced to let go
Many thanks to Recaiden for the fantastic avatar!
Sigatars
Spoiler
Zane Darkstar(s), by Recaiden and The Mad Hatter. (Not showing until it can be shrunken down a bit, sorry)
Uh-oh. A tracking device! Being opened right there at the front door? Where the door ferret lies?
This will be oh so fun to watch.
[Hey look! A spider!]
Chitter chitter means OMGGIANTSPIDERRUNFORYOURLIVESSOMEONEKILLITWITHFIRE as far as this player is concerned.
Had to ask first, cause for once, Mister Squiggles is going to be fairly specific.
*chitter chitter*
Hello Isabelle. Ilpholin's away on business, but she came up with a project idea that she's certain you'll find intriguing that I was told to tell you about. If you'll follow me.
Ilpholin knew the other times were sort of shots in the dark, but this time, she's fairly certain Isabelle will enjoy this. Mister Squiggles turns to walk.
__________________
There is happiness for those who accept their fate.
There is glory for those who resist their fate.
Standing at the door is a skeleton. A skeleton wearing black sorcerer robes that drape across its shoulders like... well, robes over a skeleton. The skeleton looks Megan up and down.
I am looking to inquire about membership. I have heard this is an establishment that provides housing and resources for beings of less than good intentions. I have already taken the liberty of filling out the application form.
His voice is deep and gravely and old. He reaches into his robe and pulls out an application, holding it out for Megan to inspect, should she desire.
Front Door
Megan looks down at the application and back up to the skeleton.
She tries to affix a ID to his front.
"Wear this, go down that hall to Magtok's office. He'll sort you out. Don't take off the I.D. unless you want to die." she points down a hall.
Harley the Evil Shapeshifter is here in AMEN! She sighs, unable to plan out a fiendish scheme. Maybe she just needs to go out and be a villain somewhere in the city.
She starts plotting out her villainous plot while I do so as well.
__________________
"Try not to be a man of success, but rather a man of value."
Albert Einstein
TRACKING DEVICE! DOOR FERRET ACTIVATED! AMEN MUST REMAIN BUG-FREE AT ALL TIMES!
...
Well, that's not exactly what goes through the ferret's mind. Rather, it's just been mentally programmed, as it were, to attack certain things, and has the capacity to locate said things.
Said things are of course, any form of device that would let people detect goings on in AMEN.
To put a long story short, the door-ferret leaps at the pawn, intending to rip-tear-shred-bite it to pieces.
[Hey Look! A Spider!]
"Oh, well this sounds like it might be fun. Lead on, Mister Squiggles!" With an optimistic smile, Isabelle happily follows along after the spider.
__________________
Before you criticise someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticise them, you'll be a mile away and you'll have their shoes.
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