[Nexus] Inside 53

[Zefir]

[Atriol]

"Sporadic? Not at all. It's quite continuous." Yuki grins cheekily, leading them to a large set of double doors, intricately carved with a life and death motif, represented by a tree and a scythe. "We're here."

He steps up, pushing open the door. It opens onto a large room with bare walls and ceiling colored an alabaster white. A single figure stands in the center, surrounded by swirling lights and symbols, controlling their movement with waves and taps. He turns to Yuki and Mia, raising an eyebrow. "Ah... Yuki. You're back. And you've brought your... friend? Relative? Lover?"

Yuki just glares back at him. "None of the above, Akira. This is Mia, the diplomat that just arrived. And her companion robot, MDM."

"Right. I knew that." Akira closes down the light with a short wave. "Welcome to Atriol, Mia-dono. I hope everything has been satisfactory so far?"

[Atriol]

Mia doesn't smile at Yukis joke. She got a bit mad after all, still not so bad to act against him, just not in the mood to laugth at his jokes.

"Shouldn't you knock." Mia asks a Yuki starts pushing the door.

She keeps silent, and obviously getting a bit angry at Akira. It was said he listens to everything so this question was just for teasing.

"Fellow Watch member." she corrects Yuki. "Not at all, Sir Akira. Someone tried to throw me down and then I was told my privacy isn't existing in this world."

Maybe she just got a bad day?

[Lost_Deep]

Abrajin's Library

With Xavier encouraging her, Kirin will fill it out...

"Why would I have a favorite ten digit number?"

But not happily.

That done, she will put down the pen (a bit hard) and say to the man in armor, "There. All filled out."

[Rebonack]

[Abrajin's Library]

The grumpy old man looks up from his book and waves a hand at the stacks of paper, causing a slightly glowing aura to surround them as they gently lift off the counter and drift over to him.

And then?

Without so much as bothering to look at anything written on the forms both stacks are chucked into the fireplace.

They burn.

Abrajin scoots his chair a little closer to the fireplace and wiggles his toes, enjoying the warmth.

[Gullara]

[Abrajin's Library]

.......

"Um..." Okay, just don't comment about it. It's not worth it as long as they get the library card. Even if it is unendingly aggravating. "So where do we get our cards?"

[Rebonack]

[Abrajin's Library]

The grumpy old man points at the suit of armor, which holds out a pair of library cards for the seekers of knowledge to take!

Yay knowledge!

On the front of the card is a picture of the holder as well as their name. On the back is a copy of the library rules, just as a reminder.

On the other back there is a formula describing how many books you can check out. If inspected closely it seems to be representing how many books the holder would be able to carry before their spine snaps.

Given than the card is just a card it isn't clear how it could possibly have three sides.

[Chaotic Bob]

Spoiler

Show

Airborne EMBOH Vault



Magtok coughs and staggers back when kicked in the throat, shooting Libby a reproachful glance before returning his indignant frown back to the terrible termite-sized man who soured the cyborg's spirits.

"Kind of annoying if you ask me. Shrimp doesn't know when he's blatantly outmatched."

Magtok tries to catch the little bastard on the next pass, and throw his useless hide out the vault and at those incompetent buffoons collecting dust back at the bank. If there's a rocket to notice, this is right around when he'd be noticing it.

[EMBOH Air-Vault]

"Hey! Lemme go!"
Getting snagged by a hideous cyborg wasn't on the little speedy...wingless pixie's agenda for the day, it it displays this rather clearly.
Mostly by biting at Magtok's fingers before it gets chucked off the vault.

"I am not sure. I think you should have given him a chance. Maybe he could have been amusing."
To Libby, if no one else.

Of course, she's still trying to pretend she's not actually helping him (which...she hasn't done at all so far, has she?), so quipping at her partner's choices are the best her role can offer.
She's really good at being a background voice.


And there was no rocket to notice!
Mostly because they were still getting the launcher.
"Hey, how do you turn this thing on?"
"The blue button, dummy. Did you pay attention at all during the briefing?"
"...yes?"

A puff of smoke from below and what seems to be some impossibly electrified rocket is launched their way.
How does that even work? There's nothing for the electricity to arc to.
"The arcanotech would be slightly more impressive if the wielders didn't appear to be deliberately incompetent."

Spoiler

Show

[Riftline Slime Time!]

Dawn opens her tear-rimmed eyes as something pukes on her shoulder. She finds herself hugging a slug-thing.

A hideous shriek of utter horror, surprise, and disgust howls forth from the little pegasus. Instincts take over, and without a second thought, Dawn frantically hurls the slug-thing in a random direction, trying to get it as far away from her as possible.

That random direction may or may not be where the Ilithids are popping up at...

Incoming!

[Riftline Ruckus]

Both of the squid creatures are right next to each other. And both of them are clear of the rest of her friends. Geneva decides that this would be a perfect time to take in a deep breath and-!

Squawks in surprise when she's bowled over by a flying slugmancyborgthing.

"Oow..."

Whoops!

One more Bob and Sunder move in unison, the elemental surging forward low to the ground to knock the squidmen off balance while the pegasus swoops in to clobber the spear guy with a hoof to the sternum while his guard is broken.

Getting caught in the flash flood will erode one's legs rather nastily.

Getting caught by one of Sunder's punches will probably be heart-explodingly lethal.

[Riftline Ruckus]

Lydia straightens up, rolling to her feet and thrusting out her wrist -

pfft

- firing another explosive bolt at the boss guy's face!

She had considered another Arc Mine but, friendlies in the way...

"Our imperfections are our strength!"

[Riftlining]

Warmth. Pain. Why?

Dawn punts an incredibly bewildered and mildly traumatized slimeslugman directly into Geneva.
Now she's going to get all slimy and gross too.
Way to go Dawn.

Meanwhile!
Being freakishly intelligent has its uses. Being freakishly intelligent and a joint team of two-linked minds also has uses.
Particularly with the complex situation arrayed before oneself, with some form of aberrant elemental, a force-manipulating pony, and some form of magical rogue?

Figuring out the variables and the solutions is not longer the hard part of a conflict.
It's the execution. Getting the body up to speed with the mind.


The ulitharid flings an arm up before its face, more willing to suffer the consequences of an explosive bolt destroying the limb, than destroying its face. It lets the forces drive it over and backwards, into a clumsy and hasty tumble away from Bob.

Which does rather leave the crispy-illithid on its own with Sunder and Bob, more tired than the effort for a proper evasion would allow.
Not a very nice position, with the latter pointedly rending its legs while the former swoops into for the coup de grace.

But that's the plan.
The illithid releases a mind-disrupting wave of energy into the area around it, in a vague hope of slowing down Sunder further, but it is already aware that it won't be getting back away from the elemental.
This can be endured for a few moments more while the captain slinks to the far wall.


"Come on! Mooooooove!"
The odd girl is now standing at an impossible angle, her back only a few inches off the ground while she continues to pull on...whatever she's grabbing.

[Lost_Deep]

Abrajin's Library

Kirin gets the card, and then grumps into the library proper.

No words.

Just grump.

Give her a minute.

[Gullara]

[Abrajin's Library]

Xavier follows along, examining the library card as they go. He tries not to think too hard about the odd number of sides... Maybe it'll be worth investigating later.

So now into the library proper! They'll have to find a section about transformative magic. Hopefully it won't be as difficult to navigate as it's said to be.

[Rebonack]

[Abrajin's Library]

And thus our heroes head into the library and find themselves inside a room on fungus!

The room itself looks like a cave illuminated by hundreds of glowing mushrooms of various sizes. Patches of fuzzy mold in a myriad of colors grows from many of the surfaces and wispy spores drift through the air.

And of course there are plenty of book shelves.

They are made of shelf fungus.

Of course.

There are four exits out of the room aside from the one leading back to the library. And there's a small group of some kind of weird mushroom people nearby arguing over the best kind of fertilizer to use in order to prevent the growth of predatory slime molds.

[Earl of Purple]

Riftline Station- Pretty Pastel Pony Pirates

The pegasus stallion starts to stir and is promptly dumped onto the ground by his captain. "Wake up, Doc. We're in town, looking for an airship to... Uh, buy." Because they're surrounded by others and there's only three of them, Volley changes what she says at practically the last moment from 'steal'.
"Wuh? Buy? But we're..." Doc Sorebones is still a bit confused and doesn't really know where he is yet.
"Waiting at a train station, surrounded by people. Mostly mans, no ponies I see." There might be other ponies there, but Cinnamon only has one eye so she might miss them. Especially if they're on her right.

The starfish musketeer is unnoticed for now; everypony's paying too much attention to Doc Sorebones.

[Rebonack]

[Riftline Station]

Ponies are, again, a minority among the mostly humanoid races. And of course given the morphological differences that are normal among ponies most of the humanoid races (elves, dwarves, humans, orcs, hobbits, ect) would probably all be considered 'mans' until they learn otherwise.

The starfish quickly becomes uninterested and returns to sitting there on the wall of the train station.

Suddenly!

A rather shifty looking guy scoots over next to the pirate crew dressed in a rather heavy coat. He glances back and forth furtively to make sure there aren't any City guards around and then asks, "Hey, you ponies wanna buy some salt?"

[Earl of Purple]

Riftline Station- Pretty Pastel Pirate Ponies

The man offering salt will get a sly smile from the unicorn. "I think this is too public a place for this conversation. Why don't we find somewhere more private?" That would be a bad idea. Cap'n Volley Shot is planning something; that much is evident by the confused look on Cinnamon Stick's face.

[OrchestraHc]

[Steele Street - Above the Fog]

The bricks are popping loose!

The floor is coming apart!

The whole cloud castle is crumbling!

Quickly, flee back to the bean stock!

Flee!

Flee you filthy thieving hobbitses!

Fleeeee!

[Steele Street - Above the Fog]

((I could have sworn I posted a response to this this morning.))

If the hobbits make it out of the castle, they may not need that first beanstalk. As they exit the crumbling castle the filthy little hobbitses scramble to the very first block they can. Lifting his pickaxe high and bringing it down hard, Cracker slams it into block beneath their feet. If he's right a vine should shoot down. Bingo, escape route.

[Rebonack]

[Riftline Station ==> Shady Alley]

The twitchy man motions the unicorn to follow him and skulks his way over to a nearby alley. You know the sort. Dead end, dumpsters, grafiti, random trash on the ground, burned out old oil barrel, unpleasant aromas.

Pretty standard place for an illicit business dealing.

Once the pirate pony follows him the shifty man will open up his coat. A coat that contains a wide variety of various... recreational... substances.

Including several types of salts popular amongst the less morally upright ponies.

"What sort do ya want? I can get you good deals on any."

[Riftline Ruckus]

Geneva gives a grunt as she pushes the slimy slug man off herself, getting gooped with gross viscous green glop in the process.

She isn't at all happy with this outcome. Not even a little bit. Poor hippogriff. And poor slugman, too. All he wanted was friendship.

Meanwhile!

Sunder hits the wave of mind-wonking and blasts through it like a bullet through a pane of glass. The pegasus' ability to punch holes in even non-physical things makes it pretty darn difficult to combat her using anything but superior martial prowess.

Seems Sunder's philosophy is that an overwhelming offense is the best defense.

[Steele Street - Not So Above the Fog Anymore]

Woohoo, escape route!

Down down down the bean stack grows, where it ends nobody kno-

Okay, no. That isn't true. It'll end when it hits the soot stained streets below our heroes. The hobbits will be able to make it to the ground without too much trouble and once they do the vine withers away whilst the original block they had found falls apart into a pile of bricks. Slowly the white fog thins away until all that remains is the gloom of Steele Street.

Well!

That was a bit of an adventure!

And they got a cool gold harp for their trouble, too!

[Halae]

Mystique Physique - Shawnee

Not much... uh, a sitting chair or two. a side-table with a clock. No windows. A fake potted plant, because they couldn't find anything to fill the space with.

Nothing's stopping her from just getting up. She's even No sign of any employees so soon, either.

And this time, her clothes are on the side-table.

[Mystique Physique - Shawnee]

She won't climb into her clothing immediately, as she tests out bits of her new body. once she's certain that is still moves like normal, she does something at the edge of her consciousness, an adjustment she's considering and the... her hand does it, changing into the shape and form she desires. Or, well, not exactly. It's like being a talented artist; just because you can visualize a masterpiece doesn't mean you can draw it, and this is no different. so, while this is going to take some practice, she works her hand into what looks to be an exact replica of what she formerly looked like.

The shape feels pretty natural. almost like the shape she'd been sitting in - the grey look - which means that it's what she used to look like, right? Right. From that part of her arm, she slowly becomes as she was before her transformation, until every part of her is back to normal.

and then she realizes she's naked, and, blushing, goes to grab her clothing and pull it on hastily. this whole thing will take a while, so someone might have the opportunity to walk in.

Red Zone - Streets

Kilt will bang her disc against the bubble. "Gah! I hate bubblers! At least with rezzers the heroes spend some time on the grou-woah." Kilt shakes her head. Must be a sleep dart. She activates her excelsior injector for an extra boost!

"Nehbl ermbl feml-Flop! Kilt's on the ground out cold!

[Red Zone - Streets]

"Excellent. Working exactly as intended," the little man says, and then will attempt to telekinetically lift Kilt up off the ground to cart with him.

By the time that Kilt awakens, she may suddenly become aware that she's laying on a cold table, the majority of her clothing missing save for the modesty of underwear. if she wasn't wearing that, then looks like she's naked. And that metal table really is cold.

[Phillip Memorial Library]

There's a young man that arrives here. His right eye looks a bit... manic, and the only reason his left eye doesn't too is because it's covered with a large leather eye patch, suggesting there's not something behind it. a good portion of his body is severely scarred with burn marks, not that that can be seen so easy with the big purple robe covering him.

as he comes in, he'll try to step up to the clerk and say, "I understand there's an unabridged copy of the Necronomicon here? I'd like to check it out please."

[Earl of Purple]

Shady Alley

"Doc, keep an eye out for anypony headed this way. I want to know the names of the local criminal cartels and their bosses and the names of any pirate captains hiring for a skyship crew. My quartermaster will have her own questions, which you will also answer." The pair of flintlock pistols Volley Shot has drawn from beneath her coat and is pointing at the twitchy man's head should provide sufficient motivation. Sorebones, meanwhile, has nodded and is sitting by the alley's entrance.
"I want the names and how to find some local fences, the names and how to find your suppliers, the names of some cheap pony-friendly accommodation and your supply of common salt, also referred to as 'table salt'." Cinnamon Stick grins. She's enjoying this, now she knows what Volley Shot had planned.

[Rebonack]

[Philip Memorial Library]

Y'know what the receptionist does in reply to that inquiry?

Stand there staring blankly off into space, mouth slightly ajar.

And then she begins shrieking incoherently.

Woah!

This is the first time that vegetable of a woman has reacted to anyone!

Before long the Librarian arrives to see what all the fuss is about. As soon as he's on the scene the receptionist goes silent again. "I understand you are interesting in some of our rare books?" the Librarian inquires.

[Shady Alley]

The twitchy man is very twitch.

"I... uh... Givin' out names of suppliers is a good way to get killed. Lot worse ways than getting a bullet. And I don't deal in stolen stuff. Ask around the Black Dragon's Den," the man replies nervously. Though he does cough up the salt in short order. "Trog's Tavern rooms anyone, prices are low too."

[Earl of Purple]

Shady Alleyway

"Do they have ways to kill that are worse than force-feeding you flesh-eating maggots so you're eaten from the inside-out and due coagulants in their saliva prevent you from bleeding out so you're still alive by the time they reach your heart?" Cinnamon Stick says that in a very cheerful voice. She's also bluffing; she doesn't have any flesh-eating maggots with which to force feed to the man.

[Lost_Deep]

Mystique Physique - Shawnee

About halfway through dressing (the people out front must have been taking a while) there will be a knock on the door.

Red Zone - Streets

Kilt is not so insane that she doesn't wear anything beneath her kilt... but it seems like she was relying on her tank top for the modesty of her upper half.

Kilt will try to get up (straining at her binds if she's bound down) and look around the room.

Abrajin's Library

"This looks like the wrong room," Kirin says to Xavier, keeping her voice down. "Let's try to find some kind of directory."

[Halae]

[Phillip Memorial Library]

Barely paying any mind to the shrieking woman, the young burned man turns to the librarian and claps his hands, "Why yes! K'rax Naggath so kindly put out an add, and i figured, Well, I've got the insane part, may as well go for the full deal and become a sorcerer too! She mentioned in particular an unabridged copy of the Necronomicon, which she further commented that you should have a copy. If you do indeed, would you mind taking me to it?"

His voice takes on a different Timbre when speaking the name of K'rax. Almost like part of him is practicing, even now.

[Mystique Physique - Shawnee]

"Just a moment, please!" Shawnee says, quickly pulling her shirt on (the half she already had dressed being the lower), before saying "Ok, you can come in now!"

[Red Zone - Somewhere Else]

Kilt will be able to see from her (restrained) position on the table that this room is rather spartan, with little more than a dresser nearby and a computer.

Sitting on the floor in the corner is that same little man from before, wearing a robe this time rather than the safari outfit he'd be wearing previously, "I understand you come from the same universe as me then, hmm? Statesman, Lord Recluse, Incarnates all that jazz, yes? You wouldn't have fallen asleep without it. You see, I never got the chance to study certain effects upon your kind before our world was summarily... vanished. So, your arrival here was most fortuitous, and I'm going to make the most of it. please hold still."

[Rebonack]

[Philip Memorial Library]

The Librarian quirks an eyebrow.

"Mm. The Warden is eccentric as usual with its mechanization. Yes, we have have an unabridged edition of the Necronomicon. It is kept in the rare book room of safe keeping."

Woohoo!

They've got it here!

"However, the tomes we store there are dangerous and the rare book room is not open to the general public. If you wish to use the resources we keep there you will need to make a contribution to the library."

Smells like a quest.

[Halae]

[Phillip Memorial Library]

"I can do that! Can I do that?" He seems to consider for a moment, "Well... yes, I just said I could. Okay. I imagine you have something of an idea in mind?"

"Waitwaitwait. I don't do anything with children or animals." He gives the librarian a suspicious look

[Lost_Deep]

Mystique Physique - Shawnee

The other Quelan comes in this time. "Hello. Sorry I took so long to get in here, had some trouble to take care of. How are you feeling?"

Red Zone - Somewhere Else

"What?" Kilt does not stay still. She's going to strain more, instead. "What, you know something about why-wait, what are you going to try?" So many questions, and the wrong person is strapped to the table...

[Gullara]

Abrajin's Library

"This looks like the wrong room," Kirin says to Xavier, keeping her voice down. "Let's try to find some kind of directory."

[Abrajin's Library]

Xavier seems a bit distracted when Kirin speaks. She might have to say a word or two more to drag his attention away from gazing at the room around them.

"Oh, sorry. A directory, yes. Good thinking." He replies, looking a bit embarrassed for hiss distraction. "Perhaps it's nearby. We shouldn't have to go too far for that." He says as they start moving toward the next room.

[The Bushranger]

((Don't forget to post for Alysha))

Ruler's Plaza

After knocking Shawna over like a bowling pin, Krystal's momentum keeps her going at least another ten feet, tumbling along the whole way.

Man, that robot kicked her harder than she thought.

Once she stops rolling, she just lays there, breathing deeply.

Let's see here...

A tracking device gets planted on the statue. That's a really good idea!

Away they go with the statue of the Town's first emperor in tow!

The doll inspects one of the asploded robots. When the Atom Engine went critical it took most of the machine's upper body with it. Bits of burning rubber and twisted metal have been hurled all over the place and the ground is wet with hydraulic fluid.

The insignia of Doctor Diabolical, a skull with a pair of horizontal wings, is featured prominently on the robots.

Shawna, meanwhile, actually looks a little dazed for a moment. But shakes her head, and looks over to Krystal. "Are you alright?" she asks, even as she stands.

It's about this moment that her frayed, scorched belt gives up the ghost and goes plop on the ground.

Leaving her in just her somewhat singed boots....

[Lycan 01]

[Rifltine... Stuff]

Dawn is currently making incoherent noises of disgust and horror as she rolls around on the floor, trying to scrape the ooze off. It looks like she'll be totally useless for the next few moments!

Of course, if there are any bits of wires, sparky things, or other bits of electrical or arcane debris scattered around near her on the floor, she'll sneakily slip them between the feathers of her wings as she rolls over them, collecting the tiny pieces for some unknown purpose...

[The Bushranger]

[Riftline Rampage]

Lydia, meanwhile, is fresh out of whale oil, and she doubts normal bolts will have sufficent velocity to do much.

So, she goes to plan B.

Namely, clenching her fist, calling upon the Outsider's magics once more!
And taking the brief moment of time stoppage to target herself...
...directly above the remaining betentacled one.
Then releasing.

fwoomp

Assuming all goes well, she'll suddenly be in the air over the unfortunate 'flayer's head.

With her sword out.
Pointed down.

Gravity. It's the law!

[Morcleon]

[Atriol]

Mia doesn't smile at Yukis joke. She got a bit mad after all, still not so bad to act against him, just not in the mood to laugth at his jokes.

"Shouldn't you knock." Mia asks a Yuki starts pushing the door.

She keeps silent, and obviously getting a bit angry at Akira. It was said he listens to everything so this question was just for teasing.

"Fellow Watch member." she corrects Yuki. "Not at all, Sir Akira. Someone tried to throw me down and then I was told my privacy isn't existing in this world."

Maybe she just got a bad day?

[Atriol]

"Nah, if he doesn't want visitors, he'll just lock the doors."

Yuki nods in acknowledgement. "Yes, and fellow Watch member..."

Akira sighs, chuckling slightly. "While the first part I am unaware of, the second is because of Yukari-chan, is it not? Your reaction is normal, then. Most people not from Atriol find the constant surveillance disturbing."

"If you would feel better, I do have an area where she does not have influence. Would you care to go there?"

[KerfuffleMach2]

(( Alysha's just waiting for Red to be let out now. ))

Ruler's Plaza

Krystal is lying face down at the moment, her arms still protecting her chest. Visual inspection reveals quite a bit of bruising and scratches on her upper arms and back. With a groan, she rolls over onto her back. Her forearms look worse, and one shows the telling marks of being broken.

She keeps her eyes closed for the moment. Since Shawna first approached her, the bruises have steadily shrunk in size.

I'll be okay. Not the worst I've had. Krystal opens her pure white eyes and looks at the naked paladin for a moment. Soon as my arm finishes healing, I'll let you borrow my shirt and pants.

[Lost_Deep]

Abrajin's Library

"I can't blame you for being amazed, because this is really cool, but... I don't know. I guess I'm just nervous for some reason." Kirin looks around a bit more, trying to pinpoint why bookshelf fungus would make her nervous...