Outside 43: Where the sun hurts your eyes and burns your skin

[Cyber Punk]

For future reference, the raider is an NPC, but they are my NPC. I don't know how a haemorrhaging diaphragm hinders somebody. Furthermore, Earl can be forgetful, and had forgotten it was a cut-everything-sword. Which, considering the raider's power level, is nearly overkill. They have no supernatural abilities, no super-advanced weaponry and in most cases no armour.

The raider is winded and stumbles to the floor, completely breathless. It'll take him a minute or so to get enough air into his lungs to function again. Hotaru can easily take him out now, or Phil can since his summoned wind has sufficiently dispersed the smoke from the bomb.

The Tower- Second Floor

Noted.

Hotaru grabs the raider by the front of his shirt and slams him a few times in the ground, then tries to manoeuvre him into a chokehold. "Start spouting some quality info, buddy. If I like it, I might not crush your windpipe."

"Well first, you can pay me the full amount agreed upon. Children don't feed themselves. Then, you can sign this contract, stating the assignment has been fulfilled to your satisfaction." Judy pulls out a piece of paper from behind her back and holds it out for him, complete with pen. "Then," she shrugs. "Then we can spar."

If Heck takes the paper, he'll find that it is thicker than it might otherwise seem, though he'll still have to place it against something to make it easier to sign.

[Not-North Forest]

Heck knows she mentioned children to tug at his heartstrings. That doesn't make it any less false.

"How else can I make us both happy, Judy? Don't want you running off, now." He says, a small grin on his face.

[Nalix]

[The Tower - Second Floor]

Assuming she succeeds in immobilizing the bandit: "Easy there, sexy ninja lady," says Phil, walking up with one hand still on his mask and wound. "I would like a chance to have a chance at interrogation. I've never really had a chance to, though I have studied techniques... especially in my necromancy and Power classes." Phil faces the man, pulls off the mask, allowing the blood to spill out. He places his bloodied hand back on the wound. Healed, he focuses a mid-grade charge. [chaos-human skin]

"You know, we don't have to kill you," he says, "but we can do much worse than kill you, if you don't cooperate. I could turn you into all sorts of creatures. One body part at a time, no need for things to be natural. I also have some delicious curses you could sample. I once saw a man's mouth moved to his feet."

[Terumitsu]

[The Woods]

"It's a short term detriment for a long-term benefit. I'd estimate maybe.. Three or so days on the outside.." Riss said, making a last push for her side of the conversation. Really, there couldn't be anything so desperate that just a few days would result in the world coming to an end... Comparatively, of course. "Maybe if there ever comes a time where you'd have a few days of rest or something.." she said, ending with a bit of a shrug. She didn't feel like pushing the issue too much would result in anything more than resistance so she felt leaving it at that would be fine.

"I mean.. I could probably make a sleave of some kind that could just work on a local area so that you wouldn't have to give up days at a time but it wouldn't do much to help you in the long-term." she added as the thought came to her. It was the boring option, though, as that was just like applying a bandage that only fixed the surface problem. Really, it was a little puzzling to her that someone wouldn't want to enhance themselves and cite such a stipulation in the process when the benefits were so comparatively much greater. She would have to ask Mimi about that later.

[Lex-Kat]

[Not-North Forest]

Heck knows she mentioned children to tug at his heartstrings. That doesn't make it any less false.

"How else can I make us both happy, Judy? Don't want you running off, now." He says, a small grin on his face.

"Well I'm not sure. Perhaps you could just allow me to do my job, if you don't wish to sign the fulfillment contract. But I won't fight you until my obligation as the employed is over. If you are worried I won't spar with you after you have signed and paid, then I give you my word. Now, perhaps that won't mean much to you, seeing as you know I'm an assassin. But it's actually former assassin. I was redeemed and saved by the Good League of Good, and am a card-carrying member." she reaches behind her back once again, and pulls out a small card with the official GLoG logo on it. It's kinda old, like she hasn't used it in a looooong time. "If you wish, we could visit there to see if anyone's around to confirm it for you."

One thing Heck might notice, is that she doesn't have a backpack, and there is no room in the bodysuit she's wearing to stash a card, much less the letter and pen she pulled out earlier.

[Earl of Purple]

The Tower- Second Floor

Now there's no smoke, they can see the chap much better. He's wearing a buttonless Hawaiian shirt, a pair of battered black trousers and a mismatched pair of trainers, in addition to the heat-vision goggles on his face. "Oh, aye. Y' threaten death first off, when y' should threaten pain. If I dun' talk, an' y' kill me, I never talk again. Y' threaten pain, an' y' can apply it in liddle bits on th' way up to the full till I talk. B'sides, neither of y' have said what y' want me to say, so, I guess the sky's blue 'coz of light refraction. The term 'Quisling' originates from the dude the Nazis made Prime Minister o' Denmark in World War Two. The Ironborn of Westeros worship the Drowned God, an' dun' like the old faith o' the First Men nor the Seven o' the Andals. An' I killed your kitten, flensed it an' ate its writhin' flesh. Delicious." The man grins with the last.

Phil, meanwhile, has healed his injuries! But now has a different skin tone.

[Recaiden]

[Somewhere]

Arlem has led Ross and Shaneir to a meeting place well well outside the city, in the direction of Riverside, where they meet a tall androgynous person in a suit, with a scheming look in their eye.

"Have fun, Ross."

[Murkus]

[Outside Outside]

The monk laughs until his wheezing breath has covered the pane with fog, and wipes it away with the same hand he wipes the frozen snot from his nose. Sniffling, he lurches back in his seat as the limousine begins to roll through the night, and leans against the window to see the frosted shadows of the monastery roll past. There goes his life. There goes the tumbled cliffs and barren trees, and days of watching them rise and sink within the tides of windblown snow.
"Achka." But he won't miss it one bit. He sniffs again, louder, but only for the frost and the biting redness of his face, rubbing a hand against his cheeks to push some warmth back into them. The llamatyr is a young one, for a monk. The muscle in his arms is wiry, shoulders broad but rising sharply against a hungry frame, dark skin stretched against angular features. Maybe in a few years and more than a few meals he could be called handsome.

"Ey, demon, where are we going? I'll break your nose if you say hell." It hardly bothers him the stranger is red-eyed and grim, as long as his fingers do not leave the wooden staff. A good thump across the head will fix any supernatural horror he's walked into. There's a happy certainty in Achka's voice, a blunt outlook that leaves no room for things not bleeding when he thumps them. "My soul's something you'll have to wait on, if that's what you want."

"We're going to see an old blind man," says Achka's chauffeur as he brings his great dark beast around another frost-bit bend. There's a certain oily grace in the way he turns the wheel, in the way his arms shift. "If I told you where it is he lives, you wouldn't go."

A beat. "I'm sure it's not your soul he wants," the lord says again, in the same amiably bored tone a chatty cabby might use with his passenger. "At least, not in an abstract sense. Just what's giving your soul to someone mean to you?"

[Cyber Punk]

[Not-North Forest]

"I had no problem with your being an assassin, Judy. I had as many assassin friends as enemies." Heck takes the card and studies it.

"Your inventory is awfully large for someone not carrying a backpack." He mutters as he returns the card to the former assassin.

He waves a hand away. "Fine, do your job so we can spar, have more drinks and let you go visit your child. Sorry for trying to make it fun for you, as well." He points to the forest. "I've noted the location of this forest, now where else of interest is there? Perhaps, a place where I can spend the night, or something."

[The Tower- Second Floor]

Luna grins. "That's an awesome idea, but I've got something even better.

Using her powers, she electroshocks his brain, trying to induce the area that'll cause him to blab the truth against his will. She tries not to wince at Phil's different skin tone.

[Nalix]

The Tower - Second Floor

"Okay, I'll just have to wait for a chance another time. I don't suppose it's that important," says Phil, not entirely sure what she's talking about. "What did you want to ask him, anyway? What's above us in this tower, what happened to the people who were here before them, or maybe what's up with the decor in this tower? Seriously, what's up with this place, even the Power mages that I've worked with had less disturbing tastes."

[Abhorsen]

The Beach

Tyrael leads Michalson to the rocky shores near Inside; the sky overhead, the sky is grey and overcast. "THis is where I ran aground," he says, gesturing at the wreck. "I'm not a professional, but it doesn't look like the damage is irreparable to me - assuming I can find someone to do the work, and a way to pay them."

[Morty]

[The Beach]

"Boats aren't the kind o' dark I know, either," Michalson says, rubbing his chin. "It doesn't look completely busted, though. And if yer boat made it out like that, the Dead thing might've crawled outta the water too."

[Abhorsen]

The Beach

"I'm guessing his boat probably ran aground as well - he had some people sailing it for him. So if we can find it, we'll have a trail to follow."

[Morty]

[The Beach]

"Looks like we 'ave a straight ride ahead o' us. Let's get walkin'."

((
Since two guys walking along a beach isn't too exciting, we'd appreciate a random encounter of some sort.))

[Nalix]

[The Beach]

As you walk along you find two silvery orbs half buried in the sand.

[Abhorsen]

[Beach]

"That's odd, I don't remember seeing those before..." Carefully, Tyrael approaches the orbs, drawing his sword before probing the sand around and under the orbs with the blade.

[Nalix]

[Beach]

"Is someone there?" says a muffled voice, from one of the orbs?
"I'm still here," says another voice, likewise muffled.
"I know you're there, I mean anyone outside. Someone useful. I hope it's not another dog..."
"Dogs are beautiful creatures."
"You said that about snakes and spiders too. I want something I can converse with."
"I'm still here."
"I take it back! Let it be a dog, but slobber on him next time, just to shut him up!"

[Lex-Kat]

[Not-North Forest]

"I had no problem with your being an assassin, Judy. I had as many assassin friends as enemies." Heck takes the card and studies it.

"Your inventory is awfully large for someone not carrying a backpack." He mutters as he returns the card to the former assassin.

He waves a hand away. "Fine, do your job so we can spar, have more drinks and let you go visit your child. Sorry for trying to make it fun for you, as well." He points to the forest. "I've noted the location of this forest, now where else of interest is there? Perhaps, a place where I can spend the night, or something."

"Trade secret." Judy says as she places the old card away. "And it's not like I'm hating life. And are saying you don't want to fight something, other than myself?"

[Cyber Punk]

[Not-North Forest]

"No, I'm saying us sparring is probably the only way we'll both enjoy this experience."

Heck stares at Judy for a while, his brow furrowed. "You aren't gonna make this easy, are you?"

[Morty]

[Beach]

"Oh, Lady," Michalson says with a sigh. "Well, I guess lots a' weird junk gets washed up by water in the Nexus."

[Abhorsen]

[Beach]

"Is someone there?" says a muffled voice, from one of the orbs?
"I'm still here," says another voice, likewise muffled.
"I know you're there, I mean anyone outside. Someone useful. I hope it's not another dog..."
"Dogs are beautiful creatures."
"You said that about snakes and spiders too. I want something I can converse with."
"I'm still here."
"I take it back! Let it be a dog, but slobber on him next time, just to shut him up!"

Two spheres, with different voices... Tyrael relaxes a little and resheathes his sword. "There is someone here. My name is Tyrael. What names do you go by?"

[Nalix]

[Beach]

"I'll grant you wishes if you let me out!"
"My name is Raxus and my brother's name is Arcus."
"You can only release one of us, and Raxus won't keep any promises he makes."
"Yes I will."
"Oh yeah? Care to tell them how we got in here?"
"Because you never show restraint and keep crossing lines until there aren't any left to cross..."
"For a fundamental force of creation you show a remarkable lack of vision. And you refused to do the job you promised to do."
"We're here because you couldn't control your impulses. And I'm here because you're a liar."
"I said nothing but the truth. You're a traitor to your essence. You're lazy and never finish what you start."

[Morty]

[Beach]

"Maybe ye could give us some proof ye can grant wishes. And that ye're not just just a pair o' barmy voices in boxes," Michalson suggests.

[Abhorsen]

[Beach]

"And how would we go about releasing you, if we wanted to?"

[Earl of Purple]

The Tower- Second Floor

The guy's brain is shocked! No idea how well it works until somebody asks a question. Which Phil then handily provides. "Dunno what she wants t' ask. Dunno what's up, either. Th' boss assigned us all floors, an' we all got orders t' kill anyone comin' up th' Tower who we din't already see go down. We killed 'em all, cept for Hermy an' 'er brother. She signed up, an' he was 'er admission fee. We added th' graffiti, an' some of th' stains, but those doll 'eads were 'ere first. I din't really kill your kitty." He's a bit dazed and confused, but the answers are all true, if either have any way of telling.

[Nalix]

[Beach]

"Break the orb, naturally," says Raxus
"I don't know if you can though," said Arcus. "Maybe you could smash it against a rock, or maybe it needs to be shattered by magic, or some code word. We don't know."
"Free me though. I can promise that I won't betray you."
"Of course you can, because you won't do anything at all. I can create for you anything you want."
"You were never so powerful. I can create anything you can create."
"But you never will, because you don't have the grit."

[Abhorsen]

[Beach]

Tyrael considers the orbs, and then speaks aloud a Charter spell to perceive spoken falsehoods. "What sort of beings are you, that you were bound in these forms?"

[Morty]

[Beach]

Michalson sighs and shakes his head. This is a waste of time, he thinks, but he'll let Tyrael investigate. Maybe there is some profit in this, after all.

[Nalix]

[Beach]

"I am a primal being of creation, driven to seek out new visions and make them reality."
"We are creators, imprisoned because we overstepped our bounds."
"If you free me then I can make your vision reality."
"I have learned my lesson, and will not overstep my bounds again."
"Think of what we can create once I am free!"
"If you free me I can't make any promises, but I will be grateful and do what I can to repay you."
"He admits it! Nothing Raxus can give you can compare with what I will do."

No falsehoods detected, does the spell detect it when someone is making the truth dance?

[Cyber Punk]

The Tower- Second Floor

Hotaru looks apologetically at Phil, before the guy starts talking.

"Of course you didn't kill my kitty, or you'd see a side of me I very rarely show anyone. Now, good talk, nighty-night!" She delivers a shock to the guy's brain, targeting his memory centre and attempting to wipe it.

Afterwards, she'll whisper an apology to Phil, then search the bodies. Hey, they might see something useful!

[Abhorsen]

[Beach]

"I am a primal being of creation, driven to seek out new visions and make them reality."
"We are creators, imprisoned because we overstepped our bounds."
"If you free me then I can make your vision reality."
"I have learned my lesson, and will not overstep my bounds again."
"Think of what we can create once I am free!"
"If you free me I can't make any promises, but I will be grateful and do what I can to repay you."
"He admits it! Nothing Raxus can give you can compare with what I will do."

No falsehoods detected, does the spell detect it when someone is making the truth dance?

No, it doesn't.

"What are your intentions after you have repaid the person who frees you?" Tyrael asks.