[Nexus] NO XIII: Do Clockwork Penguins Dream of Mechanical Fish?

[Lex-Kat]

{Dipsnig's Office}

Bianca frowns deeper. She hates failure. Is there anything else I can do? Hunt down a walrus, capture a perverse doctor, rip the metal face off a cyborg?

[LadyOfWar]

The pair in Dipsnig's office will likely hear a pair of footsteps headed toward them.

If the door is open, the sound will be followed by the sight of a kid's face framed by shockingly white hair peeking around the doorjamb to look inside.

If the door is shut, there will be quick, firm knock on it.

[Morty]

[Dipsnig's Office]

Not right now, I'm afraid, except looking for magic users... come in! He calls out in the direction of the door.

[LadyOfWar]

[Dipsnig's office]

The arrival at the door is Thein, of course.

"Please don't think I've gone mad, Sir, but there's a great big thing outside. It came out of an egg-shaped thing. I don't think it's here to attack, but I thought you should know." He looks a little weirded out by the strangeness of it all.

[LadyOfWar]

((Sorry for the double post. If I merely edited I fear this would not be noticed))

[Another Timeline.... After the Warehouse Plot is Over]

Lady Raennall strides into N.O. headquarters looking for Dipsnig.

[Lex-Kat]

((No worries. Our fault.))

{Dipsnig's Office}

Bianca looks at the strange kid, raises an eyebrow, then looks back at Dipsnig. What are we, GLoG now? she hitches a thumb at Thein.

Back to Thein. I'll check it out. she heads outside to see this "great big thing" from an egg.

[Morty]

[Dipsnig's Office, Another Timeline]

Dipsnig is there if Raennall wants to talk to him.

[LadyOfWar]

[Dipsnig's office, 1st timeline]

"I am sorry, ma'am, but I do not know what a 'glog' is or what it has to do with me. I only know that the Lady is now a part of your organization and..." by this point she has probably headed out. The kid seems prone to rambling on a bit.

"I guess it isn't normal for egg-shaped things to fall from the sky around here then, is it Mr. Dipsnig?" Thein inquires after Bianca has left.

Outside Bianca will likely find...

[NOTE: Massive Edit! Any references to Rebonack's character in the next several posts approved by PM]

... snow. Lots of snow. Some ice. Sunshine. But no egg, no giant thing.

Of course, from just outside the door of the N.O. base she isn't at an angle to see anything that is not above snowdrift-level. [/EDIT]


[Dipsnig’s office, 2nd timeline]

Lady Raennall, back in her standard outfit of sturdy cloth in green tones all covered by a jacket made of hide, approaches Dipsnig with a determined look. “Sir, I need to request your help. A friend of mine has gone missing. Her family and I are quite worried, and the usual means of tracking her are failing. The trail is just fresh enough for a keen dog to follow. I note you keep wolves here. Do they track and will you allow me to have their aid in finding my friend?” Her tone is measured, businesslike, and determined. She gets to the point quickly.

[Lex-Kat]

{Outside of NO}

Bianca will pull out her black sword and dagger from a nearby shadow, and begin to investigate further. She's not sure where to look, silly kid didn't follow her to lead her to the egg creature.

[Morty]

((Sorry for not posting... believe it or not, I'd completely forgotten about this thread.))

[Dipsnig’s office, 2nd timeline]

Dipsnig leans back in his chair. I'm sure they could track someone down, but they don't really listen to anyone but me and their trainer, Roxie.

[LadyOfWar]

Outside NO

The snow shimmers in the bright noon sun. It is blinding to look at and seems to stretch, undisturbed, in all directions.

Setting off in any random direction is unlikely to lead to finding anything. Within minutes the futility of this task will become evident. There is no 'huge thing' and no 'weird egg'.

Silly kid not only didn't have the good sense to follow her out here, it is starting to look like he's either seeing things or lying.


[Dipsnig's office, 2nd Timeline]

Lady Raennall is not discouraged by those words in the least. "Then will you or Roxie lend your aid also? It is imperative that we find my friend quickly."

[Lex-Kat]

{Wild Egg Chase}

Good thing Bianca has power over shadows. She simply creates shadow sunglasses for herself while she searches.

After a futile search, she heads back toward the entrance. She'll have to find a way to kill the kid without Dipsnig finding out.

Hmmm. Maybe he could accidently fell asleep in the oven? And someone just happened to turn it on without checking first. Yeah, that might work.

[Morty]

[Dipsnig's office, 2nd Timeline]

Dipsnig leans back in his chair, folding his hands on the back of his head. I'm a pretty busy goblin, so I'd need a good reason to undertake such a mission. You may have better luck with Roxie, but she spends most of her time taking care of the beasts.

[LadyOfWar]

[Wild Egg Chase]
As Bianca returns to the base she will find Thein hurrying down the hall and into the main room. "Did you find it?" he asks, his eyebrows furrowed with concern. "Was it still there?" He heads for the window, to look out and see if the big creature is still present.



[Second Timeline, Dipsnig's Office]

Mercenaries. Money alone speaks. Raennall thinks, her distaste for his attitude showing only in a slight narrowing of her eyes.

"Are you familiar with this?" She nimbly extracts something the size of a golf ball from her pocket and tosses it to Dipsnig. It is black, shiny and surprisingly light for its metallic feel. Some sort of metal, but not any kind seen in the Nexus before.

((Does Dipsnig have any ability to use or see magic?))

[Morty]

[Second Timeline, Dipsnig's Office]

Dipsnig, who is a perfectly non-magical goblin, catches the thing and examines it. First time I've ever seen one. Enlighten me, if you will.

[LadyOfWar]

[Dipsnig's Office, second timeline]

"It is a metal. The amount you are holding there is sufficient to form enough alloy for two long blades of exceptional quality. As for strength, our armor and weapons are made of an alloy of this metal." She holds out a small wrist guard made of filament like strands of black metal coiling and curving in organic shapes. It should remind him of the helmet she wore on their mission to the warehouse.

"Test its strength." He can take the piece of armor, and test it.

"If that is not enough, it responds to Talent... you might say 'magic'... a person with Talent could utilize it powerfully."

[Morty]

[Dipsnig's Office, second timeline]

Dipsnig shrugs. I don't use magic. But alright, you've made your point. I suppose I could risk a short tracking mission.

[Lex-Kat]

[Wild Egg Chase]

Originally Posted by LadyOfWar

As Bianca returns to the base she will find Thein hurrying down the hall and into the main room. "Did you find it?" he asks, his eyebrows furrowed with concern. "Was it still there?" He heads for the window, to look out and see if the big creature is still present.

There is no giant egg on the premises. Bianca glares at the child, even as he runs to check the window. Tell me, have you ever heard the story about the boy who cried assassin?

[LadyOfWar]

[Wild Egg Chase]

"No..." Thein replies thoughtfully, as he stares out the window. "I haven't heard that one, is it like The Boy Who Cried Wolf? There really was a big thing out there, honest there was."

He turns around, and the look on Bianca's face makes his adams apple bob as he gulps. "Really." He insists one more time, though much more quietly than before.

[Dipsing's office]

"Excellent." She holds out her hand to take back the armor, but not the bit of metal. "The piece you hold is yours for your trouble."

"It is worth many times its weight in gold in a country where it is relatively common. Here, you will have the only piece in the Nexus." Odd that she'd pay so much up front. She is adamant about finding this Tiefling.

"There is a secret to working the metal. When we find my friend, I will give you what you need to have it made into anything you desire."

She turns toward the door. "Time is short."

[Rotting Baron]

[Main Room]

Ashley's arrived here, figuring it was about time for her to give an update on the jobs she'd taken, and to see if there were any new ones she could do. She's standing at the bulletin board right now.

[Morty]

Originally Posted by LadyOfWar

[Dipsing's office]

"Excellent." She holds out her hand to take back the armor, but not the bit of metal. "The piece you hold is yours for your trouble."

"It is worth many times its weight in gold in a country where it is relatively common. Here, you will have the only piece in the Nexus." Odd that she'd pay so much up front. She is adamant about finding this Tiefling.

"There is a secret to working the metal. When we find my friend, I will give you what you need to have it made into anything you desire."

She turns toward the door. "Time is short."

Alright. Dipsnig gets up from his chair and prepares to head out. He whistles sharply and Viima comes running, ready to follow.

Ashley will have no luck, since there seem to be no eligible jobs right now...

[Rotting Baron]

[Main Room]

Ashley lets out a little sigh when she sees the lack of jobs. She really needed some spare cash right about now. Oh well. She heads over to the door to Dipsnig's office, listening for any conversation.

[Lex-Kat]

[Wild Egg Chase]

Originally Posted by LadyOfWar

"No..." Thein replies thoughtfully, as he stares out the window. "I haven't heard that one, is it like The Boy Who Cried Wolf? There really was a big thing out there, honest there was."

He turns around, and the look on Bianca's face makes his adams apple bob as he gulps. "Really." He insists one more time, though much more quietly than before.

Bianca runs her tongue over her teeth, inside her mouth. She contemplates whether she should go back to Dipsnig, or ask the creature to show her the egg.

Closing her eyes, she inhales through her nose, and takes a calming breath out. Show me where you saw the egg. she opens the door and waits for him to go out.

[LadyOfWar]

[Leaving Dipsnig's office]

Ashly might run into Dipsnig and Lady Rannall leaving his office... ((This is part of C'nor's plot to find one of the Tieflings that was kidnapped or something. If you want to come along ))

The Lady pulls a small object from another of her pockets and begins speaking to someone... "I have secured help from my employer. We are on our way to Riverside now." She says as they head for the door.

[Wild Egg Chase]

"It was over here!" Thein says, in his best appeasing tone.

He hurries outside with the kind of energy only a boy can muster and runs unerringly through the snow.

By the time they've trudged through enough snow to make any sane person contemplate turning back at least twice they finally find a great patch of half-melted snow. Surrounding it are enormous footprints.

The kid is beaming, happy to prove himself right.

[Lex-Kat]

{Wild Egg Chase}

Just as Bianca was contemplating turning back, locking the door, and hoping Thein would freeze to death, they find the egg site.

Bianca quickly moves to his side, trying to pull him behind her. (Strange how she's protective, when he proves to be right) Get behind me. She reaches into her own shadow and pulls out a black sword, as she searches for the creature who owns the footprints.

[LadyOfWar]

[Wild Egg Chase]

Thein quickly obeys, stepping behind her, and turning slightly so he can watch for attacks from behind. He pulls a small dagger from his belt and takes a ready stance.

"Where did the sword come from?" Thein whispers, his curiosity overriding his training, which teaches him to be silent in a situation like this.

Bianca will see the footsteps lead away from the region of melted snow, then stop, spread shoulder width apart as a man would stand when braced for an attack. On either side of the two firm prints are a set of prints in the snow like a set of heavy artillery was stationed on either side of the big creature.

Then the footprints return to the melted area, and disappear.

Here's wondering if Bianca is familiar with any kind of sci-fi style space craft.

[C'nor]

[Lady Raenall's Mind]

The Lady quickly receives a response, though the 'voice' is unfamiliar; apparently, there's at least one Tiefling she hasn't heard speak yet, and the ourobouros token is capable of connecting her to anyone, not just Carrion.

"Thank you. Fear is still speaking to our Remnant friend, but that part of the plan should be complete soon."

[Lex-Kat]

Originally Posted by LadyOfWar

[Wild Egg Chase]

Thein quickly obeys, stepping behind her, and turning slightly so he can watch for attacks from behind. He pulls a small dagger from his belt and takes a ready stance.

"Where did the sword come from?" Thein whispers, his curiosity overriding his training, which teaches him to be silent in a situation like this.

Bianca will see the footsteps lead away from the region of melted snow, then stop, spread shoulder width apart as a man would stand when braced for an attack. On either side of the two firm prints are a set of prints in the snow like a set of heavy artillery was stationed on either side of the big creature.

Then the footprints return to the melted area, and disappear.

Here's wondering if Bianca is familiar with any kind of sci-fi style space craft.

Bianca reads the story the footprints tell, ending with the creature returning to the egg.

She looks up to the sky, her glasses shading her eyes from any brightness. It's from a shadow pocket I've created. Makes it easier than carrying a bagful of weapons.

[Morty]

[Leaving Dipsnig's Office]

Dipsnig slings his crossbow over his shoulder, attaches his pickaxe to his belt and hides a couple of knives, vials, special crossbow bolts and other such appliances here and there, then follows Raennall along with Viima. Unless Ashley speaks, of course.

[Meanwhile]

Dipsnig has put a photo of an ad posted in Trog's earlier on the bulletin board.

[Chaotic Bob]

[Her Bedroom]

This was, for some reason or another, a pleasant change of pace.
Karaglen doesn't wake up in her bed often enough.
Wake up clean.
Warm.
Without guilt.

Little Morry (a little less little every day) glanced towards her as she stirs, gives his tail a little wag, before settling his head back onto the pile of blankets on the floor.
A pile of blankets always seemed cozier than one of those cotton mat things some people make their pets sleep on, or just on the floor. Blankets are extra cozy!

Cozy...
When was the last time she woke up feeling like that?
Under his wing, curled next to his too-warm side, tails lightly twisted together.

tick

"Nn..."
A hand winds out of the blankets, held against the side of her head.
Karaglen flicks her eyes around the room, resting briefly on that little pocket watch she had been given so long ago.
"Hey there, kiddo. Happy hatchday. Or birthday? Let's go birthday. Heheh, doesn't really matter. Gotcha a cake too!"

tock

"Iih...Mm...or..."
How long, since the fog had been out of her mind, leaving her thoughts crisp and clear?
Clear and full of breaking.
"Hiya Kara! I like your new dog!"

tocktick

"Morry..."
Her voice shriveling in a confused desperation, the girl's free hand slides over the side of the bed, towards the puppy that sometimes seemed to understand when she hurt.
Those eyes always full of nothing but caring and appreciation, the closest thing she's had to a real friend in far too long.
And she was afraid for more.

It always took them away, the chaos of this place. Rushed away in the madness, trapped in the broken streams of time, destroyed by its puppets in every street.
Not just her...she wasn't so selfish to think it only an cruelty to herself.
This broken city, land, gleefully tearing into anyone that would sit still long enough.

No one ever made it better!
tick
Why wouldn't anyone make it better?
Why doesn't anyone make the hurt go away?
They all needed it to get better. She needed it to get better.
tock


[His Home]

His leg had gotten tangled in one of the blankets, so it took him a moment to actually get over to her, when he heard his name called, when he could start to smell the sad scent of tears.

The strange little girl always seemed to have three moods, since he could remember.
Smiling, giggling, and giving him tummy rubs was always his favorite. When she was happy, the day was always sunny and good.
Sometimes she had a weird look, kinda blank, and that's when she took him hunting. It was kind of weird the first time, but it's starting to seem better. The running and chasing felt good.
When she was dismal, teary, and sobbing was the worst mood. There was no tummy rubs, wrestling, or joy. Little Morry was never quite sure what to do with these moods, but maybe if he loved her enough she would feel better? Lick her face, keep her warm, try to be a cozy blanket.

By the time he had pulled his foot free of the blanket and started to trot over to her bed, he stopped again.
The tears had stopped and she had a funny look on her face, one that he didn't quite like. It burned, kind of like one of those fires she sometimes makes. But those fires were never scary and this one kind of was.
Dangerous.

Maybe...maybe he could make this one better?
Trot over, lick her fingers, remind her that she's okay.