The Escapist Avatar Adventure: An Open RP (Now Re-Opened!)
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"System call..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Yes."
"Search directory by author. Alice Marlow."System Message said:
"Delete data."System Message said:
"Select character data... Nina... Rugal..."System Message said:
"Set user permissions... administrator."System Message said:
"Select character data... Alice."System Message said:
"Revoke all permissions."System Message said:
"..."System Message said:
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Yes."
System Message said:
[[Main Scenario]]
[hr]
End of an Era
[hr]
Code:
alice's storyEnding B
lack Heart
The soft hum of the Rising Dawn's engine echoed through the halls of the airship as an omnipresent reminder of their precarious position in the sky. The sun was rising in the East as it always had, and the airship was gliding away from the ruins of Denver. Most of the staff was still asleep in the early hours of the morning, but some engineers were still working on the repairs necessary from the battle before.
Elizabeth sighed and leaned back in her chair. The cushions were too soft to be comfortable. The frame was too big. She shook her head and returned her attention to the console. December 31, 2017. New Year's Eve. How fitting, she thought. The navigation display was putting them toward Cloudtop Citadel, but a storm was moving through the area near the Rockies. It might be prudent to turn their attention elsewhere for refueling. Elizabeth ran a search for staging areas near them. The Eastern board was relatively clear today. At the current cruising speed it would only take about five hours to reach the coast base in Norfolk. She set the course toward North Carolina and felt the ever so subtle yaw of the ship as it turned to correct it's course from the Rocky Mountains.
---
Nina woke and found herself sitting in the seat of a VTOL craft, the box of her personal belongings clutched in her hands. Philip was nearby, also asleep by immediate looks... or whatever was the closest eldritch equivalent of being unaware of the current surroundings.
Cecil smiled and Nina and waved. "Finally awake? You were looking as if you were having a nightmare. Not that I blame you, it must have been awful down there in Denver with all the violence that was happening."
The VTOL's engines spun down as Cecil unhooked himself from the cockpit harness. The automated docking system of the Rising Dawn's hangar moved them gently into place inside of the cavernous space. It was a few moments before the metal arms clicked the VTOL into place and Cecil climbed down the pilot's side and slid open the door for Nina.
"And here you are. Back to the Rising Dawn in one piece."
There was something bothering Nina. She was expecting someone to show up and greet her with a letter of some sort. Though, she couldn't really place why that she thought that. But no one came, with a letter or otherwise.
Nina touched her lapis pendant unconsciously, wondering if she was forgetting anything terribly important.
---
The Canteen was empty, devoid of all of it's normal patrons and staff. Luke stood at the counter polishing a glass absentmindedly. He didn't really need to polish it, all of the equipment at the bar was spotless through use of magic, but at a time as idle as this, it felt right to do something. Even if it was just for show.
There wasn't anything pressing that would be happening soon. Not that he knew at least. Nothing pressing. He would stand here and wait for something to happen. Because people expected him to be here. It was just good courtesy.
---
AI Viscus and AI Vermillion booted up suddenly, unaware of the reason for the unexpected downtime that they had just experienced. They ran a diagnostic through the Rising Dawn's computer systems and found nothing wrong. Though... even though they did not truly have a heart, they felt as if something was missing.
Hadn't there been a third AI at some point?
The subsystems of the ship relegated to auto-repair and defensive alignment was empty. It was as if the AI personality that was operating the entirety of the system had suddenly vanished overnight. The anomaly was remedied quickly by Viscus, who took over the subsystems without much additional load to his processing capabilities.
---
Dolores yawned. The monotonous repetition of her boots against the wooden floors of the Rising Dawn's Hero Quarter's was nearly putting her to sleep. She stretched to try and keep herself awake. Molly had kept her awake all night talking about her engagement to John, which, to be completely fair Dolores was happy about, but she wasn't so keen on talking with her until the sun came up.
She shrugged. She wasn't a combat staff anyway, so it wasn't too bad. At some point later today she would try to sneak away and take a nap in a storage closet or something. She didn't expect anything too exciting to happen now that the battle in Denver was over.
She opened the door to the empty Hero's Room and set down the documents on the desk. "Nina Zatcol... Zaktol.. Zachttolski?" she tried to read. She felt a soft pang in her heart. "Why does this name seem so familiar?"
---
Rugal woke up in his bed. His head hurt immensely and he could scarce remember what had transpired the day before. No. It felt longer than that. As if he had three-year's worth of memories slammed into his brain with the same gentle subtlety of a speeding cargo train.
The dream he had was crazy. Insane, even.
He sat up and wiped the sleep from his eyes, groaning. Something cold touched his cheek as he did. He looked in his hand. There was a small black gemstone, as dark as jet, sitting in his palm. It pulsed rhythmically as if it had a heart. He tried to remember where he could have possible gotten it from, but he couldn't quite place it in his mind.
---
And I sat back down, watching everything unfold like I had planned. But is this what I wanted? I don't know. I don't know anything anymore. There were some people, some heroes, who would never wake up again, because the things that happened effected them so deeply as to change who and what they were.
Others will be drawn back into this world under new names, new faces, but at their core, the spirit would be the same.
So it wasn't easy, but it wasn't hard either. We'd just have to wait, and hope, that one day those people would return to us. And we could all play together again.
I believe that Rugal understood my original intentions. But I can't say whether or not we were right to do so. But in the end this is the route that we chose. We want to hold onto what is familiar, to keep together a place where they could one day return to, and find that the records of their adventures are all here, waiting for them to pick right back up where they started.
I yawned.
At the very least, it will be fun to see where they go next. Wherever the rising dawn may take us.
Epilogue
[hr]Incubator's Report
As of July 21, 2019, observations of the phenomena associated with the individual known as "BlackHarte" has ceased. The individual voluntarily released control of the situation to another individual at the conclusion of the events. Contrary to expectations, the individual did not succumb to despair. Contrary to expectations, the individual was not killed by outside actors.
Despite the unexpected nature of the conclusion, it is this observer's opinion that the events transpired did not pose a significant matter to the continuation of our projects. This observer recommends that no further actions are necessary. The following notes are supplementary in nature and reflects this observer's independent opinions at the time of writing. The following notes should not be taken as a official recommendation for action and instead are provided for the sake of completion.
Official communication in this report ends here.
---
At the end of the events transpiring, only two of the eight original designated outside actors remained. There was observed conflict between the necessary course of action between them.
When the events transpiring ended, it was noted that the following individuals were removed from causality:
Titania La Fey
Blue Mage Deborah
Charles Marlow
BlackHarte
Solomon
Nifleheim
Naamah
Vihaan Valdur
Yona Isami
Livia Lamia Lucretius and dependents
Syl and dependents
Alesha and dependents
Teresa Goldhollow and dependents
Hunger and dependents
Erika and dependents
Venia Pariemi
When the events transpiring ended, it was noted that the following individuals were unaccounted for:
B.C.
Inuart
Nadalia
Eddie the Dead
Katya Rostikova
Ruby Babbage-Lovelace
Rory Mercury
Garm
Ton Ton
Cadolbolg
Miia
Angelus
Caim
the Batter
Icarus
Amane
"Big Boss"
Teri
Lucifer
Violet "Mnemosyne" Amnesia
Nemesis and Pox
It was noted that several changes were made to the original timeline for which the cycle was perpetuated:
Dolores Selmy was never moved to combat classification.
Anjali Khatri was never tempered by Titania la Fey.
King Leoric no longer remembers the continuation of the Cycles.
David West no longer holds the power of Observation.
The Soul of Tomorrow and the Stormglaive no longer exist. The associated staff and crew of those ships have likewise ceased to exist.
It was noted that at the conclusion of the events transpiring, the phenomena preventing outside entities from entering the event space was lifted.
It was noted that at the conclusion of the events transpiring, possession of the "BlackHarte" item was transferred from Alice Marlow to Rugal Bernstein. Likewise, the power to regulate the event space has also been transferred. It is unclear at the time of writing what the effects will be.
This concludes the supplemental section of the Incubator's report.
Rugal
"Uggghhhhh....My damn head..." The former King of Fighters sighed as he slowly awoke from his slumber.
The dream he had last night felt like some sort of feverish nightmare though his attempts to properly recall just what exactly happened in it just made the banging in his head even worse.
It was then that he noticed it: The dark gem in his hand.
"...Well-...don't recall buying a new gemstone...Can't be one of Teri's or Mel's..." He mused out as he examined the object in his hand.
There was something-...unsettling about him having this in his procession and the first urge that came to his mind was to put it down before something bad happened.
This train of thought was soon disrupted by a message from Viscus, barking at him though his PDA.
Code:
[Attention User: Rugal Bernstein. I have a priority 1 update for your viewing]
Code:
[Negative. My systems were rebooting to integrate additional ship subsystems. I came here to inform you that during this process, the "Captain" permissions you enjoy have been transferred to another member of the crew. One "Mio".]
Code:
[I do not have information on when or how the transfer was made. In order to transfer them back, you will need to contact Acting Captain Mio of the Rising Dawn]"...So what you're saying is...I'm not the Captain?"
Code:
[Affirmative. This appears to be part of a unknown error but in order to return your permissions to you, you will require the clearance of the Acting Captain]
Code:
[Affirmative]Groaning as he went to take something for his head, he gazed back at the gem for a moment, sizing it up before saying "...I'll figure out what to do with you later..."
He got dressed, stuffed it into his pocket after downing some headache pills, he marched ou-
"...?"
And was greeted by a locked door, a nearby display saying "Access Denied: Captain's Quarters".
"...Viscus, get this damn door open before I break it down..."
The threat was enough for the AI to do a quick "Service Override" to let Rugal into the hallway, prompting him to groan "Just another day on the Rising Dawn..." as he went to try and find Mio.
David
"-No, you listen to me, Richie! We got the bad guys. It's on you to get someone here to pick them up! The situation in the US is over and G-Corp, NOD or whatever the hell they're calling themselves are out of the picture. So send over a aircraft and some handcuffs and get those guys off this ship. Don't think I forgot about the last time you screwed me on this. Get it done."
Hanging up on his UNIT contact, David was clearly irate as once again, the "Put the bad guys in prison" part of his job was being held up by red tape.
First they couldn't get permission, then they did, then the permission was invalid and so on.
So instead of Bison and his merry band of super villains finally being put into the SUPERMAX prison they deserve, they continue to linger in the Rising Dawn's brig and constantly complaining about getting more yogurt.
On top of feeling exhausted from a rather sleepless night, frustration was quickly building as he went to the Canteen to get another spice coffee.
Urrrrgggg...why does Red Tape help the bad guys so much?... He thought to himself as he waved one of the imps over with a large jug of the stuff.
"Extra milk. Don't want to make that mistake again..." He ordered as he sipped his sweet sweet caffeine and started to browse the breakfast menu.
Jenny
While everyone else seemed to be having a pretty lousy morning, Jenny the Gardevoir was the exception.
Having already gotten her coffee and a Poffin, she was in the middle of sorting out some long overdue paperwork for some of her patients both on the ship and back at her clinic.
She had recently hired a few new people to help her run the NYC based mental health service and she was glad that she did.
Patient care and costs were the best they've been in many years and it gave her more time to work on the needs of people on board the ship, a task that's kept her busy full time for as long as she could remember.
Sending off a batch of emails to her employees, she then waltz through the halls as part of her morning routine, keeping her senses peeled for anyone who might require her services.
Leoric
The Black King of Khanduras was overseeing a ritual from before he was cursed to roam the land as an undead servant of evil.
From a small throne room he had set up in one of the unused cargo bays, he sat as he watched his minions partake in a rite to honor their undying king.
"More to the right...little more...litttttttlle more-STOP!" He suddenly barked, prompting several skeletal servants to freeze in place as he looked upon their labors and smiled. (as much as a bare skull could).
"...Perfect..." The Skeleton king smiled as he gazed upon a massive painting of himself [https://i.pinimg.com/originals/59/b6/7e/59b67ebc1161d4d3603ab3b6152d41ae.jpg] so large it required at least 4 lesser skeletons just to move it.
"This is a fine tribute to your king! This vessel may not be the realm of Khanduras but those who come to have an Audience with it's King shall know my prestige and might! And after our efforts in Denver, I'll be expecting them to line up to witness my glory..." He spoke grandly as he returned to his throne and awaited the welcoming crowds of peasants ready to pay their respects to their liege.
......
......
......And no, Leoric wasn't aware of the logistical problems of having a throne in a airship that spent most of its time far off the ground.
His servants did try to help as they posted 2 regal looking skeleton guards outside of that cargo room, clad in rusted plate and battleaxes to feed their King's ego and desire for regal legitimacy.
Rising Dawn Brig: The Former Bernstein Cartel
[color=b4b4]"98-....99-.....ngg-...1-....100!"[/color] Cortex gasped as he attempted to try this fancy new workout program one of the guards had given him to pass the time.
Laying in a pool of his own sweat, he panted from exertion as he rolled onto this back and say [color=b4b4]"Ah...ahhh...I'll be throwing cars at people yet!...ha...Woooo!"[/color]
Life behind bars was proving to be both more and less excitement for our Villains then they were expecting.
Doom was going though one of his breakfast yogurts, Wesker was reading a rather informative book on the latest in cell augmentation treatments, Cortex was cleaning himself off with a wet towel, Bison was reading a broadsheet for the political opinion pieces and Bruiser was silently meditating and whispering prayers to himself (Albeit while doing one armed push ups in the process).
"Heh, check this out. "Traitor Senator Steven Armstrong Found Dead". Someone finally finished the job after he escaped the city. And better yet, everyone's blaming him for the shitshow in Denver!" Bison gleefully smiled as if this news would make them any less likely to be sentenced to life.
"I promised myself I wouldn't find pleasure in another's death again...but I won't weep for his passing."
"Suppose all that money of his didn't count for much once word got out about his prison. Even if he could get past the Government, I can't imagine him finding any place in the world where he'd be safe after all that."
"Looks like we got the last laugh, eh guys!?......Eh?.....Eh?...."
An uneasy silence filled the brig as everyone in it refused to humor their friend who, to be clear, was the main reason they were all behind bars once more.
[color=b4b4]"So...Is he "Never found the body" dead or "Dead!Dead"? Because if there isn't a body, it doesn't count."[/color]
[color=004d]"Bah, Doom thinks it's all bullshit. If that Hank Hill ************ could afford everything else he was throwing at us, who's to say he doesn't have a clone or a spare body he could activate?"[/color] Doom barked from the bottom of his Yogurt cup, his sobering realization brining much unease to his comrades.
Least before he rattled his cup against the bars and shouted [color=004d]"HEY! DOOM NEEDS MORE YOGURT IN HERE!"[/color]
- Dec 18, 2012
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Kalastryn woke from her slumber feeling like she'd been hit by a truck. Not too terribly inaccurate, the last thing she could remember, she was impaled by an iron pipe and losing consciousness. Still, she felt like she'd blacked out rather than fallen asleep. It was like she had rested for nearly a year in the span of a night, which is to say that with their tasks in Denver completed, she felt relieved beyond compare. "About damn time they picked up and left." She mused aloud, taking her spellbook and looking over her room. She remembered rearranging the furniture a bit in case Miia would like to stay with her, and genuinely looked forward to giving her a few classes on how enchantment magics work and how she might be capable of using them... but first thing was first, she wanted to go to check up on Jenny, and see that she was alright after her recent ordeals. Bumping into her in the hall, seemingly no worse for wear, she sighed. "Well doc, you sure are a fast healer. I never really did get the chance to catch up on how you felt after... all that happened." she said, recalling their encounter on the rooftops of Denver. "And for what it's worth, just wanted to say you're probably the toughest psion I've ever met, so I'm not too surprised you're up and about. But truly, are you okay?" She asked. After how trying the rest of these past weeks had been, she was glad to finally be finished with it.
Elsewhere, ARES was pretty much motionless as she had uploaded herself to the ship over the previous night. Within the cyberspace of the Dawn's computers, she went to talk to Viscus of all... people? "I hope that I am not interrupting, Viscus. However, I thought it necessary to express my gratitude over our cooperative efforts in days prior. Have I heard you correctly, that Mr. Bernstein has been re-designated due to system error?" she asked.
'What the?' Hillary thought as she became aware of herself. She was in a hallway of some sort? It was hard to tell with her limited vision as a puddle.
As Hillary slowly compiled herself, her form gradually becoming more humanoid as a torso formed, it pivoted down to look at an object on the ground. It was her figurine! Why was it on the ground!? Leaning down a bit more, the pseudopod forming her torso extended from the top reaching downwards as its drippy form enveloped the figurine. Lifting it up, Hillary's features became more visible, her arms separated from her torso fully, her pseudopod split as her legs solidified below her and her head lulled back as the weight of her hair dragged it back.
Pulling her head forward, she spun the figurine in her newly formed hands. Looking at the three on its base. The small Slime at its center, with a blindfolded teenager to the one side which an older woman of medetaranian descent on the other. They looked quite happy together, like a family photo made into a 3D model.
And as her formation finalized with her eyes and vocal sack, she let out a sigh of relief as she confirmed it hadn't been damaged. "That is a relief, how clumsy of Hillary to have a nap in the middle of a hallway." She said as she looked around at the surrounding area. She wasn't in the Hero's lounge area, nor the hangars, nor the brigs, or the lounge. She was somewhere in the inner networks of the Dawn, rather lost and alone. "Although... this... doesn't look like the Laplace? This looks like..."
"O-Oh dear." Hillary exclaimed as she looked this way and that. "H-Hello? Can someone hear me? Hillary would love to hear from someone because I think Hillary got lost again?" The matte'd light grey woman called out, her hair was angular yet smooth, wearing no clothing but still meeting the classification of nude. "HELLO?!"
- Dec 18, 2012
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While she was attempting to extend an olive branch of a sort to Viscus, while turning to look through the security cameras as she heard what sounded like a call for help from someone lost in the Dawn (an understandable predicament, as attached as she'd become to the airship- literally at this point, it was fairly labyrinthine. "Hold that thought a moment." ARES said as she activated the intercom for that area. "Greetings Hillary. You require assistance?" she asked, turning to Viscus again as she affirmed her intentions. "Do not think I have forgotten your previous actions, but as current you are in the employ of Captain Bernstein, or I suppose at current, acting Captain "Mio?" I thought we might leave these as "water under the bridge" as some would say. My previous reception to your aid was needlessly coarse, and I would simply inform you that I will provide no further obstruction to you."Zepherus14 said:
Never a day goes by when it isn't crowded in Athens, the capital and heart of Greece. The city within grows ever larger, history of it's ancient and powerful empire is still well known today, and most importantly ... it is here, that the Temple of Zeus still stands.
The shadows stretched out from every pillar, lining up with the eyes until the sun greeted you on the other side every time. It almost felt cinematic being here, going down the pathway towards the ruins of a once, respected temple that honored the god of all gods. While this may be what people came here for ... a lot more came for one particular reason, or more specifically, one particular person.
"Is it true papa?" The father paused, despite people were trying to get around the man. His wife alongside him, also paused to see what their daughter had to say. She was sitting on the man's shoulders, each leg hanging off the sides of his neck. "Yes Heather?"
"... That there's a cen-taar here?"
"Centaur, sweetie. Although, don't get your hopes up, it's likely just ..."
"Just what daddy?" She asked, a look of confusion present on her face, the mother cutting in. "It could be, a way to make tourists, like ourselves, come here to check it out. We've already went over this honey, it's likely just a robot."
"... Awwwww ..." She groaned, slumping a little as the dad gave a small scorned look at his wife, before trying to uplift her spirit. "Heeeey now, if it's gaining this much attention, it can't be just some robot. We won't know until we see this centaur for ourselves." Shifting his shoulders to position his beloved little girl properly; they continued walking down, all while the husband and wife secretly exchanging whispers as the daughter was too distracted by the beauty this place bore.
"Bet you $20 it's some lady resting in a hole within the horse's neck gap. Likely a statue or prop."
"I wager it's a hologram ... we live in the future where anything's possible now."
Eventually, the family came upon the temple itself, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. However, no one's eyes were drawn on this fallen place of worship. Rather, a large gathering was around a certain individual whom stood in the center of it all. The father tried his best to scoot along the masses, ensuring his daughter could get a better look. So much talking, shouting, laughter- all of it booming in their eardrums. The wife looked displeased with this, but their curiosity (and wanting to make their daughter happy) made them advance forward. Finally, they got to the front and all three got to see it for themselves.
It was, almost unreal to them. The figurine was perfectly in tact, nothing about it seemed fake whatsoever. While the horse legs were moving about and the tail swiftly swaying side to side, the upper torso was that of a human's, connected with no seams of any kind. In fact, her height must of been at least over 200 centimeters tall. A staggering 6.9 feet tall, the girl's stomach and arms being even beefier than the man standing there feeling struck with disbelief.
She was speaking in Greek, exchanging that old tongue with the common folk, smiling at them as they 'argued' with her back. The family had no clue whether it was them questioning her existence, begging for an autograph, or wanting to ride her, it could of been anything. Her eyes scanned the circle that surrounded her, looking all so pleased to have their company. The daughter on the father's shoulders started to kick a little, a small cry of glee escaped her lips. "Look daddy! I told you, it's a cen-tarrrr!! C-can I pet her? Pleassseeee?"
"... Ah." He snapped out of his gaze before looking up to his now lively daughter. "... O-of course! Don't know how we'll get her attention though, she ... seems awfully busy-"
Suddenly, the dad jolted when he heard her voice loud and clear, realizing she was now directly looking at him (well, down on him) with a gentle smile. The daughter giggled, clapping her hands as the father had been caught with no words to say. "Uuuuhhhhh .. .. . h ... hey there, yooou."
She tilted her head, before picking up on the language and with that, begun speaking English. [color=0000A0]"Are you guys American Tourists? If so, welcome to Greece!"[/color] The wife was just as baffled, if not taken out of this before both parents slowly turned to one another. Turns out, this was a real talking centaur. However, the dad couldn't help but actually speak his mind here. ". .. So, are ... you really a centaur? ... .. Is this for real?"
She took a few paces back, before placing both hands behind her head, lifting one horse leg, and giving a huge smile to match her pose. [color=0000A0]"A centaur in the flesh! But, you can just call me Alexandra instead."[/color]
"Greetings Hillary. You require assistance?" Hillary quickly looked around at the bodiless voice, initially looking quite thrilled only for it to become more sour when she saw no one around her. "Y-Yes! Hillary woke up in... this place. And it doesn't look like the Laplace! I think Hillary's somewhere on the Rising Dawn, but not sure where. Could you help Hillary get out of here please?" She asked, oddly sounding more distressed than you'd imagine someone in her situation being. Her blank eyes hid some of her anxiousness, but the way she held herself close was worrisome.
She wasn't picked up on a few of the scanners, the thermal scans specifically, as if she was the same temperature of the room itself.
- Dec 18, 2012
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ARES was curious about this, as she was curious about the entirety of her appearance through the security camera. Still, she was at least attempting to be helpful. "I would be happy to help you navigate outside, however, that is not advisable considering that the Rising Dawn is currently in flight. That being said, while he has an urgent matter to attend to, I might be able to assist you in greeting our captain, and he could likely arrange for you to disembark. Please, remain where you are and I will be along to guide you shortly." ARES said, shrugging to Viscus. "Well... I'll return later I suppose." before her projection in cyberspace faded out, uploading back into her body and walking to collect the sentient slime. Rounding the corner, the heavily armored robot greeted her with a wave. "Now then, if you'd follow me, we can probably go find Captain Bernstein." She offered with a smile, using the map of the airship she had just been observing as reference to where to go, having a sight better chance of finding the captain.Zepherus14 said:
Time had passed, and in Greece ... it goes ever so slowly. Because you see, in this country, no one's ever in a rush. There's even a saying when people express the term 'in Greece time' because if you say you'll meet someone in 15 minutes, what you really mean is in 30-45 in Greek time. Alexandra, despite she wanted to go on the move, would never be so rude to her people (and even the tourists) whom wanted to visit her. When it normally would of taken her twenty minutes to reach the city, it nearly took her over an hour and a half because she wanted to spend time with the community at the temple. She eventually did managed to enter the city, but not without a large sum of people tagging right behind her. Cameras flashing, loud voices in multiple languages (mostly Greek) and cars driving by slowly to catch sight of the centaur.
On her back, the little girl was sitting on her horseback, having the time of her life. The parents stood to Alexandra's right side, silently walking with her heads filled with a thousand questions as everyone else was speaking with Alexandra, so much chattering that it may of been a little much for most people to tolerate in such tight spaces. Eventually, they did reach a small restaurant that Alexandra couldn't help but notice, before prancing on over to a table. Those sitting at the tables all stopped eating, eyes drawn to the mythical creature as she pulled a chair out, and ... just stood there? To be fair, there's no way any of those chairs could support Alexandra's weight. Even if they somehow magically could, a centaur sitting in a chair would be, very uncomfortable.
For anyone trying to get by in this single pathway up the stairs, they'd be out of luck. It was so crowded, all Alexandra could see was a sea of people's heads below her view. Poor waiter, he was trying so hard to get around without dropping the ordered food. It took roughly a dozen minutes just for the man to finally get in, panting as he adjusted his suit.
The parents couldn't understand what they were saying to one another, it was in Greek. Seemed simple enough, before she turned to face them after the waiter tried pushing past the crowd once more. [color=0000A0]"You two look tired. Please, have a seat! I'll even pay for your meals! I'll pay for everyone here if they wish to feast!"[/color] She repeated those words, but now translating them to her people, all in which a booming roar from the masses caused the parents to cover their ears. Laughing, the centaur folded her hands as the daughter hugged her backside, with a big grin. "Can we keep her daddy?! She's soooooo cool!!"
". .. .. Sweetie ..." He groaned, as the wife shook her head as a natural response to their daughter's odd request.
As they got seated, the waiter in no time came back with a tray of three burritos ... except with closer inspection, they were far from that. The tortillas were filled with mushrooms, green bell peppers, butternut squashes, zucchinis, and other ingredients. It also included fries within too. Noticing their curious looks at her order, she asked them, [color=0000A0]"Never had Vegetarian Souvlaki before?"[/color]
".. Looks good at least." The dad admitted, though he was just really out of it taking in the reality a real life centaur was right before them. She grabbed one of them and started to hand it to the wife, in which she responded by placing her palm out with all five fingers, "I'm good, thanks." However, the crowd grew quiet and stared at the wife, faces looking rather upset by this action. Alexandra came to the rescue though, speaking Greek to them that she doesn't know better, before explaining to the wife, [color=0000A0]"You meant well, but what you just did is the moutza."[/color]
"T-the what now?" She asked, taking her hand back with utter concern and confusion.
[color=0000A0]"When you extend your palm out, to you Americans, you mean it in saying 'stop' or 'no'.
But here, that's giving us Greeks the middle finger."[/color] Despite she was smiling, the wife grew horrified and began apologizing right away, afraid she had committed the worst possible sin. Alexandra was not offended in the slightest, even laughing before placing a hand on her shoulder. [color=0000A0]"In Greek, the citizens are very aware of the American people having different ways of saying things. You didn't know, it is okay! I- Ahhh! The food arrives!!"[/color] All heads turned to the waiters and waitresses, all carrying massive trays of food, allowing everyone in reach to grab food off of them. They didn't even stop, they kept walking through as anyone could grab a meal off the huge circular food trays, a walk by buffet!
The parents understood that the money here consisted of Euros, not dollars, but even still- this was going to cost Alexandra a small fortune for all these meals! [color=0000A0]"There's no hospitality like the Greeks! We feed you until you blow up, and then feed you some more until you blow up again~"[/color] She teased, before taking her Souvlaki and biting more than half of it off, her mouth stuffed, cheeks extended. She swallowed it whole, with ease. She slid the rest into her mouth no problem, and chewed for some seconds before gulping it down, which most people could not do in that amount of time without choking. The parents began to try getting some food to show respect, before slowly eating away, mixed emotions flourishing through their faces as they try to 'enjoy' the food provided for them.
Jenny
"And for what it's worth, just wanted to say you're probably the toughest psion I've ever met, so I'm not too surprised you're up and about. But truly, are you okay?"
Jenny seemed to freeze for a moment as Kala talked to her, her expression-...glitching almost between a smile and a frown.
"I-...I-......*Sigh* ....I was hoping I could-....Here, let me show you..." She grimly said before her form started to flicker and the true nature of her condition was revealed.
Hiding behind a psionic projection, it faded as her body showed several bandages, medical equipment around her midsection and the side of her head as well as an IV grip feeding into her arm, looking more like some cyberpunk frankenstein.
Her prideful waltz turned to a slight limp as she seemed rather embarrassed by her current state, a patchwork thanks to the malice of World Marshall's cybernetics program.
"...My recovery is going well, though...it's not as easy to use my powers of projection as it once was. The hard part about removing Cybernetics is helping the body heal back the body mass it loss while at the same time preventing infections from the metal parts still lodged inside. They weren't designed to be removed or disconnected from each other. Most likely an insurance policy. But for now, I'd rather not think about it. I'm just thankful I was able to disconnect some of my pain receptors from the rest of my nervous system, otherwise I'd need be so sedated I'd barely be able to think." She grimly explained before slowly letting her projection return, masking her true state once again behind her "Normal" appearance, the perks of being Psychic.
"But I'll manage. I've gotten a lot better at Recovering from such events. Another few days with the medical team and I'll be fit as a fiddle. Hell, as strange as it might sound, I actually kinda prefer this bout to some of the others I've had over the years. My only regret was not learning how to turn off the mind's ability to feel pain sooner. God, that would have made some of my other Recovery's soooooooo much easier..." She smiled warmly before resuming her walk with Kala in tow.
"And yourself? Been a while since I was able to check up on you. Trying to catch up on my patient backlog right now actually. I know, I know, I should be resting but I'm very committed to the mental health of others..."
Viscus
The Cyberspace for the systems that Viscus controlled was more-...barren and dark then the rest of it, largely because the AI didn't see the point in prettying the place up.
So long as he was able to perform his functions, that was what mattered.
Code:
[Your observation is noted. The error must have occurred mid-systems reboot. I would have resolved the error but it would require a administrative order from the Acting Captain. Until that order has been given, Mio is considered to be the Captain of this vessel and has all the permissions that role entails. User: Rugal Bernstein has been dispatched to obtain this order...or at least attempt to. I care little so long as ship system operations are maintained.]
Code:
[If that is all you wish to discuss, I will ask that you terminate this conversation and let me resume system diagnostics.]- Dec 18, 2012
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- United States of America
ARESDiablo1099 said:
ARES didn't mind his cold demeanor. She would not say so to his face as there was little point in being so overtly hostile or self aggrandizing, but most machines were not designed to be capable of sentience. Intelligence? Absolutely, but not sentience to the degree of a person. As such, she did not take his insult to heart as she already had intended to leave the cyberspace and assist Hillary in trying to find a way off the ship. Still, she had seen herself out. Standing now in front of the slime, she also offered. "If he's unreachable at current, I could take you to the canteen, let you socialize a bit while you wait?" she suggested.
Kalastryn
Her look soured a bit as Jenny revealed her true condition. Still, she tried to be comforting at least. "Hey, it's not... well it's not so bad. I'm just glad that you survived. As for my mental state... well, I have a lot to think about. More on my mind than most of the time." she confessed. "It's... difficult to know where to start. But, I suppose it just feels like I have to do more of... everything." she sighed, pulling out her spellbook. "For example, I've felt like I have to pass on my knowledge for a long time. Effective immortality felt exhilarating at first, but it made me realize how... lonesome it is going to be. I've wanted to take a student for a long time even before then, and I'll be honest, I sort of... settled, when it came to finding one. I don't think Miia is without potential... but I'll have my work cut out for me teaching her. Just another chore on the pile though... feels like I've completely forgotten how to relax."
The meeting with the Slime was a tad bit different than what ARES had likely expected. In her time, she likely had met a great deal many people with interesting personalities. Many likely had misgivings about her titanic form of metal and wires, but as the woman made of the floor itself looked up at her, what she saw back the briefest moment of curiosity. It was brief as the instant ARES uttered a single note, Hillary's anxious face was washed away to one of pure relief. The Slime stood up and walked, not ran, as fast as she could to ARES' side, hugging whatever part was most available at the time; be it her foot, leg or side. "I would like Hillary to go see anyone right now, yes. Mr. Rugal or otherwise." She nodded, clinging to ARES.Kalastryn said:
This Hillary was a strange one, the time it took couldn't have been that long and yet she was acting like she'd been isolated for far far longer. Still, what likely caught ARES' eye wasn't Hillary's pitiable display, but the sudden change in her appearance as she hugged the machine! Gone was the grey colour of the flooring of this hallway, and in its place was the sleek metallic finish of ARES' hull. Even the paint job was practically identical, yet Hillary still largely kept her shape, albeit with some minor alterations. If ARES had the means to scan the matter that made up Hillary, she'd find it virtually identical as well.
And yet Hillary didn't pay any mind as her body changed to adopt its new form and instead continued to hold ARES. "Thank you for coming to get me."
[color=0000A0]"Remember, it's very hot in the lands of Greece. Make sure to be wearing a hat, use plenty of sunblock, and drink plenty of water!"[/color]
At this rate, Alexandra was walking through the Plaka Distract, well known for being the best place to shop for tourists. Normally, the centaur would not bother coming through here despite enjoying the view, but due to the American tourists along a handful of others not too far behind, she figured it would be for the best. Heck, it was a bit fun playing the role of a Tour Guide, all while allowing at least seven children to ride her; the centaur ensuring each of them were well seated. Besides, she enjoyed their laughter and playful 'giddy ups' or 'faster' now and again.
The dad began to cough a little, quite a lot of people walking about smoking. Alexandra leaned over, giving him a heads up.
[color=0000A0]"No matter how much I love Greece, we do have our faults. For one, everyone's likely to smoke."[/color]
"Gghhrr, y-yea i've noticed." He coughed once more, the wife unable to stop waving her hand to 'shake off' the smoke that lingered in the air, tickling her nostrils. "And the crowd following you, they keep shouting in our ears. Are they anger with you?"
[color=0000A0]"Not at all, they're happily chattering with one another and at me. Tourists tend to believe Greeks constantly argue, but that's not the case. It's just how we talk! Sometimes people think i'm arguing as well, but it's just me being engaged with the topic with a passion."[/color]
Many heads turned to see the centaur leading the pack of people, some chose to join, others watched from afar. Teens and young adults grew excited, flipping out their IPhones to record, one even began to use a webcam to 'Stream' the moment on their laptop. Alexandra didn't mind at all, all she cared about was the children's safety and giving the followers a good time, maybe even something to remember for years to come.
The dad brought out his credit card, looking around since his wife was beginning to look quite bothered with the heat. "Hey hon, let me go get you a water or something. I'll be righ-"
[color=0000A0]"Is that a credit card? Just so you're aware, a lot of Greeks here only accept cash, and nearly all accept Euros."[/color]
"Of course they do .." He sighed, tucking his credit card away but out of surprise, one of the men following behind handed him a sealed water bottle. He must of understood English to of just given him the drink, in which the father slowly accepted before saying ".. T-thank you sir." He handed it to his wife, in which she swept away, popped the cap off, right before splashing some water against her face, not even caring if her makeup gets ruined. As they continued onward, people were passing by them, shoulder to shoulder. Even as some paused midway to glance at Alexandra or purposely stood in front to get a good view, she did not mind it. One fellow bumped into the father, making the tourist turn to the stranger with the typical "Oh i'm so sorry! Excuse me!", but before the guy could advance further, he was out of nowhere, lifted off the ground? Alexandra held him by the back of his hood, like you would hold a cat by their fur- the guy froze with shock. Rolling her eyes, she used the other hand to grab something from the man's grip and offered it to the father. As the husband examined it closely, it was his own wallet. ".. Wait, is that my .."
[color=0000A0]"Pickpockets are not too common, but ... his sweater in this type of weather gave it away."[/color]
The crowed gathered, booing at the thief as they began slapping him (not too harshly but) with the criminal trying to defend himself, causing Alexandra to speak out in Greek, making them stop the assault as she placed the man down gently. She told him something in their language, and with a quick nod, the stranger jolted away in shame. [color=0000A0]"In broad daylight too. The nerve of some people."[/color]
The kids on her back all clapped, celebrating her heroism, even the daughter was jumping up and down in her seat. "Ahhh dad! She stopped the baddie from taking your money!"
". .. . . Why yes she did." He admitted, looking up to Alexandra, whom felt sheepish with such attention being bestowed onto her.
[color=0000A0]"Anyone can be a hero guys; if they're willing to help others. It's really that simple."[/color]
- Dec 18, 2012
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"Think nothing of it," ARES said, mildly put off by her clingy behavior, but not so much that she thought to mention it. The added weight from Hillary copying her armor's material however, was enough to cause her to lean, struggling under her unintentional grapple as the slime became a highly dense reinforced steel, the metal floor under the combined weight of the pair groaning as though it were about ready to sink in on itself. "... That being said, I find your ability to change your form intriguing, but I must ask you not do so for now. I'm quite heavy enough as it is." She said, waiting for the slime to let go before leading her to the canteen.Zepherus14 said: