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 HP: 18/18 | Armor: 0 | Damage: d4 | Load: 4/6 | XP: 5/9 Undead Servants: Chauncey, Gigantic Multi-Armed Porter| Stats: +3 STR, +2 CON/DEX, +1 INT/WIS/CHA | HP: 12/12 | Armor: 2 | DMG: +4 Zann's still not sure why Jet is drowning her sorrows in the same establishment that the lich is currently haunting, but it can't hurt to have someone reliable around. Another bonus for being undead -- an end to bad pickup lines. Of course, right now Zann is more focused on a different pit of bleak depression and desperation: student loans. Specifically, the student loans of a number of... let's call them prospective entrepreneurs. "Young man, the question is not whether the RHR program is right for you, but rather if you are right for it. Do you want to be part of a growing business? Do you want to join the coming era of economic expansion? Do you want to serve the good of the world, command an army of perfectly obedient, post-mortality servants, and get paid for it? Then yes, I believe it would be 'right' for you." Marking xp for my alignment, resolving my Bond with Jet, and killing what's-his-face. I'll update with a Recruit roll when I hear on the modifiers for it.
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Aug 24, 2017 01:00
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 Behold and Seira Behold watches several cycles of typing and deleting messages before Cixi finally answers. What a terrible feature. [ o ] [ Sure. ] [ Lemme figure something out. ] [ She got a type? Where we going? ] It takes a few tries to get the truck engine to turn over. Might need to get that checked out soonish. Zann and Jet The bartender rolls her eyes and pours out another tall shot glass of highly flammable rum. "You want me to just line up a few more of these for you, hon?" "That'sh too bad." The man just hangs onto Jet awkwardly, refusing to move. Did he just pass out? In the dark corner of the bar, a young man raps his fingers on his drum in thought. "Yeah... Yeah. I like that, but, like, command is way too strong of a word, you know? I'm not really feeling it." He puffs on his cigarette and squints. "Maybe, like, manage or coordinate. But... Yeah. I dig it! Oh, don't let me stop you. Please, go on." 
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Aug 24, 2017 12:52
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 HP: 12/12 | Armor: 1 | Damage: d8 | Load: 4/7 | XP: 3/9 "Sure. Dinner's fine." Seira does just that, and puts both feet all over that dash. If it's just the three of them, though. "I mean, I don't want to impose, I have some research to do anyway." Mitama fucked around with this message at 14:48 on Aug 24, 2017 |
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Aug 24, 2017 13:55
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 HP: 16/16 | Armor: 2 | Damage: d8 | Charge: ◇◇◇ | Load: 9/10 | XP: 3/9 "Cixi and I can go out after we eat. And she might bring a friend." Behold makes a mental note to work on the truck soonest. "Let me figure out where we're headed." [ Not sure where, but I'm starving. Know any good places to eat? ] [ After dinner we'll split and go out ourselves. ] [ Also she likes cute girls. Pretty sure. I mean everyone does. ] Atlatl Do you want me to handle some of the replies from Cixi? Comrade Gorbash fucked around with this message at 20:55 on Aug 24, 2017 |
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Aug 24, 2017 14:25
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 HP: 26/26 | Armor: 1 | Damage: d10 | Load: 5/9 | XP: 5/9 Jet sighs and shrugs off the drunken man like a wet coat. "Piss off. I'm too sad about not gettin' to stab a dude to stab a dude right now. Not that stabbing you'd be any fun anyway. Keep 'em coming, Sasha."
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Aug 24, 2017 15:55
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HP: 18/18 | Armor: 0 | Damage: d4 | Load: 4/6 | XP: 5/9 Undead Servants: Chauncey, Gigantic Multi-Armed Porter| Stats: +3 STR, +2 CON/DEX, +1 INT/WIS/CHA | HP: 12/12 | Armor: 2 | DMG: +4 "Well, it's not my word, but you have hit on the main problem we face." Zann leans back with bony fingertips together, and continues. "I'm not trying to scare you off here, but I do want you to know going in that there's still some lingering PR issues attached to the profession as a whole. Who-knows-how-many years of Necromancers being crazy people who live in caves and rob graveyards by moonlight hasn't done a whole lot for our reputation, but GKI has already made great strides in dispelling that sort of image. Hell, I couldn't even be out in public a few centuries ago without risking the locals reaching for the torches and pitchforks. Hold that thought, someone's about to commit suicide by pickup line." Noticing the idiot about to get himself killed, Zann directs Chauncey over to do his best loom. "Now, we are a GKI subsidiary, which means we'll eventually have to start paying up to corporate, but right now it all stays in the startup. As long as you know the basics, I can provide any of the specialized training you may be missing -- not conquer the world material, but enough to construct, maintain, and direct a work crew. What do you say?" Recruit roll: quote:@wiegieman: 2d6+2 = (5+2)+2 = 9
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Aug 24, 2017 20:20
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 HP: 18/18 | Armor: 1 | Damage: d8 | Poise: 5/5 | Load: 5/6 | XP: 7/9 | Currently: Stylish, Regal Neon=Neon waves back at Sol, whose mighty frame is almost completely eclipsed by the myriad array of boxes and bags the two had accumulated over the afternoon, and said, "C'mon, hurry up! We've just got one last stop before we've finished this vital reconnaissance mission!" This was a very generous way to describe how Neon=Neon had dragged him along on her madcap mission to build an encyclopedic knowledge of everything that the so-called luxury quarter of Pernabell Bay had to offer. It wasn't exactly up to her standards — few things were after living in the lap of corporate luxury, with every whim stuck — but she'd managed to identify a handful of potential sites that may be a good launching point for her renegade idol come-back tour and merchandise offensive! The last stop on their tour was, essentially, a bespoke armory. The kind of place where you could get custom tagged ammunition to really demonstrate your dominance over the poor sap who'd wandered into your sights. RFID tags, AR broadcasting, or, for the refined palate, laser-etched rounds. Neon=Neon ooh'd and aah'd over the various display cases, then turned on the charm as she asked the finely dressed shopkeep, "So! I happen to have a BTC Ravager Mk. III with the works—" Neon=Neon gestures excitedly as she mimes holding the massive rifle. "—and I was wondering if you happened to carry any BTC-compatible ammunition." She lets out an exaggerated sigh. "Proprietary ports and whatnot, I'm sure you know how it is!☆" While she waits for the shopkeep to catch up with her relentless patter, Neon=Neon answers her phone, "Hai~! I'll be right on by, just finishing my tour of the lux quarter. This place isn't half-bad, 'Biki!" She covered the transmitter for a moment, then asked the shopkeep, "Oh, yeah, where's 'Biki holed up these days?" Marking XP for defeating a notable enemy and fulfilling alignment! Willing to spend some coins on picking up an extra clip for the rifle, assuming it's readily available, will roll to Supply if not.
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Aug 24, 2017 21:07
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 HP 25/25 | Armor 4 | Load 8/14 | XP 1/9 Sol watched impassively as Neon was...herself at the man overseeing the store. It had been quite a day. He was certain he now carried more things in the multitude of bags he carried than he had ever owned in his life. Ah, well. That was part of what being an idol was all about. Conspicuous consumption and being larger than life at all times. Some folks might judge her harshly for it, and perhaps that was fair. She was, even in her fallen state, wealthier than most people could dream of being and she was not especially modest about that fact. What those people did not realize is the unseen problems that attended this sort of lifestyle. Sol had never dared ask, as it wasn't really his place to do so, if she had any lecherous old managers or psychotic fans he needed to deal with on her behalf. He just hoped that if there were, she would trust him to handle it. As Neon answered her phone, Sol took the opportunity to stop being a voiceless golem and stepped up behind her and leaned down. "You want those." He pointed at a couple boxes of proprietary ammunition on the back shelf. "The thirty cal ballistic tips." If Neon was going to fight, and actually use that enormous rifle, might as well see to it she was equipped properly for the job. "It's expensive, yes. But hollow points ensure what you hit doesn't get back up. They also have better accuracy and kinetic energy efficiency over long distances. You see, the way the round is..." He stopped himself before he launched into a lecture on bullets and their firing characteristics that she would no doubt find extremely tedious. "...It's like you. You wear fancy clothes, expensive makeup, glitzy accessories, all of that to shine. That rifle wants the same sort of thing to reach its full potential."
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Aug 24, 2017 23:47
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Behold and Seira Cixi's link abruptly switches over to voice. "Yeah, I know a place. You like ramen? Hey, Nat! Nat! Natasha! Clean up, we're going to dinner! ... What do you mean burnt? ... Eh? ... Just shut off the pump! ... Well, there's poo poo all we can do about it now, so stop playing in 2190 and go get cleaned up! ... How long? ... Whatever, we'll be there in a bit. Head over to Ichiban's on the East Square." She hangs up. Shortly after she forwards GPS coordinates and a picture. Yeah, please handle replies from Cixi after this. Behold, what are the highlights on this establishment's menu and what does it look like? Seira, Natasha's a mechanic that works with Cixi. How does Natasha speak and how does she introduce herself? Zann and Jet Chauncy posts up on the nearly-unconscious man on the floor, doing his best to mean-mug and flex. It comes off as a little mechanical and is far enough into the uncanny valley territory to become comical, not that the guy is sober enough to tell the difference between the two. He crawls along the floor in an attempt to clear out, though Chauncey stays close on his heels. Sasha continues to keep them coming, though she does so by pouring out a set of five and moving on to attend to the growing number of customers at the bar. Zann gets several volunteers, though from casual conversation earlier, it only looks like three of them might have any prospects of skill. You have the choice of the following hirelings from those listening: Matthias (Matt), Dragonkind Beatnik with a Double Major in Magical Theory and Imperial Literature Costs: Uncovered Knowledge, Good Accomplished. Skills: Adept 4, Priest 2. Loyalty: 2. Molly, Medusa Med-School Dropout Costs: Money, Good Accomplished. Skills: Priest 4, Adept 1. Loyalty: 1. Eikavel, Forest Sprite with a Criminal Justice Degree Costs: Fame and Glory, Money. Skills: Tracker 3, Burglar 2. Loyalty: 2. Zann, who are you picking, if any? Jet, what does incredibly drunk Jet act like? Neon and Sol The elderly gentleman behind the counter pulls out the two sizeable boxes that Sol was pointing at. "That Ravager's a .338, but these here are sabot'd .30 cal and have tournament grade QA. Don't shoot it near your friends; those sabot pieces hurt awful bad and go all over the place. 5 G a round, sadly, but the best for adventurers that we got." Best for adventurers being the operating euphemism for best at killing everything, ever. "Two boxes of ten will run you 100 here. Gonna need to take pack weight into consideration if you care to carry much more than that." He points as he gives directions. "Hang a left out the door and hang another left at the intersection to head North. Just go straight; road ends in a T-intersection two blocks up, and the courtyard's right there. Big. Can't miss it. Skyscraper's in the middle. Follow the signs around to go in through the front unless you want trouble from the security or somethin'." Neon, what sort of things has Hibiki put up in the tower courtyard? Sol, what sort of security is set up around the tower? 20 ammo readily available for 100 G! It will allow you to shoot past Far range, but adds the tag Dangerous. It's a bad idea to shoot it in the general direction of your allies. You'll be fine, though.
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Aug 26, 2017 09:45
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HP: 26/26 | Armor: 1 | Damage: d10 | Load: 5/9 | XP: 5/9 Jet doesn't nurse drinks. The 5 shots are gone before Sasha has another chance to turn. Only this forced pause prevents Jet from getting even more, and lets the first 7ish settle in. Therefore, shortly afterward... "HEY ZANN! WHATCHA UP TO OVER HERE!?" sluryells Jet, slapping the Lich on the back. "IS IT A FIGHT? I HOPE ITS A FIGHT!"
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Aug 26, 2017 17:43
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HP 25/25 | Armor 4 | Load 8/14 | XP 1/9 Sol had some minor doubts about visiting a skyscraper after the problems they'd had on that previous job, but he dismissed them. What were the odds this building would explode? Besides, the security ought to prevent that sort of thing. There'd be a team of drider taking shifts in a fortified section of the sub-basement, hooked up to the whole network. Full access to the cameras (several on each floor, plus perimeter cameras covering all street approaches to the building), doors, security golems, phone lines (for calling the fire department, constabulary, or if absolutely necessary - people like the Vulture Capitalists.), and if you took some of the wilder assumptions seriously - anti-aircraft weapons on the roof. And as he understood it, those sorts of gigs paid extremely well and had benefit packages impressive enough that you'd need to be offering a private island with a complementary harem to have a chance of subverting anyone on the inside. Why drider? He was never clear on that. Something about a natural affinity for taking one specific place, knowing it intimately, and ensuring no stupid rear end in a top hat could ever hope to infiltrate it and cause trouble. Plus spider people were just naturally scary. A massive half-noightmare, half-elf in riot gear wielding automatic weapons and flash-bangs, with a reputation for eating people? It tended to give pause. And how did anybody afford to set up and maintain something on that scale? For one, you didn't see poor people living in them. This was strictly Neon=Neon/Hibiki/similarly rich and well-to-do territory. There was also the fact that it was practically a public secret that most were financed by a dragon, and what the hell else were they going to do with all the wealth they accumulated? Piling gold coins in a cave on a remote mountain didn't earn dividends. And if someone was absolutely stupid enough to start poo poo in a dragon's territory, they were just asking for the world of pain to follow. If someone has to call the penthouse and let Lord Tyranathraxxus know that some ne'er-do-wells were planning to spoil his evening, you got stepped on. And on top of all of that, the doorman wouldn't let you in unless you lived there or somebody who did called down to okay it. And getting into a fistfight with a troll was not on Sol's to-do list today.
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Aug 26, 2017 19:15
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HP: 16/16 | Armor: 2 | Damage: d8 | Charge: ◇◇◇ | Load: 9/10 | XP: 3/9 Ichiban's proves to have a nice view on a canal. The wooden construction is traditional, with classic charred wood. The design is more modern - simple clean decor and open and airy, though they've put the kitchen in the middle and arranged the seating into clusters so things don't get too loud in any one section. The place does ramen in the local style, which means a lot of seafood, pork, bitter melon, and the local thicker style of noodles. They also have good liquor prices, especially for sake and awamori. The ramen's good but the real stars of the menu are the andagi and the kōrēgusu hot sauce. Ichiban's uses their andagi to make a bunch of side dishes and desserts, and a lot of people just order those. Cixi already has a table in the corner and waves Behold and Seira over when they walk in. Cixi looks pretty good in a sun dress with her hair in braids, and she grabs Behold to give her a kiss before Behold can sit down. Behold looks a bit sheepish at that, which makes Cixi laugh at her. "Hey Seira. How's house hunting?" Cixi greets the spellsword. "Nat's just in the bathroom, she should be back in a second."
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Aug 26, 2017 19:42
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HP: 12/12 | Armor: 1 | Damage: d8 | Load: 4/7 | XP: 3/9 "Exhausting." Seira says, quietly overlooking that PDA. "I think we finally decided on something, though. Which is good, because I need to order some heavy equipment online and I have no idea how fast they deliver in this isl-" "Sorry for that! I'm here~" Natasha pops out of the door, winking as she does so! Then she takes a second to straighten out her clothes once more. It's super clear that she just got together something that looked nice on short notice and didn't have time to comb her hair or anything like that. Not that Seira is noticing that. She's uh, just going to quietly say "hi" and put away her hat. Obviously, she should do that, because it would be rude. And she's going to sit down. Opposite of Natasha, of course. She's cute, huh. "Heeey, I'm Natasha, I work with Cixi with the salvage. You know, fixing the gear, running scanning stuff, buncha hopeless nerd stuff." Natasha points at the two guests. "You're Behold! Of course you are, Cixi won't ever stop talking about you. And you're her friend!" "...Seira." The spellsword manages to say.
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Aug 27, 2017 12:30
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Behold and Seira "Seira, huh? Pretty name. Are you Imperial? You sound like you have that sort of accent, at least." She babbles. Seira can make out the faintest hint of oil, cigarettes, and diesel fuel lingering around her. "So I heard from Cixi that you're an electrician or something? Or at least good with that stuff. What is it that you do?" A ball drone floats over to the table, presumably the waiter. Numerous Shiheian charms dangle from it, all attached by brightly colored strings and featuring hand written well-wishes. A soothing, low-fi male voice speaks. "Have you been helped yet? Had a chance to look over the menu, or do you need more time?"
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Aug 27, 2017 13:39
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HP: 18/18 | Armor: 1 | Damage: d8 | Poise: 4/5 | Load: 5/6 | XP: 7/9 | Currently: Stylish, Regal Neon=Neon flips out her G-Card with incredible speed and says in a sing-song tone, "Pleasure doing business~! I'll be in town for a while, so anything else you can find to tweak this baby..." She smiles at the shopkeep, then turns to face Sol, "Bingo!☆ It's all about having the right tools — and the right people — to make it all work!" Checking her chronometer, she bops her fist down onto her hand and says, "We should probably get going! I bet 'Biki is just dying of boredom." Spending 100g on the sabot ammo! As she leaves Sol to add the boxes of bullets to his ever-growing display of rampant consumerism, she pauses, runs a finger up his side and says, "But~! Afterwards, why don't you show me how to service that rifle?" It is completely unclear whether she intended that to sound as provocative as it did or, indeed, if she even picked up on the potential double-entendre. Neon=Neon exits the store and quickly sights the massive skyscraper. When Sol rejoins her, she begins to stroll towards 'Biki's pad with boundless enthusiasm. The first thing she noticed when they entered the tower courtyard was, naturally, the giant holo-displays of 'Biki in her prime. The people must really love her around here. Or, at least, her ego was enough to create its own gravitational pull. It was like a museum to her glory days. Neon=Neon couldn't help but let a completely authentic smile shine through as she looked at the displays. It'd been a long time since they were fighting their way through the cutthroat world of up-and-coming idols. It did bring to mind the target of her ire as well, though not even the thought of Ｌ💖ＶＥＬＹ could dampen her cheer. Making her way across the courtyard, Neon=Neon was soon stopped by a heavily augmented troll. Her eyes danced up and down the troll's figure, then she said, "Hibiki is expecting us, miss~! Neon=Neon and her plus one at☆your☆service~" As she assumes the troll is checking the linked database for whether Hibiki was, indeed, expecting a guest, she adds, "You know, I'm going to be visiting Hibiki a lot since we're moving in down the way. Could you do me a tiny favor and make sure I'm on the list? It'd save us all so much time, don't you think~?" quote:Per Winsome, Neon=Neon is spending a point of Poise and asking the lady guarding the door to do the teensy favor of adding her to the list of people who can bypass security, such as residents. GM chooses:
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Aug 27, 2017 22:38
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HP 25/25 | Armor 4 | Load 8/14 | XP 2/9 Sol looked down at Neon. Was she flirting with him? It was hard to tell if it was just her playful nature or if she actually meant anything by it. Well. Two could play at that game. He kept pace next to Neon as they walked to the skyscraper. "Of course. There's a lot of delicate components that require a careful touch. Lubricant will be a necessity to ensure everything moves the way it's supposed to." It was a good thing he had long legs, because her energy threatened to send her vanishing off ahead if he lollygagged. As they approached the door, Sol gave the guard a nod. As Neon made her request, his eyes scanned both the troll, and the general area. It was public and broad daylight so it would be foolish for somebody to try anything, but it was part of his job to never let his guard down. Nobody would have guessed a band of terrorists would up and kidnap a crowd at a concert either - and look what happened. As the memory came back, he quickly glanced up at the nearby rooftops as well. Discern Realities: @Shardix: 2d6+1 = (6+3)+1 = 10 What happened here recently? What should I be on the lookout for? What here is not what it appears to be? Shardix fucked around with this message at 00:14 on Aug 28, 2017 |
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Aug 28, 2017 00:11
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HP: 12/12 | Armor: 1 | Damage: d8 | Load: 4/7 | XP: 3/9 "Uh, software and magic engineering." Seira considers that a moment. "That's technically my degree, but my job was really just kicking computers until they started working again. Didn't care for it after a while, so I'm freelancing for now. It's been... working okay, so far." A bit of curiousity strikes, enough to overcome her anxiety for a bit. "Are you from here? This island? Or just crashed here like us?"
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Aug 29, 2017 09:30
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 Neon and Sol Sol notices that the rooftops in the square seem to feature quite a few miniature wind turbines. The in-vogue green office types that do very little to actually offset any energy expenditures, but remind people that they're at least trying. These ones seem to be inefficiently arranged, as if they were disguising various antennas and unidentified devices. One particularly large and poorly-angled solar panel is very obviously a fire control radar. Many appear to be recently repaired after the attack during the storm. Looks like those rumors about anti-aircraft missiles and such might have some truth to them; it might be a bad idea to test Hibiki's patience if she has these sorts of resources. "Of course. I'm sure the mayor take no issue with this." The troll gives a slight bow. The pair of tall glass double doors open autonomously and she politely motions for the two to proceed. Inside is an art deco splendor, with shining marble floors and walls covered in gilded murals. Only a few feature Hibiki in any way; they must be the sections repaired after past brawls. Another politely dressed attendant signals to follow, and he leads the two to an elevator. Neon is added directly to the security access list for all areas. Please be responsible! The doors open to reveal a library full of soft light and sporting an artificial sky in every window, the first of which features a moonlit night. Numerous sword racks line the walkway, though most stand empty with their regular contents thrown into disorganized piles on the floor. Some poor assistant was going to have to clean and sort all those weapons that got dragged out during the attack.  Hibiki's timid footsteps echo loudly off the hardwood floors as she makes her way over from the next row of shelves to greet her old coworker. "Neon, that you?" She peeks around the corner of a bookshelf, motioning to follow. "Of course it is! Sorry, I'd come give you a hug but I'm trying not to eat poo poo on furniture edges and stuff before my new eyes come in." Hibiki fumbles her way back to a couch lit by moonlight and gingerly sits down, patting the space next to her. The holovid screen on the opposite shelf mutes itself with a wave of her hand. "Take a seat! How do you like my island? You find a place you like yet?" Neon, what sort of television is Hibiki Behold and Seira "I'm Amelian, silly. Name's Natasha Kozyrev, got the ears," she waggles them for emphasis, "got the - well, I guess I don't have much accent left. And I guess I don't look like that much of a mutt... Anyways, definitely not from around here. I used to work for the merchants - er, merchant marines - and stopped here for a port call one time. I liked it enough to try and get a job here. No rules, pay's good, people leave each other alone, got the beach and lots of nature. It's great! At least, that's what I think. Not a whole lot of others agree, based on the population." "So you're here to start kicking heads instead of computers, I take it? Are you one of those types that's just going to do local security stuff or is this just going to be your home base?"
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Aug 29, 2017 13:09
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HP 25/25 | Armor 4 | Load 8/14 | XP 2/9 Sol carefully set down the massive cluster of bags and packages, his helmet slowly panning as he tracked Hibiki. "Good day, mistress. I don't think we had a chance to be properly introduced. Ramified Soliloquy, Lady Neon's bodyguard. My condolences on your injury, but I am glad to see you were not harmed any further." A moment as he considered how to tactfully put his next words. Interacting with high society was not his strong suit. "I beg your pardon if this comes off the wrong way, but I feel obligated to do so. If you are perhaps considering hiring someone like me after the...unfortunate incident the other day, I can get you in touch with many extremely skilled individuals." Last time he had been home, there had been a few younger folk who would now be reaching their majority and needing some work. No reason he couldn't attempt to network on their behalf.
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Aug 30, 2017 01:28
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HP: 18/18 | Armor: 0 | Damage: d4 | Load: 4/6 | XP: 5/9 Undead Servants: Chauncey, Gigantic Multi-Armed Porter| Stats: +3 STR, +2 CON/DEX, +1 INT/WIS/CHA | HP: 12/12 | Armor: 2 | DMG: +4 Well, at least the recruits are getting an early exposure to their likely working conditions. "Yes, hello Jet. People, this is Jet, who is part of what I do when I'm not doing this. Please don't give her an excuse to kill you, and you should be fine." Okay. Not the worst crop ever, but certainly not the best -- but Zann can work with this. Time to give them the news, good and bad. "Eikavel, I have to ask: have you ever channeled mana by design before? At all? This is a position that takes at least some magical skill for its every-day responsibilities. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm just not seeing any kind of foundation for that, and it's not the sort of thing you can make up for with natural abilities." "Molly, I think I can work with you. Just keep in mind that necromancy is probably very different than the kind of thing you've handled before. I certainly have the time to teach you what you're missing, since I don't have any particular need to sleep, but it will be a lot of work. Make sure you're up for it." "Matthias, I'll give you some technical literature. Tell me anything you don't think you can handle and I'll demonstrate as needed. You mentioned that you have a mostly theoretical background, which is fine, but are you capable of putting together a toolkit? You'll need an something that can handle an effector field at the minumum if you want to reliably operate -- extended control isn't the sort of thing you want to leave to brainwork until you've got some time in your bones. You don't have to make it yourself, but you definitely need to know how it fits together. That goes for you too, Molly." Zann is offering the job to the more magically inclined of the three. Also, after hundreds of years there are some pretty high standards for apprentices here. wiegieman fucked around with this message at 03:26 on Aug 30, 2017 |
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Aug 30, 2017 02:21
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HP: 16/16 | Armor: 2 | Damage: d8 | Charge: ◇◇◇ | Load: 9/10 | XP: 3/9 Behold orders some of the andagi and a bottle of awamori to start before answering Cixi's question. "I think we found a place! There's a building that never got any tenants, was supposed to have shops on the bottom two floors and apartments on the upper three. It needs some finishing work, especially the electrical, but it's just about perfect for what we need! Even has a basement garage with enough space for me to set up a workshop.The exterior is a little weird though. Sort of retro? Also it's on a canal but there's no dock so that's a thing." Comrade Gorbash fucked around with this message at 04:53 on Aug 30, 2017 |
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Aug 30, 2017 02:36
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HP: 26/26 | Armor: 1 | Damage: d10 | Load: 5/9 | XP: 5/9 "NEW NECROMANCERS?! SWEET!" says Jet. "I LOVE THAT poo poo! I HAD A SKELETON SERVANT UNTIL THEY BLEW UP THAT APARTMENT, IT WAS GREAT!!" Jet stares at the 3. "HAVE ANY OF YOU EVER KILLED SOMEONE BEFORE? IT'S AN IMPORTANT QUALIFICATION!! KNOWING HOW PEOPLE COME APART IS IMPORTANT TO KNOWING HOW THEY GO BACK TOGETHER! AT LEAST, THAT'S WHAT THE DOC WHO PUT IN THIS ARM TOLD ME, AND I LIKE THIS ARM!" She grabs one of the three at random, catching Molly at random. "DO YOU LIKE MY ARM?!"
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Aug 30, 2017 03:41
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HP: 12/12 | Armor: 1 | Damage: d8 | Load: 4/7 | XP: 3/9 "Well, I'm still figuring that out. We pulled off a job as soon as we got here, that went swimmingly. Surprisingly so." Now that it's been brought up, Seira can't help but pay a little more attention to Natalie's ears now. You know, in an attracted sort of way. "But yes, I'm going to settle in before I make any big decisions. Either way, I suppose you'll be seeing me around here more often." Seira finds the whole talk of nations kind of weird, in a way. She didn't think of herself as Imperial, or Natasha as Amelian. She was a citizen of Broadland Electric Telecommunication Services, and now she isn't. It's how it is.
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Aug 30, 2017 03:45
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HP: 16/16 | Armor: 2 | Damage: d8 | Charge: ◇◇◇ | Load: 9/10 | XP: 3/9 Behold holds up a finger, remembering something. "Right! I meant to ask, do you know if there's an Arrowist collective around here?" she asks Cixi. "Those are usually good places to get odd jobs." Behold herself is lapsed, but she still knows the lingo. Officially the Steadfast Heralds of the Forthcoming Dawn, the Arrowists are a quasi-religious philosophical society that believes technological progress and science will prove the salvation of the world, and provide a path to enlightenment. They were founded by a futurist who took the name The Arrow of Time Points Towards Progress. Arrowists naturally make excellent engineers and scientists, and tend to be extreme neophiles. They also advocate a wholescale restructuring of society, see traditional culture as a major source of oppression. Others tend to find Arrowists kind of annoying, but useful for their technical skills and their dedication to charitable works. Most Arrowists live in the orbitals, on the space elevator, or off-world bases, but anywhere there's significant technological activity going on tends to have an Arrowist collective nearby. Behold's family live on an orbital.
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Aug 30, 2017 05:09
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HP: 18/18 | Armor: 1 | Damage: d8 | Poise: 4/5 | Load: 5/6 | XP: 7/9 | Currently: Stylish, Regal Neon=Neon keeps a straight face at Sol's response, "Oh, of course~! Friction can be such a drag!☆" She then spins, levels a pair of finger-guns at the troll guard, and says, "You're the best! Be seeing you~" With that taken care of, she tugs at Sol's jacket as she begins to follow the other attendant to the elevators. --- As the two reach the penthouse, a familiar song greets Neon=Neon and Ramified as they leave the elevators. Sol may not have recognized it immediately, but Neon=Neon could hardly forget the tune. It was, after all, the song that had won her position in ＮＥＯ☆ＬＯＶＥ at Tetsugawa GK's first, and to her knowledge only, アイドル戦国時代. She couldn't help the sincere smile that cut through her usual overly bubbly cheer. Where had Hibiki dug up that fossil? TET hadn't exactly offered it for general consumption. Neon=Neon was more or less convinced that had been one of Ｌ💖ＶＥＬＹ's early ploys in response to her rising star. Neon=Neon calls back, "Hey, 'Biki~! This pad is off☆the☆chain! How'd you end up with a whole island anyway?" She pokes Sol in the side with an elbow after he does his spiel. "Sol's super chill, plus he's way good at carrying things. And killing things too. He's got this wicked-rear end bat and he basically looks like a killer robot with all that armor he's packing. It's definitely a great fit with my new aesthetic~! And hey, didn't you have one of Zann's creepy dogs? Where's that sucker hiding?" Neon=Neon whistles a few times, pats her legs, then shrugs as there's no immediate patter of undead corpse-dog feet. She slides onto the couch next to Hibiki. Neon=Neon grins, "I was checking out that whole lux quarter scene~! You know that ammo shop next to the Amelian cafe? I got some sabot rounds for this rifle I lifted off one of the Betsies and oh man~ is that gonna be all sorts of fun." Neon=Neon stops for a moment, thinking. "I think Behold and Seira were tracking down a place for us to crash at today. They'll probably pick a good spot, plus they're like weird techy wizards anyways. Not much that they can't fix up between the two of them, and I'll take care of making it look Ａ Ｍ Ａ Ｚ Ｉ Ｎ Ｇ~!"
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Aug 30, 2017 06:32
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Sol and Neon "Eh, I got plenty of people," she waves dismissively to Sol. A pang of guilt causes her to double back immediately, however. "Give me their info and I'll take a look later. I'm sure a few of my boys will get themselves killed doing something stupid before then." "Oh, you know how the office politics are. Everyone hated me, except you and a handful of others." Hibiki sprawls out on the couch and lets out a world-weary sigh. "Everyone hated me and I got fired. Remember? Then I went to the real estate branch and the same thing happened, except instead of getting fired I got exiled out here to die. 'Cept I didn't. I got a bunch of idiots to follow me out here like it was holy land or something and it all worked out. Sort of. Dunno where the guide... Thing... Went." She shrugs. "One of my attendants probably took it away. Not really my aesthetic, and I couldn't even see it!" Hibiki tugs at the blue fabric blindfold over her eyes and drapes herself over Neon in an overly familiar way. "Sounds cool. Tell me more about your boy! Love the voice, by the way." She motions in Sol's general direction. "Where you from? Oh, you two looking for some high profile work? I know some people who could use your sort of skills. Or if you want to just break some knees, you could always just stick with me!" Hibiki can't help but smile viciously. Zann and Jet Eikavel's shoulders droop. "Oh, 'fraid not. I can do some nature magic stuff, but nothing formal. I thought there might be some sort of control system, yeah?" Molly squints, trying to escape the alcohol coming off of Jet's breathe for fear of becoming blackout drunk herself. "Erm, I mean, I killed a guy one time. He was a patient, though. That counts, right? I, uh..." She doesn't seem particularly thrilled with the prospect of spending much time around Jet. "You know, it's fine. I don't want to make you invest that much time teaching me. Just, uh, forget about me." "Jet? Sick name, sicker arms!" Matthias nods approvingly as he takes the last drag off his cigarette. "Awwww yeah, Zann. I'm all about it! I already got a lot of that stuff for my drone filming stuff. Might need to put together some new pieces here and there depending on what's applicable, you know? Should be some real primo cross-application of skills." He holds up an ok sign. "Just drop the books on me when you get a chance, I'll curl up with them and be done in no time." Looks like you'll be hiring Matthias! Behold and Seira "Hopefully more often than less," Natasha says, giving Seira a playful kick under the table. Cixi pauses to order some karaage and a can of beer. "You've sort of got two choices for that," she responds to Behold. "There's some ex-Arrowist GKI company man that lives on the other side of the island. Skates? Skater? Something like that. I see him pop up a lot of jobs on AP1 and occasionally has a big, big contract that goes out. Scary sounding stuff, though. He might be able to help you. The other option is the collective that just moved in a few months ago over on the West side: Routine Abuse of the Naming Convention. That's the name. Bunch of dumb spacer weebs playing tourist, lamenting the plight of the stupid poors down here." Cixi snorts. "Not like you. You're cool. I'm sure their parents have some big budget work to be done."
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Aug 30, 2017 12:58
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HP: 16/16 | Armor: 2 | Damage: d8 | Charge: ◇◇◇ | Load: 9/10 | XP: 3/9 "No one is as cool as me," Behold says with a wink, looking up the people Cixi mentioned and adding them to her contacts for later. That makes Cixi blow a raspberry at Behold. The appetizer arrives, and Behold snags an andagi. "Oh, these are sweet!" Cixi, holding on, bats her eyelashes and replies, in a sing-song voice, "Not as sweet as you." Caught off guard, Behold inhales half of her andagi and starts coughing. Cixi cracks up as she slaps Behold on the back.
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Sep 1, 2017 01:03
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HP 25/25 | Armor 4 | Load 8/14 | XP 2/9 Sol clasped his hands behind his back and assumed a relaxed posture. "With respect, madam. I am her bodyguard, not her 'boy'. Regardless. I hail from the Continental Anarchy, of the Swamp Kraken tribe. We are mostly self sufficient, but working among the more...technologically oriented societies has its uses. Advanced weapons and armor are difficult to manufacture without an industrial base, so money is sometimes necessary. So quite often individuals like myself are sent out to work. Often as mercenaries or bodyguards." He cleared his throat. He generally found that very few people were actually interested in the minutiae of his lifestyle, so he checked himself to avoid rambling. "Apologies. I am not very good at small talk. I am nevertheless happy to answer any other questions you might have." Shardix fucked around with this message at 01:30 on Sep 1, 2017 |
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Sep 1, 2017 01:28
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HP: 18/18 | Armor: 1 | Damage: d8 | Poise: 4/5 | Load: 5/6 | XP: 7/9 | Currently: Stylish, Regal Neon=Neon sighs dramatically in agreement as Hibiki bemoans the interpersonal skills of their classmates and political nightmare that was TET's idol division, "They certainly were a real bunch of backstabbing bitches~" She stops short a moment, then adds, "Literally with what's-her-face. The flower-themed one? I don't think they ever fingered who offed her." Neon=Neon waves at the island, seemingly have forgotten about Hibiki's current lack of vision, and says, "You really made it, though. I'm glad. When you went dark..." She shifts imperceptually on the couch. Neon=Neon shakes her head and says, "Anyways, Sol's right! He's a valued employee and/or wielder of an impossibly big stick. Plus he's mad good at carrying things." She considers Hibiki's offer for a moment, then says, "So what's this high-profile job? I need to get my name out there — and the rest of the VC crew — if I'm gonna get this ~renegade idol comeback tour~ off the ground!"
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Sep 1, 2017 03:50
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HP: 18/18 | Armor: 0 | Damage: d4 | Load: 4/6 | XP: 5/9 Undead Servants: Chauncey, Gigantic Multi-Armed Porter| Stats: +3 STR, +2 CON/DEX, +1 INT/WIS/CHA | HP: 12/12 | Armor: 2 | DMG: +4 Liches don't sigh, but Zann makes the effort. "Another stunning success in public relations, Miss Magnum. I was going to turn that girl into a skeleton queen. Matt, please don't be alarmed by her. I don't really plan on dragging you along for extracurricular activities." Zann fishes shakes a phone bracelet into place for Matt, adding "Ping me your contact information and I'll get what you need transferred over, not to mention our office address when we have an office." Speaking of which... "Jet, I know you're the absolute wrongest person to ask about this, but did Behold actually turn up any real estate leads? If Chauncey's carrying you home, I'd like to know where home actually is."
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Sep 1, 2017 04:08
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HP: 12/12 | Armor: 1 | Damage: d8 | Load: 4/7 | XP: 3/9 Seira returns the favor to Natasha, smiling. Are they getting along? She hopes so. Would be nice to make more friends in this island. "I think I know one of those names, Cixi." She says, stabbing her fork at one of these appetizers (She's a savage, yes). "8R, actually. He's actually that guy we ran a job for when we got here. Nice kid, but seems over his head. I'd feel bad haggling for every cent he has. Spacers, hmm. Much less so, I think. We could pay them a visit this week."
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Sep 1, 2017 05:32
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Neon and Sol "Alright, so check this out..." She pulls her smartphone from a pocket and holds it in the habitual low-ready. She pauses for a second before springing to her feet and haphazardly chucking it away in a fit of rage. "As I was saying," she states in her usual sleazy manner, "I got two pieces of work from a guy I know, one involves travel and the other is local. They're both part of the same op, though. One team does a little convenient orbital salvage from an old server satellite and sends it down, the other team has to recover the good bits as they drop down onto the island. We got the math together to know how to time it to get it here, and I don't think anyone's going to notice it going missing since it's been down for a year, but it'll be tricky. It'll nab us a lot of juicy corporate secrets that we can sell off for big bucks." Hibiki rubs her fingers together as she imagines the big payoff. "Away team might need to do a little more fast talking. But anyways, you two think about that. Don't wanna talk about business when I got so much catching up to do with my kohai!" The rest of the day passes quickly. Drugs and/or alcohol may be involved. It's a great time. Zann and Jet "Ough!" Chauncey interjects at the mention of his name, evidently complete with his task of flexing on Jet's propositioner. Matthias airdrops his info to Zann immediately. "Yeah, you got it boss. Take your time." The time at the bar passes swiftly, though Zann doesn't make any further contacts worth remembering. Jet probably won't remember much at all, really. Behold and Seira The meal is excellent, filling, and cheap. The conversation is pleasant, especially as it steers away from the subject of work. Cixi and Behold leave together as promised, while Natasha gives Seira her number and an offer to take her home. Awfully thirsty mechanic, her. THE NEXT MORNING, AT THE TEAM BUILDING There is no noise to herald the start of the day. The block that the four story building occupies is silent, save for the soft movement of water in the artificial riverwalk that runs past. There's a slight rustling around as some of the team's guests wake. There are the very faint sounds of kitchen activity. Is someone cooking breakfast? The place is prefurnished, but messy. It's as if the company moved everything in and pre staged everything inside, but left before properly unpacking and arranging the furniture. All, what guests (if any) did you bring back to your place? What is already in your rooms? Also who is cooking breakfast right now and what is it?
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Sep 2, 2017 13:03
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HP: 26/26 | Armor: 1 | Damage: d10 | Load: 5/9 | XP: 5/9 Jet's room is a small arsenal of repair tools, spare weapons, and sparer weapons. From habit, they are already concealed behind mess and more mess, despite the lack of need. Or maybe Jet just doesn't clean too good. Her closet is empty- her spare clothes, such as they are, are scattered about the room like blood spatter. The other thing Jet had sent was a decent set of cooking utensils. Which explains why it is her cooking a hearty breakfast of eggs and sausages in the main room. There is enough for everyone, somehow, despite the guests. Jet didn't bring anybody back, this time- too drunk to bother not scaring everyone away unintentionally. It's fairly skilled cooking. There's fresh green onions in with the eggs, and the spicing is perfect.
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Sep 2, 2017 19:39
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HP: 16/16 | Armor: 2 | Damage: d8 | Charge: ◇◇◇ | Load: 9/10 | XP: 3/9 Upon their acquisition of the building, Behold laid claim to underground parking garage. She's already had a bunch of tools and equipment dragged in so she can turn it into a proper artificer's garage/workshop. Those tend to combine the most hazardous attributes of magical laboratories and industrial workspaces, so she's put up a rather intimidating amount of warning signage as first order of business. The second order of business was redoing the wiring after she blew every fuse in the building. It should be able to handle the loads they have in mind now. The first proper project on her list - and Behold literally has a list, posted next to the workshop door - is to service and tune up their recently acquired trucks. But that will have to wait until the equipment is unpacked and set up. So far she just has a few workbenches put together, and a bunch of Arrowist propaganda posters in their distinct heroic futurist style. It's not clearly whether they're intended ironically or not, but most of them appear to be the real thing as opposed to later reprints. In contrast to the busy and unrelentingly functional shop space, Behold's room is surprisingly girly. Behold's somehow managed to sort through the furniture to give it a cohesive aesthetic, even though nothing in it matches. It's pretty light and airy, mostly white, with lots of throws and pillows. The oddest bit is the bed - really more of a hammock, made of some kind of super-silk hand-made by drow in the orbital habitats, soft as sin and with a tensile strength roughly similar to the stuff they used to make the space elevator cable. Behold wanders down for breakfast, her hair a mess, in a t-shirt with a cute fat bird on it and shorts. She pours herself some coffee and stares out the window while drinking it, slowly re-entering the land of the living. A couple minutes later Cixi comes in, wearing a shirt that's obviously another of Beholds, and gets coffee too. Cixi is a lot less out of it. "That looks really tasty. Good one of you can cook, Behold over there could burn water. There's a place you can get really good local sausages and poo poo near here, I'll message you the address." "Espresso," Behold says suddenly, unprompted. "We should have an espresso machine." She squints at the sunlight coming in the window. "It's bright."
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Sep 3, 2017 01:06
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HP 25/25 | Armor 4 | Load 8/14 | XP 2/9 Sol quietly exercised in his room until the sounds of life began to creep through the building. Finishing his calisthenics routine, he grabbed a shower and headed down to the kitchen after throwing on some pants. He caught himself halfway down the stairs and headed back to his room. It was nothing especially fancy, but it was decidedly his. A layer of rugs and furs, with an excess of pillows and blankets for sleeping dominated the majority of the room. A small stack of books, notepads, and pencils he was working through lay on the floor nearby next to a small stereo with headphones plugged in, with a stack of Neon's albums set on top. His gear was neatly arrayed on a low table, next to the closet with his multiple, identical sets of clothes and a spare set of boots. The walls were adorned in tapestries and prayer strips, with the Swamp Kraken war banner dominating everything. It wasn't precisely like home but it was comfortable. Stepping inside, Sol glanced around before spotting and sweeping up his veil. He'd been in more than his fair share of brutal fights even considering his young age and he bore the scars to prove it. Out of deference for others he wore it to avoid putting people off their breakfast. Heading back down, he bid Jet a pleasant good morning and poured himself a cup of coffee before sitting down to continue his efforts at interpreting draconic poetry. The metaphors were thicker than troll hide and the turns of phrase often left him puzzling for a while before he managed to find their meaning. Amusingly, their meaning mostly appeared to be obscene - it seemed this was a collection of letters from an anonymous wyrm to a princess of some kingdom or another he had been trying to seduce, and he had very specific ideas of what he would like to do with her. He absently dropped a couple tabs of speed into his coffee and nodded hello to Behold and Cixi as they entered in.
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Sep 3, 2017 02:22
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HP: 26/26 | Armor: 1 | Damage: d10 | Load: 5/9 | XP: 5/9 "Yeah, hook me up. When you're stuck in any ol' shithole, you get the good stuff..." says Jet, turning over a sausage and flipping another into her mouth. "Or you starve and complain a lot, like my last ex."
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Sep 3, 2017 06:29
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HP 25/25 | Armor 4 | Load 8/14 | XP 2/9 Sol glanced up. "I can imagine why it's an ex. A man who complains is like a woman who hates you. It's all they do."
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Sep 3, 2017 06:39
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HP: 26/26 | Armor: 1 | Damage: d10 | Load: 5/9 | XP: 5/9 "I wouldn't blame anything on being a man or a woman around me, ha!" snarls Jet. "The one before him complained too, and she was worse at it. I keep telling people, I'm getting better at picking them. It's just taking a while."
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Sep 3, 2017 06:57
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HP: 12/12 | Armor: 1 | Damage: d8 | Load: 4/7 | XP: 3/9 "Guh, begin personal log. Landfall, plus 3 days." Seira wakes up to a grey room, barely furnished save for the small bed that came with it. She does have cute pink pajamas though, and she doesn't care if the others see it. Her PA already starts following her, feeding her with the latest news while recording her log. "Last night was productive. Managed to secure this property with Behold. Got this room. It's nice. Functional. I should be able to set up a workstation here once those parts come in. I had to order it online. It's going to take another week for it to arrive. I need another job by then or I'm going to be bored to death. Maybe those spacers will be interesting." She gets cleaned up and dresses up in her usual, as getting ready for work. She hasn't taken a day off in years and she isn't going to start now. "I had a date last night. I think. She left me her number." A pause. Her PA beeps, a rare occurrence. "Yes, I'll call her. Later. I promise." She heads to the main room, hoping there's something she can eat.
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Sep 3, 2017 17:36
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| # ? Apr 24, 2024 17:23 |
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HP: 18/18 | Armor: 1 | Damage: d8 | Poise: 4/4 | Load: 5/6 | XP: 7/9 | Currently: Stylish If there is any question as to which room belongs to each member of the Vulture Capitalists, it surely does not apply to the glorious abode of one Neon=Neon. Even while the door is closed, the neon highlights that form the core of her signature aesthetic have seemingly crept out into the hallway and begun to consume the nearby walls. Once the door opens, the room itself seems to be a demonstration of idol excess, with the assorted high-end lux decorations that Neon=Neon had amassed the prior day combining into a seamless whole that seems to shout I'm Neon=Neon and you'd better remember that!☆ Along an interior wall, there's a full-scale mirror at the heart of something that looks almost identical to the TET green rooms she'd spent so much time in. Neon=Neon slips out of bed, her constructs flickering to life in the soft blue glow of the room's decorations as they drape a yukata over her and secure it. She seems a bit woozy at first, surely a remnant of the drugs, alcohol, and other such exertions that marked her long-overdue reunion with her beloved senpai, but, as her eyes take in the sheer grandeur of the room around her, she perks up and looks at the constructs with newfound appreciation. She says, "Wow! You lot have gotten a lot better at decorating." She smiles wistfully as she remembers the last time they'd taken it upon themselves to change her abode to suit her aesthetic. Admittedly TET management was somewhat more of a stickler for such things, but it had been a kind gesture from her ever-unknowable companions. One, slightly larger than the rest, burbles out a quick synth tune as it flashes between several shades. Neon=Neon nods, "Hai~! I'll see if I can get you some from one of the nerds! I'm always ready to show a little appreciation to my☆little☆friends~!" It burbles again, a quick progression of notes that sounds most satisfied. Neon=Neon takes one last look around the room, synches her yukata closed, and pads her way downstairs. As she enters the kitchen, she makes a bee-line for the coffee and pours herself a large mug, though she does take a brief moment to wave at Sol first. She slides next to Behold and her friend and says, "So~! Good morning you two!" Neon=Neon stares at Cixi for a moment, then says, "I don't think we ever met! Formally, that is. I'm Neon=Neon, beloved idol, and yes~ rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. And you're...?"
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Sep 3, 2017 19:46
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