Riverside

Locales found within the main city centers; primarily Inside, Riverside, and Skyside.
Artemis
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Re: Riverside

Post by Artemis »

Earl of Purple wrote: Feb 21, 2023 6:32 pm Weird William's

There's plenty of tables, though all of them are grimy with peeling varnish and sticky beer stains. There's also other people in the bar; a group of suspicious-looking men and women wearing pinstriped suits and fedoras are gambling in the corner, some rather large amounts of cash crossing the table. A large man in a sailor's uniform with a bushy moustache is sipping at a glass of rum. An urchin with large green eyes sits on the floor and plays with a live mouse, catching it and letting it go before catching it again. An old woman sits at the bar, hunched up and glaring with her one eye at the surroundings.

There's staff here, too; a half-elf with dark hair glowers at the bar, cleaning a glass with a dirty rag, whilst a large ogre snoozes by the door. More importantly, however, is a waitress. They're a teenage girl with pink-tipped blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing an immaculate white apron over denim shorts and a pink t-shirt, with hiking boots on her feet and long blue-and-pink striped socks. "Good afternoon, miss! Welcome to Weird William's. First visit?"
[Weird William's]

"That's right!" The mermaid smiles broadly, flashing slightly pointed teeth. "I just came in off the waterfront. A storm blew me this way. What's good to eat and drink here? Something that's not fish and rum, preferably." She requests. "I got enough of that aboard ship. I want something different."

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Re: Riverside

Post by Meowmai »

[Big Trouble - Post Scriptum]

Aw, come on guys. It was so much more fun to talk about their misfortune than hers! Now it was Atsede's turn to have a sour look on her face. "Ugh, no, fortunately I talked them into letting me off just before then. Somehow. And gods, I sure hope so." The changeling rubbed her eye, wincing as she did. "I woulda snuck out then either way, though! And they still haven't figured the phone they're taking off me is just a decoy."
Bismark wrote:Silence, birb-wench.
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Earl of Purple
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Re: Riverside

Post by Earl of Purple »

Weird William's

"Uh, we don't have a kitchen so our food offering is rather limited. We have steak bones, kibble, peanuts, packets of crisps, pickled eggs and pork pies, and that's it food-wise I'm afraid. Our drink selection's bigger, we have cheap beer, better beer, decent beer, whiskey, red wine, white wine, lemonade, Nuka-Cola and Sunset Sarsaparilla. I'd recommend the decent beer, or the sunset if you don't like alcohol, and the bones William stocks are straight from the butcher's down the road, nice and meaty." The waitress nods enthusiastically at that, though it might not be the most appealing choice.
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Artemis
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Re: Riverside

Post by Artemis »

[Weird William's]

"I'll try the sunset sasp..sassa... Well I don't know what it is, but if you recommended it, it's got to be worth trying." The mermaid decides. "And a pork pie. Don't often get pork." She wasn't sure how one was supposed to eat a bone, however. "And I'll take a bone, too? I guess? Seems like your specialty."

"Could you give me some directions too? I'm looking to sell a few things. I also want to find myself an arcane specialist to teach me a few things, maybe in exchange for work? Anyone needing some underwater work done?"
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Re: Riverside

Post by Earl of Purple »

Weird William's

"Of course, miss! I don't know about an arcane specialist, that sort don't often come to ours. But the cheeseaters will buy many things, with very few questions. Underwater work... Ask Vastr, I guess. His boat sank a while back, I'm not sure how much he's been able to salvage off it so far." The waitress motions at the gamblers in the corner at the first point, and the moustachioed man drinking rum for the second, before she bounces over to the bar. The barman's already loaded a clean glass and a bottle of sarsaparilla onto a tray, with a fist-sized pie and a meaty bone on the opposite side of it. The waitress keeps glancing at the bone as she does, and her face shifts as she tries to keep herself under control.
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Re: Riverside

Post by Artemis »

[Weird William's]

While her order's being prepared, the mermaid will approach the sailor. "Hello, ah, Vastr, is it? The waitress said you might have some work for someone like me. Underwater salvaging, specifically."

The waitress gets an odd look. Something wasn't right there. Did they not feed her enough?
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Re: Riverside

Post by Murkus »

Gullara wrote: Feb 21, 2023 1:23 am [Theories of Necromantic Adhesion]

Reilana smiles a bit at the weasel. Cute. "That's fair." She looks back at Sticks curiously. "So is this all artifice? Or is there anything of their bodies there?"
Sticks smiles. "You're thinking along the right lines. Ordinarily it would require some form of anchoring - the skull, or a large portion of the skeletal structure - to form a viable bond with the material. For larger specimens, I find this is still usually necessary. In this case, however, my experience and... unique tools afford me the ability to maintain the little being and craft it a new body whole-cloth. All that remains inside is the weasel's essence."
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Re: Riverside

Post by Arkhosia »

[Big Trouble - Post Scriptum]

Ana blinks, some gears starting to finally click as she looks at the fading bruise. "Wait, you - ohmigosh, you got into a fight, didn't you?" Those blue eyes fill with concern, even after all of Atsede's relentless teasing. "What happened? Did you get hurt? Is everything okay?"
"Are we living a life that is safe from harm? Of course not, we never are. But that's not the right question. The question is: are we living a life that is worth the harm?"
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Reinholdt
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Re: Riverside

Post by Reinholdt »

[Project Icarus]

"Hmph," Nahlrae snorts derisively, probably just confirming the King in Rags' suspicions, before they plunge once more into the depths of the icy darkness. The inky blackness is so much deeper here, making it all but impossible to see each other, even as the King in Rags rides Nahlrae's shadow directly. The King can even fell the threat of losing his son in this metaphorical void where all and none are shadow. The light as it appears is barely present, the warmth it provides so subdued that it is akin to a candle flame contained behind a window compared to the roaring fire it once seemed. Still, Nahlrae forces himself towards it, each step trembling with effort. Once again, it unfolds onto a scene of Darcy and Ilpholin arguing in the comfort of their home with Mister Squiggles nesting in the back corner, trying to shrink in place at the uncomfortable tension in the air.

"I don't like it," Darcy says, a serious frown on her face. "It's too much like what Libra did to you,"

"It's nothing like that!" Ilpholin hisses. "Darcy, I need this."

"Why?!" Darcy cries out in frustration. "I don't understand!"

"I can't... I can't explain it," Ilpholin says, almost meekly.

"Well I can't accept that!" Darcy replies firmly, wiping the tear threatening to form from the edge of her eyes. "Please don't do this. For me?"

Ilpholin is quiet for a time before softly relenting. "Y-yeah... yeah ok." The nymph draws the barbarian into a hug, pressing their cheeks together and hiding the distant look in her eyes.

A blink and the duo are in bed, Ilpholin wide awake compared to Darcy. This becomes easier to tell as the nymph glances over furtively to her partner and slowly slips out, sneaking from the room carefully so as not to awaken her. Lighting up a lantern once out of the room to guide her way, the spark of the match too large, too dreamlike.

The sparks that are coming from the machines working on Ilpholin's body, a doctor cutting and sewing and binding internal system after internal system. Beeps and hisses come from apparatuses and widgets as the bloody surgeon continues his lengthy procedure. A wave of pain and haze intrudes as the knife comes down once more, the hazy memory shifting suddenly as it makes contact with the skin.

Ilpholin can be seen returning, no longer in need of a light source, her pupils flexing unnaturally. A shield like film moving to protect them when a sudden blast rocks from afar. A plume of fire from the side of the distant house rises up and invades the starry sky with unwelcome smoke. Ilpholin stares in shock for a moment before starting to run. But it was far, so far away. The tendons in her unrested legs burned with exertion as she pushed herself to go faster, faster, a prayer to Lolth on her lips to get there in time.

Demons.

Demons were attacking.

The house ablaze, Ilpholin didn't hesitate to dive inside, crying out. Demonic bodies littered the floor, their ichor seeking to corrupt the soil. What few remained surrounded and swiped at a heavily injured Mister Squiggles. The giant dire spider's breathing was labored and shallow as he bled from numerous punctures, held back only by the hideous burns he's suffered. With a scream, Ilpholin's arms turned into purple energy whips that danced and cracked. Seeing her engage her opponents with the weapon of her choice is a glimpse of artistic beauty that clashes terribly with the grisly scene. Within seconds, Ilpholin dispatched the demons, her whip cracking and slicing through the last demon's neck.

As it crumbles, Darcy finally came into view, her body collapsed motionless against the far wall. "Darcy!" Ilpholin cried out in anguished terror, rushing forward and pulling the corpse into her arms. "NoNoNoNoNo..." Ilpholin's body trembled as realization set in. "No you can't, you can't," Ilpholin begged, a watery shimmer overtaking her emerald eyes. The nymph clings to Darcy's hair, brushes her forehead, shakes her shoulders as her tears fall onto Darcy's cheeks. "Darcy, no please no. I'm sorry. I should have been here. I should have been... I'm so sorry, Darcy please... please don't go. I need you. I need you Darcy. Don't go. I... I..." Ilpholin's words stop being comprehensible as she fades into quaking sobs, her sorrow echoing in wails.

Nahlrae sits curled around the decapitated demon's head he's carried through memory after memory, leaning bodily against Mister Squiggles' struggling form. "We're close now, so close..." Nahlrae says, his voice strained. "Deeper."
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Re: Riverside

Post by Shadowcaller »

[Ilpholin's Compound]

While the rest of the creatures seem satisfied with waiting, even while cramming themselves into every available space, their leader quickly starts pacing back and forth across the little space that's left. Constantly eyeing the doors leading into other sections of the compound.

[Project Icarus]

"Elsh-" The name gets stuck before he can even finish it.
It couldn't be.
Surely he would have been made aware if more phyrexians had entered this plane? He had spent nearly all his time searching for ways to reach them after all. Yet, he hadn't exactly been focusing on that as of late, had he?

"-we're on a even tighter time table than I thought. I need to inform our subject of this..."

Nahlrae will get a message from Tauron within Ilpholin's decaying mindscape.
Things have happened on the outside. We will need to get this done as soon as possible. How are things working out in there? Are you done soon?
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Re: Riverside

Post by Ironsmith »

Arkhosia wrote: Feb 21, 2023 5:36 pm
► SHOW SPOILER
[A Less-Dark Alley]

Dulcinea seems to slow as she listens to Arne speak, focus slowly diverted from even the road in front of her. For once, those pale eyes seem... quiet. Pensive, even. She nods as if being drawn out of some informative reverie.

"I... yes, that - that... helps to think about." There's a fleeting thought about making a playful remark about how her and Reilana are a bit more than just friends - but for once she lets her bubbly tendencies slide, her freckled cheeks warming in a soft fond glow. "Thank you," she adds a little belatedly.

If Arne was to carry the memory of those who he treasured, then maybe her darling Reilana would do the same honor for her.
[A Less-Dark Alley]

She...

She appreciated that?

There's a low groan of metal being bent as Arne rubs at the back of his head, or rather, helmet. "...You... you are welcome." He says flatly, the flaps of his helmet rattling as he takes in a shaky breath. There's a sort of warmth building in his chest, which seems to be spreading to his neck and all the way up to his cheeks, as it sinks in that his bumbling, basic, uninsightful ramblings might still have helped Dulcinea in some way.

...Huh.

Maybe he wasn't so useless after all.
Last edited by Ironsmith on Feb 23, 2023 6:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Earl of Purple
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Re: Riverside

Post by Earl of Purple »

Weird William's

"Yep, I'm Vastr. And I do. My boat sank about three miles downstream from the city. I had to swim all the way here. Not much of a boat, really; it were a trading barge. It's down quite deep; you breathe underwater? I can't, so I'm limited to ten minutes at a time." That's awfully long for a human, though perhaps Vastr isn't always human, given the rest of the clientele.

The waitress returns! "Here you go, miss! One bottle of Sunset Sarsaparilla, a pork pie and a bone. I hope you enjoy." She licks her lips and will leave, for now at least.
"You... uh, realise she recommended the bone because she's a dog, right? You don't have to eat it if you don't want to." Vastr whispers, though judging by how the waitress just glared at him she heard it anyway.
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Arkhosia
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Re: Riverside

Post by Arkhosia »

[A Less-Dark Alley - > The Antoninus Residence]

Dulcinea remains fairly silent for the remainder of the walk, though Arne might recognize a certain lightness in her posture that wasn't quite there before. It isn't long before they arrive at a street of tall two-to-three story Victorian houses, their brick facades filled with narrow windows. Some luxury-minded planner managed to carve space for narrow, fenced-in lawns that front each house like a protective ward against some far-off industry. Tall and well-trimmed skeletons of trees cast reaching shadows in the evening streetlight.

The pair slow to a stop in front of one house in the corner, a wider affair only a couple of stories tall with sand-pale molding and a half-basement lined in thick matching brick. Every other house has had some manner of tidy tree-round shrubs or a pretty little ornamental tree, but this one seems to positively brim with life and greenery. Berry bushes line the fence, and a small garden plot bursts with the maturing leaves of cold-season vegetables. Little flower planters hang from the first-story windows, splashes of frost-touched color against the warm glow from within.

Arne might realize that Dulcinea isn't the only one returning home a little late - the figure of a teenage boy has paused on the short flight of stairs to the door. The resemblance is immediate - his frame is tall and willowy, freckles dusted across a fair and narrow face. The knight might get the impression that he's looking at some alternative version of Dulcinea, one with perfectly healthy legs and a messy coif of ginger hair. Frigid eyes turn from sister to stranger under furrowing brows.

"Who's he?" the mirror duplicate says by way of greeting, the bulky shape of a fencing bag slung across the shoulder.

"Evening to you too, Euryalos." Dulcinea puts on a bright and slightly insincere grin as she undoes the latch to the front gate and steps on in. "This is Arne - I took a bit of a sketchy shortcut on the way home from Vicky's, and this wonderful gentleman was kind enough to offer me a knightly escort home out of the goodness of his heart."

That explanation seems to earn a fresh spark of alarm, and Euryalos regards his twin with a look. "You should really be more careful," he cautions, which just gets Dulcinea to roll her eyes.

"Don't you have some boring manuals to read?" Turning back to Arne, she inclines her head in a gentle bow. "Thank you for your generosity in walking me home, sir knight. You have been wonderful to talk to."
"Are we living a life that is safe from harm? Of course not, we never are. But that's not the right question. The question is: are we living a life that is worth the harm?"
~Welcome to Night Vale
SliiArhem wrote:Arkh I may be slightly delirious but I don't think that would make sense even if I was coherent.
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Re: Riverside

Post by Morty »

[Project Icarus]

An argument and a furtive escape into the night. No valiant last stand, but returning to her love already dead. No tearful last goodbyes, just the cold silence of death and failure. Shame and regret aren't emotions the King in Rags is familiar with, but once again he can understand them on some level. They're not far removed from fear, in the end.

"This takes much of you, son," the King in Rags comments. "Breaching the deepest memories will likely be harder still."
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Re: Riverside

Post by Reinholdt »

[Project Icarus]

"Just a little further Tin Man," Nahlrae lets Tauron know. "I'm aware Father," Nahlrae adds, in his most 'yeah duh' voice he can manage. Nahlrae grits his teeth and steels his resolve just to spite the old man as they both dive into deadly darkness once more. It's so much colder now to match the black landscape. Nahlrae's movements are unsteady and frost forms at the tips of his hair, struggling breath leaving behind a trail of ice droplets upon the ground like breadcrumbs. The light at the end is harsh, unwelcoming, and as cold as everything else. Still, Nahlrae stumbles towards it, tripping halfway and forcing himself to crawl the rest. An untold relief reaches him as one last time the light unfolds onto a scene of Darcy and Ilpholin arguing vehemently in the comfort of their home with Mister Squiggles exiting out the back in an effort to avoid the screaming.

"Darcy, I need this!" Ilpholin shouts loudly.

"Why?!" Darcy cries out in raw frustration. "I don't understand!"

"I can't explain it! Words just aren't... they can't properly express what it was like Darcy! When Libra turned me into that demon. People saw I got stronger, tougher, but that was just on the surface. I... I could react instantly, I could think at a level that seemed foreign to me before, I could recall things with such... with such clarity," Ilpholin says, her words stumbling out in a fit of long built up consternation. "And now? Now it's like... it's like I've been living in molasses. I can barely move. I can barely breathe. Where I could lift a dozen men, now I can barely manage two. Where I could go for weeks without rest, now I'm breathless in thirty minutes. I'm jumping at every shadow because I didn't see it in time, didn't process it was there fast enough. My mind's a constant fog, the colors of this world are dulled, and living this way is agony!" Ilpholin says, slamming her fist on the table and causing a teacup to fall and crash onto the floor.

Both parties ignore the mess, too invested in the quarrel. Darcy wipes a tear from her face. "Oh Ilphy... why didn't you tell me? This Doctor Xeyal, we can't trust him, but we'll find another way. Together." Darcy says starting to reach for Ilpholin's hand, still visibly upset but trying to calm things down.

Ilpholin withdraws her hand before Darcy can touch it, her body tense. "And give up what may be my only chance to live again? I can't! I won't! End of discussion!" Ilpholin says, turning her back on Darcy and striding towards the door.

"Ilphy wait!" Are the last words Darcy can get out before the door slams behind Ilpholin so hard sparks fly and grow larger and larger and larger.

The sparks that are coming from the machines working on Ilpholin's body, a doctor cutting and sewing and binding internal system after internal system. Beeps and hisses come from apparatuses and widgets as the bloody surgeon continues his lengthy procedure. A wave of pain and haze intrudes as the knife comes down once more, the hazy memory shifting suddenly as it makes contact with the skin.

Ilpholin can be seen returning, no longer in need of a light source, her pupils flexing unnaturally. A shield like film moving to protect them when a sudden blast rocks from afar. A plume of fire from the side of the distant house rises up and invades the starry sky with unwelcome smoke. Ilpholin stares in shock for a moment before starting to run. But it was far, so far away. The tendons in her unrested legs burns with exertion as she pushes herself to go faster, faster, a prayer to Lolth on her lips to get there in time.

Demons.

Demons are attacking.

The house ablaze, Ilpholin doesn't hesitate to dive inside, crying out. Demonic bodies littered the floor, their ichor seeking to corrupt the soil. What few remained surrounded and swiped at a heavily injured Mister Squiggles. The giant dire spider's breathing was labored and shallow as he bled from numerous punctures, held back only by the hideous burns he's suffered. With a scream, Ilpholin's arms turn into purple energy whips that dance and crack. Seeing her engage her opponents with the weapon of her choice is a glimpse of artistic beauty that clashes terribly with the grisly scene. A petty part of her, buried underneath the terror, wants Darcy to see it, wants to show her how wrong she was. Within seconds, Ilpholin dispatched the demons, her whip cracking and violently slicing through the last bulky demon with little resistance.

As it crumbles, Darcy finally comes into view, standing there axe at the ready, prepared to eviscerate the demon from behind. Her expression is one of shock and despair as she stares at Ilpholin. Darcy's lips move but only a pained gurgling noise comes out as her head slowly slides away from her body at an angle exactly the same as Ilpholin's final strike. Unceremoniously body and head hit the floor separately, leaving Ilpholin standing feeling as if all the air has escaped from her lungs. Her arms transforms back from the whip, leaving her hands stained with the blood of demons and lover alike. Her chest tightens so much every pump of the heart causing it to ache as if imprisoned and battering against the bars. The nymph collapses to her knees, unable to remain standing and crawls over to Darcy's body, gripping it desperately. "NoNoNoNoNo..." Ilpholin's body trembles uncontrollably. "I didn't... I didn't mean to. I'm sorry, Darcy... Darcy don't..." Ilpholin begs, saltwater flowing freely from her emerald eyes, falling damp on Darcy's clothes. Darcy's head watches separately without intention, its final expression accusatory as Ilpholin pleads and cries. "Darcy, no please no. I'm sorry. I should have... I didn't mean... I'm sorry, Darcy please. Please don't go. I need you. I need you Darcy. I'm so sorry... I... I..." Ilpholin's words stop being comprehensible as she fades into quaking sobs, her sorrow and guilt echoing in wails.

"This," Nahlrae says, having warmed himself by the fire enough to speak, though his teeth still chitter lightly. "Is the truth Mother remembers. Every day." Nahlrae rolls that demon head he's been carrying around and it transitions into Darcy's head, merging with the barbarian's fallen crown until they are one and the same. "We're done here."
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Re: Riverside

Post by Shadowcaller »

[Project Icarus]

'Tin Man'?
What a confusing thing to call someone.
But he had greater concerns now which is why he felt so relived when he saw that the process was complete a few moments later.
It had worked!

You're done, I'm going to close up the surgery now.

Wait, wasn't there...

Oh right.

Good job. Tauron adds in a stilted manner.
I'm still getting some strange readings though. It's almost as if there's a second brain frequency. Don't suppose you have any idea why that is?
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Re: Riverside

Post by Artemis »

Earl of Purple wrote: Feb 23, 2023 6:13 pm Weird William's

"Yep, I'm Vastr. And I do. My boat sank about three miles downstream from the city. I had to swim all the way here. Not much of a boat, really; it were a trading barge. It's down quite deep; you breathe underwater? I can't, so I'm limited to ten minutes at a time." That's awfully long for a human, though perhaps Vastr isn't always human, given the rest of the clientele.

The waitress returns! "Here you go, miss! One bottle of Sunset Sarsaparilla, a pork pie and a bone. I hope you enjoy." She licks her lips and will leave, for now at least.
"You... uh, realise she recommended the bone because she's a dog, right? You don't have to eat it if you don't want to." Vastr whispers, though judging by how the waitress just glared at him she heard it anyway.
[Weird William's]

"I do! I'm a merperson. I don't usually have the legs, you see." She explains. "I'm Sanaa. I'm looking for a bit of work. I've done some salvaging before and I'm not bad in a fight, if there's dangers down below."

At the dog comment, Sanaa takes a look around at the clientele and starts putting things together. "I don't mean to be rude by asking, but are you all shifters?" She doesn't seem to be bothered by the prospect, as everyone in here seemed quite civilized.

Sanaa picks up the bone and sniffs it. It was fresh meat, but she figures she'd better eat the pork pie while it was warm and picks that up to eat instead.
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Re: Riverside

Post by Earl of Purple »

Weird William's

"No, not all of us. But most of us are. The mouse Felix is playing with really is a mouse." Vastr nods at where the urchin is playing with the mouse on the floor. "I'm a walrus, Felix a cat, William's a jaguar, Luna's a wolfhound, the splatter's a shark, and the Cheeseaters are rats." Vastr doesn't mention the old woman at the bar, who also has just been given a bone. The gamblers also glance over as they're named, before going back to their job. "Yeah, I was transporting finished goods downstream. Most of the electronics I'm not so worried about- they're going to be royally buggered by now. But there's a couple boxes of tools, some spare engine parts, and some... other bits and pieces. If you help me recover what I can, get 'em to where they need to go, I'll share the profits with you. It'll be a three-way split, I'm afraid; me, you, and the skipper of the barge I've convinced to help." It might be a lot of money, all told, but it's not exactly reliable work.
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Re: Riverside

Post by Artemis »

[Weird William's]

Sanaa takes a bite out of the pork pie and chews thoughtfully. Walrus shifter, explains the long dives, but no hands to get things from down below. As for the job, a one time deal, unless poor Vastr had a real string of bad luck. Still, it would get her established here, and pay for more pork pies or whatever else struck her fancy. She could live off the ocean endlessly, but that wouldn't get her the exotic surface goods she craved.

"Deal!" Sanaa agrees, extending a hand. Human sailors, she knew, liked to shake on things. "I'm ready to start whenever you are. I just blew into town, so to speak, so there's nothing holding me down. Though, if you know a place that might have a sleeping tub for someone like me, I wouldn't mind a good night's sleep before beginning." She wasn't sure about camping out in the river itself. She wasn't used to fresh water like that.
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Re: Riverside

Post by Earl of Purple »

Weird William's

Also explains his bulk, as he has a walrus' build, and the moustache as well.

Vastr does grip and shake hands; his grip's pretty strong. It might be a surprise if Sanaa thought he was fat, without realising the muscle underneath. "I've got it set up for tomorrow. My mate with the other barge isn't due back until..." Vastr looks at a pocketwatch. "In about two hours, after a day's trek up the river. He wants a good night's sleep in a proper bed, but we'll be meeting up at the quay at first light. Sleeping tub... I got no idea, I'm afraid. Try asking at the docks? They're gonna be used to some weird requests from those arriving by boat." Vastr doesn't need a sleeping tub, he has a proper bed. Though it's been reinforced.

By the bar, there's a load of cockroaches crawling over the bone in front of the old woman, who has hunched up and over so she seems smaller.
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Re: Riverside

Post by Artemis »

[Weird William's]

"Ah, I'm sure I'll find something. It's just a tub of sea water, basically. I can't stay dry for too long or I start getting weak." Sanaa explains.

She starts to gnaw at the meat on her bone, as it was pretty fresh, but pauses mid-chew when she spots the roaches. She puts the bone down and jerks her head towards the old woman. "Is that... uh... usual for her?"
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Re: Riverside

Post by Ironsmith »

Arkhosia wrote: Feb 23, 2023 6:54 pm [A Less-Dark Alley - > The Antoninus Residence]

Dulcinea remains fairly silent for the remainder of the walk, though Arne might recognize a certain lightness in her posture that wasn't quite there before. It isn't long before they arrive at a street of tall two-to-three story Victorian houses, their brick facades filled with narrow windows. Some luxury-minded planner managed to carve space for narrow, fenced-in lawns that front each house like a protective ward against some far-off industry. Tall and well-trimmed skeletons of trees cast reaching shadows in the evening streetlight.

The pair slow to a stop in front of one house in the corner, a wider affair only a couple of stories tall with sand-pale molding and a half-basement lined in thick matching brick. Every other house has had some manner of tidy tree-round shrubs or a pretty little ornamental tree, but this one seems to positively brim with life and greenery. Berry bushes line the fence, and a small garden plot bursts with the maturing leaves of cold-season vegetables. Little flower planters hang from the first-story windows, splashes of frost-touched color against the warm glow from within.

Arne might realize that Dulcinea isn't the only one returning home a little late - the figure of a teenage boy has paused on the short flight of stairs to the door. The resemblance is immediate - his frame is tall and willowy, freckles dusted across a fair and narrow face. The knight might get the impression that he's looking at some alternative version of Dulcinea, one with perfectly healthy legs and a messy coif of ginger hair. Frigid eyes turn from sister to stranger under furrowing brows.

"Who's he?" the mirror duplicate says by way of greeting, the bulky shape of a fencing bag slung across the shoulder.

"Evening to you too, Euryalos." Dulcinea puts on a bright and slightly insincere grin as she undoes the latch to the front gate and steps on in. "This is Arne - I took a bit of a sketchy shortcut on the way home from Vicky's, and this wonderful gentleman was kind enough to offer me a knightly escort home out of the goodness of his heart."

That explanation seems to earn a fresh spark of alarm, and Euryalos regards his twin with a look. "You should really be more careful," he cautions, which just gets Dulcinea to roll her eyes.

"Don't you have some boring manuals to read?" Turning back to Arne, she inclines her head in a gentle bow. "Thank you for your generosity in walking me home, sir knight. You have been wonderful to talk to."
[Antoninus Residence]

"Wonderful gentleman", she says.

"Goodness of his heart."

"Thank you for your generosity, sir knight."

It shouldn't come as any surprise, then, that Arne does not reply immediately to Dulcinea's addressing him. Even through the helmet, she and her brother might recognize the flustered, dazed expression of someone experiencing just a little bit of praise overload. The silence is finally broken by an awkward, wet cough as Arne holds a fist up to his mouth, shoulders shaking at the motion.

"You are... most welcome, miss." Arne rumbles. "And... likewise, yourself. You have been excellent company."

...

He's not going to forget that walk any time soon. It's not every day that a spitting image of one's fiance just walks up and delivers a life-changing epiphany on a silver platter.
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Re: Riverside

Post by Earl of Purple »

Weird William's

The meat is pretty fresh. It's also raw, and quite cold; it's been kept in a fridge, though a seperate one to the cooked meat at least. Should probably have been on a seperate plate, too. It's a bone for a dog, wolf, or werewolf; not really a human.

"Uhh... yeah. Try not to look at her; she's creepy. And she might be listening to us. She's... She turns into a swarm of cockroaches. Or maybe she's a swarm of cockroaches capable of mimicking a human. I genuinely don't know, and she creeps me out so I don't want to know." Which is perhaps why she seems smaller; unlike many lycanthropes, two skins, and shapeshifters, she obeys conservation of mass. Or at least doesn't violate it too obviously.
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Re: Riverside

Post by Morty »

[Project Icarus]

Ah, such exquisite anguish. The King has tricked some of his enemies into killing their loved ones in the past. It's quite satisfying. But here is no trick, no ruse, no plan of the demons'. Just Ilpholin killing her lover by mistake. Through overzealous use of her new weapons. How much of her actions since them have radiated from this singular point of agony? Her crusade against the demons certainly looks like a way to assuage her guilt.

"It is best if I slip away before the good doctor sees me."
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Re: Riverside

Post by Gullara »

Murkus wrote: Feb 22, 2023 10:42 pm Sticks smiles. "You're thinking along the right lines. Ordinarily it would require some form of anchoring - the skull, or a large portion of the skeletal structure - to form a viable bond with the material. For larger specimens, I find this is still usually necessary. In this case, however, my experience and... unique tools afford me the ability to maintain the little being and craft it a new body whole-cloth. All that remains inside is the weasel's essence."
[Theories of Necromantic Adhesion]

Reilana's brow raises as he makes his explanation. "That's really advanced stuff." She observes. "You must have been doing this a long time, right?"
Meowmai wrote: Feb 22, 2023 8:13 am [Big Trouble - Post Scriptum]

Aw, come on guys. It was so much more fun to talk about their misfortune than hers! Now it was Atsede's turn to have a sour look on her face. "Ugh, no, fortunately I talked them into letting me off just before then. Somehow. And gods, I sure hope so." The changeling rubbed her eye, wincing as she did. "I woulda snuck out then either way, though! And they still haven't figured the phone they're taking off me is just a decoy."
Arkhosia wrote: Feb 23, 2023 5:31 am [Big Trouble - Post Scriptum]

Ana blinks, some gears starting to finally click as she looks at the fading bruise. "Wait, you - ohmigosh, you got into a fight, didn't you?" Those blue eyes fill with concern, even after all of Atsede's relentless teasing. "What happened? Did you get hurt? Is everything okay?"
[Big Trouble - Post Scriptum]

Eliseo just wears an amused little smile as Atsede gets peppered with questioned. He might have realized this would happen.
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Re: Riverside

Post by Reinholdt »

[Project Icarus]

"It means I'm twice as thoughtful as you. May we hurry this up?" Things were... bearable when Nahlrae had something to do, but the agony of this procedure is still far too intense and he doesn't want Tauron spending the next ten minutes asking questions instead of putting an end to it. Not is Nahlrae going to stop his Father from doing... whatever. Definitely not going to help either. The King in Rags is free to escape or be exposed at his own leisure.
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Re: Riverside

Post by Shadowcaller »

[Project Icarus]

I am hurrying up, this small talk is simply to make the process to not feel as long on your side of things. Tauron replies in a humorless tone. I assure you, no one knows the priority to finish this as quickly as possible better than me right now. Still, a single mistake and we'd have a lot more work to do.

More time passes. How long is difficult to tell due to the nature of this dream space. It only feels like a moment however.

There we are.

And so Nahlrae will wake up in the tank again. One of the myr's offering an appendage to him to help him out of the strange liquid.
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Re: Riverside

Post by Morty »

[Project Icarus]

The King in Rags will exit Nahlrae's shadow in a wisp of smoke and try to escape the building as quickly as he entered it.
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Re: Riverside

Post by Murkus »

Gullara wrote: Feb 27, 2023 3:16 am [Theories of Necromantic Adhesion]

Reilana's brow raises as he makes his explanation. "That's really advanced stuff." She observes. "You must have been doing this a long time, right?"
[Theories of Necromantic Adhesion]

"Too long, sometimes, I think!" Sticks says, laughing gently. "Do you have any particular ambitions yourself? Regarding the practice, I mean."
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Re: Riverside

Post by Artemis »

Earl of Purple wrote: Feb 26, 2023 2:56 pm Weird William's

The meat is pretty fresh. It's also raw, and quite cold; it's been kept in a fridge, though a seperate one to the cooked meat at least. Should probably have been on a seperate plate, too. It's a bone for a dog, wolf, or werewolf; not really a human.

"Uhh... yeah. Try not to look at her; she's creepy. And she might be listening to us. She's... She turns into a swarm of cockroaches. Or maybe she's a swarm of cockroaches capable of mimicking a human. I genuinely don't know, and she creeps me out so I don't want to know." Which is perhaps why she seems smaller; unlike many lycanthropes, two skins, and shapeshifters, she obeys conservation of mass. Or at least doesn't violate it too obviously.
[Weird Williams]

At that warning Sanaa looks away from the old woman. "Oh... okay!" She says, surprised. The cold of the meat didn't bother her, used to as she was to often very raw seafood. Her teeth, too, could stand up to more than a regular human's, though not enough to break into the bone itself. The mermaid will pull as much meat off the bone as she can before setting it back on the plate and finishing off the sasparilla.

"I've got a sale to make." Sanaa then says to Vastr. "I'll meet you tomorrow at the quay."

With that she makes her way over to the "cheese-eaters"

"Would any of you be interested in buying some pearls?" She inquires.
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