Skyside Prime

[quillpleasant]

Thunderhead Rescue

"Ah, money," mutters Lia, hurrying alongside G'nichi, "Alas, I have none." She still doesn't fully understand the concept. Why trade worthless hunks of metal instead of things that are actually useful?

But a debate on the merits of currency will have to wait for another time. As they run down the street, there's the metal clattering of garbage cans behind them and a furious bark as the third spiderabbit shakes off Lia's spores, only to be stymied by another wall. Luckily these things don't seem very smart, but they are persistent.

Up ahead, their possibilities seem rather grim. Most of these warehouses are locked down tight, with no sign of occupation. Going from door to door knocking would probably waste more time than they have to spare before the mutants catch up to them. Luckily, as they pass another foreboding brick building, a couple opportunities present themselves.

Up ahead, there's a warehouse with a wide open garage door. Sounds of heavy machinery thunder from inside. A quick glance over the shoulder will confirm that the spiderabbits are all coming now, but there's enough time to reach it before they catch up. Probably.

Alternately, a group of people is visible a short way down a side road to the left. They seem to be dressed in white uniforms, but it's too hard to make out anything else while running. They're much closer than the garage, but who knows if they'd be able or willing to help.

[Keeper]

Thunderhead Rescue

"Don't worry, I have plenty." Well, enough for these purposes at least.
G'nichi glances at the white-clothed group. He can't see any obvious weapons on them. So that's out as he can't just assume they're battle-mages or something. They might have handguns but that probably wouldn't be enough anyway.

Still if nothing else these things don't seem like they can chew through steel so a heavy garage door might be enough. G'nichi leads Lia straight to the garage, a number of wide coins in his hand.
"They're yours if you slam this door behind us." G'nichi tells a uniformed man by the door.

[quillpleasant]

Thunderhead Rescue

With the spiderabbits hot on their heels, the dragon and the princess dash through the garage door. The man standing guard inside, a heavyset balding fellow with a sawed off shotgun in his belt, raises a hand to halt them- then he sees the slavering beasts coming behind. Springing into action, he slams a lever, and the door comes crashing down. Three heavy thumps make it rattle, but the thick metal holds firm. In Skyside, if your doors aren't tough, you don't last long.

Lia puts a hand against the wall to steady herself as she catches her breath. "Good thinking, noble knight! Methinks I would have been devoured twice over were it not for thee." She smiles at him, a little giddy from the adrenaline filled chase. Not that her body actually produces that hormone.

The moment is broken by the doorman, whose name reads Billy, stepping forward, casually holding his shotgun in the crook of his arm. "Alright, hand over the cash and you can stay here. Just don't interrupt the kid, he's working."

A quick glance around the large room shows that it's full of vehicles in various states of assembly, some lifted up on metal platforms to allow easier access to their inner workings. These are not normal cars, but heavily modified machines clearly designed for excessively dangerous racing. Many are mounted with blades, guns, or other weaponry systems. Currently soldering the frame of one of the cars is a short person, likely a child, who's magically floating in the air. A long white mullet sticks out from under a metal welding mask.

[Keeper]

Thunderhead Rescue

G'nichi nods, handing the man the money. It's real gold, stamped in Inside.
"Oh it's fine. I'm just sorry my blade and flames weren't enough for otherwise such small monsters. Normally I don't have these kinds of problems." The Wand of Illusion is extremely powerful, but it doesn't have a lot of killing power.

"If we're lucky, they'll wander off after a few minutes. And then bother someone else who has grenades." G'nichi doesn't normally kick problems to someone else, but he had someone to protect this time.

[quillpleasant]

Thunderhead Rescue

The doorman takes the gold, pointedly biting one of the coins. Satisfied, he tucks it away in his jacket and then steps back to the door, flipping up a panel on the wall. There's a screen showing the outside security feed, where the spiderabbits can be seen milling about and nipping at each other.

"Thy prowess was enough to fend off those abhorrent beasts long enough to escape to safety," observes Lia, "Tis more than most could achieve."

With a glance at their host, who still seems utterly unaware of their presence, Lia relaxes a little, turning her attention fully to G'nichi. She looks curiously at his wings. "Dear sir, I find myself in thy debt but with little information about my rescuer. I am the Lady Hyphaelia- but to my friends, and I would be most honored to count thee amongst them, I go by Lia." The mycoid curtsies elegantly. "How might I refer to thee?"

[Keeper]

Thunderhead Rescue

G'nichi bows. "It's a pleasure, Lia. My name is G'nichi. I'm a paladin of the Platinum Dragon, Bahamut." He unconsciously strokes his long fancy mustache.
"I heard the place was awfully dangerous, but I've not been to the city too much before. I normally live in Inside. It's...a bit easier to get help there."

[quillpleasant]

Thunderhead Rescue

Lia's eyes widen in recognition. "I've heard of the Platinum Dragon! My... dear mother was allied with a great champion of his." The emphasis makes it clear that her mother is the farthest thing from dear to her. "Despite that unfortunate affair, I know that Bahamut has a pure and noble heart, as do his paladins, I'm sure." That explains the knight-dragon thing, then. A very interesting role, one that she's not considered before this day.

She nods, readily agreeing with his assessment of the city. "Tis a terrible place- and not just because it's so far away from the blessed earth." A shudder passes through her, and her feet shuffle uncomfortably. Even as far from the edge as they are, just the knowledge of their height is unsettling to say the least.

"In truth, I know not why I was chosen to come here. My talents are not suited to dealing with criminals and monsters- as thou say, Inside would have been a far more preferable destination." A pause, and that now familiar shine of curiosity in her eyes. "What brought thee here, Sir G'nichi?"

[Keeper]

Thunderhead Rescue

"To put it simply? Inside was a little quiet, so I thought I would try my hand at striving for justice somewher else for a change. Things like this just happen around me, so wherever I go there's always something heroic to be done." He smiles, glancing away and pulling thoughtfully at his tiny little beard.
"That isn't a metaphor by the way. I actually do just end up where heroic opportunities happen. Curse of the magic bracelet." he indicates the golden bracelet on his arm.

[quillpleasant]

Thunderhead Rescue

Lia's eyes widen as she peers at the bracelet, almost seeming to sparkle. "Curse? Good sir, that is hardly a curse. Fate's hand has blessed thee to be an instrument of chivalric righteousness!" She puts her hands together in front of her face, grinning in excitement.

"I knew that true heroes still existed, and although my faith was sore tested by being betrayed unto death, my conviction has held firm. Now, in this den of perdition within the terrible firmament, I find myself rescued by a figure straight out of Le Morte d'Arthur." She shakes her head in wonderment. "I know not which I am more thankful for- my deliverance from yonder odious beasts, or the hope that I feel reaffirmed within my breast."

[Keeper]

Thunderhead Rescue

”Well. It’s a curse because the monsters will get me eventually. I’ve already lasted longer than many previous Bearers. When I got it I wasn’t even fit. I was skinny and about this big.” he puts a hand down by his thighs to demonstrate.
”I admit my physique is a bit more from magic than lifting.”

Yeah. Quite a lot of magic.
”Anyway, I’ll be doing my best for as long as I can do it. Really, you heap too much praise on me. I mostly stumble into success thanks to luck and a particularly thick head.”
And a genuinely incredible pain tolerance.

[quillpleasant]

Thunderhead Rescue

Lia nods knowingly. "Of course they'll get thee one day. All the greatest heroes are doomed, that's how these things tend to work out. But what great and noble deeds thou shall accomplish before you succumb!" She clasps her hands to her heart, sighing almost dreamily.

That's not the best way to talk about someone dying- but maybe her perspective on death is different, having done so already.

"The best stories are never about some paragon of prowess who conquers all before him. They're about those with luck and good hearts, who face overwhelming odds despite inevitable failure. How I would love to be a hero like that!" She smooths out her dress, a melancholy look entering her eyes. "But that is not my lot in life, sad to say. Which is why meeting such folks does my heart so good."

[Keeper]

Thunderhead Rescue

G'nichi is used to people being downers about his situation. He's not used to it being done so cheerily.
"Well, I'm not sure which way my luck actually swings, but I've lived this long at least."
He's also been shot at least five times.
"But anyway. Bahamut teaches us that the greatest heroes are the ones that help others. Swords need not factor into the equation."
G'nichi, naturally, learned this lesson by not learning this lesson at all and obsessing over the temple paladins and then getting into a massive amount of trouble trying to get himself turned into a big strong dragon paladin to the point he almost died about three times.

[quillpleasant]

Thunderhead Rescue

Lia nods readily. "Verily sir, what you speak is true. It does not take a hero to put evildoers to the sword, but it does take a hero to defend and help others, both on the battlefield and in times of peace." But that doesn't always make for the most exciting stories.

She absently bites a fingernail, peering at G'nichi's sword. "And of course, such an instrument can just as easily be used to purge the innocent as the unjust. So if it's all the same to thee, I'd much rather they stay in the hands of heroes." Her arms cross as if to ward off a sudden chill.

Then a thought occurs to her, and she tilts her head to one side, blinking at G'nichi. "Thou art clearly skilled at being a hero in more ways than one. What would thou say to taking a pupil- someone who desires to learn the art of defending others and smiting evil? Not me, of course. As I said, such feats are beyond me," she clarifies, "But also, not... not me."

[Keeper]

Thunderhead Rescue

G'nichi waves a hand. "Don't be silly. I'm far too young and inexperienced to be taking apprentices. I'm barely eighteen." Being fair, G'nichi's original species age quickly so that's the equivalent of at least twenty-five.
"But I admit I'm quite confused what you mean anyway. Not you but no not you? Do you have some clones running around?"
Clones are nasty business. Maybe if G'nichi was a little older he'd know to call that a Magtok situation.

[quillpleasant]

Thunderhead Rescue

Lia is quite familiar with being younger than she looks. "Perhaps just a sparring partner then. In truth, me and the others have only existed for a few months, although our minds are far older than that." A brief look of annoyance crosses Lia's face, but it's gone in an instant.

"Not clones, no. My true form is hidden below the earth, a network of hyphae. I am one of several avatars, fruiting bodies grown fully formed to walk and learn on the surface. After... some unfortunate events, more of us have been created, each representing an aspect of the greater mind." She strikes an elegant pose. "I was intended to be the happiest and most regal, a princess of the pink oyster. It's a good role to play."

[Keeper]

Thunderhead Rescue

"Well, I'm no expert swordsman, but I can do my best. Most of my weapons act as a crutch for me, giving me the ability to wield them even if I haven't been trained in them. But today I got the wand, so it's just that and my regular sword." G'nichi pats his fancy stick and the hilt of his sword. He is quite fond of both of them.

He's not even going to touch the...hyphae thing. He has no idea what that means. But from her head he can guess it's mushroom stuff.

[quillpleasant]

Thunderhead Rescue

Lia observes his weapons with interest. "Those illusions were impressive. Trickery is just as great an asset as brute strength, when wielded with noble intent." Or at least she hopes so, since more often than not trickery is all she has.

"I actually came here seeking weaponry, funnily enough. I'm in pursuit of a blacksmith, only I seem to have lost my way. It's probably the awful vertigo." She crosses her arms with a shudder. "Being this high up is terribly unnerving. How thou can handle it is beyond me," Lia nods at G'nichi's wings, "Flying freely without any attachments- I believe I would expire of fright!"

[Keeper]

Thunderhead Rescue

"I used to be afraid of the sky, but I have learned to manage it. It helps that it's in my nature. And I can make myself very light so slowing my fall and gliding is easy." G'nichi explains, looking around the room idly.
"But are you looking for something specific? I can't imagine too many weapons that would be exclusively in this city and not elsewhere. You don't seem like a laser rifle kind of person, I admit."

[quillpleasant]

Thunderhead Rescue

"I can float a little if I disperse into spores, but- the sky is so endless. It's like looking into hell. I fear getting lost in it." Beings that take to it naturally are as beautifully alien to Lia as the strangest inhabitants of the deep ocean.

"And yes, I'm in search of a specific smith- an old friend, who makes beings of metal that move like the living. And it's not for me, but rather for a different me. She's a knight, like thou art. Or at least, she endeavors to be one." Lia doesn't seem particularly confident in her other self, but her positive attitude remains unbroken.

As G'nichi looks around the shop, he'll notice that the mechanic has finished his soldering job and removed his welding mask, revealing him to be a youth with silver hair and the yellow eyes of a hawk. He floats over towards them, clipping his blowtorch to his belt.

"Your pursuers are being taken away, it seems," he says softly, "Once they're finished, you'll be free to go."

A glance at the security screen by the door will confirm his words. Outside, the spiderabbits are surrounded by people in white hazmat suits, who are jabbing them with electric prods in an attempt to subdue them. One of the creatures has already collapsed, and one of the people is using a gun that sprays sticky glue to bind its legs together.

[Keeper]

Thunderhead Rescue

"Well, that's not exactly much to go on, but I don't mind playing bodyguard for an hour or two if it would make you feel better." G'nichi shrugs, which for him is a motion mostly in the wings.

He turns to the mechanic with a smile.
"Thanks for giving us shelter. Your work was quite impressive." Though partly because G'nichi doesn't really understand machinery that much. With all his flowing mustaches and fluff he tends to avoid things with moving parts.

[quillpleasant]

Thunderhead Rescue

"Oh, would thou be so kind? This place has proven nothing but hostile, and it's my first time coming here alone. I much preferred it when I had friends." Lia beams, happy both for the safety and the company. She smooths out her dress self-consciously.

G'nichi's compliment is met with a simple nod from the mechanic- he knows his work is impressive, no need to sugarcoat it. "No need to thank me. Your donation was appreciated. And take this." The silver haired boy hands them both a flyer. It's promoting the Skyside CARnage Race, which seems to be a very violent race car competition. With flying cars.

On the monitor, the last of the spiderabbits is subdued and bound in glue, and the white suited individuals work together to heave them up, hurrying away down the street. However, one of them remains behind, peering up at the camera. Well, that could be an issue.

[Keeper]

Thunderhead Rescue

"Sure, it's no issue." G'nichi assures Lia. He also accepts the poster, though he's not one for watching races.
He does notice the camera feed.
"I think you still got one visitor?" he says, noting the white-suited man staring at the camera.

[quillpleasant]

Thunderhead Rescue

The mechanic frowns at the man on the camera. "Not great. Monsters are one thing, but people can cause a lot more problems. Since he's not going away, I'd suggest you explain that you're innocent bystanders, and hopefully he'll leave you alone." He gives a nod to the doorman and floats back warily as the garage door starts to open again.

Lia looks a little nervous. "The armor he wears looks to be resistance to my spores, so I may be helpless if he turns out to be dangerous," she whispers, moving behind G'nichi. A hazmat suit is certainly more effective that more durable protection against her kind of chemical weaponry.

As the door grinds to a halt, the man steps into the garage, looking around. His face is covered with a gas mask, its clear visor showing beady blue eyes that peer around the room. In one hand he holds some sort of advanced looking black box- maybe a taser?

"Hello. Did any of you come in direct contact with those creatures?" he asks, a little aggressively.

[Keeper]

Thunderhead Rescue

G’nichi nods and goes to speak to the man in the hazmat suit.
”No, neither of us touched the things.” G’nichi tells the man truthfully. He stabbed one but the blood (or whatever it has) didn’t get on him. ”When burning didn’t work we simply hid here.”

[quillpleasant]

Thunderhead Rescue

"So they chased you here? Mhm," says the man, pulling out a phone and typing on it. He does this in silence for long enough that it becomes slightly awkward before finally looking up.

"Okay, you're both going to have to come with me for a decontamination scan. Those creatures carry a highly contagious infection and we need to make sure it doesn't spread. Nothing to worry about, just routine." He jerks his head to the side. "Follow me."

Lia looks extremely doubtful at this proposition, but waits to see what G'nichi has to say about it. It's not like she could do much to argue the point.

[Keeper]

Thunderhead Rescue

G'nichi seems...unconvinced.
"I'm going to need to see some credentials before I go with anyone. Especially considering as one of Bahamut's blessed I can't be touched by disease anyway. And Lia's physiology doesn't allow for viruses."
He could be wrong about that but he's pretty sure mushrooms can't get viral infections. Or possibly also bacterial infections?

[quillpleasant]

Thunderhead Rescue

Lia is quick to back up the knight's argument. "Sir G'nichi is right, I cannot fall victim to any plague. Nor can I act as a vector for spreading it." Well, theoretically she could if a virus remained on her skin, but she'd be no more dangerous than an object that had been exposed.

But the man is already shaking his head. "I have no way of verifying your resistance to disease without scanning you both. It's a public safety hazard."

Reaching into his bag, he fishes out a wallet and displays a laminated white card card. It reads:

Carter J. Burke
Viral Research Division
iii

And at the bottom there's a logo that resembles three eyes arranged in a circle around each other.

"So, good enough? If you resist I'm gonna have to call backup, and neither of us wants that." He unhooks a walkie talkie from his belt with a sigh.

[Keeper]

Thunderhead Rescue

"If it was a public safety hazard, why is it that you're harassing us about it instead of sealing off the entire route they've been walking around on for the past few hours? I don't see a cleanup crew dealing with any of the surfaces they were touching. So how about you stop being vague and tell us something that doesn't make you look like a sketchy skyside corporate agent running a kidnapping scam?"
Because that is absolutely what it looks like is happening. Scummy Skyside lab has a breakout of monsters, quietly kidnap anyone who witnesses them. Classic stuff.
Besides, Syncope would probably tell him if he was carrying a dangerous virus. That's the kind of thing she worries about.

[quillpleasant]

Thunderhead Rescue

The man withers under G'nichi's accusations. He's clearly the kind of man who's used to getting his way through simple intimidation, and he's not quite sure how to handle someone who's capable of seeing through that. Shifting uneasily, he glances between G'nichi and Lia, as if weighing the potential danger of pushing them against the time it'll take for his backup to arrive.

Discretion seems to win out, as the walkie talkie is returned to his belt. "Yeah... you're right, I should probably make sure the area is disinfected first. I'll come back for you later, so don't leave the area, okay?" He backs away, eyes narrowed, before turning and walking off hurriedly down the street.

"He could not withstand thy shrewdness, it seems," remarks Lia with relief, "But we should likely depart here before his return, yes?" After all, he might make good on his threats of calling in more agents.

[Shadowcaller]

[Grave Matters]

Utayo will have receive a short message from Ambrosia asking if she could come over. It was important.

Should she say yes it won't be long until clouds start rolling in over Skyside which get awfully low even for a city this high up in the sky.

Then a couple of minutes later the doorbell on her door rings.
The scholar is there and she looks awful frankly. Her otherwise well-maintained armor and hair is covered in a liquid that she might realize is her own (dragon) saliva as Ambrosia mentioned that when she transported her own body she usually put her human body inside her mouth and spat it out when she needed it.
It was hardly ideal but considering the speed she was often moving at and how could it could get up there she couldn't risk anything else. Which was why she usually looked so spotless, she had to clean herself and her equipment every time she did this.

Thus it was often better to simply walk when she wanted to pose as a human.

But here she now was still covered in dragon-drool and carrying a silk sack over her shoulder appearing more defeated and frustrated than Utayo had ever seen her.

"...I apologize for the short notice and-" She gestures at herself. "-everything else. But I really need your help." The scholar says over the voice module as she's standing by the door. As Utayo never had to let her in she must have touched down on the roof and then taken the elevator down.