Skyside Prime

[Keeper]

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.

Thunderhead Rescue

"Obviously." G'nichi tells Lia after the man leaves.
"But there's no sense in making it easier for them." G'nichi waves his wand and leaves an illusion of the two of them leaning apprehensively against a nearby wall.
"Now, where are we going?" he asks as he leads Lia away from the scene.

[Gullara]

[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.

[Grave Matters]

Utayo's cordial greeting turns into a look of alarm when she sees the state of her friend. "Um-" It's difficult to render the moonfolk inarticulate, but evidently not impossible. "Of course, come inside." She'll let Ambrosia in and secure the door behind her. Normally she'd offer some niceties, but another time. "What's wrong?"

[Shadowcaller]

[Grave Matters]

"Again, I apologize." Ambrosia says as she enters Utayo's abode, bowing her head down as she turns to face the moonfolk once the door has been closed behind her.
"But a part of me has been stolen." She continues before even taking a seat. "You recall the orbs we used in HALO? It's twin was taken by a thief." The way way she utters the word and the look in her eyes not only suggests malice, it shouts it louder than even her draconic voice could have managed.
"...and he left mechanical things behind. Machines, much like yours but much smaller." She holds up to sack as to draw attention to it.

Though Ambrosia quickly realized how much of a mistake this had been. While angry it had seemed like a logical step to ask for help but standing here now making an utter fool of herself before Utayo it felt like she should sink through the floor and never come back.
She could already feel her cheeks redden as the planeswalkers gaze was upon her.

[quillpleasant]

Thunderhead Rescue

Lia stares in astonishment at the illusion, tilting her head to one side. "Truly a miraculous skill! It looks just like us!" She frowns slightly. "Is that really what my nose looks like? I may have to regrow it."

There's absolutely nothing wrong with her nose.

Still, she follows G'nichi away from the mechanic shop, sticking close by as if worried that there's more monsters lurking about. And that is in fact exactly what she's worried about. The moment she get back to the ground, she's never coming back to this city again.

"My quest is to find a place called "Pontius' Custom Constructs. Only, I don't actually recall its location. I thought it was in the Thunderhead district, but... last time I came here was in another life, so the details are a bit fuzzy." This is in no way a hyperbole. "It would be too lucky if thy magic could provide directions, so perhaps we could find a map somewhere."

[Gullara]

[Grave Matters]

"I see..." With the problem presented to her, Utayo makes that her focus rather than the irregularity of the situation. "Please place these machines on my workbench, then tell me further details about this thief." She'll lead the way over to her small workbench and gestures for Ambrosia to do as instructed. "I assume they're nonfunctional at the moment."

[Shadowcaller]

[Grave Matters]

The scholar feels herself relax as Utayo's focus shifted to the task at hand and follows Utayo to the workbench. She had cleaned off her boots before coming in but there was always the risk of the saliva she was covered in dripping down on the floor so she was moving carefully. Each step making her painfully aware that she might be making a mess.

After placing the bag on the bench she nods. "Yes, as far as I can tell. Some of them sustained heavy damage but others just seemed to just suddenly stopped moving. I was hoping you could tell me more about that." At this point she will cautiously pour out the nanobots on the table.

"As for the thief himself, he was... mechanical in nature. He looked like a man but was actually completely made up of these things. Like some kind of intelligent swarm of mechanical insects so perhaps it's more accurate to say 'they'. Either way, he also seemed capable of disguising himself as others and even divide himself into several parts which could act completely independent of one another. I suppose a literal 'one-man-army' is an apt description."

[quillpleasant]

Grave Matters

The nanobots are successfully poured out. And poured is the correct word, as they slowly flop out and land heavily on the table.

They've melted into each other and now resemble nothing so much as a pile of iron filings, but thick and viscous like bread dough. A dull gunmetal gray, they certainly don't look like anything advanced or dangerous.

However, now that they're out of the bag, it's apparent that they are moving- but agonizingly slowly, and with no real purpose in mind. The mass twitches and oozes glacially, and there's clearly still some kind of life in it- perhaps it lacks a will or a power source to animate further.

[Keeper]

Thunderhead Rescue

Lia stares in astonishment at the illusion, tilting her head to one side. "Truly a miraculous skill! It looks just like us!" She frowns slightly. "Is that really what my nose looks like? I may have to regrow it."

There's absolutely nothing wrong with her nose.

Still, she follows G'nichi away from the mechanic shop, sticking close by as if worried that there's more monsters lurking about. And that is in fact exactly what she's worried about. The moment she get back to the ground, she's never coming back to this city again.

"My quest is to find a place called "Pontius' Custom Constructs. Only, I don't actually recall its location. I thought it was in the Thunderhead district, but... last time I came here was in another life, so the details are a bit fuzzy." This is in no way a hyperbole. "It would be too lucky if thy magic could provide directions, so perhaps we could find a map somewhere."

Thunderhead Rescue

G'nichi blinks, turning back to Lia.
"Wait- but- that's in the mall in Inside. That's- you're not in the right city. Unless there's more than one but that still means you didn't need to come all the way out here."
He didn't THINK it was a chain. He's pretty sure Pontius is just one guy.

[Gullara]

[Grave Matters]

Utayo's eyes narrow when she sees the bag's contents. She steps over to the workbench and leans over it to examine Ambrosia's catch. "These appear damaged." She observes, though notes that they're resilient enough to not have been destroyed. She triggers her eyes to engage magnification while she examples the small machines.

"If you wish to wash yourself while I do my examination you may use my bathroom." She offers, not looking up from her inspection.

[quillpleasant]

Thunderhead Rescue

Lia looks at G'nichi, utterly aghast. "What... but... no. No? It was here, wasn't it?" She looks around, as if expecting the shop to appear before her eyes. "Are my memories really that fragile? It can't..."

But it does appear to be true. Dying was a massive shock to her system, and she's still discovering all the consequences. After a moment, she kneels on the ground, overcome with a spell of dizziness.

"Forgive me, Sir G'nichi. My mind appears to be addled. I journeyed this far, to this place I despise, searching for something that isn't even here. Perhaps I cannot trust my own mind anymore." She shakes her head sadly. "Will thou do me the honors of escorting me off this vile rock? I wish never to set foot here again."

[Shadowcaller]

[Grave Matters]

"Are you sure? What if it reanimates?" It was already moving on its own so she couldn't help but to be concerned.
Of course, it was the expression Utayo got when she was so entranced by these machines that has Ambrosia forget what she was doing for a moment.

[Gullara]

[Grave Matters]

"I'm sure it's nothing I can't handle. It hardly seems dangerous in this state." Utayo replies, still quite distracted by her task. It seems it's up to Ambrosia to decide.

[quillpleasant]

Grave Matters

Up close, the stuff is even stranger. Utayo's magnification can just pick out countless tiny, almost microscopic machines that make up the whole. They look quite complex for things of that size, resembling something like jagged beetles.

What's even stranger is that they seem to be melting into a thick black oil and reforming constantly. It's a rather intricate dance for something that as a whole is doing nothing but slowly sliding around.

[Shadowcaller]

[Grave Matters]

Ambrosia stays silent for a while, looking between Utayo and the nanomachine pile until she seems to make a decision with a nod.
"A-alright, but if it does anything, and I mean anything, strange, don't hesitate to call out. I will be there."

And then she would have to find her way to the bathroom and figure out how to work the bathroom tap. All while trying to shut out her concerns. Completely ignoring the voice that said that Utayo probably was more capable of subduing these machines than she were.

[Gullara]

[Grave Matters]

Strange... the oil aspects certainly seems to suggest these are not purely mechanical. As advanced as they seem, being able to just shift state like that appears out of place. Even so, she reasons they must need some means of intercommunicating to coordinate. While that coordination may be limited now, it remains present. Thankfully her senses are quite enhanced. Specifically she tunes her sense of hearing to pick wide spectrum of waves, narrowing her search as she's able to narrow down how these machines are communicating. She's familiar enough with the typical background 'noise' to filter it out as she searches.

[quillpleasant]

Grave Matters

At first, the only sound that can be heard is the faintest of scratches as the tiny machines rub against each other. If they're communicating, it's certainly not through sound.

But there is the occasional barely audible crackle, like static electricity. There might be some latent electrical signal running through these things, but it's too weak to really learn how it works. An energy based communication system seems like the most likely conclusion to draw.

[Keeper]

Thunderhead Rescue

Lia looks at G'nichi, utterly aghast. "What... but... no. No? It was here, wasn't it?" She looks around, as if expecting the shop to appear before her eyes. "Are my memories really that fragile? It can't..."

But it does appear to be true. Dying was a massive shock to her system, and she's still discovering all the consequences. After a moment, she kneels on the ground, overcome with a spell of dizziness.

"Forgive me, Sir G'nichi. My mind appears to be addled. I journeyed this far, to this place I despise, searching for something that isn't even here. Perhaps I cannot trust my own mind anymore." She shakes her head sadly. "Will thou do me the honors of escorting me off this vile rock? I wish never to set foot here again."

Thunderhead Rescue

G’nichi nods to Lia. It sounds like she’s really gotten quite addled by something. But he can’t really judge her state of mental health since he has no frame of reference to how a fungus-network-person is supposed to be.
”It’s no problem. Let’s find you a shuttle and that can be the end of it for today.” he assures her gently.

[Gullara]

[Grave Matters]

Hm, not what she was expecting, but perhaps electrical signals could be transmitted cleanly given their close contacts. Utayo looks up and grabs a pair of small tweezers from her tools, as well as a glove for her bio hand. Best be careful with whatever these things are made of. She attempts to separate a few of the individual specimens and move them to the far edge of her workbench.

[quillpleasant]

Thunderhead Rescue

Lia nods distractedly, slowly getting to her feet. "Yes, my thanks Sir G'nichi. The shuttles are terrible, but as long as I'm on the ground soon, it'll be worth it." Maybe it was a bad idea to go somewhere so far removed from her network. Everything will make more sense when she's not in the sky.

She'll proceed to follow him, mostly lost in thought. At least she has a good guide.

---

Grave Matters

The nanobots are difficult to grab, since their oiliness makes them slide off the tools easily. It'll take a could attempts, but eventually Utayo is able to separate a minuscule clump in her tweezers.

Strangely enough, there's a clear and dramatic effect as the nanobots are removed. After a few moments of being removed, they cease their movement, becoming entirely inert. They no longer transform into the oil, remaining dormant metal. It seems that a critical mass is needed for them to be able to animate.

[TeChameleon]

[Incognito Golem]

At one of Cloudtop's most prestigious cafes, a childlike figure swathed in a red hoodie sat, dark glasses on and the bill of a baseball cap sticking out of the raised hood.

It was amazing how many people somehow automatically assumed 'celebrity' when they saw that outfit, especially if you were in the right sort of high-class setting. An expensive-looking shopping bag retrieved from a dumpster and carefully cleaned sat next to the chair, completing the illusion, while a drink that was being carefully dropped into a nearby plant when unobserved sat in front of him.

There wasn't any real reason for all the subterfuge, but Eddie liked people-watching, and this let him do it unbothered by overzealous security types and various other staff. It also helped him keep his hand in for skills like disguise and stakeout, skills he had often used over the years- they were jobs he often got stuck with in various adventuring parties, since he didn't tire, only 'slept' for an hour a night, and was patient as a stone when waiting for something.

So, while he had feelers out for jobs, delves or quests, he explored the Nexus and he people-watched.

[Keeper]

Incognito Golem

There's a pretty obvious person who sits down near the childlike golem. A huge eight foot tall blond minotauress in a kimono who immediately orders some tea.
She glances over at the stone person with a small smile and then turns back to a thick volume she brought with her.

Thunderhead Rescue

"I apologize. If I had my own aircraft I would offer. But alas, I just flew here myself." It was actually fairly stressful but he won't reveal that.
Luckily he still has a decent sense of direction from the 'ground' and should still be able to get her to the public transport part of the district. If he can do so without someone shooting at them, that remains to be seen...

[TeChameleon]

[Incognito Golem]

Eddie twitched very slightly.

He'd been made. He wasn't sure how, but the great minotauress had spotted him uncomfortably quickly.

Still, there were formalities to observe. He nodded to her, the bill of the cap bobbing noticeably, picked up his mostly-empty drink and the decoy shopping bag, and ambled over to her.

Of course, it didn't hurt that she had a book that he didn't think he had seen before.

"Hi." he said. "Good book?"

"Oh. I'm Eddie. How did you spot me?"

[Keeper]

Incognito Golem

Mina pulls at her garment a bit to show that there is a large sai strapped to her leg in an elegant little sheathe.
"Sai told me that something was up." she explains simply. "And you have the look of someone who looks like they're trying to look like someone important and not to be bothered." Perhaps rather than someone who actually is.
"It is. My name's Mina." The book appears to be a (large) tome on Nexus archaeological practices.

[TeChameleon]

[Incognito Golem]

"Oh!" Eddie said. Of course it had been another intelligent item that had picked up on him. Eddie took a glance at the sai... named Sai, apparently, wizards didn't seem to have much creativity when it came to picking names... and his eyes glowed a little brighter for a moment, gleaming behind his dark glasses as he studied the sentient weapon's aura.

His magical senses told him that Sai had quite a bit of magic behind them and that they weren't cursed. Not for the first time, he wished that his magic senses were a little more refined.

A faint smile appeared in Eddie's voice. "You'd be amazed how often people treat you as important when they think you look important. Even when you're four-foot six. Is there any way I can speak with Sai directly... assuming they wish to speak with me, of course... or do you need to interpret?"

The hood shifted as Eddie tilted his head, reading the title of the book. "Archaeological practices. And a magic... quite magic, by the look of them... weapon... do you delve, then?"

[Ironsmith]

[Incognito Golem]

"It might not look it, but I do have something resembling ears." A voice rings out sharply, from the sai's position on Mina's belt. "Though having said as much, there is little to hear from me that you could not also hear from Lady Tososora. I suggest you address all further questions appropriately, unless she tires of answering them."

[Keeper]

Incognito Golem

"See, I'm a lady." Mina seems immensely amused by Sai using that title.
She gently lets go of her kimono to let it fall back over Sai's sheathe.
"He's shy." she assures Eddie in a way that suggests that's definitely not what Sai is.
"A little, but I also focus on helping people locally if I can. And I have classes, so not a ton of spare time." Comics and shows vastly underestimate how much time it takes to not-fail college classes.

[TeChameleon]

"Classes? Do you teach, or are you a student?" Eddie asks. He didn't question Sai being shy- he himself was typically very shy, so another intelligent item being shy made perfect sense.

Then a thought hits him. "Er, I mean no offense; I have never been any good at figuring out ages of any organic beings beyond the broad categories of child, adult, elder, that sort of thing, and even then I'm often a bit fuzzy." He really wasn't sure why, but some organics got amazingly huffy when you misjudged their age.

"I'm fairly new around here- got dropped through a portal fighting some lunatic mage or other in my world, ended up in this one. I was an adventurer on my original world for quite a while- easiest way for me to put, er, food-adjacent things... on my table. Well, food-adjacent for me, anyways, others probably not so much."

Her sentient weapon had told her 'something was up', so obviously Mina would see no discrepancy between what looked and sounded like a small human boy, albeit one who was quite covered up, and his talk of fighting insane wizards and referring to 'organic beings' as if he wasn't one. Apparently Eddie had a good deal of faith in Mina's ability to draw conclusions from very limited data sets. Or he just wasn't thinking, one of the two.

[Keeper]

Incognito Golem

"I'm a college student." Mina replies with a wave of her hand.
"Yeah, that happens a lot. Happened to Sai at some point after he was buried with my previous incarnation's body. But I'm a Nexus Native. But I get that things get pretty crazy." She's had to deal with elemental zombies and magical girls and whatever it was those kids were fighting.

[quillpleasant]

Thunderhead Rescue

"I apologize. If I had my own aircraft I would offer. But alas, I just flew here myself." It was actually fairly stressful but he won't reveal that.
Luckily he still has a decent sense of direction from the 'ground' and should still be able to get her to the public transport part of the district. If he can do so without someone shooting at them, that remains to be seen...

Thunderhead Rescue

"An... aircraft?" Lia's face shows no recognition, only distaste. "If that's anything like it sounds, I'll take my chances with the devil I know." At least the elevators have cables connecting them to the ground. Floating in open air sounds like pure misery.

G'nichi is able to lead them through the warehouse district with little trouble, as the streets seem oddly empty. However, as they approach the edge, where the tram systems ferry people down to Groundtown below, this incongruity becomes a little more clear. More of the white uniformed people who collected the spiderabbits are here, close to a dozen of them. They're heavily armed with submachine guns, their gas masks making for a rather intimidating presence. They appear to be screening everyone heading down by having them breathe into a strange apparatus, possibly to check for infection.

Off to the side stand three large armored vehicles, one of which has three civilians sitting in the back, a guard standing by them. The rest of the people there seem reluctant to comply, but the open weaponry is too much for anyone to take a chance with.

Overseeing the operation is a doctor in a long blue lab coat, the only one without a mask, with slick black hair and clever eyes. He's analyzing the results of the breathing machine and then personally waiving through anyone who 'passes'.

"Tis trouble," observes Lia helpfully, "Especially should they recognize us. Dost thou have any ideas?"

[TeChameleon]

[Incognito Golem]

Eddie gave a look that, even in the shadows of his hood, looked pretty blank.

He had largely exhausted his reservoir of small talk; secondary education was something that he had next to no exposure to, and even asking about the tea was beyond him, since he had no tastebuds and didn't eat. Asking about Sai would have felt awkward, as they were right there, listening.

Casting about for a topic, Eddie eventually came up with "So, you said you delved on occasion... do you have any recommendations for nearby dungeons? I'm mostly interested in magic items- potency, even functionality is basically irrelevant, as I am a thaumatovore and consume their magic for sustenance, rather than wanting to use them."