People you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley

[old man moomba]

The man who had forgotten his name opened the door, already talking 

"Boss Can I get some more files on the current stat..." then he ran into Johnny "Oh. What are you doing here. Please tell me you're not the new section chief."

[The Technovore]

“Uh... I don’t think I’m supposed to be here...” Johnny backed away slowly, pale-faced. The door is so close, it’s just behind this terrifying looking guy. Johnny slipped his hand into his pocket, gripping his taser.

[old man moomba]

"Kid. I think you took a wrong turn." the man paused to wave a mime in "You ended up in the SC Foundation headquarters. Go back down the alley and head for the thread called Trident Tower." 

The mime repaired the fourth wall and left, signing to itself about overtime.

The man stepped out of the way motioning for the kid to go past.

Edited February 16, 2019 by Dr. Dapper

[The Technovore]

Johnny watched the mime repair the fourth wall. This utterly destroyed his poor psyche and he went into a coma on the spot.

”Oh... thanks for those completely helpful directions. I now understand exactly where I’m supposed to go,” Johnny said. It felt robotic and scripted coming out of his mouth, but he waved those thoughts off. Those thoughts were dangerous. 

Man, even the terrifying people covered in blood that work in horrifying offices are super nice. Or maybe I got lucky and found the one single nice guy here. Good thing too, I definitely don’t want to be involved in... whatever kind of thing goes on here.

Johnny edged by the man and scooted out the door. “Thanks! Sorry if I interrupted anything!” He threw behind him as he scrambled away.

[Voidus]

A chorus of blood-curdling screams echoed from a nearby doorway, covered in what seemed to be the scratches of fingernails frantically clawing at the door.

A sign underneath it read 'Customer complaints office'

[Fatebreaker]

A man in a blood soaked lab coat stepped out from the door, dragging a large sack behind him. He waved at the fleeing boy, then left a trail behind him as he dragged the sack through a different door labeled ‘Reclaimation and Recovery’

[Lord Meeker]

I'd like to propose a join Hemalurgy experiment of Meekers. Care to join, DA?

Signed,

Meeks

The message was delivered, of course, by a meeker. 

Edited February 19, 2019 by Lord Meeker

[Fatebreaker]

11 hours ago, Lord Meeker said:

I'd like to propose a join Hemalurgy experiment of Meekers. Care to join, DA?

Signed,

Meeks

The message was delivered, of course, by a meeker. 

An acolyte read the note, then scribbled a reply and handed it to a courier rat. It read, “To whine it may concern, we here at the DA deal with baking and other such mundane delights for the betterment of the community. We would be happy to answer and BAKING related questions you may have.

With the utmost sincerity, The Dark Alley.”

 

[Lord Meeker]

The meeker punctured the note in its singular tooth and dashed off but soon Returned with a new note.

Boss man said we, the DA and I, could collaborate in Meeker related projects.

 

[+ZincAboutIt]

Lita followed the man and Laurelai through an increasingly-odd labyrinth of alleys and side-ways. She didn't miss the fact that he seemed rather anxious.

Wonderful, Lita thought, keeping her tin on at a low burn and sticking close. The light above their heads dimmed and brightened as they went along, and eventually Lita just stopped wondering where they were. She concentrated on the man's feet, marking his steps, walking where he walked. When they emerged - seemingly out of nowhere - in some kind of elaborate bathhouse, he started rummaging around in the cupboards.

Then, he climbed in.

"What?" Lita said, stepping forward. The man was gone. The floor of the cupboard had fallen away to form an odd sort of tunnel, leading straight down.

Suddenly, the man's voice floated up the chute. "Hurry up before the path closes! And don't look up for too long." 

Lita looked back at Laurelai and climbed in, praying that she didn't break her legs on the fall. Then, she slid downward.

The floor was... another alley? Lita looked around, bewildered, and had the good sense to step out of the way in case Laurelai was right behind her. She glanced upward.

Blackness. Lita shut her eyes hard, shuddering. The man was standing by a plain metal door, waiting for them.

Dark Alley indeed, Lita thought, crossing her arms and tapping brass. Some interview this is...

@MacThorstenson @Voidus

[MacThorstenson]

Mac grinned.

Here he was out of Sudiov's reach.

Here he was a lion in its den.

Here he was nearly a god.

Here he could be himself, in control.

And no one could stop him.

He noticed his interviewee standing there tapping bronze. 

"Well, I'm glad you made it. Lets step into my office?" He opened the door and revealed an lush entryway, with bookshelves, sitting chairs, and platters of cookies. He grabbed a blanket off of one off the chairs and tossed it to Lita, then walked through the room and into an office with mahogany paneled walls. He sat down at the desk and motioned for Lita to take the other seat. 

"Now is the time for a more formal introduction. My name is Mac, with a single c at the end. I am the former department head of the DA Department of Counterintelligence. Now I just run the spies. And you are?" He paused to wait for her to respond, then continued. "We would like to offer you a job as an agent for us. Would you like to accept that?"

Quote

I lied, this will probably be the last post I can make. 

Unless I'm lying again.

Here are a few pictures of what I imagine Mac's office's looking like. I never can get the description of areas right. I tend to go overly in depth, so here are some pictures.

Spoiler

 

 

@ZincAboutIt @Voidus

Edited February 26, 2019 by MacThorstenson

[+ZincAboutIt]

Lita stepped into the man's office, shocked at the opulence. Something moved out of the corner of her eye and she spun, catching a soft blanket in her arms. She looked at it, then at the man, before shrugging and wrapping the blanket around herself. The brass was already making her warm, but the blanket was so soft. She sat down across from the man at his large desk.

He seemed more at ease here than he had the entire time they were talking in the tavern.

This is his home, Lita thought, taking in the wood paneling, the stuffed armchairs. The right side of her mouth quirked up a bit. He is like a wealthy banker, all holed up in his counting house.

He introduced himself as Mac "with a single C at the end." 

Particular, Lita noted. Perhaps more scholar than banker.

"I'm Lita," she said, fingering one of her brass ear cuffs. Stop fidgeting. "Lita Attar."

She looked up at Mac, taking her glasses off and storing them under her fur wrap. "And yes, yes I would like to accept your offer. Though, you'll forgive me for asking what that job entails? I understand that covert intelligence is, by nature, covert, but broad-strokes... what is it that I will be doing?" 

Quote

Oooh, great aesthetic! Love a good wood-paneled office.

@MacThorstenson @Voidus

Edited February 26, 2019 by ZincAboutIt

[MacThorstenson]

"And yes, yes I would like to accept your offer. Though, you'll forgive me for asking what that job entails? I understand that covert intelligence is, by nature, covert, but broad-strokes... what is it that I will be doing?" Mac sat back and thought for a moment. Then leaned forward and continued speaking.

"Well," He started, "It really comes down to whatever you want to do. The role of intelligence in the DA is an interesting one. We don't really need a department of inteligence, at least not so far as the other guilds are concerned. Most of our members could destroy the alleyverse without a second thought. Our inquisitors are what inspired the lord ruler to create his feeble imitations. My mistbeaver inquisition was a reason that Adonalsium was shattered. Bob from Accounting playing a game of truth and dare was the reason that the Dark One was created.

I could go on, but the point is, spies aren't as important to us as they are to the other guilds. Intelligence isn't needed in the DA, we have brute force. I mean, our founder has literally created a universe. I'm trying to figure out how to do that myself.

But if you look at it from a different perspective, then intelligence is all the DA does.

Our research teams try to find out as much as they can about the world. They, in a sense, try to preform intelligence against the world.

Now to some, spying is a tad bit more exciting than science. I myself am somewhat undecided on the issue. But the intelligence that they bring in is invaluable. They show us where the limits are, so that we can push them, or pull them in. So that we can make ourselves gods." Mac trailed off, with a lustful look in his eye. Shaking himself he stood up and refocused, reaching out and warping a vial of blood to his hand. He walked over to the book shelf then back again, while removing a small needle from the vial.

"This needle looks exactly the same as any other, but it gives me the ability to chirp like a cricket, something that isn't even anatomically possible. It shouldn't work, but it does. It's one of the worlds many secrets.

So As far as I'm concerned, you can work on whatever you want. You can try to discover the worlds secrets, or the secrets of the guilds. You can do both, you can push the limits, or try to be an agent of change in the alleyverse, the only requirement is that you help the DA. I think that my domain can cover everything." He sat down and leaned in. 

"So tell me, where do you want to start?"

@ZincAboutIt @Voidus

Edited February 26, 2019 by MacThorstenson

[+ZincAboutIt]

12 minutes ago, MacThorstenson said:

So As far as I'm concerned, you can work on whatever you want. You can try to discover the worlds secrets, or the secrets of the guilds. You can do both, you can push the limits, or try to be an agent of change in the alleyverse, the only requirement is that you help the DA. I think that my domain can cover everything." He sat down and leaned in. 

"So tell me, where do you want to start?"

These people are mad, Lita thought, slowly tapping thumb to pinky finger, then ring finger, then middle. I'm mad too, for getting myself mixed up in this.

"I killed him," Lita said suddenly, her mouth moving almost of its own accord. "My last employer, I mean. Forian. I killed him."

She'd never actually said it out loud; hearing the words rose goosebumps on her arms. It was insanity, being so open with these people. But Lita was getting better and better at ignoring her own sanity. Limits, she thought. Everyone has their limits.

"He wanted to frame my father for his smuggling. He told me it was the perfect solution." Lita was surprised that the acid in her voice didn't burn her own tongue. "He was so proud when he told me, like he expected me to be impressed." She stood up suddenly, planting a hand on Mac's desk, breath coming fast through her nose. "What is it about me that would make someone think I'd be rusting impressed by that?"

"I put cyanide in his brandy," she said quietly. "It was too good for him."

She took a deep breath and sat back down. "I've always wanted to pull back the world's curtain and see the wheels and the lights. I want to know who is pulling the strings, and writing the lines. I want to pull a few strings myself. Improve what can be improved."

She looked at the little needle in his hand. "I'm tired of being a sharp tool in the hands of dull men, and duller gods."

Lita met Mac's eyes, and she could see he was serious. He wanted to forge a new universe, write his own rules, know all the secrets, have complete control. She could respect that. "I'll find out whatever it is this organization wants to know," she said, tracing a slow circle on the desk. "Just... when you create that new universe of yours, don't create another Forian Tekiel."

She sighed, then raised her other hand. "Oh, and that pen trick in the bar. If it's not more than a pen, I'll eat my brassminds. I want to learn."

Lita felt a true smile creep onto her face, the first in over two years. "I think I'd rather like to learn everything that I can."

She nodded her chin at the slender needle. It shouldn't work, but it does. "Do you have anything else that shouldn't work, but it does?"

@Voidus

[+ZincAboutIt]

Quote

@MacThorstenson what does this guy look like? Because my current mental picture is oscillating between Tommy Shelby from Peaky Blinders and Slender Man (because I don't have a clear mental picture of his face)  

Spoiler

 

 

[MacThorstenson]

Quote

Thats a cool picture, he may actually look like that. 

His clothes are always very dapper, and his face looks like my profile pic.

In terms of how his face looks, his facial structure is similar to the one in the picture you sent, but he has a big mustache. His hair is also a bit more full on the sides.

Most of his face is taken up with the mustache and either sun glasses or a monocle.

His eyes are generally more lively than the guy's in the picture though. 

Sorry I'm not doing that good of a description, I've never come up with an image of him beyond my profile pic, his entire personage has been the bowler hat glasses/monocle and mustache.

I will hopefully respond to this later tonight.

In the past I've used the pictures below to picture mac when he's either happy or solemn.

 

Edited February 27, 2019 by MacThorstenson

[+ZincAboutIt]

Quote

Perfect description, thank you!

 

[MacThorstenson]

20 hours ago, ZincAboutIt said:

These people are mad, Lita thought, slowly tapping thumb to pinky finger, then ring finger, then middle. I'm mad too, for getting myself mixed up in this.

"I killed him," Lita said suddenly, her mouth moving almost of its own accord. "My last employer, I mean. Forian. I killed him."

She'd never actually said it out loud; hearing the words rose goosebumps on her arms. It was insanity, being so open with these people. But Lita was getting better and better at ignoring her own sanity. Limits, she thought. Everyone has their limits.

"He wanted to frame my father for his smuggling. He told me it was the perfect solution." Lita was surprised that the acid in her voice didn't burn her own tongue. "He was so proud when he told me, like he expected me to be impressed." She stood up suddenly, planting a hand on Mac's desk, breath coming fast through her nose. "What is it about me that would make someone think I'd be rusting impressed by that?"

"I put cyanide in his brandy," she said quietly. "It was too good for him."

She took a deep breath and sat back down. "I've always wanted to pull back the world's curtain and see the wheels and the lights. I want to know who is pulling the strings, and writing the lines. I want to pull a few strings myself. Improve what can be improved."

She looked at the little needle in his hand. "I'm tired of being a sharp tool in the hands of dull men, and duller gods."

Lita met Mac's eyes, and she could see he was serious. He wanted to forge a new universe, write his own rules, know all the secrets, have complete control. She could respect that. "I'll find out whatever it is this organization wants to know," she said, tracing a slow circle on the desk. "Just... when you create that new universe of yours, don't create another Forian Tekiel."

She sighed, then raised her other hand. "Oh, and that pen trick in the bar. If it's not more than a pen, I'll eat my brassminds. I want to learn."

Lita felt a true smile creep onto her face, the first in over two years. "I think I'd rather like to learn everything that I can."

She nodded her chin at the slender needle. It shouldn't work, but it does. "Do you have anything else that shouldn't work, but it does?"

@Voidus

"I killed him, My last employer, I mean. Forian. I killed him."

"He wanted to frame my father for his smuggling. He told me it was the perfect solution. He was so proud when he told me, like he expected me to be impressed." She stood up suddenly, planting a hand on Mac's desk, breath coming fast through her nose. "What is it about me that would make someone think I'd be rusting impressed by that?"

"I put cyanide in his brandy," she said quietly. "It was too good for him."

"Hmm." Mac frowned. Thinking. She does have limits. Good. This girl could be very very good.

"I'll find out whatever it is this organization wants to know, Just... when you create that new universe of yours, don't create another Forian Tekiel." She sighed, then raised her other hand. "Oh, and that pen trick in the bar. If it's not more than a pen, I'll eat my brassminds. I want to learn." Lita felt a true smile creep onto her face, the first in over two years. "I think I'd rather like to learn everything that I can." She nodded her chin at the slender needle. It shouldn't work, but it does. "Do you have anything else that shouldn't work, but it does?"

"Yes actually we do. But first I would like to offer a warning." He leaned in. "Please don't try to kill me. I think you have potential. I would prefer to not have to utterly destroy that." With that thought,he carefully slid the needle into his neck, then began chirping. He nodded. "Good," he said, "Now, based on what you just told me, I will assume that you don't enjoy killing people wantonly. In that case, we won't start you out with hemalurgy, instead we will start you with the alleys and the mechanics of the alleyverse. Now unfortunately I cannot personally tutor you right now, but I can later. Once you've learned the basics, I will teach you how to alleytravel. Laurelai? Would you care to help our newest recruit learn the basics of alleymatics?"

Quote

I know that Voidus is busy irl right now, and I am extremely tied up as well. I will try to make posts when I can, but I expect that things will slow down to a crawl, which may not be to your liking. I understand if you want to wrap this up and rp more in other places for a while before I can come back.

This is the last post I can make today, sorry.

@Voidus

Edited February 27, 2019 by MacThorstenson

[Voidus]

Of all the Alleys to take us through why'd he have to detour through 64%&12? Laurelai thought wryly, still trying to get the ringing out of her ears. I would have thought the last experiment on penguins ended disastrously enough to discourage further research.

Now back in the Alleys she made use of her Zincminds to think things through as Mac spoke to Lita, though she did feel a smug smile creep across her face as Lita replied.

Well she'll fit right in. Not a bad catch.

She raised an eyebrow when Mac asked her to teach Lita Alleymatics. It wasn't exactly the first item on the training menu for most newcomers. Then again, if someone wanted to pull back the curtains of the Alleyverse then Alleymatics was definitely the place to start.

"Of course." She replied politely before turning to Lita. "Come on, we can stop by R&D while we chat for a bit, they always have something interesting that shouldn't work but does. And we can pick you up a special pen of your own."

 

Quote

Up to you how much you want to RP of this stuff, I'll likely be quite busy for the next 3 or so days but hopefully will start being free again after that.

 

[+ZincAboutIt]

15 minutes ago, MacThorstenson said:

"Yes actually we do. But first I would like to offer a warning." He leaned in. "Please don't try to kill me. I think you have potential. I would prefer to not have to utterly destroy that." With that thought,he carefully slid the needle into his neck, then began chirping. He nodded. "Good," he said, "Now, based on what you just told me, I will assume that you don't enjoy killing people wantonly. In that case, we won't start you out with hemalurgy, instead we will start you with the alleys and the mechanics of the alleyverse. Now unfortunately I cannot personally tutor you right now, but I can later. Once you've learned the basics, I will teach you how to alleytravel. Laurelai? Would you care to help our newest recruit learn the basics of alleymatics?"

Lita laughed a little ruefully. "I won't try to kill you, I'm not that stupid. I don't generally make the habit of killing the people I work for. Anyway, I highly doubt your ambitions are so small as to include framing my father for smuggling gunpowder. You wanted to know my limit, so, there it is."

She turned to Laurelai

"Come on," said the woman, "we can stop by R&D while we chat for a bit, they always have something interesting that shouldn't work but does. And we can pick you up a special pen of your own."

Lita nodded, smiling at the mention of the pen. How had Laurelai done it?

I'll find that out soon enough, and more besides, she thought. I guess I picked the right day to get a drink.

@Voidus

Quote

Actually it seems as though the busy stars are aligning for all of us at the same time. I'm about to get quite busy for the next three/four days myself, so a far slower pace is likely ideal for a bit. I've purposely only created one character so she's stuck in one place at a time. And if she's about to be learning complex stuff, all the better that it's at a slow pace  

 

[+ElephantEarwax]

Quote

Couple meta questions  

What kind of pen and what kind of drink?

 

[+ZincAboutIt]

Quote

It's some kind of pen that can send non-verbal messages between people. That's all I know about it and it's kind of killing me that I don't know more, because it's really cool.

As for the drink, that'd be port. Well, and choc. But mostly port. Mmmmm port. I got it at the tavern, but you may not want to go there right now, since it's on fire, and being attacked by a crazy person, so the service probably won't be as prompt as usual.

 

[Voidus]

Quote

Whoops, guess this got lost in my backlog, sorry about that. Busy week.

Laurelai led Lita back through the Alleys, she took a longer route, avoiding any particularly dangerous or secret Alleys as they wen, but a short time later they stood in a large, sanitized room which somehow still seemed dark in spite of the bright fluorescent lights overhead. A number of sealed metal crates were stacked in corners, most of them with a small tag attached to them.

As they entered, a blue-skinned humanoid wearing a traditional white labcoat and what seemed to be vestigial horns growing from his forehead looked up with a somewhat distracted look.

"R&D." He said plainly. "What do you need?"

Laurelai hadn't seen this particular member before but most people who worked in R&D were a little... different. Mac's department of Counter Intelligence was mostly staffed with people who could pass as normal in the Alleycity, the R&D department had decidedly abandoned any hopes of passing as normal and liberally experimented with the limits of Hemalurgy.

"Morning/" Laurelai replied, though she wasn't even sure if this Alley was temporal so they might not have mornings. "New recruit, wanted to get her set up and see if you guys had anything new and interesting."

The blue-skinned man nodded with a wide smile.

"Everything in R&D is new and exciting." He said, continuing to grin. "Come! Come! Lots of new things to see."

He spun around, labcoat twirling in the air behind him and emitting a steady stream of smoke from one of its pockets, though he hadn't seemed to notice yet. He proceeded to march through a nearby door, into a room stacked with thousands upon thousands of crates.

"So!" He barked out from inside as he steadied a column of boxes with one hand, and with the other quickly yanked one of the crates out from the middle of it, barely managing to avoid the entire pile from collapsing on top of him. "What kinds of new things?"
@ZincAboutIt

[+ZincAboutIt]

Quote

No worries! I had plenty to keep me occupied both here and irl.

Lita followed Laurelai as they wound through the Alleys, and though she tried to map out their route in her mind, she was still wholly turned around.

This place, Lita thought, is not normal at all. 

The room they entered was white and clean - uncomfortably clean. Lita had been living in Alleycity long enough to know what a laboratory was, but the level of complete sterility still made her shiver a bit. The man standing in the center of the room was even odder still. He was blue, and... were those horns growing out of his head?

Stop staring you nitwit, Lita scolded herself, putting on her best polite half-smile. Laurelai chatted with the man, asking if they had anything new and exciting. He ducked into a back room, the pocket of his white coat smoking like a burning tea kettle. Lita glanced at Laurelai, who seemed utterly unconcerned at the idea of talking with a blue-skinned horned man.

"So!" The man barked out from inside as he steadied a column of boxes with one hand, and with the other quickly yanked one of the crates out from the middle of it, barely managing to avoid the entire pile from collapsing on top of him. "What kinds of new things?"

Lita jumped a bit, blushing as she realized she'd been staring at the man again - well, at his pocket, which was still smoking.

"I -- ah," she cleared her throat, suddenly lost for words. What did she want? It was clear from the looks of the fellow in the lab coat that almost anything was possible down here.

Definitely not horns, she thought, twirling a finger around the ends of her plaited hair. She looked over at Laurelai. It seemed like a great deal of choice to offer someone brand new to an organization. Admittedly, she was still trapped in some kind of strange underground maze. Perhaps this was normal. 

"I'm a spy by trade," she said, trying to keep her voice from quavering. She wasn't even sure what she was allowed to ask for. "Something to help with covert intelligence, maybe? Or one of those clever pens?"  

@Voidus

[Fatebreaker]

There was a crash as one of the boxes fell over and a short fellow with a bone peg-leg rolled out. He scrambled to his foot, looking around wildly.

"Did we get mornings back?!? Are we experiencing Bendalloy Blowout?!?!? HAS ANYONE SEEN MY TEETH?!?!?!?!?"

He wheezed, running out of breath, and finally seemed to take in the other occupants of the room. His eyes showed a spark of recognition as he looked at Laurelai. He quickly reached down and removed a metal disk that was set into his peg-leg. He relaxed visibly once it was removed, and addressed the visitors in a much quieter voice,

"Oh, greetings and salutations, I am Stumped of R&D. R&D: We're not monsters we're Scientists. Or was it 'It's not an abomination if it's on purpose'?No, that one got scrapped. Anyways, please forgive my earlier urgency, we've been working on personality stamps at the same time as our chronological medallions, and let me tell you it is not a good combo. I was adjusting a cadmium meda... " 

His mouth continued to move but suddenly there was no sound. After a moment he seemed to notice and stopped. A few seconds later, words appear to come from thin air.

"...oncluded that it was actually my future paranoia based on the experiences I was going to have involving buzzards."

He bent down and adjusted another disk set into his peg-leg, then twisted a spike that went through it. "Blasted desyncs, making everything more confusing." He straightened up and looked to his blue hued compatriot.

"What was it they wanted again? Did they want cookies?"

He pulled a cookie out of his ragged white lab coat. It appeared to shimmer, as if not entirely solid, but he didn't seem to pay it any attention. 

@Voidus @ZincAboutIt