main plot A Shadowed Dawn

[+Ark1002]

Quote

Sorry. I was just annoyed.

They would have made it proper, even if I didn't.

E.Z.R.A. 12 picked him up, placing him over his shoulder. He walked away, quickly. Into an elevator. "No one will help."

@xinoehp512

[I think I am here.]

Alask looked in annoyance to the man who wasn’t Nekorb. “You what? Rust it.” He stood up.

“If he couldn’t hear us through a microphone of the entire hall he’s probably dead.”

He looked up at Laurelai. “It was nice meeting you,” He said though her spikes still reminded him of his own, how he’d got them.

He looked to Lena. “Should we go?” He knew she hadn’t cared for Nekorb anyway.

@Sorana

@Voidus

[kenod]

6 hours ago, ZincAboutIt said:

Suddenly, Lita felt her pocket twitch. Fine for now. Have sent word to Mac's department though they likely already knew given how extravagant this is. You did the right thing.

Lita felt her her whole body relax, only then realizing just how tightly she had been holding herself. She'd also started tapping brass unconsciously, which she eased off until it was just a trickle, keeping her warm with her tin on. Now is not the time to get sloppy, she told herself. 

"Yes," she answered the Fox woman. It was a testament to her stress level that she was barely curious about the woman's nature. "We head back for now. If Laurelai gets in trouble, I'll know. And so will plenty of others, I imagine." Others who had more than tin, brass feruchemy, and two dozen rusting thumbtacks in their arms. 

 

"Alright," Kumiko replied, stepping up next to her. Suddenly realizing something she lifted her head. "I'm Kumiko, by the way, Takamine Kumiko, an Epic. Sorry for not introducing myself earlier."

[+Ark1002]

Dusk looked up at the DA people. He had watched this whole time. The Dark Alley. I need in, need their science.

~~~

E.Z.R.A. 7 watched as the man awoke. The man was chained on a table, with chains made of titanium, silver, and aluminum. He leaned in. It was good E.Z.R.A. 12 had caught him. This was one they had needed. He couldn't leave.

He sharpened the spike. The man would be waking now...

@xinoehp512

[+Sorana]

7 hours ago, I think I am here. said:

Alask looked in annoyance to the man who wasn’t Nekorb. “You what? Rust it.” He stood up.

“If he couldn’t hear us through a microphone of the entire hall he’s probably dead.”

He looked up at Laurelai. “It was nice meeting you,” He said though her spikes still reminded him of his own, how he’d got them.

He looked to Lena. “Should we go?” He knew she hadn’t cared for Nekorb anyway.

@Sorana

@Voidus

"We can. Where do you want to go?"

Lena waved at Laurelai, sad that Alask decided to leave now. She was sure Laurelai had a lot of stories to tell.

"Could you please tell Lita I send a ton of kisses and a hug as well?"

She started to turn away and then stayed.

"Do you only work with the spikes, or with some other things as well?"

@Voidus

Edited April 23, 2019 by Sorana
made it more Lena-like

[Voidus]

Laurelai had begun turning away, looking for others who might have more information.  But she turned back as Lena asked her another question.

 

"We work with far more than just Hemalurgy, despite what some may believe. I personally have a wide range of interests, I'm a scholar of many subjects."

 

Being a Forger necessitated a wide range of interests, and Laurelai was particularly focussed on study even as Forgers went. She had access to a wealth of information already and could use Soulstamps to gain access to even more.

 

"Anything particular?" She asked, wondering if any drinks might still be available.

[+Sorana]

1 hour ago, Voidus said:

"Anything particular?" She asked, wondering if any drinks might still be available.

"Yes. The range of topics I'm interested in is rather narrow."

Lena admitted and then asked straightforward.

"What do you know about poisons? Not these harmless little things, that take away your pain, but poisons? The beautiful ones, that make your skin crawl, and dry your mouth. Those that can change their effect depending on combinations and the dose you give someone. Those that can be harmless until they are not, until they color your lips, or slowly destroy your life."

Her voice turned passionate as she tried to explain what she meant, what she was interested in.

 

[I think I am here.]

Alask was about to suggest the Forge but it seemed Lena and the woman hadn’t begun their own conversation. Sighing he found a cheap folding chair and brought it to the stage, and sat down, scanning for Nekorb.

“Why did you ask if she could remove me.”

I didn’t ask that.

“I at least know enough about people to tell when someone is implying something.”

Alask sighed again. Forget about it.

[Voidus]

Poisons? Laurelai thought curiously. Not what I was expecting exactly, though maybe this is simply another rumour about the DA. No, she seems too interested, too invested in it.

She folded one of her arms up and with the other placed a finger gently against her chin in thought as she revised her initial impression of Lena. Poisons was certainly an interesting topic, she'd covered a little when she had been researching anatomy and medicine to improve her Resealing, but she hadn't gone into much depth beyond a list of poisons and their effects. But like everything in life, there was always an alternative path she could have taken, a chance that the topic could have pulled at her interests more.

R&D deal with some interesting poisons sometimes, perhaps if I was looking to move to their department I could have pursued studies further, found copperminds, begun practising the crafting of them as well as their treatment.

"Poisons?" She asked as she began to think. "Well that's an interesting subject certainly. Let me think."

This wasn't a Forging she'd prepared, which meant that even for her this wouldn't be instantaneous. Her eyes began to glaze over as she retraced history, picking at key moments where she could have made a different choice, taken a different road.

After a few moments further of concentration she shifted subtly, her hands gained new callouses and a few small pockmarks, her expression seemed to darken a little and her smile shifted from polite to predatory. Gone was the training in reading people and situations, the practised subtlety and coyness that she usually expressed. In their place she found herself bored and idly wondering who she should experiment on to liven things up. Along with this sudden shift she felt a wave of vertigo wash through her as the dissonance in her memories set in.

Why did I come here again? I'm not allowed to poison anyone, this company is clearly not going to be showcasing anything of interest to us, and didn't Lita say that the Stranger was back? Why am I sitting around here instead of trying to find him? The research he's conducted... He'd be able to show us so much, open new avenues for us to explore, secure us more subjects for testing.

It was a patch job, she vaguely realised that her current identity was fabricated but she still had a persisting sense of confusion at her situation. But she'd been asked a question, one that was finally interesting to her now.

"Well I've worked with some very interesting substances." She began, eyeing Lena with more interest and less subtlety now. "Of course you can never forget the classics either, Hemlock has always been a favourite. Simple, difficult to trace. But of course useless against a Radiant or a Gasper, and generally these days people can find medical treatment before the effects have become lethal. Glycols can be handy, resistant to use of activated charcoal which is usually the go-to choice if someone suspects poison ingestion."

Her eyes began to glaze over with an almost zealous appearance as she spoke, then suddenly became calculating as she examined Lena once more, trying to estimate body weight and how much of each substance would be required for a lethal dose.

[+Ark1002]

18 hours ago, Ark1002 said:

E.Z.R.A. 7 watched as the man awoke. The man was chained on a table, with chains made of titanium, silver, and aluminum. He leaned in. It was good E.Z.R.A. 12 had caught him. This was one they had needed. He couldn't leave.

He sharpened the spike. The man would be waking now...

@xinoehp512

Quote

XINO

@xinoehp512

[+Sorana]

 

4 hours ago, Voidus said:

Her eyes began to glaze over with an almost zealous appearance as she spoke, then suddenly became calculating as she examined Lena once more, trying to estimate body weight and how much of each substance would be required for a lethal dose.

Laurelai changed, her face, the way she stood, how she looked at her. Her gaze became more predatory, as she seized her up, tried to guess her body weight and height. Lena knew that gaze, it was the same way, how she had seized up several partyguests earlier. How she had looked at Alask before his shade took over the first time. But even more important she was talking about poisons.

"I prefer neurotoxins. Usually biologically deprieved as that's what I can do at home. They are fast, and there is no general necessity to ingest them."

Lena smiled while answering, excited that she finally had found someone who understood at least what she was talking about.

"Bioaccumulating substances are interesting as well, but they always pose the risk that their effects get discovered too early."

Stopping herself she lifted her hands, in an attempt to appear apologizing, although she wasn't really sorry.

"I hope I am not keeping you from something?"

 

Edited April 23, 2019 by Sorana

[xinoehp512]

19 hours ago, Ark1002 said:

Dusk looked up at the DA people. He had watched this whole time. The Dark Alley. I need in, need their science.

~~~

E.Z.R.A. 7 watched as the man awoke. The man was chained on a table, with chains made of titanium, silver, and aluminum. He leaned in. It was good E.Z.R.A. 12 had caught him. This was one they had needed. He couldn't leave.

He sharpened the spike. The man would be waking now...

@xinoehp512

Nekorb opened his eyes. Where was he?

He tried to move to sit up, but found he couldn't. He was chained up.

What? he thought. Why am I chained up?

[+Ark1002]

25 minutes ago, xinoehp512 said:

Nekorb opened his eyes. Where was he?

He tried to move to sit up, but found he couldn't. He was chained up.

What? he thought. Why am I chained up?

E.Z.R.A. 7 grinned.

"Hello." The room was dark, with a single spotlight on Nekorb. The rest was in shadow, but E.Z.R.A. 7 knew it was steel, heavily reinforced.
@xinoehp512

[Grey Knight]

On 4/22/2019 at 0:20 PM, Grey Knight said:

Azrael's grip on his sword tightened.

"I will ask one more time," he said. "You will answer truthfully, or I will bombard this city until naught but ash is left. Where. Is. Crow?"

-----------------------

"Heard what you did to those kids, Horus," said a voice behind Crow.

A space marine in steel-grey armor faded into existence in front of her, a halberd in his left hand. His armor burned with psychic energy, nearly blinding in its brightness. 

"Not the worst thing you've done," he continued, seemingly unaware of the alarms going off around him as the security system struggled to respond to his presence. "But it's just another reason to kill you, brother. May the galaxy know peace after your death, traitor."

He slammed his fist into Crow's chest, and the world went white.

@Ark1002

[xinoehp512]

45 minutes ago, Ark1002 said:

E.Z.R.A. 7 grinned.

"Hello." The room was dark, with a single spotlight on Nekorb. The rest was in shadow, but E.Z.R.A. 7 knew it was steel, heavily reinforced.
@xinoehp512

Nekorb let out a small gasp as he spotted the figure. "Who- who are you? Where am I?"

[+Ark1002]

He grinned. "I don't know."

@Grey Knight

~~~

"I am Ezra." He grinned. "Ezra 7." He approached, spike in hand. "We're going to have some fun."

@xinoehp512

[Lord Meeker]

The mastermind nodded then left the room. The spy and the assassin followed. He led them to a large in door launch pad with a sleek jet on the pad.

"Climb aboard."

[overlord stick]

Berk climbed into the jet. "I thought you just got out of prison, how did you get all this?" Berk asked.

[little wheel]

Allak quietly sipped his tea from the ceiling as Crow and the Space Marine disappeared.

[xinoehp512]

5 hours ago, Ark1002 said:

He grinned. "I don't know."

@Grey Knight

~~~

"I am Ezra." He grinned. "Ezra 7." He approached, spike in hand. "We're going to have some fun."

@xinoehp512

Nekorb swallowed. "What... what are you going to do?"

[Voidus]

10 hours ago, Sorana said:

 

Laurelai changed, her face, the way she stood, how she looked at her. Her gaze became more predatory, as she seized her up, tried to guess her body weight and height. Lena knew that gaze, it was the same way, how she had seized up several partyguests earlier. How she had looked at Alask before his shade took over the first time. But even more important she was talking about poisons.

"I prefer neurotoxins. Usually biologically deprieved as that's what I can do at home. They are fast, and there is no general necessity to ingest them."

Lena smiled while answering, excited that she finally had found someone who understood at least what she was talking about.

"Bioaccumulating substances are interesting as well, but they always pose the risk that their effects get discovered too early."

Stopping herself she lifted her hands, in an attempt to appear apologizing, although she wasn't really sorry.

"I hope I am not keeping you from something?"

 

Neurotoxins are certainly useful, differing modalities of delivery allow for more options. Potential for combination of multiple channel inhibitors for increased lethality, generally have a low LD50 as well, harder to notice before onset of symptoms.

Laurelai smiled back with shared interest, about to respond when she heard that final question. Was she being kept from something? Her memories suddenly shifted in tone, her actions didn't make sense anymore. What had been her motives? She was trying to find information, but what information? And why? The looming spectre of battle was certainly troubling but she could make her own way to safety without issue. Whatever it was likely wasn't important, she so rarely got to talk shop.

"Nothing I can't manage later." She said with a smile. "Although this location may become a little difficult to conduct conversation at in the near future."

[+Sorana]

6 minutes ago, Voidus said:

"Nothing I can't manage later." She said with a smile. "Although this location may become a little difficult to conduct conversation at in the near future."

Lena looked up at the ceiling and nodded in agreement.

"If you're not opposed to it, we could always meet for a cup of tea and continue the conversation without a large battleship looming above our heads later. Or tomorrow, or next week."

It wasn't like she had a tight schedule.

[+ZincAboutIt]

On 4/22/2019 at 3:34 PM, kenod said:

"Alright," Kumiko replied, stepping up next to her. Suddenly realizing something she lifted her head. "I'm Kumiko, by the way, Takamine Kumiko, an Epic. Sorry for not introducing myself earlier."

Lita raised a hand at Kumiko. "It's no trouble," she said. "I'm Lita Attar, I'm a Twinborn." She sighed, looking back over her shoulder at the large PlasmaCore building. 

So many secrets, a part of her whispered - that troublesome voice, the one that was her constant companion. There they sat, hunkered down like an old banker in his counting house greedily shining his coins. But she was a babe in the woods compared to these people. The ones who played this game could sling fire, burn holes through walls, change their soul even. For Lita had begun to suspect what kind of talents Laurelai was hiding under that cool porcelain veneer. Lita was woefully unprepared, newly recruited and only just having learned Alleytravel well enough to avoid killing herself and others. What kind of hope did she have to weasel secrets out of a vault like PlasmaCore, let alone the world?

No hope at all, Lita thought, irritated. At least, not in her current state. Twinborn were rare, but she may as well have just been a Tineye. Brass feruchemy was practical, sure, but what could she possibly do with it to keep herself safe? Short of being caught in some kind of fire, the best she could hope for was to die at a pleasant temperature. She stared at the little nails in her forearms. What had Mac called them? "Training wheels?"

"I'll need more than that if I'm to be of any use," she muttered to herself.  "Let's go," she said, louder now so both Okame and Kumiko could hear her. "I've got tea in my rooms if anyone wants some."

She stepped into the shade of the nearest alley and made sure the Horneater was following closely. Her hand brushed her pocket where the Stranger's coin sat heavy and cold. She remembered that eye like a night with no stars, and a too-wide smile full of jagged edges. She drew the coin out and the image of the world shimmered in the palm of her hand. Lita flipped it, caught it and looked again. The spiked skull grinned at her knowingly. Anything is attainable, but there is always a price. 

Lita pocketed the coin and sighed. It seemed it was time to start paying.

Quote

Want to head back to the dark alley thread? Not sure where else to go, though if we want to keep hanging out on the street that's fine too  You're both cordially invited to tea in Lita's rooms if you so choose, or we can part ways. Any other suggestions?

@Invocation @kenod

[Voidus]

8 hours ago, Sorana said:

Lena looked up at the ceiling and nodded in agreement.

"If you're not opposed to it, we could always meet for a cup of tea and continue the conversation without a large battleship looming above our heads later. Or tomorrow, or next week."

It wasn't like she had a tight schedule.

Laurelai nodded back, shooting a brief accusatory glare at the shadow of the battleship. Souring the mood for everyone like this and then failing to at least provide them with some form of explanation? It seemed that whoever in charge of it needed to be taught a lesson in manners. But they were a long way away and Marines had some irritating resistances to poisons and they had more mass too so would need a larger dose, she'd need to redo some calculations to find something suited for one of them.

"Well then, I suppose I'll find you later then." She said with a smirk. "Unless you manage to find me first."

Her tone indicated that she thought it unlikely.

[+Sorana]

17 minutes ago, Voidus said:

"Well then, I suppose I'll find you later then." She said with a smirk. "Unless you manage to find me first."

Her tone indicated that she thought it unlikely.

"Who knows."

Lena replied grinning.

"I wish you a safe journey home."

Laurelai didn't need any wished, Lena suspected she was more than able to take care of herself, but Lena liked her. That was enough to wish her a safe journey. Turning around she walked over to Alask.

"Let's go?"

@I think I am here.