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

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"One..." Sierra whispered.

@Snipexe

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

Vivica stood quietly, still smiling, and slid the pencil out from behind her ear. Bennington had moved back towards her, and he spun in lazy circles over her left shoulder as she began to take notes on her yellow notepad. Grey's mention of HR had brought back unpleasant memories from a few hours back, and she wanted to make sure that this process was documented thoroughly. 

Bennington began edging back towards Grey, but Vivica gave the octopus a warning look and a tiny shake of her head. Enthusiasm was all well and good, but it wouldn't do to interrupt someone in the middle of a sensitive procedure. She crooked a finger back towards herself, and Bennington swam back sulkily.

Vivica couldn't blame him for being excited; they both got that way, when they really let go of the ropes. She hadn't felt so free in weeks. Her mind was a kite caught in a high breeze, and the string had spooled all the way out. The tether might snap at any moment - that's what made it exciting. The threat of true madness, looming like the Void right over her shoulder. It was enough to set a girl's every nerve on fire. Vivica was plenty mad already, of course, but she'd seen enough to know that she was only waist deep in the stuff. She looked up at Bennington, then back to her notepad.

Maybe... chest deep, she admitted, continuing to scribble notes in shorthand, careful to document the changes in sound coming from the radio behind Grey. Vivica tried to keep her expression somewhere in the neighborhood of pleasant. She had a tendency to smile a bit too widely during an experiment.

[Snipexe he/him]

The radio's crackle grew louder, words almost seemingly to be made out in the static. The voices seemed to be screaming.

"1.

Spoiler

or.

2.

Spoiler

"

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Sierra grimaced at the high pitched crackling and craned her neck as if to move away from it. "One," she barked.

@Snipexe

Edited November 18, 2019 by Shard of Thought

[Guest Coda]

6 hours ago, AonEne said:

Kios was strolling through the Alleys. This was the best part of being in the DA; baking was fun and Hemalurgy was informative, but Alleytraveling let you find the most interesting things sometimes - it was always an adventure. Especially in the Alleys around R&D. But he wasn’t there today, just wandering, enjoying the movement and discovery. Wasn’t that what Radiants always said? Journey before destination. Kios was no Knight Radiant, though he had Adhesion - but he liked the sentiment, though the Words following it were less his style. 

He did try to stick to the life before death bit. Keeping those he experimented on alive could be quite useful in the long run, depending on what your end goal was. 

The Alley he was currently in was relatively normal: plain bricks and stone, not well lit, average gravity, nothing too interesting, a man sitting in the middle of the path...Kios stopped and cocked his head, raising an eyebrow. The man sported a fedora over his eyes. What did he think he was doing, covering his eyes in a place like this? Not something many Denizens would do. Though Kios supposed he shouldn’t assume. The man could be seeing through an alternative method, or could of course not need sight. 

He took another step forward, testing the waters, letting his foot scuff up dust and watching to see if the man reacted a few heartbeats before saying, “Hello there! How might your day be going?” 

Corenar lifted his hat off his eyes, placing it back on his head. There was a man with dust on his feet standing in front of him. "It might be going an infinite quantity of ways, all of which are not the actual way my day is going." Hopefully, this stranger would know Hemalurgy.

[Snipexe he/him]

The radio increased in pitch. Grey's voice grew colder. One of the fluorescent lights flickered in the ceiling.

"1.
 

Spoiler

or

2.

Spoiler

"

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

Vivica cocked her head at the two options on the screen before Sierra, noting the subtle change in Grey's tone. She felt her smile sharpen again, and this time she let it go. This was starting to get good. Those were some excellent statements, and she'd have a hard time picking one herself. Vivica scribbled down both options, intending on asking Grey what he might have chosen at a later time. Perhaps over more coffee. 

I'll need to perfect my biscotti idea, she thought, drawing a tiny biscotti on the top of her notepad to remind herself. She then drew a tiny spike going through the biscotti, just for fun. That wasn't how it was actually done, of course - the spikes she used were far smaller.

Bennington had started to swim in faster loops now, seeming to enjoy the screeching sounds emanating from the radio device. Vivica had to admit, there was a nice, hollow, devouring dischordance to it - the kind of sound that made you wake up screaming in the night. If you had to sleep, that is, which Vivica didn't. That wasn't a problem though. There were plenty of ways to find that terrible, mind-rending, heart-racing glorious emptiness while staying awake too. 

She caught Grey's eye and smiled even wider. This was the most fun she'd had in quite some time - and that was counting the three hours she'd been allowed with the intern they decided to terminate. He'd had such a lovely voice, and simply gorgeous veins.

@Snipexe

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"Two!" Sierra said, hoping if she answered quicker the static would cease. 

@Snipexe @ZincAboutIt

[Snipexe he/him]

The radio went to a low thrum, with occasional high pitched cracks.

"1.
 

Spoiler

or
2.
 

Spoiler

"

Grey turned to Viv. "It's beginning to get interesting."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"One," Sierra said tightly. 

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

Vivica nodded. "I do love this part," she said with a little sigh. "I always get a little bit envious of a - um - volunteer, y'know? The total unknown, the complete surprise of it all. So much fun!"

She quickly jotted down Sierra's choice of Number 1. Personally, Vivica would have picked Number 2, but then that was all part of it, wasn't it? Everyone was different, like a snowflake, or the pattern of a blood splatter. Totally unique.

Vivica felt around in her pocket, and pulled out a gingersnap. She was about to eat it, then she broke it in half and offered the larger half to Grey. This was his department, after all.

"By the way, is this radio station always on? Bennington really seems to like it."

@Snipexe

[Snipexe he/him]

Grey accepted the gingersnap, giving it to his tentacles as he adjusted the Vision Acuity Tester. “Try FM 13797.98,” He said, tuning to the same radio station. It had approximately the same sounds. “Now, then, back to you.” He turned to face Sierra. Behind him a light dimmed, and the sound of breaking glass could be heard from within it’s casement. “
1.”

Spoiler

*click*

“2.”

Spoiler

 

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"Two," Sierra muttered. She was beginning to grow annoyed. What did any of this accomplish?

[AonEne he/him]

4 hours ago, Coda said:

Corenar lifted his hat off his eyes, placing it back on his head. There was a man with dust on his feet standing in front of him. "It might be going an infinite quantity of ways, all of which are not the actual way my day is going." Hopefully, this stranger would know Hemalurgy.

“Oh, you’re one of those people,” Kios said sadly, then erased all emotion from his face. “Sorry, I’m not a fan of future-seers. Don’t tell me anything about mine, or I’ll send HR after you...who are you, by the way? I need to know your name to file a report, they’re particular that way. Once I sent in a complaint without mentioning the maiden name of the denizen I had an issue with and I had to sit through one of their lectures.” 

He shuddered. “Those are worse than eggless cookie dough.” 

Quote

You guys are awesome, this mental conditioning thing is creepy in the best way. 

 

[Guest Coda]

9 hours ago, AonEne said:

“Oh, you’re one of those people,” Kios said sadly, then erased all emotion from his face. “Sorry, I’m not a fan of future-seers. Don’t tell me anything about mine, or I’ll send HR after you...who are you, by the way? I need to know your name to file a report, they’re particular that way. Once I sent in a complaint without mentioning the maiden name of the denizen I had an issue with and I had to sit through one of their lectures.” 

He shuddered. “Those are worse than eggless cookie dough.” 

Corenar smiled. If he was reported, he would be discovered by more Hemalurgists. "I am Corenar," he said. "Do you know Hemalurgy?"

Quote

AonEne, what time zone are you in? Whenever I get on, you've been gone for hours.

 

Edited November 19, 2019 by Coda
Question

[AonEne he/him]

3 hours ago, Coda said:

Corenar smiled. If he was reported, he would be discovered by more Hemalurgists. "I am Corenar," he said. "Do you know Hemalurgy?" 

Quote

I’m in Utah, USA. MST I think. But I get on at different times. You? 

He was smiling in the face of a DAHR threat. Maybe he was Voidus in disguise. Was Voidus scared of them? Kios resolved to ask around later. “Of course,” he said with a shrug. “Who doesn’t? Besides those idiot TUBAists, or nobodies on the streets.” 

Quote

No offense meant to anyone  This is Kios’s opinion, definitely not mine. 

 

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

Vivica took down the name of the radio station, then looked back to Sierra. She seemed impatient, her voice tight and edged with a slight irritation.

"Good things come to those who wait," she told the young woman. "Try to just take this experience as it comes. What do those Radiants always say, Grey? It's something catchy, something you could put on a poster. What is it... 'Chilling before baking'? No, that's not it. Measure before spiking? Walking...before arriving?"

She shrugged. "Anyway, just sit back. Enjoy it. You've no idea how lucky you are. Why, anyone could have found you in that Alley. You could have ended up with some crazy person! But instead you're here with us."

@Snipexe  @Shard of Thought

Edited November 19, 2019 by ZincAboutIt
added tag

[Guest Coda]

6 hours ago, AonEne said:

He was smiling in the face of a DAHR threat. Maybe he was Voidus in disguise. Was Voidus scared of them? Kios resolved to ask around later. “Of course,” he said with a shrug. “Who doesn’t? Besides those idiot TUBAists, or nobodies on the streets.” 

Judging from the man's  reaction to non-Hemalurgists, he would have to be clandestine about his lack of knowledge. "I have recently suffered a loss of memory, and though I have resources with which to spike, I no longer remember the intricacies of Hemalurgy. I require a teacher so that I might relearn."

Quote

I'm on Central Standard Time. When do you normally get on?

 

Edited November 19, 2019 by Coda

[AonEne he/him]

6 hours ago, Coda said:

Judging from the man's  reaction to non-Hemalurgists, he would have to be clandestine about his lack of knowledge. "I have recently suffered a loss of memory, and though I have resources with which to spike, I no longer remember the intricacies of Hemalurgy. I require a teacher so that I might relearn." 

Quote

Lots of different times - it really depends these days  

Kios nodded understandingly. Memory loss was a pain, and it seemed to hit people at the worst times. “I could help you out with some of that, if you’d like?” 

[Guest Coda]

6 hours ago, AonEne said:

Kios nodded understandingly. Memory loss was a pain, and it seemed to hit people at the worst times. “I could help you out with some of that, if you’d like?” 

Corenar celebrated inwardly, though he didn't show it on his face. "I would indeed like that. Thank you."

[AonEne he/him]

3 hours ago, Coda said:

Corenar celebrated inwardly, though he didn't show it on his face. "I would indeed like that. Thank you."

"This way, then," said Kios, turning with a light smirk and going back down the alley the way he'd come. "Stay close to me. There was an alley filled with carnivorous plants that I want to skip on the way back, but if I can't..." 

Edited November 20, 2019 by AonEne

[Guest Coda]

6 hours ago, AonEne said:

"This way, then," said Kios, turning with a light smirk and going back down the alley the way he'd come. "Stay close to me. There was an alley filled with carnivorous plants that I want to skip on the way back, but if I can't..." 

Corenar followed the man deeper into the alley. Hopefully, this would all go smoothly, though he couldn't make accurate predictions because of the erraticness of Denizens of the Alleys.

[AonEne he/him]

19 hours ago, Coda said:

Corenar followed the man deeper into the alley. Hopefully, this would all go smoothly, though he couldn't make accurate predictions because of the erraticness of Denizens of the Alleys.

Quote

Want to RP the way there, or skip to the destination? 

 

[Guest Coda]

@AonEne

Quote

RP. Journey before destination, after all.

 

[AonEne he/him]

Quote

Any particular thing you want to talk about on the way there, or thing you want to encounter, to help your development?