main plot The Taste of Death

[AonEne he/him]

Just now, Voidus said:

Any unauthorized Alleytravel is probably going to attract some attention from HR

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Oh dear. Or should I say oh DAHR.

 

[+Sorana she/her]

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

Lusk handed the foil wordlessly to Mike. The idea could work, or it could kill them all. For the most part however, it seemed the possible benefit outweighed whatever risk was presented. He turned back to the pulsating Vortex.

“It’s a lot bigger in person,” he noted.

Mike took the foil and started to fasten it to the wall of the room, carefully keeping away from the Vortex.

"I could need another hand or two."

He called out to the rest of his squad and the girl.

@Silva

@Ark's Boyfriend

============================

9 hours ago, AonEne said:

"You see that dot? It's the threat, in this case the warehouse we were alerted about a few minutes ago." He traced his finger along the lines. "Our people start closer to that, then rotate outward. However, we need to do more than just that - we have to combine it with something that defends against an internal threat, the PlasmaCore building, too." Pi nodded at the lady. Behind him, Twevle was organizing the handful of other TUBAists.

Zokora listened to his explanations and then nodded.

"We've started the evacuation as soon as the situation was getting out of hand. So the first ones we reached were those close to PlasmaCore, and from there moving outward. The red mist led to losses, and the creatures made everything more difficult."

She pulled up a map, added a filter or two and showed it to him. She made sure to obsure the exact locations, only highlighted the quarters and how many were there at the moment.

"This is how our forces are distributed at the moment. We have some squads around the building, as the Vortex is spitting out the monster we have to fight all over the city. If we manage to eliminate them before they can start killing, then we save a part of the population and make it easier for our soldiers."

No need to add, that while they had managed to dispose of some of the monsters, they had been overrun by the first larger waves.

[Sherlock Holmes he/him]

Seom walked over and held out her arms. 

@Sorana

[I think I am here. he/him]

7 hours ago, Sorana said:

He called out to the rest of his squad and the girl.

The woman hadn’t answered and Wes nodded to Mike and hopped forward, helping spread the aluminium foil around the room. Lusk stepped back. The Vortex was right here, in case TUBA or the DA wanted to research it. That was of course if they couldn’t destroy it before the AlleyStorm approached.

[Silva]

On 7/3/2019 at 6:42 PM, I think I am here. said:

“You said you were friends with Lusk,” Wes said. “But so far, only that other woman,” He looked for where Zokora had gone. “And Mike have been saying anything to him. So what do you do?”

Confrontation. Freedom expected her heart rate to speed up significantly, but it didn't. It seemed she was unintentionally working on becoming less like a frightened rabbit.

She gave him a lilt of a smile, avoiding answering the question directly. "Me? I just end up at the right place at the right time. Or wrong place, depending on the situation." Her fingers drifted over the brand on her forehead on their way to pushing back a loose curl. Hair out of the way, an atium earring became visible.

Lusk walked in with the foil and Freedom kept her attention pointedly away from him. He'd recognized her despite the older age, she was almost certain, and hadn't made any note aloud, but she wasn't going to push her luck. 

"I could need another hand or two," one of the Ghostbloods called.

The sound brought Freedom out of her hole of wondering and she hurried over to help.

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

Lita looked around at her new surroundings - some nondescript Alley, grey and quiet - then glanced over at Laurelai. Even without tin, the woman's anxiety was palpable. Her fingers kept twitching, likely spinning a phantom pen. 

She's not sending an Alleycant message. That probably means she wants to talk about present company - yes, that would be stupid. Very stupid. Lita tapped her tongue against the backside of her teeth, watching Laurelai and Voidus take turns looking furtively at one another. It would have been almost comical in another situation, but this was hardly the time to be distracted. If they were going to the Vortex, they'd need all their wits about them. 

Lita glanced at Mac next. Some of his panic had faded, and his distinct lack of confusion regarding both Laurelai and Voidus led Lita to suspect that he, too, knew what was actually going on. No surprise for a spymaster. A sudden, frightening thought darted through her mind.

Does he know that I know?

She wasn't dead yet, so perhaps not. Or maybe he was just waiting for proof of her knowledge? Rusts. That meant she couldn't very well comfort Laurelai. Lita chewed her lip, waiting for someone to do something, tell her where to go, what to do. She caught Laurelai's eye and tried to smile a bit, hoping it didn't come out too odd-looking. Lita was still flaring her tin - her pupils must look enormous. Not exactly a friendly look, Lita. She backed off the burn a little, though as she did so she felt the exhaustion and uncertainty rush in to take its place. A bite to the inside of her cheek cleared her head a bit, the pain piercing through the bone-weary feeling and allowing her to stand straight.

Now was not the time to look weak, or useless. She could do this.

Of course you can, the little voice whispered. All you need to do is ration your tin perfectly, avoid getting killed at the Vortex, impress the leaders of the Dark Alley, and avoid giving away one of the most dangerous secrets in the world while you're at it. 

Lita swallowed, hard, and turned toward Mac as she recalled something from earlier. "Sir," she said. "Right before we left, I think I heard thunder. It could just be a normal rain, but if it's the Alleystorm... Do you think that would affect the Vortex?"

@Voidus @MacThorstenson

[AonEne he/him]

"So, how can we combine our efforts?" Baker Pi asked.

[+Sorana she/her]

1 minute ago, AonEne said:

"So, how can we combine our efforts?" Baker Pi asked.

Zokora thought about her next words carefully.

"Your tunnels are easier accessible than what we have at our disposal. Our troops could offer protection, and we plan together which squads go where. Then we are able to secure them better and can methodically evacuate the city, without the need of troops checking houses already empty."

===========

Grateful over the help Mike threw Seom some tape to keep the foil in place. Wes and the girl helped as well.

"I'm Mike."

He introduced himself when he handed her some foil for a wall. Behind him the Vortex continued to turn around and around, but somehow he believed it was shrinking. His imagination? Maybe. Stepping back from the walls Mike glanced upwards.

"Anybody got a good idea for the ceiling?"

Outside a thunder rolled over the city.

@Silva

@I think I am here.

@Ark's Boyfriend

[Sherlock Holmes he/him]

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How high is it?

@Sorana

[+Sorana she/her]

2 minutes ago, Ark's Boyfriend said:

How high is it?

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Just a usual room.

 

[Sherlock Holmes he/him]

"You can get on my shoulders," Seom said. "You're small enough." @Sorana

[AonEne he/him]

Just now, Sorana said:

"Your tunnels are easier accessible than what we have at our disposal. Our troops could offer protection, and we plan together which squads go where. Then we are able to secure them better and can methodically evacuate the city, without the need of troops checking houses already empty."

Pi thought about that. "I'll have to ask our leader." He texted Deteca...

...

...who was freaking out. How am I going to get to any members of the DA and tell them this without being killed? I guess I could...but can I...won't that kill me anyway? When she received a text from one of the bakers heading the evacuation, she barely glanced at it before typing, Sure, go ahead. Dont lead em anywhere sensitive and sending it.

***

Pi nodded at the Ghostblood woman, who name he still didn't know. "All right, you can come in our tunnels." He quickly bolted off a few texts to TUBAists telling them not to let Ghostbloods into areas where information or equipment might be stored, then spread one arm toward the closest tunnels entrance, which was inside a nearby building. "Will you be coming yourself, or sending others?"

[+Sorana she/her]

6 minutes ago, AonEne said:

Pi nodded at the Ghostblood woman, who name he still didn't know. "All right, you can come in our tunnels." He quickly bolted off a few texts to TUBAists telling them not to let Ghostbloods into areas where information or equipment might be stored, then spread one arm toward the closest tunnels entrance, which was inside a nearby building. "Will you be coming yourself, or sending others?"

Zokora stared at him in surprise. In the tunnels? That had to be a trap. When had they started talking about coming inside of the tunnels? She had asumed, that they were safe, that it would be enough to escort people to an entrance.

She took a deep breath and then inclined her head in gratitude.

"I am honored by your offer, but I will only agree, if you really need our troops in there."

She made gestured to the houses, the city around.

"I am here because of the people, not because of your tunnels. If we can be of assistance inside we will help, but I would never ask this of you. I figured we could help to escort refugees close to the entrances and then you take over."

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Actually I am sure Zokora greeted him by telling him her name.

 

[Silva]

Freedom secured the piece of foil Mike handed her to the wall.

The main issue with the ceiling would be avoiding anyone falling in. Besides for the obvious of not knowing what would happen to them, people contained innate investiture which could cause more issues. The aluminum, though, that could probably safely fall in. 

However, other than one person tossing an unraveling piece across the Vortex to someone on the other side who would attach it to the ceiling, there didn't seem to be another way to reach all the surfaces that didn't involve going larger than the single room.

And the ceiling, of all the surfaces, would end up the closest to the coming Alleystorm...

Edited July 5, 2019 by Silva

[MacThorstenson he/him]

Mac carefully watched the surroundings for any sign of HR as they were warped away. 

It seemed safe, but he still kept his guard up. Voidus didn’t know how much Cam disliked him ever since Voidus refused to adopt his inane open floor plan for the labs. Mac Didn’t blame Voidus a bit, they were scientists not businessmen, but Cam was still salty. He would go to any length to ensnare him in a web of company policy. 

He quickly glanced around at the present company.

Voidus, overworked and stressed about many things. 

Laurelai the Voidi, worried sick about Voidus’ weird behavior. 

Lita burning Tin faster then a soldier uses firemoss.

The Stranger, just kinda being strange. 

For a group of immortal demigods they were looking pretty shoddy. 

It was a shame that they had to worry about this city. It took a toll on them. 

Mac felt partially responsible for its current mess, after the last plague swept through he had pushed hard to open up its borders to new people.

Sadly the new people weren’t quite as good as the previous bunch. Them and their descendants seemed determined to destroy this paradise they had built. 

It would be easy to just start over. Half the people in this alley could do it single handedly.

He thought back to the women and her child from earlier, the grateful look in their eyes as he reunited them, and internally he sighed. 

If he wanted to retain his humanity, he had to help some way. No matter how annoying or stressful it was. 

Thankfully, all they had to do was seal the Vortex. Macs agents had already opened up the alleys with safe evacuation places, unfortunately after reading the disclaimer most people still were evacuating with TUBA, but oh well. It couldn’t be helped. 

He turned to Lita as she asked him if the alleystorm would affect the Vortex. 

“It seems logical that it would. They said that if feeds on investiture and the alleystorm is a constant source of investiture. 

However, it might not be as big of an issue as it seems.

The latest spy reports are saying that they appear to be wrapping it in aluminum foil. So they are in the right track. The foil would break if anything touched it however. We will need to talk with them and maybe soulcast the air into aluminum.  I think that’s everything. Should we head out?”

@ZincAboutIt @Voidus

Edited July 5, 2019 by MacThorstenson

[AonEne he/him]

29 minutes ago, Sorana said:

Actually I am sure Zokora greeted him by telling him her name.

Quote

Whoops, you're right.

 

[+Sorana she/her]

Mike climbed on Seom's shoulder and started to fasten the foil to the ceiling. He put one hand against a wall to remain standing and used more tape than was neccessary.

"Can one of you head to the other side, so that I can throw it over the Vortex to you?"

He called out to Wes and Freedom.

@Ark's Boyfriend

@I think I am here.

@Silva

[kenod]

50 minutes ago, AonEne said:

...who was freaking out. How am I going to get to any members of the DA and tell them this without being killed? I guess I could...but can I...won't that kill me anyway? When she received a text from one of the bakers heading the evacuation, she barely glanced at it before typing, Sure, go ahead. Dont lead em anywhere sensitive and sending it.

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Well, there is the DA spy already in the building watching them.

 

[AonEne he/him]

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I thought you all went with Voidus.

 

[kenod]

2 minutes ago, AonEne said:

Quote

I thought you all went with Voidus.

 

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Just for confirmation, is Deteca currently at DIDGERIDOO or at the Vortex? Cause the spy is at the Vortex.

 

[AonEne he/him]

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DIDGERIDOO. She hasn't left it yet, though she's going to.

 

[kenod]

2 minutes ago, AonEne said:

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DIDGERIDOO. She hasn't left it yet, though she's going to.

 

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Ah, alright. She didn't exchange phone numbers with the other attendees? I mean, the characters literally had a conversation about that.

 

[Silva]

Freedom nodded to Mike and carefully made her way over. She dropped down a couple of years--not enough that anyone other than another Atium Ferring would be able to easily perceive from sight. Younger ages tended to be more agile and even the smallest extra bit might be useful.

[+Sorana she/her]

2 minutes ago, Silva said:

Freedom nodded to Mike and carefully made her way over. She dropped down a couple of years--not enough that anyone other than another Atium Ferring would be able to easily perceive from sight. Younger ages tended to be more agile and even the smallest extra bit might be useful.

Mike unwrapped some foil and then threw the roll over to her. His aim was off and it was trundling towards the wall to her left.

[Sherlock Holmes he/him]

Seom held Mike up pretty easily. @Sorana