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Post by ch00beh on Jul 6, 2008 9:43:05 GMT -5
He coughed lightly. He had been listening to the light hum of electronics and the muffled cricket chirps from outside, but his cough disturbed the peaceful music of the night. His attention had been focused on the various lights shining in the darkness: the luminescent green digital clock; the dark yet glowing computer screen saver; the moonlight peaking through a crack in the blackout shades. The cough had been consistent for a week now. Lying down, alone in the dark, used to be so peaceful, especially after the chaos that constantly made up his days. So much fighting. For what? General world peace? Those kinds of feelings only briefly flitted through his mind, dismissed as a random thought as soon as he was aware of their existence. Questions of morality when fighting never concerned him. He was, after all, ‘made’ to be a killing machine. The brainwashing worked; he didn’t think twice if he couldn’t save a person he didn’t know. He coughed again. He rolled onto his side. The coughs hadn’t been getting worse, but they weren’t getting any better. They weren’t hard enough to be considered a threat, but at the same time, they weren’t so soft that they weren’t annoying. At any rate, tonight, they were keeping him up. He knew it had been coming. With his increased metabolism, his projected maximum age was 21, and he was currently 20. The scientists had managed to do some fancy work with his telomeres, though; he’d look and feel his age up until the end of his lifespan. At that point, the advanced aging would begin. He sighed. Ender stopped bothering to lie down. Sleep wouldn’t come. He had faced imminent death by aliens, machines, demons, everything, but none of that had phased him. However, there was something intrinsically disturbing about knowing the end was coming and not being able to do anything about it. How much did he have left? One year? Six months? One month? Ender got out of bed and walked to the bathroom. He flicked on the lights and looked at himself in the mirror. He still looked young. No bags under his eyes. No forehead lines. No wrinkles. Nothing. Except… “What the hell. A white hair.” Ender plucked out his first white hair from his head. You know what they say about white hairs: when you pull one out, two grow back in its place.Someone snored. Rie had been sleeping in Ender’s house (well, it was Lee’s guest house) ever since she found him. She slept on the couch in the common room, which was every bit as comfortable as his bed, with the added advantage of being in front of the TV. Tonight the TV was off. Ender unceremoniously plopped himself on the couch, right next to Rie’s head. She woke up with a start, her hand ready to break any intruders, but when she saw who it was, she relaxed, laying her head on Ender’s lap. Ender hit the TV’s on button with a telekinetic push. “What’re you doing up?” Rie asked. She sounded like she was still sleeping. “I think it’s that time,” Ender said absently. “What? Four? Yeah, it’s four AM.” “No.” Ender held his white hair in front of Rie’s half closed eyes. It took her a moment to realize what it was since the TV provided changing colors of light. “Oh.” “Yep.” “Oh.” Ender leaned back in the couch. “ Oh.” Ender could’ve sworn he heard a sob and felt a tear on his pants. He looked down at Rie. She was still resting her head on Ender’s leg, but she was biting her thumbnail. “Wow. Human emotion. I can die now, knowing I’ve seen everything,” Ender said. He stroked Rie’s hair. “Shut up. That’s not funny,” Rie said while getting up. She scooted closer to Ender and put her arms around him, leaning her head on his shoulder. Ender put his head on hers. After about half an hour of silence, Rie spoke up. “I hate this. I still get like what? 25 more years than you?” “That sounds about right.” “So… what are you gonna to do?” “Eh, what can I do? I was thinking… maybe I could just wander off. Get away from this life of slacker richness and saving the world and whatnot.” “I’d ask where you would go, but there’s no point really. I take it you’d be going alone.” “Obviously,” Ender said nonchalantly. “And you’re a psychic who wouldn’t want to be found.” “Pretty much.” “But why? Why not stick around and disturb us with your death throws a couple months down the line?” “Who knows what I’ll do when my mind snaps? Whelkshore's nice. All my friends live like three steps away from here. They’re the only people I’d give two shits for if they died.” “You know we’d risk that.” “But I wouldn’t.” They both sat in silence for a moment before Ender gently let himself out of Rie’s embrace. He stood up and went to his room to change, coming out a minute later wearing jeans and a black shirt. His trenchcoat was half on, and he was getting the other half on while stepping out of the room. His reflective shades were already on his face. Rie was still on the couch, though she was hugging a pillow when Ender came out. There was no trace of tears and her face was expressionless. “I’m leaving you in charge of all my stuff, Rie,” Ender said. “That includes even my laptop.” “Your laptop? Damn, you’re serious, aren’t you? But don’t I need to be psychic to work it?” “Being psychic just helps in making it go faster. It works pretty much the same as a normal computer.” Ender walked over to his friend and handed her the computer. “I’m not going to find any… weird videos or AIs that’ll surprise me when you leave, will I?” Rie asked while examining the slim computer. “Nah.” The two stood up and hesitantly made their way to the door leading outside. Ender opened it and tossed the keys on the couch. “So this is goodbye.” “I guess so.” Rie hugged him. “No point in dragging it out.” “I agree.” They smiled at each other then Rie went back inside and closed the door. Ender turned away from the guest house and towards Zebedee’s mansion. He knew Nat was inside, probably asleep. He went to the main door and left a note on it. Hey Nat, So this is kinda random, but I’m going to die soon. Um, yeah. I’ve decided to pull a Zeb and head off and be like a hermit or something silly like that for the remainder of my life. Rie’s in the guest house now. Feel free to kick her lazy ass out of there.
Much love, EnderOOC: Hah, not much of a window for entrance, but whatevs.
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Post by kazkame on Jul 6, 2008 11:44:51 GMT -5
Demitri had a delivery to make in the town of Whelkshore. He had to make sure that the rival company didn't get these documents detailing super soldier serums and their affects. He had to meet at a local Town park by the statue of a Soldier or warrior of some type. He was a Bit early so he did the most logical thing. Go get a drink at the gas station, He began to crave a lemon bomb or a tangernade.
He entered the store to see the Tolkien Indian store clerk. "Hello my friend, do you need any help?" he said happily with a smile of his off centered teeth. "No no no I know what I want" he said moving towards the freezers. He quickly grabbed both of his favorites and left exact change on the counter. The drinks were placed into his pack pack as he revved up his bike to get to the rendezvous point.
His legs have been bothering him since his operation. The seem to vibrate around certain people. The more intense the vibration the more power the individual has. The must have added that in at the the last tune up at the lab. He vaguely remembers Dr. Morris telling him of the upgrade he had received after the Lemar connection. The upgrade included improved locomotion, more knife capacity, and interchangeable parts. Demitri didn't understand most of this mumbo jumbo at the time but he guessed it'll come to him eventually.
Suddenly, his legs began to vibrate softly then more vigorously then before. It became painful after a couple minutes of the high intensity manipulation. It made him close his eyes, which proved to be a mistake. Just as he closed his eyes a car t-boned him in the side. He fell on the hood like a freshly killed dear on a hunters car.
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Post by Tout-Perd on Jul 6, 2008 18:50:59 GMT -5
The morning light began peeking through the windows of Zebedee's home, turning the motes of dust golden as they drifted. The light crept across the room, falling upon the peaceful face of a girl, still sleeping on her side. Feeling the sun, she tried rolling over and burying her face in her pillow. She stifled a groan, and shoved her head deeper into the bed. The rays continued their nagging, however, and there was no way that she'd end up going back to sleep. Grumbling incoherently, Sylvia Natalie Ulima threw the covers aside and stumbled out of bed. Her right hand immediately went to her nightstand, groping around blindly until she grabbed a bizarre looking charm bracelet. She then proceeded to stagger to the bathroom, adjusting her pajama-top so that it didn't leave her stomach uncovered. She was fine with baring her midriff when she was fully done up, but in her pajamas, it just made her feel slovenly.
She closed the door, shrugged off her pajamas, and then stepped into the shower, turning the knob to the cold side of lukewarm. She needed to wake up better. As she tended to her washing up, she began thinking. What was it that I was dreaming about last night? I just can't quite dig it up... She began shampooing her hair. All I know is that it gave me a feeling of... dread, I guess. It wasn't even really a bad dream, but it felt like I had something heavy bearing down on me the whole time. Natalie stepped out of the shower, grabbed the bracelet, and latched it securely on a wrist. In a literal blink of an eye, she was fully clothed and groomed, her hair back in the spreading ponytail that had become her trademark, her sky blue tee stopping just below her ribs, and her dark green canvas pants slung low on her hips, held up by a broad tan belt. She checked her appearance once more in the mirror, pausing to rub the condensation off it with a towel, and then opened the door.
She stretched and choked out a yawn, and then stepped lightly towards the front door. Maybe a jog around the block would do the job for her. She knelt, picking up her shoes, and then realized that she had forgot her socks. Really not her morning, not at all. She groaned and walked back to her room to grab a pair of socks. As she opened her dresser drawer, she bit her lip in thought. She quickly picked a pair of socks that went decently with her clothes, and then, still slipping them on, hopped over to the side of her bed. Reaching beneath her mattress, she produced a coiled mass of steel. She hefted it slightly, testing its weight. She probably wouldn't need her weapon today... But these days, nobody was sure of anything. She clipped it to her belt, making sure the blade was locked in position. With the way she was screwing up today, she didn't need any weaponry accidents to complicate things.
Sighing, she dragged herself back to the front entry, and hopped into her sneakers, tieing them and then double checking the knots. She stood up, and opened the front door. A piece of paper fluttered to the ground. Natalie almost dismissed it as a flyer, but then noticed that it was Zebedee's stationary. He'd want it, whatever it was. She knelt down, and picked up the note, only to realize that it was in Ender's handwriting. She quickly scanned the note, checked it again, and then read through it slowly a third time. Her hands began to shake.
Turning as she stood up, she opened the door to her home, and then slammed it behind her as loudly as she could manage. She stalked back through the house, turning into Zebedee's bedroom. Still holding the note in her hand, she stepped towards where he slept on the floor, face down. She stood still for a moment, Zebedee stirring and then turning to look at her. Groggily, he blinked a few times.
"What's up?" Zebedee reached beside him and produced his glasses. He toyed with the earpieces for a moment before putting them on.
"This," Natalie muttered and stepped up to him, booting him in the ribs. “Get up. We don’t have time to sit around with our thumbs up our ***es,” She turned and left the room, leaving Zebedee clutching his ribs on the carpet.
She swept through the kitchen and into the back hall. She opened the back door and kicked the storm door aside, not even bothering to close either one. Not breaking her stride, she simply skipped the steps to the back door, landing roughly on the grass. There was a flash of light behind her, and Zebedee appeared, trying to sort himself out.
“Seriously, what’s going on?” He asked, trying to smooth out his bedhead.
“You’ll find out soon enough. Shut up.” Natalie snarled, and came to the door of the guest house. Unceremoniously, she raised her right foot, and with a grunt, kicked the door in. As it tumbled to the floor, Zebedee put a hand on her shoulder.
“Calm down. You’re going to give Ender a headache with all this negativity.” He cautioned. Natalie shoved him aside.
“We don’t need to worry about that.” She spat, and stepped into the house. She looked down in disdain at the welcome mat, and she passed the note to her left hand, her right going to her blade.
“RIE! WHAT THE **** IS THIS ABOUT?” Natalie shouted into the house, Zebedee nervously standing behind her.
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Post by ch00beh on Jul 7, 2008 10:42:42 GMT -5
OOC: DOUBLE POOOOOOOST
BIC: Rie had gone back to lie down on the couch after Ender left. She wasn't crying. She didn't even bother to hug the pillow again. Her face was as emotionless as it usually was.
Suddenly there was a loud crack as the door's hinges broke. Rie quickly went into alert mode. On the couch, she was hidden from the door. In one motion, the girl threw a pillow into the air as a distraction, rolled off, grabbed her rifle from under the couch, and phased through the floor. Moments later her gun phased out of the floor again, pointed at the door, the top portion of her head behind the gun's sights. When she saw it was Nat, she almost relaxed. Rie rose up from floor like some kind of ghost.
"RIE! WHAT THE CRUDONKEY IS THIS ABOUT?"
Rie didn't invite them in.
"Ender's left." Her voice was perfectly emotion-less. "You may have noticed how much Ender eats. It's a side effect of his increased metabolism, which was designed to make him function better as a killing machine. Well, with that increased metabolism, not only did his body function faster and more efficiently, it aged faster. The scientists who created us projected his termination at age 21."
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Post by Tout-Perd on Jul 7, 2008 22:42:39 GMT -5
Natalie paused, listening to what Rie said. The news was bad enough... But that horrid, emotionless tone- That only made it so much worse. Some people dealt best with emotion by pushing it away. Natalie wasn't the type. However she felt at the time, she took it to heart.
"And he couldn't have told us that?" Natalie growled, trying to restrain herself. At the moment, she couldn't tell if she wanted to break down sobbing, or if she wanted to punch Rie. Maybe both.
"You know Ender, Nat. He always wanted us to be as happy as possible. Saying something that would drag us down-" Zebedee began to say quietly, only to be stopped by a hand on his throat. He reflexively teleported out of her grasp, reappearing outside the entrance.
"Don't you dare talk about him like he's already gone. You got that?" Natalie snarled, her anger rekindled. Of all of the people, she had to be stuck with a lifeless doll and an apathetic holy man. She wanted people with emotions... People that laughed and cried, people that would actually react to this. People that bled, not dried up creatures that stifled themselves.
"I didn't mean it like that." Zebedee responded with downcast eyes.
"I'm sure you didn't." Natalie grimly muttered, and then turned back to Rie.
"Now, where would he have gone to? I've got a list of places I can already think of, but I don't know him as well as you do. What kind of spot would he escape to first?" Natalie tried to contain the menace in her voice as much as possible. She didn't need a fight... She needed a fight. Ender had always been much closer to her than Zebedee or Sly, and after Rick's departure, she had found herself counting on him all the more... For him to go and just turn on her like this... To betray her... Natalie wiped some tears from her cheeks while she waited for Rie to answer her.
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Post by Tout-Perd on Jul 7, 2008 22:50:45 GMT -5
OOC: Dangit, Photu. Now I need to read airship to learn what kind of terms Ender is on with Terrian. Though since this obviously occurs after Triannual, Terrian knows of the Cherrygrove Alliance.
EDIT SINCE LEE STOOPID
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Post by Beelzebibble on Jul 7, 2008 23:05:24 GMT -5
OOC - Terrian will learn about the Cherrygrove Alliance in Triannual? Sweet. That RP gives me so much to look forward to. Certain people ought to post in it.
As for Ender and Terrian, they only just met in Airship, but they've become pretty good friends. Rie and Terrian recognized each other from Chords, allowing Rie to introduce the two gentlemen to each other.
Wow. It gets complicated, doesn't it.
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Post by ch00beh on Jul 8, 2008 5:35:56 GMT -5
"I..." Rie's lip almost quivered. Almost. She immediately regained her cool. "I wouldn't know. But I'd guess he's not in the mood to teleport. He'd be thinking. He could even be at Whelkshore's outskirts, still, just walking and whatever."
Rie shrugged on the outside. Inside she was starting to break down again. There was a reason she had kept the goodbye brief. "I didn't want to follow him, but you guys need to say your goodbyes." There was a hint of moisture in her eye. Not quite tears.
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Post by bulbaboy on Jul 9, 2008 20:56:21 GMT -5
Rick looked down at the table, “You’re sure?”
<Yes, just a few moments ago. It wasn’t entirely clear, but he was definitely trying to make sure I knew what was transpiring.> Sly said as he paced slowly around the room.
“Where is he now?”
<That much was not revealed to me. If he knows we’ll find out when we arrive.>
Rick was about to speak when the door opened. He turned to see Mia staring at the two of them from the doorway.
“Rick…?” Mia questioned uneasily as she looked Sly over, her eyes lingering on his tail-blade.
“It’s alright. This is my father.” Rick said. He had been setting on the back of the chair with his feet on the seat but had gotten up and walked over to Mia. “I told you he wasn’t human.”
Sly turned his head so he could face her with his main eyes. <It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I will spare you my full introduction, just call me Sly. I assume you are the girlfriend my son has told me nothing about?>
“My name is Mia and yes you would be correct. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Mia, somewhat more at ease, entered the room followed by a large wooden trunk that floated a few feet above the ground. Atop the trunk were a few wooden crates filled with various meats and fruits. She walked passed the two of them and into another room that Sly assumed was the kitchen, the trunk followed.
<You two live together?> Sly questioned.
“Yeah, sorry I really haven’t told you about any of this.” Rick said as he resumed setting on the back of the chair, “Things have been hectic since the demons attacked. A lot of people have been pushing for another shield spell to be placed on the city, effectively cutting Shin-Ra off from the world again. I’ve been trying to gather support against it but I just don’t think I am cut out for politics.”
<Nor was I.>
Rick smiled and though it was hard to tell he knew his father was smiling too. For a moment life almost had a feel of normalcy to it.
“Rick, is your father staying for supper?” Mia asked as she poked her head through the door.
Sly looked at Mia with a stalk-eye while his main eyes were focused on Rick. <We cannot linger. There is no way to tell when Ender may perish.>
Rick nodded, “Mia, we have a friend who needs help. I know this is sudden but my father and I have to go.”
Mia looked back and forth between the two for a moment, “Fine.” She said as she withdrew back into the kitchen. A moment later she emerged no longer wearing the long white robe that designated her as a white mage. Instead she wore a white t-shirt with blue jeans and a pair of sandals. Her green hair, which had been tied back previously, now fell freely around her shoulders. The wooden trunk followed her into the room. “I’m coming with you.” She said.
Sly thought for a moment before turning a stalk-eye towards his son, <Did she just change clothes in the kitchen?>
Rick nodded, “Yeah I think so. I should probably go change too. These ceremonial mage outfits aren’t very comfy.”
“For your information I was wearing this underneath my robes!” Mia called up the stairs after Rick as he hurried up to their bedroom.
She turned as though startled and looked at Sly, “Did I just hear you chuckle in my head?”
Sly had taken off his watch and was now twisting the gears as he probed it with a small metal pick. His main eyes turned towards Mia while his stalk-eyes continued on what he was doing. <So you are unphased when you hear my voice in your thoughts but when I laugh that’s what finally freaks you out?>
“Sorry,” Mia murmured as she sat in the chair Rick had been using. For a moment she watched Sly before speaking again. “What are you doing to that watch?”
<This is actually a device that allows me to teleport from one point to another. I have several different objects that do this but the watch has proven to be most effective. The other such devices have a habit of depositing people in the air above their destinations.>
Mia tilted her head, “It’s technology right?”
Sly nodded as he shut the face of the watch and put the metal pick back in his bag. <Yes, why? Do your people frown on such things?>
“For the most part, yes.” Mia answered. “I have done some reading since the shield spell failed. Books we would never have had access to other wise. It seems to me the technology was something created by the peoples of this world who didn’t have powers. At first I thought of it as an inferior form of magic but as I continued studying I realized it was very much its own thing. Just as potent as magic depending on the hands who used it.”
<I think you are very quickly gaining my favor.> Sly said. Mia wasn’t sure but for a second she thought he was smiling.
Rick returned wearing his usual black combat boots and black denim jeans. The blue button shirt he was wearing would have been rather fashionable had the sleeves not been ripped from it. His thick blue hair was short and messy as always. The Phoenix, the amber jeweled necklace which had been passed down to him, hung lazily around his neck and attached to his belt was the hilt of the Diablo, a black mage sword that changed shape depending on the users need.
Mia stood up from the chair and went to stand near Rick. Slys tail-blade slithered through the air and wrapped around the two. He gave no warning as he flipped the dial and their surroundings were torn away from them. Instead they now stood near the entrance of Lees quest house. Rie, Nat, and Lee were all staring at each other as they stood in the doorway to the guesthouse. Ender was absent.
<Alright, what exactly is transpiring here?> Sly said as he approached the others.
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Post by Tout-Perd on Jul 9, 2008 21:36:16 GMT -5
OOC: And BB posts at the same time as me, making me look stupid. BIC: Natalie spun the moment the trio appeared, hand having gone reflexively to her sword. Once she saw who it was, her face relaxed slightly, and her hand went back to its former position, clenched at her side. Zebedee went to say something, but was shushed by Natalie shoving him lightly. "Ender's dying, so he ran off like a ****ing *****. His body's burning itself out due to the metabolism the scientists engineered him with." Natalie said, her conveying more anger than sorrow. She turned to Rie for a moment, and then turned back to Sly. "She says he's still in Whelkshore." Natalie was about to say something more when a strong voice cut her off. "Then we can find him." Zebedee stated, his face set in determination and a hint of holy light dancing through the air around him. He turned around, and faced Rie. "Listen. If we can get to Ender, I'm sure we can do something. We've got two expert magicians and a master of science far beyond anything on earth... If anybody can save Ender's life, or at least prolong it, it's us. And we'll do whatever it takes... Whatever it takes." He gave a small grin, faint but steady. "We need you to help us, though. Nobody needs to say goodbye, if we can stop him." Zebedee nodded slightly, and turned to face the others. "Sly, you've been getting my plans for the search, right?" He tapped his finger on the side of his head. "We've got two people that can teleport, and we all can fly. Hunting for him should be a piece of cake." Zebedee's grin faded for a moment, but he quickly returned to form. Natalie stood still, watching this all happen. Zebedee was bull****ting his way through the whole process... Took the news easy, gave directions easy. He was either too blinded by faith or too stupid to realize that this was going to be the hardest thing they'd ever need to do.
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Post by Beelzebibble on Jul 9, 2008 23:30:11 GMT -5
OOC - All right, fine, I can't see any better way of entering than to indulge Kaz in his odd little subplot. May it find its way to Ender or the main group soon... Anyway, who knows? This may give me an out in case what I want to do in Triannual falls through.
The dashing, attractive young man glanced at a statue of what looked like a colonial-era minuteman as he drove past the Whelkshore Park. It stirred something in him: a vague, inconsequential memory of an exhibit in a museum of history that he had visited when he was eleven or twelve. This thoroughly mundane detail would not have been brought to the reader's attention if not for the slightly more interesting facts that the young man had not once set foot inside any museum of history and he had never been eleven or twelve.
Well. He hadn't, and he had. It was hard to choose just one of those. Both at once seemed more appropriate.
That was it, really. The paradox of being both at once -- both himself, in the car, and the original Terrian, who was calling on a female friend during this his second visit to Whelkshore, at once. On the one hand, the duplicate Brogue was no more than a couple of hours old; on the other, he had twenty-six years' worth of memories, knowledge, experience and skill.
This contradiction would have been a lot more overwhelming to Brogue, and impossible to articulate so easily, if he wasn't able to draw upon all the memories of past duplicates apprehending and coming to terms with the very same paradox. Which just goes to show, he thought.
Meanwhile, amidst all this psycho-philosophical pondering, there was the matter of the task Terrian had appointed him, which was simply to roam the city and become acquainted with it -- a goal which Terrian had not, for various reasons, been able to accomplish during his first weekend here. Brogue supposed the park ought to be worth a look. He turned left, intending to circle around the park's perimeter and drive in.
Just as he was making the turn, he saw a motorcyclist attempting to turn into the same lane from the other side of the street. The man's eyes were closed. Brogue had only enough time to think, Okay, that explains it, and then his car struck the motorcycle's side.
The man collapsed heavily onto the car's hood; there was the sound of breaking glass and Brogue thought for a wild moment that the man was crashing through the windshield, but he then realized it was probably something inside the fellow's backpack, which had come down particularly hard against the metal. Fortunately there were no other cars driving through the intersection at the moment, which allowed Brogue a moment's freedom to survey the scene.
What would I do?
It wasn't a stupid question, or at least he hoped it wasn't, because he could hear echoes of that same phrase being thought by dozens of duplicates that had come before him. Would Terrian start shouting? Probably not; it didn't look like the car had been damaged. Would Terrian apologize? The motorcycle and its rider both looked intact as well, and anyway, it had been his fault, not Brogue's.
No, he decided Terrian would most likely make a light-hearted comment about it to show there were no hard feelings, so he got out of the car, helped the man to his feet, and said, "Well! You looked like you were enjoying yourself there for a moment, I hope I didn't harsh your buzz. But maybe you'd rather search for peace and tranquility within yourself out on some back road, instead of in the city? Just a suggestion."
The man's backpack was now dripping gently, so Brogue added, "Oh, and you've sprung a leak. I think something's broken in there."
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Post by AngelicTragedy on Jul 9, 2008 23:33:44 GMT -5
An orange whisp danced through the sky and wafted to the ground just at the end of the walk to the guest house where Ender had once lived. Soon hundreds of other whisps began to gather upon the same spot and spun with an unearthly vigor. As the orange tornado took form a loud crack rang out and the whisps took the form of a man. Valon Lorsha stepped forward and began striding towards the group, but something was different about him this day.
His usual black royal garb was not present and was replaced by what could be concidered casual clothing. A brown t-shirt clung to his toned form and bore an amber colored dragon design that ran along the right side of his ribs and up onto his chest. A pair of long jeans slid across the ground over a pair of brown running shoes. His hair hung low like usual and danced in his face. A pair of silver rings with onyx stone set in them graced his ring fingers and a long silver necklace bearing the symbol of Drakengrad wrapped around his neck.
"I hope I'm not intruding, but I couldn't help but notice you gathering. Something's up, I can feel it." Valon stated in his very rehearsed tone.
Valon glanced around at the group of super powers and could almost feel the tension crushing his lungs. Something horrid had happened or was about to happen, but what he was unsure. The last person that Valon looked at was Nat, and her face told the whole story. Ender's time was coming soon. Something told him this deep in his soul. Valon strode over to Nat and put a powerful hand on her shoulder. His dull green eyes flashed slightly as he made eye contact with her.
"Ender has gone missing I suppose? We'll find him...I know it. I'm coming with you all. I owe Ender that much." Valon whispered to Nat in an attempt to reassure her.
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Post by ch00beh on Jul 10, 2008 3:18:51 GMT -5
Ender almost felt a storm overhead. Power. Lots of it gathering. He discreetly cast his mind back at his former home. Yes. They were about to start looking for him. He had expected it.
CRASH
Suddenly, he was awoken from his little reverie by the sound of a car crash. The psionic looked to his side to see a car and a motorcycle touching each other in a more than friendly manner. A quick glance at the driver revealed that Terrian was the crasher. Ender teleported away.
----
"Don't you dare call him that!" Rie hissed. Her hand was translucent and making a quick grab for Nat's heart. She was didn't plan on killing, just threatening, but if her hand should slip, no one was around to tell her what to do anymore.
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Post by Tout-Perd on Jul 10, 2008 12:01:54 GMT -5
"I'll call him how he is!" Natalie spat back, and flickered, reappearing ten feet away, her blade raised and locked into a straight configuration. "Listen. He abandoned us. He didn't even TRY to see if there was any way we could help him. He just took off like a coward."
"I know what bravery is... Bravery is being willing to do horrible things so that good things happen later. Bravery would have been telling us to our faces, not scampering off and leaving us to pick up the pieces! Bravery would have been staying with us and facing whatever fate might hold for him, hand in hand! Bravery would be letting the people that he's spent his life protecting protect him for once! Just crawling off into a corner to die... That's nothing but cowardice. I called Zebedee on it when he deserted us to go hide in a cave, and I'm going to call Ender on it too." Natalie remarked, lowering her blade slightly but keeping it ready.
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Post by bulbaboy on Jul 10, 2008 17:12:19 GMT -5
<If the two of you are going to continue this useless and idiotic bickering then Ender is already lost to us.> Sly said as he turned and made his way towards Zebs house.
“Where are you going?” Rick called after him.
<My lab. There is still a chance I can track Ender with the equipment there. That is if he isn’t too far out of range yet.> Before Sly entered the house he stopped and turned a stalk eye towards Nat and Rie, <I am sad to say your actions regarding this matter have been shameful. I will not allow the two of you to waste anymore of Enders time with your inability to control your emotions.> Without another word Sly stepped into the house and made his way down into the lab.
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Post by ch00beh on Jul 10, 2008 19:28:02 GMT -5
Rie's hand turned back to normal upon Sly's words.
"He wouldn't go back under a knife anyway. You don't know what it's like to have been used as a human experiment. If there's anything we're truly afraid of, it's that." Rie raised her sleeve. Her forearm had one long gash that lined up with the bones underneath. "This is one example. This is all over our bodies. They manually inserted carbon reinforcements to our bones."
Rie looked up and lowered her eyelid. There was a small black dot on the bottom of her eye. "That's where they stuck the syringe to give us our super sight."
Rie parted her hair a bit. There was a scar. "That's where they stuck my phasing device. Do you know how large a psionic amplifier is compared to this?" Rie's scar was rather large as it was, stretching for about an inch. "Do you know what it's like to have a device the size of a tennis ball, completely integrated with your brain, to be ripped forcefully from your brain?"
"He 'scampered off' because he didn't want our help. He wanted peace. Something he hasn't gotten in a while."
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Post by AngelicTragedy on Jul 10, 2008 22:16:55 GMT -5
"Peace is something that has never followed this group. We live in a constant state of turmoil and for the most part we have learned to deal with it. Ender's changed from what he was. He was brave enough to face me down when I transformed, but he can't face his own death with us...Something must be messing with his mind." Valon stated to the general group.
"I'm going to see what I can do to help Sly. We've already wasted to much time and if you children are done fighting I would suggest that you try to find him yourselves. This isn't about you...It's about Ender." Valon stung starply as he snapped around on his heels and began after Sly.
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Post by kazkame on Jul 12, 2008 18:29:17 GMT -5
Demitri awoke in a daze, he looked around to see his surroundings. A dense for covered the area around the car. He felt his leg was out of its socket and that the vibration had subsided. The blood on his face was still warm for some reason, so he guessed he wasn't out for long. He lifted his limp lower half just to fall off the hood. Demitri looked for the bag with the contents of his mission. He then saw the bag leaking with fluids for either his drinks or the package. Crawling towards the bag and went unconscious again.
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Post by Beelzebibble on Jul 12, 2008 22:22:37 GMT -5
OOC - Well, that's just great. What am I supposed to do now? Hopefully the main group will find us soon. Or something.
Brogue started. Out of the corner of his eye, he had just seen something vanish. He looked over at the sidewalk across the street. No buildings beyond it on that block, just a guardrail. No doorways for anyone to disappear into. Had he imagined it?
He turned back to the man. "Did you see..."
But he was interrupted by a thunk as the man fell forward onto the hood again. He was unconscious.
"Jesus," Brogue muttered. He dragged the man over to the curb, laid his motorcycle down next to him, got back into the car, and pulled over to the side of the street. A car passing through the intersection honked at him and he jumped. Then he noticed the backpack was still in the middle of the street, leaking an unidentifiable fluid.
Brogue picked up the backpack, granted himself the authority to open it, and opened it. He fished out a fat brown envelope that looked quite thoroughly soaked, then peered into the bottom of the backpack. "Ah." The shattered pieces of two beer bottles lay in a pile. He dumped them out into the gutter, made a feeble attempt to dry out the envelope by fanning it against the wind, and returned it to the backpack.
"Hey," he said. He nudged the unconscious man a bit on the arm. "Wake up. Hey... sir. Buddy." The man lay quite still. There was blood dribbling from his nose; Brogue got a napkin from the glove compartment and dabbed it off. "Hey, stupid, wake up. Drinksalot. High-on-Life. Wake up. Fainty McBleederson?"
Before he could compose his next epithet, Brogue noticed that one of the man's legs was sitting at a very strange angle. It looked oddly bent out of shape all the way up to the hip. This was his first indication that there might be any genuine harm done.
He sat on the curb and sent a thought to the original Terrian. Listen, I ran into a spot of trouble here. Someone--
Later, okay? I'm kind of busy here.
This is important!
Make it quick, then.
Brogue sighed, then put together a shorthand thought.
crashed. motorcycle. his fault. out cold, leg perhaps broken. car okay.
He waited for a response, but Terrian was evidently too busy attending to the matters for which he had come to Whelkshore to give the matter any further thought.
Brogue was just wondering whether to call 911 when the man stirred slightly.
OOC - Sorry for the minor autoing at the end there, but I'm not letting you stay unconscious for another response. You can't just hit your character over the head and then coast through an RP on light duty when Pohatu is around, be sure of that!
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Post by kazkame on Jul 13, 2008 21:29:01 GMT -5
Demitri awoke to find a suave looking man staring at him. He guessed his bio systems must have rebooted with the unconsciousness. " Hey man I'm sorry to have caused you all this trouble." he said groggily. He began to pick himself up as his leg had adjusted back in to its socket. The onlooker seemed un-phased by the readjustment, " I guess you've seen a lot of weird stuff in you life ahhh ahh. I guess i never got your name ? My name is Shawn Martin, postal technician of the Whelkshore."
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Post by bulbaboy on Jul 14, 2008 1:42:17 GMT -5
Brogue and Demitri were too busy dealing with their situation to notice the bolts of a nearby manhole cover coming unscrewed. Each came up quickly and fell loosely on their sides, except for the last screw. It started to rise as the others had but immediately jammed. What followed was a series of clanging as something forcibly began to hammer against the defiant piece of metal. Each blow caused the jammed bolt to rise higher and higher until finally the last strike sent the manhole cover flying up into the sky.
“Ha! Dat did da trick!” bellowed a deep voice as a large meaty hand with fingers the size of sausages rose up and grasped the edge of the hole. Accompanying it was a pair of eyes, nearly hidden behind a head of ragged blonde hair. The man peered at Brogue and Demitri a moment before finally speaking. “Could eda’a you fellas tell me where I am?”
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Post by ch00beh on Jul 14, 2008 2:08:23 GMT -5
"Peace is something that has never followed this group... Feh. Maybe that's why he wanted to leave. You guys keep thinking that he's running away because he's afraid of death or because something is messing with him. No. He's accepted his fate. He left because he knew you guys wouldn't."
Rie crossed her arms but followed Sly anyway.
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Post by Tout-Perd on Jul 14, 2008 13:44:08 GMT -5
"And what you two can't accept is the fact that not all of life has to be like your childhood!" Natalie spat out. "Sure, you two were forced to accept the inevitability of pain and death then. But you know what? Around here, we have the ability to make choices. And we can choose if we're going to live or die." Natalie clenched her fist, her bracelet jangling.
"And what I've been saying that you fail to get, is that he's choosing DEATH over trying to hang around for a while. If he goes on walkabout like you've been saying, he's gonna die for sure in a little while. If he stays here, we can try to save him. And I don't know if that would work or not, but it's what would be best for the rest of us. Maybe then we could actually come to terms with it, even if there is nothing that we can do. Instead, though, he drops it in our laps and expects us to take it in stride. THAT is why we're all reacting so dramatically." Natalie followed loosely behind Sly and the rest. She could help out a little in the lab.
Zebedee turned away from the group, and vanished in burst of green light without so much as declaring he was leaving. A chill wind blew threw the yard the moment he disappeared, bearing autumn leaves despite the season.
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Post by bulbaboy on Jul 14, 2008 18:26:22 GMT -5
Light flooded the lab as Sly entered and made his way to the central bank of computers. Both Lee and Sly had staircases in their homes that lead to this same entrance at the center of the lab. In every direction white ceiling and a grass floor stretched on for miles, so far in fact that it was impossible to see the walls. Many areas of the facility had been designed with specific purposes in mind. One such area was located on the east side of the lab where a small factory built, repaired, and dismantled droids of various shape and design.
These droids were programmed to move through the lab in grids every five days. They were classified into two major groups – janitors and technicians. The janitors spent hours constantly cleaning and making sure nothing was out of place. Should they find any items eschew, or even missing, a report was immediately made and sent directly to the central computer bank. The report was then compared to all the other logs the central computers received throughout the lab. If it was determined that one of the safeties, people who Sly had deemed non-threatening, took the device an email would be dropped into Slys inbox detailing who took what. In the event that that an intruder had taken the item or no clear solution was found, the central computers would transmit directly to Slys modified blackberry.
Technicians on the other hand dealt directly with all the andalite devices and Slys own inventions. Diagnostics, upgrades, and repairs were all carried out by these droids. If a device did not meet the minimal standards spelled out in the database it was scrapped. Once a five day cycle was finished and everything in the grid was green lighted, the droids would return to the factory for servicing before heading to the next grid. It usually took the droids four months to clear all the grids before starting back over from the beginning.
There were also two special classes of droid that built in this factory that did not like move through the grids as the others. The first were maintenance class. These worked in the central area of the lab keeping things such as bee clusters, shredders, and fuel cells stocked for Slys use at all times. They also insured that these weapons and supplies were working properly. Finally there were worker droids that pulled schematics strait from the andalite database that had been pulled into this dimension along with Sly. Seventeen of them total, they worked tirelessly building one machine after another. Once finished they would locate an empty shelf and place the device there before continuing on. A log was kept showing where items were placed should Sly need them. It had taken him a long time to set up this system, especially since it was forbidden to use AI’s due to their tendency to enter rampancy when neglected.
It was one of these devices that could possibly save Ender. As he began to telepathically link with the machines Sly found that several redundant programs had been condensed into one more efficient program. This bothered him because it was not the first time he had noticed such an occurrence since his return. For now though it would have to wait. Ender was the priority right now.
His fingers flew over the keyboard as his mind stretched out into the records of all the devices. At the same time Sly was activating sensors which were set up all over Whelkshore and its outlying areas. If Ender was still nearby or had recently teleported the sensors would pick up his signature quickly since his brainwave pattern was far more advanced than any other in Whelkshore. In fact Sly had failed to tell Ender on more than one occasion that his brainwave patterns were so advanced that they registered more as an andalite than human.
Several footsteps entering the lab told Sly the others had followed. It seemed though that a familiar pair had not followed.
Lee where are you going?
OOC – Ack, sorry for the long winded post and the poor quality of it, I typed it up while at work. Anyways I should explain this – When Slys telepathic speech (italicized) is in < > it means it’s normal and everyone can hear it. But when it doesn’t have anything it’s slys own thoughts. Since Lee and Sly are linked permentaly Sly can think a question and Lee can hear it. (There is also private thought speak but it’s usually clear who it’s being directed at.
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Post by bulbaboy on Jul 14, 2008 20:11:18 GMT -5
OOC - Don't worry I haven't forgot about you guys. Weird sewer guy is just a new character since I guess I'm thinking about RPing for the rest of the summer. There will also been another new character but that one won't show up here, though it has been alluded to twice now. Once in a topic awhile back and now it's been alluded in my last post as well. If you're smart you might be able to figure out what 2nd new character is. But yeah. I already know how I am connecting you guys to the main group. Got ya covered
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Post by ch00beh on Jul 19, 2008 0:21:46 GMT -5
OOC: I should Deus ex Ch00beh the groups together.
And suddenly! A massive wind caught up the cyborg and Terrian and the sewer man and blasted them through the sewers and into Sly's lab!
BIC: Rie hadn't been in the lab before, but she had never cared for technology. She simply found something to lean nonchalantly against and did so.
----
Ender was walking through the woods. His hands were in his pockets and his eyes were looking at the sky through the trees. Twigs and leaves snapped and crunched under his feet. There was a cool breeze, cooling his face and rustling the trees. The psychic started whistling a silly tune.
Suddenly, a faint electronic sound caught his attention. Well, it was more of an electronic reverberation in his mind. Ender quickly wrapped up any stray thoughts in his head and disguised it to look like a normal person's mind.
"Sly you... sly dog..." Ender hated himself.
OOC: (There are woods around Cherrygrove, right? >_>)
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