Graded [Clockhaven City] Blood and Steam

[Elvario]

Railworker's Crossing
Widersia – Capital – Clockhaven – Railworker's Crossing
Time: 11:00 Weather Getting cloudier.

From: Nintendo's new IP Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. arrives on 3DS next year
Mentions: Sophia Silent Angel | Iberis TheTimePiece | Cayde The Last Curse | Scylla RavenSong | Shion Sharena

Chandra Jarmil

Spoiler: Full Image & Source

From:
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/4QrLn

She smiled back at Shion, happy to see her cover hadn't been too blown just yet. “For what it's worth... I... don't like these busy... industrial places... either.” She'd reply, which was mostly true. Whilst she was curious to see how this 'world' worked, so to say, she felt like she had to be far more on guard than in a random forest in the middle of nowhere. Feeling like she had to be on her toes all the time wasn't all that pleasant. Being with just some friends, out and about in nature, was far more ideal. Unless it were those cursed marshes. She could still feel her boots getting soggy and gross just thinking back on those.

Those thoughts hadn't left her mind yet when Scylla surprised her yet again, chasing tail so brazenly! She knew the witch was extroverted and energetic, but this was a whole new level... She knew 'Chandra' wouldn't be able to keep up with that, but at this rate, she wondered if even her 'real' self could. How did getting stuck in an undead realm make Scylla that much more lively? How did going through trauma make her so much more outgoing and daring? Kalina really wished to get to the bottom of it, or better yet, try to one-up the witch. However... Chandra wouldn't do such a thing, so she was halted by the persona she'd taken on. Actually... one thought occurred. Something Chandra might do that might be just as fun... She suppressed a devious smile, as she asked at her most innocent voice (Deception D); “Is... is it t-that s-soft?”

Morana

Spoiler: Full Image & Source

From:
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/92JWv

Even with some persuasion thrown in, Morana remained silent for a bit. It was unclear how much worse she'd have reacted without the softened blow, but even with it, she was clearly not happy. Even beneath the mask and glazed out eyes, that much would be clear. She uttered a series clicks under her breath.

01001001 00100000 01110011 01110111 01100101 01100001 01110010 00100000 01001001 00100111 01101100 01101100 00100000 01101101 01100001 01101011 01100101 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01110000 01100001 01111001 00101110

A moment later, she seemingly recovered. “Of course, sir. However, as you might see, these hands weren't exactly made for writing purposes. Would you mind writing them down as I list them?” Her voice sounded relatively emotionless, with the mask altering it a fair bit, but... was it ever so slightly colder than before, or was that just a biased interpretation?

Either way, she'd deliver what was asked, mentioning a long list of 'ingredients', which were mostly chemicals within the earlier mentioned categories. Cayde knew most of them to be stimulants in various ways, some of them were medicinal, a few of them in particular to combat negative health effects from amputations whilst others were there to counter the effects of having metal enter your bloodstreams. Other than just performance enhancing, this was likely also there to allow her to keep functioning with such heavy alterations having been made to her body.

After what she'd been made to reveal, one might assume she wasn't too eager to keep chatting with Scylla, who's idea of personal space was non-existent. That assumption would be correct. The only reaction to Scylla getting in her face and asking further questions was an odd clanking noise coming from her combat arm, as if something had just been put off 'safety' mode. There were no visible signs of such a thing though, nor did she show any sign of even changing how she was standing, so it was probably just a coincidence.

Chima

Spoiler: Full Image & Source

From:
Jieyun

Upon getting the promised list of ingredients, a smile formed on her face. She had just enough knowledge on the topic to realise that Morana likely hadn't been lying and she didn't even need them written down any-more, as her sharp enough hearing caught them all being listed for Cayde to write down and her eidetic memory had already saved them all.

She smiled at Scylla's question. “How could I not want the details that uncover the biggest weakness behind Fromm's Hound? She's got many enemies, all of whom would either pay insane amounts for this information or reveal some extremely worthwhile information of their own.” She then shouted even louder, to reach Morana in the back. “Sorry dear, you know it's just business!”

After, she turned back to Cayde. “With such a rewarding prize, I'll give you what you want. Although I'd watch your back now, I doubt she liked being forced to spill her secrets.” That said, she reverted to his first question, or rather, question-like statement. “The vampire's goal is to attract followers, yes. However, I feel like the Thrall has a goal of her own. The vampire had bodies of assassins delivered in bags to get some cloud, which sends a different message than just letting someone run free. One suggests not to mess with their work. The other suggests you can come look and live to tell the tale.”

She tapped her fingers on the wheel. “I'm inclined to think there's something to your second assumption. There has to be a reason why only the person that didn't say or do a thing was able to walk free, don't you think? I'm afraid I'm not sure what it is, but I know there has to be more to it. If you can figure that out, perhaps you won't have to fight the Thrall at all.”

She then turned to Shion. “It's peculiar to hear someone speak about a city's balance like that. How would someone of the forests know what the balance in a place like this is supposed to be like?” She shook her head. “Either way, I wish you luck. I've been in this business long enough to know that balance a rarity.”

She'd also recalled Scylla's words regarding the undead, having nodded along with them as if knowing what she was talking about. “That lines up with the rumours I've heard. There's a scrapyard a bit outside the city. It's where they dumped things from Robotics & Steelwork, Morana should know the place. Some rumours of people seeing undead wandering around have been spreading. Seeing how they are exactly like what you described, some sort of husked servants, I think they might be more than just rumours. Sverre's men get killed and their corpses go missing. Undead show up a bit outside the city. Add the fact that they ended up on a scrapyard after making use of heavy body-alterations, even more so than our friend Morana here... Well, I think it's safe to conclude that vampire you're after isn't just a vampire, but also a necromancer.”

What else had they been asking for? Locations. “The Thrall has been moving around a lot, but I think she's trying to hunt down Sverre currently. They might both still be in Third Factory Street as we speak.”

She looked at small device on her wrist. “Time's almost up, but I've given just about all information I have... Ah, one more thing! The vampire hunters. Their teamwork is a mess. It's why they haven't gotten anywhere. I've got no clue what happened among them, but it's tough to think they were once considered world-class professionals.”

She felt like that covered her end of the bargain more than enough. “Well then, be sure to avenge my people and to abstain from ending up as a new batch of corpses. I've got new information to auction.” She said, activating the wheel-like device and racing off among the trains that were speeding by.

Chandra Jarmil

Spoiler: Full Image & Source

From:
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/4QrLn

With all that'd been said, Kalina instinctively looked at Cayde, forgetting Scylla was meant to be the leader. “So... if we want to find Sverre, we'd risk running into the Thrall as well? Whilst his undead men might be roaming a scrapyard and the Vampire Hunters aren't working together...” She wondered if the latter would be a problem regarding her personal reason to be here, namely getting them to talk about her past and how to become less monster. “Where do we even start?”

 

[Sharena]

​

"Was giving her such discomfort so necessary, Cayde?" Shion genuinely asked of the man near her. It was surprisingly thoughtful of Shion even though she genuinely did not trust or like being around Morana. Still couldn't help her instincts she supposed, but she looked at Chima once she responded to her.

"If a Baron is requesting a vampire be dealt with before things get worse, sounds like some form of balance has been disturbed. I don't believe that notion is too complicated to see the disruption." Shion wanted to mention that whether or not it was the Baron or the vampire causing the actual disruption was yet to be seen, but given who she was flanked by on both sides she knew when it would be better not to paint a target on her back.

"If I might make a request," She started, looking to her compatriots, "Might one of y...you..." Shion's words were cut off as a blush came over her face as Scylla started petting her tail as it reacted happily to her touch. She visibly seemed like any stress she had walking around town with was fading away, but her ability to have a serious conversation was getting hampered too.

"That feels-" And then Scylla squeezed her tail suddenly! For the first time since she got here, everyone would see all of Shion's composure insantly evaporate. Her entire body jolted as she let out a genuine yip that reflected her canine origins! The second Scylla let go, Shion spun around and delivered a swift and decisive strike across her cheek!

"Don't you dare squeeze my tail like that again, Young One!" The shock caused Shion's tongue to shift dialects as she spouted something in Beastial as if by pure instinct. She heard Chandra's inquiry about the fluffiness of her tail, well, she heard the words, but didn't fully comprehend them as she just registered it presently as a threat.

"Don't even think about it!" She glared daggers at Chandra for a moment. However, after a few moments to calm down and no one touching her, her shoulders relaxed as she regained her cool. She adjusted her posture back to how she was before as well.

"Please do not squeeze my tail like that again, it wasn't pleasant." Shion cleared her throat afterwards, not realizing that some of her words were incomprehensible to people as she closed the distance between her and Scylla. She placed a hand on her shoulder while the other drew near her reddened cheek. Using her [Magic - F] a gentle glow emanated from her palm as it soothed the stinging sensation in Scylla's face before she stepped away once the redness was cleared. She gave a small smirk to the witch.

"I'm not doing that for you next time." She stated. Now that she could think straight again, she tried to address everyone again.

"Now that I can think clearly again, Iberis, might I borrow some of your time once we decide on a direction forward?" She kindly asked of the young mage. She didn't want to deprive them of their "leaders," Chandra and Sophia had just separated for some private talk, and Iberis hadn't caused her any...issues now, so she seemed like the least problematic to ask.

 

[TheTimePiece]

Iberis Odhir
​

Elvario Sharena RavenSong The Last Curse Silent Angel

It seemed that everyone else had been handling the exchange well enough, Iberis might have been able to offer up knowledge on the undead (She certainly could have) but even then it was dubious what this informant was trying to do with all of this knowledge. Under normal circumstances she would have just assumed that an informant they were meeting would have already been sated, but not this one. Scylla did a great job explaining the undead situation from what they knew as far as Iberis could tell, but even then she didn't plan on sharing herself with Scylla being so generous already. There was no reason that this informant needed to know what Iberis had learned from Auldlich as far as what she was concerned.

Thankfully the group got the information they needed as Iberis listened intently to what Chima had to say when questions were asked. This had been successful even with the less than ideal behavior from some of the group to say the least. Finding herself a bit surprised at the reaction which Shion gave intially at her tail being felt only more so when Scylla decided to squeeze it of all things, which had clearly been the wrong move, the strike clearly not intending to be particularly harmful in nature, as she almost had to stop herself from giggling at what had just transpired, thankfully she managed well enough.

On the plus side Iberis had managed to contribute in reassuring the informant at least that the likelihood of her desires being fulfilled was at least there between them, since Iberis was certain that the group could indeed carry out this justice on the evil she spoke of.

Of course the details they heard weren't exactly the least complex, there of course seemed to be caveats around every corner that iberis could see, risks. All Iberis could really do was hope that everyone made it out safely and whatever Kalina was getting in exchange for assisting with this problem would be worth while to her at the end of the day.

On the topic of Chandra asking what they should do next, honestly given how much Cayde handled and the others did, she thought it might be wise given she was the least experienced there, to hear what they had to say on the matter, as she just didn't feel as qualified on the situation to give the most definitive direction, but even so she was going to give feed back.

"Yeah..there's quite a bit to go over to say the least, I guess we need to balance what seems feasible, particularly now knowing what happened with Sverre."


She then turned to Shion a bit surprised, looking up at her, before a smile formed once more, nodding reassuringly.


"Oh..uh me? Sure. Whatever you want to say, I'll be all ears."


She said, very curious as to what she wanted to talk to her about.

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario RavenSong Sharena Silent Angel TheTimePiece ​

Even as Morana 'willingly' relayed the info to Chima, Cayde still felt a knot twist in his stomach. Her compliance had to be a lie, he thought. She knew he'd made a mistake. Somewhere behind those eyes, there had to be some sort of disappointment. Some kind of newfound hatred he'd created. No amount of apologies would fix that. He should've thought of something else. He should've said something differently. That would've been the right choice. Nothing would've gone wrong if he'd only been better.

The thoughts lingered long after Chima departed, ricocheting inside his mind, getting louder with each bounce. He shook them out. Just look on the bright side, he told himself. They had more information now. It didn't matter how he got it, right? It all started to sound convincing until he heard Shion ask a question. He felt tense as he faced her, his words already starting to catch in his throat. It shouldn't be this hard to answer. All he had to say was say the right thing. "I-I wasn't trying to offend Morana. It was just... Chima was holding all this information hostage, and I had to-" Cayde shut his mouth, the words repeating in his head. There it was again. Diverting the blame - making excuses. Behavior that should've been left in the past. Hadn't he changed since then? "No, never mind," He said solemnly, "I was wrong. I shouldn't have said anything. I'm sorry, Shion," He peered over his shoulder at Morana. "And for what it's worth, I'm sorry, Morana,"

With a sigh, Cayde turned away from both, fumbling for the mask on his hip. He nearly dropped it once the sound of a slap reached his ears. The talk of squeezing tails was just as bewildering, too. "What the hell?" He thought, spinning on his heels. "Wait...don't tell me it was..." The thought finished itself as he saw Shion mending Scylla's cheek, "Yup."

Before he knew it, Cayde was howling with laughter. It felt genuine this time. And the thoughts, they'd vanished too! "HA! I should've warned you, Shion!" He said between breaths, shaking his head, "Scylla sees something fluffy. She just can't help herself!" Cayde sighed and wiped a tear from his eye. He didn't how Scylla could do it. After months, how could she still be this bubbly? It was like she hadn't thought about changing at all. How was she so good at being her? It almost felt like magic at this point. There had to be a trick to it, right? Maybe it wouldn't hurt to ask later...

Eventually, Cayde calmed down, affixing his mask back onto his face. "Alright, I needed that..." He faced Kalina, " Okay, I think we should still prioritize finding Sverre. He's still got the information we need, and with the thrall hunting him, he's in even more danger. We've got to get to him before she does," He said before turning to face the group, "We could extract some info from her if we end up meeting her, but all we know is that she may have another agenda, and for some reason, she spares certain people..."

He shrugged his shoulders, " Maybe she only hurt people who actively interfere with her goals? I'd say we brainstorm on the way to Third Factory Street,"

 

[Silent Angel]

Sophia Smith

Sophia tilted her head when the lady left, thinking about the thrall. "Well, we'll need to watch our backs to make sure that we aren't taken by surprise. As long as we aren't, I don't think that we'll fall to a thrall." She reached up and finally took out her crossbow, checking it over in preparation for any fights ahead as she ignored the little spat going on over a beast girl's tail. "I think we should go to the vampire hunters, personally. They might have a bit more info than the gal we dealt with. Or specifically, we should try to find the person who got away. We might be able to get a description or something from them." She paused before saying, "By the way, anyone have any medical experience?"

She turned and walked over to Morana, reaching out and tapping her on the chest. "Oh, and please don't give me another person to look out for. I'd rather not have to deal with watching a forgiven murderer along with the murderers we're looking for, alright? We're doing this to help you and your boss, after all." She tilted her head before turning and walking over to Kalina, getting close to her side and somewhat leaning on the taller girl, a frown plain on her face.​

 

[RavenSong]

After being mesmerized by Shion's tail, she couldn't help but squeeze it. Her purple nailed fingers suddenly quivered as she forced her hands to easy up, it was a rather irresistible feeling she had never experienced. However, much to her misfortune, she'd suddenly look up when an angry hand smacked her across the face! The witch's face would turn in the opposite direction taking a step back and falling to her knees as her nerves rushed to a stinging feeling on her cheek. "OW!!" She exclaimed as she held her cheek, "What was that for??!!" She cried, "I.. I just.. I just.. couldn't help myself!" She said incredulously as she nearly couldn't believe what she had just done. Her teary orbs then hopelessly shot towards Cayde, who didn't help the situation by laughing hysterically, well, at least she made him laugh. "Wh-what are you laughing at?!" She pleaded as she covered her face, then she repeated Caydes words her head bowed down looking at the cobbled ground, thinking that if repeated his words it would somehow justify her actions, "I can't help myself! I can't I can't I can't!" Then a hand would rest on her shoulder, making the witch look up quickly, "Huh?" She said as another hand would come over her face.

When Shion used magic, she'd only feel a transfer of mana, but a slight smile would peek through her tears like the sun after a rainy day. "Hm!" She closed her eyes happily before placing her own hand over hers on the witches cheek using [Healing F]. She loves me already! She thought to herself, before opening her eyes and getting up nodding at the foxes remark. She'd wipe her tears away quickly and gave her a joyous nod with a thumbs up before her attacker turned around. "Okay!" A purple nailed finger would come over her bottom lip. "So I’ll be more gentle next time?”

The comments made by Chima prompted a bit of curiosity with the witch. Although she had read about Necromancy and the undead, the various rituals, the shattering of a mages soul, the excruciating process of corrupting ones flow of mana as they attuned to the darker magics. Was it possible to manipulate both while still maintaining ones sanity? Surely, Scylla felt completely confident, having experienced so much trauma and violence hadn't dampened her spirits one bit. Raising the dead, or anything regarding these occult magics were surely just another test, another challenge, another check mark on her resume for when she returned to the academy. She'd occasionally steel a glance at Iberis when Chima spoke, full well knowing that Iberis had this very kind of affinities. A part of Scylla was excited to see how Iberis took care of such a situation, if her magics were in fact universal in that way, there were lots and lots of empty boxes in her mind to check off!

When mention of Third Factory Street would come up, Scylla looked over to Chandra playfully annoyed, pointing to herself as if saying, 'I'm the leader here though!' She shook her head as her arms crossed taking a step forward with her eyes closed. She cleared her throat, "Ahem! If I may speak as 'I'm obviously the leader here, how about we pay a visit to this scrap yard of the undead?" She looked at those in her party, "You see, it 'strikes' me.." she glanced at Shion, "..as a very real possibility that the number of undead there could be rising. I would never wish for you all to experience a massive army of undead corpses. One alone is one thing, but an entire horde of them is something else! I would rather rule that out, I mean.. It wouldn't hurt to just check it out?" She shrugged as her hands raised a bit. "How about a vote eh? All in favor?" She looked towards Sophia, gesturing her to raise her hand as she rose her own. She then looked at Cayde, "Searching for Sverre is certainly an equally important priority. Either one would likely have benefits.. and well.. consequences too." She shrugged once more as she moved her blonde curls from her face, "Who knows these things!"

 

[Elvario]

Railworker's Crossing
Widersia – Capital – Clockhaven – Railworker's Crossing
Time: 11:05 Weather Getting cloudier.

From: Nintendo's new IP Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. arrives on 3DS next year
Mentions: Sophia Silent Angel | Iberis TheTimePiece | Cayde The Last Curse | Scylla RavenSong | Shion Sharena

Chandra Jarmil

Spoiler: Full Image & Source

From:
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/4QrLn

Kalina jumped back a bit in surprises when she got snarled and growled at in a language she couldn't make heads or tails out of. Her entire plan to play cute, shy and innocent to get an invitation to pet some tail was thoroughly disrupted by it. Not only that, she'd now be unable to ask again for as long as she was playing 'Chandra' as a shy person would never dare to even consider mentioning it again after being so thoroughly snarled at. What a waste. Their leader had taken away a precious opportunity, which called for revenge.

For now, she'd just play the part. “I'm s-s-s-s-s-orry...” She stammered at Shion (Deception D), pretending to be seriously scared of her. Truth be told, even the 'real' her had been a little intimated by the sudden snarling. After all, for a split second, it'd made her worry that her true identity had been uncovered and that Shion was about to go feral over it. The latter didn't seem to be the case, but still, perhaps she should be more weary from now on. On the other hand, Shion seemingly taking a liking to Iberis was a good sign. A friend of a friend was someone less likely to murder her should she be uncovered as a monster, after all. Iberis was pulling her weight already, in that regard.

When Cayde mentioned Scylla's inability to resist the fluffy, a memory from the Marshes resurfaced. “She did constantly cling onto Abha, whenever possible...” She recalled the proud bunny paladin having been reduced to a cuddle-bunny underneath the weight of Scylla's affections. It'd been quite the sight.

His next words were a lot more serious. “I agree. Besides, if we get to him first, we could even use it to lure in the thrall later, right? Such as by pretending to keep him somewhere?” She suggested, trying to think ahead a bit. On the topic of the thrall, his suggestion was intriguing. “Perhaps, although that'd make it difficult, wouldn't it? Even trying to extract information from her might be seen as actively interfering...” There was something she figured might be at play, but... was it safe to tell Cayde without risking to reveal her cover? Perhaps not. She'd head over to get beside him in order to whisper it. “Between you and me, I think vampires might have some sort of control over the thralls they make. At least, I've heard the stronger ones of our kind are capable of such a thing. Perhaps she's been given a lot of commands that she can't break, but is otherwise trying to resist, such as by letting people go that don't seem to related to any of her commands?” After what Cayde suggested, that was the best theory she could come up with. However, for Chandra to know such things was a bit odd, so she figured it'd be best to whisper it to him first.

As for Scylla's suggestion, she shook her head. “Wouldn't... she need new corpses... to make the number rise?” She replied, a little more in the act of 'Chandra' but still trying to get her point across. “I d-doubt that she'd just get... them. So... it shouldn't b-become m-massive, right?” Besides, even if it did, she knew they'd handle it. They'd battled so many undead that wiping out armies of them was becoming their usual business, or so it felt. “B-besides... if those w-were, Sverre's... men... maybe he'll want to... come with?” She suggested. “For... closure.” The latter had a bit of a pained tone to it, as she was speaking about the 'closure' she'd gotten from ending Renee's life. It was still a big wound on her mind and soul, but she felt like if she hadn't done it or had someone else do it, it'd have been festering on top just being there. This... as it was now, it might be able to heal.

Finally, she felt Sophia leaning against her all of a sudden. It brought a bit of a smile to her lips, as she couldn't help from putting a hand on the Fae's shoulder. That said... the closeness also made her wonder when she'd find a moment to get a meal. She wasn't necessarily dying of thirst, but being surrounded by so many folk who's blood she'd tasted, most of which could be considered to be like five-star meals, it did make her feel a growing desire...

Morana

Spoiler: Full Image & Source

From:
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/92JWv

She'd been ready to conclude her judgement on everyone in this group, only to be thoroughly surprised. Not in the least by Shion. “You... care?” She'd ask, for just two words breaking the vibe she'd been giving off almost completely, before quickly restoring back to being 'herself' like before. Or well, she would have, were it not for Cayde apologising as well. Then again, she was more quick to turn that around. “I'll have to try alternatives, as this means my enemies will start messing with supply lines. Prevent it from being made, mess with it to get me poisoned, steal it, alter it, you name it. It'll be a hassle, but if it's for the sake of the mission... then so be it.” Her words, however, sounded as emotionless as always. Something in her body language suggest it wasn't just the practical difficulty this brought her that had likely angered her and that 'so be it' was something forced out more than said in honesty.

Upon Sophia's words, she turned her glazed out eyes towards the Fae. “I know my mission, Fae.” She'd snap back. The toneless voice not suggesting anger, but the words and shortness of them certainly doing so. Add to it the fact that even the Fae went after 'those' and she was starting to feel like these folk were just trying to get her to snap. The witch sticking her head there might've just been the witch's weird perversion, but the Fae also going at it...No, She had a mission to accomplish here. She'd just try to deal with them at their own pace. “The next person touching me there will be charged in full.” She didn't say in what currency, but her clawed fingers moving about suggested it might as well be a price in blood or suffering.

Finally, she spotted another opportunity to have some 'fun' in this group. “I'm voting on his ideas.” She said, pointing a mechanised finger at Cayde. “His head seems to be filled with more than tail-chasing.” Even with a toneless voice, that part seemed to be a clear attempt at getting back at Scylla for sticking her head where it didn't belong a few moments ago.

Third Factory Street
Widersia – Capital – Clockhaven – Third Factory Street
Time: 11:45 Weather Clouds of factory smoke are omnipresent

From: Gallery For Steampunk City

After the sort-off, but not really exactly 'consensus' the group made, they would end up in Third Factory Street just before noon. The place was dreary at best. The many factories alongside the streets were billowing out enough smoke to make the streets seem dark, even in the middle of the day. Some artificial light helped folk find their path, although said folk were seemingly in a constant hurry, as if hoping to leave this place as quickly as possible. Nobody wanted to stick around here for longer than needed, that much was clear.

There were multiple factories that stood out, such as a factory dedicated to mass-producing gears, one that that made steam powered engines and even one that made some sort of spring-loaded crossbows. Most of these were busy and guarded. One name stood out, 'Robotics & Steelwork Inc.', as it was a place mentioned by Chima before. It also seemed to have a laxer security in comparison to other places, for whatever reason. Another that stood out was 'Aquaculture Labs', as it seemed to have been abandoned for years and for a place with 'aquaculture' in then ame, there seemed to be preciously little water around. Most other places had people coming in and out frequently or were more heavily guarded by some constructs. Others had been bolted shut firmly, metal places covering windows and doors. To someone with a heightened sense of smell, like Shion, breathing in deeply was not advised. There was a plethora of chemical-ish, smokey and very unpleasant scents in the air.

 

[Sharena]

​

Shion looked over to Cayde after his laughter subsided. She was a trite miffed by his amusement of her suffering, but she could tell the man was tense, she just wasn't sure why. She let it go for now. Instead her sigh revealed a smile. "Any warnings you want to give me proactively now instead of reactively before we proceed?"

She then heard something peculiar come from Morana's direction as her ears twitched. Was that a break in her hollow existence Shion just felt? Was there more to extrapolate from that, could she actually [Empathize] with her? She looked in Morana's direction, still finding it difficult to look at all that machinery but she fought her instincts to recoil. Perhaps a different approach now. "I have no reason to withhold my honesty from you, so here's simply how I feel, Morana. Your mechanical implants disturb me, I have never seen a human-or any creature for that matter-lack that which was gifted to them at birth. Regardless of that, you are a person just like the rest of us, and you are presently not trying to kill us, you're well-being is as important to me as everyone else here. I am sorry if I gave the wrong impression earlier, I...can be slow to trust at times with things I don't understand."

Shion looked around their surroundings for a moment. She still didn't like it, it still gave her a tinge of sadness. Nevertheless, it was people's home, even if she didn't like it. She looked back to Morana. "It is possible for those who disagree with one another to still work towards a common goal. Your comfort may not be needed to help us due to the Baron's orders, but that doesn't mean we can't try to be as close as that together as we can."

"Actually, speaking of comfort." Shion turned her head to Scylla who just mentioned she'll be more gentle next time. "Let's start with asking nicely first, Scylla. If you can do that, I guarantee the next time is likely to end in less injury." Shion stated her conditions clearly to the witch loud enough for Chandra to hear too since she remembered her saying something in her small surge of fury.

Then the conversation turned to their next course of action, and Shion did her best to remember everything she'd heard so far. The Baron hired everyone here, Morana was his bodyguard or "Hound," and they had about three reasonable locations to visit. Shion had no interest in the morgue, seeing bodies more dead than this city to her wasn't an appealing prospect. Something of even greater interest piqued her ears and her attention though. Chandra, once again, started showing much more confidence out of the blue. Not only that, she seemed very knowledgeable about thralls, lots of semantic debate over what could've happened with its mind. What was even more curious was that what little she knew of Chandra, was she really someone to use a person as bait, even if it was just a ploy?

Nevertheless, she decided to weigh in herself. "I think going to see Sverre first is the best option we have. At the very least keeping him from potentially getting killed seems the most pressing matter since it sounds like the hunters and the undead aren't going anywhere fast."

After reaching a decision with the others, meeting with Sverre seemed to be the course of action they agreed on. She then lightly tapped Iberis on the arm and gestured for her to follow. She walked towards Chandra with Iberis. She placed a hand on Chandra's shoulder. "We'll take a detour, we won't be long, promise, and before I forget Chandra, I am sorry I lashed at you earlier. You did nothing wrong and I was caught up in the moment."

As she walked away with the mage in tow, her nose twitched as she caught a very peculiar whiff from Chandra as she fully passed her. What was that...it wasn't a body odor...no, it smelled like something in nature. A flower...hm...rose, is it? Perfume? Shion stopped for a moment, wanting to turn around and tease the woman if she was prepared for a fight or a date, but she stopped herself. She played it off, looking over her shoulder and letting Iberis catch up so they were walking side by side now as they continued off. She closed her eyes for a moment in contemplation. Chandra was surrounded by friends, and yet, Shion was here...was her presence making her want to hide something? Did some of these friends of hers also not know whatever she was hiding? Her eyes opened again, not wanting to keep Iberis longer than the walk to rejoin everyone would take.

"Forgive me Iberis, I wish I could have explained myself before we separated." Shion stated as they walked. She tried to keep the scenery from getting to her again, seems it was going to be hard to tolerate this place.

"I would like to ask for some basic bearings moving forward, Iberis. I've been able to put some things together listening in on the conversation around me, but I have been worried to speak my mind too much lest I be challenged with information I do not possess. My assumption is that this was requested through a guild and you all gathered for your own reasons. Might I ask how accurate that statement is, and for any information that might be helpful regarding it?" She should be specific, she didn't want any knots unnecessarily tied. "Things like...how you got this request, a forest or two I could name if I need some kind of origin, and how much was mentioned in the request before the Baron spoke with us? If there's anything else you can think of that'd help me I'd greatly appreciate it Iberis."

Shion smiled at the young mage as they walked. "In return, I'd be happy to answer a question or two you might have, as long as they won't delay us too long." She chuckled a bit with her small tease.

--
[Empathy - F] To see beyond that cold heart of a woman.

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario RavenSong TheTimePiece Silent Angel Sharena ​

Cayde nodded in agreement as Kalina laid out her plans. Only on the mention of potentially using Sverre as bait did he stop. "Good plan, but let's hope she'll stick around long enough for us to find her without Sverre," His eyes darted to Morana and back to Kalina, "Don't wanna force him to do anything he doesn't to do," Just like before, he thought, the unpleasant memory of the information exchange replaying in his mind. It still felt awful - making someone divulge their secrets like that. And forcing someone to act as a lure would be just as shameful. The old him wouldn't have done it. New him shouldn't either. "But..." Cayde added, raising a finger, "We should still ask him, and if he's willing, I'd say we go for it."

Kalina's input on vampire thralls felt much more agreeable. He wondered why he hadn't asked about that earlier. All this time, he'd almost forgotten Kalina was a vampire. No wonder she'd know this. "I see," He replied, "If questioning her is out of the plan, we could still try to appeal to her rebel side," He nodded covertly, "We may not get much, but it could get her off our backs if we do end up meeting." Then, Cayde turned to Scylla, "Well, you're right. Undead walking around isn't a good sign, especially if we know our vampire knows necromancy. Plus, I don't doubt there might be something she's hiding in there..." A small smile formed on his lips as he looked to Kalina, "Assuming our thrall doesn't give chase, we'll grab Sverre and head there to put his men to rest. For closure, as you said."

The discussion started to stir a sense of excitement in him. And it was immediately crushed as he heard Morana double down on her disappointment. Cayde's eyes fell to the floor, heavy with guilt. Somehow it felt worse hearing her say that aloud. It sounded like there was no chance of redemption at all. He looked at Shion as she tried empathizing with Morana. She knew what words worked, he thought. She probably was great at getting out of situations like this. If only he knew, too. "I'll try to make it up to you," Cayde weakly bowed his head to Morana, "You don't have to forgive me. But give me time. S'all I need,"

He left it at that, falling into pace as they made their way to Third Way Factory Street. He recognized the name of one of the buildings, 'Robotics & Steelworks Inc.' Chima mentioned something like that. Cayde pointed towards it, "This is it," He turned to Scylla, a slightly playful tone in his voice, "Lady Scylla, if you'd like to guide us through..."

A good distraction, he hoped, as he slid beside Kalina. "You holding up alright, Chandra?" He asked, the playful drawl still in his voice, "All this talk of vampires and undead... oooh. Kinda scary, y'know?" Cayde chuckled, but it was short-lived. Morana's words still felt fresh in his head. The rationale-consuming thoughts were still there, somewhere. The laugh wasn't enough. He needed a friend. "Look, can I ask you something?" He whispered, "Did I do the right thing there? With Chima and Morana?"

 

[TheTimePiece]

Iberis Odhir

​

Elvario Sharena The Last Curse RavenSong Silent Angel

Iberis was on standby listening to what everyone had to say. Cayde made a good point, they were already in this far, this mission was going to be risky either way. SowWhile she hadn't explicitly expressed it her opinion internally was that it would probably be a good idea to go find Sverre. There really wasn't a completely safe route at this point, they were dealing with dangerous individuals, in a fairly unknown place as far as Iberis was concerned.

Iberis continued to watch the on brand behavior from Scylla and the various reactions, not quite expecting one from Kalina in "Chandra' mode that was so clear, it looked like Scylla's screwing around was only going to be tolerated here so long between Kalina and Shion, even if the reactions were justifiable it was all still rather interesting to Iberis, still finding a humorous side in the whole ordeal even in such a serious setting like this, even Sophia apparently getting a bit of heat. Perhaps it was a bit of a repressed memory from Iberis's past life taking hold where she could remember these sorts of scenarios from romcoms in anime..Even so her mind was still unclear on the details even after Marizopa's comments, it hadn't all come to her, fuzzy imagery, who knew even if what that witch had said was true...

Then there was that digging fatality at the end on Scylla from Chandra in that she legitimized what Cayde said despite Scylla and Cayde saying similar things. Any of the soft talking and interactions between people when they got close were lost on Iberis thanks to her not having enhanced hearing, nor attempting to eavesdrop out in the open like this.

While being relatively quite Iberis nodded her head at that.

"Yeah, I think with all of the evidence laid out and the reasoning here even with the risks, I can agree with everyone whose suggesting we go off and pursue Sverre, it just seems like a logical move to me."
---
Naturally Iberis went along with Shion like she said was going to earlier after the discussion, having no issues with taking a detour with this person, normally Iberis would be rather skeptical of someone who appeared and said they were from another world just like that, but the fact that everyone else seemed to have no issue with Shion, people who Iberis felt had better judgment in some ways than perhaps herself, it made her feel more at ease with trusting Shion. Truthfully Shion hadn't done anything that made Iberis feel like she was a hostile so far.

As they were far away enough from the group but not too far now, Iberis was ready to speak to Shion, still occasionally glancing around their ever strange surroundings.

"Oh is that all?"

She found herself smiling back a bit at the slight teasing which she picked up on toward the end.

She inquired, before going into thought for a moment, looking up at Shion, since Shion was a deal taller than Iberis.

" I think I can understand where you are coming from, coming from a new world and all that..after all you've only known us for such a brief period of time, but I think I can help clarify some things." She said.

Of course Iberis was not going to spill the beans about Chandra's true identity, there was no way she could risk that at this moment regardless of how friendly Shion was, that was something only Kalina should share, so while she wasn't lying that she could clarify some things; Iberis was going to be selective in what she chose to share.


"Anyway, It is true that a guild here in Widersia asked for assistance with this because this vampire is quite dangerous, but that is not the primary reason why I came. I mainly came here assist Chandra. Chandra is someone who I've been through quite a bit with. I originally met her as someone who was close to one of my friends at the academy as a mutual of sorts."

"So as soon as Chandra said that she wanted my help to go on her quest here of course I was more than willing to come help." Iberis said, the sentence having a double senitment to it, since Chandra was going on her own 'quest' in her own right that she was helping with her in addition to what the adventurer guild had asked.

"As for Cayde, I have not met him before, but Scylla I am also quite close to as you might have figured out earlier, since Chandra and Scylla both seem to trust the guy I have a strong feeling that he's a good guy and on our side, either way. From what i could gather he's worked with Chandra and Scylla before."

"Sophia I am also less familiar with, but as you can imagine given her..feelings to put it lightly, toward Chandra I believe she also came here to help."

"Onto your other question, about what I knew before the Baron spoke, I really only knew what Chandra had told me before coming here that there was a vampire running amuck, and to meet up with her near where you came through that portal. She also mentioned that there were potentially beneficial connections here that could be made taking on the quest. Don't get me wrong I'm also here because this is a just goal to help with when so many lives have been taken already it has to be put to a stop.. it just so happens to be a benefit that this quest just happens to be in a place of interest that's so different than most of the known world, with so many sources of knowledge and people of interest."

Iberis paused for a moment, before continuing.

"With all of this said, I knew that it was risky business I was getting into, but when it's all said and done It'll be worth it."
Iberis said, her face looking a bit more determined with those declarative words, telling the truth while not revealing anything problematic or out of the ordinary sounding in her mind.

"I hope that that..helps contextualize some of the group dynamics a bit better and why we're here."


"I guess for you, I could ask, why did you..decide to help us? I don't think anyone would have batted an eye if you went on your way from here after landing, I'm just I'm not sure if I was dropped into a new world I'd want to get involved in something dangerous like this so quickly, not that I don't find your bravery admirable by any means.." Iberis inquired.

"And I guess another question, so based on what you said earlier it sounded like you have monsters and humans in your world, I'm assuming you also have those who are like yourself..were there any others from where you come from? I could gather you probably don't have any [constructs] based on your reaction, but here for instance in this world we have Fae I think you might like it in the See it has a lot more nature, though I must admit I've heard some of the fae can be kind of snobby at times toward non-fae outsiders.."

Iberis trailed off a bit toward the end, hoping that these questions were reasonable enough to Shion.

 

[Elvario]

Railworker's Crossing
Widersia – Capital – Clockhaven – Railworker's Crossing
Time: 11:15 Weather Getting cloudier.

From: Nintendo's new IP Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. arrives on 3DS next year
Mentions: Sophia Silent Angel | Iberis TheTimePiece | Cayde The Last Curse | Scylla RavenSong | Shion Sharena

Chandra Jarmil

Spoiler: Full Image & Source

From:
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/4QrLn

Shion wouldn't have heard all of the conversation between Kalina and Cayde, as some of it was whispered and her hearing wasn't as sharp as her nose, but she was correct that Kalina tended to forget being 'shy' at times. One such a time was Shion's reply, as it was very difficult to resist her desire to test Shion out a little bit. With effort, she managed to turn her desire into an act that might fit Chandra just well enough to work. “That's all.. alright. I'm glad you don't... hate me. Perhaps... I... I... I'd be brave... brave enough to... a-ask...” She stammered (Deception D), as she was simply too curious to see how Shion would react to someone approaching her in such a shy way.

As for the scent, it was Kalina's way to disguise any scent of death that might be on her due to her nature, as well as to masque the fact that she'd be unable to exhume more natural scents (like sweat) in circumstances where doing so would be normal. Such as in walking through a city in full armour. It was subtle enough to go unnoticed by most, except those with a better than average sense of smell.

Morana

Spoiler: Full Image & Source

From:
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/92JWv

Genuine surprise, in a positive manner, was the emotion Shion could sense in Morana. Not only that, she noticed that it stemmed from the fact that Morana likely hadn't been shown genuine care about her well-being or comfort in a very long time, nor that she had ever had even the slightest expectation that this group would be different. In fact, as Shion kept talking, it was clear that Shion's previous weariness of Morana was exactly what she was used to and that she had almost grown comfortable with it. For Shion to break through that behaviour had truly caught Morana off-guard, no matter how quickly she'd started hiding so again to the others. Shion would notice there was still a fair bit of confusion in her and would even suspect that Morana was genuinely interested in Shion's words and actions.

None of that, however, made it to the surface-level, where Morana's glazed out eyes and robotic, toneless voice had gotten back into their routine. “They're merely replacing what I lost.” She replied to the comments about her mechanical parts. “Killing you would be detrimental to the mission, so long as you're not hindering or endangering it.” She replied to the second part, as if trying to suggest she'd have no qualms about doing so otherwise. The latter, for what it was worth, sounded scarily truthful and perhaps even a little eager. “You are naïve, but if that's how you wish to be, so be it.” She eventually concluded with an insult, but Shion could sense a hint of curiosity in there, as if Morana was curious to see how much longer or further Shion would show such kindness. All in all, it was an odd mixture of violent tendencies, being used to being treated as a tool and some genuine interest in folk seemingly treating her as more than that.

Chandra Jarmil

Spoiler: Full Image & Source

From:
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/4QrLn

She was surprised when Cayde pulled her aside. Yet when he made his playful comment, she was quick to answer in kind. “You've got no idea how much I'm suffering Cayde~ So many delicious witches, a brilliantly tasting Fae and good quality magic users all around and I can't even get a taste of any of them... It's horrible...” She'd pretend to be thoroughly devastated by it, before giggling. “Yeah, I've heard vampires can be real scary when they grow thirsty~ Best to prevent that from happing, right? Let's see who's gonna be the first to volunteer~” She teased back, then leaned in further. “My bet's on Sophia, perhaps Scylla, unless you want to beat them to it?”

That was enough teasing though, as he got a lot more serious all of a sudden. “Of course.” She matched his tone. His question... she fell silent. That was a difficult one. “Hmm... If you were to sell out the fact I was a vampire in exchange for information without my consent, I'd probably never forgive you. It seems like the information about her drugs was similar to her, so... I'm not sure. She was offered to us to help us and we got a lot of information for it, which will be very useful. We didn't break laws or rules and had no real reason to be kind to her, so... you didn't do much wrong there.” Still, saying he was completely in the right didn't seem correct either. “I guess it depends on how you want to see her? If she's just a tool to you, like how she was handed to us, you acted in the best way possible. If you want to treat her as more of a person, you might've messed up.”

Still, there was a silver lining. “Although, in the latter case, I'd say what you do now is a lot more important. I might've said I'd never forgive you if you sold me out, but if you'd try to atone seriously, I'd perhaps be able to still count you as a friend? In her case, you weren't formerly acquainted, so that might be a bit more difficult... but you're an alchemist and she's using some sort of breathing potion, right? If her main issue is that she won't be able to get it safely any-more, you could help her get a new and better one, right? That way, you could even pretend that was your plan from the get-go and that she ended up being able to sell Chima false information that'll make her enemies waste time on targetting supplies that she doesn't even need any-more! It'll be a little bit of a lie, but I bet that'd be able to set things straight~” She was pretty happy with the solution she'd figured out, wondering if Cayde would agree with her.

However, now that he was here... “On another note, what you said about the thrall... I have an idea. I've got another identity I can use against her. However... it's... ehm. It's pretty intense. Like, that of an actual 'monster' monster, so to say. If I use it, Morana and Shion will undoubtedly wonder if 'Chandra' is real and not only that, the more 'real' I play the monster, the more likely they think I really am one. Not only would I need them to trust me, I'd also need them to play along. Still, I bet the thrall wouldn't attack another monster, especially not one that's offering to bring in new people to be turned into vampires. I could pretend I've recruited you for the thrall's boss. Then, she'd definitely not attack us, right?” The plan was pretty darn risky, but could have a lot of reward in turn. “Please think about it and on how we'd be able to keep Shion and Morana in check if we use it, but for now, we should focus on finding Sverre.”

On the topic of Sverre... Once the group got back together, 'Chandra' spoke up again. “So... We're going into the Robotics factory.. then?” Scylla was meant to take the lead, although it felt more like Cayde was leading her by sending her in, so she'd rather double-check what they were doing.

 

[Sharena]

​

Shion smiled at Chandra. "Simply curiosity will never infuriate me. I simply had...complications." Shion glanced Scylla's way before she started off with Iberis.

Just before the two of them fully separated though, Morana began speaking to Shion. The kitsune placed a hand on Iberis' shoulder as she half-turned to look Morana's direction. Perhaps to Morana's further surprise, she was greeted by a smile. "It is easy to kill those you don't agree with, it is much harder to understand them. I've lived a long time, that's a lot of time to make mistakes...a lot of time to simply kill without understanding."

Shion looked skyward, her only respite in this city even if there were obnoxious fumes up there to greet her. Still the only place she could look with some form of familiarity. She then looked back to Morana. "I am simply trying to be better. What good does it do to make enemies?"

--

"You all sound like you've been through much together. Your trust of Chandra must be great if her presence alone vouches for Cayde." Shion smiled as she listened to Iberis, it warmed her heart to hear that she was around comrades that trusted each other so deeply. It also meant she needed to approach her concerns about Chandra carefully lest they think she was brewing hostility. She giggled as Iberis continued.

"Sophia is quite the character, such dedication to Chandra...I used to have someone like that not too long ago..." Shion looking around their surroundings with Iberis and suddenly thinking on Olivia again brought her mood down for a moment as her ears depressed. Damnit Shion, stop...this isn't the time for that.

Shion listened to the rest of what Iberis had to say in silence, trying to overcome her feelings. Then the young mage's questions came, finally, a distraction that'd put these thoughts aside. She chuckled a bit. "Where to start...hm...why did I choose to help?" She thought on the question for a moment. No matter where her mind took her, one thing stood out.

"...It was fear. Fear of myself. You probably heard what I said to Morana on our way out Iberis, and I meant it. The truth of the matter is...my prejudices against humans burn deep, Iberis." Shion explained to the mage, her voice growing remorseful as she continued. Suddenly, Shion's eyes began to glow a soft blue, and Iberis mind would begin to...see things. Feel things. Like she was living every word Shion described [Reference Below].

"I spent many years in my youth without a humanoid form, and unable to speak the common language of humans." An image of a brown-furred fox with many majestic tails flowing behind her as she wandered a forest. Iberis' mind would feel peace.

"Time and time again, humans came into the forests I called home, the land of the spirits I called friends...and took...and took...and took! Without ever giving back!" Shion sounded like she was losing her composure again. The images in Iberis' head turned into a storm of fury as she saw humanoid shapes cutting down trees, lighting fires, trying to hunt the very same multi-tailed fox she saw earlier.

"...So I killed every last one of them." An eerie calm overcame the scene as she simply saw the fox surrounded by blood and indiscernible shapes. Luckily Shion seemed to be calming down now.

"It would take until adulthood for me to gain human speech and a humanoid form to match." The scene began fading from Iberis' mind as she saw a figure that looked like Shion with many more tails than she currently possessed, but...she could feel the tears bubbling behind her own eyes as the imagery faded and the glow in Shion's eyes also faded.

"At first I gained this form you see to better tell any of you to leave before resorting to violence. It was a long, spiteful existence. Eventually, after meeting many, many well-intentioned humans, I began to change for the better. I started wanting to fill my days with joyful memories of those I've met rather than be overcome with contempt in my heart when my time to pass would finally come. Still...there is that darkest part of me that never forgave, and continues to condemn, humans for their selfish behaviors. I just...want to fight against that nature etched into my heart." Shion snapped back to reality, realizing she must've started rambling again.

"I'm so sorry Iberis, I didn't mean to be so long in the tooth with that story. In my age I tend to zone out sometimes when I tell stories, it's an awful habit of mine." Shion turned her attention to her other question and vowed to make this one much more brief. She seemed completely unaware of what she'd just done to the unsuspecting mage too.

"Do you mean kitsune, or spirit guardians? Yes to the former, not really to the latter. At least, not that I ever had the pleasure to meet. And no, nothing like this city devoid of nature was in my world...I could tolerate any city in my world before this place. Nevertheless, I would love to see this world's forests." Shion said to Iberis with an eager smile.

--

[Magic - F], [Telepathy - F], [Empathy - F] - Iberis saw the vague images described and felt exactly how Shion was feeling while the images persisted.

 

[RavenSong]

The witch had just finished wandering outloud when Shion replied to her seeminlgy mindless verbal pondering. “Oh? Permission! Right.. duh..” She rolled her eyes, “..silly me, boundaries are crucial! Welp, sorry about that again miss fox!” She’d close her comment with a heart shaped gesture, her purple fingernails almost glowing with delight.

Upon hearing Chandras clinging she grew a bit bashful, tapping the tips of her index fingers together as she spoke, “Eheh, you remember that i see. Yeah, i don’t know what comes over me you know? I’ve always felt like someone with no weaknesses, but.. i guess this one is undeniable. I mean, cuddly things are so.. well.. cuddly!” She wondered if Abha was still into the idea of hanging out for a baking party. The letter was actually still in her pocket. Perhaps she looked forward to it a little too much.

Her eyes brightened at Caydes consideration although a bit incredulous, suddenly waking from a daydream, “Hm? I’m right?” She shook her head quickly before repeating herself, ”I mean, of course I’m right! I’m the leader!” However after hearing everyone else not being on board with her suggestion she crossed her arms and mumbled with puckered lips. “Merh Merh Merh.. Just wait till we have a horde of undead at our heels chasing after cute vampires.. “oh no, Scylla help us..” she mocked, pretending to be a small crowd of defenseless adventurers, “..if only we would have listened to that silly little witch!” She exhaled with annoyance. "Can't wait to rub it in your face!"

She sat on the ground until everyone else said their part. Still butt hurt, little did she know her floating quill and notepad were writing down her thoughts, which was a bunch of nonsensical insults at the universe.

“Fiiiiiiine!” She said after everyone’s suggestions.

Upon being referred to by Cayde, Scylla perked up quickly. Standing up in a hurry, “Aha! Cayde gets it!” She said confidently. “Right, and away we go!” Her feet already moving forward towards Third Factory Street. But not before Morana made a threatening comment, much to Scyllas amusement she pursed her lips holding back laughter, her hands on her shivering belly as she giggled inside. “Phew.. don’t laugh.. don’t laugh.. ehm..” she glanced at Cayde with watery eyes then forward. “So.. hehe.. who has.. eek.. a good.. mm.. traveling song?”

Surely she felt a bit responsible for Moranas annoyance, but, she just couldn’t help teasing a person who was incapable or unwilling to laugh or play. She was so monotone, which made it all the funnier.

She was beginning to wonder if this whole leader thing was a good idea though, somewhere deep down inside, she had her reservations. However, she would do her best to keep up!

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Silent Angel Elvario TheTimePiece Raven Sharena ​

Hearing Kalina's words felt surprisingly soothing in Cayde's mind. Her critique didn't sound as mortifying as he'd expected it to be. It left a lot of room for thought, and surely, he'd have to be more careful again. But there was no scorn there. She wasn't trying to make him the bad guy. Thinking of that felt oddly refreshing. As for her suggestion, Cayde gaped. How hadn't he thought about that earlier? All it'd take was just some alchemical elbow grease, a little white lie, and he'd be forgiven! The answer was right there! "Holy- Kalina, you're a genius!" He whispered, "God, what would I do without you?"

After a soft chuckle, he paused. "Y'know, ever since I got back from the marshes, I've been thinking about myself a lot. And a lot about her, too. It gets... demotivating, at times..." His gaze looked past Kalina for a moment before quickly snapping back to her. "But at least I know you've still got my back. It means the world to me. Thank you," He said, smiling, "You're a good friend, Kalina. I mean it." With that said, Cayde cleared his throat, "Okay, okay... If I get any more sappy, it'll get into my blood," He said playfully, "Mind you, I still taste, and I quote: 'as bland as a potato.'"

Then, just like that, it was back to business. Cayde's eyes shifted as he thought over Kalina's idea. "Could work... I'd say we share a plan with the others," He explained, "After we grab Sverre and take care of those undead, we'll all have a little meeting on how to confront the thrall. Then, I'll bring up using someone as a lure and choose you. After that, we'll discuss the part of you playing the vampire and us playing the recruits," He nodded affirmatively, "As long as we stay friendly to Shion and all come to an agreement, she'll stick with it. And as long as we give Morana her space, and don't do anything too shady, maybe she'll go with it, too." One thing was missing, though, "You should still let Sophia, Scylla, and Iberis know about your plan, just so they'll be more inclined to accept. Make sure they don't say anything about it until we have the meeting,"

A newfound strength coursing through him after the regrouping with the others, Cayde stepped forward, "Yup, we'll head into the factory and try to see if we can find Sverre," He clicked his tongue, "But, the baron did say he'd been missing for a while. Which means he could be in hiding. But all we've gotta do is ask around. Someone in there's got to have a clue as to where he might be," Then, he looked to Scylla to bring them forward. There'd be more co-leading later. He needed to start thinking about that new recipe...

 

[TheTimePiece]

Iberis Odhir
​

Elvario Sharena

At first Iberis smiled in response to what Shion had to say on what she shared with her upon seeing Shion smile and sound positive. Yes indeed Iberis certainly felt that way herself, they really had been through what felt like so much with those intense life or death situations that were ongoing. She also felt a bit more disarmed upon hearing Shion giggle regarding the Sophia situation.

But even as that smile creeped along Iberis’s face it didn’t take long for it to turn to one which was significantly less happy, when she heard Shion mention that she had someone like that not long ago, which sounded like to Iberis that she no longer had someone who was like that for her..as she saw the ears come down too, Iberis couldn’t help but feel bad for Shion in that moment, looking back at her with a bit of a sad look.

“Oh Shion…I had no idea” She said softly, at the implication.

She tuned in when she heard the chuckle once again after she had spoke, and was curious what Shion was going to say next so it was only to her surprise when she found Shion saying the reason she decided to help was fear, The way she seemed to conduct herself didn’t suggest that outwardly so Shion did a great job of hiding that if what she said was true there. Iberis’s face shifted to a more serious one at the mention of that once more as the mood seemed to shift, never mind the bias which she just mentioned she had developed against humans.

Even more surprisingly It looked like Iberis was going to go on another Auldlich like induced trip when Shion’s eyes glowed blue. As she could ‘see’ the scene unfold before her while hearing Shion’s voice. At this point while there were some similarities, Shion’s voice serving like a narrator's voice was different then what Audlich had done with her seeing a first person view. As a result Iberis couldn’t help but wonder what magic was in play here to allow this to happen.

Surprisingly the first vision didn’t seem so bad, almost relaxing even as she saw the beautiful fox imagery. But then she saw the more disturbing scene unfold before her with the humans moving in and destroying nature yet again. Iberis could certainly understand where Shion was coming from there with the imagery she saw, she was quite literally being hunted and the forest was being destroyed, something which Shion had made clear she had intended to protect.

The next scene was quite disturbing with how everything became calm after the mess of shapes appeared, and there was blood. It was almost just as unsettling than the full show of madness that Iberis had seen thanks to Auldlich. Of course Iberis did not blame Shion here, it was self defense as far as she was concerned.

Thankfully it shifted to something less disturbing with the scene of the look alike humanoid to Shion with many tails that had developed. Given the glow Iberis was under the impression that what Shion had done was intentional but the signs weren’t quite looking as direct that had been the case..

Even as the visions ended the speech was an arguably heavy subject matter, that was bittersweet, Iberis was very focused on what Shion said there. It sounded like she wanted to continue to better herself, and try to focus on her current self while suppressing that part of her which sounded like it harbored very negative feelings toward humans for what they had done.

“Oh no, Shion you’re fine really that’s a lot to have gone through, and I appreciate you sharing it with me..” Iberis replied softly.

“Ah okay, so it sounds like there are more differences between this world and yours, thank you for entertaining that question.”

She replied as she had been quite curious, and it sounded like she was right to assume there weren’t any constructs.

“ And you’re certainly in luck then, not only does the See have great nature from what I have heard, but believe it or not based on this type of place..” Iberis gestured around her for effect.

“But actually much of this world is still unexplored or not inhabited so there is plenty of land still largely untouched by people if you truly wanted to see something that’s largely been left to its natural devices.”

Iberis wasn’t entirely sure what specific forests made the most sense so she didn’t answer on that part of it. Either way she thought the notion was a good one, everything about this setting made her feel on the smaller side of things not only Shion’s taller stature but just how built up the environment around them was.

After clarifying that Iberis made a few steps closer to Shion,she looked side to side a bit shyly/self consciously with her baggy gaze before extending her arms out as if to show she was offering Shion a hug.

“I..just want to let you know that you won’t have to be afraid, you aren’t alone in this Shion, no matter what’s happened in the past or that you’ve showed up under such unusually extreme circumstances, we’ll get through all that’s to come good or bad, together okay?”
She continued to speak in her softer tone.

 

[Silent Angel]

Sophia Smith

Sophia walked with the group, and now that they were away from the informant, her crossbow was firmly held in her arms, the fae decidedly not letting her guard down due to the possibility that the thrall may be coming along to deal with a loose end. She listened to the conversations going on around her, with her eyes slowly drifting over to Kalina and Cayde speaking off to the side. She watched them return, before moving to stand close to Kalina, seeming more at ease when closer to the vampire. Soon, however, her eyes drifted to Scylla, an eyebrow raising. "Very interesting gal you made friends with. Almost seems to have ADHD or something of the sort. I wonder what magic she uses..."​

 

[Elvario]

Third Factory Street
Widersia – Capital – Clockhaven – Third Factory Street
Time: 11:55 Weather Clouds of factory smoke are omnipresent

From: Gallery For Steampunk City

Kalina had just given a 'shy' smile to reply to Shion's smile, whilst Morana had pondered about Shion's words in silence. It allowed her to walk off with Iberis in peace.

Morana

Spoiler: Full Image & Source

From:
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/92JWv

When Scylla mentioned 'undead chasing after cute vampires', someone turned her attention towards her. “Why would you joke about such monsters being cute? Or why in the world would you suggest they chase after their own masters? Your odd sense of humour is going to distract us from our mission.” It was clear the woman wasn't pleased, even without much tonality to her voice or expression to her face. Scylla's laughing attitude didn't make that any better.

Chandra Jarmil

Spoiler: Full Image & Source

From:
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/4QrLn

Kalina was glad to have been able to give some solid advice to Cayde. “Thank, thank you~” She'd reply to the compliment. When he got more serious, so did she. “I... think I know what you mean. It's the same with me, having... lost Renee, my sister.” The word 'lost' was an understatement here, but she hadn't exactly filled in Cayde on all that and wasn't exactly planning to do so either.

His plan seemed solid. “Sounds great.” Letting the other three in was probably for the best as well. “Alright, I'll get to it~” She replied, hoping to catch them all alone one by one. Still, getting Scylla to not say anything about it would be challenging.

When Sophia got closer and mentioned Scylla, Kalina couldn't help herself from smiling. “She's great~ Wait... A... D? What? Is that some sort of curse? We travelled through some scary places together and she sort-off got stuck in a realm with undead, so... It'd not be too strange if she ended up getting cursed. I didn't know you knew so much about curses though...” She wasn't quite figuring that one out. As for the magic, she recalled some of it. “She's been throwing fireballs in the marshes, but I think she's got a lot more elements down than just that.”

She leaned in closer to Sophia, unable to resist adding just one more part. “Hmmm... you know, she's oddly sweet, both in personality and taste, from what I've gathered thus far. If you'd make an amazing main course, she'd be a perfect desert~” She concluded, before realising that might be a bad thing to say. She wasn't sure. “Ah, I'm sorry if I should say such things.” It was difficult for her to guess how far she could push her teasing without the risk of hurting her friends.

Robotics & Steelwork Inc.
Widersia – Capital – Clockhaven – Third Factory Street - Robotics & Steelwork Inc.
Time: 12:10 Weather Clouds of factory smoke are omnipresent

From: BioShock Infinite Concept Art by Ben Lo | Concept Art World

It wasn't long after that the group had gathered back up together and entered the factory, with their brave leader Scylla leading the expectation in a very leader-like manner! The factory itself was large, going far out into the back. Far enough to not even see the end of it, with long rails suspended from the roof to carry things that were produced from the back to the front and back again. Right now, the factory was empty, surprisingly enough. Some machines were still churning and spinning, making noise in the background, but nothing seemed to be produced at the moment. Thoroughly investigating this place might end up taking a while, so they'd likely need a strategy to find someone who might be hiding in here or to find clues about said person's whereabouts. However...

Chandra Jarmil

Spoiler: Full Image & Source

From:
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/4QrLn

She followed after Scylla and the others completely unaware of what she was getting into. She knew it was called a 'factory', but somehow, she figured it'd be different from the ones in her past. Besides, even if they weren't, she was over it. She was over it... As she walked in further, her pace slowed down. She heard it.

The humming of machines.

The humming of machines.

The humming of machines.

The humming of machines.

The humming of machines.

The humming of machines.

The humming of machines.​

(OOC: The following will contain mildly disturbing/gruesome descriptions. For the best experience, read it after you made your post, as your characters would only the know the public parts. Except for Shion, who would be able to use the same Telepathy/Empathy/Magic combination she used with Iberis to sense what Kalina is going through, if she gets close enough and uses such magic (touch-based for the best effect, otherwise close enough to touch for some results). Let me know if you want a TL ; DR without some of the more gruesome details.)

Spoiler: flashback

Alice Baker, seventeen years old. She'd been working in this factory for the past seven years. It'd become like a second home to her. Here, amidst the gentle humming of machines, there was nobody who'd beat her up over nothing. She just had to do her work well and she'd be safe, unlike how it was at home. Here, things were simple. Crawl between the machines, get the cotton balls that got dropped. Put them back in. Rinse and repeat.

She wondered what time it was. She'd arrived early today, she'd leave late. Perhaps, with some luck, she'd catch the last bit of daylight? She liked being able to enjoy the sun, but with winter coming, her 10 hour shifts only allowed her to see it on Sundays. It was almost Sunday though. She was looking forwards to it. Ah, there. Another piece of cotton. Strange, they normally didn't drop that far away from the belt... Ah well. Just another day. She crawled further, reaching out to grab it. She felt an odd tug on one of her sleeves.

In seconds, the tug turned into pain. Awful sounds could be heard, the sounds of bones breaking and snapping. Blood dropped onto the floor, as the unimaginable pain of it overwhelmed. “AAAGHR!” She cried out in terror, fear and pain. Mercilessly, the machine had pulled in her arm and splintered it like a twig. She'd been pulled in all the way until the shoulder, before finally, the machine got stuck and stopped. She was stuck, in unimaginable pain... “Help!” She shouted. Nobody heard her. Everyone was too busy with their own jobs to spot one child in trouble. She'd only be found hours later, when someone went to check why one of the machines stopped working. Passed out from the pain.

Just as Kalina felt like she was about to faint for as well, she noticed someone. A familiar face. [Sister's Shattering].

“Poor little Alice. So weak. So pathetic.”

Kalina trembled at the sight. “You... how are you... you're dead! I.... I... killed you!” She was confused and frightened, just like she'd been back then.

“Yes, dear sister, you did. So then why are you so pathetic now? You killed me, so that you could live. Now look at you.”

“It's not... I...” She stammered, not knowing what to reply to that. Renee was right. She was pathetic. She was weak.

“You don't have to be weak though. You were blessed, sister. You were given immortality when you got here! You were given the ability to leech off of the strength of others by drinking their blood! Why, then, do you refuse to use those gifts to their fullest? Imagine how much stronger you could be, how much more perfect, if you'd just hone that vampiric nature of yours!”

“No!” She shouted back, her voice a mixture of fear and anger. “I'm not going to let that part of me win! I'll defeat it! I'm not going down the same path as you!”

“Are you now? Dear sister, don't you see it? You were my [Fate Severer]. You severed my destiny to become immortal, powerful, victorious. Now take some responsibility! Show me, show me that you're stronger than me by reaching heights I couldn't! Show me that my death was a stepping stone for you to rise to full power!”

“No, no, no.” She shook her head, confused, worried. “You don't understand it, you never did. You weren't a stepping stone, you were my sister, I never wanted this to happen I loved you, but you... you wanted to kill us all!”

“Yes.” A clear answer. “Then you stopped me, only to turn into someone this pathetic. It's insulting. Just think about it. You're trying to play friends? Do they really care? The might turn on you. They might not satisfy you. They might hold you down. They'll stop you from reaching your full potential. Yet, I can help you. I can help you be so much stronger, so much better. So much more powerful. An immortality bordering the divine.”

“I don't want any of that! I never wanted it! I don't care if you think I'm weak, or pathetic, or if I never become as strong as I could be... I just... I just don't want to feel alone again... I don't want to feel like I'm just waiting to die again... I don't... want to sit in a dark house with nobody there... I don't want to feel so alone that I'm longing for the prospect of death again!” So many emotions had welled up inside her. A pain surpassing this lifetime, rooted deeply in the previous one.

“Then make them yours. Turn them into thralls. If they're nice enough, perhaps a full vampire. They'll be yours to have, yours forever and ever.”

That thought. It angered her. The idea, she hated it. “No! I'd never... ever want to hurt someone I care about again! This burning... this burning in my chest I feel when I think back on how I failed... I'll carry it forever, as a sign of what I need to do. I have to be stronger, yes, but not in power. I need to be stronger and better in mind, for them as well!”

“You're foolish to the core, unable to understand a single thing. They're mortals. They'll leave you, betray you, they'll die. They're not worthy of your time, let alone your love and adoration.”

Somehow, those words. They saddened her. Renee truly didn't get it, did she? The value of true friends. How amazing it was to have them. “No, you don't understand. Don't you get it? Sophia, Cayde, Iberis... They gave me their blood. They volunteered it! Even Scylla offered it to me! Don't you see how much that means? It means it's real. They're true friends, so I will love and adore them as much as I want.”

“I'm wasting my time here. However, we're not done talking yet. They will betray you, one day. You'll see. That day, I'll be right here. Inside your mind. Ready to tell you 'I told you so' over and over.”

After those words, the vision-like state started to fade again.

[Sister's Shattering] - With the death of her sister on Kalina's hands, the trauma remains. She will sometimes see random appearances of her sister that she can interact with. This vision of Renee can offer aid to Kalina if she is in a rut. Although it may appear like she is crazy. The aid offered may or may not actually be helpful.

Slowly, Kalina's pace slowed down, until she halted. Here eyes seemed to gaze forwards, as if seeing something that wasn't there. She started trembling, increasingly heavily. Suddenly, she fell to her knees and grabbed her arm. “AAAGHR!” She screamed. However, there was no visible injury or anything. Short after, another scream. “Help!”

Then, a silence. Those trying to snap her out of it would fail, although trying to grab a hold of her would stop her from trembling and shaking in fear as much as she was doing. It didn't take long before she started talking to someone, her eyes looking at someone only she could see. All they could hear were the word and the emotions with which they were said. This wasn't the 'Chandra' voice either, this was the real her, raw and unfiltered.

Confused and frightened. “You... how are you... you're dead! I.... I... killed you!”

...

Stammering, weakly. “It's not... I...”

...

In fear, yet angry. “No!” - “I'm not going to let that part of me win! I'll defeat it! I'm not going down the same path as you!”

…

Confused and worried. “No, no, no.” - “You don't understand it, you never did. You weren't a stepping stone, you were my sister, I never wanted this to happen I loved you, but you... you wanted to kill us all!”

...

In pain. “I don't want any of that! I never wanted it! I don't care if you think I'm weak, or pathetic, or if I never become as strong as I could be... I just... I just don't want to feel alone again... I don't want to feel like I'm just waiting to die again... I don't... want to sit in a dark house with nobody there... I don't want to feel so alone that I'm longing for the prospect of death again!”

…

In anger. “No! I'd never... ever want to hurt someone I care about again! This burning... this burning in my chest I feel when I think back on how I failed... I'll carry it forever, as a sign of what I need to do. I have to be stronger, yes, but not in power. I need to be stronger and better in mind, for them as well!”

...

Saddened, yet full of conviction. “No, you don't understand. Don't you get it? Sophia, Cayde, Iberis... They gave me their blood. They volunteered it! Even Scylla offered it to me! Don't you see how much that means? It means it's real. They're true friends, so I will love and adore them as much as I want.”

...

After a pause, Kalina finally snapped back to reality. She wasn't sure what had happened, but she felt horrible. A headache split her mind open, or so it felt. However, more than that, she was worried. Just... what did she say? Did she just dream all that or... or... This was bad. Really bad. However, with her head so hurt and her emotions still in turmoil, she couldn't get a story straight. The best she could do was to hope someone else might get her out of this mess, despite feeling horrible for throwing them into it to begin with. Perhaps she really was weak and pathetic.

Morana

Spoiler: Full Image & Source

From:
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/92JWv

As Kalina's freak-out continued, the woman had put some distance between herself and the others. Enough to avoid being surrounded. However, still close enough to fight. She looked ready for it, as her mechanical arm was extended, the sharpened edged turned towards them. A small gear near the poison container turning. “Some of you... were oddly caring. So, I'll give you all a single chance to explain this. One chance.” For now, she didn't look like she'd attack, but she was clearly highly on edge and ready to attack at a moment's notice.

 

[Sharena]

​

"Such an expansive promise for a new home to find, that sounds wonder...ful..." Shion's statement was halted in its tracks as she realized Iberis had moved closer while they were walking and offered Shion a hug. Her eyes widened as she listened to Iberis' words. The words hit her deep, resonating with her as some of her most cherished friends had said similar in the past. Iberis would manage to see Shion's eyes tear up just before a half chuckle half gasp escaped her lips as her tail wagged rapidly for several moments. She didn't say anything else before returning Iberis' offer and embracing the girl, the mage's head gently pressing against Shion's bosom.

"Thank you, Iberis...I seem to be very fortunate to have found someone like you here. I...I'll tell you as many stories as you want later." Shion released the girl after a moment before drying her tears. She shook her head with a laugh.

"Alright, let's return to your friends quickly, before they miss us." Shion stated before she picked up the pace to rendezvous at the Third Factory Street!

--

It was a bittersweet moment arriving at the factory. On one hand, Shion was able to put all of the factory sounds out of her mind. On the other hand, that was because entering the building with Iberis was immediately greeted by Chandra screaming at the top of her lungs! Without any hesitation, Shion rushed to the woman's side. Her eyes started to glow once again, but unlike before she was thinking more clearly. What is this...my mana's reacting. Later, act, now!

"Chandra!" Shion grabbed onto Chandra's shoulder as she started freaking out, her [mind linking] with hers just like with Iberis, only this time she was on the receiving end of the emotional rollercoaster. She could feel Chandra's trauma as she spoke to this imaginary being, although Shion could vaguely see the shape of a woman in her mind. She powered through the intense imagery she was experiencing to hope keeping her hand on Chandra's shoulder might help in some small way.

Once her episode was over, Shion tightened her grip on Chandra's shoulder for a moment before standing up as she heard the mechanical arm of Morana prime itself. She faced Morana. Luckily the sensation of her mana flowing ceased by now too.

"Chandra is suffering from traumatic stress from a previous event where someone close to her gave into vampirism..." Shion glanced towards Iberis. Their conversation flashed through her mind.

"...Chandra is fighting the worst of herself just like I am everyday to be better. If you trust me...I trust her...please stand down." Shion said with conviction as she stood in-between Chandra and Morana.

--
[Magic F], [Telepathy F], [Empathy F] - Shion's mind linked with Chandra's during her episode and witnessed everything she saw, with the exception of the one she was talking to who was only a vague figure.

 

[Silent Angel]

Sophia Smith

Sophia giggled. "ADHD. Short for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. Basically she can't keep still nor keep focus for too long. Not a curse or anything of the sort, just a mental thing. Nothing too bad, though." She tilted her head as she thought about someone that... active flinging fireballs, and decided that she wasn't sure if she was a fan. At the mention of taste, Sophia grinned at her. "Well, as long as you make sure I'm the main course, I wouldn't mind sharing my perfect friend~"

As she walked forward she noticed that her friend was no longer walking alongside her. She saw the hundred yard stare, and while she didn't have personal experience with it, she had heard of it enough to guess especially with her job as basically a weapons manufacturer. However the scream of help took away most of the doubt, and the rambling got rid of the rest. She rushed forward, dropping to her knees and bringing up two claws to hold Kalina's face, keeping the vampire looking at her as her other two claws went down to hold Kalina's hands.

"Kalina, look at me. You're safe. You're with me. It's Sophia." The spider lady listened, gritting her teeth as she realized just who she was talking to. Her body clenched in pure rage at Renee for messing her sister up this much. It sickened her. She breathed in and out before saying, "Kalina, listen to me. Renee is gone. You did the right thing. I don't know if you can hear me, but if you can, you need to let her go. She's dead. You're having..." She paused, knowing that if Kalina didn't know what ADHD was, she probably wouldn't know what PTSD was.

She continued, saying, "You're in Clockhaven. You're with me, Cayde, Iberis, and Scylla. Renee isn't here. You're having a flashback. Everything's going to be allright." She waited until it seemed that Kalina was calming down, a claw finally reaching up and brushing some hair out of the vampire's face. "You back?" She leaned forward, planting a small kiss on Kalina's forehead, before whispering, "Don't worry. Everything's gonna be alright."

Sophia, being better with equipment than reading people, noticed the gear turning, and without getting up on her feet, she held her crossbow at the ready, giving the woman a glare. "My friend has PTSD. She's a victim of a horrible situation, and if you even think of harming her I'm going to put you down." She definitely could have worded it better, but at that point, she couldn't care less. She needed to help her friend, and she would be damned if anyone tried to stop her or hurt Kalina any more than she already was. She even mentally went as far as to wish she could have been with Kalina so she could put a bolt through Renee's heart instead of Kalina having to do the deed. But she couldn't change the past, so instead she would keep her friend safe now.​

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario Silent Angel Sharena TheTimePiece RavenSong ​

A hint of annoyance bloomed within Cayde as he stepped into the factory, his eyes finding no one to question. His brows furrowed underneath his mask. Now that was strange. In a building this big, no one was watching over it? Not even a construct? It would've been so easy to sneak in. With that in mind, he turned his gaze to the rails, eyes following them as they disappeared into the back. Probably led to another section of the factory, he thought. Maybe a section with lots of nooks and crannies. The perfect place to hide. "Alright, I think I know where we should go next," Cayde pointed to the back of the factory, "We should start from there. Maybe keep an eye out for an off-"

The sound of someone screaming made him freeze. The noise was as jarring as it was familiar. Too familiar. He spun around, realizing why. It was Kalina, gripping her arm and screaming bloody murder. "K- Chandra!" Cayde cried, rushing to her side, "What happened?! Did something..." He paused as she went on to rant on about someone. It didn't make sense until he heard sister. The memory of Kalina's saddening confession came flooding back, filling in the blanks. So did Sophia's comforting words. And so did Kalina's own ramblings.

Cayde felt his mouth go dry. All this talk about doing the right thing, hurting people, and never wanting things to happen... Did Kalina do something to her sister? Whatever happened clearly had been traumatic. And she wasn't too eager to share the details. He knew that feeling. The wound was too fresh to open up again.

So, did that mean she...

No. Cayde shook his head. It didn't mean anything. And it wouldn't mean anything now. They could talk about this later. Or never - it didn't matter. What mattered was Kalina's well-being. She would've done the same for him. She was a good friend like that. He had to be one, too.

"Come on, deep breaths," He repeated softly, even after she stopped screaming, "In and out. In and..." A sudden clicking noise made him halt. Cayde whipped around, spotting Morana and Sophia glaring at each other, weapons ready. His eyes wandered to the small poison canister on Morana's arm. Neurotoxin, he guessed. Or something much worse. It'd kill everyone in minutes. He had to step in.

Cayde got in between Sophia and Morana, "Wait! STOP!" He raised his hands, "We don't have to come to this." He looked Morana right in her glazed-out eyes. This time, it didn't feel so terrifying. "Look, Chandra is just another person haunted by her past. We're trying to help her get through. Don't you understand?" He said, focusing on keeping his voice stable and his [Persuasion - F] smooth. Her query, however, made it hard to do so, "We're treating you kind because you're not a tool, Morana," He sighed, "You're a part of the team. Whether you like us or not. We're not going to mistreat you. I'm not going to mistreat you. Not anymore." He said, gesturing to her arm, "So please, can we just get back to investigation?"

 

[TheTimePiece]

Iberis Odhir
​

Mentions: Elvario Sharena Silent Angel The Last Curse RavenSong

Iberis hadn't really been sure what reaction to expect, but it was incredibly positive coming from Shion it looked like. Even as she felt a bit shy there quite clearly, it felt incredibly nice to feel Shion reciprocate the hug as a warm smile fell over her face upon hearing the way Shion was speaking even. If she could do this much for Shion just by these actions since there wasn't a ton else Iberis felt she could do in this moment, then that was certainly a win in her book for more than one reason.

However couldn't help but feel her face turn a tad pink as she felt her head resting against Shion's chest which was placed perfectly for a resting spot it seemed for a hug given their difference in height. After Shion broke the hug, Iberis looked back up at her, and nodded with a smile,

"I'd..like that a lot Shion." She said softly, giving her while admittedly perhaps still slightly tired gaze with the bags under her eyes, it was one of warmth and comradery.

In this case Iberis meant her words, Iberis knew what it felt like to be all alone from personal experience growing up, as soon as she got out of the orphanage, if she could help it there was no reason that Shion had to feel similar to how she had.
---
On the way back Iberis was very diligent to stay near Shion. Being near her already made her feel a deal more comfortable than being out and about in this urban city scape alone. As interesting as the factory was, unfortunately Iberis did not see or hear anything particularly pleasant as she too entered with Shion and heard Chandra freaking out.

Unlike Shion Iberis was not about to immediately go over to Chandra as she had, that seemed like risky business when Kalina was having issues to this extent. The reason she hesitated to do so was because she remembered what happened very well when Kalina had attempted to bite Hope out of desperation, and this reminded Iberis of that desperation.

Plus there probably didn't need to be yet another person so close to her like this since so many were already there, she saw that Shion was doing something presumably magic related which Iberis wasn't sure what to make of, maybe it was related to what had happened earlier since she had seen glowing eyes then too at one point. Of course Iberis knew what could have been causing the response immediately from experience, which was only further confirmed from what Shion was describing.

Iberis was just glad that it didn't sound like Shion was picking up on the fact that Chandra was actually a vampire ,rather someone close to Chandra had it sounded like from that interpretation. While Iberis still didn't believe that Shion would do anything malicious with that information she still strongly believed that this was something that Kalina should tell Shion herself if she wanted too, it was none of Iberis's business to spread never mind the potential security risk.

There was something she could agree with Cayde and Sophia however, even if she didn't really know the term 'PTSD' the sentiment was clear enough from the way Sophia spoke. Perhaps people in Widersia with their advanced science understood that people could feel that way and understood better than most of the realm.

After Sophia stopped having her episode Iberis too made her way over near the others.

"Cayde and Sophia are right, Chandra has been through a lot, She doesn't mean anyone here harm, including you Morana. We're a team, and we are allies to stop a common enemy, It is in our mutual interest stay united."

Iberis said with a steely glint of determination in her eyes. Iberis could remember everything that Chandra had seen and done herself, she couldn't help but wonder if she would have the same problems if she had done the deed, Iberis had already had night terrors on several occasions since that had all transpired.

 

[RavenSong]

“Yeah, mhm you wouldn’t know anything about what figure of speech would be little miss Morana.” Scylla snapped back, “And! Theres nothing wrong with my sense of humor, it’s not my fault my mind feels touched by demonic forces!” She rolled her eyes as she led the way, then mumbling under her breath, “You can thank my sweet EX teacher for that.”

It wasn’t long that a sudden cry was heard, her eye’s shot back at the fallen Kalina. “Oh dear.” She gasped. From the looks of it, it appeared Kalina was in some kind of trance? Oh great, more whisperers in our heads. She wondered as she put her hands on her hips and watched as Iberis and Shion return. “And where have you two been?” She asked, but not with any real interest about the answer. However, it did pieque the witch’s curiosity as usual.

As she stepped closer to examine Chandra, Sophia was already helping her. “Is.. she okay?” Scylla asked concerned, but surprisingly she wasn’t very shocked at what she was saying, truly, Scylla had experienced the most torturous vision nothing could compare. She was just sorry that Kalina/Chandra was going through it now of all times. Part of what she was saying was quite passionate, and strangely heart warming to the witch. But she knew, from the hopeless empty stare in her eyes that whatever she was seeing was definitely real. “Uhm, Chandra, its okay, we’re here.” She expressed gently, her voice as meek as a mouse.

Suddenly the monotone robotic voice of Morana broke the silence of the moment, she’d get up and gesture for her to calm down, “Now wait just a minute! You look here Morana, we’ve been through quite a bit. I.. well.. we would spend the entirety of this day explaining just how far we’ve come to be here. Chandra here, is simply going through a thing, and its completely harmless. She’s likely making sense of alot of traumatizing stuff! You just.. wouldn’t understand..” she shook her head, “..now please, turn off your scary claw thing and save it for the REAL enemy okay?"

She cleared her throat, then continued with Morana, "Alright. So maybe we should get ahead while everyone here figures out what's going on with Chandra. Come on.. come on, love." She gestured at her. Then looked at Cayde, maybe she'd listen to him much better. "Hey Cayde? uhh.. Morana is about to throw a tantrum, and I'd like for her to calm down. Could you tell her to go on a walk with me?"

 

[Elvario]

Robotics & Steelwork Inc.
Widersia – Capital – Clockhaven – Third Factory Street - Robotics & Steelwork Inc.
Time: 12:20 Weather Clouds of factory smoke are omnipresent

From: BioShock Infinite Concept Art by Ben Lo | Concept Art World

Morana

Spoiler: Full Image & Source

From:
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/92JWv

She stood in silence, still battle-ready, taking in the words that were spoken person by person. Although Shion's words carried some level of weight, due to her having tried to connect before, they didn't seem to add up. She'd heard Chandra talk about having been given blood. Namely by some those people with her right now. That was about as suspicious as things could get now, wasn't it? She doubted this was just your average trauma.

Sophia's words nearly made her attack. After all, she was [Blood-lusted] for a reason. Her drugged-out mind ready for a fight at a moment's notice. A challenge like that was extremely difficult to ignore. She'd love slicing up the arms of that bug... If it wasn't for Cayde stepping in and getting in the way, she might've given into that bloodlust. With his somewhat persuasive words, she calmed down just a little. He'd been given command over her, so if she'd screw up and kill him without good cause, she'd be done for as well.

His words about being 'part of the team' were odd to her. She'd gotten pretty used to being a tool, she'd even grown comfortable with it, to a degree. So, these words. Were they true? Or were they just an attempt to distract her? She wasn't sure. She still wasn't convinced.

Then next one to speak up surprised her a little. That one hadn't spoken much thus far, but she did bring up an interesting thought. Their mutual enemy. Even if these folk were extremely shady, like she'd felt from the very start, the Baron still needed her to get rid of that vampire. If these people were still dedicated to that goal, she'd ruin a good opportunity by fighting them.

When even the overly active witch joined in, she finally relaxed every so slightly. Mostly visible by the fact some gears in her arm stopped spinning. “I'm not going on a walk with you.” She sneered at Scylla, well, in as far as her monotone voice was able to sound like a sneer, which wasn't too far, but one might guess. Either way, she turned to everyone.

“I'm going to need a better explanation for this, if we're to work together. If you want to play as a team, let's try act as one, right? Here's my two cents. I've chosen this life of violence after being unable to come to terms with reality and committing a crime. I've learned to love the thrill of battle and have little patience for antics and little desire to hold back openly threatens me.” She looked at Scylla and Sophia respectively during those two statements. “There's my part. Now I need hers.” She pointed at Kalina.

Chandra Jarmil

Spoiler: Full Image & Source

From:
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/4QrLn

As she heard her friends talking, jumping to her aid, she was slowly able to regain some of her composure. She wasn't aware of Shion having sensed the same as her (both the factory scene and talk with her sister), but she was slowly realising she'd said the thing she said to Renee aloud. She realised the others had heard those words a well. Feeling Shion's hand on her shoulder (somewhat at least, through the armour) was strange. She knew the woman the least, yet she was oddly comforting to have around. Perhaps it was someone with a truly good nature?

Sophia's words didn't reach her, but the claws that held her did. Normally they might've freaked her out, but even subconsciously, she knew who they belonged too and felt comforted by their presence. “I'm... back.” She uttered silently, in reply to Sophia's question finally reaching her, still trying to process what in the world just happened. As she regained herself, a weak smile formed upon hearing Cayde's reaction. Deep breaths weren't all that useful to someone who's heart and stopped beating a long time ago and who's blood wasn't carrying oxygen but the life-force of others. Still, the mental exercise and the knowledge he was still on her side were extremely comforting. Like she assumed with Shion, she assumed he knew very little about what she'd gone through.

“It's okay, Scylla.” She finally spoke up in full. During the precious time her friends had bought her, she figured out exactly how to approach this. A blend of truth, lie, subversion and deception. “What Shion said is right, but it's a little more complicated than that.” Now was the time to fully commit to the lie (Deception D) and talk her way out of this. “I'm trained to use alternate identities to go undercover. However, as my friends said, I've gone through some... unpleasant experiences while undercover. I'm afraid it did more to me mentally than I expected it would. When I entered this place, I suddenly had this odd vision of being a young girl working in a factory in a totally different time and world, who's arm got caught in one of the machines and who died years later to her wounds, alone in a dark house. It was... unpleasant. It must be a trick my mind is playing on me, having some of the persona's I used that rooted itself in my mind too deeply.” Shion would likely realise she was actually talking about her past life, having witnessed some of it. The other 'isekai' folk might have their own suspicions on it as well.

“The same is true for the other things I said. I went undercover as a truly terrible monster, for which I went as far as to request my friends to give me their blood to make it seem more realistic. However, the things I had to watch, say and do to keep up that cover... It was horrible. Worse, my own sister ended up becoming more monstrous herself during a mission investigating a group of dangerous undead. She let herself be corrupted by them and I had to... kill her. That might've messed me up more than I thought.” Iberis and Scylla would know how she twisted around that story into a half-truth.

“So, I'm sorry... For being such a mess and for putting you all through this trouble. I know it'd be a risk to trust me again, but I promise, that thrall we heard about, I can fool her with the same disguise I mentioned. I'm not going to put up a pathetic display like this again. I promise. ” She stood up, looking as determined as she could.

Morana

Spoiler: Full Image & Source

From:
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/92JWv

She'd heard the vampire out. It was still suspicious, but... It was plausible. “Fine. I'll trust you all, for now.” She finally fully deactivated her arm and turned to look into the factory. “Now we've got someone to find Sverre before the thrall does.” It was clear she was trying to move past this confrontation quickly, now that she'd decided to stand down.

Kalina, meanwhile, signed in relief. She looked around, a smile on her face. “Thank you all, for being there. It means more to me than words can express.” She strongly had to resist the urge to go and hug all of them again or request a group hug. Not only might it sort-off ruin her cover, it'd also distract from the job they were meant to do here.

Robotics & Steelwork Inc.
Widersia – Capital – Clockhaven – Third Factory Street - Robotics & Steelwork Inc.
Time: 12:30 Weather Clouds of factory smoke are omnipresent

From: BioShock Infinite Concept Art by Ben Lo | Concept Art World

On the topic of that job, the factory was eerily silent, other than the humming of some machines on standby. There were various other things that stood out. To their left, some sort of generator stood by, the source of most sounds. It looked like it was used to power some of the machines here. It currently wasn't on, but it looked like it might've been on not too long ago. To their right were the various machines that made the actual parts. They'd recognise a lot of these parts as the ones that the little constructs they saw in Fromm's airport hanger were made of. The same type of screws, bolts and gears. The further back they'd go, the more 'assembled' the state of these robots were. None of them were active.

All the way in the back, there were some alternative models. Most of them were piled up in the background, possibly having been test-cases that were discarded after a few failed runs. Some of them looked widely different than the originals. Those perceptive (Perception E or higher) enough would notice one of them was a lot more bigger looking as well. They'd also notice an odd weapon stuck in one of the piles a bit further away, perhaps some type of hammer? It didn't exactly seem like it was fitting in this place.

It looked like there were a few doors in the back of the factory, which led to even more storage areas. Most of those were very tidy, packing shelves with neatly sorted gear piled up on shelves, all in their own boxes. Going through all of these areas would probably take ages though, unless they had some sort of method to it.

Chandra Jarmil

Spoiler: Full Image & Source

From:
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/4QrLn

As they were going though the factory, Kalina would at least take a moment to quickly say something to Shion. “I'll tell you more later, if you want. I'm sure you'll have questions and... I think I can trust you with the answers.” She was willing to take the risk of telling Shion more of the truth, at some point, after how the latter had helped her (she still didn't realise Shion had seen into her trauma).

After, she'd head to Sophia. “Thanks again, you're amazing.” She'd smile towards the Fae. “However,... what you said. You seem to know more about whatever cursed my mind. You called it... PTSD? Could you please explain it to me?” She genuinely hoped Sophia could inform her and possible tell her how to cure it while at it. She didn't want to experience whatever this was again, that much was sure.

 

[Sharena]

​

Shion's entire body breathed in relief. Sophia's words put her on edge quickly and she almost snapped at her, typical of humans to escalate-Shion, stop it. Thankfully everyone else backed her up on the peaceful side of things, which was good because her resolve only hardened once they agreed with her. Morana went on to explain her life and surprisingly; Chandra spoke cleanly, clearly, and confidently about the situation. So the shyness had been an act this whole time. Good to know. She didn't take Morana's willingness to open up for granted either, some part of her felt like she might've gotten through to her a bit earlier. It relieved her that she'd met a surprising amount of reasonable humans even if she detested where she found them.

Once the situation was properly deflated Shion's focus was suddenly on her obnoxiously loud surroundings, and the woman who boldly stood up to a woman she knew she had no business taking in a fight right now for a woman she knew just as little about seemed to fade somewhat. Her ears flattened as if to try and keep the factory sounds from pounding her skull repeatedly to little avail. She did her best to instead focus her thoughts on what had just happened to her.

She brought a hand to her face as she closed her eyes, trying to reproduce the circumstances in her mind. She felt her mana begin to flow through her body, and her eyes were glowing when they opened again, and she began to look around to everyone. She was [Mind Linking] just out of range of everyone.

I have the faintest feeling of the presence of everyone's mind around me...their emotions...and my own memories and emotions feel like a river...I never could do something like this back in Elfania...I wonder what else my body will adapt to here...actually, I felt this sensation with Iberis earlier...oh dear, what did she see? I hope nothing too awful, I have memories no one needs to see...I should ask her once this is all over.

Shion managed to distract herself with this sensation as this mind link seemed to help her focus on the abstract and her own mental state more than her physical surroundings. I need to be careful...my story with Iberis earlier I lost my composure, must've sparked my mana to surge like this...I really hope she's okay.

Shion located Iberis just as the glow faded from her eyes and gave her a smile to hopefully reassure her if she got worried about Shion. Shion may not be in good surroundings, but her company...she felt genuinely happy.

--

Once the group proceeded forward with searching the factory, Chandra came up to Shion to tell her she'd have time to talk to her later. Shion nodded along with her as she listened with intent, but then she had a smirk cross her lips as Chandra began to walk away.

"I think Cayde had a point, Chandra, I think my life is about to change for the better." She chuckled, that should give Chandra an idea without spilling the beans to the uninformed parties.

She stepped closer to Cayde for a moment and gently elbowed him. She spoke in a low voice to him. "So your miracle talk was from experience, Cayde? Don't worry, I can explain later in a less tense atmosphere. Even I'm surprised I know what I know now."

As she continued walking with everyone, she naturally seemed to draw herself closer to Iberis as she walked. It wasn't deliberate, probably just subconscious, but she felt a genuine connection to the mage as the one person she'd goten to talk to alone since she got here. Part of her wishes she'd had a chance to talk with everyone before winding up in this insufferable city, but for now she was simply happy she'd found people that accepted her as an ally. She just wished she could think without trying to link with someone, the humming of these machines almost made her miss the trainyard.

She shook her head, she refused to think anything in this city was worth hanging around. She looked around as they passed some of the storage areas. "Searching all of this is going to be...arduous." She said to no one in particular. "Morana, are you familiar with these places? Just how many sections does this factory have?" Maybe I could use this link to try and sense Sverre? The range doesn't seem very far right now...I'll wait a little longer and see if we can find any clues. Sadly Shion's eyes were not as sharp as they were previously, so she did not see the out of place hammer as they searched.

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario Sharena RavenSong TheTimePiece Silent Angel ​

Immense relief surged through Cayde as he heard Kalina speak up behind him. It was great to see her back in action again. And it felt even better to hear her 'explain' the situation so quickly. But, as she went on about visions, her sister, taking blood, a wry question came into thought. Just how much was she lying about? The bit about going undercover was definitely a cover-up for her disguise, and the blood requests were clearly a half-truth. So, did that mean everything else had to be a fabrication? About what really happened to her sister? Or about visions of a past life? It should've been an easy thing to answer if he knew her.

But that was it, wasn't it? He didn't really know much about her at all...

Just overthinking things, Cayde decided. He could talk later. Right now, there were happier things to focus on. Like Kalina's quick recovery. Or Morana standing down without using that poison. "Thanks for understanding, Morana," He said, his hands falling back to his sides, "Alright, we'll get back to it." Then, Cayde turned to Kalina just as she gave her thanks to the party. A warm smile grew on his face. She might've been an enigma, but at least she made her feelings known. That was something. "Hey, you would've done the same for all of us, Chandra. It's the least we could do."

After that, Cayde followed as the group traveled through the factory. His eyes searched wildly for clues. So much so he hadn't noticed Shion walking up to him, only feeling a slight bump on the shoulder. "Oh, sorry about that, Shion," Cayde apologized, slowing down to hear her out. As her words registered, Cayde's eyebrows quirked a little. It sounded a lot like she was onto something. And with what she said earlier - Did she find out about Kalina's vampirism? Or something else about her? That would've been... bad. Or good? Maybe he was just overthinking things again. He'd have to wait and see. "Yeah, just grab me whenever you're ready," He nodded, "Believe me, I'd really like to know,"

Cayde's eyes immediately went back to searching. In the back, there still wasn't much. Just robots, more robots, one big robot, and a hammer.

He did a double-take, and a smile formed on his face. Finally, a clue. "Hey guys, check this out," He trudged past the discarded constructs and pointed to the out-of-place weapon, "Some sort of warhammer over here. Could be Sverre's," He looked in the direction of the larger robot and walked over to it. He gave it one good knock with his knuckles. It wouldn't hurt to try, he thought. It could've been hollow enough for someone to fit into. "I'd say he's been around here recently. Maybe he's hiding close by..." He said, eyes darting around, hoping his [Perception - E] would pick up another clue.