Futuristic Night Fall - IC

[ERode]

~ NF 281, November 7 | Heavy Rain ~
​

• Ivory Towerz
• Group B

• 
  It had been raining when they left, and it had not let up in the six days since. The deluge turned dirt into mud, each step splattering against the hems of their thick clothing as they trudged through the weather. Perhaps they would have benefited from taking a detour by traversing to the thick woods four days north of Indicon, but it was work from the Foundation. Corpos could give you pay cuts, Syndicates could get pissy, but the Foundation was the one that held your lifeline and your leash. The direct route, through a landscape of mud and dead trees, a wet wasteland marred by crimson crystals jutting out in clusters reaching ten meters high, was what they would take.
  
  And to their credit, the Ivory Towerz took to the route well.
  
  The daintiest of them all took the lead in lieu of their wheelchair-bound companion, while the combination of Gifts they had leant surprisingly well to dealing with their otherwise miserable environment. Thick willows warded off the pouring rain, while a smokeless flame restored the warmth in their bones. With little in terms of vegetation or foliage, the only Lunacy-dyed monsters they truly had to fear were those that could burrow, those that could ambush from within the ground. A pity for such creatures then, that one of their own members had a predilection towards sprouting spikes in the dirt. Anything that approached aboveground in such conditions were met with flame and magical beams, cut down before half the group even needed to do anything.
  
  It was a territory that had not yet been ‘claimed’ by any Lunacy-dyed of note. It was flat and without obstruction, with no packs of beasts roaming about. It was well-travelled and well-mapped.
  
  But where as the SSS would have struggled through the quagmire with their heavy armor and heavier vehicles, all while maintaining the Anti-Lunacy Beacon and fighting off the threats that such a light source would attract, all the Ivory Towerz had to deal with was the uncomfortable squelching of their wet socks, the humidity that dampened their underclothes. Everything else? They could handle.
  
  And, according to their glorious leader’s orienteering skills, they would soon be close enough to see Tresfor itself. Close enough that they’d be able to spend a night inside a proper shelter, rather than a cradle of spikes and willow branches.
  
  Whether that shelter would be found in wreckage or with central heating was a question that’d be answered after, however.
  
  For now?
  
  They marched through the mud, sharing in each other’s misery, urged on by the carrot-and-whip that was commission and payment.
  
• 
  It wasn’t hard to notice when six Couriers left the walls of Indicon. They had to pass through one of four entrances guarded by the SSS, after all. You’d have to be stupid not to keep watch of each gate, to see which one would open and then to radio your buddies the location and their direction of travel. Knowing where they were going was the easy part.
  
  The hard part?
  
  Remaining undetected.
  
  Esoteric abilities were plentiful, and the senses of those with Transformation Gifts were especially sharp.And the Ivory Towerz, despite being a relatively new company of Couriers, had more than their fair share of exceptionally infamous individuals. Vulcan, of course, was the most obvious one to look out for, a complete loose cannon who was rumored to have warred with a corpo and won, before cutting a deal with the Foundation to avoid his execution. You didn’t get a story like that without being an absolute monster. And Pyre was a freak too, a psycho arsonist who burnt half the slums down while cackling all the while, just because a couple thugs tried to shortchange her pay. A total nutjob, that one. Had to be on either drugs or religion.
  
  Both those were straight-forward though, compared to the sheer nonsense that was Magia, a Transformation Lunatic with such incomprehensible capabilities that most in the business end up just shrugging and saying that she could do anything. Healing? Barriers? Laser beams? Flight? Most Lunatics got one or two. Some could manifest similar effects based off of a fundamental Gift. Magia’s versatility though, carried an individuality to each ability too, something that suggested that no creativity was necessary, in order to achieve these effects.
  
  And then, of course, both Ivory and Dahlia remained enigmas to this day, rarely exercising their Gifts in battle because they rarely needed to, while Rue, the most normal of all of them, was still a threat in any situation.
  
  Needless to say, discretion was the better part of valor, and only one in the rag-tag group of Couriers that answered the Four-Eyes Syndicate’s call could be considered qualified in even attempting to sneak up to the Ivory Towerz in an open, muddy field. With that, they had no choice but to travel parallel instead, heading northwards into the dense foliage, trying to benefit from the shelter than the canopy provided while not straying too deep into the drowned wastelands. Contending too, with everything from packs of ten-eyed wolves that struck with a telepathy-guided coordination to families of armored moles, shooting out from the earth with claws that measured in meters. At times, the trees themselves split open, revealing swarms of tree-rodents that sprang out with sickle-blades upon their heels sharp enough to slice through steel, and at other times, the Bright Night’s aurora was blotted out by the wingbeats of canageese, releasing ear-shattering honks at the dead of night just to make sure that sleep was but a dream.
  
  Six days and six nights had passed like this. If they could not sleep, they may as well have walked, and judging by the few landmarks they could spot, they were at least close to Tresfor now. Even if that wasn’t the Ivory Towerz’s final destination, at the very least, it would be a place where that group would drop in to resupply, before they travelled elsewhere.
  
  And it was in urban environments, not muddy wastes and open plains, that this motley crew had the advantage.
  
  Just another day of walking, and they may even reach Tresfor before nightfall!
  
  If there was mercy under these heavy clouds, perhaps they would have an opportunity to catch a full eight hours of sleep as well.
  

 

[Tau]

Ivory

A gloved hand tapped Luna’s shoulder, and soon after, a soft pair of lips whispered into her ear. "On three, turn back to the big man and laugh me with. One, two, three~" Ivory turned her eyes back to the solemn giant and giggled loud enough to be sure he heard. She held the glance for a moment before turning forward again.

"Hmm… aren’t they just adorable when they’re confused~?" Ivory murmured to Luna. "Maybe that’s why our ancestors invented language with the Rosetta Stone: so people could enjoy all the strange looks from the foreigners." Ivory leaned on Luna’s shoulder, her cheek uncomfortably close to Luna’s own. "You know, anytime you want to invent a language with me, all you have to do is ask~"

Unfortunately, her fun was cut short by a subtle noise coming from the ground. Ivory sighed, pointing in the vague direction of the vibrations. "Vulcan, would you be a dear and relieve that thing of its skull for me~?" she called over to him.

Ivory wasn’t the type of person to complain about nasty and uncomfortable situations, but she certainly had tells which betrayed her true feelings. One which was especially reliable was in how gruesomely she described the death of the lunacy-dyed. This trip had started with a simple ‘Kill it,’ and had slowly progressed to more graphic depictions, as the grime and weariness set in.

Pulling out a small compass, Ivory held it in her palm for a moment before putting it away. "Tresfor should be nearly in sight, if I’m correct. With any luck, we’ll finally have a stable roof to sleep under. Good work, everyone."

 

[Madeliefje]

Revenant​

How long had it been since Revenant was part of a team? They thought to themselves. Of course, back in their starting days as an assassin, they had worked with others, but more often than not, their old line of work involved a more discreet touch. They weren't used to having to trust so many others with their life every night. It had already been six days, and lunar beasts were the least of their troubles. Taking out monsters was easy; it was the people that were difficult for them. By now, most of them had already seen what Revenant was capable of. Of course, Revenant's gift wasn't the flashiest, but it got the job done when it came to beasts at night. If anything, it was hard to tell what was really the beast and who the human was at times. They could steal, cheat, kill; hell, they could literally be anything, but the one thing they can't do is hold a conversation.

They tried to empty their mind and focus on the task at hand. It had been six days since they saw the other courier group outside the walls. Revenant had, of course, seen other couriers before, even killed them, but all the more reason not to underestimate them. The one leading them seemed to be normal enough, perhaps the only one out of the six that did seem normal, which was worrying. Anyone normal-looking enough to lead that team of strange couriers had to be the most unhinged of them all. The next one closest to the leader was hard to miss; they were huge, with an intense stare in their eyes. Revenant had seen that look in people's eyes before, the look of someone you definitely don't want to face head-on. In fact, most of them had a crazy look in their eyes. There was a girl who looked as jittery as a Mexican jumping bean, someone else quite literally busting at the seams, and even someone missing an eye! You don't last long in this business with one eye unless you're crazy.

And what of Revenant's own team, they thought? Sure, they might have the numbers advantage, but numbers don't mean much in this line of work. Revenant themselves should know they were a trained killer after all, where they've had to infiltrate a whole building crawling with men with nothing more than the skin off their back. None of them unnerved Revenant too much, at least not as much as the other team, which they couldn't figure out if that was a bad thing or a good one. Well, except for that strange sickly-looking prince, but they grow on you; not so bad once you've been around them for a while.

Perched atop the roof of an abandoned building, almost like a roosting raven or an angel, Revenant looked down at their fellow teammates. Revenant knew what they was doing was fairly cold and distant, but that's who they were. But they did realize if they were going to survive this, they would have to make some sort of attempt to get along with their team. Revenant swooped down, jumping off the building and landed without making a single sound, no crunch of leaf or even the sound of footsteps. They approached the rest of their team in long strides with all the elegance of a crane. "No signs of the other team or any lunar beasts for the night, the way should be clear for now." Revenant's voice did not come from behind the mask on their face but somewhere else on their body.

 

[Nellancholy]

Janus frowned, leaning against a wall inside the abandoned building to take a momentary respite from the elements. Her cloak did a good job of protecting her from the rain and cold, but no material could stave off the constant unease of existing beneath the open sky before which there was little refuge from lunacy in all its forms. She leaned slightly, peeking cautiously out of the nearest window as if she was expecting someone to open fire on her position at any moment. She wasn't used to this kind of assignment; if anything, she had generally been on the other end of them in the past, having to flee from all manner of avaricious assailant as she bore some precious cargo to each destination, or retrieving and salvaging that which had been lost or stolen.

That didn't mean this group had to take their targets head-on, but any kind of ruse would likely turn out to be exceedingly risky. Their targets were as committed to their jobs as they were, after all. And with power to spare...

A quiet clicking noise rang out as she twisted and turned a Rubik's cube in her hand. She would never solve it, she didn't plan on solving it.

It was then that Revenant, satisfied with the results of their observation, descended to deliver their report. Janus had since gotten used to all the forms that the Moondrop granted to its users, but...that didn't necessarily make a protean, ethereal form like that any less unsettling. Still, she believed she could trust their humanity, just like her own.

"Um...a-are we going to try to reach Tresfor, then? I-it's probably better than trying to hit them on the road..."

 

[Resting Witch Face]

"Silent night, holy night..."

The music played softly, but Alex was sure that nobody else could hear it. Nonetheless, the soft lullaby soothed his senses and brought low his guard, though it could not stop his eyes from darting across the room in a fervor. Surely they'd be beset upon at any moment, surely they would have to deal with another one of... them... but still the siren song called to him through his dreary, delirious haze. Stay alert, rest your eyes.

"Once again the sky is blotted by these damnable clouds... once more my enchanting view of the moon is obstructed. How can one go on knowing that life will be lived under such dull grey giants? Where is the love in the sky, the passion piercing through the clouds like lightning?" He mumbled semi-coherently under his breath, staring longingly at the cloudy night sky with glazed-over eyes. "Joyous day when the moon comes to play..."

Just then the sudden voice cut through the silence like a hot knife through butter. If Alexander didn't know any better, he'd have drawn his blade before the second word out of his mouth, but this ghostly apparition was a friend. Alex wished that more of his apparitions were so cordial.
"Praise be to the stalker in the night, our own personal wraith. Your vigil is an inspiration to us all. Of course, the night is young and full of vigor."

His deadpan tone is hard to take one way or the other, as either a joke or a grim prediction, but ultimately he likely means nothing by it. As mystical as he sounds he is no fortune teller, having been subject to much the same horrors as everyone else on this journey. Especially so for poor, weak Alexander, pitted against beasts strong against his manipulations of the mind. If his companions hadn't been here it is likely he'd have been eaten long before ambushing this band of crazed mercenaries, but with the power of both friendship and violence, this night had come. A ragtag band of misfits under the night sky, brought together by their love of money, blood, or both. He could trust them to keep him alive, but how much further than that? What were their motives? What made them tick? Where exactly do their loyalties lie, when things go sour?

That was when the cloaked girl spoke up, asking of their next move. Alex was tired, but no doubt so was their quarry.
"I say we head out as soon as possible, y'know, strike the anvil while it's hot. We can only hope they are as weak and tired as yours truly."

 

[AnonyMouse]

Tsukiko Yamada​

(Team B)​

A 'team.' What a strange idea, Tsukiko thought.

For all of her training and preparation, the one thing the House did not teach her was how to cooperate with others. In her past life, her fellow servants were treated as competition, to be respected, but never aided. They toiled in parallel, never together. They may pull toward the same goal, but each servant pulls their own weight and seeks to pull it better than any other. Anyone who was not a servant was a Master, beings so impossibly far beyond her reach that even thinking herself worthy of assisting them in any way was blasphemous.

Suffice to say 'teamwork' was something of a foreign concept, but one she is slowly starting to come to terms with. For she is a Master now, and surrounded by other Masters. Or, ‘Lunatics,’ rather. (Even after nearly two years of exile, she still struggles with the phrasing from time to time.) But she was eager to learn. After all, one cannot achieve perfection by refusing to change and grow.

She was still quite new to this occupation. The largest ‘team’ she had ever been on was only three people… well, technically only two. One got decapitated by a bear with scythes for arms less than an hour into the mission. Tsukiko learned an important lesson that day: The scales will balance themselves. The headless man lacked focus and discipline. He was loud, when the conditions demanded silence, aggressive when it demanded a gentle touch. The urge to silence him was overwhelming at times, but she held her tongue and stayed her blade, and, soon enough, her patience was rewarded. The scales balanced. After his head rolled, the mission went smoothly.

She felt confident this one would go the same, perhaps with less dismemberment. But if a head must roll, so be it...

All I have to do is perform my role perfectly, Tsukiko thought as she traveled with her current group of companions -- her 'team.' Little else matters. The scales will balance themselves.

The surface world was full of new lessons, new concepts to master. She still struggled to understand the power dynamics here. Masters were gods. Lunatics, also gods… but no one treated them that way. They were feared and restrained, kept in the dark until needed, and then cast away the moment their work was done. Not gods, then. Demons, perhaps? She would have to think on it, but the picture became a little clearer every day...

The way they skulked through muck and sludge, slaying all which dared cross their path, definitely fostered memories of ancient demons. The Night bristled with terrors, but none quite so fearsome as a pack of feral Couriers on a mission. Some amongst them appeared quite normal. Some did not even draw their blade when the lunacy-dyed abominations descended from the shadows. But Tsukiko knew better. A demon in the guise of Man is still a demon.

As they traveled, she often lingered at the wings of the group. With her bow in hand and her katana on her hip, Tsukiko could often be found far to the wings. Sometimes, on their right. Sometimes, the left. Sometimes ahead. Sometimes dropping back. She adjusted her tactics to suit the current threat assessment and terrain. She sought clear lines of sight, but, more than once, displayed a willingness to shoot dangerously close to her allies if she felt it was the optimal angle of attack. It's only 'dangerous' if you don't know what you're doing, right? She was always around, but never truly with them. And never used her gift.

Now, the group found themselves in the ruins of… something. If Tsukiko had to guess, she would say it used to be some sort of warehouse, due to its spacious interior. But, after over 200 years, perhaps the interior walls had merely rotted and crumbled away, leaving an empty shell. Maybe it hadn’t always been ‘spacious.’ None of that really mattered right now. It was big. It was empty. And, even with its numerous holes in the roof, it was relatively dry, compared to the frequent downpours going on outside.

After a quick lap of the structure, Tsukiko promptly found a quiet corner away from the others, but still within eyesight of them all, and sat down on the cold ground to check her equipment. In cities, she often stored her bow and blades in a long case, slung over her shoulder, which doubled as a quiver. When on mission, she kept the katana on her hip and the bow in her hands. Now, she meticulously began to inspect and oil the cams and strings of her compound bow. It was not like the traditional longbow she had trained with in the past, but she was not so stubborn as to ignore advancements in technology.

Her movements were precise, yet steady, as if she had done this hundreds of times before, but still treated the act of caring for her weapons as if it were a sacred ritual. Each item was an extension of herself and must be purified regularly. Once she was done, everything she did not need went back into her case, each weapon returned to its proper place. At last, she stood to face her comrades, just as the strange one addressed them from its rooftop perch.

“Thank you for your service,” Tsukiko said with a respectful bow of her head. But the words were soft, gentle, and nearly lost amidst the Illusionist's own bizarre praise. The slender young 'prince,' seemed to take delight in the sound of his own voice. Tsukiko had often heard his utterances during their travels and quickly learned to ignore them. Not out of spite or distaste, mind you, but because she could not decipher the code, which made him a distraction rather than a useful means of communication. As he spoke, her eyes remained upon him, hawkishly, only to swiftly divert to the other young lady who spoke up next.

The blonde timidly inquired about their next steps. Should they try to reach the city or attempt to strike in the wilderness? Finally, some talk of a 'plan.' Tsukiko seemed to noticeably brighten at this and actually stepped forward, out of the shadows. When the prince spoke up once more, she was actually in agreement with him... well, except for one sticking point.

"Iron," Tsukiko said, in a calm even tone. "The phrase is 'strike while the iron is hot.'" However, her pale eyes showed the faintest bit of annoyance, as if him screwing up that one word was slowly driving a needle into her heart and he would never be forgiven for this. "Anyway... I agree. If we wish to continue, I do not require rest. However, I feel that engaging them in the city would be unwise. I do not wish to endanger civilians or risk entanglement with the local constabulary."
Interaction(s): Madeliefje | Nellancholy | Resting Witch Face

 

[Seraphine]

Judah

character theme

"Vulcan" ⪼ Ivory Towerz

}

Location

a few miles from Tresfor

Interactions

Ivory

Tau

Mentions

Luna

Skyswimsky

Come on out, you little cocksucker.
Judah eyed the mud-soaked terrain like a painter contemplating a canvas. Every strand of hair stood on edge—from the Lunacy-hardened sinew of his chest to the serrated scales of his tailpiece, every pectine was primed for the language of the underground. Yet save for the wind and the wet, weary, weather-beaten lament he and his teammates had marched to for the past week, not a single square meter of wasteland dreg betrayed vibrations of the one bastard of a loon-dyed he'd been chasing for the better part of an hour. "Come to papa..." murmured Judah, voice low and bristling with anticipation. As if on cue, his search finally latched onto a curious, swollen lump of shitstain mud feet away. A split-second of swearing he saw it twitch later, Judah gripped his staff and aimed, only to launch and watch it pierce—get this—a grand old lump of shitstain mud. Again, another false alarm. And as it turned out, yet another sinkhole. Wrapping an irritated arm around his sinking spear, Judah was knee-deep in the arduous task of wrenching it out when a burst of giggles broke his concentration.

Eyes ready to roll into the back of his head, Judah turned and shot the usual suspects a sharp, sullen glare. The pair appeared to pay him no mind as Ivory once again indulged her utter disregard for personal space, murmuring sweet-nothings into the ear of her white-haired twin. A tactic she had irresistibly employed the first night they'd met, back when he was a freshly exiled rebel of a Courier all by his lonesome, surrounded by days-old Lunatics who could barely tell their lefts from their rights. With no camaraderie and no cause left to fight beyond the grating mousetrap that was commission work for the Foundation, everything changed that night. Since then, he's remained by her side, more or less, as the girlish group's muscle—a role he naturally assumed due to his obvious, charming bedside manner and extensive knowledge of flower arrangements.

Stink eye swiveling back onto the task at hand, Judah prepared to wrestle a couple more tugs when Ivory's sing-song request reached him. By now having relinquished his place at the forefront, the group had surged farther ahead, farther than his range for detection allowed. Before she knew it, a ten-foot long mudworm wide as a horse erupted from the ground, jaws split open like fine-toothed petals. It arched straight for the pair, a hair's breadth away from dragging their corpses back underground when, in a Lunacy-fueled feat of adrenaline, it found itself masticated against the broad back of a red crystal berg. Waving a serrated wrist sharply to the side, the giant log of a stake punctured against its underbelly followed suit, butchering the invertebrate's stomach in two.

Catching up and reaching the berg in a few great leaps and strides, Judah placed a brief hand on the stake, a gleam in his copper-brown eyes. Looks like you were a bigger cocksucker than I thought.

Wiping off the creature's gut juice from his tattered cloak, Judah casually glanced at Ivory as she pulled out her compass, speaking over his shoulder. A sardonic curve graced his deadpan tone. "And here I thought we'd continue our starlit camping adventures. But by all means, let's aim for the luxury of four walls. I'll try not to get too spoiled."

He continued, turning back around with a hint of a smile, "Bastard worm, so no skulls this time. Looks like you'll have to bet on the next one, Ive. That is," he added with a touch of annoyance, "if we don't miraculously reach Tresfor first. Plenty of skulls to marvel at once we get there, I'm sure."

CODE BY SEROBLISS / VALOROUS ORDER

 

[TheRealAngeloftheStorm]

Being the latest addition to the Ivory Towerz meant a certain level of distance between established members.

Gabriel was well aware of the gap. Lunatics and their desires came first, ‘the group’ second and everything else a very distant third. ‘The group’ varied; corporate magnates, some silly group of hoodlums thinking themselves above the rest because their words were backed by a Lunatic; crime syndicates burrowed deep in the flesh of the Foundation’s sinews. Or a hodgepodge crew brought together by mutual desires for money.

How did it go again? Fortune favors the insane? Definitely a fitting motto for the various Courier groups and services ranging the wilds of the Lunacy-dyed frontier.

They wanted extra firepower. Gabriel answered. Though judging by the sour look on Rue’s face when she’d stepped up to the plate, they might’ve preferred the firepower to be less literal. Plants and fire, name a better combination. Gabriel wondered what colors the fire would glow if she ever managed to set one of Rue’s growths aflame. As a joke. Probably wouldn’t take it well, all things granted, but you really just don’t put something flammable in front of her and expect anything resembling self-control-

Well, maybe. She’s not stupid. Just crazy. A little crazy. But not crazy enough to literally set her working relationships on fire for a joke. There are lines that Gabriel can’t cross, and just because everyone else in the madhouse is a little fucked in the head doesn’t mean she’ll indulge in her own darker impulses. Too much.

Sticks! Her supply’s running low because she forgot to stock up before shipping out, but one more wouldn’t hurt. Her fingers reach into her coat, grasping the edges of the cigar before pulling it out in a single, swift motion. Another two swipes of her hand and Gabriel leans her head back, taking a long puff and blowing out the smoke into the baleful sky.

“Fucking finally,” Gabriel grunted, the ash from her cigar falling with a tap, “this place has been goddamn miserable.”

It wasn’t particularly hard to navigate. Just infuriatingly inconvenient, with a million and one mudworms popping up out the damn ground to fuck with them. She vented her righteous fury on the fucking things easily. Kindling is kindling, and there’s not much difference between a stack of barely-qualifying firewood and a pyre of mudworms. They burned all the same.

Assuming Judah didn’t stake them first. The big scorpion dude was pretty good at making sure he staked them before they made a mess of things on the surface.

“Hopefully they’ve got some of the good shit lying around in Tresfor,” she clapped her hands together, distinct purple flame burning the rest of the cigar and leaking from between slender, pale fingers, “because I’m running out of smokes and patience all in one. Hey, boss lady, you think we’ll find somewhere nice to crash in?”

Boss Lady - Ivory - had a reputation for managing to talk some corpo failson into suicidal depression. Hearing her describe everything dying gruesomely on the way to Tresfor really made Garbiel think that it was just how her inherent Lunatic weirdness manifested. But whatever. The madhouse accepts everyone.

Gabriel did hope that something in the city would be still on, at least. If not, then it’d be another day or two of shitty sleep. As for the denizens… if they’re alive, they’re alive. Fingers crossed that they’d be able to extract enough personnel that haven’t gone absolutely batshit insane to get a real big payout.

 

[Steve Jobs]

courier.

mimic.

Footsteps in the rain

location

Nearing Tresfor

outfit

N/A

interactions

Vulcan, Ivory, Rue, Magia, Pyre

tags

Aquarin , TheRealAngeloftheStorm , Seraphine , Tau , Skyswimsky

It didn't mind weather like this, or really any weather. Water slid off the Beetleboar's back, spiky hooves marched at the forefront, and a thick layer of fat kept its teeth from chattering. The only cause for concern was its loosely secured backpack. As innovative as the Foundation's technology was, it couldn't adapt to Dahlia's every form, nor did anyone see value in carrying more than one rucksack.

Thus Dahlia stripped and shifted once the Ivory Towerz left Indicon, requesting help to ensure that nothing valuable spilled out of its bag. Everyone else focused on either keeping safe or helping Magia, the most vulnerable member of their group. The shapeshifter found it odd that the girl didn't remain in her transformed state more often, but her usage was not their place to judge. Really, they didn't care much for any of the team members, viewing with them the same neutrality that one might view a seasonal hire.

They were one face among many who would pass through the Ivory Towerz, a stray allying itself with the pack until a better opportunity came its way. Were it not for Ivory's conjurations of long lost creatures, Dahlia would have left after their first commission together; however, nobody else could replicate Ivory's artistry (Dahlia included).

The Beetleboar stopped in response to the vibrations in the ground, raking through the mud with its pincers. Though Ivory's request to do away with the lunacy-dyed beasts wasn't directed towards it, the Dahlia still wanted to collect samples before Vulcan eradicated the last of the area's fauna. They couldn't blame its leader from getting agitated;most Lunatics weren't built for bad weather. The Ivory Towerz were merely here for a paycheck that would be eaten away in two months time.

A few ripped cocoons laid in the dirt, likely the source of all the worms troubling the group thus far. Alas, the boar had no time to look for an egg as Ivory announced that they were nearing their destination. Though its vision was hazy, the boar could still discern the outline of the city, seemingly in good condition despite the uncertainty in their initial client's voice.

"Hopefully they’ve got some of the good shit lying around in Tresfor because I’m running out of smokes and patience all in one. Hey, boss lady, you think we’ll find somewhere nice to crash in?”

Gabriel, the most recent addition to their team, rejoiced.

The Beetleboar let out a squeal of agreement, betraying its fatigue after six days of near silence. The weather made it prudent for Dahlia to remain in an animal form, finding warmth around the fires Gabriel started and the lap of whoever was willing to take them. Still, the shifter yearned to stretch their legs in human form once they reached the city.

 

[Skyswimsky]

Luna Everheart​

Mud clung to the wheels of Luna's wheelchair as a growing reminder of their journey from the days past. Sometimes, the owner of the device wondered if the pitiful amount of money she had invested could have been used for proper prosthetics instead. A pipe dream, at the back of her mind, that was of little relevance for here and now. A set of challenges and considerations that would require an entire chapter in itself, the white-hair shoved those thoughts away as she felt a light tap on her shoulder.

Sure, Luna could smile and giggle, but where Ivory's tease was to create a veil of unfounded mystery, Luna gave the giant a bright, warm smile and a silent chuckle. "So we can communicate without anyone else knowing?" Luna asked as Ivory was just a bit too close for comfort. "Apart from whispering...?" Though there was only so much free space Luna could work with to shy away. At least she didn't turn uncontrollably red anymore. Thinking of Ivory like another kid to take care of sure helped there.


"Well, back at my place we owned a book about animals from the past, and how they communicated, Michael loved it! Enough to try to talk like them. Something akin to... Mooooaaaaaaahh!!?" Trust. Unlike most others, Luna couldn't afford to keep that to herself. If she wanted to survive, the bar of entry had to be set low. She had felt herself safe. And... it worked out, didn't it? It paid off.

Though it hadn't made it any less surprising. Working outside the city was still something she had to get used to. "Thank you... I hope we won't need a next time if we're that close." She spoke to Judah with genuine relief as her heart calmed down. So far, nobody had questioned why someone like her was even part of the Ivory Towerz... maybe it was Ivory's charm. Maybe every new recruit thought it was one of those weird taboos and they'd learn in due time. But it was nothing she felt too bothered by.

"Or maybe we can take a few more days if it helps you to stop?" Luna now smiled at Gabriel as she eyed her cigarette. Nothing was condensing behind Luna's nagging. Just genuine worry, and every now and then the red-eye hoped that their Firestarter would quit that nasty habit of hers! And to Magia, it seemed worth enough to spend a few more days on the road after all.

 

[ERode]

~ NF 281, November 7 | Heavy Rain ~
​

• Ivory Towerz
• Group B

• 
  Little else bothered them once Judah skewered the mudworm that had been tracking them for the past hour…except maybe Gabriel, whose cigars, dampened by the perpetual rain, had to be constantly relit, making for a smoking experience that was uneven at best. After almost a week’s worth of travel, they were getting to the point where there was no longer any point in clearing out the gunk and the mud that clung to Luna’s wheelchair; she had spent the last three days being simply pushed over the terrain. If it worked, it worked, and the dark-skinned girl wasn’t particularly heavy to begin with. Dahlia could’ve carried her, perhaps, but Ivory was closer to Luna anyhow.
  
  They didn’t have much longer to go either. The veil of rain gradually pulled away. First, it had been a shadow, a silhouette. Then, the simplest details revealed themselves, the walls and the towers atop them. Closer they got, making out now the mounted guns, capable of firing off rounds powerful enough to obliterate the carapaces of the Lunacy-dyed beasts that roamed the flatlands. Old craters collected pools of water, growing more plentiful the closer they got to Tresfor. It wasn’t a sign of any massive battle, however. There were no corpses present, and the shells had been collected too. Reuse and recycle, the typical motto of any city. And the walls themselves, once the Ivory Towerz reached a distance where they could reasonably make out any details?
  
  They were about as pristine as Indicon’s.
  
  Tresfor was still standing, still intact.
  
  Was the Foundation mistaken? Or was something else afoot?
  
  …
  
  They reached the gates of Tresfor, and yet there was no personnel from the SSS to demand their identification. Nothing but rivulets of rainwater, washing down the sheer sides of the great wall that served as humanity’s greatest barrier against the monsters outside.
  
  Contact had been lost.
  
  But the city was still standing.
  
• 
  There was no cover left.
  
  They advanced once more, pushing past the building fatigue in their bodies. Some of them could alter their forms to simply remove what would cause a sensation of exhaustion, others received the mental training to suppress it instead, but their bodies weren’t without limits regardless. It wouldn’t affect them yet, but it was yet another variable to account for.
  
  Breaking out through the treeline under Revenant’s instructions, whom had been their primary scout thus far, the motley crew advanced at a slower pace than they did before as they neared the city of Tresfor, taking cover beneath clusters of crimson crystal and dead trees. Perhaps they even employed the strategy of carrying along a human-sized bush of brambles too, moving behind that. Regardless, they were quickly reaching the deadman’s land that all cities possessed, where all vegetation and visual obstructions were cleared out. There could be no hiding if they wished to approach the city proper.
  
  But where they were?
  
  The crew could make out the muddied, drenched forms of the Ivory Towerz, standing before the gate. A gate that did not open. No members of the SSS that came out to interrogate them. Were they stalled there? Was the SSS busy elsewhere? Strange, that a group on a Foundation commission wouldn’t be easily let in. It was too far to make out sound, but there didn’t seem to be any movement on the tops of the wall either.
  
  It was a distance of perhaps four kilometers separating the group. With the rain masking their approach, they could advance even closer, so long as none of the Ivory Towerz looked in their direction. Lunatics all possessed some form of superhuman physical ability, but amongst the crew, they had someone whose entire specialization involved the manipulation of speed. Perhaps now was the time for a quick hit-and-run, when the relief of an end to the Outlands may cause the Towerz to drop their guard?
  
  Or, perhaps, it would be better instead for the motley crew to slip in through one of the other gates. Perhaps they could get in earlier and prepare; they knew where the Ivory Towerz were entering in from, and knew what each of their members looked like. A hit-and-run meant that there would be hardly any way to gain information about what exactly they were meant to steal either, for the Towerz certainly had not received any sort of parcel from Tresfor yet. And what would burglary of physical goods accomplish, if the package was vocalized information?
  
  There were choices, to be certain.
  
  Choices, and who knew how long they had before it was too late to make it?
  

 

[Tau]

Ivory

"Hehe, you’re cute when you’re uncomfortable too, you know~" Ivory answered Luna, poking her cheek as she tried in vain to get shimmy away from her carrier. "Moooaahhh!? My, how scandalous~" she added, glancing between the party’s beetleboar and magician with a suggestive look.

"Somewhere nice, hm?" Ivory echoed her pyromanic companion. "I suppose it depends on why Tresfor went quiet. If it was overwhelmed by the lunacy-dyed, there should be a few untouched beds, I’d think."

As the party trudged up to the entrance, it became far more… how would she describe it… creepy? It was one thing to experience the terror of a great metal wall ripped apart, but another thing entirely to see a clean wall with a perimeter devoid of its usual "armored pests." For once, Ivory would’ve almost preferred the ID check mixed with the rude, dehumanizing comments.

To her surprise, they reached the gate without a struggle. "Helloooo? We’re here from the Foundation. They’re awfully upset that you’ve been ghosting their calls," she knocked on the heavy gate, waving her official tag around with her free hand (not that anyone would’ve been able to see it anyway). "Hm."

She pressed her ear to the gate briefly, before frowning. "No corpses in the craters, no broken SSS lying around… perhaps a civil war destroyed them from the inside? Though, if that were they case, I’d think some of them would’ve tried to repurpose those guns. A breach, then?"

Clapping her hands together, Ivory stepped back a few times and smiled. "Alright, then. Dahlia, Luna, you two should be able to fly over and get this gate open, no? In the meantime, as long as we’re here waiting together…"

Ivory held out her hand. On top, a rectangular slab of white marble materialized. There were two, crudely-drawn stick figures depicted on the front as she pushed it further towards Gabriel. "…why don’t you teach mankind the beauty of a warm fire."

 

[Steve Jobs]

courier.

mimic.

Footsteps in the rain

location

Nearing Tresfor

outfit

N/A

interactions

Ivory, Magia, Pyre

tags

TheRealAngeloftheStorm , Tau , Skyswimsky

Ah, was all that came to mind upon reaching Tresfor's gates. Neither bustling nor dilapidated, there were no signs of a living soul. The exterior appeared unbroken, unscathed, utterly ordinary compared to any other city. Not to mention that the ground was devoid of any vibrations be they human or creature. While it was possible that Tresfor's citizens receded in lieu of an attack, the Foundation ought to have received a call before cutting communications. The boar wrinkled its brows (insomuch as an animal could) before jerking its head towards the nearest gate.

If one were well-versed in Beetleboar or body language they'd know that it was suggesting to knock. If someone opted to stare at her instead, they would have seen Dahlia revert to their nude, human form. Having shifted in front of other before, they lacked the shame that most humans felt when they were naked.

When Ivory's knocking elicited no response, the shifter approached the wall to look for aberrations. Again, there were not even the tiniest signs of damage or infiltration where the wall met the ground.

"No corpses in the craters, no broken SSS lying around… perhaps a civil war destroyed them from the inside? Though, if that were they case, I’d think some of them would’ve tried to repurpose those guns. A breach, then?"

"Not from underground,"

they replied to Ivory. With how thick the foundation was in most cities, it was unlikely that anything could burrow into Tresfor and with how much propaganda floated about the Foundation, it was hard to believe that anyone would convince the public to revolt against their only means of protection. Not impossible, but it would require a level of infiltration and coordination rarely seen among uprisings.

If not the ground, the water, or the people, that only left the skies to give them answers.

Dahlia slipped off their bag and beginning the transformation. Bones hollowed, serrated feathers sprouted from their back, and their arms turned into wings. Their neck elongated and fused to their mouth before finally, their body shrunk to the size of a three-eyed vulture.

"Caw,"

it squawked, shaking dust from its feathers. Though its vision didn't match that of a hawk, it could fly far higher and its claws would allow it the advantage should any lunacy-dyed birds try to assert its dominance.

It didn't wait for Magia, taking to the skies with some suspicion. If something truly did attack Tresfor, there was a non-zero chance it could still be around.

 

[Nellancholy]

Tresfor was still, its exterior cold like the grave. No signs of life at least from the outside, no authority, none of the usual menace or welcome. Though this might not have been immediately apparent to Janus and any members of Group B that may have been following her closely, as instead of approaching head-on, she had chosen to come at Tresfor at a different angle, more or less side-on to one of the tall walls.

It did occur to her that the Ivory Towerz were held up at the entrance of the city, though not by bureaucracy or other obstruction. Still, they'd eventually get into the city, and she wanted to be there to welcome them when they did.

As she approached the wall, she reached backwards, dropping her toy into her open backpack. She pressed a gloved hand on the wall, pink sparkles issuing from her palm as she walked slowly alongside it. The whispers of the fairies resonated in her mind: it would not be as fast as she'd ideally want, but they could definitely work with this.

She glanced over her shoulder at a couple of the other members of group B, addressing the ones with either the mobility or means of matter manipulation that might offer alternate solutions. "Revenant, Machinehead. Um, I think I can get us inside through this wall. It'll be a bit of a tight squeeze, b-but I think it's reliable. Unless you have other ideas...?"

Midrick Madeliefje

 

[Madeliefje]

Revenant


​

Revenant stood with their back straight, hand behind their back, looking at Janus as she spoke. After she suggested the teams next more and destination Revenats eyes wondered down to that strange clicking device in her hands. If Revenant didn't know any better they wouldn't think anything of this nervous courier but looks can be deceiving. Despite her nature she was a battle scared killer like just Revenant that prosthetic limb proved that, she was most defiantly not to be underestimated.

Before Revenant could state their option on their situation the princely one, Alex, decided for once instead of talking to the voices in their head, praised Revenant for their work. Revenant glad a slight nod of appreciation. Revenant was very much not use to any praise of any kind, they were a weapon through and through, weapons did not need praise. The deadpan humor and irony of the statement was lost on Revenant their lack of social understanding make it hard for them to know what humor is.

In the middle of the dead tone delivery of the Alex, Tsukiko spoke up from their quite corner also giving a quite thanks to Revenant. Now here was a team member Revenant respected? No respect wasn't the right term. Appreciated, they have been nothing but professional and objective the whole way though this marsh. Her soft and gentle thank you, with a bow, resonated with Revenat who preferred the peace quite, and straightforwardness of it. She suggested to hit the other team on the road not in the city, which Revenant was thinking about doing as well but not for the same reasons.

Alex and Tsukiko seemed to be having a quarrel over a word which Revenant really did not understand, their was people to kill not words to mince. When they were done talking Revenant puffed out their chest. Bring both their hands out from behind their back to the side of their head. "Anvil." Revenant morphed their left hand into a anvil, the sound of tendons, flesh, bone and blood moving all at once to form a inhuman object was squishy like wet dough being rolled into bread. "Iron." Revenant morphed their other hand into the shape of a iron slab. The look of the processes was enough to make anyone squeamish faint. "So long as it kills all the same, thats all the matters. They are both tools to be used to get a job done." Revenant smashed their hands together forming them both back into normal people hands. "But a tool that can not do its job is worthless. No matter its form."

They had begin their journey once again this time with great speed in attempt to reach the city before the other team. Revenant scouting ahead was thinking about to properly convey their thoughts to the rest of the team. Many years ago back in the old syndicate. Someone had needed to break into a unbreakable prison in order to silence a witness inside. Revenant had wondered how the member had been able to achieve such a impossible task but the answer was so simple. They didn't have to break in they simple just let themselves in. Getting themselves arrested for a petty crime lead them right inside. Form there is was a cake walk to locate their target kill them and leave quietly. The prison was meant to save people on the inside from the outside not protect anyone from the inside. Revenant thought this was the best approach a trojan horse of sorts. The other team didn't know they were being hunted, that was their biggest advantage currently. And they also didn't know if the information they sought was verbal or note, if they simply tried to kill the other team they might not get the intel they wanted. So what was the way? It was simple sent one of them in to be captured by the other team and see from the inside were the intel was, them set up a ambush for our team at the right moment. This would be much easier to pull off if it was on the road. Or maybe just simply approach the other team with open arms stating they we too are coming back from a mission they have no idea were after them two teams and benefit greatly from each other out here.

Just as the other team was in sight Janus spoke up asking if Revenant had any ideas they had no idea how to bring up their ideas. They pulled up their right hand morphed one of their fingers into a horse and the rest into the other courier them and them wiggled them to show they were all moving together.

Nellancholy AnonyMouse Resting Witch Face

 

[Skyswimsky]

Luna Everheart​

"Mhm, already?" Luna peeked up the gigantic wall in front of her as they finally arrived. Ivory urged the two girls to fly over. She mused for a moment, before giving their leader a nod. "I guess it isn't wrong to be prepared, just in case..." If she were to transform right now, it implied there was a villain to defeat... and all Luna and the group had to do was find said villain! Despite, in case Mimic was running - or rather flying - into danger, having an immediate backup was probably a good idea.

"Or maybe we should go around the perimeter?" Maybe another part of the wall was giving more information about what had transpired. Though it was likely to no avail. With Luna's now feathered companion already on her way, the red-eye closed her eye and started humming in a low tune, a chant.

"With the Radiant Flames of Love, my Heart dances within this vessel.
For the Steadfast Serenity of Peace, my Mind illuminates the darkness.
Under the Shining Virtue of Justice, my Soul soars with courage.
Embraced by Love, Peace, and Justice,
Body, Mind, and Soul unite.
Behold my Magical Awakening

— in this light, I transform!"

Luna's body became but a singular color, as a shining light engulfed her very being and the girl's clothes shifted into a different form. Her hair growing out as her hat and eyepatch turned into a big, yellow, ribbon and a capelet. And just generally more and more frills, ribbons, and a skirt redefining her style of clothes. Each part of her new style finishing a part of its transformation with a satisfying pop. Until, finally, Luna 'Magia' Everheart was standing.

She was taller than Ivory.

Pat

"Dont'chu worry, Ivy~, we'll be back in a jiffy!" Patting the smaller white-haired companion as a small gesture of defiance, Luna took to the sky. "Any villains around?" She asked Mimic as the two of them were able to get a look into the inner workings of Tresfor. From there, it also didn't seem like any other walls were breached.

"Mhm~~~ Nope, not yet! ...It's totally like a ghost town, isn't it?! I wonder what happened. Buuut anyway, we should probably finish Operation: Gatecrasher!" Well, Gatecrasher wasn't maybe the most fitting name, after all, the gate had to be kept intact...

 

[AnonyMouse]

Tsukiko Yamada​

(Team B)​

As Tresfor's walls emerged from the mist and the rain, the nameless team of Couriers found it silent and still. The rain had ceased, just long enough to make out no SSS presence on the walls. Most importantly, the team they had been trailing was now stalled at the gates, with no means of entry. Tsukiko stowed her weapons as her group made their way across the crater-marked terrain. They were leaving the wilderness behind and entering neat, orderly society. Weapons do not belong here.

Her eyes narrowed upon the looming city as they crossed the No Man's Land before it. While Ivory Towers stood before the gates, her own group chose instead to approach a span of wall, which seemed an odd choice to Tsukiko. A city should be entered through its gates, she thought, mildly confused by this choice. Are we to scale the ramparts, like invaders? Or burrow beneath its walls, like animals?

There was so much she did not know --and so much she should ask-- but the concept of something being 'wrong' here did not occur to her, even though so much evidence suggested Tresfor was not responding as a city should. 'Present yourself before the gates and the gates should open.' This was such a simple tenet of society, Tsukiko could not comprehend it not working. Where was the SSS, requesting Ivory Towers's identification? Where were the guards atop the walls?

Surely, they will come. It's just taking a little longer than usual, she thought as she studied Ivory Towers. Two of their members took to the skies. Were they trying to get over the wall, or merely scouting? Either way, they ought to have more faith in society. They ought to have more patience. Disgraceful...

When the discussion turned to tunneling through the wall, Tsukiko's eyes darted to the blonde woman, Janus. "If you all wish to make yourselves enemies of the public, so be it, but I will not partake in such dishonorable action. These are hallowed walls, sacred in their solemn duty!" she said adamantly, her gaze burning into the woman, as if Janus had suggested they slay a god. "For myself, this mission is on hold until I gain entry by civil means, or am convinced civility has permanently fallen by the wayside. But I will not be the one to toss it aside. Good day to you all."

And, with that, she gave a swift bow before promptly marching toward the gate, where Ivory Towers stood in waiting. They were all professionals here, right? All trying to gain entry. Surely, they had no reason to treat her with hostility. Just another wanderer, returning from the wilds. Wildness ought be checked at the door, right?
Interaction(s): Madeliefje | Nellancholy

 

[ERode]

~ NF 281, November 7 | Heavy Rain ~
​

• Ivory Towerz

• 
  Regardless of whether or not Pyre went along their eccentric leader’s designs, Ivory would be able to find herself a source of fire anyhow. She’d likely have a lighter on her, after all. If things were desperate, she could bust out the squad’s portable burner too, but perhaps that was a tad too much effort. The gates remained unmoved, and the hidden speakers did not start up. The two ladies could only wait for their compatriots in the eaves of Tresfor’s great walls, watching as streams of water veiled the outside world.
  
  It was a veil insufficient, perhaps, for hiding the form of another, approaching them with confidence and poise.
  
  Her stature alone, model-esque, made her appear taller than she was, and the rigidity of her movements spoke of a self-control that certainly did not suit an individual who had strode through the muddy flats for a week or two. Raven hair artfully parted around a heart-shaped face, while her pale eyes gave the impression of a naked blade. A bow, a weapon that was archaic to say the least, hung across her shoulder, and there was an unmistakable elegance to her, akin to that of a CEO’s daughter, or perhaps a mob boss’s wife. Certainly, there were few Lunatics who could lay claim to such a charismatic aura.
  
  But she had to be a Lunatic all the same, to be out alone in the Outlands, untouched by the monstrosities that cared not for the hierarchy of humanity.
  
  …
  
  Vulture and magical girl ascended together, one capable of human speech while the other could only gesticulate with talons or punctuate with squawks. No automated aerial defenses triggered as they glided up over the walls, nor were they instantly turned to glibblets of gore by plasma cores. The skies themselves, outside of still pouring out a deluge of rain, offered no resistance either. Nothing swept down through the clouds to slice them to ribbons, no breath of flame or ice turned them into unrecognizable chunks of meat.
  
  It gave Luna and Mimic plenty of space to do an aerial surveillance, and the results of it answered only a few questions.
  
  The walls were not breached in any way that mattered, nor were there any of the armored bodies of the Sector of Standard Security upon the tops of the walls either. It was completely unmanned, while the buildings within Tresfor looked relatively intact as well. In the center of the city, the Foundation’s skyscraper stood out amongst a cluster of office buildings, the Anti-Lunacy Beacon atop it not exuding any noticeable shine. It was off, yet at this distance, neither of them could make out any sign of damage.
  
  The very fact that the Beacon was off, however, was incomprehensible to begin with. A Beacon was the core of a city, the only reason that humanity could venture aboveground. Even if someone destroyed power plants, the Beacon itself still ought to have had reserve batteries to keep going. Physical barriers shielded the core of that miraculous tech from any outside threats, while the Foundation’s own personnel was sufficient to suppress any that approached from within the building.
  
  But it had to have been disabled one way or another.
  
  Luna, heroic, had her gaze drawn downwards, towards the backstreet ghetto that had been her own childhood. She could see it, mounds upon mounds of bodies clogging the narrow alleys and side streets. A tangle of bodies, of lost lives. The rain would suppress the stench, but the vermin would feast nonetheless. Yet it was strange too. Too few of them had been corroded, transformed by the Bright Night from which they had no protection. She could hardly spy any of that tell-tale carapace that would form over the Lunacy-Dyed. And even if all the humans died, the Lunatics in Tresfor were immune to the Bright Night. Where were they?
  
  Those were the questions asked by a rational mind, but in this moment, she may not be rational at all.
  
  Mimic, her animal instincts primed for movement, her own flight dependent on movement and physics rather than inexplicable magic, instead spied the small cluster of Couriers on the western side of Tresfor. They were only about as strange as any other Courier ought to be, and no doubt were also grappling with what to do when the gate did not respond as it ought to, but it was easy enough for Mimic to get a quick count of them. The Ivory Towerz, as well as this separate group of Couriers, may end up being the only living, the only sane, beings within the walls of Tresfor.
  
  Whether or not they were also hired by the Foundation, however, was up in the air.
  
  After all, while the syndicates and corpos may indulge in occasionally sending two or three groups of Couriers off to go after the same objective, in hopes that the idiots would come into conflict and wipe each other out, the Foundation didn’t play such games.
  

 

[Skyswimsky]

Luna Everheart​

Luna clenched her fists upon witnessing the heaps and heaps of corpses in the backstreets. In a very morbid way, it was a relief — no signs of any human life would have been way weirder — but it ultimately pained her heart. Making way for rage Peace and anger Justice, she'd kill punish whoever had dared to mess with the city like that! Yet, every revelation only brought more questions, and the Magia had to suppress the urge to fly up to the still-intact beacon and check it out more thoroughly.

Hopefully, they would have time to give them some sort of proper burial. Luckily, Luna had already been broken once. It would take more to break her again.

...

Creeeaak

Opening the gate to allow entry for the flightless members, Luna welcomed Ivory, Gabriel&co(?) with a nod, and a weak smile. "Welcome, welcome! To my humble abode of mystery and death, we have a lot of vacant rooms!" The white hair blurted out, nearly forced, before dropping her shoulders and casting her gaze downwards. "They're all dead, Ivy! Corpses, untransformed. The beacon's just... offline, and not a single breach! Just what the heck happened?!" Saying it out loud sure hit differently than just... thinking about it. And trying to crack a joke hadn't helped either! "We really, really have to punish... someone!" The woman pointed at the tower.

"We're going there, yes?" Before gazing towards her bird companion. "Did you find... anything?" They hadn't talked before... not like they would have been able to without Dahlia losing her ability to fly.

Tau Steve Jobs

 

[Tau]

Ivory

Ivory whistled a tune uncharacteristically cheerful, given the circumstances, as the two waited for their flying companions to open things up. Not particularly discreet, but then, Ivory never imagined they had to be. It didn’t take the others too long before Ivory finally heard the banging coming from the other side. She sighed. "I suppose this is what I should’ve expected, sending those two." Thankfully, between the thickness of the metal gate, and the banging, it was pretty much impossible for them to hear her complaint.

When Luna finally broke through, Ivory nodded solemnly. "An inside job, then? I suppose a skilled enough group of lunatics could have managed this, though I can’t imagine why…"

With some very unfortunate timing, the sound of footsteps could be heard approaching. Ivory turned to face… a lunatic? Who else would so calmly wander outside without escort? Not that ‘outside’ meant much at this point. She frowned, turning serious as her mind entered "battle mode," but nevertheless with an aura of calm that the approaching woman herself seemed to carry as well.

"Someone indeed…" Ivory answered Luna, letting the ambiguity fill in the details. She glanced down at the marble tablet: tents and small farms surrounded with very high walls. Well, if she wanted an archer vs. archer fight, that was on the table…

Ivory called ahead to the approaching archer lady before she got too close, "Are you here to take credit for this, or to claim coincidence? Either way, we expect a good explanation," she demanded, one hand firmly grasping her growing civilization like a loaded handgun.

 

[Steve Jobs]

courier.

mimic.

Footsteps in the rain

location

Nearing Tresfor

outfit

N/A

interactions

Ivory, Magia, Pyre

tags

TheRealAngeloftheStorm , Tau , Skyswimsky AnonyMouse

Dont'chu worry, Ivy~, we'll be back in a jiffy!
Dont'chu worry, Ivy~, we'll be back in a jiffy!
Dont'chu worry, Ivy~, we'll be back in a jiffy!
Dont'chu worry, Ivy~, we'll be back in a jiffy!

Mimic repeated as it reached Tresfor's zenith. With no wind resistance, the ascent was easy and allowed Mimic to spare a few moments observing Magia. Where most Lunatics had abilities that could be described with a sentence or two, nothing could do her abilities justice. Flight, energy beams, strength, she was the closest thing to a superhero humanity had.

Could Dahlia steal some of that power before their journey's end?

The vulture left Magia to survey the city could observe the surrounding area while searching for signs of life elsewhere. A mixture of instinct and training, one could never be too cautious when looking out for enemies. For most of their trek, the team had only been in the company of rain and flora but several figures caught their eye.

They all seemed to be in their mid to late twenties, save for a purple figure of dubious age and origin. Did the Foundation hire them too? Ivory Towerz had only departed less than one week ago so it would make no sense for them to dispatch a second team so early. If anything, three days was far faster than most teams. Animal instincts told her that they would need to proceed with caution.

Swooping down, the vulture reunited in Magia in time to assess the damage to the city, or lack thereof. Initially, Mimic assumed that the silence in Tresfor was the result of an aerial strike (as the exterior and foundation were too fortified for normal armaments), but all buildings inside the city were in tact. Rather, the only signs that anything happened were the corpses and the inactive beacon.

Had Ivory's suspicions been correct? Mimic let out a caw of confirmation before shifting back into their human self.

Dahlia followed after Magia as the Courier broke through the gates, her voice frazzled as she relayed everything she saw. For most of their journey, Mimic had been some form of creature which made communication rather difficult from their end. Short of morphing back and forth, all their teammates could do was decipher their body language or wait for them to take the lead. Conversely, Dahlia observed their movements, their gait, their posture, and most importantly, their speech.

"Only the four strangest Couriers I've ever seen!"

she exclaimed, mimicking Magia's exaggerated cadence,

"one of them...I don't even know WHAT they were!"

There was a small laugh as Dahlia walked past the gates and then behind the newcomer before scooping her bag from the floor.

"And while you're at it, were those your friends back there?"

the shapeshifter chimed in, voice returning to its flat affect.

 

[AnonyMouse]

Tsukiko Yamada​

Team B Team Me​

Tsukiko gazed up at Tresfor's silent walls as she made the brief trek to where their targets were. It felt strange to be this close to a city, and not find oneself assaulted by spotlights and the booming voices of guardsmen. A silent city is a terrifying thing indeed.

By the time she reached the other group, she found that two of their members had vanished, leaving behind only the white-haired one and the chain-smoking young lady. Such a nasty habit. Having been raised in an aging underground bunker, where air quality was paramount, the idea of intentionally filling one's lungs with airborne poisons was preposterous. So many hours spent scrubbing ducts and changing air filters... she thought, a slight crease of annoyance forming on her brow as she approached.

Despite having no hostile intentions, she was aware of how this probably looked to the others. Tsukiko kept her hands at her sides, visible at all times. Her takedown bow was draped over her shoulder by its string. Normally, she would have folded it and stowed it in the case before entering a city, but she was no fool. Hope for the best, expect the worst. A long black case was draped over her other shoulder. To those unaquainted with its contents, it probably looked like the case of a musical instrument or gun. But, no. It served as a quiver for her arrows and storage for her other weapons.

She should have kept her katana, or at least a knife, on her person, rather than stored them. But, again... she chose to hope for the best.

Before she could even begin to explain herself, the gates opened. Not by normal means. No, the pounding and grinding from within told the tale: they had been forced apart by one or both of the Ivory Towerz missing members. Tsukiko halted. As Tresfor's interior was revealed to them all. The streets were clogged with corpses, struck down in their attempts to flee the dying --dead?-- city. Tsukiko neither moved nor spoke nor showed any signs of shock or awe at such a gruesome sight. The only signs she had reacted at all was the subtle movement of her eyes. Her cold gray gaze drank in each scattered corpse and each Lunatic before her, as if weighing them on a scale of justice.

The white-haired one turned to her, a natural response, considering the circumstances. In her hand, she held an orb of swirling images, clutched as if her life depended on it. A weapon? An illusion? Or was this something more real? Another young lady touched down behind her and a bird joined them, before returning to its human form, completing the Ivory Towers' roster. Four women, each dangerous in their own way. But at least they did not attack outright.

Tsukiko's eyes drank them in as they asked their questions and delivered their accusations. At last, when the deathly silence was given room to breathe, she spoke:

"I am equal parts flattered and offended that you think me capable of such savagery," Tsukiko said to the first, who had inquired if she was here to 'take credit' for the awful state of this city. Her eyes lingered on the corpses for a moment, before she added, "No... just offended."

She bowed at the waist, but her eyes never left them, despite custom stating that she should be looking at the ground while doing so. "Tsukiko Yamada. A Courier, just like you. My business is my own," she said. She doubted they had heard of her. It seemed unlikely that her name would surrender much. It was a courtesy, and nothing more. "When the gates did not respond, my 'friends,'" she briefly glanced at the not-bird-person, "began to speak of forced entry. Barbaric. Sadly, it seems you share more in common with them than myself."

The tiniest bit of anger teased the edges of that statement, but she held her composure, as she was clearly in the minority here. It seemed nothing was sacred to Lunatics. Walls? Gates? Laws? Who cares about those things when you're 'special' and can barge in whenever and wherever you please!

"Anyway, what is done is done," she said, with a sigh. She spread her hands. "This is new to me, a city of the dead. What is our next step? Notify the Foundation? Reactivate the beacon? Leave?"
Interaction(s): Madeliefje | Tau | Skyswimsky | Steve Jobs TheRealAngeloftheStorm

 

[Nellancholy]

Things were happening quietly, but all too swiftly. A misshapen bird and a glowing mass did a recon lap around the city, briefly establishing line of sight with Janus and her group before wheeling away past the angle that allowed the walls to conceal the bulk of group B from the flyers. Those were, almost certainly functions of the Ivory Towerz' gifts, as opposed to some random phenomenon of the Lunacy-dyed. They knew of their presence, but whether they registered group B as a threat was entirely down to how Tsukiko played the game. Frankly, Janus didn't like the prospect. When someone was worse than Anisa herself at running a con, things were looking pretty grim.

The descent of the flyers was followed by the ear-splitting sound of metal being forced open, followed by conversation that was quite inaudible. The fact that the conversation had yet to audibly turn violent was a relief, though nothing was worth calming down over in a time and place like this.

"Revenant. Alexander, you too-" She did not bid them follow specifically, but was rather just making sure she had their attention for a moment. Madeliefje Resting Witch Face

With but a thought from her, the fairies came to life, glowing as they marked a doorway through the wall, their ethereal presence gnawing away at the solid matter that made it up. Their ineffectiveness at working with simple raw matter was such that they were unable to make a full tunnel through the wall before the part they started at sealed back up, but they were just fast enough to hence create a "pocket" of space that Janus could step into, and any other member who decided to follow her instead of using their own means of entry.

When she stepped out the other side, she noticed...an SSS member, their back almost right to the wall. Somehow...they hadn't noticed her. The fairies always worked quietly, but were far from silent. Still, this was an advantage. Rather than moving to engage them in any way, Janus slipped sideways, making a gentle hop to get up one of the nearby buildings. From where she was on the roof, she tried to get eyes on Tsukiko and the Towerz, as they inevitably entered.

And just in case...

She reached back into her backpack, pulling out the Rubik's cube, a fidget spinner, and several inches of elastic cord. With a tilt of her head, the fairies got to work again, much faster when working with mechanical objects. The cord was wound through a small hole at the end of each of the three prongs of the Y-shaped spinner, while the cube fell apart into its plastic segments. The cord then wound around the plastic pieces, pulling them into a more proper Y shape, a long "leg" supporting two shorter "arms" that held the last few inches of the cord between them to form a slingshot.

Holding the few leftover pieces of plastic in her palm, Janus put one of them against the cord and pulled, drawing a bead on the violently-wrenched open gateway. The jury-rigged weapon would last a few minutes before each part would be involuntarily forced back into their original shape, and while the Towerz were strong, most Lunatics still didn't like being shot in the eye one bit. Only most.

 

[Tau]

Ivory

The encounter was a tense one, with neither side trusting the other. Among Ivory and the stranger, there was a cultured politeness that masked it somewhat, but even a sliver of attention could pick apart the cautions each was taking.

"Offended, hm? Well, that’s preferable to delight, I suppose," Ivory answered calmly. She then watched as Dahlia wandered straight past the woman— Tsukiko, as introduced —to reclaim the bag. How bold. Her words were easily the most concerning, however. Four others? Now that was quite a potential threat, assuming they were all lunatics…

"Interesting. In my experience, most lunatics don’t form large parties to take care of their own business, but rather someone else’s," Ivory answered suspiciously.

"Our next step? You ought, at least, to take me out to dinner before requesting to join us so candidly," She proceeded with a shrug, "But if you must know, we’re here at the Foundation’s request. They want to know what happened… as do I: this event is bound to have historical significance."

Ivory glanced down at her slab of marble, smiled, and then held it up. It now depicted a rough painting. "What a lovely castle. I wish we still built such things in modern day, instead of these ugly metal boxes," she mused, unaware of how thoroughly off-topic it was. After the distraction had lifted, she raised a finger to her cheek in thought.

"On the other hand, it might be nice to have another lady of culture on our team, and I imagine the bow isn’t just an accessory. How about this: just this once, we can skip the dinner date and have you join us for the job. I’m sure the Foundation’s pay, split four ways, is more alluring than a fifth of any alternative."

Ivory’s pointer finger left her cheek and raised her tiny hat for a moment, "That is, if you prove polite enough to return the curtesy of explaining what you’re all doing in Tresfor."

 

[AnonyMouse]

Tsukiko Yamada​

Team B Team Me​

"The client's business is my business," Tsukiko said, becoming slightly annoyed by the silver-haired woman's line of questioning. "But I am sure a professional, like yourself, can understand we do not openly discuss such things."

While Tsukiko considered herself a bastion of civility and manners, she couldn't shake the feeling that this woman was merely hiding darker intentions behind honeyed words. Such a perversion of basic decency ticked her off more than it ought to. And here I was, trying to be nice...

As she spoke of being here at the Foundation's request, Tsukiko's brows lowered at the obvious lie. Even if she didn't already know these people were her targets, she had already witnessed them attempting to gain entry to the city by conventional means. They waited at the gates, like anyone else, before entering by illicit means. These people were just as mystified by Tresfor's state as her own team were and that was the only reason Tsukiko didn't ID them as enemies right away.

About the only thing they did agree on was that modern architecture paled in comparison to the artistry of the old days. As the woman gazed at her strange illusion, a bit of honesty trickled from her lying lips. But, alas, it was short-lived.

"Money?" Tsukiko said with a slow, lamentable shake of her head. "That makes twice now, you have offended me. As I said, the client's business is my business, not yours. I am not here for your lives, miss. That is all you need to know. I will inform you if that changes, so your fear --for that is what this truly is-- is unwarranted."
Interaction(s): Madeliefje | Tau | Skyswimsky | Steve Jobs