Teach let out a small "Ah" before turning to the man known as Pops.
"Hello, sir. Grey sent me here to repair...wait, this scrap pile is a [[frying pan]]?"
He glanced at TIFA, and scoffed.
"Well, besides that point, I'm in need of a lance. And not the one you have now; I prefer something more similar to Seerus's work. Functional, even without the rocket boosters."
DEFCON 1 A DAY OF SILENCE RIP CONDEMNED.
*Sits in a corner wailing and sobbing about the grim future.*
((People need time, don't rush something that takes time. Ask yourself, would you want a poor story put out quickly. Or a quality story that takes time to produce, which is good to read?))
(( I guess OOO took your advice to heart, oh wait...))
((Sorry guys, got caught up playing Elsword for a while. While I was gone, I've been planning the next steps of the game. The upcoming mission to Midhaven is proving tougher to design than I'd anticipated, and is taking me a while to plan out. I'm working it out with Swift. I'll post something later today.))
I've been gone... Three or Four days.
Two pages of progress.
yep
i dun think i can help anymore
Not much has happened in 2 pages. We can pretend Flynn was dozing somewhere in the castle. If he needs to get caught up, just call for a servant. They'll know what to do.
"Wait, Lady Grey? Why is that familiar?..." he mused aloud to himself. He shook himself out of his reverie, realizing that there were more pressing matters needing his attention. "The group may be more important than Ragnor, but if it's that important, he may find me. But...Ragnor may know something about me. I'll have to see him first." He reverted his gaze back to Konami and said, "Would you instead take me to Ragnor? I'd like to know why he recognized me like he did." Konami bowed her head and smiled at him. "Certainly Master."
"So, how is it that Haven is divided into so many parts?" he asked at length. Konami took the opportunity to steal another glance at him. "If Master will permit his servant to correct him, Haven was not divided; rather, two new ones were constructed at the northern and southern coasts, called Northaven and Southaven, respectively. A long time ago, the Spiral Order was divided between the rich and the poor, between knights who hoarded Cradle's energy and those who were left out. War broke out between them, and when the dust settled, they agreed to part ways in the interest of peace. The rich settled in the north and the poor settled in the south. Northaven and Southaven were constructed to guard these settlements. To this day, relations between them remain strained, at best."
They reached the bottom of the staircase and were about to head out when Konami suddenly stopped. A dagger flicked out of her sleeve and deflected a knife aimed at Noel's heart. She fired a shot out of her other sleeve at the assassin, who ducked and let it fly into the wall.
The assassin stood up and pulled his gray hood further down his face. "Nicely done Konami," he commented. "Perhaps you are fit to defend the Master." He looked Noel up and down and added, "Though, he may end up defending us someday."
He strode up to Noel and knelt before him. "Well-met at last, Master Noel. I am Agent 6. Lady Grey has tasked me with protecting you, and I shall do so with the utmost diligence. Use me as you will."
"All I require is council with Ragnor...if he's here." Noel looked at the man who knelt, and bent down to pick him up off the floor. Noe bowed to him instead.
"I am a guest here," He straightened himself, "I request Ragnor if he is about. If not, I seek the Lady. If not, I seek the group she has requested here." Noel stared at the man, and stepped over their boundaries intimately.
"There's no problems with that, is there? I'd hate to be wasting my time." He said softly, locked in stare with Agent 6.
Jolt returned to the makeshift headquarters by sunset, keeping on the mottled green-and-brown cloak he'd found. His new facemask glowed with a faint light.
Amie raised an eyebrow. "So Jolt, I assume you found something?"
"Yes I did. A fine suit of iron dragon mail. Though it's not as heavy as I would've expected, I still wish there was something better in that house. I have worn such armor before and it was...not my style, to say the least. No one was there. The place was sacked and everyone was cleared out, bloodlessly for the most part, which surprises me, now that I think about it. I guess I was fortunate Julius noticed those hollow-sounding floorboards."
Amie pursed her lips and nodded. "I haven't seen Iron Dragon armor in quite some time," she replied. "Speaking of which, I once knew a blacksmith named Roland who used to be in Ozlo's pay. You may want to have him take a look at the armor for you."
Jolt whipped off the cloak. The armor gleamed in the evening light as the great wings on the back spread out and stretched into a room that suddenly seemed too small.
But there was another feature on the armor that only Amie spotted: shoulder insignias. On the right shoulder was the three-pronged fork of the Scarlet Scouts, and on the left shoulder was an Almond Blossom. Amie took note of it, but declined to mention it. Instead, she simply nodded with approval. "All in all, not a bad find from a place that was plundered by greedy hands. Perhaps this means you're now appropriately equipped for our upcoming mission."
She walked back to the map on the table and flipped it over to reveal a map of Midhaven. "Here's the plan. I need you to infiltrate Lady Grey's forces and relay back to me any useful information you acquire. She's sending a party of newly-recruited agents on what we call a 'loyalty mission' to Midhaven to show them why they should join her side. One of her three knights will be accompanying them; I believe it'll be Trent this time. Unlike his comrade Kant, he always scouts for new recruits while he's here. I want him to scout you out. So you need to make some demonstration of skill to get his attention, then do something that'll take his breath away to seal the deal. That part I'll leave up to you."
Amie jabbed her finger at the part of the map marking the entrance. "Old Vargus is still the Warden. As long as you're wearing that armor and your face is still covered, you should be fine getting into the city. If he stops and questions you, though, that's where things will get dicey. And unique armor like that is bound to warrant a few questions. Stay on your toes. Any questions?"
Noel looked at the gray-clad agent and said, "All I require is council with Ragnor...if he's here." Noel picked him up and bowed to him instead. "I am a guest here," he added and straightened himself. "I request Ragnor if he is about. If not, I seek the Lady. If not, I seek the group she has requested here." Noel stared at the man, and stepped over their boundaries intimately. "There's no problems with that, is there? I'd hate to be wasting my time," he said softly, locked in stare with Agent 6.
Agent 6 dipped his head a little. "There are no problems with that at all, Master. Ragnor is not present; he has returned to his abode in the outskirts of Midhaven. We are prepared to take you there, but since he is not nearby, we will lead you to Lady Grey and her group as you have requested." He bowed again and bade them follow.
He escorted them through the Sanctuary, up the steps, and through the central lobby to the dining room, where Topo, Boan, Sona, Fos, Flynn, Grisham, and Lady Grey were seated. Agent 6 dropped onto one knee and declared, "May Her Ladyship permit Master Noel to enter."
Grisham bent his ear to Lady Grey. "Thus says Lady Grey: You may enter. Please, sit and dine with us. You are an honored guest."
Boan waved casually at Noel just as he entered, "Another pawn entered the chess board..." Boan thought, "More pieces to sacrifice to protect the queen..."
Noel stood at the door, and stared at the group. Why did they look so distraught, the entirety of them? No one was happy to be here...
He remembered his manners, and bowed promptly. "Lady and associates, I am Noel. Pleased to be of service." He straightened, and grinned widely. He walked to them, and looked them each in the eye respectively. "What kind of hell did they put you through, hm? You all look like hostages, I'd think you were kept here against your will!" He tucked his hair behind an ear, and stilled himself.
"When and where do we get started?"
"We are not hostages, not yet..." Boan responded grimly back to Noel, "Look, the lady of the house is sick so how about we all just sit, be quiet and finish our meals like good boys... and girls..."
We spent three months and three million crowns infiltrating the prison and bribing anyone we could, and two of my finest agents died making the rescue possible. Boan has no business complaining, Lady Grey thought to herself. But this time, she elected not to have Grisham say that aloud. Not out of any generosity of her heart, though; she would hold it against Boan later when she needed to make him feel bad.
So she turned her attentions back to the newcomer for the time being. She rapped her fingertip on the armrest, and Grisham bent his ear to hear her next words. "Thus says Lady Grey: Please pardon their countenances; they were recently rescued from execution and are exiles in their own country."
"Bring him dinner," Lady Grey breathed while she still had Grisham's attention. He nodded and snapped his fingers. The two servant girls bowed out into the kitchen and returned with a plate of salad and a bowl of soup, which they set at a spare place at the table. Once Noel was seated, Konami and Agent 6 retreated to two corners of the room and kept watch.
Grisham fed Lady Grey another bite of her puree. She suddenly felt embarrassed at being fed like this in Noel's presence, but she'd eaten very little while the rescue was under way, so she was too hungry to object. "Grisham..." she breathed again, hoping he'd hear her. He did, bless him. "Yes, m'lady?"
"Entertain him. I do not feel like speaking."
"Yes, m'lady."
He fed her another bite and looked at Noel. "So," he began. "Ragnor sent word about a week ago that you, our new guest, was a person of some importance. He was quite adamant that you be provided with your own servants. Do you know Ragnor?"
[[@Thin
Tifa & Teach need to be moving, otherwise they'll be dreadfully left behind. Any information on Tifa's actual form can be found here if Nina's Pops needs to say anything about it.
It may seem like I'm getting impatient, but it's more that I have a feeling some important information is coming up, and I'd hate to have Tifa not personally witness it (and now I feel like a parent wishing the best for my daughter... Oh boy).]]
Nina and the mechanic set about repairing or replacing Tifa's parts as needed. Several scoldings and near-accidents later, the Tifa was rolled out of the workshop looking as good as new. Durable titanium plates protected her all-new industrial-grade components, and a new coat of glistening white paint (speed-dried, of course) completed the look.
"What do you think, TIFA old girl? Like your new style?"
"Fools!" she cried, a wild grin transfixed upon her face. "My final deception is complete! I have not come to halt the 7-Year Purge but to drag you into it! I'll see you in Hell, demons! Ha ha ha ha ha!"
The demons let out an enraged cry and bolted for the Gate, but it was too late - it had shut them in.
For eternity.
She turned around to see the wave of fire advancing from beyond the horizon. "Friends..." she said to herself, "I hope you can forgive me."
Still ambling around the medical ward Fos stopped when he found a book on the application of practical medicine on Alchemical aliments. Opening the rather dusty book he found it to be a rambling on bandages and bindings. Minor things of prescriptions to aid in long term cooping with such infliction's of the flesh after an alchemist has done their work on the body of a victim. However, none of it seemed to aid him in his quest to find Gray's medical records.
Perhaps if I found Gray's personal physician. He or she, or they if that be the case, maybe able to tell me something these books can't.
Placing the book back where he found it Fos returned his hands behind his back. Slowly walking down the rows of wounded the Alchemist paused for a moment and saw a sight. A young warrior, couldn't have been that far into his 20's, suffering from the loss of a limb.
Taking a peak around, none of the nurse's or doctor's seemed to be paying attention. With a smile Fos closed the curtain and took the chart. It was rather long list of aliments and treatments used to keep the kid alive, however the look on the sleeping fighter's face said it was clearly not enough. Dusting off his long coat Fos walked to the side of the bed and looked over the broken man.
"Lets see, outside of blood loss being key here, I would say your major problem is that leg. Smiths can give you a prosthetic, but why use metal when flesh is better..."
Tucking the chart under his arm Fos lifted up his left hand, looking at the ring. It was still thick and he couldn't see through it yet, but then again he did collect a rather large amount of blood on the way over here.
"Well, time to get your second wind soldier."
Holding his left hand out over the nub, Fos silently muttered something under his breath. Energy seemed to arch from his hand, more over his ring than anything else, and the nub. After what felt like a hour, which was more like a handful of minutes, the light show ended and what was left was a man, a little pale, but with the perfectly regenerated leg based on the DNA of the Body before him.
Putting the chart back and making his way out of the Medical Ward with haste, Fos smiled.
That was stupid, but maybe his flame will burn brighter now.
Once in the hall way Fos had a little smile on his face, followed by his favorite him his brother would hum when they weren't fighting.
OOC:
Boan: *spills drink* "WHAT?! Grey spent 3 million to rescue us?!"
Judas: "What, too cheap for you?"
Boan: "Ugh, no, but it seems rather foolish for her to just spent that much money to save us when she could have just used the money to train more troops or build more walls around her. I just hope she isn't expecting an equal payment from us... because that is not happening..."
IC:
Boan looked back at agent 6 and Konami who were hiding out of sight in the corners of the lobby room, "Some fancy hand maidens you got there, mister Noel... "
Noel looked to Boan, and spoke, "I'm not sure why they are here, but...I trust them."
Noel turned his attention to the man, Grisham? He looked at him for awhile before he spoke, "I am a simple enough boy. I do not understand who Ragnor is or how he knows me, but I expect to find out." He took a sip of iced tea before he continued, "I am the product of Tinkinzar, I am here on a lead to understand what happened to him and if anyone knows anything about me. But, my real ambition..." he paused, and took a breath.
"My real ambition, is to see the Core open."
He eyed the Lady though, and kept his heart in check as he remembered once more, and his thoughts,
She has his and her eyes. The scorching light, peaking through from her soul.
"Excuse me, Lady, but were you born with those eyes? Or..."
The brother or the sister. She's met one, she's had to.
[[@Thinslayer
Did you mean "rolled out" here in its literal meaning (i.e. On a Wheelchair rolling), or as in its metaphorical meaning (i.e. "rolled out of the production lane")?]]
Sona briefly looked up to the newcomer away, only to quickly look away. "There's better clothing to be worn than bedsheets, you know." she said, looking slightly flustered. "Lady Grey is right. Prison doesn't exactly make a woman too happy."
((@Ember-Break, either one is feasible. I meant more 'rolled out of the production line,' but it was deliberately vague.
Also, @Feline-Grenadier, are you waiting to return with Tifa? Just wondering.))
The medics stopped their work to stare at Fos. What he had done was...well, not seen in nearly 3-4 years, and that rarely. The lead doctor marched up to him and shook his hand. "Sir, you have my sincerest, deepest gratitude. Can I persuade you to stay with us a little while longer? We will accomodate your needs in any way we can."
Meanwhile, back in the dining room, Noel hadn't finished shocking everyone yet.
"I'm not sure why they are here, but...I trust them." That raised some eyebrows.
"I am a simple enough boy. I do not understand who Ragnor is or how he knows me, but I expect to find out." Ragnor was a big name in these parts, and he made a point of knowing Noel. Another eyebrow-raiser.
"I am the product of Tinkinzar, I am here on a lead to understand what happened to him and if anyone knows anything about me." One could hear several jaws dropping to the floor. Tinkinzar was dead for nearly half a century.
"But my real ambition is to see the Core open."
And with that, Mi-Hao promptly fainted. The Core was opened a long time ago, almost a hundred years prior, and the Being inside it helped the Spiral Knights restore Isora. Adventurous knights still sometimes pay visits to it; Astran, in fact, was rumored to have spoken one-on-one with it at some length during an earlier period in his life.
Grisham coughed to break the silence. "My dear boy, I have a bit of news for you: it seems that you have time traveled."
"I...didn't know it was that far forward." Noel furrowed his brow, and looked down at his plate in speculation. The eyes on him were uncomfortable, and he was less than prepared for such a shock.
"I only followed the directions this sir gave me, he was a strange fellow. He had eyes a lot like the Lady's, and another woman that I've seen before..." he let out a sigh, and picked up for fork to prod the potatoes. The man was, in fact, strange. He'd appeared out of nowhere, dressed in a hood that shone like the floodlights above, and carried a pistol unlike Gremlin technology, and reminiscent more of the Knights Noel spied on occasionally.
He looked up at the guests once more, and realized he'd have to humor them longer with all his secrets out. He slumped in his seat.
"The Lady almost has the same eyes though..." he mumbled, "...of the strange fellow, I mean. That's why...I asked..." he trailed off.
"Perhaps you should join the journey to Midhaven. I think you will find what you seek."
Grisham fed Lady Grey the last bites of her dinner. "Are you all ready to go?"
Trying to pull his hand back Fos gave a half smile half cringe. It wasn't an uncommon sight to see the alchemist get ask such things but he really didn't like the idea of having to help people for anything other then his own reasons, unless he so wished himself to.
"Look, I respect your work and all your going, but I came here for one thing and one thing alone. The medical records of Gray. After that I plan on going and getting a meal because they didn't offer anything I can eat at dinner."
Finally freeing his hand the alchemist looked at the doctor. Sure this man had a lot of work on his hands, the big thing being able to take care of these people, but to Fos, they meant nothing.
The doctor's countenance fell. "I see. Very well then. Thank you for healing the one patient, at least." He bowed and moved on to his next patient.
Noteworthy is that the doctor didn't direct Fos to where the medical records were.
Most of the patients in the medical center were wounded agents, usually spies whose cover was blown. A few were knights, some with signs of torture. Whatever operation Lady Grey was running, it was intense.
[[I'll be using the metaphorical term for "rolled out" then.]]
~~~
Tifa:
"What do you think, TIFA old girl? Like your new style?" the loud mechanic asked as Tifa tried out her newly refurbished legs, arms and... Well... Mostly everything she would need to move properly to remain mobile.
The fix had been quite fast, despite the amount of corrosion that had happened on Tifa's frame, and the man clearly knew what he was doing, seeing as he managed to almost perfectly replicate Tifa's original design. Well, provided her original design didn't offer anything that had fallen off before arriving here -- still, working with what he had, all systems were running as intended. While tests for more dynamic functions still needed to be done, the passage of time loomed in Tifa's mind. They needed to return to Lady Grey's abode for more instructions, or risk being left behind.
With that in mind, Tifa turned to the mechanic and his daughter and offered a polite bow, minus the curtsy of a dress, which Tifa had taken off and placed on one of the workbenches for proper repairs to be made.
"Thank you, Nina, "Pops"." Raising her head, Tifa continued; "While more tests will need to be done, for now, this is adequate."
Tilting her head slightly and narrowing her newly improved, high-definition, glowing eyes in a sort of "faceless smile", Tifa then gave a polite "I must be going now." before walking over to her dress and clothing herself in front of the others. Judging by the loss of smearing, her Paint seemed to have already dried.
"I suppose I will go get a note from Lady Grey to cover my expenses, then?" Tifa asked, partially to the pair of mechanics, and partially to Teach. Tifa wasn't well-versed in the mechanic-pair's rules on "repaired items leaving before pay", and she also did not know of Teach's plan to retrieve funds from their rescuer.
Tifa's newly refurbished vents inhaled the mist-thick energy of the Mechanic's shop near-silently as she awaited a response.
~~~
[[I'll make a response for Nina once I know how her father will respond, seeing as there's a possibility that he'd be more trusting of Teach and Tifa's promise of having Grey pay for them -- resulting in "Pops" simply getting the funds from the castle himself or sending Nina.
Regardless, I'll just wait for now.]]
"Well," Jolt replied, a bit concerned he might not measure up to 'impressive' "I'll shadow them for awhile, hopefully find an opening that will allow me an opportunity to impress them."
"You'll find something to impress them with." Amie replied to assure him. "You are a highly trained assassin, aren't you? I'll give you some food in case they are slow getting back here. We don't want to draw suspicion by having you steal, do we? These food bars won't slow you down much and are surprisingly filling."
After thanking Amie, Jolt thought for a minute. "How will I identify these targets? I barely saw them through the bars as they passed by."
"You will be looking for a party of six or more, probably dressed nicely. The men include two of medium build and height, a tall fellow with many scars, and a tattooed alchemist. With them are a woman you may have met: Sona the former tactician as well as a very advanced (and dangerous) female robot. They are all led by either a huge sword-wielding knight or a slim gunslinger with a wide-brimmed hat. Despite the skillset of this party (which is considerable. They got out of the prison you were in.) they all depend on the battlemage leader. He is the one you must impress, Jolt, if you want to infiltrate their ranks. The resistance is counting on you. We will communicate, you'll find out how, once you make it back to Northaven. Do not blow your cover."
"I will do my best," the less than confident Jolt answered in a voice that implied otherwise. "I'll be heading out to the Great Gate complex to start off. They will have to get there first of course. I don't know when next I will see you... thank you for all you have done." Jolt saluted, donned once again his cloak, and set off on a several mile journey through the twisting streets and alleyways of the Garrison district.
"Are you all ready to go?"
"Ready as always," Boan replied to Grisham, "Just give the word and I will get geared up in the armory."
Noel nodded, "That is why I'm here...though, my weapon of choice will have to be a standard Calibur." His moves were good, but they were too good for any weapon above a 2 Star Certification. The weapon would serve him well, the damage just as good as any other. Only a legendary weapon could reveal his potential, but currently, legendary weapons such as those were out of stock if their energy source had vanished, which it had. The Core's influence was hardly any in this branch of history he'd happened into.
He'd have to get proper sandals as well, and some...undergarments. Some goggles as well, he tended to get overemotional during longer battles for the same reason one would cry out of love and passion. A durable tablet to take notes, maybe see in the dark. A different change of a cloak would have to do as well, black would probably serve its purpose in more instances than this white bed sheet.
Flynn sputtered back to conciousness, listening to quick catches of the conversation he had slept through- Regretably.
Wait, Core?
Tinkinzar?
Time travel . . .?
Flynn rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, as he positioned himself into a slightly less awkward position.
So, among us is someone who has seen, or at least heard of, the core being open.
While it does disturb me a little that time travel is real, I'm not too suprised.
Perhaps, a simple way of speaking about time travel is that it can't cause paradoxes, as it is something that has already happened, and something that will happen. Perhaps. . . Everything that happens was already decided.
Flynn shook his head.
It's not the time to be thinking about life, I've slept through too much. I need to catch up.
"Midhaven huh. . . Aren't we wanted?" Flynn says, simply.
"I'll be ready and start planning as soon as I can get a proper table with some maps and scrap paper." Of course, Sona was shocked from Noel's time travel, but she didn't outwardly display it. She was too focused on getting the plan started to care about any supernatural events.
OOC : Post #502; being left hanging got me into spectator-mode for a moment.
"I don't believe everything's just about done, yet," Teach says as he sticks his head in from the other room, "but...well, the Lance can wait until the time I leave the castle. I think we've spent just about enough time here, anyways. It's a guarantee that we'll send someone, or we can take your daughter for a moment, and acquire the note."
((Had a long shift, plus it was mom's birthday today with family visitors, so I apologize for the long delay. Planning stages are nearing completion as well, so you should be launching into a completed path once things get going again.))
"I suppose I will go get a note from Lady Grey to cover my expenses then?" Tifa asked. The mechanic shook his head and replied, "We're all salaried back here. Nina, you'd better not have been charging our customers extra again, or I'll- *ahem* anyway, you're covered and good to go. Hey, enjoy the journey, okay? I don't wanna have to fix you up again. Not that it was unpleasant or anything, but you get my meaning." Then he waved her out of the shop.
Tifa and Teach arrived back in the dining room just in time for the final questions. "Midhaven, huh? Aren't we wanted?" Flynn was just saying. Grisham nodded. "Don't worry about that. They don't put wanted posters everywhere. Unless the Tri Guard are there, you shouldn't find much trouble."
"Also," Grisham added, "Get Sona that map and Noel his clothes." The servants bowed and departed.
Stopping for a moment Fos had an idea, a rather dark idea on how to quince his thirst. Turning around the Alchemist took the doctor's hand and flashed a devilish smile for all to see.
"Well let me rephrase my self a little. I am a Blood Alchemist and normally I don't touch others because of my work for the reasons you can guess. However I saw that lad back there and thought for a moment he was in a rather pathetic state, so why not take a moment and give him a hand, in this case that hand being his missing limb."
Taking the doctor's shoulder and walking him back into the center of the room he smiled, his crimson eyes giving off a faint glow that even the devil himself would shake from.
"These men and woman gave their all in the name of Gray, and I am sure most of them want to get back out there and give more. Sadly they can't right away, but if I can help sure. This will also give me time to get back into my craft, however I need two things in return."
The Alchemist turned to the doctor, the front of the Blood Alchemist's body taking on a cast of shadow. The only things that didn't take on the cast where his always glowing eyes, and his white teeth. Despite him always drinking the crimson liquid, it never seemed to stain his teeth nor did he let them get covered in tarter, after all dental health was just as important as physical and mental health right?
His voice now a more hushed tone.
"I need blood, and the records of Lady Gray."
The words seemed to hang in the air, as if they where coming from a long hall way with a small echo.
"To remove her aliments, I can assure you."
Nina:
Nina waited until the pair had left the room to turn to her father and give out a large huff.
"Y'know, if ya keep givin' away free money e'ry time Ms. Grey's name is let out, we'll never b'able t' climb t'the upper class!"
Nina turned from her father and, with eyes glittering with her dreams of the future, she continued.
"E'stravagant food, Fancy suits n' dresses, People with monocles, MORE food!" Pausing a moment and lowering her arms, which had flung skywards as her imagination ran wild, Nina calms herself (for now), and adds a couple more things to her list:
"An' 'sides those... We could do with more high-quali'y ma'erials. N' I'm sure more tech's been made in other areas by now... 'Avin tha' stuff'd be like a dream come true!"
Finished with her part-rant part-dream, Nina put her hands on her hips, pushed back a couple lines of brown hair which had escaped the headband atop her head, and turned to her father to continue proper conversation.
"Anyways... Y'aven't answered m' question yet. How was meetin' with th' p'tential employer?" *
~~~
Tifa:
Noting that the Mission was being discussed, Tifa immediately started recording the conversation. Due to the repairs on her power-tracts, the consumption of energy was quite a deal better than it was earlier in the day... In fact, as Tifa's vents continued to let a steady flow of Mist in (however thin it may have been in the room), she was generating enough energy to be on the gaining side, despite her functions being fully operational.
Turning to Teach before moving in for better point of recording, she gave a short and simple "Thank you for accompanying me, Teach." before looking over the table, finding a vacant spot about halfway down the table, and seating herself.
The Mechanics had done quite a good job on reducing the amount of weight her shellform had originally amounted to, and so there was not even a single "crack" from the chair as she lowered herself and adjusted her dress to her new position.
~~~
[[ * - Asked previously here, and mentioned even more previously here.
@Thinslayer
While giving more details on the employer is not necessary, a side storyline could be made from the situation if you want one to. Regardless, the employer has been mentioned, and must be dealt with (even if it's a "it didn't work out").
My original thought on the employer was that it was someone wanting the pair to move over to Midhaven for his/her own reasons. This would allow easy access to weapons & repairs for the group -- seeing as they'd recognize Tifa and Teach. That ease of access could also be influenced by who their employer is (because they don't necessarily have to be on the team's side).
I'm not sure who you have Pops allied with (probably Lady Grey), but a "traveling shop" would be a good thing to have if the RP goes on for a long time; so rethinking their allegiance to more of a "We repair things for anyone that offers sufficient dough" is a potential option.
Anyways, it's as I said, you can address the Employer thing however you want.]]
(*Nomphs on burnt bread*)
Flynn grumbled at the mention of the Tri Guard. Honestly, He wasn't very appreciative of their snobby, uptight ways.
It might be understandable, that yes, They act such so that they can 'Protect the city' But honestly, Couldn't the be less obtrusive when it comes to being normal? Flynn sighed, and took a sip from the coffee which had appeared seemingly magically.
[[Before you ask (and you will ask): Yes I am bored enough to write what is going to follow.
~~~
Within the void of time, a lone being walks.
Guided by its master, led to worlds disconnected from one another by but a strand. Fate's paths. Threadlike, wavering with even the sleightest movement, and overlapping with the tap of a writer's pen.
This time, it is a sound which makes the threads tremble.
More accurately, it is a crunch.
The armored being turns to the noise which travels through dimensions; time, space, quests, worlds... This sound... This sound cares not for what it passes. The being could recognize the sound from anywhere, even here in the ethereal void.
Min knows this sound.
The sound of Burnt Bread being eaten.]]
(Why should I ask? We're both fairly bored enough to do so.)
~~~
A teenager sits in his chair, A chair which had lost both of it's arms some time ago.
His long dark hair is accented by headphones which cover his ears, slightly obscuring his gender.
On his face is a dumbfounded look. He would speak, except that there is a piece of burnt bread sticking out of his mouth.
He cocks his head to the side, and offers the other piece of bread, which, is also burnt.
@Darkwatck
Stopping for a moment Fos had an idea, a rather dark idea on how to quince his thirst. Turning around the Alchemist took the doctor's hand and flashed a devilish smile for all to see.
Fos stopped, paused, and took the doctor's hand. "Well. Let me reword that a little. I am a Blood Alchemist, so I normally don't touch others because of my work for reasons you can guess. However, I saw that lad back there and thought he was in a rather pathetic state, so I thought, Why not take a moment to 'give him a hand' and replace his missing limb?"
He took the doctor's shoulder and walked him back to the center of the room. "These men and women gave their all in the name of Grey, and I am sure most of them want to get back out there and give some more. Sadly, they can't right now, but if I can be of any help, I will. This will also give me time to get back into my craft. However, I need two things in return."
His voice took on a more hushed tone. "I need blood, and the medical records of Lady Gray."
The words seemed to hang in the air, as if they where coming from a long hall way with a small echo.
"To remove her aliments, I assure you."
The doctor fidgeted, unable to look Fos in the eye. "Erm...well..." He was finding it hard to say no, if only because Fos seemed so intimidating. But the guy was a criminal. One does not simply give medical records to criminals. That said, the promise of powerful medical aid from a blood alchemist was almost too good to pass up. Almost.
"Okay. I'll give you the medical records, but on one condition: you have to heal up everyone in this room. I'll give you a few blood bags to keep you going. They're there in the fridge." He pointed to a refrigerator in the back. "Do try to use as little as possible, please. We need it for emergency blood replacement."
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@Noel-Exside
Konami led Noel away to the dressing room, where she pulled a set of standard undergarments from a chest and handed them to Noel. "Please put these on while your servant fetches you a suit of armor." She placed the folded undergarments in his arms, bowed and left the room, and returned just as he finished putting them on. Konami then fitted on a flexible armored vest and a red tabard emblazoned with a stylized rose. The tabard looked a bit old and worn, as if it were used in battle a long time ago and never again. Noteworthy is that nowhere on it was a blue cross, Lady Grey's symbol. Konami then threw a dark gray cloak and hood around his back and attached it with an opal brooch.
Finally, she attached a belt around his waist and sheathed a tempered Calibur into the scabbard. "There!" she exclaimed, "Master is all set to do battle with the forces of evil! How does my Master feel?"
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@Ember-Break
((Nina and Pops are paid a weekly salary by Lady Grey, and Pops implied that taking gratuities is forbidden. They're already employed.))
"Y'know, if ya keep givin' away free money e'ry time Ms. Grey's name is let out, we'll never b'able t' climb t'the upper class! E'stravagant food, Fancy suits n' dresses, People with monocles, MORE food! An' 'sides those... We could do with more high-quali'y ma'erials. N' I'm sure more tech's been made in other areas by now... 'Avin tha' stuff'd be like a dream come true! Anyways... Y'aven't answered m' question yet. How was meetin' with th' p'tential employer?"
The mechanic took off his goggles and wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Nina..." he began slowly, dipping his head, "...we're not going anywhere. The potential employer backed out of the deal."
Seeing that the Noel has gone to get geared up, Boan stood up from the dinner table, "Grisham, please tell the lady that I will be off now to get geared up at the armory," he then turned to Sona, "I will be waiting for you at the armory, finish your meal and I will wait you there..."
The smile across Fos' faced could have gotten wider at the sound of a free meal.
"Don't worry, by the time I am done here you won't have a single person ill or sick."
Putting his hands behind his back Fos slowly made his way to fridge. The Alchemist's guts where starting to burn knowing a meal was right in front of him, after all. He only needed one bag to fill himself, but a couple if he was going to be working.
"Go ahead and prep me a Operating Room. Clear it out, save for anything that is needed by the person coming in first."
Jolt made his way quickly through the streets of the Garrison on his way to the Town Square and its Gate Complex. Though he travelled at a rate that was astounding, he did not appear to do so, a technique he had perfected over many years of training.
Arriving at the Gate Complex after two hours of trekking, Jolt did his best to remain inconspicuous in his hooded cloak. Finding a place that was difficult to monitor from elsewhere, yet still had a great view of the Gate, Jolt made his way toward it. This was an alcove on the battlements of the wall inside the Gate of Midhaven. Hardly used and covered in a light veil of spider webs, Jolt made it his temporary home as a relative many had before him.
Unlike a sniper, Jolt was not accustomed to waiting for extremely long periods until a target showed up. Once the Gates closed for the day (around 5:00 in the afternoon), Jolt decided he would familiarize himself with Midhaven in case doing so would help him remain unseen or more impressive. Dropping down with surprisingly little noise for Dragon Armor boots, Jolt made his way over to the Auction House. While waiting in line for something or other, he looked down at his boots, and found the bottoms to be soft leather instead of the usual heavy metal. This could be useful.
While in line, he observed all manner of pushing, shoving, bidding wars, death threats, fights that stopped almost as soon as they started with a stabbing or gunshot... such violence over material posessions... what had happened while he was away?
Slipping away, he headed toward the bazaar to see if things were a bit more calm there.
With the meal mostly over just as Teach came in, the man decided to pick up an empty chair and seat it right next to Grey, before leaning back, crossing his legs, and interlocking his fingers together. His stomach growls.
"...Lady Grey..." he starts, but pauses for a moment as his bowels move a bit.
"...um...yes, besides my lack of nutrition, I do believe there are things to be done for...the both of us, this one," he says as he nods his head to TIFA, "and me."
Walking down the hall, having completely passed the Library, Fos found himself pondering the same situation before hand. His burst of both anger and frustration left the alchemist in a bit of a quagmire. On the one hand he had the fact he said he would fix the woman, not a bad idea but he had no clue what she was up to behind his back. On the other hand he didn't want to talk to a lump of a creature. Either way walking around a keep with his hand glued to his chin wasn't solving his problems.
I should check her medical records. Perhaps if it's a blood born illness I won't have to use too much Bio-alchemy. Of course I know what you would do brother, you would just march in there with a hand full of Dark Matter and start working on her till something came through...You where never the best at Bio-alchemy.
Turning around in the hall Fos found himself standing in front of the one place he didn't really expect, the infirmary.
Well I said I wanted to check medical records...but I doubt they will just hand them over...Or maybe.
Walking into the room Fos looked around, aside from one person on duty, others laying in the beds ((Yes I am assuming there are wounded here)) the place was rather quiet. Looking around, tome strapped to his side and hands behind his back, the man keep his eye open for a doctor or a nurse to aid him in his quest.
Either way checking the woman's medical records will give me a good idea of the flesh I am going to be working on. That and maybe a little sneak peak at her blood type.
The man gave a small chuckle.