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Macy smiles softly. “Good. We love you too.” Noelle nods. “Yup. Gonna have to improv a little bit, I hope you don’t mind.” “That’s the goal.” Kira gives a cheeky wink. “Because I love them,” Carissa states easily. ( |
Thomas grinned. "Good." Kara nodded. "Should be fun." Kyra laughed. "Then you've scored." |
Jotun Mountain |
Macy nestles her head against his shoulder and lets out a yawn. “Mmm, Guess I’m a little sleepy.” Noelle smiles slightly. “Okay. I’ll go ahead and start filming now, you can start whenever you’re ready.” Kira smiles. “I scored the best prize on Augusta.” |
Most of the barracks was empty, but there was a large, tightly-packed group of soldiers at the center of the room. There was the occasional hoot, holler, cheer, and laugh. It was easy to guess where Vara was. ****** Maria laughed. ****** Corali shrugged. |
William nods. Nelly approached. They turned to face her, a stronger scent hit their nostrils, stronger than the one eminating from Vara, and soon all their eyes were turning to her. "Looks like you're particularly keen about something...been using one of my girls, have you?" The crowd parted before her as Nelly made her way to see Vara, a modicum of concern deep within her, but carefully covered up with a charade. ****** The Roodem gave a shrug, gave a smile, and gave a very rude gesture to the door. he eventually left for where the Aerlanicans were. ****** ( Eastrid shrugged. *the actual word used was Patulag; which meant different things in different contexts, anywhere from sickness, to plague, to being sick. William nods. |
Vara was lying on a bunk bed, naked, blindfolded, silent, and unmoving, just as the Royal Emperor had ordered. There was a soldier on top of her, but he was now facing Nelly. ****** After a few uneventful days, the ship landed. Although the strangers began to disembark, the Aerlanicans were instructed to wait until sundown before leaving. When sundown eventually came, the Aerlanicans were brought out of the ship and led to an infirmary. The landing pad was on the edge of town, a couple hundred meters from a stone wall two stories tall, beyond which was a forest with blue grass and leaves. The buildings were uniform in style, with foundations of stone, walls of plastered brick mixed with wooden beams, and wooden roofing. The streets were some kind of pavement, but a few worn patches as well as sidewalks revealed that the streets were cobblestone once, now made smooth. The streets were narrow, and the city layout was clearly not built with cars in mind. That wasn't a problem though, as there were no cars. Perhaps people only walked everywhere. The twisting roads hid the size of the city. It could be a small forest village or a sprawling metropolis. The buildings were mostly two or three stories tall, though a few towers peaked out, two at the visible part of the wall - perhaps three and a half stories tall - and a third further in the city, perhaps a bell or church-bell tower. ****** Corali shook her head. |
February 12th, 1884 "Whispering wind of dark pines, whistling call of alpine glaciers, tidings of space, were are your summons to bring about our salvation from those who seek our destruction?" Ta'lhqejk silently whispered while overlooking the roaring creek which ran next to their temple. Its clear and icy waters raced through forests of pines and larches, beneath the shadow of snow-capped peaks. "Call out to your forefathers and the Palace of the Heavens where the gods dwell, ask for your salvation in all tounges and you shall receive. Forgotten and forsaken you are not by those above; the gods are omnipresent. Blessed be those who invoke our names in the winds of peace and the gales of battle, their souls shall live immortally." They continued while standing on a balcony illuminated by the warm glow of red candles and fires in the fireplaces of the temple. A cold wind whistled as it passed by, delivering with it a gust of icy mountain air. "What a lovely soliloquy, praying in a time of need with the prayer of the commoners. How humble." Echoed a worn voice as Ta'lhqejk turned around, dressed in flowing black robes, to face a familiar foe. "I expected you. An inglorious knave blustering and taking advantage of the passing of a sovereign to recoup lost glory and might." Ta'lhqejk hissed at Erich, who for his part was wearing a black top hat. "What exactly were you expecting? My contentment was always a facade that concealed my burning desire to become an even greater imperial power. There has never been ambiguity or secrecy about my plans regarding this land, simply the opportunity to act on those plans hadn't yet presented itself. You would be naive to believe any claim about my contentment, let alone about my happiness. What occurred nine years ago was a mere precursor to the moment which we find ourselves in." Sneered Erich as he glanced about the gloomy and ornate interior of the temple. "Perhaps I was wrong to have ever considered your kind worthy of godly grace. Certainly, the consideration of striking your pathetic populace down would have avoided this situation. However, the die has been cast by now. The footsteps of your troops are not imperceptible to me, and I can foresee what you are doing insofar as what it means for my kind. You were never going to cooperate with us. This was always Monsonian land in your opinion." Sighed Ta'lhqejk solemnly as they bowed their head in a solemn manner. "Correct. Now, I must ask you a question of tremendous importance." Smirked Erich. "How would you like to die? By the blade of a sword, or the tip of a bullet?" "Kill me? Are you so foolish as to think that I, a god, can die?" Asked Ta'lhqejk as a hint of nervousness crossed their face. "Are you so foolish as to assume I'd keep you alive?" Erich asked as he drew a revolver and cocked the hammer. "Of course not. Both of us understand fully what this entails, I cannot rule this land so long as you are in my way. Now, I must dispose of you in the most ethical manner befiting an icon of savages and slavers." "Go ahead, shoot me. Put every round in that firearm through my body. My death is not assured; it is not even possible. Whatever you try, whatever you do, I shall return from the Palace of the Heavens to onc emore grace this land. Until then, I will merely be a haunting ghost in your mind, a memory that will flicker throughout the ages until the time is ready. You may have bested my people in 1626, you may have brought about your rule, but this will always be my land." Retored Ta'lhqejk as Erich monetarily closed his eyes. "Goodbye Ta'lhqejk, Godess of Wisdom. Only when your convenant and that of the Lord cross over shall you return to this forsaken and pagan land. May the Lord have mercy on your wretched and sinful soul, for you are a wretched icon of sin, a symbol of pagan worship for false idols." Spat Erich as Ta'lhqejk closed their eyes. Then, shots rang out. Six distinct blasts permeated the cold and clear night air, and the body of Ta'lhqejk was gone. Only bloodied robes with bullet holes reminisced of their presence. "Forgive me for what I have done, killing the last of the Varlokiri gods, thus untethering this land from it's celestial bounds. I am sorry, for I truly loved thee, Ta'lhqejk, even if I would and could never comprehend you. I slayed every one of your peers for my own gain in this great game of coquest. May you find some semblance of peace wherever you are, upon which you may rest eternally. Truly, I am sorry, for I know what must be done." Mumbled Erich as he stared at the bloodied robes while he tipped his hat in respect. Flames climbed into the sky as snow gently begins to fall on the bare poles of larchs and the fine green leaves of pines. The ornate temple's colorful woodwork and plaster melting in the blowing orange flames. Orante treasures and valuable texts seemingly missing from the flames, while the robes flashed to ashes in green flames. A New Franco Beach, Present Day "Are you okay?" Ta'lhqejk asked Erich after noticing he had spaced out. "I-I am." He sighed. "MK1a, if you want your mind split, I can make two copies. One for your current body, and one for a new body. The two can be synchronized into a single entity, thus also solving the whole pilot issue." "You don't sound well." Noted Ta'lhqejk. "No, I am well. No, if I may suggest, we ought to proceed rapidly before the situation changes unfavorably." Responded Erich as he turned to face Mk1a. "Your thoughts?" He asked. |
( |
Intrepid The Cicada agents begin working with the entity |
Mk1a, concerned, reached out to Erich but hesitated; she couldn't exactly grasp his shoulder since he lacked one, and all she would do would crush him...or at least irritate him. She turned to Ta'lhqejk. "Is he...even in a good enough condition to do that...maybe...maybe we should just run...or...dive into the ocean if he's not able to do it; I daresay they won't be able to get a clear shot if i'm under a kilometer of water, right? Erich, it's ok if you're unwell...Ta'lhqejk can you help him?" Nelly looked to the soldier and raised an eyebrow. Silence. Pause. Awkward emptiness as the gathered soldiers simply stared dumbstruck. "Do I need to use my angry voice or are you going to give me an answer?" Nelly asked with similar manners. ****** Most of the Aerlanicans looked around the urban sprawl with muted respect, still though, they looked to the sky, with one suggesting that the ozone layer was thinner, thus making the sun's rays more harmful to entities ill suited for the harsh sun. Regardless, they were thankful to their new saviours and followed them to the infirmary. Within this infirmary, they were treated for malnutrition, some low levels of poison and toxins within their blood stream, some minor scrapes and other minor issues. One thing, however, that was discovered, was that about one in twenty of the rescued Aerlanicans had cancer, either stage one, two or three. This was not from the planet. ****** Eastrid frowned. |
Carissa nods. “I do love myself. I just love them more. Cait and Connie are my reason for existing. And they would both say the same about me.” |
Using the entity as a moving shield, also pointing and calling out the targets, they proceded forward, clearing corridors as they went. What was once a seemingly impossible task now was trivial as this behemoth simply marched forward, stopping for nothing and no one. Helmets were crushed like soda cans, blast doors ripped apart like tissue paper, rounds from all manner of weapons rebounded off of the shield like pellets from a toy gun and no air based weapon harmed this entity as it simply proceded to move forward as a mobile tank. There wasn't a contest, however, there was one point in time where a localised EMP shattered the shields of this titan and stopped it in it's tracks, long enough to cause noticable damage to the hull underneath; while strong, it was not invincible. In quick order, the Silent Ones, the hand of the overseer and the finest COURIER had to offer was cornered into a small room where they were slaughtered. After the violence had subsided and an air of uneasy calm settled over the ship, the entity turned to the Cicada agents. "You can take the credit," it said simply, "we're a bit occupied with Rex." William nodded. |
The soldier withdrew from Vara. Vara still did not move, save for breathing of course. ****** The technology of the people was limited and largely did not match their space travel capabilities. Their ability to treat for poisons was limited, and they lacked the technology to diagnose the cancer. The technology was varied, but one could say that it was overall close to a hundred years behind the Aerlanica technology of the Civil War. And yet, the landing pad where they arrived was old as well, integrated into the city and worn as though it were decades, maybe even centuries old. ****** "I'm not sure what would work, if anything. Besides, there is a good chance Delegata would just replace it if I manage to remove it." |
"I am fine!" Snapped Erich. "I need silence if I am to do this procedure! Interference and distractions will not be welcome additions unless I am to create some unholy creation capable of destroying the world through its own conviction when it becomes ill-tempered!" "He seems to need a moment or two to compose himself." Remarked Ta'lhqejk, addressing Mk1a. "Have a semblance of faith in him. I do, and he tried to kill me twice. The first time I humiliated him, the second..." "You're the bloody lynchpin!" Erich suddenly roared as he turned towards Ta'lhqejk. "Remember that February night when I shot you and torched your temple? Of course, you bloody do! I remember the exact words I said that day! I wished upon your bloodied robes for you to rest eternally! I also told you that when your covenant crossed with that of a religion I no longer avow, you would have the opportunity to return! That was an insult, yet somehow it has turned out to be a curse upon me! You are the lynchpin to restoring the mandate of the Palace of the Heavens to Varlokiria! How very slight of you to manifest as one of my own creations, poetic irony isn't it, to kill me in a body I made?" "What the hell are you talking about?! Get a grip on yourself!" Ta'lhqejk snapped at Erich as her concern manifested itself as anger. "Don't think of lying to me! You know how much it pained me to do away with your kind, and with you specifically! If I could have avoided committing deicide, I would have done so! But I had no other choice! And now you mock me with your triumphant return as a holier-than-thou entity seeking to be the antithesis to my personal flaws! Forgive me, but I can't help but feel like I am being betrayed!" Spat Erich angrily. "It isn't that way, I swear!" Emphasized Ta'lhqejk in a desperate plea to calm Erich down. "I'm not here to mock you, or to betray you. I didn't come here to make you feel bad about yourself. I-I came here because being stuck with a bunch of idiots for nearly a century and a half is irritating. I needed freedom, I needed to walk amongst mortals again to have some faith restored in universal order! I came because Erich...I...well...I missed you!" "You missed me?" Erich asked, a wave of shock overcoming him as his eyes began to tear up. "After everything, I did to you; attempt to assassinate you twice, destroy your home, eradicate your status as a religious symbol in the most sacred Varlokiri lands, you still missed me? I-I don't know w-what to say. I always knew you considered yourself the wisest and most intelligent, but to forsake your peers for this existence? I-I'm at a loss for words." "It is true, all of it," Ta'lhqejk said with a bowed head. "I did not forsake my peers, I left them knowing that they would not miss me. I came because I needed to dwell amongst truly intelligent life. And I came to occupy the body you made because it was a convenient vessel through which to reach you. I missed you, despite everything you did to me, I truly missed you." "I-I. I-I." Erich stuttered but no words seemed to escape him. His eyes welled up with tears and then shed them, silently he sobbed as his tears made wet puddles on the beach. "That night." Began Ta'lhqejk. "You told me you loved me. I was no longer there in corporeal form, but I heard your words. D-do you love me?" They asked. "Do you love me, Erich?" "You know as well as I do that I am incapable of truly loving something." Erich sobbed as he stared at the sea. "But as much as I can demonstrate love and affection, I-I always held a special place for you in my heart. I considered you a peer unlike Be'tehi or the others. In that sense, I trusted you, respected you, and even looked up to you. My mind constantly drifted to your wisdom which enthralled my young mind. I was practically obsessed with you in a genuine manner. I admired you. Ta'lhqejk, I considered you the one entity to truly understand me, and so when you returned, I was petrified with fear at thought of having to do the unthinkable and unspeakable again. Please, forgive me, forgive me...dear. Please, forgive me! Forgive me!" He broke down into sobs as Ta'lhqejk approached him. "I never begrudged you for what you did." Ta'lhqejk sighed with a smile as their eyes welled up. "Because I felt a connection to you from the first time we met, keeping a grudge against you was impossible. Every time you betrayed or wronged me, I knew that it pained your soul to do so, it clouded your conscience. I cannot say I am pleased with what you did, but Erich, I don't have to forgive you for what I never held against you." "I am sorry." Said Erich once more as he changed shape from that of a countryball to that of a human. Tall, somewhat slender, dressed in a suit and tie, wearing wire-frame aviator glasses, wearing a young-ish face, and graced with thin grey hair, he stared at Ta'lhqejk as tears streamed from his eyes. "This is a form I haven't seen in years." They smiled while reaching out for a hug. "I keep it for special occasions." He replied while reciprocating, thus embracing Ta'lhqejk in a tender hug. Silently, they hugged in a loving embrace. Their eyes were closed and it seemed that they were both at peace with one another and the world. On the one hand, Mk1a was absolutely confused, on the other, there was a sense of joy they could feel regarding this moment. It was clear that this was a warm and tender moment of reunion and one that had to be cherished and enjoyed for as long as possible. "Now, sorry for the delay Mk1a. I'm doing quite alright, and I appreciate your concern." Said Erich, still in his human-esque form. "So, shall we begin with the procedure? I promise it is mostly painless save for a slight pinching and stretching sensation that you'll feel." |
Sure) |
The Priest pales, thinking of the carnage he had walked in on at the Temple and wrongly attributing it to Jonathan. His dread only grows as he recalls the terror the Prime Minister of Aerlanica had left behind him on his return from 'disciplining' Ernest. In fact, the more he considers it, the more surprised he is to still be alive. Not that he mentions any of this out loud. Father Prunty's voice seems to have gone up a few notes. He turns and quickly makes his way out of the room, back into the entry hall. The three girls just stare at Jonathan. Naturally, Kat is the first to speak. "Is that really true? You actually insulted the Grand Priest to his face? And got away with it?! That's awesome! How'd you do it?" Marté cuts in, eyes gleaming hungrily. Anna stays silent, a troubled look on her face. ▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪ Celeste chuckles, taking a massive bite of her food. She gives an exaggerated thumbs up after swallowing. "But yeah, I totally get that. In my line of work it's usually a liability to get close with anyone outside of my superiors, and they don't exactly make the greatest friends. And the few friends I do have, well..." "They've betrayed me in some way, or I've unfortunately done the same to them. Either way, I can't talk to them as openly as I can with you." "But you're working at the harp? This I must see, I've never met a harp player before!" |
The squad having stumbled onto a second road follows that deeper into enemy territory, unknowingly mirroring their comrades that had discovered the other road earlier. While they carefully pursue these lanes of transportation, the remaining land teams carry onward. One blazes southward across the rocky hills and rapidly approaches the flatlands from the northwest, while the other pushes through the flats themselves in the southwest. Down in the lake's edge, the two squads of Rangers come to the same conclusion: the enemy base must be somewhere in their jurisdiction, and the other teams almost certainly aren't aware of that. This makes it vital they make it there undetected, as they have no way to communicate that information without giving away their presence and positions. Both groups continue creeping through the muck. They slow down their advance as much as they dare, but the timetable presses down on them. At this point it's been over two days, but being caught through haste and carelessness is not an acceptable compromise for beating the deadline. |
Carissa nods. “I figured that. And it hurts... but they’ve watched me die already. I know what I’m getting into.” |
Just as CEVA-00 Mark Iα told Erich to shrink her down, the words "COURRIER threat has been neutralized. All NERV and Cicada assets are to return to alert level 0." are heard over the com-link. Aboard the Intrepid, the Cicada agents return to the breacher and depart. |
Vara, happy to see Nelly, hugged her for a moment before withdrawing apologetically. ****** For the time being, pretty much the only people they met with were doctors and nurses who kept their curiosity in check and only asked about their health. ****** Corali tilted her head. |
William nodded. Nelly reached out and cupped Vara's face in her hands, giving her a soft smile as she ran a thumb across her cheek. "Shhh." She hushed. "It's ok...I understand...you were a very good girl today, and I'm sorry he ordered you to do that...usually a girls first time is training with another newly minted incubi to slowly ease them into it, not being used by such a rowdy collection of men...I'm sorry." Nelly pulled Vara close and hugged her, the way a mother hugs a child. She placed her forehead on Vara's, their horns briefly clashing softly, causing a slight but harmless vibration to shudder through her head. She kissed Vara's forehead. "You've done nothing wrong, you've done nothing to make me upset...all you've done is made me so very proud of you." She continued to hold Vara in a close, matronly embrace. ****** The Aerlanicans respected the advice of the medical personel, and did as they were told, answering questions honestly, and being compliant. They were doctors after all, why make their job harder than it was? They did, however, give a general run down on human biology along with internal organ placement, as to avoid any confusion. ****** Eastrid shrugged. "this stuff, Eastrid." Kenji corrected. Eastrid nodded before amending her gramatical error. (I'll wait for Monsone) |
Vara was uncomfortably comfortable. With a mental sigh, she closed her eyes and dared to allow herself to enjoy the embrace. It was...nice. ****** The medical personel stifled laughs and politely said that they knew where the internal organs were. Indeed, they seemed to be human, merely a strange, orange race of humans. ****** Corali shook her head. |
A Beach, New Franco "Are you absolutely, positively certain that you don't want us to copy your mind and then place a copy of it in a new body while linking both of your minds with a permanent link? It would more or less have the same effect as shrinking you do, and it would allow you to pilot yourself. Theoretically speaking that is." Asked Ta'lhqejk as Erich returned to his countryball form. "Look, I could remove your armor. Frankly, I can perform any of the options we've proposed. However, in my personal opinion, I believe that you would most prefer the mind copy and transfer option. It is also the safest option in that it gives us redundancy in case one of your bodies is destroyed. But, ultimately it is your choice." Explained Erich while adjusting the wire-rim glasses he wore in countryball form. Seversvik, Monsone By now it was around 13:30 in Seversvik, with the sun high in the clear blue sky. Most lunch breaks had ended half an hour ago, however, there was no being who could dictate when people like the president and prime minister can take their lunch breaks. Thus, both Geiger and Mezer sat in a moderately busy bistro while mulling over a menu and sipping drinks from glasses coated in condensation. Oppressive humidity had made its way to Seversvik along with the warmth of summer, causing mildly unpleasant weather and frequent afternoon thunderstorms. Amid wood panels, paintings, and classical music, the setting for lunch certainly had a degree of formality to it. Windows had been opened and fans roughly a century old had been turned on to help cool the restaurant with their oddly silent spinning. Despite this, the air still felt stifling and enticed every patron to partake in the consumption of a cold beverage. Dishes like salads, cold soups, and cold sandwiches proved most popular at these times. Trees and indoor plants gave some respite from the hear in that they provided a moderate cooling effect in spite of the humidity. "We ought to not change our position on COURIER even after this situation is solved. Trust after all is earned over time." Mezer stated without removing his eyes from the menu, eliciting a few nods from Geiger. "Agreed. Given their uncertain track record, their lack of accountability, and general unreliability as allies, we ought to be more cautious and dare I saw, weary, in our dealings with COURIER." He replied without removing his eyes from the menu. "Correct. Which of course will require parliamentary action, however, I can deal with that at the next session. After all, it is a necessity to be cautious in both who we provoke and trust." Responded Mezer as he put down the menu. "I wholeheartedly agree." Said Geiger as he put down his menu and reached for a glass of iced tea. "We ought to exercise both greater caution and greater boldness, an oxymoron onto itself." "Indeed so," Mezer remarked as Geiger took a sip of the iced tea. "M. President, a call for you." The maître d' told Geiger. "Ah. Please excuse me." Geiger told Mezer while getting up from the table. The maître d' and Geiger walked over the to telephone, the former who passed the receiver to the latter. "Geiger speaking." Said the president as he spoke into the phone. |
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