[quote=@drewccapp]As she pondered which weapon to choose, Listener mumbled loud enough to hear. [color=pink]"I'm not sure how squeamish I'd be around a Nox..."[/color] She shuffled through the gear occasionally picking up an item and saying, [color=pink]"Hmmm... no."[/color] Finally, she removed a spear with a metal shaft and the spearhead had an Illuminati Eye etched onto the flat of the blade. [color=pink]"This one. I like this one. What do you think?"[/color][/quote] [color=C2EC2C]"Listener, there you are!"[/color] Archer piped, leaning an elbow on her knee. The scanners in her helmet flickered thoughtfully. [color=C2EC2C]"That one's a poofer, I call them. Enough ta skewer a horror well enough, but if ya manage to strike a Nox with that thing, chances are it'll go up in smoke. Might want to invest in some shades for yer mask, though: the fireworks from one of these things could make ya go blind. Just a thought!"[/color] [quote=@Grey Omen]He turned to the chest of weapons. Many he found not to his liking, but eventually settled on one. He picked it up, testing the weight. It seemed to be a halberd, though slightly smaller than an average one. He tested his fingers along the axe blade first, then the hook on the back end, then finally on the spike at the top. All sharp. It seemed manageable to carry and versatile enough for multiple scenarios. Rather plain, almost brutish in design, but serviceable. A weapon for the working man, perhaps. [Color=BurlyWood]"This one will do,"[/color] he said, putting the blunt end into the ground like a staff.[/quote] [color=C2EC2C]"It suits ya well, Cedar!"[/color] Archer stood with her fists on her hips, and she nodded approval. [color=C2EC2C]"Don't need anything flashy ta get the job done, I always say. That one's not much against the Nox alone, but [i]horrors[/i] should be terrified of ya. One strike from that blade and the Nox inside that horror is a goner. Sometimes, if you can aim it right, you can kill the Nox and let the host live. But don't sweat that just yet, yeah?"[/color] [quote=@LuckyBlackCat][color=ff4f61]"This looks like a nice all-round one..."[/color] She pulled out a bladed pistol, the knife a foot long and patterned with veins like a leaf, the materials sturdy yet lightweight enough for easy wielding. She studied it, taking in the design and what she could glean of the mechanics, before turning back to Archer. [color=ff4f61]"More of an energy weapon than one with conventional bullets, right? I'll call it Thorn."[/color][/quote] [color=C2EC2C]"Steel Rose!"[/color] Archer made a wide gesture to Rose's clothing. [color=C2EC2C]"Looks like you're wearing half your breakfast. It's a bold look, I like it. Now, that pistol there is a [i]great[/i] choice! Works a lot like Listener's spear, there, except that one's long-range. You've got to have a sharp aim under pressure, and remember to warn your comrades. We don't want them goin' blind, now, do we?"[/color] [hr] [color=C2EC2C]"Listener, Cedar, and Steel Rose!"[/color] Archer clasped her arms behind her back and marched back and forth before them. [color=C2EC2C]"I suggest you get to know one another-- trust one another --because there will come a time when your life will depend on someone standing here now. The Nox are dangerous. Does anyone know why we use masks and codenames?"[/color] A hand rose up behind the new ZE recruits. Archer craned her neck. [color=C2EC2C]"Fluke! Didn't see ya sneak up on us. Go on, tell us your answer."[/color] Fluke shoved his hands in the pockets of his shorts, and his heavy metal mask-- made of pipes and little aluminum sculptures that must have been extremely hot under the glaring sun --forced his head to flop a little to the side. He was skinny compared to the others, but bronzed by the sun and weathered by years of climbing. [color=B6C6AB]"Soul snatchers,"[/color] he replied in a high voice. [color=C2EC2C]"You got it!"[/color] Archer crowed. [color=C2EC2C]"Human souls are too complex for the Nox to feed on like they do other animals, but if they get to know your true name they've got you. The mask makes them think you're an animal or not alive at all, so they'll either pass over you or try to possess you without a name, which never works-- hey, are you listening?"[/color] Fluke had plucked a bit of pastry off of Steel Rose's tunic and popped it in his mouth just as Archer spied him. He scuffed away as if he hadn't done anything at all, and he rocked on his heels while he studied Listener's mask and Cedar's shoes with great interest.