DearTrickster

Mass Effect: Borealis

ANNNNNNND VIMIRE (PUKEMIRE) IS DONE. Mission Deux, is done.

Mass Effect: Borealis

Virmire - Smugglers Camp

with
@Dervish @Mortarion @Hellis @DearTrickster

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Drono looked down at the man now at floor. Then he quickly looked up as Tonka came barreling into vehicle bay and made a beeline for their ride. A ride he needed to catch. He heard the irate krogan yell his name and began running for the Yolac himself. "I'm here!" He yelled as he ran across the vehicle bay. He slid all but tossed himself into the transport as he heard shouting from outside the bay.

"Missed me?" He huffed through heavy breaths. "Because I've been cutting it close a few to many times now." His back gave a spike of pain that made his vision blur and he slumped down. "Yeah. I'm just... gonna sit here." He groaned as his right arm had begun to go numb. "Just... Gonna... take it... easy." He let out what could have been a whimper, maybe it was just his breathing.

Dex was in the passenger seat as Khosin took the wheel, she turned in her seat and snapped at Drono. "Stay awake! Until we can get your head checked out you stay the fuck awake."

He blinked, looking over at her. "Aint my brains that's the problem, oh scaly and gorgeous... It's my fucking spine."

Her mandibles flattened irritably at the comment, turning back she said, "Strap in. Anyone seen Kasyra?" She helped Khosin boot up the Yolac. Checking for any unusual readings, something that might hint at sabotage. Between Tonka's distraction and now their escape it gave the smugglers little time to actually do anything to slow them down. She checked regardless.

Ah crap. Are we gonna have to play bus driver across the compound before we leave? Drono asked as he strapped in real tight. He was almost choking himself but it stabilized his back in a posture that was far better for the Drell.

"I can look up her omnitool signals to find her, but it's going to delay our escape."

"Oh, quit your whining, Drono. I got shot like..." Tonka took a moment to poke at the tender holes around his armour, returning to his gun with a bloodied hand. "Six times. Builds character. And no, I didn't see our quarian. I don't care. She's probably off trying to suicide bomb that Blue Suns encampment I passed along the way here." the krogan said, looking at his wrist to see a number of blinking red dots approaching rapidly. "I don't know about you idiots, but I don't much care for playing games with a bunch of pyjaks who probably dug out an anti-vehicle launcher by now. We're mercenaries. Losses happen. Move."

"To be fair to Drono, that's probably that thing with his spine, that old bullet wound I think, kicking in, not being shot right Tonka, or at least not being shot now." Chimed Khosin, shooting a worried look towards the blue drell before shaking his head slightly. He nodded in agreement when Tonka mentioned that Kasy had probably gone off towards a nearby Blue Suns outpost that he had passed along the way "Yeah, I agree with Tonka. We can't wait anymore." He said firmly, turning back once more to look at the rest of the group "If Kasy wants to put her vendetta against the Blue Suns ahead of the rest of the group, I say we leave her. We have no time waiting around for her to fulfill whatever petty grudge she has, especially if it puts us at risk, especially with Drono's current condition." He said as he started the engine of the yolac. "Also, if any of you could man the yolac's gun that'd be ideal, that way we can get those bastards off of our backs, especially if they give chase with any vehicles they might have." Said Khosin as he started driving the Yolac towards the exit of the vehicle bay.

Dex hummed her disapproval through her sub vocals, the navigation screens coming to life across the Yolac's dashboard. The bay doors opened at a decent pace. "Losses, sure. When we're back on the Borealis I'll try to reach her again before we leave the planet. If I don't hear from her then we'll assume she's happier left to her own devices, whatever the reasons." Watching the doors her leg bounced impatiently, still receiving reports from the smugglers trying to access the network. Leaving Kasy to her own devices regardless of her reasons felt wrong, if they had time and interest to look for Kasy perhaps Dex would have fought to go back for the Quarian. If they tried to now and she pushed for it - it would only bring about more trouble and a higher chance of the team not making it back to the ship in one piece. It was too bad, but there wasn't much of a choice. "There's no confirmation on her motives for splitting from the group and mission, nor her current status. I would not assume anythin-"

Haze's transmission took priority over the background noise and she listened, he was calling from the Borealis. "Dex, Hazan here. Serena and I are back in the Borealis. Vellios is tending to her now. Our camp on the cliff was compromised, the turrets got wrecked by the storm and we've probably lost the supplies we brought there. Once you guys get the AA guns down we'll bring in evac asap."

She replied relieved and irritated that they finally decided to update them, however miniscule since Haze's terminal was reading idle now. "We're leaving the camp now in the truck. We'll meet back at the ship ETA an hour and a half..." Her sentence stopped as the rest of his message sunk in. She turned around in her seat again looking from Tonka, Drono and then Khosin, "Someone did take care of the AA Batteries... right?"

She squinted not recalling any confirmation on the guns going offline from the system.

"...Who's job was that again?" Drono queried, giving a nervous laugh. Then groaned as his spine tingled with pain.

"What part of me being the drunk distraction so you guys could do that sneaky sabotage crap was complicated? I'm still not entirely clear on how you all managed to screw the op and get detected when I had half of the camp watching the show." Tonka grunted. "So no. No exploding towers from me."

"Don't look at me. I had to climb a damn tower to fuck with their power." Drono said, a tad bit indignant. "And Dex got the coms down."

Dex groaned leaning back into her seat, "Fuck. The only advantage we have against their defences in that junk heap is their targeting systems might mistake us for one of theirs." She leaned forward tapping open her omnitool, trying to think what else she can do with her access. "Any ideas?"

"...Drive by. We got a decent gun on this. Drive by the AA Battery, unload, then hope it is enough." Drono suggested. "Those things weren't dug down to deep or to fortified. This is a pirate installation, not a Alliance Frontier fort. I did take out all their vehicles, they have to pursue us on foot. Either that or you set up shop by it and hold them off using the Yolac gun. Get me enough time to get some sort of improvised charge set. I can cobble something up with all the ordinance laying about. But that is way to risky and my back is fucking murdering me."

"Aye, I agree with Drono, let's just drive by and we blast the whole thing with the Yolac's gun and if necessary one or two of us and get down and add to the firepower with our own guns." Said Khosin, nodding in agreement of Drono's idea "So, anyone's got another idea they'd like to suggest or we go with Drono's idea?" Asked Khosin one last time, wanting to make sure everyone agreed with the plan before driving towards the AA towers.

"Or, y'know, we could just get in the ship, fly in the opposite direction of the camp since we landed out that way so no one would really pick us up on their short range sensors. I'd rather not risk driving around, get blown up on the ground, or try a fly by with the Borealis and get shot out of the sky." Tonka interjected.

The turian thought for a few seconds tapping against her mechanical arm, "Fuck it, Tonka's got the right idea. We sold the tagged weaponry and screwed around with them long enough. Let's get out of here. Khosin?" She turned to the Batarian, "I think we've seen our share of Virmire for today."

Khosin listened in silence as Tonka spoke his mind, opening his mouth to speak once more when Dex beat him to it. "Alright, alright, you two are correct." He said once Dex was done speaking, having agreed with the Krogan's idea "Yeah, let's." Said the Batarian when Dex asked him to get out of there "More like I've seen enough for a lifetime, two even." He snorted a little, turning to face everyone "With that said, someone do me a favor and man the main gun, just in case alright?" He said as he began driving towards the exit of the compound. Unfortunately as Khosin drove the Yolac towards the exit they were spotted by a few of the smuggler's sentries "Ah, crap." He muttered as he heard the sound of gunfire through the Yolac's hull, "Everyone brace, this ride might get a little hectic." He shouted as he set the Yolac to full speed.

Outside of the vehicle, the remaining smugglers were organizing as best they could, one of the sentries shouting for them to close the checkpoint at the entrance as best they could. By the time that the Yolac got there they had managed to set up a few crates and barrels as an impromptu barrier, "Brace again people, things might get crazy!" Shouted Khosin as he rammed the hastily put barrier.

"Works... fine... with me." Drono said between bumps. He braced himself alright.

Dex braced herself holding the dashboard, ducking automatically away out of view. Watching the sensors alert them to the damage taken from the subsequent gunshots the truck absorbed and the barrier they drove through. The noise was as sudden as the impact through, thankfully their momentum carried them through to the other side of the barrier racing down the beach, leaving deep tire tracks in the sandy beach.

The impact was enough to bounce Tonka off the floor somewhat before he came crashing down on his rump, grunting as the tires found purchase again and momentum surged forward. He regained his balanced and gripping one of the support bars on the ceiling to pull himself up into the suspended gunner's seat in the center of the hull. A pair of light anti-infantry cannons were mounted to the top of the vehicle in the small bubble turret, but it was anyone's guess of what condition they were in. Hitting a foot pedal, the turret traversed with a pained groan until it was facing rearward, towards any pursuing threats. The krogan expected the weapons to blow up in his face if he overworked them, and it would be a decidedly terrible end for his day.

Drono swore as he bounced. "F-Fuck o-o-ow" He said between painful bounces. He was going to invest in a entire army worth of yoga instructors and chiropractors once he retired, he promised himself that much. If he lived that long that was.

While Tonka took shots at the fading camp, forcing the remaining sentries to duck for cover. No one followed, as the storm raged on the infiltration team settled into their respective spots for the trip back to the Borealis. Leaving without one member, Kasyra, to whatever she choose to do. The roar of the engine provided background noise to fill the silence that fell over the exhausted Jury Riggers. It had proven to be a long day for both teams, as they were to find out why soon.

On the road back through the dense jungles of Virmire, they were made treacherous by the sheer amount of water that nearly washed out the road in some areas. Under Khosin's steady hand they arrived back to the Borealis in one piece, Dex called for the doors to open. Khosin parked the Yolac inside, carefully pulling up along the other side of the hangar opposite of the Kite.

Dex was the first to exit, stepping quickly towards the cockpit hoping to make an even quicker escape of the planet. Catching Haze on her way and pulling him to follow her.

Khosin left the driver's seat of the Yolac shortly after Dex had exited the vehicle. Making his way to the ramp of the vehicle he stopped in his tracks when he caught sight of Drono "Shit man, here, let me help you get to the infirmary." He said as he looked at the Drell, helping him to get off the seat without waiting for an actual answer and then helping him make his way towards the infirmary of the Borealis.

Drono dragged himself out the Yolac, heading straight for the infirmary like a cripple seeking missile, gladly taking the help from Khosin. He pretty much collapsed onto the infirmary bed and waved the other off once he had taken a shot of higly illegal painkillers. He sighed in relief. "Let me die in peace..."

"That comes later." Tonka called to the drell from the infirmary door. He'd finished shoving his Revenant in his quarters, as well as shedding the upper torso armour that needed patching up on his way back to the hanger to finish unloading and prepping for take off.

Securing the vehicle to the floor in anticipation of take off, Tonka noticed Tanya skirting around the vehicle looking like she was suffering from both the world's worst break-up and hangover all at once... which described most spur of the moment marriages in Nos Astra at one of those 24 hour marriage services several asari businesswomen had established over the past few centuries.

"You look like shit." he remarked, climbing the side rails on the yolac to get at the gun. Something was definitely wrong with it, and he wasn't going to leave it to become a pressure cooker bomb while no one was looking.

"So, like your average krogan, then." she replied tiredly. It was clear her heart wasn't in it. She looked up at Tonka, noticing the bullet holes. "So, I get cheeky little cunts try to make a meal out of me and you only get shot. That's rubbish."

"You know I grew up on Tuchanka, right? The planet where even the plants that survived nuclear holocausts want to eat you? I've been through it all, lady. Is that what's crawled up your ass? I could dig it out." Tonka replied, ripping the gun from it's mount and pulling out it's power core before tossing the twin-barreled weapon down to the deck. He landed with a thud next to Tanya, holding the seemingly intact eezo core in his hand.

"I'm not Vellios, I ain't that loose. Want me to shove a few hygiene pads in those bullet holes? Call me a philanthropist." she replied, moving to inspect the gun, tisking loudly. "You know, if you tortured small animals for fun, I'd get it, but treating a gun like the redheaded stepchild? You know no shame."

The confused stare she received was enough to confirm the reference was lost on him.

"Okay, the Weyrloc clan spawn. Better?"

"I think whatever took a bite out of your ass gave you blood loss. Come back to me when you're more coherent than a glue-sniffing salarian meth addict. I blame your kind for that." Tonka said, turning to leave the hanger. "If you'll excuse me, I've got to make sure our engine room doesn't rupture anything and flood the crew compartment with radiation. You don't need chemotherapy on top of alcoholism." he noted.

"Holy shit. You really do care." Tanya replied to his back.

"Don't tell anyone. I charge therapy sessions by the minute." he waved, returning to the latter, unaware of the plot already brewing in the engineer's wicked mind for him for the next few weeks as both returned to their duties.

Once he had left Drono in the infirmary Khosin grabbed a few medical supplies -bandages and such mostly- before he was waved off by Drono. Making his way towards his room, Khosin took off his armor and tended to what few wounds he had accumulated during the mission "Ah, fucking planet." He grumbled as he bandaged the wounds once his armor was off "I pity whatever poor fool has to go on a mission there, place seems cursed." He said as he laid down on his bed, the events of the day having left him completly exhausted, falling asleep but a few short minutes afterwards.

When Dex all but collapsed to her springy seat, she let out a long sigh. Straightening, she booted up the console. Turning to Iosif joining her shortly after she sat, the pair of them looked far worse for wear. Injuries, holes and chips in armour. Dex hated when she was right sometimes. Addressing both Haze and Iosif, "What a fucking day." By their expressions they seemed to have all come to that conclusion.

Starting up the preflight checklists. She began her final message to Kasy opening a private line to the quarian directly.

"Kasyra, this is the last chance. We're leaving the planet without you, whatever it was that pulled you away from the mission, whether injury or other motives, we can't stick around and wait for you any longer. The smuggler's camp is too hot for us to get back to. For what it's worth, if we had time to look for you I would have. As we are now, that was too risky. This line will remain secure and open for you to use to call me right up until we're in orbit..."

She paused glancing at her crewmates, the silence from the line told Dex all she needed to know. "Good bye, Kasyra and good luck."

The turian ended the transmission with a sigh. "The guns are sold, the camp is in a bit of chaos and Kasy disappeared on us." She finished her preflight check lists as she had spoken, solemn. "Let's set a course out of the system, we can relax for a couple hours, debrief together before reporting back to Captain Donnelly."

Remaining productive was her default in spite of the aches settling in with the adrenaline wearing off. She was disciplined and procedure was drilled into her after years spent in the military. Now it was time to say good-bye to Virmire and Kasyra’Tala Vas Ryushei Nar Sherana.

Mass Effect: Borealis

@Dervish@Mortarion@Hellis

Pad 3, gents.

Mass Effect: Borealis

Sounds good to me guys~ it'll be a good opportunity to wrap up the mission and move on.

.:: ℤ𝕖𝕝𝕕𝕒 - 𝕎𝕙𝕚𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℕ𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 ::.

Jillian stood on her toes to see past into the oily well of darkness that lay as the entrance of the Shadow Temple, with no luck it was as dense as a tree trunk. She swallowed a large knot in her throat. Hiking her meagre belongings over her shoulders freeing up one of her hands, the other still clutching the unlit lantern.

The shadow guy, Magus if she heard his name correctly, was just hanging out by the entrance so she took a few steps back, unseen under her mask her tongue was sticking out. She took off at a run hopping off a nearby gravestone to gain enough height and leapfrogging over Magus's shoulders. Announcing her name as she went, "Jilliiiiannnnnn!" Breaking down into giggles shortly thereafter.

Passing through the portal of the temple and deftly landing next to Lev and the Sheikas Archer, Zephyrus, and Griz. She dusted herself off then gave Magus a thumbs up.

"I wanna point out here, that now that the goddess mumbo jumbo has been sorted out. Why exactly are we here, Lethe? Why do we gotta-" She waved her hand at the assortment of torches then generally in the surrounding area, spooky stone carving of eyes seemingly watching their every move. "Go through this? Can't we just y'know chop chop and head over to check out the woods, maybe I don't know stop Ganondorf from showing up in the first place? Save us some time here."

She held up her lantern to Lev and asked, "Mind lighting me up here, ghosty? I lost my flint and stone on the way here, some dumb moblin stole it."

.:: ℤ𝕖𝕝𝕕𝕒 - 𝕎𝕙𝕚𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℕ𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 ::.

Working on a Jillian post today will have it up today as well :), the pokemon distraction is stronk.

Mass Effect: Borealis

<Snipped quote by DearTrickster>

A list or a collab? Hah! We've gotta get some cockpit banter going again.

@Zombiedude101

A listttt. I think when Dervs posts for Tonka and DJ posts for Haze we can probably have a better idea for collabs. Or who wants to work together next.

And yes! The cockpit crew has been split up for a while lol.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

@Dedonus Here is Arachne's 8tracks Playlist! The Weaver

And @fdeviant I totes mcgoats forgot to upload yours to 8tracks when I finished it but here it is! Lion-Hearted Girl

Also, an add on. @ShyDot You're next.( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

@nitemare shape @Dedonus @Hound55 Hey guys, just dropping a note to let you know I finally updated Odette's character sheet, the supporting characters list. Added two characters, Captain Esen and Princess Lassantra. :>

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

_{banner credit to Hellis}

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Time: Present Day
Location: Odette’s Apartment Building, Paris

Relaxing on top of comfy cushions, stretched out with her tablet propped up on her stomach. The cooling shade provided by the green canopy supported by wooden beams was a small sitting area nestled at the back of her rooftop garden. Swiping through online archives from the past year or so of Lost Haven’s newspapers. Looking distinctly for images, articles searching tags with witch or magic in them. Thankfully it didn’t take too long to search up relevant articles. While she had been steadily fed news of Racheli’s whereabouts in Lost Haven from Captain Esen, the high powered chase through the streets were making the social media news feeds explode with minute by minute updates. Many were frantic in their incorrect tags but the majority of the updates concerned with the reappearance of War Pulse and the-on-the-rise hero Evergreen. The sorceress wasn’t phased nor worried, according to the spy reports the two were fighting over Ms Desdemona. With any luck Racheli would show her face, predictably to help the hero that protected her. A short message was sent to Esen to oversee the chase personally. Whoever came out on top, it didn’t truly matter.

Her bet was on the mercenary, War Pulse.

Upon her arrival back to Paris, Odette spent her free time researching everything she had encountered in New York City. In spite of her original attempts to focus solely on ballet, work and magic always found its way back to the forefront of her attention. For now, laid out on her coffee table were all her notes and plans she had written up that morning for their trip to England weighed down by a couple grimoires to keep them from being swept away by the wind. Considering the way she had left relations with Queen Titania last time… this time around would surely require more tact.

For months since Ironworks she had properly ignored Puck’s Prophecy, admittedly spooked by his prediction. Things were on track now and gaining steam, ignoring the prophecy for much longer would just result in shooting herself in the foot. The best way to remove the fear would be to tear the prophecy apart.

The woman who came to Joseph Mather’s rescue, whose spectral fire burned quite literally into Odette’s memories. She played back the section she knew was relevant and providing no doubts White Witch was whom Puck referred to in his prophecy.

“She is a fire that burns brighter than your own hearth, one that can level forests and leave nothing in their wake, and she is angry. Her spirit burns even now, but once she reaches her potential, once she devours the flame of humanity, she will be unstoppable. And the question isn't whether you will be burned, but if you shall reemerge from the ashes.”

A black and white image, silhouette of the White Witch in the news article describing her heroics months and months ago. If a spectre was haunting the witch, threatening to consume her humanity. Then perhaps Odette had the chance to gain some more information through less than typical means. She sighed locking the tablet. Bach finished watering his plants, rejoining his partner on the couch picking up her feet and placing them in his lap.

“Why the sigh, My Lady?” He asked in French, grabbing a grimoire from the table.

Odette replied, “We must consult the oracles, I need to get more information on this spectre. I have no doubts,” She tapped the touch screen of the tablet showing Bach what she found, “This woman is who the prophecy is referring to. You remember the spectral fire yes? It only came forth when the witch was unconscious.”

He looked down to the tablet then shrugged, “It wouldn’t hurt, but it would mean we have to visit Princess Lassantra. How do we prioritize? England or the Princess? She will no doubt have...ahem, missed you greatly.” His grin was sly, referring to a rather private affair.

Odette snatched the grimoire from his hands, hiding the colour in her cheeks behind the open book. “We will not have time for that, I am aware we cannot enter her underwater territories without her knowing. It will be a visit.”

Bach shrugged pulling down the spine of the book to look at his pact partner. Her face schooled to neutrality once again, “The Princess can be very persuasive. You are entitled to relaxing, with the right company.”

“Perhaps when I am dead.”

He rolled his eyes, "The trip to see the Princess will predictably be a short one, while Queen Titania... May take some time to crack. The plans we have are not quite complete." Bach said and Odette nodded. "It would be prudent to see the oracles first. It would do you well to see her as opposed to waiting by the phone for a call or text from..." He pulled a face. "Silence."

Odette stuck her barefoot in his face and he recoiled. She laughed, genuinely amused, "I do not understand where this contempt comes from. He is valuable, thorough, and smart. Qualities we are in need of when the time comes to capturing Racheli. I can't stress this enough, we can't make the same mistakes again."

"No other reasons, My Lady?" He squinted holding her foot away. "You have taken this project... rather personally."

Her amusement withered away her words turning icy, "Be careful with what you are suggesting, Bach."

Bach carried on as if he did not catch her tone. "You are growing attached and we know what happens when you lose your grip on objectivity. A certain cry baby rears her ugly head-"

She snapped grabbing the cuff of his jacket, her teeth grinding with anger. "How dare you! How dare you suggest that!"

Unfazed by her anger Bach replied in a infuriately calm manner, "I am making a point that you need to reign in whatever it is you are feeling and see with clear eyes. This job, the other humans involved are not worth the disgusting amount of emotions you are pouring into it... My Lady." His eyes were void and even if he tacked on My Lady, he was firmly placing her back into the role of student again. She hated it.

Odette swallowed a heavy lump of anger, glaring at Bach. "You forget your place, Bach. I am the one making the decisions and I will choose whatever company I wish to keep human or Fey. They are both at my disposal. My emotions are not compromised." She said, the anger absent from her words but not from her eyes. "You would do well to remember that."

Mischief returned to his eyes and he grinned, pleased by her response. She could only guess why he really was provoking her.

"That's my girl."

mentions

@fdeviant: Odette planning to dig up information on Gwyn and Marie