Name: Jera
Weapons: Bow (the riser was handed down from her father and the limbs, strings and string silencers are handmade(which means they don't have the lettering and shit)), arrows (handmade, feather fletching, selection of broadheads for hunting, serrated evil spiral tips for killing people (will often be dipped in extract from toxic plants or rotting meat to make sure the victim dies of poison or bacterial infection later)) hand axe, skinning knife
Supplies: Stupid fuckin' rope, jaw trap or two, poncho, bed roll, mess kit, hip quiver, tarp, canteen, climbing hooks, pack.
Appearance: No pistol of course. (Artist)
Etc: Chevy. Jera enjoys stargazing and rainstorms when she gets a moment to slow down and enjoy them.
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12 yrs ago
Forum: 1x1 Roleplay
Weapons Master? The title ran through her head several times after their encounter with the guards. She had played along as she had seen Sebastian do with the dragons upon entering the city. It proved to be a wise choice, but she was disturbed. He was right. There was no doubt about it all her assets were probably taken from her home and her colleagues were bound to notice she was gone by now. Perhaps word of her arrest had simply not reached Aurora yet? It wasn't as if every arrest in IVT territory was broadcast for all to see and even if that were so it wasn't as if anybody would sit down and memorize them all. She didn't even know the reason for her own arrest. Though that part made sense the title did not. Before she was arrested she was indeed up for promotion. However, it was some time off from being official and it wasn't exactly common knowledge. How the hell did the authorities in a different city know about it before it had even happened?
"This isn't right..." she had mumbled while Sebastian and Anna argued over the situation.
Brooklyn nearly jumped out of her skin when the woman suddenly shot herself but she did not scream and she did not panic. Sebastian was yelling but she was quickly processing through what the woman had said before dying, the way she spoke, the way she acted. She said she had seen them? Brooklyn didn't know much about magic except for how to counter it offensively but from what she could gather it was almost as if...
"It's almost as if she was..." her brow furrowed.
"Touched," Gabe finished her sentence quietly, "By demons, I'd say," He looked at the girl briefly, "Or the filth in this place."
Brooklyn shifted uncomfortably, "We should keep moving and figure out how to deal with this Galen person. I don't want to be down here any longer than we have to be." Down here she felt like a target had been painted on her and the armor she wore may as well have been made of paper-mache for all the security it provided her.
"Agreed" Anna said, the bewilderment in her voice. "It seems that the fade was acting through her. Combined with the fact that the guards knew who Brooklyn was and this woman obviously saw us somehow, maybe in a dream, I would say that the Fade has a strong presence with us for some reason."
Sebastian sighed and groaned at the same time, the thought of the fade annoying him. Astral planes and shit. Demons, crazy people. He didn't need to deal with this crap.
Gabe stayed behind Anna as they pressed on, "We just gonna walk through his front door then? Ain't no way the four of us could take on a whole compound."
"I'm not sure what Sebastian has planned. To be honest, I think he's more worried about the ghouls than Galen."
He scratched his scalp, "Not sure those priorities are straight. Monsters are one thing. People are a whole other can o' worms."
"To us, I can agree. But to him...somebody who has dealt with people for a hundred years or so...people may just be a nuisense."
"Hm... suppose when you put it that way..."
Brooklyn listened to the Tenau talking among themselves for a moment before another noise caught her attention. A light scraping of sorts. She looked around. From what she could tell it was coming from a scrap heap that had piled up at the base of an abandoned building that was all but falling apart. Her hand slipped around the grip of her gun. Her heart nearly stopped when a rusted coolant tank came toppling down from its perch. Immediately her gun was out, in shaking hands but aimed at the area.
Sebastian put his hand over her gun and lowered it. A small dog came out of the pile, scruffy and old. Seeing the group, it bolted away. "Try to steady yourself. I'll know what's coming before any of you. HUD enabled tracking device helmets are amazing like that."
"Not that I don't have faith in you," she took a deep breath as she holstered the pistol again, "But I'm not sure ignoring surprises in place like this is a good idea. If something jumps out at me I won't be waiting for your permission to pull the trigger."
"And I'm not going to stop you, but at the second, causing unneeded noises will attract a horde."
"Right," she mumbled, "These ghouls, what's the best way to kill them? ... Or avoid them?"
"If they attack, blow their heads off or take out the legs. Avoiding lies in staying quiet and out of sight. They have the hearing of a moose, one wrong step and they'll know exactly where you are. Most are loners, but there are definitely plenty of packs around."
"I didn't know moose had remarkable hearing," she said looking at the ground. Her mind was obviously somewhere else, "And how do we go about dealing with Galen?"
"We'll deal with that when we get there. He and I are on...neutral terms."
"Well then. That's probably the most unsettling thing I've heard all day," she whimpered, "And I am including the crazy lady just so you know."
"He's not affected by fade mumbo jumbo. He's just reclusive and doesn't like people. He and I were friends a few years ago, but we lost touch. I sent him an email and haven't heard back, so something probably happened."
"Sebastian, the man is a mob boss and you're making him sound like my cranky grandpa," she frowned.
"He's also neurologically connected to the net and is able to control every bit of his operation without leaving his bed and without seeing another person. He also taught me most of what I know about hacking, he's a brilliant hacker and has taken control of Mechs mid-operation before."
Even for all Sebastian's reassuring, with every word Brooklyn was starting to trust Galen less and less, which she didn't think possible. A person with that kind of power standing between them and their goal was daunting. She didn't care if he and Sebastian had been friends at one point. His position and and lack of communication left her unsettled. She couldn't help but feeling like she was walking to her death. However, it sounded like the man was running a vulnerable operation none the less. If shit hit the fan she hoped there would be more than a few ways out down here.
"This isn't right..." she had mumbled while Sebastian and Anna argued over the situation.
Brooklyn nearly jumped out of her skin when the woman suddenly shot herself but she did not scream and she did not panic. Sebastian was yelling but she was quickly processing through what the woman had said before dying, the way she spoke, the way she acted. She said she had seen them? Brooklyn didn't know much about magic except for how to counter it offensively but from what she could gather it was almost as if...
"It's almost as if she was..." her brow furrowed.
"Touched," Gabe finished her sentence quietly, "By demons, I'd say," He looked at the girl briefly, "Or the filth in this place."
Brooklyn shifted uncomfortably, "We should keep moving and figure out how to deal with this Galen person. I don't want to be down here any longer than we have to be." Down here she felt like a target had been painted on her and the armor she wore may as well have been made of paper-mache for all the security it provided her.
"Agreed" Anna said, the bewilderment in her voice. "It seems that the fade was acting through her. Combined with the fact that the guards knew who Brooklyn was and this woman obviously saw us somehow, maybe in a dream, I would say that the Fade has a strong presence with us for some reason."
Sebastian sighed and groaned at the same time, the thought of the fade annoying him. Astral planes and shit. Demons, crazy people. He didn't need to deal with this crap.
Gabe stayed behind Anna as they pressed on, "We just gonna walk through his front door then? Ain't no way the four of us could take on a whole compound."
"I'm not sure what Sebastian has planned. To be honest, I think he's more worried about the ghouls than Galen."
He scratched his scalp, "Not sure those priorities are straight. Monsters are one thing. People are a whole other can o' worms."
"To us, I can agree. But to him...somebody who has dealt with people for a hundred years or so...people may just be a nuisense."
"Hm... suppose when you put it that way..."
Brooklyn listened to the Tenau talking among themselves for a moment before another noise caught her attention. A light scraping of sorts. She looked around. From what she could tell it was coming from a scrap heap that had piled up at the base of an abandoned building that was all but falling apart. Her hand slipped around the grip of her gun. Her heart nearly stopped when a rusted coolant tank came toppling down from its perch. Immediately her gun was out, in shaking hands but aimed at the area.
Sebastian put his hand over her gun and lowered it. A small dog came out of the pile, scruffy and old. Seeing the group, it bolted away. "Try to steady yourself. I'll know what's coming before any of you. HUD enabled tracking device helmets are amazing like that."
"Not that I don't have faith in you," she took a deep breath as she holstered the pistol again, "But I'm not sure ignoring surprises in place like this is a good idea. If something jumps out at me I won't be waiting for your permission to pull the trigger."
"And I'm not going to stop you, but at the second, causing unneeded noises will attract a horde."
"Right," she mumbled, "These ghouls, what's the best way to kill them? ... Or avoid them?"
"If they attack, blow their heads off or take out the legs. Avoiding lies in staying quiet and out of sight. They have the hearing of a moose, one wrong step and they'll know exactly where you are. Most are loners, but there are definitely plenty of packs around."
"I didn't know moose had remarkable hearing," she said looking at the ground. Her mind was obviously somewhere else, "And how do we go about dealing with Galen?"
"We'll deal with that when we get there. He and I are on...neutral terms."
"Well then. That's probably the most unsettling thing I've heard all day," she whimpered, "And I am including the crazy lady just so you know."
"He's not affected by fade mumbo jumbo. He's just reclusive and doesn't like people. He and I were friends a few years ago, but we lost touch. I sent him an email and haven't heard back, so something probably happened."
"Sebastian, the man is a mob boss and you're making him sound like my cranky grandpa," she frowned.
"He's also neurologically connected to the net and is able to control every bit of his operation without leaving his bed and without seeing another person. He also taught me most of what I know about hacking, he's a brilliant hacker and has taken control of Mechs mid-operation before."
Even for all Sebastian's reassuring, with every word Brooklyn was starting to trust Galen less and less, which she didn't think possible. A person with that kind of power standing between them and their goal was daunting. She didn't care if he and Sebastian had been friends at one point. His position and and lack of communication left her unsettled. She couldn't help but feeling like she was walking to her death. However, it sounded like the man was running a vulnerable operation none the less. If shit hit the fan she hoped there would be more than a few ways out down here.
Just wrapping that up. Nobody get excited just yet :b
"I am afraid the situation is quite the opposite Miss Archangel. The NCR is retaliating with their bombers," the deathclaw reported.
A second tremor rattled the floor beneath their feet followed by a low popping noise. Along the wall next to them ran a freshly rent, jagged split through the wall either end of which could not be seen.
"We must leave immediately," Leinhart turned back toward the entrance of the tunnel.
The small group barely made it to the broken train before the bombs above grew more intense and started drowning out most other sounds. The tremors became violent. The ground destabilized. Then a cacophony of falling stone and twisting iron blasted through the tunnel. The train lurched and slammed into the ceiling before breaking apart. Tons of rubble crushed down on the far side of the car flattening it to nothing more than scrap metal.
"Move!" the deathclaw's words were marred by a fearsome animalistic roar. Nobody risked sticking around any longer and the three of them sprinted down the dark corridors and scrambled over the debris and tracks. Golem tried to keep an eye out for targets and more mines but the scene was chaos. "There is a service exit not far from here. I will clear our path!" Leinhart called over the noise before taking off into the darkness. Faster than and more agile than any human, and perhaps more reliable, Golem nodded his agreement and kept running with Archangel in tow.
Gunshots were fired further up and instantaneously followed by screaming and then nothing. Coming up on the scene all Golem had time to make out in his lights was blood and ribbons of flesh coating the walls and ground. It would seem Leinhart had found the rest of the NCR and moved on. He was glad to have the creature on their side. A minuscule spot of dim light shone into the tunnel up ahead. Splintered blocks of stone crashed in behind them as the subway collapsed on itself. They were a hundred yards away. Golem felt a block of concrete hit the floor right behind his heels and nearly lost his footing. Fifty yards away. Rubble fell along side them now in a series of near misses. Ten yards. Eight. Nine. Leinhart bolted through the door way. Just before they hit the exit Golem grabbed Archangel around the waist and leaped into the door frame hitting the far wall upon landing. A massive concrete slab slammed down behind them and blocked off the escape for good.
"Go!" Golem pushed her up the stairs and into the light following after her.
Out of the frying pan and into the fire they ran across the pitted, shattered and burning tarmac toward shelter. The tail end of the first wave of bombers passed overhead now and finished dropping their payloads. Not one of the NCR seemed foolish enough to come out into the inferno and face them, but that was to their advantage. A bomb ruptured the terminal spewing flames and molten steel into the air and smoke into the atmosphere. Glass burst from all windows including the upper reaches of the control tower. The newborn flames licked at and spread slowly to everything in their reach. Other gaping holes had been torn throughout the sprawling building but it seemed to be holding together as best it could. More bombs fell but less seemed to be hitting the airport itself and more fell beyond the NCR's wall. Though it was not their true target the bombers did not have the preservation of the base in mind. Better destroyed than in the hands of the Enclave it would seem.
Leinhart slid into a bunker along with the others until the first wave was out of sight, "We must get back to command. It is high time for us to be leaving I should think. Come, we'll make our way there through the parking level. Quickly, in case more bombers follow which I am most sure they will."
"Let's go then," Golem grumbled, "There is nothing left of this place." He lead them out of the bunker and back to where the Enclave were hunkered down. Rather where he hoped they were still hunkered down.
A second tremor rattled the floor beneath their feet followed by a low popping noise. Along the wall next to them ran a freshly rent, jagged split through the wall either end of which could not be seen.
"We must leave immediately," Leinhart turned back toward the entrance of the tunnel.
The small group barely made it to the broken train before the bombs above grew more intense and started drowning out most other sounds. The tremors became violent. The ground destabilized. Then a cacophony of falling stone and twisting iron blasted through the tunnel. The train lurched and slammed into the ceiling before breaking apart. Tons of rubble crushed down on the far side of the car flattening it to nothing more than scrap metal.
"Move!" the deathclaw's words were marred by a fearsome animalistic roar. Nobody risked sticking around any longer and the three of them sprinted down the dark corridors and scrambled over the debris and tracks. Golem tried to keep an eye out for targets and more mines but the scene was chaos. "There is a service exit not far from here. I will clear our path!" Leinhart called over the noise before taking off into the darkness. Faster than and more agile than any human, and perhaps more reliable, Golem nodded his agreement and kept running with Archangel in tow.
Gunshots were fired further up and instantaneously followed by screaming and then nothing. Coming up on the scene all Golem had time to make out in his lights was blood and ribbons of flesh coating the walls and ground. It would seem Leinhart had found the rest of the NCR and moved on. He was glad to have the creature on their side. A minuscule spot of dim light shone into the tunnel up ahead. Splintered blocks of stone crashed in behind them as the subway collapsed on itself. They were a hundred yards away. Golem felt a block of concrete hit the floor right behind his heels and nearly lost his footing. Fifty yards away. Rubble fell along side them now in a series of near misses. Ten yards. Eight. Nine. Leinhart bolted through the door way. Just before they hit the exit Golem grabbed Archangel around the waist and leaped into the door frame hitting the far wall upon landing. A massive concrete slab slammed down behind them and blocked off the escape for good.
"Go!" Golem pushed her up the stairs and into the light following after her.
Out of the frying pan and into the fire they ran across the pitted, shattered and burning tarmac toward shelter. The tail end of the first wave of bombers passed overhead now and finished dropping their payloads. Not one of the NCR seemed foolish enough to come out into the inferno and face them, but that was to their advantage. A bomb ruptured the terminal spewing flames and molten steel into the air and smoke into the atmosphere. Glass burst from all windows including the upper reaches of the control tower. The newborn flames licked at and spread slowly to everything in their reach. Other gaping holes had been torn throughout the sprawling building but it seemed to be holding together as best it could. More bombs fell but less seemed to be hitting the airport itself and more fell beyond the NCR's wall. Though it was not their true target the bombers did not have the preservation of the base in mind. Better destroyed than in the hands of the Enclave it would seem.
Leinhart slid into a bunker along with the others until the first wave was out of sight, "We must get back to command. It is high time for us to be leaving I should think. Come, we'll make our way there through the parking level. Quickly, in case more bombers follow which I am most sure they will."
"Let's go then," Golem grumbled, "There is nothing left of this place." He lead them out of the bunker and back to where the Enclave were hunkered down. Rather where he hoped they were still hunkered down.
I'd be interested in something like this but I would need more information on the death mechanic before I became invested.
A real bed. No sleeping in chains or on the ground like she had done the past several days. A mattress, sheets, covers and in a heated room no less. She didn't even care about having to share it. Almost immediately Brooklyn's fatigue from the tumultuous day hit her like a ton of bricks and she sank into the bed. She kicked off her boots, set her gun on the bedside table and tossed a terse, "Don't look," at Sebastian. Then she quickly stripped to her underwear, slipped between the blankets and pulled them up to her chin. This must be what heaven feels like, she thought. Her eyelids grew heavy and she was soon drifting into a deep sleep.
The rooms at the lodge were small yet comfortable. He didn't relish the thought of being in such a closed in space (and being in the crush of such a massive city didn't help much) but in this case it meant less space to keep an eye on. Gabe entered the room after Annabelle and shut the door gently.
"Something you need to talk about?" he asked.
"No." She didn't make eye contact with him and kept her eyes turned downward.
He ground his teeth together and folded his arms before leaning against the wall, "Sure acting like it."
"I hired you to protect me and kill enemies. Not to ask questions about my past or my mother. Leave now before I cancel our contract."
She went to the dresser, pulling it open and placing a few things inside, including weapons and extra clothing.
"Didn't say nothin' about your past or your mother, Lady," he paused for a moment and watched her closely, "I only ask questions because I'm not fond of the client surprizing me. Personal stuff stays personal if that's how you want it."
"And that is how I want it."
"Alright. You best be putting that behind you though. Livin' too much in the past never solved nothin' and it'll keep you from thinkin' straight. Not much I can do for clients who don't think straight. Focus on what we need to do now."
"I have been focusing on what we must do now." She turned to him, her eyes defiant. "I am allowed to remember the past when it comes up, Gabriel. I do not need you to worry about me."
He didn't flinch at her retaliation, "Ain't that why you hired me? And it seems to me the past comes up an awful lot while a certain IVT is around. How much longer you gonna let it get to you?"
"It's not getting to me, and you need to stop asking questions. Now leave."
"Of course it's not," he sighed, "Whatever you want. If you've got somethin' to say you know where to find me." He opened the door, stepped outside and closed it behind him. Instead of heading back to the bar he opted to stand sentinel outside the room albeit leaned against the door frame with his eyes closed.
The rooms at the lodge were small yet comfortable. He didn't relish the thought of being in such a closed in space (and being in the crush of such a massive city didn't help much) but in this case it meant less space to keep an eye on. Gabe entered the room after Annabelle and shut the door gently.
"Something you need to talk about?" he asked.
"No." She didn't make eye contact with him and kept her eyes turned downward.
He ground his teeth together and folded his arms before leaning against the wall, "Sure acting like it."
"I hired you to protect me and kill enemies. Not to ask questions about my past or my mother. Leave now before I cancel our contract."
She went to the dresser, pulling it open and placing a few things inside, including weapons and extra clothing.
"Didn't say nothin' about your past or your mother, Lady," he paused for a moment and watched her closely, "I only ask questions because I'm not fond of the client surprizing me. Personal stuff stays personal if that's how you want it."
"And that is how I want it."
"Alright. You best be putting that behind you though. Livin' too much in the past never solved nothin' and it'll keep you from thinkin' straight. Not much I can do for clients who don't think straight. Focus on what we need to do now."
"I have been focusing on what we must do now." She turned to him, her eyes defiant. "I am allowed to remember the past when it comes up, Gabriel. I do not need you to worry about me."
He didn't flinch at her retaliation, "Ain't that why you hired me? And it seems to me the past comes up an awful lot while a certain IVT is around. How much longer you gonna let it get to you?"
"It's not getting to me, and you need to stop asking questions. Now leave."
"Of course it's not," he sighed, "Whatever you want. If you've got somethin' to say you know where to find me." He opened the door, stepped outside and closed it behind him. Instead of heading back to the bar he opted to stand sentinel outside the room albeit leaned against the door frame with his eyes closed.
She curled up tightly in a chair in the corner to listen carefully to his story. If the words left any impact at all it didn't show much on her face. Sebastian's threats of a terrible death were only met with her cold emotionless stare. She had said anything nor made any noise whatsoever since walking in on him. Brooklyn turned her gaze away from him slowly and examined the shiny new band freshly clamped around her wrist. There was no excitement around the device. Though she had thought there should be, at the moment it was reduced to a tool. While Killian and Sebastian spoke among themselves about what the alien had discovered about their mission she fiddled with the device and figured out it's intricacies rather quickly. Before long she had registered her ammunition and pistol. The other available slots she would save for when things more useful or devastating came along. Tools, medical items, explosives maybe. She would figure it out when it came to her.
Disturbing images of death and torture made their rounds through her mind over and over and over and over. She thought of the templars and of the screaming child, the gore, the sadness. For a moment she wondered if she would ever get to know what burning flesh smelled like as the sight of his face made it's way through again. She wondered how people found it so easy to bring such horror down on each other. Brooklyn frowned. She had picked out a gun and bullets based on the fact that they could turn a human body into chunks with a few well placed shots. She helped develop things that could bake a man's insides. Again the vivid mental illustrations she had given the story came back around from beginning to finish. Each time the disturbance she felt faded away.
People like her helped people like that. All her conviction that this journey was a streak of terrible luck, that she did not deserve it and that she was innocent crumbled away. Her innocence had been wiped away the moment she cast her lot in with the warmongers. If she died slowly it would be deserved. She belonged here with the monsters and murderers... Templars, soldiers, mercenaries... They all belonged here. Her throat clenched and she swallowed hard trying to shove the feeling away. She tried to breathe and stay calm. She didn't want anybody to see her anymore. Pathetic, disgusting, vile... were the only kinds of words she could think of. A tear escaped her eyes and she immediately wiped it away in anger then stood up.
"Killian," she tried to speak clearly and confidently though her voice was hoarse and cracked, "Thank you for everything, really. It's more than I could have possibly asked for. Sebastian, we should get going. We have work to do." With that she bowed slightly toward their host and walked out the door.
Several blocks away from the shop Brooklyn looked up at Sebastian's face for the first time since before leaving. She glared at the facade as it may have well been invisible now. There was no seeing it anymore.
"I like your real face better," she said quietly, "The mask doesn't suit you."
Disturbing images of death and torture made their rounds through her mind over and over and over and over. She thought of the templars and of the screaming child, the gore, the sadness. For a moment she wondered if she would ever get to know what burning flesh smelled like as the sight of his face made it's way through again. She wondered how people found it so easy to bring such horror down on each other. Brooklyn frowned. She had picked out a gun and bullets based on the fact that they could turn a human body into chunks with a few well placed shots. She helped develop things that could bake a man's insides. Again the vivid mental illustrations she had given the story came back around from beginning to finish. Each time the disturbance she felt faded away.
People like her helped people like that. All her conviction that this journey was a streak of terrible luck, that she did not deserve it and that she was innocent crumbled away. Her innocence had been wiped away the moment she cast her lot in with the warmongers. If she died slowly it would be deserved. She belonged here with the monsters and murderers... Templars, soldiers, mercenaries... They all belonged here. Her throat clenched and she swallowed hard trying to shove the feeling away. She tried to breathe and stay calm. She didn't want anybody to see her anymore. Pathetic, disgusting, vile... were the only kinds of words she could think of. A tear escaped her eyes and she immediately wiped it away in anger then stood up.
"Killian," she tried to speak clearly and confidently though her voice was hoarse and cracked, "Thank you for everything, really. It's more than I could have possibly asked for. Sebastian, we should get going. We have work to do." With that she bowed slightly toward their host and walked out the door.
Several blocks away from the shop Brooklyn looked up at Sebastian's face for the first time since before leaving. She glared at the facade as it may have well been invisible now. There was no seeing it anymore.
"I like your real face better," she said quietly, "The mask doesn't suit you."
Uneasy and restless, though she was, Brooklyn couldn't seem to keep a little smile off her face. When the VTOL's stopped them she thought her heart would give out, but they passed by without incident. Every time they rounded a corner or went through a doorway or crossed a path she could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand up and her skin prickle. She kept a vigilant watch out for people who seemed too interested in them. Logic was telling her they didn't belong here, but at the same time she felt comfortable. At least she was back in IVT territory. Aurora was no New Gnisis but the similarities didn't escape her. She almost felt back home. Even though home was probably the last place she wanted to be right now.
Once settled and after leaving Shalizar behind at the motel the group was off. Though she noticed Gabe lingered behind for a minute. He had his eyes locked on the lizardling and one hand on his sword. It reminded her of the pistol shoved down the back of her belt. Absentmindedly her hand bumped the grip. Slowly, Gabe stepped away and rejoined the group. Was something wrong? She frowned and put it out of her mind. Not everybody involved in this had to like each other. It was he who had shown her that in the first place.
Brooklyn stuck close to Sebastian. She had to hand it to him, he did seem to know exactly what he was doing and if anybody could get them through the city it was him. As they made their way through Aurora she watched and listened for all the information she could. First the Industrial District. That was where she had always been sent on business. Not in any way shape or form a place where tourists would want to go but to her it was impressive none the less, at least what little of it she had seen. Admittedly her short time in Aurora was normally spent in presentation halls or laboratories. After that it was onto the Undercity and hopefully by that time she would have access to the Digi-Vault. The thought of it got her blood flowing in ways that almost disgusted her. From the sound of things, however, she was beginning to think this trip of theirs might not be so easy.
"What's so bad about the Undercity?" she asked Sebastian.
Turning a few corners and coming up to an elevator, he clicked the button and crossed his arms. "This'll take us to the Industrial District and we can get this done." He avoided the question, the undercity was a place that gave him nightmares and made him scared to sleep at night. It was going to be a while for the elevator to get up there, so he went to a nearby holo-wall and accessed the net. "Undercity is where the deathwalkers have to go. Those whose bodies reject all medicine. To the common people and tourists, it doesn't exist. Disease and viruses run rampant, and the Ghouls rend anything that moves outside of the camps. Get bitten, might as well bite a bullet as the poison will either degenerate you into a ghoul or make your organs fail. Many of the slum lords go there as well because what better security is there than psychopaths that can kill with a slight scrape of teeth? Put a few guards on the wall and in the estate and you're borderline invincible."
Brooklyn stood behind him the expression of horror on her face growing more severe with every word of explanation that came out of his mouth, "And- And you're sure that's where we have to go?" she whimpered.
"No. I'm not sure. That's why we're...I am going to ask around and find out where the gem is. Knowing the luck we've had so far, count on it."
She groaned quietly, "Alright..." and hoped to hell it wouldn't come down to that place, "So where exactly is this wristband and who do we have to kill to get it? I- I mean talk to... Who do we have to talk to, to get it?" she corrected herself with a blush.
"You should try to not be so violent, Brooklyn." The elevator opened and the grouped stepped in. It wasn't long before they were shooting down to the Industrial Level. "Have to go see my old buddy Killian. He sells them to veterans. I saved his life a few times after the military caught him and tracked him down."
"Hmph," she smirked, "Seems like daring rescues and illegal tech are the currency of choice for you people."
Gabe shrugged, "Pays to have people in your pocket, kid."
"So I gathered," she replied, "Are you sure we can trust this Killian guy? Everybody in this city seems to know who you are. What if one of them is looking for you?"
"Then if they start trouble, we have weapons and fists. Until then, we play it cool and relax. Killian is a good guy, he's a little erratic, but he knows what he's doing."
Brooklyn took a deep breath, folded her arms and leaned against the wall of the lift by the door, "Got it."
The lift ride was short and soon she could feel it decelerating and hear the change in pitch as it neared their stop. With barely a disturbance to the group inside the lift came to a complete halt and the doors opened wide onto the Industrial District. With a cursory check of her new surroundings Brooklyn stepped outside with the others and let Sebastian take the lead again.
Once settled and after leaving Shalizar behind at the motel the group was off. Though she noticed Gabe lingered behind for a minute. He had his eyes locked on the lizardling and one hand on his sword. It reminded her of the pistol shoved down the back of her belt. Absentmindedly her hand bumped the grip. Slowly, Gabe stepped away and rejoined the group. Was something wrong? She frowned and put it out of her mind. Not everybody involved in this had to like each other. It was he who had shown her that in the first place.
Brooklyn stuck close to Sebastian. She had to hand it to him, he did seem to know exactly what he was doing and if anybody could get them through the city it was him. As they made their way through Aurora she watched and listened for all the information she could. First the Industrial District. That was where she had always been sent on business. Not in any way shape or form a place where tourists would want to go but to her it was impressive none the less, at least what little of it she had seen. Admittedly her short time in Aurora was normally spent in presentation halls or laboratories. After that it was onto the Undercity and hopefully by that time she would have access to the Digi-Vault. The thought of it got her blood flowing in ways that almost disgusted her. From the sound of things, however, she was beginning to think this trip of theirs might not be so easy.
"What's so bad about the Undercity?" she asked Sebastian.
Turning a few corners and coming up to an elevator, he clicked the button and crossed his arms. "This'll take us to the Industrial District and we can get this done." He avoided the question, the undercity was a place that gave him nightmares and made him scared to sleep at night. It was going to be a while for the elevator to get up there, so he went to a nearby holo-wall and accessed the net. "Undercity is where the deathwalkers have to go. Those whose bodies reject all medicine. To the common people and tourists, it doesn't exist. Disease and viruses run rampant, and the Ghouls rend anything that moves outside of the camps. Get bitten, might as well bite a bullet as the poison will either degenerate you into a ghoul or make your organs fail. Many of the slum lords go there as well because what better security is there than psychopaths that can kill with a slight scrape of teeth? Put a few guards on the wall and in the estate and you're borderline invincible."
Brooklyn stood behind him the expression of horror on her face growing more severe with every word of explanation that came out of his mouth, "And- And you're sure that's where we have to go?" she whimpered.
"No. I'm not sure. That's why we're...I am going to ask around and find out where the gem is. Knowing the luck we've had so far, count on it."
She groaned quietly, "Alright..." and hoped to hell it wouldn't come down to that place, "So where exactly is this wristband and who do we have to kill to get it? I- I mean talk to... Who do we have to talk to, to get it?" she corrected herself with a blush.
"You should try to not be so violent, Brooklyn." The elevator opened and the grouped stepped in. It wasn't long before they were shooting down to the Industrial Level. "Have to go see my old buddy Killian. He sells them to veterans. I saved his life a few times after the military caught him and tracked him down."
"Hmph," she smirked, "Seems like daring rescues and illegal tech are the currency of choice for you people."
Gabe shrugged, "Pays to have people in your pocket, kid."
"So I gathered," she replied, "Are you sure we can trust this Killian guy? Everybody in this city seems to know who you are. What if one of them is looking for you?"
"Then if they start trouble, we have weapons and fists. Until then, we play it cool and relax. Killian is a good guy, he's a little erratic, but he knows what he's doing."
Brooklyn took a deep breath, folded her arms and leaned against the wall of the lift by the door, "Got it."
The lift ride was short and soon she could feel it decelerating and hear the change in pitch as it neared their stop. With barely a disturbance to the group inside the lift came to a complete halt and the doors opened wide onto the Industrial District. With a cursory check of her new surroundings Brooklyn stepped outside with the others and let Sebastian take the lead again.
"Your help will come to be as useful as a bullet in the stomach."
These words had replayed themselves in her mind a dozen times over on the flight and a dozen times more as she stared into the camp fire. Occasionally she would poke at it to keep the embers fresh or add more fuel as needed but for the most part she kept quiet and kept still. There was so much to think about. So much to sort through. Enough to make anybody lose their mind. Yet, in the end what could sorting through it all actually accomplish? Could anything even be done once she came to terms with her surroundings? The girl came to a begrudging conclusion. No. In the end she decided it best to not think about any of this insanity and focus on something as straight-forward as keeping flames alive.
Doubtful voices would continue to creep into her uneasy tranquility through the night leaving her to question if she was really as necessary as she had claimed to be in the bar. With no alcohol to fuel her confidence she was sinking under the pressure. Gabe seemed to believe there was some reason for her to be here, though he had hardly been clear as to what that reason was. The more she thought about what he had said to her the more he realized his opinions stemmed directly from the words in the old tome Sebastian had brought back. He was Tenau, she reminded herself. His opinions on her role in all of this came from the realm of the magical and unreasonably superstitious. Even then she had been replaced. They were no longer the four he had spoken about, but five she realized watching the lizard-like warrior that had joined them. Six if anyone cared to include the little robot. She was superfluous. Brooklyn ran her hands through her hair and left them on either side of her head as she stared at the ground.
What are you doing? she struggled to answer herself, Just keep the fire going, she decided.
Something, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it, about this place was giving him the creeps. Nothing seemed out of place or suspicious as it were, but he couldn't dismiss the feeling of being watched. Truth be told he had felt this way ever since before arriving on the island and the events that transpired had only set him more on edge. The fact that one of his comrades had been cavorting around with demons, willing or no, left a sour taste in his mouth. The lizardling newcomer didn't help. In the past Gabe had done his fare share of picking up extra hands for hard jobs off the streets and out of bars, but he had never allowed himself to trust such people from the start. He always kept an eye on them, treating them like loose cannons until they earned his trust. Sometimes the defensive stance was unneeded. Sometimes it saved his life and his wallet. His hand was never far from the blade at his side and Shalizar was never far from his sight.
"You should rest up," he told Annabelle, "I'll hold down the fort for the night. Wouldn't get much sleep anyhow."
These words had replayed themselves in her mind a dozen times over on the flight and a dozen times more as she stared into the camp fire. Occasionally she would poke at it to keep the embers fresh or add more fuel as needed but for the most part she kept quiet and kept still. There was so much to think about. So much to sort through. Enough to make anybody lose their mind. Yet, in the end what could sorting through it all actually accomplish? Could anything even be done once she came to terms with her surroundings? The girl came to a begrudging conclusion. No. In the end she decided it best to not think about any of this insanity and focus on something as straight-forward as keeping flames alive.
Doubtful voices would continue to creep into her uneasy tranquility through the night leaving her to question if she was really as necessary as she had claimed to be in the bar. With no alcohol to fuel her confidence she was sinking under the pressure. Gabe seemed to believe there was some reason for her to be here, though he had hardly been clear as to what that reason was. The more she thought about what he had said to her the more he realized his opinions stemmed directly from the words in the old tome Sebastian had brought back. He was Tenau, she reminded herself. His opinions on her role in all of this came from the realm of the magical and unreasonably superstitious. Even then she had been replaced. They were no longer the four he had spoken about, but five she realized watching the lizard-like warrior that had joined them. Six if anyone cared to include the little robot. She was superfluous. Brooklyn ran her hands through her hair and left them on either side of her head as she stared at the ground.
What are you doing? she struggled to answer herself, Just keep the fire going, she decided.
Something, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it, about this place was giving him the creeps. Nothing seemed out of place or suspicious as it were, but he couldn't dismiss the feeling of being watched. Truth be told he had felt this way ever since before arriving on the island and the events that transpired had only set him more on edge. The fact that one of his comrades had been cavorting around with demons, willing or no, left a sour taste in his mouth. The lizardling newcomer didn't help. In the past Gabe had done his fare share of picking up extra hands for hard jobs off the streets and out of bars, but he had never allowed himself to trust such people from the start. He always kept an eye on them, treating them like loose cannons until they earned his trust. Sometimes the defensive stance was unneeded. Sometimes it saved his life and his wallet. His hand was never far from the blade at his side and Shalizar was never far from his sight.
"You should rest up," he told Annabelle, "I'll hold down the fort for the night. Wouldn't get much sleep anyhow."
GravityFlux said
I'm just waiting, and I tink everyone bettah do dis to keep us alive.Whoa, I became Amish
Yeah I was waiting on others at first too, but I guess we're all doing that LOL :b
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