Strider

Liliya-Servants' Quarters "You fucking moron." Liliya muttered after Andre had exited. Fury had flooded through her as Andre had insulted Masaru, and gone on to completely trash the guy. It wasn't the fact that Masaru had gotten beaten that had angered her, but that Andre had been an idiot, and not paid the price for it. She had now seen him fight twice, both times against people she would normally consider strong, and he had triumphed both times, with no just fall for his ignorance. This instilled a sense of caution, confining her to the role of an observer. "Two people, on using a sword, and the other using magic, and he walks away from both fights. Concussions all around. Woo. That thing at the end? If he was trying to win, why didn't he use it at the beginning? Style I guess, maybe it needs pain..." Liliya stepped over to the prone body, and knelt down. She didn't know much about blunt force trauma, so she simply poked him a couple of times in the arm to see whether he was out cold, or simply exhausted. "You awake?"

Liliya-Barracks->Servants' Quarters "I guess so. That's a cool power; most times it's a lot easier to make mistakes than succeed. Does this mean that when you make mistake, you're succeeding at that? Wouldn't that be a success? Ah, nevermind. The important bit is breaking things to make them better. Don't go breaking my knife though..." Liliya was exceptionally pleased with the improvements to her knife. She cosed it with a flip, and pocketed it. "I'm going to head back now. I'm gonna watch one of those two get the pulp beaten out of them. Have any popcorn around here?" She spoke the last bit in a way that made it obvious that it was a joke to Mar, even if he didn't know what the food was. She set off back to the Servants' Quarters, to continue watching the fight.

Liliya-Barracks (smithy) Liliya watched as Mar carefully ground the edge down. Normally sharpening a knife that much wouldn't be wise, as the edge would chip. However, the grindstone seemed to work around that problem a bit, through some sort of magic. When Mar had finished, she took the knife, and grabbed th edge of her shirt. With very little effort, the knife made its way through. "Thanks, Mar. Huh. I hope this isn't insulting or anything, but since I'm new, I don't know...Wha's your species? What do your people call themselves?"

Liliya-Servants' Quarters en route to Barracks (Smithy) Just a few seconds before Andre had spoken, Liliya had muttered "Shit. Meet up with us when you're done." She twitched instinctively, but as Andre began to speak, she seemed to consign him to his fate. She stepped out of the room, following Mar, waving to Masaru as Andre gave the final insult. "I'd try to stop them, but the man's getting what he deserves." Liliya followed Mar into the smithy, and looked over the gathered tools. A grinding wheel on fire? Sweet! "Here. Probably best if you handle the grinding wheel, I'm not all that great with tools myself...The fire won't hurt the blade, right?" Liliya asked, as she handed over her knife to the orc.

Edmond gripped the bomb a bit tighter. Solomon hadn't actually stated how the bomb worked, but Edmond got the general idea. Nanites...probably som sort of self-replicating nanomachine...It would consume everything in the building. The only question is what the Nanites use for energy, since most things can't metabolize concrete... Edmond stood up, then sat down again. With a deep breath, he addressed Solomon and the Laughing man, and possibly the detective depending on whether she had gotten coffee yet. "I hope you understand that I'm highly opposed to blowing up a seventy floor building containing thousands of civilians, and most of my teammates. Alright? So now, if you want this mission done, I'm going to need my questions answered with clarity and alacrity." Edmond knew that they would probably answer, but he wanted to give them some prodding on speed. "Now, how many civilians are in the Pyramid, approximately, and how fast do the nanobots move? Are these people the families of the employees, or are they simply people who aren't affiliated with Aztech who happen to live there? If I'm to use this bomb, I want everyone I can get out of the pyramid who is not willingly part of the blood cult. With a building that size, it's impossible that everyone deserves to die being consumed by an endless wave of nanobots." Edmond shuddered at the thought. "Has the Arcology, or any building of it's size ever been evacuated before? If so, for what? A bomb threat? A fire? Perhaps a chemical leak, or the backlash from a failed ritual? It is vital that I know. This one might be more difficult to answer, but how do they evacuate? Is it a PA system? From what part of the pyramid is it controlled? Is there anyway to activate it without getting to the control room?" Edmond turned the bomb over in his fingers, observing its appearance from all sides. "I'm not going to use this, unless the building is emptied of innocents. The idea of killing everyone and my teammates to destroy the book disgusts me. Even just letting them die would be a failure. Don't point out that it's for the greater good. In the first, that's not true. We're on a mission to rid the multiverse from trespassers. The true greater good would be to get my friends and leave your little world to perish. But I'm not after the greater good. The greater good is a failure; you couldn't save everyone, so you had to minimize losses. I want to succeed, and I need help from both of you. Would either of you have any way to get me into the pyramid? And is there anything that Nanites cannot eat through?"

Liliya-Servants' Quarters "Not a big fan of mind control stuff? I can understand. It feels like a violation." That was all she said. From Andre's rambling, it sounded as though this attack caused a person to go berserk. Her only knowledge of boing berserk was a vague association with a state of increased violence and no control. Scary stuff. "Mar, which direction is the smithy? Come on Masaru." Liliya didn't preface it with the question of whether they would go to the forge, she simply stated it as fact. It seemed to be to most reasonable way to allow Masaru to cool down.

Liliya-Servants' Quarters Liliya clapped a little. "Wow, that was impressive. Not used in combat much? Is it too telegraphed? Uh. Like, do the movements tip your enemy off too much?" Even with careful attempts at clarity, Liliya did find herself lapsing into careless speech that wouldn't be understood by those outside her world. "I mean, dragons are always cool, and fire's cool, so there's gotta be some reason not to use it often..." "Anyhow, to the smithy now?"

Liliya-Servants' Quarters "Oh. Sharpening? I think..." She searched through her pockets for a moment, and pulled out a small knife. "Yeah. I think this could do with a bit of sharpening..." She turned, a little puzzled, to Masaru. "So did you want to show us? I'd really like to see...Or do you want to come to the smithy?" Liliya hesitated, unwilling to miss anything that might be happening.

"Thank you, sir." In response to the councilor's worrying message, Edmond had grabbed the package in the back seat on his way in. He made his way into the shop, and told the detective, "I'll be over there with the Solomon, when you're done getting your coffee." Edmond pulled up a chair next to Solomon, and sat down heavily. He was exhausted, not physically, but mentally and emotionally. "You're going to love this, Solomon. The councilor gave me something called a Nanite bomb for the Arcology. Can you tell me what it does? I have a feeling that if used, it could bring about the deaths of a whole bunch of innocent people. I really would rather avoid that..." Edmond didn't mention that he would not let the bomb be used while his friends were in their, and would probably not even consent to it's use even if they got out or died.

"It would seem so. Apparently the mission is going...poorly." Edmond was thrown completely off when the car flipped, and was even more suprised at how easilyt they had continued driving. He scrabbled on the floor for his phone, and read the messages. It seemed as though the lodge wouldn't be much use on this one, and Edmond was a little relieved about that. Hmm There was a test which Edmond wished to try. Hey, shotgun! Or, if you have another name that you'd prefer. Can you hear me?" To the councilor: "Hmm. I'm fresh out of explosives at the moment, but I'll try to remember that. I was mainly wondering if I might borrow a Thunderhawk? If not, I understand completely. It is a rather large request." Edmond simply shook his head as he entered the coffee shop. "So, Solomon, what are you two up to, and what did you need me for? Our comrades are currently en route to rather painful deaths and the abysmal failure of their mission."

Liliya-Servants' Quarters "Can we see a demonstration? I think I get what bladeforms are, but I'd like to see." Some sort of magical martial art? Besides simply the obvious of wanting to see more magic, Liiiya was curious whether it resembled any other styles of fighting that she knew. Could very similar techniques be born on completely different worlds, in the presence or absence of magic? "So, I guess that's much harder than gem cutting." Mar's magic intrigued her too, though it didn't seem like much of a fighting art. Perhaps he made weapons for people?

Liliya-Servants' Quarters "Wait-It wasn't--...I mean...huh." Liliya spluttered. Thinking back, she hadn't actually felt any weight on her hand. So she couldn't have actually been holding it, she supposed. She had expected it to move, and it had done so. She had believed the magic would do something, rather than ordering it to do so, and waiting to see if it complied. A true conqueror does not order his subject, and then wait in suspense to know if they will comply. No, a real conqueror who has complete power will give his orders, and the thing will be done and this will not surprise him. It was about confidence and belief and certainty. With a small smile, Liliya, leaned back against the wall, a little giddy, and turned to watch Andre. He would succeed of course, and she did not begrudge him the ease with which he had controlled the mana.

Liliya-Servants' Quarters "Sort of mercenary type work, sounds like. That's cool. Anyway," she said, turning back to Mar, "I just need to will it to move? I guess going sideways will be easier than going up..." Liliya reached out, and gingerly took the glowing orb from Mar. She lifted it carefully, viewing it from all sides, trying to trace the patterns and memorize the color exactly. It was odd, like nothing she'd seen before. She tried to imagine it as it appeared to her, hoping to gain enough knowledge of it before she began. Then she hit the stumbling block. She was memorizing surface attributes and appearances, sensations, all the effects that the magic made. But she didn't understand the magic itself enough, only its surface. There wasn't a way she could think of around that for now though. Maybe knowledge of it would come when she attempted to exert her will on it? Liliya placed sphere of crimson onto the floor. "I'm ready, I think." She didn't quite know what to do, so she placed her hand a few inches over it, and concentrated. Imagine moving the ball. Rolling it. Perhaps a small circle? No too complicated. Take the pure form of magic and bend it to your will. And so Liliya thought. She watched carefully, aching for it to move--and it did. A little. The ball of mana quivered, and rolled a few inches before stopping. "I-I did it, sort of. Not impressive, I guess, but that was really cool," she said somewhat shakily. She wasn't too tired, simply a bit surprised and fascinated.

Liliya-Servants' Quarters "I'm fine with that, Mar. It'll be interesting to see the difference between m and people like you or Masaru. This won't take too long, right? I don't want to distract from your trapping...Anyway, where do we begin?" Liliya, was a little nervous, but she steeled herself, and prepared for what she feared might be an invasive sort of digging around in her brain.

"Gah. Sorry to change so quickly, but I need to get to the coffee shop. Apparently." Edmond sighed. He sometimes wondered if Solomon was even on their side with all the delaying and ignoring that he did. "Solomon is there, and I need a way into the pyramid, so he might be able to help." Try another number? Makes sense, I suppose... Text to the lodge: "I have no ill intention. I asked for two reasons. The first being to avoid anything that might release it. I also considered hooking it up to my life so that if i die, it would be released. And don't worry too much, I have a friend who specializes in capturing demons." He sent one text to the counciler: "Any advice on getting into Aztech without a SIN? If not, thanks anyway! (Do you have a spare thunderhawk on hand?)" One to Izumi: "On my way. What's the mission status?" He then picked up the gun out of the briefcase, and looked it over. ((OOC: can you give the stats?))

"Oh. Everyone else is back." Shelly pulled herself up, and glanced over at Kai. She didn't seem hurt, so that was good. There was also a gabite in the house now. Shelly took a step back, and then pulled out her A-comm. "All the cadets seem to be back together. We're at someone's house in a weird world. How much info have other's sent you?" Shelly then moved back over to the Exeggutor. Odd. "Did anyone back at the academy have an Exeggutor?"

Liliya-Servants' Quarters "Weird." Liliya was beginning to contemplate the fact that Andre might be delusional. Of course, she herself could be delusional based ont eh situation she found herself in, but that didn't seem like something she could help if it were true. "So like an Indiana Jones type? Hmm, how to explain...he was an adventurer archaologist with a whip in some...fiction stories. Do you get paid well?" See Andre? That was how someone went about searching for things that a person wouldn't understand, and explaining them ahead of time. "I guess you probably couldn't really teach much then...So what sort of things can you do with your magic? Magic's a fiction in my place, and there are many variations on the idea. Haven't read much of it myself, of course..." Liliya trialed off, then turned to Mar. "Sure, I'll help dig some holes. What sort of beasts are we gonna catch? More importantly, do you have a shovel for me?"

Liliya-Servants' Quarters "I see. Sort of." So that either ruled out evolution, or meant that at some point when this Nishiki introduced emotions and will, that he had also given them the ability to access magic? Probably other explanations... "My world doesn't have magic or dragons, so our origin is a little different. The one that makes the most sense is that we evolved from worse creatures. Each child is a little different, and the best equiped survive. That's how we think humans came about in my world. Of course, we also have an origin story about a single god creating a man and woman, but it's a little far fetched. I mean, I do believe some of the other parts of the religion, but usually one group's not entirely correct. Things have to be mixed and matched. Magic's inherited, then? Darn, I wanted to get in on a bit of that myself. So what do you do? You got a job?" Liliya turned to Andre with an exasperated sigh. "You keep mentioning things others won't know, and not explaining them. Everyone here is from different worlds! You just ramble on with stuff. I half think you just want everyone to ask you to explain. It's pretty easy to try to try to explain things...Anyhow, we have cats, lions about this big down to housecats about this size." Liliya gestured with her hands on to show the relative sizes. "They have limbs. They wouldn't really be cats otherwise."

Liliya-Servants' Quarters "Magical beasts, eh? Makes sense. That brings something else up: have humans always been magical? Or was it discovered? If you've always been this way, what about evo...no wait. Do you have any origin story for humans?" If there was some sort of superstitious religion on his world, she didn't want to insult that or anything. On the other hand, with such a different world, they might have been created by a deity and have proof. She was fine with the catholic church as far as the main points of faith went, but the creation was not her cup of tea. Masaru might actually come from a world with gods around to actively claim responsibility for creation. It was a possiblity, right? Liliya laughed softly. "I guess you can see, but I'm way too curious about this stuff." In fact, this was a little out of character for her. However, a person's views and motivations change a little after getting sucked through a hole in the universe.

Liliya-Servants' Quarters "What sort of things do you need magic terraforming for?" If Masaru thought that magic was necessary to terraform for a large city, perhaps there was some inconvenience that didn't exist in her world? "Most of the construction in my place would be smoothing out the earth, building foundations, cutting down forests," she scowled, then continued, "and that sort of thing. Is there something else stopping you from creating large cities? Maybe lots of mountains or harsh terrain? Hmm. Maybe populations don't grow so quickly...I mean, most of the great projects of my time took lots of work by huge groups..." Her other idea was that perhaps with magic, people had grown complacent, and felt no need to expand in order to increase chances of survival. However, his rather outrageous sword seemed and indicator that that might not be the case.

Liliya-Servants'-Quarters "Not really. I mean, my city has more than a million people, but it's not even one of the largest? Cities on earth can go to like 30 million at the top end. I dunno how large your settlements are, but some of the cities always felt huge to me." Just saying that they had large cities probably wasn't enough. Masaru was curious about the actual method by which they made large settlements, oddly enough. Liliya continued: "I mean, we've got buildings as big at the bottom as this castle that go up two hundred floors. I think that's impressive...Anyway, terraforming? That's changing the land planet on a big scale, right? Most of the stuff we do is small...Machines and stuff that help level parts of the earth for building, machines that can drill holes or put down concrete--kinda like rock. How many people in the large settlements where you live?"

Liliya-Servants' Quarters "No, no. It's fine. Need to know as much as possible if I'm gonna survive here. I'm from Kharkiv. City in Ukraine. Anyway, I guess you're from a land of magic?" She was judging this based on the fact that there had been figures with seemingly magic abilities, and his somewhat medieval garb. "Magic isn't a thing where I'm from..."

Liliya-Servants' Quarters (?) "WHy do we need traps? And uh...did he just create life?" She muttered all this, as it seemed that the orc had already left, dinosaur thing in tow. Liliya wasn't prepared for the rampant insanity that seemed to exist on all sides. Everything about her day had seemed normal. Relatively speaking. "So...Kibwe? Is that your hometown? City? Planet? Or what?"

"Oh? I hadn't said that. How rude of me. I'm Edmond Cooper. Is your name Josephine Smith, or was that a false name?" Edmond was pleased to feel the car accelerate. Time was running short. "Hmm. No SIN, no entry, huh? Actually though, I think I might have a way in. Give me a moment." Edmond arched in the seat to extricate the phone from his pocket. First, a quick text to the Lodge: "How does one (theoretically) go about releasing the spirit?" He then quickly picked Solomon from the list of contacts and dialed. "Hello, Solomon? How are things going? Listen, I need a quick favor. The assault on Aztech seems to have started, and I got left behind. Apparently without a SIN, I have no real way in. Do you think you could fly me up to the others? I expect they've already blown some holes in the place. Actually, one more question: What is this EXplosive Runes contact in this phone? They said something about Aztech..."

"Ha. I can do this myself, if no one else wants the pay." Darien stepped out into the morning light, and set off towards the delicatessen. He wasn't terribly concerned about bringing backup...After all, he had two submachineguns and an itchy trigger finger.