Oblitus Magia: Verse 1 - Fateful Encounter in the City of Fools

[Yun Lao]

At Sigourney's response, the Warrior of the Wasteland quaked with a surprisngly bright-sounding laughter.

"That's a pretty good answer," maybe a little morbid. "But you've overlooked something."

"The baby bird's entire world is the space inside the shell. End to end, that's all it knows. When it gets too big, even without knowing it, the bird needs to make a choice."

"Suffer and die, safe in the only place it knows? Or break out of the shell, shatter its entire world, and find something outside of its protective, little bubble?" As she posed the question, Kinu suddenly clapped her hands together and flattened a fly.

"Some little birdies don't even know they're stuck until they've had a peek of the outside." she said. "I'm interested in findin' out why it is they wanna keep it that way."


"...speaking of cracking eggs, sounds like someone's got a fire cookin'," Kinu concluded to Sigourney. "Ange said she had some grub, I'm gonna go investigate. You do you though. Come with if you want a bite to eat, or just chill backstage, and I'll bring something back."

Sigourney couldn't help but give a grim look at Kinu's comment of morbidity. Not that she disagreed, but rather because of the revelation of her thoughts being mired in the current events that had underlined the fragility of mortality. Despite this, Kinu's words held some wisdom in them, surprising considering the appearance of the masked woman's otherwise... casual approach to life. Indeed, Kinu's words had aptly reflected Sigourney's own life, having known no other world other than the confines of A-9's slums until now. She wondered if that was the intent of the masked woman, but did not verbalize this, instead preferring just to leave it open-ended.

With the topic of food, the young girl saw her chance for privacy, as she would rightfully predict that others would soon heed the call of hunger, not that she was immune to it. Rather it was the pressing need to be alone for a moment that overrode her basic desires.

"You go ahead," She began softly, "I need to... think about a few things on my own. I'll be back shortly if anyone asks."

That said, the girl broke off from the rest, stepping out into a nearby alleyway. That place might have suited her, but the need for complete loneliness compelled her to move upward, ascending to the roof with each handful of grimy brick, barely sturdy wood, and rusty iron. It was thereupon the cracked and mossy tile roofing that Sigourney felt it best to release her bottled-up grief.

[The Dog]

"I may not know what was behind the destruction of A-11, but I do know why urban areas collapse and people die. Because the world is a cold, cruel place without mercy or compassion. That if you want to see compassion, mercy, or kindness you can't expect the world to give it to you, you've got to give it to others and hope to get it in return." Selma said.





"Thanks..." Selma began, then frowned as she thought about something. After a few seconds, she said "I don't think we've been introduced. And my mom always told me to introduce myself before asking someone's name, so allow me to start by saying that name is Selma St. Johns."


OT: How old is Ange? Because she's calling Selma, who is 28, a kid.

OT: Seems that this reply from me on page 34 has been missed.

[MrSandman]

".....and just a little bit.......there we go." Ange flicked the switch on the side of her equipment...producing low static before she rotated some dials to. "Grey Ghost, calling HQ. Are you picking this up?"

The reciver buzzed a moment, before clearing up and being replaced by a familiar voice.

"Gee Gee! Its good to hear your voice...."

"Good to hear yours too En. The umm.....package is safe and sound." Ange glances in the direction of the workshop, where Mulvric is eyeing a tube of glowing blue liquid....with his ears turned towards them feigning concentration. "We'll work out the details of getting him to HQ soon, but....your father is gonna be fine."

There was a pause on the radio. ".....thank you Gee Gee......" Another pause followed. ".....and the ones who helped?"

"Why don't you ask em yourself. There all sitting over there with the..." Ange turned her head, her smile lasting long enough to fully process what was going on before she nearly but her lip in frustation. "GOD DAMN IT I THOUGH THE SMOKE WAS FROM MY DAMN RADIO! WHO SAID YOU COULD LIGHT A FIRE IN HERE?!"

Mulvric chuckled, and Mercer sighed. "Well....we do have ventilation......so its not a big problem."

"Fire? They started a fire?" En asked over the radio, curiosity in her voice. "Oh dear......our bunkers aren't up to fire code yet."

[MrSandman]

"I may not know what was behind the destruction of A-11, but I do know why urban areas collapse and people die. Because the world is a cold, cruel place without mercy or compassion. That if you want to see compassion, mercy, or kindness you can't expect the world to give it to you, you've got to give it to others and hope to get it in return." Selma said.


"Thanks..." Selma began, then frowned as she thought about something. After a few seconds, she said "I don't think we've been introduced. And my mom always told me to introduce myself before asking someone's name, so allow me to start by saying that name is Selma St. Johns."

"....My friends call me Grey Ghost." Ange responded. "You can call me that, or Ghost.....if you call me Gee Gee I'll beat you within an inch of your life. Once we're more acquainted....I might decide your worth my actual na..."

"HEY ANGE WHERE DID YOU PUT THE TOMATOS!" Mercer cried from the kitchen.

"BOTTOM SHELF YOU IDIOT!" Ange responded, glanced back to Selma....then clicked her teeth and went back to her work.

OT: How old is Ange? Because she's calling Selma, who is 28, a kid.

*whistles*

[MrSandman]

Sigourney couldn't help but give a grim look at Kinu's comment of morbidity. Not that she disagreed, but rather because of the revelation of her thoughts being mired in the current events that had underlined the fragility of mortality. Despite this, Kinu's words held some wisdom in them, surprising considering the appearance of the masked woman's otherwise... casual approach to life. Indeed, Kinu's words had aptly reflected Sigourney's own life, having known no other world other than the confines of A-9's slums until now. She wondered if that was the intent of the masked woman, but did not verbalize this, instead preferring just to leave it open-ended.

With the topic of food, the young girl saw her chance for privacy, as she would rightfully predict that others would soon heed the call of hunger, not that she was immune to it. Rather it was the pressing need to be alone for a moment that overrode her basic desires.

"You go ahead," She began softly, "I need to... think about a few things on my own. I'll be back shortly if anyone asks."

That said, the girl broke off from the rest, stepping out into a nearby alleyway. That place might have suited her, but the need for complete loneliness compelled her to move upward, ascending to the roof with each handful of grimy brick, barely sturdy wood, and rusty iron. It was thereupon the cracked and mossy tile roofing that Sigourney felt it best to release her bottled-up grief.

Evening is already beginning to set in once Sig reaches the roof. The stars are just beginning to fade in above them.....though just barely. The evening skyline of A-11 is dominated by a kaleidoscope of lights from the Middle city......and even from the slums on the lowest level of the city, Sig could make out the bright magenta glow of the Conflux Spire at the city heart...visible to all, but may as well be another world or just another star in the sky for the chances the slum goers had to ever go there.

A flicker of motion in the distance marked the departure of the Administrators Ship.....heading back towards the center of the city.

[Yun Lao]

Evening is already beginning to set in once Sig reaches the roof. The stars are just beginning to fade in above them.....though just barely. The evening skyline of A-11 is dominated by a kaleidoscope of lights from the Middle city......and even from the slums on the lowest level of the city, Sig could make out the bright magenta glow of the Conflux Spire at the city heart...visible to all, but may as well be another world or just another star in the sky for the chances the slum goers had to ever go there.

A flicker of motion in the distance marked the departure of the Administrators Ship.....heading back towards the center of the city.

It was strange how, despite everything changing, the skyline of A-11 was almost identical to A-9's. She could even get the nostalgic sense she felt upon seeing the city heart, of that vague magic of wondering what it would be like to live there, looking back at her. What had once stirred up her curiosity was now tainted by the tragedy that had befell her, bringing forth a bitter resentment to those who lived so comfortably there.

Sigourney would have her vengeance, one way or another.

Her thoughts were diverted from such dark things as she recognized what was the Administrator's Ship and feeling that such knowledge might have some value to those below, descended from the roof at last, leaving nothing but drying tears left on the tiling. Returning to the alleyway, the girl stepped back in the hideout with the declaration of, "The Administrator's Ship has returned to the Spire."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

It was strange how, despite everything changing, the skyline of A-11 was almost identical to A-9's. She could even get the nostalgic sense she felt upon seeing the city heart, of that vague magic of wondering what it would be like to live there, looking back at her. What had once stirred up her curiosity was now tainted by the tragedy that had befell her, bringing forth a bitter resentment to those who lived so comfortably there.

Sigourney would have her vengeance, one way or another.

Her thoughts were diverted from such dark things as she recognized what was the Administrator's Ship and feeling that such knowledge might have some value to those below, descended from the roof at last, leaving nothing but drying tears left on the tiling. Returning to the alleyway, the girl stepped back in the hideout with the declaration of, "The Administrator's Ship has returned to the Spire."

Owen nods.

“They’ve either given up the search or plan on sending more mobile operatives to find their escapees.“

[Tami]

Owen nods.

“They’ve either given up the search or plan on sending more mobile operatives to find their escapees.“

"Land search, house to house if they are desperate enough." Saint glances up as he thinks of the people above, "They will hide as best they could, but if they can't, if they have seen us passing through earlier, it will be hard on them." Looking over at Ange, "Do you have eyes up above? A way to warn the Civs in this district to hide and lay low, in case a search occurs?"

[MrSandman]

Owen nods.

“They’ve either given up the search or plan on sending more mobile operatives to find their escapees.“

"Would be best if you all stayed inside for the moment then....I'll have people keep tabs on the slums to see if the admins start doing searches." Ange nodded. "Besides....wandering the slums at night will get some poor idiot dead.....and eaten depending on which one of you the thief bumps into."

"Yes...In the meantime, we have a little more time to get to know each other." En said excitedly. "I find talking is a very good waste of time."

"........maybe work on your wording En...." Ange smirked.

".....what? What did I say wrong?"

[The Dog]

"....My friends call me Grey Ghost." Ange responded. "You can call me that, or Ghost.....if you call me Gee Gee I'll beat you within an inch of your life. Once we're more acquainted....I might decide your worth my actual na..."

"HEY ANGE WHERE DID YOU PUT THE TOMATOS!" Mercer cried from the kitchen.

"BOTTOM SHELF YOU IDIOT!" Ange responded, glanced back to Selma....then clicked her teeth and went back to her work.

Selma nodded in acknowledgement before deciding to leave Ange to her work. Walking away, Selma looked toward the kitchen area, considering whether or not to make something to eat. After a few moments, she shook her head and decided 'I'm not really feeling hungry at the moment. Maybe I'll get something to eat later.'

With that, she walked over to a chair, removed her guitar off her back, and rested it on her lap. Doing so, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. But doing so caused the faces of her makeshift family haunt her mind's eye. Their eyes, their smiles, all the little things that made each one of them so very unique in their own way. Rocko's lazy eye. Maria's birth mark on her shoulder that she swore was in the shape of a dog riding by a lizard. Alastor's right arm that which was covered in burn scars.

Opening her eyes, Selma raised her head with a sigh before rubbing her eyes with one hand. Quickly ensuring her guitar was tuned, Selma began strumming it as a song came to mind:

Day after day I'm more confused
Yet I look for the light in the pouring rain
You know that's a game that I hate to lose
I'm feelin' the strain, ain't it a shame

Oh, give me the beat boys, and free my soul
I want to get lost in your rock and roll and drift away

Oh, give me the beat boys, and free my soul
I want to get lost in your rock and roll and drift away

*whistles*

OT: Well that's not suspicious at all.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Maybe. But it don't mean you're hard if you can't appreciate a good thing. Even better if you can get it on your own terms, know what I mean?"

Digging through half of the cabbage pancake with a small metal spatula, Kinu cut it where it was soggiest. Steam rose and thin gravy streaked her savoury plate. Flourishing her hands, for the first time today Kinu reached up to her mask.

"Perfect. Easy-peasy."

Prodding through crisp edges that led to a bottom of mealy canned ham, the eyes widened, briefly cherubic and lethal, before she took a bite.

"Not anyone's fault they're not aware of what's missing. That's the knowledge that they can stand on two feet," she said merrily between chews. "If you want what's good, reach out and take it!"

The mask came off. Xia wasn't sure what kind of face was being hidden behind its emotionless porcelain countenance, but she wasn't expecting such a pretty face. Xia eyed her passively for a moment before returning to her food. "The real life is out there for the taking, but most don't want to take the risk. Most people are complacent and comfortable." She shrugged. "Their loss, but I won't begrudge them too much." If she had been in their position, she would have felt the same way. If she had a stable life, a job, a family, something worth coming home to every single day, then she would hold onto it all for dear life and never let go no matter how tempting the urge to explore the wider world was.

That she didn't couldn't possibly be seen as a blessing, but it wasn't the curse she had initially thought it was earlier in her life.

Swallowing a hunk of something with a snappy casing, Kinu heard Xia's comment and shook her head as she cracked open a can of beer.

"Believe what? All I heard was the EN had a different story," she replied. Throwing back the beverage, she took a long, heady swig before continuing.

"Gee-Gee and Mercer though it was worth crashing the Skyport and blowing the bridge over. There's a story Administrator Gretel's trying to spin, but En's guy Mulvric's got the uncensored take," she said. "Come to think of it...you were on the 3rd floor with him, weren't you? Don't suppose you heard anything?"

Scooping the griddle off the fire, she offered the other half of her okonomiyaki to Xia. "For your trouble."

"I guess they're worth listening too, if they went through all that trouble," she replied. As for Mulvric, she didn't remember hearing anything of note. Then again, she was far too busy killing those three guards and trying to get her sword back to listen with full attention.

"If he did say something, I was too busy. Guards were on top of us during the breakout. Don't think he said anything of note until we met up with whichever ones GeeGee and Mercer are." If he was there in A9 when the **** went down, then there was no one in this hideout who knew the situation better than him. Out of all of them, he was the one Xia needed to pay attention to. And it was up to him to convince her whether or not this temporary life underground and on the Big Bosses' radar was worth it.

She sighed. Even if it isn't and I bail, I'm on their radar now, both for attacking a Witch and for breaking out of prison with three...well, one body left behind. ****, I can't leave even if I wanted to. Not without a new face.

She took the fried pancake with a nod. "Thanks. I planned on bailing if I wasn't convinced, but I don't have a choice but to stick around. Got three dead guards under my belt."

"Your question...?" Morgen crossed her arms and looked to be briefly in thought. "Ah, yes. You did ask me something. Well, there are only two things you ought to know about me..."

"First!" she began, closing her eyes and dramatically holding her finger up. "My name -- Morgiana Dupont. Familiarize yourself with it, the first time you cross the family will be the last." Cracking a lid open to eye Xia, she continued, "Be thankful I have been in a more gracious mood. You seem to think this is funny, but know that I won't soon forget our encounter, and especially not... that lizard's."

"Second!" Morgen held two fingers up. "I blah blah blah, if they are blah blah. If ever blah blah blah, I would advise you take blah serious blah blah. Now, does that answer your question?"

As she wrapped up her response, her eyes hungrily moved to the fried pancake being passed to Xia, but only for a split second.
Not that she wanted any.

Xia, in all honesty, stopped listening after she heard what she wanted. Morgiana Dupont. Even her name was pretentious. She sighed and eyed the girl once she stopped droning on and on about pointless nonsense that had nothing to do with what Xia asked.

"Huh? Wasn't listening, yeah, I got your name, kid."

She noticed her eyeing the pancake she was just given. She could practically see the hunger in her eyes. "Hungry, kiddo?"

[Melon God]

"I'm not hungry," Morgen lied.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"I'm not hungry," Morgen lied.

Xia shrugged and started eating it piece by succulent, tasty piece. "Suit yourself. You know catering won't be showing up anytime soon, right?"

[bruceleegreyhulk]

" Hey, Jacob, maybe you should chat with some of these folks and get to know them?" Rhea said.

" Shut up, you damn hallucination. I'll talk to people if they want to talk with me," Jacob said in a bitter to bearing his teeth.

" Hmm, I'm actually wondering if you really a human Jacob. You have the teeth of a canine, and you bear your teeth like one," Rhea said.

" Of course I'm a human, you damn hallucination. My teeth just develop like this," Jacob said.

" I'm really not so sure about that, Jacob. Human's don't develop canine-like teeth. There has to be another explanation as to why your teeth are like that?" Rhea said.

" The explanation is they developed that way end of discussion. You damn hallucination," Jacob said.

[Tami]

"Would be best if you all stayed inside for the moment then....I'll have people keep tabs on the slums to see if the admins start doing searches." Ange nodded. "Besides....wandering the slums at night will get some poor idiot dead.....and eaten depending on which one of you the thief bumps into."

"Yes...In the meantime, we have a little more time to get to know each other." En said excitedly. "I find talking is a very good waste of time."

"........maybe work on your wording En...." Ange smirked.

".....what? What did I say wrong?"

Matthias raised an eyebrow briefly at En's comments, glanced over at Ange, then walked away, keeping the rest of his reaction to himself.

The food did smell good, perhaps too good. It was clear he was in no hurry to eat, instead letting the others enjoy the food first.

Selma nodded in acknowledgement before deciding to leave Ange to her work. Walking away, Selma looked toward the kitchen area, considering whether or not to make something to eat. After a few moments, she shook her head and decided 'I'm not really feeling hungry at the moment. Maybe I'll get something to eat later.'

With that, she walked over to a chair, removed her guitar off her back, and rested it on her lap. Doing so, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. But doing so caused the faces of her makeshift family haunt her mind's eye. Their eyes, their smiles, all the little things that made each one of them so very unique in their own way. Rocko's lazy eye. Maria's birth mark on her shoulder that she swore was in the shape of a dog riding by a lizard. Alastor's right arm that which was covered in burn scars.

Opening her eyes, Selma raised her head with a sigh before rubbing her eyes with one hand. Quickly ensuring her guitar was tuned, Selma began strumming it as a song came to mind:

Day after day I'm more confused
Yet I look for the light in the pouring rain
You know that's a game that I hate to lose
I'm feelin' the strain, ain't it a shame

Oh, give me the beat boys, and free my soul
I want to get lost in your rock and roll and drift away

Oh, give me the beat boys, and free my soul
I want to get lost in your rock and roll and drift away




OT: Well that's not suspicious at all.

The music made him stop and look over at the young, blond woman. Finding a chair to sit down on, his lanky frame and long legs further emphasized by the simplicity of the furniture, Matthias allowed himself to enjoy the song. Her voice and skill with the guitar were almost magical, or perhaps it has just been such a long time since he had heard music of any kind.

As he listened, his eyes moved casually around the common room, taking in all of those assembled. He had once thought, perhaps too arrogantly, perhaps as a result of spending too much time alone, that he had a measure of nearly everyone. Clearly, he now realizes, that is not the case. He wondered if En's words, spoken in her usual childlike way, might have some wisdom within. His mind chewed on that thought as he leaned back in his chair.