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

[KingofPie]

Pssht--!!!

Kinu, who kept her oddly relaxed eyes on the simmering situation in the room, took a long sip of her third.

"...yep..."



Absentmindedly, Kinu reached behind her, and found a row of chitinous, angled legs. Huh. Don't remember getting those outta the kitchen. When'd those get here?

Casting her eyes to the grill fire, very little remained but the burned, scabby pieces of chicken that clung to the grating. Could swear there was more...eh whatever. Guess we need more food.

Grabbing a leg by the joint, she began to try and twist it off...

"Whoa, WHOA, HEY!" Omu's head swirled around until it was eye level with Kinu. He wanted his arm back, attempting to pull it from her clutch. "Ya wanna let go of the appendage?" He inquired, raising his voice for the first time since he had met any individuals within this group. "Didn't yer mama ever tell ya not to go around, yankin' off limbs?"

[Tami]

"....Huh....sorry.....I couldn't hear you over the glass shattering ring in my ears." Ange poke a finger in one ear and holding the box firm with her other hand. "Must still have a bit of glass in there from getting sucker-punched then dropped through a roof..." Ange fumed, then sighed. "Then again.....I was suckered punched because I was bowing.....****....." She let the box go. "Fine.....but fair warning, I will find an excuse at some point to test if you can take as much as you give..."

"Ghost," Matthias spoke to her as he approached from behind, "I could use a favor. There are some belongings of mine that I left with an acquaintance. Before we leave here for your HQ, would you be able to assist me in retrieving them?"

[MrSandman]

"So..." She began, softly, yet her voice rose to audible levels from her hiding place, "If they had not taken your "Papa", you would have left us to our fates?"

The lingering resentment of being "saved" as an afterthought still stung, compounded with the sense of failing to save her own family.

"...And for those of us without homes? Those who can't continue our lives as easily as the others? What of us? Do you already assume we'll be so eager to join your ranks?"

"......We may have never even met had they not taken my papa...." En finally answered after mulling her words. "But....that doesn't mean we would have left you too your fate....one way or the other, you were in need. If we Ignored that......or if we did it just because we wanted something in return..........would make our reasons no better then the admins."

"We'll do what we can to help the ones without homes now.....but not because your some resource to be harvested in compensation. Because we can...."

[The Dog]

The room was silent a moment.

"......I won't make excuses......I don't have any.....Our cause is at best, a dream. The elimination of ruin, a world where people aren't confined to cities......I have nothing to offer that says all of this will be worth it in the end." En paused. "But....I want to believe in a far away dream more then a convenient lie.....one that breeds inaction and subservience to the Administratum. Too many people have died, in A9 and here...to many homes lost...that it should be brushed under the rug as another example of why the admins are infallible and falling to ruin is the fault of humans and not their inability, or willingness, to do anything about it."

"So no....I don't have proof. Proof is what we're out here to find.....until then....I only have hope..."

"So..." She began, softly, yet her voice rose to audible levels from her hiding place, "If they had not taken your "Papa", you would have left us to our fates?"

The lingering resentment of being "saved" as an afterthought still stung, compounded with the sense of failing to save her own family.

"...And for those of us without homes? Those who can't continue our lives as easily as the others? What of us? Do you already assume we'll be so eager to join your ranks?"

Selma listened to both of them, and her thoughts were momentarily taken from her quandary on whether she should drop the lizard woman before the people-eater decided that she wanted to make a meal out of one or more of them.

"The girl makes sense. What about us without homes, who've lost everything and everyone we had due to the destruction of A-9? How exactly are we supposed to "continue our lives as is" when that life has been ripped asunder and burned to ashes by the Ruin? Are you claiming you'll be able to bring back my family and my home? I mean sure, the place I lived was considered the dumpster fire of A-9, but godammit, it was still my home! It's where I and those I cared for most lived, and it's no more!"

[MrSandman]

Selma listened to both of them, and her thoughts were momentarily taken from her quandary on whether she should drop the lizard woman before the people-eater decided that she wanted to make a meal out of one or more of them.

"The girl makes sense. What about us without homes, who've lost everything and everyone we had due to the destruction of A-9? How exactly are we supposed to "continue our lives as is" when that life has been ripped asunder and burned to ashes by the Ruin? Are you claiming you'll be able to bring back my family and my home? I mean sure, the place I lived was considered the dumpster fire of A-9, but godammit, it was still my home! It's where I and those I cared for most lived, and it's no more!"

"I'm sorry....Nothing we do will being back the people lost. That...is beyond even being a dream...." En responded sadly. "But if we can beat the ruin....maybe A9 can be reclaimed on day.....and then people could live outside the cities without fear of the ruin. Its a shadow of what you've lost...but its the only hope we have to offer....a home, if only temporary."

[MrSandman]

"Ghost," Matthias spoke to her as he approached from behind, "I could use a favor. There are some belongings of mine that I left with an acquaintance. Before we leave here for your HQ, would you be able to assist me in retrieving them?"

"Eh...Sure, I'll swing by to help with it before we ship out......" Ange replied, then glanced over to Morgan.

"......Hey....Listen, I know a lot of the others here have agreed to go, but your a bit of a special case.....I know you got family up in the upper city. Once things blow over enough so we can ditch the bunker.....I can escort you home...if that's what you want I mean." Ange asked, suddenly uncharacteristically nervous. "You got a good life, so you don't need to hit the road with the rest of us......"

[Melon God]

"A good life..." Morgen mused quietly to herself. Maybe that's how it looked from the outside, but she didn't share the same opinion. "I don't know if I would say that...
But if it's not too much trouble, I would appreciate being escorted home," she said, audibly this time. "I'm in no position to be running off on a whim, not to... demean your cause. It's given me something to think about."

[Melon God]

Someone was watching from a distance.

[The Chou Lives]

" You could ask someone here if they are a psychologist, Jacob. It wouldn't hurt, Jacob," Rhea said.

Jacob looks at Rhea and sighs. " Fine, you have a point you damn hallucination, Jacob looks around. Hey, who here is a psychologist?" Jacob said.

Noting the man talking to the air, he does some finger gestures and a green eye burns out of his head. The world more crooked and twisted, air full of greens and reds. The dragon truly looked like hell spawn now and looks to this man. Sees the spirit dog.

“ That is for your head, like mental trauma and such. You have a legitimate spirit partner with ya. What’s the name dog? And you sir, your name? As your not crazy if others can sense, your buddy. Reality is dedicated by numbers. More belief in it, more real it is. Expect absolute truth. That does not give a shot.”

[grampagen]

"....Huh....sorry.....I couldn't hear you over the glass shattering ring in my ears." Ange poke a finger in one ear and holding the box firm with her other hand. "Must still have a bit of glass in their from getting suckerpunched then dropped through a roof..." Ange fumed, then sighed. "Then again.....I was suckered punched because I was bowing.....****....." She let the box go. "Fine.....but fair warning, I will find find an excuse at some point to test if you can take as much as you give..."

"Fuh-fuh-fuh...big talker, hard pusher, but sure can't take the bump," Kinu chortled. Must've taken a harder landing than I thought, the stunner starts with a boot...

Kinu tilt forward, a wide grin spreading as Gee-Gee reluctantly parted with the ice cream bar. The Warrior of the Wastleand dangled the frozen confection delicately by the corner of the wrapper as the EN rebel growled her threats.

"Well, even if you can't get the job done yourself, someone's got to do it right, yeah?" she said. "Still, I commend your ability to recognize your limitations."

Xia reached inside and pulled an ice-cream out for herself. "I saved your boss," she said with a shrug.

Instantly, Kinu's lips pressed together, her eyes and the corners of her mouth scrunched with a barely restrained laughter as she saw Xia silently outflank the Grey Ghost.

"Heh heh...got 'er..."

[bruceleegreyhulk]

Noting the man talking to the air, he does some finger gestures and a green eye burns out of his head. The world more crooked and twisted, air full of greens and reds. The dragon truly looked like hell spawn now and looks to this man. Sees the spirit dog.

“ That is for your head, like mental trauma and such. You have a legitimate spirit partner with ya. What’s the name dog? And you sir, your name? As your not crazy if others can sense, your buddy. Reality is dedicated by numbers. More belief in it, more real it is. Expect absolute truth. That does not give a shot.”

My name is Jacob, and the dog's name is Rhea. If you can see her, then maybe she's not a hallucination after all. Well, my partner suggested that I help regain my memory through a psychologist. I have a giant gap in my memory, I don't remember anything of my life beyond the age of 17," Jacob said.

" I don't remember my parents. I don't even remember where I was born. The only thing I remember at the age of 17 is living in an orphanage," Jacob said.

" That's what I been telling you from the start, Jacob. I'm not a hallucination. I'm your spirit animal. When you summon me for the first time, you and I signed a contract with the Boss Woman, Overlord of Reikai, The Goddess of Death," Rhea said.

" She's the one who assigned me to be your spirit animal, Jacob," Rhea said.

[grampagen]

The room was silent a moment.

"......I won't make excuses......I don't have any.....Our cause is at best, a dream. The elimination of ruin, a world where people aren't confined to cities......I have nothing to offer that says all of this will be worth it in the end." En paused. "But....I want to believe in a far away dream more then a convenient lie.....one that breeds inaction and subservience to the Administratum. Too many people have died, in A9 and here...to many homes lost...that it should be brushed under the rug as another example of why the admins are infallible and falling to ruin is the fault of humans and not their inability, or willingness, to do anything about it."

"So no....I don't have proof. Proof is what we're out here to find.....until then....I only have hope..."

"Tsk-tsk-tsk."

Clicking her tongue, Kinu was clearly unimpressed as she mulled over the disembodied voice's answer. First impressions all around had been a bit lacking all over, and what an outburst it was today.

"You're gonna have to do better than a dream without the work," she said.

Silence hung in the air about her as she took a long, slow sip from her can of beer.

"Let's review," she said, counting off on her fingers. "One, you're not inherently against the top brass Administratum, yet; Two, you wanna prove them fallible, but; Three you got...nothing? Not sure if this is tracking, you see?"

From where she was sitting, empty promises might be even worse than a convenient lie. Can't carry on only on the spectre of what might have been. On the other hand....

"But, you drive a hard bargain there, En. You're haggling with maybe a bit more than you think."

"So..." She began, softly, yet her voice rose to audible levels from her hiding place, "If they had not taken your "Papa", you would have left us to our fates?"

The lingering resentment of being "saved" as an afterthought still stung, compounded with the sense of failing to save her own family.

"...And for those of us without homes? Those who can't continue our lives as easily as the others? What of us? Do you already assume we'll be so eager to join your ranks?"

"......We may have never even met had they not taken my papa...." En finally answered after mulling her words. "But....that doesn't mean we would have left you too your fate....one way or the other, you were in need. If we Ignored that......or if we did it just because we wanted something in return..........would make our reasons no better then the admins."

"We'll do what we can to help the ones without homes now.....but not because your some resource to be harvested in compensation. Because we can...."

When Sigourney spoke - wow, where did she come from? - it seems that whatever had her shook earlier had settled a bit into a firmer sort of confidence. She had nowhere to turn to before the witches came, but even through the tears, and even though she had no answer for what she was to do, still, she refused to surrender herself to anyone.

"The Admins inflated the numbers of survivors. Makes them sound real good. If they catch up to the civilians of A-9, what do you think they'll do to them, En, if they're living proof that the storyline they've cooked up is one nobody should go along with?"

Kinu's dark eyes narrowed over the black strip that crossed her face, tempering her smirk with a certain, puckish glint.

"Gretel said they were the ones that lost everything. Suppose it depends on if that gels with what Glowworm over there can pluck outta your papa's head, am I right? If what they're trying to bury has got them shook that badly, then you'd better give the A-9ers an answer worth considering."

[grampagen]

"Whoa, WHOA, HEY!" Omu's head swirled around until it was eye level with Kinu. He wanted his arm back, attempting to pull it from her clutch. "Ya wanna let go of the appendage?" He inquired, raising his voice for the first time since he had met any individuals within this group. "Didn't yer mama ever tell ya not to go around, yankin' off limbs?"

One hand gripped upon where the arthropod joint hinged at the side of the body, Kinu was caught just as she was about to harvest. Big pincered face. Long fanged jaws. Bloodshot, amber eyes. ...it speaks.

She started in her seat, swiftly craning her neck from that snarling face...across the room...and finally back behind the firepit.

"Whoa...when did you get here?"

Jointed limbs were meant to skitter one way, and if this gargantuan centipede could sneak up on an entire crowded room like this, Mascot or no, she wasn't about to let him go. Kinu continued to grip it against the point of articulation, still ready to peel it as fast as a wishbone.

"No, I don't think I will," she said, "Because mama didn't raise no fool!"

Her eyes narrowed as she saw fresh stains on Omu's exoskeletal face. Strings of macerated flesh and...batter and cabbage?

"You come to a fire, you better be bringing fuel or food. But where I come from, thieves pay a price," Kinu continued, "How does that saying go? You should be familiar with it a hundred times over."

[Melon God]

Morgen put her chin in her hand, watching the scene before her unfold with some combination of amusement and tiredness. She'd seen a mascot before, once, while following her sister near the border of the city. Like the centipede, it seemed quite intelligent -- if admittedly far less agreeable to civil discussion. At any rate, this one didn't seem to be looking for trouble, at least.

"Oh, leave the bug alone. You were sharing anyway, weren't you?" She made a drawing motion with her finger and a tiny hat made of rose petals appeared out of thin air, landing squarely on Omu's head. "If it's really such a problem, I still have a dish that I haven't touched yet that I don't mind returning."

[KingofPie]

One hand gripped upon where the arthropod joint hinged at the side of the body, Kinu was caught just as she was about to harvest. Big pincered face. Long fanged jaws. Bloodshot, amber eyes. ...it speaks.

She started in her seat, swiftly craning her neck from that snarling face...across the room...and finally back behind the firepit.

"Whoa...when did you get here?"

Jointed limbs were meant to skitter one way, and if this gargantuan centipede could sneak up on an entire crowded room like this, Mascot or no, she wasn't about to let him go. Kinu continued to grip it against the point of articulation, still ready to peel it as fast as a wishbone.

"No, I don't think I will," she said, "Because mama didn't raise no fool!"

"Only get seen when I wanna," Omu replied. "Otherwise, there'd be much more of a stir 'bout a giant centipede, don't you think? If there was, I'd be outta business."

Her eyes narrowed as she saw fresh stains on Omu's exoskeletal face. Strings of macerated flesh and...batter and cabbage?

"You come to a fire, you better be bringing fuel or food. But where I come from, thieves pay a price," Kinu continued, "How does that saying go? You should be familiar with it a hundred times over."

"There's one other thing you can bring to a fire...and that's a story. Luckily for you, kabuki mask, I've got plenty," the Centipede ' smirked'. "Been around a long time. Which reminds me...can't say the last time I had okonomiyaki. At least one that weren't the big city kind anyway. Where's you learn to cook like that?"

Morgen put her chin in her hand, watching the scene before her unfold with some combination of amusement and tiredness. She'd seen a mascot before, once, while following her sister near the border of the city. Like the centipede, it seemed quite intelligent -- if admittedly far less agreeable to civil discussion. At any rate, this one didn't seem to be looking for trouble, at least.

"Oh, leave the bug alone. You were sharing anyway, weren't you?" She made a drawing motion with her finger and a tiny hat made of rose petals appeared out of thin air, landing squarely on Omu's head. "If it's really such a problem, I still have a dish that I haven't touched yet that I don't mind returning."

Omu touched his head with disdain with one of his limbs. Observing the hat he looked at the other girl, inquisitively, wondering aloid, "And where'd you learn this? Quite a fortuitous meeting, all these people gatherin' in one place with fancy tricks up their sleeves..."