A Bizarre New World, Chapter One: Cat’s In The Cradle

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

"Night Fever? Hm... never met anyone who survived from that," The barkeep said, placing the last of the orders down before them and Vivian, "What's it like? Anything like how the media portrays it?"

"Ever tripped on a psycho hallucinogenic tea, after getting mauled by a bear?" Vivian asked no one, and everyone.

"Something like that.

"Imagine the most intense fever you ever had. Every second it feels like it could be fatal. You come face to face with the most intense nightmares you ever had," Miguel described. "You always get this feeling that there's something comin' at you not just from sickness, but just over your shoulder. Always feels liek you're being watched. ...That's Night Fever. Fact I survived it seems nothing short of a miracle."

"More of a... oh forget it," Vivian grumbled before downing her triple.

[Yun Lao]

"Imagine the most intense fever you ever had. Every second it feels like it could be fatal. You come face to face with the most intense nightmares you ever had," Miguel described. "You always get this feeling that there's something comin' at you not just from sickness, but just over your shoulder. Always feels liek you're being watched. ...That's Night Fever. Fact I survived it seems nothing short of a miracle."

"Ever tripped on a psycho hallucinogenic tea, after getting mauled by a bear?" Vivian asked no one, and everyone.

"Something like that.

"More of a... oh forget it," Vivian grumbled before downing her triple.

"Hmm..." Is all the barkeep said, no doubt digesting the information given to him, but he wouldn't have long as the door chimes jingled once more.

The newcomer was clearly a teenager, not so much due to his looks, but rather the school uniform he wore; an oddity here considering it was a Japanese gakuran, but recognizable enough in this day and age. Raising a brow, the barkeep greeted him, "Hey, what can I get ya?"

Placing a briefcase on the bar top, the others would find it emblazoned with the Speedwagon Foundation logo, "Salted water with lemon, please," The teen replied.

[Tami]

Crushing the emergency piping seemed to do the trick as the makeshift kink sealed off the flow of water to the sprinklers, leaving only minor drips dropping from them. With Lucy only having set them off recently, Jigsaw Feeling's task of sucking up the water would be simple for that section of the hallway, although it would need a bit more time to consume all of the water on the floor.





Plunging directly into the cloud of tear gas Jigsaw Feeling had expelled, Jamie's senses would understandably be affected. Wildly flailing her limbs, in the slowly dissipating clouds, she would, unfortunately, find herself easy prey for the girl within. Without a word, Coal Chamber was summoned, an electrified fist smashing into her, although Genesis would be the one to take most of the brunt. Still, the force would be enough to launch Jamie out of the gas and out of danger for the time being.

[Genesis] took the brunt of the attack, having positioned it's self between Jamie and [Coal Chamber]. With Jamie safe for now, Jinny's companion uses it's proximity to attack, in a manner of speaking. Coal Chamber's fist is the first to be engulfed in the highly viscous substance that is the substance of Genesis, who then tries to engulf the entirety of the electrical creature.

[grampagen]

Crushing the emergency piping seemed to do the trick as the makeshift kink sealed off the flow of water to the sprinklers, leaving only minor drips dropping from them. With Lucy only having set them off recently, Jigsaw Feeling's task of sucking up the water would be simple for that section of the hallway, although it would need a bit more time to consume all of the water on the floor.


Plunging directly into the cloud of tear gas Jigsaw Feeling had expelled, Jamie's senses would understandably be affected. Wildly flailing her limbs, in the slowly dissipating clouds, she would, unfortunately, find herself easy prey for the girl within. Without a word, Coal Chamber was summoned, an electrified fist smashing into her, although Genesis would be the one to take most of the brunt. Still, the force would be enough to launch Jamie out of the gas and out of danger for the time being.

Right, that seems to have cinched the barmy thing, Suzie thought to herself. The drips still fell, but it was no longer a deluge.

Next was the floor. It had been a thin layer of fluid that stretched for as long as a few doors down. She'd a notion that perhaps 「Jigsaw Feeling」 could do the same to this just as it had for the gas grenade, and as its dark shape fell prostrate, it was a strange sight to see. It seemed to flow into the body of the spectral thing like a film of melting ice played in reverse, and so rapt it was in its attention that it took every single part of this one thing into itself, steadily, and greedily, until the floor was near dry as it had been before.

OOC: Water acquired from sprinklers upon the hospital floor.

"The generals word....." Lucy seemed to ponder a moment before her mind flashed to the moment the door had cracked open but for a moment, revealing a poor boy who had would soon lose a friend. "....are you here for the child? Hasn't he suffered...will suffer enough thanks to what you did...."

Behind her, the rings of Diamond Sky scattered, floating just behind her as each began to pick of speed. Eyes became a blur and the air around the girl began to vibrate from invisible force.

"I'll not allow it..."


Lucys eyes flash to ghost sucking the water, then to jamie, launched backwards by the force of the enemy ghost...electricity crackling around its fist.

"Suzie! Soak her!" The soldier shouted not a moment before one of Diamond Skys rings shot forward, quickly spinning under the airborn Jamie and the banking upwards to "catch" Coal extended arm within its ring....immediately shrinking til it acted as cuff. Not stopping its motion, the ring attempted to jerk the stand arm backwards...attempting to smash the stands own electrified fist into the user behind it.

In the meantime, the remaining two rings flew beneath Lucys feet as she broke into a forward sprint...each catching her foot as it fell, keeping her above the water as she made a dash towards the open elevator and her weapon case.

From this distance, Suzie could see Lucy, Jamie and another fellow - John - and, narrowing her eyes in the dim light, she could see Lucy's lips move, exchanging a few quiet words she couldn't quite make out. Not for nothing, but with all that was happening with the spirit in her shadow, a strange, disembodied sensation took her as it glid through the air. It was almost as if she stood outside of her own head, and「Jigsaw Feeling」made its uncanny moves as a turn of those hidden thoughts she could not realize...

Once the water had been fully supped from the floor, it stood before her, turning its gaze to the blinking ring of eyes rotating around Lucy. When Jamie was moved at the floor, she hear Lucy call out to her.

[Genesis] took the brunt of the attack, having positioned it's self between Jamie and [Coal Chamber]. With Jamie safe for now, Jinny's companion uses it's proximity to attack, in a manner of speaking. Coal Chamber's fist is the first to be engulfed in the highly viscous substance that is the substance of Genesis, who then tries to engulf the entirety of the electrical creature.

And the moment another spectral tendril seized the shocking simian's other arm, 「Jigsaw Feeling」 dashed its hands together, and expelled the water it had drawn into itself like a high-pressure pump.

[KingofPie]

"Hmm..." Is all the barkeep said, no doubt digesting the information given to him, but he wouldn't have long as the door chimes jingled once more.

The newcomer was clearly a teenager, not so much due to his looks, but rather the school uniform he wore; an oddity here considering it was a Japanese gakuran, but recognizable enough in this day and age. Raising a brow, the barkeep greeted him, "Hey, what can I get ya?"

Placing a briefcase on the bar top, the others would find it emblazoned with the Speedwagon Foundation logo, "Salted water with lemon, please," The teen replied.

Still ruminating over the existence of his newfound abilities, Miguel placed a hand on his chin and only gave a passing glance at the diner's new customer. But out of the corner of his eye, there was a familiar emblem. "Speed..." he mumbled at first. "Speewagon?! Hey, you the rep Debra told us to wait for?" he asked.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Night Fever? Hm... never met anyone who survived from that," The barkeep said, placing the last of the orders down before them and Vivian, "What's it like? Anything like how the media portrays it?"

"It felt worse, to be honest." Sandra shuddered briefly as she recounted her near month-long battle with that terrible disease. "I spent three weeks in the hospital. I had chills, cramps, kidneys actually failed two weeks in. ...I nearly didn't make it. Then, by some miracle, I pulled through." She shrugged one shoulder. "Haven't thought about it much these days."

She glanced at Miguel, then Vivian. They managed to pull through. The odds of someone surviving were slim, but all of them managed. She was willing to bet that the others did, too. There was something very... fucky about the entire group of people she found herself involved with.

"Hmm..." Is all the barkeep said, no doubt digesting the information given to him, but he wouldn't have long as the door chimes jingled once more.

The newcomer was clearly a teenager, not so much due to his looks, but rather the school uniform he wore; an oddity here considering it was a Japanese gakuran, but recognizable enough in this day and age. Raising a brow, the barkeep greeted him, "Hey, what can I get ya?"

Placing a briefcase on the bar top, the others would find it emblazoned with the Speedwagon Foundation logo, "Salted water with lemon, please," The teen replied.

Still ruminating over the existence of his newfound abilities, Miguel placed a hand on his chin and only gave a passing glance at the diner's new customer. But out of the corner of his eye, there was a familiar emblem. "Speed..." he mumbled at first. "Speewagon?! Hey, you the rep Debra told us to wait for?" he asked.

"Hey stupid, keep your voice down."

Sandra eyed the newcomer and recognized the name on his briefcase. She hadn't intended on saying anything right away, but Miguel killed any chance of doing this quietly. There was no telling who could have walked in and they were supposed to keep their mouths closed about the whole thing.

With a terse sigh, she picked up her plate and refilled glass and stood up. "Accidentally" elbowing Miguel in the back of the head as she passed him, she sat down across from the newcomer. "Speedwagon, huh?" she said quietly. "So, I take it we have you to thank for keeping the pigs off our backs."

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

"Hmm..." Is all the barkeep said, no doubt digesting the information given to him, but he wouldn't have long as the door chimes jingled once more.

The newcomer was clearly a teenager, not so much due to his looks, but rather the school uniform he wore; an oddity here considering it was a Japanese gakuran, but recognizable enough in this day and age. Raising a brow, the barkeep greeted him, "Hey, what can I get ya?"

Placing a briefcase on the bar top, the others would find it emblazoned with the Speedwagon Foundation logo, "Salted water with lemon, please," The teen replied.

"Salted water? Worried about evil spirits or something?" Vivian asked, before chuckling. Evil spirits. In a bar. None of the spirits in here were evil. They were a gift.

[Tami]

Right, that seems to have cinched the barmy thing, Suzie thought to herself. The drips still fell, but it was no longer a deluge.

Next was the floor. It had been a thin layer of fluid that stretched for as long as a few doors down. She'd a notion that perhaps 「Jigsaw Feeling」 could do the same to this just as it had for the gas grenade, and as its dark shape fell prostrate, it was a strange sight to see. It seemed to flow into the body of the spectral thing like a film of melting ice played in reverse, and so rapt it was in its attention that it took every single part of this one thing into itself, steadily, and greedily, until the floor was near dry as it had been before.

OOC: Water acquired from sprinklers upon the hospital floor.



From this distance, Suzie could see Lucy, Jamie and another fellow - John - and, narrowing her eyes in the dim light, she could see Lucy's lips move, exchanging a few quiet words she couldn't quite make out. Not for nothing, but with all that was happening with the spirit in her shadow, a strange, disembodied sensation took her as it glid through the air. It was almost as if she stood outside of her own head, and「Jigsaw Feeling」made its uncanny moves as a turn of those hidden thoughts she could not realize...

Once the water had been fully supped from the floor, it stood before her, turning its gaze to the blinking ring of eyes rotating around Lucy. When Jamie was moved at the floor, she hear Lucy call out to her.



And the moment another spectral tendril seized the shocking simian's other arm, 「Jigsaw Feeling」 dashed its hands together, and expelled the water it had drawn into itself like a high-pressure pump.

Shrinking back from the water, [Genesis] instead held firm to the electric Imp's arm like near-solid pitch, anchoring it to the floor so that it could not escape the other's attack.

[The Dog]

Jamie had expected death from the mad, reckless attack against the long-canined girl and her invisible thing, or at least indescribable pain. Well, she got knew she got some form of pain, but nowhere near as bad as she expected. Hitting the ground had brought pain as well, as well as a sense of dizziness.

'I hope I don't have a concussion...' Jamie thought, opening her eyes to the sight of water flying through the air, but no source for it to be doing so like a hose or pump of some kind. It actually reminded her of that pre-25th hour series Avatar: The Last Airbender.

'How in the heck is that happening?' Jamie wondered as she slowly climbed to her feet, wincing at the throbbing pain from her back and the point where the invisible thing struck her.

[Yun Lao]

Lucys eyes flash to ghost sucking the water, then to jamie, launched backwards by the force of the enemy ghost...electricity crackling around its fist.

"Suzie! Soak her!" The soldier shouted not a moment before one of Diamond Skys rings shot forward, quickly spinning under the airborn Jamie and the banking upwards to "catch" Coal extended arm within its ring....immediately shrinking til it acted as cuff. Not stopping its motion, the ring attempted to jerk the stand arm backwards...attempting to smash the stands own electrified fist into the user behind it.

In the meantime, the remaining two rings flew beneath Lucys feet as she broke into a forward sprint...each catching her foot as it fell, keeping her above the water as she made a dash towards the open elevator and her weapon case.

As one of Diamond Sky's cuffed down around Coal Chamber's wrist, the primate stand began charging its electrical powers once more, although curiously it seemed to focus on the entrapped limb. Soon enough, it became clear as to why for the dull metal began to glow with heat, quickly going from a dull cherry-red to bright orange.

[Genesis] took the brunt of the attack, having positioned it's self between Jamie and [Coal Chamber]. With Jamie safe for now, Jinny's companion uses it's proximity to attack, in a manner of speaking. Coal Chamber's fist is the first to be engulfed in the highly viscous substance that is the substance of Genesis, who then tries to engulf the entirety of the electrical creature.

While Diamond Sky had sought to propel Coal Chamber back at its owner, Genesis held the limb firmly in its mass. Unfortunately, it was by this time that the molten piece of metal gave way, freely a thin spindly arm from the gauntlet.

And the moment another spectral tendril seized the shocking simian's other arm, 「Jigsaw Feeling」 dashed its hands together, and expelled the water it had drawn into itself like a high-pressure pump.

Freed from its confinements, Coal Chamber moved to evade the aquatic blast from Jigsaw Feeling. By doing so, however, the simian Stand had left its owner in harm's way. The blast of water struck her hard, knocking her off of her feet and down the hall by a few doors down. Once the supply of water ceased, the soaked child rose to her feet.

"~huehuehue~"

Blood soaked the front of her chest, the darkest originating from the spot that most of the water had struck her.

"Quite the feat, bumbling into cooperation like that. ~I suppose I've been playing around too much~..."

The girl went to do something, but the door to 214 swung open, drenching the hallway with the sunlight of a Texan August day. The girl visibly flinched, leaping back from the light and it was shortly after that the distinct scent of burnt flesh reached them.

"Looks like you finally grew a spine... hue... well then... until next time."

Recalling Coal Chamber, the girl turned and retreated further into the hospital.

[Yun Lao]

Still ruminating over the existence of his newfound abilities, Miguel placed a hand on his chin and only gave a passing glance at the diner's new customer. But out of the corner of his eye, there was a familiar emblem. "Speed..." he mumbled at first. "Speewagon?! Hey, you the rep Debra told us to wait for?" he asked.

"Hey stupid, keep your voice down."

Sandra eyed the newcomer and recognized the name on his briefcase. She hadn't intended on saying anything right away, but Miguel killed any chance of doing this quietly. There was no telling who could have walked in and they were supposed to keep their mouths closed about the whole thing.

With a terse sigh, she picked up her plate and refilled glass and stood up. "Accidentally" elbowing Miguel in the back of the head as she passed him, she sat down across from the newcomer. "Speedwagon, huh?" she said quietly. "So, I take it we have you to thank for keeping the pigs off our backs."

"Only three of you so far..." Pulling out a golden pocket watch, the boy opened it up and checked the time, "Yes... it's just as Mr. Joestar predicted."

Seemingly for the first time, his attention turned to the trio.

"Not quite. Although I do represent the Speedwagon Foundation by virtue of being employed by them, I am, above all, the representation of Mr. Joestar. ... still, I suppose if you desire a 'yes or no' question, then the answer would be 'yes'."

Although confused by the order, the barkeep produced what looked like glass of water filled with lemon slices.

"Salted water? Worried about evil spirits or something?" Vivian asked, before chuckling. Evil spirits. In a bar. None of the spirits in here were evil. They were a gift.

"No, I just like the taste," The teenager replied, his unchanging visage showing his obliviousness to Vivian's attempt at humor.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

"Takes all kinds, I guess..." Vivian noted before fixating on the briefcase.

"If you're the vessel for Da's will, s'pose that means you've got his physical will, dunit?"

[Tami]

As one of Diamond Sky's cuffed down around Coal Chamber's wrist, the primate stand began charging its electrical powers once more, although curiously it seemed to focus on the entrapped limb. Soon enough, it became clear as to why for the dull metal began to glow with heat, quickly going from a dull cherry-red to bright orange.



While Diamond Sky had sought to propel Coal Chamber back at its owner, Genesis held the limb firmly in its mass. Unfortunately, it was by this time that the molten piece of metal gave way, freely a thin spindly arm from the gauntlet.



Freed from its confinements, Coal Chamber moved to evade the aquatic blast from Jigsaw Feeling. By doing so, however, the simian Stand had left its owner in harm's way. The blast of water struck her hard, knocking her off of her feet and down the hall by a few doors down. Once the supply of water ceased, the soaked child rose to her feet.

"~huehuehue~"

Blood soaked the front of her chest, the darkest originating from the spot that most of the water had struck her.

"Quite the feat, bumbling into cooperation like that. ~I suppose I've been playing around too much~..."

The girl went to do something, but the door to 214 swung open, drenching the hallway with the sunlight of a Texan August day. The girl visibly flinched, leaping back from the light and it was shortly after that the distinct scent of burnt flesh reached them.

"Looks like you finally grew a spine... hue... well then... until next time."

Recalling Coal Chamber, the girl turned and retreated further into the hospital.

Jinny recalled [Genesis] back to her as she watched what had happened, which only added to her confusion.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Only three of you so far..." Pulling out a golden pocket watch, the boy opened it up and checked the time, "Yes... it's just as Mr. Joestar predicted."

Seemingly for the first time, his attention turned to the trio.

"Not quite. Although I do represent the Speedwagon Foundation by virtue of being employed by them, I am, above all, the representation of Mr. Joestar. ... still, I suppose if you desire a 'yes or no' question, then the answer would be 'yes'."

Although confused by the order, the barkeep produced what looked like glass of water filled with lemon slices.



"No, I just like the taste," The teenager replied, his unchanging visage showing his obliviousness to Vivian's attempt at humor.

Sandra raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, just like that old bastard predicted?"

[KingofPie]

"Hey stupid, keep your voice down."

Sandra eyed the newcomer and recognized the name on his briefcase. She hadn't intended on saying anything right away, but Miguel killed any chance of doing this quietly. There was no telling who could have walked in and they were supposed to keep their mouths closed about the whole thing.

With a terse sigh, she picked up her plate and refilled glass and stood up. "Accidentally" elbowing Miguel in the back of the head as she passed him, she sat down across from the newcomer. "Speedwagon, huh?" she said quietly. "So, I take it we have you to thank for keeping the pigs off our backs."

"-!" Miguel grunted as Sandra seemed to "brush" past him. "Animalada..." Miguel frowned, rubbing the back of his head as the newcomer began to speak.

"Only three of you so far..." Pulling out a golden pocket watch, the boy opened it up and checked the time, "Yes... it's just as Mr. Joestar predicted."

Seemingly for the first time, his attention turned to the trio.

"Not quite. Although I do represent the Speedwagon Foundation by virtue of being employed by them, I am, above all, the representation of Mr. Joestar. ... still, I suppose if you desire a 'yes or no' question, then the answer would be 'yes'."

Although confused by the order, the barkeep produced what looked like glass of water filled with lemon slices.

Sandra raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, just like that old bastard predicted?"

"...Just how long ago was this prediction, anyway?" Miguel inquired.