Author Topic: CDDA: Adventures in Cataclysm  (Read 33308 times)

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saltmummy626

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Re: CDDA: Adventures in Cataclysm
« Reply #4650 on: February 21, 2018, 04:20:10 am »
Tea time was pleasant enough, but Catnip was a bit sad that Roxanne and Hector wouldn't be joining them. Still, Kathrine did and that was enough. Though Catnip kept having to pull her back into her seat to keep her from taking over for Sylvia and Daniel as they served. "They aren't cucumber sandwiches," Sylvia told Kathrine, "But at least they are tiny." Catnip didn't like the tea, a perfectly normal pot this time, but Kathrine showed no sign of preference either way. Her conditioning shone through during the occasion as she treated the affair like it was a private garden tea party. Kathrine showed Catnip how to hold her teacup, and when it was proper to eat the sandwiches. Even how to hold those as well. "Pinkies out Catnip." She told her girlfriend. Afterwords, Catnip collected the scraps of Sylvia and Daniels tent so they could be salvaged and maybe even put back together.

"I have a plan Kathrine." Catnip told Kathrine when they returned to their tent and Kathrine changed back into her more normal attire behind a curtain Catnip set up or the purpose.

"What's that Catnip? You aren't leaving again are you?"

Catnip shook her head and pulled out her computer. "I can't find all my tools Kat, I need a new tool box. Actually... I could probably put together a utility belt. That might be useful, yeah?" She had her back to the sheet which hid Kathrine from view, but she knew Kathrine was probably nodding or whispering some unheard words of agreement. For awhile, she spoke to her computer, as she always had before. Saying every word as she typed it just like Roxanne showed her. She found amongst the crates after her little conversation over the farms network, a packet containing all the posters and notices from her noticed board, along with a vast horde of underpants. Someone had been at work filling out one of her requests, and she knew who it had been. She picked out a pair of boy shorts and looked them over. Clean. If Hector was to be believed, they could be nothing but since their previous owners had been so irradiated that they'd glowed in life, and turned to dust in death.

"I have a backlog Kat, and I know I said I'd have Tomos's ATV done by tomorrow, but I really owe it to Roxanne to get her own machine fixed up. How long has she been waiting?"

Kathrine thought about it, emerging from behind the changingi sheet, and told her that Roxanne had been waiting on the modifications "forever."

"That's too long Kat. I need to get on some of this stuff right away.


With Catnip back, Dee had suddenly found the will to work again. Fiddling about was replaced with real research. Real development. He picked a "body" from the line up of Warwalker parts out beside his shop and with some help brought it in to examine. The hands and legs and little parts he'd been toying with were shoved aside as the walker was opened up and carefully disassembled. The delicacy of some of the parts was fascinating, especially in the digits. Gods Army was in possession of a master of robotics. Fortunately, he thought, they didn't have a Catnip. He carefully took apart the arms of what would become Medeina's "prime" proxy. The housing of the AI's primary matrix. Inside were Catnip's own collection of simple mechanisms and Dee's addition of several cable bundles. What he sometimes referred to as the robots circulatory system.

Compared to the arm of the war walker, Catnip's design was strangely disorganized. Seemingly clunky. Preliminary tests showed though that the arm was nearly supernaturally responsive and even a bit strong to boot. Inside Medeina's arm, Dee could make out the parts here and there of a jury rigged muscle aug CBM, uncoiled and stretched along the inside of the super alloy arm in a double length or stone crushing power. Medeina had practiced with the arm to the point where she could work it with unnatural delicacy or use it in brutally efficient shows of force. A person, or animal, grabbed with these arms would have a hard time getting out. They'd give Medeina all the time she needed to take down observations before releasing whatever it was she had captured. That, or crush the life out of it. The other arm likewise had a muscle aug running through it, the CBM's normally meant to be run through two arms and a chest, not one arm and a shoulder. Dee knew the torso portion of the chassis was fitted with an extra bit of those same salvaged CBM's to hold the whole thing together.

The war walker on the other hand was working on a combination of pneumatics and hydraulics. It could move and sense very efficiently, even maintain it's balance on rough terrain. Dee wanted that kind of movement on Medeina's prime proxy. He wanted strength and longevity. Catnip could do strength, but he wasn't sure about longevity. An atomic slug would work, but atomics generated heat. He already had issues with heat coming off the hard drive matrices, he wasn't sure how he'd deal with atomics. Frankly, he wasn't even comfortable handling atomics. Catnip had no problem, but Catnip was like a reckless artificer, making doomsday weapons for kicks before stashing them in an unlocked closet somewhere and forgetting about them. Catnip knew the dangers of course, she took iodine tablets by the handful when she operated her train, but she acknowledged the dangers with a startling casualness that would strike anyone not familiar with Catnip's history.

Mica looked on as Dee worked, happy somewhere in her skull that her man was once again taking a little passion in his hobby again. Sometimes, people came by to introduce themselves. That was fine with Mica. Secretly she thought the odd mouse people were adorable, their squishies even more so. She frowned to think about it. There was a bit of jealousy deep down. She told the medicine man about it earlier. Why couldn't she have a squishy too? She liked to play with two-faced ladies squishy, but he wasn't Mica's squishy. She resigned herself to drawing. Only a moment in, and she noticed the laptop Medeina was sequestered in doing something and began mashing keys to annoy her, all the while munching apples.

"Babe, I know you like pestering her, but could you not right now? I'll take you down to the bridge in a bit to see what's up with all the fishing, just hang in there ok?" Dee said sideways. He didn't turn to face her, but she knew he was watching her and so stopped. She could be patient, no matter what the others thought. She could wait.
« Last Edit: February 22, 2018, 01:08:10 am by saltmummy626 »
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Re: CDDA: Adventures in Cataclysm
« Reply #4651 on: February 22, 2018, 10:40:33 am »
   Roxanne walked to her room with Hector in tow. Despite her nervousness, she still seemed content with the cards she had been dealt. As a little prank, Roxanne took off her cloak and asked Hector to hold it for her; once he did, she entered her room by walking through the door without opening it. Hector was left there to puzzle over what just had happened while Roxanne unlocked the door from the inside and then opened it for her. "Make yourself at home Hector; knowing Victor, this is gonna take a while."

   Once inside, Roxanne looked around her room humming a tune while Hector did his thing. She went to her desk where little jim was at. "I am going to need something to water him. Wonder if anyone around the farm has a pail...", Roxanne thought to herself. For now she made sure the curtains of her window were open so that jim got enough sunlight as she poked him to get a reaction out of the plant. It wiggled and open his mouth in a fashion similar to a yawn; Roxanne chuckled at the sight. "And to think you are part of Catnip’s year long ordeal..."

   It was Hector who interrupted Roxanne’s train of thought. She turned her attention to him as he asked his question. "It’s a long and complicated story but like I said, we have time so sit down and prepare for a story." And a story he got. Roxanne explained how a seemingly normal trip turned south; about how the cave was empty and the one man who not only broke her monomolecular sword. She explained how she died; how Victor claimed her back from the abyssal canyon and then sealed her in the sword. Last bit was about how now she has to pick a wielder and how that defaulted to Victor due to the sword choosing him back when Randael was a thing.

   "And that is how we find ourselves right now. I am now a spirit trapped in this sword, I have to find someone to wield it and now we are waiting on the ritual that would stabilize me. You know, the one we were supposed to do if the people in the cave were still among us." She paused for a moment to let Hector process what she just told her. Roxanne herself had a few questions but none that Hector could answer. "Now, you may be wondering what I did at first; why didn’t Victor use some sort of magic to just heal me up? Well, to put it in terms someone not into the arcane might understand: my bloodline in this world was cursed. The shifting allowed said curse to afflict me and apparently what Victor did ended it. I am not the only one who had it but apparently I was the last one. One questions still lingers: I wonder wh-"

   Before Roxanne could finish her thoughts, Victor barges into the room and gives a deep sigh. His expression is showing obvious annoyance at something. "Sorry for taking so long, a little hip up came up...Am I interrupting something.", Victor asks.

   "We will talk later Hector, we have things to do.", Roxanne said before looking at Victor, "Not really, just explaining to Hector what happened but I pretty much told him everything."

   "Very good, saves us time. By the way Roxanne, I need you to teach me how to play Pensive properly later on.", Victor said in response.

   "Sure, finally tired of losing to me after all this time?"

   "No, I might have ended up promising someone to play Pensive with them. I’ll explain later; for now, ritual." He stepped into the room and walked towards the altar. Once he got there, he took out two books; one looked liked a simple composition notebook and the other was a highly decorated leather bound book. Victor opened both the books and glance at them.

   "So, there are three ways for us to do this. Let me see… No wait, Roxanne doesn’t have body anymore… So only two." After a bit more of reading, Victor glanced at Roxanne and then Hector before smirking and going back to reading the books. "Nevermind, there is only one way. We only need Roxanne to step in front of the beacon. As for you Hector, just stay where you are for now and observe; hopefully it might answer some of your questions." Right after he said this, Victor closed the books and turned back to Roxanne; he did a motion for Roxanne to get into position as he got into his.

   "Haven’t done this in a while so please bear with me… This is why I wanted them to do it but no used in crying over spilled milk… Alright, let us begin.", Victor announced. Afterwards, the ritual began. It was a straightforward ordeal but with a few quirks. Roxanne stood near the altar next to Victor and in front of some structure made out of some sort of chandelier with various candles. Victor chanted something while Roxanne smiled and closed her eyes. The sword of the void, now back on the bed, glow a bright purple before shifting to white and then back to purple. Roxanne grunted a bit in discomfort but that only lasted a few seconds, her eyes remained closed during the whole ordeal. That’s when the voices started.

“Imposter”
“Intruder”
“You do not belong here…”
“Leave us alone!”
“Burn the witch! Set her sins ablaze!”
“Why do you struggle? It will all end eventually...and yours was already claimed.”
“No matter the path, you always chose the path to ruin…”
“I wonder what Helios would think of this...her student was naught but a failure…”
“Mark walks among us...he wanted so much more…”

   The voice kept taunting Roxanne. They poked at her insecurities and she was visibly distressed. Victor and Hector both shared her memories so they would know what most of this voices were referring to. Victor kept his calm as to not allow the voices to become more than that; the ritual was almost over anyways.

   "That’s enough!", Roxanne yelled. She could not take the taunting; in the middle of it, she had opened her eyes and before yelling. The voices had now stopped but the ritual had been rendered null. Victor gave a deep sigh of disappointment but said nothing as he could understand why she did so. "Damn it all… who the hell do they think they are...", Roxanne exclaimed while panting in frustration. "I need to relax… Where is my oil."

   Roxanne put on her cloak to become corporeal once more and then went to the drawer on the nightstand next to her bed and took out the little jar of her “ceremonial oil”. She began to resume the humming of her little tune to calm her nerves as she applied the oil on her forearms. "Are you really doing this right now?", aske Victor in disbelief.

   "What? This is my room after all. Besides, it’s not like either of you haven’t seen me do it before. Tin can over here even joined me once; so back off yo- wait..." A realisation came to Roxanne in that moment, "Victor...how will me being this ‘cursed spirit’ thing affect my indulgence of recreational substances?"

   "You mean getting high Roxanne, say it like is at least. Anyways, that is a good question. You no longer have any nerves or even a nervous system for that matter. I wonder how stimuli would work for you… Maybe with some experimentation we could find out of..." as Victor was saying this, he glanced at Hector and then he stopped himself. "Ahem, not that I would experiment you or anything… So to answer you question: we don’t know as of right now. No-one seems to have bothered documentation what happens after one becomes a cursed spirit; only how to become one. We are going to have to wait and find out."

   "Greaaaaat, so there is a possibility I won’t be able to get high either now...unless...for now I will wait it out.", Roxanne responded. Meanwhile, Victor looked throughout the new book he had gotten; the “Trinity Coded” as him and Blackjack had referred to it. On a specific page, Victor had found something interesting that might help Roxanne in case drugs no longer worked on her; he would just need to borrow some ideas from the ‘red coffee’ ritual.

   "Well, if you ever need any help with dealing with being a spirit, you know where to find me...I know this is technically my fault...", after saying the last bit, he looked at Hector once more to make sure everything was still fine, "But I know how to help at least. For now since the ritual is a bust, I will take my leave. Oh, one last thing before I leave… You no longer have your mutations or bionics so I would seriously recommend you get some sort of formal training with traditional weaponry; I know that is quite the statement coming from me. Still, pick up a gun and fire it a couple times and practice with that sword. I can teach you what I know since I wielded it for so long but that would only get you so far. With that being said, see you two later."

   Victor grabbed his books and walked towards the door, opened it and then exited the room. Roxanne and Hector were left there with the former both annoyed and confused. "What a day this has been… It’s at least high afternoon; not like I can sleep anymore. Oh well, I guess I will play the waiting game now.", Roxanne said mostly to herself but loud enough for Hector to hear.
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Re: CDDA: Adventures in Cataclysm
« Reply #4652 on: February 22, 2018, 01:52:40 pm »
Hector did his best to relax as Roxanne led him into her room, setting aside his helm and shield, removing gauntlets and the scabbard holding the cursed sword. He had a renewed sense of discomfort keeping that thing so close to him, but now it wasn't solely due to its corrupted nature.

As Roxanne explained the day's events, he was now increasingly distraught by this, the thing he feared now confirmed to be true, in a sense. She was still here and speaking with him, but now she was effectively dead. The expression on his face said it all, the solemn look of realization. Out of all the questions that came to his mind, one stood out. "A curse. That couldn't have been the only solution to it..." he said softly, just enough for Roxanne to hear him. When Victor entered the room, he found it hard not to stand up and lash out at him, yet he sat there for now.

Hector watched for now in silence, trying to remain calm as the voices started. Even without the shared memories it was easy to guess what some of them were tormenting her over. When Roxanne interrupted the ritual, he sighed a bit, letting the two discuss matters before Victor took his leave. Afterwards he stood, walking over to Roxanne to embrace her. "Don't let them bother you. No matter what they say, you know who you are now. You aren't the person you were back then, before all this started. Neither of us are. You've grown." he said. "And the most superficial taunts, of not belonging here? So what? The Shifting gave us a chance to do good in this world, a chance that several of us have taken. You're not alone."

After all this he still had questions, moreover wanting to know more about the thing that attacked Roxanne. He elaborated a bit about what he saw and felt when he went to where Victor claimed Roxanne was, mentioning the glimpse of a shadowy mockery of the human form in the reflection of that cursed sword, a figure carrying a blade of some kind.
« Last Edit: February 22, 2018, 01:56:18 pm by Chaosvolt »

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Re: CDDA: Adventures in Cataclysm
« Reply #4653 on: February 23, 2018, 01:37:35 am »
Alexei had spent the evening in his home preparing for a hunt. a pair of whiskey glasses sat on the table in front of him as he adjusted the strap of his quiver. Picking up the gas mask that was set on the table he slid the straps over his head before tightening them. Picking up one of the glasses on the table he turned to the door and stepped outside.

The sunlight filtered through the branches of the trees as he held the glass up in a salute to the air. "Saint Jude forgive me, Ullr guide my hand, and Martin of Tours show me the way through the smoke and fire."

With that said he tilted the glass and let the liquid pour out onto the ground. As the first drops hit the ground he heard something off to the side and looked. A flash of light blinded him for a moment before he saw himself sitting against a wall holding a wound closed with one hand. Lifting a pistol this other him shouted "Bitch! I should have shot you when I had chance!"

He didn't see whoever it was this him was talking to but he did see the end of a mace slam into the side of his head. The helmet crumpled into the wound as blood gushed out of it before the body slid to the side. Another flash and a voice whispered into his ear "You can still change Alexei."

Turning towards the voice he shouted "Ms Morgan?"

As he turned he saw another version of himself kneeling with a rifle in hand. Motioning in a military fashion Alexei didn't quite understand this version was passed by a pair of men in uniforms similar to his own. This version looked around as he said "Remember the creatures are more aggressive in their own territory. They'll eat us alive if we let them get close so keep weapons ready."

The two that had passed this one moved back and soon he followed. Alexei couldn't place it but this one seemed...happy. Shaking his head as these visions dissipated he wondered what was in some of the vodka he'd drank over the last day. He didn't notice the pair of spirits that faded back to the place that kept them alive still. Didn't notice the sisters quietly holding each other as they watched him walk into the woods with his bow.

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Re: CDDA: Adventures in Cataclysm
« Reply #4654 on: February 23, 2018, 07:07:58 pm »
   It wasn’t Hector’s actual words but the intent of them that soothe Roxanne. She smiled as he embraced her returning the gesture in kind. "Thank you Hector...You are right, I know who I am." A few moments later after Roxanne had calmed down, Hector still had some questions lingering and he made them known. Roxanne was happy to answer them to the best of her ability.

   "A shadowy figure with a blade? Doesn’t ring a bell honestly. All I know as that one moment I Victor and I are standing next to each other ready to fight and the next he is gone. I grabbed my, well former, sword and its effects took hold. What seemed to be an augmented man showed up and told me he had been waiting for me; I paid him no mind as I craved combat and he happily obliged. Thing is...he bested me; one fatal wound to the chest was all it took. The moment he broke my bionic sword I should’ve run but the sword of despair wouldn’t let me..."

   Roxanne stood in silence for a moment as if contemplating something. Whatever it was, she seemed rather enthralled in it; but just as the thought began it ended. "Anyways, I do not know of any spirits or anything of the sort there. Maybe Victor saw something when he disappeared? After I was stabbed, everything is a blur and there are certain bits I am not even sure if they are real..."

   Something was bugging Roxanne: her ceremonial oil was supposed to be fast acting. It was a special formula of hers after all. However, it was as if she hadn’t applied it at all; she wondered if maybe it really wouldn’t have any effect. She wouldn’t voice this concern though; she assumed her being no longer technically alive was a bit more pressing. Still, there was nothing she could do but wait some more.

   "Hey, it’s getting a bit late… The sunset is almost upon us. This will be the first night like this; wonder how it will be. I know I know, ‘haven’t you been like this before?’ It’s not the same; it’s hard to explain but it is not… I want some time alone to figure out what to do. You know, will I be able sleep, should I stay corporeal or not, should I maybe sleep in the sword; that kind of thing. Nightly rituals are going to be weird from now on."



   Victor eventually made it to his room. His was doing his usual activity: reading from arcane books to find anything useful. Now, he wasn’t reading from just any book; no, this was the Trinity Codex. This was a book of desperation, of transition and of change. Victor thought of it just a rumor, gossip fro his friend Blackjack the gambling spirit but after recalling the conditions for acquiring the book he realized he had meet them. This is why he summoned Blackjack after all these years; Victor wanted, no, needed this book.

   "I’ll be damned...this thing contains perfected versions of a lot of my research… This book, what is it’s true nature? No, best not to question it. I won’t have this for long so best I gather what I need." And gather information he would. With a pen and his remaining journal ready Victor search the Trinity Codex for as much information as he could. He would end up staying awake all night transcribing the contents of the book to his journal but it would be worth it in the long run.
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...I wish for airborne rabies.

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Re: CDDA: Adventures in Cataclysm
« Reply #4655 on: February 23, 2018, 08:10:48 pm »
(( Smol addition written by Noct. ))

Hector sighed a bit at that, uncertain what to think as Roxanne explained. "I see. I'll ask Victor later I guess." he said softly, still unnerved as he looked back. The realization of how much time had passed struck him. "You're right, it's getting late. I know there's not much I can do to help, but I feel like things would've gone differently if...if I hadn't stayed here." he said softly, feeling a pang of regret. No, if Victor was so easily separated from her, he knew it wouldn't have helped. If anything Alice might've bled out had he not been in the right place at the right time today. They would've lost two people, not just one. But part of him wanted to believe that it would've helped in some way.

"If you want, I can stay here. As worried as I've been about you lately, and now after this? I don't know how long you'll be with us..." he said, looking away. His expression made that concern, fear even, rather apparent.

   Roxanne gave a sympathetic smile to Hector upon hearing his concerns. She had been too caught up in her own change that she had neglected to think what others would feel about this. "Yes, I would like that...", Roxanne said in response to his offer to stay. Hopefully, both their worries would subside in the morning.



Elsewhere, Helen was tending to her usual tasks at The Hall, watching the setting sun after tending to the garden. She found herself tending to a small fire in the firepit outside, soon emptying a small bowl of mead to douse the fire. A variant of a ritual her mother taught her, the version occasionally practiced by the members of her old order descended from the founders of Odin's Oath. "Gæta ok leiða vit."

She then made her way inside, sighing as she picked up her two-way. "Victor, if you're still there and in one piece. Will return in the morning, unless you seek me out first. If so, I'll be here at The Hall. Good night..." she said into it, before setting it down on the table, making final preparations for the evening and heading to bed.

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Re: CDDA: Adventures in Cataclysm
« Reply #4656 on: February 24, 2018, 01:31:56 am »
Dee worked hard, and would have worked late into the night had it not been for Mica. He took down notes, and took up soldering iron, working on circuits and putting together small but complex pieces compiled from the scraps and components he had on hand. The sun went down and the lights from the camp on the other side of the farms defensive wall went up. Catnip's electric street lamps likewise flickered on after a few months dead. Nathaniel had followed her instructions to the letter.

"Silly lizard, too late for workin.'" Mica a little tauntingly. She poked her head around the workshops one corner and grinned wide at him.

"Just a bit more Mica, I'd like to finish this. Be patient ok?" Dee knew she could be patient, but he wasn't sure how patient. for another five minutes or so, Dee worked. Then, once again, Mica poked her head around the corner. She looked a bit annoyed.

"Liiizaaard. Keepin' My-ka waaaitin.'" She circled the corner then. It no longer startled him when she came striding out of their room without any clothes on, she did this every couple days when her patience wore thin and she wanted him to take her to bed. Mica seemed, Dee had mused, to be incapable of simply asking for it beyond that first time.

"Ok, now get back in there before you catch a cold or something. Jesus Mica, you can just talk. Hell, let me take the lead for once." She wasn't going to let him take the lead until they were alone together of course. Dee's girlfriend did an about face, making sure Dee saw all of her, then strutted back the way she came. Dee noticed, as he always did, that extra bit of sway she put in her hips to grab his attention. Roxanne had taught her that simple movement. Dee put down his tools and rose to follow, already feeling Mica's pull. He worried though, about the appointment tomorrow. He didn't want her to slide back into what she was. Not for his sake, but for hers.


Catnip allowed herself to be tucked in, as it used to be, but this time she pulled Kathrine in with her. It was too cold to be sleeping on the floor or outside as Kathrine suggested. Late summer would very soon give way to autumn and here in New England, one could feel it when the sun went down. She threw half the blanket over Kathrine and held her close in a tight hug. The pair talked, at first Catnip gently shushing her girlfriend and assuring her that it was perfectly alright, that it would be warmer and more comfortable if they were both together and sharing each others warmth. Kathrine's long fluffy tail added a large measure of warmth to the equation as well. The day had been busy after the small tea party. Catnip utility belt wasn't quiet ready, but she had a temporary storage solution.

The first task had been Roxanne's APC. It had sat for a few years in front of the farm house, occasionally on the move but with it's weapons systems as dead as carved stones. The entire electric system controlling the control module, and the control module itself, had to be ripped out and replaced. This little chore had taken an inordinate amount of Catnips time and effort. Her collection of parts had been hauled away and neatly stashed in "organized" sections. Catnip couldn't find a thing. Eventually, as dinner approached, she found what she wanted and performed the proper tests. The system revved up and even fired. All it needed now was a good solid road test. It wouldn't be Catnip to do it though. It was Roxanne's baby, it was her road test to perform.

Catnip squeezed Kathrine a little closer, more glad than she had been before to be home.
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Re: CDDA: Adventures in Cataclysm
« Reply #4657 on: February 24, 2018, 02:41:32 am »
      Lucian idly waited for the sun to set, the crickets began to sing as the lights went out as everyone went to sleep. He scooped up his bag and his mantle of shadows off the floor, putting it on as he gently slipped out of the room. He activated the mantle, muffling his footsteps and shrowding him in shadow. Lucian stuck to the shadows as he slunk into a utility closet, pressing a folding chair that was inside against the doorknob. He set up on the floor, pouring some black powder, bonemeal, and some shards from a long broken athame. He gripped a short knife in his teeth, using it to slash open his palm as he let it drop from his teeth. Lucian let the crimson liquid drip onto the powder mixture, he grabbed a roll of gauze and a roll of linen. He wrapped the gauzr around his palm and bit on the roll of Linen as took off the hook, tossing a lit match into the chalice.

      An intense, searing pain stabbed into his stump as something began to construct. Something black and glass-like, it began to build as Lucian let out a muffled shout. He felt it build the new 'flesh' of the arm. First was the fore-arm, then the wrist, then the palm, and finally the fingers. Every moment was searing agony as it even built nerves. Lucian wheezed as he stared at the new limb, testing it as he wiggled it's fingers. He got up, taking the roll of fabric out of his mouth and slipped out of the closet. He cleaned up after himself and slipped back into his room, setting his bag and feathered mantle on the ground. Lucian slipped back into the bed, drifting off to a dreamless sleep.
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Re: CDDA: Adventures in Cataclysm
« Reply #4658 on: February 24, 2018, 02:47:14 am »
It was late into the night that Krieg found himself sitting by Roland's bed in the medical ward they had set up. The options he was presented with in the situation they were in were limited despite the numerous offers from the men. Roland had refused every one of them and Krieg wouldn't operate on a patient that wasn't willing to have the procedure. He was about to throw his helmet against the wall and yell at Roland when Veronica walked in.

She moved to stand beside Roland as he smiled at her. "Roland you..are you okay?"

Roland blinked slowly as he sat up and told her "I'm okay. I've accepted it. I'm at peace."

She started to object when he shook his head and told her "It's my time soon. Let us make it pleasant shall we? No arguing, just talk."

And so they talked for hours, many of the members of the 3rd cycling into and out of the room to say goodbye. It was early in the morning when Roland closed his eyes for the last time surrounded by the 3rd. The heartbeat monitor slowed until it flat lined entirely. For a moment everyone in the room took a breath and hoped it would come back. But Krieg knew that the hope was in vain. Reaching over he began removing the equipment as he told a nurse to jot down the time.

Once the equipment was put away Krieg retrieved a letter from his bag and handed it to Veronica before starting for the motor pool. It had been some time since he'd let a death affect him like this and he found himself stopping to take a few deep breaths. The pain in his chest wasn't unfamiliar but still unpleasant as he climbed into a jeep and started the motor. He had letters to deliver, he'd put his mind to that task and deal with this later.

Elsewhere Roland looked at the man across the desk from him. Gently tossing a folder onto the table the man shrugged as he said "Quite frankly I'm surprised they didn't make you a saint. You certainly deserved it."

Roland leaned back as the two conversed for a time. Jokes shot back and forth as they observed each other. After a time though Roland sighed as he said "I'd like to watch over them, even if I can't truly help. They don't need me anymore, they've learned to take care of themselves after all but still I feel a responsibility to watch over them. And a question if you will. How are my sons, how's Thomas?"

The man sighed for a moment as he set a cup of coffee to the side. Stopping to think for a moment before shrugging he said "Well I'm technically not supposed to tell you but with your little request I don't suppose it would cause too much harm for you to know. So..." And the man began to tell Roland of his sons.

saltmummy626

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Re: CDDA: Adventures in Cataclysm
« Reply #4659 on: February 24, 2018, 06:44:45 am »
Atomos poked at the fire in the hearth of the house she'd posted up in. The building was outfitted with a small stock of food stuffs and general supplies, along with being fortified against undead incursion. When the fire was sufficiently stirred and good bright coals revealed, she carefully placed her thoughtfully ventilated can of spaghetti rings with meatballs in amongst them. It was no coincidence she'd picked out this house as night fell. This was one of many safe houses she'd put together over the course of the year, mostly over the summer. She marked them with an orange triangle on the sidewalk.

Setting the safe houses up was a dangerous endeavor. One that didn't always see positive results. Several of her safe houses near the outskirts of towns or cities had been looted, rendering them unusable and sometimes dangerous. Sometimes, this occurred before she could complete the project. Some undead we're clever, or Atomos was sometimes unlucky. On one close occasion she managed to narrowly dive through the window and bolt up the stairs with a host of foul the undead on her heels. The plank stretched across the span, a favored trick in these places where  pre-cataclysm people had been content to crowd their homes so close together, had given access to the house next door. She kicked the plank in the hopes of dislodging it and cutting off pursuit, but pursuit was already making it's way across the two story abyss. The board had jolted to the left about a foot, and the falling zombies had shoved it further as they went. With only one crawling corpse holding the board down at the other end, Atomos had just watched, amused, as it crawled towards her and in so doing upset the balance of the plank.

Next to the fire she put her toasting rack, lined with two slices of center baked bread. There would be toast with her spaghetti rings. Toast with strawberry jam. She would eat, read a little, and then turn in on the couch for the night. Tomorrow Atomos would push on to the north. By nightfall, she would be looking and New Bangor on the horizon. By morning, she would be in the shadow of Abaddon, the ruins surrounding the center of God's Army's power.
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Re: CDDA: Adventures in Cataclysm
« Reply #4660 on: February 24, 2018, 11:24:24 pm »
Helen had an uneasy, restless night, only worsening as the dark haze of dreamless sleep gave way to disconcerting memories. Given the day's events she'd feared another vision might occur and only add new worries, but the vague haze of dreams was just as troubling.

Soon though, she stumbled out of bed, sighing a bit as she got dressed and reached for the two-way. "Victor? Are you there? I'll be heading over soon, if it's safe to come over now."



Elsewhere, Hector had slept rather late, in the morning a bit uncertain as he got up. Given she likely needed little, if any sleep, he wondered how she held up during the night. Soon however he stood, gathering his clothes and armor, sighing a bit. "I should ask Victor something..."



Nathaniel meanwhile had been up early, going to check on Alice after hearing the news, and a look around the farm soon confirmed the visitors from the 3rd had left. So too was Isaac gone, and the thought worried him, making his way to the tank's radio. "Nathaniel checking in. The boys from the 3rd reading me? Wanted to report that Alice seems to be okay so far, thanks to your medic's good work. Haven't heard from Isaac since then, however. Everything alright on your end?"

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Re: CDDA: Adventures in Cataclysm
« Reply #4661 on: February 25, 2018, 12:22:32 am »
( https://docs.google.com/document/d/1x7gVkG9S2MIqkwA1qF0wYmgUA1MGgmGYdU6JC5NAr2s/edit?usp=sharing )

The trek back had not been entirely unpleasant for Isaac. The men he was with were just that, men. Each spoke of home in a longing yet pained tone as they answered questions and offered up stories of their youths. As he came to know they were all hunters of a kind.

Anton had worked as a tracker for his people. Ever vigilant he kept them on the right path to follow the herds of animals they kept track of. Carrying himself with confidence and swagger the man still seemed tired despite the nights rest they had, and he seemed to always keep a hand near his knives.

Meanwhile his brother Eino had been a warrior bearing axe and shield for his kinfolk. As he explained it swords were for those of a higher status than he when asked as to why an axe. Flipping the axe from hand to hand Isaac noted the intricate details carved into its handle. His demeanor also seemed more cheerful than his brother.

Aaron and his twin Gunnar meanwhile were bowmen who seemed to share a comradery with Anton that seemed to irritate the others. Both joked and tossed remarks between themselves while fiddling with arrows that were oddly ornately decorated. They seemed to be a good sort from what Isaac could gather though.

Liam meanwhile was the second youngest of the six, and an oddity. He was the mage of the group and kept to himself. The way he kept a hand near his bag and a nervous eye out on the others made Isaac wonder if his job made him the one to be lashed out at. Regardless he seemed to try and keep a smile on his face and recounted tales of his work that kept everyone interested.

Soon though they came close to the hall as they walked and they quieted. Looking to each other they wondered what the woman that Isaac was taking them to would have in store for them. However they had little choice but to proceed as Isaac knocked on the door.

________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile Vernoica picked up the radio after Nathaniel's message. Clicking it on she sighed and said "We're fine here. But Roland passed early this morning. I'm..I'm sorry. Krieg went out earlier, he's got letters that Roland wrote for people. He should be there soon."

From the sound of her voice she was hurting, but trying to remain confident sounding. From what he could hear in the background there were others still running the everyday operations but with less of the usual enthusiasm. "I'm afraid we haven't seen Isaac either. Knowing him though he's probably fine."

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Re: CDDA: Adventures in Cataclysm
« Reply #4662 on: February 25, 2018, 07:10:42 am »
An early riser was Catnip now. Her time in Pricetown had got her sleep schedule working in a way that appeared fairly normal. Kathrine curled against her, a little bead of warmth amongst the blankets and straw. The straw bed would definitely have to go. Catnip had felt the wonder of mattresses. Straw was ok for animals, but Catnip wasn't an animal. Neither was Kathrine. She tried to slide off the grounded bed without disturbing Kathrine, but the maid was too well conditioned for that and woke the instant Catnip made any substantial movement. Kathrine came up with a bleary start, looking very much like she'd had a rough nights sleep. A little bit of time and some food would fix her right up, along with the mornings cigarette.

Catnip urged Kathrine to go back to bed, but once Catnip was up, so was she. They sat at the edge of the bed together passing a cigarette between them until it was gone, both of them discreetly trying to make it so the other would get the last drag before there was nothing left. This new part of the ritual would go on as part of their mornings for years. At least that's what Catnip believed. She checked her watch. The plain gold of Floyd's gift untarnished by it's unconventional storage among the other shinies. She had taken the time to examine it while Floyd showed her how it worked. The purely mechanical nature of the aged time peice tickled Catnip's love of the complex yet simple. Tiny gears and levers working around a clever little mainspring. "The little blue stones," Floyd had explained, "are sapphires. They make sure the whole thing moves smoothly." Catnip caught on quickly, sure she could fix the tiny gold plated watch if she had to.

The short hand was pointed at the line that indicated six while the longer hand sat between the ones for twenty and twenty-five. In Pricetown, that would mean she was late for work. Here at home, it meant next to nothing and that made her do a mental leap of joy. Once again back on her own lax schedule. First, the morning rituals. Next, breakfast. Then, work. She would fix the ATV the Atomos lady brought her, then would perform some basic maintenance on the farms running vehicles. Everything would get a check up. When Dee and Mica returned from the center, she would drop what she was doing and see what needed to be done for Dee's robot. That, and pass out a few more of her gifts. From Catnip's point of veiw, it was going to be a pleasant day. Later, she would reconsider that feeling. Later still, she wouldn't know what to think.


Dee woke up late and would have been up later still had it not been for the short, sharp, bark of Medeina running a feedback signal through her speaker.

"You are late Dee. Dervish wants to know where you are. Should I tell him you've been sleeping off a night of-"

"No! Jesus Christ, no. You're just as bad as she is. Where's Mica?"

Mica didn't seem to have any problem allowing Dee to sleep in after a night together, even if he had things he wanted or needed to get done. Instead, she would slip out quickly and quietly before anybody (Dee) knew she was gone. Even wrapped tight in his arms, she seemed to be perfectly capable of slipping his grasp without waking him.

"Ms. Mica is down by the bridge. I believe the guests are feeding her fish for their entertainment."

Dee slapped himself hard. Mica was probably up for that treatment as well, considering she was getting fish out of it. The fact that she was likely eating a lot of it served to remind him of her appointment with Dervish though. She liked fish, but Mica didn't really gorge herself on it like she did with other meats. Dee had looked on in awe struck fascination as his girlfriend tore into a whole moose, devouring most of it bones and all while she had stopped at a mere two salmon when offered them during last years run.

Dee sniffed at yesterday's shirt and decided that it wasn't sufficiently crusty enough to throw in the hamper yet, then selected a fresh pair of shorts and socks. "I guess we better go get her. Dervish ain't gonna be too happy if we are more than a little late."

"You are already more than a little late."
« Last Edit: February 25, 2018, 10:14:48 am by saltmummy626 »
I'm really just a sexy skeleton in a suit.
Fingering techniques are very important
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Using guns while sober? Sounds like you're a coward.
Yes, little hats for every noodle.
Everyone is forks it seems.
"Everything is fucked forever, and ever, and ever." -Forrest 2016

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Re: CDDA: Adventures in Cataclysm
« Reply #4663 on: February 25, 2018, 03:09:18 pm »
Helen gathered her cloak and mask, setting the latter aside as she tended to Thomas for now, Solomon having just made breakfast for all of them, including the two visitors that stayed at The Hall for now. Helen glanced back at the radio, giving a sigh. "If he's gone and got himself killed by Hector. Or Roxanne..."

A knock on the door brought her out of those thoughts. Carefully she handed Thomas over to Solomon before answering the door, giving a nod as she saw Isaac there. "Glad to see you back. And it seems you've brought the others back alive. Six of them at least." she said, a bit relieved. The task set by Odin could be salvaged, it seems.



Nathaniel sighed a bit as he heard that answer. "We'll await his arrival then." he said. He recalled the girl that Roxanne and the others had brought back, living with the 3rd and being mentored by Victor and Helen. He knew nothing of whether the two had any connection with Roland, not knowing that Helen and Roland had discussed a little about a being they both knew of.

But he did recall the fight against Apophis, remembered the sight of Helen kneeling with her cloak draped around the man, unaware of the fact that another was behind his survival in that exact moment, and recalled that the mage hunter seemed to approve of Melody staying with him and the 3rd, from what little of that he'd observed.

"...the others at The Hall will wish to know as well, I suspect."

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Re: CDDA: Adventures in Cataclysm
« Reply #4664 on: February 25, 2018, 09:06:34 pm »
Isaac looked over his shoulder at the men behind him. They seemed hesitant save for Charles. "It's been long enough the other one has probably been eaten by something at this point. Regardless though I've no direction to give these men and they can't return home."

Reaching up and pulling his helmet off he observed it for a few moments before continuing "I've need of a purpose as well I suppose. I remember a few overheard conversations, you have an order of some sort. At the very least I imagine you could put them to use."

Meanwhile Veronica said "I'll send a message over to the Hall but Krieg should be there soon. And Nathaniel, I'm sorry. I wish we could have told you in a better manner."

With that said she clicked mic off and told one of the others to inform the Hall. After a few moments Blitz hit the button and said "This is the 3rd calling the Hall. We've some bad news that we thought you would want to hear. If no response we'll resend this transmission in an hour."


Alexei meanwhile returned to his home from his hunt with a small catch. Enough to feed himself for a couple days as he worked on his stills. retrieving some of his supplies he started his home built smoker before walking into his home. Tossing his coat onto a couch he'd dragged into the place he walked over to the table and repeated his prayers. Sitting down at the table this time he leaned back and rubbed his eyes.

He'd had another vision while he was out and he was starting to wonder what was causing them. Reaching for a bottle of vodka he figured it could wait till another time. He had work to do today.

 

NOCTIFER IS A FAGGOT