Eternal Rains (IC) [M] - Closed

[Paladin Sheppard]

As she followed the woodpecker were to the cockpit Paige summoned another two light spells and left them in the hallways, for others to see by as the moved around the downed airship.

The technical discussion in the cockpit went over her head, Paige has a little technical knowledge but talks about circuit boards went right over her head.

After Keaton left Paige stepped over to Pandora "Ms Pandora I saw on the way up here that the armory door had come off its mountings do you want me to go see if anything is broken in there? I'm a weapon smith when I'm not running around escorting people..."

[Tapewolf]

"Woah, woah, woah," Cross said.  "Before we go gallivanting off to any settlement, we need to take stock of the systems as they are.  Remember, the Mer, the Family and Gods-know-who else are on our tail.  Anywhere sufficiently advanced to be able to supply microelectronics is going to have more contact with the outside world than I consider healthy.  Our enemies are likely to have agents in most industrial areas, are they not?
"First, we must examine the engines' control circuitry.  I might be able to repair what we do have."

He turned to Paige.  Weaponsmith, eh?  That's good.  "Ms. Paige, when you're done with the armoury, we may need your help to reconstruct the mechanical systems."

Cross sat down and concentrated.  A roughly oval blob of metal appeared at his feet, and grew until its minor diameter matched that of the diagram on his hand.  "This won't be easy," he said.  "I don't know how close we can get this to your tolerances.  In any case, it's likely to be softer than what you were using before, but it should be enough to get us where we're going."

"By the way," he said.  "If we do have to go to this settlement, we need to go in disguise.  'Cubi are the obvious choice, though we could probably morph a few others if need be."

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Witt stumped along in the tracks of everyone else on the way to the cockpit. Mostly. He faded towards the back of the crowd, and, as they climbed the stairwell, slipped off down the hall towards the kitchen.

After all, if they weren't going anywhere, he could use a drink. And if they were, he wanted to get something to drink on the way...

He slipped quietly into the kitchen - where, despite the crash, everything was still retained behind the doors - and through the second door into the drinks area, muttering something to himself about equal shares. He looked at the rows of bottles, and grabbed three or four and slipped them into various pockets inside his jacket, then opened another one, drained it, and put the empty back where it came from.

After all, he'd left a few of his own in the cupboard that that spider had stuck them. Fair's fair.

After that, he slipped out, and moseyed on after everyone else, significantly happier; he arrived in the cockpit just as the little gryphon suggested where they'd be walking off to.

Oh, well. He'd walked three or four times around the world, in his time. Another few hundred klicks wouldn't make any real difference.

[Sunblink]

...Pandora:

After a moment of consideration, Pandora folded her arms underneath her chest and looked appraisingly at Cross. When Paige spoke up, she regarded the Succubus rather lackadaisically, before nodding affirmatively. "Yeah, s'probably best y' grab whatever yah c'n. Help y'rself, but no' all of th' stuff is particularly good," Pandora scratched behind her head sheepishly. "Considerin' I make antiquated weaponry mosta th' time. But if ya' see somethin' more modern, take it."

With that out of the way, Pandora turned her attention back to Cross thoughtfully, inclining her head. She watched, reasonably impressed, as the Cubi conjured up a large, shapeless mass of metal, then manipulated it to fit her specifications. Pandora made sure it was stable, then picked it up and examined the new gear. "'ey, thanks! Looks perfect," she said, running her finger along the teeth of the gear. After a moment, Pandora added, "Y' c'n go in disguise then. I guess th' Cubi would 'ave a better job a' tha'..."

She paused, purposefully, and reconsidered Cross's words. Hesitantly, Pandora asked, sounding deliberate, "Uh, morphin'? Doesn't tha' hurt?" Pandora didn't have any personal recollections to rely on, but she did hear rumors. Whether or not they were actually true was still unclear.

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[Tapewolf]

"It can be painful," Cross agreed.  "It depends how much work needs doing. Changing someone's gender or species is nasty, but remoulding their face and changing the colour of their fur or feathers isn't nearly as bad."

"The final decision is yours, but if our enemies recognise us, I doubt very much that we would die quickly or painlessly."

He began to create another gear.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Witt perked up at the mention of weaponry, and evinced interest.

"Ah... I'll just assist the lady with the hardware, then, shall I?" His attitude seemed rather more friendly than it was just a few minutes earlier, for some reason...

"After all, she might need someone to help carry the... better items."

[Tapewolf]

"Oh yes," Cross said to Paige, "Make sure none of the weapons fall into the wrong hands!"
'Like that mole guy,' he thought at her.  'I don't trust him.'

[Paladin Sheppard]

Paige grinned at the 'Were "will do, and I'd be grateful for the assistance Witt." She smiled down at the hedgehog. As she was she was about to leave she caught Jakob's message. 'Fair enough, I'm surprised you haven't been catching what hes been thinking up for me in particular' the succubus sent back before slipped out the door.

Bouncing down the corridor, her tail wagged happily at the thought of finding a new toy to play with. Reaching the door and attempting to open it her suspicion on its ability to be used was confirmed. "Well darn thats a bit of an annoyance...I hope Pandora wont mind if I cut it open."

Rather than using her wings to cut through the door, Paige called up a bit of magic and drew a rectangle in the door the effect something like that of a blowtorch, without the heat that may set off any ammunition scattered by the crash. Just as it was cut through four tentacles moved in and caught the plate of metal. Calmly depositing the cutout which easily weighted as much as the hedgehog following her she stepped through.

Inside was a mess the lovingly crafted weapons scatted around with the shelving laying on top. Pouting Paige began her search.

In one corner she spotted a modern looking submachine gun of a design she had always wanted but never had the cash or time to acquire...and here it was laying there with only a fallen shelf in her way. Leaning over the shelf Paige reached for the non-reflective black gun, her tail brushing against her back as it wagged.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Witt stumped after the wolf, clad as she was in only a bodysuit, idly wondering where her armour had gone to, and smiling amusedly to himself as her tail weaved to and fro in front of him.

In more ways than one.

Once they reached the door, he raised one eyebrow as she cut a neat hole in the door, and followed her through, and surveyed the damage. A low whistle followed.

"Damn, but there's a lot of mess here." He glanced around, looking out for anything that might be of use to him; ammo for the pistol, or a gun cleaning kit, or possibly an upgrade. With more ammo. And then Paige caught his attention, bending over a shelf.

A mischievous grin passed over his face, and he leaned forward, and commented "You know..." - reaching out a hand and goosing her, before continuing, as if nothing had happened, innocence all over his features - "You're going to have difficulty carrying - and finding - enough ammo for that thing."

[Paladin Sheppard]

Paige's  fingertips had barely brushed the SMG, when she felt contact and the pinching of her rump. Her face was locked in a surprised look as she stood up and turned to meet this unexpected attack on her backside, consequently making contact with Witt's face with her chest. It wasn't her fault he was just the right height to do so....

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Witt lost his smile suddenly in an expanse of bodysuit - not that it wasn't still on his face anyway, nor that it didn't increase significantly in width...

He reached forwards, grasped Paige by the hips, and lifted her off his face, placing her back on her feet, a little further away, then moved a little back himself.

"Not that it's not pleasant to be makin' your acquaintance, Miss Paige, but shouldn't we focus on the hardware?"

[Paladin Sheppard]

Recovering quickly from the surprise Paige decided to turn the tables on the hedgehog, folding her arms under her breasts and placing a finger to her lips. "Oh whats wrong with the stuff you've been sampling?" She purred. Secretly she was trying not to laugh and her mirth could easily be picked up anywhere within the ship.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Witt scratched his chin, thoughtfully, gazing up at her eyes. "What's wrong? Oh, nothing I could put my finger on..." he paused, then reached out one finger and poked, gently, watching the jiggles settle. And then he returned his gaze to her face, and grinned. "I'm pretty sure it doesn't come under the category 'hardware', though."

[e_voyager]

Epyon was getting restless. where that that fisher penny? he'd been waiting for what felt like hours but he knew that was just anxiety setting in. his body was fully repaired and now he was  tapping the metal wall out side of the door wondering where they would have to cut to get the wolf out if the spell could not be peacefully removed. he also worried about the wolf. sure it had tired to kill them but that was over now. On top of that he'd rather know where the would was then think he knew where he was only to find himself wrong as he was attacked by the monster the wolf becomes again.

[Cogidubnus]

As the passengers of the ship each began to react in their own way to the crash of the airship - focusing on repairs, taking stock of supplies, and carefully spending what might be their final hours, a palpable hush descended over the airship's scorched-earth clearing.

Half a mile behind them lay the coast, beneath which nearly the entirety of the Mer race made their existance. Moonlit waves crashed onto shore, the sparkling surf devoid of any larger movement. For now.

The deathly quiet of the jungle, however, seemed nearly unnatural, with only a few leaves that dripped moisture slipping quietly over themselves in the breeze.


* * *

Listening at the door, the only sound Epyon could hear was the strangely strangled sound of breathing, as though the person doing it was doing so with great difficulty. Other than this, the room was silent.

[SpottedKitty]

Keaton had only gone a few yards down the corridor before Fal'taq popped out of a door in front of her. "Ah, Keaton, I was just looking for you," the mole said with his usual almost (but not quite) definitely false joviality. "I see you have survived this unscheduled pause in our journey in one piece. What happened with the junkyard monster? I assume he caused the crash. I do hope I am in time to join the queue to have his head on a plate..."

Over Keaton's shoulder, the mole could see Paige and Witt further along the corridor. The wolf used a cutting spell of some kind to slice a chunk out of the door, then after she lifted the piece out with her wing-tentacles, they both entered the room. It wasn't the one where Cogidubnus was (hopefully) still secured, so Fal'taq ignored them.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Penny was so busy staying on her feet after being thanked by the tall bird-were that she missed Keaton leaving. "I hope she finds the mole before she gets to Cog's room. Fal'taq locked up the doors with more spells than I've... heard of anyone using."

She was glad she had her anti-cubi mindreading wards up. She had almost said "more spells than I've ever seen on a vault." Not that she had been particularly discrete about her profession but she wasn't going to blare it about either. "I left Epyon watching the door.  I should go see if he had any problems."

The fisher normally had a pretty good sense of direction but she must have miscounted the number of levels between the bedrooms and the cockpit because she ended up at the main doors. One of the doors had been punched in by a stray tree trunk and she took a moment to peer outside into the green-tinged duskiness of the jungle landscape.

[Paladin Sheppard]

Making a mock sigh and looking downcast Paige pouted even more "Oh I guess you're right..." Before bursting out laughing. "Oh gods I'd hug you but I'm not sure I could without injuring myself."

She turned around and bent over again to reach for the SMG but playfully wiggled her hips to taunt Witt. Snagging it she stood up. "Hrmm no magazine, guess we get to search for some..."

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Witt manfully resisted the urge to pinch, this time, and instead glanced around the room. The shelves appeared to be mostly intact, just detached from their supports. He picked one up, and put it back in place, and started to pick up the various antique weapons, tidying up a little, and looking under them for suitable ammo. Various non-suitable ammo came to light - a tray of musket balls, the odd mortar shell, a few cartridges of various sizes... nothing that actually suited the pistol in his pocket.

And then he dug up something that caused him to pause. A long, black gun. Wide bored, with a grip underneath. He picked it up, grinned evilly, and pumped it. The action worked perfectly.

"All right. A boom stick. That's awesome. Now... " He looked over in the corner. "I wonder what's in that cupboard." Wandering over, he put the shotgun down on top of the cupboard, cleared a few shelves out of the way, and opened it. "Jackpot."

Shelves full of various grades of ammunition, piled higgledy-piggledy together with gun cleaning kits and magazines. He sorted through it, passed out the magazines to the succubus, and pocketed several boxes of shotgun shells, both slugs and double-ought, and some reloads for the pistol.

He then stood up, picked up the shotgun, and looked around at Paige. "Reckon you can saw this down, so it'll fit under the coat?"

[Paladin Sheppard]

Paige was slotting four of the forty round mags into a holster she'd found for the SMG. The rest of the magazines had been for other guns. "Hows this look?" She said after strapping it to her leg, stretching it out. When Witt asked about  the shotgun she looked it over. "I think I  can do something.." A tentacle whipped out and cleanly sliced the barrel without hitting the tube magazine underneath. "That better?"

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

"How's this look?"

Witt looked her up and down, from the stretched out leg, up to her head and back down again. He raised one eyebrow at her subtle pose. "Lethal." he commented, laconically, before continuing "The gun looks pretty good, too." Returning his attention to the shotgun, he held it out, saying "I think right about here..." and pointing, as the tentacle whipped out and removed the end.

Of his fingernail, as well.

"That better?"

He blinked, turned his hand to look at the fingernail, polished it on his shirt, then commented "Much." He then traced, with his other forefinger, a line across the butt. "Reckon you can trim this as well? I prefer them being even."

He smirked.

[Stygian]

There was a quick, metallic groan, and then a clattering sound. Unnerving sounds, and quite unfit around people with guns in their hands. But then again, Witt and Paige should have blamed themselves if they were getting on edge of being inside a structure of dubious integrity. Like anyone who chose to stay inside a crashed airship of unknown design, and who had cut out what might have been a supporting metal structure. And, of course, there was the fact that their company was comprised of a number of creatures prone to do odd and sometimes unsettling things. Really, if they were frightened by such a stereotype thing, they had only themselves to blame.
   Still, it seems that the one who had caused the sound had in mind to warn them. Because before she entered the door frame, the spider waved a semi-chitinous and wickedly clawed hand, hoping they'd notice. She climbed into the opening, passed a red-eyed glance over the arsenal they were delving into, and then frowned at Witt. Reaching up another pair of arms to steady her, she let her primary hands slip into communication.
   You're a drunkard and you're going to get dehydrated, she signed, pointedly to the hedgehog. But I will forgive you if you share, at the right time. Now, what's all this?

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Witt snorted. "And you're a bug; but I'll be sober in the morning." He shrugged, and grinned, eloquently. "So far there hasn't been a right time, apparently. I'd hate for the chance to slip away. And this?" He looked around, glancing at the weapons lying about, the ammunition spread around. "I don't want to jump to any conclusions, mind, and don't take this as a final word, but to me, it looks like it's an armoury."

He grinned, again, then went on "Miss Fluffy-butt here and I were just checking to see if anything was damaged in the crash. The bird in charge said we could grab anything that looked useful. So we have. And then, I believe the plan is to go find somewhere to get some spare parts, so we can get airborne again." He glanced around again, and nodded at the sawn-off in his paws. "Some extra hardware would be useful if things go poorly with bargaining, I reckon. I think that's about it. Unless there's something specific you're looking for? There's a few mortar shells, we might find something to fire them from..."

[e_voyager]

Epyon heard about the breathing of the wolf through the door. it sounded labored and he worried. was the wolf hurt?or was the monster free again having taken the wolf's place?  no he discounted that ideal. seal or no seal a monster like that could not be contained for long.  he would claw though the walls. no he was the wolf. Epyon was almost sure of it.

no help for it he thought. pulling out his Sai he began to  scratch the wall three feet to the left of the door.  he creature / mythos type was not known for super strength like the demons but he was persistent and his sai's according to legend could cut almost anything that was not magical armor/ reinforced liked the sealed door. was the legend true? well he'd test it now.

[Paladin Sheppard]

Reading Witt's thoughts to pick up Sal's finger waggling, Paige smirked at the spider. "This is a sanctioned salvage op. Pandora sent us down here to see what was broken and what was repairable. Want to make yourself 'handy'?" Paige said a bit cattily than she intended.

She knew she shouldn't have but something about the closed mind of the spider mythos was rubbing her the wrong way.

"Witt do you really want me to destroy a perfectly good adjustable stock?" she said turning back to the prior conversation.

[Tapewolf]

"I think that's all the mechanical parts we need," Cross said.  He felt drained.  "I suppose we'll have to check the electronics next, but right now I need to eat.  If I don't, I'll have to regain my energies in... other ways."

Really he meant scaring people, but if they mistook him as meaning souls, so much the better.

[Cogidubnus]

The party's explorations and examinations of the ship, disjointed and disorganized as they were, reavealed a scant few, but important, facts about the state of the aircraft. The structure of the ship was intact, although minor fractures or cracks to the chassis would be impossible to detect without tearing the ship apart. There wasn't any overtly visible damage, in any case.

The engine room was a mess. The fuel system was the most badly damaged, the intracate fuel pumps and oxygen regulators smashed, as though hit with some sort of large-calibur, high-speed projectile. A green glow emanated from deep within the twisted metal.

Parts of the control console in the cockpit had been damaged, although it was difficult to say how badly. It was clear, however, that further investigation as to the damage incurred, would have to take place outside the ship.

* * *

Eypon's Sai, despite their magical nature, seemed to run into a little resistance as he cut through the wall - a little more force, however, and the resistance snapped, but not before the lights on the ship cut off, and antifreeze started spraying wildly from the gouge in the metal.

[Stygian]

Paige turned away before she could see it, but the spider's eyes narrowed almost instantly the moment the Cubi dropped her pun, and one of her hands' fingers flexed, her gaze growing hard. She raised her hand, and looked as if about to say something harsh or else, when suddenly any such sort of communication was rendered impossible. The lights died without so much as a flicker. Instantly, the spider twisted her head around, and her eyes all began scanning wildly around, but to no avail. While her night vision was usually somewhat good, she hadn't had a second to adapt. And enclosed in the sealed metal container that was the airship, light would probably only barely make its way in, if at all.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Witt raised an eyebrow at Paiges commentary regarding the collapsible butt, and he looked at the sawn-off again.

"It's adjustable? I must have missed that. How's it work, then?" As he reached for the shotgun, however, the lights flickered and died. He froze, then grinned, invisibly... and changed where his paws were, slightly, before continuing forward. His left paw connected, perfectly, with the stock of the shotgun, but his right slipped past it, and ended up resting on something almost, but not quite, entirely unlike a switch.

"Is that a light switch?" he asked, ingenuously, moving his thumb. "Doesn't seem to be working."

Paige breathed, almost voicelessly - mostly because she was fighting a fit of the giggles - into his ear "Oh, it's not a light switch, and it's working just fine..."

Witt smirked in the dimness. "Oh, my. I do beg your pardon. Terribly sorry. Entirely accidental, what with the dark and all."


... But he didn't move his hand away, immediately, either.

Edit:
(( Bugger, missed the note. Paladin said I could pinch Paige for a post. He'll check this when he comes back, and it may be edited at that point. Probably not, but just as a heads-up))

[Tapewolf]

Cross turned and glanced at the ship.  Something was wrong.  The lights.
"Who's been screwing with the electricals?" he bellowed.