Depending on who one asks, it is entirely possible that the universe, as we know it is once of many. Layers upon layers of reality, extending on into infinity. Some only slightly different from our own little slice, and others dramatically so, extending into all the possible variances, from the most heavenly utopia into the dankest, most frightening nightmare, where hope is a concept mythical to all.
Some of these are self aware, for one reason or another, and us? Well, to them, we are either a shining example, or a people to be pitied.
Or, in some cases, raw materials.
Oh well. TO each his own.
----
Carthrat woke. Among the chief things he noticed upon returning to consciousness? Utter darkness. Sounds of city, faint, but noticable. Breathing? Problematic, as he seemed to be choking on water inhaled through his nose.
Oh, god! I sleepwalked into a river! Wait, I'm not surrounded by anything.. what the..
Carthrat flails about, pulling up his face and looking about.
Carthrat looked around, and saw...pretty nice digs, actually. Coughing a little, the puddle he'd been attempting to inhale reflect himself, mostly intact. Thank god an anime character wasn't looking back, huh?
Anyway. The puddle was in the middle of a nice lawn. Really nice, Kept well...the grass was almost a putting green. There was a path, cutting through the lawn, and Statues were placed in attractive locations here and there. about 200 yards away, a stately looking building that resembled a modern Parthenon sat, the path leading to it.
All of this was immediately apparent, but strangely, naught else. Beyond the grounds, all was black to the point of sucking in all available light. It was, frankly, a mystery how everything was lit. Though grey and overcast, everything on the small grounds was clearly visible.
However, before Carthrat was something that took up the entirety of his attention. A woman, tall, slim and elegant, stopping just shy of being awkard looking, stood before him. Her form was clad in a dress, an evening gown of black, adhering to her form attractively, and displaying a surprisingly ample bust for so sleder a woman, though not freakishly large, and of skin nearly alabaster in hue. Her cleavage was decorated by a simple pendant, in the shape of the crescent moon. Above that, a face too shrewd and intelligent to be classically beautiful, but definitely qualified as striking looked impassively at him, with two large, and distinctly eerie eyes peering at him, lazily hooded, giving the impression of disinterest, almost. The entire picture was topped off my her impossibly long, jet black hair, tied in a bun at the back of her head, and the rest of it plunging nearly to her knees.
Carthrat blinks at the incongruous woman, just before looking around at his surroundings.
This feels like a dream.. and if it's anything like a dream, I'm probably going to find out I'm not wearing pants halfway through.
Shaking off such horrible thoughts, Carthrat turns to address the woman.
"Hey! Can you tell me where I am?" he says, brightly.
She smiles at you, bemused. "I could, but the answer would do you...no good whatsoever, actually."
"Oh. Gotcha," replies Carthrat. "Tell me anyway. I'm a sucker for useless stuff."
She actually smiles at that, but it's not the sort of smile that coaxes an answering smile in return, rather, it's the kind that makes one burn with the urge to wipe it off the offender's face by any means necessary.
"You are here." She replies simply.
Ah, the living embodiment of dry wit. Charming.
"Aha. I suppose you told me so. Any idea why I'm here?"
She nods, peering at you closely, frowning. "Yes. You're the results of a fishing expedition between planes. Though, I'd hoped for more of you, to increase the possibilty of getting a volunteer." she admits, tapping her chin with a long, slender fingernail.
"Uh-huh. Riiiiiiiiiight," replies Carthrat, staring at the woman. "You must now appreciate my total lack of responses, so I'll just stare at you for a while. Feel free to explain things, or whatever."
Carthrat continues to stare at the woman.
Unconcerned, she gestures to a small animal standing near her dress. Wow, It's black enough to melt right in, isn't it? The animal, about the size of a Kaiser roll with feet, opens its mouth. However, unaquanted with the laws of anatomy and/or physics, the mouth of the tiny beast keeps opening...and keeps opening...until it's grown to nearly five times it's normal size...no, ten! Air swirls visibly around the mouth, before a set of golden armour, big enough for a man, is belched out, and onto the grass. Wow. It has it all. Sword, sheild and armour, sturdy looking and gleaming with Ethereal golden light.
"This was my payment. For services rendered. Find a hero, and send him to the old wizard. My question now must be...are you that hero?" she asks, frowning.
"Should the answer to that question be obvious?" replies Carthrat, scratching his head. "I mean, I've never done anything heroic, or anything.. then again, there's like nobody else here.. but isn't that armour and sword and stuff supposed to be picked up by someone who, like, knows how to use it?
Hell, that online test I did said I was an 'outlaw hero', but I've never broken the law, except for the way I never buy a train ticket if I can get away with it, but everyone does that, so that doesn't really count."
"Don't misunderstand." She informs you dryly. "The armour is mine. He wanted a hero to save his world. He paid me with Gilgamesh's armour. You can't have it, unless you're willing to give up something in return."
"What I want to know is...According to my casting, you have the best odds of accompishing what's needed. But frankly, you leave me underwhelmed, and strike me as the sort who would run away, given the option."
"So. Are you willing to become a hero? I'm not going to leave the job unfinished after I've been paid, so I'd like to know if I still have work to do."
"Hah! Run away? I've never run away from anything! Well, not in the last year, anyway.
Well, whatever. I've got a week or two to kill before I've gotta go back to uni. This won't take that long, right?"
"A curious thing to be concerned about." She observes. "Especially since heroes tend to die violent deaths, Disney movies notwithstanding."
"Yeah, but those are the other heroes, who were probably focused on glory and crap instead of just getting the goddamn job done," replies Carthrat. "Besides, after telling me I've got the best chance, how can I refuse?"
Hah! Like that's got anything to do with it. Man, if I havn't been tripping out or anything, this could be awesome. I wonder if I can learn magic, or something... ah well. It seems that the potential for real power is finally within my grasp!
She actually laughed at that, shrugging her elegant shoulders gracefully. "Well. You're certainly overconfident and reckless enough. So....just so we understand each other. You're willing to undertake this of your own free will?" she asked, leaning in close with a sly smirk.
"Not quite," replies Carthrat, shaking his head. "Nah. Not until you tell me exactly what's gonna happen after I say 'yes'."
"I already did. Willing though you may be, you're little more than raw materials for a 'hero', boy." She replied, unconcerned. "I'll be sending you to the wizard."
"Huh. What's *he* gonna do?" replies Tom, rolling his eyes. "What, by 'raw materials' you mean he's gonna shred my body and use my limbs to build a golem, or what?"
"You can ask him yourself." She replied, utterly unconcerned. "I have no investment in this, other than the obligation to complete the job I was paid for."
"Ah well," replies Carthrat. "I'll go, then, on the assumption that if I don't like what *he* has to say, I'll be able to.. er, deal with it. Somehow. Someway."
"Fortune tend to favor the foolish." She concedes. Raising a hand, arcane symbols began to form in the air in front of her. "I can be your ride home." she observes idly. Water, as thick as mud, begins to form under Carthrat, pulling him in slowly.
"I'll call you on that when I'm done," replies Carthrat, cheerily.
"I'll take a deposit on that, then." she replies, smiling blithely as Carthrat's pants begin to vanish as he's pulled through. "I don't go granting wishes for free, you know."
"I'll have something for you in a week," replies Carthrat, rolling his eyes. "Couldja pick a more awkward way of teleportation, either? Sheesh."
"This is more dramatic." She replies, smiling. "And that's fine. I'll give you your pants back in a week."
Cathrat's hips and waist disappear into the water, and sinking fast, only his head remains above, for the last few moments...
"Har," replies Carthrat, rolling his eyes.
*Glub*
Carthat, the current King Of No Pants, vanished into the watery pit, and was thrown...elsewhere.
---
Whereever it was, it was dark. And Drafty. Wait, he was facedown again. This was getting to be a habit...
Carthrat picks himself up, and tries to ignore his lack of pants. "Dramatic? Couldn't she try for elegant?" he grouses, looking around.
There is no answer to your indignant inquiry. The floor you're on is rather cold, and hard. Cement, you surmise. There's a rather claustrophobic sense about where you are, and in the darkness, you can make out piles of random shapes and sizes, of utter junk littering the floor.
The fact is, you'd scare be able to locate them in the gloom, but for the small glow in the distance, like someone's workshop lamp...
Carthrat briefly tries to make out anything that looks pants-shaped (even a robe or coat or something would do), but barring success, he heads towards the light.
Unless you were inclined to attempt to construct uber pants, from discarded plumbing equipment, and the like, clothing of this type is not immediately in evidence, though, to be fair, neither is the brick you just tripped over. Ow!
So far, not exactly a glory filled trip. However, as you head to the light...(No! No! Stay away from the light! </Bad death joke>) things become clearer, and color returns to the world. You even pass a somewhat ratty bathrobe, before arriving in a small workspace, a tall, slightly stooped figure hunched over a bench, his back to you, only a shock of wild white hair visible as sparks fly...
Carthrat grabs the bathrobe (it's better than nothing), and when he reaches the old-looking guy, speaks: "Hi. You called?"
The man turns around suddenly, and you note that he strongly resembles a classic wizard...except for the Hawaiian shirt and skateboarding shorts.
"My god...she actually found one..." he breathes.
"She did, and I am him!" announces Carthrat, looking askance at the wizard. "No, really, what do you want?"
"Humph. Nothing too difficult. I'd like you to kill a so-called god, and free this city." He replied, tugging on his beard, and examining you interestedly. "Fascinating. I'd thought all of Captain Lee's analogues would be dead. Do you have the same sort of reckless bravado?"
"Analouge? Isn't that a kind of clock?" replies Carthrat, blinking. "Er, I mean, possibly. Who's Captain Lee?"
"Captain Lee was the last person to stand up to Leviathan." The old man replies blandly. "Despite not being a magic user. Nutty Bugger, but he did pretty well, until he was killed an eaten. And, judging by the fact that you look exactly like him, I'm guessing you're his analogue, from another world. The time-space witch DID send you, yes?"
"Yeah, she did," replies Carthrat, shrugging. "I've already paid a deposit on my return ticket, in fact. She has a... sense of humor."
Carthrat frowns at that. "I don't suppose you've got any clothing that's more impressive than a bathrobe?"
The wizard frowns at that, then reaches under the bench, and pulls out a pair of pants...that would not be out of place in a clown parade. Or a golf tournament, and tosses them to you. Plaid, and in violently bright red and green, it looks like a christmas wrapper.
"You don't have anything less.. jarring, do you?" asks Carthrat, blinking. "Like, I dunno. Some jeans."
"It's possible." The wizard agrees, humming. "My assistant, Bubba, tends to favor them. He might have left an extra pair around."
"Huh. Maybe I'll buy some more later, or something," replies Carthrat, taking the clownpants and quickly putting them on. Better than nothing.
Arguably.
"So, anyhow. What am I supposed to do, anyhow? Because, you understand, the spirit is willing, and the mind may be quick, but the flesh is certainly lazy."
"Well, I just told you. This is the last city remaining on the planet. Leviathan rules it. The idea, from what was gathered, is that they came to earth looking to capture and enslave magic users. However, in a society that frowns on the unusual, the magic users proved difficult to find. When they couldn't find them, they started killing people, and it got out of hand..." The wizard eyes you.
"Captain Lee put a stop to that, before they wiped out the planet. This one city is all that remains of Earth's population. We could have rebuilt, but...they came back. Apparently, they don't want us to rebuild in the future, with a chip on our shoulder, so now we have an Alien 'big brother' ruling us, and thwarting most of our advances in any direction."
Carthrat pauses.
"How many people are left?"
"Approximately two hundred thousand within the city, and a few scattered thousand outside, sustaining the planet's resources, and shipping some into the city." The old man replies gravely. "Though, with the Levithan skimming the best, even the richest humans are equivalent to upper middle class."
"Only.. two-hundred thousand? Gods, the city I came from was larger than that.. and it's not that big..."
Carthrat shakes his head. "What does he do when he.. gets the best from the rest?"
"Lives it up, essentially." The old man replied with a grimace. "Pretty slick operation, really. Keeps us economically under control, and reinforces a class distinction between his people and humans."
"And so he just plans to.. wait until you all die out, or something? Why doesn't he just kill you all off? Certainly sounds like he could..."
"Genocide is a tricky thing, m'boy." he replies. "Imperfect, and hard to get right. If he messes that up, the surviving humans go into hiding, and pop up later to cut his throat as he sleeps. What he's trying to do now is break us as a race. Get us used to being under their thumb, so we'll be nice and docile, and able to be left alone without rebelling."
Carthrat leans against a wall, massaging his temples.
A slight bead of sweat starts to make it's way down his face.
"So. How do you propose I go about.. uh.. stopping this? I don't know anything about this world. I'm trying very hard not to.. totally freak out, y'know?"
"I can help on both counts." The old man smiles. "Just had to wait for the right man, y'know?" He hops up on his workbench, and takes a candy bar from nowhere, and unwraps it, and starts to eat.
"Two main issues. Leviathan is too powerful for any existing human. Not you, when I get finished. Secondly, His flagship is in orbit. If he can still communicate with it, you won't have time to breathe, much less kill him." He smiles. "As for the mop up? Well, We humans aren't cattle yet."
"What *is* Leviathan? What the hell are you going to do with me? Who *are* you?" says Carthrat, quickly- taking a moment to reflect on how he'd gotten here.
Oh yeah. Arrogance.
Paying for that always sucked, even if it seemed cool at the time.
"I am...WIZARD!" The old man cries, posing dramatically.
"No, really. My parents needed to talked to by child welfare authorities, but there were none back when I was a young'un." he adds, in a more conversational tone. "Anyway, I'm a magic user by default. I can use magic through machines only. I haven't natural talent. But, I've developed, with the help of some very old texts, methods of allowing others to utilize untapped talents. You, should, by my estimates, either have a high talent, or a body that allows extraordinary magical things to be accomplished."
"Now, Leviathan...are nothing more than humaniods, on a much more technologically advanced scale...but completely barren on a magical one."
Carthrat shrugs. "Doesn't sound too different from where I come from," he replies. "Granted, they probably know a great deal more about science than my people do.. but, hell, I only discovered magic existed today.
I dunno about untapped talent, though. I think all my talent got used up when I was in high school. Now I need to actually work at stuff."
"Well, if your Terra is anything like ours, you probably don't know of magic users because they tend to hide from 'Normals' Humans as a rule weren't too tolerant of differences, back in the day." He mused, brushing chocolate out of his beard. "And as for your talent, it's the work of a few scans to determine how best to empower you."
"Could be," replies Carthrat, shrugging. "So.. I guess 'why me' is kind of superfluous. I'll ask that chick when I see her again.
What now, then?"
"Well, I supposed you agreed to this, or you wouldn't be here, so...just go lie on there." he instructs, pointing to a table off to the side. Metal. Real comfortable.
Well, I agreed to run off and die for some other world in exchange for potentially gaining power. Go me!
"Right." Carthrat obediantly moves to the table, and lies down. "This better not leave any permenant scars, or anything."
"No, no. Hurts like the dickens, though." Wizard replied cheerfully, flipping a switch on his bench, and a horribly deformed sphere rose up above the table, and begins lasering Carthrat's prone body.
As it goes along, it becomes clear that he was lying, because you don't feel a thing.
Finally, It stops, and retreats, docking with a small computer that Wizard approaches, and begins to consult.
"Uh huh. Thanks for making me wince," replies Carthrat, rolling his eyes. "Forgive me for saying, but you do look like the crazy scientist type.
So, what's it say? Will I find happiness with a new love, or am I doomed to be single for eternity?"
"You will marry early, right out of high school, but he'll leave you on your tenth wedding anniversay for a stewardess." Wizard replies, without missing a beat. "These readings are...unexpected, to say the least. One thing is certain. I can't make you a spellcaster."
"Your reading is clearly flawed. I got out of highschool half a year ago, and havn't met that special guy," replies Carthrat. "Aww. I was so looking forward to that. Well, like analogue, like analogue, I guess."
"I can, however, give you magical based talents." Wizard adds, as though he didn't hear the witty rejoinder. "A reality marble seems to suit your mana levels, and should allow you enough to use that, and give you a guardian, as well."
"So I can cast spells, but I can't cast spells," replies Carthrat, blinking. "A guardian, huh? That sounds nice. A tiger? Please let it be a tiger."
Wizard actually laughs at that, and you find your fears of him being the crazy scientist type not allieved in the slightest. "First things first. How do you feel about weapons? Guns, Swords, simple bombs?"
"I swung a sword once. I shot a gun, too, but I've hardly played with explosives," replies Carthrat. "I dunno. I was always fond of those concealed swords. Y'know, like Zatoichi carried. Caneswords. Yeah. That's good. I could beat someone over the head with it instead of just shooting them, or whatever."
"Oh, excellent. You're going to love this." Wizard smirks, and roots around under his desk again, and comes out...with an actual marble, in a glass jar. Were it not for the fact that it was glowing, you'd be tempted to check his credentials.
"You need to swallow this."
"What does it taste like?" throws back Carthrat, taking the jar, opening, and giving the marble a sniff.
"Chicken." Wizard replies wittily. The marble gives off nary an odor.
"Oh well. I hate medicine, so you know. This better not cause me to explode, or you'll be hearing from me later."
Acting quickly, before his brain has fully woken up, Carthrat pulls out that marble and drops it in his mouth!
"There are FAR more interesting was to kill you." Wizard replies haughtily, watching you with intense interest.
The marble slides down easily, hitting your gut with a strange splashing feeling, sending cool ripples all over, even down into your toes as a seeming second layer is added to your mind in slow motion...
"I'm sure this is just a precursor. An entree, if you will, to my imminent death," replies Carthrat, rubbing his head.
"Depends on what you do with it, I suppose." Wizard agreed, seemingly waiting for Carthrat to say more.
"What *I* do with it, huh?" replies Carthrat, blinking. "So.. like, what *can* I do with it? Anything? Can I summon that guardian on a whim?"
He tries that, or at least *thinks* that.
"No. The marble I gave you is called 'The Armoury'." Wizard reveals. "Hmm..." After a moment of thought, he ducks under the table again, and begins rummaging around. (Holy hell, does he have a subspace pocke under there or something?) Emerging again, he holds a rapier in his hand, and gives it to you.
"Take a close look at this. Memorise EVERY detail, and then hand it back."
Tom eyes the rapier, then studies it, carefully, even pricking his finger slightly with it. In particular, he checks out the hilt; some of these swords had pretty elaborate stuff done to them.
"It's nice," he comments, handing it back when he's done.
Wizard takes it, grinning a little in anticipation. "Now. I want you to hold your hand out in front of you...and 'draw' the sword in your hand with your mind. Reach out and feel for the marble's effects as you do."
Carthrat reaches to his (waistline? That was one of the things that went with his pants; one of his favourite belts. Cursed witch.), and tries to.. draw a rapier!
Wizard sighs and rubs his face with his palm. "...No. My bad, my bad. Draw it in your hand. Only with your mind as the pencil. You see?"
"Nope!" replies Carthrat, cheerily. "I'm a lousy artist, you know." At that, though, he tries to.. focus a *ray of beaming light* from his forehead that draws a rapier. At least, that's how he envisages it.
Oddly...that's not too far from what begins to happen. A glowing blue dot appears, and begins to scribble in the air, a ghostly rapier gaining form and substance! Carthrat can FEEL it pulling on his imagination, drawing on the details there, and the recreation is startlingly exact! The blue dot fades, leaving Carthrat with a copy of Wizard's sword!
(New Techique: Armory level 1: Blade trace - User may create a bladed weapon that has been seen with his own eyes at the cost of 1 EP, +10 to make it permanent. If not, it will vanish within an hour.)
"Hey, this is pretty cool!" says Carthrat, twirling the rapier a little. "Got anyone around who can actually teach me how to, y'know, use it?"
"To use it well? Probably not. But you won't need a great deal of skill. As long as you 'aquire' a large amount of weapons, you should be able to trump a sword with a bigger sword, or a gun. But Guns are harder, because you have to understand how they work to get a functioning one, and odd characteristics, like size, weight, detail and the like increase your odds of getting an imperfect copy." Wizard explains, stowing his version of the sword.
"All you have to do is see it to be able to 'trace' the weapon."
"I see," replies Tom, shrugging. "I have a very vauge understanding of how guns work... perhaps you could explain the details to me better.
It seems, though, that my best option right now is to find as many weapons as I can. I'll keep that in mind. I don't suppose you've got any more junk floating around? Sounds like I could use all of it.
And what about this guardian?"
"I have a few odds and ends." Wizard replies dismissively. "As for guns, your knowledge needs to be quite exact, if you want to produce copies as accurate as possible. I'd recommend books." He examines you carefully. "As for the guardian, the process is a bit more draining than simply swallowing a marble. Would you like to ask some questions, first?"
"It sounds like you've got some answers in mind," replies Carthrat, eyeing the Wizard. "Why don't you just tell me what you've got, instead of having me fish for answers?"
"Because the answers depend on the questions." Wizard replied, rubbing his wild white hair. "But, if you need a place to start, let's just say that you're the raw materials. I'll draw what's needed from your mind, and give it form and substance."
"Once made, I'll teach you a simple trick used by summoners to grant their summons physics defying physical abilities. That way, you have an unlimited supply of weapons, and a superhuman bodyguard." The old man chuckled. "Not much, but it should signficantly improve your odds of avoiding a hero's death, huh?"
"Or any other kind of death, with luck," replies Carthrat, shrugging. "So.. what would *I* look for in a bodyguard, huh?
That's.. a good question. I've never really needed.. or even wanted one before. Someone who can, uh, lend a voice of reason from time to time? Pull me back before I run over the edge off a cliff? Eh. I'm really not that sure."
"Well, we'll see. It's kind of taxing on your system. This part, I have done before. whenever you feel rested enough, let me know, and we'll sift through your subconscious."
"You've done it before, huh?" asks Carthrat, blinking. "How did that turn out?"
"Mixed results." Wizard admitted. "She got a man with the body of a greek god, and the power and will to protect her, but the mind of her old math teacher. It was...frustrating, as she put it."
"Good god," replies Carthrat. "I.. well, now you've got me *really* interested. Let's, uh, do this. How is it done? Want me to just lie down again?"
"No, no. Just...um, sit over there, and I'll get out the scanners." Wizard instructed, pointing to another corner of his junk sho--lab, and the largish metal chair that sat there, resembling a dentist's chair, crossed with an electric chair. "And clear your thoughts. It's a longer and more arduous process if it has to sift you by force, as well as dealing with matter creation."
"Right," replies Carthrat. "Clear my head. Got it."
He sits on the chair, and attempts to clear his head of all things, except images of.. guardians?
Wizard busies himself attaching a large variety of sensors and the it Carthrat's body, which is all strange. It doesn't look very magical, does it?
"Oh, and in case you're wondering...it won't look for what you want in a guardian. It'll sift through your mind and assemble one that it thinks would serve you well, regardless of your personal wishes. So, if you have visions of a servile young thing with the body of a goddess...well, don't get those hopes too high." he chuckled.
"If you say so. I have no expectations, really," replies Carthrat, leaning back.
"Well said." Wizard agrees, absently flipping a switch, and the whole assembly flares to life, humming brightly. My goodness, he has, like, NO sense of Drama. What kind of Mad Scientist doesn't at least cackle before flipping a switch?
Humming and buzzing merrily, the machine is not in the least bit alarming, as it's quiet, and seems in excellent working order. Though, slightly disconcerting is the distinct feeling of your mind being opened, and flipped though. Not offensive, but distinctly, and carefully invasive, the machine hums softly, and suddenly, lights come on in the nearest junk pile. A large, clear tube, human sized, and lit now from within by a gentle glow, begins to fill with a strange, swirling mist...
"Man, I was hoping my guardian would be a wall with legs," mutters Carthrat, eyes the swirling stuff carefully.
As you watch, the mist begins to coalesce into a humanlike form. You're not entirely sure, but either it's a boy, or a woman, so slim is the silouhette.
"Ah, but walls are rather easily breached." Wizard replies. "And unable to kill things. Guardians are usually proficient at that."
As you watch, and watch, the form solidifies, from the toes up, and you can feel the invasive feeling in your head recede slightly, but not entirely...just as the head takes, form, shape and substance.
Someone has ripped Meia Gisborn from the screens of Vandread, and brought her to life. REAL Life. Right down the the jeweled headpiece. Naked as a jaybird otherwise, tho'.
"So, what, is she real, or what?" asks Carthrat, rather blaisely.
Or not. There's a look of wide-eyed speculation on his face. "I mean, er, hi! Can you hear me?"
Wizard wipes a bit of drool from his beard, and shakes his head. "Give her a moment, It's still populating the parts of her mind uncontrolled by the geas. She'll have a full blown personality in 3....2....1..."
All at once, the invasive feeling vanishes entirely, and 'Meia's' eyes snap open, and she looks around wildly, before looking down at herself, and cursing. You think. You can't hear a word she says, but the lip movements are unmistakable, and she promptly drops to her knees, glaring at you as she covers her naughty bits.
Wizard moves over to a machine with readouts, and scans them, and gestures to the tube. "There's a door behind it. Let her out, and get aquainted, lad."
"Who, me? Man.." mutters Carthrat, grabbing his discarded bathrobe, and heading to the tube. "Man. Typical. My ideal guardian is a friggin' anime character. Well, I wasn't really expecting that. Or anything. Huh." He reaches the door, and before he thinks about it, opens it. "Yo. You're five seconds old. Here's your birthday present," he adds, handing her the bathrobe.
She snares the robe in midair, and begins pulling it on, glaring at you. "What the hell are you talking about?" she snaps, tying it firmly at her waist, and grimacing. "Who are you? Where am I?"
"I," says Carthrat, deliberatly drawing out the word, "am Carthrat. You, are, um, hell, I dunno, where the hell are we, anyway?" he asks, turning to face Wizard. "Some underground bunker-slash-laboratory somewhere. How are you feeling?"
"Like Someone stabbed me in the head with an icepick." She responds gruffly, standing carefully as Wizard comes over.
"You can call her....Um, Say, Katana." He suggests. "She seems to excel at Melee combat, but none of the other sword names really fit such a cute girl." This elicits a snarl from her, which makes him jump. "No disrespect intended, of course, madam." She still doesn't look impressed, but makes no further issue, hugging herself and glaring at the world in general.
"At any rate, she has good overall competency rates, and a good learning curve. She'll have some difficulty with firearms, but hand to hand and bladed weapons, she'll be unmatched. Hmm...Give her 30 seconds in virtually any road vehicle, and she can start it, and drive it nearly flawlessly within five minutes. Complicated vehicles, such as hoverbikes and Mosjets, she'll need between two to ten minutes to learn." he takes a breath, eyeing her with some satisfaction.
She looks to you, a shying away from Wizard a bit. "Do you have any idea what the hell he's taking about?"
"I might," replies Carthrat, cheerily. "Call yourself whatever you like, I guess. Don't take his word for it. Can you remember anything? Do you need anything? Something to eat or drink or whatever?"
Wizard interjects, forcefully. "This is extremely important. To a creature of magic, names have great power, and I cannot predict the results if a true name for her is discovered, by either you, or your opponents. Call her something else if you wish, but be very careful not to discover, or let Leviathan discover it. Though, that should be a minor problem, at best." he took a deep breath, Katana simply staring at him.
"Make him stop scaring me. And yes, I could use a sandwich. And I can remember somethings, but nothing that makes any sense right now. Or my 'True name'." She informs you, and frowns. "I'm not usually this co-operative..."
If I don't know what it is or how to find out, how can I protect it? And how can I protect it from myself? Well, I guess I won't actively try and seek it out...
"Wizard, shut up. Where's the kitchen? And get the woman some clothes, dammit!" snaps Carthrat. "And get me some while you're at it. Can't you, I dunno, go out and buy some, or something?"
Wizard frowns. "What do I look like, a department store?" he retorts. "You want random junk? You got it. You want clothes? The selection is quite a bit more anemic. I can feed the girl, and give you the name of a contact, who can get you weapons, and other assorted goods. Clothes too, probably. If you hit it off, he may even join you. He has no love for the Leviathan."
"Great. Give me his name, and give her a sandwich. Then tell me how to find him, and we'll be on our way."
Carthrat gives the girl a sideways glance. "Sorry 'bout that. I'll explain.. well, what I know, later. If he doesn't decide to elaborate first."
Wizard grumbles. "Bah. Some gratitude. I bet his legends will make him out to be courteous and charming, too." he mutters to himself. "Be right back."
Katana eyes you, and for a brief moment, she resembles her spiritual 'mother' in your head creepily, though, those eyes...serious and stoic carry a hint of something you feel doesn't quite fit the picture. "I have the depressing feeling I'm not going to like this..."
"Possibly not," replies Carthrat, flopping down into a chair. "Don't worry, though. It gets worse. I don't really know much more than you.. hell, I don't really know anything. This is the first moment I've had all day when I can really sit down and think about what's been going on, y'know? Heh.. well, you wouldn't, I guess."
He takes a deep breath, pushing his matted hair out of his eyes. "Look. I don't know the long story. But I'll give you the short one. This world.. a world that I don't come from, a world I havn't heard of, a world you really have no reason to care about- is apparently on the brink of... annihilation? Destruction? A Dark Fate? I'm not even completely sure.
That.. wizard, he hired another wizard, and that wizards job was to find.. well, me. Apparently, I'm the one individual all the.. planes?
The one with the biggest chance of success is me, anyhow. I'm not even boasting or anything. I'm just repeating what was told to me. Heh. I said, "Yeah, sure, I'll do it." Didn't think.
And now.. well, I'm here. And you're here. And you're here because.. I don't really know. The wizard- that guy, doesn't look like much, does he- said that he could give me power, and a guardian.. and you're it."
A bead of sweat slides down his face. "Confused? I know I am."
She regards you for a moment and frowns, but her expression is less crowded by mistrust and confusion. "What happens to me when this is over, huh?" she asks pointedly, taking a deep breath. "Suppose you become a big hero, and life goes on. What about me? I'm your tool that doesn't have a purpose anymore."
"No more purpose than the rest of us, I guess," replies Carthrat. "I'm not exactly comfortable thinking of you as a tool, either. Far as I'm concerned, it's your own choice if you want to risk your life for my sake."
She frowns at you, and behind her, you can see Wizard coming back, with a sandwich...ooh. It's warmed up, and there's meat, and a little lettuce, and an onion...not for everyone, but damned if it doesn't smell awesome, and you can see her eyes going wide as the scent tickles her nose.
"It's...It's not that I won't, it's just..." She gives up trying to argue as her stomach demands attention, loudly. "Fuck it. What the hell is that smell? It's making me hungry...Hungrier." she amends.
"That would be Wizard. He is holding a sandwich, which is also making me hungry," announces Carthrat, lunging for it.
Wizard almost flinches as he's met by your lunge, and simply freezes, letting you snatch the sandwich from him. Katana takes issue with this, however.
"Hey!"
Carthrat holds the sandwhich in front of Katana, tauntingly, slowly moving a short distance away. "Hey, let's see what you can do, then," he comments. "If you want it, you'll have to take it!"
Katana gives you an uncertain, dubious look. "You're serious?" she clarifies, before blatantly coveting the sandwich.
"It's hard to take this entire situation seriously, but do your best," replies Carthrat, nodding. "Anyhow, getting this from me should be like taking candy from a baby, if you're supposed to be some kickass bodyguard. Then again, you'd need to do that before I actually ate it..."
He smirks a little at that, ignoring the vauge questioning in the back of his mind that tells him it's a bad idea to withhold food from a hungry person who can likely kill you six different ways in four seconds.
OOC: Carthrat: 2d6 = 3, 1 , Total: 4
Katana: Carthrat: 2d6-2 = 3, 3 , Total: 6-2 =4 (Tie)
<GM-Rat> : 2d6, 6, 3 , Total: 9 +2 fail
<Katana> : 2d6, 4, 1 , Total: 5 -5 pass
IC:
Katana dismisses the taunting, and simply dives at you. Small and slim, she shouldn't be intimidating, but her swiftness is almost frightening as she closes the distance, arms outstretched and lashing out in a swift, hard punch! You manage to get an arm up to block, but the shock of the impact is startling, if not particularly painful. Jesus, she's SERIOUS!
Her hand tries for a grab and lock on the arm you used to block, but you manage to squirm loose, and back off a half step, and turn to run but you don't even get time to feel smug about how well you're doing, because she's right with you....damn! A tiny hand snares your arm as you get three steps away and pulls sharply...not particularly hard or anything, but it foils your balance mightily, and you go down!
Strangely, not all that hard. You're sort of guided into a roll and tumble to a stop, laying flat out on the ground of Wizard's shop, and only then do you notice you don't have the sandwhich anymore...
Yeah, well, that's what you get for being a smartarse, thinks Carthrat, eyeing the roof of Wizards shop, then tiling his head back so the top of it is against the ground, and he can see behind him.
Yup, she has the sandwich, and she's taking a large bite, (Shivering in pleasure and flushed, but who would notice that?) but she's also standing over you, a curious expression on her face. "I got the impression that should have been easier for me. You're not too bad at this." She informs you in a conciliatory tone, her irritation almost nowhere in evidence now.
"You just got lucky," mumbles Carthrat, more out of habit than anything. "I mean, yeah, maybe, I don't know. It's a miracle I'm still in any kind of shape, given my.. er, former lifestyle."
She doesn't seem inclined to challenge the 'Lucky' statement at all, munching on the sandwich and curiously poking your middle. "Mmm. Bit squooshy, but not tubby." she observes. "You're probably athletic enough, with motivation."
"Yeah, motiviation, right. I'm not bad at sprinting and running, I guess, and I can.. well.. not drown when I'm in water."
Carthrat shrugs. "Still, I wasn't first pick for any sport. Not by a long shot. Though I've got plenty of motivation now, if that's all it takes."
"Sport?" Katana inquires, a bit confused. She's sure not rushing the sandwich, but definitely savoring the taste, if those little noises she's making are any indication. "Well, as long as you don't collapse on the ground gasping for breath, I think I can work with this." she nods, eying you. "Your upper body looks in servicable shape, but I don't want to look lower. Those pants could put my eyes out."
"At least I'm wearing pants," notes Carthrat, blandly. "That bathrobe is almost see-through, y'know. I'm trying to stare at your face out of politeness."
She has the good grace to blush at that, at least, but doesn't seem the least bit put off. "Mmm. I'll remember that. At least I won't have a hard time getting your attention when I need it."
"Sadly, I have a moral imperative to make you wear some clothes that resemble clothes, and not wet paper," muses Carthrat, mock-wearily. "Yo, old man, how can I get in touch with someone who can give us some decent articles of wearing?"
"I was wondering when you'd remember I was watching." Wizard grumped. To his credit, there appears to be no drool in his beard, or anything. He drops a business card, which flutters down to land on your chest. "Go see him."
Katana gives Wizard an innocent look, with a mouthful of food. "Goo' Sammich." she garbles.
"Thanks." Wizard replies dryly...is he blushing? "Oh, one more thing." Another card is produced, and dropped, fluttering a little further away. "This should be doable, even though you don't have much magic. Simplistic power boost, and should put her power levels over the moon. But it drains you to do it, so unless you face an army, be careful."
Carthrat picks up the cards and checks them out, picking himself up off the ground at the same time. "Mmm. Makes me hungry, too, but I can wait," he comments.
The closest one is just a name, and an address. 'Zara Shimay: 56 block, west end, building 5'
The other card is literally covered in instructions, lettered precisely, but they'll take some puzzling out.
Carthrat slips the instruction-ridden card into his pocket, if he in fact has any pockets.
"Do you have a map or anything?"
"Um. Actually, no." Wizard admitted. "A minor oversight. One moment." he murmured, rummaging around in his junkpile...and finally emerging with a blocky black...thing, which he forked over to Carthrat. "There you go."
"What's this junk for?" asks Carthrat, turning it over in his hands.
"It is...A MAP!" Wizard declared. "No, seriously. Not an excellent one, but you should be able to get there with that. It's jury rigged from one of those old things that used to be in high end cars."
"Oh. Right. Like a navigation aid?" replies Carthrat, searching the thing for a button or something.
Wizard nods. "Something like that." he murmurs, looking briefly...shifty.
As you turn over the chunky black...doodad? Seems to be a technical term, but it fits. You find a button, and a small screen, and on pressing the button, the screen lights up with a small, but servicable street map. Not precisely detailed, but it should get you into the right area, at least. Notable on the map is lettering in the centre.
You are here. Duh.
"Mappy has a bit of an attitude." Wizard confesses, more words appearing at the bottom of the screen.
About time you turned me on again, you hairy freak...Hey, a weirdo and a skirt? You aren't giving me away, are you?
With interesting timing, Katana, hugging the robe tighter around herself, and keeping a sharp eye on where your eyes are, begins peeking over your shoulder to see the screen.
"Mappy, huh? Nah, I'm just borrowing you for a bit," says Carthrat, eyeing the device. "Gotta be better than being left off, huh?"
"Naming things really isn't my strong suit." Wizard replies, shrugging.
"Oh, do tell." Katana replies...wow. Better pick up your feet. You might get sarcasm on them, so much was dripping off of her words.
Yeah, you're probably right. Unless you're one of those idiots who can't read a map...and then blames the map.
Demonic looking red eyes and a fangy mouth superimpose themselves over the map screen.
You aren't, are you?
"I dunno. How old are you? You might be out of date," replies Carthrat, shaking the mapbox. "Can hardly blame me then."
...Fuck you. Mappy replies, and the screen abruptly goes black.
Wizard winces. "You didn't really make a crack about being obsolete to a computer, did you?"
Katana blinks and looks over your shoulder, though mercifully, she has nothing to say, yet.
"If he's going to throw it at me, he can expect his crap right back," replies Carthrat, rolling his eyes. "Who *programmed* him like that, anyway?"
"What makes you think he was programmed?" Wizard replies tiredly. "I'm a mage that works with machines, and that was an early effort. Those sorts of things just...happen, if the construction process isn't tightly controlled."
Katana gives Wizard an amused look. "He's like a mommy!" she snickers, then glances at you. "Don't you think that maybe needing something from someone...or something should take priority over the right to be snarky?"
"On the one hand, you are right, but on the other hand, how was *I* supposed to know he'd do that, anyway?" replies Carthrat, shrugging. "Anyhow. Let's try this again."
And thus, he hits the button.
This time, no map comes up, only an emoticon. '._.' After a 'look', Mappy puts up another, and leaves it there.
XP
"Y'know, I almost like him for that," notes Carthrat. "What pleasures doth the machine have? If it's 'love and kindness', I'll find my own damn way."
If you're bribing me, I want porn. Jack me in, and download me some cyberass, and I'm all yours.
Katana choked. "WHAT?"
"What, annoyed that he's not paying attention to you?" quips Carthrat. "Anyway, I can't see anything wrong about that, as long as it doesn't interfere with his cartographical duties.
Yo, old man, where's the internet port?"
Katana frowns, glaring at you. "I have the oddest urge to gnaw on you for that..."
"I don't have one." Wizard replies. "Viruses are all too easy for my machines to pick up and because of the magic in them, things get weird, really quickly."
"How am I supposed to give him what he wants, then?" asks Carthrat, shaking his head. "Help me out, here."
"Just promise to when you can, and mean it." Wizard replied, strugging. "Oaths are as good as gold, when magic is involved...though, break them, and things get ugly."
"Oh, right. I promise, Mappy, to get you some porn when the first conveniant opportunity arises. Should I define conveniant? I really shouldn't have to," muses Carthrat. "Does it need to be in, like, electrical form, or will a magazine do?"
Electrical form is better. Easier to have my fun, that way. When this box is rockin', Don't come a knockin'! XD
Katana groans. "I may be ill. Just thinking of how that....well, my head hurts."
"I'm impressed, honestly. It's like a teenager in a box," replies Carthrat, nodding. "Anyhow. You! Box! Mappy! Display where I need to go to get to this place,' he continues, waving the address-card in front of the box.
"Boxes is where teenagers should be kept." Katana agrees sourly. "Especially boys."
Mappy is quiet for a moment. Stop waving the goddamned thing around. I can't see...oh! Okay. In contrast to the earlier, simplistic map, one rife with details paints itself on the screen...right down to traffic signals. One building is lit up, bright white and distinct.
Right here, you. And if I recall correctly, this man DOES have a handy dandy INTARWEB connection. Mappy adds helpfully.
"See, this is the sort of working relationship I like," nods Carthrat. "Hey, old man! I'll be going soon, but there are a few things I'd like you to get for me, if you could.
First up, try and dig up as many weapons as you can. May as well start putting my.. ability.. to use.
And on that note, if you've got any books on weaponary, I guess I'd better study them, hadn't I?"
He looks somewhat uncomfortable for a moment; a slightly depressed, downbeat look.
"And the other thing I want.. is stuff on recent history. The years since Leviathan invaded. I have all sorts of questions about that.. but I figure, maybe I can just get most of my answers in some books, instead of pestering you over every little thing. I like to read, so don't mind about size."
Wizard looks thoughtful. "As far as weapons go, I don't have much but my rapier and a bunch of knives." He informs you gravely. "The books, however, I can do...though there aren't more than two or three. The winners of wars write those sorts of things, and the Leviathan's point of view, and ours, clash greatly."
"As I mentioned before, Zara should be able to arrange a great deal for you."
"Surely you have your own records, though? Both sides in a war write, even if only ones view is published as mainstream."
Carthrat shrugs. "Anyhow, I'll work things out, somehow. I don't.. know terribly much about this place, you understand. I figure Mappy here can tell me stuff I need to know about the city proper, Katana can prevent me from doing anything rash, and this Zara guy.. well, I figure out what he gets me when I get to him.
But for now, I'm relying on you for.. well.. dammit, a reason to help, I guess. I'll be honest, all I've got against Leviathan is.. your word. I need to know what's going on, if you understand."
Katana blinks, blushing a bit as she appraises you in light of that particular confession, but Wizard nods. "Like I said, I'll assemble what I can." He agrees. "But if you really want more, ask Zara. Look around. That will back me up more completely than anything I could tell you."
"Well, then, we'll be off," replies Carthrat, nodding. "How far away is this place, Mappy?"
About twenty blocks. A substantial hike, but not exactly across the city. A healthy meatbag could do it in about 30 minutes, or less. The unit replies cheerfully.
"You know, I'd almost assume he said that to be speciesist, but considering his whole attitude so far, I'm guessing he thinks it sounds cool." Katana muses. "You have a knack for obtaining interesting party members, Carthrat."
Carthrat blinks. "Party members? Well, I suppose you *could* view this like a role-playing game. Right up until the part where someone starts trying to kill us, I guess.
Anyhow, let's get going. The sooner we get there, the sooner I can put on some real clothes."
And at that, he heads for.. the exit, as shown by Mappy.
Katana looks briefly puzzled by that, but she nods agreeably, and follows you to the exit...as plainly shown by Mappy. Good grief, he's eager to please, now...
Well. After some cursing, tripping over random and inexplicably sturdy trash, and pushing through a shimmering azure veil of a hologram, and then through an old, rusty metal door, you find yourself outside, on a cool summer night, the sky still dark, dark blue instead of the black of night. The streets are adequately kept up, but give the impression of an aging city that is dying slowly, rather than being repaired, and will eventually become the slums...
Carthrat sets a quick pace, following the route outlined for him. Whilst he's walking, he keeps an eye out for other people; how many are around? And how do they look?
The route, while simple and flat, is a touch complex...navigating around abandoned buldings and the like. Katana keeps pace easily, not complaining...despite the fact that a simple glance tells you she's cold.
The people...are surprisingly well kept. There's no one that screams 'hobo', but no one looks wealthy, either. There's a slightly 'wrong' sameness about them....
"Here, borrow this," says Carthrat, tossing his awesome and most favourite black jacket that he wears everywhere to Katana.
"We kinda stand out, huh? That can't be good."
Katana blinks at you, startled, a little bit, by the gesture, her cheeks pinking slightly as she nods her thanks and pulls it on. "I wouldn't think so. Not if we keep moving. If this is as low income as it looks, people get in trouble if they notice too much."
"At any rate, there's nothing we can do about it just now," says Carthrat, shrugging. "The people around here don't look to be too badly off.. if you ignore the feeling that there's something happening here, below the surface, and it ain't good.
Well, duh, I guess."
Katana just shrugs and nods, bundling herself up in your coat, the robe covering her lower half like a skirt. Funny, she sure looks tiny, waiting for you to lead, like that.
Carthrat consults Mappy, and then continues to lead the way, staying pretty close to Katana.
For his own protection, of course.
Woo. Streets are a maze, really, but Mappy...wow. His navigating skills are second to none. With nary a single misstep when you consult him, he leads you to what appears to be an ordinary apartment building. It's a bit old, actually. The stonework is sturdy and tasteful, Katana nodding approvingly at the curtains in one of the windows.
This is the place, Kemo Sabe. Mappy informs you glibly.
"As to be expected from a champion map program," says Carthrat, coining an often-used line in pretty much every anime he's watched, ever.
"I've got an apartment number, I should be allright for now," he adds, heading towards the apartment entrance. "As long as nobody shoots me."
Entering the building goes without incident. It's in disrepair, but suprisingly clean, not unlike Wizard's junk shop. The lights are off, but somehow, it's easy to see. There's a row of apartments, and a staircase leading to the next floor...
Carthrat checks the number, and starts making his way towards where he thinks the room would be.
The card doesn't have a number on it, but it seems to be moot, as you both can hear noises upstairs. Katana frowns suddenly, and moves up in front of you, picking her small feet through the debris littering the floor to the staircase...
Carthrat narrows his eyes, and quietly moves after Katana. He also tries to figure out exactly what those noises are..
Katana's movements are silent, assured...almost creepily so. If it wasn't for the noises, you'd think you'd gone deaf. Mm...those noises. It's like a tapping, really. Metal on Metal, no rhyme or reason to it, erratic and clear as a bell.
She leads you up the stairs, and onto the second floor, which is easily as dark as the first...maybe even moreso, and the floor is worse. Pipes and garbage everywhere.
The noises stop, suddenly...
Carthrat squints into the darkness, and continues to move forward, at least until Katana stops doing so. Holding up Mappy, he uses whatever faint light he can get from his screen as an improptu torch.
WTF?? When did I become a Blair Witch Extra? I don' wanna die! ;-;
A small, distictive, and ominous click echoes on the dark.
"Get down!" Katana snaps to you without turning back. She slips a toe under a stray piece of steel pipe, and without apparent effort, kicked it up into her hand, as an odd sound, like a ruler being smacked against a desk echoed in the hall, again and again....
Carthrat crouches to one side, pointing Mappy to the ground this time.
He clenches a hand, not deciding to bother summoning a sword- if he needs it, he'll be able to get it in a flash, or so he hopes.