@Patches

Shit shit shit...

>Internalized swearing doesn't really help to ease the situation. Before anything can escalate between Daud and the guard, she moves to place herself between them, magic coursing and ready to go should either need to be subdued.

Hey! There's no need for this! Daud, I appreciate you steppin' up for me, but I can handle this. Take it easy, okay?

>She then turns her attention directly to the guard, hoping she can ease the tension and get him to leave them alone. With mounting tensions between Gregor and Gustrag, she has to be ready to move at a moment's notice, she can't afford to be caught up in the drunkenly amorous guard's antics.

As for you, shoving a friend around isn't exactly a great way to gain favor with me. I'm telling you no, that's the end of it. Please, just walk away. This doesn't have to get any worse than it is.
C'mon, Gregor... Please be able to talk your way out of this.

@Yomojo@Afro Samurai

---

The low hanging rooftops were a feline's wonderland. Hopping from roof to roof with the aid of magic made for easy transport across the heavily populated expanses of Kokotha. Nino loved it. The freedom, the subterfuge, and all the pigeons he could eat, lined up unawares to his stealthy pounce. Chomp! Another life ended in an instant betwixt his jaws. Nino snapped the bird's neck and dragged it towards the edge of the roof, tearing into his prize slowly as he looked down on the people going about their daily business. A few commoners threw the cat an unassuming glance, not quite catching the blood smeared across his muzzle and whiskers from so far away. Occasionally, he'd prompt a wretch, or a gag out of those with sharp eyes and weak stomachs. It made him huff happily. The humans could be so innocent sometimes. That's what he loved about them the most, except for when it led one of their hands down his spine without warning. 'Rude,' Nino thought, painting the image of a child pulling his flesh t'wards his tail with good intent. 'Train your stupid kits.'

Nino's ears twitched when he heard a familiar voice peak out above the idle chatter of the crowd. Leaving his nearly-polished bird carcass behind, he stood up and stepped onto the tarp that hang over the Cafe's entrance, struggling to balance himself on the wobbly fabric. His claws dug in quick as his paws touched the edge, and he held firmly, hanging his head forwards and scanning the sidewalk. There it was. Lucille! That girl he'd seen plenty of times before, hanging around one of the buildings further down the road. Nino didn't really know what it was. He'd never managed to get inside without being swarmed by civilians or knocked aside. The nerve of humans was unbearable sometimes. Nino bent forward a little more, catching a glimpse of the taller, darker man walking side by side with the familiar woman. He'd never seen anyone like that before. He reeked of unfamiliar scents, and his clothing made him stand out among the crowd, even from the shoulder-up. Nino`s curiosity had been peaked. With a slight wiggle of his behind, he positioned himself perfectly, and dropped down into the crowd below, landing with a subtle series of clicks when his nails hit the pavement. Following Tetu's pungent odours, Nino made after Lucille, skillfully dodging any curious hands that reached down towards his fur.

'Stop trying to touch me!'


@Jensoman@Patches

---

Mikey turned his attention to Jenso briefly and pursed his lips. Why should he share anything with this guy? Even if he did seem totally trustworthy and un-suspicious?! He rattled his brain for a reason, trying to keep away from sharing, but in the end, he folded in the vaguest way he could manage.

"A machine," Mikey croaked. Yeah, that answered his question, right? It wasn't rude or anything, right?? Mikey turned back to Gossick, but couldn't keep his mouth shut. "It's going to pull Yim into our world using runes and magical batteries."

@tex @Afro Samurai
Lucy notices the slight commotion behind her as she listens to Mazone, forming a literal eye in the back of her head that subtly looked through her hair, imperceptible unless one was paying attention. Recognizing the people looking down, and even some kids leaning down, Lucy turned her head around to confirm that she was being followed by who she thought she was.

"Yeah, sounds tough." she shoots over to Mazone. "Hey, Nino! How's the day goin'?" Lucy directs at the cat following her, face lighting up as she slows down to meet up with the kitty. She had always been a cat person, and while only her second favorite feline caster, she always enjoyed Nino's company. Sure, cats had their quirks, and brands usually only emphasized them, but Lucille had learned to get used to it.

@Yomojo@Afro Samurai

---

The hair on Nino's back stood on end when Lucille's voice called his name. 'She saw me?' he thought, screeching to a halt as she spun around and addressed him. His front claws extended into the path and he froze in place, deciding whether or not to acknowledge her in the crowd. He decided against it at first, but sat down in front of her, and nodded, closing his eyes kindly. "Mmyaa," he mewled, refusing to talk while surrounded by so many curious people. It projected an air of contentment, though. It was clear his day was going well, albeit uneventful. The life of a cat wasn't all that complicated, after all. Nino looked up at Tetu curiously, waiting for the man to look his way. Up close, he seemed like even more of an alien. What was that nonsensical garb he was wearing? It made Nino's ears flap excitedly. The scents that clung to him however, were detestable. The cat's muzzle trembled as they reached the roof of his mouth. Disgusting! Where was he from? He looked back to Lucille, and then darted his eyes towards Tetu, as if to question his origins.

@tex @Afro Samurai
"Just a stranger I'm helpin' find his bearings." Lucy offers as answer to Nico's unasked question. She squats down to be closer to Nico's level, casually reaching a hand out with the intent to scratch behind Nico's ear. As ornery as the cat could be, she was hoping they were familiar enough for her to at least offer a scratch without offending him. Besides, it's not like she was afraid of the cute little beast anyways.

"We were headed over to my work. You ever been in the Grapevine, Nino? I'm sure I could get you in under my supervision, if ya wanted." She stood back up, turned back around, and continued leading Mazone to the Grapevine. She trusted that Nino would follow if he wanted to. And if not, well, he was an independent creature, she wouldn't take offense.

She didn't offer an explanation to Mazone, either. If he was curious, he'd ask. "You'll hafta tell me some stories once we get a table, Muh-zone." was all she offered to the man.

A cat. Nice. He always thought cats were decent animals--not as important or necessary on the food chain as dogs, but still serviceable creatures. He appreciated the natural allure cats had, especially the wild ones; the sleek walk, the silent purrs, the haunting eyes. Regardless of his preference toward dogs, he had always wished he found a talking cat and was rather suprised that in all his 31 years of living he hadn't encountered a single one. Not that it was common or anything, but in a world brimming with magic one assumes there are at least a few talking animals out there. He always wondered what kind of conversation he could have with one. Wishful thinking.

He did go and pet the cute little thing, though. His callous fingers set their course from the cat's head down the length of its tail in several steady strokes.

"Who's a pretty kitty?!?!" he cooed.

@Yomojo @tex

@Yomojo@Afro Samurai

---

Kokotha was a veritable minefield of obnoxious humans. Some shouted at him, 'here, kitty kitty!' Others ran their fingers through his fur without any preexisting agreement, or even the slightest sign of respect. But never before had he had to deal with such unpleasant treatment. No, this simply wouldn't do. Nino had no chance to respond to Lucy's Inquiry. He was just... Livid.

"Unhand me, you pompous rube!" He hissed angrily, swatting at Tetu's forearm before he could get a third stroke through his fur. The feeling of Tetu's coarse palms rubbing against his coat felt as if he were taking an unexpected trip through brambles! "Are foreigners all so ignorant of common courtesy? Were you brought up alongside pigs and monkeys!?" Nino barked, one word following the next with refined vitriol. It didn't stop there, though. "Rough! Coarse and unforgiving, like fresh bramble droppings! Did you drag yourself from the barnyards? I've never in all my years-" Nino paused and took a deep breath. He hadn't noticed, but his hair was standing on end, and he was standing aggressively on all fours. The surrounding civilians turned to witness his outburst, one after the other. His guise was unveiled to at least twenty people in one fell swoop. "I am not a pretty kitty," He moaned quietly, embarrassed, guilt-ridden, and disappointed with his own behaviour.

He was bound to find one! After all these years, a talking cat! Not quite his style of speaking animal, though... this one had flare, he shouted elegant curses not even Mazone heard before. Brambles? What in the starred heavens are those? There was a tinge of insult reared across Mazone's entire body for all of five seconds. This insult fell to a wave of amusement. For all of it's curses and swears upon Mazone's place of origin--which Mr. Sprinkles here didn't even know and had no business disrespecting, in Mazone's honest opinion--it was just a cat. Lower on the bio-organic food chain than whales, dogs, dolphines even. Tetu had thoughts about returning his own volley of insults at the noble kitten, but then he figured he'd look just as idiotic as fluffykins.

"Hahahahaahahhahahahahahaahah! You're the pretty kitty, yes you are" Mazone shoved his compliment into mockery. After all, what could a cat do to him?

@Yomojo @tex

@Afro Samurai @tex
Lucy was having a hard time containing her laughter, but for an entirely different reason.

"Wow Muh-zone, just... wow. You're fulla bad decisions." Lucy looked to Nino apologetically. "Sorry for his behavior. Want me ta deck him for ya? He could use a good deckin' anyways."

Lucy took another good, long glance at everyone who had stopped to stare. If any of these civilians tried something, she didn't want to get caught off guard. She didn't know what she was waiting for, exactly, but she always counted on the common folk to be idiots, and try something stupid in situations like this. Of course, it was actually the "noble" being the stupidest one at this moment.

After assessing the crowd, she looked back to Nino with a small nod, as if to say "I got your back"

@Yomojo@Afro Samurai

---

Nino Cringed irritably as Tetu continued to mock his species. His whiskers twitched, but he was able to maintain his composure this time around. It was much easier to remain calm when his hair wasn't being viciously matted down. He finally looked to Lucille and nodded heavily. "Yes! Yes, please, Lucille. Hit him with a Deck, even if you must rip one from someone's house," he growled, sitting back down. He spun his head around and began to clean the fur along his spine with a series of careful licks, but stopped and turned back to Tetu when something struck him awry, with his tongue half-out and his eyes wide open, as if he'd just seen a ghost. "Myeeeck! What is that taste?!" He yakked, opening and closing his mouth repeatedly to try and wash the disgusting taste of Tetu's hands from his tongue.

All in jest! He'd had himself a good laugh, and antagonized the first talking creature he'd ever come across. Yes, yes this was a fine beginning to an adventure! But the soft playfulness distilled into quiet focus within a moment. Something had crossed his mind, the weight of cat's words did strike him, no matter how silly:

"Were you brought up alongside pigs and monkeys?" a strange thing to make a man's mood switch, but it had its own poeia to it.

He began to feel like an outsider now. Purr-face's slander only amplified the sensation. More eyes fell on him, and he knew it. Kokotha's commoners had foreign flesh in their presence, and something told Mazone it wouldn't be long before somebody wanted a cold cut. No more laughter, his cocoa skin lost the wrinkles of smiles and his hazelnut eyes drained the mirth. It was all business now, he had to stay on his toes. Could he be sure he could trust Lucille? He couldn't trust the cat, he knew that much. He kept a steady hand's rest on the hilt of his rapier for the rest of the traipse to the Inn.

@Yomojo @tex

@tex
That was a whole lot of stuff. What would this man want with Preserved amalgamate flesh? Something like that was hard to get especially when amalgamates turned back into humans when they died. As for the other things though. I have rune batteries. What type do you desire? He said, going behind the counter. He put up a few objects. A small vial of liquid, a small grey bag of grainy material, and a cylindrical object that could fit in your palm. It depends on what you're making. Rune Machines are all the rage here on the east coast. They sell well.

@Jensoman
@tex
"It's going to pull Yim into our world using runes and magical batteries."

To this, Gossick answered, If you're looking to make a Extractor, I have an old one lying around. If you want to look for one of your own, that might be quite expensive to make. He said, adjusting his glasses. Although, from the looks of it, you already have things planned out.

@Afro Samurai @tex
Lucy did wind up and try to punch Mazone in the back of the head after Nino gave permission. Hard enough to hurt a bit, but not with any real violent intent behind it. If she connected, she would say "That was for bein' a blockhead." before chuckling to herself and continuing on to the Grapevine, expecting the other two to follow if they still wanted to come.

@Yomojo@Afro Samurai@tex
Hey hey! Lucille! Came a rather jolly voice, contrasting with Tetu's tension. On the sidewalk, a very familiar clanking sound was weird. Making his way over to the group of three, was a young man. Clad in suspenders and his trusty cap, it was none other than the cocky delivery boy of the White Teeth, Quinn.

His most distinguishing features being his artificial legs and left arm. Magic based prosthetic, which moved as well as any leg made of flesh and bone. Thanks to the Universal Machines and the Kokothan Government's progress, losing a limb wasn't much of a problem anymore, if you had the money to replace it and the magic or rune batteries to fuel it.

This how you make friends, lately? he said, noticing the punch to Tetu, not quite acknowledging the cat; having not heard it speak, to him it was but an ordinary cat. Man looked to be a foreigner. With all the immigration booms, new faces were far too often in the city. Don't go hitting strangers, girl. He said, with a smirk, crossing his arms. Looking around, noticing the crowd that had gathered from Nino's outburst. What're you all standing around eyeballing at? Skedaddle on out of here!

@Patches @tex @Afro Samurai
Lucy's face lights up at the new arrival. "Well well, if it ain't my favorite half-robot boy. Don't worry, he deserved it." Lucy winked at the spry boy.

"How's it goin, Quinn? We're headed to th'Grapevine right now, hope you ain't on duty. We can make it a full-on party at this rate. This is Muh-zone, by the way." Lucy motions to the foreigner. "Just helpin' him find his way 'round the town. Muh-zone, this is Quinn. Good pal of mine." she says as she turns to Mazone, thumbing back to Quinn.

His head still rung from the punch, he was sure he saw a few stars. After the rainbows subsided and he re-gained orientation, his first somber conscious thought was retaliation. Swift, sweet retaliation lay soft along the tips of his fingers--he saw it all in his head. He'd draw back and slap Lucille! BAM!. There was one problem: he was a) outnumbered b) he didn't know what this girl was capable of and c) his feet hurt and he didn't fancy running anywhere. Then, a new arrival. Mazone was somewhat suspicious, but he'd seen his share of robots. He'd even seen talking cats--the list of things he hadn't seen dwindled by the minute. He was a bit annoyed but these idiots were all he had right now, and he'd stick with them.

"Quinn, love, how do you do?"

@Yomojo @tex @Patches

@Patches
@Ember Storm

Some part of Johnny hoped that this guard would be okay after an onslaught like that, but those thoughts were quickly silenced by the cloud of fog that Astrid had put up. Since Johnny wanted to be able to see, he somersaulted out of the cloud and put some distance between the cloud and himself.

Doing things quietly seemed to be a long dead proposition, so Johnny pulled out his six shooter to accompany his wakazashi.

@Yomojo@Afro Samurai@patches

---

Nino's eyes narrowed as Lucille cracked Tetu across the head. Contentment. What a satisfying noise. Hearing busy teeth clack together always brought warm thoughts to Nino's mind, when one deserved it, anyways. The small cat licked its lips and turned to look at Quinn as he he trudged through the crowed and address Lucille. What was this? Another one of those metal men? Nino had been familiar with the concept of mechanical prosthetic, but seeing one up close was something else. When Quinn's foot clanks against the ground nearby, Nino jolted onto all fours and spun his body around, looking up at the delivery-boy's excitable demeanour. He'd no interest in speaking any further, with so many new faces abound. That recent exchange had squelched his mood. With very quiet paw-steps, Nino positioned himself behind Lucille and waited patiently for her to guide them to this grapevine place. He wasn't sure exactly why people would gather around a grapevine, but it sounded engaging, even if grapes were particularly toxic to cats.

@Patches
@Nashie
Astrid watched Johnny flip free of the Mist she had thrown up and knew that now was her chance. "It is getting hot in here, yes?" she asked no one in particular as she snapped her fingers. At that, the Mist she had thrown up under pretense of concealment burst into eerie purplish fire with a barely audible fwoosh. It wasn't a smoke screen at all, but a cleverly applied bit of fuel! Astrid nocked another arrow to her bow just in case those three paskiaiset managed to survive being burned alive.

@Yomojo@tex@Afro Samurai
"Grapevine? Better hurry. It gets especially crowded around this time. Don't wanna walk in and find out that there are no seats or all the drink has run dry." Quinn said, fiddling with his artificial arm, one of the fingers getting stuck. Unlike the smooth, painted, and shiny prosthetic that many U.M members in the west used, his arm looked more simple and rustic, even with some exposed pistons.

Anyways, how am I doing? Well, pally, I'll tell ya. I had a bad job and got roughed up, but you should see the other guy, some Drekka cleaner probably wants me dead, and my next payment is delayed. I'm doing fine. He said, all with a smile, apparently taking his problems with stride, or at the least putting up a front.