Rhona W
Noctis
Snowdrops
Zapdos
Teyao
ODAberration
Ivar
Kensai
Foxy13Awesome. I'll see about getting a post up tonight
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Just here to have a good time.
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So sorry guys, I completely lost track of time. Posted!
It was heartwarming to see them all getting along like this. Alison watched as they talked and caught up with one another. It was obvious everyone had been so busy with the siege and related matters that her visit was the first time in awhile they had gotten the chance to just hang out for a moment. That classic calm before the storm.
Alison gave them their space, leaning back and enjoying her foul-tasting drink. The ale here was slightly better, she'd grant them that, but Christ, it wasn't even a Corona. She put on a more relaxed demeanor, but even then, her cold, blue eyes carefully looked over each of the people at the table. They all seemed capable enough people. Nice as they were, Alison needed to know if they would measure up when things got rough, and by the way things seemed, it looked as if they would.
James though, was an interesting choice. "El Jefe of the group eh? Odd though that he'd introduce himself as James... Mexican descent sure, but that name is an English one. The real question then was mom or pa? Actually, not important. What was important was the position. If they're calling him the 'Leader' of this little band, then he must have at least convinced them enough, if not earned it. I'll have to keep a special eye on him then, try not to cause any trouble with him. If I'm to help these people out of this world, I can't have their leader ignore me when things get tight..." Alison mused.
Alison considered this through the back-and-forth banter before Mackenzie interrupted her thoughts. "What about you, Alison? I am sure you have sampled many a cuisine in your time," she remarked in a curious tone.
Alison smiled and shrugged. "The best airport food was in Prague. The most expensive beer I ever had in my life though... Other than that? My job had me moving around too much for me to do any real fine dining sadly. However, I was treated to a lovely restaurant in Italy. Real fancy place, had to put on a dress for the first time in... gosh, years? Anyway, they had this delicious champagne and a Veal... Buco I think it was called. Everything about it, the food, the atmosphere, it was... " Alison drifted off into silence. A lovely yet painful memory filled her head. The night Terzo had given his special proposal. She shook her head, banishing the memory away. "Sorry, just remembering that savory food and cool air," she said, playing off the momentary pause as casually as possible. "But yeah, if I had the choice, it'd be that meal. "
Once the group finished eating she stood. "So, who wants to lead me to the guild and see if I can't enroll or at least get ahold of that message?" Alison said with a grin.
Alison gave them their space, leaning back and enjoying her foul-tasting drink. The ale here was slightly better, she'd grant them that, but Christ, it wasn't even a Corona. She put on a more relaxed demeanor, but even then, her cold, blue eyes carefully looked over each of the people at the table. They all seemed capable enough people. Nice as they were, Alison needed to know if they would measure up when things got rough, and by the way things seemed, it looked as if they would.
James though, was an interesting choice. "El Jefe of the group eh? Odd though that he'd introduce himself as James... Mexican descent sure, but that name is an English one. The real question then was mom or pa? Actually, not important. What was important was the position. If they're calling him the 'Leader' of this little band, then he must have at least convinced them enough, if not earned it. I'll have to keep a special eye on him then, try not to cause any trouble with him. If I'm to help these people out of this world, I can't have their leader ignore me when things get tight..." Alison mused.
Alison considered this through the back-and-forth banter before Mackenzie interrupted her thoughts. "What about you, Alison? I am sure you have sampled many a cuisine in your time," she remarked in a curious tone.
Alison smiled and shrugged. "The best airport food was in Prague. The most expensive beer I ever had in my life though... Other than that? My job had me moving around too much for me to do any real fine dining sadly. However, I was treated to a lovely restaurant in Italy. Real fancy place, had to put on a dress for the first time in... gosh, years? Anyway, they had this delicious champagne and a Veal... Buco I think it was called. Everything about it, the food, the atmosphere, it was... " Alison drifted off into silence. A lovely yet painful memory filled her head. The night Terzo had given his special proposal. She shook her head, banishing the memory away. "Sorry, just remembering that savory food and cool air," she said, playing off the momentary pause as casually as possible. "But yeah, if I had the choice, it'd be that meal. "
Once the group finished eating she stood. "So, who wants to lead me to the guild and see if I can't enroll or at least get ahold of that message?" Alison said with a grin.
@Loksfjoer
Take it easy and stay safe!
Take it easy and stay safe!
"Kind of? Most of us died before getting here. Some of the officials here think we were summoned from Earth to help them win this war. Which makes sense, because of the Source Mail message, which is basically like email back home. Anyway, we had to do a gold-tier mission from the Adventurer's Guild to access that, but it turns out the Witch Queen hacked the message from the Emperor so we don't know what it said. And she had tried sending a water ninja to kill us, so she clearly wanted us gone. So we know where to go next and why we're here, we just need to know how to get home. That's important, obviously.” Adam explained.
Alison for the first time in a long time, was at a loss for words. Questions overwhelmed her mind as the new information began filtering in from this explanation. As was her trained mind, she immediately tried to categorize and organize them from most to least important. A difficult task, but all of this seemed relevant and important. With a heavy sigh, "water ninja" was placed towards the bottom, a question for another day perhaps.
Either way, this was huge. She now had an idea of what may have been going on. As she had many times before, dots began to connect. There was this existential battle just beyond her view. Summoning people from another world took power and effort, otherwise, there would be far more of them. And they weren't set up to be nobodies. Each of them, whether farmhand, kid, or spook, was given special items and powers far beyond their previous lives. They were brought here to fight, to destroy this threat to this nation in the form of a Witch Queen. Realization further hit Alison as she began to think through the information again.
They were a contingency! The war was not in favor of the nation, that was obvious. The Witch Queen had the upper hand. So they spent some huge cost to bring them here. It had been deliberate too. Adam had said they had all died in some way. Perhaps that's why they were all chosen. Not for skill or ability, but because of their deaths. Someone, or more concerning, something was being careful in who they removed from the world and dropped into the next. Perhaps their being dead at one point played a bigger part in this "Source" aptitude they all shared. But something went wrong. They were scattered, their communications were disrupted, and left to fend for themselves. A shiver went down Alison's spine. Darkly, she almost admires her newfound foe. The Witch Queen. What had once been a vague name spoken by scared peasants and officials, now was a personal enemy. An enemy that was powerful, competent, and careful. This queen had the advantage, and for the first time in her career, Alison was going to have to play on the back foot.
God what she would give for a pair of MQ-9s and a DELTA team...
As she thought, Adam continued,
“Oh, did you get a special item when you got here, like the rest of us? Like MacKensie's gauntlet, James’ holy symbol, or my orb.” At this, Adam took out his item, showing it to Alison and anyone else who cared to look. The object was a small orb with a rainbow-colored leaf inside. If not for the context, Alison could have easily thought of as some cheap novelty item. “That's one more thing you have in common with us, if so.” he finished, stowing the orb away again.
Alison crossed her arms and leaned back, head tilting to one side. She debated how she should go about it. A demonstration would be impressive, speak for itself, and demonstrate some of her skills, but the limited uses of this ability caused her to hesitate. Finally, she shrugged to herself. It was for the best they knew exactly what they were dealing with if they were going to trust each other, and Alison wanted to get them on her side as soon as possible. She rose from her seat and took one step back.
"Here, be easier if I just showed you," she said before she pulled her hood and veil down. Her face was obscured by the cloth that now covered her face, but otherwise, she seemed fairly unassuming. There was a brief shimmer of light before Alison suddenly was gone from view. Carefully, she softly stepped around the table, each placement of her foot deliberate and chosen to generate the least amount of sound. To those with keen hearing, they may pick up a hint of movement, but otherwise, she remained silent as she moved. A whisp as she glided around the table. After but a moment, she placed herself behind Adam and reappeared as a hand suddenly came down on his shoulder.
Alison pulled back the hood and cloth mask with a smile and a shrug. "This cloak of mine isn't just for fashion. I woke up with it. Seems to bend light in a way to make me as invisible as possible. It's not perfect. I can still make noise and if I move too fast, anyone with a sharp eye will see it distort. That and I can only use it a few times a day, but hey, I'm not complaining."
Moving back to her seat next to MacKensie, Alison took another sip from her mug and leaned back into a comfortable spot. "So, Adam. A lot there to unpack for me. First and foremost, what's this all about fantasy email? I know this world isn't exactly straight Dark Ages, what with the magic and tech, but you're telling me we not only get magical email but that it can hacked too? Christ, and here I thought cyber warfare could be ignored here... Anyway, is this communication system only accessible through a magic computer or something?"
Alison then realized something and became almost embarrassed. "I uhh, also should mention I haven't worked with the 'Adventure's Guild', so these tiers and ranks are something I've never messed with. As you might imagine, Thieves Guild work isn't nearly as... 'structured' in practice, and I never saw any messaging system like that." she finished. If anything, she had even worked against their interest a few times. The Thieves Guild was completely opposed to the Witch Queen and her armies, that much was true. Undead are bad for business after all. However, that didn't mean they had to get along with anyone.
@Jay009@Saiyan@Zapdos
Alison for the first time in a long time, was at a loss for words. Questions overwhelmed her mind as the new information began filtering in from this explanation. As was her trained mind, she immediately tried to categorize and organize them from most to least important. A difficult task, but all of this seemed relevant and important. With a heavy sigh, "water ninja" was placed towards the bottom, a question for another day perhaps.
Either way, this was huge. She now had an idea of what may have been going on. As she had many times before, dots began to connect. There was this existential battle just beyond her view. Summoning people from another world took power and effort, otherwise, there would be far more of them. And they weren't set up to be nobodies. Each of them, whether farmhand, kid, or spook, was given special items and powers far beyond their previous lives. They were brought here to fight, to destroy this threat to this nation in the form of a Witch Queen. Realization further hit Alison as she began to think through the information again.
They were a contingency! The war was not in favor of the nation, that was obvious. The Witch Queen had the upper hand. So they spent some huge cost to bring them here. It had been deliberate too. Adam had said they had all died in some way. Perhaps that's why they were all chosen. Not for skill or ability, but because of their deaths. Someone, or more concerning, something was being careful in who they removed from the world and dropped into the next. Perhaps their being dead at one point played a bigger part in this "Source" aptitude they all shared. But something went wrong. They were scattered, their communications were disrupted, and left to fend for themselves. A shiver went down Alison's spine. Darkly, she almost admires her newfound foe. The Witch Queen. What had once been a vague name spoken by scared peasants and officials, now was a personal enemy. An enemy that was powerful, competent, and careful. This queen had the advantage, and for the first time in her career, Alison was going to have to play on the back foot.
God what she would give for a pair of MQ-9s and a DELTA team...
As she thought, Adam continued,
“Oh, did you get a special item when you got here, like the rest of us? Like MacKensie's gauntlet, James’ holy symbol, or my orb.” At this, Adam took out his item, showing it to Alison and anyone else who cared to look. The object was a small orb with a rainbow-colored leaf inside. If not for the context, Alison could have easily thought of as some cheap novelty item. “That's one more thing you have in common with us, if so.” he finished, stowing the orb away again.
Alison crossed her arms and leaned back, head tilting to one side. She debated how she should go about it. A demonstration would be impressive, speak for itself, and demonstrate some of her skills, but the limited uses of this ability caused her to hesitate. Finally, she shrugged to herself. It was for the best they knew exactly what they were dealing with if they were going to trust each other, and Alison wanted to get them on her side as soon as possible. She rose from her seat and took one step back.
"Here, be easier if I just showed you," she said before she pulled her hood and veil down. Her face was obscured by the cloth that now covered her face, but otherwise, she seemed fairly unassuming. There was a brief shimmer of light before Alison suddenly was gone from view. Carefully, she softly stepped around the table, each placement of her foot deliberate and chosen to generate the least amount of sound. To those with keen hearing, they may pick up a hint of movement, but otherwise, she remained silent as she moved. A whisp as she glided around the table. After but a moment, she placed herself behind Adam and reappeared as a hand suddenly came down on his shoulder.
Alison pulled back the hood and cloth mask with a smile and a shrug. "This cloak of mine isn't just for fashion. I woke up with it. Seems to bend light in a way to make me as invisible as possible. It's not perfect. I can still make noise and if I move too fast, anyone with a sharp eye will see it distort. That and I can only use it a few times a day, but hey, I'm not complaining."
Moving back to her seat next to MacKensie, Alison took another sip from her mug and leaned back into a comfortable spot. "So, Adam. A lot there to unpack for me. First and foremost, what's this all about fantasy email? I know this world isn't exactly straight Dark Ages, what with the magic and tech, but you're telling me we not only get magical email but that it can hacked too? Christ, and here I thought cyber warfare could be ignored here... Anyway, is this communication system only accessible through a magic computer or something?"
Alison then realized something and became almost embarrassed. "I uhh, also should mention I haven't worked with the 'Adventure's Guild', so these tiers and ranks are something I've never messed with. As you might imagine, Thieves Guild work isn't nearly as... 'structured' in practice, and I never saw any messaging system like that." she finished. If anything, she had even worked against their interest a few times. The Thieves Guild was completely opposed to the Witch Queen and her armies, that much was true. Undead are bad for business after all. However, that didn't mean they had to get along with anyone.
@Jay009@Saiyan@Zapdos
Kettu nearly had a heart attack as Mii struck a pose.
"This is going to be a difficult tour of duty..." Kettu thought as she nodded to the Lepizari. The height joke, fittingly enough, completely flew over her head as she looked up at Mii with her head slightly tilted to one side in confusion at the pun. There would be a time and place, Kettu determined when she could play with those big floppy ears, but now was neither. Though her compatriot really must work on her grammar.
"It has been four years and three months. You have not changed physically either." Kettu managed, already exhausted from talking so much. She looked Mii up and down again to confirm, the impulse rising again.
Her hand flinched again. No. Do not cause a scene. Endure, patience will be rewarded. A barely perceptible sigh escaped her lips as she refocused again.
"We will be working together again. I will provide support and assistance as needed. It is... comforting, to have you as a team member again." Kettu finished. She felt nearly out of breath. Likely the longest string of words she has said in months. Her body relaxed slightly, and her breath normalized. All of this, only the keen senses of the one in front of her would notice.
"This is going to be a difficult tour of duty..." Kettu thought as she nodded to the Lepizari. The height joke, fittingly enough, completely flew over her head as she looked up at Mii with her head slightly tilted to one side in confusion at the pun. There would be a time and place, Kettu determined when she could play with those big floppy ears, but now was neither. Though her compatriot really must work on her grammar.
"It has been four years and three months. You have not changed physically either." Kettu managed, already exhausted from talking so much. She looked Mii up and down again to confirm, the impulse rising again.
Her hand flinched again. No. Do not cause a scene. Endure, patience will be rewarded. A barely perceptible sigh escaped her lips as she refocused again.
"We will be working together again. I will provide support and assistance as needed. It is... comforting, to have you as a team member again." Kettu finished. She felt nearly out of breath. Likely the longest string of words she has said in months. Her body relaxed slightly, and her breath normalized. All of this, only the keen senses of the one in front of her would notice.
The hiss of vacuum filled Kettu's ears.
She floated across the surface of the station, surrounded by millions of twinkling stars. Finding a spot, she sat and stared into that bright, color-filled void of space. Her single eye stared with a tired longing, into that abyss, wondering if it would ever answer back. Her obsession, her muse. It was out there. She closed her eyes, focusing on that faint sound within her head. A soft sound, musical in nature, that grew ever slightly louder when she was out here, alone.
"Sky Eye, this is Hoyland Station. Your chassis has been successfully transferred to the Spirit of Adventure. Instructions have come down to report to the hangar bay as soon as possible for boarding and briefing. Hoyland Station out."
The comm chatter broke her careful meditation. Her eye lazily opened and the void before her sparked seemingly a little less. The traffic of the station now filled her view, her temporarily quiet spot had been ruined. With a sigh, she slowly stood and drifted her way back to the airlock...
Entering the bay, she saw an assortment of mechs. There were several high-performance, transforming ones. In fact, aside from one other, her mech seemed to stand out with how utilitarian its appearance was. The Pharos model, much like other Northstar designs, was built for their rugged utility and efficiency. Despite the bulky appearance, there was not one inch of wasted space on that chassis. The rough edges and sharp angles contrasted hard with many of her new squadmates' smoother curves. She approached the gathering group, her face set in her normally emotionless, neutral stare.
Though to those who may know her or have a keen eye, there was a slight lighting up of her features when she saw Mii. She approached her and tapped Mii on the shoulder.
"Nice to meet you again, Tzukazui. It has been... some time since we last spoke." Kettu said, her voice fairly monotone and slightly muffled by her face wrappings. Internally, she battled fiercely with herself not to reach out and pat the Lepizari's head or rub the large rabbit ears. This culminated in a slight twitch in her right hand, but nothing more.
@SleepyWrites
She floated across the surface of the station, surrounded by millions of twinkling stars. Finding a spot, she sat and stared into that bright, color-filled void of space. Her single eye stared with a tired longing, into that abyss, wondering if it would ever answer back. Her obsession, her muse. It was out there. She closed her eyes, focusing on that faint sound within her head. A soft sound, musical in nature, that grew ever slightly louder when she was out here, alone.
"Sky Eye, this is Hoyland Station. Your chassis has been successfully transferred to the Spirit of Adventure. Instructions have come down to report to the hangar bay as soon as possible for boarding and briefing. Hoyland Station out."
The comm chatter broke her careful meditation. Her eye lazily opened and the void before her sparked seemingly a little less. The traffic of the station now filled her view, her temporarily quiet spot had been ruined. With a sigh, she slowly stood and drifted her way back to the airlock...
Entering the bay, she saw an assortment of mechs. There were several high-performance, transforming ones. In fact, aside from one other, her mech seemed to stand out with how utilitarian its appearance was. The Pharos model, much like other Northstar designs, was built for their rugged utility and efficiency. Despite the bulky appearance, there was not one inch of wasted space on that chassis. The rough edges and sharp angles contrasted hard with many of her new squadmates' smoother curves. She approached the gathering group, her face set in her normally emotionless, neutral stare.
Though to those who may know her or have a keen eye, there was a slight lighting up of her features when she saw Mii. She approached her and tapped Mii on the shoulder.
"Nice to meet you again, Tzukazui. It has been... some time since we last spoke." Kettu said, her voice fairly monotone and slightly muffled by her face wrappings. Internally, she battled fiercely with herself not to reach out and pat the Lepizari's head or rub the large rabbit ears. This culminated in a slight twitch in her right hand, but nothing more.
@SleepyWrites
So true. I don't think I'd be confident enough to really sell the CIA-quality aptitude in a character but AvaP has delivered on that front. xD
@AvaPYou seem to have a wide knowledge base when it comes to history, geography, war, government structure and things surrounding these topics. Is this true?
Yeah, I was originally going to major in Intelligence Analysis and work for one of the three-letter agencies before I switched majors to something I've always wanted to do. The big holdover for that is the knowledge of the field. I'm no expert. More like an "enthusiastic hobbyist" lol, but I've always had a passion for history, government, macroeconomics, etc.
I appreciate the compliment and I'm happy y'all are enjoying Alison! I've been trying to capture the energy of Josh Brolin's character in "Sicario" and Jason Hudson from Black Ops, but with a slightly more positive twist. Glad to see it's working out well enough.
Posted! Sorry for the delay, I thought I had already posted beforehand. Anyway, responded to those who talked to Alison. Feel free to retroactively introduce yourselves if you haven't already, I can work in her response before carrying on. Hope y'all enjoy.
Observation was a cultivated skill of Alison. Something crucial to not just surviving, but thriving in her line of work.
"Alison, I'm so glad you came. How are you?" MacKenzie's voice greeted as Alison walked into the tavern. The lovely French accent put a smile on Alison's face. It was still odd how young MacKenzie was, yet how skilled she seemed to be in her craft. Source powers were certainly something else, but Alison suspected MacKenzie probably was familiar with the bow before arriving in this world. Something about her build, the way she carried herself and favored certain resting positions, all spoke to some athletic or professional ability. Alison gazed behind MacKenzie to see a crew more motley than she had anticipated, all gathered around staring up at her from an impromptu conference table. "Umm, guys," MacKenzie said to everyone. "This is Alison. Alison, meet my party, my comrades, and most of all... my dear friends," she said, endearment rining through each word.
Alison gave a small nod to the group, her face relatively neutral as she continued to size up the party. "Pleasure to meet you all. MacKenzie spoke highly of this group and I think her praise wasn't misplaced. I'm Alison Walker." Motley was barely scratching the surface.
"If you could not tell by that accent..." MacKenzie could barely contain her giggles. "...Alison is from the United States."
To this, Alison nodded again. "East Coast, for those interested. Hell of a situation we all find ourselves in." Alison said.
With that, the group began introducing themselves, starting with the well-armored man. His body language and demeanor already spoke volumes to Alison that he was not like her or the others. He carried himself more like a local and this was soon proven true. He stood and clasped her arm in an oddly familiar handshake she had exchanged with some of her team members back in her old world. She always thought it was a little much, but now it was a strange comfort of familiarity coming from him.
“Barracker Kassel, it is good to meet you Alison.” the man introduced himself, smiling warmly. “I am not as special as the rest of you all. I am a simple Valheim boy. But I’m here to help, and I can start by getting you a drink. What are you having?” he said in a jovial tone. The grip was strong, hiding what Alison suspected to be a far greater strength. There was a steadiness to it too, something she suspected came from experience. That said, his voice belied youthfulness. This combo, as Alison knew, was not uncommon in places like this world and beyond. Wars like this produced plenty of Barrackers, Alison knew all too well. She returned the warrior handshake with equal firmness and smiled.
"Pleasure Mr. Kassel, I'm sure we can use all the help we can get from keeping your city out of the hands of the enemy. I have some ideas, but that can wait. Though, I'll take you up on your offer, for now, a light ale would be perfect." Alison responded, gesturing to Frederick.
“Well, I’ll be! Ain’t that somethin’? Glad to have a fellow American in our midst,” A tall, tan man approached her with an accent that nearly gave her whiplash. He gave a friendly grin. “Name’s Clive. Just a simple farmer, but I reckon we’ll get along just fine. Welcome to Mytheria.”
Alison couldn't help but return that grin. "Nice to meet you, Clive. Texas, right? I worked with a lot of people from there. You're a reliable bunch, so glad to have one of the Lone Star's finest out here in this crazy world as well." she said, shaking his hand, though in a more common way. Clive was certainly fitting the "salt of the earth" types she had met when working on inter-border operations. She had fond memories of those ridiculous cowboy hats their police and rangers wore, dragging the HVTs from their cells for some enhanced interrogation on cartel movements. A small shudder ran up her spine as she then remembered clearing smuggling tunnels alongside them as well. A reliable group of people, it was a true comfort to hear that twang of the South in her ears again. She wondered what led him to be here.
"Zell Brooks. A pleasure." Zell offered Alison a one-sided grin and his hand to shake. "Any friend of Mac is a friend of mine. Boy, do we have a lot to talk about," he said. Alison returned the feigned ignorance and the handshake. Unlike Barrackers warrior handshake of trust and Clive's friendly shake, Zell's handshake was of profession and care. North London, Alison determined, was where he must be from. Plenty of times had she worked with his more clandestine brethren across the globe, and she was glad to know that much like them, Zell had proven to be a reliable man. He kept a good-natured appearance, one that was carefree, but Alison knew there was sharpness underneath that demeanor, one that was always on the lookout. Alison also noticed a bruising, the same on Barracker. A scuffle, a disagreement? Maybe that local somehow found out about the op last night. Well, whatever it was, she would ask Zell later.
Next was a woman more around Alison's age. There was a gentle yet firm demeanor about her, speaking to her experience. Alison took her offered hand as the woman introduced herself. Again, there was a firm yet gentle grip in that handshake. Confidence was read in her eyes as in turn she looked Alison up and down. Alison couldn't help but also be slightly distracted by the large bird on her shoulder.
"Fenna Postma, from the Netherlands. Mother of two, forest guard back home, Ranger here," she said, before gesturing to the hawk perched upon her shoulder. "And this is Sil, I met her on the first day being here," she said. A Dutch woman and a forest ranger turned Robin Hood ranger at that. Alison wondered how she compared to MacKensie in a contest of archery. Their builds and equipment seemed different enough to imply a very different approach from both.
"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Postma. Dutch? Lovely place and the real gateway to Europe when it comes to trade. Glad to meet you and your little companion here." Alison said in a friendly manner as she finished the handshake. If she had to guess, she was northern Dutch, either Fryslân or Groningen based on the "Gs", they were a dead giveaway, but beyond that, it was impossible to place specifics.
They took their seats while waiting for their drinks, MacKensie making it a point to sit down next to Alison as she took her seat in front of the remaining party. Next to introduce themselves was a very tall young man. Alison maintained her professional, neutral face but felt bad for the boy internally. "Kid's not even old enough to drink and ended up here. Never got to show his potential, grow into a full man before having his life cut short." Alison thought to herself as he introduced himself.
The young man's name was "Adam" and was from Michigan. Alison could never place specifics with that region. Too much linguist wandering with those guys in her mind. People from Minnesota sounded too similar to the Dakotas, Albertans, and so on. Then Ohio and Michigan were practically indistinguishable at times. Tangents for later, as he then posed a question to her.
“Have you been doing alright here in Mytheria?” he asked, a hint of concern in his tone. Alison chuckled and waved her hand dismissively.
"Surviving, to say the least," Alison said as she rested her head in her hand. "I suppose I should explain myself a little." she paused, and sighed, weighing what she should tell and what she should hold to herself. "I was... a data consultant back in my previous life. Before I passed."
Old habits die hard it seems. Alison continued
"As you all know, we came here in strange stone coffins. MacKenzie here told me as much, and I was no different. I woke up in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by woods, and had little to no idea what the hell was going on. Still don't. But, as was my job and knack was for, I began searching for answers. I eventually found civilization, and as it turned out, my abilities and disposition made me a good fit for the... less well-known denizens of this world. So I worked. I learned. " Fenna spoke up.
"It must have been tough, by yourself," Fenna said softly. Alison gave an appreciative half-smile to her and shrugged.
"I survived and found good work with the Thieves Guild. Made my path through this new life. I now have a good crew, people I have and can rely on in my life... I'll probably introduce you to them later. But anyway, I made my way, and during all this, I still couldn't even begin to understand the question I started with: What the hell am I doing here?"
Alison then gestured to MacKenzie, putting a firm hand on her shoulder and shaking her with a grin. "But then, this ball of light comes walking into the Brass Monkey. Now, the Second Chance, a great name by the way, really cute, was not exactly unknown. Great adventures who fell from the sky, carrying untold powers, and seem to be rapidly rising through the ranks toward greatness! At least, that was the narrative once we arrived in this sieged city. But then my crew and I put two and two together and realized I seemed to share a lot of the traits and match some of the rumors of you folk. So, we tested it, and low and behold I found this girl here is like me! And not only that, but there is a whole group of people like me." Alison said, finally releasing MacKenzie's shoulder.
Alison then spread her hands and leaned back in her chair, accepting the drink as Frederick returned with their orders. After taking a sip, she shrugged. "And so here I am, finally finding a piece to a very big puzzle." she then leaned in, eyes gleaming for the first time. "So tell me, do you have any more?"
@Loksfjoer@Dark Cloud@Zapdos@Jay009@Zool@Saiyan
"Alison, I'm so glad you came. How are you?" MacKenzie's voice greeted as Alison walked into the tavern. The lovely French accent put a smile on Alison's face. It was still odd how young MacKenzie was, yet how skilled she seemed to be in her craft. Source powers were certainly something else, but Alison suspected MacKenzie probably was familiar with the bow before arriving in this world. Something about her build, the way she carried herself and favored certain resting positions, all spoke to some athletic or professional ability. Alison gazed behind MacKenzie to see a crew more motley than she had anticipated, all gathered around staring up at her from an impromptu conference table. "Umm, guys," MacKenzie said to everyone. "This is Alison. Alison, meet my party, my comrades, and most of all... my dear friends," she said, endearment rining through each word.
Alison gave a small nod to the group, her face relatively neutral as she continued to size up the party. "Pleasure to meet you all. MacKenzie spoke highly of this group and I think her praise wasn't misplaced. I'm Alison Walker." Motley was barely scratching the surface.
"If you could not tell by that accent..." MacKenzie could barely contain her giggles. "...Alison is from the United States."
To this, Alison nodded again. "East Coast, for those interested. Hell of a situation we all find ourselves in." Alison said.
With that, the group began introducing themselves, starting with the well-armored man. His body language and demeanor already spoke volumes to Alison that he was not like her or the others. He carried himself more like a local and this was soon proven true. He stood and clasped her arm in an oddly familiar handshake she had exchanged with some of her team members back in her old world. She always thought it was a little much, but now it was a strange comfort of familiarity coming from him.
“Barracker Kassel, it is good to meet you Alison.” the man introduced himself, smiling warmly. “I am not as special as the rest of you all. I am a simple Valheim boy. But I’m here to help, and I can start by getting you a drink. What are you having?” he said in a jovial tone. The grip was strong, hiding what Alison suspected to be a far greater strength. There was a steadiness to it too, something she suspected came from experience. That said, his voice belied youthfulness. This combo, as Alison knew, was not uncommon in places like this world and beyond. Wars like this produced plenty of Barrackers, Alison knew all too well. She returned the warrior handshake with equal firmness and smiled.
"Pleasure Mr. Kassel, I'm sure we can use all the help we can get from keeping your city out of the hands of the enemy. I have some ideas, but that can wait. Though, I'll take you up on your offer, for now, a light ale would be perfect." Alison responded, gesturing to Frederick.
“Well, I’ll be! Ain’t that somethin’? Glad to have a fellow American in our midst,” A tall, tan man approached her with an accent that nearly gave her whiplash. He gave a friendly grin. “Name’s Clive. Just a simple farmer, but I reckon we’ll get along just fine. Welcome to Mytheria.”
Alison couldn't help but return that grin. "Nice to meet you, Clive. Texas, right? I worked with a lot of people from there. You're a reliable bunch, so glad to have one of the Lone Star's finest out here in this crazy world as well." she said, shaking his hand, though in a more common way. Clive was certainly fitting the "salt of the earth" types she had met when working on inter-border operations. She had fond memories of those ridiculous cowboy hats their police and rangers wore, dragging the HVTs from their cells for some enhanced interrogation on cartel movements. A small shudder ran up her spine as she then remembered clearing smuggling tunnels alongside them as well. A reliable group of people, it was a true comfort to hear that twang of the South in her ears again. She wondered what led him to be here.
"Zell Brooks. A pleasure." Zell offered Alison a one-sided grin and his hand to shake. "Any friend of Mac is a friend of mine. Boy, do we have a lot to talk about," he said. Alison returned the feigned ignorance and the handshake. Unlike Barrackers warrior handshake of trust and Clive's friendly shake, Zell's handshake was of profession and care. North London, Alison determined, was where he must be from. Plenty of times had she worked with his more clandestine brethren across the globe, and she was glad to know that much like them, Zell had proven to be a reliable man. He kept a good-natured appearance, one that was carefree, but Alison knew there was sharpness underneath that demeanor, one that was always on the lookout. Alison also noticed a bruising, the same on Barracker. A scuffle, a disagreement? Maybe that local somehow found out about the op last night. Well, whatever it was, she would ask Zell later.
Next was a woman more around Alison's age. There was a gentle yet firm demeanor about her, speaking to her experience. Alison took her offered hand as the woman introduced herself. Again, there was a firm yet gentle grip in that handshake. Confidence was read in her eyes as in turn she looked Alison up and down. Alison couldn't help but also be slightly distracted by the large bird on her shoulder.
"Fenna Postma, from the Netherlands. Mother of two, forest guard back home, Ranger here," she said, before gesturing to the hawk perched upon her shoulder. "And this is Sil, I met her on the first day being here," she said. A Dutch woman and a forest ranger turned Robin Hood ranger at that. Alison wondered how she compared to MacKensie in a contest of archery. Their builds and equipment seemed different enough to imply a very different approach from both.
"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Postma. Dutch? Lovely place and the real gateway to Europe when it comes to trade. Glad to meet you and your little companion here." Alison said in a friendly manner as she finished the handshake. If she had to guess, she was northern Dutch, either Fryslân or Groningen based on the "Gs", they were a dead giveaway, but beyond that, it was impossible to place specifics.
They took their seats while waiting for their drinks, MacKensie making it a point to sit down next to Alison as she took her seat in front of the remaining party. Next to introduce themselves was a very tall young man. Alison maintained her professional, neutral face but felt bad for the boy internally. "Kid's not even old enough to drink and ended up here. Never got to show his potential, grow into a full man before having his life cut short." Alison thought to herself as he introduced himself.
The young man's name was "Adam" and was from Michigan. Alison could never place specifics with that region. Too much linguist wandering with those guys in her mind. People from Minnesota sounded too similar to the Dakotas, Albertans, and so on. Then Ohio and Michigan were practically indistinguishable at times. Tangents for later, as he then posed a question to her.
“Have you been doing alright here in Mytheria?” he asked, a hint of concern in his tone. Alison chuckled and waved her hand dismissively.
"Surviving, to say the least," Alison said as she rested her head in her hand. "I suppose I should explain myself a little." she paused, and sighed, weighing what she should tell and what she should hold to herself. "I was... a data consultant back in my previous life. Before I passed."
Old habits die hard it seems. Alison continued
"As you all know, we came here in strange stone coffins. MacKenzie here told me as much, and I was no different. I woke up in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by woods, and had little to no idea what the hell was going on. Still don't. But, as was my job and knack was for, I began searching for answers. I eventually found civilization, and as it turned out, my abilities and disposition made me a good fit for the... less well-known denizens of this world. So I worked. I learned. " Fenna spoke up.
"It must have been tough, by yourself," Fenna said softly. Alison gave an appreciative half-smile to her and shrugged.
"I survived and found good work with the Thieves Guild. Made my path through this new life. I now have a good crew, people I have and can rely on in my life... I'll probably introduce you to them later. But anyway, I made my way, and during all this, I still couldn't even begin to understand the question I started with: What the hell am I doing here?"
Alison then gestured to MacKenzie, putting a firm hand on her shoulder and shaking her with a grin. "But then, this ball of light comes walking into the Brass Monkey. Now, the Second Chance, a great name by the way, really cute, was not exactly unknown. Great adventures who fell from the sky, carrying untold powers, and seem to be rapidly rising through the ranks toward greatness! At least, that was the narrative once we arrived in this sieged city. But then my crew and I put two and two together and realized I seemed to share a lot of the traits and match some of the rumors of you folk. So, we tested it, and low and behold I found this girl here is like me! And not only that, but there is a whole group of people like me." Alison said, finally releasing MacKenzie's shoulder.
Alison then spread her hands and leaned back in her chair, accepting the drink as Frederick returned with their orders. After taking a sip, she shrugged. "And so here I am, finally finding a piece to a very big puzzle." she then leaned in, eyes gleaming for the first time. "So tell me, do you have any more?"
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