Konica Member

> YES A TINY ALIEN INSIDE HIS CHEST! IT'S THE ONLY LOGICAL EXPLANATION! Don't be ridiculous, there are plenty of other logical explanations :3 

> (Also I've returned from an unexpected journey and should possibly get a post up tomorrow.) That sounds fun. You didn't stumble upon any magic rings did you? 

> It's better than being hit in the back with throwing knives and losing all your money. At least the money was for a good cause. You'll see ;)

Its all good.

Wasn't satisfied with my first post, so I made something small with a dollop of exposition.

With her recent wardrobe malfunction, or rather: malfunctioning wardrobe, Kate took the opportunity to draw up a few design upgrades. For starters, the cape needed to be detachable in case of fires. It needed to be longer, and feature 5 distinct edged points. The bracers should have detachable claws that could be used as batarangs. Gloves should be textured for grip. She imagined the other bats has all this already figured out. Maybe they could give her a few tips? Ha, yeah right. Somehow, she had the feeling that brooding cloud of bats wouldn't be so inviting to an outsider. Besides, more allies just means more ways for the bad guys to get to you. _buzz buzz_ Oh wow, those are a lot of messages. Kate, as usual, got so caught up in her own head that she didn't realize her phone was trying to tell her something. Haha, Steph posted something about reading Dickens for class... wait, Kate was in that class too. Crap, she totally forgot about that assignment! At first glance it wouldn't seem like Kate and Steph would make good friends, they didn't exactly roam the same circles. The way they met was a complete misunderstanding. Kate thought Steph was winking at her when in fact Steph had something caught in her eye. What a dork. _buzz buzz_ Another message. Oh great, its Eduardo again. He's a young, wealthy, "eligible bachelor" as her grandmother would put it. He also doesn't seem to understand the word "no", because here he is inviting Kate to another party. This time its Christmas themed... wait what? Damn, she's been so busy that she totally forgot that its Christmas Eve! Even for a Jewish girl, that's pretty bad. Well, as much as she dislikes Eduardo, she had to admit his parties had great booze. Besides, at least half of Gotham's rich kids will be there. Unless he was waiting by the entrance all night she doubted he would find her. Before heading out she had a quick change of clothes into something a little more appropriate than a sports bra. It was a bit chilly outside for the Ducati, so she opted for the Tesla instead.

> Yeah, I'd like a collab. Cool, I PMed you

> "you're my hostage now" "Hostage of the heart" @silverpaladin Are you interested in a collab? It would make the dialogue much smoother

It's been half a year and the nerds still haven't beaten the game. Aren't those really obsessive guys supposed to beat the game in like, a day? And how come someone on the outside hasn't figured something out yet? Well, there's not much she could do besides wait. The early days of the game were rough for Carmilla, since she isn't much of a gamer. But thru trial and error, and a handy in game pdf, she managed to get a hang of things (its not like she had better things to do). But living in this virtual world still felt off to her. Even tho the avatar mirrored her actual appearance, Carmilla felt like she was wearing someone else's skin. Her roommate Laura's to be precise, since this was technically Laura's game, Laura's account, and Laura's character. Whenever Carmilla met someone new they'd call her Melody, since that was the character name by her HP bar. Princess Melody to be precise. It's gotten to the point where Carmilla has learned to just accept the cutesy name that isn't fitting for her at all. With an inventory full of junk, her Highness Princess Melody followed a dirt trail that lead back to town. Okay Melody was one thing, but "princess"? The only thing she's princess of is sarcasm. And why is her amour a weird kimono-type thing? Damn, this is really not her style. Even after seven months she can't get used to it. Why doesn't this game have something simple, like a flannel and some jeans? At this point Melody has been occupying her time by farming gold. She usually collected ingredients and raw materials as her pet panther-cat-thing, Carmi, watched her back. Normally this sort of thing would extend well out of her lazy-comfort-zone, but boredom has a way of persuading even the mightiest of sloths. During her long and dull walk to civilization she ran into a player who asked her to party-up, to which she responded "Two is hardly a party". When she got back into town she started making her rounds, visiting the notable smiths, cooks, and other artificers to sell her goods. Common raw materials may not be worth much, but they're always in demand. Eventually she found her way to the Whitewood Inn to sell the last of her wares. "Hey, no pets allowed" the innkeeper announced as Melody and Carmi entered. Carmi growled before reluctantly stepping out on her own. "Oh I'm sorry, wouldn't want anyone virtually allergic to fictional animals to get sick, now would we?" "My inn, my rules, princess. Now what can I do fer 'ya?" Melody winced when he said the 'P' word. "You can take these 70 wood planks off my hands for, let's say... 700 Col." "Ha! Doll, what am I gonna do with planks? I'll give you 400 Col for the lot." "You can build an actual inn for starters. 600 Col take it or leave it." "Arrg, fine. I'm gonna regret this." Melody watched as her wallet got that much bigger. She was still a fair ways from her goal, but she was getting there. At that moment Carmi pawed at the window that peeked into the inn. A small gesture that most would overlook, but Melody knew Carmi was warning her about something. Right on queue a well armored warrior stumbled in with knives in his back, he asked for a room before collapsing on the floor. Everyone just sort of stood around, mumbling to themselves. "Well, are you guys just gonna stand there twiddling your thumbs, or is someone gonna get this guy to a room?" At her words a couple guys dragged Romulus to an unused bed. "Ahem" the innkeeper said, rubbing his thumb and index finger together. "One room, that would be 450 Col." "Hey, I'm not the one laying on the bed buddy. Bill him when he wakes." "This is a "pay upfront" kind of inn. Since you got him to the room, you gotta pay." With great displeasure Melody paid the man. This is why she didn't join a guild and hardly parties up. Now she had to stick around to get her money back from wounded stranger. In the newly rented room, the two guys stood there not knowing what to do. Melody told them to post a message in the paper while she made sure he was healthy enough to pay his debts. Without grace, she casually yanked the knives from his back, which chipped his health bar just a tad bit more. She then used two healing crystals on him, and not the cheap kind either. Damn, with all the trouble she's going thru, she was gonna charge extra for services. Time passed, and the a message was posted in the paper along with a picture. It read "If anyone knows this man, come to the Whitewood Inn on floor 32. He has been hurt, and has no known friends." Melody sat by the window, watching the more youthful players down below pet Carmi. Eventually Romulus stirred awake, his health now back in the green. "Morning, sleeping beauty. Have a nice nap?"

> Would anyone be willing to be at the inn that Romulus limps in with the throwing knife in his back? I volunteer! Anything you want me to do in particular?