Alright folks, expect something either today or tomorrow from me. Got work tonight so I might not have as much time as I think I do. Thanks for waiting.
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- Krauxis 11 yrs ago
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See y'all on the first of september
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Old and beaten hat, don't take anything I say to heart because it only rarely comes from my own. Been waving around this RP stick for 12+ years, and if there's one thing I've learned it's that keeping things interesting is top dog. I'll take a character who is interesting and challenging for both me and the plot over the same group of misfit archetypes any day of the week. Plots follow the same rules. Unless it breaks the mold somehow, I'm just not that into it.
Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu
Most Recent Posts
Will get a post up today after I run a few errands, though I was hoping a couple other folks would post before me.
Didn't wanna throw myself too far ahead so I cut myself off instead. I'll leave it to Myke whether or not we're meeting up right away or not.
Cypher nodded to her companion as she watched his mask appear over his face. Somehow that never got not a little creepy, didn't matter how often she'd seen it. Also, she hadn't thought of poking around her menu, but watching Apex meet failure, she wasn't in a huge rush to try it herself. Seeing was believing, as far as she was concerned. He grabbed his rifle and started walking, and Cypher quickly followed suit. Her first instinct was to scout ahead, but she didn't really feel like being too far apart when there was only two of them was a good idea, so instead she stuck reasonably close to Apex as much as she could. She didn't want to get shot in a pinch, nor did she feel like accidentally cutting her teammate instead of an enemy by reflex. No, this is already a hell of a situation. Let's not complicate things. Nobody knew her sword's range better than she did. It was her responsibility.
As they walked, it became clear that this place was unusually peaceful. What a weird trap, if that's truly what it was. No baddies to lurk around every corner. No... like... anything. Maybe if she were more of a country gal, she could appreciate the scenery, but she left that behind when she left Kyoto. Green fields and trees were great and all, but unless their destination had a McDonalds, she wasn't terribly interested in this sort of paradise. If the folks that brought them here meant harm, they were doing a pretty crap job of it, since they were still alive and safe with their weapons and everything. And if they meant good somehow, Cypher was unimpressed. This sort of quiet ideal could go straight in the trash, please and thank you. She'd like to go back to her body one day. For all she knew, somebody might be tampering with her body right now and she wouldn't even know it. Of all of the thoughts that drove her forward, that was the one she was most pissed about, just because it was strange, so it stuck with her. Nobody was allowed to touch her without paying a fat lip or two as dues, folks on her usual crowded train route knew that well enough. Not that it was common or anything, but her mind had a tendency to jump to weird places when she thought of worst-case scenarios.
"...We've gotta get a move on. For reals. Ugh."
What had happened to the others? The serene walk left few obstacles in her mind to get in the way of such thoughts. She and Apex were together, so she'd naturally assumed that the others were all in a group, but it was entirely possible that they had all been separated, and she had been the lucky one to have somebody else with her. If that was the case, it would be prudent to spread out a little, do some searching, and try and find the others. It would almost be her duty to do so, wouldn't it? The others would do the same for her, right? Maybe? Of course, then there was the possibility that all of them were logged out. Or else they were... no, logged out was fine. If they weren't here, they were logged out. In that case, searching wouldn't do them any good, and would be a huge waste of time and energy. Time and energy they might not be able to afford. Shit... this is why I have to let Apex do the thinking. She stilled her mind, with some hassle. If he thought they should keep moving, then that's what she would do. None of her niggling doubts mattered at all. Would be just my luck for it to be just us here, though. Everybody else is safely grabbing coffee or something. Not for the first time, her doubts were assuaged by her low expectations, and it brought her some small comfort.
Of course, it was the verdant forests and quiet bliss that had her on edge. Awful lot of buildings if nobody lives here... so why does there seem to be nobody around? They hadn't been ambushed once, no monsters, people, ghosts, nothing. More questions than answers were flowing through Cypher's brain, seemingly unavoidably. But soon they approached the stairs leading up to the large building, and her heart unexpectedly jumped into her throat. If her teammates weren't there, and they probably weren't, let's face it, then what would actually await them inside?
"Yoo-" she began quietly before cutting herself off. If she shouted out now, who knows what might result? She hadn't even seen what was inside. Was it some actual hope that her friends were there? Well, either way. She had chosen to rest her decisions in Apex's hands, so she needed to watch her actions lest she throw off any plans he might have. If he wanted to infiltrate this place quietly, then she could do that, but it was ultimately up to him. Placing herself outside the doorway, sword in hand, she shot a meaningful look at her appointed leader, waiting for his action or orders. Up to you, chief.
As they walked, it became clear that this place was unusually peaceful. What a weird trap, if that's truly what it was. No baddies to lurk around every corner. No... like... anything. Maybe if she were more of a country gal, she could appreciate the scenery, but she left that behind when she left Kyoto. Green fields and trees were great and all, but unless their destination had a McDonalds, she wasn't terribly interested in this sort of paradise. If the folks that brought them here meant harm, they were doing a pretty crap job of it, since they were still alive and safe with their weapons and everything. And if they meant good somehow, Cypher was unimpressed. This sort of quiet ideal could go straight in the trash, please and thank you. She'd like to go back to her body one day. For all she knew, somebody might be tampering with her body right now and she wouldn't even know it. Of all of the thoughts that drove her forward, that was the one she was most pissed about, just because it was strange, so it stuck with her. Nobody was allowed to touch her without paying a fat lip or two as dues, folks on her usual crowded train route knew that well enough. Not that it was common or anything, but her mind had a tendency to jump to weird places when she thought of worst-case scenarios.
"...We've gotta get a move on. For reals. Ugh."
What had happened to the others? The serene walk left few obstacles in her mind to get in the way of such thoughts. She and Apex were together, so she'd naturally assumed that the others were all in a group, but it was entirely possible that they had all been separated, and she had been the lucky one to have somebody else with her. If that was the case, it would be prudent to spread out a little, do some searching, and try and find the others. It would almost be her duty to do so, wouldn't it? The others would do the same for her, right? Maybe? Of course, then there was the possibility that all of them were logged out. Or else they were... no, logged out was fine. If they weren't here, they were logged out. In that case, searching wouldn't do them any good, and would be a huge waste of time and energy. Time and energy they might not be able to afford. Shit... this is why I have to let Apex do the thinking. She stilled her mind, with some hassle. If he thought they should keep moving, then that's what she would do. None of her niggling doubts mattered at all. Would be just my luck for it to be just us here, though. Everybody else is safely grabbing coffee or something. Not for the first time, her doubts were assuaged by her low expectations, and it brought her some small comfort.
Of course, it was the verdant forests and quiet bliss that had her on edge. Awful lot of buildings if nobody lives here... so why does there seem to be nobody around? They hadn't been ambushed once, no monsters, people, ghosts, nothing. More questions than answers were flowing through Cypher's brain, seemingly unavoidably. But soon they approached the stairs leading up to the large building, and her heart unexpectedly jumped into her throat. If her teammates weren't there, and they probably weren't, let's face it, then what would actually await them inside?
"Yoo-" she began quietly before cutting herself off. If she shouted out now, who knows what might result? She hadn't even seen what was inside. Was it some actual hope that her friends were there? Well, either way. She had chosen to rest her decisions in Apex's hands, so she needed to watch her actions lest she throw off any plans he might have. If he wanted to infiltrate this place quietly, then she could do that, but it was ultimately up to him. Placing herself outside the doorway, sword in hand, she shot a meaningful look at her appointed leader, waiting for his action or orders. Up to you, chief.
If we're not overly concerned about posting order, I can get a post up tomorrow. I'm procrastinating packing just a bit >.>
Alright. Work concluded and exhaustion defeated. In favour of us getting moving, I'd like to do a little timeskip to the docks at night. We could spend a bunch of time on the prep work, I think, but because some folks have far more than others, I think it's best to skip that uneven-ness entirely and we'll just get started on the job. I know Az, you seem like you wanted to do a bit of sniffing around etc, but if you could, I'd prefer we get back on to a track that everybody can participate in. Who knows how much time that'd take, and if it's just Kyuzo and Cath, well, you get my drift already. It's probably a good time to stress that this is just sort of the introduction, just the tip, to the actual plot I've got planned. I don't usually like to just wrest control of a situation because I'm the GM but in this case, I'd rather we spend our time doing more important stuff to preserve momentum. Anything you were particularly looking to cover, we can throw it into the beginning post of the next round, I think. I don't really mind if I gotta read a three page post or anything, as long as we can keep moving forward smoothly.
That said, it'll take some time for me to whip up a proper timeskip post. I'll be making a quick map of the warehouse and stuff, so we've got details to work with. Take me a day or two. So, if there's something you'd like to get out in the interim, anybody's welcome to do so, as usual.
That said, it'll take some time for me to whip up a proper timeskip post. I'll be making a quick map of the warehouse and stuff, so we've got details to work with. Take me a day or two. So, if there's something you'd like to get out in the interim, anybody's welcome to do so, as usual.
It was cold as death today, which was a pain in the ass. If it wasn't one thing, it was another with this earth, and today, it was the frosty winds ripping through town, howling at its residents, threatening them not to go outside. And so she hadn't. All her usual meetups had been digital recently, which was fine. Not ideal, they couldn't scope out any real cuties online, but it was still preferable to the nasty cold. She had friends whose faces would probably freeze if they went outside with as much makeup as they usually wore. Funny as it'd be, nobody really wanted to see that. Karako too, couldn't think of a good excuse to brave the barren winds and freeze her ass off.
Their squad leader had something different in mind, though. Something about "Let's all get breakfast together" or some other friendly stuff. Cold-ass winds, mornings, what a miserable state Karako was about to put herself in... But it sounded fun, and that was all that mattered. It had been a while since they'd all gotten together after all. There hadn't been much work lately for whatever reason, though she wasn't about to complain about something like that. So instead of signing on and shooting the breeze with Miki like she had done for the last couple of days, it was a group outing with the troops, which promised to be pretty fun even if the weather turned out miserable. And, as promised, it had been fun. They had an oddball group, Karako herself not excepted by any means, which meant it was almost interesting to be with them. Though work was never that far away when everyone got together like this, and today looked like no exception. After radio silence for virtually two whole days, apparently now was the best time for some BS script kiddie to launch some attacks, let out some viruses, or whatever. What a dumb twist to a promising day.
Well, it wasn't like she hated work, either. They dove into a net cafe, rented a private room, and shifted into their 'work' personas. Karako took on the mantle of 'Cypher,' intrepid swordswoman-type hero gal. Not that she was much different in this form anyway. A lot of their compatriots changed drastically as they shifted to their avatars, but not her. Just a japanse girl with a big sword, same as in RL. But this was more fun. Here, she was faster, and actually had something to fight - more than just raucous young gangster wannabes trying to get fresh, anyhow. The other caveat to work being that sometimes they had to listen to some goon in a suit spout off about orders and such, like today. It was a pain to not get any details about a job before connecting, but it was even more of a pain to have to listen to these sorts of things in 'person,' or a facsimile of it. She tolerated it, because it was literally her job, but it was never fun, or interesting.
But reality had an interesting sense of humor, as it always does. Just as she was thinking how boring this was, she was shocked to see some kind of nasty interference-type bug rip apart the goon standing in front of them. She didn't have time to register any sort of mild shock before Crystal stepped in to brief them instead. Mad respect, since it wasn't like she'd know much more about the job that any of them did. But she liked to make sure situations were under control, and was good at handling them. For Cypher, it was simple. Find the bug, slice it up until it doesn't exist anymore. And if she found any hackers, the same held true. No mercy for enemies of the state. Other folks in the group were good at thinking, like Crystal, but that wasn't for Cypher. Whenever she tried, it always seemed to make things more complicated, so she'd stopped, in a professional capacity. She could adapt with the best of them, but planning was left to somebody who liked that sort of thing.
As though there was some kind of curse going around, she suddenly started feeling like crap. Was it the same bug that had ripped open that goon before? This seemed to be coming from outside. All sound and static, insistently pressing Cypher and the group down into the floor. She didn't sense any enemies, but if anybody came upon them in this state... it was a chilling thought. As she was forced to the ground, she was yelling something unheard about needing to become stronger. A generic line, even for her. Good thing nobody heard it. That was her last, self-deprecating thought, before all she saw was darkness.
When she 'woke up,' it was like she'd been transported into some new world she'd never seen before. Which was basically what had happened, probably. She was in some kind of fancy new netspace, an area totally unfamiliar to her, though not entirely unpleasant. Cypher was just happy she didn't end up in some net dumpster somewhere. It seemed like this place was... like... a palace? Or something? Elaborate architecture was everywhere. Somebody'd crafted this place with some care, but why? It looked like it was empty except for their group. And as she looked around, it was clear that 'group' was a bit of a rich term. It seemed like it was just her and Apex? Well, if I gotta stick with somebody, I guess I could do worse. Apex was rational, and he was strong. Together they would start a new society and reign as the king and queen of desolate nowhere-land!
...Of course, that wasn't even cool as a fantasy. She wouldn't want to be stuck here even if it meant she was royalty. What was even the point? Damn.
Like any lonely nature-type place, Cypher was not a fan of this area. It felt nice to be here, but Cypher was warped and twisted, shaped by the whims of inner city life. She couldn't get used to the lack of people around her. Where were the shops? It wasn't the first time they'd been isolated for work or anything, but this felt just a little different. Was it some hacker screwing with them? If that was the case, would that huge building be their base? It wasn't super smart, transporting a bunch of Correctors to your own base, if that was the case... which made Cypher think it was something different. It didn't make sense unless this was a place that a hacker might want them to be. Were there no firewalls here or something?
Looking at Apex, who was probably also collecting himself, she spoke up. "Looks like it's just us... Feel free to do most of the thinking for us, kay? Only thing I've got is that big fella up there. If the rest of the group's around... I gotta think that's where they're headed, right?" It wasn't like there was much else out here. Grasping for the hilt of her sword, she shifted slightly on her feet to a posture more suited for quick movement. If she had her sword, it made sense to anticipate some combat. And if she was anticipating combat, it made sense to think about an ambush. She she made herself ready for an ambush. Cypher was a front-line fighter, so she had to worry about things like that, even if she didn't want to, or wasn't good at it. As long as she was combat-ready, it didn't matter what situation they'd gotten themselves into. They would get out alive, even with just the two of them.
Their squad leader had something different in mind, though. Something about "Let's all get breakfast together" or some other friendly stuff. Cold-ass winds, mornings, what a miserable state Karako was about to put herself in... But it sounded fun, and that was all that mattered. It had been a while since they'd all gotten together after all. There hadn't been much work lately for whatever reason, though she wasn't about to complain about something like that. So instead of signing on and shooting the breeze with Miki like she had done for the last couple of days, it was a group outing with the troops, which promised to be pretty fun even if the weather turned out miserable. And, as promised, it had been fun. They had an oddball group, Karako herself not excepted by any means, which meant it was almost interesting to be with them. Though work was never that far away when everyone got together like this, and today looked like no exception. After radio silence for virtually two whole days, apparently now was the best time for some BS script kiddie to launch some attacks, let out some viruses, or whatever. What a dumb twist to a promising day.
Well, it wasn't like she hated work, either. They dove into a net cafe, rented a private room, and shifted into their 'work' personas. Karako took on the mantle of 'Cypher,' intrepid swordswoman-type hero gal. Not that she was much different in this form anyway. A lot of their compatriots changed drastically as they shifted to their avatars, but not her. Just a japanse girl with a big sword, same as in RL. But this was more fun. Here, she was faster, and actually had something to fight - more than just raucous young gangster wannabes trying to get fresh, anyhow. The other caveat to work being that sometimes they had to listen to some goon in a suit spout off about orders and such, like today. It was a pain to not get any details about a job before connecting, but it was even more of a pain to have to listen to these sorts of things in 'person,' or a facsimile of it. She tolerated it, because it was literally her job, but it was never fun, or interesting.
But reality had an interesting sense of humor, as it always does. Just as she was thinking how boring this was, she was shocked to see some kind of nasty interference-type bug rip apart the goon standing in front of them. She didn't have time to register any sort of mild shock before Crystal stepped in to brief them instead. Mad respect, since it wasn't like she'd know much more about the job that any of them did. But she liked to make sure situations were under control, and was good at handling them. For Cypher, it was simple. Find the bug, slice it up until it doesn't exist anymore. And if she found any hackers, the same held true. No mercy for enemies of the state. Other folks in the group were good at thinking, like Crystal, but that wasn't for Cypher. Whenever she tried, it always seemed to make things more complicated, so she'd stopped, in a professional capacity. She could adapt with the best of them, but planning was left to somebody who liked that sort of thing.
As though there was some kind of curse going around, she suddenly started feeling like crap. Was it the same bug that had ripped open that goon before? This seemed to be coming from outside. All sound and static, insistently pressing Cypher and the group down into the floor. She didn't sense any enemies, but if anybody came upon them in this state... it was a chilling thought. As she was forced to the ground, she was yelling something unheard about needing to become stronger. A generic line, even for her. Good thing nobody heard it. That was her last, self-deprecating thought, before all she saw was darkness.
When she 'woke up,' it was like she'd been transported into some new world she'd never seen before. Which was basically what had happened, probably. She was in some kind of fancy new netspace, an area totally unfamiliar to her, though not entirely unpleasant. Cypher was just happy she didn't end up in some net dumpster somewhere. It seemed like this place was... like... a palace? Or something? Elaborate architecture was everywhere. Somebody'd crafted this place with some care, but why? It looked like it was empty except for their group. And as she looked around, it was clear that 'group' was a bit of a rich term. It seemed like it was just her and Apex? Well, if I gotta stick with somebody, I guess I could do worse. Apex was rational, and he was strong. Together they would start a new society and reign as the king and queen of desolate nowhere-land!
...Of course, that wasn't even cool as a fantasy. She wouldn't want to be stuck here even if it meant she was royalty. What was even the point? Damn.
Like any lonely nature-type place, Cypher was not a fan of this area. It felt nice to be here, but Cypher was warped and twisted, shaped by the whims of inner city life. She couldn't get used to the lack of people around her. Where were the shops? It wasn't the first time they'd been isolated for work or anything, but this felt just a little different. Was it some hacker screwing with them? If that was the case, would that huge building be their base? It wasn't super smart, transporting a bunch of Correctors to your own base, if that was the case... which made Cypher think it was something different. It didn't make sense unless this was a place that a hacker might want them to be. Were there no firewalls here or something?
Looking at Apex, who was probably also collecting himself, she spoke up. "Looks like it's just us... Feel free to do most of the thinking for us, kay? Only thing I've got is that big fella up there. If the rest of the group's around... I gotta think that's where they're headed, right?" It wasn't like there was much else out here. Grasping for the hilt of her sword, she shifted slightly on her feet to a posture more suited for quick movement. If she had her sword, it made sense to anticipate some combat. And if she was anticipating combat, it made sense to think about an ambush. She she made herself ready for an ambush. Cypher was a front-line fighter, so she had to worry about things like that, even if she didn't want to, or wasn't good at it. As long as she was combat-ready, it didn't matter what situation they'd gotten themselves into. They would get out alive, even with just the two of them.
Urgh, I feel terrible about it, but tonight's the new deadline for my post. Sorry for breaking deadline last time I said that, but work knocked me for a huge loop and I couldn't do much more than sit in bed and go "oof" yesterday, so it wasn't the most creatively inspired I've ever felt. I'll be setting aside a few hours today now that I don't feel like garbage, so there's no way I don't get something out.
Edit: And posted. All it took was a bit of time set aside, go figure.
Edit: And posted. All it took was a bit of time set aside, go figure.
It'd be unfortunate, but we may have to settle. I don't have the time to collab anything right now, unfortunately, else I'd consider hopping in, but this is a pretty busy time for me for the next couple of days, so I have to give it a pass. You've got a bit more time though, because of that same reason. Lots of work this weekend and packing up to move soon.
Should be able to get a post up today, finally, or tomorrow at the latest. Will be good to get back into it.
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