Lambda
Carnifex CEO
Posts: 23
Power: 10
Speed: 3
Accuracy: 5
Armor: 10
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Post by Lambda on Oct 27, 2013 20:03:14 GMT -6
The golden glow of the dying sun bathed the walkway in hues of crimson, the green and brown of the trees alike aesthetically altered by the dimming light. Brisk evening air kissed her exposed skin with icy fingers, but it was more an irrelevant observation than an actual problem - even had the overall temperature not remained balmy enough to be barely comfortable for human sensitivities, hers were decidedly less tender. Curses and blessings were often simply two sides of the same coin, Lambda reflected to herself as she continued to walk past pair after pair of the large trees standing guard on each side of the path.
Terraformed and genetically engineered, certainly, but the earth was no less real, nor the trees any less alive simply because they had been given life by the hand of man rather than nature. Much like someone else she could think of. In times past, humanity had been consumed by belief in "gods," singular or plural; monolithic or pantheons, they were characterized by explanations of a natural world that primitive humans could not understand. From the relentless fury and heat of lightning came Zeus, the mighty king of the gods from whose hand came his mighty lances of lightning to strike the disobedient earth. Poseidon, lord of the sea, created the whirlpools and storms that claimed ships - and sailors who did not understand them ascribed those phenomena to the sea god and his servants. The mighy Kraken. Scylla, the rocky shoal that was seen by terrified sailors as a six-headed monster. Charybdis, the personification of the sea itself seeming to swallow ships.
Now, humanity built their own life. They had changed the world countless times over, from wars between themselves to brutal battles of survival against the artificial life they had created. They had come to understand the lightning and the tides, and so no needed fabled Zeus and mighty Poseidon for anything. Religion itself had very nearly been eradicated as the age of churches was replaced by the industrial age, the tech age, and the age of artificial life. Men had become the very gods they once scrambled to seek out, destroying their own world with their own creations, and in doing so perhaps lost something - the ability to believe in something greater than themselves. They feared their own creations; Bioroids who had turned on them, Reploids who might, even Cyborgs who were tainted by the technology Man himself had forged.
Perhaps ignorance was bliss. She did not know. It was not in her nature to accept "not knowing," and so she had lived her meagre years so far relentlessly attempting to minimize the list of things she did not know, but the minds of men were something she could not truly understand, might never. And in a way, perhaps that did not bother her as much as it should. Perhaps she did not want to understand what sort of creature could kill their own child out of sheer fear. Perhaps some questions were best left unanswered.
Perhaps there was a very good reason that someone was hanging out of the tree she was now standing before, looking up at what she was fairly certain was not an alert assassin. Unless assassins had a tendency of snoring, lying unconscious in front of the people they were supposed to kill, and not killing the people they were supposed to kill.
"Good evening."
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Magnus
Mercenary (Admin)
Posts: 73
Power: 6
Speed: 10
Accuracy: 9
Armor: 3
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Post by Magnus on Oct 27, 2013 21:25:57 GMT -6
Well, at least this was his only relaxing portion of his day. He never really had many problems finding a job to do and today was nothing but rotten luck. It was great that he didn't run into any jobs that required him to go chopping crooks' heads off, but when there were simple jobs he'd also take that didn't involve fighting, those were almost always available to find, as people constantly seek help...but what about today? Everybody's all cool...not to mention he's nearly broke again since this was his only source of income...didn't help that people sort of unintentionally almost killed him today with a lot of freak accidents. Was today really just crazy bad luck, or was it nature's way of trying to teach him a lesson? But at least he didn't have to deal with rogues today.
...Ah yes, The Forsaken. He knew he'd end up feuding with them since he was clearly warned ahead of time, but they've been coming at him relentlessly during the days. They've probably got other enemies of theirs to target than him today, so maybe that was one strip of good luck he had today. He had the new sword he acquired about a week ago repaired this morning...finally going with the samurai reploid's request to use his blade against the organization. It was a marvelous blade that was almost like a twin to his own sword, but it's still saddening as to how it was given to him. However, that was over a week ago and today was a new day...for he'll worry about the Forsaken whenever they show their faces. For now, he just wanted to relax and lean back in this tree. He wasn't exactly asleep, but he at least closed his eyes to focus on chilling out and thinking about stuff until he could figure something out about his job issue for the day before it became late.
But then he peeped his eye open as it sounded like someone was greeting him from below...though before he could even glance downwards, the branches beside him began to shake violently. As he unfolded his arms to look over his shoulder, his canine partner leaped out and landed in his lap, barking loudly to where he was actually hurting his ears. This forced the ninja borg to cover his ears to at least help...though wasn't working too well.
"Gaaah...Ignius! What's up with you today? You've been more wild than usual..." Well...since his wallet was empty and both he and the mechanical dog didn't eat at all today, the loyal pet was probably just irritated from the hunger he may have been feeling. Though with all the commotion, the cyborg instantly lost his balance on the large tree branch as he tilted over and Ignius jumping away to a branch where Magnus was supposed to grab to catch himself...but all that was there was air as he dropped down from out the tree like a falling rock.
"Nooo...not again!"
...At least he hit the ground on his chest first before his head dropped next. Since he wasn't that high up, he didn't feel any injures, however he just laid there with his face still planted into the ground as he groaned in slight pain. Just as he was going to rise, Ignuis fell from the tree next and landed...directly on his back. Ouuuch...at least it was just pure pain he'd have to shake off. As the dog jumped off him, he began to slowly rise while keeping hold on his head with one hand.
"Seriously...this is like the fifth time today. What else is going to hit me...?" Though before he realized it, he realized someone was standing in front of him...likely the person who greeted him. Standing back to his feet now as he dusted himself off, he took one gaze at the woman before speaking, though as his mouth was beginning to move, his face went pale instantly...and then you already know what followed next. The moment he screamed loudly out of genuine fear, he dashed backwards so quickly that he hit the tree behind him and ended up having his head collide with the tree bark...his head recoiling back as he held it with both hands now. Make that the sixth time today now...
Shaking it off now as to remember why he hit his head again, he stared back over in the direction of the currently unknown woman, but was too afraid to tell if he even knew her or not. He just stood there with his back pasted on the tree bark as he shivered all over...at least having words coming out of his mouth for a change.
"O-ohhhh...uh...h-h-hey there. I-I was just, uh...t-taking a nap. D-don't mind me..." So much stuttering that even he hardly knew what just came out his mouth. Ignuis just stood in the middle distance of the two as the canine yawned and just curled up in the grass. Magnus just sighed heavily as the trauma sort of finally got to him as he slid down the tree bark and landed on his bum. Goodness, can this day get any worse?
"Mental note: When having a bad luck day, stay the hell away from trees..."
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Lambda
Carnifex CEO
Posts: 23
Power: 10
Speed: 3
Accuracy: 5
Armor: 10
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Post by Lambda on Oct 27, 2013 21:48:40 GMT -6
How curious.
Lambda watched the frenetic antics of the young man impassively, her dully neutral expression unmoving and her crimson eyes betraying nothing of what she was thinking. She had expected either an assault or an apology, not terror so great that it had consumed his mind, much less a request to ignore his presence. "...Am I that intimidating," she queried in a tone so flat it sounded more a statement than a question.
He was armed, though, and accompanied by a robotic companion animal. From the Hunter's Guild, perhaps, or a bounty hunter? Or a mercenary, or an assassin, or a hobbyist. A hobbyist who wore the accoutrements of a butcher and slept in trees located in private property. If she had been prone to such outbursts, Lambda would likely have sighed or put her palm to her face or accused him of... something. She settled for raising an eyebrow as the man's canine companion promptly lost interest in the situation and went to sleep.
"This area is my responsibility," the businesswoman continued flatly, "so I cannot ignore your existence." He certainly seemed nervous enough to potentially be up to no good. Or just cold. Or sleepy. Or hungry. She was a little fuzzy on the specifics of what was causing his unusual reaction, but certainly curious. She could ill imagine leaving a potential threat to Carnifex - or these trees - alone, though mistreating an innocent was all the more repugnant of an idea. "Certainly there are more comfortable locations to sleep, are there not?" On a hunch, she began walking towards the mysterious man with a slow and measured gait, attempting to ascertain if his reaction had been in response to being awoken in general or to her specifically.
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Magnus
Mercenary (Admin)
Posts: 73
Power: 6
Speed: 10
Accuracy: 9
Armor: 3
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Post by Magnus on Oct 28, 2013 0:42:18 GMT -6
"Crap..."
"H-Huh?! Oh...no, no. It's just that you're..." No, just shut up.
At least he got the part where he was basically on private property...and he's usually more alert about this sort of thing too. The day must have really worn him out. But he just kept in that slouched down position and completely helpless at the moment. He wanted to speed off immediately, but for some reason, he began to shake even more as the woman was slowly approaching him, Ignius awakening and jumping away out of her path.
...Wait, WHAT?!
Why is she walking closer? Maybe she was going to kill him for trespassing...or maybe worse. He definitely didn't want to stick around for that, but the closer she got, the more he began to tremble and slid back upwards on the tree bark. "W-whoa! Hey now...I-I'm sorry. I was just...t-trying to find a spot to rest for a little bit..." Oh god, this is probably the worst situation his fear of women has ever gotten him in. But he was cornered and no clear way out...unless he wanted to get a little desperate. But then it hit him that above was the best option. But as the woman got closer, she entered his "freak-out range"...
"...WAAAAAH! STAY AWAY!!" He was forced to use his ninja ability run up the tree bark with ease as he sped back to his initial location and peeked down below as he was sort of "safe" for now. The shivering stopped a bit, so he could perhaps talk a bit more clearly as he raised his voice from above. "H-hey, it's nothing personal against you...I...just have a really odd fear of women...Sorry. I'll leave now..."
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Lambda
Carnifex CEO
Posts: 23
Power: 10
Speed: 3
Accuracy: 5
Armor: 10
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Post by Lambda on Oct 28, 2013 1:46:47 GMT -6
A - she couldn't think of the exact term, but an irrational fear of woman. A phobia. Something-phobia. A small part of Lambda's mind noted that she was more perturbed by her inability to remember the term than by the young man's issues, but then she really didn't like using the wrong word. And it wasn't gonna kill him to be around her ass. ...Figuratively or literally. Heh. She wondered if she was supposed to feel bad for waking him up or something. "Would that we lived in a world where there was nothing more pressing to do than relax, mm?"
Her tone was less strict that it had been a moment before, her demeanor a hint less stern as she spoke her true feelings without bothering to filter the wording. He didn't seem like a terrible person, at any rate, outside of an unexplained fear of women. Hopefully he would live to see that world - she could envision him taking full advantage of it for some reason.
A blue glint caught her eye, but before she had time to react, Lambda's view of the man was obscured by an explosion of light and sound as a blue haired girl appeared before her in a flickering blur, facing the gynophobic cyborg with eyes so empty she looked little more than a murderous doll. A very... very mobile doll.
Lambda realized that she was more annoyed that now there were TWO people in the vicinity that could move faster than she could react than thankful for the reinforcements, but crushed her momentary episode of petulance beneath her metaphorical heels as cold rationality reasserted itself. Of course someone would be watching - whether by one of the many cameras or detectors scattered around the grounds, or by her own exceptionally enhanced ocular receptors.
"...Eris."
Her sister.
The single word jolted the girl before her, prompting Eris's attention as she turned her head towards the elder sister with eyes that were no longer empty of life. Lambda felt a pang go through her, remembering what she had used Eris before so many times already, all too familiar with how thoroughly her younger sister could suppress all sense of self within her. It was too cruel. She placed a hand on the bodysuit-clad shoulder of her protector, smiling slightly but genuinely. "It's fine."
Tension dripped from the cyan cyborg instantly, what remained of her combat pose disintegrating as she spun to mock-salute her older sister with an expression that Lambda suspected was supposed to be serious... if her tongue was not stuck out in a goofy expression.
Maybe she should take up facepalming, Lambda decided.
"If you say so!" Jubilant in an instant - though to her older sister, it was simply her normal persona - Eris pirouetted in place and walked off in a decidedly anticlimactic matter, as if she had just passed the two of them during an evening walk. Lambda watched her retreating form for a moment with faraway eyes, her thoughts not entirely in the present, before snapping back to reality as she returned her attention to her newfound companion - because he wasn't going goddamn anywhere until she was satisfied with his answers. Placing one hand on her hip, the bemused Bioroid continued in a no-nonsense tone. "Please excuse her. Now, where were we...? Ah, yes. You were about to give me your name."
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Magnus
Mercenary (Admin)
Posts: 73
Power: 6
Speed: 10
Accuracy: 9
Armor: 3
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Post by Magnus on Oct 28, 2013 16:18:58 GMT -6
Okay, his heart definitely jumped a bit when another girl appeared...out of nowhere? He was still within the sanctuary of the tree, just about ready to book it if said person even walked an inch closer. However, the strange girl suddenly stopped as he watched the events unfold and her departing actions. Okaaaay...well, at least she was now gone. He was thinking about slipping away, but for some reason he legs was pretty stiff from all the shivering earlier...and likely a result of all the pain he's been dealing to himself today. But it likely dealt with his phobia...he just gazed at his hand, as it was still trembling while still flat down on the branch.
"...How pathetic."
...Really, even he didn't understand the fear completely. He at least knew it was a developed condition from the war, but the direct cause of the fear was still unknown to him. Or rather the trauma blanked it out. But what was the point in thinking about it now? Not like trying to remember anything was going to help immediately in his current situation. But the woman from below addressed him again.
"...I-I was?" Or she was likely just saying "I demand your name". Well, if it helped speed along the process of him being able to escape, then sure. "...Magnus. My sleeping pal down there's Ignius..."
Wait a minute, why was he still down there anyway? The moment the ninja borg said his name, the dog was awakened again and barked several times while running around in a circle before eventually stopping and sprawled out in the grass...yeah, poor guy was likely more hungry than he was. Would explain his behavior at least...though knocking him out the tree earlier was still questionable. Guess he needed to pull out what zenny he had left at home if he escapes with his life from the current situation...well, it didn't seem like she was going to kill him, so that at least lifted some stress off his shoulders. His phobia was likely influencing that possibly.
"I'm...just a ninja mercenary." He said shortly after, just in case the woman may have been accusing him for a crook...which she doesn't blame her with all the black he was wearing.
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Lambda
Carnifex CEO
Posts: 23
Power: 10
Speed: 3
Accuracy: 5
Armor: 10
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Post by Lambda on Oct 28, 2013 17:32:59 GMT -6
"Magnus. I will remember that name."
...Did that sound like a threat? She paused, trying to remember if she was supposed to add something neutral or friendly to it. This whole human interaction was always trying when she wanted something out of someone and couldn't just order them to tell her. She settled for glancing down at the mecha-canine, adding a level "A pleasure to meet you, Ignius."
Greetings were rote. Unimportant. She didn't actually care what his name was, though she had spoken true in promising to etch his identifier into her memory; further research was certainly warranted. It was information, to be used or saved as appropriate, and there was little value to irrelevant information. The fact that he was a mercenary was more interesting. He... sort of looked the part, she grudgingly allowed with magnanimity that approached that of Buddha himself, though she had her doubts as to his identity as a "ninja" given how unfortunately inadequate he appeared to be on the subject of stealth, not being sneaked up on, and not being caught trespassing and then having a conversation about it.
Maybe he was at least good at killing people.
She could use that.
Lambda looked back up at Magnus, a thin smile appearing on her features, though not quite as affectionate as the one she had worn for Eris moments before. "It appears your work is not particularly taxing today." Yeah, if he was napping in trees, he probably had a grand total of absolutely nothing of value going on right now. Which... raised the question of exactly how incompetent of a mercenary he was. Or poorly connected. The two were often, but not always, related. In other words...
"Perhaps you could spare some time from your... busy schedule to accompany me for something to eat, then?" If there was the slightest hope that he was in the latter category but not the former, this could be the start of a beautiful relationship. A purely platonic relationship, only possible through separation of at least ten meters, she mentally amended - the whole 'extreme gynophobia' quirk was a little off-putting, if not entirely a deal breaker. Certainly not someone to send anywhere with Eris.
...Or maybe the best possible candidate to send anywhere with Eris. Depending on how much she wanted someone to suffer that day. Filing the thought away for future deliberation, the dour 'droid continued in as friendly a manner as she was capable of, which translated to her looking approximately as serious as nuclear winter and half as inviting. "If you don't have any pressing work, of course."
Okay, that one was probably uncalled for.
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Magnus
Mercenary (Admin)
Posts: 73
Power: 6
Speed: 10
Accuracy: 9
Armor: 3
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Post by Magnus on Oct 28, 2013 18:53:51 GMT -6
"Uhh...okay." Something about the way how she said she'll remember his name sort of made him a little more uneasy. But uh, he could possibly stay away from this place in the future in case she saw him again and wanted to get some payback for resting in her tree. Was she that kind of person though? Couldn't be too careful nowadays. He remembered some psycho tried to run him over the other day because the guy recognized his face...Magnus happened to innocently take the last bottle of juice off the shelf without knowing the man was looking at it from a distance in a grocery store a day before. If his acceleration system couldn't outrun aircars, he'd probably be in the hospital right now. Why are people so crazy?!
"O-oh, yeah...just a really unlucky day. Nothing to take up today...Hah hah hah...ha..." If she could guess why he was just randomly hanging out in a tree, then it was best to be honest then. But he was soooo hungry and tired from walking all over the city. What was today anyway? Perfect peace day or something? Not like he minded it, for he always wanted a peaceful world instead of it happening with rarity. But when people didn't even need help with the most basic things, it was all too perfect. Like this day was specifically set to make him miserable...and bored...and random freak accidents that normally don't happen. He was surprised the Forsaken wasn't stalking him and taking advantage of his momentary weakness. He certainly wouldn't be able to handle a fight like this anyway.
...But then she just HAD to say "eat". "Ahh, I dunno...I do have some things to do, a-and there might be some available jobs now--"
Then his stomach...just had to let itself be known as the hunger in his tummy made it growl loudly like a starving beast that didn't eat any meat in days. Well, he couldn't lie his way out of this now, and even Ignius down there was barking with joy over the sound of food as he ran circles around the woman. Great...where has he seen this before? Well, whatever. He wanted to just high-tail it out, but the more he thought back on a mouthwatering meal, his stomach would just say to him, "Nooo~! You know you can't resist. Just forget everything else and stuff your face~!" .....okay, it doesn't really talk, but you get the point. His shivering...actually stopped completely as he stood tall in the tree and sighed heavily. "...Okay. That's fine." Then within that moment, he leaped from the tree branch and landed right on his feet perfectly.
He was still a good bit of a distance from her, and since she already entered his freak-out range earlier, his reactions wouldn't be as strong anymore. As long as he wasn't too close to her...he had Emilie to thank for that. If that crazy girl didn't haunt him everyday, he wouldn't have found the only few ways around his gynophobia. "...I, uh, don't have any money on me at the moment though. I'll just pay you later...or if you don't trust me, I can...swing by the nearest bank to get what I have left." As shameful as it was to admit. It was actually the first time in a while that he was going broke again. Hopefully tomorrow would bring better opportunities to change that.
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Lambda
Carnifex CEO
Posts: 23
Power: 10
Speed: 3
Accuracy: 5
Armor: 10
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Post by Lambda on Oct 28, 2013 19:34:38 GMT -6
Lambda blinked, not entirely prepared with a witty response. He was surprisingly honest for a ninja, or at least she didn't think that anyone would actually decide to be that pathetic of their own free will even for an infiltration mission. In which case he was either a -really- terrible ninja, or a -really- good one. It was amusingly intriguing... or like a clown car train wreck, something you just can't stop watching even as you cringe. She wasn't entirely sure if the simile was appropriate, but without anyone to ask she filed it away to ask Eris later. Magnus would probably not take well to being asked how fitting his being compared to a train wreck was, if she had any degree of familiarity with human pride.
She also hadn't thought he would bite so hard on the food offer. It had been an unplanned, offhanded idea to attempt to get a better idea exactly what she was dealing with before so much as considering a job offer, but apparently she was either the temptress of Abel City, or very lucky. ...Probably the latter. Realistically speaking. She wasn't entirely sure how to pull off seductive outside of stripping, and there were laws against public nudity.
"You are an unusual individual." In more ways than one, not least because trying to comprehend exactly what had transpired was taking her mind in very strange directions, even compared to the usual. At least he hadn't recognized her, or didn't appear to at any rate, which rather ratcheted down the potential threat level - certainly an assassin from another corporation would have recognized her - as well as making their interactions much more interesting. Unusual. Flat out strange, whatever.
There wasn't much to do around the lab tonight, though, so she had gone out for a walk; might as well attempt to turn it into a profitable experience. Even if he turned out to be useless, perhaps she could call in a favor at another time, and failing even that it wasn't as though paying for one homeless guy's dinner was going to bankrupt Carnifex. Unless he ate a lot, in which case he would be paying it off as a janitor for the rest of his life. At any rate, the potential positives outweighed the negatives.
"...I imagine you could find better uses for that money. I will pay." Like buying the ability to lie, or possibly a cardboard box for a rainy day, or any of a number of other ideas she wisely refrained from verbalizing. "I was planning to visit a local café regardless."
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Magnus
Mercenary (Admin)
Posts: 73
Power: 6
Speed: 10
Accuracy: 9
Armor: 3
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Post by Magnus on Oct 28, 2013 20:59:01 GMT -6
"But..." Ah, he had to stop himself there. She did have a point. With the little amount he had left could feed himself and Ignius for the rest of the day, what about tomorrow if he's out of luck again while Sean and Emilie may still not have something lined up for him as well? And it was only a matter of time before he may end up falling into debt with the place he was renting to stay...or just get kicked out. Man, life sucks sometimes. And when it came down to it, he could always repay the offer when he'd get a few jobs again. But in a sense...maaaybe always wanting to repay people's kindness was what got him broke in the first place. He couldn't help it though. At least the teachings during his time at the orphanage taught him good mannerism.
So this time due to his situation, he just let it go and nodded his head. "All right then. Lead the way." He then stuffed his hands in the pockets of his coat, turning his back as his canine friend finally stood beside him again. "Thanks. I still owe you one, uhh...what's your name?" He never did ask during the whole scene earlier.
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Lambda
Carnifex CEO
Posts: 23
Power: 10
Speed: 3
Accuracy: 5
Armor: 10
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Post by Lambda on Oct 28, 2013 23:28:07 GMT -6
She almost felt bad as he wilted, acceding to her plan with obvious reluctance. Shame at being forced by one's own weakness to rely on the kindness of a stranger? Difficulty in accepting help from others? She thought she might be able to understand, but wasn't sure. Relentless pragmatism was both a curse and a weakness, the ability to overcome her own weakness but also an inability to accept herself as she was. Even if she had gauged it correctly as shame, their mindsets were too far different - she was unable to allow herself hesitation or shame, forced to bloody her hands time after time, and the path to her ideal was a great deal farther away than she had initially dared to hope.
If she forged through a pool of blood now, it was only to reach the ocean thereof that lay beyond.
She could only hope that the reward would be worth the price.
Lambda's reaction to Magnus's words was delayed, her eyes distant, but by the time she pulled herself together she was already considering a response. Her name. A reminder of what she truly was, of what should not exist - and yet her sisters said it with love, with affection she did not deserve. Here she was judging Magnus for not being able to lie worth a damn, but what improvement was that ability when she only used it to lie to those she loved?
"...Lambda."
The Lambda Driver.
The twinge in her temple, preceding a sudden avalanche of pain, elicited little more than the measured raising of one hand to her forehead in a momentary effort to support herself. No reaction. No weakness. She could not stop moving on, no matter the cost, for so long as she could keep the Driver's all-consuming flame to a flickering spark. "And that was Eris." She supposed it wouldn't be all that surprising if he already knew, her sister's tendency to get into trouble a well-known propensity, but then Eris had done very little work that a legitimate Hunter, or even most mercenaries, would be interested in.
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Magnus
Mercenary (Admin)
Posts: 73
Power: 6
Speed: 10
Accuracy: 9
Armor: 3
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Post by Magnus on Oct 29, 2013 15:56:21 GMT -6
Even with his back turned, when she introduced herself and the other, he was still able to see her from the corner of his eye. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something seemed a little strange about her when he was able to finally calm down and analyze her a bit. Or rather...her expressions seemed to resemble the one that was tied to his past. Someone he wanted to forget, as he knew that even after the war ended, she still had to be out there somewhere. But what happened back then would never go away...forever to burn deep into his memory so he could never forget anything that happened during that entire decade of chaos. He couldn't help but compare the two from his memory alone. Eyes that spoke more than words...something so deep there that he couldn't even begin to fathom as to what could be going on in their heads.
But for some reason, Lambda felt different. He didn't really feel like trying to find out why, so for now he just left it at that. "...Not a bad name. It's a pleasure."
Seemed like Ignius settled down, the dog finally not barking insanely anymore as he sat down on his bum. He doubt that the cafe served mechanical dog food, but they likely had to have something that he could consume that a reploid could order. It was only a matter of time before he might run around like he was malfunctioning again. The worse thing he could have was people assuming he kept a maverick dog on a short leash and end up harming his partner just because he was acting out due to hunger. Though only Maverick Hunters made such stupid assumptions, so he shouldn't be too worried.
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Lambda
Carnifex CEO
Posts: 23
Power: 10
Speed: 3
Accuracy: 5
Armor: 10
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Post by Lambda on Oct 29, 2013 18:10:12 GMT -6
The journey to the café was almost disappointingly anticlimactic, accomplished within a few short minutes and absolutely no difficulty whatsoever - even the streets seemed to be half deserted that evening. Not particularly a surprise, she supposed; the working day had ended hours ago, and with rumors of a Bioroid resurgence... she wasn't entirely sure what to make of them, the Hunters clearly keeping secrets as to what was actually going on, but she had seen police reports detailing attacks that suggested Bioroid activity. If only the Hunters were as easy to bribe or infiltrate for information, but there was little point in bemoaning the situation. She did not have the resources to snatch info directly from the Hunters, and they were best not made an enemy.
Yet.
The café itself was quiet and unassuming, relatively small but warmly welcoming in the dim glow of light. It always felt like a home, she mused as they entered; none of the high-tech pizzazz of the sprawling outdoor cafés at the mall or the strip, but a sort of genuine familial vibe. Almost as though she had stepped through time, from the world of tomorrow to the hallowed days of yore - a world she had never been a part of, but one beautiful in its golden glory. Or maybe she was just tired and needed something to drink. The bell over the door heralded their arrival with a a sharp tingle, prompting a messy mop of brownish hair to poke out from behind a door, followed by momentary mumbling and then a young man appearing behind the counter like a ghost. A ghost who... used doors. Okay, maybe the ghost simile had been a bad idea.
"Julius." "Mizz Lambda!" He was smiling, as most waiters did, but the kid was as easy to read as a book. Even if it hadn't been her, he would have been happy to see a customer. "Was wondering were ya got off to tonight, ma'am, good to see ya!" She smiled thinly, though her eyes were warmer than she realized. It was difficult to be depressed around people that friendly, and he and his sister were both impressive individuals. "Decided to have an adventure." Did terrorizing a gynophobic homeless guy actually count as an adventure? She seriously needed to find a hobby. Maybe launching kittens from trebuchets. "Brought a friend this time." Inclining her head in Magnus's direction, Lambda continued. "The usual for me. ...Magnus?"
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Magnus
Mercenary (Admin)
Posts: 73
Power: 6
Speed: 10
Accuracy: 9
Armor: 3
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Post by Magnus on Oct 29, 2013 19:02:56 GMT -6
Ah, it had been a while since he's gone to a cafe. The place was quite small too, which was fine since he didn't like much attention. Not like that was possible anyway. Seemed like this part of the city was pretty dead. Though from the rumors he heard, that may have been the reason why he's been having such bad luck today. With everyone getting spooked by rumors, they'd be too busy cowering in their homes than worry about giving out job requests for guys like him that were barely getting by. But it all would probably blow over tomorrow. And if any rumors were true, he wouldn't be surprised if the hunters sought out guys like him to do some top secret work.
He left Ignius outside, despite the fact that he was mechanical and not a "real" animal. But since he was programmed to act like one (a good one at that), it was just common courtesy not to bring any sort of animal into a cafe, where people have to eat. Now that he thought about it, he could just order one big thing for the both of them since he had something at home that he could pour a type of liquid in edible food that could allow non-organic species to eat it....he doesn't know how it works, but he just used the thing. Nowadays on how advanced technology is, you learn to never question to specifics anymore. But now that he was in the cafe with Lambda, the apparent owner making himself known as he simply waved his arm in greetings with a slight smile.
...He had no idea what to order though. His stomach was just telling him to get anything to settle it down. It was then that Lambda got his attention, just saying something to hurry along the order to not leave her hanging. "Ah, I guess I'll just take a large bowl of ramen." Eh. He could always drink some water later. That, and he didn't want to order anything expensive since he wasn't the one paying. He made sure to distance himself with having a vacant seat in between he and Lambda. By this point, she would already know why he was siting a bit away from her. So now he just sat there quietly as he patiently waited. His stomach sort of grumbled a little more, but it wasn't loudly enough for everyone to hear this time (hopefully). Still, he merely inched his head downward a bit out of embarrassment as he rubbed the back of his head, chuckling to himself just to make it seem like he was thinking about something stupid.
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Lambda
Carnifex CEO
Posts: 23
Power: 10
Speed: 3
Accuracy: 5
Armor: 10
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Post by Lambda on Oct 29, 2013 19:28:57 GMT -6
"Uh - certainly, sir. It'll be a few minutes, but I bet we can do that!" Half-waving with his free hand, Julius smiled, ducked, and spun back into the rear of the room, disappearing to where she assumed the cooking... stuff was. Lambda was not a good cook or particularly knowledgeable about the process, much less particularly interested in how restaurants worked. After watching Magnus awkwardly sidle off to a safely distant seat, she opted to recline as well, not particularly in the mood to stand there while waiting for her beverage, and studied Magnus intently for a few moments as silence bloomed around the tiny café.
Like pulling teeth. With a sledgehammer. This would be much easier if not for the being terrified of her part, but then a lot of her work was easier when people were terrified of her, and that happened often enough that Lambda supposed she could not entirely complain. "It's just the two of them, you know. Julius and his sister, Marina, inherited this place when their parents passed away. They're both quite young, but they forge onwards, their café relying on its niche to stay solvent in the face of franchises with much larger advertising budgets." Part of why she liked supporting the place, with both her business and a few anonymous donations here and there. "Both are merely human, but they possess a strength of character that dwarfs what I have seen from most Hunters."
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