Fantasy ⊞Mistwalker Logs

[Cresion Breezes]

​

To [//////// ///////////], ( Azurian Dream , November Witch , Meehrwillow , RedArmyShogun , Nellancholy , EmperorsChosen , GummyWorm , TreasureSniper )

This letter is a follow-up to your application and acceptance to the Mistwalker Division, Squad No.13 of the Agency for Investigation of Mistzone Catastrophes (AIMC), we hope it finds you well. Below is information and directions in regards to your official inauguration to the division and deployment missions.

The location of your initial orientation and official inauguration is:

Hangar C3, AIMC Outpost “Northmound”, West Gerralia.

Enclosed with this letter is your AIMC-related matter Visa (for those who do not have Gerralian citizenship) as well as transportation vouchers based on the address your confirmed when accepting your offer. Please respond to this letter before the date of [06/09/1035] if you cannot arrive at the designated location due to financial reasons.

Please allow us to welcome you to the AIMC Mistwalker Squads officially, and commend you for your courage and curiosity in taking up this duty. We must also inform you that as a newly inaugurated Mistwalker Squad, you will not be heading into the Deep Mistzone yet. Deep Mistzone exploration has always been a deadly yet enticing endeavor, and we can understand your excitement to begin engaging in it instantly, but Mistzone exploration requires skill, experience, and most importantly, teamwork to maximize one’s chances of survival. As the newly inaugurated squad, although we have deemed you all individually competent, there is no guarantee that you will find your compatriots at Squad No.13 as perfect allies. Deep Mistzone expeditions are also not to be undertaken lightly.

Your missions will be taking place in the New Mistzone until the next Deep Mistzone expedition is approved. Please see this as a chance to sharpen your skills and get to know your squadmates, and not as a dismissal of your ability.

Please arrive at AIMC Outpost “Northmound” before the date of [21/09/1035], the inauguration will begin at 12:00PM at Hangar C3 on the above-printed date. If you cannot arrive at a timely date, please respond to this letter by the date of [02/09/1035] with an explanation enclosed.

Sincerely,
Agency for Investigation of Mistzone Catastrophes, Human Resources Department
[15/07/1035]
(This letter is intended for the named recipient only, using documents enclosed or disseminating information within if you are not the recipient may result in legal repercussions.)

Northmound Outpost, Hangar C3
[21/09/1035]


A girl with a clipboard sat quietly at a desk inside of the hangar, below the oblong-shaped giant balloon of a Mistwalker Squad airship. She hummed quietly to herself as she ran her pen tip down the list of names on the clipboard.

“Hmm, hmm, a bit more than I expected, somehow.” She muttered to herself. Having worked in the Human Resource Department for a good while, it was always the hardest to find people willing to come to Mistwalker Squads, and it was the hardest to convince any governments to order people into it as well. Not many were qualified enough, and most of the qualified individuals could live a much better life with those qualifications.

And yet…there was always a few of them. A few people who would give up everything they got for one reason or another, and walk into the unknown that often entailed a certain death. The girl sighed and put down her clipboard, which she was holding with not a hand, but a strange tentacle. The tentacle retracted into the girl’s empty eye socket with a slithering movement as she pulled an eyepatch over the void hole in her skull.

“System check completed, ma’am. Should I run another one?” A rather uptight looking girl with pointy pink hair stepped off of the airship and asked the lost-in-thought-looking HR officer, before the voice of a tired sounding man drifted from inside of the ship.

“...Stop bothering her, rookie, I thought I said we don’t need any more check-ups.” The voice said rather annoyingly. “...Ugh. None of the others are here anyways.”

“Maybe they’ll show up soon!” The younger girl said eagerly at the tired-looking man who just strolled off of the ship, slouching and glassy eye’ed.

“Yeah yeah…like, I thought that too, back when I was with Squad 12.” He scoffed at her excitement and yawned. “I’d say…a quarter of them? Didn’t even show up. Outright. Got cold feet last second about the Mist.” The man shrugged and walked off, sitting down beside the HR officer girl and appeared to be dozing off.

The pink-haired girl looked like she wanted to say something, her face got a little pinkish red as she stared down at her two more cynical colleagues, but ultimately didn’t continue. “...Fine-” She dragged on the word for a bit, half whining and half scolding. “I’m going to check on the rudder controls again, you can’t be too careful with what comes out of-” She stopped herself again and turned around. “Yeah. You know what I mean, better safe than sorry and stuff.” Finally adding another sentence dully after a long pause, the girl walked off towards the ship again.

 

[GummyWorm]

"Yes, this is Dr. Vinmer. I've been granted special clearance. Our brave little soldier here..." The middle-aged woman guided the young girl accompanying her toward the booth. "... is a bit sheltered. I'm only here to see her off. This is my ID."

The girl -- Neyen -- kept her gaze firmly locked at her feet. She nervously shifted the strap of her bag around with her thumb as the doctor exchanged words with AIMC security. It was rare for her to even step outside of the lab, but now, suddenly, she found herself in a foreign land leagues away from home. Or at least, what was home to her. As her heart raced with anxiety at thought of being left behind, a gentle hand on her shoulder put those thoughts to rest.

"Don't be scared," the doctor reassured her, looking down with warmth behind her smile. "Everything's going to be okay. You'll make friends. It'll be like... school."

"They're going to dump grease on me and shove me in a locker?"

"Oh..." Her brow furrowed visibly. "Is that what that book was about? I should've read the blurb more carefully before I handed it to you." She shook her head. "Okay forget what I said about school. Just know that the people here are going to take care of you. And you're going to take care of them..." Vinmer gave Neyen's tendril arm a few hefty pats. "... with this."

"I see..." She nodded stoically. "So I'M going to shove people into lockers."

"That's the spirit!" Vinmer laughed and clapped her on the back. She let out a small giggle in return. "Remember what I taught you, okay? It's like what?"

"Like a spring."

"Attagirl." The doctor squeezed Neyen's hand -- the normal one. "No matter what happens out there... you come back alive. Got it?"

Neyen nodded.

"Alright, don't keep them waiting." She pushed Neyen forward, toward the gate. As she watched the girl's back grow smaller, the words 'I love you' caught in the doctor's throat. She swallowed them like needles, and turned around with weary eyes.

***

As the crew chatted amongst each other, a small figure entered the spacious interior of Hangar C3, the pointed ends of her clawed hand nearly scraping along the floor as she walked. Neyen adjusted the bag on her shoulder, eyeing three new potential 'friends'. She motioned to greet them, but one of them slinked off aboard the ship. A second one seemed to be fast asleep. Her eyes traveled to the third person, sitting behind a desk with a clipboard. Kind of like the doctor's.

"Hi."

She paused a moment, as if suddenly remembering something, before shuffling some flash cards out of her pocket and reading them out slowly. "My name is Neyen. I am here to attend the... o-ri-en... tay... shun... for squad number thirteen of the Mistwalker Division. It is a pleasure to meet you all." Neyen performed a clumsy bow. Her bag slipped off her shoulder and hit the floor with a dull thud.

 

[Nellancholy]

The swish-swish of a pair of sturdy, rubber-soled shoes was barely audible amidst the bustle of the hangar as Kythera Ouranos made her way into the facility to embark on the next chapter of her life's journey.

The slim, wispy woman took a moment to regard the impressive piece of engineering that would be her home for the foreseeable future, her perpetually half-closed eyes taking in the hardy fuselage, the powerful engines, the life-saving filters. Then she gave the maintenance crew a quiet smile and a nod before proceeding.

Dressed in little more than a modest black dress with a cut that allowed the slightest hint of elegance and with a thin silver chain holding a Radiatheological icon just below her collarbone, she almost looked like a lady of leisure headed for vacation.

This impression, of course, was considerably counteracted by the large, sturdy plastic case strapped vertically to her back. Durable enough to survive an explosion and long enough to serve as her coffin if she was a head shorter, the case held the few possessions she had left, including the all-important protective gear and monitoring equipment needed on excursions into the Mist.

She made her way to the desk, twirling the letter between her fingers. "Good afternoon? Kythera Ouranos of the Church of Radiatheology, reporting for duty. I understand we're to wait here for the orientation?"

Her gaze darted to the figure at the desk next to her. A child, clearly. And heavily corroded...

Her lip curled slightly in distaste before she got a hold of herself. Who would send a child in this state to a place like this?

 

[November Witch]

Tourmaline Lamiaceae

Status: Nervous, shy, excited.

Tourmaline had arrived just after the first couple of people. In fact, she was behind them in line, A girl likely heavily corroded by the mist. It hurt her heart to see such a thing, but strengthened her resolve and confirmed why she was here. To make sure things like this never happened to anyone else. To make sure the mist didn’t take more from the people of this world than it already had. The second person was a woman who seemed to give off a somewhat familiar aura. But Tourmaline couldn’t place it. She didn’t seem to be corroded, and in fact, she seemed pretty. From her voice, she seemed well mannered and polite. So far, Tourmaline felt like she would get along with her future teammates.

She rolled a white suitcase of luggage through the checkpoint with her left hand, and in her right arm, housed by a gauntlet, she held her staff. A gift to her from the church, and the item Tourmaline used to focus her encoding through. She felt it a bit insensitive to find it was snake themed, like her corrosion was. However, it seemed it was a genuine coincidence after talking to the church and those who made the staff. So she felt less alienated by that. However, watching the girl disappear around the corner in front of her, she felt like her own corrosion was nothing compared to what she must have gone through…

Tourmaline shook the thoughts from her head. She was here to actively meet and talk to others. Not to dwell on her idea of them. She silently chastised herself, and was the third to speak up and introduce herself.

“Tourmaline Lamiaceae. An encoder and healer from the church of the sky, sector of the sun.”

She introduced herself. Her voice betrayed how she looked. Nervous and meek. But her voice was sure and confident. Tourmaline leaned, familiar working with kids and teenagers offered the younger girl a smile, and a nod to the older female. However, the nod seemed unsure and sheepish.

Tourmaline’s single exposed green eye flicked to everyone, studying their posture and appearance while she waited for a response, or more people to show up. A slender reptilian pupil sat in the middle of her eye. Along her body, green scales had possessed up, dotting her skin with a mint color. When she had spoken, a long, slender tongue could be glimpsed and fangs that seemed to barely fit into her mouth.

“It’s a pleasure to be able to work with you all.”

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Sylvia Gannet - Northmound Outpost, Hangar C3​

Suddenly the loud squeaky wheels of a loaded down pushcart could be heard even over the activity of everyone else as a cart loaded with three cargo crates and a gun box was wheeled up to the desk, being dragged with one arm, manhandled more like with little difficulty by a somewhat busty girl with red eyes, grey hair twin tailed style hair with hints of red at the tips, black thigh-highs, a red skirt, grey vest and armless grey sleeves with simple velcro strapped shoes. A normal if not fashion fashioned around her oddities, obvious signs of corrosion. Though more importantly was the cargo cart she was dragging behind her one handed, either there was very little in those boxes or she was very strong.

Humming to herself, she eyed up the others she smiled and tilted her head. "Hehehe... Hmm... Oh yes! Haha. I'm sure we can talk later, or can we? Who knows." Sliding up where the scaled woman was introducing herself. Looking this one in the eye, she laughed as her pupils seemed to dilate, a sense of knowing and contempt washed over her face and gleeful expression. "Oh, someone is fresh meat for the grinder. I'm sure it will be fun to work with you! The Mist is a place of many interesting things!" Looking at the horribly transfigured girl, her gaze paused for a bit as a smile crept over her face, with two simple words she jerked the cart foward once more.

"Very interesting indeed."

With that, her expression went back to as it was before as she greeted the woman at the desk. "Huh... It must be hard to do work here in the middle of a hangar, ah, I'm Sylvia Gannet. What an interesting way the Mist has visited upon you two, or rather you three, or no, four hehehe!! Though I suppose I can't talk! Say, where do I go. This isn't as light as it looks, I would like to get it ready for use, or what are we doing? Huh? What?" Watching as she headed for the ship, she was unsure which of the remaining two were in charge of all this.

Interactions: Cresion Breezes November Witch GummyWorm Nellancholy

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Gene Bennet- Northmound Outpost, Hangar C3​

As quickly as the grey-haired girl had arrived and left an impression for good or ill, a man with a stern gauze and a face that obviously did not laugh much arrived wearing a suit and the type-3 cloak, at his side was a combat knife and an MP5 was on a sling over his back, three cases came with him, each stacked atop the other, secured with tiedown straps and seemed much lighter, more organized and professional than the previous, however his shaded gaze just stopped. Stopped and swept across everyone in the room as he lingered on each one, saying nothing as his face seemed to betray a slight disappointment. One that quickly vanished as he looked upon the girl with the tenticle for part of a face and a bit too young to be here in normal times.

These were not normal times, but how young this team seemed so far and how most of them were under the effects of corrosion to one extent or another did not sit well with him. Then at the two others that joined her, and then as quickly the party went about its own tasks, or seemed to busy themselves with nothing, likely taking a break. This did not bode well, but this suicide mission had to have more people, right? Otherwise, this situation was absurd. It was one thing to be asked to die for a chance at fixing things, at hitting back against the enemy, it was another to be told to go off and die while babysitting a few rookies and then die when a slipup happened.

Taking his shades off, the man puts them in his pants pocket and snaps a partial salute. "Gene Bennet reporting for duty. Scout specialist. We're doing the briefing here or aboard the ship?" He asks of anyone in general, hoping someone with some sky damned authority was about.

Interactions: Cresion Breezes

 

[EmperorsChosen]

Selena Purcell
Northmound Outpost - Hanger C3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Selena arrived shortly thereafter the stern man with a looming gaze of her own. It wasn't so much an expression that bore down on those around, but rather one that just appeared--bland. It was the look of someone who had seen much and seemed to stare through their current surroundings, holding an emptiness and loneliness within their eyes. However, the expression was brief. Just as soon as it seemed to be noticeable, it vanished and replaced with a pleasant smile.

The mist-touched researcher looked at each who had arrived prior to her. A corroded woman from Radionica with interesting markings along her body. Another corroded healer from the church with a manifestation that was honestly quite pretty as far as corrosion went. A twin-tailed girl with a gaze that Selena immediately recognized as belonging to one with a questionable psyche. A male, stern, matter-of-fact and business oriented it seemed. Then there was perhaps the most surprising, a young girl with a severe case of corrosion. They were sending children in now? Selena recalled she was forbidden from entering the MIST until she was an adult and after her mother was lost.

Selena wore clothes that seemed to resemble that of a researcher, wearing an overcoat with large, draping sleeves that covered her right arm entirely. Underneath, a white blouse was visible, a skirt, stockings, and a pair of boots. Her left hand dragged a rolling suitcase behind her, and slung over her shoulder was a strange sheath and blade. Standing the suitcase up, sheraised her left hand, the loose-fitting sleeves slumping slightly down her forearm as she gave a curt wave.

"Hello~ My name is Selena. I'm fresh from the Academia. I hope we can all get along as fellow fresh meat," The woman chimed in a mature, upbeat voice, seemingly remarking to what the red-head had said. "I'll be focused on trying to make heads or tails of the Mist, so I'll be in your care~"

RedArmyShogun Cresion Breezes November Witch GummyWorm Nellancholy

 

[Azurian Dream]

Octavius "Oct" Halbervi -Hangar C3, AIMC Outpost “Northmound”, West Gerralia.

The letter of acceptance read much as one would expect from AIMC simple, and clean in designation. It wasn't a shock to see that the first round of adventure would be to the new outer layer of the mist zone by far was it insane to not gauge the recent layer before trudging into the deep atmosphere of it all. The doctor looked around a bit upon his homelands stretch of view feeling a bit nostalgic to the rustic air as it were as he moved ahead the sounds of climbing gear, and medical equipment lightly brushing a soft tune well in his mind as he closed in on the airship that would now be his home for quite awhile. He had worked on a few of these machines before not in mass, but some of its parts he knew a little bit about it on the engineering side of things, but was no pilot for sure. Upon his closer venture it seemed a bit of squad had made it before him to which a gentleman introducing himself as Gene Bennet beat him to the punch on first question.

"I to am interested in that knowledge as well Officer Yvona," Oct posed as well in curiosity giving a proper nod of respect to the AIMC HR representative. Oct took the moment to look over the rest who had arrived a curious bunch though his eye temporarily spotted, and scanned Sylvia Gannet recognizing her by design alone from her Empire reputation. Though he didn't portray any thoughts on such as Selena Purcell introduced herself to which Oct believed it was time to return the polite curtsy.

"Dr. Octavius Halbervi. You can call me Doc Oct, or Oct for short if you like. I'll be the one making sure you don't die as long as you you are still reachable upon infliction," he spoke rather cynically, but realistically. He was there doctor, nothing more nothing less though the intriguing spread of faction members/corrosion peculiarities meant he would need to go over some of them with a fine tooth come on physiology, and potential religious limitations to what they would allow medically later atop to know what special circumstance of situation could arise from their unique mutations. He would make his opinions of the full crew later on once he could see them a bit more in conversation.

"Seems we have a good spread thus far," he spoke taking a moment to gauge the others that had arrived before him consisting off two AIMC assistance to Officer Yvonna more likely crew working as they were returning to the ship from the looks of it, a child that heavily corroded which twisted Oct's stomach a bit to how such could have been approved or more so how it had happened... yet it wasn't his place to assume or judge for that matter. Another amongst their numbers wore a silver chain bearing a Radiatheological icon yet she strangely more so appeared ready for a lavish occasion than this daunting

expedition, the other was a encoder potential from the sky church was his best bet with green scales a plenty upon her skin... that didn't bode well for surgical requirements. He would definitely need to talk with her first after upon starting examinations. As for Seline she seemed from first look wanting, and exciting for the trip ahead which made sense with her opening statement. For its worth they didn't seem like bad people so that was a step in the right direction at least.​

...........................................................................................................................
RedArmyShogun EmperorsChosen November Witch Nellancholy GummyWorm Cresion Breezes ​

 

[GummyWorm]

Neyen picked her bag back up. Everyone here was an adult. She'd only seen other children a handful of times during her sparse outings with Dr. Vinmer, and it dawned on her that she'd never actually talked to anyone in her own age group before. It made her feel small. Should she act professional, to fit in with the other adults? Should she act normal? What was normal, anyway?

This was already too many thoughts. She was beginning to make herself tired with them. But one more question though.

Neyen looked at Sylvia and pointed at her mountain of cargo.

"Why do you have so many boxes?"

RedArmyShogun

 

[November Witch]

Tourmaline Lamiaceae

Status: Discouraged, dejected, annoyed..

Tourmaline glanced over her shoulder as she felt a presence near her. She found another girl had saddled up next to her. Tourmaline offered a smile, but she quickly noticed the expression that adorned the other’s face. Contempt. A feeling of superiority. It hurt to see someone already judging her when introductions were still being offered. Tourmaline had, however, seen plenty of this. She grew up seeing many people look at her in a similar fashion due to her corrosion. While she had a thick skin against this sort of thing, it still hurt to have someone look upon her like that. Especially someone she would be working with for some time.

The words the other offered didn’t help either, referring to Tourmaline as fresh meat and likely looking down on her due to inexperience as well.

“Well, I sure hope I can make it through the grinder unscathed.”

Tourmaline replied, nervously scratching at her chin. She couldn’t be the only one here with little to no experience, so why was this girl singling her out like this? Tourmaline took a step away from the group, and rubbed her elbow. This wasn’t really going how she had expected it to. Tourmaline was already feeling a bit dejected and was caught up in a whirlwind of her own thoughts. The following words from most of the others simply went through one ear and out the other. She caught a little bit of it though.

Some guy who seemed pretty experienced and got straight to the point, he seemed disciplined, probably through military or through lots of experience in AIMC. A pretty researcher with white hair similar to Tourmaline’s own, complete with a braid. Then there was another male, who looked to be a polite, professional person. He seemed to share knowledge and the task of caring for injuries and the wellbeing of the crew. While not her main strength, Tourmaline had years of experience caring for and treating wounds within the church.

The snake-like girl wheeled her suitcase a few feet away from everyone and sat down on it. She pulled a mint-green colored cloth from a pocket and began to absentmindedly polish the golden snakes on the end of her staff as everyone continued to talk amongst and introduce themselves. She wasn’t interested in talking anymore after being treated like that.

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Sylvia Gannet - Northmound Outpost, Hangar C3​

"Heh. I like you, some nice hopes and dreams there, but both of us know the mists touch." Before she could say much more, or rather anything else said, the woman was already off brooding, if all this is what it took for that, well she was going to be in for a rough time. "Hehehe." It was then that another woman made her presence known, with white hair and red eyes a strand of black down the center and eyes that betrayed the words she spoke, even as she seemingly hid an arm and dragged her belonings with her.

"...liar...." She said quietly at first, then all the more loudly with her face contorting into a snarl. "Liar. Your lies betray you. You know the Mist, do you hear the voices too I wonder?" As she tilted her head and stepped up to look directly at the woman, the mutated teenager was next to speak. The Squad pet, or the first to die. Though she was not green, least not fully. With a tap of her foot and a turn of her body, Sylvia turned her attention at once to the question.

It wouldn't hurt to show her, or at least tell. "It's my equipment, only one is personal belongings, the others contain a suit of armor, a large tactical shield with a mounting hole cut into it, and the last case has a SPAS-12 shotgun that I've given an axe bayonet. I am often at the front... Ah, almost forgot, there is also an EAD in the gun box. I have picked up the use of pyromancy since I've joined the Agency. I would say you belong in school or somewhere else than here, but I was your age when I got started." Tilting her head a bit and slapping the side of her crates, she rolled her shoulders a bit and continued.

"In my old unit with the Empire, and even those that found me, they would likely have shot you, the liar and the green recruit for your corrosion. Then again they wanted to shoot me too Heh."

Interactions: November Witch GummyWorm EmperorsChosen

 

[TreasureSniper]

Border Outpost
The day has finally come. Having grown bored of his life as an outpost guard, he took the advice of his peers, Hartwell had applied for the Mistwalker division. It was a bittersweet occasion for most of his squaddies, as most of them had grown rather fond of their armored comrade despite never having seen his face. The members went as far as to throw a farewell party for the young man, trying their best to get him to reveal his visage with little success.

After packing up the last of his equipment and personal belongings, Hartwell went to the tally board one last time to take a look a his squad's score. They always did complain about his use of explosives was, although effective, borderline on being excessive. "Well, at least they'll have plenty of time to catch up." Hartwell smiled behind his mask, looking forward to his new adventures. He'll have plenty of new stories to trade with them when he comes back for a visit.

Hangar C3, AIMC Outpost “Northmound”, West Gerralia.

As the transport helicopter touched down, the doors slid open with Hartwell stepped out onto the ground, his signature trench coat blowing in the wind generated by the rotor blades. "Hey Hartwell... Take care of yourself out there." One of the passengers spoke, seeming reluctant to say goodbye to their comrade in arms. "Don't worry about it. I'll make sure to come and visit every now and then. You be careful out there, buddy. I won't be there to save your skin this time." Hartwell couldn't help but tease his younger teammate for an earlier incident he had with the hostile life, much to the greenhorn's discomfort. With a friendly pat on the shoulder and a firm handshake, the old teammates parted ways.

"Quite the colorful cast we have over here," Hartwell spoke, entering the hangar, carrying all his equipment in a sling bag. It was small but appropriate for a person who didn't need much to get by. He would immediately notice a good amount of the people had a clerical air to them, while others were much more academical. "The name is Venator Hartwell. Ex-outpost border guard. I am guessing you guys will be part of the squad 13." The armored man spoke in a laid-back tone, a strong contrast to his outward appearance. While not completely uncommon, people tend to have a hard getting used to Hartwell's always-armored look. "I look forward to the stories we will share." He had high hopes that the Mistwalker assignments will be much more interesting than his regular outpost duties.

"So that how an airship looks like." Hartwell wasted no time in taking an immediate interest in the airship. He's never had a chance to see one this close, often only viewing through the scope of his rifle. "Hmmm needs more guns on it." Even back at the outpost, he was always finding ways to put more fixed guns onto the high towers, much to the dismay and annoyance of the higher-ups.

 

[EmperorsChosen]

Selena Purcell
Northmound Outpost - Hanger C3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Selena smile didn't fade as the tiny gremlin accused her of lying. The woman's crimson eyes narrowed but subtly in response. The gremlin spoke of voices and how she knew the mist. Poor girl. If only it was just an act. Huffing in amusement, Selena approached the team's insanity plea and placed her non-corroded hand top her patting a bit in motherly fashion, if not a bit cheekily. "You misunderstand dear. Fresh, as in fresh to the AIMC. Not fresh to the mist. I've explored the mist for... hm, 11? 12 years now?" She hummed thoughtfully, ruffling the smaller girl's hair. "As for voices, I do recall some telling me not to comment on others' appearances. It's quite rude, or so they say."

Releasing the girl, Selena made her way back to her own luggage. Taking it, she glanced to the newcomers, one their doctor and the other a guard by his full battle dress. She chuckled somewhat at the guard's comments. "Be grateful for this even. There are many who see this airship as throwing money into a bonfire," She commented, grasping the handle of the luggage and rolling it off to the side. "I'm sure we can exchange notes once we're settled doctor," She offered. Her focus was always on the scientific understanding rather than medicinal understanding or application.

Selena sat down a foot or two from the priestess, atop her luggage case in the same manner. Laying in her left hand and cloaked right in her lap, she glanced over to Tourmaline. "Don't take it to heart, dear," She said softly. "The grinder isn't that bad once you've been through it a few times." Chuckling a bit at that, that seemed to be a joke, albeit a darker one.

TreasureSniper RedArmyShogun November Witch Azurian Dream GummyWorm

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Gene Bennet- Northmound Outpost, Hangar C3​

Watching as yet more faces found their way to the meeting, it was still a short platoon, was this everyone? Of the three that arrived after him, the female was first and foremost. She carried herself with a bearing that spoke of something more than just another researcher. Given the growth of her own corrosion and the concealed arm, Gene wondered just what the story was with her. If she were a researcher in good standing, she wouldn't be on a suicide mission. Then again, it didn't mean it was something bad. Still she seemed to be trying to calm down the twin tails. Only time would tell if her efforts would go anywhere good or bad.

Next was a male missing an eye, seemingly the field medic... Gene deadpanned a little at that, a man with no depth perception would be reaching into them to clamp veins if worse came to worst. He seemed busy using his eye to study the rest, though it did not fall upon himself just yet. All the more for the better. He seemed professional enough. Though given the gear he was in, he hoped his medical know how was more advanced than what the Imperials typically taught.

Next was a man, who honestly arrived much like how Gene had wished to show up. In full armor at the ready. Given Gene planned to spend most of his time in his armor it would make sense all things considered. Minus here to have a meeting with your fellows. Maybe he actually had something to hide beneath the mask. Still not a concern of his. Hearing his remark on the guns, he gives a shrug. "Maybe one day, are reasons to have it disarmed, or at least partially so. Weight limit as well is a given."

Turning his attention back to the researcher, she was playing a dangerous game with the volcano. That reaction would remain to be seen, as he got moving from her was, to another place in hangar, "How many more are we getting..." He said to no one other than himself.

Interactions: TreasureSniper

 

[Cresion Breezes]

Navox Cerulewurst
Northmound Outpost, Hangar C3
[21/09/1035]
Interactions: RedArmyShogun TreasureSniper
Mentions: EmperorsChosen GummyWorm


-Clank-

The sound a metallic object colliding with another one came from the entrance of the hangar as Navox walked in, the long glaive he was carrying on his back wacking into the doorframe of the entrance as he tried to skip inside.

"Oh- Whoops, didn't notice it was so narrow here." The young man with clear sky-hued hair said as he adjusted his movements and walked further into the room that was bustling with some conversation. He looked up at the airship while a stoic-looking man was mentioning something about a weight limit, which was reasonable. Aeronautics engineering wasn't a field that he had studied, but there were some things universal to technological development.

"...Or funding, weight limits can be upped as long as there's enough funding, but that's hard to get in a place like this, isn't it?" The hangars and equipment of AIMC looked decently new, but the minimalist and simplicity of most things they have still often gave off an air of frugality. "It's always hard to convince anyone to fund your new ideas, they're all like 'that's crazy' or 'you're crazy' or things like that, no appreciation for anything other than their own skin-" The young man continued to mutter to himself as he lamented the financial status of the AIMC (or himself), before snapping back to realize that he has only just walked in.

"I'm Navox, Navox Cerulewurst, from Miscantia's computational sciences department, here to provide some technical support. But I can fight too, I've been Encoding since I was a kid." The young man introduced himself while waving at the HR officer to make his attendance clear. He then looked around slightly, other than the stoic-looking man and the one he was talking to, it was someone wearing a mask, already. It wasn't weird for some people to be paranoid enough to wear masks near the Mistzones, but people who were scared of the Mist definitely wouldn't be picking up this job, so maybe he had another reason.

There were a few other people there, such as the woman with white hair and red eyes, the other younger-looking woman with white hair and red eyes, the woman with green eyes...the woman with a green eye and an eye patch...a man with an eye patch. Navox started to wonder if there was some dress code he didn't look up, he wasn't looking forward to calling people by the wrong name just because they changed their hairstyle. One of the woman's jacket looked slightly familiar though, it was something that staff Miscantia wore often, so at least someone could understand his laments about project funding. There was also another girl, who looked even younger than him, it made the boy tilt his head for a moment, but he had nothing to say since if he was here because he was an impeccable genius (self-proclaimed), then that girl probably was one as well.

 

[GummyWorm]

Neyen barely understood a word of Sylvia's explanation, so she just slowly nodded in faux understanding. She grasped what a gun was, in concept; you can point it at people and shoot them, and usually, they die. But she wasn't really sure what they looked like, or sounded like, or... how they worked. Graphic reading wasn't commonplace among her belongings, the doctor would always try to bring books and toys appropriate for a girl her age.

Turning around, she made a small wave at the newcomers. The latest walk-in looked rather close to her in age, and he seemed nice enough... Maybe they could get along? As she tried to psychically communicate this feeling to him, there was a mild shift in her otherwise neutral expression. There is absolutely zero chance for him not to pick up on her very obvious intentions, and then immediately strike up a bout of normal, young person-to-young person conversation with her. She nodded to herself, mentally.

Making friends is easy.

RedArmyShogun Cresion Breezes

 

[Nellancholy]

Kythera appreciated that she had decided to stay quiet for a moment, letting the others file in and make their entrances and introductions in their own manner, some with more restraint than others. One never had much control over one's first impression, no matter how hard one tried. And in this way, they each gave away a little something of themselves.

The team so far seemed to have a good spread of abilities, though if it were up to her she would have words with the AIMC about allowing minors and the severely corroded further into the kind of environments they worked in.

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Cerulewurst." She gave him a smile and a tilt of her head as acknowledgement. "I spent a year at Miscantia too, though I've not gotten to delve into the computational sciences as much as I'd have liked to." She exhaled. Work always came first. "I look forward to having your expertise on hand." Cresion Breezes

The others had made varying impressions so far. The girl with armaments of notable efficiency and brutality ( RedArmyShogun ) came with a bad attitude hidden behind that smile; someone would have to step up and put her in line the moment it threatened anyone else's safety. The swordswoman ( EmperorsChosen ) was dry, but not cruel. The dependable type who could probably be counted on to address more tangible threats in the Mist.

And there was Dr. Halbervi ( Azurian Dream ). She did hope his talents would not be stretched too thinly. The positive demeanor came as built in for medical personnel as resistors on a circuit board or fuel rods in a reactor.

Nevertheless, Kythera extricated herself from the main mass for a moment and made her way to where the fair-haired girl sat on her suitcase some distance away, polishing her staff. She took a moment to look down at her before lowering herself to a cross-legged position next to her. "How are you feeling? If you need any help here or out in the Mist, don't hesitate to ask." The slight sideways lean she delivered alongside her words made it clear she didn't expect an immediate answer. November Witch

 

[November Witch]

Tourmaline Lamiaceae

Status: Frustrated, guilty, thankful.

Tourmaline heard the other speak as she walked away. It didn't make much sense to the reptilian girl. So she decided to disregard what the well endowed girl said to her. She continued to polish her staff and just listen as the others spoke. Tourmaline's right gauntlet clicked and cranked as the metal joints hit one another. They hid the corroded arm underneath, the one corrosion effect she felt really self conscious about.

As she sat and calmed herself down, the other girl with a braid mirrored Tourmaline's own motions, pulling her suitcase over and sitting atop it. She wondered if this girl, Selena, even knew what she was frustrated about. To Tourmaline, the act of doing her job, or ‘going through the grinder’ wasn't the problem. For now, it was the other woman, Sylvia, who was getting on her nerves. Who insults someone they just met?

“It's not the grinder I'm worried about.”

Tourmaline said in a soft, exasperated tone. The corroded girl had a third person join her, Kythera. She was getting more frustrated with herself at the moment. She shouldn't be pouting like a kid right now. Tourmaline was making random people worry over her. She took a deep breath and offered a small smile to Selena before turning her attention to the one on the floor.

“Thank you for worrying about me.”

Tourmaline said to them both.

“I'll be fine once I adjust. I'm just not used to people being brash with me.”

It was true. She was used to being in the church and surrounded by those who were nicer to one another and extremely polite. So Sylvia had really gotten under her skin. Especially being the first person not in the church to interact with Tourmaline lately. She just needed to toughen up and not hold anyone back.

“I'm no stranger to the mist. I just don't remember much. It's been years…”

She paused.

“I'll keep your kind words in mind. I think getting to know a person or two quickly will help me settle in.”

Tourmaline absentmindedly reached up with her free hand and took the tip of the bandage over her eye between her fingers. A habit of hers to fiddle with it when stressed.

 

[RobOfIllusions]

the monotonous rolling sound of his 4-wheeled suitcase announced Vargus' arrival at the hangar before he had set foot into it, momentarily coming to a halt once the ragtag group of misfits he would be entrusting his life to for the foreseeable future entered his field of view. He took a moment to muster his comrades, his stoic gaze wandering from one person to the next.

Among them was a minor - - a girl no older than 16, suffering from the most severe case of mist corrosion he had ever seen on a functioning human being. Allowing someone like her to join a Mistwalker Squad seemed quite irresponsible to him. Then again, the decision-makers at the AIMC were likely much smarter than him and must have had their reasons. "She must be really strong or smart. Or both. Probably both." he mumbled to himself. Yes, he was confident that she must be the AIMC's ace in the hole - - an intellectual prodigy and masterful combatant. Vargus gulped, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He hoped that he wouldn't be holding her back out there in the mist.

His eyes shifted over to the next set of people. A young man who appeared to be around his age, a middle-aged man in a suit, and a masked individual clad in full armor. Even the youngest looked quite experienced, with an air of professionalism surrounding all three of them. Out there in the mist, Vargus would observe them closely and try to learn a thing or two from them.

The next person to catch his attention was a well-dressed woman with white, twin-tailed hair and red eyes. She appeared to be having a good time, judging from her wide smile and light-hearted demeanor. "Must be a really nice and happy person.", Vargus said to himself.

There was another young man with blue hair carrying a large, unusual-looking glaive with him. The device he was carrying with him intrigued Vargus... was it some kind of computer? He has seen them back when he and his sister lived in Miscantia, although they were much larger than the one in the boy's possession.

Vargus' gaze wandered over to the only remaining individuals -- a group of three women standing removed from the main mass. The first to catch his attention appeared to be a researcher. He reflexively clenched his fists at the sight of her. The coat she wore, how she carried herself, her general demeanor... reminded him of his sister. He quickly shook his head and dropped this train of thought.

Next to the white-haired researcher was a woman dressed in a black dress and another one with prominent reptilian features. The one dressed in black seemed to be wearing something around her neck, though he couldn't make out what it was from this distance.

With his first impressions settled, the rolling sound of his four-wheeled suitcase echoed throughout the hangar once more as he approached the desk and met eyes with the woman occupying it. "I'm here now.", he said monotonously, before realizing that she likely expected him to state his name. Does she now think that's his name?

Vargus quickly elaborated to avoid any misunderstandings. " 'Here Now' is not my name, I'm called Vargus Farley. I'm part of Squad 13."

Now that he was closer to the others, he took the opportunity to get a better look at the reptilian woman. At closer inspection, her features seemed not just reptilian, but specifically snake-like, which would explain the shape of her staff. A pressing question moved to the forefront of his mind at this realization, causing Vargus to approach the girl right away.

"Can you smell with your tongue?" He asked nonchalantly, skipping introductions. "Snakes are able to smell with their tongue. You look like a snake. Therefore, it would make sense if you could smell with your tongue as well." He scratched his chin, towering over the girl as she sat on her suitcase.

He noticed an error in his rationale. "Actually, you don't look like a snake since you have arms and legs, although some snakes like pythons do have tiny hind leg bones. I read about it in a book last week. Interesting, isn't it?" he rambled, blurting out his train of thought as it came to him.

Interactions: November Witch

 

[November Witch]

Quartz Chroma

Status: Excited, eager, happy.

The final checks had been completed roughly 20 minutes before. Everything looked up to snuff and ready for the upcoming operations. However, seeing things were fine didn’t mean they were. There were parts on machines that couldn’t be seen easily. Actually functioning was much different than sitting there in a hangar with a thumbs up from a technician. Quartz knew that full well. So she had decided to take the small bird out for a flight to ensure everything was working properly. She had gotten it up to speed, swung back and forth, and did some stress testing. Her hopes were confirmed as the helicopter seemed to work perfectly.

As she had headed back, there was a second helicopter on the ground. She contacted them via radio and learned they were simply dropping off passengers. So Quartz took the bird into a holding pattern until the larger helicopter took off and was clear. Then the smaller one took to the ground and landed safely, softly, and with no problem. The jet engine whirred down with a wine those in the hangar could hear, and the blades slowed, causing the winds outside caused by them to gradually fade until nothing remained.

Quartz stepped on out of the machine, and headed towards the garage. The two support personnel who would be staying on the airship, she had met earlier and let them know her role and what she’d be doing. Quartz had also let them know she would be making this heli functioned properly.

“Mechanical and electrical system checks complete. Echo Four Nineteen seems to be in good shape.”

She gave the support personnel a thumbs up. Echo Four Nineteen or E-419 was the tail number on the helicopter. Call her weird, but Quartz felt compelled to call the vehicles by their serial numbers. Well, as long as they weren’t super long. It was a unique name, just like people had.

Her eyes widened as she absorbed the large group that had started to assemble. Quite a few people were here. Some corroded, some not. Some religious, some soldiers, some researchers, and some… eh… children? Maybe she could make that girl her co-pilot. Then she would be safe away from all the monsters. A fleeting thought that carried no real significance or drive to pursue it. That girl must be here for some reason. They all must have. Teams were like engines after all. Everyone serves a role and if they don’t play it, bad things happen. From simply being inefficient, to blowing itself up. She gave a small wave and then crossed her arms, a small smile on her face.

“Ah, I missed introductions? Damn. Well, I’m Quartz Chroma. I’ll be taking care of the littlebird outside and doing the piloting with it. I’ll also be making sure the communications work clearly and learning more about taking care of the airship. But I’m pretty handy with lots of things. Weapons, helicopters, cars. Chances are I can fix it if it’s broken.”

The girl explained. While she had worked on them before, it was few and far between. She was by no means a master yet. So she was hoping to learn a little from their resident technician team. After all, an extra pair of hands would always be more useful, right?

“Just think of me as your resident mechanical technician and communications officer.”

She’d give a small two finger wave. It was quite the colorful cast that had gathered. This should be fun. Or so Quartz thought.

 

[Azurian Dream]

Octavius "Oct" Halbervi -Hangar C3, AIMC Outpost “Northmound”, West Gerralia.

There it was the very reason Oct had latched on to Sylvia's existence from the moment he had seen her. Her snarling lashing at the researcher showed much merit to the rumors, and stories he had heard a plenty of times over of her being touched in the head to say the least going from hostility to loving detail to her weaponry. The good doctor rubbed his eyes as she mention the likelihood of wanted shootings even upon herself... she was definitely going to end up on his table a few times he wagered. Though thankfully the headache trying to form would be annulled by some newer arrivals the first being a prior outpost guard with a mystique of helmet hiding his face. Though unlike their other fellow Empire citizen this one didn't seem insane... at the moment.

"A pleasure Mr. Hartwell I am sure stories will be a plenty for many a stormy night," the doctor chuckled to the very military like mentality of sharing the new man had. It was something familiar which was always nice. Selena seemed not to perturbed by Sylvia's advancement on name calling thankfully taking a more peaceful route explaining her 12 year exploration background which was a valid treat to her of such knowledge. Though the expo ended with a genuine chuckle from the doctor as the woman aimed so corrective wording to the axe grinder of a girl. She than made some small jaunts of talk with the guardsman, and than himself.

"Much obliged anything that can help me keep you all breathing is a gift," Dr. Halbervi gestured appreciating Selena's understanding as she than tried to cheer up the Tourmaline girl. That was when Oct caught Gene sizing him up particularlly his missing eye. With a smile knowing very well what was on his mind along with numerous others in the past he spoke rather loftly.

"Don't worry I have as much a eye for your veins as I do the higher standards of Imperial advancing engines," he joked knowing the rest of the world was iffy on where the empire stood on medical field practice, but the newer generations of combat medics were much more ahead than the usual medical staff in the civilian sector. Cost less to fix a man than to build one after all most of the time. That was about when the metallic pin caught his attention in the hanger sky blue hair following a long glaive along with a conversation of funding. The chatter that followed amused the good Doctor as he had a good guess who this was lastly confirmed by the name drop.

"We're glad you can join use Navox its good to have a few scientific minds mixed with some fighting drive," the Doctor proclaimed though a bit concerned if the aloof nature would need some random care here, and there. From their the introductions, and first encounters amongst the crew took off rather well for the most part though their was a unexpected announcement of arrival from a Mr. Farley to which Oct raised his one brow to in curiosity who than persisted to asked some very strange, and albeit awkward questions.

"Mr. Farley I feel you should give the lass some better first encounter questions," Octavius suggested not reprimanding the boy by any means but attempting to give the scaled girl a chance to breath from her first bad experience with Sylvia. Though much more thought hadn't enough time to be given as a helicopter made its descent in revealing another of the team Quartz Chroma.

"Well that is definitely a interesting talent you have miss."

............................................................................................
Mentions/Interactions: RedArmyShogun EmperorsChosen TreasureSniper Cresion Breezes Nellancholy November Witch RobOfIllusions


​

 

[Cresion Breezes]

Northmound Outpost, Hangar C3
[21/09/1035]

( Azurian Dream , November Witch , RedArmyShogun , Nellancholy , EmperorsChosen , GummyWorm , TreasureSniper )

“Ah, it seems like this should be our attendance.” The girl with the clipboard checked off the names of those who introduced themselves after glancing at the time. “I’m Marrianne Yvona, I’m a human resource and logistics officer around here, I mainly manage Mistwalker Squads.” She introduced herself to those who weren’t too familiar with the AIMC.

“Though I definitely worked on other things too, staff related Mistwalker Squads don’t really get that much work most of the time.” She laughed a bit awkwardly, especially at the woman who commented on how many saw this entire endeavor as a waste of time and money. “We don’t get a lot of funding and our projects stall pretty often…this is the best we can manage, but I’m glad you’re all here though, it’s reassuring to see at least some do believe in our goal.”

“...Done talking?” The tired-looking man from earlier stepped off of the airship, he seemed rather apathetic about the whole thing. “The rookie is off doing something again, so I guess it’s on me to show you around.” He added half-heartedly, not really even looking anyone in the eye.

Marrianne tried to squeeze out a smile at her colleague’s dry attitude. “That’s…Tangram, he’s been a pilot with us for more than 15 years. You know how the Mist is, some people just get like that as time goes on.” She tried to brighten up the mood.

“...Yeah. Okay. If you say so.” The man she was referring to responded in the same emoteless fashion. “If you’re done judging me, we need to get on with this introduction.”

---

Northmound Outpost, Hangar C3, Airship Interior
[21/09/1035]


“Main floor, look around.” Tangram waved his hand around lazily. “Or not, you’ll get to know it eventually.” The room was not too spacious, but there were a few small but reinforced windows letting in some light and making the atmosphere a bit less abysmal. The biggest area had a table that looked akin to a meeting room table, probably for strategic discussion between those with the proper amount of care and brain cells.

“Hmm, kitchen is up ahead, bathrooms in the back…don’t use too much water…and…” The man pointed a the front direction of the ship, then towards the back. “There’s a room with bigger windows up front, there’s plants and stuff, they call it the greenhouse, but you usually can’t see shit in the Mistzone anyways.” He added.

“Oh, right, down the hall are bedrooms. Don’t worry too much about sleeping in a glass coffin, better than waking up super corroded if anything goes wrong.” The wearily looking pilot had a peculiar-looking eye with dark sclera, it’s not anything unusual for AIMC staff, but he rubbed it after he spoke, seemingly lost in thought about something. “You’re all adults…” He paused as he looked around, “...should be capable of acting like adults. Sort yourselves out and don’t bother me.”

“You shouldn’t be so rude to the combatants.” A voice came from below the center staircase of the ship as a girl with light pink and somewhat spiky hair walked up. She looked slightly nervous but still composed.

“My name is Rubika Quaille, I am an engineer and maintenance worker of this ship, I’ve always had great respect for those who explore the Mistzone, I hope it can be a pleasure working with you!” The girl straightened her back and gave the group a bow, her voice was dripping with seriousness and sincerity.

“Upstairs is the control and navigation rooms-”

“-My room, don’t bother-”

“You shut up!” Rubika snapped at her colleague. “His attitude aside, we as your support staff will be doing our best to control the ship, all of you please focus on your tasks and don’t worry about us.” Her tone returned to her former calmness at the drop of a hat.

“There is also the infirmary upstairs, although I hope you will not be needing it often, please make good use of it. There is storage downstairs, but please make note of the weight guidelines that were handed to you with your Mistwalker acceptance notice.”

“They probably all threw it away-”

The girl looked like she wanted to say (or yell) something at the more jaded pilot, but recomposed herself. “There’s something else…right, the helicopter pad. This is the newest model of Mistzone airship, it took a lot of negotiation with Gerralia and the MAA for them to give us a lot of this stuff, even if it doesn’t look like much.” There was a tinge of sadness in her eyes as she spoke. “About that stuff, we got another onboard expert for it, please ask her about it if you have any questions.”

“Oh, you’re all done? I was just about to speak to all of you about the next step.” Marrianne pushed open the door gently, but not with her arms, instead it was a tendril that came out of the girl’s eye socket. She was carrying a few boxes in her arms and seems to have been using the eye tendril as a third arm. “Oh, don’t mind this. I’ve fought in the Mist before too, it happens. It is what it is.”

“Anyways, take some time to settle in, you can have the rest of the day to organize yourselves and move any stuff you need on the ship, you all still have the weight guidelines we sent, right?” She smiled, but quickly continued: “Just kidding, we didn’t expect anyone to keep it. We’ll know if things are too heavy before taking off. The logistics team is still working on finalizing some of your basic supplies as well, it’ll probably still take a day or so.”

---

Northmound Outpost, Hangar C3 Exterior
[22/09/1035] [1 Day Later]


A notice was posted on the doorframe of the airship.

Hello,

The logistics team is finishing up, in the meantime, can everyone meet in the clearing behind the hangar please?

Feel free to bring all your combat equipment.

-Marrianne. Y, AIMC HR

The clearing behind the hangar was quite large, real estate wasn’t worth much this near the Mistzone. The grey fuzzy fog loomed on the horizon, slightly drifting in the air around, putting a grey film on everything in sight. But that was the norm for AIMC outposts and those who work and live in them, in fact, it was considered a relatively calm day as staff and crew went around without much of a hitch.

Marrianne waited around, it wasn’t her first time doing this…it was her second time. Better than nothing at least. Some cylindrical objects were sitting on the edge of the clearing, different sizes but seemingly all made out of the same material.

“Well well, as you may know, we’re not going to send any team out into the Mistzone without them knowing anything about each other. Know your enemy know yourself and all that. HR says all teams that go out must see each other’s combat techniques in person first, it lowers casualties and shows better results.” The girl shrugged, it was unclear whether she agreed with that or not. “So before we can officially give your squad mission your first in the Mistzone, you should give an official introduction about what you can do and showcase it if possible, on the training dummies.” Marrianne pointed at the cylindrical objects sitting a bit of distance away.

“Any volunteers?”

AIMC TRAINING DUMMY
REGULAR ENEMY

Overview:
A sturdy training dummy used by AIMC combatants to test out and showcase combat techniques.

Stats:
Basic Mobility: ▰▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 1/10
Tangibility Potency: ▰▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 1/10
Physiological Resilience: ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰ 10/10
Abstraction Potency: ▰▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 1/10
Psychological Resilience: ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰ 10/10
Corrosion Resistance: ▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱▱▱ 5/10
Adaptability: ▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱▱▱ 5/10

 

[November Witch]

Tourmaline Lamiaceae

Status: Encouraged, nervous, interested.

Sitting there with the other two women, she was surprised as a third person approached. A young man with blonde hair who immediately questioned her about the traits of her corrosion. However, he seemed to answer his question almost immediately it seemed. Tourmaline let out an amused exhale and shook her head.

“Unfortunately, not yet. I did not know that, you’re correct, it is interesting.”

She would reply to Vargus. It would certainly be quite the interesting trait to have though. Whether it would be useful is another thing entirely. However, Tourmaline was used to living with little, odd corrosions, if it wasn’t blatantly obvious by looking at her.

She’d take notice of the last newcomer who seemed to be the pilot for a helicopter the airship would have at its disposal. That was more than Tourmaline expected to have, but it was a pleasant surprise. The girl also seemed to be proficient with fixing things, the redundancy of having two people who could work on the airship if something went wrong made her feel a little more comfortable. If illness or injury befell one, the other would still be able to help if something went wrong.

“No, it’s fine, don’t worry.”

Tourmaline would wave a hand as the doctor spoke to the boy.

“It’s not a problem, it’s okay.”

She felt like she had overreacted and was now being babied by others. She was an adult. She should be able to handle those who are brash and unabashed. Tourmaline would stand as the talk of a tour came up. Staff in one hand and a suitcase in the other, she’d follow everyone else into the ship, trailing towards the back.

Very quickly, she’d learn this man wasn’t a very good tour guide. While there wasn’t much to show, he wasn’t very enthusiastic or invested. The airship was more or less what Tourmaline had imagined, however, and she was perfectly content with calling this place her home for the foreseeable future. It was then a figure Tourmaline hadn’t seen made an appearance. A Rubika Quaille. She seemed like she would be a much better tour guide. However, this made Tourmaline wonder what Tangram was there for. What exactly was his motivation? She couldn’t exactly tell if he was tired or indifferent towards everything which made it more difficult to judge how he felt about the situation. But Tourmaline figured she would find out at some point.

Marrianne then entered the scene, causing Tourmaline to turn and face her. It would still be roughly a day before they took off? That was a relief. At least she could have some time to get to know everyone.

When the tour was over, Tourmaline would choose one of the small rooms at random. She was the first inside, so she would start to unpack her single suitcase of items and wait. She didn’t really care who her roommate was. But she did hope one of the two who had stopped to comfort her during introductions. Selena or Kythera. Whoever it was though, Tourmaline would spend the rest of the day talking with them and getting to know them, if they reciprocated, of course.

__

The next day, Tourmaline would wake up to the note as she stepped outside, and would notify anyone else who was awake before heading out to the clearing. As the others slowly filtered in, Marrianne would speak up and explain once everyone was present. It made sense, even if Tourmaline’s offensive abilities were lacking, and she wasn’t well versed in that area of encoding, she could give it a try. But she certainly didn’t want to go first.

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Sylvia Gannet - Northmound Outpost, Hangar C3​

"Huh?" Being a little surprised by the gesture, Sylvia's eyes seemed almost normal for a brief few instances, as she simply allowed the petting while opening her case. When the woman finally moved away, her pupils seemed to shrink, and her face took on the aspects of what could be said to be a venomous snake, as plottingly, and even predatorially she watched Selena move away, commenting on how you should not speak about the appearances of another. What was so wrong about her doing that? Either way the Mist would call them all, it was dangerous, to be respected, it was a challenge laid out by cruel gods and none of them would come away unscathed.

Though Sylvia simply wanted to kill these Gods, even if she worshiped the Mist, it was still man's place to push it back and cast it into the fire. It was that, or become one with the Mist forever and always. Going back to what she was doing, Sylvia was distracted by the briefing, letting out a "Heheheh" at the wight allotment and requirements. Mostly as she had most assuredly been one of the more high-end users. Picking the room closest to the tool shop and armory, she didn't much care who she got as a roommate, so long as the food was good, all else didn't matter.

~~~
Northmound Outpost, Hangar C3 Exterior
~~~~
The next day proved much more interesting and in accordance with Sylvia's personality, she and the man in black from yesterday were the most natural candidates to present themselves first, she could tell by his stance and gear that he was a scout. And she was the heavy assaulter, it would only be natural they went first. Clothed from the neck down in black plate armor that had what seemed to be the reflective elements of the official jacket sewn into it, she brandished a large shield with a cutout for a firearm in it, seemingly carrying the heavy weight with little effort. She was strong.

And with a cheery smile, her armor that had what could be red paint, or blood splattered upon it in parts jumped up and waved a hand with great energy. "I'll do it!"

Taking to the field, she trudged along at a decent pace, but likely slower than the vast majority of them, reflecting in her heavy weapons and armor as she decided to pick one dummy and one alone, but for now a proper introduction as it could be termed. Resting the shotgun against her shoulder and the shield to her side, the red eyed girl was quick to speak and get the show on the road. "Hiya! Name's Sylvia Gannet, I'm a close combat specialist, former National Infantry, don't think you can just order me around... hehehe. With my shotgun and armor I can take on a bit of punishment, and I can dish out just as much with my custom shotgun shells and ability to use Pyromancy type spells with my EAD. Though I have a bit of a cheat that I use for that to a point. I put runes over my shield and in some of my shells and empower them as needed for quick use spells, though they all are just destructive blasts! Though I can put down a wall of flame.

Also uh, I really, really, really like mealtimes and good food, I can sew clothes and I'm good with working metal, everything I have was modified or made by me... Oh, yeah, I can carry a lot of weight." Unknown to most of the rest, it was reported and well documented to have a good cook or rations around her as it was one of the few instances that the madness seemed to leave her. She was noted to assault people or things that disrupted it.

"Anyways I only have four ready blasts on the shield, but enough talk, time for a show!"

With those words said, she at once turned and placed her shotgun into the assault hole of the shield, ramming the dummy she picked for her own fury, first the 12-gauge ripped away with 00 buckshot ripped into the cylinder form, with semiautomatic fire, she fired two more rounds in before sling the axe blade bayonet with enough force to cause the thud that echoed to those present. Finishing it off a ball of fire formed as the EAD resting on her side glowed dimly, causing the rune to fire off, engulfing it in flame, as she could be heard laughing. Before finally walking off, for the next in line to take her place and true enough it was the Man in Black...

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[RedArmyShogun]

Gene Bennet- Northmound Outpost, Hangar C3​

With the basic introductions turning into a tour, the black suited man was all too happy to continue with the tour, though he didn't much how carefree the man was being, the woman seemed up to snuff, the final woman, well, he wasn't sure what to make of her, she wasn't as lax as the man, but lacked the bearing of the other woman on the crew... Three people running this airship? Well, it would have to be enough, Tangram, Rubika and Marrianne. He would remember these names, and the directions they gave. Though, there really wasn't much on the airship to see. The only sections they didn't see were those they had no business in.

~~~
Northmound Outpost, Hangar C3 Exterior
~~~~
The following day, Gene was unlike before he now donned a black jumpsuit, tactical pads, magazine pouches, a helmet with integrated gasmask, IR lenses, and assorted other gear and kit, so well versed in its use and pack away, that not a sound emanated as he moved up in the line. Glancing briefly at his fellows a bulky pistol, a combat knife and a MP5 were all upon his person with a few flashbang grenades. At the offer to step up, he was already moving but halted as the girl in heavy armor took all eyes upon herself, advancing with a showy display that spoke of raw power, she might be useful if she could be trusted to be sensible. Though that might be harder than implied.

With her use of fire and the 12-gauge, Gene made sure to be the next up, turning back to face the others as he made his way out onto the field, he decided to speak to the others, much like the wild one from before. "Gene Bennet, specializing in unconventional warfare, assault tactics, recon and improvisation. I like to learn skills and useful ideas from others. I'm the oldest person here it seems at 32. I have had 14 years of combat experience in the mist. I want to see us all coming out of this alive and with..." A pause as his filtered voice pauses, his unseen eyes looking at some of them. "...what sanity we can preserve. The only interests I have is in killing Antiquities, pushing this Mist back and exploring it. I did not sign up for suicide. This mission I wouldn't do if I felt it had no hope. I hope you all can feel the same.

In addition, I operate with light weapons, my talents lie more in surviving in the mists, do not expect much out of me in terms of pure firepower, the only other thing I bring to the table is I know how to scavenge the New Mistzones for supplies, hopefully that beyond I can do the same."

With that he stepped forward, slapping the bolt of his SMG into firing position, the man in black was quick footed, easily among the fastest on the team, it seemed age hadn't slowed him down at all, though 32 was still young physically, with expert precession he ran towards one of the cylinders stopping a good deal away from as close and personal as the shotgunner had. Firing in short, constrained bursts. All shots hitting center mass with tight groupings, with no deviation outside of 4 inches, even while on the move and firing from different positions, when the magazine was empty he quickly switched to the older "Blaster" pistol at his side, sending a couple heavy Plasma bolts, with much the same accuracy, though it was clear the light firepower of both weapons the sheer volume of fire and accuracy were tantamount to how he fought. Pulling out his knife, he didn't bother to go up to the cylinder but turned around to show a few of his attacks and stances, before flipping the knife upwards, catching and sheathing it.

With that he turned to leave, letting the next take the field.

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