Active [Widersia - Clockhaven] Meetin’ the technician n the stage crew!: creator’s trials II

[DarkKitsune]

OOC STUFF:
This roleplay is a part of the Isekai hell hosted projects! If you are interested in learning more click here! Posts for this rp will be every thursday MST time (narrator’s timezone) advanced rules will be loosely in play. Aim is to keep this roleplay no longer than two months long. This roleplay is a part two to this one!

Character goals:
DarkKitsune Keircey: get rid of wanted status
Megilagor Yuze “Yufi” Fujiyo: get rid of wanted status
Maxxob Koralia ironjaw: find some food
Lolory Kuro Nekomata: make new friends
Elijay Mary: gather some adventuring experience
Crescent King Amelia Vancrest: investigate and learn more about constructs

COMMUNICATION IS ENCOURAGED​

—

​

By the time the party had moved from the workshop to the studio, the sun had begun to set over Clockhaven, its orange and pink hues casting lively shades upon Clockhaven, the studio looked basic and nearly empty its square-shaped windows on the inside had red curtains, the glass glistening with light and shadows. Unlike the workshop, it was in decent condition not in tip-top shape regardless it wasn’t nearly as mangled. The steel door was sealed shut behind some kind of mechanism. In the window a tiny construct, roughly about two to three inches in height clawed at the window with scissor-sharp clawed fingers. The construct looked like it could’ve been pure white once upon a time, yet as it was the construct was covered in rust, dirt, grime, and red stains. It didn’t take long for the construct to jump off of the window seal into the building with a quiet thud.

Keircey watched the scene only ever slightly unamused, “Yeah that would be one of the stage crew, wherever Roy goes they are always sure to follow”

He eyed the building cautiously then looked around, just in the case of one of the Roze Trifecta making another appearance since he was half sure their two knights drowned in the flood.

“Hmmm. I wonder if we’ll get some new people taking up the job late, anyways we all seemed to have found something back at the workshop. Now would be the time to shuffle through it I believe before going in.”

Keircey dipped into his pockets, his feet and pants were still wet, but fortunately, he had a change of clothes for when he needed it later. But was later and water wasn’t a real concern even if it was annoying. He took out a wrench-shaped key and the bloodstained Roze Trifecta Insignia and showed it to Kuro and Koralia.

“Yufi was able to grab more, I would’ve been able to pick up a shield on the way out if I had been designed to carry heavy objects. Circe dropped the key on her way down into the water, the insignia I found when walking into his quarters.”​

 

[Crescent King]

Amelia Vancrest




The trip from the Eastern Empire had taken her quite awhile and she was indeed late, having accepted the job from the Windersian Adventurers Guild when she arrived. Investigating a workshop seemed like an ideal place for her to gather intelligence on constructs. The number of constructs in the East Empire was quite staggering and should an uprising happen, well, it's best to know thy enemy.

Upon arrival she saw the group standing outside the second building looking worse for wear after their previous endeavor. As she approached the group she overheard Keircey speaking of the insignia and a key, items that were probably important to the mission. Amelia stepped toward the group to offer an introduction.

“I apologize for arriving late. The trip here was longer than anticipated. You may call me Amelia and I look forward to working with you all.”

She kept a neutral expression and she glanced between all the different members of the group with ruby eyes, maintaining an air of composure despite the discomfort of working with non-humans. Amelia was way outside her comfort zone being this far from home, but she had a mission to complete and Keircey was the perfect target of an interrogation.

 

[Elijay]

Mary

​

Mary dragged her feet as she made her way to the supposed location written on the request she had taken from the Widersian adventurer’s guild. She had spent a good majority of the time thus far reconsidering the request. After all, it could be dangerous! Who knew what dangers lurked in the mysterious workshop they had been sent to investigate? There could be horrifying traps being laid at every corner, or maybe even bad guys hiding in that abandoned place. The fear was enough to make her turn back multiple times, but every time she did she remembered that the guild members would probably laugh at her for turning back this early, and that was even more humiliating.

Furthermore, she had to do this. It was for the sake of getting stronger in this dangerous world, for her own survival. She remembered her first adventure when she got beaten up by a bunch of low level slimes. It taught her that this world was ruthless, and that she was weak! This resolve was what kept her going, although she was reluctant.

At last, Mary arrived at the scene, spotting the group outside the second building. Their weathered appearance hinted at the perils they had already faced. Mary hesitated for a moment as her nerves threatened to take over, but she forced herself to move forward.

Clutching the strap of her bag like a lifeline, she kept her gaze mostly on the ground, occasionally darting glances at the others as she spoke in a small, shaky voice.

“Uh… uhm… h-hello. I’m Mary. Sorry for being so late—I, uh, got a little lost,” she stammered, her face turning a deep shade of pink. “Th-this is only my second quest, so I’m still trying to, um, figure things out. I’ll try my best to help… even though I’m not very good at anything in particular yet.”

Her voice wavered, and she fidgeted nervously, half-expecting someone to dismiss her on the spot. Well, even if they did, at least she had an excuse for going home early, right?

 

[Megilagor]

Yuze "Yufi" Fujiyo​

Languages: Common | [Terran]
Mention: DarkKitsune , Elijay , Crescent King , Maxxob , Lolory

"Hmm. I found a journal of Diago's, I didn't exactly read it more like skimmed it but there were mentions of the Roze Trifecta in it, so it might be useful, as well as some blueprint that was hidden in the back of the wardrobe, though I'm not tech savvy enough to understand any of it so if you could Keircey take a look at it, it would be great."
Yufi exclaimed grabbing the rolled-up blueprint and handing it to Keircey for him to appraise it, as she took a good look at the sword she picked up from the ground back there that had writing in Terran, she didn't really have the time to read it on the move, but now they did have a bit of time.

"The insignia is of the Roze Trifecta, a nasty bunch formed from corrupt knights, a merchant family and a noble family. And if you are wondering how I know of them. Well a part of it wants me dead, the other part wants me alive since their young master fell in love in me... And as you can see I want nothing to do with them. Though I am wondering how Diago got involved with them, though I know they had some agreement between them." Yufi said partially sighing when she mentioned how she was involved with the trifecta, it seemed some family trauma, followed her even to this new life made her shudder a bit, but she hoped the luck of finding a new better family would follow her as well soon enough.

When two new people arrived Yufi took a gander at them, taking a small break from reading what was written on that sword blade. From a quick look, Yufi felt she wouldn't like working with Amelia, something about her just picked Yufi the wrong way, Mary on the other hand. Yufi could work with that, sure she was a bundle of nerves right now but at least Yufi didn't feel that ick from her the same way she felt when looking at Amelia.
"Welcome you two! I'm Yufi. This is Keircey, if you want to talk to someone I consider the boss on this quest then it's him. He knows more than me anyway."
Upon those words Yufi returned to reading the words from the sword she picked up, if Keircey was interested in them back then, then they should be worth something for this, at least she hoped they were worth something.

 

[Crescent King]

DarkKitsune
Elijay
Megilagor

Amelia Vancrest


“A pleasure, to you all.”

She was surprised to see such a meek individual joining them for a mission, wondering what could bring such a person to a dangerous line of work such as this. Talk of someone named Diago and a group called the Roze Trifecta excited her interest, but the blueprints caught her undivided attention.

Amelia watched as the blueprints were about to be passed to Keircey and her curiosity got the better of her, a quick hand reaching forth and snatching them away. Though the movement was abrupt and swift she took extra care not to tear them, wanting only to see if they may be of some help to her mission.

“Quite interesting.”

She spoke softly as she looked over the blueprints multiple times, turning the page in multiple directions trying to make out what they were for. She was not the most technically inclined individual, but she could probably make out the overall design and use of whatever they were for. She rolled the prints back up and offered them to Keircey once she was finished, looking toward the door of the workshop before asking him a question.

“Seems you are the squad leader, and have already been through one building. What do you expect to find inside this one?”

 

[Elijay]

Mary

Megilagor DarkKitsune Crescent King​

Mary fidgeted nervously as she stood with the group. The woman who introduced herself as Yufi seemed confident—intimidatingly so—but her warm welcome helped ease Mary’s initial anxiety, if only slightly.

“Um… n-nice to meet you, Yufi,” Mary murmured. Her gaze darted to Keircey briefly before quickly dropping back to the ground. “I’ll… do my best to not be a burden to you all.”

The timid girl blinked in surprise as the blueprints were swiftly snatched up by the woman who introduced herself earlier as Amelia. Her eyes flicked toward her, and for a moment, Mary couldn’t help but take in the woman’s striking, almost otherworldly appearance. Her skin, eyes and hair were all coloured red, as if she had just bathed in blood. Mary swallowed hard, her grip tightening instinctively on the strap of her bag. What was such a scary person doing here? Or heck… was she even a human to begin with? The thoughts sent a chill down Mary’s spine. Maybe she’s a demon…?

Quickly averting her gaze back to the ground, Mary tried to shake off the unsettling thoughts. There was no way she could be a demon... Otherwise, she would have been caught by the guards or something earlier. Right, Mary had nothing to be afraid of.

As Amelia inspected the blueprints and began questioning Keircey, Mary shifted her weight nervously. The mention of the Roze Trifecta still lingered in her mind, filling her with unease. She had heard whispers of dangerous groups like that before but never imagined she’d be anywhere near one, let alone involved in something related to them.

Her eyes drifted to Yufi, who had been studying a sword for some time now. Curiosity bubbled to the surface, momentarily pushing aside her nerves. Taking a small step forward, Mary hesitantly broke the silence.

“Th-that sword… It looks important. Is it, um, from the workshop? Or… related to this quest somehow?” She asked, while tilting her head slightly.

 

[Maxxob]

Koralia Ironjaw

​

Languages: "Common", "(Bestial)"
[Beastkin], [Native], [Thoroughly Petted], [Baby Eater] - Color #876fd6
Elijay DarkKitsune Crescent King Megilagor
Koralia’s eyes narrowed, every so slightly, while she looked at the studio. She didn’t particularly mind the mess which the workshop had been in, but she assumed that this new place would, at very least, having some better internal lightning or, at least, that is what she hoped for. She wasn’t a fan of working in the dark.

Shifting on her feet, the shark woman’s attention was drawn towards items produced by Keircey, her head tilting slightly as she gazed upon them. “Mmmm~, Mmmmph!” The mercenary said, or better, mumbled, as she held a metallic leg tightly on her jaw. She munched and munched on the metal-made appendage, oil spilling towards the ground every so often. Until she, herself, also started rummaging inside the side-pocket of her pants.

Eventually, she would find the key she obtained after beating Cyrus’ ass. Presenting it, she would offer it to Keircey. “Mmmph! Oomph!” She mumbled once more, followed by a crunching of metal between her lips, making the whole leg fall off towards the ground, bursting oil around with a resounding thud. Wiping the oil off her lips with the sleeve of her shirt, her attention shifted towards Yufi. “So, these Roze Trifecta, are they… ya know… not made of metal?” Her tone held a small hope, a small hope for delicious organics to sink her teeth on.

That was when two new faces arrived. Turning towards them, Zweihänder resting over her shoulder, she looked at both with a critical eye, eyeing them from head to toe. The shark couldn’t help but flash an oil-stained grin as she listened to the stammering-filled introduction that came from Mary. Interesting…

“Pleasure to meet ya both. Name’s Koralia Ironjaw.” Her introduction was accompanied by a wink, wondering if these two would fare better than Lord Kuro.

 

[DarkKitsune]

​

At the newcomers, Keircey nodded both humans he should’ve expected that, with it being Widersia despite most of its population being constructs when it came to adventurers humans or fae were the most common. They had more freedom in the nation, technically beastmen like Kuro and Koralia did as well but beastkin visitors were a rarity due to their distaste of how Widersia. For the most part anyway.

“Pleasure to meet you Both, Amelia and Mary my name is Keircey.”

If he was the ‘leader’ as Yufi claimed him to be, which he could only assume would be based on the fact he knew more than he supposed it was also his job to keep the mission as organized as possible. He told Yufi.

“Seems like we should read the journal and the blue print more before going inside, Yufi could you read the Journal?”

He asked, he didn’t want it to be handed to him because when Yufi tried to hand him the blueprint Amelia decided to just snatch it, if the woman hadn’t been a part of the party she would’ve been eligible for a thieve title. Regardless he answered Amelia’s question.

“According to the job it calls for a simple investigation, though it is more likely to be a trap more than anything. Assuming the ‘investigation’ portion has any merit at the end goal then we geab whatever sticks out and may help either provide more information or come in use by the time we visit the next building on the list. Now…”

He answered grabbing the blueprint from Amelia.

“Please refrain from taking things, one of the reasons we are grouped up is to share information amongst each other before going in and having to deal with one of my ‘brother’s’ and…whatever neutral term you’d have for what a human may consider as his ‘children’ alright?”

He requested, as he read the blueprint which was written in Analog.

“curse my lack of knowledge over mechanics. I know what it says though not what it means. I assume it’s mechanical stuff…the only one taught how to read these things was Roy. maybe if we can get him to be cooperative…on to the point what I can understand is that it shows the make up of the constructs for the Band Project. At least it seems to be naming stuff like materials, gears and things”

Keircey then answered Mary’s question as well as provided some reassurance.

“You won’t be useless Mary, even then we won’t be splitting up. The studio never split into different pathways Which had been the case for the workshop, if it is any consolation you have backup. As for the sword…it seems relevant yes it belonged to the Roze Trifecta members…which Yufi would you mind translating it now that we have a little bit of time?”

Keircey was disturbed by Koralia eating Cyrus right in front of him. Not that Cyrus hadn’t deserved it, if anything it was karma for the few times Cyrus did things that got Keircey dismantled and put back together.

“From what I saw the two Roze Trifecta members that attacked us were human, not sure if that is a good ratio though.”

—

Maxxob Megilagor Lolory Elijay Crescent King

​

 

[Elijay]

Mary

Megilagor DarkKitsune Crescent King Maxxob​

Mary flinched as the shark woman, Koralia, turned her sharp, scrutinizing gaze her way. The oil-stained grin and the massive zweihänder resting on her shoulder gave her an air of raw intimidation that sent a shiver down Mary’s spine. She shuffled nervously, her eyes darting to the ground to avoid meeting Koralia’s piercing stare.

“U-uh, n-nice to meet you, Koralia,” Mary stammered, giving a small, awkward bow. Her voice was barely audible, with the nervous energy bubbling within her. “P-please don’t eat me... I’m really, uh, not worth it—mostly bone and not much meat. Probably tastes awful.”

Her gaze flickered to the metal leg Koralia had been chewing on moments before. The sight of oil pooling on the ground and dripping from Koralia’s sleeve made Mary’s stomach churn, and she quickly averted her eyes, afraid her discomfort might show.

Meanwhile Keircey addressed the group, and also reassured Mary that she won’t be alone in this adventure. Mary nodded meekly.

“R-right… I’ll be counting on you all then,” she murmured softly, casting a quick glance around the group. But the anxiety wouldn’t leave her. Between Koralia’s unnervingly sharp grin, Amelia’s bloody appearance, and Keircey’s talk of walking into a trap, Mary couldn’t shake the growing sense of doom. What if this studio held horrors worse than anything she’d imagined?

The thought spiraled in her mind, conjuring vivid images of Koralia deciding she did look like a snack, or Amelia slicing her apart just for practice. Heck, maybe they’d even team up to share a good meal together! And the trap Keircey mentioned? Who’d be dumb enough to walk into a trap? Don’t people usually run away or something?

Fidgeting on her feet, Mary forced herself to take a deep breath. She had to stay calm—or as calm as she could manage. Whatever awaited them inside the studio, she’d just have to hope she could come out in one piece.

 

[Crescent King]

Amelia Vancrest


She listened intently as Keircey went over the information for the job. She had skimmed the posting but didn't really take any of it in, preferring a more hands in approach when it came to gathering Intel. Amelia nodded when he spoke of not taking things, almost raising her hand to salute before stopping herself midway and pretending to brush her hair back.

“Yes sir. I will keep cooperation in mind as we continue our mission. Since we know it's likely a trap that should make it easier to avoid any unnecessary complications.

Amelia looked toward Koralia as the beast munched in what appeared to be a robotic limb, her face twisting in disgust for a moment before returning to a neutral expression. As she scanned about the area she couldn't help but feel the fear oozing off Mary and thought she might try to console her in some way.

“Worry not little girl, I will not let harm befall you while I am still standing. Just stay close to me.”

Amelia cast a dry smile, a poor attempt to seem more personable. She would then turn her attention back to Keircey waiting for further instructions from their leader.

 

[Megilagor]

Yuze "Yufi" Fujiyo​

Languages: Common | [Terran]
Mention: DarkKitsune , Elijay , Crescent King , Maxxob , Lolory

"Will do so boss after I finish reading the sword." Yufi responded with a smile on her face, sure she might have called Keircey as the boss as a joke but she did not expect him to actually take the role and perform it, but it did put her mind at ease that he was leading them, and not someone else, he knew the places and the man more than any of them.
It took Yufi a bit to actually read the words chiseled onto the sword due to its poor state but finally she managed to read it so she reported it, then she stabbed the sword into the ground so that if someone wanted it they could take it since even for her the sword was a bit heavy.
"It might be crudely chiseled on the sword but it roughly translates to 'property of Roze Trifecta manufactured by Diago Luniary' so he not only researched for them but also made them weapons... Do you think he made constructs like for them?"
At Koralia's question and Keirceys slightly wrong information Yufi spoke up, answering the question and slightly correcting Keirceys information. She then took out the journal out of her shirt and started reading it, at first slowly but she was picking up speed.
"From what I remember from my past interactions with the Trifecta, if you divide their forces into 6 parts, then 3 of them will be human, 2 of them beast-man, and 1 of them some kind of fey but usually dark elves or similar."

When Mary seemed distressed about Koralia Yufi tried to ease her nerves though how that ended up sounding more like a warning to be good rather than bad just escaped her mind entirely.
"Don't worry about Koralia, Mary. Koralia only eats bad people, or bad constructs in this case."
All this time Yufi was reading the journal she picked up, albeit at her fastest pace sometimes skipping a word or two just to keep a fast pace to read most of it or enough of it to have caught something that might be useful either for Keirceys, her owns or their current situation.

 

[Maxxob]

Koralia Ironjaw

​

Languages: "Common", "(Bestial)"
[Beastkin], [Native], [Thoroughly Petted], [Baby Eater] - Color #876fd6

Elijay DarkKitsune Crescent King Megilagor

The meekness that came from Mary struck a chord with Koralia, probably because of her predatory instincts which ended up seeing the girl as just a small, frightened animal. Her eyes narrowed even further, tongue quickly darting from side-to-side of her wide lips to wet them. “Don’t ya worry, girly. If I decide to eat ya, I will eat ya up instead. It is a unique experience, I tell ya that much.” Those words were accompanied by a sinful smile, which by itself told much. Her gaze shifted towards Amelia, who had been quick to step up. “Don’t mind ya joinin’. The more, the merrier.” Winking, her attention shifted to Keircey and then to Yufi.

“Good, good! I got no problem eatin’ metal, but ain’t as good as meat, I can tell ya that!” She said, in a boisterous and amused tone, after learning about the Roze Trifecta’s composition. Eating too much metal gave her quite a bit of a heartburn. Hearing more about Diago’s connection to the mentioned group, the shark lady approached the sword, which had been firmly sheathed into the ground.

“So, your ‘old man’ is also a weapon maker?” She asked Keircey, supposing the engineer/inventor had created the instruments/weapons which Cyrus had used. Circling the sword, she began looking at it more carefully, trying to analyze how good it appeared to be, positioning her own Zweihänder at its side to compare both. “Seems like we will have quite the company…” Muttering, she flashed a large grin. The prospect of a dangerous encounter, with Diago, his constructs and the Roze Trifecta spur her own. What else there was to life than a good battle, food and lascivious fun?

Taking a few steps back, she raised and let the blade of her sword rest over her shoulder once more, nodding slowly as Yufi reassured that the shark wasn’t hungry for her comrades. At least, not in a lethal way, from the sly expression on Koralia’s face which she didn’t even attempt to hide.

 

[DarkKitsune]

“Don’t worry Mary, Koralia might be a little intimidating with her eating habits but she doesn’t eat everyone and thing, I assume she mainly eats those who attack her…I think…that’s the logic I’ve seen thus far. Just like Yufi said.”

He answered taking the folders from Kuro who now left, probably unbeknownst to Keircey to work with her uncle or as far as he knew for some reason or other wasn’t able to stick around. He observed the names. He told Amelia.

“No need for all the sir stuff…that kinda thing for constructs is…complicated. Just use Keircey, besides you’ll be playing just as much of a part as I. The only advantage I have is having been in these places a time prior.”

It was true through technicality gender-related terms and such were not exactly straightforward for constructs that were purely artificial…but most importantly being called ‘Sir’ was just the strangest for him, and likely would be for any other construct since most were used or seen as ‘lower’ beings. It would’ve also likely been better received if he didn’t have negative connotations with the word. He also nodded at her proclamation.

“Same here, I’ll keep you safe from harm if any. Even if I wasn’t designed for combat it doesn’t stop me from being capable of magic usage. Though fights are less likely and if they happen they are more likely to happen from the stage crew. Last I recall there were roughly forty or fifty of them. That doesn’t take in the fact Roy probably built more in the time I was gone. If it makes you feel better they are about two-three inches tall.”

What Keircey didn’t mention was that the Stage crew mini-bots worked in packs, and likely also attacked like such as well. He wasn’t 100% and the poor girl was terrified of the idea enough as it was. As Yufi reported he answered.

“Oh damnit. Of course, he made weapons for them…why wouldn’t he? He had to get funding from somewhere I guess. Making constructs for them…that’s very painful most likely. He’s an engineer, an inventor, even if psychotic at heart…although I think any construct has more of a heart than he ever does or will. Considering we don’t have fleshy organs I think that would speak volumes. He’s always been far too dedicated in his work…under other cases that may have been Admirable. But not in this one.”

He then nodded at Koralia’s words.

“Well, you seem to stomach metal well enough, which…even if I’m weirded out..it did prevent the likelihood of another Cyrus showing up. From what I understood it’s more difficult starting from scratch than it is with repairs so props to you. I suppose”

He nodded again.

“Also yes, tinkering encompasses a lot more than making constructs, although he typically added his own flare to weapons he made so it is strange unless the trifecta specifically requested he make them less mechanical”

He hummed as he looked At the folders. He held up a purple one.

“A file on me.”

He promptly handed the purple folder to Yufi.

“There is not gonna be a chance we’ll see Cyrus again, however given the unique nature of how he and Circe were made maybe it could help with Circe if she is repaired”

He spoke handing the blue file that had Cyrus’s name on it to Koralia.

“Since Roy is the friendliest I’ll hand this to Mary.”

He handed the white file to Mary.

“The red folder seems to be on Lorelai who is the most dangerous I’ll give it to Amelia. Be careful with it you never know when these could come in handy.”

He answered handing Amelia the Red folder.

“And I’ll keep the folder with Circe’s name on it for myself. Now, let’s go I suppose…make sure not to lose these folders now, you may read them when you feel it’ll help. Now let’s go nothing will get done if we stand around like this all day.”

He guides the others to the front steel door. He pressed a red button on the side of it under, an odd black circular gadget on the wall. He blinked a few times before saying in a sing-song voice, that bordered more the lines of a song. [Performance [F] singing]
“Singer prototype 09B Keircey attempt #14”

Once he was done the door slid open with a creaking nose.

“Stay close to me.”

He told the rest of the group walking in. It was just a straight hallway that loomed forward, lights located on the ceiling still on and functional. The sound of metal against metal was heard getting closer to the party, and then Keircey felt a simulated minor jolt of pain he looked down. It was one of the stage crew, the small bot stopped tilted it’s head, reaching up with a tiny arm and bladed hand to grab onto Keircey’s, pulling him forward a little bit, yet didn’t drag him doen the hall although it could’ve with the strength displayed.

“Are you wanting us to follow you?”

It shook It’s head ‘no’.

“Are you wanting me to follow?”

It nodded it’s head ‘yes’.

“No can do, I’m not walking in alone.”

Its shoulders slumped down as if disappointed.

“…are you pouting?” Keircey asked.

Maxxob Megilagor Elijay Crescent King

Spoiler: Players Note:

For those who missed it Lory has left the roleplay.

 

[Crescent King]

Amelia was perplexed by Keircey's statement and gave a gentle nod, taking mental notes of their conversation. She hasn't had any dealings with constructs in the past, so this was new territory. Her handlers at the orphanage were all humans from the military, and not referring to them as sir was considered insubordination.

“Yes, Keircey.”

As instructions were given and folders handed out she took her red one, a fitting color it seemed, and tucked it in the waistband of her pants in the small of her back to keep her hands free before pulling her shirt down over the folder for safe keeping.

She watched as Keircey approached the door and did what needed to be done to open it. Amelia waited for the other to enter and hung back for a moment so they might not hear her speak as she clasped her hands together in prayer.

“O Lord of War, O Hand of Might,
Bless me now, as I enter the fight.
In the chaos of battle, let my heart remain true,
Grant me the strength to see this through.”

She entered the building to see a little stage bot grabbing hold of Keircey and several thoughts went through her mind. She opted to see what came in the situation instead of attempting to punt the little bot, not wishing to cause the party any issues this early on.

 

[Maxxob]

Koralia Ironjaw

​

Languages: "Common", "(Bestial)"
[Beastkin], [Native], [Thoroughly Petted], [Baby Eater] - Color #876fd6

Elijay DarkKitsune Crescent King Megilagor

The shark woman gave a wide, prideful grin, having her metal-eating capabilities praised by Keircey. She didn’t remember another time in which her voracious appetite, that didn’t really spare even inorganic creatures, was actually congratulated. “Don’t mention it, I was just pretty hungry.” By her tone, it was clear she was in high spirits. She would then nod, attentively, as the construct continued, commenting about his designer capabilities.

Her big, four-fingered right hand would grab the blue file given by Keircey, eyebrows furrowing slightly seeing that it had Cyrus’, her previous snack, name on it. “I see…” The mercenary would try to take a peek inside the pages. And, as her eyes scanned its contents, she would realize that it was a bit too advanced for her bestial mind, at least for the moment. She wasn’t, after all, the sharpest knife in the drawer. “... well, if this Circe has been repaired, let’s see how she handles the same bashin’ I gave the other one.” Brimming with confidence, and possibly to her detriment, there wasn’t a single problem she didn’t think it was solvable by uncensored, raw violence.

As soon as the door opened, Koralia instinctively assumed a more aggressive stance: back hunched slightly, upper-muscles bulging against her clothes, which became slightly constricting. Her attention shifted immediately towards the little metallic-runt. “Heh! Looks like the smallest one of a litter!” She smiled, approaching the minuscule bot and poking with her leather boot. “What ya want with Keircey? We are busy, ain’t got no time to play round with ya.” Her tone was dismissive, accompanied by a loud click of her tongue. “Think the little tin-can is tryin’ to get ya to a trap?” Her mind zeroed quickly in the worst of possibilities.

Spoiler: Extra items

Blue file on Cyrus

 

[Elijay]

Mary

Megilagor DarkKitsune Crescent King Maxxob​

Mary flinched slightly when Amelia spoke, glancing up at the blood-red woman’s dry smile. She then mustered a small nod. Maybe this strangely red person wasn’t all that bad after all, and she shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

“O-okay… I’ll be counting on you then.” she murmured, though her voice wavered with uncertainty.

Yufi and Keircey’s attempt to comfort her from Koralia did little to ease her nerves, especially with the ominous undertone of how the shark lady “only eats bad people…or bad constructs.” So the shark lady did eat humans after all! Mary shot a quick, wide-eyed glance at Koralia, who seemed far too entertained by the situation. The shark-like woman’s teasing only made things worse.

Koralia’s comment about “eating her up” was accompanied by a grin that sent a chill down Mary’s spine. Her face paled, and she unconsciously took a step back, fumbling for words.

“N-no… p-pleathe spare me…” she stammered, her voice nearly a squeak as she bit her tongue. It wasn’t as if she could resist if the shark did intend to eat her up anyways.

Keircey then moved the conversation to the tiny, two-inch-tall robots, helping pull Mary slightly out of her panic spiral. She blinked in confusion at the idea of such small enemies. Maybe she could actually be useful this time, if their size was an indicator of their strength. Then, Keircey handed her a white file, Mary hesitated, glancing between him and the folder in her hands.

Did Keircey really trust her with the white file? I mean, she was weak and frail and a total newbie! What if she lost it, or accidentally tore it up in battle, or, or…

Mary continued hovering nervously near the back of the group as they approached the steel door. She then followed as the others led the way in. Her heart raced, and she tensed up when a small bot appeared and grabbed onto Keircey.

She watched the tiny construct as it tilted its head and gesture at Keircey with its tiny, bladed arm. The bot’s movements were eerily expressive, and when it slumped its shoulders as if pouting. For now, it was best to let the other capable members handle this strange robot.

 

[Megilagor]

Yuze "Yufi" Fujiyo​

Languages: Common | [Terran]
Mention: DarkKitsune , Elijay , Crescent King , Maxxob

"So a psychotic workaholic. Yeah, that checks out." Yufi commented on Diago again based on Keircey's comment.
"I mean it is a weirdly heavy sword compared to its size, so either they asked for something extra sturdy or there is something hidden inside it." Yufi added remembering how a sword this size should not be that heavy.

As Keircey gave Yufi a purple folder, one about him no less she didn't dare open it, he was a friend even though she only met him on this job, but looking through his private information even if it was written by Diago was not something she wished to do, so she simply hid the folder on herself with the thought of giving it back to him after this mission ends.

"Quite futuristic, even for Widersia I have to say." Yufi commented on seeing the front of the building and how its doors just slid open after Keircey input the necessary password. Yufi entered the building shortly after Keircey, keeping herself off to his side if not just behind him.

"A cute little bugger. Do you think Diago named him Stabby?" Yufi partially complimented and joked about the small construct that wanted to get Keircey's attention and to have him follow it. "I mean we don't know if it is a trap or not, we can still follow it but from a distance to see if it is." Yufi said trying to secure some kind of plan here in this situation.

 

[DarkKitsune]

The little construct shouted

%oh come on!%

But to the members of the party who didn’t know Analog it sounded like a series of beeps and bops. It’s eyes flickered yellow and orange as it made those noises. Keircey in turned told it.

%Roy programmed you to speak?%

Keircey questioned.

%just analog% was what he was told in return.

Noises echoed through the hall, the sounds of metallic clashing, though it was only a distnce away in the reality of things. For a moment the small bots eyes went dim and it’s body hung lifelessly with the bladed fingers clutched around Keircey’s index finger.

“Going to be honest I wasn’t expecting him to be programmed to know analog, Roy didn’t do that before…I wonder how much changed.” He mentioned before asking Mary “can you please read the file? It might have more updated information.”

He turned to Koralia, “that’s the thing, they aren’t specialized in combat though they could probably inflict paper cuts with their finger. They were designed for making props, costumes and the like. Helping set up state. But puzzles have always been their shtick. As for the trap thing that sums up these jobs in a nut shell..except I am looking to get rid of Diago. He has a bounty on my head at the moment. So put myself where he wants me I can trick him myself..hopefully.”

He laughed at Yufi’s question. “Maybe if Diago made them he would’ve. But last I saw Roy never named the members of the stage crew he called them by serial numbers. And Roy is after all the creator of ‘Stabby’ and the other mini stagecrew bots.”

He nodded. “That was the intention. Diago was obsessed with the entertainment they had in the Duchy. So he made his own band project attempted to reinvent it or whatever with his own creations. Despite his failure to make me…thirteen times. I’m the fourteenth and only active attempt at a singer bot. Which is one of the reasons at least that he has been reluctant to let me go.”

He then made a request for Koralia.

“Please keep a distance from Mary, so she knows you have no ill intent. She seems a little scared.”

He would attempt to confront her.

“You know Mary this has been going better then my first adventure.. It was in Ryke and the goal was to get this artifact for a scholar at one of those Ryken academies. Anyway one of the team members lit themselves on fire and would later burn down half the village. We didn’t even leave the first stop. Funny to think back on it but horrible to experience. But experience is a funny thing. You live and you learn…I guess that applies to artifical life. Just like it does to organics. Try to be confident whatever skills you have surely can’t be worse then that one mage that got most of the party arrested,”

He tried to tell it like a funny story—it didn’t feel funny but he could at least attempt to make her laugh. Even if was capable of [empathy] though he always felt incredibly distance so there was no telling how that would work. The bot rebooted then spoke.

%I have been permitted to lead you and your friends to Roy #2%

%then let go of my finger and lead the way…as long as he doesn’t intend to hurt them% Keircey answered.

It tilted his head and answered %watchful eyes don’t tell eyes. Things have changed since you left the message in need of conveying will show itself as we continue%

Keircey blinked. And spoke to the rest of the party in common. “Okay…that was a riddle.”

With that the bot would lead them down the hall way, they passed various rooms until they walked over a metal pad. %hold on% it was a warning before it opened beneath the party into a free fall. Everyone smacked face first into a pit of cotton.

“…t h a t. Wasn’t a riddle. That’s new.”

—
Megilagor Elijay Maxxob Crescent King
Language keys:
“Common” %analog​

 

[Crescent King]

Being unable to understand the little bot made Amelia feel uneasy about the current situation. Still she followed everyone as they made their way into the building further until they stopped and the floor suddenly gave way. After standing and brushing herself off Amelia offered a hand to Mary to help her get up. “Seems knowing it was a trap didn't help us avoid it.”

Amelia would pick up a piece of what they landed in and examine it, throwing it over her shoulder with a shrug. “I wonder where all this cotton came from.” Amelia stepped away from the group and began looking around the room, hoping there would be a way out or some kind of clue to lead them out of this situation.

She ran her hand across the walls looking for a seam of crack perhaps, maybe even a door of some kind. Wading through a pit of cotton was a lot more troublesome than one might expect, making the process slower than normal. “Mind if I ask you a question Keircey?” Amelia wouldn't wait for an answer before asking, not wanting to give them a chance to say no. “I noticed you respond to things like touch and pain. What purpose does that serve for a construct? Why would something that is akin to a tool or source of entertainment need to feel?”

DarkKitsune Maxxob Elijay Megilagor

 

[Megilagor]

Yuze "Yufi" Fujiyo​

Languages: Common | [Terran]
Mention: DarkKitsune , Elijay , Crescent King , Maxxob

"I mean they need to communicate somehow don't they." Yufi said, that anything that was supposed to do any job that included anything should be able to speak, after all, if it can't speak how could it confirm it got the instructions correctly?

As Keircey began to walk following the bot she followed him, eventually having a pit opened under her and having her fall deep down some hole onto a pit of cotton. As she was falling Yufi was calm, comically calm at that as she began to turn and move as she fell making various poses, just for the sake of a joke really. But if she was meant to die in this hole at least let's make it funny. Though she did land on a bunch of cotton so she didn't die.

"I expected the unexpected but I did not expect a pitfall trap here of all things..." Yufi spoke, she really didn't expect a pitfall as a trap in this place, she expected flamethrowers, explosives, guns, and walls coming together to flatten them or the roof but not a pitfall.

Having enough of the cotton ground Yufi kipped up into a standing position and cleaned herself from stray cotton clinging to her body. "Probably stuffing for some plushies or other softer bots if such were in design ever." Yufi answered Amelia's rhetorical question, before looking up and down the pit's walls, seeing if she couldn't somehow jump her way out of there, though the walls looked a bit too smooth for her to do it so she gave up on the idea.
"The more something resembles you the more connected one would be to that thing. That's why parents are usually strongly connected to their children, or makers are connected to their works. Not having those sensations would make him less human than he already is despite looking human, leaving him in the uncanny valley territory of looks."

 

[Elijay]

Mary

Megilagor DarkKitsune Crescent King Maxxob​

Mary stood frozen as the little construct made its series of beeps and bops. The flickering of its eyes and the almost conversational tones it shared with Keircey made her feel even more out of her depth. She tilted her head slightly, trying to follow along with what the two were saying, but the noises were completely indecipherable to her. After a while, the construct’s body suddenly went limp for some reason.

Keircey’s then instructed Mary to read the file. “O-oh, sure,” she mumbled, fumbling with the folder as she opened it and began scanning the contents. She would try her best to understand what was going on within so that she could relay the info to the others.

When Keircey shared the story of his first adventure, Mary couldn’t help but blink in astonishment. “They… set themselves on fire?” she asked, her voice laced with disbelief. Her lips twitched into a small, reluctant smile despite herself. “That’s… well, I guess I haven’t done anything that bad yet.”

The sudden reboot of the small bot snapped her attention back. Its beeping and blinking were strange, but its words relayed by Keircey sent a chill down her spine. “A… riddle?” she echoed, nervously glancing at the hallway ahead.

As they followed the bot, Mary stayed close to Keircey, clutching her file and bag tightly. The strange rooms they passed made her unease grow, and when the group stepped onto the metal pad, she paused, looking at it suspiciously.

The bot’s sudden warning came too late. The floor gave way beneath them, and Mary let out a startled scream as they plummeted downward. Her arms flailed instinctively before she landed face-first into a pit of cotton.

Groaning, she pushed herself up, spitting out bits of fluff and brushing cotton from her hair. “Wuh-what… was that?!” she exclaimed, her voice high-pitched and shaky. “A trap made of cotton?! What kind of place is this?!”

Despite her confusion and frustration, she was relieved the fall hadn’t hurt. But the absurdity of it all left her wondering what on earth they were walking into. Just as she grabbed the white file that was lying on the cotton floor, she noticed Amelia offering a hand to her. She hesitated for a second, then gingerly accepted it, pulling herself up from the cotton pit. “T-thank you…” she mumbled, brushing bits of fluff off her skirt.

“I-I guess cotton pits aren’t the worst thing we could’ve fallen into,” she murmured, more to herself than anyone else. “At least it’s not, like… spikes. Or lava. Or… some kind of flesh-eating goo…”

Mary froze mid-thought, her imagination clearly getting the better of her. She shook her head quickly, trying to banish the mental image.

Her eyes flicked to Keircey as Amelia asked her question, and Mary couldn’t help but stare at him for a moment. She too found it weird that a construct like Keircey had feelings, but according to Yufi it could have been for an artificial social bond between machine and creator.

 

[Maxxob]

Koralia Ironjaw

​

Languages: "Common", "(Bestial)"
[Beastkin], [Native], [Thoroughly Petted], [Baby Eater] - Color #876fd6

Elijay DarkKitsune Crescent King Megilagor

“Mmmm, so only shallow cuts, huh? That doesn’t sound too dangerous, but a bleedin’ is a bleedin’.” At least they wouldn’t end up being fully stabbed or having their limbs chopped off. She then continued. “Then maybe settin’ up ya as a bait could draw out Diago. Then we kill ‘im!” Clearly that is what Keircey meant by getting rid of the fella, right? At least, that was the only thing her bestial brain could point towards to.

“‘Seems’ a little scared?” Koralia asked the rhetorical question, letting out a loud snort. “I can smell it. Like blood in the water.” Her tone gained some excitement, the thick finned tail behind her began swishing left and right momentarily, before coming to a full stop with a disappointed look. “Keep my distance?” But Mary looked like such a fun little morsel. “Tch, fine!” Rolling her eyes and buying distance between the two, the shark woman would abide by the distance which was asked.

Then suddenly, at some point, the floor disappeared from under her boots and she would free-fall, thankfully, onto a pit of cotton. Her protruding, muzzled nose would be temporarily flattened against the soft material and the sword having fallen tip first into the cotton, impaling itself against it. With a grumble, and clearly displeased, Koralia’s hands found purchase against the soft floor, helping herself up to her feet. She would caress her previously flattened nose, brushing the lingering discomfort out of it.

“Stupid egg-brains…” She mumbled, before retrieving her sword. Things would be so much easier if they were just a contest of arms, wouldn’t it? Koralia decided not to voice her own opinion of why Keircey was made to feel sensations and what not, even more after having seen that, at some point, he was apparently disassembled. It was pretty clear to her: his creator was a sadistic fuck.

Spoiler: Extra items

Blue file on Cyrus

 

[DarkKitsune]

The room was brightly illuminated, across the left side was a severed construct arm, it had no hand but a blade peering off the end covered in oil. On the right side of the room was a shield with a the roze trifecta symbol on it, however it was covered in blood. The crimson liquid splattered on the floor next to it seemed dry. In front of the party was what appeared to be a elevator door its edges lined with wood. On the left side was a metal shelf that held plushies of the BAND project constructs. On the right was another shelf with weird numbers on the walls below them pressure plates. Keircey made sure everyone was out of the pit. He reassured Mary.

“Like I said, Roy is less deadly”

He thought over his response carefully, though for what her own view of constructs tended to be he was a bit amused she bothered to ask. When Yufi stated her thoughts he shrugged.

“That’s a decent theory…but in terms of pain who knows, Diago could’ve been just being his sadistic self. After all he utilized it to make me feel every time I was dismantled and torn a part as a punishment for the slightest things and put back together. Can you imagine that? Being forcefully torn a part limb by limb? Or it could’ve originally been to make sure I didn’t melt or freeze myself should I have come into contact with extreme weather. As for touch. Kind of the same reason organics like yourself need it. To make sure I grab the right things and can identify what it is I’m touching. In the emotional regard it wasn’t the intention when I was made as far as I’ve been aware. I wasn’t programmed to feel, I was programmed to understand what organics were feeling and utilize it to make a relatable performance. That however is about where that ends. From my side and what I know constructs are kind of like organic infants at first we are unaware of anything. Then suddenly you hit that one lengthy part of existence when you become aware without prompting. So allow me to ask; why do humans feel?”

It was a lengthy answer. But the best Keircey could provide given his lack of understanding the why himself.
A voice cut in through some sort of microphone. Though the source of the voice could not be seen or in view.

“Who knows really! But I will say I think it is bizarre that organics create artificial LIFE and then be surprised when they act like…well…ALIVE”

Keircey looked for the source.

“Roy?” Keircey was a little on guard.

“Ah, you aren’t going to find me. You’ve been saying it yourself, haven’t you? I’m not a fighter. But I will mention I will when I need to. Either way, I’ve decided upon a different approach to the twins. Also in technicality a punishment. I felt so hurt when you left. All I did to repair you! And you ran away after Diago murdered that human! There was not a logical reason for you to do that. Just like there was no logical reason you could’ve been programmed to try to intervene and stop it. Consider this a consequence, fail the puzzle your friends will either scum to dehydration or starvation. Maybe fatigue?”

Keircey pointed out. “Wait you called him ‘Diago’? Instead of-“

Roy mentiomed over the intercoms. “Your point?”

Keircey wasn’t able to get much of a reply out before Roy said. “Exactly. Now shut up. Before I embarrass you over the fact you had stage freight when we first finally got you online!”

Then the intercom shut off and Keircey just stood there and mention.

“Okay that was fucking weird… I wonder if his programming got messed with in the time I was away. Wouldn’t be any surprise to me.”

He sighs and takes out Circe’s file.

“Maybe the files have the key to the puzzle?”

—

​

 

[Crescent King]

Amelia listened to both Yufi and Keircey as they responded to her question, feeling the logic was flawed. But before she could say anything in return a voice came over the speakers in the room. She observed the exchange silently before looking around at all the stuff in the room that must have something to do with escaping. “I can try and pry the doors open should an answer not come in a timely manner.”

She pulled the file out that had been handed to her earlier and began to go over it's contents, looking for some sort of clue as to how they might leave this room, offering a response to Keircey. “I do not know why humans feel. But I do know we were not designed and built. That is like saying we would makes cars that could feel the bumps in the road. Or airships that got cold in the sky. It doesn't make sense, at least not to me.”

 

[Maxxob]

Koralia Ironjaw

​

Languages: "Common", "(Bestial)"
[Beastkin], [Native], [Thoroughly Petted], [Baby Eater] - Color #876fd6

Elijay DarkKitsune Crescent King Megilagor

The shark eyes scanned the room, noticing the peculiarities of it. “Mmmm… guess they had a fallin’ out?” The question came with her pointing the massive Zweihänder towards the blood stained shield. “Would be a bummer if they killed each other.” Indeed, that would rob Koralia of the fun she might have had otherwise! And also the possible organic snack! She might end up going hungry…

She caught the beginning and the end of Keircey’s explanation, most of it going above her head. It was a tad too complex for the mercenary. And the question posed by the construct at the very end of it, while directed towards humans, prompted an answer that might as well be expected of her rather simplistic mind. “[Beasts] feel to taste whatever delicious morsels we come across.” To those who might be a bit more perceptive, her tone hinted at a double meaning.

Her expression would change drastically when a new voice echoed through the chamber. Furrowing eyebrows, flat lips and a tensed tail showed that she wasn’t too happy with the possibility of either getting hungry or thirsty. “That bastard will pay for threatenin' me with hunger!” Nope, not happy at all.

“Bet we could bash that elevator open if we need it!” She clearly agreed with Amelia’s idea if that became necessary. She wouldn’t be starving there, no sir! Even if she had to eat her way out of the room. “Uh? The files?” Cocking her head to the side, Koralia would also pull out her file on Cyrus, checking if there was anything there that would give her a clue.

Spoiler: Extra items

Blue file on Cyrus