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Post by Moe on Jan 13, 2024 16:59:23 GMT -6
"In terms of legality," Mark butted in. "Jet's already paid for his crimes. Technically, at a point, he ceased living and his consciousness was transferred into a non-organic shell. That sounds like punishment by execution, to me." he said with a sly shrug.
"Why are you so defensive of him?" Dawn asked. "RJ just said he's a war criminal. A few good deeds doesn't make up for a lifetime of evil."
"I'd like to think the number of deeds doesn't matter. I'd also like to think there isn't some kind of cosmic scale that weighs and judges you based on how good or bad you've been. It's what you do in the time you've got left, that truly matters." Mark responded to her. "And to me, the fact that he saved Emily and Lux from Edna is all that matters to me. I owe him for that."
"So what you're saying is, you would judge and save a known murderer, as long as he helped someone you personally care about?" Dawn continued her assault on him. She still didn't particularly get along with him, though she still tried. "I just want to understand your logic. If you're so different from the other gods, I want to have reason to trust you."
"I would very much like it if you stopped comparing me to them." Mark sighed, still staring at the windows, watching the trees and fields zoom by. "The last thing I want is for everyone to start seeing me as god or a hero. I'm just some nerd from Kaiser City, trying to help people. That's all I ever wanted to do. That's why I do what I do. What we're trying to tell you about Jet is, maybe there really isn't any true good or evil. We're all a villain or a hero in someone's story, and sometimes it's the same story. What really matters are the choices you make in life, and your decision to be the good that you want to see in the world. Jet may have done some terrible things, but his choice to be better is what matters. Everyone makes mistakes, and everyone has the choice to learn from them and to be better. That's also why I'm not judging you for being such a butt, around me." he stuck his tongue out at her.
Dawn just stuck her tongue out right back at him, the action causing Tiffany to giggle.
"Seriously, though. Why are you such a try-hard?" Dawn questioned him. "For not wanting to be a hero, you sure try to be one. Like, why are you so nice to everyone, even people who don't deserve it? Like Edna? Being polite and diplomatic is one thing, but it seems like you just try way too hard to show kindness where it isn't deserved."
Mark started to answer, sarcastically, but decided not to answer her at all. He just looked away with a solemn expression, deciding to ignore the question entirely. "So what's the Northern District like, Nox? I know it's all naturey and stuff, but it isn't gonna be like we're camping out or anything, is it? I'm not a field scientist, I don't do well out in the wild." he said, trying to bring some humor back into the conversation.
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Post by Banshee on Jan 13, 2024 19:07:00 GMT -6
RJ opened his mouth to add his two sense in to the conversation but decided against it. He looked down at his book once again and thought more to himself. RJ knew he had a rough time dealing with Jet in the past. The several times that he trashed Jasmine’s work and crushed her ego, then there were several times where he broke Tex. Hence the first time Mark met her, they had just escaped Jet from his attack and disabled Tex.
It was all so insane to him, but at the same point, he could see Jet was entirely different from before. There was life within him. He joked and showed a side that RJ wasn’t sure even existed. Though, as horrible as he was, it was nice to see someone change. Making it a possibility.
Nox kept quiet for a bit as Mark explained himself. He frowned. “I dunno… I feel Jet is going to be a lot more important to us once he gets into his new body…” Nox looked over to RJs notebook and saw how pristine it was.
Then Mark changed the subject. This spiked his interest and caused Nox to eagerly look back to him. He smiled and said; “Well from my memory, it is super pretty. People live in giant trees as well as in ground houses. There’s small communities that work together to build things and help one another. Some villages are larger than others, but it’s all so crazy to think that Rex City has villages within it…”
“It is quite interesting but considering the size of the city, it may as well be a country.” RJ joked.
“The place where Lionel lives is located in the middle of a vast forest. There’s small farms and a quaint little school system. Their community does events like, festivals and conventions, as well as contests. Like the time we spent there, they had a pumpkin growing contest! Joe’s grandmother tried to participate in it but while transporting it, we hit a bump and her pumpkin bounced off the cart. It rolled down the hill super fast! It blasted through hay bales and rustled some chickens. A cat jumped on top of it while it rolled through the field, it ran until it decided that it had enough. Then it shot into the air and crashed into the ocean!” He said while moving his hands excitedly.
“We thought she was going to be upset!” Nox flailed. “Lionel, and her kids Ezra and Gwen were chasing after it the entire time. Chickens even landed in Ezra’s arms causing him to be covered in feathers.” He laughed. “But she was laughing so hard! She wasn’t upset about it at all!”
“Needless to say we didn’t get to see her enter the contest but the stuff there was so cool! So festive and colorful. It was…completely a different atmosphere than Kaiser City and Rex City.”
“I’m just imagining a cat running on a pumpkin…” RJ chuckled.
“I really can’t wait to see it again.” Said Nox. “You guys will love the fresh air and everything. There’s so much to do and learn there. I know technology isn’t exactly favored but who knows?! Maybe something magically made can become inspiration for something you create later on!”
“What about sleeping areas?”
“If it’s anything like the place Lux and I stayed at for a small bit before we got handed over to Lionel, it was a cute little rustic home. Everything was made by hand, carved by hand—or maybe magic too… They have power, made from nature itself. Hydro, solar, wind… They may not use machines and technology as we know it, but the stuff they do is quite insane. I think you’ll be fascinated.”
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Post by Moe on Jan 13, 2024 22:20:50 GMT -6
Mark winced as Nox told his story; it was an amusing story for sure, but the description of the district was a little bit disheartening. "Great. Hay, trees and cats. My mortal enemies. If it's all the same to you, I think I'll pass on all that fresh air."
Ikuki gently nudged him with her elbow; "Be nice, they are being very welcoming of us."
"I am being nice, it's not my fault nature hates me!" Mark continued to whine.
"Plants make me an' Daddy sneeze, a lot." Tiffany chimed in, though still fascinated by looking out the window at all the new sights.
"Well, I think it all sounds lovely." Ikuki smiled. "Kind of makes me miss my own home, back in Glimmer. Maybe once things settle down, we can visit there, too. And y'know, once the twins are old enough to travel. Oh, uh, surprise about that, by the way. I guess with everything else going on, I forgot to tell you. We're gonna need all the help we can get, Uncle Nox."
As the landscape zoomed by, more forest and fields and nothing really changing except for a town or two in the distance, Tiffany yawned, growing weary of the same scenery. She leaned onto her dad, trying to fight sleep the best she could. Ikuki meanwhile, couldn't fight off the sleep and ended up leaning on Mark's shoulder, fast asleep and drooling. Dawn had also fallen asleep against Nox, in the middle of her documenting the various landscapes, flora and fauna she saw as the trained zoomed past them. She was also making a map of the area, planning on visiting some of the towns they'd passed by, later on.
"Yeah, me too." Mark said as he was starting to nod off, as well. "We should all probably get some rest. I know this is supposed to be a laid-back adventure, but there's still a lot of planning to do, before we can take on Edna."
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Post by Banshee on Jan 15, 2024 19:27:01 GMT -6
RJ was already out by the time Tiffany finally passed out. He had slumped in his seat and used his backpack as a pillow. His glasses were neatly placed inside of their case and were resting on the windowsill nearest to him. His lab coat was draped over his body, becoming a makeshift blanket for him to sleep under.
Nox nodded a bit, even though he was struck by surprise that she was carrying twins. “Wow...twins? Well, I’ll do my best to help out as much as I can.” He let out a deep yawn before leaning into Dawn. “I’m sure...something will be entertaining for you there...Mark. I’m sure of it.” He let out another yawn before lazily taking his glasses off his face and placed them somewhere near him. And before he knew it, he too was out.
The rest of the train ride was calm and quiet. All they could hear was the repeating thunking motion of the wheels traveling over the tracks the entire time. It was a melodic symphony that was just soothing to the mind. Nothing was going to go wrong. Not this time.
There was a loud whistle which startled Nox awake. He quickly fished for his glasses and placed them on. Looking around, the others began to shift awake due to the noisy tone the train was making. And when he glanced outside, he suddenly leaped to his feet. “We’re here!” He chimed. “Wow, they really cleaned the place up!”
Nox gathered his bags and waited for the rest to get ready to prepare for their departure. He then nervously guided them over towards the exit and took the first step out of the train. His feet landing on a smooth granite tiled floor. Birds rushed overhead, tweeting as they frantically scurried away from the new arrivals. A quick breeze from the train releasing its tension in its breaks, broke through the air, blasting his hair in all sorts of directions.
Around him, the others that traveled alongside the group had also joined their families who waited for their return. Many hugged one another. Some joked as they approached their family. Others were apparently on a business run and didn’t spend anytime enjoying the sights. And when Nox looked towards the sky, he could see the sun was bright and the sky was clear. It was a beautiful day.
“Wow...The air smells...well...like train.” RJ pointed out.
Nox heard strumming of a bass guitar coming from the exit of the station. He looked around to see bunches of people moving about. But some had spotted the musician and migrated over to him. When Nox spotted him, he quickly motioned the group to follow him. “There’s Lionel right there!”
Strumming away on his guitar, he was providing entertainment for those waiting to be picked up by their family or a taxi company. Singing, he was making up amusing shanties which got some of his audience laughing or even shouting words to him to place into the song. He would add them, creating amusing giggles and laughs as the shanty just sounded too funny.
Nox walked over to him and waved. Lionel smiled back and finished up his song. People clapped and cheered. Some even gave him money, which he collected, eagerly thanked, and told them that it would be donated to the village’s orphanage. Once he inched away from the crowd, he made his way over to the group, placing the change into its designated bag. “Sorry about that! I wanted to provide some entertainment for the folks here. I do that sometimes.” He shrugged before introducing himself. “The name is Lionel and it’s nice to see you guys in person! I sure hope your ride wasn’t too chaotic or anything! Is there anything you want me to bring you to? A food place? Where you’re going to stay? You name it, question it. I’ll answer!”
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Post by Moe on Jan 16, 2024 17:01:58 GMT -6
Mark was the first to emerge from their room as the train slowly came to a halt, at the newly-built station. It wasn't quite like the others, and had a much more rustic feel to it, in stark contrast to the advanced magnet-rails the train was built for. Out of everyone, he had the most equipment to haul out of the car, and had begun doing so before Ikuki and Tiffany had woken up. Once they did, he had nearly had everything out, save for a few lighter bags with clothes and necessities.
"I thought they said no tech." Dawn quipped.
"They said no tech in the city. We aren't in the city, yet." Mark snarked back at her. "This is how I work. No god stuff. It'll be safe outside of the city until I can convince Aelita to trust that we're on her side."
Dawn just rolled her eyes at him, and stuck close to Nox as he pointed out the musician nearby.
"A man after my own heart." Mark grinned as he met Lionel. "I prefer electric, but we should totally play together, sometime. I'm more of a heavy metal guy, but I feel like metal versions of sea shanties could be pretty cool."
"Hey now, I'm not gonna have to beat up two guys today, am I?" Ikuki teased him.
"I dunno, he is kinda cute." Mark joked back. "Name's Mark, by the way. This is my wife, Ikuki, daughter, Tiffany, cousin, Dawn." he said as he pointed out each one. "Nice to finally meet you, in person. I think the first thing on my agenda is getting my stuff to a safe room outside of district. I know Aelita was firm on no technology, but if we have even a chance of beating Edna, then we're gonna need it. Don't worry, I respect her wishes and won't bring it with me. Athena is letting me keep everything in the station's main office for right now, until we can get on Aelita's good side."
"Also, food would be nice for the rest of us." Ikuki chimed in. "He doesn't eat so he doesn't think about, y'know, basic necessities."
"I eat! Sometimes! When I remember to..." Mark said in defense.
"Energy drinks and peanut butter don't count." she said as she stuck her tongue out at him.
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Post by Banshee on Jan 18, 2024 7:35:35 GMT -6
When he was addressed as kinda cute, Lionel smirked. “Well, I do think I’m pretty cute.”
“DAAAAD...” Josephine’s voice could be heard from behind him. “Stop it...”
He smirked. Lionel was just having fun with the strangers. “What? I just want them to feel comfortable around me. After all, since we need to work together, I’m not going to be shy around them.” He then turned back to Mark to add; “Metal sea shanties should be a thing.”
Josephine inched around her Father to give Nox a hug. “Nice to see you, Nox. I hope everything is okay...”
“For the most part it is.” He nodded. “Any word on my brother?”
Her smile faded. “He’s not here, if you’re looking for him. He said that he found someone that needed his help with escaping the Corporation. So he’s been trying to get the guy out of there. I don’t know anything else beyond that but it’s probably another case of you. A guy who has the right stuff to make clones of or something...”
Lionel looked to Ikuki and said; “Of course! We can get you guys situated first. Food and all of that fun stuff. I know of a really good bakery that sells some pretty amazing pastries, if you’re at all interested with that.” He then laughed. “Energy drinks? I had one once...”
“Oh goodness.” Josephine rolled her eyes. “Don’t give Dad any of those. He already doesn’t shut up.”
Lionel grinned and ruffled her hair and hat. “Come! Come! Let’s get out of this place here.” He then turned with great enthusiasm to bring them towards the Exit. If anyone had anything to leave behind at the main office, then Lionel would allow them to do so. Otherwise, he just nodded to the train station clerk to let the group pass through.
After going through a very clean hallway with windows showing the outside, they eventually reached a large opening outside. Civilians with family members would meet with their travelers and headed out. Some had dragons or gryphons which provided a taxi services for those who had a longer travel or simply had too much stuff to bring along for a walk. Others were greeted with horses and buggies.
Above all, the area was very nicely kept. Flowers and trees could be seen everywhere. The pathways were cobblestone that withstood the test of time. There were statues of popular people who had done incredible stuff in the past and were placed in honor for their deeds. A few civilians greeted the group while some girls fawned over Lionel being spotted, as they knew he worked with Aelita. But they stayed away as they knew who he was married to.
Lionel would only smile to them as he didn’t have much interest with talking to strangers. He then brought the group over to a dragon who had a large carriage parked behind him. When Lionel approached him, he instantly heard; “About time you showed up. I thought you got lost in the tunnel.”
He grinned and planted his hands on his hips. “Gotta make an appearance first, Ezra. Though I need to say, your dragon form is pretty cool. You should do it more often.”
Ezra appeared to have a more slender and serpent-like look to him. His scales appeared black at first but within the sunlight’s rays, they reflected off a metallic purple hue. The underside of his wings were a dark purple color. He also had the same colored spines going down from the base of his neck towards the tip of his tail.
When complimented, he rolled his eyes and glanced to the group. “Go ahead and place your belongings in the carrier.” Ezra then spotted Dawn and added; “If you desire to fly instead of riding in that thing, do so. But don’t lose track of me. I’m not turning back to save you.”
“If she gets lost, I’ll go and save her.” He then gave Dawn a thumbs up with a wink. “So we’re heading to their resting area then we’ll go to that Bakery you like. Is that cool?”
“Whatever.” He shrugged.
“Are you going to be in the carrier with us?” Asked Nox.
“Yeah. I will provide you with any answers if you have anymore questions for me. It’s much easier to do that in the carrier than it would be to fly and scream at you.” He grinned as he walked over to open the door for everyone. “After you all, please! And don’t be scared to ask me anything. I’ll provide you with the most accurate answers.”
“I’m gonna try flying!” Josephine chirped as she skipped over towards Ezra. She had to close her eyes and let her powers flow before she could allow herself to transform into a dragon.
She was much smaller than Ezra was, providing that she was also significantly younger than him. But unlike her Uncle, Josephine was a bit more solid in stature and wasn’t as serpent-like. Her appearance appeared to be more feline with a slightly boxy face with claws similar to a lion. She had a long tail with a fluffy fire tuff at the end of it. However, she was also dark in color but appeared more purple with some red flecks here and there scattered on her scales.
“I DID IT!” She said with enthusiasm as she pranced around her stoic uncle.
“Good for you.” He said with zero enthusiasm.
Once everyone was settled, Lionel closed the hatch and Ezra took flight. It was a very smooth transition and felt similar to riding in an airplane without all of the loud engines whirring. Lionel smirked and said; “It shouldn’t take too long to get to our destination. I’d say...about ten minutes?”
“Woah!” Nox said as he looked outside of the window. “We’re up so high!” He then saw Josephine flying beside them. Nox glanced to her as she waved to him but he could see that she was struggling to keep herself steady. It was clear to him that she was still training but admired her determination to try and use this as a training opportunity.
“The place we’re having you stay is pretty quiet. Joe said that you guys liked being away from all of the crazy. Plus, it’ll provide ample room for the little one to run around and explore.” He pointed with humor to Tiffany.
“So how long have you been Idol Aelita’s apprentice?” Nox asked.
“Mmm...Probably about seven years now?” He said to him. “I was one of the two chosen apprentices. Though, if you want my honest opinion, I’m the most talkative one. The other hides a lot.”
“How did you manage to get her to accept helping us?”
“Smooth talking her.” Lionel said with a smirk. “Threatened her that if she didn’t, I was going to sing Dad-Joke infused sea shanties to her every day until she changed her mind...” He paused and said; “It worked after I gave her a sample.”
Nox couldn’t help but laugh.
“I’m serious! She hated them! That changed her opinion rather quickly.” He laughed. “Plus, I said that she’d be working with a group of pretty good natured folks. And don’t worry.” He smirked to Mark. “I didn’t mention anything about what you really are. I figured to try my approach first and it worked. So she doesn’t know much about you, outside the fact that you’re smart and strong.”
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Post by Moe on Jan 18, 2024 16:41:52 GMT -6
"Wait," Dawn blinked, taken aback. "How did you know I was a dragon? Oh my god is my human disguise too obvious? Are there too many feathers showing? Is it my hair? My eyes??" she began to panic.
"Dawn, we have the same eyes." Mark said to her. "It's probably a dragon sense thing?" he asked Ezra.
"They're Draygars." Dawn said flatly, trying to focus on patting down any feathers in her hair that might have been showing. "Draygars and dragons are similar, but not quite the same. Think of it as, dogs being the descendants of wolves. Shouldn't you know all of this by now? I thought you've been studying magic and Fae. Nox and I gave you plenty of books to read up on!"
"Dawn, you've known me well enough by now to know that once my ADHD kicks in, I am never touching those books ever again." Mark corrected her. "Speaking of changing subjects, while I'm sure flying is a lot faster, there is a slight problem."
"It's me. I'm a problem. It's what I do best." Ikuki waved with a smirk.
"You're not...look if it's all the same to you, we should probably stay ground-level." Mark explained, but was promptly tugged on by Tiffany.
"But I wanna fly." she pouted, giving him the most pitiful look.
"How about Ikuki and I take a ground carriage and just meet you all at the bakery?" Dawn suggested.
After reluctantly agreeing to split up until they got to the bakery, Mark took Tiffany into the airborne carriage since she might not have the opportunity again. Just like on the train, he had to hold her back to keep her from getting too close to the windows, which she was looking out with complete wonder and fascination.
Mark meanwhile was ridden with anxiety and panic over leaving Ikuki and Dawn to travel on the ground, by themselves. "Do you think they're okay down there? Should I try to contact them? How long do you think it'll take for them to catch up? Should...should I meet up with them somewhere when we land?" he said, tapping his foot anxiously.
"Daddy, you're freakin' out again." Tiffany said calmly, not taking her eyes off the window and the soft, fluffy clouds going by.
"We really need to talk about you repeating things your aunt says." Mark said, before he sighed, realizing the three-year-old had more sense than him. "Okay, yeah, I guess I am freaking out a little bit. There's just a lot going on. I know you said this place is a safe zone, but Edna already went out of her way to threaten my family. I guess being this close to her again has me a little bit on edge."
"Mommy says it's 'cause you drink too much coffee." Tiffany called him out once again.
"Oof, you are just ratting me out on everything today, aren't you?" Mark said through a soft laugh, to which Tiffany just giggled at.
After a moment of silence, Mark leaned back in his seat to think about things for a moment. "You guys have been fighting off Cornelia Corp for a lot longer than I've even been alive. Do you think there's even a chance of taking them down, without me pulling the god card? I want people to know that they can stand up for themselves, but with as much power as Edna has, I'm not so sure anymore that's even possible."
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Post by Banshee on Jan 18, 2024 18:40:54 GMT -6
Ezra shrugged at Mark's comment. “I wouldn't say that. Her disguise says it all. Plus her freaking out and panicking over it is kind of a dead give away.” He then looked to Dawn. “Not very good at staying calm are you?”
“Ezra, be nice.” Lionel said to him. “She's having a panic attack. Dawn-was it? Nox informed us about your arrival. Please don't worry. ”
Ezra did a quick but dry apology and said; “You're right. I'm sorry. I should be nicer, so that means I promise I won't eat you. Can't promise about Nox though. We do eat Lesser-Elves for breakfast.”
Lionel rolled his eyes but Nox let out a snort. But to clear up any concern over the safety of Nox, he said; “So that's according to history long ago. Now we don't do such a thing. Nox and Ezra are friends, do not be worried over his safety.”
“Yeah, Ezra's got a strange sense of humor.” Nox said to everyone. “Though sometimes it's a bit hard to tell when he's kidding.” He then looked to Tiffany and smiled at her. “Ezra may seem super scary but do you want to know what I think?” He leaned over to her and said; “He says things like that because he wants to hide that he's a real softy under it all.”
“I am not soft.” Ezra objected.
Lionel whispered; “He's more of a Mother-Hen than the actual Mother.”
“Lionel...” There was an annoyed glare that came from Ezra, which made Lionel and Nox laugh. “I...hate you so much.”
Nox smirked and said; “There are two important people that have a huge influence in my brother's life. Mark being one and the other is actually Ezra himself. Without either one of you, I feel Lux would've taken a completely and more...horrible route.”
“I miss that kid.” Ezra admitted.
- - - - -
Quietly, Lionel listened to Mark begin his panic attack over worrying about Ikuki and Dawn. And although Lionel knew that the women would be safe from harm, he could understand the grave concern that he had over them. Especially one that was bearing children of her own. But before he could say anything to help ease his worries, Tiffany spoke up and gave him a point-blank answer. Which led Lionel into snickering.
Then she threw Mark under the bus over his addiction to coffee and caffeine. When Mark commented on that, Lionel said to him; “I understand your concerns and can relate to how you feel with her commentary.” He smirked. “I've got four kids myself. My youngest daughter is full of comments that often get me into trouble with the wife.”
Nox let out a laugh.
Lionel calmly said to Mark; “They'll be fine. The taxi service goes through a ton of training. They're well prepared for anything that jumps them. But...as for your question...” His bright smile turned slightly weary.
“Edna...She's...an interesting one.”
“Why's that? What makes her so special?” Asked RJ.
Lionel leaned back and folded his arms. His tone seemed very focused and serious on the matter. “Edna is a Shape Shifter. They're a species that were locked away in the land of Fae. They're as dangerous as they're smart. Very few make it out of captivity. They go through a TON of procedures to declare their innocence. Even those who manage to escape are subjected to such a high level of surveillance that it's common for them to return to captivity... It's...really sad.” He sighed. “But Idol Aelita and I do not have any power to change this.”
“That's...terrible...” RJ and Nox said with a frown.
“So going back to your concern. Edna may be impeccable in terms of understanding her enemy and using their weaknesses against them. Her escaping the encampment with her two sons are a result of how smart she really is. But this doesn't make her immune to her own weaknesses.” He wagged his finger.
“Do you know what they are?” Asked Nox.
“Edna thirsts for power and will stop at nothing to achieve it. Destroying the company is out of the question. Ending her life is also something that I don't wish to do, as it would honestly make me no better than all of the other monsters before her. So that leaves us with very few options.” He then clasped his hands together. “I, myself haven't had much experience in battling against her army. But what I do know is, she has a ton of soldiers. Robots and Cyber-Organics alike. She commands them by using radio frequencies that we've been unable to decipher. But you lot probably already know this.”
He shifted his glasses on his nose. “The thing that I've noticed is; sometimes she gets a little in over her head. It often leads into a sloppy arrangement of her army and leaves openings for our retaliation. Which is partially why she hasn't broken into our District yet.”
“So...overwhelm her?” RJ said to him.
“Perhaps that's what needs to be done.” He shifted his glasses on his nose. “I've had an unfortunate encounter with her during a meeting between Idol Aelita and the Goddess Athena. I'll admit, Edna does put up a good front...until someone sees through her facade and it clearly shows that she's bothered by it.”
“So...we've met one of her sons. Lucian. But each time he showed up, he never did anything to us. In fact, I sometimes wonder if he's somehow linked to my brother and is helping us out. We're trying to think of a way to lure him out but...we haven't been so lucky...” Nox sighed. “But he did make a Scrambler that stopped Edna from controlling my Mother-who is one of those...uh Cyber-Organics.”
“Interesting.” Lionel tapped his chin before clapping his hands together again to look at the guys before him. “You've got yourself one heck of a key towards victory then.”
“You think so?” RJ asked him. “What makes Lucian so special?”
“Well for one, he's making items that stops her from controlling her army. For another, he's HER son. And no one knows her better than him. He also escaped the encampment with her. This shows he's smart as well.” He then looked to Mark. “Getting him to help you enter that facility and confront her face to face, is definitely going to be the key towards victory. And from meeting her in person?” He smirked. “She may put up a fight against you but if you want my honest opinion? I think forcing her to watch her stuff fail, is going to be the biggest blow to her ego.”
“How...do we do that then?”
Lionel grinned. “If I can convince Aelita to become a decoy to the next ambush. I think you've got yourself a chance.”
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Post by Moe on Jan 18, 2024 20:30:13 GMT -6
Mark listened quietly as Lionel explained the situation. About armies and fighting and taking her on, head-to-head. By the end of it all, all Mark could manage was a firm "No." in response.
"I'm sorry, but I didn't sign up to be recruited into an army. That not only puts me and my family in more danger, but it makes us no better. I brought all my gear because I'd like to try and do what I do best, before we plan a physical assault. And that's take her out of her position of power. I've bankrupted plenty of companies before, but I have a feeling that might not be so easy with her, especially if she isn't the one running the show. If I can just get in there to see her again though, I can leave recording devices that can out her to the city. Get her to say things that go against what she's promised the city. Have people turn against her. That could still only end in her retaliating with violence, though..."
"But if we can get enough people to stop supporting her, then there's a chance. Jasmine said we could set up a station in the Eastern district, to send supplies out to places that need them. If we can get enough businesses to stop supporting Edna and look for other suppliers, then we still might have a chance of crashing the company's stocks. I know it all sounds kind of boring, but someone like Edna needs a reality check, not a war. I think the first course of action is going to be getting the citizens to turn against her, and then Aelita's forces can take on whatever she throws out. But without the rest of the city on her side, she's not going to have nearly as much support."
"If that doesn't work, and war is our only other option...then I'm going to have to start practicing banishment." he said with a sigh. "In theory, I can send her back to where she came from, but I don't want to. That would only turn people against me, and that's the last thing I want my family to have to deal with. Plus, it would just make the whole world more afraid of me than they are of Cornelia Corp. There's also one other...little detail..."
"We might need Cornelia Corp. Edna and her superiors need to be booted out of power, there's no question of that. But we need someone to replace them. Like you said, Cornelia Corp has a ton of armed forces at their disposal, and somebody is going to need to command them because there's something a whole heck of a lot worse, out there. If we don't get Cornelia Corp on our side, we might just be facing another cataclysm...and I don't think I'm going to be able to stop another world-ending disaster without committing genocide, and that isn't particularly something I want weighing on me."
He stopped for a moment to reflect on his own words, as an idea came into play. "We could also use that, against her. She made a deal with Alpha, back in Olympus. The alpha of the species planning an invasion, it's a whole story and I'll explain it later, when we meet Aelita. But she didn't do anything to stop him. If she had, then the whole world would've been saved. Point is, she just put not only her own citizens in danger, but the whole world. If I can get her to out herself to the city, we could have a chance at getting people on our side. We also might've reverse-engineered one of those scramblers, and made a few with a much wider range. If your team can get some to a radio tower or something that emits similar waves, we can knock out a large chunk of her army without any violence. That could give me just enough of an opening, to get to Edna."
Tiffany didn't say anything but simply yawned, indicating her boredom with the conversation, something Mark most definitely took quick note of.
"Yeah...I did get a little carried away there, didn't I?" he said to Lionel. "I guess this isn't entirely all about war and business. It's been a long year, we could use some time to relax a little bit and have a little fun, before things get too serious."
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Post by Banshee on Jan 18, 2024 21:57:02 GMT -6
At the first rejection, Lionel winced. “O-Oh dear, my apologies. I didn't mean you guys to be signed up as soldiers. But I don't blame you for your opinion. I'm personally not too keen on the whole situation myself. As a father of children as well, I'm not really inclined to be doing any of this. But I...” His shoulders sank. “I actually have no choice. Especially since she selected me to be her apprentice...”
He then fell silent, listening to Mark talk more. The more he spoke, the more interested Lionel became. Mark certainly had more under his belt than he had thought. And meanwhile Lionel had more experience with dealing with Edna's army, Mark had a more...different encounter with her. Then after he came up with his own plan, Lionel snapped his finger at him.
“Ah! Yes. Finding a new leader will be rather difficult. But I have a feeling that this Lucian kid will come into play. Hear me out. If he by chance, has the option to take over his Mother if she fails, then perhaps he can be more of an interesting case? Though, I don't know what his motives are so that can potentially become a bigger hazard.” He then threw his head back, exasperated over a thought that crossed his mind. “Oh, if only we could've contained connection...”
Nox looked down at his hands and clamped them tightly.
“No-No-No. I do not believe a war is the final option.” Lionel frantically waved his hands at Mark. “At least not with Cornelia Corp. You see, this is all a game that she's playing. It's like Chess. Right now, she thinks that she's the King and we're all just little pawns that she can knock aside. However what you've brought up is a valid idea. Using her own truths to expose her to the city may be exactly what's needed. You're still going to need Aelita's army to distract her though. That way it'll reduce the amount of people she has at her disposal. So that part still has to be played out and I will take the honor of being a big distraction.”
“But how do we go about the radio signal?” Asked Nox.
“You're in luck. The angry lizard that's flying us right now is one of the two options you have in knowing where a radio tower is. The other option would be his sister.”
“Wait...your wife and him?” Said RJ. “Why would either one know where anything is outside of the District?”
Lionel grinned. “Just because they're the Gatekeepers of the Northern District doesn't mean they have to stay within our boundaries. Though...them in particular...have a reason as to why they had.”
“Meaning?” RJ questioned him.
Lionel sighed. “Alright. As an ally I am not going to hide anything from you that may divert your interests or lose trust in me. Because right now, we both need one another to work together to stop this from exploding into larger proportions. Plus, I'd like to think that our children-meaning everyone's children, will have a future..”
He coughed and said; “Anyways! I want you to all be aware of something. Both Gwen and Ezra have a very dark past due to their Father dragging them into his criminal activities. Even though they didn't participate in his doings, they were still burdened by the fact they were his children. Needless to say, their exile not only was influenced by him but when the two of them ended his life, ballooned the situation into their potential removal.”
He shook his head and planted his hand over his chest. “But I firmly state; I swear my life and apprenticeship on their loyalty. They're going to be a really big help for you getting to that tower.”
“Gwen is super nice and makes the best cookies!” He enthusiastically said. “Tiffany! You're going to love her cookies! They're honestly the BEST.”
Lionel smiled at him before turning back to Mark, knowing very well that a trust bond was probably shredding apart by the truth. “I'm sorry if this changes your mind at all...”
RJ spoke up and said; “Well, you said that you swear your life and apprenticeship on them so...I cannot help but feel that we should probably be confident in your faith. You seem to speak very highly about them.”
Lionel nodded. “Gwen and Ezra have been out there far more than I have. Once we land, you can have a talk with both of them...Whenever you please, that is.” He motioned in a circular pattern. “There's not a huge rush.”
“I want to say we can trust them.” Nox firmly said. “Gwen is super sweet and Ezra did help Lux with a lot of his hangups. Both of them actually got him to SMILE and SING.”
Lionel laughed at Mark when he admitted he got carried away. “Yes, we can definitely do more planning. Especially with the other two within good hearing. And uh...don't worry. I tend to get very excitable when I meet people that are pretty intelligent!”
“HEY, GETTING READY FOR A LANDING.” Barked Ezra as he began to lower himself to the ground.
“So...I hope you enjoy the village.” Lionel said to Mark. “It isn't anything like the city but as said earlier, there's a lot to do. Especially with the little one.”
- - - -
The landing was actually quite smooth. Lionel opened the door first and stepped out to continue holding the door for the others to leave the carrier. Outside was a yard big enough for children to have a blast running around in. There was a flowerbed tucked away by the rustic looking house which had some vegetables growing out of. Everything was so nicely kept and felt really homey. Like a countryside house.
Quick to greet them was Morgana who tackled Nox in a hug. All the while Gwen, who had been waiting for them to arrive had walked over with the keys. She was a bit shy at first but when Lionel introduced everyone, she politely smiled at them and handed over the keys to Mark and RJ. “Pleasure to meet you. I uh...hope Ezra treated you well and you didn't go deaf over Lionel's sea shanties.”
“I was good! I promise! Ezra on the other hand, tried scaring them.”
Ezra lay on the grass looking at the sky. He was exhausted. “Next time...you're flying them.”
Gwen then noticed Tiffany and excitedly said to her; “Oh! She's so adorable! You didn't get scared by the mean old dragon over there, did you?!?” She pointed to Ezra who knew she was talking about him. Which he promptly flipped her off. But Gwen stood in front of Tiffany so she didn't see that. “He's just grumpy because he had to fly. He's afraid of flying.”
“Your other half of the party should be arriving soon.” Lionel said to Mark. “But think of this place as a vacation home! Once they are here, we can walk into the town and get to that bakery...Hopefully...we don't see HIM...” Lionel cringed.
“...You...mean...HIM?” Gwen winced.
“Yes...HIM...” Lionel frowned.
“...Can I have the permission to punch him?” Asked Gwen.
“No you cannot. It's not something Gatekeepers are allowed to do.” Lionel frowned.
“No but they can.” Ezra said as he lazily rolled his head to face Mark. “You can punch him.”
“Who...are you talking about?” Asked RJ.
“...I know...” Nox groaned. “My brother Reese...”
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Post by Moe on Jan 18, 2024 22:48:26 GMT -6
As Lionel aired out his family's dirty laundry, fearing it would break their trust, all Mark could do was laugh. He didn't mean to, but it felt kind of nice to genuinely laugh for the first time in a really long time. "Lionel, buddy, it's all good. Nox vouched for you and I trust him. Besides, my dad was the one responsible for this whole situation, anyway. The creation of the Gateway, the Terians, oh, and he created Apollo. You know, the AI that nearly destroyed the entire planet and all life? What kind of person would I be if I judged all of you, based on your heritage?"
Tiffany, meanwhile, was more interested in the idea of cookies and immediately turned her attention to Lionel. "What kinda cookies??" she eagerly bounced up and down. "I like simma...sinny...synonym!"
"Cinnamon." Mark smiled as he corrected her. "She likes snickerdoodle."
"Yeah! That!" Tiffany giggled.
As soon as they landed, Mark could feel the wrath of nature hit him and began a fit of sneezing. "Ugh...this is why I prefer the city..." he sniffled. "Also why Hyper X takes vacation during the spring. Ah, sorry." he said just before he sneezed again. "You have a lovely," he sneezed one more time. "Little cabin."
"Daddy hates nature." Tiffany laughed as she also sneezed, but not nearly as much as Mark. She also thought it was funny. As Gwen approached, Tiffany politely greeted her in return; "It's nice t'meet you! My name's Tiffany!" she smiled. "He was a lil' scary, but that's okay. My uncle's a demon and way scarier than him."
Mark, meanwhile, was rambling incoherently as he took their bags into the cabin. "I have control over all of time and space. I can totally make pollen not exist. I can make the planet not need it. Why couldn't I have just made the whole planet a big city? A nice big, pollen-free city." he mumbled.
Tiffany thought his rambling was funny, but again turned her attention to Nox and the others. "Oh! It's okay, you don't hafta punch him! Mommy already said she was gonna do it!"
"Tiff," Mark said as sternly as he could muster, "Nobody's punching anybody. As much as I hate Reese and want to delete him from existence, it's still wrong. Everyone has a chance to redeem themselves, even if they don't deserve it."
"But he hurt Uncle Nox and Uncle Lux. I don't think he's a very good person." she pouted. "How am I s'posed to know who's good and who's bad?"
"Tiff, all my thinking power is being devoted to not sneezing my brains out right now. I do not have the mental capacity for another crisis about morality right now." Mark said with a sigh. "Maybe someday we'll figure out the answer to that, together. But today, we are going to have fun in town and eat tasty baked goods." he said as he picked her up and sitting her over his shoulders.
Tiffany giggled as he lifted her up, and threw her fists up in the air in excitement. "YEAH! GONNA EAT SO MANY COOKIES!"
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Post by Banshee on Jan 19, 2024 7:34:58 GMT -6
“I...dunno if I’ve ever made one of those before.” Gwen said in reference to the Snickerdoodle comment. She glanced over to Lionel and looked to him for a possible glimmer of guidance.
“They usually have Cinnamon sugar, cream of tart, and vanilla extract in them.” Nox answered Gwen’s silent question. “When you look at them, you can see the cinnamon on top.”
“OH!” Gwen said with excitement. “Mom baked those a while back. Yeah, I could make one of those! I just have to see if she still has the recipe. She’s just at home with my youngest kids.” She laughed.
“Gwen! Let’s go to the Bakery. They haven’t had one of those Angel Donuts. And those will give you wings.” He then planted his hands on her backside, showing the distinct height difference between him and her. Lionel was quite a bit smaller than Gwen was.
Nox always found their opposite height to be a bit funny. Considering it was usually the male who was taller than the female, Gwen on the other hand, was near the six foot tall mark. Lionel was nearly a whole head smaller than her. He laughed when Gwen allowed him to push her in the direction of the Bakery. And as the group moved, Ezra rose from the grass and followed behind them.
As the group began their short journey to the blossoming village, Morgana and Josephine quietly followed beside Nox who told them about their recent adventures. But when he spoke of their journey, he had a hint of humor within it. Which made the two girls more than eager to listen to him talk. If anything, Morgana appeared to be more impressed about it than Josephine.
“Wow! You’ve all had such a journey. No wonder why you want to come here for a break.” Morgana said out loud. “This area is pretty safe. I mean, we sometimes do get thugs come through but any of their trouble often gets rectified quickly. A lot of the folk around here don’t appreciate the ruckus so they pretty much stand their ground against them. It’s quite fascinating to see how close the community is...”
They quickly arrived at the Bakery, which was semi busy for the time being. Lionel pointed out that they were on an off-hour of business and that they were normally much busier than currently. And upon walking inside of the building, they were greeted by the fresh scent of the baked goods. Ranging from cookies, cakes, donuts, and bread, the shelves were moderately filled. The group was quickly greeted by one of the associates.
After Nox picked a pastry that Morgana suggested, he sat down at a decent sized table in the corner. Munching away at the pastry, he was thrilled over the taste. “Wow...I’ve been wanting to have one of these for a long time now. When my brother and I were here, we would get these a few times a week.” He then stopped eating for a moment to recall the smiles his brother had when they were together at the Bakery. Nox didn’t realize how much he really missed him. “Man...I hope he’s alright...”
“Don’t worry.” Ezra said as he chose a seat at a different table that was across the one Nox chose. “I’m sure there’ll be a time when he shows up. Then you can shove all of those pastries in his mouth.”
Lionel and Gwen sat with Ezra, giving Mark, Tiffany, and the rest of their group the chance to sit together. They were a family, so they understood how that went. Even though Morgana was practically at the edge of her seat so she could talk to Nox a bit more easier.
“I suppose we’re their Guides too?” Ezra said as he kicked back in his chair. “I don’t remember signing up for this.”
“It’s called being polite to our Guests, Ezra.” Gwen said to him with a hint of sass in her voice. “You would know that if you had friends.”
“Which is why I don’t have any.” Said Ezra as he shrugged. “The only one I have, I married. That’s all I need.”
Gwen rolled her eyes and looked back to the group. Gwen felt bad that they’ve only been able to talk about battling the corporation and wanted to strike up a different conversation. Something a bit lighter. But what? She tapped her hand on the table as she thought over what to talk about. When she glanced over to Nox talking to her two girls, something sparked. “Oh! Nox and Lux said something about you making machines and mechanical suits. You must be well tuned with the science behind technology! What’s...what’s your favorite thing to make? Is it armor? A laser gun? Boots perfect for falling from heights that stop you from shattering your legs?”
“Duh... They deal with robots...” Ezra said to her.
Gwen grabbed his donut and stuffed it in his mouth. “Ignore him. I’m just...curious about hobbies...That’s all. Unlike SOMEONE...” She glared at Ezra again. “I’m trying to be polite and make them all feel more comfortable.”
“I mean, the seats are pretty comfy.” Nox commented. “That’s a good start.” He smirked when Gwen planted her palm against her forehead as he took her literally.
“Try hard.” Ezra said to Gwen again before ducking away as she went to stuff another donut in his mouth. He grinned and said; “You missed.”
Abruptly, Lionel stood up and pulled Gwen’s chair out from under the table. He then slid her over to his original spot, swapping places with her. This was a pathetic attempt to separate the two siblings from one another. “Stop it, both of you. We don’t need a headlock event beginning.” He wagged his finger, scolding the two adults as if they were children. Gwen sheepishly looked down at her plate while Ezra smirked, challenging Lionel. But Lionel held himself firmly. “I mean it.”
Josephine said to Mark; “Siblings, am I right?”
“What else do you like to do?” Asked Gwen as she still wanted to talk to Mark, even though she was sitting further away from him.
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Post by Moe on Jan 19, 2024 11:28:27 GMT -6
As they made their way to the bakery, Mark sneezing the entire walk there, it allowed enough time for the carriage that was carrying Ikuki and Dawn to meet them there. Dawn was eagerly planning on sitting next to Nox, before noticing someone else had already taken the spot. The feathers in her hair drooped slightly, and she opted to sit next to Mark, instead. Mark only got a coffee while Tiffany and Ikuki munched on various baked goods, and Dawn only poked slightly at her own.
Mark didn't notice anything off, but Ikuki immediately did. She leaned over to look past Mark and to Dawn, and gave her a smirk. "Jealous?" she teased, with a raised eyebrow.
"What? No! No, of course not, he's allowed to have other friends!" Dawn said as she fidgeted.
"I was meaning more in a, 'you might have a little bit of a crush' sort of way?" Ikuki said rather bluntly.
Dawn blushed furiously at that, and attempted to hide her face from both Ikuki and Nox. "NO! I...he's just a friend...I mean...maybe a little...ugh...is it that obvious?"
"Wow, we really are related." Mark commented as he sipped on his coffee.
"Please don't say anything to him." Dawn said as she rested her head, face-down, on the table. "I know he doesn't feel that way and I don't wanna make things weird. Ugh. Stupid teenage hormones, making me feel all stupid."
"Been there!" Mark commented again.
"Can you please keep your commentary to yourself?" Dawn shot him a glare.
"Hey, I'm just saying if you ever need to talk, I get it." Mark shrugged, but ultimately decided to leave her alone. Then when Gwen struck a conversation with him about technology, he immediately switched focus. "Actually, I don't deal with robots all that much, that's kind of a friend's thing. Oh, and my suits aren't mechanical, they're more like armor except not metal. Anything mechanical and metal would overheat and be uncomfortable and you would drown in your own body heat. My suits are made of breathable carbon fiber and only the vital parts are reinforced with hard plastics. The same kind of stuff a motorcycle helmet is made of. If...you have motorcycles around here, that is. Which I guess on that note, me being Hyper X is slowly becoming not so much of a secret, anymore, is it?" he shot a judgmental glance over at Nox.
"Anyway, my real job is bioengineering and cybernetic enhancements. Basically, I make cybernetic prosthetics for amputees and accident victims and program them to work on a level that matches one's brain functions. So they're attached to the person on an atomic level and the brain is able to freely move them as though they were always a part of them. You don't have to say it, I know I'm a genius."
"I've also been working with him on combining my magic with his technology!" Ikuki chimed in. "Since the world got a whole lot bigger and we have more...non-human-shaped creatures living here now, we've been working on prosthetics for missing wings, digitistruct legs, fins and tails. The only thing is I haven't quite worked out an enchantment that would allow the wearer to be able to use a human disguise, if they have one. So, dragons and draygars are still a problem in that regard."
"Magic kind of bounces off anything I make." Mark shrugged. "Which is weird. Maybe it has to do with me being raised as a science guy? I'm still not quite used to all of this, if I'm being honest. I like science. It's easy to understand and explain. Magic is different. You don't really explain it, you feel it, and that isn't something I'll ever get used to. Also, you're asking me a lot of questions. I'm starting to feel like this is an interrogation. Or worse, an interview."
"Don't mind him, he's an introvert. I'm the one who usually does all the talking." Ikuki teased him as she patted him on the shoulder. "What about you guys, though? This place is like a time capsule. How have you gone so long without any kind of technology? More importantly, do you think your Idol would let us bring ours into the city? Edna aside, we will eventually have to contact our team back at home."
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Post by Banshee on Jan 19, 2024 20:47:24 GMT -6
Morgana was completely unaware of Dawn's predicament over her sitting beside Nox. To her, she was just catching up with a good friend and nothing more. She and him had shared a lot of similar hobbies and enjoyed the idea of both being smarter than their twin sibling. All she wanted to do was have a laugh and catch up with Nox since she hadn't seen him in quite a long time.
The same went for Nox. He wasn't aware of Dawn's jealousy and didn't hear the conversation emerging from it. He was just enjoying the fact that both families were capable of finally meeting one another and everything seemed to be going somewhat smoothly. Of course, with the exception of Ezra's antics but he was always instigating Gwen. So his actions were actually quite normal.
As Mark spilled out his interests to Gwen, she sat there quietly and listened to him. The stuff he worked on, what he did, his apparent annoyance with Nox spilling the beans about his secret identity. But the ironic part was, she had no idea what half of the scientific information was all about. Being that she was taught at home by her Father and practically had to grow on the streets, much of this information wasn't making much sense. But to her? It didn't matter. It was making him happy to talk to her about it. And that's all that mattered.
Ezra silently watched his sister being intrigued but he knew that she was lost. There was a small hint of familiarity that he had with her when she had no idea what the other person was talking about. And of course, he had to poke at her for it. “You're not understanding a single word he's saying. Aren't you?”
There was no way for her to hide it and she eagerly said; “NOPE! But it's still kinda cool. I'm sure if I look into any of it, I'd learn just the basic idea behind all of that. But honestly, it does sound pretty impressive. Especially with building ligaments for those who lost them. It's really a good use of technology, if you ask me.” She smiled. “I hope you keep learning more about how to improve your inventions too!”
Ezra glanced over to Ikuki when she chimed in about trying to combine magic with technology. Nox then agreed with her and raised his hand with an eagerness behind it. “Now that would be a feat.”
“Somehow Cornelia Corp has already managed something like that. I'd be curious to know how they achieved it.” Nox admitted. “They turned our Mother into a robot but she still has her original conscious within her metal body. I don't know what they did-and I'm not sure if I completely agree with it, but the idea behind doing such a thing is interesting enough.”
“I'd be careful with that.” Lionel said to Nox, specifically. “If you're not careful, you could end up doing something dangerous. Or...considered illegal in parts of the world.”
Gwen however, was fascinated by it all. She didn't care about the legalities of anything. If it can be done, it was amazing as is. “I don't care about that stuff.” She said to Lionel. “It's not easy to combine the two forces together. And if these guys are as smart as they say they are? Then I don't doubt that they'd be able to do it.”
“I wasn't doubting them.” Lionel chuckled. He couldn't help but smile at Gwen as she showed such an interest with the others. “I haven't seen you this excited in a long time.”
Ezra then kicked back in his chair and listened to Mark express his worries about Gwen asking so many questions. He let out a laugh and said; “Yeah, we want to know if you'd be good for a talk show host.”
“We aren't doing that.” Gwen immediately shot down her brother with a snort. “I'm sorry. I'm just really excited over this whole thing about technology. I kind of get carried away. Lionel sort of rubbed off on me.” She laughed a bit nervously while rubbing the back of her head. Then she nodded when Ikuki mentioned that Mark was just introverted. “Oh! Okay, sorry still.”
“First off.” Ezra started to answer the questions. “Us Draygar are a problem. Between Dragons and us, we do tend to be a bit more on the complex side of things. Especially when you compare us to goblins or fairies.” He glanced to RJ. “Sorry pal, but you're kind is a lot easier to deal with than us.”
RJ shrugged as he was silently enjoying his food and listening to the conversations.
“Secondly, technology does exist here but it's different than the kind you're used to. Ours is more natural...or Green as you folks call it over there.” Continued Ezra.
“We're heavily magic based over here, as you can tell. “ Lionel spoke up. “We have a lot of spells, enchantments, curses, and whatnot that help all of us with our daily activities. For those who have a specialized interest, we have schools in place that can help further your interests. Those who don't know what they want, there's even opportunities for them to enter schools to help guide them.”
“How successful are they? The ones that help the lost?” RJ asked.
“From what I know, it's been pretty successful.” Answered Lionel. “It also depends on the person too. Some get it pretty quickly while others will stay within these schools for as long as they desire. Some don't even go to those schools and are just naturally gifted.”
“Oh, go ahead and gloat.” Ezra mocked Lionel while rolling his eyes.
“I...wasn't...trying to.” Lionel winced as he didn't like bragging about his skills. “Anyways...going back to the questions... We sort of adapt to living in the way we do. A huge majority if us within the Northern District are heavily magic oriented. So we sort of rely on our own abilities to get things done. Of course, we do have non-magic users here. I cannot speak for them but they seem to love it here. So...they must have a way for adapting as well, I suppose.”
Lionel then shifted in his seat at the final part of the question. “Well...We're going to need to really persuade Idol Aelita into letting you guys introduce technology into the area. As you are aware, Cornelia Corp has been trying to do that for ages now. Even before I was born.” Lionel said to them. “The previous Idol and the current one, aren't fond of how they handle things. Like...controlling cities and creating a massive monopoly by destroying everything that they see as a rival.”
Ezra interjected; “There was one technology oriented organization that did actually have access to our area. They were run by a bunch of folks who were trying to find the best way to bring back Mother Nature to Earth. Our side and them, worked very closely together and were actually making progress. But it was all burnt up in flames when Cornelia Corp gained the power they had back then...”
Gwen frowned and looked down at her empty plate. “They destroyed so many lives...”
“That's why our gates have been shut.” Lionel said to them. “The last Idol was hurt so badly over that whole ordeal. And when he met his fate, Idol Aelita feels the same as he did. As she was his student back then.” He rubbed the back of his head. “So we're all going to need to smack our brains together to figure out a good way to persuade her.” Lionel then wagged his finger at Mark. “It's not impossible though. I'm sure we can find a good enough excuse-heck, even just mentioning what you know they're doing may actually push her in the direction we need her to.”
“That's a YOU job.” Ezra said. “Last time I spoke to her, she wanted to wring my neck.”
“You...have a horrible way of talking to those higher ranked than you, Ezra...” Lionel said while narrowing his eyes at him.
Ezra shrugged. “I'm just reminding her that she can be insulted and hurt just like little old me.”
Gwen shook her head at them and said; “If you ever need to actually speak with her, Lionel's going to be your key to get to her. I would...just relax a little bit before doing that though. You guys have been through so much already...And-”
All of a sudden, Ezra lunged over the table and slammed Nox's head down into the table. There was a yipe but he continued to keep his head down, below the window. “Shush.”
“You smacked my dang head! Ow!”
“Ezra? Seriously, what in the Cosmos are you doing?” Barked Gwen.
“Open your eyes, sister. HE is out there...I don't want to deal with him because if I do, I'm getting arrested.” Ezra hissed as he pointed outside the window to show that he spotted Reese walking down the village street. He wasn't heading to the Bakery but if he spotted Nox, then it would all end.
“You...could've been a little nicer about it...” Morgana winced.
“Sorry, impulse reaction. Can't control it.”
“You can too...” Gwen narrowed her eyes at him. “Nox, sweetie. Are you okay?”
“I'm fine...Can he stop smooshing my face against the table though?”
Gwen pulled Ezra back and forced him to sit down. She then told Nox to remain hidden from view. “Sorry about that. Ezra, seriously?”
“Want me to go to jail? I'll be glad to go there for what I'm willing to do.” Ezra threatened.
“No.” Lionel said in a firm tone.
“I mean...I don't want Reese to see me either but he's going to spot me one day...” Nox said to them. “I don't really look like everyone around here. There's not too many French speaking, purple haired, Lesser Elves around.”
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Post by Moe on Jan 19, 2024 23:54:08 GMT -6
"It actually might be a lot more complicated than that." Mark pointed out, to Nox. "What we learned about them when we were designing their new shells, free from Edna's control, suggests there might be more technology involved than magic. Whiiiiich brings me to another really big problem that we might have failed to mention, to avoid mass panic. You know about Apollo, right? The AI that destroyed the planet thousands of years ago? Turns out, while I've been doing some research and studies on him, I've made a few revelations that suggests he....might...not...be...an AI?" he said, wincing.
"What." Dawn said flatly.
"He has a similar construct as Emily and Jet's brainwaves, suggesting he was, at one point, organic. The thing about that is, he was created two-thousand years ago, well before Cornelia Corp was ever even thought about. One of the Terians that's fighting on our side, said their Alpha offered Edna half the technology to re-build her own Apollo. If Apollo himself is, or was, organic...then she could have used that technology to create others like Emily and Jet. The only question I still haven't found an answer to is...what was the other half of that data, that Alpha didn't give her?"
Dawn gave him a flat look, a mix of confusion, anger, and betrayal, and in the moment she felt she was right about him the whole time. "You didn't think that was the most important thing to lead with?? If Apollo was organic, then who was he?? Why was he important enough to make immortal? Why was he chosen for the Alpha to control? And what on Earth is so important about him that Edna wants the blueprints so badly??"
"I don't know, okay??" Mark yelled softly, trying not to be too loud to disrupt the patrons or Tiffany. "I don't have an answer to any of that, that's why I haven't told anyone! Not even Jasmine! Apollo himself does-...didn't know!" he said, almost letting it slip that Apollo was still alive. "It's not like it even matters what the other half is, anyway. Alpha paid her a deposit to create something, or someone, that could kill me. That failed, and he refused her the rest of the payment. Look, I plan on explaining all of this to Aelita. She might know more than me, about it. I never wanted to keep anything from any of you, there's just a lot of questions I don't have answers to and I just want my family to have a nice few days that don't involve business, before we start to get to the heavy stuff."
"Speaking of," Dawn said, not really wanting to even look at him at the moment. "Your wife left in the middle of the conversation."
"What-" Mark looked beside him, having not even noticed she'd left, and didn't notice her heading outside as Ezra began to cause a scene inside of the bakery. "Hey!" he called out as Ezra slammed Nox's face into the table, getting ready for a fight. His anger subsided however, when it was pointed out that Reese was outside. "Geez, can you relax? Reese doesn't have legal custody over Nox, anymore. Now that Emily is free from Edna's control, he doesn't have anything to worry about."
Reese, however, did have something to worry about. And that was a very angry, very hormonal, very pregnant Ikuki outside, summoning a giant fist from the shadows and right into Reese's face.
"Told ya' Mommy was gonna punch 'im." Tiffany said, completely nonchalantly, as she continued to munch on her chocolate chip croissant.
"Oh." was all Mark could muster to say, as he watched the ordeal from the window.
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