Steel Sky (Adelle/Mind Flayer)

[Guan Yu]

Re: Steel Sky (Adelle/Mind Flayer)

While she was practically drooling for one of the shotties that the store had, the thing was pretty expensive and thus probably better off not being bought for now. In the future, Adelle could probably get it no problem, but it was kinda out from her price range at the moment. Isabella was already getting her things payed out when Adelle made it to the counter. Again, the presence of a sister seemed to help, as the store owner decided that he would give the busty girl some free help. "Let me help you with that." the somewhat Santa Claus-y old man told her as she payed up, asking for Adelle's gun. He did a bit of work, attaching the sight and seeing that it was properly aligned before giving it back along with a holster that could actually keep the laser-sighted gun in it. "There we go missy. Do come again." the man told her, the friendliness almost radiating from him.

Now, Adelle was left with some decent money and time in the day.

 

[Mind Flayer]

Re: Steel Sky (Adelle/Mind Flayer)

Even though she really wanted the shotgun, she simply couldn't afford to have it, shells for it, and bullets for her pistol as well. She'd rummaged around in her money pouch to see if she could scrounge enough together while still having a bit left, but unfortunately there wasn't enough there to manage it right now, though she may be able to afford it after her next job so she decided to wait until then to try and get it so she would have more money. She did however have enough to go ahead and get her laser sight for her pistol, which she grabbed and brought it up to the counter to pay for it after Isabella got through with her purchases.

When Isabella got through with her purchase and Adelle came up, it seemed that Isabella's knowing her did the same for her here as Rachaela's knowing her with Josephine, resulting in a nice discount for her, and the old Santa Claus looking man behind the counter even sighted her gun up for her after fixing her new laser sight onto it, giving a happy smile at how nice the man was.

"Thank you sir, I really appreciate it, and a new holster too, you're a really good man you know that. It'd probably have taken me a while to figure this higher tech stuff out and got it fixed up right," Adelle said to the old guy after flashing him a girlish smile, thanking him for the help with a bow of her head, then she pointed over at the shotgun she'd so badly wanted, saying, "And don't worry I'll be back as soon as I have the money to afford that beauty right over there."

After leaving the gun store, with a wave and a wink from Adelle at the old guy working behind the counter, they headed on out, and Adelle still had a good deal of money left considering, and what she had left she was going to save for now... well except for maybe a little for her to get a drink or something at the bar later.

"Hey girls, are we going to check with Samson for any more jobs right now? Or did you all not feel like heading over there today? I was going to see what jobs Samson had today before deciding on what to do myself," Adelle asked the others, wondering what they planned on doing that day.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Steel Sky (Adelle/Mind Flayer)

"Let's hope it is still here when you do." the old gun store owner replied as Adelle and the girls departed, waving at them as they exited.

Back outside, there was a brief gathering as the girls had to decide what they were going to do. While Lacrimosa and Rachaela seemed quite willing and able to go on a day job, both Isabella and Mariela seemed to have things to do. "Need to get my dress repaired. Also do some clean-up at the house, that useless servant of mine still can't manage to do what I tell him. I should have waited longer to pick one..." Mariela offered her reasons, Isabella's being almost similar, though she had no dress to repair. Mostly it was the admitted, horrible condition that her place was in. "Surely you can manage. Don't take something that is too big a job."

 

[Mind Flayer]

Re: Steel Sky (Adelle/Mind Flayer)

"I really do hope it is still there sir, because I really really want that baby," Adelle told the gun store owner as they left.

Once back outside they gathered together to decide what all to do, and after Adelle asked what they planned on doing Mariela and Isabella both seemed to be needing to do some things around their homes, but she found that Lacrimosa and Rachaela both seemed to be willing and able to go with her on another job if she wished.

"Okay then you two, I hope you get everything sorted out at home then, if you need any help let me know and I'll do what I can to help, because that's what friends do. Thanks for all the help you both gave me today, we'll see you both later," Adelle said to Mariela and Isabella before turning to Lacri and Rachaela and continuing, "So do you two want to go see if there's any good jobs to take and make us a little more money? I'm game if you both are, but we don't gotta go on another job today if you don't want to. I'd much prefer to go out with someone else so I don't get overwhelmed if I have to fight."

If they wanted to go ahead and go with her on another job, then Adelle would take her things back to Lacri's place to leave before heading off back to the bar where Samson was to see about what all kinds of jobs he had today.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Steel Sky (Adelle/Mind Flayer)

The two girls had agreed to go on a thing with Adelle if she had the interest to do it, so the three would do just that. Parting ways with Isabella and Mariela for now, they made their way back to Lacri's place, where Zacharias was waiting. The potentially perfect servant was quick to help Adelle with her things, allowing them to get a move on faster and get to the combined bar and job center of the bounty hunters.

Like at all the other times that Adelle had seen him, Samson was still at his spot, the same double couches. This time, there was some detectable signs about him actually being a human, since there was a plate with some bones on the table in front of him on the table. Another female bounty hunter was just getting away from him, most likely having picked up a mission for herself just then. Curiously enough, this one looked like a wealthy Japanese schoolgirl, a red sleeveless jacket over the usual uniform and stockings. She was not too tall, but there was a definate feel of good physical strenght about her. She too sported blue hair like Adelle, but even longer and more on the lighter shade. The fellow hunter didn't pay them much attention, but did a small bow as a greeting when she passed, recognizing the trio as comrades. When they did make it to Samson, it looked like the man had already gotten something lined up. "Back for more, Adelle? Sure, I can give you something to do. This time, it won't be a retrieval job." the man told them, stumping out his cigar on the ashtray. "This will be a job for the our combined organization. But that doesn't mean you won't get paid, I will pay you like normal. Us hunters maintain some outposts a little distance away from the city area to keep guard over the wild wastes that are filled with all kinds of marauding bandits and ferocious creatures. One of these outposts has been somewhat slow on sending out reports recently, and it's been weeks since the last one. I'd like you three to go there and investigate what is taking them too long. It shouldn't be dangerous, since the wasteland dwellers don't usually stray too close to the city."

 

[Mind Flayer]

Re: Steel Sky (Adelle/Mind Flayer)

After they had agreed to go with Adelle on a job that day, assuming she had wanted to of course, which she very much did, they headed back to Lacri's place so she could go ahead and put her stuff away so she didn't lose it by some means. When they arrived, Zacharias immediately moved to help her with her new things.

"Oh thanks Zach, you're such a nice guy. Lacri's really lucky to have someone like you helping her. Maybe one day when I get my own place I can get me a butler like you to help me keep it clean and stuff," Adelle said to Zacharias when he helped her get her things put away, so they could hurry up and head on back out to see Samson about some more work.

When they moved out and everything, they quickly managed to make their way to the bar and she saw Samson again sitting on his double couches, a table in front of him on a table that had a pile of bones on it, indicating he'd likely just eaten, probably some chicken wings if she had to guess. She saw another female bounty hunter just getting up that looked like a rich Japanese schoolgirl or something. The main thing Adelle noticed about her was her blue hair, that was even longer than Adelle's that hang down to her mid back, though it was a bit lighter than her own sapphire blue colored hair. Adelle saw her make a small bow as she passed them, and Adelle did her one in return, though a slightly deeper one.

"Yeah Samson, I'm back. I gotta make money somehow you know. And not a retrieval job you say, do tell," Adelle replied to the old bounty hunter as he put his cigar out in his ashtray.

She listened intently to his explanation of what they'd be doing exactly before replying herself, nodding as he finished up. "So are we supposed to meet up with any others out there, or is it just the three of us? And what do we do once we get there exactly? Depending on what's happened to the place of course. If it's under attack, or something like that does it turn into a defensive mission or something? And if it's some of the... ferocious creatures you mentioned, would they be like the ones we've run into in the sewers? Or would it be something different entirely?" Adelle said to the old hunter once he'd finished, asking a few questions about the mission that she thought they ought to know.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Steel Sky (Adelle/Mind Flayer)

"No, there is no reason for you to try and clean the place up in case of an attack against it. Just came back to the city and pass the news to me, so we can get a bigger unit organised to take care of it with the help of the authorities. The outpost is manned by some of our numbers, the types who like to be away from the city life and act in more of a military manner. Some of us go there from time to time and stay to help them with their duties for a few days, but they can usually make it without too much help." the job assigner told them as a waitress got to them, getting a thanks from him as she picked away the empty plate. "Once you get there and get a view of the situation, you can come back and report to what has been going on. If there is a clear war going on, do not take a stupid risk. Otherwise, enter the place and see what is happening there. The creatures of the wastes are generally mutated animals and worse, though they are different from the things that prowl underneath the streets. I've sent no others there, but there is the normal staff from our numbers. Plus I think you saw Tsuzura just now, the girl that you passed. She said that she might take a walk there if she can find the time today. If she decides to find herself there, there should be little trouble with creatures. She might not look like too much, but is deceptively strong and skilled."

 

[Mind Flayer]

Re: Steel Sky (Adelle/Mind Flayer)

"Alrighty then Samson thanks a bunch, and I'm sure we can manage, I don't like taking big risks unless I've got to, so we'll run back as quick as we can if it comes right down to it and just head back with whoever we'd have to send out," Adelle replied to the man.

She turned to the other two and nodded, "I'm ready when you two are, I'd say it'd be best to head on out as quick as we can in case they need help. Don't you both agree?" Adelle said to her two companions.

She was ready whenever they were, so when they were ready they could go on and do their new job. The reason Adelle was in a rather good mood and had a little spring in her step was because she'd gotten to buy all of her new clothes and she had a reason to want to go out and make some more money, so she could get her shotgun she'd seen earlier at the gun store. Before they left out she'd also ask Samson just to point her in the direction of the outpost and she would take the lead on the way there, feeling rather cheerful at the moment.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Steel Sky (Adelle/Mind Flayer)

Rachaela and Lacrimosa seemed to agree, and thus they were off. They didn't have to ask about this particular outpost, since they knew the number and Rachaela had actually been there for a few days before to help with the smooth operations of the place. "I made some food for them and helped to maintain cleanliness with some minor magical application, as well as sitting on a few guard shifts. The men appriciated me being there for that trio of days." she told them, apparently for the first time for Lacrimosa as well since the nun girl didn't appear to know about it.

The trek took them through the city a good deal of time, the houses eventually starting to thin out before there was almost none of them. Soon, there was a well-travelled road ahead of them. "This road goes past the outpost, should follow it and find our way there." Rachaela instructed them, using her staff as a walking aid as they advanced throught the wastes. It was a desert outside the town, just not as hot as one would expect a desert to be, and not as sandy either. It took another good period of time to make it to the outpost, but they got there unmolested by any potential threats, the only thing that they encountered being a wild, speeding tumbleweed. From the outside, the place was a two-floor building with a tower on one corner. The tower itself was not open-air, so there could actually be decently comfortable times to be had in the shifts. Somewhat ominously, they could see a raven depart from the roof of the main building as they made towards the place.

 

[Mind Flayer]

Re: Steel Sky (Adelle/Mind Flayer)

Adelle saw that her two companions seemed to agree with her that they should hurry on, so they did so. When Adelle was about to ask about where it was and all, Rachaela told them she'd been there before, and Adelle noticed that Lacri seemed surprised about hearing of it, which made Adelle think that she'd never known about it before.

They traveled through the city until the buildings began thinning out until there were finally none left at all. Soon enough they came to a pretty well traveled road, that Rachaela told them went past the outpost. "So let's go then, and let's be careful okay, don't want anything to maybe sneak up on us," Adelle said after Rachaela told them which way to go.

As they moved outside of the city, it looked like a desert to Adelle, though not as hot... more like a wasteland rather than a desert really. Some time later, they manage to safely make it to the outpost they were heading for, with Adelle looking around at what little scenery there was. Adelle saw the two-floor building they were searching for, and noticed a small tower on one of its corners. She saw the tower wasn't open to the desert winds and thought it may actually have been kind of comfortable some of the time even when there was a lot of heat.

When Adelle saw the raven fly off of the roof of the place as they walked towards it, something told her that there was something really wrong, as she hadn't seen anybody just yet to challenge them like she'd expected there to be.

"What do you two make of this? Looks suspicious to me. Should we go in for a closer look or what?" Adelle asked her two companions, wondering what may be wrong and wondering if it was just her being paranoid.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Steel Sky (Adelle/Mind Flayer)

"It does look mighty suspicious. But we are here, and there is no real visible attack going on, so it's up to us to find out what's going on." Rachaela spoke up as the question was aired by Adelle. "There's no sign that there's actually anyone even there, since one of them should have come out by now, and there is no-one on shift up there either." the magician sister pointed out the tower, which was indeed missing the customary lookout person. Not seeing any other way around this, the girls moved towards the main building, since the tower didn't seem accessible from the outside.

Climbing up a set of stairs to access the door, the girls creaked it open, finding that the place was completely silent and dark from their spot on the door.

 

[Mind Flayer]

Re: Steel Sky (Adelle/Mind Flayer)

"If it looked any more suspicious I believe I'd be running already, and I was about to ask why nobody came out yet since this is supposed to be somewhat like a military type base. But you're right, it is up to us to find out what's going on. Let's go and get this over with then," Adelle said to her companions, looking up at the outpost.

As they didn't see any other way around going in, they moved towards the outpost cautiously and headed on into it to find out what was wrong. Once to the main door, they climbed a set of steps to reach it, then pushed it open. The inside was totally dark, and they didn't hear anything around the door.

"Oh of all the. Really? How cliched is this huh? No light is going to make this a bitch to find anything. (sigh)... might as well go on in. Who wants to take the lead?" Adelle said to the two once the door opened and they saw how dark and quiet it was inside.

If neither of them wished to take point, then Adelle would do so herself, keeping her gun up and at the ready, though keeping her new laser sight off for the moment so as not to alert anyone or anything behind a corner or something.

"What do you two think about heading straight up to the tower first? Because it'd give us a good field of vision as to which way something may have come from. I think that'd be a pretty good idea at least. But maybe we should do a bottom to top search instead," Adelle asked the two after they went inside and started looking around, ready to find their way straight up to the top.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Steel Sky (Adelle/Mind Flayer)

"No, it is not going to be a bother, only a slight inconvinience. You forget things." Rachaela replied as Adelle expressed her thoughts about the dark, tapping the bottom of her staff against the ground and lighting up the top to provide them with the needed illumination. Lacrimosa took up the point position, being the best of the three at melee. Rachaela stayed at the middle and Adelle was left with the rear. At the room where they entered, there was little of concern, only a reception spot that was predictably empty. Having seen that, they moved on to the corridor and advanced towards the tower. Along the way, they took brief inspections into the rooms that they passed by, finding all of them completely devoid of any possible human population. Only basic live-in things were to be found. The kitchen had foodstuffs in it, but some of it was already unedible.

As the girl trio arrived to the room where the tower was accessed from, a large-ish locker room, the previous emptiness changed to something far more unsettling. While there still were no belongings aside from clothes and the kind visible, the whole room had been coated with blood. Only the ceiling had escaped the massive amounts of red that was staining most of the floors and walls.

 

[Mind Flayer]

Re: Steel Sky (Adelle/Mind Flayer)

"Oh yeah duh... I almost forgot about you knowing magic. And damn if I had thought about it I would have gotten a flashlight attachment for my pistol here to go with the laser sight, remind me will you girls and I'll get one when I get my shotty, I'll get one for it too," Adelle said back to Rachaela, cursing herself for not going ahead and grabbing the flashlight to attach to her gun too.

Lacri she noticed went ahead forwards and took point instead of her, as she was the better of the two at melee until Adelle learned how to better use her new sword, while Adelle herself took the rear guard, walking backwards most of the way so she could keep an eye behind them at all times, while Rachaela took the center as she was the mage and needed protection, plus she was their only source of light at the moment, and Adelle was rather... scared of the dark.

They didn't really see much of note in the entrance room, which Adelle found very suspicious to be honest, so they moved on down the hallways and headed for the tower like Adelle had suggested earlier. They searched any other rooms that they passed along the way, but found them all empty of any life save maybe a few little bugs here and there, the whole thing making Adelle more and more anxious to just leave and go tell Samson about what was going on. When they made their way to the kitchen they found that it still had food within, though some was already spoiled and wouldn't be safe to eat.

They finally arrived at the room where they could make their way up into the tower, still in the same formation and all. Inside they saw it was a sort of locker room, and when Adelle caught sight of all of the blood staining the floor and walls and the torn clothing everywhere, the sight of it caused her to visibly tremble with fear as she gasped.

"M-My god... what could have done this? I really think we should get out of here girls and come back with more help. I... I don't like this, I don't like this at all, I've got a bad feeling," Adelle whispered to the others in a scared and shaky voice, fearful that whatever done it would come back for them. Adelle was more than ready to leave if the others were.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Steel Sky (Adelle/Mind Flayer)

It seemed the other girls were not too thrilled about the scene either. A mass killing had occurred, yet the thing that had done it was apparently smart enough to take any weapons and protective gear away from the room, not to mention the bodies themselves. "I agree, wholeheartedly. We better retreat as fast as possible." Rachaela confirmed that she too was advocating the same plan of advancement.

But before they could really get anywhere, a long-fingered hand appeared in the doorway they had entered from, the rest of the creature following soon after despite it's ungainly movement. It looked like a human, but like one that was stretched out of proportion in a rather brutal manner. From the remains of the clothes it had on, the thing appeared to once have been an engineer of some stripe, with the cover-alls, welding goggles and a hardhat. The fingers had been stretched like the rest of the body and ended in long claws. But the worst thing was that the thing had blocked their escape, having just entered from where they did.

 

[Mind Flayer]

Re: Steel Sky (Adelle/Mind Flayer)

Adelle noticed the other two weren't very happy with what they found either, as whatever had done all this seemed to be quite smart, because Adelle didn't see any of the bodies, weapons, or armor of any sort left in the room. When Rachaela agreed with her on getting the hell out of there, Adelle turned along with the other two and took only a step or two before she saw the long fingered hand on the doorway they came in from. Adelle took a step back at that, then when the rest of the creature moved within sight, Adelle gasped and took more than just one step back, as she was the closest to the door because she was the rear guard.

"Oh my god... w-what the hell is that thing?" Adelle asked the others, pointing her pistol directly at its head after it came through, using her laser sight as well to make certain her aim was true.

She took in all of its features and the more she saw the more scared it was making her. It seemed to be human... or at least it was once human, she saw the clothing it had on and thought to herself momentarily that it may have once been one of the inhabitants of the place considering the hardhat and welding goggles it was wearing. When Adelle saw those long claws on the ends of its fingers, her face went a little pale.

"G-Girls, do you think we ought to run on up the tower? Maybe try and get us a choke point of some sort so nothing could evade mine and Rachaela's bullets and magic. Cause unless y'all wanna run, I'm going to start shooting if it comes towards us any more, and as soon as its down we should get the hell out of here," Adelle said to her companions, seeing what they wanted to try and do.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Steel Sky (Adelle/Mind Flayer)

While the busty girl asked for the others about their plans to deal with this creature, the thing itself measured them up up from it's post in front of the doorway. But as she aimed her gun, the laser dot passed over the creature's eye as it looked at them, triggering a reaction. Most likely recognising what it was being measured up with, the possible former human springed to action. In an unnaturally floppy and ungainly yet still fast movement, it lurched towards Adelle and the girls, swiping up at her gun arm. Fortunately, it only managed to rip some sleeve, the claws missing Adelle's skin. "Doesn't look like it's going to give us a chance..." Rachaela uttered before she started an incantation. Looked like they were going to have to fight the creature there, in the somewhat small room.

 

[Mind Flayer]

Re: Steel Sky (Adelle/Mind Flayer)

When Adelle asked the others what they thought really quick about dealing with the situation, she failed to realize her hands trembling slightly, which incidentally caused the new laser sight on her pistol to shine in the creature's eye. This triggered a hell of a reaction that Adelle hadn't expected in the least, as the thing jumped at them very quickly despite its ungainly look and slashed its long claws at her gun arm. Adelle yelped out as she stumbled back in her attempt to dodge the attack, just managing to keep from being cut open, though the same couldn't be said for her shirt as the claws tore the sleeve a bit.

“H-Hey... that was one of my only shirts you bastard. You'll pay for that,” Adelle said after stumbling back, now mightily pissed off about her clothing being damaged.

She brought her gun back up and aimed right at its head and squeezed the trigger, very intent on killing whatever the hell it was now for damaging her clothes like that.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Steel Sky (Adelle/Mind Flayer)

Adelle fired off her gun, the creature continuing the previous sway that it had done and almost bending itself 90 degrees to the side. The maneuver gave Rachaela good time to blast the thing backwards with a force bolt, but it was quick on the recovery and attempting to bring on the attack against the busty girl once more. However, the incoming claw was deflected as Lacrimosa skipped past Adelle's side and brought her large gauntlet thing up to catch the incoming limb. With the two of them pushing against each other, a suitable opening was presented to the gunner, which she used to full effect and blew off a chunk from the creepy creature's shoulder. Rachaela had little less luck this time, the positioning making it a bit hard for her to get any spells off without risking the nun girl getting a hit. For her part, Lacri was bringing the creature back with her push, aligning her piledriver gauntlet with the monster's body before letting loose. A clubbing blow managed to knock her over the head, but it was not enough to prevent the releasing steel spike from sending the creature back to the door, the force of the steam-powered hydraulics making a neat hole into the thing's chest. One hole didn't seem to bother it too much though, and it was back on the attack almost immidiately as Lacri's weapon withdrew back into ready position. It would likely take a bit until she could use it again.

Adelle 5/5 FP 0/10 AP Rachaela 4/4 FP 10/10 MP 0/10 AP | Lacrimosa 6/8 FP 3/3 MP 0/10 AP
???? 11/15HP

 

[Mind Flayer]

Re: Steel Sky (Adelle/Mind Flayer)

Adelle fired her gun at the thing though was surprised and kind of impressed by its limber body and bending skills as it swayed out of the way of her bullet. However she was thankful when Rachaela's magic bolt knocked it back a little and away from her, glancing over her shoulder to give her a thankful nod which unfortunately gave the thing time to come at Adelle as it swung at her again. Lacrimosa however saved Adelle a lot of pain as she deflected the incoming claw attack, catching the thing with her large gauntlet.

Adelle saw an opening to take a pot shot at the thing while Lacri was pushing against it to keep it busy, aiming and firing her gun at it. Her bullet tore through its shoulder and took off a sizable chunk when it hit, though she noticed that Rachaela's magic was hard to aim so she didn't hit Lacri in the process from where she was positioned. Lacri however aimed her large gauntlet up with the thing's chest as it bonked her over the head, which didn't dissuade her at all as her gauntlet launched the steel spike from it which all but hulk smashed the thing back and into the door they arrived in from.

Adelle saw that despite having a chunk of shoulder missing, as well as a hole through its chest it did not stop coming as yet and was all but immediately back up and ready to attack them again.

"Jeez does this thing ever stop coming, I mean damn. A hole in the chest and half a shoulder missing should make anyone or thing falter somewhat," Adelle said to the others as she saw the thing get back to its feet. Adelle decided on taking out the thing's mobility some so they could evade a little better, so she aimed at its legs this time around, hoping to hit, aiming specifically for the knees.