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Post by demikara on Jan 20, 2020 19:21:21 GMT -6
Right. That wasn't overly helpful, but it directed her to a series of possible pages, so she checked it out and flipped through the pages, coming across the one she had shown Flynn at one point. "If I show you some images, can you identify if they're familiar?" The address book was illustrated after all, for just this purpose. She cross-referenced Ophaniel with Slaugh and came to one page in particular. It was about other walkers of the world tree and she showed a picture of one of them to the worm. "Does this look familiar? Like your people?"
People came in different shapes and sizes after all, and that included different walkers of the world tree and travelers of the in between. Given what Flynn looked like, she knew perfectly well how different people could look. She looked the page over herself. "The entry mentions Ophaniel and Slaugh, but we can try a few other possibilities as well." There were options, after all, and she knew she could find where the worm belonged.
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Post by littlekreen on Jan 20, 2020 20:52:50 GMT -6
The lizard stopped eating and looked up as the spiny head torqued so the spark eyes on its jaw could see. The lack of an Almanac left its memory of places rather disjointedly academic in nature. Small gold legs waddle closer to the book raised mid-air to look at the creatures. Many it did not recognize though a particular one it certainly did. His eyes steel grey absent pupils and a face now inscribed on its memory via its name. Wherever that one was it wasn't supposed to be on this side of the wall even if this creature knew their face via the Great Machine.
The lizard pointed with one hand toward the photo with a true name of the one who stole that face, [Ruvaen Eilpetor, Wraith, recused from subsumed purpose within the Great Machine and localized. Heavily corrupted. Currently unresolvable. Servitors failed to locate for search and destroy.] It pointed at another name on the page with a particular pendant and read from memory their abstract properties, [Shao Jiang, Tresspasser, Humankind, Heaven servant, Implemented by the Great Machine. If external to the Void-at-the-Foot-of-Ophaniel is thus now Neutral by Dicta and will of the Overbeing.]
Golden legs bent back down to the arm the four-split lizard jaw flexing, [We have arrested further fracture but it is possible there were or are violations.]
The head looked down at its arm, [We should return to the apartments to update the Almanac. Perhaps we can be retemplated for finding purposes. Then we can be useful. We have decided eating trespasser insects is an overly simplistic task.]
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Post by demikara on Jan 21, 2020 12:57:23 GMT -6
Eating trespasser insects? Huh, that must work out well in a city. "Alright. I know about where you're from, but let's get you to the apartments first. Did Sergio live there? If so, I can look it up." The man's wallet was probably in the morgue which meant dealing with Baird, but the two could be civil. "You'll have to go back to Void-at-the-foot-of-Ophaniel. You don't blend in with the surrounding beings. There's rules, you know?" Everyone who could travel the world tree knew the rules, though not everyone agreed on where they came from. Zander said they came from the guardians and to follow them because there was no way the ratatoskr were taking on the guardians. They were supposed to be incredibly scary people.
Molly had never seen one so didn't know.
Either way, the worm/arm would have to go back to its home plane. And it was her job to help it there, just like it was her job to help Flynn and the boys go there, once the boys were big enough to actually travel the world tree safely. Though she should check to see if she could carry them and that work out. But maybe there was a health reason they couldn't? Different species had different health concerns, and Flynn and the boys were definitely a different species entirely.
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Post by littlekreen on Jan 21, 2020 15:04:34 GMT -6
The small gold lizard's eyes blinked when the spark-eyes in front of it did its voice smoother as motes reignite, [We observe existing rules we are aware of. The Great Machine cannot compel hostility outside the barrier and servitors can be retemplated to comply.]
It grabbed two stones to bite at the center where a smell of brimstone emerged showing them fused, [An unknown force pulled then cracked our barrier to Void-at-the-foot-of-Ophaniel. The Sergio's living space was within a suitable structure bought with Roma coin after breach inspection and emergence. Storm leakage was arrested so should not threaten humankind. Renters are entitled to repairs at market price and the Sergio asked to be repaired.]
The creatures had a less strong division to the nature of machines and men. The missing arm was a part they could not replicate but could replace. Such an equivalent replacement was permitted by Texas rental codes which was what precipitated the exchange. Though intended for appliances and furnishings Jinhai with divergent understanding read every piece of writing in the super's office over the course of several days. He of course had left by then but they did not concern themselves with him their transaction ostensibly 'complete' with a small paper indicating sale. They had yet to figure out how to use his computer though they did try. It was a thing created with human conventions and sensibilities so it hadn't occurred to them the darkened monitor was even a tool.
A relevant quote followed from an announcement by their Overbeing the voice a deeper natural tone of worry in it, [Planar collision surface may already be too large to inhibit astral reintegration with available external resources. Seek knowledge of barrier and its repair. Minimize humankind contact except for senators or urban cohorts.]
Metallic crunching noises overlay its voice with bites at an aluminum can, [The Almanac's first pages say we were cut out. We are home again.]
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Post by demikara on Jan 22, 2020 8:08:21 GMT -6
"Usually, repairs means repairs to the apartment, not to the person." Though she supposed a new arm did count as a repair to a person. Still, planar collision. That was dangerous. Molly bit her bottom lip and considered her options. She'd report it to Zander. He'd know how to handle it. She watched the worm eat a can and thought the issue over. "Do you have enough now? I really should get you back to the apartments at least before anyone sees you." It sounded like they thought they were from here though. That wasn't possible. Was it?
They certainly didn't look like anything found on earth. But she hadn't seen the entire earth and wasn't exactly an earth scholar so didn't know for sure. But it sounded like they were trying to minimize human contact at least, and solve the whole breach problem. "I'm going to have to report the breach. That's pretty serious stuff." Planes should not be touching and bad things happened when they did.
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Post by littlekreen on Jan 22, 2020 18:36:12 GMT -6
Aluminum consumed with several rapid bites the worm retreats to its arm. The gold scaled false lizard had a surface undulating like flesh as the legs flailed a bad walk. Their nature as strongly metaphysical creatures made them what magic they breathed but they hardly made convincing meaty creatures. Though convincing in shape at least the fly that passed above failed to notice the lizard for what it was. The bug hadn't gone half of the oversized lizard's length for a small beaked mouth to surface with a gleam. The small sub-worm stretched in a thin rope to clamp down and drag the insect underneath the roll of scales. Sets of cigarette butts it stepped on survived little better as nonselective their eating habits were.
Its lizard form melted away as the worm returned to a more tubular state shoving its mass into the access port. Though it ejects excess scales into the compartment nearby bits of rock, flailing bug, and cigarette butts rapidly lose distinct shape in the distended shape still above the arm. There were clattering noises as ceramic plates rejoined. The single half-broken finger jerked hard then tensed once as metal supports welded together.
After those few moments to attend to badly broken parts it replies, [Yes. We can attend repairs to the arm. We are suitable for transport.]
The worm looked around at the buildings lingering on little of it, [We do not know where the Sergio is located. We do not leave the structure. Jinhai are active in the structure. Humankind have been paid to interact with humankind but we should be returned to a Jinhai.]
Curiosity was a thing that took time to percolate from the creatures. Cognitive engines occasioanlly had an inquisitive thought though Jinhai tended to be far more rote. When this creature had a question it thus fended off other concerns such as reporting breaches.
The notion of the plane collision as bad passed its interest by as it asks Molly in monotone, [The books did not mention non-meat inhabitant repairs were banned. We avoid serious issues with humankind if possible. Inhabitant requests by humankind are granted for fair market rate. We were told to use the phone to send humankind to nine hundred and eleven for meat repairs. Is this correct? There was nothing in Almanac page nine hundred and eleven for meat repairs.]
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Post by demikara on Jan 22, 2020 18:52:54 GMT -6
Molly picked up the worm and held it carefully in her arms. "That's alright. Sergio probably had ID on him, and he'll be in the morgue." She started heading there, carrying the worm the entire time. "A Jinhai, huh? Alright, I'll return you to one." She didn't recognize the word, but she could look it up in her address book. "Nine hundred and eleven..." It took Molly a moment and she grinned. "Nine-One-one! Yes, you dial that number on a phone for emergency services. An ambulance to go to the hospital, or firefighters if there's a fire, or police if there's a break in, or crime." She explained carefully. "Dial means to press the numbers. You don't have to hold them down though." That had been interesting to learn when she was first learning how phones worked.
"A phone is...something that lets two people far away talk to each other. It's like they're in the same room instead of nowhere near. Modern phones are called cell phones and they are small computers that do a lot." Very small. Molly was always so impressed by how quickly humans changed things. They were incredibly clever. She supposed they'd have to be to make up for the lack of magic. She paused in front of the morgue and then frowned. "Dr. Baird doesn't like me, so let's try not to freak her out too much, okay?"
It wasn't going to work. The good doctor could be a little jumpy.
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Post by littlekreen on Jan 23, 2020 15:37:18 GMT -6
Matte lizard shape reverted to a segmented worm as they left the outside. The grip of toed feet replaced by a weightless raindrop's cling. It examined the area with its swirl eyes the beak absently tensing as it absorbed errant dust. Materials for its own operation not from oxygen but the sea of floating organic matter ever present in the air. The filtering left a thin rushing noise and the continuous blow of air on the back of her arm. Smells of sweat and frustration common to such offices diminishing the longer Molly spent in one spot.
It looked at the grid of numbers on an archaic office phone at one desk considering the types of humans it could summon, [We did not recognize what the number-letter grids were for. Now we will understand. Jinhai communicate through the Almanac. We wonder what meat repair humans look like. Water tube repair humans are very large. Jinhai can constrain aggressive intruders.]
The worm remembered the manifold it had been in and the ridged toes returned as the iguana sized onyx gecko reassembled the mouth split as before, [This form reflected that intent. We still remember it. It is nonthreatening?]
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Post by demikara on Jan 23, 2020 16:42:53 GMT -6
"That's probably a good form to stay in, yeah." She closed her eyes, braced herself, and opened the door. ["Dr. Baird is not a fan of mine. But she is a meat repair human."] She assured the worm, then managed a smile for the doctor who was not impressed to have someone here again. At least she was out of the surgery and in her office. That made a big difference in how this was going to go done. "Dr. Baird, hey. I came to find out the address of the man with the artificial arm? It's harmless and I need to return it. I was hoping to check his wallet?" She wanted to return it to where ever it came from, and that started with finding the address.
Dr. Baird's eyes narrowed on Molly and on the creature. "His effects are in evidence already. All that's left here is the body. He's completely mundane, and will be transferred back to the mundane coroner later today, with his things. Now get that thing out of here before it tries to speak to me." It was weird and she didn't like it. It could stay away. Molly managed a polite smile. Dr. Baird was difficult to work with, but at least she had a lead to where to find the wallet. "And Bronson? Keep that thing out of my areas."
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Post by littlekreen on Jan 23, 2020 20:10:17 GMT -6
The Gecko looked at the desk, then to the floor and the room's four corners. It knew where it was in extra-space relative to the breach seal but not how to get from here to their building. Though while it was here it opted to remember the office and the area where the Sergio was stored. This place belonged to the meat repair human and so would be remembered by the Almanac once it returned. Even if it did not understand the slang it understood the subtext that the Molly and Baird were neutral but not allied.
It related this in the Fae tongue to Molly, [This place is remembered. The Baird is remembered. The Almanac remembers the Baird forever.]
Though the wallet wasn't anywhere to be found as it looked about the black tail curling, [Is there the flat space marker here? We only know the way from the void.]
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Post by demikara on Jan 24, 2020 10:43:26 GMT -6
["I don't know what a flat space marker is. Can you describe it?"] She managed a smile for Baird and left without saying goodbye. The other was a royal bitch. It was maddening to work with her, but she was good at what she did. Even if her familiar was creepy. So creepy. Molly headed down towards evidence and checked out the man's clothes, the found the wallet. ["Okay, I have his address now."] She put it into her phone and headed to the garage. She had gotten herself a decent car since she couldn't just walk everywhere now. ["It doesn't look like its too far away. That's good. I still hate driving."]
She had gotten her license last month. She had just barely passed the driving test, but she had managed it. Xiaolian still refused to let her drive to scenes though. Molly's driving apparently scared her.
The Ratatoskr smiled down to the gecko. ["It'll be about ten minutes."] Hopefully.
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Post by littlekreen on Jan 24, 2020 13:33:44 GMT -6
Its explanation was a function of the language they had a foreign grasp of as they went to evidence, [The void is between the folds of flat spaces. We use the hidden sign of the Aethernomicon to navigate the void. We are not Jinhai. We cannot express its direction from inside flat space. So we don't know where we are to other flat things.]
Rushing air blew over her arm as it quietly observed as they went. As they got closer to outside again the surface ripples with a template change within the aggregate. The raindrop cling replaced with ridged gecko feet then hopped to the dash of her car then to the seat not in front of controls. The onyx reptilian head raised now that they were outside its spark eyes closed.
Awareness on the signal of their overbeing it felt the undefined axis that confused its location within flat space, [The quaternion still cannot be wholly expressed.]
A small four-ringed compass appeared in an exhale of dust from its mouth, the outer axis swinging wildly its voice unaffected, [We will consume detritus and look for evidence of hostile ward that damaged the Sergio.]
As if they'd been carried on its back small subworms split off under the local reference. Fingernail sized geckos erupt from underneath in all directions. The main bulk in a direct grip onto the seat though the bulk of its mass shrank by half. Small clean trails emerge behind the little geckos sweeping tails as they consumed sand, mud, and grime from the upholstery. Another finger-sized subworm appears with a huge bit of candy in its mouth to climb onto the dash. They avoided the windows and climbing on Molly. They had an idea of what was related to the machine and what was trash so avoided eating car materials under the seat.
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Post by demikara on Jan 24, 2020 15:13:59 GMT -6
"Huh. Free car cleaning." That was neat. ["Be careful you don't get in the way while I'm driving."] She put her phone in its holder and plugged it in, then set the gps on it so she could actually find this place. ["I call the void the In Between, and the flat spaces the planes. Or the leaves, depending on who I'm talking to."] But it sounded like it didn't know how to get there outside of the in between. Well, that should could help with. ["I'm currently not allowed in the In Between on my own though. Apparently no one appreciates a practical joke."] She still thought it had been a bit of harmless fun, but knew better than to say that. She'd just get lectured all over again for it.
A hostile ward damaged Sergio? Between that and the arm, no wonder that he had been given to them, mundane or not. Molly backed out of her spot in her little Fiat and headed down the street. It was a bit weird having an army of geckos cleaning her car, but at least they were cute, and mostly harmless. And hey, she definitely wasn't about to eat the mystery candy the creature had found. That was a hell no as far as she was concerned. How had it even gotten there?
The drive wasn't long at all, and she pulled up in front of Sergio's apartment complex, finding parking not too far away. Molly checked to make sure she had her badge on her and looked the building over. She'd need to speak to the apartment manager about getting into Sergio's apartment. She had...she didn't have a warrant. Molly pulled a piece of paper from her glove compartment and sketched a quick ward on it which would convince the apartment owner it was just fine to let her in Sergio's apartment. They couldn't fuss too much at least. The man was dead.
Had they even been told yet?
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Post by littlekreen on Jan 24, 2020 17:53:32 GMT -6
"S!", said the little black false-gecko in a voice high pitched to its small width. It had read the letter on the surface. That she didn't take the food it opted to swallow the object whole. A round distended portion in its midsection as the subform returned to the main mass via the console surface.
Another hopped to the steering wheel as its tail wiped away scratches instead. Though it skated back and forth to remain in place ignorant of the movement in order to keep from intersecting her hands.
Small harried creatures cycle back and forth delivering material as the main mass spoke above them, [We will avoid obstructing machine control. You have been constrained from leaving the plane? Inefficient containment effort. Jokes are information. They are recorded.]
As she arrived in the parking lot the small trails of clean emerged from every surface. Geckos squeezing out from seat cushions and from underneath. Others poured out from small gaps in the console where they'd been cleaning ductwork or out of the vents. After a few seconds the last gecko flung itself from the dash to the main mass where the onyx lizard looked up at her preparing to climb onto her arm.
The apartment building itself was not in a particularly good side of town. South Dallas was particularly poor and the building showed much of that in its broken exterior. It had parking however and a gate that would lock at night. Broken brick from a building now gone was on that side where the front windows only shared that appearance in half. The bars outside were rusted and flaking but the inside was different if one stared. The walls freshly painted and brand new tiles inserted under the front door overhang where damage once was. The grout around them a columnar basalt writ in miniature. Small hexagon stone in miniature where repairs were made. A few people were outside and would stare as Molly approached as out of place as she was.
Door glass to the foyer is pristine and unmarred no stray shudder or creak when it opened with precision. Though its weight common more to the MCU's armored fire doors than some old apartment. Near enough as well weight shown by the glass nearly an inch thick and the rear a purple-tinted burnished metal. The entryway's walls were a glittery yellow wallpaper with those same angular mica patterns abound. The ceiling an embossed spell circle a ward against demonkind. If one knew enough it showed a room reinforced against direct magical assault and no concern paid to any knowing eyes on such. Habits of the creatures that took this building upon their care approached a bunker. Even mundane ones after a fashion as the difference between the erratically refurbished entrance and what one saw from outside the glass. They'd laid a glamour across a whole room not to show its repaired parts but to lie that it had changed at all. Aimed to fool divination. Though that fading came quickly as that scale did not last to close presence. The glamour faded when even mundanes stood too close to turn clean outside of one's direct sight.
Wood banisters, some of the tile floors, and expanding mica patterns along walls were changes in the refurbished lobby seen through another inner door. Though the fixtures even in this entryway lay yellowed and unchanged. Something Jinhai did not understand they did not attend. Though entirely new light bulbs now rested in every socket needed. Bright white lighting revealed all mixtures of cleanliness and abandonment around in due time. Though on one wall in the secure entryway was a well-barred window definitely not abandoned. A Mexican man in his late 30s bearing many the tattoo. He wore half a good suit and some clean jeans likely from a thrift store by its ill-fit.
Jinhai did not have an appreciation for the ceremony of clothing even if Atilio wanted to look the part for the fair wage they paid him. Neither did they take well to angry non-residents and they let him tell people off. Doorman, customer service, mail, or dealing with the Federales as a skill from an age he wanted to forget for his little ones. He was busy reading mail then folding the bills back up to put them into different boxes that then rattled. Los jefes scared many of the little ones but they were fair. Not gangsters by any stretch and not cold. Just... blank. He wasn't sure they understood when he explained his tattoos or maybe they didn't care where he came from only the skills he had. Atilio preferred to believe the latter.
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Post by demikara on Jan 25, 2020 17:49:47 GMT -6
Molly carried the gecko inside and looked around. It was a nice enough place, though in a bad neighborhood. Not the worst one though, that much was clear. She spotted Atilio and headed over, badge on her waist but visible. "Excuse me? Could you point me to the apartment manager's office? I need to speak to them concerning one of the residents." Breaking the news that someone was dead was one of her least favorite duties, but she could do this well enough. She had done it many times before, and at least this one wasn't a little kid. Those were the worst. He was dressed up somewhat, so if she was lucky, he was who she wanted to speak to.
Hopefully she would be taken serious. Between the gecko and her appearance, she would be surprised if he took her seriously right away. She looked young after all, and she knew she looked young. Almost too young to work and definitely too young to be a cop.
Either way, she hoped that this wouldn't take too long. She had things to get back to, even if some of those things involved the absolute joy that was paperwork.
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