Paragon City: A Steampunk Story (O/A)

What is your following?

Paragon Agent - Follow the laws and die, scum!!!	5.9%	[ 2 ]
Resistance Rebel - Damn your system!!	17.6%	[ 6 ]
Tinker - Creativity of tomorrow, with pay.	32.4%	[ 11 ]
Government Spy - Outsiders have chrome!!	2.9%	[ 1 ]
Unaligned	41.2%	[ 14 ]
Total Votes:			[ 34 ]

[The Chernokozel]

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Fix's Location: Enor's Room in Rusty'z
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"Fix your sextant? I suppose so. Are you sure you don't have something more... complicated?"
I chuckled sheepishly as I watched the others in the room. I was used to very complex puzzles, and this simple request (at least in my mind), didn't seem to be something that was worth an equal amount to the favor she was doing me. I didn't want to cheat her. It wasn't my way to do so, after all. I would earn my keep here, and earn my citizenship with it. I glanced again to Lucien, grateful for his help on this conundrum with the papers, but glad enough that I'd managed to find people that I could call 'friend' so early in my time here.
Perhaps this theater woman wouldn't be so bad after all, and that my run of bad luck with the acting type was finally coming to an end. I hoped that was the case at least, as I doubted I could handle the continuation of a trend that had spited me so frequently in the past. Regardless, I was curious about the sextant, and started to shift my weight as I stood there, pondering what kind of device it would be, and how exactly it worked. Things like this were frequently the subject of my musings, though it wasn't often I got to actually lay my hands on something of antiquity. This would be fascinating for sure.

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[Hobo_Bob]

Oh , ♥ - - - - - - - -

how this spring of love resembleth
how this spring of love resembleth
how this spring of love resembleth
how this spring of love resembleth
how this spring of love resembleth

ஐxxxxxThe u η c э я † ą i η glory of an ąpriℓ d a yxxx ❁ ❁

ωhich η ø ω shows ą ℓ ℓ beauty of the Suη

AndXXXX ❝ βy and βy ❞ XXX a cloud takes all away

a cloud takes all away
a cloud takes all away
a cloud takes all away
a cloud takes all away
a cloud takes all away
a cloud takes all away

Location: The Rusty’z


He gave his word, so Enor took a moment to think and remember where she'd put that thing. There was much she could ask of the tinker to help her with, but could she trust him enough to do said things? Not really. She was a rebel, and what needed to be worked on was beyond her patch ups. She was no real tinker, not much of a mechanic, but she could do the smallest of things none the less.

Standing, she went to the book shelf a pulled out a solid oak box and handed it to him. Inside, there would be the pieces for the sexton she was hoping he could fix. If he could or not, well that was going to depend on him. More the one small piece was missing for him make or find somehow. It wasn't that it would be terribly difficult, but it would show his skill. And if she was ever in need of a skilled Tinker, it would be in the next few days.

Handing him the box, Enor looked to her cousin, Addie, and the other Tinker, Lucien. If they had something to say in regards or in reference to what was going on now, then now was the time...


"Unless someone has more to add?"




Ｅｎｏｒ
W h I n t o n A n l e e l

[Qwenloswen]

Madelene shook her head from over by the water pitcher where she’d gone to pour herself a glass; the water at the theater was far from filthy but all the filtering it went through to get that way left it metallic and bland. People often argued that water had no taste but they’d never had the stuff Enor got. Unfortunately. Just another sign of the times it seemed. She couldn’t have known Fix’s thoughts from earlier but if she had she’d have told him that immigration was no problem – emigration was. They wanted people in, especially bright new minds, but weren’t keen to let them go after…especially if they had learned something new while in the city. Papers were more for leaving than arriving really.

The fact of the matter was that most people didn’t get assigned papers for months, if ever. Fix had only been in the right place at the right time for that particular Agent with a chip on his shoulder to use him against Enor; it had nothing to do with the newly arrived tinker’s legal status and she was tempted to tell him as much but kept it to herself. After all, he was still receiving help even if it was also self-serving and Enor could stand to have a couple favors due. The political climate was shifting in the city and even people in the know weren’t sure how the die would fall.

For his part Lucien was temporarily deep in thought as he pondered whether he’d missed anything that Fix might need. Finally he shook his head as well, “I think we have covered just about everything,” he turned to Fix, “Though I will of course need your personal information; full name, address, things like that for the paperwork but that’s about it for now just to get things moving.”

Madelene nodded, glad to see that things seemed to be coming together, “Well then, I’ll see about getting you the money soon, cousin. We wouldn’t want all this planning to get derailed by missing funds.” She knew that Enor could manage it on her own of course but she thought she’d detected the tinker warming to her – or at least seeming less suspicious. “In fact, why don’t all three of you come to the show tonight? Or another, should this be too short notice, the offer remains open indefinitely.”

Lucien’s eyebrows went up, as a fan of the theater he was well aware that the show running tonight and through the end of the month was in high demand, ”I would be delighted to come tonight, thank you for the offer,” he said, with a slight bow towards the theater owner, “I had heard all the seats were sold out for weeks yet.” Madelene only smiled slightly, obviously she wouldn’t be revealing anything one way or the other.

[Hobo_Bob]

Oh , ♥ - - - - - - - -

how this spring of love resembleth
how this spring of love resembleth
how this spring of love resembleth
how this spring of love resembleth
how this spring of love resembleth

ஐxxxxxThe u η c э я † ą i η glory of an ąpriℓ d a yxxx ❁ ❁

ωhich η ø ω shows ą ℓ ℓ beauty of the Suη

AndXXXX ❝ βy and βy ❞ XXX a cloud takes all away

a cloud takes all away
a cloud takes all away
a cloud takes all away
a cloud takes all away
a cloud takes all away
a cloud takes all away

Location: The City


It seemed there was no arguments left or words to say, hence why everyone left Enor's office and went on their way to what ever it was they did on their daily lives.....

A few hours later....

It was about the time for the people top leave their homes and seek entertainment. Some would go to Addies theater for the show, some went out for a drink. At this point, the Ruzty's was overflowing. People were on stage dancing and singing, the night help of three extra hands were giving aid to Monty and Simon, bringing food and drink to the gambling tables up in the loft as well as to those just on the floors. Out in the back, Enor even had the lower class customers dancing and singing. They all loved this day of the week, when Enor herself would preform a few dittys with the fiddler. A tavern singer took over then, and she shied away into the building for the night. So much to do this night, so little time.

Gathering her skirts, she ran up to her office and into the hidden hall to her bedroom where she could change in peace. No windows but for one high up, and even then it would take great skill to reach it, much less a being of considerable small stature would be able to fit into the round window. That is where Enor slipped in and out of the Ruzty's on her own so none would be the wiser. Changing out of her proper clothes, removing her under things as well, she slipped on a pair of tight fitting pants that hugged her hips and legs like a 10th layer of skin as well as a loose shirt. A waist clincher with pockets that carried many things at her side also kept throwing daggers at her back. A whip was at her side, easily removed and buckles. Hair was pulled up into a messy bun and a bowler cap was pinned in the back into her hair. In total, she had the appearance of a tinker with the flair of an assassins mindset for functionality.

Now that she was ready, she gave a small prayer, left all important items (but an ear cuff of metallic jade) at her dresser and used said tiny window to slip out easily. Not a sound, not a scratch and off she went into the wild roof tops. One never knew what was up here till you saw it for yourself. The air, thick with smog and fumes, was nothing to Enor. It also was beneficial to her for the simple aspect of disguise. Did they see her? Was she spotted? People generally never second guessed themselves at those points. They assume it was a trick of the moon, and move on. She had to grin at that. Enor more often then not had assumed that she was being followed, so she made it a game to keep up. Infact, not even ten minuets into her run, did she hear steps behind her...

She did not look back, but instead moved onwards, hoping that soon she would get to the jump first. None made it after that point, and even it was a friend, she did not like being followed on her private missions. At this jump, it was much too far for anyone to make without having some help. But Enor had a secret about this jump. One had to have faith and leap. In a way, it was like a skill from a game of some kind. So, at the peek of the building, her pace quickened and she jumped head long like a swan dive into the alley below. Last minuet, she grasped at a railing to swing herself up into rafters, hooking her legs so she was no longer seen beneath a balcony. The steps stopped, looked down for a body, and a few moments passed before they gave up on her. Who ever it was, it did not matter. No one liked to be followed....

Making her way up the building again, she went on with her journey again to the prison to free the latest capture of rebels. Mainly one or two people in mind, but they all needed help. It was a weekly thing. Slip into the fire place via the officers locked bedroom, lift the floor boards and slip between them to shimmy to the other side which was a closet. Wait till the last officer of the night goes to the room to sleep and sneak back to get the cell keys. Once in possession, she makes her way down to the lower levels and frees her men one at a time. Tonight, only 5 were in need. one, unfortunately, was killed in interrogation. Poor Joshua. He was an old sod, but kindly to her none the less. She said a prayer for him, took his memento from inside his left hand to prove he was dead, and burnt any papers they had on what he said. If he said anything at all. Once the last man was free and on their way to their own assigned safe houses, She was on her way. But something happened. One of her rebels was a decoy. A Brute among her sheep, and he pushed Charlie off the roof, and called for the guards. He was already on the ground beside Charlie, but the damage was done. They all had to run and hide now.

Enor helped her sheep hide, taking them to trusted men and women in the city or dropping them into sewers. None would be able to find them, but now they were on her tail, and they had to be lead away before anything was discovered. So, she ran in the streets, keeping a decent distance from them, but close enough to not be seen. The hat cast a shadow on her face, so she tried to stay out of the light. But it was just her luck one of them was a decent shot and she got hit in her hand as she attempted to make a climb. Now he was grounded. Much like a bird, her wing was broken. She had to keep moving, praying that someone, anyone, would lend her a hand in escape...




Ｅｎｏｒ
W h I n t o n A n l e e l

[Qwenloswen]

The music from the show still echoed in Lucien’s thoughts as he strolled home, humming snippets of the overture under his breath. It had been a pleasant evening and as wonderful a show as the critics had promised, he would have to send a letter of thanks to Miss De Vries for the tickets in the morning. His peaceful reverie was soon shattered, however, by the sound of running feet and people yelling; guards by the sounds of it if the authority in their voices were any indication. Suddenly a gunshot split the night and he froze reflexively. It obviously wasn’t in any way aimed at him but it was one of those sounds that made one cautious all the same.

Taking a quick look around Lucien realized with some measure of relief that he knew exactly where he was, well enough that he felt secure in fading back into an alley to better ascertain what was going on instead of hurrying home. Barely a moment after he did a figure came running into the street. A woman, obviously, since her clothing left little to the imagination and also wounded if the way she held her hand was any indication. She slowed and stopped a moment, whether because she sensed him there or because she was considering the best way to go next the tinker didn’t know but when she did a nearby streetlamp cast a bar of light across her face despite the hat. It wasn’t for long but it was enough for him to recognize her; the theater owner’s cousin, Miss Anleel.

The sounds behind her began to pick up, becoming louder and forcing him to make a decision. Lucien didn’t fear whatever was chasing her but to judge by what she was wearing she’d been on some sort of illicit Rebel business and he still had no love in his heart for that lot. But on the other hand…he couldn’t in good conscience let a lady, especially one he respected like the tavern keeper, take the fall without at least trying to lend aid.

Taking off his hat so she would be able to see his face he stepped out of the alley, holding his finger up to his lips to silently ask her to be quiet; not that her pursuers would likely be able to hear anything over the racket they were making…it didn’t hurt to take precautions though, he did it in the lab and he would do so here. He listened for a moment, trying to pinpoint where exactly they were coming from before nodding to himself and crossing the street to another alley before beckoning Enor to follow. It was up to her whether she would choose to follow him or not though, he could not force her.

[Hobo_Bob]

Oh , ♥ - - - - - - - -

how this spring of love resembleth
how this spring of love resembleth
how this spring of love resembleth
how this spring of love resembleth
how this spring of love resembleth

ஐxxxxxThe u η c э я † ą i η glory of an ąpriℓ d a yxxx ❁ ❁

ωhich η ø ω shows ą ℓ ℓ beauty of the Suη

AndXXXX ❝ βy and βy ❞ XXX a cloud takes all away

a cloud takes all away
a cloud takes all away
a cloud takes all away
a cloud takes all away
a cloud takes all away
a cloud takes all away

Location: The City


Tho she did not expect it, someone had come to help. Prayers more oftetn then not did not get answered. This was Paragon, after all and God had long ago abandoned this city. But, looking to Lucien motion for her to follow him, she assumed it was to help. That is, at first she did. He did not have a love for rebels, and that how most of the city felt, but he held no loyalty for the agents either. Hence why she followed him. Pulling her hat up a bit so she could see, she breathlessly made her way over to him. She was curious as to what they would do or where they would go, but those questions would have to wait. The shouting and dogs were getting closer, hence why they started to move. And quickly...

Enor simply moved and followed Lucien. She had no idea where they were going. her legs were slightly wobbly from running and her hand throbbed every time she had to push off a wall to make sure she did not walk into it. In total, she was very tired. After a moment of moving in silence, she reached for his hand with her good one and let him lead her. It was easier then having to watch his back or his feet, at any rate.


" Signore Lucien....where...are we going...?"




Ｅｎｏｒ
W h I n t o n A n l e e l

[Qwenloswen]

Though initially surprised at finding her hand in his, Lucien didn’t pull away. Instead curling his fingers around her own. Things were going well for the moment, guards notwithstanding, and they were getting close to his workshop. And home if it came to that…though he had always considered the former to overshadow the latter in importance. Enor seemed out of it, whether from adrenaline crash or pain he couldn’t tell – he was a tinker after all, not a doctor. Ok, scratch that, some people were both rolled into one but he tended to practice purely in the mechanical, less mess that way. And screaming. Bad enough when something went awry with a creation of metal and electricity, imagine the chaos of a biomechanical work gone horribly wrong.

It took him that way sometimes, his mind would continue down other paths while his body was otherwise occupied. While Lucien was contemplating this he moved on autopilot, even steering Enor around torn up sections of the street – nothing to do with that malfunctioning automaton of his last week, no matter what the neighbors claimed – and refuse left lying around as people were wont to do. It took a moment for her question to sink in and he slowed slightly so she needn’t work so hard to catch her breath, the sound of her pursuers had fallen back anyway, ”We are heading to my workroom where hopefully nobody will think to look for you. Also, it’s no hospital but I do have a very adequate first aid kit so we can look at your hand.” He didn’t need to explain that most Tinkers had such a thing as it was self-evident enough.

He took his house key out of his waistcoat, ”Now we just need-” he stopped and pulled back, having nearly stepped out into the street in front of his house, taking Enor back with him. Luckily the man on his doorstep hadn’t seen them. The man in a Paragon Agent’s uniform. Cursing silently at himself in his head, Lucien started removing his opera cloak. With all that had happened that day he’d forgotten that he’d told the man to come back tonight for the pistol he’d repaired. Since he was usually up long into the night working on some project or another he’d just told the agent to come by whenever after dark and of course the man had chosen now to do so. The pistol was repaired of course but with Miss Anleel here…maybe he could leave her in the alley? Of course the hounds chasing her chose right then to start baying once more, not the sound of picking up a scent thankfully but serving as a more than adequate reminder that they were close-by.

“Alright, new plan,” he said, throwing his cloak around Enor’s shoulders and pulling the collar up so it helped her bowler shadow her face, ”That will have to do, just try and keep your head down.” Though he sounded confident his hand tightened its grip on his cane, if worst came to worst he would fight to protect her – that stupid gentlemanly instinct rearing its head again – but hopefully it wouldn’t have to come to that. Taking her hand again he led the way to the door, ”Ah, Theodore, good to see you, haven’t kept you waiting long I hope?” ”Not long at all,” came the reply as the agent pushed himself off the wall he was leaning against, ”Night at the theater I see.” ”Indeed, and a really good show, I heartily recommend it,” if Lucien was nervous he didn’t show it as he unlocked the door and moved so he was between Theodore and Enor as he held the door open for her to enter first.

“So who’s your friend?” asked the agent; not suspiciously Lucien was glad to note, just curiously. With the cloak on it was hard to see much of her, especially since she had crossed to the mantle across the room and had her back to them. ”That is Miss Elise Berrit,” replied Lucien, randomly picking the first name that came to mind from back home, thankfully without a telling pause, ”You will have to forgive her, she is quite shy around new people. If you like, Elise, you can wait in the next room. This shouldn’t take long.” The next room – or at least the one in front of her beside the fireplace – was his workroom and though he didn’t usually allow people in there he couldn’t very well tell her to go to a specific room and have her betray her ignorance of the layout of his house to the agent. ”Anyway, I have your pistol right here and I think you will like some of the modifications…”

[Matakor]

Vinstrom Johnston

) Vinny (

_____________________________

Vinny's mistake would most definitely make things difficult. Recently, he'd been attempting to move into some quarters in the upper region of the city. His stumbling into the bar and theater's area had been most fortuitous. "Had" being the key word. He wandered back to his current haunt in the lower city. Not quite at the bottom, but most certainly nowhere near the top.

He knelt down in a small alley next to what looked like a young child. After he gently tapped her--as the young child was a female--on the shoulder, she raised her thumb and middle finger on her left hand. That meant that two men had been looking for him. He dropped a small coin into the girl's hand and moved on to the apartment. The girl didn't move for another hour or so, then she quickly took off down the alley, making sure no one saw her.

Vinny opened the door to his apartment and found a small envelope on the floor. That was generally how they left the jobs anyway. He picked up the envelope and shut the door behind him. The job would have to wait until the morning. Tonight, he needed to inspect his parts to ensure integrity. A few of them had been close to failing, but even after use like they'd been through the pieces held together beautifully. Unfortunately, they were some of the few pieces left from the original maker. Only the plating and the core pieces still were usable beyond those few small bolts and bits. A small sigh escaped his lips as he pondered what to do. He knew a few tinkers, but none were anywhere near the capabilities of the man who gave his body a new life. But he was digressing. On to the inspection.

His left arm, from just above the elbow and on was the first piece he received. This arm was usually his shield, and it had room for small intricate pieces that didn't quite fit any use of the arm. No, those were extra bits that Vinny used for other activities. The rest seemed to be alright for another month. He would need to work fast to ensure his arm wouldn't fail before getting replacement pieces.

His right fist, the second piece he received. This was built for hitting, and hitting hard. To an untrained eye, it would look as though much more of his arm had been transformed by the mechanization that littered his right arm. This piece was the one he like the most, however. His entire right arm was fine, save for the hand. The man who had replaced the rest of his body requested to try a new procedure, one that melded his arm with mechanics. It had worked very well. His skin was under a plate that had long since fused together. Under this was his own muscle, slightly enhanced to endure the strain of the metal bones beneath. The drugs used to enhance the muscle were limited, leaving his muscles just strong enough to lift his arm as though it were regular bone and skin. He had strengthened it to ensure that it was more than just moveable; he could still fight with it and it was strong. The doc did right by him here.

His left leg, from the shin down was the third piece. This was not a bio-mechanical creation. It was placed as the arm was healing, so the doc didn't feel it was right to try the next limb too soon. The foot and ankle would hold up for a good while, yet. That was fantastic.

And now the last piece, his right leg. This one was a total reconstruction up to the hip. That liquid fire that he'd been blasted with had shown no mercy. The fire had only burn to his thigh, but it had gone untreated, leaving a diseased leg that slowly crawled it's way to his hip. This leg seemed like it would hold together for the next month as well. That was good.

For the most part, the rest of his skeleton was normal, save for plating on his ribs and skull. The doc also wanted to make Vinny a new spine, but could never get it to work correctly in the pre-testing. He gave up and just enhanced the muscles so Vinny could walk and endure the weight better. Good muscle conditioning kept him from hurting himself, but that was still a vulnerability. Fortunately, he had been able to recover the designs for the spine. Hopefully a tinker existed in the city that would be able to replicate and expand on the spine.

Vinny took a step back and realized his brain had been using a lot of big words to help him make sense of the parts. "When the bloody hell did that start happening?" He shook it off and dressed up again. He wasn't done for the night. Ne needed to find a tinker, and as darkness had been settling, this was the best time to find a few. Hopefully a good one. He picked up the letter that had been slipped under his door and opened it. He saw a man, but he wasn't a target. Watch him? Huh. Odd request. As he looked over it, he began to sum up the amount he'd charge for the service. When he saw that the amount they listed as the amount they'd pay, he tossed the sheet. Wasn't even half what he'd charge. His clients should know better. Must be a new kid in the line. No matter. If they didn't pay right, he simply wouldn't bother with it.

And out the door he went, hoping a good tinker was out there.

[Princeo12]

ALEXANDER

Alexander was taking a stroll down the busy streets of the entertainment district in a disheveled manner. His original plans of catching the nights performance at the Morsicleur Theatre had been interrupted by his father. Several hours passed as he ranted on about a competitors breakthrough development. Apparently one of the tinkers they had contracted had found a way to channel lightning through sets of iron coils, possibly eliminating the need for the series of pipes that pumped steam throughout the city as a means of energy. Hailway Industries was the predominant force in said market, among others of course. Appearantly that particular rival had been giving the company some trouble since day one but had always managed to be just a step behind. That was until...

...boooooom....


A resounding tintinnabula had jolted him from his thoughts, it resembled the sound from a far off firework, but as it rang out further into the night sky he was able to make it out clearly. It was the distinct sound of a gunshot, muffled, but still discernible. It appeared to be coming from the southern districts, not surprising. The southern part of the city is the part were you might go an hour before realizing you've been pick pocketed, run into a gang war and be taken hostage, or be harassed by the most corrupt of the city guards, sometimes all in one day. Originally many thought the council was just turning a blind eye, but as the lawlessness continued some started questioning if their power in those districts was starting to wane as some criminal organizations grew stronger. As soon as word reached the council certain individuals that had opened there mouth were never seen by morning, and to silence any further doubts it soon became the part of the city with the most guards. Only the worst were sent to patrol the area so it ended up being that the police were almost as corrupt at the criminals themselves.

Thinking about the decrepit state of the city put him in the mood for a few more drinks. Scouting around the closest place he could find was the Rusty's Tavern. He had only been there once or twice, his memory recalled several things that made him enthralled with the Tavern. With nothing better to do he decided to head in for a sit down and have a few drinks. With his mind made up he changed curse and veered to the direction of the Tavern.

HAILWAY IV

[Hobo_Bob]

Oh , ♥ - - - - - - - -

how this spring of love resembleth
how this spring of love resembleth
how this spring of love resembleth
how this spring of love resembleth
how this spring of love resembleth

ஐxxxxxThe u η c э я † ą i η glory of an ąpriℓ d a yxxx ❁ ❁

ωhich η ø ω shows ą ℓ ℓ beauty of the Suη

AndXXXX ❝ βy and βy ❞ XXX a cloud takes all away

a cloud takes all away
a cloud takes all away
a cloud takes all away
a cloud takes all away
a cloud takes all away
a cloud takes all away

Location: Luciens Home


To say she was surprised that an agent was there would be a lie. She did not fully trust this tinker, but she had no reason to think he was turning her in. Also, the fact he used his coat to cover her and ushered her in as quickly as possible without bringing attention to the unknown lady in his arm showed he was being a real gentleman. For now, at least. Tinkers were not known to be very kindly in those aspects, but who knows he might prove her wrong.

Enor stared at the dead fireplace and listened to him speak. Lucien called her something like Elisa, and at that, she did a very small tired curtsy to keep with the appearance of being a shy woman. She did as she was told, and entered the room, gently closing the door behind her. Once that was accomplished, she turned the light on brighter and tried not to gasp or make a sound too loudly. It was his work shop?! She did not know this, and should she have before entering she'd have gone to a different room. The smallest of item out of place could set him off. It could make him careless. Most tinkers were not very clear in the mind, and tho Lucien seemed to the the type to be completely sane, you know the old saying of the silent quiet types are the ones to watch for. Still...she trusted him. He was kind to her, even offered to help her. He did not pull his hand from her grasp, or make a snide remark about it. Lucien, all in all, was a very nice and friendly man she could see speaking with or calling over for a drink. Maybe cards in the parlor...

She shook her head and looked around once more.

But still, he told her to come in, she was trained in survival, and if she had to she would remove him. Only if need be. Enor did infact find him somewhat...handsome to look at. And he had a pleasant scent around him. Metal and something fresh like soap. But none the less, better than cologne or sweat mixed with sewage.

Now that she was in his work shop, she wondered a few of the tables, looking at what he was working on or created already, but never reading anything. Enor respected that boundary at least. There was one item that caught her interest. It appeared to be a rather blue hat like item that when put together with a monocle and pin, it was a weapon of some kind. But, the kinematics she HAD to look at, said it was to be a light weight sniper rifle. Beyond interested in this, she did not realize that Lucien had entered the workshop and made his way over to her. He loomed behind her with what could only be seen as a skeptical gaze. Yet, Enor did not touch anything and only looked. He wondered a bit closer to her to look over her shoulder. His chest brushed her shoulder blade so that she froze a moment till his scent spoke of who it was behind her, leaning so close.

Not looking up, she smiled and even leaned back a bit so she could whisper. The agent might have gone, or he could be in the other room still. Some reason, she did not wish to break the silence beyond a whisper.


" This is very interesting...have you been working on it long? Or perhaps, for any particular woman?"




Ｅｎｏｒ
W h I n t o n A n l e e l

[Qwenloswen]

Shaking his head he turned from the door and moved to the fireplace, laying out a fire over a strange disk he took from a basket beside the wood holder but no tinder. Instead Lucien put a match to the curious thing and a crackling fire soon sprang up, much faster than one would think was possible. He’d found the curious combination of chemicals responsible for it once by accident and since then used it to quickly start fires in his hearth since they were cheap and simple enough to make once one figured it out. He was careful, however, to keep this particular discovery to himself. Once it burned the disk might as well never have been there so were he to make it public he didn’t like to think of the number of arson cases he might encourage.

Putting everything back where it was he dusted off his knees and opened the door to his workroom, already wondering if perhaps letting Enor in mightn’t have been the wisest of choices. Of course it had been the only one presenting itself to him at the time but normally he tried to avoid such rash decisions. Nothing for it now though.

He was quick to notice that nothing was out of place. As somewhere he spent so much time it would quickly be apparent if anything had been moved. The only thing that was out of the ordinary was, of course, Enor who seemed to have taken a keen interest in one of his latest ideas. Seeing her looking over the schematics he was about to say something sharp – he couldn’t abide snoops – but refrained. She seemed genuinely intrigued and nowhere near as dismissive as the fellow Tinkers he had discussed the idea with. They had found it ludicrous that such a device should be so obviously made for a woman when clearly it was the domain of men to deal in weaponry. He hadn’t been inclined to correct them, choosing instead to let them figure it out the hard way some time down the road.

“A while,” he admitted when she turned to him, keeping his voice down but not whispering since he was sure the agent was long gone, ”It’s nearly done except for the aesthetics, the large piece,” here Lucien circled around to the other side of the work table and picked up the larger piece that Enor had assumed was a hat and gave a few practiced twists, snapping parts into place, ”It still needs a finished covering, it’s meant to resemble a handbag in the end.” His hands stilled and a perfectly recognizable stock and barrel were in his hands, the whole thing taking only a moment to assemble. ”Sadly, getting it to do so without getting in the way of the finished result has proved tricky,” Picking up the other two pieces he slotted the artistically curved and curled brooch into place and gave a twist so it became the trigger and magazine, glowing a faint blue as it did. ”Aether powered, difficult to distill but fortunately it needs so little to give a decent kick,” he didn’t mention that once it left the gun and stopped moving it quickly dissolved back into the air, leaving no trace of what had killed a person shot with such a weapon…well, except the hole where there hadn’t been one before, that was usually a giveaway. Finally, he picked up the monocle and screwed it into place to serve as a sight, it too glowing a faint blue before that faded and it instead showed crosshairs, not to mention a much closer view of what the barrel was pointed at. He’d worked on it until it could show a range of anything from a yard to nearly a thousand times that without difficulty.

He offered the completed piece to Enor to examine and she took it from his hands. It had some heft to be certain but it was still surprisingly light all things considered. Lucien didn’t seem worried to have handed her a high-powered rifle either, as he bent over to pull the first aid kit from under the work bench they stood at. ”And no, not meant for anyone,” he said in response to the second question she’d asked. All in all he was ridiculously proud of it but it would probably never see the light of day, it had been an experiment to see if it could be done, nothing more and he said as much. And perhaps he’d wanted to prove a point to those other Tinkers but he kept that bit to himself. ”Anyway, let’s get your hand looked at, it must be painful,” as he’d noted before, he was no doctor but he was a dab hand at first aid when the need arose as it had tonight.

[Hobo_Bob]

Oh , ♥ - - - - - - - -

how this spring of love resembleth
how this spring of love resembleth
how this spring of love resembleth
how this spring of love resembleth
how this spring of love resembleth

ஐxxxxxThe u η c э я † ą i η glory of an ąpriℓ d a yxxx ❁ ❁

ωhich η ø ω shows ą ℓ ℓ beauty of the Suη

AndXXXX ❝ βy and βy ❞ XXX a cloud takes all away

a cloud takes all away
a cloud takes all away
a cloud takes all away
a cloud takes all away
a cloud takes all away
a cloud takes all away

Location: Luciens Home


Enor watched his hands move along his invention. The way they skillfully assembled the weapon. She could imagine him as an assassin or trained fighter, but the fact that it was his invention was probably the reason to how quickly it was put together. As he offered her the rifle, she took it in her good hand and used the outside of her wrist to hold up the other end. Her handkerchief was wrapped around her hand to keep it from bleeding all over the place, and tho she kept a tight fist, that didn't stop it from spreading along the cloth in her grasp. Lucien spoke while she examined the rifle.

Holding it up as it taking aim at the wall to his left, she peeked though the monocle. 'This could be useful...' she thought. Not only to her, but she could possibly even get another. If she played her cards right with him. Offer a few rare items, a tinker could be willing to give his inventions to her. However, Lucien was no ordinary tinker. Setting it down when he held up the first aid kit, she was mindful of where it should be placed and even checked to make sure it was not loaded. Nodding, she followed him to the fire where he had a large plush chair and a bench where she sat down.


"I think I might ask to take that off your hands. That is, if your willing to part with it."


Enor smiled. She knew that bluntly telling a tinker that they had an invention she wanted or was interested in was not a good idea. But still, why beat around the bush? She was in his home, he was going to mend her hand. In total, she really liked her chances.


" Also, thank you for helping me. I'd still be trying to get away if it wasn't for you, Mister Lucien."




Ｅｎｏｒ
W h I n t o n A n l e e l

[Qwenloswen]

Taking a seat across from her, Lucien waved away her thanks, ”Anybody else would have done the same,” he lied, knowing full well that that was what it was. The thing was that in Paragon many people would have kept their head down, especially when Agents were involved but if he dwelled on that long enough the tinker tended to grow depressed at the way the world was going. For all that he didn’t really like people he didn’t like to be proved right either.

As for her first statement… It was refreshing, Lucien had to admit, to have someone put things so plainly. Even those people who came to him to hire his skills were often of a mind that they needed to be all cloak and dagger about it. Such that on more than one occasion he hadn’t even known he’d been commissioned at all, to their irritation and his own chagrin. But in this particular case… ”If nothing else I would have to finish it. As I said before, working out how to disguise the larger piece is proving troublesome.” He frowned slightly as he began laying out what they’d need from the first aid kit. ”And…” he paused, unsure if he should say the next bit. Then again, Enor had seemed fond of directness, ”I have to admit I do not approve of what you do.”

He held up a hand to cut off the exclamation that was sure to follow such a statement, ”It is not you specifically. And I do not believe that the Paragon lives up to its namesake either. But at the end of the day they have not wronged me though your people have.” He went on to explain how he’d been mugged by rebels soon after first arriving in the city, Agents actually doing their job and running them off – though not managing to capture any – before more than a couple items were taken. He was still intermittently looking for some of them but after so long he didn’t really expect to find them. While he talked he set to work on Enor’s hand, cleaning the wound in order to see the extent of the damage.

[Matakor]

Vinstrom Johnston

) Vinny (

_____________________________

Night was starting to get chilly. Not that it bothered Vinny much. The cold air helped the joints from hurting too much. And the scent. Lavender was nearby. Not native to the city, so it had to be one of the apartments near. Likely that some lowlife was trying to give a romantic evening to some girl. A little bit of rust too. That scent was always around the air.

After walking a little more, he saw movement from the corner of his eye and immediately leaned on the nearest wall. A seemingly preoccupied agent strolled on by, marveling a new piece of hardware. It was a good one. A very good one. Tinker make. Vinny got a little excited now. He might finally find a tinker that could help him.

Vinny backtracked the agent's footsteps, hoping to find the home of the tinker. Eventually, he found himself at the door of a seemingly normal house. Two voices were inside. One male, older. One female...but familiar. A few more words and he recognized it as Enor. "Crap," he whispered to himself. He found a dark spot near the place and stayed hidden for the moment. Enor would have to leave at some point, then he could talk to the tinker. Hopefully, he was a tinker.

As he waited, he took a few peeks into various windows along the sides of the house, making sure to stay away from the voices inside. Not as messy as some tinker places, but this house was definitely owned by a good tinker. Good chance that Vinny had finally found his man, and his salvation.

[Hobo_Bob]

Oh , ♥ - - - - - - - -

how this spring of love resembleth
how this spring of love resembleth
how this spring of love resembleth
how this spring of love resembleth
how this spring of love resembleth

ஐxxxxxThe u η c э я † ą i η glory of an ąpriℓ d a yxxx ❁ ❁

ωhich η ø ω shows ą ℓ ℓ beauty of the Suη

AndXXXX ❝ βy and βy ❞ XXX a cloud takes all away

a cloud takes all away
a cloud takes all away
a cloud takes all away
a cloud takes all away
a cloud takes all away
a cloud takes all away

Location: Lucien's


It took only biting her lower lip and digging her nails into her palm to keep Enor from making a childish whimper or groan from the painful sting the cleansing solution caused her hand as Lucien worked on the wound. She could take a punch or two, bullet wounds and even a dreadful fall from a two or three story building. But, for some reason, the alcohol sting was always the worst part. Perhaps it was because of the knowledge one was doing this willingly was the cause, or perhaps it was because the adrenalin wasn't pumping into her system. Either way, a nod was her only response as he told her of the mugging by two curious rebels.

Now, he did not mention when or where this happened, but she assumed it was by the entrance. The most heavily guarded and watched part of the city. If any rebel wanted to die or get caught, they would go there. It was no mans land to her group of friends. So, his story didn't make sense if that was the case....

Looking up at Lucien, she took a breath and-....let out a squeak before pulling her hand away. His finger nail dig a little into the wound. And it hurt!! Since now, with a hole in her hand, alcohol was in her hand and it made her arm almost feel like it was on fire. She blew on the wound and bounced in her seat like a little girl, trying to get the pain to stop. It took a moment for her to regain her cool composure and speak to him, fanning her hand a little as well.

The new weapon was out of her mind for this moment, remembering it for later since her friends were being accused of a mugging. To say they did for money is a lie, but for a mission of some kind...well....


" When you were mugged, was it by chance at the entrance to the city? Or perhaps the lower south side of town? The worst parts of town, it can be expected from...new recruits, and if that is the case I will try to find them and have your things returned. But....if bu the entrance....i'm sorry, but that is impossible."




Ｅｎｏｒ
W h I n t o n A n l e e l