[zOMG Invite RP] Chapter 1

[Genrin619]

Chapter Information

Opening Location: Barton Town
Current Location: Bass'ken Lake
Current Player Count: 2

Updated as more info becomes available.

 

[Genrin619]

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▶ Captain came out of the arena side door, stowing her gold in her bag. She was scratched up pretty badly; the animated were in a bad mood today, but she needed the gold to keep food in her stomach. Right on cue, it growled. Her cat meowed from her backpack in response, poking its head up. "I know, I know," she soothed it. "We'll eat soon. We just need to get to Bass'ken Lake. Logan's waiting on us." She passed by a poster of Johnny Gambino, promoting his condos on his island, calling them virtually untouched by the animated. What a creep, using the animated to his advantage. Doesn't he have enough gold in his pockets? She quickly glanced around for guards before ripping the poster down, crumpling it, and chucking it at a bin. She tensed, but the bin didn't respond like those at the Lake. Breathing a discreet sigh of relief, she headed for the North Gate. The guard eyed her but nodded her through; she passed that way often enough and though he'd rather keep her and other citizens inside the safety of Barton Town on his watch, he could do no such thing. She resisted making a face at him. The cat did not.

▶ As soon as her foot touched the grass off the path, a mechanical bear with a blue scarf around its neck, barely as tall as her knee, slid down a tree trunk and trotted up next to her. She smiled. "Hey, find anything?" The bear reached inside a little messenger bag across its body and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. Another recipe. She hoped it would be better than the last; she'd barely made profit on it. She stowed it in her bag carefully as they approached Logan. The old man stood by his shack, fixing a rod.

"Is that for me," she asked hopefully.
"Might be." He said vaguely, giving her a pointed look.
She knew the drill. She pulled out six claws. "Got 'em south of the Mill."
Logan nodded his approval and handed her the rod. "They'll keep commin' back, ya know."
"I know. And when I need something else, I'll get a few more." She reached for the rod but he pulled it back.
"There's a big one. Nasty. Set up in a den to the west."
"And?"
"And I'm tellin' ya that I'll give ya meals for three days if'n you take care o' the beast."
The cat in her backpack perked up. "Three days?" She could hardly believe it. "All for getting rid of a wolf?"
"A big wolf," he corrected with a nod. "What d'ya say, bub?"
"Alright, fine by me. But I also want gold." He was about to protest, but she cut him off. "I know what you pay the others."
He looked displeased. "Fine. Fee and meals."
"For three days."
"Aye."
She grinned. "Consider it done. You can hold onto that," she added over her shoulder, striding into the forest. She heard him grumble under his breath.

▶ She kept walking until the cabin was out of view, the sunlight mostly blocked by the towering trees. Pulling out a teal-looking gem, she turned it over in her palm three times. The ground rumbled slightly and a fin popped out of the earth between blades of grass. "Stay close. I'll need all the help I can get." The landshark kept by her side, occasionally moving ahead and returning to circle her, patrolling for any surprises. The bear stuck close as well, one plush arm lightly touching her leg for reassurance. In her backpack, the cat had curled up in the bottom, still and quiet like the forest around them. "I don't like this..." She flexed her fingers, feeling anxious. She stopped, looking around. "How far is this den? I should've asked..."  

[Diaga Fuatha]

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▶ Geist leaned forward across the branch of a nearby tree. "I could show you." He jumped down. "But it will cost you. I want half."

"Excuse me?"
"You heard me. I want half."
She stared, at an utter loss for words. She half wanted to swear at him angrily and half wanted to come up with a snappy, indignant remark. But her mind could do neither, reeling at his sudden appearance.
"Look. Old man Logan promised you a boon, yeah? Promised me too. Only problem, you can't beat the thing down on your own - I tried. So I'll show you where the den is, but we'll take it down and split the loot."
Split meals? She frowned. "That's not possible."
"Then I guess you're getting nowhere fast," he smirked, flipping a coin and leaning back against the base of the tree.
She glared. "Looks like I don't have much of a choice."
"That's the spirit," he smirked. "So five grand, yeah?" He held out his hand to seal the deal.
She tried to hide her surprise, but her honesty slipped out in spite of herself. "He promised me three days worth of meals too. And I'd split, but I'm half starved and it's not just my mouth I'm feeding."
He considered for only half a second. "I'm not interested in food. I need the gold. So are you in?"
She shook his hand. "Alright. Five grand."
He grinned and led the way further south.
She followed closely. "So why do you need the gold? Debts to Gambino or the Kuro Gang or something?"
His grin slipped slightly. "That's my business."
She shrugged, deciding it didn't really matter. She didn't care enough to persist. They would find the den, clear it out, and that would be the end of it.

▶ Geist lapsed into introspective silence. To him, the gold mattered very much. Before the animated had risen, he'd spent time traveling and gambling in Gambino's casinos. He was always careful to never owe any money, but he acquired a shady reputation the longer he'd stayed in the Port. Then he'd started hanging around the back alleys of Barton and on the Bifrost, making sketchy deals for materials and doing alchemy. He'd even gone to Durem, augmenting himsef so many times that he lost count. Because of all this, the guards weren't fond of him and he was less than fond of the guards.

▶ But then the animated came on a stormy day, rising up in waves and overtaking everything. Aekea and Durem were hit the worst. He'd been forced to evacuate by the guards. He'd tried to stay, fighting them in the rain, struggling against the tide of the crowd and hoping to slip away amid the chaos and panic. But then he'd been cornered by a large animated robot. It nearly sliced his head clean off if not for a guard. Two dragged him away while his savior fought on; they forced him back into the crowds and herded the people like cattle toward the gates. He never knew if the guard had survived or not. Since that day, he'd held a secret admiration for them. Their organization and tactics, their skill and bravery. He kept it hidden, but he wanted to be one of them. He wanted to wear armor and fight back the animated, and take back his home.

▶ He knew it would be hard. Not only would he have to win the trust of the guards, but he'd also have to keep up his reputation. As much as he wanted the guards to trust him and let him into their ranks, he knew that surviving in these times would be nearly impossible if not for the seedy underbelly of Gaian life - those who would trade on the black market and give coin for favors. They kept life going, and the guards protected life. He would have to walk a fine line between the two realms if he was to ever see his home again...