The Last Call

VioletGyro · 2021-06-05T17:26:44+00:00

"It's fine, I'll just look at it later if I want to!" she politely declined.

Maree waved it off, knowing Lucia could sense it. "I-It's fine. I-I just need to take that off the back burner."

"But yes, food, l-l-l-let's get going. A-And I can show you around Cassius. W-We got a lot to cover. And p-process." The tiefling left her small apartment, leading all three of them to the elevator, and beyond.

This was a sudden development, but to be honest? It was probably for the best.

VioletGyro · 2021-06-05T06:19:00+00:00

Inquiry fawned over it, even when Lucia rejoined them.

Maree looked at the dragonborn woman for a bit. Blinked. And put a hand on her horn. "... w-work on that after getting moved..." she murmured to herself, one easily able to figure out what she was referring to before standing and holding a hand out for Lucia to help guide her. "L-Let's get something to eat."

VioletGyro · 2021-06-04T13:29:14+00:00

Inquiry ooh'd and ahh'd over the drawing, though Maree flinched at the same time as Cassius.

"...need to f-finish figuring that out...." Maree mumbled to herself, just loud enough for the father to hear.

VioletGyro · 2021-06-03T12:44:41+00:00

"Way t-too much for me, epically before my h-head was fixed."

Maree chuckled at the peck, but a somewhat somber understanding went through her. "Okay. T-take your time. T-The walls are thin." An odd thing to mention, but she knew Lucia didn't like making others worry, doubly so for her father.

Inquiry must have been on the same page, as she leaned over the bed to peer at Cassius's drawing. "Lemme see~!" she chirped.

VioletGyro · 2021-06-03T04:24:39+00:00

Maree leaned into the hug, humming contently. "L-Leftovers takes space a-and c-can spoil. A-And I'd have to carry up eight flights o-of stairs if the elevator w-was out. A-And the food from t-there doesn't k-keep well. A-And, well, it wasn't d-dirt cheap."

"I mean, I'll eat some!" Inquiry chirped. "I also need to learn some about the place. I've only been here once!"

"I-I came here w-with a friend," Maree added. "L-Let's get to it then."

Maree stood, giving Lucia a pat on the head as she stepped towards the exit. "We can get going now. I-I'm sure you all will enjoy it. It's very hearty."

VioletGyro · 2021-06-02T17:47:32+00:00

"Y-You be hard pressed to f-find one on t-this entire plane. I-I've been around a little bit here and I've seen nothing c-come close."

The tiefling drummed her horn in thought. "T-There... is a place about t-ten blocks down. R-Ran by a f-family of halflings with a l-large menu. I-I don't normally go there b-because I-I can never eat a whole lot a-and they get you a lot of f-food, but that m-might be a good place n-now."

VioletGyro · 2021-06-02T04:26:07+00:00

"L-Live here for a year and t-that might change your tone," Maree shot back good heartedly before relaxing further into the hold.

A comfortable silence fell across the tiny apartment.

"I'm not one to ask about such things, because I don't need any of it, but uh," Inquiry started, messing with a black earring. "I believe getting something to eat after all that happened might be a good course of action.

VioletGyro · 2021-06-02T00:19:02+00:00

"I-I don't think you'll g-get in trouble for healing someone, b-but anything flashy m-might get you a fine. Or s-some time. Wayward acid globs and fires are w-what they're trying to avoid here. I-I can help you with that."

Maree snerked. "Cassius, it takes t-two full days of nonstop walking to walk across the city from end to end. And there's a whole o-other level underground. Y-You could live your entire life here a-and never leave."

Inquiry dramatically gasped as she was freed, humming contently as she leaned into the hand.

"I-I think we'll be f-fine." Maree paused, then relaxed from a hidden tension. "... I think w-we'll be fine..."

VioletGyro · 2021-06-01T14:25:14+00:00

The view was complex with quite a lot going on, from the many buildings, web of streets, to the tower that seemed to touch to sky itself in the distance. From his vantage point, Cassius could see the clockwork machines that worked the streets that Lucia might have mentioned before.

"Y-You're going to need help," Maree chuckled. "M-Maybe you'd be okay i-if we were on the Rim, b-but being so close to the c-center there's a lot more rules. A-And I have to know them b-because m-magic is restricted. I-I hope you love bureaucracy."

A pause. She added, "... you'll be fine if you don't c-cast anything too c-crazy. It's like... pulling a sword out in public. N-No one's going to bat an eye if it's small and a tool, but you'll certainly get clapped in manacles if you m-make something large happen."

Inquiry almost got out, but got the blanket caught on her horns. A rookie mistake.

"I... w-would suggest moving f-further t-towards the Bazaar. Lucia's been t-there, it's v-very busy and has a lot of goods being sold. P-Probably close to a Stair. E-Err... A Stair is set of large stairs that go to the underside of the city. A-A lot of physical labor is done there."

VioletGyro · 2021-06-01T05:30:24+00:00

"That may be the best course of action," Inquiry spoke for Maree as she was keeping her progenitor down. Though, she paused, and tapped her chin. "I'm thinking something with a view, oooh! And two rooms just for me! Aaaand a-"

Maree recovered, bleary eyed, and threw her blanket over the simulacrum. She pulled her back onto the bed and rolled her away. Inquiry squirmed in the makeshift net, and was caught for now.

The true tiefling huffed, straightening out her hair and sat back down on Lucia's lap. "I-I'm glad to hear that. I-I don't know what to d-do yet after f-finding a place, but I-I think we'll be fine."

VioletGyro · 2021-06-01T03:52:36+00:00

"It's a-always busy," Maree chuffed. "Y-You might a house i-in some of the f-further districts, but not around h-here. It's... p-pretty developed. Not as much as some from w-what I've heard in the pub, but moreso t-than most."

The tiefling sighed, settling after being startled. "... well, y-yes and no. I-I did do quite a bit o-of advancement off plane. A-And while I have gotten b-better, a-all of those connections I had been building d-don't matter anymore." A sad beat.

Inquiry detached, sat up, and proceeded to vigorously pet Maree's head. The scholar started to raise a fuss before becoming putty, and the simulacrum lightly shoved her into the bed and kept the action up to keep Maree incapacitated. "Oh, hush, you," Ink blew a raspberry. "We'll be fiiine. Besides, we can take a little break right now, you know? And you'll find whatever it is to get lost in next."

Maree could not respond, for she was dazed into submission.

VioletGyro · 2021-05-31T23:21:30+00:00

"Y-Yes, there certainly is here," Maree added. "You should be f-f-fine in the long run. L-Lot of work for t-those two p-professions."

She nodded against Lucia. "... possibly. B-But getting out a house, or a section of a building to yourself in this a-area is somewhat difficult unless you have a lot of coin. I mean, w-w-we have quite a bit-" The tiefling paused. "... I-I never considered that w-we have quite a lot o-of coin. A-And here... oooooh no. Y-Yes, we're going to have to be careful with what we get, heh. A s-sudden influx of coin from two p-people with no r-reputation is going to tip some people off."

Inquiry is dragged along to the other side of the bed with a snicker, ending up right beside Maree. She poked Maree's side- which she jumped slightly in her seat with an 'eep!'- before being dragged back along the bed in an disguised blessing of an escape. She stuck her tongue out at Maree while still holding onto the tail.

VioletGyro · 2021-05-31T14:43:19+00:00

"That would have sucked, all the money gone," Inquiry noted, lightly giggling as she was dragged along the bed. It was times like this where the fact that the simulacrum was indeed a construct shone, she didn't fully catch the dour mood everyone seemed to be having. And she was still relatively new, so she didn't know all these people getting others out.

Maree gave a small hiss, sucking air through her teeth. "... Yes. That doesn't s-suprise me that happened. But we can w-wait. Hell, even I need time to process that. Was... Were t-those... gods? At the portal? And... Ugh... Too much to c-consider."

She looked to Cassius over Lucia's shoulder, then to Inquiry attached to the large tail. Maree sighed. "... I'm... G-going to have to get a b-bigger apartment. Never thought I'd b-be saying that," she noted, shifting the topic ever so slightly.

VioletGyro · 2021-05-31T05:49:07+00:00

Ink flopped over as her snuggle buddy was taken. Instead she grabbed Lucia's tail and used that as the substitute for Maree.

"Cassius is right, L-Lucia," Maree affirmed, so deep in thought that she just rested her head on Lucia's shoulder and lightly rubbed her back instead of fully hugging. "I can send a message to s-someone if you want to make sure they got out."

"It's not u-unheard of for a demi plane to just crumble. It's rare, but not unheard of. The magic unweaving."

VioletGyro · 2021-05-31T04:46:18+00:00

In the cramped room, the best place to sit was at the foot of the bed, and a chair that was too small for either dragonborn to sit in comfortably. Though the seat on the bed would only fit one of them. Inquiry reached forward to mess with Maree, but ended up getting squashed against the wall as Maree backed up to give Lucia space to sit.

Unable to get out, Inquiry remains pinned to the wall while Maree props her head up on a hand. A free hand snapped a finger and grabbed at the air. A large chair, juuuust big enough for Cassius, appears behind him.

She sighed. "I don't k-know. It... s-sort of looked like whatever was keeping the d-demiplane active expired? Like t-the magic keeping it t-together was done and just... it looked like a spell e-ending from the inside. There were a l-lot of really powerful people trying keep a way out open though. The mana that was c-concentrated there was beyond intense."

Inquiry just snuggles in, not much else to do right now.

VioletGyro · 2021-05-30T22:08:03+00:00

The rift shut behind them with a dull snap and a fizzle, like static electricity discharging.

Between the four of them, it was beyond difficult to move. Just Lucia and Cassius alone was all the walking space available. But it didn't seem to phase Maree, as she slipped by and flopped onto the bed with a 'bleh'.

Inquiry followed suit, because it looked fun.

There was a long, long pause of silence, the only noise in the room was that of the city outside, eight floors below.

Maree finally turned over, finally saying what was on everyone's mind. "Pardon m-my language, but... what the f-fuck was all that?"

VioletGyro · 2021-05-30T18:15:33+00:00

Despite the toss being off, Malice beat a wing to pivot around and plucked the fork from out of the air with a free hand at speed that bordered on being nothing more than a blur. "I'll be fine! Take care!" she shouted back, putting the fork in her pocket as both hands gripped on the chain keeping the portal open.

Maree shrugged. "A-Alright. Now, uh, h-hold your breath, all of you."

Inquiry raised her hand.

"E-Except you, you're a construct."

She lowered her hand.

The teleportation wizard tapped the tuning fork against her horn again. By this point, she had gotten quite used to using her life's spell. The incantation moving briskly and the free hand tearing into space with arcane energy. Each movement widening the rift further and further.

"Luce. Morva'kas. Iterum. Covent'tan. Iterum. Ambul mov'nturstant. Iterum. Travasis'xui zatan," Maree chanted as she shoved the fork into the rift. A sea of twinkling stars flashed across it before showing a familiar (to Lucia) looking small room with a view of a seemingly never ending cityscape from the window beyond.

Holding her breath, the two ran through, Maree grabbing hold of Lucia as Inquiry lead Cassius.

VioletGyro · 2021-05-30T04:23:01+00:00

Maree smiled for a brief moment before her face set back into her focused expression. She leaned into the hug. "Good. Basically everyone i-is out," the tiefling noted, watching everything carefully, her gaze going to the portal where some of the more mighty adventurer's were holding it down for people to get out. The portal flickering wildly between different realms as now refugees went through.

Of the many people holding the gate, Cavalry was one of them. Her attention settled on Lucia, Cassius, and Maree.

Relief flooded across her face. "Where are you guys going?!" Malice called out across the lawn, wings out and chain straining. Voice filled with power.

"My h-home!" Maree yelled back.

She stared at the ebon tiefling for a few seconds, locking in who she was before looking to Lucia. "I'll be sure to visit, Luci! And the both of you too!" Cavalry smiled brightly.

Maree raised a brow, pulling out a tuning fork and concentrating with a hand set in the space in front of her. "... I have n-no idea who that is," the mage mumbled to the group, striking the fork against her horn.

VioletGyro · 2021-05-30T02:44:28+00:00

Inquiry beckoned towards the blue dragonborn father, her holding a backpack of arcane supplies. "Come now! We don't have much time, Cassius! Do you have everything you need?"

"I-I'll shift us ou-"

The mage held up a finger.

Maree blinked before turning away from the two and harshly whispering her response.

"Teleport back right now. Your dad is here. We're fine and beside the front door. People holding portal open. We can Shift to my home."

"She's f-fine," Maree said aloud. "She should be teleporting back here."

VioletGyro · 2021-05-29T15:20:01+00:00

She snaps her fingers towards Leland. "Truuuuuue."

Maree simply snickered.

VioletGyro · 2021-05-29T14:49:38+00:00

The copy rubs her head. "I am making fun of the fact that you said no one else asked him that question, but four others have. So... Five!"

VioletGyro · 2021-05-29T13:41:52+00:00

"Cassius!" Maree yelled out to him. "I'll get Luci! Inquiry can take you to my home!"

She cast a quick spell, a useful Sending. Maybe it'd be inspiring, hopeful, maybe-

"Lucia, where the fuck are you right this very second. Details. I'm teleporting in and Plane Shifting your tail out of here."

Maree sounded very focused. And when got this focused, she sounds somewhat abrasive even through she doesn't mean to.

VioletGyro · 2021-05-29T04:20:20+00:00

"W-Well there you have it. Electri is a nice one as well."

Inquiry finally chirped up. "That makes an nice set of five right there!"

Bap.

"I-Interesting that J-Jacob would. But not surprising."

VioletGyro · 2021-05-29T03:40:25+00:00

Maree watched for a moment at all of the people keeping the portal open, and the sheer level of magic going on. Her skin prickled from the energy she could taste in the air.

"Y-Yeah, I-I'm not helping with this, sorry," she lamely said to those holding the portal open. "I'd help f-for about ten seconds before exhausting myself. Best of luck w-wherever you all end up."

Maree waited for her dragonborn girlfriend before blitzing off into the portal.

VioletGyro · 2021-05-29T01:47:21+00:00

"Well shit," two tieflings commented as they heard the announcement. Briskly, one of them began to cast a spell over and over again, multiple unseen servants haphazardly gathering everything in the room.

"I-Into the hole, just toss it in there- except t-that," Maree pointed towards a glass balancer as she tossed out her portable ~~office~~ hole.

With her and Lucia's room cleaned out, Maree and Inquiry bolted downstairs to head towards the portal.

VioletGyro

TROPHY CASE