Non-HPU: Crater City

Foxfan2164 · Post by **Foxfan2164** » Fri Jan 17, 2020 5:23 pm

Hyper took the card from the human and waved goodbye to Mist and the other people in the truck. He then walked away in the opposite direction of where he came from not really minding what happened. He stuck his paws into his sky blue jacket and went away.

Post by **CyberDragon** » Fri Jan 17, 2020 8:17 pm

Hlaoroo wrote:After Ryan and Mordecai have finished their jobs, the car makes its way slowly along the waterfront towards Pier 29.
"Pier Three over there is where my yacht will tie up tomorrow night. Arrive any time from five onwards and we'll push off at six thirty sharp. She's that one onetwothreefour four along from the edge of the headland there, the Arhnaq. Her name means Sea Otter in Alutiiq, one of the languages native to Alaska." the sea otter points out, indicating a comfortable but not obnoxiously-sized, sleek-looking yacht sitting at anchor on the bay. A few tiny figures, a skeleton crew, can just be seen moving about on the deck.
"Dinner and drinks are provided, of course, so you won't need to eat beforehand. And speaking of dinner, here we are at Fredrick's!" A moment later the car pulls up and the driver hurries to open the door for the pair.

SeanWolf wrote:Getting out of the limo, Mordecai thanks the driver and shakes his hand, all the while listening to Ryan talk. He then fixes his gaze over to the yacht and, after taking in its beauty, remarks, "I look forward to the party then. If you are interested, I can bring over some wine from my place as a gift," he then looks over at Fredrick's and smiles, "Speaking of which, it's my turn to treat you: If you'll allow me, I would like to pay for our meal here. My way of saying 'Thank You'."

When the two entered Fredrick's Fish and Chips, they would find neither Wildfire nor Titus was there. Fredrick, the owner of the establishment, was busy washing a few glass cups behind the counter, making sure they were clear of any spots or marks. He looked up from his cups and smiled at the two newcomers entering the establishment. "Welcome! We're having a special today on King Salmon, and the soup of the day is Red Rock Crab Bisque. Just let me know when you're ready to order!"

Not long after he said that, the door chime rang again and a sleek, tall, and well kempt human walked into the store. His smooth and formal appearance was quite the contrast to his shorts and dragon-themed T-shirt. Ryan would recognize him as Titus, though Mordecai likely wouldn't know him. Titus waved at Fredrick. "These two are with me!" He said, pointing at Ryan and Mordecai.

"Oh?" Fredrick grinned knowingly. "If that's the case, order what you want you two. It's on the house. Any friend of Titus is a friend of mine!"

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DdeeStar wrote:Mist lays quietly, trying to focus on the radio to shake himself out of the funk he's in. Tigress turns in her seat to Gregg and Julian and, keeping her voice low, asks "So what possessed you two to get involved in this mess? Picking up a stranger's watch, realizing that he was tracking us, and still coming in? Seems like a death wish, really." Her curiosity stems from the fact that she doesn't see any way they could've benefitted from being there. These strangers threatened their lives to stop another stranger from threatening her son's life. Life can be oddly poetic.

The group was now driving down the skyline freeway, a road that runs through all major sections of the city in a giant loop around the rim of the crater. In the parts of the freeway where there weren't any trees, you could see the entire city on one side and the ocean on the other. Out in the distance, one could see small towns dotting the landscape among the mountains, coasts, and forests. Heather continued driving as fast as the road would allow until they reached another forested section of the rim. She slowed down and continued straight seemingly off of the road while the Skyline Freeway turned. It was soon apparent that she had not gone off of the road, but instead was now driving down the west side of the crater wall on a road so rough, old, and overgrown, it might have been a cobblestone path. It was broken up and looked like it hadn't seen public use in half a century, and Heather had to drive through a patch of grass just to get to it. Had she not known of it's existence beforehand, the trail would have been impossible to find.

The truck shook and bumped around lightly as Heather drove down the rough road. "Sorry everyone. This is a shortcut. Traffic on Skyline gets really rough up ahead, and I'd like to get to Headquarters within the hour."

Citrisfur · Post by **Citrisfur** » Fri Jan 17, 2020 8:30 pm

Foxfan2164 wrote:Hyper took the card from the human and waved goodbye to Mist and the other people in the truck. He then walked away in the opposite direction of where he came from not really minding what happened. He stuck his paws into his sky blue jacket and went away.

Lyncus exits the library, walking back towards her apartment so she can leave her laptop there. She was about to generate her orb out of curiosity yet again when she notices Hyper nearby. She instead calls out and waves her paw in greeting.

Foxfan2164 · Post by **Foxfan2164** » Fri Jan 17, 2020 8:56 pm

Hyper turns around after hearing a shout from behind. He turns around to see Lyncus in front of the library. "Hey!" he said, waving a paw.

Post by **SeanWolf** » Fri Jan 17, 2020 9:01 pm

Mordecai raised an eyebrow at the human who seemed to recognize both him and Ryan as they entered Fredrick's. Thinking it was someone from the council, he is quickly taken aback by the owner saying their meal was on the house. "Well, thank you for the kind offer," he said while looking over the menu, "However, I made a promise to Ryan here that I'd pay for our meal and I do like to keep my promises, so I would like to pay for ours and your meal afterwards. That being said, I'd like fish sandwich with a side-order of beer-battered shrimp, and a bowl of that Red Rock Crab Bisque soup."

Citrisfur · Post by **Citrisfur** » Sat Jan 18, 2020 12:28 am

Foxfan2164 wrote:Hyper turns around after hearing a shout from behind. He turns around to see Lyncus in front of the library. "Hey!" he said, waving a paw.

"James is at the library, working on this paper we have due Monday," Lyncus explains, walking up to Hyper. "What are you up to?"

Welsh Halfwit · Post by **Welsh Halfwit** » Sat Jan 18, 2020 11:29 am

Julian had a tactic for this sort of bumpy ride at speed. Close your eyes and pretend you're on a roller coaster. He figured it wouldn't work on this occasion, especially as he was feeling nosy as to where they were going, o he kept them open and bounced along.

Foxfan2164 · Post by **Foxfan2164** » Sat Jan 18, 2020 3:38 pm

Citrisfur wrote:
Foxfan2164 wrote:Hyper turns around after hearing a shout from behind. He turns around to see Lyncus in front of the library. "Hey!" he said, waving a paw.
"James is at the library, working on this paper we have due Monday," Lyncus explains, walking up to Hyper. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing really. I was talking to Mist." he said to Lyncus. "He is... umm... going somewhere for his birthday." he partially lied. "How 'bout you; what are you up to?" he asked.

Post by **CyberDragon** » Sat Jan 18, 2020 3:56 pm

SeanWolf wrote:Mordecai raised an eyebrow at the human who seemed to recognize both him and Ryan as they entered Fredrick's. Thinking it was someone from the council, he is quickly taken aback by the owner saying their meal was on the house. "Well, thank you for the kind offer," he said while looking over the menu, "However, I made a promise to Ryan here that I'd pay for our meal and I do like to keep my promises, so I would like to pay for ours and your meal afterwards. That being said, I'd like fish sandwich with a side-order of beer-battered shrimp, and a bowl of that Red Rock Crab Bisque soup."

"Please." Fredrick grinned. "It's the least I can do, considering all you guys have done for me." The owner started getting to work, setting out a platter with a basket of shrimp and a fresh fried Cod sandwich. "Would you like your soup in a sourdough bread bowl?"

Titus leaned in and whispered in Mordecai's ear. "He knows about us. Any time I go for a swim, his business triples for two weeks straight. When there's two of us, it quadruples for the next three weeks. You've paid him hundreds of times over just by going for a swim with us." He smiled."Also, I suggest getting the bread bowl."

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Welsh Halfwit wrote:Julian had a tactic for this sort of bumpy ride at speed. Close your eyes and pretend you're on a roller coaster. He figured it wouldn't work on this occasion, especially as he was feeling nosy as to where they were going, o he kept them open and bounced along.

Heather continued driving down the bumpy mountain road until they reached a clearing in the forest. They came across an old, rusted, automatic gate blocking the deteriorating road. Heather leaned out of the window and pressed her ID against the dusty scanner. For a minute, it did nothing. Then, the scanner surprisingly came to life and read the ID. The old gate creaked open, and Heather continued driving through.

A short drive later, something else came into view in the distance. It looked like an old, rotten airfield. The roofs on some of the hangers had caved in. The runway was just as decayed as the road they were driving on. A P-51 Mustang fighter jet lay half-collapsed on the runway; one of its wheels had broken off and it had fallen sideways long ago, breaking off it's wing. Next to it was what looked like it could have been a P-38 Lightning. At least, half of one. The other half was flattened into the ground, lying in the crater of a massive footprint. "This was an airbase back in World War II. Some time in the fifties, it got hit by a Rogue Kaiju. At least, that's what people thought at first."

Post by **SeanWolf** » Sat Jan 18, 2020 4:16 pm

Mordecai, however, shook his head and sighed at Titus before replying to Fredrick, "Yes to the bread bowl and, while that's a kind gesture, we Tikbalang never believed in the word 'free'. We always worked hard for what we wanted. If someone gave us something for free, we would always find a way to repay them," he then walked over to the counter, pulled out a good bit of money from his wallet, and placed it on the counter, "This will pay for not only our meal, but the next customer as well."

Welsh Halfwit · Post by **Welsh Halfwit** » Sat Jan 18, 2020 4:45 pm

Julian looked at the mess. "I... could not fix that," he admitted hollowly. "This is what we're seen as doing," he continued, sad at the show of violence.

DdeeStar · Post by **DdeeStar** » Sat Jan 18, 2020 4:50 pm

CyberDragon wrote: The truck shook and bumped around lightly as Heather drove down the rough road.

Tigress maneuvers around back into her seat the first time she gets airtime, tightening her seatbelt as she lands. "Roads are overrated anyway."

CyberDragon wrote: The other half was flattened into the ground, lying in the crater of a massive footprint. "This was an airbase back in World War II. Some time in the fifties, it got hit by a Rogue Kaiju. At least, that's what people thought at first."

Tigress looks around at the scene, curious more than anything. Mist peeks up, back to a neutral emotional state, and looks at Heather in the rear-view. "With that wording you'd think it's not factual. Got a bombshell truth for us?" A small smile accompanies the joke.

Post by **Hlaoroo** » Sat Jan 18, 2020 10:12 pm

"Hey, Titus!" Ryan grins as the disguised Kaiju appears.

"You met Titus earlier today, remember, Mordecai? You had quite a philosophical discussion at the town hall." the sea otter prompts quietly.

"I don't think you're gonna win, dude. You might as well take the money. At the very least consider it a tip." Ryan stage-whispers to Fredrick.

"I think I'll start with a bowl of your famous chowder and then I'll go for the King Salmon Special with fries, oh and a side of calamari rings too, please." Clearly the otter is hungry.

Post by **CyberDragon** » Sat Jan 18, 2020 11:48 pm

SeanWolf wrote:Mordecai, however, shook his head and sighed at Titus before replying to Fredrick, "Yes to the bread bowl and, while that's a kind gesture, we Tikbalang never believed in the word 'free'. We always worked hard for what we wanted. If someone gave us something for free, we would always find a way to repay them," he then walked over to the counter, pulled out a good bit of money from his wallet, and placed it on the counter, "This will pay for not only our meal, but the next customer as well."

Hlaoroo wrote:"Hey, Titus!" Ryan grins as the disguised Kaiju appears.

"You met Titus earlier today, remember, Mordecai? You had quite a philosophical discussion at the town hall." the sea otter prompts quietly.

"I don't think you're gonna win, dude. You might as well take the money. At the very least consider it a tip." Ryan stage-whispers to Fredrick.

"I think I'll start with a bowl of your famous chowder and then I'll go for the King Salmon Special with fries, oh and a side of calamari rings too, please." Clearly the otter is hungry.

Fredrick smiled and shrugged, accepting the money. "I appreciate it!" He cored out a couple of bread bowls, filling one with chowder and the other with the crab bisque. He put the bisque bowl with the rest of Mordecai's order and handed him the tray. He then placed the chowder on a separate tray and started fixing Ryan's food. Fredrick put a couple fresh salmon filet on the grill and seared it until it was nice and crispy on the outside, yet soft and flaky on the inside. He put the salmon in a basket with fries and set the basket on the tray. Finally, Fredrick fried up some calamari rings and put them in their own separate basket, placing that on the tray as well.

"Here you go!" he said, handing Ryan the tray.

"I was sitting over here." Titus said, pointing to a table large enough for four people. "I already ate though. I had to go walk around, or I would end up downing his entire stock of chowder. You know I could, and would, do that if I didn't have the restraint I do." he laughed, taking a seat at the table.

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Welsh Halfwit wrote:Julian looked at the mess. "I... could not fix that," he admitted hollowly. "This is what we're seen as doing," he continued, sad at the show of violence.

"Don't feel too bad." Heather said as they approached the air base ruins. The hangers appeared to be built into the side of the mountain, as was apparent when they pulled in through the hole left when the fence gate apparently fell down. Heather maneuvered the truck around the collapsed gate and onto the runway. Up close, it was clear how long it's been since the place was maintained. Vines had grown out of cracks in the ground and were threatening to claim the Mustang fighter jet. There were a number of anti-aircraft turrets and artillery cannons to deal with invading ships. They drove past one of the hangers, and inside was a partially constructed B-29 Superfortress. Unlike the aircraft that were outside, purely exposed to the elements, the bomber seemed to be in much better shape, even if it was only three quarters of the way finished.

DdeeStar wrote:Tigress looks around at the scene, curious more than anything. Mist peeks up, back to a neutral emotional state, and looks at Heather in the rear-view. "With that wording you'd think it's not factual. Got a bombshell truth for us?" A small smile accompanies the joke.

"Oh, it's a colossal truth." Heather quipped back with her own pun. "You'll see soon enough." She said.

Heather took a turn towards the center hanger with the collapsed roof. She drove past the giant footprint and the half-crushed P-38 fighter. The hanger doors were cracked open just large enough for the truck to drive through. Heather did so, and then turned on the truck's headlights. There weren't any aircraft in the main hanger. In fact, the main hanger wasn't even a hanger at all. A ramp formed from a collapsed section of the floor lead straight down into a dark tunnel. Heather drove down the improvised ramp and into a massive, and clearly man made, cavern. They descended deeper and deeper, driving down the steep slope into the tunnel below. Once they reached the bottom, the ceiling was hundreds of feet above them and the walls were about a hundred feet away on both sides. The tunnel dug deep into the mountain, continuing for miles, well out of sight. "This was made public by the Freedom of Information Act, so I can tell you about it. This place was never an air base, and it was never attacked." She said. "The KDF wasn't the first group in the military that tried to utilize Kaiju."

Post by **SeanWolf** » Sun Jan 19, 2020 12:01 am

After thanking Fredrick and taking the tray, he follows Titus over to the table and sits down. As he partakes of the soup, impress with the taste, he looks over to Titus and tells him, "I did appreciate the offer but, as I said, me and my people do not believe in the word 'free'." before leaning over and whispering, "For the record, I know you are to be Wildfire."

Post by **Hlaoroo** » Sun Jan 19, 2020 2:36 am

"Well, I for one can appreciate free stuff. Especially when it's food. And yeah, you totally would, Titus. You're a pig." Ryan opines jokingly, tucking in with a vigour.
"Mmph! Delicious ath alwayth! Fanks, Fwed!" he says around a mouthful, deliberately making his previous comment ironic.

Citrisfur · Post by **Citrisfur** » Sun Jan 19, 2020 3:17 am

Foxfan2164 wrote:"Nothing really. I was talking to Mist." he said to Lyncus. "He is... umm... going somewhere for his birthday." he partially lied. "How 'bout you; what are you up to?" he asked.

"Just dropping some of my stuff off before I test out something I found," she explains. "Did you wanna come with, if you're not busy?"

Deske · Post by **Deske** » Sun Jan 19, 2020 4:05 am

Gregg was enjoy the rough ride, kind of reminded him of his younger days doing things of questionable merit, but he wouldn't tell the others that. It wasn't until they had arrived at the old abandoned airfield that he stopped and took the chance to look around at what was past the windows. He took it in solemnly, looking at the age old landscape around him. But, he couldn't help but crack a smile at Tigress and Heather's back and forth of puns. "I'd believe it. You've got 30 meter tall creatures capable of doing whatever and it would figure that someone would go 'Hey what if we could use these to destroy.' Probably didn't help the stigma." He chuckled lightly, "Though I have seen kids playing giant monsters with cities of blocks before, so I don't think it's just Kaiju."

DdeeStar · Post by **DdeeStar** » Sun Jan 19, 2020 7:35 am

CyberDragon wrote: Heather took a turn towards the center hanger with the collapsed roof. She drove past the giant footprint and the half-crushed P-38 fighter. The hanger doors were cracked open just large enough for the truck to drive through. Heather did so, and then turned on the truck's headlights. There weren't any aircraft in the main hanger. In fact, the main hanger wasn't even a hanger at all. A ramp formed from a collapsed section of the floor lead straight down into a dark tunnel. Heather drove down the improvised ramp and into a massive, and clearly man made, cavern. They descended deeper and deeper, driving down the steep slope into the tunnel below. Once they reached the bottom, the ceiling was hundreds of feet above them and the walls were about a hundred feet away on both sides. The tunnel dug deep into the mountain, continuing for miles, well out of sight. "This was made public by the Freedom of Information Act, so I can tell you about it. This place was never an air base, and it was never attacked." She said. "The KDF wasn't the first group in the military that tried to utilize Kaiju."

Tigress is distracted from her normal question-answer pattern by the fact that she's now practically blind with how little energy is to be found in the tunnels. Mist as well can't think of anything to ask, just remarking on how little destruction there was for something of that size-he would've expected all the buildings leveled. It was probably an accident. He looks over and notices Tigress shifting views and squinting and grabs her arm. "We're in a tunnel we followed from one of the hangers, there isn't much to see. It's mostly support beams and packed earth all around. There's no lights for power energy, we're running on headlights, so you're not going to be able to catch anything for a bit." He explains the surroundings to her quietly, trying not to draw attention to her (dis)ability. He's used to guiding her around, and upon realizing the hangers would be dead zones he continues "We entered through a big half-destroyed plane hangar through the floor into the tunnel. It looks like the building and a lot of the area had been stepped on." Tigress nods and sits back so she can look out the windshield. Most lesser energy fields would be invisible as she's adjusted to the car full of living beings, so she just shuts her eyes and relaxes for a bit, patting Mist's hand on her arm.

"Thanks bud. Just warn me before we drive into any obvious traps, I want to gloat." She smiles and he laughs lightly, shaking his head.

Welsh Halfwit · Post by **Welsh Halfwit** » Sun Jan 19, 2020 8:31 am

"The world is full of poor puns," Julian said lightly as they proceeded through the tunnel. "Looking for things to smile about."

Post by **CyberDragon** » Sun Jan 19, 2020 4:00 pm

SeanWolf wrote:After thanking Fredrick and taking the tray, he follows Titus over to the table and sits down. As he partakes of the soup, impress with the taste, he looks over to Titus and tells him, "I did appreciate the offer but, as I said, me and my people do not believe in the word 'free'." before leaning over and whispering, "For the record, I know you are to be Wildfire."

"I would hope that you would." Titus whispered back. "I wasn't exactly keeping who I was a secret from you. I was hoping you would guess who I was." He smiled and pulled back a bit, sitting upright, where he waited for his friends to finish.

Hlaoroo wrote:"Well, I for one can appreciate free stuff. Especially when it's food. And yeah, you totally would, Titus. You're a pig." Ryan opines jokingly, tucking in with a vigour.
"Mmph! Delicious ath alwayth! Fanks, Fwed!" he says around a mouthful, deliberately making his previous comment ironic.

Fredrick laughed at the irony of calling Titus a pig before Ryan even got to his punchline. "You're one to talk! I swear, the both of you would clean me out of my entire stock if I didn't actively tell you no more sometimes."

---------------------------------

Deske wrote:Gregg was enjoy the rough ride, kind of reminded him of his younger days doing things of questionable merit, but he wouldn't tell the others that. It wasn't until they had arrived at the old abandoned airfield that he stopped and took the chance to look around at what was past the windows. He took it in solemnly, looking at the age old landscape around him. But, he couldn't help but crack a smile at Tigress and Heather's back and forth of puns. "I'd believe it. You've got 30 meter tall creatures capable of doing whatever and it would figure that someone would go 'Hey what if we could use these to destroy.' Probably didn't help the stigma." He chuckled lightly, "Though I have seen kids playing giant monsters with cities of blocks before, so I don't think it's just Kaiju."

Heather nodded, but kept her eyes forward on the inky blackness of the tunnel. "Just about every branch of the military tried to weaponize Kaiju." She said, a slightly ironic hint of irritation in her voice. "Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines... All of them tried getting Kaiju to play offensive roles in combat. Then the offensive use of Kaiju was banned in international warfare. The United Nations considers them WMDs."

Heather started speeding the truck up. The tunnel was curving slightly to the north, and she made sure to keep to the right hand wall of it. "That's why the KDF is specifically home front defense and public aid. It's literally a war crime to use our branch offensively. We're hoping the defensive and aid oriented nature of our group will help combat the stigma."

DdeeStar wrote:Tigress is distracted from her normal question-answer pattern by the fact that she's now practically blind with how little energy is to be found in the tunnels. Mist as well can't think of anything to ask, just remarking on how little destruction there was for something of that size-he would've expected all the buildings leveled. It was probably an accident. He looks over and notices Tigress shifting views and squinting and grabs her arm. "We're in a tunnel we followed from one of the hangers, there isn't much to see. It's mostly support beams and packed earth all around. There's no lights for power energy, we're running on headlights, so you're not going to be able to catch anything for a bit." He explains the surroundings to her quietly, trying not to draw attention to her (dis)ability. He's used to guiding her around, and upon realizing the hangers would be dead zones he continues "We entered through a big half-destroyed plane hangar through the floor into the tunnel. It looks like the building and a lot of the area had been stepped on." Tigress nods and sits back so she can look out the windshield. Most lesser energy fields would be invisible as she's adjusted to the car full of living beings, so she just shuts her eyes and relaxes for a bit, patting Mist's hand on her arm.

"Thanks bud. Just warn me before we drive into any obvious traps, I want to gloat." She smiles and he laughs lightly, shaking his head.

The truck continued to pick up speed, though in the darkness it was a little hard to tell. There were no lanes in this tunnel, and most of the markings on the ground meant to guide vehicles were faded with almost 70 years worth of aging. "Concrete, actually." Heather said, apparently having heard Mist. "And there are lights, but the generator is almost eighty years old. If I tried turning it on, it might have actually exploded." She said. "You see, that hanger was an early attempt by the Air Force to create a Kaiju Deployment Facility. The intent was for the Kaiju to move through these tunnels and emerge from the various hangers and deployment points so they could get where they needed to go as fast as they could move without being seen and without disturbing the city above."

Welsh Halfwit wrote:"The world is full of poor puns," Julian said lightly as they proceeded through the tunnel. "Looking for things to smile about."

By now, the truck was moving at nearly 100 miles per hour, though there was so much room and the tunnel was so flat and straight that it was easy to keep the truck under control even at those speeds. "If you want something to laugh about..." Heather smirked. "I read the old report on that old deployment facility. I found it in the Crater City Library Archives. If you read between the lines and between the spots of black ink, it sounds like whoever wrote the report was really trying hard to make it sound like something other than a three stooges episode." She laughed.

Heather slowed the truck down when they came across a point where their tunnel intersected with another. This new tunnel looked more recently used. In fact, it was even lit up and had actual lanes for vehicles to travel down. The path straight ahead was blocked by concrete barriers. Heather turned right and sped up again. "The blocked path is part of the old tunnel system. It went under the bay, but an earthquake caused the whole thing to flood." she said. "This route we're on leads to another deployment facility. This one's still in use, and is right next to the KDF base."

Foxfan2164 · Post by **Foxfan2164** » Sun Jan 19, 2020 4:03 pm

"Sure I'll come along." Hyper replied, following Lyncus."What did you find?" he asked curiously, looking around her paws to see if it was in her hand.

Post by **SeanWolf** » Sun Jan 19, 2020 4:30 pm

Mordecai, after acknowledging Titus' reply with a nod, was quiet as he finishes off the bread bowl and the remaining shrimp, the later of which he was sporting a disapproving look to as the taste wasn't as good as he was used to. He then said "Well, thank you for the meal, Fredrick...Would you two please excuse me?" before getting up from the table and, with fish sandwich in hand, walks out to the limo driver and knocks on the window, "I noticed you didn't come in with us. Here, take this fish sandwich, you look hungry."

DdeeStar · Post by **DdeeStar** » Sun Jan 19, 2020 4:44 pm

CyberDragon wrote: "Concrete, actually." Heather said, apparently having heard Mist. "And there are lights, but the generator is almost eighty years old. If I tried turning it on, it might have actually exploded." She said.

Tigress shrugs, relaxed. "Long as you know where you're going. This is pretty normal, 'specially when Mist's around." He nods and continues to listen to the rest of Heather's replies in interested silence.

CyberDragon wrote: Heather slowed the truck down when they came across a point where their tunnel intersected with another. This new tunnel looked more recently used. In fact, it was even lit up and had actual lanes for vehicles to travel down. The path straight ahead was blocked by concrete barriers. Heather turned right and sped up again. "The blocked path is part of the old tunnel system. It went under the bay, but an earthquake caused the whole thing to flood." she said. "This route we're on leads to another deployment facility. This one's still in use, and is right next to the KDF base."

"Are we allowed to use these paths? This would cut down on vacation travel time a lot." She figures that if she went through the tunnels there'd be no one to catch her speeding, even if she'd be driving nearly blind. Mist can direct.

Mist sits quietly for a moment after Heather finishes, wondering what would happen if his energy fields were to weaponize wrong during a mission and hurt someone unintentionally. It has yet to happen in his full form, but right now these accidents are his only power. This train of thought stops quickly as he recalls that he's not a member, and he asks "What happens when we get to the KDF?"

Welsh Halfwit · Post by **Welsh Halfwit** » Sun Jan 19, 2020 4:50 pm

"I appreciate Libraries," Julian admitted, "but I'm more of a Marx Brothers type. As Groucho said, 'Outside of a Canid Zoomorph, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a Canid, it's too dark to read.""

Post by **CyberDragon** » Mon Jan 20, 2020 2:45 am

DdeeStar wrote:"Are we allowed to use these paths? This would cut down on vacation travel time a lot." She figures that if she went through the tunnels there'd be no one to catch her speeding, even if she'd be driving nearly blind. Mist can direct.

Heather kept her eyes focused forward on the path ahead, but she still payed attention to the people asking questions. "KDF can, as can general military officers. These tunnels are off limits to Civilians unless they're being escorted, like you are."

DdeeStar wrote:Mist sits quietly for a moment after Heather finishes, wondering what would happen if his energy fields were to weaponize wrong during a mission and hurt someone unintentionally. It has yet to happen in his full form, but right now these accidents are his only power. This train of thought stops quickly as he recalls that he's not a member, and he asks "What happens when we get to the KDF?"

"First thing is we drop the evidence and attacker off at Headquarters with the eggheads and gumshoes. They'll open an investigation, probably ask you a few questions about what happened, then take over from there." Heather said. "After that? We can continue where we left off, assuming you still want to. Could wander the town a bit, or I could take you back right away." She shrugged. "It'll be your call."

Welsh Halfwit wrote:"I appreciate Libraries," Julian admitted, "but I'm more of a Marx Brothers type. As Groucho said, 'Outside of a Canid Zoomorph, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a Canid, it's too dark to read.""

"I don't know about canids or Zoomorphs..." Heather said. She started turning gently as the tunnel curved to the left. She was following some lights and signs along the way. "But I can confirm from personal experience; it is too dark inside a Kaiju to read. Long story."

Deske · Post by **Deske** » Mon Jan 20, 2020 4:25 am

Gregg tapped his chin thoughtfully, "I think that would depend on who's stomach you're in, which leads me to a question I've wanted to ask since we're currently not surrounded by people. You," he said, turning towards Mist, "What do you look like when you decide that being 5 foot-something isn't big enough? I ask mostly for my own curiosity, but also because when I see some giant slap a missile out of the sky I want to be able to say 'Hey I think I know that person.' Don't feel pressured to answer, I know it can be a personal matter." He said the last part with a distinctly caring overtone.

Citrisfur · Post by **Citrisfur** » Mon Jan 20, 2020 4:30 am

Foxfan2164 wrote:"Sure I'll come along." Hyper replied, following Lyncus."What did you find?" he asked curiously, looking around her paws to see if it was in her hand.

"Not now," Lyncus responds, noticing Hyper glancing over. "I want to try something with it that needs some space. Can you meet me at that park that's at the end of this street? I'll be there in five."

DdeeStar · Post by **DdeeStar** » Mon Jan 20, 2020 7:25 am

CyberDragon wrote: Heather kept her eyes focused forward on the path ahead, but she still payed attention to the people asking questions. "KDF can, as can general military officers. These tunnels are off limits to Civilians unless they're being escorted, like you are."

"Mm, go figure." Tigress mutters.

CyberDragon wrote:"After that? We can continue where we left off, assuming you still want to. Could wander the town a bit, or I could take you back right away." She shrugged. "It'll be your call."

Tigress gives an annoyed huff as Mist replies "If there'll be time, I'd rather finish as soon as possible."

Deske wrote:Gregg tapped his chin thoughtfully, "I think that would depend on who's stomach you're in, which leads me to a question I've wanted to ask since we're currently not surrounded by people. You," he said, turning towards Mist, "What do you look like when you decide that being 5 foot-something isn't big enough? I ask mostly for my own curiosity, but also because when I see some giant slap a missile out of the sky I want to be able to say 'Hey I think I know that person.' Don't feel pressured to answer, I know it can be a personal matter." He said the last part with a distinctly caring overtone.

Mist mutters "Five-foot-something is never big enough." then shrugs, replying "Rakshasa, we all look pretty similar in Kaiju form. And full-blood members normally have more impressive physical traits, though they're all feline Zoomorphs. But in Kaiju form it's a giant Tiger Zoomorph but with saber-like fangs and the hands are backwards. Don't know why. Most Rakshasa hit a point where their lost life energy is weaved back into their coat like a second wind, and that normally has a really dramatic visual effect, but I can't do that. I don't control my own life energy well. So when I start dropping life energy part of it shifts into shadow energy for protection and my coat turns all black and stuff."

Tigress chips in, being the resident Rashasa expert. "We're working on the life energy thing, but yeah if you see a feline Zoomorph who's acting weird they're probably here to destroy the town." This is delivered deadpan, as if it was trivial information. "My tribe despised this place, and we're hardheaded as it gets. Our thing is not knowing when to give up. Plus energy creation and manipulation, but whatever."

Welsh Halfwit · Post by **Welsh Halfwit** » Mon Jan 20, 2020 9:32 am

"I dare not ask then," Julian replied to Heather, not really that interested in the comparisons of Legends to join in that conversation. "Been doing this long," he asked instead.

Deske · Post by **Deske** » Mon Jan 20, 2020 9:52 am

"Not gonna lie, can't say I've heard of a Rakshasa. Guess I've got to do some homework for when I get back." He looked over at Tigress, "Another question if you'll continue to indulge me, why would you want to destroy this city? Or at least why would your clan? Why are you not?"

DdeeStar · Post by **DdeeStar** » Mon Jan 20, 2020 12:04 pm

Tigress gives a rueful laugh. "Well, originally, it's because I made friends here, folks that shared my appetite for chaos. They sorta distracted me by showing me just how fun life could be when you didn't live your life as some 'keeper of harmony' nonsense. Then when they got arrested, I wasn't quite feeling well and my powers were really messing up, so I went back home and immediately got banished, so if I still felt like destroying the city I wouldn't have anywhere to live afterwards. Plus the fact that they banished me -combined with some pettiness- makes me want to keep it standing." She delivers this information as if it were a fun story, speaking a little faster than normal and finishing it with a clear silence. She doesn't really feel like filling in the huge gaps she left in the story, especially not with Mist right next to her. He looks a little embarrassed as she talks, but doesn't speak. Tigress reviews what she said and adds on "But not enough to throw my life on the line. I don't want to be here."

Mist fills in the other questions that her reminiscing distracted her from. "The Rakshasa dislike construction, especially on such a large scale. Refined metals are unnatural, the harnessing of power energy-slash-electricity is unnatural, basically anything that gives non-Rakshasa control over energy fields is wrong." Tigress nods agreement.

"They think they're like the planet's energy management team, but they're just self-righteous hypocrites. Thankfully most are too afraid of the idea of others controlling energy to do anything about it."

Deske · Post by **Deske** » Mon Jan 20, 2020 12:53 pm

"I feel like it's a bit of a futile battle to oppose human expansion, but then again I didn't grow up with the mindset that it was unnatural either. Good to have you not against us, I guess." Gregg shrugged and turned back to watch where they were going.

Foxfan2164 · Post by **Foxfan2164** » Mon Jan 20, 2020 1:20 pm

Citrisfur wrote:
Foxfan2164 wrote:"Sure I'll come along." Hyper replied, following Lyncus."What did you find?" he asked curiously, looking around her paws to see if it was in her hand.
"Not now," Lyncus responds, noticing Hyper glancing over. "I want to try something with it that needs some space. Can you meet me at that park that's at the end of this street? I'll be there in five."

"Ok I'll go there now. See ya there." Hyper replied as he walked over to the park. He sat down on one of the benches and waited for Lyncus to come over.

Post by **CyberDragon** » Mon Jan 20, 2020 1:23 pm

Deske wrote:Gregg tapped his chin thoughtfully, "I think that would depend on who's stomach you're in, which leads me to a question I've wanted to ask since we're currently not surrounded by people. You," he said, turning towards Mist, "What do you look like when you decide that being 5 foot-something isn't big enough? I ask mostly for my own curiosity, but also because when I see some giant slap a missile out of the sky I want to be able to say 'Hey I think I know that person.' Don't feel pressured to answer, I know it can be a personal matter." He said the last part with a distinctly caring overtone.

"It was my partner, Wildfire." Heather said, taking another right at the next intersection. "He takes the form of a two hundred foot tall fire dragon."

Welsh Halfwit wrote:"I dare not ask then," Julian replied to Heather, not really that interested in the comparisons of Legends to join in that conversation. "Been doing this long," he asked instead.

"I've been in the KDF for about two years now. I was in the Coast Guard for ten. Got shifted from Captain to Colonel. Same pay grade, just a different branch." Heather answered. She smiled slyly. "Technically, I outrank my partner, even if he's the face of the KDF."

DdeeStar wrote:Tigress gives a rueful laugh. "Well, originally, it's because I made friends here, folks that shared my appetite for chaos. They sorta distracted me by showing me just how fun life could be when you didn't live your life as some 'keeper of harmony' nonsense. Then when they got arrested, I wasn't quite feeling well and my powers were really messing up, so I went back home and immediately got banished, so if I still felt like destroying the city I wouldn't have anywhere to live afterwards. Plus the fact that they banished me -combined with some pettiness- makes me want to keep it standing." She delivers this information as if it were a fun story, speaking a little faster than normal and finishing it with a clear silence. She doesn't really feel like filling in the huge gaps she left in the story, especially not with Mist right next to her. He looks a little embarrassed as she talks, but doesn't speak. Tigress reviews what she said and adds on "But not enough to throw my life on the line. I don't want to be here."

Mist fills in the other questions that her reminiscing distracted her from. "The Rakshasa dislike construction, especially on such a large scale. Refined metals are unnatural, the harnessing of power energy-slash-electricity is unnatural, basically anything that gives non-Rakshasa control over energy fields is wrong." Tigress nods agreement.

"They think they're like the planet's energy management team, but they're just self-righteous hypocrites. Thankfully most are too afraid of the idea of others controlling energy to do anything about it."

Deske wrote:"I feel like it's a bit of a futile battle to oppose human expansion, but then again I didn't grow up with the mindset that it was unnatural either. Good to have you not against us, I guess." Gregg shrugged and turned back to watch where they were going.

This line of conversation was making Heather extremely uncomfortable. It was serious information about a massive threat to the city. Just knowing about it complicated nearly everything, including Mist joining the KDF. On the other hand, none of it was new information. The US government was aware of the Rakshasa clan and their feelings towards civilization. They were also keeping a close eye on the situation. That said, she couldn't reveal that she knew. "I suggest you drop the topic." She said. "I'm required as an officer of the KDF to report any information I hear about potential threats to the safety of this city or this country." She looked sideways at Mist. "And you should know. Once you join the KDF, you will have an obligation to protect Crater City and the surrounding areas from any attack. Even in the event of an attack from your mother's clan. Would you be willing to fight against other Rakshasa, even possibly relatives, to protect the city and the lives of it's citizens?" She asked in a tone that made it clear this was the most important question of his application interview.

DdeeStar · Post by **DdeeStar** » Mon Jan 20, 2020 3:00 pm

Deske wrote:"I feel like it's a bit of a futile battle to oppose human expansion, but then again I didn't grow up with the mindset that it was unnatural either. Good to have you not against us, I guess." Gregg shrugged and turned back to watch where they were going.

"Thanks. Nicest thing I've been told all day." She gives a small nod.

CyberDragon wrote: She smiled slyly. "Technically, I outrank my partner, even if he's the face of the KDF."

Mist's ears sweep forward at that, never having made a connection between Titus and Wildfire. He tilts his head slightly but doesn't interrupt. It'll probably be explained at the KDF.

CyberDragon wrote:She looked sideways at Mist. "And you should know. Once you join the KDF, you will have an obligation to protect Crater City and the surrounding areas from any attack. Even in the event of an attack from your mother's clan. Would you be willing to fight against other Rakshasa, even possibly relatives, to protect the city and the lives of it's citizens?" She asked in a tone that made it clear this was the most important question of his application interview.

His face turns to disgust. "In a heartbeat. Those guys are jerks." He crosses his arms. Tigress nudges him, and he continues "And yeah, against family too. This is my home. And while I myself haven't had a lot of great experiences with non-Kaiju, they're certainly necessary. Plus it's not fair for someone as impulsive as mom to be allowed to kill thousands." He sticks his tongue out at her, and she swipes his hat with a cocky grin. "Hey!" Tigress and Mist both distract themselves with the silly game as he tries to snatch it back off her head. Neither want to consider how a fight would go, especially since if something drove Tigress that far she'd easily crush Mist along with the city.

Welsh Halfwit · Post by **Welsh Halfwit** » Mon Jan 20, 2020 3:44 pm

"Personal opinion," Julian said, waiting a moment after Mist, "I'd prefer not to fight. I have very little interest in war. But the Defence part? Getting the Humans and Zoomorphs out of harm's way? That I can do willingly."

Citrisfur · Post by **Citrisfur** » Tue Jan 21, 2020 5:05 am

Foxfan2164 wrote:"Ok I'll go there now. See ya there." Hyper replied as he walked over to the park. He sat down on one of the benches and waited for Lyncus to come over.

Lyncus quickly makes her way back to her apartment, heads up the stairs and back into her room, where she leaves her bag back by the door, deciding to plug in her laptop later. With a glance around to make sure everything was how she left it, she only takes her room keys and phone, placing both in her pockets as she leaves, and re-locks the door. She then exits her apartment once again, and walks to the park. She arrives quick enough, spotting Hyper and hurrying over.

"Sorry about that," Lyncus opens, "I didn't want to have to keep track of that stuff if I'm not using it."

Post by **Hlaoroo** » Tue Jan 21, 2020 5:47 am

CyberDragon wrote:Fredrick laughed at the irony of calling Titus a pig before Ryan even got to his punchline. "You're one to talk! I swear, the both of you would clean me out of my entire stock if I didn't actively tell you no more sometimes."

"Hey, I'm a sea otter! Eating fish is in my blood! What's his excuse?" Ryan jokes, ignoring the stares from the onlookers shocked at the sheer volume of food he's putting away.

SeanWolf wrote:Mordecai, after acknowledging Titus' reply with a nod, was quiet as he finishes off the bread bowl and the remaining shrimp, the later of which he was sporting a disapproving look to as the taste wasn't as good as he was used to. He then said "Well, thank you for the meal, Fredrick...Would you two please excuse me?" before getting up from the table and, with fish sandwich in hand, walks out to the limo driver and knocks on the window, "I noticed you didn't come in with us. Here, take this fish sandwich, you look hungry."

Preparing to open the door for the horse, the driver stops half in and half out of the car, looking shocked.
"Um... Gee. Thank you, sir!" he says, straightening up and taking the sandwich with a grateful smile.
"My lunch break isn't until two so it's usually a long morning unless I can sneak something in between trips." he explains, unwrapping the sandwich.
"But please, don't think badly of Master Ryan, sir. He treats us all very well, really, and we're generously remunerated too." the driver hurries to assure his passenger, before pausing and pulling some cash from his pocket.
"Oh, here. And thanks again!"

Foxfan2164 · Post by **Foxfan2164** » Tue Jan 21, 2020 7:50 am

Citrisfur wrote:
Foxfan2164 wrote:"Ok I'll go there now. See ya there." Hyper replied as he walked over to the park. He sat down on one of the benches and waited for Lyncus to come over.
Lyncus quickly makes her way back to her apartment, heads up the stairs and back into her room, where she leaves her bag back by the door, deciding to plug in her laptop later. With a glance around to make sure everything was how she left it, she only takes her room keys and phone, placing both in her pockets as she leaves, and re-locks the door. She then exits her apartment once again, and walks to the park. She arrives quick enough, spotting Hyper and hurrying over.

"Sorry about that," Lyncus opens, "I didn't want to have to keep track of that stuff if I'm not using it."

"No its fine you didn't take long." Hyper replied with a smile. "Now what was the thing you wanted to test out?"