Fantasy Oz: The Heart of Emerald - Always Accepting New Adventurers!

IC: Jeremiah "Bill" Brannigan Fitzgerald
The Yellow Brick Road, Near Center Munch

---

"Based on some data I had an assistant work out for me, the weather patterns would seem to indicate a particularly nice Galefall Festival this year," Bill quipped, glancing upwards at his traveling companion, Professor Bengel. Bill, or Jeremiah as his parents had named him (Why did they all call him "Bill" in the first place? "Jerry" seemed like a more logical nickname, or even "Fitz." "And [i]everyone[/i] seemed to call him Bill, too! It was like an Oz-wide conspiracy that only he wasn't privvy to!), was tall for a Munchkin, true, but Bengel had come from "Earth," the home of Newton and Einstein, among others, and as a result had a couple of feet on him, like all humans. Bill was always puzzled by what he perceived as their exceptional height, as it struck him as thermodynamically inefficient.

He took a look around. The sun was shining, the grass was green, even the Yellow Brick Road was looking [i]particularly[/i] yellow today. Clearly the weather extrapolations had been correct. Bill made a mental note to give that assistant a small additional bonus. Actually, he hadn't been back home since the last Galefall Festival, so at some point he would probably have to go visit his folks. [i]The last Galefall Festival?[/i] How much had happened since then! He had published his current claim to fame (Some of his colleagues condescendingly referred to it as his "only" claim to fame, but Bill liked to point out that those fellows hadn't had a major paper in the last three or more years), "Energy Conservation and Magic," and had begun his more in-depth examination of various Oz-specific materials. He had been reluctant to break away from his research during this crucial phase, but the Dean had assured him that he would be able to carry out experiments at the booth this year, despite last-year's unfortunate... [i]"Tree-disintegration"[/i] as the press had dubbed it. Bill nearly turned beet red at the mere thought of it. It had not been his proudest moment.

Bill actually wondered why he was so repeatedly chosen for this event. True, it was close to his home, and true, he was [i]technically[/i] university staff, but both of these were merely word niceties. Bill was very much a resident of the Emerald City, and did his research only partially on university payroll. Bengel, by contrast, was a legitimate professor, so his appointment made some real sense. Oh well. Those administrative types were always thinking about getting new recruits, maybe they figured the sight of a Munchkin physicist alone would draw a crowd. They certainly weren't wrong on that count.

"Yep, beautiful weather for the festival," Bill reiterated, turning again to Professor Bengel.

[b]TAG: Prenn[/b]

[b]OOC:[/b] Just because it's fun to egg my characters on, I'll be referring to Jeremiah as Bill, just like any other associate of his. :D

 

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the wonderful world of Oz! I'm Xany and I'll be your co-GM for this evening ... or however long, anyway.

Imp and I will be switching off on replying to tags, at least for now, so on that note ...


IC: The General
Location: Conscription Office, Emerald City

The General swivelled his chair ever so slightly to face Zvezda Utra, his expression unchanging. Which is to say: he looked serious, and no-nonsense, and as if he didn't really think questions were necessary, but he merely said, "Speak, Mr. Utra."

TAG: Peng, BSSL, Fisto, Blubeast

 

"Due to the fact that they were not thrashing everything in the room, it was clear they were Animals."

Reno Plati
-Emerald City

Reno was relatively positive that the super-colossal bears would not be able to fit into the cramped hallway, but to his surprise, and amusement, they managed to bundle themselves inside and down the hallway to the door. As soon as they walked through the door and the man turned to them, Reno knew that the man was a General.

It was quiet awe that overtook his body, which was good because ever since he had been away from the Sixth Spear he had a sinking pit in his stomach that he was reasonably sure would have eaten him in a few more hours. Though when the General pointed out that he was a Captain, Reno bit back a curved smile and bowed lightly.

Generals, of any regiment, were thunderous because you did not expect what you actually saw, whether it was above or below your expectations. This General, one that Reno had heard about but never actually met, was accomplished. You could feel the superiority in the air and it felt good. The military was Reno's future, so to meet the mountaintop made the climb seem that much closer, but that did not mean it was.

After he had received the order, Reno was all but ready to leave and set out, but Utra decided to speak up and answer the General's call. Reno's eyes flickered to the side at Utra before focusing back on the man in charge. Better not to say anything and wait it out. Reno begin to run through his knowledge of the Galefall Festival and the chances that he would meet combat. With the Quadling Rebellion rumored to attack the festival, the chances were unreasonably high.

Tag: Peng, Imperial/Xan

 

IC: Annie North
Lufthansa Flight 534 ? Direct Service to Sydney Australia
Location: Over the Pacific Ocean

"Yeah, orange juice please."
Leaning back in her seat Annie stretched out. It had been a long flight to LA and now they were in the middle of another. She'd been in LA to meet with a colleague of her boss, Professor Stone, to collect some kind of artifact they'd wanted the professor to look over. As it was now coming up to a break in the school year Annie had decided to catch a flight to Sydney to spend some time with her aunt and uncle who lived out there. She turned to look at the woman next to her, they hadn't spoken as Annie had spent most of the flight so far asleep.
"Sorry, I've been incredibly anto-social. I'm Annie." She said, holding her hand.

TAG: Maya

 

ic: Maya Yubari
Lufthansa Flight 534 ? Direct Service to Sydney Australia
Location: Over the Pacific Ocean

Maya was sitting staring out at the clouds they were flying over. A random selection of plane tickets had sent her to L.A, somewhere that she was all too familiar with as a screenwriter and so she had caught the soonest flight out which happened to be to Sydney. This she was sure was the last place Oscar, her ex would look for her. Maya hated the heat, she had been to Australia once with Oscar on a trip to the outback, it lasted two days as Maya had demanded they got the next plane back to London. The trip was not however without its pluses as she had come up with her biggest hit while trekking through the uncomfortable heat, who on earth takes their new girlfriend on a holiday to the outback? She should have known the relationship was doomed then! It was as she thought through this that she realised the woman next to her had spoken.

"Sorry, I've been incredibly anto-social. I'm Annie."

Maya awoke from her daze and turned to her neighbour. She took her hand and shook it softly. "Maya, pleased to meet you."

She then noticed the stewardess waiting to take her drink order and smiled apologetically. "Sorry I was in my own world. Gina and tonic please."

tag: Outsiders.

 

IC: Umbros Astrum

Umbros hadn't gotten any sleep the day before, his nerves as high as they were now with his most recent job. Now he was dealing with a terribly annoying racket coming from the outside of the wagon he was in. He frustratedly got up and poked his head outside the window of the wagon. "Listen you overgrown fuzz balls, shut your traps, some of us are trying to sleep." he said groggily shielding his eyes from the glare of the sunlight. He then looked over to the guards that were holding them up, his heart fluttered slightly but not enough to register on his pale face.

"Hey would you mind quiteing things down, I mean I've had trouble sleeping on the floor of this thing for the last few days, you mind at least taking this off the road?" he said to them. He then put the curtain down and went pack to the small bedroll he had on the floor. He sat down in the corner of the wagon where he'd put his single pillow and drifted off while he sat, feeling that at some point in his sleep that he was being watched he kept himself alert while he rested. The last thing he wanted was to have some nosy punk rifling through his things which he kept in a small satchel next to him.

TAG: All in Tottenhot wagon

 

IC: Howard Johnson

It had been a long flight something he knew when he got on. This was his time and he was going to have some fun. He had decided it would be a good idea to go to Sydney, Australia. While on board ship and on duty they had stopped there he liked the atmosphere and decided that he would vacation there so he had hoped on a flight. He had been sleeping and reading during the entire flight and he woke up looked over at the older gentleman across aisle from him. He wondered if the man was going to talk or sleep the entire trip.

Tag: Outsiders

 

IC: Mike Biccum
Lufthansa Flight 534 ? Direct Service to Sydney Australia
Location: Over the Pacific Ocean

There he sat, in between two other guys on the plane. Mike had his headphones plugged into the Nintendo DS in his hands and was playing the game "Chrono Trigger".

Not entirely paying attention to the video game, Mike was thinking to himself... How in the world did he (a Canadian hockey player) end up on a trip to Australia? It so happened to be quite a complicated story...one that he felt he should run over again in his mind.

Let's see... He had been called up from the minors and put on the San Jose Sharks roster temporarily. He had played in five of the NHL games, and was a "healthy scratch" on two others. At the same time, the Sharks franchise was sending some players down to an exhibition hockey game down in Sydney, Australia. He happened to be one of them. It was part of the National Hockey League's effort to spread the sport of hockey to other countries.

Anyway, Mike had an unexpected "family issue" to take care of before flying out. So he wasn't able to fly to Sydney with the other players. And, that brings us to the present day. It made sense what was happening, but it just seemed odd that a Canadian pro hockey player was flying out to Australia with his gear...

After taking the short flight from Oakland Airport to LAX, here he sat, in between two other guys on the plane.

Turning off the Nintendo DS and sliding the headphones down around his neck, he leaned slightly from side to side adjusting his weight. His butt was getting numb. Straightening the Sharks hockey jersey he wore, he leaned back in the seat.

It was gonna be a long flight. Maybe he ought to talk to the other people to try and pass the time. Glancing at the other two men, he asked, "What are you guys flying out here for? Business or pleasure?"

TAG: Jordan Carlisle, John O?Neil...

 

IC: Krinkle Plaus
Conscription Office, Emerald City

When the General had finished the description of their assigned mission, Krinkle barely had listened because he was focused on the two words that stood out most. Ten-thousand oznards was amazingly brilliant for this age. Krinkle knew that the Empire would not let him down. Stumbling into town only days ago, oznards were now being poured onto the floor in front of him and Krinkle was making it his priority to get his paws wet.

The other word, of course, were terrorists. Krinkle had known of Ozma's good intentions and feelings through other people. Generous beyond every ruler of her time, but the panda looked at his paws as he thought about how he had helped overthrow her. He quickly shaked his head of any responsibility though. He was a mercenary and could not be bounded by moral dilemmas. There was currency to be found, dammit! The bear directed his mind back to terrorists. Things would definitely get messy because terrorists would not hold themselves back should they be on the losing side of a confrontation.

Krinkle knew that there would be deaths. Probably alot of them since this was a festival, but a mercenary's job was to be hired and survive battles and wars. It took experience, and that is the point.

When he was asked whether he had any questions, Krinkle waved his hand in dismissal. He was already gone in his mind, but unfortunately he had to drag the giant body along as well.

Tag: Conscription Office

 

Luke Glass
Lufthansa Flight 534

Luke Glass glanced to his left. Across the aisle from him was a fairly well-built young man. Glass had first spotted the man going through security; the man had been right in front of him in line. Glass had watched him pull one of the security officers aside, talk with him briefly, flash a badge, and move on. Back when he was leaving London, Glass had tried the same; he liked to keep his Beretta with him, and with fears of terrorism in the air, Glass had hoped to have his pistol on him in case anything went wrong aboard the flight. He?d never had any problems in the past, but it had been at least a decade since his last flight, and apparently things had changed since then. Maybe it was because it had been ten more years since he had served, or maybe it was just a consequence of the 9/11 attacks. Or maybe it had to do with his criminal record ? Glass had experienced a couple encounters with some young thugs back in London. The first time, the authorities had given Glass the benefit of the doubt, but the next time, he got in a bit of trouble. After that, he became more careful with his altercations, and for the most part, he managed to avoid the law.

But it wouldn?t have surprised him in this nervous climate if his incidents had cost him his right to carry a firearm aboard a plane. His days as the hidden arm of the British Empire were long gone ? as were the days of the British Empire, for that matter. The man sitting across from him, on the other hand, was young, American, and had the ability to carry a gun aboard an airplane. In short, he signified everything that was wrong in the world for Luke Glass. The aging operative looked at the young pilot with a mixture of envy and disdain.

As the flight began he settled into a nap. But you can only ignore the world for so long ? shorter than the length of a Pacific flight, in that instance. Roused by turbulence midway into the flight, it was a matter of minutes before Luke Glass finally spoke up. ?You,? he said, tapping the younger man with his cane. ?Yes, you. Military man of some sort, right??

Tag: Lukes_Apprentice

 

IC: Howard Johnson
Lufthansa Flight 534 ? Direct Service to Sydney Australia
Location: Over the Pacific Ocean

?You,? he said, tapping the younger man with his cane. ?Yes, you. Military man of some sort, right??

Howard thought on the question for a bit and decided it was ok to answer. ?Yes, I?m a U.S. naval pilot and my name is Howard Johnson. I?m headed to Australia for some much need rest and relaxation,? Howard said. Howard didn?t want to talk the older gentleman ear off but was curious what the man used to do so he asked, ?So what your name and what line of work were you or are you in??

Howard adjusted his gun, it was digging into him a bit, the security officer had been polite in allowing him on with it; however, regulations where clear that he was not allowed to have ammunition in the chamber, even with the proper documentation.

Tag: Hammurabi

 

OOC: I don't know about the Panda, but Major Ursa isn't anywhere near Colossal. I think he's just barely in the Huge size category.

IC:Major Ursa
Emerald City Conscription Office
Emerald City

As Ursa made his way through the cramped corridors, he was forced to do so on all four of his massive and strong limbs. An indignity that did not escape the Animal, as he looked around and noticed a fellow Bear amongst the motley crew that was being ushered to a new location.

Stupid little creatures and their cramped hallways and buildings. We Animals have dignity and yet they still do nothing to accommodate for those of us who are too large for their puny dwellings. This job had better be worth the trouble, he thought to himself as they all entered the room.

Inside there was another human. Ursa didn't care who he was, only that he talk. And he'd better have something interesting to say. ?Greetings gentleman and captain.? he said, ?I?ll keep it brief. The Emperor has put out 50,000 Oznards for mercenary hires into the Galefall Festival. We have reason to believe terrorists are going to strike there, and we?re in need of extra men to control the situation. Major Ursa and Krinkle Plaus, as the mercenaries of this group, we?re willing to put you two in for 10,000 Oznards a head. Your tour will be for five days, four nights, so that?s 2 grand a day. As to Captain Plati and Mr. Utra, the Emperor has requested that you accompany these Animals, both to serve as official liaisons for the Emerald Army and Government, and to ascertain information from people that might feel a little?. intimidated? talking to these fine Bears. As you are already on the Emperor?s payroll, this assignment is non-negiotiable.?

And interesting it was. 10,000 Oznards was quite a sum to be giving out to mercenaries and it would prove useful in procuring some more armor, perhaps he could get sharpened metal covers for his claws, make them even more like natural swords. Yet even with that money, Ursa's attention fell elsewhere. Terrorists. A smile grew to fill Ursa's face at this notion. If there were fighters hidden amongst civilians, then civilian casualties couldn't be helped from happening. And if intimidation was what was being called from him...this man had basically given him a free range ticket to murder and maim.

?Any questions??

As another announced that they did have a question, Ursa merely shook his head and mumbled, "Just point me at things to kill."

TAG: Conscription Office

 

IC: Jordan Carlisle
In Transit from LAX to Australia

Jordan sat, his head resting against the headrest and his eyes closed. He'd been like this since the flight began. It had been a long few years. Between school, work, and some family issues, he had been stretched pretty thin. This trip was going to be good for him, he was sure. And so, he had settled his head back and decided to try and take a nap. Moments like these were not common for him. It was a luxury indeed to be able to sit back and relax, with no worries or cares to consider. He had gotten into school for his doctorate, and his job in Australia would be quick and easy.

As such, Jordan figured that the man next to him should be able to see this. Instead, his words shattered his rest. "What are you guys flying out here for? Business or pleasure?" Could he not see he was trying to sleep? For a long instance, Jordan considered simply ignoring the man and going back to sleep. However, he was not a rude or secluded man.

Jordan opened his right eye, giving the man a once over. He was large, that was obvious. The man dwarfed Jordan's five foot, ten inches by a good bit. As well, the man outweighed Jordan by at least thirty pounds. Judging from the sports jersey, the man was an athlete... or at least had athletic tendencies. This was not what Jordan as looking for, however. What he had wanted to see was if the man had addressed him... and he had. With an internal sigh, the young editor spoke.

"A little bit of both, actually. I am an editor at a major publishing company. I needed a vacation badly, and the only way I was going to get it was to come to Australia and talk over some things with a potential client. Aside from that it is rest and relaxation for me." Jordan cast a critical eye over his neighbor before speaking. "You? I would venture to guess you either play for a.... uh.... football, team, or you are simply a vacationing sports fanatic." He didn't intend to sound rude, but he was tired. It had been a long flight from Boston to LA, and they were already well into their trip over the Pacific.

TAG: Outsiders

 

Luke Glass
Lufthansa Flight 534

Luke watched the younger man adjust what might have been his gun. It didn?t particularly concern him ? he was too old for anyone to care enough to have him killed. Besides, the navy pilot didn?t seem to have murder on his mind. Luke Glass had survived worse.

"So what your name and what line of work were you or are you in?? the pilot asked him.

?Well, I appreciate the ?were you or are you? bit,? Luke said, half sarcastic. ?A nice even middle ground between assuming I?m retired and downplaying my age.? He cleared his throat. ?Anyway, the name?s Luke. Luke Donovan Glass. Used to work for the British government, the sort of work I?m not allowed to talk about. But at this point, I?m at least ten years past giving a damn.?

Someone brushed past Luke on the way to the bathroom. Behind him, the roar of the engines was starting to give him a headache. ?Looks like we got shafted as far as seating goes,? Luke said. ?Well. Only about a dozen hours to go, right??

Tag: Lukes_Apprentice

 

IC: Antioch Bengel
Wagon, right outside festival grounds, Center Munch

Were today a normal day, Antioch mused, he'd be in his office, settling down with a nice cup of tea and a large pile of papers. One quick look to his right, however, reminded the bemused professor that today was not a normal day. At his right sat a munchkin. And this was no normal munchkin. This was Bill Fitzgerald, the munchkin physicist and part-time professor at Shiz University. Odd as they may be, neither of these facts made today particularly abnormal. Having been a professor at Shiz himself now for some time, Antioch was used to munchkins. He was even used to munchkin physicists. No, it was something else.

The horse.

And the wagon.

And the crowds.

All of these were things that Antioch tried to avoid here in Oz, and for good reason. The young professor had learned from an early age that it was best for somebody in his circumstances to keep as low a profile as possible. Especially in times like these, what with the murmurs of pending war and such. Though as hard as he tried, this was something Antioch Bengel had found exceedingly difficult to do. It may have been his looks, or his natural leadership ability...it may have been his brain or his penchant for producing quality philosophical and theological writings (many of which had been published after his arrival)...it may have even been something as simple as the fact that he was a human in a land of munchkins and talking animals. Whatever the reason, though, Antioch was no longer where he liked to be, he was no longer in the land of "normal". As evidenced by the very place he was sitting.

On the horse.

On the wagon.

In the crowds.

Yes, perhaps it's time to give up hope of normal, the fellow thought to himself. Another brief glance to his right simply confirmed this fact. His colleague had spoken: "Yep, beautiful weather for the festival."

Quick to respond, Antioch chuckled. "Indeed, my friend. Perhaps we'll be lucky this year, and it will stay like this for a while. The only thing that could make this crowd move any slower is some foul weather, eh? That's all we need..."

TAG: darthramza, Imp?

 

IC: Mike Biccum
Over the Pacific Ocean

Football? Mike thought to himself. Did this look like a football jersey? Well, he knew that the United States wasn't known for it's hockey...

"Hockey, actually," Mike responded. "I play minor league pro, trying to get into the `big leagues`. We've got an exhibition game in Sydney, believe it or not."

He knew that this editor wasn't really interested in talking...considering he only opened one eye. But Mike figured he should at least catch his name, since he may be stuck sitting next to him for the long flight.

He reached out his hand to shake. "The name's Mike Biccum."

TAG: Jordan, John O?Neil (the other passenger)...

 

GM's OOC: Working on the next batch of replies. They shall be up tomorrow night. Get your posts in if you want to be included!

-I_H

 

Zvezda Utra (Klaus)
Emerald City Conscription Office

Zvezda wisely decided to forgo his intended question in favour of one that would incite a less...angry response.

"Yes, sir, should they not wish to liase with myself or the good captain," he began, gesturing to Plati, "how do we proceed?"

It seemed to the Demon that they were walking a very fine line between a web of intrigue and the blunt tools of interrogation. He didn't really enjoy interrogation; it was so goal-oriented and, well, blunt and inhumane, to put it mildly. Zvezda felt he was best suited to making introductions, to being a connector. This felt out of his leaugue, but he didn't have a choice.

"And, sir, with all due respect, the Emerald Empire doesn't exactly have the greatest trust in a Black Demon, so what makes you think the rest of Oz will?"

Tag: Xany, Blubeast, BSSL, Fisto

 

GM's OOC: As promised.

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[b]IC: Lufthansa Flight 534 ? Direct Service to Sydney Australia[/b]
[i]Location: Over an increasingly stormy Pacific Ocean[/i]

As predicted, the Australia bound plane began shaking as it encountered turbulence. The flight attendants moved their snack and drink carts to the vestibules of the plane and strapped in for the bumpy ride. There was no word from the cockpit, and people on the window seat could see a horizon of clouds drawing closer. One cell of thunderstorms looked particularly ominous.

[b]TAG: Flight Folks ? Twinky, Lukes_Apprentice, Hammurabi, Chukles, Joesha, Qui-Gon, and Dubya [/b]

[hr]
[b]IC: The Yellow Brick Road[/b]
[i]Location: Near Center Munch[/i]

[b]Umbros Astrum?s[/b] shout from the Totenhott sleeping car caught the checkpoint soldiers off guard, but he pulled his head in before they could really register a face. The croissants had also stopped yelling and one could see the group mulling over the suggestion.

?Move over to the side? the soldier said, motioning the Bunburry cart aside. One of the croissant?s hopped on the wagon and moved it over. Two other soldiers moved to inspect the cart, while the original guards started motioning carts past.

The University Cart and the Tottenhott wagon moved into the checkpoint, and one soldier took each cart.

The soldier for the Shiz cart was a large muscley gentlemen clad in green dyed armor. He came up close to [b]Bengel[/b] on the side.

?Name, purpose, and declaration of cargo? he rumbled, looking suspiciously at the cart the academics were towing.

For the Tottenhott cart, the guard was a thinner man, looking not younger than 25. He looked at the burly Scrow coachman and gulped.

?Name, purpose, and declaration of cargo sir?? he asked the wild man, a hint of intimidation in his voice.

The two started to talk, with the guard writing down what the Scrow told him.

Behind them, the cart of peasants from Tintown still had to wait.

[b]TAG: Trimaj, Ramza, Reynar, Ktala, Prenn, Chanbill, HanSolo29[/b]

[hr]
[b]IC: Imperial General[/b]
[i]Location: Emerald City Conscription Office, Emerald City[/i]

The demon known as [b]Zvezda Utra[/b] had a question, and he asked it. He was looking for instructions of what to do if people didn?t want to talk to them, and expressed doubts about people?s distrust about black demons.

The general narrowed his eyes as the man talked. He had read Utra?s file, long history, trying to put it in the past. And he was right that he was generally distrusted. His questioning of the Emperor?s judgment didn?t help either.

?If you run into any difficulties,? the General said, ?you are to report to the Spearmarshall of Fifth Spear, Ozinald Hernan. He will be your direct superior for this assignment.?

The General shuffled his papers.

?As to your trustworthiness? he said, not looking up, ?Consider it the Emperor?s personal challenge to you. You are an ambassador are you not? Surely you can work around that. Use Mister Ursa over there to your advantage. His skills in intimidation should be remarkable.?

He looked up.

?Anything else?? he said, seemingly bored. ?If not, we have transportation ready for you out front. An express wagon to Center Munch.?

The General looked out to the bunch.

[b]TAG: BSSL, Fisto, Blubeast, Peng[/b]

 

IC: Howard Johnson
Lufthansa Flight 534 ? Direct Service to Sydney Australia
Location: Over an increasingly stormy Pacific Ocean

?Looks like we got shafted as far as seating goes,? Luke said. ?Well. Only about a dozen hours to go, right??

The sudden jolt of the plane broke his concentration but he was more generally concerned with the weather and flight conditions and trying to figure out what he would do if he were the pilot. Then, he remembered that Luke had commented on their horrible seating position seeing as the drinks didn?t look like they were getting back to them he would have to agree. He hoped they wouldn?t have to divert around the disturbance or storm that was causing the turbulence, but he knew it was quite possible.

Then Howard shrugged and said, ?Well Luke, I don?t like the seating either and it seems your time estimate is about right. ? Howard held on as plane suddenly jostled up and down a little. This was not what he had hoped for, but he knew the pilot was doing his best under the circumstances.

?It seems the turbulence is getting worse?, Howard said stating the obvious. Then he added, ?We might as well keep occupied. So do you know anything about American sports??

TAG: Hammurabi

 

IC: John O?Neil
Lufthansa Flight 534 ? Direct Service to Sydney Australia
Location: Over the Pacific Ocean


It was the only part of his life that never changed. The only constant, refusing to pay homage to the elevated awareness that he pressed down upon it with his age, laughing at his petty attempts at rational combat. Forever unchanged, an unblemished monument to fear and despair, choking him with its deathly embrace.

The dream.

It always began the same way: darkness within, and darkness without, blinding in its intensity, deafening in its silence. Then, the slow, rhythmic pounding, echoing in the pit of his stomach and shattering his eardrums. Clattering against his skull, clashing against ribcage, heartbeat throbbing irregularly in his temples and breath heaving in dry gasps.

Then, a slow, shuddering moan, beginning in his head and moving throughout his entire body, growing, spreading, feeding on his love and compassion. He tried to fight it, just as he had tried ever since he was a young boy, but, eventually, as always, he was overcome by a want -- a need -- to surrender to the voice. And, at that moment, that voice formed words. Two words. His name.

John O?Neil.

John O?Neil.

John O?Neil.

John!

Lurching forward from his chair and startling a nearby flight stewardess, who nearly spilled a Styrofoam container of scalding coffee onto an overdressed passenger, John kneaded his hand across his forehead in a desperate attempt to soothe his stabbing headache.

If someone had awoken John Roe O?Neil from one of his dreams fifteen years ago, nothing would have changed. The headache, the shaking, the cold perspiration, the strange revulsion he had felt at the chanting of his own name -- all experiences as familiar as the lines creasing the underside of his palm.

I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance.

Heaving a sigh, John unbuckled his safety belt and stood, slowly easing the subtle strain in his arms and legs. The words of those who had come before him, philosophers, thinkers, men of knowledge and wisdom, came to him in the strangest of circumstances. That particular dash of insight was courtesy of Socrates, a man he was not sure he wanted to thank for the deep reflection, or wipe from his brain in an attempt to stifle the old thinker?s ability to make him feel so? alone. So lost.

Sitting down hard, John jerked his neck from side to side, edging the breath deep from within his lungs.

John O?Neil.

John O?Neil.

John shut his eyes sharply, but the firm darkness did nothing but incur dim memories of his deathly vision. Nudged gently to life by the movements of the man seated to the right of him, John peered through half-lidded eyes at his vivid surroundings.

The passenger was packing away a small, handheld device, a Nintendo DS, by the looks of its rectangular, glossed outer shell. With movements confidently rapid, the passenger smoothed out the wrinkles in his sports jersey and beamed a large, sloppy grin at his neighbors.

An athlete, most likely. Well, no harm in some distraction.

With some effort, John forced a slight smile, pushing his wire-rimmed glasses further upward on the bridge of his nose.

Flashing even, white teeth, the athlete asked, ?What are you guys flying out here for? Business or pleasure??

?Business, unfortunately,? said John, hearing his voice crack slightly from lack of use. ?Philosophy seminar on the influences of Aboriginal thought on Western philosophy.? Seeing the athlete falter slightly, John added, ?It?s not as terminal as it sounds. It?s a break from routine, anyway. Philosophy major, you know. Nietzsche, Socrates, Confucius, girls, fine dining, and drink. That?s my life.?

Leaning back in the seat, John felt his body relax slightly into the plush recesses of the chair as the athlete laughed, deep and throaty. He was genuine, that was for sure. John liked him already.

?What about you?? the Irishman asked. ?Athlete, I see. Business, or pleasure??

TAG: Mike Biccum

 

IC: Mike Biccum
Over the Pacific

?Business, unfortunately,? the other man said with a slight crackle in his voice. Mike turned to listen to him. ?Philosophy seminar on the influences of Aboriginal thought on Western philosophy.?

Mike paused. The only word he managed to pick out was `Western`.

Then the young man added, ?It?s not as terminal as it sounds. It?s a break from routine, anyway. Philosophy major, you know. Nietzsche, Socrates, Confucius, girls, fine dining, and drink. That?s my life.?

Mike laughed, deep and throaty. "Now, the girls and the drinks I understand," he responded.

?What about you?? the Irishman asked. ?Athlete, I see. Business, or pleasure??

"Ah, business," Mike answered. "I played minor league hockey for a few years and I'm trying to work my way on to the roster in the `pro's`. The National Hockey League sent me out here to Sydney for an exhibition hockey game."

Just as he finished the word `game`, the plane started to jolt a little. "Whoa! There's the turbulance the pilot was talkin' about." With his Canadian accent, the word `about` came out more like `aboot`.

TAG: John, Jordan, our GM...

 

Alera Blueflare
Inside a Tottenhot wagon caravan near Center Munch

Alera had snuggled down deep within her pillow cavern, and had nearly fallen back asleep when she heard more voices. This time, it was much closer.

?Name, purpose, and declaration of cargo sir?? she heard a definitely human voice ask close to the cart, but not inside of it. She groaned...why had she not learned a silence spell? And WHO was he calling CARGO?? Why so much security for a party? It had never been this bad before.

Now the big hairy one driving the wagon started talking. She could never sleep in this racked. She started to get annoyed. So she uncurled herself, and tunneled up to take a peek once more out from under the pillows. The others looked as if they were still the same way as before...cept for the one she had been staring at earlier. He had moved, was sitting up now, but still trying to fall asleep, while he had one hand over a bag her carried. It was still dark enough within the wagon, but she could make out his features just fine. She then looked over to where the other fairy was.

Humph.

She considered putting herself to sleep, but she decided against it. Instead, she dived her head back under a pillow. But she was awake now. She hoped the wagon would make it there by sunset. At least THAT would make her feel a bit better. So she listened to the discussion between the guard, and the hairy one. The big mouth man, had better not caused them to be delayed. She had a lot of partying to do. Once the sun went away. And a place to stay, of course. Hmmmmm.

She started looking at her options. One was clearly a no..but the other....oh yes, she might be able to use it. Alera peeked out from her hiding spot, and once more began to look around. She amused herself, by making faces to go to the voices she was hearing outside. Maybe if she listened very carefully, she could latch on to some juicy piece of gossip...



TAG: Traveling wagon Tottenhot people

 

OOC: sorry it took me so long, i'm present and ready to go now.

IC: Alisha "Wraith" Kayla/ Yellow Brick Road/ Near Center Munch

It really was a beautiful day. The sun was out, the flowers were in bloom, and there were loads of people to find things that didn't belong to her on. Alisha had already managed to pick up a purse from one of the merchants walking around during the time she had decided to stretch her own legs, it had been from one of the random seemingly overly wealthy individuals who surely wouldn't miss a couple dozen oznards. She never ceased to be amazed at how just a slight bump in such a press could distract someone from their belongings, but it also never stopped working. When they did finally arrive at the Center Munch she and Tonn would be set. They could stay at an inn if they wanted and eat instead of pilfer. Definitely made things easier than having to hide in some alley while they learned the place. Hopefully Vae would be here, but finding him... Well that would be a trick.

Absently she took her beaus hand, and glanced up at him. Her fellow thief had decidedly shaggy hair about the color of chocolate. Denroths eyes were a bit too blue, as it almost hurt to look at them at times, but they were framed nicely by his sideburns and semi-large eyebrows. Tonns clothing definitely didn't look as wealthy as he had been, but then neither did her own. Both of thme had lost most of their money due to the change of government, which was one of the major impetous for trying to find the Fox who had been in charge of their guild. But trying to find someone who had "headed west" was like trying to follow a bird across a mountain. Odds were you that it was lost before you even started.

Something drew her attention from her friend, as there seemed to have been a to do up towards the checkpoint with some rather bulky equipment. There had been some shouting, some croissants seeming to do most of it. Vaguely irritating, everything seemed to have stalled as a result.

"Wonder what all the hubub was a bout up there..." She spoke reasonably softly, aimed only at Tonn but that didn't mean someone else on the cart wouldn't respond for him. Absently the woman known only as Wraith by most gave Denroths hand a squeeze. Something was making her start to feel antsy. She was likely going to need an alias other than her working name to get past the upcoming checkpoint.

TAG: HS29

---

[b][u]IC: Vae "Shadowkin" Amadeus/ Spurge Street/ Center Munch[/b][/u]
[i]An alley looking at a well to do land owners house[/i]


[blockquote]Weeks. It had been weeks since Vae had started looking at this place. A very expensive statuette was in there, and Vae had decided that the current owner simply did not appreciate it enough. Leaving something like that locked up in a safe was no way to treat such a piece of art, as it deserved to be admired. Obviously it was the Foxes job to relieve the current owner of the necessity of said trinket. So he'd been watching, learning and waiting.

Surely the being who was paying Shadowkin for this job would treat it much better, and it would allow the rebel to set up a new guild in this place. Which would in turn allow him to steal varied secrets for his new employers.

Vae checked his notepad, and found that everything was running like clockwork with what was written therein. Suffice to say there were very few better at plotting a job than the Fox, as was seen by his guilds rise to power in Tintown. That was before the Emerald Empire had ousted Ozma, which had resulted in everyone in the south being declared a rebel. Amadeus had never really considered himself to be patriotic, but he simply couldn't stand to see the entire known world fall under the sway of one man. It simply wasn't right. And so he had joined the crusade, offering his rather specialized skills to the cause. Unsurprisingly they basically wanted Vae to continue what he did best, take things from people who no longer needed them or weren't best positioned to ma

 

IC: Jeremiah "Bill" Brannigan Fitzgerald
The Yellow Brick Road, Near Center Munch

---

[i]"...The only thing that could make this crowd move any slower is some foul weather, eh? That's all we need..."[/i]

"Quite right," Bill replied with a chuckle, "[i]quite[/i] right." The line was moving slow enough, in fact, that Bill was tempted to see which was proceeding more quickly, this line or significant carbon-14 decay. [i]Perhaps the decay...[/i] the munchkin thought sardonically.

Actually, carbon-14, his research was beginning to reveal, was not nearly as prevalent here as it was in the other place that Professor Bengel had come from. Curiously, it was absent in some of Oz's [i]living[/i] organisms, almost paradoxically. To Bill, and indeed most scientists, it would seem that if an isotope of carbon appeared with certain abundance, and given a large concentration of carbon, a corresponding amount of the isotope should appear. Instead... it wasn't. Were isotope abundances [i]different[/i] in the merry old land of Oz? Or was this absence somehow related to the energy in magic? It seemed preposterous, but if magic were indeed fueled by either the fission or fusion of carbon-14 atoms in non-witches... well, it would explain a great deal of the remaining questions left by his first paper. But it would also mean that without some sort of regulating mechanism, a whole lot of explosions that were not happening should have been happening...

As Bill continued musing, they eventually managed to reach the security checkpoint. The guard, predictably enough, chose to address Bengel. This was a sort of bias Bill had grown accustomed to: Even if they treated Munchkins like anyone else, people, in general, did not prefer to gaze downward for extended periods of time in order to address them. Bill couldn't blame them, after all, [i]he[/i] had to glance downward at most Munchkins, and it was a terribly literal pain in the neck.

[b]TAG: Prenn, Hammer[/b]