A Troubled Little Town Called New Hope, Part 1 - RPLOG
Participants
Date
Monday September 2, 2019=Log=
The sky shines bright in Eureka, the northeastern winds cooling the city streets quite nicely. A shame that the agents gathering aren't able to take advantage of the lovely weather, however, as there were missions to do and a world to restore. It has, however, seemed to deter the mystery messenger from making an appearance at the meeting spot for the time they have outlined to join at. Soldiers and guards file in and out of the compound, all attending to their own business. Not a single other soul -- besides a small flock of birds coming to rest in a tree fifty feet from the compound -- are present, nor are they giving any of the arriving agents instructions. Perhaps the anonymous messenger is late?
*THUD* the ground shakes as Magnus lands, the fox having flown here by means of SCIENCE!, or rather the boosters strapped to his legs. He'd rise from his landing spot and cough out some of the dust he'd kicked up. "Whoever-COUGH-said that making a superhero landing is a cool and good way to make an entrance... deserves a prostate exam from Freddy Krueger." He waves his hands around to diffuse the dust he'd kicked up, then cast a wink and a wave at whatever stares he'd attracted. Garbed in a thick hooded black leather vest, loose cammo-patterned cargo trunks and a red undershirt, Magnus the fennec skips along merrily towards the meeting place. His arsenal had changed quite a bit over the years, though two things seemed to remain the same among it. While hidden, those who knew him well enough would remember he'd have his two concealed blades somewhere on his body, where as the rest was outwardly apparent!
With a kick in his step and a bounce in his gait, he nears the rendesvous point and finds a cozy spot to lean against, doing so on his shoulder as his back now carried more than just his pack. Perched on there was an automatic crossbow that could briefly be described as a thing of beauty, and just beneath it hanging horizontally across his lower back was a holstered M4 Carbine with an adjustable stock, such that it doesn't jut out like a sore thumb. The fox looked much more armored too, barely anything on him was exposed, save for his face, fingers and feet. More-so there was now a bandoleer across his chest, slung between his left hip and his right shoulder. Spare ammunition and other goodies were visible just there. In other words, he was a ready boye.
Near the meeting spot, leaning up against a wall with his arms crossed, was a dark-furred kitsune waiting for the arrival of the one who supposedly sent the message. He was dressed in a rather casual looking outfit that clung loosely to his form. On his back was an average-sized backpack and what appears to be an ornate hunting bow. He didn't look all too armored, rather for the sake of aesthetics or because it would inconvenience him in other ways. However, like an undercover cop or something similar, he did have a vest of kevlar under his shirt that should do a fair job at protecting anything vital. Seeing the arrival of Magnus, looking at decked out as ever, he pushes off the wall and makes his wave over to chat with him. It wasn't too long before the arrival of a tigress also draws his attention. He didn't immediately recognize them, but he would give a wave regardless.
"Heya Mags, trying to get yourself into some more trouble?" He says with a teasing tone. "Ah, and looks like we have another who couldn't resist the allure of adventure. Good to meet'cha'." He says towards the tigress. "Oh, right, wasn't the contact suppose to be here already? I've been waiting around but haven't seen hide nor hair of whoever we were supposed to meet."
When Nena wasn't at the manor to work, the maid's penchant for slacking came to the surface once again. Ambling down the street as if she had nowhere to be, enjoying the day for all intents and purposes. She did, of course, have somewhere to be, but until someone pointed her in that direction, she acted as if she didn't. Drawing on her cigarette, the many formed woman was orange and stripey today- And out of uniform to boot.
Of course, Nena's voice and accent tended to give her away- Not that deception was her intent- and today was no different in that regard. "Hey. What's up?" Is her greeting to Magnus as she meanders onto the scene, setting her large bag down at her feet. She had far fewer weapons to call her own, by comparison. A shotgun strapped to the bag, and a fancy dagger half concealed under her coat.
Zophah comes up in a rush on the Eureka compound in her usual atire: a vixen in a bikini, lab coat and boots. Besides her bag she carries around everywhere, this time she has a modern compound bow and a quiver full of arrows straped to her back. She goes over to hug Magnus hello before standing around likie everyone else, catching her breath. "so where is this mysterious person?" she asks to no one in particular.
As if cued by Zophah asking about the mystery man calling them, the birds would be spooked out of the tree by the movement of one of their kind. Landing on the cobblestone path in front of the agents, this particular pigeon takes a moment to preen himself before speaking up loud and clear. "Alright, everyone! Now that you all are finally here, listen up." The pigeon's voice, tinged with a faint Italian accent, commands a sense of authority over the others, or at least, a sense that the speaker is in a position of authority. "You may refer to me as Enzo. We are to set out with horses posthaste, after you have prepared supplies, and I will be giving directions on which path to follow. Hopefully, I have made myself clear?"
One would imagine that his beak was turned upwards in a sense of superiority, rather than being because he's a couple of feet too short to maintain level eye-contact with the agents. As he finishes speaking, a horse trainer wearing an outfit with the symbol of the Prometheans on it leads six horses through the main entrance of the outer wall. Two of them are Akhal-Tekes, two of them a Criollo, and one is an Appaloosa.
"I'm here to kick ass and chew bubblegum, and I'm all out of g-oh, wait..." the fennec reaches into his pocket and pulls out a large packet of minty fresh looking bubblegum strips. "Nevermind, I have lots more!" he'd snicker as he passes some around to whoever wants some, then flicks a piece into his own muzzle, chewing it up with a goofy smile on his face. "Sho what the heckie heck are we here fo-oop!" he'd flinch as is suddenly hugged. "Zoop? Hello!" the energetic lad greets, and passes a quick grope over the vixen's rump before they part. "Gum?" he offers, then puts the packet away.
"Aaaaaadventure!" his hand rises in response to Zen's question. "Ain't gonna stay sharp sitting at home picking lint from between my toes after all!" before looking down at his exposed feet. "Hmmm, although I probably should groom these soon. Maybe get a pedicure like all the pretty ladies." He'd place a hand on his hip, one behind his head, curve his figure just a tad as he casts a lidded gaze at Nena, before blowing her an air kiss. Dropping the act, the fennec yawns widely and stretches out.
Soon enough however their mystery man arrives, and expells all he has to say onto them. "Iiiii'm ready!" the fennec chymes immediately and goes for the Appaloosa horse. "I like this one, I will name it..." Magnus pauses and ducks down to peek at the animal's... privates. "I will name him Septimus! Because he's a gorgeous fucking bastard." The fox merrily as he hops right on top of his steed and grabs the reigns, swings them and yips "Giddyup!" before the animal rears up... and throws him right off. The fox lands right on his ass and rubs his head. "No oats for you when we get back!"
Zophah accepts the gum from Magnus, but politely stores it away in her bag for later. And when their host arrives she looks down at the talking pidgeon. Her mind racing through all of her knowledge on how an actual pidgeon could be talking like that. She can't find a reason besides 'Coyote did it' and so didn't think much else on the matter. "I'll take this horse." she says, picking one of the Akhal-Tekes. She struggles to get up on the horse, her knowledge on real hurses purely academic. There was her through experience with horse morphs, but she's quite sure that's not the kind of experience she's supposed to use in this situation.
"... Horses?" Nena shakes her fingers through her lengty black mane of hair, then nods. "Alright. I've never ridden a horse before, that should be interesting." Reshouldering her bag, she nods a greeting to the others, as well. With a flick of her wrist, she discards her burnt down cigarette and approaches one of the steeds. With how little she knew of horses, she had no particular preference on which, and ends up by a Criollo. "Can't be much different from riding my motorbike," she lies to herself as she tries to get mounted. Awkwardly. She manages it, eventually, upon which she returns Magnus' look with a grin. "If you're looking to get prettied up, I've had time to get pretty good at painting nails at least," she half-teases.
Zen gives an amused snicker to Magnus's greetings to everyone. He was always so 'over-the-top' that it was hard to maintain a straight face. Though, the arrival of the commanding pidgeon soon stole his attention away. Well, he wasn't expecting a pint-sized pidgeon to be running intel on this mission, but... stranger things have happened. Oh, and he mentioned we would be riding on horseback? Looking over to the different breeds of horses, the kitsune walks over and combs his hand down the neck of one of the Akhal-Tekes. "Huh, can't say I've ridden horseback before... though I've encountered something similar." He says, walking over to the side of the one he chose. It was roughly around that time that he sees Magnus get flung from his, causing him to grin wide. "Well, perhaps I know what not to do." He says with a sly tone before trying to mount his horse.
The horse tamer -- a female orca morph -- can't help but raise a hand to her lips and hide her laugh, seeing Magnus get flung right off of his seat. "That one's an old horse, and he can be quite stubborn too. Be careful about upsetting him." She then turns to the rest of the group. "These horses are specially trained. They won't be easy to ride for beginners, but there certainly would be worse candidates."
With that, Enzo flutters up and perches himself atop of Zen's shoulder, after the latter had saddled himself on the back of the Akhal-Tekes. "No questions? Good, I didn't want to bother anyway. Alright, from here, we turn west and then south out of the city. This is your last call to pick up supplies from any sort of settlement, so do so on the way out of here." A pause. "...oough, I almost don't want to look down, because all of your techniques are so, so wrong. Let's head out, and I'll instruct you all as we go." With that, he spreads his wings, signalling to head out.
It takes 6 days on horseback to reach the location, travelling for a total of six hours a day with frequent rests in between to let the horses regain their stamina. Enzo guides the party down the highway as the path is taken; some cities, many of them barren ghost towns, are passed through on the way along the coastline, but less and less frequently as they divert along the path further east from the shore. As the climate intensifies, his tutoring on how to properly ride starts to pay off, and everyone learns basic horseriding skills during their travels.
As the party travels, some... find it rougher than others. Zophah takes it the worst; while the assistance from the other agents and the supplies brought along help, the trip is the most tiring for her, being unused to living out in the wilderness and constantly on the move. Nena isn't as worse for wear, but living in the wild as the landscape around her transitions to sandy plains and scorching sun takes a toll on her. Zen and Magnus take it much better, though, and their expertise in the wilderness helps the others get by.
Some time after passing through the mountain range on the Arizona side of the border to California, the pigeon guide perched atop of Magnus's shoulder lets out a weary sigh. "Finally. Home sweet home." With a flap of his wings, he lifts into the air. "I'll go ahead; I am in desperate need of a bath with soap. I trust you four are competent enough to figure out where you have to go from here." Unless anyone objects quick enough, he takes off into the horizon, dipping back down past the short treeline formed by the foliage off the side of the road.
Straight ahead is a highway overpass and to the right side a tall pole with a logo on it -- one indicating the presence of a gas station -- and a road sign. On the latter, the white text that once read "Vicksburg Rd" on it has been sprayed over with black spray paint. It now has just a single, uppercase K, formatted in blackboard bold.
Par for the course as far as Magnus was concerned. He was gone from Fairhaven for months at a time while on his own trips, and this was a good opportunity to pass the time and get to know his team. ...kinda. For some reason he didn't feel any more acquainted with them than he did before they'd even left, and the week they'd spent on the trail whizzed past him like a summer breeze. Right then and there, he was thankful for Edel's instruction in survival outside the bubble. Well, much the same skills applied inside as well, but overall he did well thanks to her diligent work as a mentor.
"Oh, we're here?" the fox would note as the realization hits him like a lead weight. "Neato." The fennec notes and hops off of his steed. "Smell ya later, Septimus. No, seriously... you need a bath." he'd pat the horse and get a flap of his tail across the muzzle. "Well you do!" Magnus huffs deeply. "We making camp here, or...?" Magnus raises a brow and places his hands on his hips, unsure of what to make of the area. Drawing the crossbow from his back, his eye peers through its scope for a closer view of their surroundings. "Wonder if I'll find another stash of peculiar white powder again. Ha!"
Zophah is tired. Not in the 'oh it's been a long day' kind of tired, but a 'I'm willing to kill someone for a good meal and a night's rest' kind of tired. Even knowing that their destination is so close, she just slides off her horse and nearly falls on the ground next to Magnus. "We there, or am I seeing a mirage again? Is that a gas station?"
The worst part, as far as Nena was concerned, was the boredom. And the years spent wandering post-nanite America all too readily come back to memory. At least the fur helps prevents thigh chafing! One less thing to worry about. Her only real complaint is that "It's dry out here, and I don't even have my motorbike this time." She slouches a little and takes a peek at her pack of cigarettes, contemplating... Before erring on the side of saving for later. She eyes Magnus and cracks a wry grin. "We can only hope. That would be one way to liven up the trip. And that's our destination, huh? Spot anything out there?"
Zen rolls his shoulders and gives a quick stretch before dismounting from his horse. Taking the reigns, he leads the horse along the route, looking for a spot he could tie his mount off. He wasn't too unfamiliar with long excursions either, especially since he was responsible for scouting around and playing the role of some new-world cartographer. "Right... we are 'here'... but... somehow I feel like I'm missing part of the story." He says, glancing around towards the gas station and overpass. It doesn't take him long to find some road rails that he was able to fix his horse too, fashioning one of those cowboy knots that would unravel with just the right tug, but remain strong from any the horse would give.
He gives a soft, slightly apologetic look to Zophah and Nena, "Right, well, this was only half the trip. If there was anything in particular that was making it rough before, perhaps we could scavenge around for something that could help before making that 6-day trek back." He scratches his chin and looks around to them all, "So, this was some sort of 'SOS' deal... right? Somehow, this feels a bit off, especially taking as long as it did to reach here... I mean, doesn't 'SOS' sort of imply a sense of urgency?" He gives a few more stretches and says, "Well, I wouldn't mind checking out what's in that gas station over there. Maybe some non-perishable foods managed to survive and remain?"
At the gas station proper, the pumps shaded underneath the canopy seem to have fallen into disuse; they're covered in grime and sand, and seemingly emptied of any sort of fuel. The most "use" the current settlers are getting out of it are tying their horses around the nearby support beams, all but two beams on one end of the canopy being taken up by horses; the two unnocupied beams have some rope set out next to them, suggesting this is where strangers tie up their own horses. Each pair of pumps have their own trough set out by them, all of them starting to near emptiness.
Beyond the canopy, a lone figure sits in the shade of the building, on a wooden chair laid out beside the entrance to the gas station's interior. Dressed in a brown duster, their gaze is turned down slightly, preventing anyone from seeing their face from above due to the wide-brimmed hat they wear, and cigarette smoke rises up around their headwear.
"You alright there Zoop?" Magnus sighs as he leans down to help the vixen up. "Here, this might help." the fennec pulls out a small flask of pure water, and offering it to her. Once they had all taken a good look around the area, the fox nods at Zen's inquiry. "Yeah... did... did anyone ask WHY we were on the damn road for six days and arrived here at this rinky dink ruin? I'm all for a road trip but isn't this supposed to be a mission-mission?" He'd shrug his shoulders and look around once more, noting the figure in the distance. "Look out fellas, Clint Eastwood chilling over there." Magnus snickers as he moves over towards the figure. "Hey there fella! We're traveling circus freaks here for... reasons? What's the good word around these parts?" He'd address the person, unsure if he was even talking to a living thing. For all he knew it was another corpse. Wouldn't be the first time...
Zophah slowly gets up to lead her horse to an open tieing location at the gas station, taking some drinks from the flask Magnus gave her. She leans against a post, continuing to take deep breaths. "And is there somewhere I... can refill my water, please?" She looks around at the other people here, her mind slowly switching back to 'work' mode and observing their surroundings.
Nena pats the sleeves of her jacket off, clearing away dust from the road. "This is sort of quaint. Kind of like the old western movies. But modern. Sort of." Adjusting her glasses, she slides off her horse and stretches out in a way that is distinctly feline, back arching and tail curling. "Looks like it's lived in. It is probably rude to try scavenging it," she remarks with a smirk. "I'm not entirely sure, myself, to be honest. I just kind of wanted to go along for the fun of it, and I had some time off from my duties. I am definitely not looking forward to how much I'll have to clean when I return though."
Walking up to the structure, Zen glances over to the man with the wide-brim hat. As Magnus starts to grab his attention, he follows up by asking, "Yeah, a fellow named Enzo had told us that there was something that required a bit of attention... Though, the bird-brain seemed to fly off without giving us some orientation." Glancing around, the scenery seems somewhat static. What was the man... woman?... fella doing there anyway. "Anyway we've been on the road for a bit, think you could also point us to the nearest settlement. After all, I doubt all these horses are your own, right?"
