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Post by Vapovile on Jun 13, 2018 4:52:31 GMT
Aria's eyes widened slightly when she heard of the presence of another time traveler. "Is this true?" She asks, Melody nodding her head. "Yes! That's uh...the main thing I wanted to talk about. Here's the story." Melody cleared her throat, looking at Aria with more determination than fear. "I should probably start at the top...my world is basically this world, buuuuuuut much of it has been taken over by two factions." She held up her right hand, holding 2 fingers up. "The doll army lead by Marika's son who calls himself Arachne, and the Ukexxi. The Ukexxi are this...alien race that lay their eggs in living beings, they hatch, burst out of the person and have a version of the person’s powers. We could beat them back if Arachne wasn’t taking up most of our resources!” Melody explained.
“Now, they are pretty contained in the little pockets where they landed. But we are having issues finishing the job because...well, I already said, didn’t I?” Melody clicked her button a few times in nervousness. “Anyway! Arachne. He’s the kid of Marika and her incubus boyfriend, Miles. Both of them got killed in an HWIC raid years ago, but we had no idea they had a kid. He disappeared for several years, I was born, worked for the HWIC for a bit...and well…” Melody’s eyes fell toward the table. “...he had been slowly building an army of dolls, and used his generals to unleash them all upon the world at once.” She stated. Aria tapped the table to get her attention. “Who are these generals? What qualifications do they have?” The HWIC president asked, her eyes still trained on Melody. “Oh! They have no actual experience, but were made by Arachne himself! All of them based on one of Marika’s creations! Here, I printed out some pictures from my phone…” Melody reached into her pockets and pulled out 8 photographs. “That’s Archie, Janet, Helen, Caroline, Kuromi, Stitches…” She seemed to reel back slightly at the mention of her name. “...Margaret and Arachne.” Melody finishes.
Aria peered over the designs of the dolls, their influences becoming clear when Melody pointed out they were based on the existing hate dolls. Melody gives a small glance toward Stephen, taking out a photo of one of the aliens. “And this...is a Ukexxi.” She says, displaying a green humanoid with a bug-like tail that Stephen would likely recognize the features of.
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Post by HungryHunter on Jun 13, 2018 6:22:26 GMT
Stephan quickly noted everything Melody said. He paid special note to Arachne's generals. If he was in their time period, it made sense that he'd take at least a few of them with him. He could also see their similarities to the dolls that they already knew about. "Stitches must be based on Patches. It seems she remained active in your timeline. We haven't heard from her since an encounter with the Wild Hunt more than a year ago." He balked only when he saw the photograph. It was mostly alien, a four-eyed face with a frog-like mouth, but its tail... "Its tail is identical to Allan's!" Stephan suddenly stood, clipboard falling aside forgotten.
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Post by Vapovile on Jul 1, 2018 18:58:40 GMT
The generals did seem to line up with the current list of hate dolls they were aware of...at least the original 6. Only the hate dolls made directly after the rescue of Johnathan Chandler appeared to be remade by this dictator. Before she could ask if Patches was still alive in her timeline, Stephan piped up to ask his own question, which startled Melody slightly at the clipboard falling. "Uh...yes! I was trying to find a way to tell you this. Turns out he's what's known as a 'Ukexxi'. I already told you how they are born. But don't worry!" Melody held her hands in front her to reassure Stephen. "He's still fighting with us! Alan has no connection to these aliens who only want to plunder our world, so he's helping to defeat both the dolls and the aliens!" She states.
Aria looked at the picture of the Ukexxi, then back at the picture of Arachne and his generals. "...I would like a report on what all these people are like, and what they can do. Can I trust you to give me that promptly?" She asked, looking at Melody directly. The pink-haired girl nodded confidently. "Of course! Let's see...I've told you about the Ukexxi, Arachne and his generals...oh!" Melody reached into her pocket, pulled out her phone, looked at it for a second, and placed it back in her pocket. "Do you mind if I...speak with Ari...miss Miyata privately?" She had to catch herself from being too casual with Aria. The HWIC president looked at Stephen, fingers still interlinked in front of her face. "I don't have an issue with it. Mister Walters?" She asked, making sure he was fine with it too. A small pang of dread crept through Aria's body. There must be some reason why Melody had taken over the HWIC, since even if she had retired in their timeline, there would be no doubt she'd come back to, if not take over again, assist in the highest capacity possible.
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Post by HungryHunter on Jul 3, 2018 3:39:43 GMT
"Oh, thank God." Stephan breathed a deep sigh of relief at the revelation that his son remained loyal and smiled. "Sorry, mam." He coughed and straightened up. He had let his emotions get the best of him. Aliens, dolls and Arachnes. What a dark future lay in wait for the next generation. Stephan felt suddenly very old. All his years of experience, and still this would happen. "Yes, mam." Stephan stood, shoulders slumped. "I will escort you to the door when you're done here." Stephan nodded to Melody and stepped outside. He leaned against the door and ran his head over his face. He checked his phone's contacts. He could call any of his children right now. Marie hated it when he did. The other two would just be confused. He sighed again and put his phone away.
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Post by Vapovile on Jul 23, 2018 2:44:29 GMT
"Thank you!" Melody called after him, making sure Stephen was outside the room before turning back to Aria. She opened her mouth to start explaining...but Aria quickly cut her off. "I'm dead in the future, aren't I?" She asked. Melody stood still for a second, then nodded her head. "Uh...yes! I guess you could tell because I was the head of the HWIC, right?" She asked, giving an uncomfortable laughter. Aria gave a small cough and began speaking. "Yes, you are correct. I am sure you know I am not one to stand back when there is a crisis going on, especially on that scale. What happened to future me?" She asked. Melody gave a few more clicks to the fidget device before continuing. "Well...let me start at the beginning. I was working at the HWIC as an intern doing pretty small stuff. Helping out with field missions, assisting you with paperwork, sitting in on meetings and being very quiet, that stuff! But...well..." Melody trailed off, face showing clear signs of distress.
"You see...when the doll crisis began, there was a certain faction within the HWIC who didn't like your more reasonable approach to containing them, working with other organizations and such. They wanted a more ruthless approach; stomp over any country necessary and wipe out anyone even suspected of collaborating with the dolls. So when most of the agents were out fighting dolls around the world...the faction stormed into the office and started fighting their way toward you! You went down to put down the rebellion...but the leader had set up an ambush and managed to..." Melody looked down toward the floor. Aria closed her eyes for a moment, then looked at Melody. "And I lost the battle, it sounds like. And just who was the leader of this rebellion?" She asked. "He was...Alex...Miyata." Melody stated. Aria's eyes squinted as she contemplated the implications of this development.
"I see. And where were you during all of this?" The HWIC president asked. Melody straightened up in response. "I was helping fight at the office! But...well...we were kinda overrun. But we did send out a distress call to others and there was...a civil war that went on for over a week. But I managed to rally everyone under me...somehow...and beat Alex!" She exclaimed. Melody had a habit of understating her effective leadership, something Aria could see clearly. "And what became of Alex?" Aria asked. "We captured them and put them at the prison island in the middle of the pacific! Had a trial, of course. And we had to sentence him and most of the other conspirators to life on prison...however long that takes." Melody explained.
Aria closed her eyes again to process this information. Rebellion? Doll army? Aliens? It was a little surreal...and it was all rather strange. She left Melody standing stock still for a few seconds of uncertainty, then opened her eyes again. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I will assign a small unit of Intelligence agents to help you track down this...Arachne. Let me know if you have further information to share." Aria stated. Melody's eyes lit up with glee. "Thankyousomuch!" She blurted out. "I will do my best to find him!" Melody stated. Aria gave a small smile and stood up from her chair, walking toward Melody, her boots making her steps louder on the floor. "I am sure you will. Just one more question...does your mother survive?"
Melody looked toward the floor once more, her eyes beginning to shine with watery tears.
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Post by HungryHunter on Jul 23, 2018 5:08:47 GMT
Far Away
"Alright, we're there." Just a few feet out from the kaspa door, they were in front of another door. It was a path out in the middle of nowhere, windswept plains all around them. What was before them was little bigger than an outhouse, some sort of tiny shed of uncertain purpose. Martha rapped the door in a rhythmic pattern, tapping each corner seven times. The lock swung open of its own accord. "There's doors in cities too, disguised as back doors to restaurants and clubs and stuff, but we like to keep things even more low key." Robin explained as she followed Martha inside. With one step, they went from field to a crowded store.
There were shelves so tall it was like valleys between them, crowded with rivers of people. "Welcome to Vorpal's, the world's premiere Hidden World department store! This is the cereal aisle I think." Robin grabbed a box of Scorpy-O's, decorated with a cartoon scorpion gleefully throwing about tiny dried insects. "They've got everything. Hey Raven, want me to buy these for you? I heard real cowboys ate scorpions all the time cause it's all you had out in the desert." She shook the box. All around them were other boxes, hundreds of mascots staring down from boxes ranging from a mere inch tall to giant's boxes taller than Robin herself.
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Post by Vapovile on Aug 3, 2018 19:56:19 GMT
Following Robin and Martha was both Caroline and Raven, the former looking with amazement at the path to the store. "Wow...they didn't have anything like this where I'm from! We were a bit more...public with Hidden World stuff." Caroline told the others. Raven dramatically adjusted her hat in response to Robin's question. "Heh, and you would be correct. I can recall it now...laying prone in the Nevada desert, watching as the general Sabertooth rode his jeep across the land. I had been sitting out there for a week, waiting for them to pass through. I couldn't move an inch, or risk being spotted by motion sensing drones. So when scorpions walked up, I bit through their bodies with my mouth alone!" Raven explained, fluttering her coat with her right hand.
Caroline stared for a few seconds, and gave a polite clap. "Erm...well, that is quite impressive. Anyway, I think the furniture department is this way!" Caroline bounced on her heels and skipped once as she moved toward the section with less-cramped aisles and more pleasant lighting. Raven smiled at the acknowledgement and pointed to the section Caroline was headed. "The invader is wise for her first time inside Vorpals...can we trust her?" Raven adjusted her hat to a downward angle, hiding her right eye from view. She subtly took a box of the scorpion cereal and placed it into the basket she had grabbed on the way in.
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Post by HungryHunter on Aug 3, 2018 21:38:41 GMT
"Then I'm paying for you. Shame I haven't figured out a way past their anti-shoplifting systems. One day." She glanced around for a shopping cart and found one unattended while its owner rummaged among the shelves. She steered it around the corner and threw out the items already in it. "I'll get everybody something special today!" She declared, tossing underwear from the basket the back of Martha's head, where they landed and stayed. Martha grabbed them off and chucked them back, easily dodged by Robin but drawing views from the crowd. "I don't want anything from your... stealing money!" Martha bristled, but Robin just shrugged. "Martha doesn't want anything. What about you, Caroline?" They were passing through an entire forest of lamps in all shapes and sizes, little squat lamps like mushrooms at their feet while others extended taller than Josefina.
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Post by Vapovile on Aug 3, 2018 23:00:18 GMT
"Hmmm?" Caroline hummed, looking back at the commotion between Martha and Robin. She interlocked her hands behind her back and leaned forward to address Robin. "Hm...no thank you! I will buy whatever I want, so let's stop making a commotion please?" She asked, giving a smile and turning back to her path. "Really nice lamps here...oh, that's cute!" Caroline walks up and sees a small crystal deer sitting atop a dresser, the light inside illuminating it with a pleasant blue and pink hue. Back with Robin, Raven frowns and snaps her fingers to get the thief's attention. "Hey! I asked ya something! Think we can trust her? She's not from 'round these parts...and ya know...snake! Snakes are sneaky little things...ah don't wanna turn my back on her and the next instant; bam! Knife to the spine! Not that I would be caught by her anyway...I am far too aware for that!" Raven boasted, adjusting her hat once more.
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Post by HungryHunter on Aug 4, 2018 0:05:27 GMT
Robin eyed the lamps around her, but none really grabbed her attention. If she was going to grab anything, it had to be the furniture. "Caroline?" She rubbed her chin. "She stabbed me to get into the kaspa. Played a mark and played me for a sap." She glared at the back of the green-haired woman's green head. "And more importantly, she's carrying some serious cash for the furniture. If you help me get it, it's 50/50. Sound good?" She whispered in Raven's ear. Martha was up ahead, just out of the lamp forest.
The furniture section was right across the aisle and just as vast, an entire sea of mattresses and sheets, but what walked out of it was what drew her eye. He was short, with wiry dark purple hair and smooth light purple skin. "What the fuck, that guy looks like Marika!" Martha leaned around a lamp that appeared to just be a mobile streetlamp to observe him leaving. "Caroline, I'm checking something out!" She took off, leaving her alone with the schemers.
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Post by Vapovile on Aug 5, 2018 21:28:31 GMT
"That fiend!" Raven declared, dramatically tossing her coat back and nearly hitting a passing old lady pushing a shopping cart. "But the cash...hm...while I am not a thief, I do not have qualms about freeing money from the clutches of evil. Arachne didn't work for his fortune, so why should I respect it?" Raven whispered back, making a single step toward Caroline...then back to her old position. "...though I am unsure of how to assist in this endeavor. What would you ask me to do, thief of valuables?" Raven asked.
Caroline peered over a particularly large lamp to see Martha disappearing around the corner. "Uh..." She started, but the doll was already gone. "Hm. What was so important, I wonder?" The snake-like doll mused. Shrugging her shoulders, Caroline continued to make her way toward the furniture section, walking into a section entirely decorated with different appliances. Caroline had no idea what half of them were used for, but they seemed interesting to look at.
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Post by HungryHunter on Aug 7, 2018 1:09:07 GMT
“I just need you to watch my back. She can paralyze with a stab.” She looked for an angle of attack. Unfortunately, Caroline already distrusted her. “Actually, there’s a little more you can do. Distract her while I make my move.” She pushed Raven towards the serpentine woman and began casually examining the items in the aisle. “Wow, you could take a bath in that one.” Robin mumbled at an oversized blender. “Not that it’s a good idea.” Her eyes were truly on Caroline’s pocket, waiting for her moment to strike.
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Post by Vapovile on Aug 9, 2018 4:47:08 GMT
"That I can do, taker of material goods." Raven said to Robin, giving one last dramatic pose before being rudely shoved toward Caroline, who seemed obliviously peering at the different appliances. "Hmmm? Oh, hey Raven! Did you know they actually have machines here that peel apples for you? That's amazing!" Caroline's eyes seemed to sparkle at the seemingly mundane machine. While Arachne did give her a palace to run her operations out of...there was little in the way of fancy gadgets like this. "But of course there is! Why, I had to use one of those to defeat the nefarious Edmond Blackwater during the summer of 1982. It was a hot June afternoon, the dastardly Edmond having chased me through the streets of Italy while I only carried my trusted pistol. I'ah dodged and weaved around the traffic..."
Raven's story dissolved into white noise as Caroline tuned her out and opened a massive chrome fridge to see the artful display of fake fruit inside. "Ooooh...they sure know how to advertise here." Caroline said to herself, leaning into the fridge and beginning to check out the various drawers inside.
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Post by HungryHunter on Aug 9, 2018 21:23:00 GMT
Robin casually sidled up next to Caroline, taking a glance at the fake fruit. Her appraisal eyes picked up that they were made of pretty high-quality wax instead of crappy plastic. This place went the extra mile. Shame she couldn't sneak anything out. She half listened to Raven's tale as she got closer. Raven's stories ranged from complete bullshit to utter nonsense. She should make a comic with Jane. Robin thought as her fingers dipped into Caroline's pocket. They exerted no more pressure than a tiny insect crawling on her jeans, undetectable to anybody not paying close attention. With the delicacy of tweezers, she pried open the pocket and snatched what was within. She took a few steps away to check on her prize and didn't find a wallet. A yellow rubber duck rested between her fingers, ready to squeak.
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Post by Vapovile on Aug 11, 2018 0:56:37 GMT
"Ooo...so this is where you are meant to store vegetables?" Caroline coo'd, reaching further into the fridge. After a few seconds, Caroline pulled herself out of the appliance and glanced at Robin, her face seeing the colorful yellow duck in her hands. "Oh, you like those little rubber ducks too? Here..." Caroline gave a smile as she gracefully snatched the duck out of Robin's hands and stepped past her, pulling open her back pocket and dropping it inside. "No need to thank me! I have plenty more back at the house." She gave a small grin and winked before starting toward the garden section. She stopped in front of a large purple plant with 4 openings, lined with teeth. "Oooooh...this looks like something from...what was that movie...something horrors?" Caroline asked the two behind her. Raven was still explaining her story.
"And so, battered and half my skull caved in, I broke the lightbulb and fashioned it into a lightning rod! High lightning bullet was pulled toward the fillament, and I got the final shot in! Quite amazin', if I say so mahself." She said, pulling out her chest and flaring out her coat.
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Post by HungryHunter on Aug 11, 2018 4:52:54 GMT
Robin stood stock still, hairs standing up on the back of her neck as Caroline slid the duck into her pocket. Her eyes sparked with helpless rage, like a rat in a trap. Come on, come on, we're less than a year old, we're bound to fuck up a few times. She helplessly scanned Caroline's silhouette, but could find no bulge of money. She looked away. Somebody else. She'd snatch a wallet and feel better. Her eyes found a target within seconds. An employee stood on a shelf in the furniture section, pulling up a mattress. Robin followed her long red hair to her pockets. Yes! Something bulged there! She wouldn't carry much, but it was something! Robin walked up to the edge of the aisle, waiting for her to come down.
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Post by Vapovile on Aug 11, 2018 19:36:38 GMT
The employee on top of the ladder wore the standard Vorpals uniform; maroon shirt, grey pants, and a silver shield-shaped name tag pinned to her shirt. Her long red hair seemed a little abnormal among the more standard hair colors present, but nothing like some of the more inhuman shoppers currently milling about. Once she was done pulling out the mattress, she teleported back down to the ground, still holding the gigantic cushion and walking 5 steps to place it onto an empty bed frame. "Phew..." The employee sighed. "Just gotta make this up..." Grabbing a nearby tan fitted sheet, she began to spread it over the bed.
Caroline was laying on top of another nearby memory foam bed with a blanket depicting several coiling vines covered in flowers adorning the top. Her eyes were trained upon Robin, seeing what her next action was going to be.
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Post by HungryHunter on Aug 11, 2018 23:17:39 GMT
Robin shot Caroline a glare before slipping into the aisle. She looked at mattresses on both sides as she approached the redhead. They really all looked the same. If Robin actually intended to buy the needed mattresses, she wasn't sure how you were supposed to choose. She kept walking until she passed the employee, darting her hand out like a snake. Nothing. The pocket was empty, but something still bulged beneath. She stopped in her tracks, looking at her empty hand. She turned back to eye the employee in confusion.
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Post by Vapovile on Aug 12, 2018 2:38:57 GMT
The employee didn't skip a beat when Robin passed by, straightening out the fitted sheet and moving to apply the first bedsheet. Caroline leaned forward and saw Robin come up empty handed. Did this girl also set up traps in her pockets?
"Excuse me ma'am!" She called over, the employee looking up and straightening her hair. "Hello, welcome to Vorpals. We provide the best Hidden World selection in the universe. How may I help you?" She asked, reciting the stock phrase all employees must repeat. Wait, was that just used for phones? Caroline let out a small laugh and pointed to the employee's shorts. "I would be careful. Someone nearby is quite the pickpocket." She warned. The employee's face grew a frown and looked directly at Robin, looking for a response.
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Post by HungryHunter on Aug 12, 2018 5:09:39 GMT
Robin froze when Caroline directly called her out. It took only a second before she let a grin grow ear to ear. She threw up her scarred arms and spun to face the employee. "You caught me. I'm Robin, aspiring bandit! Gold-medal gold thief, steal from the rich, and, uh..." The rest of her speech caught on her tongue. She lowered her hands and looked at her feet, covering her lower face as she thought. "Dammit Caroline, I didn't get anything anyway, but now I'm not leaving without something!" Her hands balled into fists and she kicked off her sandals, fired up and ready.
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