TDM 002

[erkumods]

TDM 002: IF FOUND PLEASE RETURN TO

( 1 ) Around mid-morning, a message from the Augur appears on bracelets all across the city. "New organisms discovered. Domestication in progress." The wark of a chocobo rises up from the outskirts of the city. Several more join in, forming a charming chorus. And, strangely, this is when new arrivals begin to show up. Beamed in one at a time, scanned en masse, they are processed just as the first wave was. There's one major difference: whereas the old guard was given their bracelets and ushered into the City, the new folks are also given... collars. Buckled, snapped, or otherwise fastened around their necks, a variety of colorful collars with some rather unusual novelty pet tags. (These are just a few suggestions. The typical “If found, please return to ____” is also very much acceptable.) "You are new organisms. Domestication in progress. Compatible Eros energy will complete domestication." No matter how hard they try, characters cannot take the collars off by themselves. They need a partner's help - but not just anyone will do. It very well might be the first person they find, or it might take several tries. The robots grow bolder as the day grows on, targeting characters who aren't new, as well. "Y̶o̶u̴ ̸a̷r̸e̷ ̵o̵r̵g̶a̴n̷i̷s̶m̸s̶.̶ ̶D̷o̶m̴e̴s̶t̶i̶c̵a̸t̶i̸o̴n̸ ̷i̵n̸ ̴p̸r̶o̵g̷r̵e̷s̵s̷." Their antics die down by nightfall, but for the next day or two, the occasional malfunctioning 'bot may accost someone in the street, so stay on your toes! ( 2 ) An abandoned racetrack lights up the night. That's right: place your bets, folks, because these birds are about to run around a track while robots sell synthetic, overpriced aphro-popcorn. ...Did you say priced? That’s right! If you participated in the orgy earlier this month, you'll find you have a stash of credits accessible in your app. You've fucked money back into the world, so why not waste it? (Opportunities to earn credits will come up periodically and won't always be sexual in nature, so don't worry if your character wouldn't have any yet.) And if you don't have credits to bet with, why not get creative? ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● N A V I G A T I O N

Comments

ii

[luckthis]

[ Clover heard about rumblings about something going in the outskirts of the city. Given how unpredictable this place was his first thought was more dangerous plants or the machines were acting up again. So forgive him if he's a little taken aback that instead there's a flock of...horse birds?

They weren't Grimm or appeared especially aggressive, rather lackadaisical and maybe even a little dim by the looks of them. Clover was a little confused but it was better than having to gear up for another fight. When he wanders down towards passed old buildings that gave way to a field one of the feathery, bipedal creatures starts to curiously approach him with a trilling kweh sound.

Just as he was about to inspect the animal closer he hears a distinctly human voice. Turning he freezes but couldn't stop himself from saying, ]

Yang?

[thepunshow]

[ yang starts at the sudden voice and turns, eyebrows lifting straight into her hairline once she sees him. ]

Clover?

[ the last time they'd been in the same room was before they all split off to do what they could to save mantle and atlas--and all before everything went straight to hell in a handbasket with the declaration of martial law.

team rwby had to fight the ace ops back at the academy, but maybe things had gone different with him, qrow, and robyn. at least, she hoped it had. ] I'm gonna guess you got kidnapped, too, huh.

[luckthis]

[ The fact the elder Xiao Long-Rose sister hadn't immediately tried to deck him was a comfort, sort of. It could also very well mean she had yet to hear word of James's plan to cut his losses with Mantle and declare martial law. Maybe that would be a conversation best had with her uncle rather than him, whom she barely knew.

Clover nodded, patting the large animal's feathery flank to give the two of them some space. ]

Not how I would have cared to meet back up, but yes. [ He cleared his throat awkwardly ] I'm here with your uncle.

[thepunshow]

[ yang is willing to feel out his intentions, for now. he's on very thin ice, but he's being civil and not immediately peppering her with questions about "treason" so that's a good start. kind of. ]

Uncle Qrow is here? Yes! [ she pumps her fist, excited and relieved by the promise of seeing her favorite uncle. if anyone can clue her in on what's going on and why they're here, it's him.

but. wait.

yang narrows her eyes, tilting her head to the side in a knowing way. the promise of seeing her favorite uncle is a relieving one, but...c'mon. between the awkward throat clearing and how often qrow and clover threw meaningful looks each others' way back in at atlas, it's fairly obvious what that means. ]

You're with him?

[luckthis]

[ Unlike the rest of his team, Clover had been flying half-blind after Ruby's message came in along with Ironwood's orders. That had been half the problem before...before everything. He simply had no idea what James's reasoning was only that it had to have been dire. At least, that was what he told himself at the time. Reading Yang the riot act was the furthest thing from his mind now.

Not when Yang was now looking at him like she was ready to start interrogating him. Clover visibly stiffened. Since when was he intimidated by teenaged girls? ]

That's not what I- well, I mean...

[ The best Atlas has to offer, gaydies and gentlemen. ]

[thepunshow]

[ calm under pressure: a necessary ace ops skill that clover is exhibiting to the fullest.

yang rolls her eyes and turns her attention back on drei. well, that reaction told her all she needed to know on that subject. there's still plenty she wants to know, but the fallout from the martial law order is still too new, too emotionally raw to touch. she'll save those questions for uncle qrow when she sees him. ]

Relax. [ she scratches the chocobo underneath the chin and smiles when it trills in delight. ] I'm not gonna kick your ass if you are.

[ no promises that she won't be a horrible teenage shit about it, though. ]

[luckthis]

[ Look, Clover can stare down rampaging Grimm without breaking a sweat. Facing a horrible teenage shit who has legitimate grievances against him enough to tank a relationship? Entirely different theater of war and way above Clover's paygrade. ]

Lucky me I'm not looking to get my ass kicked. [ Clover didn't relax much but he stopped standing as if he had a four-foot pole up his ass. He turned and continued to stroke the flank of the animal who seemed to gravitate towards him. This one with its creamy-white feathers tipped in pale green. ]

Listen, Yang... [ Clover wasn't confident if where he should broach the subject when he still had only limited information. ]

Ironwood is here and [ This wasn't giving a briefing in front of a mission board, that was for sure. ]

I can field any contact between him and your friends for the time being. That's the best I can do for now.

[thepunshow]

[ the mention of 'ironwood' instantly wipes the smile off her face, her jaw clenching from the effort of holding back the several choice words she wants to say regarding the general. talk about the last person she never wanted to see again on remnant or any other planet. ]

Honestly? I'd like to avoid any contact with him, period. [ yang's voice shakes with fury. ] After what he did.... Not even to us, but the people of Mantle.... [ she gives him a fierce look that qrow would say makes her look like raven. ] How can you still work somebody like that?

[luckthis]

[ It was almost impressive how quickly a name could suck all the oxygen out of someone. Clover stood his ground on the assumption that if Yang wanted to punch his lights out she would have done so already. Not to mention he never pegged her as the type to get into a scrap with so many potential casualties around. This was Qrow's niece after all, and he couldn't see one of those girls risk the collateral damage. No matter how big, yellow, and feathery.

Yes, if it came to that Clover could lock things down and handle himself. It wasn't a matter of could he but one of should he. The easiest thing to do was to just leave, but he remembers what turning tail has gotten him. ]

Because this isn't Mantle. [ Clover said evenly, hands out down his at his side. Less a conciliatory gesture and more just showing he wasn't itching for his weapon. ] What happens to James after this will happen in Remnant. Right now, we're far from home in a place where the machines are unpredictable enforcers that have gotten hostile not too long ago.

[ Yang was angry and hurt. He knew that and could almost feel that outrage coming off her in heated waves like standing to close to an open furnace. Clover just couldn't feel it as keenly as he had when Qrow's pitched and agonized shouting was still a fresh sound echoing in his head. ]

I know that isn't what you want to hear but the alternative is this gets dragged out while we're one of the few people equipped to deal with the things here that could put a lot of people trapped here at risk. [ Then, sounding less like he was talking someone down and more like he was pleading, ]

And I meant what I said about running interference. I don't want us to fight, Yang. I don't want to do that to Qrow. [ Not again. ]

[thepunshow]

[ yang wants to yell that he doesn't get to play the part of a hunter here when the ace ops were willing to let innocent people die. he doesn't get to tell her how to approach the man who wanted to lock away her friends, her family for nothing.

she wants to scream at him because her words feel like the only thing she has control over at this point. most of all, she wants to yell because clover is right. regardless of where they are, they have a responsibility to protecting the people who need them. a duty to ensure people are safe until the bitter end.

she feels acid words boiling within her and opens her mouth to spit venom, but when he mentions qrow in such a sincere way, she just...can't. her uncle has already been through so much--lost so much--that the very idea of yang causing him more pain makes her stomach sink.

she can't. she won't.

yang, back ramrod straight just seconds ago, hunches her shoulders, her mouth drawing into a grimace. ] ...fine. For Uncle Qrow.

[luckthis]

[ The worst part of it all - Clover doesn't know the finer details. He was in the dark and trusted James to weigh the burden of cold calculus. All he knew is he kingdom was up in flames and the choice he was presented with was an impossible one. ]

I heard your sister, I thought we could talk it out.

[ Clover went queit again before he said, ]

I still don't get what happened.

[thepunshow]

...yeah. I thought we could talk it out, too, [ she sighs. just thinking about atlas was exhausting. ] Everything was fine. People were getting evacuated out of Mantle, Watts was in jail...and then he saw this chess piece on his desk. He said that it meant Cinder was there and if she was Atlas, it meant Salem was right behind her. He....

[ she pauses, looking for the right words. ] He got scared of everything. Everything that was happening right then, everything that could happen. I've never seen him like that. Heck, I thought he couldn't get scared. It was bad.

[luckthis]

He- [ Clover's heart sank when it started to come together. There was more than just the uncertainty of their current situation contributing to the beaten-down way his friend had been acting. Oh, James.

Knowing there was nothing he could do when this was all over still eating at him. Scrubbing a hand over his face, Clover let out a shaky exhale before composing himself. ]

Your team, the other one you came with to Atlas - are they alright? [ Qrow was here, James was here. That only left the kids to ask after. It didn't even occur to Clover to ask after his own team. They could handle themselves - and if not, they were in the wrong career. ]

I'll...I'll handle this. The last thing we need right now is-

Kweh- ! [ A massive, feathery head pushed itself under Clover's arm. Nudging at his hand in a clear solicitation for scritches. Clover blinked and after being momentarily stunned obliged. ]

Oh, yes. Hello again.