"Very little, some people have seen fit to spread that I and the building itself protect it. Some have tested that but, not much sense then."

Raven reached over, and affectionately patted the nearest wall.

"Speaking of which, how are you doing big fella?"

The sensations that came where some what unpleasant but spoke of the buildings conditions...

It was hard to put to words but it felt the way you might exact and old man, full of achs and pains, waking up in the morning and having to stretch to get ready for the day..... but then the relaxing long missed smoothness of a newly implanted hip-joint.

It's mood is .... ok.... but like he said the city spirit could be looked at as it's mother/father for it to be in the condition it is... it's hard, very hard. But it is glad to have been awoken to the purpose of serving the displaced wards of the city.

The spirit of a city like Neo New York would take more than this to kill... but that meant it suffered, and suffered bad. There was not much people could do to help it, but it was given to chance to do it's part how ever small to ease it's cities pain.



It's sore and depressed, but it's getting better as it's fixed up, and it is ever so grateful to be given a part in helping the people of the city.

The only thing it would ask is that he make sure it's not listed as being in some suburb or something like that... people are tempted to forget all this was part of the city now that the city is ruins.... it wants to be listed and thought of as being IN Neo New York.... not near the edge of it's ruins....
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:10, Mon 02 May 2016.

Develana watches her familiar get cuddling and grinned.

"I do believe that Numina likes thee Sir Monk"

Happily to continue to cuddle up to the small creature, tickling under its chin and generally petting as it seemed to desire. "Huoshui is fine Devellana, we are friends are we not. Formalities between the two of us would be a discredit to our relationship would it not?" The monk laughed, "Numina might just sense the kinship. The comradery between yourself and I, the dragon I hold within my very self or maybe Numina is just friendly to all those who give it the attention it craves."

"Of a certes she senses it my friend!  But think not that she will allow just any to cuddle her; tis not true!  And it has been but few who have called me Devil Anna since I was a wee babe!"

Develanna laughed with the monk.  Life had been so much struggle to survive of late, that these few moments of careree comaraderie were precious indeed.

"I can only imagine the horrors baby devil Anna caused those around her, probably as much as little Numina here could cause if it did not get its way." The monk continued to play with the familiar of Devellana, knowing not if her comments were true all he had seen from Numina was friendly affection. It did give him some pride if it were true that the little spirit given form did sense something. "Devellana, while Numina is in such a cuddly mood perhaps you might indulge me in a tale. I am of the order of monk in the Akashic brotherhood to collect and tell stories, such as the contract I have with the dragon within me. If you would not mind I would like to add the tale of Devellana and Numina to the tapestry as is understood by the Akashic."

Develanna finds a seat and relaxes as she thinks back.

"I was but five when I first found myself taken to the Temple to be trained by the sisters there.  It had not yet been decided whether I should be trained as a knight or healer or cleric ... divers are the methods of serving Gallahad that are taught there, and those of us who are offered and chosen  train and grow in knowledge until the tenth year in which we are led to seek alone for a vision as to what nature our future is to take.  According to the Lady my Mother, I had begun speaking of having seen things that had occurred before mine own birth.  Due to the accuracy, my Father decided to take me to the Sisters for training.  I know now that this was a great honor to be taken so young, but at the time, I was wroth at having to leave home.  And the Sister who was in charge of the younger students seemeth to be a crabby old harridan...I do know better now of course, her face to hide the smile that my memory shows me though at the time methought it to be disgust.  She finally got me to calm down and told me that if I desired to stay in service to Gallahad, I would have to take on a quest to determine how I should best learn to respect all the elders and sisters of the Order and most importantly, learn to rein in my own chaotic nature.  She gave unto me a small dagger for protection though I was not to leave the grounds of the temple; these were vast however and some parts quite wild.  She also gave me a water skin and enough victuals to keep me fed for a fortnight.  The last thing I was given was a heavy cloak for warmth and to sleep in.       I was then led to the door and bid not return until I had found mine own answers.

I confess that I was greatly excited and asked to spend the night before I left in chapel keeping vigil as did a knight sent on quest.  I ... was spoken to by the Sword of Gallahad that I even now bear, but of what I cannot tell thee.  Also I bed thee keep secret the identity of the sword.  I have told no other of it since leaving my home world, but I do trust thee."

Here Develanna lowered her head and went silent as she gathered herself to continue with her tale.

"Twas at the moment of dawn being   most magical, as tis neither day nor ni but in between that I left the doors of the temple.    I did spend much of the next few days in meditation on mine own poor behavior, but twas the night before I was to eat my last bit of food that the miracle occurred, the message for which I had been questing came to be.  I had settled myself into a small copse of trees to spend the night and behold the sunset when I didst see  a  large and ugly bird settle on the shore of a small lake with a heavy burden.  I recognized what it held almost immediately and was horrified to know it for a dragon's egg, a small one, but still .."

The remembered horror of seeing a most precious dragon egg about to be devoured by a scavenger overcame the knight and she again fell silent.  Numina disentangled herself from the monk's easy embrace and flew back to her knight and settled in Dev's lap, reaching up to lick her face.  Smiling, the knight embraced her friend and petted Numina for a moment before continuing,

"I could not allow such a foul thing to happen, though the craven bird was near as tall as I.  I ran screaming at ti, weilding my dagger.  It attempted to fly away with the egg, but was not able to catch the air 'e'er I came upon it.  We fought wildly, but to protect itself, it had to release the egg.  I had not intended to kill the thing, but it wounded me with many deep slashes until I was forced to destroy it lest I not live long enough to save the egg.  When twas done, I lugged the egg back to my camp and curled round it and slept.  The next morn, I began the trip back to the temple for I was afeared that the egg would die if I could not get it to one of the priestesses quickly.  I fear me that it took longer than It should have for I was more injured than I knew.  Only two steps from the door of the temple I lost consciousness.  I know not how long I lay there, but when they found me, twas with a wee bit of a lizard bug nestled on my neck and a great deal of broken eggshell.  I dreampt the name of the gragon, and she has been with me ever since."

Apparently, Numina took a bit of offense at being called a lizard bug and  nipped gently at De'b's nose.  She was shaken off with a twist of the blond head, and a laughing knight finiished her tale,

"And that is the end of the story of how I came to be blessed with a Numina and not kicked forth from my order"

[8 blank lines suppressed]

The monk listened to the tale, took in all the minor and major aspects of this story of knights, dragon eggs and monastery temples. Hearing that the knight Devellana had gone through a selection and training tradition much the same to his own, from a young age, taken from the old life to live in a temple. Numina born of an egg found and rescued by the night, they'd gone through it all together. From the earliest stages of the knights will working training she had this small creature by her side, even if it seemed to resent being referred to by certain phrases which the monk would remember to avoid.

"Thank you for sharing that with me Anna." Smiling and even laughing as he witnesses Numina's light assault of Devellana. "You two must have been through a lot since that day. Truly kindred spirits who I am sure will share as many if not more adventures in the future than you have already."

Raven tells the building he will do his best to comply with its wishes, then turns to George again;

"Anything I can do to help out? My crew is handling their own stuff, so I'm pretty much free until they tell me they're ready to go again."

"Weaking the walls between this world and ours further would help."

Raven gave a nod, then walked back down to the room with the corner stone in it. He once more placed two hands on the grip of the Sword of Mars, and this time held the others out to his side. He closed his eyes, and envisioned himself using the weapon now firmly part of the building to cut an opening between this reality and the place where Spirits dwelled. Then, he attempted to cast hisspell while singing;

'You know the day destroys the night
 Night divides the day, tried to run, tried to hide
 Break on through to the other side
 Break on through to the other side
 Break on through to the other side

Yeah, made the scene week to week, day to day, hour to hour
 The gate is straight deep and wide
 Break on through to the other side
 Break on through to the other side
 Break on through, break on through
 Break on through, break on through'

The spell works out just fine, and he can feel the difference... It's not like the shade realm on Mars, but the wall is quite thin now down in the basement, and weakening around it.

Raven feels the difference, nods to himself, then goes to find George again.

"Okay, I got it taken care of down when you and the building both woke up. So, now that I did it, mind telling me why it was needed? Yeah, I know I probably should have asked first, but you try killing your brain cells for forty years then see how fast on the uptake you are..."

"It brings the soul and body of the building closer to eachother, allowing more influance over the physical. You have stories of objects exposed flog intense feeling or that have been around over a hundred years coming to life. Such are from a time and land where the Vail was so thin. These our its 'words'. However it can not 'come to life' like this, but it can do much more now. That is all the explanation it will give, however I can personaly tell you repairs and self defense will be easier." Seams george has been working on his language skills, though he could hardly tell if it was a good translation with out talking to the building himself and spirit talk was so abstract it was easier just to trust whatever speaks on the spirits behalf.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:21, Thu 05 May 2016.

"Well, if one rift makes it better, wouldn't me creating another one make it better still? Or, what if I go back down, and actually punch a hole instead of just wearing a thin spot in the wall between there and here?"

He is quite a moment. "Bring the two worlds together could be harmful to the residents of this place, it beleaves it could protect them but it dose now what to risk the difficulties and side affects of creating an incursion zone. That and the strain on you of 'braking' reality like that would be to much to ask. Doing so will also attract attention."

"Damn, and I'm so good at breaking shit, too. OK, anything else I can do to help out?"

"Everything has been set up, just needs time. Please see to it though we are listed as being in Neo New York, it would mean a lot."

Raven gives a nod, then using his fancy suit and glove connects to the Infosphere; per the double request, he logs the Veteran's Home as being located in New New York.

Those in power often do not possess the luxury of foreplay.

[Let me in, Bird Brain.]

Ek'chua Ix stood outside the sealed portal, one hand on his hip while the other carelessly tossed his tomahawk in quick slicing cycles. The red scarf that covered his mouth shifted in a spiritual breeze, though his body remained still. It hadn't been too hard to catch up with his old friend down; between his skill with Correspondence and his contact with Senex he was able to achieve a rather rapid rendezvous with the beaked renegade and the motley crew.

His side mission had been a terribly easy series of successes. The neutralized targets were probably still having their remains vaporized by the time the hitman made it to the moon. It was fortunate that the ease of such a side venture tool little in the way of effort and time. The Good Death Dealer had bigger fish to fillet.

OOC: Ix stands outside the building, having sent a text to Raven's comm]

Raven had just logged off the Infosphere when he received Ix's message, and grinned as he responded;

"I can't, your mother isn't decent yet."

That said, the soldier made his way to the front entrance to let the assassin in.

Ix nodded in approval at the comeback. I'll guess he's been doing well since we last met. As he tucked away the tumbling tomahawk and sashayed beyond the portal, he came face to face with four arms and feathers.

Raven may notice how the words floating over his head were in their proper form, no longer deformed into malformed fonts. The killer cast his gaze about the area in a slow circle before returning to Raven.

"Thhank you my friend.  I have been blessed.with this companion as well as with others."

Dev kissed the top of the dragon's head who repaid the compliment by climbing atop of he knight's head.

Raven smiled as his old friend complimented the building, and then led the assassin to where some furniture that hadn't been moved into rooms yet was gathered. He motioned to a seat, then took another for himself before pulling out a pack of smokes. He shook a few out, lit one up, then tossed the rest of the cancer sticks plus his batter Earth Army lighter to Ix. He took a drag, then looked thoughtfully at his friend.

"Getting you up to speed might be something of a tall order, but I'll give it my best shot.

"We had some new additions to the crew, in fact an entire crew of another ship and their leader, I think it's some kind of cult. Whatever they believe, they helped me out by getting furniture for this place so they're not bad in my book. We also had a girl sneak aboard, she used some hocus pocus to hide but I knew she was somewhere onboard. I tried to kick her off, but I got outvoted so she stayed at least until we got back to the moon from our last mission. Speaking of that;

"The Monk made a friend, some furry chick who's mother was involved in government level stuff. Mommy and her girl were worried about this giant planet-sized computer that was about to come online, and when it did it was going to think itself a god and judge Humanity by the harsh rules of their own religions. She wanted it dealt with, and we got picked as the problem solvers. We met up with several other ships, they caused a distraction and we punched through a shield and were set upon by Pattern Spiders. We dealt with them, and then some flying genome things tried to take us out; but the PSs had cut this one big chuck free to try and smash us flat, it missed us so I woke it up and it decided to help. It broke into a bunch of little flying bits too, and took care of the ones trying to stop us. Flowing Water stayed with the furry chick, his main job was to hold a box he asked us all to pump energy into. Then when I got us close, he took an arrow out of it and handed it to the animal woman who fired it from a bow. It struck the giant computer orb, and made a vine grow that ripped and destroyed shit. I was piloting so I didn't actually witness the opening of the container or the shot, but that had been the plan and I could see they succeeded. A lot of ships were lost to get us in close, and more were lost fighting the thing once it was weakened; those souls though, I think they planned to go down fighting from the start. One craft even set off a reality bomb, if that gives you an idea of how serious a battle this was.

"We got back here, and fur girl's mommy gave us diplomatic paperwork as payment. The kid who snuck on board turned out to be a good mechanic, but the last I saw of her she was worried about her parents and might have left the crew. The cult too, might have packed and gone by now, once they saw what life aboard Luci was really like. The monk was hurt bad, got really fucked up to the point where I tried to save him with what little I could recall of battlefield first aid. I think I messed stuff up worse here and there, but overall I got a shitload of shards out of him then managed to close up all the holes more or less. Well enough for him to take over his own care, which is a prime example why it's good to have more then one healer on hand at a time...

"As for this building, I bought it with some money I came into. It had been a nut house for a while, then a hospital, and is so old it actually has an oxygen generator down in the maintenance levels. It predated the dome that was over the city that used to be here, and it was up for sale before the attack came that laid New New York to waste. As you can imagine I got a good deal on it after what befell this area, and I used the powers I denied for decades to not only awaken the building itself, but to create a guardian and caretaker as well. Various groups and organizations were helpful too, as you can see from the stacks of supplies around us. This is going to be a Home for not only Veterans, but the families of those killed in the line of duty who have nowhere else to go."

The old man went silent, a look in his eye said he was conflicted about something; he reached a decision, and resumed speaking;

"Back on Mars, the Goddess Clashing Boom Boom told me that there was a way for me to redeem myself for what I did so long ago. She told me for each of the 1200 souls I took early, I needed to save one in its place. I took food, shelter, and safety away from them, and left one thousand outside to die. When I first started this project, that's what at least part of my mind was focused on, paying off my Universal tab. But there was more to it, feelings and thoughts so alien to me I couldn't give them names. Still, they were there, and they grew stronger as I helped stop the false god from awakening, and then saved Flowing Water's life. Now that piece of my brain that said this was to redeem myself, it's fallen quiet. There's still more for me to do, chapters of my life left open far too long that need closure. But when that's done and I've saved 1200, I think I might just go on saving people. Well, that I get people what they want, a bird's still got to eat right?"

Raven smiled, and winked at his friend while practiced hands hot boxed another cigarette.