In reply to K the Jester (msg # 5):

"It's all good! You seem like a social butterfly, so I can understand the confusion, heh." Lux chuckled, placing his hands to the sides of his waist, listening to her explain who she was..

His eyes somewhat widened, she sounded like a rich kid, which would explain the jade. He quickly maintained his composure, taking her hand and gently yet firmly shaking it. "Name's Lux, Lux Adocles Vance. Means Latin... My first name, not the whole thing..."

...

"I MEAN LUX MEANS LIGHT, not Latin." He placed a hand to his face, cheeks tinting a tad bit redder.. "As you can tell I don't talk to people much." He cracked, amused yet embarrassed at his mistake.

Kay winches briefly at the mention of 'butterfly.'

Kay boyishly takes Lux' offered hand, & amused by his gentle way of holding it, tries a firm, tomboyish handshake, but lacks all the power to commit one. The equivalent would be a kitten trying to pin a standing bear. "Ha, ha! Well met!"

"I like your parents' style. 'Light.' Good name."

"Oh! I love the meaning of names. My pop told me our last name comes from our ancestor being the person who gathered all the camber pots for the town that became Bukhir!" Kay smiled proudly.

Briefly, she leans in closely with a low, conspiratorial tone. "Most people don't know this, but copper is a natural, powerful anti-microbial." She gives a firm nod before straightening back up.

"And we didn't buy those awful, cheap led camber pots. MY family probably saved countless lives with our human waste management foresight." She puffed herself up briefly with her fists on her waist.

She briefly noted the long line of people behind this young man. If she stayed where she was she would have enough time to eat & get to her next event, but if she had to go to the back of the line, she might as well just eat her protean bar in her purse & forget about it until the next hunting excursion for the food truck.

"Well now, though I'm mistaken in my recollection, you are clearly a gentleman & a man of good taste. I can tell because I know lots of cool people. If it intrigues you, I'll gladly keep my offer. All you can eat! But you must keep me company. Good food tastes better when shared, after all." She put her fists on her hips & smiles as she awaites his thoughts.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:47, Thu 17 June 2021.

The entire plaza would be startled into silence as a great roar would come from the food stand, someone had angered the Chef:
"IF YOU DO NOT LIKE THE MENU, THEN LLEEAAVVEE! THERE IS NO 'vEgeTAriAn' OPTION AND THERE NEVER WILL BE!"
...
"PUDDING IS FOR THOSE WHO EAT THEIR MEAT, NO PUDDING FOR YOU, BEGONE WEAKLINGS!"
Through the crowd, one might catch a glimpse of a pair of hipster looking individuals fleeing with pale faces, one stumbling as they step on a rock or something.  Several other folks also start to make their way out of the plaza, mostly tourists from the look of them, likely choosing other food sources; the rest of the crowd just returns to their conversations as if nothing happened.
---------
Surrounding the small shopping court are several tall apartment complexes as well as office buildings, the river lies on the other side of the road, with a paved running path and the occasional bench running along the shoreline, most of the people who get their food are eating it there if not running off to wherever and whatever they were now late for. The entire time the hulking man behind the counter was hacking chunks of meat apart and portioning everything off with precision borne of decades of experience, spices would be pinched onto the bits of still steaming beast and deposited into a paperboard bowl. The menu was simple, there was Chef Surprise, Chef Surprise with Taytos, and Chef Surprise with Taytos and Veggies, pudding could be added to the meal but not bought separately.
The line progresses.

Upon the mention of the word "parents" his eye would twitch, but he returned to his average face. Something was up with it- Much like his expression before, but there was nowhere to pin in what way, or what was indicative of such.

"Yeah, he said I was a light, thus the reason for such a name. Where Adocles comes in, no clue." Listening to her deem him as such on the notion she "knew lots of cool people" made him bellow in laughter which was almost IMMEDIATELY silenced by the chef roaring at the two unfortunate vegetarians. When noise returned to the then silent masses he couldn't help but snicker at what had happened. "Oddly presumptuous, I've still only known you for at most a minute or two. As for the menu?

Hrm..  Chef Surpise, maaaybe with Taytos, but I'm here for meat- Why ruin it with starches, am I right?" He said confidently, waiting for her to pass by him. "Where're we gonna sit, if we are gonna be eating together?"

Kay notes the twitch in Lux' eye at the word parents & makes a note to be mindful of such assumptions latter on.

(To Lux: Could K make a Lore roll to see if she can remember or puzzle out the meaning of the name "Adocles?")

When Lux begins to bellow Kay tilts her head in naive confusion.

---

Kay stands up straight as the chief bellows & chases off the herbivores. "Well, you've got to respect a man with passion." She pulls on her collar nervously. "Poor herbivores. If only they knew the pawah of the hunt! Good thing you and me are omnivores."

"Ha! Bring the meat! Perhaps I'll go full carnivore today. Mu-wha, ha, ha! Alpha Predators, for the win!" Kay holds up her hand for a fist bump with this mysterious Lux in alpha predator pride.



Kay holds up a finger, "Oh, but I am a wonderful judge of character. I pride myself on it. Yes." Kay makes a firm nod to herself.



Kay turns to look at it. "Hmmm... Well, you've got to love the simplicity of it all. The mystery of it."

"I kind of wish there was a way to order each type of meat. I wounder how the bear man would react to that question?"
This message was last edited by the player at 13:25, Fri 18 June 2021.

(To K: Sure, even though it was basically just supposed to give reason to why his name sounds like Lux Ad Vance lol)

"Hey don't go full feral on me lady- Kay. I need ya to pay for the food first." He simply places an open palm to her fist bump, attention brought to the stand that was getting closer and closer.

"Whatever you say.

He's probably just not okay when we want more.. Vegetarian options, so I think asking him about the meat shouldn't be too awful." He said with confidence, waving his hands at any possible anxiety from the possibility of the behemoth of a man getting upset at such a question. "Personally I'm just tempted to ask for the whole animal itself." He cracked, pointing to the creature that was being torn and cut into pieces.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:29, Fri 18 June 2021.

Some more minutes would pass as the pair advanced up the line, and the stand itself would come into better view.
Seven and a half feet tall, and with shoulders roughly 5 feet wide, the mountain behind the counter was a blur of muscles and sharp shiny bits of metal as he continuously filled bowls with varying combinations of meat, starch, and varied vegetation. The air here was thick with the smell of maple smoke and tropical fruits, it would almost make one forget about the pollution.
Two shiny dark orbs would gaze out from the thick foliage of the chef's face and lock onto the pair as he began to reach around and fill bowls. A deep rumble would rise out of his hair-net-covered beard and ooze into the shape of a sentence.
"Lunch is Bear with Pineapple Sweet an' Sour sauce, Veggies are Peppers and/or a Coconut. Take yer pick, prices are on the board."
The referenced board was several pieces of driftwood nailed to a pole with a rudimentary menu and warning:
"Chef Surprise: quarter Yen. Add pudding, taytos, and/or veggies: eighth yen each. No change back, sort your own shit. All meat is well done, I'm not getting sued 'cuz a daft cunt got worms. I reserve the right to not serve idiots. No Lollygagging."
"Bear ate a lot of nuts an' berries, made 'er a bit on the sweeter side this time."
A great big hand would reach out after handing bowls over to the previous customers, calloused and broad, covered in faint scars to the point where it almost looked like a spider's web, an expectant glint emerging from beneath the caterpillar eyebrows.

"Ha, ha! Well said. I just can't help myself around food like this. Hmmm... I need to learn hunting. I think I have a hunter's heart."



Her eyes widen at Lux' idea. "Oh, that is a brilliant idea." Kay looks into her wallet. "Fudge. If I was him, I'd ask for a banker's bundle for that beast with this crowed. I didn't bring enough for that. Crums in the bed, I should have brought more. Well, I've got enough for what ever we like on the normie menu. Shoot. You've got good ideas."

---

In reply to Lore (msg # 12):


"Oh. That answers all my questions." Kay gives a little nod, impressed with the man's surly attitude & direct manner.

Kay breaks into a cold sweat as she sees the chef's spider web scars. She promptly pinches herself hard in the upper arm to knock off her crazy thoughts. It will leave a mark.

"Oh my sweat, Golden Lord, your food smells amazing!" Kay declares to the Chef, & then immediately orders.

"I will have seven Chef Surprise with Taytos and Veggies! Please add 2 puddings each!" K smacks her yen on the counter.

"And what would you like, Vance?" Kay smiles brightly.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:36, Mon 21 June 2021.

"Neither can I, but I'm still- relatively- calm."



"Eh, it's probably for the best, I mean these people wanna eat this savory snack too. Who're we to deny that?"

He looked up to look at the Chef as he spoke, his mind half-listening as he inhaled through his nostrils to enjoy the pleasantries of his cooking, mouth watering upon the description of what had lathered the meat, instinctively aware of the coming gratitude of his stomach.. Though quickly shook himself back to reality, eyes seemingly dismissive of the scars on the behemoth of a mans arms.

His gaze would turn to Kay, knowing what he had wanted before, as, well, he had just said it, before returning to the chef.

"Chef Surprise only, please."

Damn it why does he need to be so considerate, he wants that damn thing to himself SOOOO BADLY, it's not even funny!
This message was last edited by the player at 02:38, Tue 22 June 2021.

"Packing away some pounds for winter are ya? Y'seem a bit slight to be fitting that much at once, 'specially seeing as the wind could've blown you over not a few moments ago."

Reaching back and grabbing some extra large styrene containers, he began to portion out the food, keeping the pudding in a separate container of course.

"With such an appetite, you may want to do some of your own hunting, a lot of untouched wilderness out there, even here in Meru. Lots of bizarre things out there, most of 'em dangerous, so make sure you're prepared."

With that he'd hand over the orders, one many times larger than the other, and wave them off.

"NEXT"

---------
On one of the many public news screens, the local channel was talking about rumors of MMM coming into town, authorities were taking these rumors seriously and increasing police presence in preparation.
On another note, Affordable Arms United has recently lost a lawsuit where they were suing independent 3D-printer users for infringing upon their copy-rights, the courts ruled that since the designs themselves were different from AAU's that the corporation had to stand down; this news has lit up the gun community as independent "gun-printer" startups have begun to crop up more, officials expect there to be an increase in gun-failure-induced injuries as a result.

"Yes! I am hungrier... er, tougher then I look." She poses with her arms on her sides.







"Oh? I have been hopping to do some camping with the family. Any place in particular you'd recommend staying away from?"



K almost falls over when she takes hold of her order.

"Oof! Thank you. May the Sun smile on you & your work." She gives a polite bow and moves along, quickly scanning the available seating options. She spots a picnic table by the water. It's abandoned & ignored do to a lot of garbage & litter scattered about it, but she figures it'd be worth the quick clean up for some nice seating and a place to set the food.

"How about that one?" she asks Mr. Vance
This message was last edited by the player at 21:16, Sat 24 July 2021.

With a humble nod intended to be similar to a bow, "What she said." he spoke half-heartedly, focused somewhat on his surroundings, moreso on his plate, following K to a more open area with seating.

Upon her recommendation of the seat covered in trash, he spoke with a mouth full of food, his cheeks puffed somewhat. Mysteriously, the contents on his plate had magically disappeared! "Whihf wuh? Oah, haht wuh. Ure." Placing his plate somewhere near, he would begin moving towards the table, grabbing at some of the garbage on the seats, which smelled absolutely horrid, and moving it somewhere else, seemingly undeterred by the stench.

Once returning, his cheeks were normal, the "unknown" food he stuffed into his mouth had disappeared.

"Someone forgot to use salt." He spoke simply, whether what he had just said was meant to be a joke or not remaining unclear.

In reply to Lux Vance (msg # 17):



K smiles and laughs as Mr. Vance tucks the food away faster then he can perceive it.

"Ho, ho! You can't fool me, you know. I ordered another plate for you. A fellow foodie knows." K sets the extra plate in front of Vance on the picnic table.

After pulling out her own single plate, K looks at the bag of food she has. "Oh. Oh! You all think I am eating all of this? Oh, ho, ho. No. I'm just bringing all this stuff to my family. I'm still a lightweight."

---

K listens to the news. "Man, this stuff is depressing. Defective guns, made by 3-D print guys. What can people like us do about this stuff?

"You did? Oh. When'd you do that?" He rose a brow confused yet curious, but almost immediately shrugged it off, after all, free food pretty much.

And then his brows furrowed as she began to explain, realizing she had interpreted differently than what he had intended, quickly specifying on whatever his words had just meant. "N..no, I mean, like- Bodies. You use salt to clump up the blood? Makes it easier to clean it up? ...Don't ask." He then proceeded to look away from her, realizing she.. probably didn't know what she was talking about, and was just as likely concerned on why this teenager knew this fact, focusing on his food, biting into it and tearing away pieces with his hands and teeth.

Only when she had spoken about the news, his eyes froze, trapped in a single event in his past.

It was at night, where he had donned his armor and swooped down to save a couple from some armed robbers, using one of these guns. He took aim, and fired his shot, only milliseconds after had he been disarmed by Lux, the man was shot. He was shocked, to say the least, about to recall what he had done next, before returning to reality to answer her question of the incidents within the News.

"It isn't my place to say. We're just people in a place without heroes." He'll need to make a personal note to visit this "AAU", when he's good enough. Or when that's needed. "I just know there's something wrong about what was said. I don't trust the news. They always leave out the most important bits. Learned that from my pops." He said blatantly and without care, yet with confidence in what he spoke. "What do you think Richie?" He asked, finally returning his glance to her, giving her what he thought to be a nickname based on her wealth, to simply tease her.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:48, Sun 25 July 2021.

K raises an eyebrow excitedly. "Oh! Is this a forensics thing? I find forensics fascinating." 



"Oh, I don't know. My parents are my heroes. Maybe we... I don't know. Ha, ha! I'm just a kid trying to figure this stuff out. It can make your head spin."

She slowly eats the meat, wanting to savor the unique texture & flavor. "Oh, thank you, delicious & beautiful animal, for giving your life for our enjoyment & survival."



"Oh! He sounds cool. And prudent." There sounded like there was a story here, but she didn't want to pry. She'd just leave that up in the air & see if he wanted to share.



"Ha, ha!" She was happy to have earned a nickname. "Oh man. I'm so naive. Ug. I guess I feel pretty conflicted.

I like the idea of people being able to protect themselves, so I like the idea of folks getting easier ways to obtain them, but it would really suck if you are forced to shot an intruder & your gun blows up in your hand.

I'm hopping the news segment will at least make some folks aware of the risk."

He began to chew his meat, looking at her now with an unamused face. "It's a murder-related joke that's overstayed it's welcome." He said, with a tone befitting of the face he was giving. He would soon swallow what he had placed into his mouth, and proceeded to swallow it down his gullet. He didn't eat anymore after that.

A single raise of his eyebrow would come as she talked about her parents. "Why haven't I heard of 'em then?" And even more importantly, if they were the kind he was thinking of, why was the situation at the city getting WORSE? His brows furrowed, thoughts flying through his mind, before shaking his head and returning to reality to respond further.

"...Yeah." He looks back again at the last he saw his father. But before he could outwardly show his feelings, he swiftly steeled himself, tempering his spirit.

Soon he kicked back, raising his feet and placing them against the table top, ensuring they weren't placed directly at his front, since, well, that's where she was. "It probably won't, instead, opting to make people more afraid. That's the kinda stuff that'll make people look at it more."

Feeling more then a little guilty at accidentally killing her guest's appetite, K smiles naively and simply adds "Fair enough."






"Oh, I just know them as those heroes that are unsung. Not sexy heroes. Just good people trying to do the best for those they love & the community, as best they can figure. No supervillains or anything." She looks off into the waters with a regretful look.

"I was quite the handful in my early days. They could have just given up on me. But the real heroes just do the right thing, no matter how much this world punishes them for it. They just keep moving along. How unspeakably blessed we are to have such fools."



K furrows her brow up in sad contemplation. "That... would explain a lot of their excess. Why fix the problem when it gives you power & makes you rich?

How frighteningly baneful & logical.

You seem to have a talent for criminal psychology, Mr. Vance!" K giggles.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:55, Tue 27 July 2021.

She wasn't the reason, is all that will be said, given what had been in his mouth earlier. His stomach was full, nothing else to add. At least, probably.

With the description of her parents, he was almost about to blurt out the fact of his own having left him, essentially, in a ditch, but withheld as he could clearly see his words' and actions effect. "I can see that. You seem like the kind of person raised in a good environment like that. Part of me wants to disagree with them being called fools.. But it's definitely an apt description. What kind of person throws away their life in service of others? It isn't like anyone will appreciate what they do." He chuckled, looking away from her to look elsewhere, his eyes, from the moment she saw them, had been to some other place, some other time.

"Yeah." He said plainly.

The usually mundane news cast that plays on the screens around the area is interrupted.
"Reports have come in of a Gang War breaking out in Eastern Taipal, word is that the Bukhir Bandits are fighting off an incursion from an as yet unknown organization from outside the city, police are taking fire from both sides so they have retreated and simply quarantined the area. There is the possibility of a third group, likely local militia, being active but that hasn't been confirmed yet. Needless to say, this isn't making law enforcement look good, we will be hearing from a city police representative soon."
-----
Just after this report, a chorus of complaints and protests sounds from the crowd waiting at the food truck.

"BUGGER OFF, I'VE SHIT TO TAKE CARE OF! I'll probably be back to serve dinner, now MAKE WAY."

The crowd would part like the Red Sea, none wanted to be in his way, and the hulking chef would be seen sprinting out of the plaza and turning to the East. After his departure, people would begin to filter out of the area, many discussing theories on what the Chef could possibly be doing that was more important than serving food to the masses, some of the less self-centered voiced concerns over his safety.

In reply to Lore (msg # 24):

”Wow. That’s… a cowincidence.”

K looks at Vance with an impish look.

”Wanna follow him?”
This message was last edited by the player at 22:48, Wed 28 July 2021.

"Hm? Oh, nah, I gotta job in an hour. Have to pay the bills somehow." A half lie, though he had plenty of jobs, none were around this time. "...But just in case, you probably should follow him."

He would soon stand up, picking up his bag and tossing it over his shoulder, walking somewhere where no one else would see him.

Knowing, or at least thinking he was safe from prying eyes, he began to remove the outer layer of clothes he had put on to hide the Yoroi Rapid-Response Armor he had under. Opening the bag, he would pull from it the helmet for it, but before doing so, noticed a homeless man within the ally, to which he tossed these personal things towards him to use.

"You can have it, keep yourself warm." He said, before leaping to the roof of the building and jumping towards the supposed chaos.

No one else is going to die.

K just sat there for a moment as her guest proved to be anti-social & rude. He just walked away from her, with no pleasantry.

"How rude." She notes tot he cosmos.

And then she ran into a local port-O-potty & changed into...

K the Jester!^TM Gal of Action! (Yay!)

She bound out of the port-O-Potty & ran in pursuit of the massive cook.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:55, Wed 28 July 2021.

Eastern Taipal belches out plumes of black smoke as fires lit by the battle rage unchecked, soon to leave behind hollowed skeletons of former apartment buildings and stores. The sound of gunfire and even some explosions echo through the streets, guided by the towers of glass and concrete alongside the roads.
-------------
In one particular Cul-de-sac a trio of militiamen were caught in a three-way firefight with the Bandits and the other group. Edward looked to Eddmund and their wounded compatriot, shouting over the gunfire he'd address his intact friend.
"Get him into the building, I'll drop smoke for you!"
Ducking beneath the overturned truck they were using as cover, he pulled two canisters out of his backpack and rolled them out after pulling the pins, they soon began to spew forth thick white smoke and Eddmund skittered across the pavement with his friend in a fireman's carry. Edward pulled up his rifle and blindly sprayed over the cover to force his assailants into cover. Today was a good day to die.
-------------
Vasya was not a happy man, this was supposed to be simple job: go in, scope area, set up safehouse, wait for orders. The locals had other ideas, they somehow caught scent of outsiders and went all-out. Squeezing off a few rounds down the alleyway he swore as another squadmate took a bullet to the face. Stepping back, Vas suddenly found himself staring up at the sky, scrambling to his feet he realized he'd stepped on one of those damned plastic guns the locals kept throwing away. This was madness.

In reply to Lore (msg # 28):

The reality was humbling to K. The great fires & various fire fights echoing through the streets shook her out of any delusions of heroism like cold water to the face.

She takes a deep breath & calls on the secret gifts the Sun bestowed upon her. The Sun is truly generous & kind to his chosen, & he has allowed K the 1st steps in dominion over shadow as well as light, for how can shadow gainsay a bringer of light & flame?

Fading from the perception of the public, K slinks into the shadows & follows the noise of gun fire to the Cul-de-sac, finding the trio of militiamen trapped. She tries to carefully discover who the other 2 groups attacking them are. Just in case they are not normal, K tries to stay in the shadows in edition to using the Sun's miracles of stealth.

From the tops of a building, leaped an armored individual, their suit recognized by historians as an ancient set used a time long ago. Their figure could be seen from all witnessing this horrific event, as a shadow landed on the floor before their mighty feet clashed against the concrete near the truck. Their helmeted head turned to the one laying behind the vehicular cover, their voice a distortion of something else, yet in their tone carried a confidence, a lick of empathy, sternness, and the subtle nature of stubbornness.

"Are you alright? What's the situation?"

They questioned the militiaman, despite examining the environment around them, to ensure a level of certainty. They seemed unaware of the individual laying behind shadow.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:28, Sun 05 Sept 2021.