[Children of the Flower (OOC / Closed)]

I'm fine with anything. Didn't really fancy my Scorch fighting against his ex-brethren much but it'll sure be interesting.

[Children of the Flower (OOC / Closed)]

Could use a feast myself right about now

[Children of the Flower (IC)]

At the table of cooked meats, the conduction grill where people could heat up whatever meat they wished themselves was being manned by an ex-Grineer with an unexpected talent.

The Scorch in black hadn't spoken a word throughout the entirety of the speech and had followed quietly as they were ushered into the banquet hall. But here he was now, gloves removed and watching several ground Virmink 'nutritional' patties on the grill, brushed with a mix of some rather aromatic oil. His hands were busy, mincing shrimp with peppers and some deep-red fruit into a chunky sauce, which he spread evenly across the fillet of a desert Skate - spine and bones removed by racking it inwards with a firm grip. A spicy aroma wafted from the grill as the barbecued, marinated Skate sizzled and browned, causing several heads and noses to turn. Without looking up, the Scorch pulled several wings, shiny from honey glaze - off a vertical spit and laid them onto a platter before returning to the caramelized onions he was making for the patties.

It was clear that all the food he was helping to prepare wasn't for his own consumption. He handed out servings to those who were comfortable with eating meals made by a Grineer while busying himself with his work. While his face remained masked and unreadable, the soul within was content to practice the recipes learnt from his travels over the past few decades. 

 

[Plaguewalkers (IC)]

"Cooking for a house of little runts who spend too much time jumping on beds and crawling through ditches, then for a bunch of bigger boys who lift girders and pour concrete all day." Nana replied. "Well, that's for the chowder. Pizza's a luxury for most of us, but thankfully it's not too difficult to put together."

Those words made her think of the orphanage again. Were the kids safe? Maman Amelie and the sisters? She didn't want to think about it. The boys who remained with her at the construction site were gone, but perhaps those who had left earlier might have made it to their families. But she had no way of knowing, and no way of doing anything.

[Plaguewalkers (IC)]

"Make sure you wash your hands before eating." said Nana by way of greeting as they approached. Having been tending to the chowder to stop it from curdling the past few minutes, she set everything out onto trays and laid the food out on the table. Steak on pizza and cream chowder probably wasn't the most likely of combinations one might be used to, but it was hearty enough. Having had her fill from the aromas during her time in the kitchen, she contented herself with just a single slice and a small serving of the starchy greasy soup.

[Children of the Flower (IC)]

Having been lingering around the back of the growing crowd the past few minutes, the Scorch found himself joining the others as they gathered at the stage after being addressed rather directly by the young man. The Tenno he had taken to the hangar had went somewhere with probably a little more breathing room, but here he stood shoulder to shoulder with a gilded swordmaster Warframe and some mercenary-looking fellow in a typical work-grade jumpsuit. He remained silent and relatively still, but a slight cocking of his head betrayed a hint of climbing interest as he gazed ahead at the stage and the young man addressing them.

[Children of the Flower (IC)]

1 hour ago, -AoN-CanoLathra- said:

Spoiler

 

A Grineer. Armaments indicate a Scorch, but with shields. Someone must have outfitted him.

"Yes, I am. I know where I am going, but not how to get there. Do you know how to get to the hangar used by The Children of the Lotus?" Takar said, her voice calm and soft.

The odds that he is going to the same place as I are slim, but perhaps he knows his way around here better than I.

 

 

"You must be here for the meeting." the clone replied. "I happen to be headed there myself. Come with me, Tenno."

The well-mannered(by Grineer standards) Scorch trudged off into the crowd, making sure to keep within her reach. He led her past a trail of workers carrying panels and sound equipment towards the nucleus of the Relay's present hubbub - a stage of sorts whereupon a rather imposing Nyx stood. He came to a stop at the fringes of this gathering, seemingly hesitant to get any closer to the throng of Perrin technicians around the base of the stage.

[Children of the Flower (IC)]

1 hour ago, -AoN-CanoLathra- said:

Spoiler

 

Here we go once more.

Larunda. Takar had been here many times, though she wasn't sure she licked the new aesthetic. The old relays were compact, easy to navigate. She tended to get lost in these new designs, with their busy architecture and strange energy flows criss-crossing the myriad hallways stretching between far-flung corners.

I understand the need for progress. I just think they sometimes conflate progress with change.

Now, where is the hanger the invite pointed to?

Perhaps this relay would be easier to navigate if she had been able to see it's design. But, without access to any database containing the blueprints of this relay, she was, well and truly, wandering blind.

Perhaps I will be lucky enough to find another who has been invited, and they can guide me. My Voidsight does not work well here, not when there are so many levels and layers, so much busyness and chaos.

If I ever find the one who designed this place, I will have some very choice words for him.

Takar found a small corner, out of the way of the hustle and bustle of the relay, and took a second to center herself.

Stop. Breathe. Reach out, past the walls, past the currents. Look for a group marked by anxiety and excitement, especially Tenno. Feel for their location.

There.

...

...

...

But how do I get there?

 

A rhythm of pumping pistons and mechanical crunching grew louder, announcing the approach of a dense, hulking figure. A mass of cloned flesh beneath a suit of Ferrite armour, in turn coated by a dark, hide-like drape of fiber, staring at her with an unreadable expression through two glassy black eyes inset into a gas mask. It paused a short distance from her and seemed to hesitate for a few moments. Then it spoke.

"Excuse me? Are you perhaps lost?"

The figure - slightly muffled from a gas filter, had the distinctive guttural traits of a gene-deteriorated voice box, but his words were very unlike any a male Grineer soldier would utter. 

[Children of the Flower (OOC / Closed)]

On 2019-08-27 at 2:10 PM, Psychotoxin said:

The more I read this, the more I see a TF2 Pyro.

Minus the psychopathic killing instinct and disconnect from reality I guess? Both would still give you lollipops, though they'd have different ideas of what actually qualifies as a lollipop.

There's 3 Ignis users now. Would probably get messy if they end up in the same mission. Not that it's a bad thing =)

 

 

[Children of the Flower (OOC / Closed)]

6 males, 1 lady and 1 Cephalon. Well then.

[Children of the Flower (OOC / Closed)]

Hey there, this looks interesting so I'll give it a shot.

I don't play Tenno characters for various reasons, so with the current roster of ex-Corpus, human, Cephalon and Tenno in mind, I'll try an ex-Grineer to add some colour to the cast. Very sorry about the gender ratio but I have trouble visualizing a female Scorch. If you feel that we have too many males, I can also rubbish up a lady Heavy Gunner instead.

I'm not good at coming up with elaborate equipment and ability loadouts, so I'll go with something a little simpler and easier to digest. 

Name: Ag'ni Shn
Species: Clone, ex-Grineer
Gender: Male
Apparent Age: Indistinguishable
Mental Age: 30+ - having lived for almost three Earth decades, he is wise and mature by Grineer standards.
Biological Age: 29

Personality:

Spoiler

 

Where the Infestation is concerned, Ag’ni is all business. Methodical and meticulous, he devours the Technocyte with cleansing flame, only stopping when nothing but him is moving. To the colonies that he has come to cleanse, he is a merciless killer with a cruel instrument of pain and death. Even those that regard him as a saviour bear more fear than admiration, when they see the dancing flames reflected in the unreadable, glassy blackness of his gas mask’s eyes.

Outside of work however, Ag’ni is actually a rather meek fellow. While keen to make new friends, he usually lets his timidness get the better of him, especially when the reactions of many have made him rather self-conscious of his appearance. Having one’s expressions hidden behind a mask might not be very helpful for interpersonal communication, but he feels it better to hide his facial features lest he be judged further. Interactions with civilians, Tenno and colonists have shown that he can be a rather amicable, thoughtful and lighthearted person with a particularly soft spot for children, the vulnerable and especially the elderly. Such rare moments can only be witnessed when he is in the company of people with good heart, who are willing to see past the battle-hardened, ex-Grineer Infested Exterminator exterior and reach out to the friendly little introverted soul within.

 

Appearance:

Spoiler

Ag’ni has the physique of the typical Grineer Scorch clone, but that much is difficult to tell over the set of fireproof, black bunker gear that drapes his body armour like the loose, oily skin of some animal. A hooded gas mask covers his face at all times, and the few who have seen the face underneath claim it to be as scarred and burnt as the charred wastes he leaves in his wake. A personal shield generator attached to his Grineer medium assault armour provides additional, effective fireproof and defensive shielding, giving his frame a blue tinge when in combat. His legs have been replaced by mechanical prosthetics, which while more stable and sturdy than his organic ones were, add a rather menacing, crunching trudge to his step.

Brief History:

Spoiler

 

One of many Grineer clones with the so-called 'pacifism defect'. Ag'ni was trained as a medium assault Grineer like the rest of his cloning batch. His unusual attention to cleanliness and tidiness with cleaning instruments may have contributed to his finesse with the Ignis during combat efficiency assessment, and he was quickly relocated and put to work as a specialized Infested-exterminating Scorch unit. He spent several years in such service, earning himself promotions, cybernetic augmentations and gene therapy along the way. His time with the Grineer was put to an end however, on the day that he was told to exercise his extermination expertise on a colony of pests - a small subspace colonist enclave that refused to bow to the Grineer. Unwilling to put innocent lives to the flame, Ag'ni deserted in the midst of the operation and sabotaged his platoon's boarding vessel before laying down his weapon and begging the colonists to flee in escape pods. They took him with them and escaped to a Steel Meridian stronghold, where he parted ways as he did not wish to fight against his former brethren even if it meant saving innocent lives.

Ever since, his years have been spent exploring the system, where he took up jobs and contracts in his area of expertise while satisfying his desire to see new sights and make new friends. The latter seldom goes well, as few were comfortable around a hardened Grineer Scorch like himself. That did not deter him much though, and his jolly spirit continued to wander in its determination to enjoy the life he had been given. Eventually, this would lead him to a certain hangar in the Larunda Relay where he had been enjoying some restorative therapy for his rapidly-aging joints. The Tenno were such interesting people - so exotic and curious! And here was his chance to find some longer-term employment alongside them.

 

Equipment:
Ignis Wraith: The prized possession of Ag'ni, upgraded from his standard-issue Ignis by the Steel Meridian in recognition of his service in evacuating Kavor Defectors. This particular model is fitted to release a pressurized, controlled stream of superheated plasma at high capacities.

Fireproof Ferrite Armour: Ag'ni's base armour is the standard medium assault Grineer armour used by Lancers. With his earned credits, he has also invested in a black heatshield lining that is draped over his armour to protect him from his own weapon.

Shield Generator: Ag'ni possesses additional insurance in the form of a shield generator attached to his armour framework. 

 

Skills and Abilities:
Infested Extermination: With decades of experience combating the Infested under his belt, Ag'ni possesses the knowledge needed to neutralize Infestated spaces and even make them habitable again. Notable things he can do include detecting and following Technocyte trails to track boils and Hives, reading hivemind horde patterns, fumigating Infested spores from enclosed spaces and other tactics specific to combating the Technocyte.

Stress-Tested: Ag'ni's cybernetic leg prostheses are of the all-terrain load-bearing variety, allowing for extended periods of operation in most terrain conditions. This also allows him to help transport and move mission objectives when necessary.

[Plaguewalkers (OOC)]

I'm still here btw. Will have Nana return and join the boys at a better time.

[Plaguewalkers (IC)]

49 minutes ago, Gamer4Christ said:

Zachary walked out of the ER room and noticed Nana in her new garb.  "Hey hey, lookin' good!  Hey, uh, is the pizza ready yet?"

"Should be done by now. It's sitting in the oven." she replied. "Hope you like bell peppers."

The trench coated man wasn't with him. Did he perhaps go for a shower too? Zachary himself looked like he could use one, after all the running around today.

"If you see that fellow around, tell him that food's ready will you? I've got to get these washed, you should probably get yourself cleaned up too."

With those words, she stepped past him and into the medical bay's laundry closet, which thankfully was fully topped over with antibacterial detergent. 

[Plaguewalkers (IC)]

The boys were taking a while. She thought it was best if they ate together, so Nana left the food where it was and headed down the hallway. The facility was likely designed for men in mind - the ladies' bathroom was probably in the medical facility. She borrowed a gown and fresh undergarments from a closet, then slipped into the showers and proceeded to scrub and rinse the filth off her skin. The antibacterial soap stung her nose, but she was too grateful for hot, running water to mind at this point. Oh, to be clean again...

Her dirty yellow hair took several minutes to rinse through, but looked no different than it was before they touched water. It seemed as though years of orphanage grime and drywall dust had dyed her hair for the worse, but there wasn't much to do about that. Now smelling faintly of disinfectant, she stepped out of the cubicles in a set of light pink scrubs and sandals, and ventured down the hallway in search of the laundry bay. Hopefully there was detergent too.

[Plaguewalkers (OOC)]

There's certainly room for more, if we can get anyone else.

[Plaguewalkers (IC)]

Meanwhile, away from any sort of meaningful conversation, Nana busied herself in the facility's main kitchen. Zachary seemed to have been in the middle of making some sort of pizza before he left to look for the other man, but he left enough for her to work with. The food stocks seemed to mainly consist of non-perishables - fitting for a military base probably, but there were still some ingredients lying around that would go bad within the month. She could probably help with sorting that out. 

What was left of someone's uncooked steak now sizzled on a grill in small cubes alongside minced onions and chopped bell peppers. On the gas stove, she stirred milk and cream into a chowder of potatoes and back bacon. Pizza and spaghetti seemed to be rather popular among the base's personnel - she found several cans of tomato puree in a cupboard, one of which now lay empty in the trash as its contents were smeared over the pizza dough that Zachary had left lying out with the cheese.

The preheat timer on the oven pinged loudly. Nana scooped off the steak and veggies from the grill and spilled them all over the pizza, covered the lot with shredded cheddar and mozzarella and shoved it in, setting the timer for ten. She then returned to the chowder, switching off the gas just before it began to boil over. The soup - thick and creamy from the ruptured starchy potatoes and shiny with a layer of bacon grease, was spooned into three large bowls and topped off with dry crackers that she crushed with a surprisingly strong grip. The remainder could be refrigerated for later.

Now to wait for the pizza until the boys returned.

[Plaguewalkers (IC)]

The pressurized hose worked quickly, washing away the viscera and bloodstains into cracks along the dirt roads, where they would return to the earth. Hopefully that was enough, though their efforts would be for naught if the surviving enemies ended up disclosing the location of Zachary's compound anyway. Stowing away the equipment in the garage, Nana swept herself off and joined the coated man a few minutes later. He seemed to be doing rather well despite his recent injury, which spoke of either his unseen resilience or the medical care that the compound's medical bay offered.

[Plaguewalkers (IC)]

Trying to mask her disgust, Nana left them to their work. Not quite the way she had expected them to bond, but boys will be boys it seemed.

Right around the bend, she found the furnace that Zachary was talking about. She couldn't imagine why they'd need a furnace in this day, but in this case it saw unprecedented use. It even came equipped with a fixed grate incinerator, which she supposed was useful for waste disposal. A waste compactor and a remover contract might have been sufficient but she certainly wasn't about to complain now. 

The equipment helpfully provided instruction panels, leaving out much of the guesswork. She set the incinerator on preheat and injections on auto, sparing them the smell of having to watch the process and the resulting organic fumes. Ech. The feeder chute seemed large enough to load a few bodies at a time, which she wasn't about to do by hand. Spotting a conveniently-placed wheelbarrow by a pillar, she wheeled it over to the men, covering her flu-masked face as she did so.

"Get those in there and let's get out of here. I'll hose off the ground."

Nana almost felt guilty about having them do the dirty work, but it was all she could do to avoid throwing up at this point. 

[Plaguewalkers (OOC)]

So the group is presently on an open road right outside the compound? If so then I suppose it makes sense to proceed with the furnace and hosing of the road.

[Plaguewalkers (OOC)]

7 hours ago, Gamer4Christ said:

"No need!" said Zachary as he pulled out the massive hose.  "It's all derived from the city reservoir.  Don't worry, we've got the highest quality filtration system, so no gunk will be spittin' out of this thing, or anywhere in this facility for that matter.  But first we're gonna have to move these guys into the furnace.  We had it installed a while ago after we had a few "visitors" hop along over here.  Whelp, hope you don't mind getting your hands dirty!" he said with a laugh.

I'm a little confused here on a few things.

Was the 'massive' hose being carried with the group while running and gunning in the jeep or something?
Was the water reservoir apparently nearby and available to pump from despite Nana's observation? Or was there some other nearby outlet only known to Zachary, since if it's an ordinary fire hydrant I'm not sure how likely it'll be to tap into a supply with the 'highest quality filtration system'.
And lastly, I don't think they can realistically cart the corpses all the way back to Zachary's compound with one jeep. Most obvious solution to me would be to simply return with one load first and come back for the rest in larger and/or separate vehicles, but we could clarify that part in IC.

[Plaguewalkers (IC)]

After Zachary's murderous driving, Nana was glad to be out of the vehicle. She lost count of how many bodies the poor jeep had collided with, but she couldn't imagine it being anything but good for the vehicle after repeated impacts. She was no automobile mechanic though, if only Vadim was still around...

"Still kicking, still walking." she answered their trench-coated comrade, who had outdone himself with his gunnery this time. Pressing down on her chest to suppress her nausea, she slung her hammer over her shoulder and looked around at the corpses littering the dirt road. It didn't help much, but she snapped the flu mask over her face as well to make the smell barely bearable.

"I don't think we passed any water nearby. Even if we went back and got the hose, there isn't a conveniently-located water tanker to draw from" she said. "No bright ideas from me though, unless you fancy carting these into a ditch further away from here so we can make a jolly bonfire and let the smoke draw any remaining infected elsewhere."

There was still the concern of the infected that fled. If they could rationalize their actions enough to prioritize their survival, would they be able to share information with each other too? She hadn't witnessed the infected hordes being particularly coordinated, but if they were smart enough to communicate, there would be little point in trying to keep Zachary's military base thing any more discreet. The thought of fleeing briefly crossed her mind, but she knew that she wouldn't last three weeks outside the city by herself with little outdoorsman skills.

[Plaguewalkers (IC)]

Things were happening and escalating way too quickly for Nana's liking, but she had little choice in the matter. Not when hot on their heels was a horde of infected with more colour and diversity among their numbers than the last cultural exchange festival. On the run with some kind of foreign movie protagonist behind the wheel with a wounded egghead in tow wasn't quite how she envisioned herself surviving in this apocalyptic cityscape, but then again her even being alive to see day after day wasn't expected to begin with.

Riding shotgun was where she asked to be, but there was little for her to do from her seat. She couldn't give Zachary directions from a map, or help their gunner who seemed to be pulling more than his weight despite his recent injury. She kept her fingers crossed that no infected would suddenly leap onto the hood of the jeep, though if it came to that - she happened to be packing a mean thrust with as much subtlety as one would expect any other bloodstained 5-kilogram steel mold demolition tool to have.

[Plaguewalkers (OOC)]

From my understanding, Joshua was going to try and automate the turret or something? I don't think we got to establish that, but I'll assume that he's on the gunner's seat for the time being - though I'll leave ambiguous the bit about whether he's manually operating it or not.

[Plaguewalkers (OOC)]

I'm getting the impression that DM is trying to steer the setting away from what it is and get it back on his track, which if the case - could be done with less subtlety I guess. At this point I'm not sure who is supposed to be directing the interaction and setting we have going on here.

[Plaguewalkers (IC)]

She didn't need telling twice. Zachary was the most well-equipped to take on the hordes in the thick of melee, it was the most she could do to keep them off their gunner. She fumbled around in her pockets, quickly fishing out her earplugs and stuffing them into her ears before assuming a batter's stance near the vehicle. Nana didn't know if the turret would eject spent casings like most of the guns she had seen the military use, but she didn't fancy getting singed by any coming from their gunner today.