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[RAM]

Well if you have a catapult then "Rain of Spids" would be a decent spell for use against an encampment or fortification, but, well, "when life gives you bolas and babies"...

Besides, if horror movies have taught me anything, then it is would be that 99% of all swarm deaths occur as they approach. Being thrown directly onto the victim ought to increase their life-expectency significantly!

[Whisperling]

Please tell me we're not honestly considering using our own children as bola counterweights.

...Can I sig this?

[DolosusDoleus]

Please tell me we're not honestly considering using our own children as bola counterweights.

...Can I sig this?

Sure!

[Paxiecrunchle]

Posting to watch this Spiderman adventure.

[Liquefied Spleens]

The Fifth Millenium.

MISS AESTINUS. the professor yelled, causing Sydney to jump up. She was too busy looking at the arriving space fleet to pay proper attention in the class. Something the professor is eager and quick to notice.
If you are done staring out the window into the only area less occupied than your head, how about you tell us why one must always wait for a confirmed lock during spacebattles?
Sydney, drowsy from lack of sleep slurs out Cuz Isaac Newton's the deadliest son of a bitch in space. as she tries to shake the cobwebs out of her head.
Speak up, ms Austinus. We can't hear you.
Because the laws of momentum dictate that an object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. In space there's nothing stopping it, so it will keep going until it hits something.
...Good. I suppose there may be hope for you yet. Now please PAY ATTENTION!
The rest of the lesson continues on as it always does, more talking about rules of engagement and how Plugs are supposed to add the Sentient element to the calculations. As a drider, Sydney is especially valued as a Plug, so it only makes sense she'd learn about it. Her "experience" from living (against her will) with pirates for four years gave her a passing grade in the entrance exam, with consideration towards a soldier role if she were to need more than 50 cl of Neutroxium to survive being plugged to begin with. The cybernetics are quite harsh, and the rejection blockers are expensive to make.
Fortunately, she's in the golden margin of needing only five CL of the stuff. That causes some friction with the people that feel like she has a permanent advantage just by being born.
And people STILL think spiders are scary.

Nobody much cares for driders on the training vessel UCS Gezelle. She's a bit too wide for the hallways, and she scares the other students. And those students talk to friends that aren't scared of driders. Before long, you have the whole school either distant or outright hostile.
Sydney doesn't care about that, though. Compared to the pirates, this is downright pleasant. She still can't bear to look at her back in the mirror. The marking that was burnt there still makes her shake.
The happiest day of her life was when the Space Marines came in and exterminated the lot of them. They came for the captain last, and they found him with one-hundred seventy-six stab wounds and a young drider holding a knife. Crying and shaking, with marks of shoddily implanted cybernetics to use her a Plug. She was sent to an orphanage for a few years before she enlisted.

Today was a big day, of course. Today would be the first exercise as a plug, which made most of the people positively giddy. They keep thinking it would be like the simulations, or even like a video game. In reality, it's closer to trying to follow two conversations at once while spinning a plate and making a meal at the same time. An absolute bombardment of information and things you need to take care of.
Where should the cannons fire?
Is the margin of error acceptable?
How should power be distributed?
Is the merchandise getting fed?
Do you need a shot of Neuroroxium now, and if so, how much?
Should the sale be finished or would it be better to wait for a higher bidder?
All while something is kicking you in the back of the head to make sure you don't do anything outside of the chosen path. THAT is what it's like to be a Plug.
Of course, they'll be limited the data flow during this first run. The newbie-pods are all ready, waiting for their Plug.

Giddily, people walk to their chosen pod. This will be a combat exercise, most likely. EMP-shots are attached and made to be moveable around most of the ship. The blindspot is at the sides, but these little beans are just about man-sized anyhow. They turn on a dime and they're hard to hit. EMP-shot will disable the ships, except for the life support systems which are according to the safety regulations, put on a backup generator and have additional protection.
This is going to be fun, Sydney thought. She didn't much feel like it was going actually be fun. No matter how much she smiled or laughed, Sydney's eyes always had that sad, lifeless look to them since the pirates. That little fact also didn't much help in gathering friends with the other space cadets.
Most of the pods were just human-sized. Some of them have higher seats for the occasional kobolt, but most races fit in the humanoid compartments. Sydney, on the hand, needed to use a much larger model to account for not only her bulk, but the added ports that she needs. Driders are highly effective as Plugs, but the ports in their bodies need to be spread out much further. So instead of a bean, Sydney gets to play in a ball.
The ports are much better than the old ones, but the damage is still done. They needed to give her artificial ligaments and the like to make sure she could even move around properly after the removal, and she had to kick a painkiller addiction in her time at the orphanage.

She cringes as the machine links up with her and a familiar interface appears again. As she expected, only three streams of information, and one of them is just "acceptable margin for error" on the auto-aim. That one barely requires thinking. As the roof opens, the first few pods begin to enter the great nothingness of space. Many are still getting used to it. Some of the pods are already performing puke prevention. The first time can be rough for some.
For Sydney?
For the first time in five years, as the pod rises up into space and freedom,
Her eyes lit up, and a smile crept on her face.


Trying some different that may be part of another game someday.

[RAM]

Well, you start with Newton and objects continuing until hitting things, which is harder sci-fi, and then go into manned space-fighters and space marines, which will bug people who are too caught-up on the untenable idea that fictional stories should be accurate. Also most military thinkers would probably be more interested in getting kills than the chance of a random object in space hitting something that they care about. On the other hand, I totally agree, throwing stuff around in space and crying that it is someone else's problem is totally irresponsible and will inevitably be reciprocated, possibly by people whose stray garbage a thousand years ago is an exceedingly pressing concern for your immediate future. Ooops, tangent... And there may be a faction that dislikes fantasy mixed with science fiction. I recall objections to Shadowrun based upon spilling fantasy all over cyberpunk.

Regardless, the setting sounds like fun.

I would tell Sydney to try bending back and walking along the walls, and to alternate so that she doesn't get too used to supporting her weight to one side, but she may not even be able to walk on walls in a sci-fi setting...

Har har, unpopular Sydney has to go into the training scenario with an obvious oversized pod.

I liked it!

[Liquefied Spleens]

The Sci-fi game is unlikely to happen as long as Web Of Life is going on, unless you'd like me to alternate between the two in updates. It's likely better to keep my attention to one project at a time.
Not to mention, I only need to focus on one magic system. And it's the one I can call "magic" instead of "technology".
Sci-fi is really just fantasy with a chrome exterior when it comes to the actual science, most of of the time.
Also, if you're interested, the main character would be a man or woman out on the frontier of space exploration. The Wild West if it was infinite and in space. I have a guy that's really into sci-fi when it comes to creating believable fluff, besides.
But enough rambling about something that may or may not come to be in the first place.
On that note, the short stories instead of a cohesive plot will end in about two weeks. I did this mostly to make sure that I don't leave this to rot as I was put in a much busier time of my life. Short stories are easier to make on a short notice.

Buckets of blood and other mistakes.

Atsuko Kagari was shouting at her friend as bones flew around the room, smashing into the other students. You need to calm down! You're killing us!
Erika, still covered in blood and runny make-up didn't seem to care overmuch. This had been the last straw, clearly, and now she was showing just how powerful she can really be. As it stands, the whole necromancy course was locked in a room as bone fragments flew around. Sometimes even forming a creature to directly attack the cowering students. The only one keeping the other students safe right now is Sydney, who is taking the brunt of the attacks and striking down the creatures as they come. Atsuko is both not a target, and too stubborn to let the occasional hit from a bone deter her. She's still heading closer to Erika, who is floating and wailing with glowing eyes. Fairly typical look for a wizard having a maximum level freakout.
AKKO! THESE THINGS ARE GETTING WORSE! Sydney yells over the chaos. She's forced to use a pie tin as a shield, although she fortunately still has her sword with her. The sword is getting worn down from the strikes against pure bone, however, and there's already a nasty chip in the blade. It was decent work, but everything has a breaking point.

JUST GIVE ME SOME TIME! Erika! Come on, I know you don't want to do this! It was a horrible prank, but please!
Erika seems to give the slightest twitch in response. Maybe Atsuko is getting through?
A massive clump of bones then slams poor girl aside. Her limp body hits the wall, and she is down for the count. That was the point that Sydney gave up entirely on talking their way out of this. She strikes down the most recent bone golem, and rushes towards the epicenter of necromantic destruction that is Erika. The shards fly at such speeds that she some stick in her flesh, and she is covered in small wounds by the time she reaches the floating mage. There are many ways one can take down a wizard going in an overload like this, one can counter the flow of mana with their own, carefully lock the arms down, press against the bottom chakra...
Sydney opted for punch to the face.

All at once, the flying bones and golems fall to the ground and light returns to the room. The bone barricade shatters, and breaks off into dust as the professor blasts her way through. Sydney punches Erika a few more times for good measure, to make sure she is staying the hell down. The other students crawl out from under the table, or the curtain in one case.
The second year was meant to end with a small party, but everybody got far more excitement than expected. Akko was brought to the healing class, which was holding it's own celebration for the end of the school year. She had a heavy concussion, but she'll recover in time. Time being the operative word. Due to the difficulty in healing potential brain trauma, it was deemed better she were to recover naturally in the hospital. She'll be out of her coma in a few day's time, by the estimate of the healers.
Erika was hauled off to... somewhere. It's unlikely she'll return, sadly. The ones responsible for the prank were considered to be victims, and nobody came away happy.
What a terrible history.

[RAM]

Sad, very sad, and yet... With the mention of a necromancy floating, I can't help but picture Sydney floating, her legs dangling and twitching with nothing to do with themselves. Maybe it is just me, but a flying spider seems hilariously ridiculous. Which is odd, because they are normally suspended over gaping expanses by invisible supports...

* RAM gained +1 "did not go on a rant about social issues" token!

It is kind of crazy though, I was just thinking about school-shootings last night. And, like, it really isn't something that I think about.

[Liquefied Spleens]

So! You're a reject as well? The little girl said cheerfully as the cart rocked back and forth. Erika wasn't in a mood to talk, considering the circumstances. She didn't know where she and these other people were going, but she felt it couldn't possibly be good.
Don't wanna talk? Come ooonnnnn... You're the only other girl here! These other guys are old and nasty, and sadder than you! Come, what'd you do? Didya melt a teacher? the excitable little girl went on, stomping around the metal cart on her bare feet. She wasn't that mean when she said the others weren't looking much better. In fact, Erika was fairly sure at least two of them were dead until they started coughing. And she's still not sure if they're still all there. It's a dark place, and not just because of the complete lack of light, other than an old lantern directly above her. Erika would be crying, but she feels like she has no more tears left.
Hmmm... You don't LOOK like you're a thief, like some o' these bosos. Too delicate. Ya can't even look me in the eye, can you!
To prove her point, she lurches forward, hands on her hips, placing that mischievous smile just a few inches away from Erika's. Erika shrinks away, looking at everything that isn't the young girl in front of her. She couldn't be more than eight, ten at best.
L-leave me be...
A-HA! I knew you could talk! Now ya gotta tell me why you're here~. the girl says, singsong.
I don't wanna talk about it. Erika mumbles, shoving her face in her arms, layered atop her knees.
Come on! We've all messed up, or we wouldn't be in this cart! Look, to be a good sport, imma tell you how I got in here. Y'see, I'm a dragon in human form,
 and they didn't wanna deal with me cuz I'm so awesome! She says, like it's a mere fact. She seems to be pickeling in her own ego.
That's a lie.
Nuh-uh! T'is only a half-truth. And half the truth is still better than sayin' zip! Now out with it, and I'll tell you the other half!
Fine... I... I freaked out when some people pulled a prank on me, and I... I hurt some people... One of which was my best friend. And my other remaining friend had to punch me unconscious. Despite feeling so tapped out, saying the sordid history aloud still made her eyes moisten a bit as her throat clamped up. And the shame...
Unbearable.

Hmmm... I figured ya for a mage. Can ya cast a fireball!? The girl says, still as excitable. She plops down, leaning on her hands as she rocked left and right to a beat of her own making. Her long brown hair sways appealingly.
No.
Plants?
Please, no more questions.
...Bones? Ya got bone magic in ya, I can tell.
Erika looks up out of her knees and into the deep green eyes of the girl. She is a beacon of color in this drab, horrible cart. A little blue cloak over her shoulder, a red shirt, embroidered with strangely expensive looking gold trimmings. All of it just a tad too big for her.
...How do you know that?
I've got good eyes! There's bits o' dirt in yer fingernails, ya smell like bleach and embalmin' fluid, you're a little gaunt n' thin but you've got some color on yer cheeks. You have to go outside sometimes, even though you're as shy as a cat in a dog pen. So you're a student, or you're a necrophiliac, and you just said ya cast magic.
...You caught all that of a look?
That, and yer wearing a necromancy course robe. They don't bother changin' yer duds when they take you away. How'd ya think I got to keep these spiffy clothes!? Got them off a dwarf nobleman. Little git thought he looked so fine. Hah! With 'is head he looked like a siamese twin to a tomato!
So tell me, how did you end up here?
I stole a lotta things. I was the best o' the best, you know! I could steal a man's underwear while he's wearin' full plate. I looted a church during a service.
Oh! And I'm a kickass dragon.
You're a funny little girl, aren't you.
Another thing I'm great at!
Erika chuckles, but soon goes back to brooding. She feels bad about laughing, after what she did. She can only hope Akko ended up alright. Sydney probably hates her now, she was the type to keep grudges.

The girl did her best to keep herself amused, even as the cart continued being quite boring. The other occupants of the cart also seem to just barely crack a smile in their dry, cracked lips. Soon enough, though, she tired herself out. Currently, she sleeping against Erika's shoulder, who's a bit too awkward to try and shove her away.
Nobody's sure where they're going. The only thing that's sure is that the road is long, and that it's unlikely to be pleasant.
A deserving punishment, Erika thought, before drifting away into a slumber herself.
Dreams may be all that remains for her.

[RAM]

I don't think that she did say that she cast magic, but given that the speaker already knew, it makes a lot of sense that they would just assume that Erika had said as much when recounting her troubles. She did mention a teacher right at the start so she obviously wasn't being secretive about what she had already surmised. One of these things that is eminently sensible but can drive people insane in media when they spend five minutes looking for something that was referred to that didn't happen because everyone assumes that everyone in media should always conduct themselves perfectly...

So... Should we be taking bets on whether The Little Girl is a dragon?
...
The standard bid is a two-line rhyme about dragons, to be paid upon, umm, something... Probably an exposition from someone that she presumably didn't cause contact with, or someone who is recognised as an honest authority by a significant population of multiple settlements, who could reasonably identify such things? Or the first The Big Reveal? Probably not on a hint-reveal, like Erika showing up after the sound of beating wings or a dragon attack, unless the 'losing' party is in the mood to do so at the time.
5:2 A proper dragon by the standards of the world.
3:1 Technically a dragon, but some sort of weird variant or species such that most people would consider it not a proper dragon.
4:1 Technically not a dragon but so similar to one that nobody much would care.
5:2 Half*-dragon. *let's say at least 30% recognisable dragons amongst great grandparents.
3:1 Some sort of shapeshifting monster that isn't a dragon at all but pretends to be one, probably to lull people into a false sense of security about it transforming into a big scary thing.
2:1 Erika's own draconic ancestry manifesting, possibly as a hallucination, which will eventually lead to her discovering the source/nature of her powers.
2:1 Not even a little bit. This includes various forms of dragon-tease, such as nicknames, titles, family names, combat styles...

I wonder if Erika's story Carries some sort of reference... I doubt that there are any exact anagrams of Erika...

[Liquefied Spleens]

S-so... W-what do y-you want to do. Tonight. I-i mean right now. I, uh. Marcus stammers on for quite a while. He's clearly quite nervous, even though he's the one that asked the local drider out for a night out, so to speak. Looks like that took all the courage he had. He most likely didn't think she'd say yes.
I figured you had a plan... We can just go to the inn, have a drink. Maybe bet on the dogfights?
T-the dogfights!?
You knew what you were getting into when you asked for a date. Sydney says, arms crossed and a smirk on her face. She even took the liberty to dress up nicely for once. A blouse and a (slightly modified) skirt are far from her usual clothes, and she took the liberty of showing off her body, as well. Most of her clothing is tough, and often form-obscuring. Behind those scars and the rough experience, there's still a pretty girl.
On top of a spider, but I digress.

Ok, I admit, I'm mocking you. I don't watch dogfights. Anymore. But I still think we should go for a drink, loosen the tongues a bit?
Y-yes. That sounds... good. It's good.
That mocking smile is still there. In the last few years, Sydney took on a tendency to mess with people. Mostly because it doesn't harm anybody, and because she can end up really, really bored. She hardly needs to study at all thanks to Death's connection to her. She can't forget anything that was imparted like that. So that leaves a lot of free time, and most of her friends tend to be busy. Ultimately, she only said yes to the boy because she felt it would amuse her.
And he seemed nice.
I know a place nearby w-with good drinks. The Prancing Mule. My cousin works there as a barmaid.
Ooh, aren't you afraid she may take off with me?
What?
I'm joking. Let's just go, shall we? She extends her arm, to be lead around by Marcus. Considering she's nearly a head taller than him, it's a bit of an odd sight, but Sydney's enjoying herself.

The Prancing Mule's one of the nicer places around for a drink, although it is a little cramped. After a few drinks (in which Sydney does not participate) Marcus finds his feet and tongue. He soon starts talking about where's he's from and what he does. Apparently, he's a city boy with a talent for electricity spells. Not just the destructive lightning-bolt, either. Apparently, he can come close to the dwarven power supplies, with the right tools. He can make a battery, in short, if that only delivered electricity instead of mana. It's not in Sydney's field of knowledge, so the technical aspects only serve to confuse her, but she is kind of impressed at the ability to make a battery that delivers something other than mana. The rest of the evening goes on like that, mostly talking. There was a bit of fun when a drunk decided naked dancing would be a good idea, and that was the point to leave, either way. Marcus is a bit tipsy, but still lucid enough. Sydney made do with lemonade and water. She still doesn't like beer, the taste is disagreeable.
They part on good terms, with Marcus returning home after dropping Sydney off. Considering combat effectiveness, it should probably be the other way around, but the tower's a fairly safe place at night.
No sane man would do his work around a hub of the crusaders.

Sydney will go on to have a few more dates with Marcus, even entering something resembling a relationship.
Truthfully, Sydney doesn't feel anything for him, but it's a fun romp, either way. They both know the relationship won't go anywhere, but that doesn't stop Marcus from coming back. Maybe it's because he likes saying he's a drider's boyfriend.
Few people have ever been able to say that without dark undertones of some type.

[RAM]

Aaaaargh! Romance!!! Kill it with fire!!!

[Liquefied Spleens]

So, you want hefty diarrea, headaches, vomiting or all three? Sucy says, a grin on her face as she looks through her vials of poison. She never expected little Eveline to have a vengeful streak.
Can you do something more drastic?
Well, I have one that makes him melt, but I don't wanna be complicit in murder. Hmmm, ah, this one gives him a nose large enough to work as a scythe... This one makes him bald, this one... I don't remember, but isn't the surprise part of the fun?
What would you do?
Hm. I don't know. Never really loved anybody, so I don't know exactly how angry you are. Although, I suppose if he was real annoying I would probably give him this! She holds up a small vail holding a bright pink liquid. A paper on holds a picture of a human skull.
I don't wanna kill him!
Sucy cocks her head a little to the side, the closest thing to confused she gets on her usually stoic face. She takes a second look, and then slips her finger over the paper.

A lama?
It's a classic. Got the recipe from an eastern folk tale of some emperor. It's one of my favorites, especially because it's permanent without the cure. Considering I'm the only one WITH the cure, I can really torment them. She smiles devilishly.
...Can you make it temporary? Like, just a few days?
Don't want it to be led back to you, huh? Fine. I can make an adjustment.
Ah, Sucy, you're an angel.
She just laughs through her teeth as she seems to glide back. She has a rather long cloak, and has a way of moving that makes it look more like she's sliding than walking. It serves to be quite unnerving to most.

Marcus won't know what hit him.
That'll teach the bastard to come close to someone so great.

[TheBiggerFish]

Uh-oh.

Also, a lama, or a llama?

[Liquefied Spleens]

For the sake of aesthetics, what type of lama differs from person to person.
So I'm referring to the genus.