https://cdn5-images.motherlessmedia.com/images/3C75D78.jpg

Nightlife
Celestine's dispassionate stare settled on that face-jewel you wore, something that seemed to undermine the rest of your battle-worn features.

"He answers to a higher authority, now. Whatever liberties he exploited to earn your enmity, he will rightly have stripped."

As if on cue, the jets that lined the perimeter of Zephyrus's armor began to power down in a slow, dying noise of disabled micro-turbines as the Mercenary went slack as if rendered in stasis, stunned in technologically-induced catatonia.

The book she carried hummed and then snapped shut as if compelled to do so under its own magnetism, and she hitched it back to its place on the girdle of her armor, one that seemed to bestow her with a Puissance grossly disproportionate to the rest of her frame, which was decidedly unremarkable in proportion in proportion, only just slightly taller than most.

Especially with how easily she unwedged the Flamberge, its uneven blade grating noisily against the ruined metal of the Merc's leg in withdrawal, and then she began to lift, manipulate the unresponsive body of Zephyrus to fix the wings she arrived with onto him, articulating golden mechanical appendages searching and reaching for purchase on the mercenary's back to secure onto him like she intended for them to carry the quarry away on their own.

All the while, her stare mostly remained on you, though she pivoted to consider the environment around her occasionally like it was possible one of Zephyrus's allies might attempt to intervene.

It was just you, though.

using the "ignore" facility in the hope that someone more interesting comes along, though sometimes no-one is more interesting than someone.

head turning at a muffled sound

rings out...

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Vittoria has started a new game with the following players:
Vittoria

" S T A R T G A M E : t r u e "{ " g a m e I d " : " 1 7 1 6 0 2 6 4 2 4 " , " p l a y e r L i s t " : [ " v i t t o r i a " ] , " r o l l N u m b e r " : 0 , " c u r r e n t P l a y e r " : 0 , " d i c e " : { " f a c e s " : [ 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 ] , " r e r o l l " : [ t r u e , t r u e , t r u e , t r u e , t r u e ] } , " s c o r e 0 " : { " 1 " : n u l l , " 2 " : n u l l , " 3 " : n u l l , " 4 " : n u l l , " 5 " : n u l l , " 6 " : n u l l , " p l a y e r " : n u l l , " u p _ t o t a l " : n u l l , " b o n u s " : n u l l , " 3 k " : n u l l , " 4 k " : n u l l , " s s " : n u l l , " l s " : n u l l , " f h " : n u l l , " y a h _ t o k e n " : n u l l , " y " : n u l l , " c " : n u l l , " y a h _ b o n u s " : 0 , " b o t _ t o t a l " : n u l l , " g _ t o t a l " : n u l l } , " o w n e r " : " v i t t o r i a " , " s t a t u s " : " r e a d y " , " r o u n d " : 0 , " l a s t P o s t " : 1 7 1 6 0 2 6 4 2 4 }

Vittoria has started a new game with the following players:
Vittoria

" S T A R T G A M E : t r u e "{ " g a m e I d " : " 1 7 1 6 0 2 6 2 8 0 " , " p l a y e r L i s t " : [ " v i t t o r i a " ] , " r o l l N u m b e r " : 0 , " c u r r e n t P l a y e r " : 0 , " d i c e " : { " f a c e s " : [ 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 ] , " r e r o l l " : [ t r u e , t r u e , t r u e , t r u e , t r u e ] } , " s c o r e 0 " : { " 1 " : n u l l , " 2 " : n u l l , " 3 " : n u l l , " 4 " : n u l l , " 5 " : n u l l , " 6 " : n u l l , " p l a y e r " : n u l l , " u p _ t o t a l " : n u l l , " b o n u s " : n u l l , " 3 k " : n u l l , " 4 k " : n u l l , " s s " : n u l l , " l s " : n u l l , " f h " : n u l l , " y a h _ t o k e n " : n u l l , " y " : n u l l , " c " : n u l l , " y a h _ b o n u s " : 0 , " b o t _ t o t a l " : n u l l , " g _ t o t a l " : n u l l } , " o w n e r " : " v i t t o r i a " , " s t a t u s " : " r e a d y " , " r o u n d " : 0 , " l a s t P o s t " : 1 7 1 6 0 2 6 2 8 0 }

V

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Game over!

Final scores:

kelleighj : N/A

" E N D G A M E : t r u e "{ " g a m e I d " : " 1 7 1 6 0 2 4 8 4 3 " , " p l a y e r L i s t " : [ " k e l l e i g h j " ] , " r o l l N u m b e r " : 0 , " c u r r e n t P l a y e r " : n u l l , " d i c e " : { " f a c e s " : [ 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 ] , " r e r o l l " : [ t r u e , t r u e , t r u e , t r u e , t r u e ] } , " s c o r e 0 " : { " 1 " : n u l l , " 2 " : n u l l , " 3 " : n u l l , " 4 " : 1 2 , " 5 " : n u l l , " 6 " : n u l l , " p l a y e r " : n u l l , " u p _ t o t a l " : 1 2 , " b o n u s " : 0 , " 3 k " : n u l l , " 4 k " : n u l l , " s s " : n u l l , " l s " : n u l l , " f h " : n u l l , " y a h _ t o k e n " : n u l l , " y " : n u l l , " c " : n u l l , " y a h _ b o n u s " : 0 , " b o t _ t o t a l " : 0 , " g _ t o t a l " : " N / A " , " d r o p p e d " : t r u e } , " o w n e r " : " k e l l e i g h j " , " s t a t u s " : " f i n i s h e d " , " r o u n d " : 1 3 , " l a s t P o s t " : 1 7 1 6 0 2 4 8 7 6 , " l o a d e d F r o m P o s t " : 1 7 1 6 0 2 4 8 5 7 }

kelleighj has started a new game with the following players:
kelleighj

" S T A R T G A M E : t r u e "{ " g a m e I d " : " 1 7 1 6 0 2 4 8 4 3 " , " p l a y e r L i s t " : [ " k e l l e i g h j " ] , " r o l l N u m b e r " : 0 , " c u r r e n t P l a y e r " : 0 , " d i c e " : { " f a c e s " : [ 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 ] , " r e r o l l " : [ t r u e , t r u e , t r u e , t r u e , t r u e ] } , " s c o r e 0 " : { " 1 " : n u l l , " 2 " : n u l l , " 3 " : n u l l , " 4 " : n u l l , " 5 " : n u l l , " 6 " : n u l l , " p l a y e r " : n u l l , " u p _ t o t a l " : n u l l , " b o n u s " : n u l l , " 3 k " : n u l l , " 4 k " : n u l l , " s s " : n u l l , " l s " : n u l l , " f h " : n u l l , " y a h _ t o k e n " : n u l l , " y " : n u l l , " c " : n u l l , " y a h _ b o n u s " : 0 , " b o t _ t o t a l " : n u l l , " g _ t o t a l " : n u l l } , " o w n e r " : " k e l l e i g h j " , " s t a t u s " : " r e a d y " , " r o u n d " : 0 , " l a s t P o s t " : 1 7 1 6 0 2 4 8 4 3 }

Nightlife
The wings were an outboard mod, and their internal mechanics rippled the air in heat as they cooled, detaching from the back of her armor and seeming to simply float in place under their own power.

"Marcus 'Zephyrus' Novak…" she began with the gravitas of a jury reading. "…the trial for your soul begins now."

The already-compromised jets of Zephyrus's armor were straining, some of them stuck on from the damage and some of them understandably disabled under the wave-edged weapon impalement. In the seconds that had passed, Zephyrus rapidly went through the damage reports in his HUD, none of which could offer a solution for his body being pinned to the floor. It didn't help that the weapon he displayed was part of that leg that was now twisted beyond reach.

Celestine unfolded an item from her hip that resembled a metalbound book, though its pages were ethereal and constituted from unreadable digital script, constantly shifting between chthonic symbols and sacred geometric patterns. "I bestow upon you the wisdom of Benediction. Reflect on your actions and reconsider your relationship with power."

The gauntlet not clutching her Flamberge palmed over the holographic text and seemed to pull from it a grip of symbols that arranged itself into a ring, a halo.

…and then she placed that halo on Zephyrus's head, and the lights that angrily glared red began to scramble and glitch the same tint of celestial blue that she held open like holy scripture.

…and then she looked to Carnyx Kent, evaluating his posture, his injuries, and the weapons that she could see in wordless judgment.

Nightlife
Nightlife
I see the sidearm come out, and I shake my head, sending a small spatter of blood across the floor the club. I hawk, and spit a glob in the air and opportunity between us.

"Bit late for that Boyo. How much juice you got left?

I'm just gettin' warmed up."

'—tremely dangerous, CK. Look, we've got so many options f.. this. We will.....Hirosaki, in his escape, accidentally....tran...ssion.....crypted. He...id 'Mullens has be...hit'. We've go...name, let's do this the smart..ay.'

I cannot tell how long he'd been talking.

'Say again, Hiro? Communication's rebooting.'

A long tube gently slides down the sleeve of my left arm, once again gripped in my hand.

I can't exactly stop to discuss this with Hiro. Systems are coming back online, and I can feel the dense, heavy wet that a bleeding wound offered. The air cooling the blood, but it's thick ichor preventing the transference of that heat to my skin.

I shuffle around the turned over table, and ready my weapon. Well, both of them, but the small tube was going to be a surprise when you got close enough to—

The Massive two-handed sword comes sailing in like a kinetic missile, burying itself into the back of Zephyrus' leg.

It was like witnessing a UFO, or perhaps the first intercontinental ship to cross the Atlantic. It was as if I couldn't quite make it out.

Celestine-

That is, until your shining form comes blazing in after it.

Severing The leg of his overpowering target in the blink of an eye.

I pause, Dumbfounded. The blade in my hand retracts up into my wrist, and the small tube is held away, the back of my hand facing you.

"Holy shite."

Nightlife
I see the sidearm come out, and I shake my head, sending a small spatter of blood across the floor the club. I hawk, and spit a glob in the air and opportunity between us.

"Bit late for that Boyo. How much juice you got left?

I'm just gettin' warmed up."

'%mdash;tremely dangerous, CK. Look, we've got so many options f.. this. We will.....Hirosaki, in his escape, accidentally....tran...ssion.....crypted. He...id 'Mullens has be...hit'. We've go...name, let's do this the smart..ay.'

I cannot tell how long he'd been talking.

'Say again, Hiro? Communication's rebooting.'

A long tube gently slides down the sleeve of my left arm, once again gripped in my hand.

I can't exactly stop to discuss this with Hiro. Systems are coming back online, and I can feel the dense, heavy wet that a bleeding wound offered. The air cooling the blood, but it's thick ichor preventing the transference of that heat to my skin.

I shuffle around the turned over table, and ready my weapon. Well, both of them, but the small tube was going to be a surprise when you got close enough to—

The Massive two-handed sword comes sailing in like a kinetic missile, burying itself into the back of Zephyrus' leg.

It was like witnessing a UFO, or perhaps the first intercontinental ship to cross the Atlantic. It was as if I couldn't quite make it out.

Celestine-

That is, until your shining form comes blazing in after it.

Severing The leg of his overpowering target in the blink of an eye.

I pause, Dumbfounded. The blade in my hand retracts up into my wrist, and the small tube is held away, the back of my hand facing you.

"Holy shite."

Nightlife
Most birds of prey are equipped, habited by an exceptional ability to look down, to scan the ground beneath them for rodents taking cover. Eyes exceptionally well-tuned for long-distance survey but all in the evolutionary specialization of being the hunter.

Of dominating the sky with impunity, beyond reach.

It's why predatory raptors are equipped to fly an echelon above, to use the sun as cover, or to build terminal velocity and shape their swoop.

For hunters like Zephyrus, the open sky is an asset he assumed dominion over, why he chose these half-outdoor venues to set meetings in.

From that sky came Retribution.

The hemispherical radar covering everything above ground normally showed nothing, perhaps distant AVs crossing the airspace in the distance, things with a large signal return.

Nothing person-sized, at least until now.

The first thing to arrive was a glowing Flamberge, near-vertical as its energetic hum was the only thing to give it away, a sound lost to the music echoing away, blanketing the club.

It bit through the rear of Zephyrus's raptorial, mechanized leg, almost making it completely through.

A split-second after that, Celestine, propelled down under the tucked and streamlined overlap of her wings which rode her shoulders like a giant, folded metal fan. The titanic crash of soot-covered gold that was her armor smashed into the protruding handle of her weapon and Skewered the Mercenary's leg into the already-battered floor of Club Corona in a crash of conclusive violence.

The blade-like slats of those wings hinged out as she rose, unfurling into a wide stretch as they set into a heat dissipation configuration, like a comet that crashed to Night City.

Waterfall View
Sometimes it's good to be reminded how far you have come in ten years, even if it feels like life never stops sucking.

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