Null's Game

[Idran1701]

Not giving Arnstron the courtesy of acknowledgement, Kyrie heads for the door, pausing just outside it before looking back to Red. "You know your way around here pretty well, and it's not a good time for stumbling through unfamiliar streets; mind leading the way, Red?"

[AlwaysAPrice]

Red did acknowledge Arnstron. "Get plucked," she responded, then kicked the alchemist right in the philosopher's stones.

She didn't bother to point out that she had no more experience in Kokoniel than any of the rest of them, since she did at least have a distinct navigational advantage. She headed for the door after Kyrie, calling ahead, "Follow the birdie!" Spitter cawed on cue as she dove out of the sky and swooped over Kyrie's head, for once not spitting anywhere near her, before flapping away from the Talonguard tower towards the rest of the city, providing a bright red beacon that could guide them back towards Greenskin's, for lack of a better idea of where to go. If that sack of gears Calamity or anyone else from her crew were still there, they or their friends at the shop might know where the alchemist got the idea that theirs was a Null ship. Besides, Red had a feeling this group wouldn't be staying here long with homunculi snapping at their tailfeathers and she wanted to see if Junior had dug up whoever'd sold them the pistols before they flapped off.

[Oleai]

Oleai, as all this craziness was going on, focused instead on securing Stray before trying to make sense of anything happening around her. The loud shriek had her shuddering, ears ringing from the sound. All she picked up was 'follow the birdie', and so the tall Plainsrunner scooped Stray up and did exactly that. Keeping an eye out for any more horrific monsters that might be getting in her way.

She just wanted to go home, at this point. This got too big, too fast.

[Visavis]

"Ugh, we're running again? We can take 'em!"

Once again in the span of less than a week Rasmus found himself having to run away from an enemy. Despite the genuine, foolish belief that the group could take on the Homonculi, the others were running. Again. There would have been nobody fighting at his side.

With a huff and one last look back at Arnstron, Rasmus yelled, "We're going to kick your ass next time!"

The promise for ass-kickery delivered, Rasmus scooped up his sword and followed suit.

[Shinigori V2]

The group rushes out of the tower, but not before grabbing Stray up, and making sure that Arnstron knows that they really should design the Alchemist's uniforms with a bit more...protection. Threats of ass-kickings delivered, they scurry out into the main street. With Spitter as a big red beacon to guide them through the streets, avoiding congestion and foot traffic, they make it back to Greenskin's Machinery without any incident.

The street outside is abandoned, and a light snow is beginning to fall despite the heat and steam coming up from under the city. The shop itself is near abandoned, with only Junior leaning on the counter, bored out of her mind. As they enter, though, a few of the group might notice something out of the corner of their eyes; a dark haired figure with a tattered black cloak wrapped around his neck. If they turn for a better look, however, he's not there at all.

"Oh!" Junior says as they enter. "How'd it go? Productive times at th' Talonguard?"

[Kelne]

"Well, if we consider making highly-placed enemies among the alchemists productive," Triya said mildly, "Then it's been a smashing success. Of course, it is the kind of success which means we'll have to leave town in a hurry..."

She'd caught a glimpse (intentional, she was sure) of Sana loitering on a rooftop watching their backtrail as they came back. No doubt the djinn would catch up with them momentarily. All things considered, she was glad Sana hadn't needed to intervene to cover their escape. The homunculi had caused enough trouble, she was sure, without throwing that kind of a fight into the mix.

[Shinigori V2]

"Yea." Junior says. "That's 'bout right when yer lookin' fer Null." She looks over her shoulder, then back towards the group, thumping her tail heavily against the counter. "But it also gets ya friends in high places, too. Friends way more better than th' Alchemists."

[Idran1701]

Keeping a close eye outside onto the street, Kyrie watches for any sign of anyone catching up to them, ready to bolt at a moment's notice if need be. Every so often, she glances back into the shop as she speaks, never letting the street go unwatched for more than a few seconds. "We need to speak to Autumn again; do you know where we could find her? And what would be the safest way to get to her from here?"

[Shinigori V2]

"There is no need."

From the back room where the clandestine meeting was taking place, Autumn appears again. "From the sound of it, the Alchemists aren't particularly happy with you right now."

[Idran1701]

Glancing back again towards Autumn for a moment, Kyrie nods, scowling, ears flat against her head. "Nor are they happy with Nezza or the guard, I'd say. Arnstron's as eager to find Null as we are, from the sound of things. He even accused the Invincible of being a Null ship. Which is ridiculous. Yes?" She glances back again, judging both of their reactions to this comment more than whatever reply they might give.

[Shinigori V2]

"To an extent." Autumn says, crossing her arms. "They're not entirely off base; the Invincible is allied with Null, and was indeed Null's ship before the completion of the Solitaire. However, the Solitaire is superior in every way making the Invincible redundant, and it was donated to Null's allies."

[Oleai]

Oleai had been catching her breath from the light jog, not that it was to much of an effort for her - but she'd picked up Stray to keep pace; and while Oleai had enough muscle packed in her legs to take down a small house; her arms were a different story entirely. More suited for reading, cooking or the subtle movements of her magics than carrying a dead weight for so long.

As the others spoke, she huddled near the back with her tag-along - until Autumn appeared.

With a quick motion, Oleai folded her arms behind her back - tugging Stray along by the scruff to try and hide the child behind her figure. Wearing an innocent smile - and a horrible poker face.

[AlwaysAPrice]

Spitter perched atop Greenskin's, head cocking this way and that as she surveyed the roads leading there, keeping a vigilant watch while Red and the other mammals were tending to their matters inside.

When Autumn appears Red puffs up and tips her chin up in greeting before informing the Dryad, "Yeah, well, I may have brought a little war to Arnstron's junk and Triya blew his rotten meat puppet through a city block, but he was the one, like--" she pauses and looks to the others for confirmation. "He did say 'disembowel', right?"

She waves her hands around dismissively as if the answer doesn't matter, turning her attention to seeking clarification about what they'd just been told about the Invincible "So wait, that cogsucker and the rest we flew in with are at least pals with Null?"

[Oleai]

"If.. Null has spies everywhere, that means they know everything we're doing.. right? We should hide. Pop up somewhere unexpected. Right now we're just um.." Oleai chews her lip, thinking of an analogy.

"Like, mice in a maze of Null's design. We only get the prize if they want us to, and they don't. We're playing Null's game and hoping to win." She blinked, perhaps a bit surprised at her own take on the situation.

"We need to cheat."

[Idran1701]

Kyrie nods to Oleai. "I think you're right; but the question's how? I'm still not sure what it is that Null wants. Are they supporting this investigation, or are they against it? It's hard to cheat when you don't know how to win...but I think you still have a very good point, Oleai. We shouldn't let them direct everything. We ought to do exactly that, pop up somewhere unexpected...but I'm not sure how much more we ought to say right now."

Setting that aside in her mind for now, she looks back to Autumn, ears perked in curiosity; she still trusts her, but this confirmation has got her wondering what else she might know. "I'd like to know the same as Red, Autumn. Just how close are they to Null? And...for that matter, how close are you? In all our talking, I don't remember you mentioning your own relationship to the organization, but it's clear that you have a connection to the ship and its crew."

[Shinigori V2]

"They're loosely related. Cousins might be the best term using the metaphor." Autumn says. "Those five...Well, suffice to say, Null has a soft spot for outcasts. As for me, Trask, and the Altered, we are also allies of Null, in so much as we help keep an eye out. This isn't the first time the humans--Particularly the Alchemists-- Have tried to weed them out."

[Idran1701]

"And where does that set you as compared to us? 'Weeding them out' would seem to describe exactly our goal, yet you haven't seemed to have any problems cooperating with us so far. Even beyond that, they saved our lives." She adds, with a light smile and a flick of her tail, "Do you think our chances of success are that low?"

[Shinigori V2]

Autumn looks directly at Kyrie for nearly five seconds before answering:

"Yes."

[Idran1701]

With a slight laugh, she continues. "Still, then, why help us at all and give any chance of changing that? And I also ought to ask; how much have you told them about us thus far?"

[Shinigori V2]

"Nothing they don't already know."

Autumn moves towards the front of the shop, stepping into the window to bask in the light of the sun, only now beginning to set over Mt. Kononiel. "However, there are other things that I know that they likely don't. For example, if they were seeking the Null just to speak with them, why would they unleash the Homonculi? Envy and Sonata, they're not mediators. They're monsters. Why would the alchemists be willing to all but attack a Talonguard tower to try and get to you, if you only had information on a group tangentially connected to Null?"

Autumn turns again, looking the group over one by one. "You're still looking for Null, that much is clear. But you're all smart enough to know that the Humans weren't entirely honest with you when you began this mission."

[Idran1701]

"Mm."

"Well, this note I managed to snatch from Envy might clear that up at least a small bit for us." Pulling a folded sheet of paper from her pocket, she hands it around her group, unable to restrain a small smirk as she does.

[Oleai]

"So how do we leave the city, then? Airship again? Wagon?"

Oleai was trying not to speak too much, lest she call attention to Stray.

[Visavis]

"Trask is on Null's side too? But that.." Rasmus lapsed into silence as a look of contemplation took over. That information made Trask's earlier request to Rasmus seem odd. After letting his mental gears turn over the matter for a few seconds, that line of inquiry was set aside for the time being. There was another one to pursue anyway.

"What's so bad 'bout Null anyway? How come you guys aren't on their side?" he asked, turning to Kyrie.

[AlwaysAPrice]

"WHOA, WHOA, WHOA. Humans? Wells? Being dishonest? Dragging other nations and races into fighting their own losing battles? I don't know how much more surprise I can take here, I'm gonna need a minute to recover from that shocker."

Red skims Kyrie's lifted note half-interestedly before handing it off to someone else.

[Kelne]

"I had the impression they were looking for something in particular," Triya said thoughtfully, thinking back to those initial hectic moments, "Envy seemed very interested in Oleai to begin with."

Just what that something might have been, she had no idea. She wasn't really aware of anything any of them had been carrying that might have elicited such a reaction.

[Idran1701]

At Rasmus's question, Kyrie thinks for a bit before replying, considering how to best phrase her thoughts. She has to admit that since Arnstron's reaction the same thought crossed her mind fleetingly, if only for a few moments. "I suppose it's the idea of an organization working behind the scenes to ensure that everything between our nations happens the way they wish; manipulating our countries to their own ends. If I knew better what those ends were, then I could give them a more fair judgement. As it stands, I don't know nearly anything about them, so I don't trust them. But...I'll grant that as I learn more about them...that might change. Depending. They're certainly a far sight better than the Alchemists, but you can't always judge someone by their enemies."

Triya's observation brings her to think back on the encounter, looking her up and down with ears perked. "True...she went right towards you, Oleai. There must've been some reason for that. Maybe there's something she scented on you? Or...hmm. Maybe something to do with your magic? If anything sets you apart from the rest of us, that would...."

[Shinigori V2]

"I wouldn't put too much thought into it. Envy in particular is an animal, and she simply saw prey." Autumn says. "But Rasmus makes a good point; how do you know you're on the right side, here?"

[Idran1701]

"Myself, I'm not on either side yet. I'm on my own side, our side." She frowns, her ears flattening. "I'm certainly not allying with the Alchemists, and I'm starting to question Wells' involvement as a whole. But that doesn't mean I'm allying with Null yet either. I simply don't yet know enough about what their goals are, and I don't join with someone unless I know what it is they want."

[Shinigori V2]

Autumn nods, before lowering her eyes to Stray, smiling softly, then looking back to Kyrie. "You trust me, I hope?"

[Visavis]

As the note came to Rasmus, he looked it over, squinted at it suspiciously, and then passed it on to the next person without further comment. The look of suspicion, however, was turned to the others. Rasmus took a step away from the others, turned to look at them, and folded his arms over his chest.

"I dunno if I even know why you're on each other's side. Do ya even want the same thing from Null?"

[AlwaysAPrice]

"For the record, I'm on her side." Red jerks a thumb in Autumn's direction. "Whichever it is."

[Idran1701]

She looks to Rasmus first, answering his question without hesitation. "I can't speak for the others. But for my own part? That hasn't changed since they told us about Null at Wells; I want to know what their plans and intentions are. I'm beginning to be more inclined to think that they are more benign than I thought, but I still want to know for sure."

"And I think that yes, I do trust you by this point, Autumn; I wouldn't have agreed if I didn't, even as much as I hesitated." She offers a smile of her own, slightly hesitant as she herself glances down towards Stray as well, still hidden as best as Oleai can manage behind her.

[Shinigori V2]

Autumn nods, looking out the window again in thought. "If you are still insistent on looking for Null, honestly your best bet would be to travel to Pendulum. However..."

She stops, looking the group over. "That will be...Challenging. The location of Pendulum is unknown to all but the Clockwork, and only they are welcome there. If you were to find a Clockwork to take you and vouch for you, it may be easier, but the citizens of Pendulum will still resist you. But, Pendulum is a staunch ally to Null, who understands their plight and contributes heavily to the advancement of their cause and society. Someone there will be able to give you solid information to find her, if you can talk them into it.

"Alternatively," She continues, "You could look into the Nekana clans- I'm sure Isol's clan symbol was interesting to you, Kyrie? There may be something useful, if you can get to the bottom of that insignia."

Autumn pauses for a moment, before turning, the sun setting over the lip of the mountain at her back. "The other suggestion I could offer is simple: Find out why the humans are searching for Null in the first place."

[Idran1701]

"I think I might have a fourth option, though I'm still not sure if it's one we ought take. If the note is true, then it sounds as though the Invincible will be meeting with the Solitaire; you mentioned that that was a Null ship, yes? Then perhaps we could simply tag along. Use the chance to meet some agents of Null in person. The only worry I have is how they might receive us, but...it's as Oleai said, we need to do something that would surprise them. And going right up to them, hopefully that would do just that. It might be the most dangerous option of the lot, though, if they happen to...object strongly enough to it."

After a short pause, she continues. "On that note...Autumn, what can you tell us about a person named 'Zero Imbroglio'?"

[Shinigori V2]

"You might find it hard to meet back up with the Invincible; it's already left port." Autumn says with a frown. "However, I can tell you about Zero."

She walks behind the counter, as if she has the run of the place, and begins digging around. "Zero is...Was, the first Null leader to be properly identified as such; this was..." She looks to Kyrie, nodding. "You would've been but a kit, before Null changed it's policy to have an agent for every individual nation. Zero was far easier to locate than Null agents modernly; people could agree on who and what she actually was. Then, as now, the nations dispatched adventurers to...Collect her. In time, she was traced back to a system of caverns in the mountains in Nekana; a defunct base for the organization. A young Varina Elvenblade, still just an adventurer out to make a name for herself, entered the caverns alone. She emerged hours later with Zero's sword, Reinhardt, and black smoke pouring from the mouth of the cave."

She stands again with a frown, having not found what she was searching for. "While Elvenblade confirmed that Zero had ultimately escaped, she didn't get away unscathed. She resisted Elvenblade, and in the ensuing fight, lost her arm, as well as inadvertently torching all the information she had collected. Given that she's wanted by the nations of the world for questioning and the fact that there is a positive identification on her, it's extremely likely that Zero retreated to the fledgling Pendulum for sanctuary."

She returns to her spot in the retreating sun. "All things considering, Zero probably still has ties, but is no longer active within Null."

[Kelne]

"I'd like to know why humans are hunting Null myself," Triya said, "But that doesn't really suggest a particular destination. Although... No, that would be pushing the goodwill just a bit much." The idea of breaking into Arnstron's residence and looking for clues whilst he was being held for the day was appealing, but wouldn't exactly calm things down. No, better to quietly slip away and investigate other avenues.

"We might want to send in a report," she went on, "Difficult to say what response we'd get, assuming of course we told them where to send one to, but it'd put the higher-ups on notice about Arnstrong's behaviour at least."

"I think, if we're going to go looking for answers and we're not fussed about hauling anybody in at the end of it, seeking out Zero in Pendulum seems like the way to go."

Sana, meanwhile, had wandered in and taken up a position by the wall, listening to the conversation with interest.

[Idran1701]

Kyrie nods absently to Triya as she thinks on the problem, ears perked forwards. "We'd likely need to find a Clockwork willing to get us into Pendulum ourselves, though. Calamity we might be able to convince, if the Invincible hadn't already left port. Unless she'd decided to stay behind for some reason, though I doubt we'd be that lucky.

"Autumn, do you have any means of contacting them, by any chance? Or the Greenskins, perhaps? I think Calamity might be our only chance to head down that route."

[AlwaysAPrice]

"Spitter and I've boarded them in flight once already," Red points out smugly. "Though I'd probably need a message from Autumn to not get chucked in the brig for it again."

[Shinigori V2]

"We don't." Autumn says with a small shake of her head. "We do know where they're heading, not that it'll help you. Their next stop is on the far end of the continent, in Partia. You'd have to cross the desert to catch them before they leave from there, which would be all but impossible. Even then, Calamity is quite the guarded girl; you'd need to give her quite a good reason to take you to Pendulum. Not that she wouldn't be willing to, if given a cause."

[Idran1701]

"Then maybe we ought to kill two birds with one swipe; what if we made our way to Partia, and investigate why the humans are looking into Null from there? And from there, we could continue on to the Invincible's next port of call, or at least see if we can better catch up to them. Though only if you're comfortable with that, Triya." With a slight frown, she looks back towards her. "All this talk about setting ourselves against the humans, I can understand if you may be a bit put off investigating your own people. I hope you understand that we aren't mindlessly lumping you in alongside them. But with how tied in Wells is with this, I can't imagine that Partia is being left out of things. And I'd be very surprised if you haven't considered that yourself by now, yes?"