Feb 24 11:52:53 106 PA
From Chronicles
The large garage has a small corner desk, with pieces of paper and catalogues of machine pieces on shelves against the wall. Along three od the walls, huge metal shelving units hold a variety of brown boxes, each marked with some arcane mechanics scrawl that indicates the contents. The other has a long workstation against it, and a series of hooks and shelves, upon which tools sit, in apparently random order. The workstation itself bears the weight of half a dozen dismantled machines of varying sizes. The floor is concrete, stained with oil, with patches of sand here and there. A large tub containing sand squats beside the garage doors, a shovel sticking out of the top as if someone shoved it there after use.
A row of pegs against the wall by the workstation has various coveralls, coats and other things hanging on it and a large noticeboard has a range of oil stained pieces of papers stuck to it with pins. Along the beam that runs the length of the garage, several jars have been attached with a nail through their lid. They seem to be storing small components of different sizes.
A door exits the garage, apparently allowing entrance to the upper floor by the use of a key pad.
Nearing lunch time, mid week, and the garage is open. Loud music is bellowing out and covering the sounds of the welding tools that are being used by a petite figure, straddling the piece of machinery, one leg either side of it. Her face is covered by the large mask she wears, her body by the ancient coveralls. Her hair is tied back in a ponytail.
The door opens and then closes quickly and Vargus and his familiar slip into the garage. He winces a little at the loud music, but takes it in stride and smirks a bit as he walks over to the counter. Steelwind, however, has his own idea and leaps from his shoulder-perch to glide across the open workspace to land on something in front of Caliopa. The bird leans down, eyeing the welding work.. his head tilting one way, then the other. He doesn't appear to be bothered by the bright light of the arc.
Caliopa is absorbed in the work, oblivious at first to her guests, as she pauses, inspecting the part closely. The nod of approval signifies the finished product is satisfactory and she lifts her gaze, staring at the bird for a long moment before shutting off the flame. "You're gonna get melted one day." She speaks softly to the bird, before it occurs to her that it may not be alone and she turns, the sunny smile revealed as she lifts the mask to rest on the top of her head, revealing smudges across her cheeks from the flames.
Vargus grins over at Caliopa, bowing his head to hear. "Hey there... oh, and he doesn't fear the welding torch. Even a plasma torch would only singe him... he'd heal it eventually." He pushes off from the counter and crosses the space to where the welding is taking place, now that it is safe to approach. "Been a while... how've you been?"
She returns the grin with a warm smile, leaning down to put the tool down on the floor. "Still, it ain't wise of him to get in the way. Ain't no knowin' what might happen." The comments are generally spoken, absently, as she rises from the perch, stretching her arms over her head. "I'm grand, ain't anythin' changin' around here." The simple reply might not precisely be technically true, as she continues, "You seen the elf came?" She moves towards the cooler, taking out a can of drink with a questioning look towards the man.
Vargus shrugs his shoulders expressivly, "Well... he's somewhat impulsive, but, has a mind of his own. Besides, he likes you. And he's curious about how we work with metal. I'm not much of a craftsmen myself." He shakes his head. "I haven't seen Atticus in a really long time. Been gone a bunch.. trying to keep out of the city at night. Those damn nightmares are.. well, I'd prefer to avoid them."
She brings her can with her, hopping to perch on her worktop, her legs dangling. "He is real sweet." She comments softly, her glance at the bird giving direction to the comment. "Atti? Ain't seen him a piece myself, he is workin' I guess." A light flush rises in her cheeks before the penny drops. "No, the elf from them nightmares. He turned up, same time as that load of undead at the gates, when the fog came in the day." She glances down as she opens her can, speaking with studious care. "Atti 'n' me, we broke up a piece ago."
Vargus's brow furrows. "Oh, thought you meant the other elf.. I don't think I've seen an elf in my visions. Just fields of bodies all over the place." He nods his head. "Ahhhh, I came back to town right at the end of the gate-thing. Sorry to hear about you and Atticus.." he trails off, apparently not sure what to say.
Caliopa shrugs off the topic, her cheeks flushed. "It were a while back. Kinda seein' someone else now." She takes a sip of the can, taking that moment to balance herself. "I kept seein' him, right at the end of mine, 'n' now he is here. Said we got to be ready to fight if we don't want to end up that way of things." She hesitates, the memory of her dreams troubling enough to reflect on her face. "I ain't keen to end up dyin' like I saw." Those words are softly spoken, troubled.
Vargus shudders a little. "Damn.. guess I'll be wearing my armor more often now. The stuff I saw was just...." He trails off again, shaking himself out of it. "Yeah, well..." he smirks a little. "..I'm not keen on dying any particular way. I'd rather leave off on that for a few hundred years."
She rests the can on the worktop, between her legs, her face serious. "Saw me dyin' alone, my skin all peelin' off. Saw the folks I loved dyin' first." The memory of the vision is as clear to her now as it was then, and she shakes her head, as if to clear it from her mind, forcing a smile. "Talked a piece to him. Ain't gonna end like that." She hesitates, aiming for humour, "I don't even like cats."
Vargus blinks. "...cats, eh?" He shakes his head. "You talked to the elf guy that was leading the undead armies? Did you meet for tea, or a chat about the afterlife over breakfast?" Another shudder. "They've been out there for a really long time. I wonder what's taking them so long..." he seems to be thinking outloud now, "... I wonder if the translation from their home dimension really overtaxed them, and they've had to rebuild their energy reserves."
"He was in the library garden when I was there with some friends." Caliopa explains, wrinkling her nose at the thought of the discussion over a meal. "They?" She questions softly, her hands moving to the edge of the worktop, gripping it tightly. "I don't understand none of this, scares me to pieces. I don't get the fog, nor the undead, nor..." She shakes her head quickly, a small shudder passing through her.
Both of Vargus' eyebrows climb up at that. "He was in the garden...? Daaamn. It's great when big-nasty-evil can just walk right into your favorite hangouts." he shakes his head. "Maybe I'll start wearing my armor all the time, and rent an APC to drive around in, with armor inside. And then a transport aircraft to park the APC in. Damn. I wonder if he slips in there, or just like.. walks. I should be picking up the dimensional disturbances if it's the latter. Guess I'll have to keep my eyes open." He blinks, then looks back up at Caliopa, coming out of his little concentration thing. "Well... I saw bits about the fog. It comes from these really ugly horses. They circle the town, and the fog comes out of them. I imagine it's something of a psychological campaign against us.. trying to demoralize, to get the common man to fight us from the inside."
Caliopa slides down from the workbench, moving back to her pile of things to be welded. "He ain#t evil, jus' came at the same time. Reckon he is workin' against them." She gives him a thoughtful look, tilting her head, "Horses? For real?" She questions, her forehead wrinkling. "Reckon they must be feedin' them some real bad food." The small joke isn't big or clever but it is an attempt.
Vargus shrugs. "Horse-like things, anyway... they're some kinda undead or demon creature. They just resemble horses. I think they had like manes of fire or something..." he trails off, thinking, then shakes his head. "I don't know. The vision I had seemed pretty clear at the time, but I can't remember too much of it, now."
She stares at him, biting her lower lip, her forehead wrinkling. "Manes of fire? Seems like you oughta tell that elf this, see if he knows a piece about it." She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, leaving a smudge of smut on her cheek. "Things are real troublin'." She comments softly, sitting back down. "Still, work needs doin'. There are some scraps for him, if he's needful..."
Steelwind, at hearing the invitation, sweeps over the garage and then leaps from his perch to land on the box of indicated scraps, where he starts to poke around with his beak. Vargus chuckles, and leans off of the counter. "Huh, I think that's a yes." He reaches behind him, slipping his hand into the small canvas sack at the small of his back. A moment later the strange waxy chitin flows over his body. He walks over to the bin, picking it up, bird included. "Thanks.. I'll bring the crates back later on, I think I have another back in my apartment." he shakes the crate until the bird hops back up on his shoulder. "I'll let you get back to work, maybe we can catch up longer, later?" He bows his purplish head and then heads for the door.
