conversations: human
conversations:  As you pass through the Velvet Door Jessica's words echo in your mind.
   "This is unlike any mission you had before. It will be a lot more challenging, but you have to remember we are there for you." 
  You don't really understand what she means, but you understand that she is serious. Which makes Benjamin's attitude even more confusing.
   "All right team, it's time to play "Who wants to kick some ***, and you are our lucky contestants. It is time to meet your opponents, you just need to follow the green light. You do know how to use the compass, right?" 
conversations: Philemonite:
conversations: human
conversations:  Benjamin's typical cheerful mask, no doubt. It's been a while since we last saw it. I guess he's nervous... 
  
  "We should, yes. Anything you're gonna tell us before then, or is that against the rules?"  Soga replies just as cheerfully. He glanced at his compass, then off into the darkness in the indicated direction, falling serious and silent for a moment. This was a test.
conversations: Xhosant:
conversations: human
conversations:  Unlike Soga, Lenora doesn't know Jessica or Benjamin well enough yet to make more sense out of their words.
   "Compass is working fine, yes." 
conversations: Mono Vertigo:
conversations: human
conversations:  Levi rolls his eyes "  Aww how thoughtful, for a moment I almost thought you were my Baba, you're losing your edge Commander Jessica. As for a compass, I can build one, asking if I can use one is simply insulting so don't lump me in with same group as SARG.  
conversations: Morbis Meh:
conversations: human
conversations:  Originally Posted by Xhosant 
    "We should, yes. Anything you're gonna tell us before then, or is that against the rules?"  Soga replies just as cheerfully. He glanced at his compass, then off into the darkness in the indicated direction, falling serious and silent for a moment. This was a test. 
   
  
   "It's not really something that can be explained with words. You will see soon enough." 
  
   
   Originally Posted by Morbis Meh 
   Levi rolls his eyes "  Aww how thoughtful, for a moment I almost thought you were my Baba, you're losing your edge Commander Jessica. As for a compass, I can build one, asking if I can use one is simply insulting so don't lump me in with same group as SARG.   
   
  
   "I just don't want you to blame me if your mission is a failure, and you need me to save your ass. And don't let Alexandra hear you, she spent a lot of time on your trinkets, we don't want her to feel unappreciated." 
  
  
  As you follow the direction your compass points to you notice something strange in the distance. At first glance you see three humanoid figures, and as you get closer this figures start to remind you of Jessica, Alexander and Alexandra. However, as you get closer you notice that this figures are shifting into something not quite humanoid.
conversations: Philemonite:
conversations: human
conversations:  Are those mirrors? No, not quite...  
  
  Soga strains his eyes to see more clearly.
  
   "Jessica, what am I looking at? Our marks, I suppose?" 
conversations: Xhosant:
conversations: human
conversations:  Originally Posted by Xhosant 
    "Jessica, what am I looking at? Our marks, I suppose?"  
   
  
   "Probably. What do you see?" 
conversations: Philemonite:
conversations: human
conversations:  Originally Posted by Asteron Questar 
    "Probably. What do you see?"  
   
  
   "See, that's a toughie. Your 3 standing mirrors, for a second. Something probably worse, now." 
conversations: Xhosant:
conversations: human
conversations:  Originally Posted by Xhosant 
    "See, that's a toughie. Your 3 standing mirrors, for a second. Something probably worse, now."  
   
  
   "Negative, sensors detect no mirrors, just three hostiles." 
conversations: Philemonite:
conversations: human
conversations:  Originally Posted by Asteron Questar 
    "Negative, sensors detect no mirrors, just three hostiles."  
   
  
   "Then they're shifters or something. If it's a guess you need, they've seen your trio and liked them." 
  
  Soga swallows uneasily, then goes on.
  
   "You've seen shapeshifters in here before, right?" 
conversations: Xhosant:
conversations: human
conversations:  "I thought only the first one can create illusions. I guess we were wrong. Still, they are not stable enough yet. And that is a good news for us." 
conversations: Philemonite:
conversations: human
conversations:  Originally Posted by Asteron Questar 
    "I thought only the first one can create illusions. I guess we were wrong. Still, they are not stable enough yet. And that is a good news for us."  
   
  
   "Jessica, dear, don't get this the wrong way, but I always preferred your intel when it was  coherent . Are they changing, or just projecting illusions?" 
conversations: Xhosant:
conversations: human
conversations:  Originally Posted by Xhosant 
    "Jessica, dear, don't get this the wrong way, but I always preferred your intel when it was  coherent . Are they changing, or just projecting illusions?"  
   
  
   "I prefer to have all the information. I guess today sucks for both of us. The answer I can give you is yes to both. They are projecting illusions, but this illusions become real. At least that's what I think. Just pummel it as hard as you can, and if it's still standing pummel it some more. That should do the trick." 
conversations: Philemonite:
conversations: human
conversations:  Originally Posted by Asteron Questar 
    "I prefer to have all the information. I guess today sucks for both of us. The answer I can give you is yes to both. They are projecting illusions, but this illusions become real. At least that's what I think. Just pummel it as hard as you can, and if it's still standing pummel it some more. That should do the trick."  
   
  
   "Aye, the predictable old way. What did you mean by 'still unstable', does that illusion-shifting grow slower as they... ripen?" 
conversations: Xhosant:
conversations: human
conversations:  Originally Posted by Xhosant 
    "Aye, the predictable old way. What did you mean by 'still unstable', does that illusion-shifting grow slower as they... ripen?"  
   
  
   "They just manifested, they are not at their full power. That's the only reason you are there and not me." 
conversations: Philemonite:
conversations: human
conversations:  'Manifested', alright. I don't really like that choice of words... 
  
  "All right guys, time for the main event" , Soga said as the gun came to his right temple, before his left one exploded in ribbons of black velvet.
conversations: Xhosant:
conversations: human
conversations:  Levi strolls along with the others whistling loudly, just enjoying the moment as it were, it was not everyday he got a surprise. Situations like this were not particularly favorable but if worst came to worst he would let mister hero jump head first act as a distraction if the situation became dire. "  Soga, comrade, you really need to work on your pick up lines. Commander Jessica will never submit to your woos with such harsh language. Gifts are always welcome, along with a compliment or two and remember to never question them. I cannot stress last point enough, you never know when aunt Flo is in town and they are prone to rip out your throat.  "
conversations: Morbis Meh:
conversations: human
conversations:  Despite the situation at hand, Soga allowed himself to be dazed by Levi's comment for a second, taken aback by a prospect that had never crossed his mind. Cell turned and gave him an empty stare, but for all his master could tell, had there been a face in the hood even Levi might have stumbled on his words.
   
   Me and her?
  
  Naaah...  
  
  It was genuinely something he could not imagine.
  
  For some unfathomable reason, when he spoke he did so with a bitter taste in his mouth, and an image of a cliff in the back of his mind, like a mental aftertaste. His voice was weary, despite trying to infuse it with the typical half-joking, half-mocking tone the Russian so often elicited.
  
   "Hey, some say love is a battlefield, but the one we must worry about right now is the one capable of getting us impaled, right?" 
  
  Yet despite all of the above, he did feel a sting of awkwardness and remorse at his words, thinking that their commander heard them. Weird, that he'd feel he ought to be businesslike now...
conversations: Xhosant:
conversations: human
conversations:  "All's fair in love and war, they say. I do prefer the latter, for you know how it ends." 
  Lenora prepares her card.
   "That is, someone loses, and that's not gonna be us." 
conversations: Mono Vertigo:
conversations: human
conversations:  Soga nods sharply, dispelling the taste and thoughts alike. He turned back towards the approaching creatures, with the hood above him mimicking the move with a moment's delay.
conversations: Xhosant: