Big Gay Cockatoo

Original Version WARNING: This thread is currently under construction! The present information may not be up to date. [legend=Welcome, scholars!]You've heard many things about Mhasalkar Conservatory during your stay in Nich'e. It's the center of diplomacy, a bastion for researchers, home of the Council and the guests from the Terrenus military. The large, impressive set of ancient buildings contains many halls that lead to many rooms, spiraling high to the tops of the city and extending deep below. The main halls and rooms are grand beyond measure, yet the smaller crevices of this place seems to hide something very…sinister. You've heard rumors that Sa'dar Makari encourages and even helps to fund the most absurd projects, especially those who have fled from above to find a place that appreciates their talents. This couldn't possibly go wrong, could it?[/legend] Welcome to Mhasalkar Conservatory! Here you can look up the extended profiles of the Council as well as seek the unique services that Mhasalkar has to offer. Seek a mentor and perform research, train to be an ambassador to the world above or learn the intricacies of Pyare Bhuta technology! The Conservatory also offers enchanting services and access to a library. However, beware as you head deep into the Conservatory. There are rumors that escaped experiments prowl the laboratory basements. THE COUNCIL OF NICH'E Since its humble beginnings, Nich'e has always been ruled by a Council. Each member holding the title of "Sa'dar" is handpicked by their wise predecessors to lead the city to prosperity and represent the interests of its many diverse residents. They are bound to be the servants of their people, every decision made for the sake of the Undercity. Reveal the spoiler to learn about the members of the Council. FACTIONS Under Construction [5/29/2015] THE COLLEGES OF MHASALKAR Unlike the Gaian Academy, Mhasalkar Conservatory does not offer classes or lectures that are open to the public. The Conservatory focuses solely on research and expects a high level of competency from its researchers and assistants. Despite the divide of disciplines, the lines between the colleges often blur; large projects will usually require the individuals from all the colleges to work together and produce the best technologies that Nich’e can offer. "The Colleges of Mhasalkar" is a term referring to the three main research institutes (the Archive, the Consulate, and the Vanguard), each managed by a Director who report to the Chancellor. "The Clusters" is a term referring to the main subdivisions of each college; each is managed by an Overseer Reveal the spoiler below for information on each College and a small description of the "wing" dedicated to each. THE LIBRARY Under Construction [5/29/2015]

Original Version WARNING: This thread is currently under construction! The present information may not be up to date. [legend=Ya lookin' fah somethin', stranger?]A large and mysterious slab of black stone found in the town center of Nich'e. It hums with power unknown and is covered in various messages and scraps of parchment. Bored and need something to do? Check the Wall for a source of entertainment! Need a coupon for a discount at the markets? Check the Wall! Need the latest news in Nich'e? Check the Wall! Found a stray pet? A stray person? A stray cosmic monstrosity? Someone probably lost it and put an ad on the Wall. You should check the Wall.[/legend] Congratulations, you've found the Wall! Here you can find quests, bounties, news articles, and spotlights for whatever happens in the metropolis of Nich'e. Be on the look out for special events and giveaways, or even your own character's face on a Wanted poster! NO SOLICITORS FROM ABOVE ALLOWED. NICH'EAN BUSINESS ONLY. QUEST PROTOCOL TO BE WRITTEN SOON. SIT TIGHT! ∞ = Repeatable Quest 888 CHALLENGE ∞ Take 888’s special drinking challenge! 8 special ingredients mixed with 8 special brews into 8 different shots! Think you can handle it? Last man standing wins a free bottle of Sud’dha Nectar! Warning: Contents may kill you. [legend='Quest Information']REWARD » [abbr=The label of the bottle contains 1 Blackmarket Coupon.]A bottle of Sud'dha Nectar.[/abbr] REQUIREMENTS » 8 posts detailing your character taking on each drink challenge. Posts must be at least three 3-5 sentence paragraphs. LIMITATIONS » One character per quest. Observers allowed, but their posts do not count to your quest completion.[/legend] ONE THOUSAND STAIRS ∞ The mysterious and ancient Wyld-Gaian temple found in the Sud’dha Ksetrom and occupied by primarily Sampjib priests is a source of all kinds of wonder and strange magical energies. Will you complete a pilgrimage to this holy place? [legend='Quest Information']REWARD » A blessing from the Mandira. REQUIREMENTS » Min. 50 paragraphs detailing trip to the Mandira. Paragraphs must be at least 3-5 sentences. LIMITATIONS » 5 characters max. No two characters may choose the same blessing.[/legend] THE THING ∞ [abbr='PM YummyBiscuits for GM]Dr. Jibani[/abbr] is a prolific researcher in the Bioscience College at Mhasalkar Academy. She's a rather tiny Andheran woman with short hair, an eyepatch and a rather abrasive personality, but her genius in genetics knows no bounds. In fact, the evidence of her genius—a test-tube grown creature of absolute horror—has managed to escape its cell. Meet with Dr. Jibani to acquire a lab key that will allow you into the restricted basements of Mhasalkar Conservatory to retrieve (or destroy) her latest foul experiment. [legend='Quest Information']REWARD » [abbr=Can be used to bribe up to 2 guard units controlled by GM.]Small bag of taqat.[/abbr] REQUIREMENTS » Defeat 1 Random Encounter in Mhasalkar Conservatory. LIMITATIONS » 3 character limit.[/legend] FRAGMENTS of HISTORY ∞ Despite excellent bookkeeping, some things get lost in Nich'e. Prowl around for slivers of the past that may have slipped through the cracks. Be careful who you show this information to; it may just shape the political landscape of Nich'e and unlock new features in the Undercity. [legend=Quest Information]REWARD » Faction power increase for Mhasalkar Ward, Amaltas, Kal'bajar, or the Docks. REQUIREMENTS » Min. 10 paragraphs to discover a piece of (possibly unreleased) lore. Multiple pieces may be discovered in one thread. Paragraphs must be at least 3-5 sentences. LIMITATIONS » N/A.[/legend]

OH SHIT SON

Original Version WARNING: This thread is currently under construction! The present information may not be up to date. [legend='What're yuh buyin'?']As you wander about Nich'e, you find a large, old stone archway. This is the place that signals the entrance to the district of Kal'bajar. Scratched into one of the pillars it is a crudely coded map of the bazaars and markets that are almost inseparable from the residential buildings. If you squint your eyes hard enough, you might just be able to make out what it says.[/legend] Welcome to Kal'bajar, the marketplace of Nich'e. Here you will find shops and their inventories. For now, this directory serves as a novelty market filled with items meant to inspire fun and interesting interactions amongst players. The only condition for acquiring these items for your character(s) is to roleplay here in Nich'e. Enjoy! RAGHU'S BOTTLED ODDITIES An old lobster-looking Matsyari gentleman sits smoking a pipe next to a large stall stocked full of glass bottles of various sizes. They each have labels haphazardly attached to the lids with what look like fragments of old fishing nets. The contents seem questionable at best. In fact, some of the contents still look alive. GOPAL'S PET BOUTIQUE A large shop that has taken over an old abandoned temple. The young-looking Rakshasa lady at the counter seems friendly enough. Around her are cages and tanks full of various creatures. Dark red splotches decorate the floor mats and curtains in various places, but what harm could come from such adorable critters? THE EMPORIUM OF SECRETS A strange dimly lit shop in one of the shadier corners of the slums owned by one of the Chaya. You've heard that a lot of mages—or at least, a lot of people who look like they could be mages—like to visit this particular store. Inside are an assortment of odd objects that don't really seem to be in relation to each other. Or at least, you don't think they should be…

Original Version WARNING: This thread is currently under construction! The present information may not be up to date. GEOGRAPHY TOPOGRAPHY What locals call “the Nich'e" is a series of caves located near the southern coast of Terrenus, approximately 870 miles from Casper, Moonwood, and Palgard. These impressive spaces in the bedrock of the continent are filled to the brim with luminous lifeforms, fresh water sources, and fertile grounds unheard of for a sunless environment. Each space is intricately networked with the next via tunnels that have been known to periodically shift, creating a complex and dynamic network that makes it a nightmare for outsiders to navigate. A few select main paths have been stabilized for the ease of trade and transport, reinforced by recent contact with the outside world and attempted diplomatic relations with Terrenus Empire. CITYSCAPE The city-state, known to the rest of the world simply as “Nich’e," is cradled in one of the largest and most populated cavern structures nestled right along the coast near an inlet known as Tapis Cove. Thanks to the nature of this particular cave—safe from the creatures of the Nich’ean wilderness and invaders—the city has not only become a haven but a thriving metropolis for displaced creatures from all over Terrenus. With such a large population in a limited area, the city’s structure is fairly compact and reaches from floor to ceiling, houses on top of houses, shops on top of shops. A majority of the city’s physical structure is also made out of a living material similar to fungal chitin. This material repairs itself whenever it is damaged, a process of which can be easily accelerated with magi-tech. Thus, despite the inevitable fighting and other forms of accidental damage that take place in the city, the structures themselves remain mostly intact. Rooms and buildings may also be grown, deconstructed, or rearranged with relative ease in order to accommodate the recent influx of new residents. Every few blocks or so is a machine lift service that allows the denizens of Nich’e to navigate through the levels, each elevator built to accommodate even the larger, heavier creatures of the city. These structures as well as other assistive devices exist alongside the staircases, ladders, and bridges that weave overhead throughout the city atmosphere. Residents closer to the lowest level of the city may also opt to walk by the many canals running through the city or visit the docks. The absence of any natural sunlight means that the citizens of Nich’e are up at the oddest hours, more in tune with their circadian rhythms with the absence of external cues. Shops are commonly open from noon until midnight with food stalls usually being open around the clock. Fire and taqat powered lamps burn almost constantly, alongside the analogue clocks on every corner that serve as the only indicators of time. New arrivals to the city may find themselves undergoing a phenomena similar to jet lag. Just the same, any native residents of Nich’e who travel outside may find it very difficult to adapt to the natural sunlight. Also present in the city are multiple filtration devices, all part of a machine called the Nehru-Kori System. The filtration system is not only responsible for filtering fresh air into the cavern, but also preventing pollutants from building up in the air and water. This process is assisted by the fungus and various amounts of other plant life that comprise the city’s infrastructure. DISTRICTS The city of Nich’e has four distinct districts: Mhasalkar Ward, Amaltas, Kal’bajar and the Docks. Reveal the spoiler for more information. Outside of the city is a large, twisting expanse of wilderness known as the Sud’dha Ksetrom. Trailing all the way to the underside of Moonwood, the Sud’dha Ksetrom is home to all sorts of flora and fauna, in addition to various tribes and an ancient Rahavada Gaian temple known as the Mandira. The Ksetrom is known to be awe-inspiring with its gifts, its nature as mystical as it is unforgiving. Several outposts are stationed throughout the Sud’dha Ksetrom to assist travelers and those who wish to pilgrimage to the Mandira. CLIMATE For the most part Nich’e is a cool and temperate environment with mild humidity. Its subterranean location means that the city is shielded from most seasons, but its proximity to Tapis Cove means that Nich’e also experiences wet seasons in the early months, often accompanied by flooding in the lower levels of the city. Since the flooding is deemed beneficial for the city’s organic structures, the citizens of lower levels adapt and become more easily traversable by boat and sea-friendly citizens. In the event of storm surges and other similar emergencies, the city uses its filtration system to help drain water out of the city to acceptable levels. If necessary, geomancers are tasked with sealing off the sea entrance caves. FLORA AND FAUNA You try to find a brochure about the wildlife found in Nich’e but there’s none to be found. You’ve been told the Conservatory holds a lot of information, but it’s quite the trek. One of the many citizens taps you on the shoulder and points at what looks like a small library. The etched sign in front reads: The Amantean Archive. DEMOGRAPHICS The Undercity can accommodate a population well into the millions thanks to its malleable structure, though the exact number is difficult to estimate. Some scholars put the population at around five to six million, making it the largest concentration of non-human peoples ever recorded in Terrenus and possibly Valucre itself. While there are several distinct species and cultures that are native to the region and the isles of San Yara, the city houses a large refugee population. Within the past century, there has been a significant influx of displaced orc, goblin and troll communities, as well as fae and other residents native to Moonwood. The influence of Rahavada Gaianism has also attracted the presence of higher functioning unnaturals who seek refuge from hunters. ECONOMY Nich’e operates primarily on a barter system. While precious metal currency isn’t turned away as payment, they are of significantly less value to the citizens. That’s not to say that Nich’e is without any form of currency; strange colorful crystals known as taqat are often used in bartering for goods and services. The nature of taqat is similar to that of a battery, but its distinguishing point is its organic nature. While it can be used to amplify magic, these crystals can also be used to power nonmagical technologies. These crystals are found growing in clusters throughout the Sud’dha Ksetrom, their raw forms handled by experienced miners and brought to the city to be refined. Taqat commonly comes in several distinct shades. Listed from least to highest in terms of value and rarity they are: clear, red, yellow, green, blue, and black. The colors indicate the amount and nature of the energy compressed into each gram of crystal. The more energy taqat contains, the more unpredictable its nature becomes and the higher its value is. Devices that use higher levels of taqat often require complex channeling systems to draw out its true potential. To learn more about taqat, please visit Mhasalkar Conservatory. MAJOR ESTABLISHMENTS MHASALKAR CONSERVATORY | Once a humble plant conservatory and home to the andheran clan of the same name, Mhasalkar Conservatory is now the heart of Nich'e and a must-see for foreign guests. This polytechnic institution and research facility boasts to be a mecca of knowledge and the best resource for talented minds. These days it also serves as the home to the Council and sections have been partitioned to serve as an embassy for foreign visitors. 888 / EIGHT-EIGHTY-EIGHT | A tavern famous for its show-stopping performances and intriguing brews, Eight Eighty Eight never fails to attract the attention of all who come to Nich'e. With many magically charmed rooms to rent out for privacy, it has become definite hotspot for information brokers as well as a meet-up zone for adventurers. Here’s some advice for those who wish to visit the bar: If the drink glows or has something wriggling about in it, it’s probably not safe for denizens from above. CULTURE ARCHITECTURE Most of the older buildings carved out of the bedrock mirror Earth’s ancient Indian and Indo-Islamic architecture, with intricate religious iconography, Nich’ean runes, and mascaron guarded doorways. Some of the more common symbols include eight petaled flowers, insects (especially spiders), and plant reliefs. Newer structures have a more organic, Art Nouveau aesthetic due to the fungal growth. Though compact nature of Nich’e necessitates that most districts have narrow paths and smaller buildings, structures such as Mhasalkar Conservatory boast large chambers and impressive vaulted ceilings with echoing atriums and stained glass windows. Large blocks of taqat are often worked into the buildings themselves, used to help pump water through apartment buildings, power furnaces, and facilitate plant growth. While there are separate caverns attached to the city’s cradle dedicated to agriculture, many citizens have transformed small rooms and spaces into urban gardens where they can grow their own food and herbs. Clocks are also made a focal point of many newer Nich’ean structures, as well as added to the old. LANGUAGE Nich’e is not only boasts diversity in its people and cultures, but also its languages. The under city has six known dialects and three main forms of written language, each with a rich story of their own. Reveal the spoiler for more information. RELIGION A good number of native citizens in Nich’e practice a religion known as Rahavada Gaianism. While Rahavada Gaianism shares some tenets and concepts with Terric Gaianism, religious scholars from above and below argue that Rahavada Gaianism only shares worship of Gaia in name alone. The religion preaches a more gray stance of morality and acceptance of unnaturals not found in Terric Gaianism. There’s also notable tension between the religions over the validity of the saint figures of each respective religion, and the nature of Gaian sainthood has been a hot topic in scholarly circles. Along with Rahavada Gaianism, many citizens and tribesman practice forms of ancestor worship and druidism. Most notably, the tribes of the Ksetrom seem to also worship to the Mahajiva, an ancient pantheon of nature gods that had dominated the religious scene before the arrival of Gaianism. San Yaran vodou and weather spirit worship also has gained a significant following over the past century, especially with the local sailing community. LANDMARKS AND MONUMENTS THE WALL | Found in the center of Amaltas, the Wall is a common place to gather for native and foreigner alike. Spanning several meters tall and wide, the impressive but strange monolith has become a sort of billboard for its citizens. No one knows where it came from or how it got there, only that it’s been there for a very long time. One must wonder what exactly is underneath all the graffiti and advertisements. KUMUDA BRIDGE | Kumuda Bridge is a large central street that spans across the mid-level of Kal’bajar. Known for having strange novelty shops such as “The Emporium of Secrets,” “Raghu’s Bottled Oddities” and “Gopal’s Pet Boutique,” the bridge has become somewhat of a tourist attraction, though this doesn’t make it much more safe than the rest of Kal’bajar. THE MANDIRA | There are many temples to be found in Nich’e, but the most revered and holy place is the Mandira. The Rahavada Gaian temple is rumored to predate the first Gaian temple built by Odin Haze by centuries, if not an entire millennium. Carved out of the very bedrock that serves as Terrenus’ foundation and surrounded but the pristine and volatile Ksetrom wildlife, the Mandira draws the keen interest of believer and non-believer alike. EDUCATION There’s a saying in Nich’e that if you want to learn about the earth, you ask it directly. Many think that Mhasalkar Conservatory is a center for educating the masses in Nich’e, similar to Gaian Academy, with its extensive academic libraries and research facilities—but that simply isn’t true. Formal education isn’t mandated or directly provided by the Council, but that’s not to say that education isn’t available. Nich’eans often focus on specialization and trade schooling in guilds, preferring informal mentorship and direct experience in a field of interest over standardized general education. A liberal arts education is very rare and seen as a luxurious privilege for the upper class in Mhasalkar Ward (or a waste of time for haughty aristocrats, depending on who you ask). Still, many civilian-run libraries open its doors to the public, offering courses in language and literacy for newer citizens and foreigners. GOVERNMENT LAW Nich’e is most notably famous for its extreme laissez-faire style of governing. The Council works to ensure that the city continues to be a mostly intact and represents the Nich’ean people in negotiations with other nations. As such, extensive damage to the city itself or mass murders are often met with a sentence of exile (or death, if exile is resisted; Nich’e rarely takes prisoners). The Council also works to form good relations with other nations to help trade thrive. Other than that, the people are free to rule themselves as they see fit; but the absence of formal law does not mean that the districts themselves aren’t able to maintain some semblance of order. Mercenary and civilian guard groups are found in large numbers in Nich’e, from Mhasalkar Ward all the way to the Docks. FOREIGN RELATIONS Since the city opened itself up to the rest of the world, it has established an alliance with the island nation of San Yara and are currently attempting to establish alliances with the Terrenus Empire and the city-state of Umbra in Genesaris. Reveal the spoiler for more information. MILITARY Nich’e has long discarded a formal military system, but it has the might of its mercenary guilds and the civilian guards of Amaltas. The Council contracts three main guilds: the Karamati, the Chaukdari, and the Mannya Valé to protect the city from catastrophic harm. While they frequently work together to help preserve some semblance of order in Nich’e, each organization has its own set of rules and conventions. TRANSPORTATION ROADS AND HIGHWAYS Goblin caravans often like to joke that all roads lead to Nich’e. The most commonly used entrance is found in Moonwood, but many other entrances to the Nich’ean tunnels are scattered across Terrenus. Traveling to and from Nich’e on foot is no quick or easy feat, however. Quite a few old, taqat infused lodestones can be found throughout the tunnels, each with different travel-assisting functions. Some of these functions can vary from serving as miniature warp gates to lifts that plummet down at rapid speeds. CITY TRANSPORT Within the city, ramps and bridges link together in web like structures through every level. One can also traverse through multiple levels of the city via industrial grade machine lifts scattered throughout the city. People in the lower levels of the city have the option of traveling via its many canals. Mhasalkar Conservatory is also currently undertaking a project to improve public transit with a railcar system, but the task has proven to be very difficult due to the city’s compact and winding structures. As for personal transport, one can acquire a taqat powered auto bike, or even hire carriages and purchase reasonably sized animal mounts for carrying luggage as well as moving long distances through the city. NOTABLE RESIDENTS UNDER CONSTRUCTION HISTORY Nich’e was not always a thriving diverse metropolis. The city had humble beginnings, forming from a series of once abandoned temples into a settlement by a variety of subterranean tribes. Historians believe that the very first residents were the mysterious chaya'ke, followed shortly by several smaller sampjib, rakshasa and andheran clans. Drow were also drawn to the makeshift city for its protection. There is little written about how the city came to protect these people other than the shifting tunnels; some speculate that the strange fungus colonies that had found its home in the cave also plays a crucial role in its defense even today. However, the city’s natural defenses alone were not capable of protecting the people in it. According to older first hand accounts, intense bouts warfare with different subterranean cities and tribes sparked the formation of the First Council. The First Council was comprised of five individuals, whose duties were initially to protect the city and lead the people in a military capacity. Though as more and more refugees from the wars flocked to the city, their duty slowly transformed into that of leaders and guides. The tradition of a Council continues to this day, each generation succeeded by the next though ability or blood. It’s unknown why the First Council initially chose to isolate Nich'e from the outside world. Historians cite some kind of cataclysm as the reason, texts found on the event speaking of a “great light followed by the darkest silence.” Other texts written during this period also contain some of the first descriptions of what is now known Sud’dha Ksetrom, as well as a sudden halt to the warring that had plagued Nich’e. The city remained in near-complete isolation until around two hundred years ago. After the Great Fire of Mhasalkar Conservatory, Sa’dar Amala Makari succeeded her late mother’s place on the Council and began encouraging the re-opening of the city to the outside world. Her fierce charisma and grand visions for the future of the city won over the hearts and minds of many Nich’eans, and the city changed in their wake. Since then, lost creatures from above have made their way to the city below, holding onto rumors that promised them paradise. During this time, the Council also began establishing their first official alliance as a nation with the isles of San Yara. However, this also meant that Nich’e would eventually fall under the radar of adventurers and scholars alike. In 15 AO, a drow scholar by the name of Palmira Amantea traveled to Nich’e and began her study of its people and society. She lived in the city for years to perform her research before publishing and distributing her work to Terrenus audiences in 22 AO. At first her work was taken as the delusional ravings of a madwoman, but as more scholars went to confirm her work, they found themselves uttering the same things: a metropolis lay deep beneath Terrenus, untouched by the rest of society, filled to the brim with all things strange. Years after news had spread of the city’s discovery in late 25 AO, the Terrenus government began sending scouting parties to verify the claims of Amantea and her subsequent proteges. By 26 AO, after many diplomatic visits, the Terrenus government managed to convince the Council to open an official channel of communication with the rest of Terrenus

Knockity-knock-knock-knocky-knock. What? The sudden knock startled the slip of a woman, and in her surprise, she nearly sideswiped the open bottle of ink from it's already precarious place on her desk, only just managing to catch herself. She cursed swiftly, and glared, with her single eye, at the door with such disdain it could have peeled paint. She'd have skinned someone if that ink had spilled. The stain would never come out of the carpet. While the door was too robust to make out more than a few enthusiastic mumbles, knocking was enough to alert the researcher to a guest. "By the Weaver, if it's San'al with more of his shit..." she thought to herself, pushing up from her seat and smoothing her knee-length black coat down into a sharper and more professional drape. Unlike her direct superior, Jibani deigned to wear the more modern laboratory gear; a black, double breasted coat ending below her knee and belted around her navel, thick black gloves, and two inch heels. She was a classic example of an Andhera, her skin a hard and unblemished grey, with a sharply angled face sporting a sewn-on eyepatch over her left eye and a pair of thick, bookish glasses. "Could be someone answered that ad..." she mused. Short strides brought her around the desk, only to have her freeze in place and narrow her big ol' amber eye quizzically. On the subject of her advertisement, that... thing... could have worked it's stubborn way out of the Biology Cluster's secretive, insane, and downright deadly basement. Now, Jibani had seen some really weird things, it came with the job, but even thinking about the Houdini-wannabe sent shivers down her spine, and the lack of information on the creature perturbed her greatly. While the only entrance to those dank lower levels was made of a double thick layer of taqat dust infused steel sandwiched between the strange fungi-chitin making up the most of Nich'e, it was technically possible for it to have sprung itself a second time. The door was strong, very strong, but admittedly it was far from impregnable, and she had absolutely no clue as to the full scope of the the creature's physical strength. What was with those pus-filled blisters on it's hands(paws maybe) anyways? It was way freaky. And by all the hells, the thing could totally be impersonating an interested party, waiting to spring and avenge itself upon the Andhera responsible for it's birth. She turned on her heel, threw open a drawer, and snatched a square of thick and opaque glass with fingers that seemed almost too long. "Hands wait, give tha a smallerly minute! <Just a minute now! / coming!>" Her accent was thick, the basic tongue garbled and almost nonsensical as it was translated from the unique and alien Nich'ean manner of grammar. She slashed her hand over the glass and spat out a quick word of power. An image formed across the magic'd glass and the "security camera" stationed above her door slowly opened, peeling back and revealing a glistening, ebon eyeball. Humans, maybe? At least semi-human by the look of things. Jibani chewed on her tongue, eyeing the neat looking weapon the girl kept holstered. With a shrug, she'd toss the thing on her desk, and make her way to the door. Like most of the researchers in the Biology Cluster, her door was pregnant with more locks than anyone really needed. When all but a chain remained, she cracked the door open by just a teensy-tiny bit, and looked through. Her eye was shockingly amber, bright and sagacious. Thank Gaia it wasn't Doctor San'al. "Couldn't get a hear, whaddya be wanting for? <I didn't catch that. Who are you and what do you need me for?>"

He hated hearing the pained and forlorn edge to Raven's voice. It wasn't like her to show herself as vulnerable, even though Drew had seen her at her lowest and stayed beside her nonetheless. He absolutely loathed it. Fuck all of it. "An' I did. Die, that is." He could smell it through her, Sigil. The acrid decay of bodies upon bodies upon bodies. Fucking disgusting, it was - everything rotting and dead. Then it was gone again and Raven's natural perfume chased the last of it away. They were back in the here and now, and she was looking at him intensely. He could see she was confused, that she had no clue what he was talking about. Dead? How was he there? her expression seemed to say. It was in her eyes, the questioning and needing. She didn't know, didn't remember. He seemed about to monologue like some fuckwit comic villain, only to close his mouth with a snap. "I don't speak too pretty. Let us show ya." "I'll show ya." Drew roughly pulled the woman closer, and brought his lips to her own. While the kiss should have been savored like a fine meal, it was drowned in the tide of feeling and memory. She smelled like lavender and tasted like mint. Drew felt sick, felt weak, and that was just not normal, it wasn't him. He'd died before, and it served only as an annoyance, like going to the DMV or something. Why did this one tear as him so? He didn't know, and that made him mad on top of everything else... "I'm sorry. I couldn't be there, I took so long coming back, I-I... I..." Like Raven, he was baring a lot of himself. His adams apple rose and fell, and his shoulders tensed marble-hard. "I aint no hero!" @Deus Ex Aizen

There it was - that smile of hers. It was a smile that could destroy worlds or build entirely new ones. And it tore down every little mental ward and defense he'd raised in his long life; he didn't want to care for someone like he cared for her. It was hard for him to love, and just as hard for him to admire beauty for more than what carnal interaction he could glean from it if the chance asserted itself. He'd silently admire the way her skin glowed. He'd seen her naked before, and even in that dark, horribly horribly dark, circumstance, he knew that he had wanted her. She absolutely electrified him, now. Lavender made her skin glimmer like flawed crystal and sent a chill through him. Even with the relatively mild weather, Drew pulled his jacket tighter across his chest, smoothing out the wrinkled leather. The sleeves were rolled up on either side of the jacket, and much like the shiny jacket and Raven's own jewelry, his left arm gleamed in the bright and sane sunlight. The panther swayed beneath him, it's muscles hard and unforgiving as granite, each step a graceful transition into the next. It walked as a predator did, lithe, swift, and smooth, but he was getting tired of being carried around. Not to mention going without a saddle was made his ass hurt. With a huff, he levered himself from the big cat and took the arm Raven rested on the creature as his own, pulling her a little closer simply for the sake of it. She felt warm and alive. The way he leaned seemed to tell her to let Drew take most of her weight. Where he usually made a point of making sure he didn't touch her hand, he unabashedly let the hand drift close enough to run along his skin. "I was sorta maybe thinkin' ..." Drew sheepishly explained, rubbing the back of his neck, " that I'd kip at your place, ya' know?" There it was; more or less admitting to his desire to be with her. He wanted to have her near, close enough that her presence warmed the air and filled it with her smell and sent little shocks up and down his spine when he was least expecting. He'd meet her eyes, and she'd see how genuine he felt - with most women, he'd have laid on the charm, every sentence worked up to maximize his chances at getting laid. This was some sort of exception, though, and Drew couldn't fully explain it himself. He was still in shock, he knew it, much as Raven had been. This wasn't his life - after so long being the man he was, doing the things he did, romance was a bleak impossibility. He was nervous, for all the bravado he tried to engender in himself, as if thinking it could make it so. First seeing her, he hadn't trusted his own mind nor his own eyes any farther than he could spit. Every moment that passed was another bit of proof that it was real. He remembered suddenly that moment, finally seeing her again. They'd connected on some metaphysical level then, in that violent exchange, their souls extended invisible hands to grasp each other and hold tight. The grip anchored her, brought her down, and calmed her. He still didn't know why. "I got nowhere to go back to." He explained. Sigil was out of the question, planes and dimensions were part of his old life. "I was also thinkin' I'd make this joint home. If you'd 'ave me, see? I can find somewhere else if'n you'd not won' me around." The air was clean here, fresh and smothered with damp leaves and rotting wood and new growth and the soft perfume that seemed to hang around all forests. It felt like home much in the way SadistFaction, TRS, The Gorgon Corps, and V-7 had all made him feel, and this was the first time he'd seen the place. After so long, he'd grown to miss the country for it's sunlight and it's sheer simplicity. He hadn't known he missed it until it had been shoved right in front of his face; he remembered his grandfather, remembered his little cottage of loam and sod and wood, a sweet little getaway in the British Alps. He missed the sunlight, real sunlight, after so long in Sigil, a city cast eternally in twilight. Sigil had been his playground, but home was wherever Raven went. Here, with Raven, he had his home and his sun. Drew froze, every inch of him tense as if expecting a blow to land. Equal parts shame and fear would roll from his body like a tidal surf. From the core of his being, he trembled, only barely managing to keep his cool. She needed him to be strong, he reminded himself, he couldn't break. Where have you been all this time? The words were like broken glass on her tongue, barely able to speak the question, and it hurt Drew further for the pain, the shame, the uneasiness he could hear in her voice. "Ya don't remember?" His eyes were glazed over with that pain - even thinking about it made it feel as if body and soul were ripped apart, all over again. "I d-" his voice broke uncharacteristically "I died, Rae." @Deus Ex Aizen