Questers
The Dweller's face goes blank, her form goes stone still. "Nothing can be done to change my.............situation. I must perfom this function till they decide otherwise." She seems to struggle within herself for a moment then the tension seems to flow out of her body, leaving her looking wrung out and tiny. "But I would choose a different realm, you would find Oneiro's welcome at this time unpleasant to say the least." She turns from Angelina, a brief flare of shame passing over her features.

[Japanese]His life is yours.[/Japanese]
This said, Murrey returns to scanning for additional threats, though the guns never leave the enemy.

Mentally, eyebrows raise.

So, even now the Dweller retains enough understandable emotion to be moved in some way by the angel's words, he muses.

Questers
Angelina hesitates, uncertainty plain on her face. She seems to come to some sort of decision as she places the helm back on it's shelf. "Perhaps someone else should choose next." She walks back to the group, lost in thoughtful reflection over her encounter with the Dweller.

Murrey
She bows once more. "You honor me." She moves and with a single blow decapitates the remaining assassin. She carefully flings the blade from the blood to the side and seems to take a moment to compose herself.

Murrey ponder for a moment,So much for questioning him.
Over thecomms, [Japanese]One can hope they see the futility in further action. This is not the first time I've seen people dressed as such.[Japanese]

Paladin steps up. "I'll go."

He turns to the Dweller and asks, "Which is mine?"

Questers
The Dweller points her delicate hand towards the shelf with the glass heart. Her manner is still subdued and quiet. "That realm is yours. You need only press your lips to it to open the way."

Murrey
She turns back towards the drone, still looking uncomfortable addressing a machine. "You have met the Ito clan before?"

"I've no idea if they were Ito, but they were using ruthenium polymer treated armor and not altogether different tactics. There was one we managed to take alive, though missing his knee-caps and the use of his legs, but he died before we could question him with some sort of suicide system, though not necessarily triggered by him. Who are they?"

Murrey
"The Ito clan is a pack of rabid honorless dogs who hunt from the shadows. They ply death and terror as their stock in trade. Their way is the knife in the back and poison in your cup." Her disdain for them drips from her voice. "They are human roaches, men that have forgotten that they were men. I am surprised by their presence here though. They do not kill without profit or reason."

Paladin moves closer to the glass heart, looking it over. He glances around to make sure everything has gathered to him, then leans in and kisses the heart...

Shiver moves close to Paladin ensuring that he will be close enough when the shift happens.

Questers
You watch the terse orc bring the glass heart to his lips, as it brushes his lips you hear a sharp intake of breath. His skin flushes with heat and color.

Paladin
As you brush your skin against the token, your body flares to life. Your skin feels tight and the breath in your body feels hot and heavy. You find yourself bombarded by images of past lovers, good meals, and small victories. Some faces blur past and others burn into your eyes. You can feel hands all over your body, caressing and teasing. A voice, neither male or female, whispers into your ear.

"Give me everything you have.........."

Murrey
Onna seems to struggle with herself for a bit then seems to reach a resolution. Turning to the drone again she speaks. "I do not mean to give offense or appear ungrateful but who are you?"

"No offense taken. You man call key Murrey."
All the drones bow as best they can in unison.

Murrey
Confusion washes over her face but she struggles on in the conversation. "Murrey I am honored by this meeting. Are you a defender of these lands?"

"No, only those questors in the cave."

Paladin
You feel yourself being peeled back and opened up against your will. The slow violation creeps over you like a cold chill. The waves of pleasure lap at your senses trying to lull you into a place of submission, to give in and cease struggling. As you almost slip under the flood of feelings, something within you rises to the surface. The anger and the focus sweeps through you. You're not some bleeping herd animal to be taken down by this. You endure and persist. You shrug off the lethargy and sedation. As you regain purpose you hear a throaty full laugh echo through your mind.

Questers
The moment seems to stretch on as Paladin holds the token to his lips. You watch him closely for any sign of the struggle you are certain is taking place. His body seems to lose it's warrior stance and bearing. His face grows slack and for once you see a face you think few have seen. Just as suddenly, his body grows taut and the face stony. You think to brace yourself for the shift as the glass heart pulses out with a wave of heat and light. It washes over the group but this time there is no discomfort, no pain in the shift. You feel a warm tingle pass through your form, drowning you in feelings of desire and need. Your skin tightens and your breath grows ragged with wanting. Your skin flushes and you find your hands clenching with nervous energy. You want to the point of all else. The desire hangs heavy in your bones and you can almost taste something on the tip of your tongue. Something you need.

As the sudden crash of wanton longing subsides, you find yourself in a long tunnel. The walls and floor are smoth and rounded. They seem to shed their own soft light so everything appears soft and vibrant. An echo dies off around you. that of a deep sensual laugh.

Murrey
She sits on the ground near the drone. "I do not know you were of friend to them. Which do you know?"

"All of them and yet none, through the bonding of shared bisk and rattle. Of their individual past, I am ignorant, of their drive and motivation outside of our shared employer, equally so, but no more so than they are of me. In this line of work, it doesn't pay to share too deeply with those you work beside, for their safety as much as your own, yet even in such a state of solitude, the bonds of trust emerge, we are social creatures and seek the acceptance of our peers."

Murrey
A momentary flash of confusion passes over her face, you assume your speech problem causing some issues yet again. "You are very different from the other machine people I have met in the past. This........profession rarely finds such enlightened views as yours. I often meet men and women who struggle against themselves, their very natures as human beings. They end up living half lives, pale copies of normal existence. The lack of trust and security often leads to a sickness of the soul that eventually claims them wholly."

"A sad truth of the world as we refine it. Several times now you have deferred to me as a machine person, what do you mean?"

Paladin doubles over, hands on his knees and panting. He lifts his head to the group, then stands errect. Slightly out of breath, he asks, "Everyone ok?"

:: Blushing furiously from the emotions that have flooded her body and mind, Moira casts her eyes away and mutters softly. ::

"Define Ok."

:: With a sigh, she realizes she sounds a little rude and lifts her head, fixing a somewhat forced smile on her lips. ::

"Let's just hope things go a little easier from here on out."

Shiver's face is a battlefield of conflicting emotions as the group resettles.

How long has it been? Duty must come first...Duty to others is all you ever think about, what about your own needs? It is not the time, I must wait Take the time, make it the time I cannot, that possibility was forsaken long ago... Not every choice is black and white

The troll grips his cane tightly and takes several deep breaths. Finally he gains control of his face and the battle stops.

"I am well enough to complete the task before us."

Murrey
The small woman blushes a deep red and stammers as she speaks. "My apologies if I have offended you. I thought you were one of the men who live and move inside of machines. I have called them 'machine people' for lack of a better word. The people I run with have never sought to enlighten me further on the subject."

Bakatare blinks as the feelings recede as suddenly as they arrived, flushed and panting like the rest of them.

That must be what true addiction is like...the need being everything, eclipsing everything else...You're no better then the rest of them, you know that now, don't you? No predestined fate, no glorious transformation, just the same base animalistic drives that push everyone else through their days...

The very thought makes him grimace with disgust, and he turns to Paladin and the rest.

"Shall we proceed?"

"Well in that sense, I guess I am a machine person. I have cyberware that allows me to move a properly equipped machine or drone as though it were my own body. It was strange at first, but I couldn't see running any other way."

Paladin looks each way down the tunnel. "Yeah, lets. It doesn't look like it matters which way we go so...."

Paladin turns to the right and starts walking. "Did anyone else hear that laugh when we showed up?"

Bakatare shudders slightly.

"No, but I felt it..."

"Yeah, I don't like this place. And I really didn't like the trip. It felt like every thought, experiance, and emotion was being read and drank from me... it was aweful..."

"Although, really it wasn't nearly so bad as Aponia's realm. I never would have guessed it, but given the choice, I'd rather desire over despair."