"Miss Apastron -- er, Bat Elf -- is a rather trying client, but she's making such progress!"
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"Oh hello! I'm Alfred!" The android in a natty bow tie smiles at all of you. "My boss, Miss Apastron -- er, I meant to say Bat Elf -- was supposed to be on Greeter duty today, but she got called away on an important case! Will you have some rice candy? It comes from Ollie's Option Bar down in the Spike, and some of the flavors are rather... odd. But you know how shirrens love their choices!" He smiles at D'vost and Cavaler. "You must be the two new recruits that Zigvigix told me to watch for." He hands you each an Exo-Guardians faction pin. "Welcome! I do hope that you enjoy yourselves on the missions you have as much as Ms. Apa -- er, Bat Elf -- has. What brings you to the faction, if I may ask?" Further into the building, you can hear the pounding beats of Strawberry Machine Cake's music. Alfred's smile doesn't falter in the slightest. "I suppose you all want to head inside and find out what Zigvigix has for you, yes? Well, you cannot miss them. Just go down the hall and follow the music. Um, would any of you like to borrow some earplugs? I do wonder sometimes about Zigvigix's hearing."
*Ahem!* "Miss Apastron wishes everyone to know that she's updated her 'Bat Me' spoiler to include the gun and ammunition that she borrowed from Mr. Ekkerah!"
"Alright, we've both strutted enough. Let's parley." Alfred leans down and looks at the wounded jinsul, with only stumps left for legs. "We need you to give us the lay of the land, but you need us. We may be Pact Worlds Vermin, but we're what you need right here and right now. You don't have to like us, and we don't have to like you..." Alfred shakes his head. "Still, you are a creature of deep loyalty and honor. You're holding out against fiends who have destroyed your leaders and send your people across the universe to fight foolish wars, and you are doing it at great personal risk. Help us help you, Ekkerah. You and your people deserve far better than this."
Alfred straightens his bow tie and puts down his camera for a moment. "Miss Apastron... I am beginning to think that Jinsul diplomacy is less gentle than those charming lightning strikes and the voracious horde that served as our welcoming committee to this planet. If I may be permitted to step in front of the camera a moment?" Alfred clears his throat, and says in Jinsul. "Η τσαλακωμένη γλώσσα της που χτυπάει; Αυτό δεν είναι γλώσσα! Ο ήχος που ακούτε είναι η ταχεία προσέγγιση των φτερούγας ..." Jinsul:
"Her 'wimpy tongue' flapping? That's no tongue! The flapping sound that you hear is the swift approach of bat wings..."
"But my tongue is mechanical, and of a far less pliant nature." Alfred turns and slams the ground in front of Ekkerah. "You want rid of your demon?! Those flapping bat wings -- along with Bat Elf's other resourceful companions here -- are the only thing that will save your ungrateful ass. They are helping you, Ekkerah! You can hunker down in your hovel, or you can ACT! What will it be, Ekkerah?"
"Miss Apastron, I would prefer it if you rested a moment! Consider your health!"
Alfred raises an eyebrow. "What's the issue, Miss Apastron? Is it not excellent armor?"
At this point, Alfred rushes up with the parcel from the Knights of Golarian. "Here it is, Miss Apastron! Your loaned armor!"
"With Ms. Apastron -- I mean, Bat Elf -- as a client, all my social skills are daily put to the test."
With us losing our envoy, I am thinking about giving Alfred an ally boon upgrade. It costs 7 fame to purchase an elite hireling, correct? And the set 2 is the social skills, right? I am thinking of picking up some social skills for Alfred!
Then Alfred's communicator starts ringing. "Nice to meet you Tsu, if you'll excuse me a moment, I need to answer this." There's a pause, and then Alfred says, "Oh excellent! I'll pick it up right away!" He turns to Bat Elf. "The Knights of Golarian have sent you a care package! I'm off to collect it now, but should be back shortly!"
The android takes a moment to shake hands with newcomers. Speaking in a refined accent, he says, "So pleased to meet you. I'm Miss Apastron's camera man, butler and home hea--er, friend. I'm her friend."
"Miss Apastron, er, Bat Elf's therapy is coming along nicely!" Alfred nods with approval. "Come back tomorrow for another exciting adventure."
Has the House of Tech recovered fully? Are new Starfinder avatars on the way?
“I hope that all of you have enjoyed traveling with Miss Apastron and myself.” Alfred smiles gently. “She so enjoys having others on her show!”
Alfred lowers his BANG! sign, ready to hold it up again when Bat Elf shoots. The timing of these things was important.
Alfred looks at Bat Elf and hits the button marked, ‘play’.
“Ah, battle time. I believe it’s time for Mistress Apastron’s favorite band...”
Alfred sighs and holds up a large sign that says, BANG!
“Do be careful! I agree that there might be old automated defenses! Er... Perhaps it’s best if I stay outside?”
And viral for you, too... Alfred tries to flick the switch.
“It won’t play, Miss.”
“Are you sure, Miss?” Alfred says from behind the camera. “They may object to our sharing their music on your show.”
“What does Bat Elf see? Will it be monsters? A strange alien seeking love and affection? A Knight of Golarian?” Alfred says, in voice over.
“Say what, Miss?” says Alfred, still continuing to film Bat Elf, smoking clothes, frizzy hair and all.
My good doctor, just use your medicine skill!
I love PBP. It’s such a great medium for developing a character’s backstory, even when you’re an NPC ally. Alfred now has a backstory in his profile.
“Alright Miss...” Alfred stops filming for a moment, and shifts to projection mode. The whole Bat Elf show is a silly project, but as Miss Apastron’s home health care aide, Alfred understands that this role she’s adopted, and the whole persona of Bat Elf, has turned her from someone traumatised by the Gap to an active and productive citizen again. He’s not about to jeopardize this reinvention that she’s created. Even the fan mail from the Bat Elf show has been helpful. It’s good for Sonarisa to have friends and a purpose again. He rolls up the sleeves of his tuxedo as he works, his face concentrating. As Bat Elf spreads her cape as a projection screen, Alfred projects some of the footage that he’s already filmed of the mission.
Bat Elf’s theme song plays. ♫ Na nana na nana Bat Elf! ♫ There’s a shot of the Bat Mobile as the team is boarding. Then there are scenes of laughing members of the Bat Team working together in low gravity. Sharmain learning about the tools on the Bat Belt, while some of the rest of the team work on the ship. A scene of Bat Elf working with Ratatatat on his theme song — but not of the shooting that preceded it. Pictures of star charts, and of the landing on the planet. The whole montage ends with Bat Elf’s closer, and a picture of Bat Elf hanging upside down in low gravity, her cape floating behind her. “As always, thanks for viewing Bat Friends! See you next time, same Bat Time, same Bat Channel!” Bat Elf’s theme song plays. ♫ Na nana na nana Bat Elf! ♫ When the filming is done, Alfred asks, “Is that what you wanted, Miss?”
Alfred attempts to zoom in on the creatures with his camera lens, to better identify them, but insteads becomes fascinated with the cinematography. The light here is wonderful!
Alfred grabs his camera. “I would not miss it for the world, Miss Apastron.”
Well, I had tremendous difficulty figuring out how to represent Bat Elf, a good looking elven woman in mask — and then I saw the bat avatar and realized that was all that I needed. My real find was Alfred’s avatar. Incidentally, I only picked up Alfred so that I could have someone filming Bat Elf’s adventures for her fans, but it looks like the skill choice for that ally is a good choice if he can back up and assist Sharmain!
“May I help you, Miss Sharmain?” Alfred asks, gently. “Perhaps we can figure this out if we work together and compare notes.” He puts down the camera for a moment to look over the scans, his cybernetic eyebrows wagging higher and higher. “Oh my. Is that a Besmaran Whelp? I thought those were spacer legends.” He hands the scanner back to Sharmain.
“Miss Apastron is in a delicate state right now. Can you try not to upset her delusions? I.. er... worry about her.”
“Miss Apastron! Wait!” A wizened looking android runs into the room, wearing a tuxedo and carrying a camera over his shoulder. He’s an older model, one that went out of vogue over a hundred years ago. “You’re supposed to wait until I’m filming to do your speeches!” As he passes Mr. Voss’s desk, he notes a line further down the page of the holoscreen: “Yes, that’s Sonarisa Apastron checking in. She’s... er... changed her name.” |