Worm, a fantastic web serial, is owned by Wildbow. This quest will spoil a great deal - if not...
Alchemical Solutions [Worm/Exalted] Thread 23: We Wonder Where Who Wanders When Watchers Wane
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Story Index
Gromweld
Learning By Mistake
Worm, a fantastic web serial, is owned by Wildbow. This quest will spoil a great deal - if not all - of the story, so if you haven't finished it already... go read it now! (Unless you don't care about spoilers, that is.)
Exalted, a delightful RPG system, is owned by White Wolf and Paradox Interactive. Support the game by picking up a few PDFs on Drive-Thru RPG, would ya?
Credit to @Sojiko for the Conquest Quest character sheet format.
Credit to @PseudoSim for help formatting this Index.
Exalted, a delightful RPG system, is owned by White Wolf and Paradox Interactive. Support the game by picking up a few PDFs on Drive-Thru RPG, would ya?
ALCHEMICAL SOLUTIONS
[Worm/Exalted]
[Worm/Exalted]
- STORY INDEX
- RELATED LINKS
- OMAKE
- QUEST-RELATED ART
- CHARACTER SHEET: ENDURING ORDER ADMINISTRATOR
- CHARACTER SHEET: FIRST PRAYER OF PERFECTION
- CHARACTER SHEET: WARDEN OF REFLECTED INFINITIES
- CHARACTER SHEET: WHAT MEMORY SERVES
- FAMILIAR: EYE OF AUTOCHTHON
- FAMILIAR: CRUSHING GRASP
- QUEST EXPERIENCE LOGS
- QUEST MECHANICS
- NEW CHARMS & ARTIFACTS
- TAYLOR'S FIRST ARMOR
-
TAYLOR'S FIRST ARMOR (EQUIPMENT ●●●○○)
(Similar to this armor, but more 'regal' and with longer silken-armor skirt. Sadly, no cape.)
TAYLOR'S FIRST ARMOR STAT SHEET:
Armor vs Normal Attacks: 10 (+1 w/ AMU)
Armor vs Energy Attacks: 17 (+1 w/ AMU, +5 w/ HES)
Mobility: -1
Strength Min: 1
Battery: 150 Hours (Recharge/Repair 25 hours takes one FULL hour of Technomorphic Integration Engine)
Other Bonuses: Flight (AGM), +2 Dodge DV (AES), +2 to rolls for interfacing with technology (DCS), +2 Awareness (TPMG), Perfect lie detection against visibly-human targets (TPMG), +2 dice to attacks and defenses in one-on-one combat against opponents without exotic powers (TPMG)
Advanced Materials Upgrade v11.13a
Through use of Tinker-designed materials, layers of advanced polymers and fibers are applied on top of the existing armor to enhance Armor by +2 . Electromagnetic seals to reinforce the armor's joints can be activated upon command (reflexive, enable/disable once per tick) at the cost of one hour of battery life per minute, but yield another +1 to Armor while enabled.
Anti-Gravity Manipulators v2.03c
Two modes, reflexively toggled: Tactical Flight (15yards/second normal, 25yards/tick dash), Transit Flight (30yards/tick normal [60mph], 40yards/tick dash [80mph]). Transit Flight requires a Dex+Athletics roll for quick changes in direction. Every hour (round up) spent flying in Tactical Flight counts as two hours for purposes of Recharge/Repair time, where Transit Flight counts as three hours.
Assisted Evasion System v1.22a
Various tiny antigravity modules dot the armour. When enabled (reflexive, enable/disable once per tick), the system reads the bodily movements of the wearer and exaggerates them by briefly firing the appropriate antigravity modules. This results in a 'jinking' movement that increases Dodge DV by +2, but drains an hour of battery power per minute active.
Distributed Computer System v5.54d
A suite of signal monitoring and transmission systems spread out across the entire suit collect and process data to feed into the suit's distributed operating system. Through this system, the wearer is able to detect and interface with all forms of broadcast communications, as well interface with physical ports through use of extending plugs, granting the user +2 on rolls involving wireless communications and computer systems. Nearby suits equipped with both Distributed Computer System and Tactical Prediction Model Generator may coordinate against a single target to gain attack and defense bonuses as if the combat was still one-on-one.
Hazardous Environment System v6.44h
A series of insulating materials, reflective surfaces, and coolant systems designed to protect the wearer against exposure to environmental hazards. The suit gains +7 Armor against all energy-based damage, such as extreme heat, cold, electricity, and radiation. Additionally, the suit can reflexively vent its coolant to give an additional +5 armor against a single energy-based damage roll; this also hits everyone within 5 yards of the wearer with boiling hot coolant (2L) and reduces the armor bonus to +4 until the coolant systems are repaired.
Tactical Prediction Model Generator v.08b
+2 Awareness, +3 successes for detecting lie attempts (against visibly-human targets), +2 dice to all attacks and defenses in one-on-one combat against opponents without exotic powers.
- WCM's HOVER THRONE
-
WCM'S HOVER THRONE (EQUIPMENT ●●●○○)
(Like this, but with thicker arms, taller back, wood-colored, and with white cushions.)
A collaborative Toybox commission by the villainess WCM that cost her several millions of dollars, it nonetheless served her well for four years as a mobile command center for the various supervillian and mercenary groups she teamed up with to run heists and other jobs. Maintenance and recharging the power plant made it harder costlier to use over time, however, to the point where she recently commissioned a more reliable set of power armor from Toybox to use instead - a commission that will likely go unfilled after her death in Brockton Bay at the hands of Behemoth.
The throne itself looks more like something you'd see on the front deck of a mansion in the deep-south United States, and in a way it is; the chair was originally part of an entire furniture set from WCM's family mansion in Georgia, but when her family fell on hard times and was forced to sell she managed to keep her favorite chair for personal use. When WCM first struck it big as a supervillain, she shipped the chair to Toybox and had them build her a 'throne' inside of it.
At first glance, the Hover Throne appears to be a high-backed wicker recliner with comfortable white padding along the seat and back, but careful inspection reveals that the chair's 'hollow' parts are instead brimming with Tinkertech gadgetry. The left armrest folds up to reveal projectors for three hard-light keyboards and nine monitors - the keyboards went mostly unused by WCM due to her technopath-like power, but were installed as a backup should she ever run into a power-negator. The cluster of computers and servers in the Hover Throne are high-end Tinkertech, complete with several high-band antennas to hook into radio and wireless signals, and retractable cords with universal adapters - the combination allowing for physical and wireless connections to nearly any computer system. Mechanically, this provides a +2 bonus to Lore rolls with the relevant downloaded libraries, +2 bonus to Investigation rolls with an Internet connection, and a +2 bonus to War rolls for the purpose of battlefield coordination if a team's communications are linked to the device.
Beyond its computing and tactical capabilities as a command center, the right armrest contains a dispenser for a programmable replicator, which feeds from a two-foot-cube tank accessible from the back of the chair. New items can be programmed into the replicator by placing it in the fuel tank, though WCM herself only had several types of tea (sweet and normal), a version of her heirloom tea set, and pastries programmed into the device.
Though the Hover Throne has no direct offensive capabilities built-in, a bubble-like shield can be charged up and erected around the chair. The hazy blue forcefield can reflect errant small arms fire with ease, but sustained, direct assaults can drain the shield quickly. Recharging the shield's capacitor takes 60 seconds if the Hover Throne is in flight, or 30 seconds if it is resting.
The Hover Throne, as the name implies, is capable of independent flight and hovering. It is not especially maneuverable in tight spaces, but can navigate building interiors if the driver is careful enough. It's usual maximum speed is 15 miles per hour (7 yards per tick), while an 'extended flight' mode can be engaged to propel it at 30 miles per hour (15 yards per tick) though this mode imparts a -2 external penalty to combat maneuvers.
As a collaborative Tinker effort, it is considerably more prone to failure, however, and the antimatter reactor that powers it requires fuel only provided by Toybox - both factors that made WCM eventually recently deem it too costly to use due to her dwindling funds. Repairs cost anywhere from a month's expenditure of Resources 2 to Resources 5, and a full refueling costs a month's expenditure of Resources 5.
WCM'S HOVER THRONE STAT SHEET:
Speed: 15/30mph
Maneuverability: +1R (Technology/Lore 2, Drive/Ride 1) (Uses Wits+Drive/Ride)
Endurance: 1ft-diameter antimatter power plant that degrades to uselessness after 150 hours of use. Maintenance required after 30 hours of use, with every 1 hour after that disabling a random feature of the Hover Throne.
Crew: 1/1
Cargo: Built-in extended-space compartment on right side of chair, 3ft wide / 3ft tall / 6ft deep, with a maximum load of one ton.
Shield: 6L/6B, can withstand 10 health levels of damage before recharging
Armor: 6L/6B
Health Levels: Undamaged x 5/ Minor Damage x10 / Critical Damage x3 / Inoperative x 2 / Destroyed
Weapons: None normally.
Other Notes: Moving at double-speed drains the power plant at a rate of 1 hour/minute. Restoring the shield consumes 5 hours of charge.
- TACTICAL RAILGUN CROSSBOW MK. III
-
TACTICAL RAILGUN CROSSBOW MK. III (EQUIPMENT ●●●●○)
a.k.a "AHC-300-BS" to the PRT
a.k.a "Totally not a Railgun" to PR
a.k.a "That Bullshit Railgun" by everyone else
Kinda like THIS:
But streamlined a bit more like THIS:
Tactical Railgun Crossbow Mk. III Stat Sheet:
Speed: 3 (It takes 3 seconds until you can perform another action.)
Accuracy: +3 (Add 3 additional dice when rolling to hit things.)
Damage: 8L (Add 8 dice of damage if you hit things with it.)
Rate: 4 (Allows for 4 attacks in a single action.)
Range: 200 (If the target is within 200 yards, no range penalties. Within 400, -1 penalty. Within 600, -2 penalty...)
Tags: 2, B ("2" means it's a weapon that requires two hands to use. "B" means it's a Bow-Type weapon, so its damage is augmented by the ammunition used.)
Additional Functions:
Quantum Beacon: Fires a 100-yard-range, damage-less Tracer Beacon (glued, dime-sized) that teleports the next shot to wherever it hit, automatically awarding it the same to-hit successes achieved on the Tracer Beacon shot and Infinite Range. Tracer Beacon can be used as a GPS Tracking device, capable of tracking through different parallel Earths, until next shot is fired or 1 hour has passed.
Auto-Winch: Automatically pulls back bow, negating the need for manual operation. This affords a +2 to the weapon's Rate (already calculated in stat sheet).
Portal Quiver: Backpack-sized quiver capable of teleporting ammunition directly into the paired weapon's ammo hopper/magazine. Quiver also contains sorting mechanisms and programming, accessible via wired or wireless commands, to allow for different types of ammunition to be loaded into the hopper/magazine.
- MANTLE OF THE DREAD GEAR
-
MANTLE OF THE DREAD GEAR (ARTIFACT ●●●●●)
(Viator-Class Celestial Battle Armor)
Forged from the Vision of Vengeance's nearly-complete chassis, the Iris of Innovation recast the Viator Chassis in a desperate purge of overloading essence. While the Iris was initially attempting to recast the frame as a Warstrider - capable of fighting the very Endbringers that had humiliated him before - the simultaneous need to reforge his current master, Enduring Order Administrator, drained him of the needed essence required for such a monumental task. Instead, he opted for a way to ensure that Enduring Order Administrator would at least be protected from such gruesome wounds in the future: the Mantle of the Dread Gear, a Viator-Class Celestial Battle Armor.
Systems that were designed around the Vision of Vengeance's ability to drain Essence from surrounding environments (and victims) at will, instead were re-purposed and overhauled enough to be wielded by an attuned Exalt - if not completely powered by one. For due to Nowhere's lack of ambient Essence and available Hearthstones, the Iris of Innovation designed the armor so that he himself would serve as its power core… when appropriately resized, of course. Iris is incapable of utilizing any of his charms when so configured, as he is forced into a meditative state for the duration, though he is aware of his surroundings and capable of conversation. Fortunately, the original design of the Viator Chassis called for his - or, rather, Vision of Vengeance's - presence within the frame; when powering the Mantle, the Iris of Innovation resides within the lightning-emanating core visible in the front of the armor's chestpiece.
As for the armor itself, the Iris of Innovation lacked for energy to redesign: it retains most of the appearance of the "Viator of Nullspace", only smaller - 8 feet tall - and the seams, cracks, and jagged edges of the soulsteel frame have been streamlined enough to at least appear artisanally intimidating. The baleful red sphere that features prominently in the center of the helm no longer radiates a crackling aura of menace, instead simply radiating a trailing wisp of power.
Standard Celestial Battle Armor Modules:
Peripatetic Greaves: Doubled movement rate; 10 mph marching movement rate.
Essence Shield: By spending four motes of Essence, the wearer can create a shield of solidified Essence that increases the wearer's DV by two against both melee and ranged attacks. This shield lasts for one scene.
Essence Gauntlets: Each of the user's gauntlets have enchantments built into them that allow them to be used as power maces (see Wonders of the Lost Age, p. 78). The character can use these gauntlets to both make hand-to-hand attacks and fire Essence bolts, identical to those delivered by a power mace. Use the statistics for the power mace*.
New Modules:
Void Seals: No air may pass in or out of the Mantle, and any breaches in the armor are automatically sealed with thick, dark tar as the wound is caused. There is only one hour of fresh air within the armor, and refreshing it requires removing the helmet for 10 minutes, or removing the armor entirely.
Dread Pistons: +4 dots to Strength for feats of strength, calculating jump distance and inflicting damage with attacks.
Demotivating Actuators: Any time an attacker strikes the armor in hand-to-hand combat, roll that character's (Stamina + Resistance), difficulty 2. Failure indicates that the attacker loses a point of Dexterity due to numbness. (Only orichalcum weapons insulate against this effect.)
Entropic Drain: The plates of the Mantle drain five motes from Essence users each time they contact victims with bare gauntlets, or with mundane or soulsteel weapons, and mortals age two years with every successful strike. If no Essence can be drained, the wounded area withers apart as if aged decades in a blink, making the wound a Crippling injury (-1 Internal Penalty until healed). Further, flames that touch the Mantle are snuffed out (including the animas of Fire Aspects), and water that touches the plates freezes and slides off - making the armor completely pyro- and hydrophobic.
Force Nullification: +15L/15B soak, and +3L/+3B hardness from the absorption of attacks' kinetic energy.
Entity Bane: The gauntlets on the Mantle have been fitted with specially-tuned Essence projectors. If the wearer spends three motes of Essence, she can charge all of the weapons that are part of this armor and that she is carrying with an aura of Essence that allows the weapons to deal Aggravated damage to Entities, Shards, and physical manifestations created by them. These weapons remain charged with Essence and capable of inflicting such harm for one scene.
Vengeance's Stare - With a booming klaxon of shredding reality, the blood-red sphere of the Mantle's eye can fire a crimson beam of disintegrating essence. See stats below.
Inexorable Fortifications: Should a single attack or environmental hazard deal enough damage to the wearer to fill all their health levels of a certain type (-1, -2, and so on), any damage beyond that amount is prevented. Shaping that would instantly destroy the armor or wearer is negated, instead causing the wearer to suffer only a single level of aggravated damage.
Causality Rejection Cascade: By spending five motes of Essence, the wearer can generate a pulse of concentrated Essence that causes reality itself to ripple and shudder around the armor, bending it under the might of the Mantle's very presence. This attack affects everyone within range and can be dodged but not parried. The shockwave generated by this attack also halves (round down) the soak value of all non-magical armor. This attack is specifically designed to allow the wearer to clear away large numbers of attackers. See stats below.
Unfolding Nowhere Portals: The armor can warp space around itself in a blinding display of impossible geometry and rippling white tesseracts. The user may pay five motes to teleport to any point they can see within five hundred yards as a miscellaneous action (only one such action can be included in a flurry). They can also pay nine motes in Step 2 of an attack to reflexively teleport in this way, perfectly dodging even if the attack is undodgeable. A surcharge of one Willpower extends this defense to one tick, letting the Mantle's wearer teleport after each new attack.
Soak Hardness Mobility Fatigue Attune +29L/29B 12L/12B -0 1 15 *The Mantle of the Dread Gear's Essence Gauntlets are only capable of inflicting Lethal damage, and do not provide a bonus to melee defense, but do not cost essence to generate the ranged attack.Weapon Speed Accuracy Damage Rate Range Tags Vengeance's Stare 6 -1 15L 1 125 P Causality Rejection Cascade 5 +2 5L 1 20** P*** Gauntlets Melee (L)* 5 +2 +10/4 2 - O, P Gauntlets Ranged (L)* 5 +2 10L 2 60 -
** This attack has no extended range. This is the maximum range of the effect.
*** Against non-magical armor only.
- WEAVER ARMOR MK II
-
WEAVER ARMOR MK II (EQUIPMENT ●●●●○)
(Similar to this armor, but slanted more towards the Mark I's 'Exalted regal' aesthetics and with silken-armor skirt. Fingers are also covered.)
WEAVER ARMOR MK II STAT SHEET:
Armor vs Normal Attacks: 9B/9L
Mobility Penalty: 0
Strength Min: 1
Battery: 600 Hours (Recharge/Repair 25 hours, takes one FULL hour of Technomorphic Integration Engine) [150 x 4 from DTC]
Other Bonuses: Flight (EMS), Self-Destruct Option (DTC), Pocket-dimension Backpack (FB), +2 Lore rolls w/ Internet Access (KWC), +2 Investigation rolls w/ Internet Access (KWC), +2 to rolls for interfacing with technology (DCS), +2 Awareness (TPMG), Perfect lie detection against visibly-human targets (TPMG), +2 dice to attacks and defenses in one-on-one combat against opponents without exotic powers (TPMG)
Dimensional Torsion Core v1.93
Bakuda's dimensional torsion device worked by splinching a section of spacetime and then using the resultant energy to bootstrap a fusion reaction. Without the focusing elements to propagate the effect and the necessary fuel, it serves now as a high density power storage device - quadrupling the suit's base battery life, and providing more than enough energy to allow any integrated flight systems double their normal top speeds without any noticeable increase in power drain. Such a compact energy device can, of course, be turned into a weapon if released all at once; with this module installed, the armor can be set to self destruct in a brilliant display of dimensional barriers reasserting themselves.
Self destruct: 20B, 30 yard radius, Knockdown check at difficulty 3. Minimum fifteen seconds to destruction, timer up to five minutes.
Distributed Computer System v5.54d
A suite of signal monitoring and transmission systems spread out across the entire suit collect and process data to feed into the suit's distributed operating system. Through this system, the wearer is able to detect and interface with all forms of broadcast communications, as well interface with physical ports through use of extending plugs, granting the user +2 on rolls involving wireless communications and computer systems. Nearby suits equipped with both Distributed Computer System and Tactical Prediction Model Generator may coordinate against a single target to gain attack and defense bonuses as if the combat was still one-on-one.
Enhanced Mobility Systems v3.21f
Requires Dimensional Torsion Core
The expanded power budget from the re-purposing of the Dimensional Torsion Core made it possible to set new records in the speeds available to a powered armor platform. Redesigned, more powerful gravity manipulators took advantage of the increased power budget to provide more thrust. Inertial compensators expanded the survivable acceleration parameters, computer-aided armor profiles minimized drag, while forcefield emitters helped smooth air- and water-flow, and to drop the sonic signature of breaking the sound barrier from a boom to a thump.
Allows movement underwater at full land speeds. The speeds below account for the doubling of flight speeds allowed by Dimensional Torsion Core.
Tactical Flight:
Normal: 40 yards/tick
Dash: 80 yards/tick
3 hours recharge and repair/hour of flight time
Transit Flight:
Normal: 200 yards/tick.
10 hours repair and recharge/ hour of flight time.
SCRAM system: 400 yards/tick
50 hours recharge and repair/per hour of flight time
Foldspace Backpack v1.03c
Built into the backpack is a variation of Kid Win's space folding storage technology, allowing a much greater amount of space to be collapsed into the suit's backpack than its exterior size would indicate. This space is primarily used to hold additional wings for the flight module, as well as a drone rack and storage bins attached to the web-like rack.
Knowledge Web Crawler v4.25d
Given a suitable database or source of information to use, internalized search applications will gather the most relevant data points to the user based on the requested items. This is a +2 bonus to Lore rolls with a relevant downloaded library, +2 bonus to Investigation rolls with an Internet connection, or a +4 bonus to both Lore and Investigation if both are available.
Tactical Prediction Model Generator v.08b
+2 Awareness, +3 successes for detecting lie attempts (against visibly-human targets), +2 dice to all attacks and defenses in one-on-one combat against opponents without exotic powers.
- LOCATIONS
-
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
Relevant Philadelphia Information:
- Civilian Population: 900,000
- Parahuman Population (Officially): 10 Protectorate, 5 Wards, 91 Supervillains, 65 Unaffiliated Heroes, 9 Rogues
- Parahuman Population (Effective): 10 Protectorate, 5 Wards, 102 Supervillains, 67 Unaffiliated Heroes, 9 Rogues
- PRT Offices: PRT Headquarters/Downtown, PRT North, PRT Northeast, Protectorate Island
- Philadelphia's PRT usually counts Camden's non-PRT parahuman population in its numbers, as it does most of the work there. Cherry Hill and the other Camden County cities pitch in when available (which isn't often).
CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY
Relevant Camden Information:
- Civilian Population: 52,000
- PRT Offices: Camden PRT Headquarters
- Parahuman Population (Officially): 3 Protectorate, 0 Wards, 11 Supervillains, 2 Unaffiliated Heroes, 0 Rogues
- Many of Philadelphia's Gangs claim territory in Camden, but the parahumans don't live there.
- Somehow worse than Brockton Bay: over 40% of the population is under the poverty line, gangs rule the streets, and the majority of the city is condemned.
Credit to @Sojiko for the Conquest Quest character sheet format.
Credit to @PseudoSim for help formatting this Index.
Last edited:
Chapter 9.2
Gromweld
Learning By Mistake
Chapter 9.2
Shape the Narrative:
[X] Show Meditation, Show Testing, Then Get To Social Interactions
Cupid Brought WMDs:
[X] Miss Militia
- [x] Stunt: "Nice discount" Hana says to her companion, surveying the three bedroom NY hotel suite. Saki smiles as she closes her phone. "Sleepover at Ms Sato's place for me though. See you in the morning." She slips past Robert into the hallway, and the door shuts with a soft click. Robert stares at the door, and then back to Hana. "What just happened?"
Taylor's Armor Mark II:
[X] Plan: Knowledge Is Power
- Dimensional Torsion Core v1.93
- Distributed Computer System v5.54d
- Enhanced Mobility Systems v3.21f
- Fold-space Backpack v1.03c
- Knowledge Web Crawler v4.25d
- Tactical Prediction Model Generator v.08b
Free Action:
[X] Free Action: Missy is seated on her bed next to Saki, both of them giggling over a shared laptop. Lord Grasp is riding Saki's head like the world's most terrifyingly fabulous hat. Grasp spots Taylor entering and waves the sheaf of papers clutched in his claw. "Excellent! The first recitation of Kiss of Obsidian Butterflies demands an audience!"
XP Expenditures:
[X] FPoP - 3 XP - Ally (Crawler/Defiant/Ned) ●○○○○
[X] EOA - 3 XP - Ally (Bonesaw/Riley) ●●○○○
***
It's a matter of scant few moments before the approaching duo swoop down onto the reinforced netting upon which you are sitting, the crackling roar of the cerulean-crystal woman's jets cutting out smoothly as the net quickly steadies from her added weight - a surprisingly small shift, considering the absolutely massive amount of smooth, crystalline armor encasing the woman.
But despite the blue figure's startling the size, dexterity, lack of weight, and alien beauty, it is the much smaller figure slipping out of her arms that holds your attention.
Your first impression was both right and wrong: Taylor wasn't just glowing in a metaphorical sense, she is actually glowing. Against her dark, graphite-like skin, the yellowish, eerily-luminescent networks of light appear to be… veins? It's almost as if her major veins and arteries are lit from within, - an effect made even more disconcerting when she smiles at you, revealing that the light also emanates from her mouth.
Did she… swallow one of those fusion batteries she was working on before? Or did she eat one of Bakuda's bombs right as it was going off? She doesn't appear to be in pain...
On top of looking like she's a few minutes away from a reactor meltdown, all the Charms that Taylor normally hides are out on full display. Her forearms and hands are those sleek, obsidian gauntlets she uses for basically everything, there are seams, metal plates, embedded wires, and rivets all over her body… kind of how you look right now, actually, even if a bunch of them don't match what your own Charms look like. It's kind of weird, actually, since the only other time you've seen her like this was when she tried meditating during the road trip... then her Charms started popping out of her skin and her hair changed colors.
Actually, now that she's up close, there's two major differences between how she looked then and now - besides the whole 'maybe blowing up soon' thing. The little legs jutting out from the sides of her head look… fancier now, with gold and silver etchings covering the black, spider-like limbs, and her forehead is covered in a sleek, grey plate that has six glowing gemstones arrayed upon it - two pairs of three, set in a triangular pattern directly above each eyebrow - their hue the same golden yellow as Taylor's glowing eyes. They don't have pupils themselves, but you're getting a weird feeling that they almost… seem to be… looking at you?
Gods, is she going out of her way to look like a supervillain? Maybe she's trying to appear tough so that villains will join in the fight against the Nine?
"Saki!" she cheers, raising an obsidian-clawed hand and hopping deftly across the net towards you. Behind her, the cerulean-crystal juggernaut remains silent as she follows a few steps behind.
"H-hey, Taylor," you manage, though your weakened smile regains some of its enthusiasm at the instant recognition. "How'd you know it was me?"
Her hand twitches, pointing a clawed finger towards your face as her own smile turns wry. "You tuck your hair behind your left ear when you're nervous."
Your left hand freezes, caught in the act of taming a stray lock of hair, "...o-oh, right." Dropping the hand back to idly petting Lord Grasp, you try to keep your voice cheerful as you size up at the dark heroine. "You look… different, Taylor."
"Ye-...yeaah. It's a long story…" she draws out, her finger retracting as the hand pulls up to tuck her own wind-blown hair away. A slight twitch in the corner of her left eye as her gaze unfocuses suggests that that's an understatement, but the moment passes as she turns her full focus upon you again - gesturing grandiosely towards your seated form. "But you! Saki… you look amazing! You sound amazing! And you even have a dress?!"
You blush and duck your head, the praise washing away the last feelings of unease at Taylor's new appearance. "Ah-? Thanks? I haven't had a chance to look in a mirror yet, but-"
"Is there a reason the two of you are acting like awe-struck servants at each other? And that language! Ugh!" Tiny pincers clack in displeasure as Lord Grasp shimmies his eight legs on your lap. "You sound like Erymanthoi grunting under a heavy load. Does she not know proper Old Realm?"
You're (somehow) already used to Lord Grasp's mannerisms by now, so you only blink a few times at the outburst. Taylor, on the other hand, goes wide-eyed as her mouth form a little 'o' at the ornate scorpion in your lap. To her credit, she takes barely a blink of an eye to rally - her smile growing even wider, somehow.
"You can speak!" she gasps excitedly, before drawing herself up fully and then bowing formally. "Greetings! My name is Enduring Order Administrator, and this-" she gestures to the silent, crystal-armored statue a step to her side and behind her, "is First Prayer of Perfection."
At the introduction, the large woman reaches up with both gauntlets and - with a sharp crack of broken crystal - removes her helmet and tucks it under her left arm. The now-revealed face is a slightly deeper shade of cerulean, but you haven't studied enough about world cultures to know if she's African, Australian, or is just from Alabama. Your history classes have always been more more skewed towards recent parahuman developments around the world than America's darker past…
You didn't need the schools to teach racism, though - it was hard to miss the Empire Eighty-Eight and Azn Bad Boy gang members screaming 'filthy nigger!', or jeers like 'monkey want banana?' Maybe that's why Aisha seems to like Philadelphia so much more than Brockton Bay?
"Noble spirit," her deep voice rumbles, reverberating through her armored chestpiece in a way that makes it sound like a breath through wind chimes. She bows deeply from the waist, slowly and solemnly. "We are honored."
Lord Grasp makes an approving hum before scuttling out from under your hands and out of your lap. Skittering along the net until he's a few feet away, you hear him make an exhaling sound-
Since his smaller form appeared so similar to his car-sized body, you're a bit shocked when Lord Grasp doesn't just grow, but instead his entire robotic structure comes alive in a dizzying array of impossible machinery. Seams appear and slide open to reveal clockwork gears that split open and multiply before snapping closed, sheathes of metal slide under artistic displays to cause them to expand in size…
The entire process takes perhaps four or five seconds, and leaves Lord Grasp once again as large as an economy-class European car - though he doesn't have his palanquin this time? The artistic layering of his armored back suggest that it might be something that he can retract or extrude at will, you hazard to guess.
Tail curling up and large pincers pulling in on himself, the mechanical scorpion tarnishes his wondrous and majestic display by shuddering and groaning under his breath.
"How can you stand this place? Maintaining my form in this wasteland feels like keeping a shattered statue from falling to pieces..."
You turn your head to cast a quick glance at Taylor, whose renewed expression of shock quickly schools into a considering frown.
"Iris of Innovation mentioned that the lack of Essence in this world felt strange to him, so maybe that's-"
"What?!" the opulent arthropod exclaims, spinning to face your group fully. "What do you mean NO Essence? That's impossible!"
Taylor hums, crossing her left arm under her chest and propping her right elbow up on it to strike a contemplative pose. "Actually, the fundamental particles of this universe function on a different wavelength than science science science Essence blah blah math-..."
You can practically feel your eyes glaze over as Taylor starts speaking in four-syllable words - many of which don't seem to have an Old Realm equivalent, resulting in some back-and-forth between Lord Grasp as he… well, you get the impression that he's having difficulty keeping up as well.
Absently staring at Taylor as she drones on, you wonder if the boys approve of Taylor's new look. Dean seemed to be able to take all of Taylor's creepy-ness in stride, but maybe Chris thinks all the blatant Charms look like cool Tinkertech. Perhaps as an excuse to 'study' her body in more detail...?
Taylor's lecture grinds to a halt as she turns her wary gaze to you. Why- oh... you were giggling out loud, weren't you?
"Ah, I'm sorry," murmur behind a hand, clearing your throat to shove down the giggle attack. "Please, continue."
"No, no, that's quite alright!" Lord Grasp waves off with an imperious tone, shimming his body as if to puff himself up. "I've heard quite enough as well - though, honestly! It was difficult to follow with your atrocious accent!"
Taylor's face falls to a blank, bewildered mask. "My… accent?"
Gold-sheathed manibles click a few times in a 'tut-tut' gesture. "Simply boorish! Provincial! At least Warden and Miss Prayer here have accents that lend them an exotic flare." Pincers raised, he clicks them in self-satisfaction. "I will draft lessons for proper elocution at the earliest opportunity. Once we have routed the current siege, I expect your attendance."
Taylor, still propping up her right arm, raises her index finger as if to make a rebuttal - then squints, frowns, clicks her mouth shut… but just as she's opening her mouth to mount some kind of defense, First Prayer of Perfection makes a thoughtful noise in her throat which stops Taylor's tongue.
"The others," Prayer's harmonic voice muses, though she doesn't take her eyes or posture off of Lord Grasp.
Taylor blinks, then huffs an exasperated sigh - you think you catch the word 'spirits' under her breath - before nodding to you.
"That's right - we need to make sure that everyone knows you're alright, Saki. There's a PRT detachment waiting on the ridge in case Saint or another Endbringer decided to interrupt us again."
You stare up at Taylor, waiting for her to smile at her own joke, but a moment passes and she doesn't seem to be laughing.
"Another Endbringer?"
"That's part of the long story," Taylor sighs and closes her eyes, nodding at the incredulity of your voice. When she opens her eyes again, however, they possess a softness that cuts into your soul. "But… before we go… Sakura?"
You wince, turning away to rub your eyes as the memory of your sister stirs up painful fragments of your psyche. "I… remember seeing her… but I was falling and she… stayed?"
Out of the corner of your eye, Taylor's scowl increases in intensity as she turns her head to look away and up into the air. "So she's still in the Cradle, then? That makes… sense? It takes a week for Autochthon to make a new Alchemical, so we just have to wait until next Tuesday for Sakura to come out."
You make a noncommittal grunt, still rubbing at your eyes and temples. You'd come to a similar conclusion before, when you were in your Safe Place, but… now that it's been said aloud, something doesn't quite… fit?
Shaking her head, Taylor looks back to you and kneels down to put a hand on your shoulder. "If you're having trouble remembering, that's alright - I've made sure to make it clear to the PRT that it's not worth their time to do power tests when everything's still out of alignment, so we've got the next few days cleared for you to get things sorted out first."
You blink away the spots and turn back abruptly in shock.
"Days?! What about the Nine?! We can't just leave Philadelphia-"
An obsidian gauntlet raises to halt your protest, while Taylor's face flits between satisfied and… shamed?
"The Nine are dead or... captured-"
There's a groan from Lord Grasp's direction, and Taylor makes a quick glance his way as he moans something about missing out on chances for glory. Turning back to you, her lips quirk up in a half-smile.
"… but I think the party's still going?"
***
There is a moment of consideration as Taylor and Marrow - Prayer, you keep having to remind yourself - suggest ways to get back onto land. Prayer says she's strong enough to carry everyone, but Taylor reminds her that the platform is remote-controllable.
Lord Grasp simply scoffs.
"This conveyance is woefully inadequate for making a proper entrance," he dismisses with a gem-encrusted, gold-sheathed pincer. "You are welcome to your own methods of transport, but Warden and I will be travelling the only way that is proper for Exalted: in style."
With that proclamation, the opulent mecha-scorpion settles his 'belly' onto the netting while tucking his legs under his body. Barely a heartbeat later, there is a long, soft whistle - like what you imagine would preface the appearance of a distant, steam-powered train - before thick streams of steam billow out from around Lord Grasp's body.
Then, in casual defiance of reason and physics, Lord Grasp is lifted up from the netting atop the small, puffy, white cloud. So alighted, he floats his way over to your stunned group and clicks his pincers in preening satisfaction.
"A more grand display of style you have not seen, I imagine?"
Beside you, Taylor seems torn between scientific curiosity and laughing at the ego-stroking. Prayer, however, comes to her rescue, though her level delivery could stand to be a bit more emotive. "Your like has not been seen on this world, noble spirit."
His gemstone eyes glitter in a way that you've begun to interpret as an eye-roll, but he hums a bit in thought at the response. "That reminds me; I felt the presence of at least a Third-Circle Deva when we emerged from Warden's sanctum, but I was able to repel its influence when it tried to seize control of my form. Warden didn't appear to be affected - or even notice it - so are the two of you aware of this spirit?"
At your side, Taylor flinches and raises one hand haltingly while sharing looks with Prayer. Their silent exchange lasts barely a moment, after which Taylor brings the hand to her mouth while clearing her throat. "Actually… that was me."
"What?!" Lord Grasp gasps, reeling back on his cloud, eyes glowing white in shock. "How-?"
"I'm sorry, but Saki was scrambling away from you and screaming, so… "
"No, I mean… how? It felt like I touched a mind as vast as the Pole of Earth! How did you…?" he repeats, though now with eyes glowing a light blue as he leans back in towards Taylor, eye-level with your Assembly's leader while scrutinizing her intently. "Is… what are…" he mutters, baffled, "...those legs are a charm?"
Taylor, for her part, stands her ground under the inspection - though her expression shifts between apprehension and confusion. "Yyyyes?"
"That doesn't make any sense!" he explodes, waving his large pincers in apparent offense at the answer. "That's not how charms are supposed to work!"
In response to that outraged assertion, you catch a familiar gleam in Taylor's eye: incoming nerd talk!
"Ah, Lord Grasp?" you interject, trying to appear honestly apologetic, "perhaps we should have this discussion later? Maybe on the trip back?"
The softening expressions of everyone else signals that you appear to have managed to avert another few minutes of incomprehensible jargon, and you manage to hide your sigh of relief.
"Saki's right, we need to get back," Taylor sighs, a mixture of disappointment and embarrassment flashing across her features as she points back towards the crater's lip. "I've been keeping the recovery team updated through my swarm, but Chevalier and Miss Militia need to get back to Philly and Legend needs to get back to New York."
"Legend is here!?" you squeak in surprise, feeling your cheeks already heat up in embarrassment. "For me?!"
Taylor blinks at your reaction, then bobs her head in remembrance. "Oh, right, you didn't get to meet him in New York, did you? Yeah, he's wanted to stay informed of the Assembly's progress, even though he's not interested in being one himself. Which is a shame, but…" she sighs, brow furrowing in concern before casting a glance back to you and Prayer. "Your parahuman power looks different now, so do you still have your private dimension from before? There's a lot I need to talk to you - both of you - about, and I've been putting it off because I was waiting for you to get back."
Prayer blinks at this, but a flash of something crosses her eyes before she nods in acceptance. For your part, you're a bit worried by the ominous tone of Taylor's voice.
"Y-yes? I guess I wasn't paying attention to the vortex, but my… charm?" you try, and get a nod from Taylor, "looks completely different, but… feels mostly the same? Though I don't remember how to teleport to any of the places I could before, so I think I might have to learn it all over again," you finish glumly.
Wincing, Taylor hums to herself while nodding to Prayer to get ready to leave. "Well, hopefully that's just due to your charms being out of alignment and you'll get it all back after some meditation, but if your parahuman power really did get reset… hmm. Hopefully Iris can help."
You catch a flicker of concern from Prayer again at the mention of this 'Iris', though Taylor doesn't seem to pay it any heed as the large blue woman deftly picks her up in a bridal carry again.
Noting that for later, you turn back to Lord Grasp just as he finishes unfurling the similarly-opulent, covered recliner from the armor plating along his back. It's not as golden as it was before, you note, and even before your eyes it appears to shift in design and composition until it appears to perfectly complement both your dress and your Alchemical coloration.
Your eyes flit to meet Lord Grasp's, his own gemstone gaze glittering in haughty satisfaction as his mandibles twitch.
Raising a silken-sleeve-covered hand to your mouth to hide your smile, you roll your eyes in good humor and climb aboard. "Show off."
"My dear Warden, if there is one lesson I have for you, it is this:" he muses primly, before rising smoothly to follow beside the ascending duo of Prayer and Taylor.
"If you've got it, flaunt it."
***
The trip from the mid-lake platform to the crater's edge is a matter of moments, but within the sheltered luxury of Lord Grasp's litter the world around you feels both just out of reach… and clear enough for observation. The adrenaline (is it still that same chemical?) pumping through your veins has lessened now, and though your emotions are still in turmoil from everything that has happened to you...
This… blasted, bubbling cauldron… was your home, once.
The second to have been torn from you by the Endbringers, though you were barely conscious - due to both age and a fever at the time - when Kyusuu was crushed beneath the waves. Has it truly only been two months… since...
The massive underground bunker lurches, the crowd of packed bodies within devolving into chaos. LED lights flicker from white to red, before some begin to fail completely.
"An earthquake!? What's going on-"
"The walls are crack-"
"Get the door open! We have to get-"
The massive underground structure becomes a boiling echo chamber of desperate and panicked please. Bodies surge left, right, anywhere but here because the sky is falling and the world is ending.
"The ceiling! Run! Move-"
"Sakura! Saki! Stay together!"
You and your sister cling desperately to each other with one arm, but your grip on your mother fails as the tide of humanity scrambles away from falling concrete and steel.
"Ka-san-!"/"Tou-san-!"
The world buckles again, the screams grow in pitch and fevor, you want to get out you need to get out anywhere but here-
"Warden! What are you do-?!"
Like trying to stop vomiting mid-stream, your mind and body spasm as Lord Grasp's startled exclamation snaps out of you snap out of your flashback too late to halt the transition. Thankfully, being within a carriage means you are not bodily tossed to the tiled floor of your Safe Space - primarily because your ride somehow manages to dexterously course-correct, missing the ground with an elegant, swooping glide that evens out to a low, slow hover.
"-oooooing?! Wait… we're back here?"
Flexing your fingers as you stretch out from your curled up position on the recliner, you blink your eyes rapidly while desperately sniffing away the trauma that just intruded upon your life again.
'Ground yourself' the therapist said. 'Talk to people, look to your friends. You don't need to retreat.'
"Y-yes, Lord Grasp. I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to. I just… remembered something. I'm fine, now."
There is a light rasping sound, almost like a set of bellows working, which you realize after a few moments is probably the sound of Lord Grasp breathing. Somewhat odd, as you're not sure there's even air in this dimension, but the repetition is somehow more calming than your own forced attempts at an even breathing pattern.
"The Exalted Host, for all their glory and prowess… were still quite mortal. Quite human."
You blink again, sitting up slightly from the recliner at his somber, wistful tone of voice. "Lord Grasp?"
"They threw themselves at horrors their minds could not even comprehend, and fell by the thousands. The millions. It was a war of millenia, you see, and though I was only forged near the latter half, I still saw countless Exalted fall from wounds that were physical, mental, or even spiritual."
From your position on the recliner, your view is only such that you can't see his eyes - only his gilded pincers tapping their tips together lightly as he sounds lost in his own traumatic memories.
"It was not... unheard of… for an Exalted to take their own life. It was a state of total war, with all of reality in the balance, so some of the more… pragmatic Exalted held the belief that the Host would be better served if those with… long-term injuries... passed on their Exaltation. Training a fresh Exalt in any field was done with military precision in a matter of weeks, by the end. Charms for accelerated aging, sorcerous enhancements to simulate a lifetime lived on the battlefield…"
Covering your mouth with a hand, you almost desperately want to deny his implication - you've never felt like… that… - but stop yourself as you hear him trail off in a heavy sigh.
This isn't really about you, is it? In any other situation you'd roll your eyes, but now-
"Did you…" you try, before the realization fully dawns. "Who was it?"
The pincers stop tapping for a moment before drooping slightly.
"Seven Shattered Sides," he sighs again. "The Exalt... for which I was forged. I did not think it necessary, then, to emphatically deny Crushing Fist of Glory when he… suggested… "
A moment of silent contemplation passes, yours mostly spent wondering if this may be behind his showboating and constant drive to inject himself into whatever is going on around him. Eventually, he clacks his pincers together more forcefully.
"I will not fail you so utterly, Warden," the large mechanical scorpion harumphs, just as one of the pillowed armrests of your recliner swings up and grasps you on the shoulder. "What good is a command bunker if you cannot retreat to it in times of need?"
Your incredulous gaze at the be-tasseled pillow that is gripping you by the shoulder is pulled away when you catch his pincers gesturing to the empty white horizon around you.
"Besides! Does this void possess a mineral bath styled by Venus herself? A plush theatre filled with recorded war-time epics?" he scoffs, the whole litter shuffling slightly with the vibration. "I think not! Hardly a place for an Exalt of your magnificence when I am here for you."
You smile, rolling your eyes despite the feeling of comfort the offer gives you.
"Thank you, Lord Grasp," you say with a bit more water than you intended, reaching up with your left hand to pat the velvety armrest still steadying your right shoulder. "You are too kind."
"I know, my dear. Now, shall we get back to it?"
You nod, and he apparently notices the motion because you feel a slight acceleration as he loops back around to fly towards the portal from which you originated. Which… makes you frown, since you had been able to teleport back out of your Safe Space from anywhere within it before - are you now forced to return to the portal in order to leave?
Narrowing your eyes, you mentally tug at your power - your charm, now - and try… well, you were able to reshape your Safe Space before, so maybe moving the portal to you?
There had always been a sense of resistance - like a weight strapped to an unseen finger - when moving things or people around before. Trying to move the portal feels… well, like trying to do a pull-up with only your left ring finger. But there's another weight that you're pretty sure is you and Lord Grasp, but you're in the air? How would that even-
There's a feeling of vertigo, then a bark of alarm from Lord Grasp that resolves to a whooshing exhale, as the world of white hexagons tilts - so that what was once approximately thirty feet of clearance below your cloudy ride is now zero. Strangely, you aren't tossed about any more than a slight shaking of the litter… though the armrest snaps back to its regular position, seemingly of its own accord now that Lord Grasp isn't focusing on it.
"W-was that strictly necessary, Warden?" your ride coughs, trying to get his breath back.
"I'm sorry! I'm just… still getting used to the way my pow-... charm works."
He mutters something under his breath but shakes himself out quickly enough before sighing. "Did you accomplish what you wanted, then?"
Well, you are in a bit of a hurry to get back out…
"Not… yet? I'm going to try something. Maybe…" you muse, mentally tugging again and visualizing the edge of the crater that you had seen in the distance. "... brace yourself?"
A scoff as his pincers clack solidly into a defensive position. "I am always braced, my deaaaaa-"
The floor beneath you shifts, propelling you forward to the portal in an instant - and through…
… directly into the gathered group of heroes and PRT troopers, bowling them all over just as you catch a glimpse of Prayer and Taylor landing a few feet away.
There is a lot of flailing, shouting, and confusion for a moment, and of course you had to tumble out of your up-ended litter right on top of Chevalier. He doesn't seem to react much, thankfully, which allows you to shuffle off him quickly and begin your apologies to everyone while also trying to help Lord Grasp off of the PRT Troopers he landed upside-down upon.
It takes you a few moments to notice, however, that after the initial shock and confusion… it's sure gotten awfully quiet.
Slowly turning your head, you look back to see that everyone has just… stopped.
Frozen, staring at you with various expressions of disbelief, awe, and shock - from what can be seen from those without full masks, at least. Quickly looking down to make sure you haven't suffered a Taylor, you mentally sigh in relief that your clothes miraculously only look slightly tussled despite the spill.
"What? What's wrong?" you try, bringing a hand to your face to check if maybe you have something there instead. Or maybe your hair-?
A black, taloned gauntlet lands on your shoulder, causing your head to spin to look at its owner.
"Welcome to the club, Saki," Taylor grins.
There's a bit more relief in that smile than is comforting.
***
It is Legend that shakes off the spell first, unsurprisingly, though he initially seemed more focused on Lord Grasp's appearance than your own. The blue-and-white-suited hero hovers over from where he managed to avoid being tackled by your dynamic entry, landing a few feet from your position with a lingering expression of awe.
"Tatsu?" the Protectorate leader manages, though with a bit of trepidation as his masked gaze tracks to Taylor briefly for confirmation - switching back to you with a tentative smile when she nods affirmative. "It's… a pleasure to meet you, though I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to be introduced when you came through New York before. I have to say... I came here expecting to be surprised yet again, but I'm still astonished. Are these," he raises a hand to you, then to the quickly-reoriented (and visibly unamused) Lord Grasp, "part of your new powers?"
Noting how Chevalier, Miss Militia, and the rest of the PRT Troopers are getting back to their feet - some a bit more slowly as they remain eerily fixated on your form - you cover your mouth with a sleeve-covered hand and clear your throat, then bow deeply in a formal show of respect to such a venerated and honorable hero.
"Ah, y-yes! It is an honor to meet you, Mr. Legend! It is alright - I know that you are very busy, and am sorry for taking you away from your duties just to see if I am alright!"
Urgh, you are so bad at talking with people! He's probably going to think you're-
Oh. A quick peek shows he's… smiling even more? He looks more relaxed, too. Huh.
"Nonsense," he waves away casually, taking a step forward to even put a hand on your shoulder as you straighten up from your bow. His half-mask is pliable enough that you see his features soften as his smile drops to a somber line. "In fact, I'm the one that needs to apologize."
You blink, reeling slightly. "W-what?"
"It is the responsibility of the Protectorate that Wards - such as yourself and your sister - are able to grow into their powers and the role of a professional hero in a supportive, controlled, and safe environment," he nods, looking back to Chevalier and Miss Militia. Both are staring at you, still, but Chevalier's relaxing stance and Miss Militia's softened gaze echo Legend's words.
Cheeks heating up brilliantly, you try to shake your head in embarrassment. "No- I mean, I understand, the Nine-"
"Exposed a great deal of flaws in the way we've been handling things," Legend interrupts firmly, his hand on your shoulder flexing just enough to prevent you from retreating in on yourself. "You and your sister went through a terrible ordeal, demonstrating incredible resolve by fighting back in any way you could, but the fact remains that you should have never been put in that position in the first place."
You flinch heavily at the reminder, but another steadying flex of his hand seems to cut off the flashback that would have come before it hits. At the same time, another hand falls on your left shoulder - causing you to look back and meet Taylor's glowing amber gaze before she turns her eyes (all eight of them...) to Legend.
For his part, Legend only nods at Taylor's silent support before refocusing on you.
"The Protectorate will never be able to truly repay you for what happened, Tatsu," he intones, words made all the more solemn by the desolate wasteland around your group, "but you have my word that we'll be working much more closely with the PRT and Youth Guard to ensure no one else has to go through what you two did."
There's a slight tightening of Taylor's grip on your shoulder at his words, but the force of Legend's personality is such that any further protestations die on your tongue.
You hadn't… really... blamed anyone? Well, except her and Jack Slash… but it had all happened so fast, and all you had focused on was trying to stay with Sakura and fight against whatever the Nine was trying to make you do…
You close your eyes to try to blot it all out, but a pair of gentle squeezes helps keep you grounded. You're here now. Safe. Better.
Maker, you wish Sakura was here.
"T-thank you, sir," you manage, voice thick but not completely breaking down yet. You even manage a shallow little bow with your head and a smile. "I'll be o- oh!"
Your eyes fly wide, and you look frantically back between the Protectorate heroes and Taylor. "Is Bo- Transfusion ok?! And Vista! They were with us when Bonesaw-"
"They're fine!" Taylor emphasizes, giving you another squeeze on the shoulder, though her smile isn't as wide as you would expect with that news. "They're alright, Tatsu, don't worry. We got them out and healed up, don't worry."
Blinking, you study her strained expression - you're pretty sure that you and Sakura were the first to be rescued, which means that Bobby and Missy were with the Nine for… well, possibly much longer than you had been.
"'Healed'?" you repeat, uncertain.
Taylor's smile loses its teeth, and her eyes flick back to the Protectorate heroes. Following her gaze, you see a silent conversation flicker between the three.
Chevalier tenses up. Tell her.
Miss Militia's eyes darken, accusatory. Not now. Let her rest.
Legend's shoulders fall back into an authoritative pose. Better from us than children.
Then you blink in surprise, and it's gone.
That was… like talking with Sakura? It's something the two of you have gotten good at, talking without really needing to speak, but you don't remember ever doing it with other people. It felt more like… guessing, too, like when you'd only started first learning English and were figuring out what people were saying in context with the few words you did know.
"They're safe now, and both have been cleared to return to their families," Legend begins evenly, breaking you from your musing. "We're making sure they get the best care and support... for as long as it takes them to recover." He gives another gentle squeeze, his expression smoothing out again. "Support that… we'd like to extend to you, of course."
"A-ah?" you blink, straightening up fully. "M-me? I-I-..." you look back to Taylor, whose expression is doing a complicated dance between sympathy and anxiousness before you turn back to Legend, "... maybe later?"
"Are you sure?" he repeats, more softly. "Weaver said that you… well, that it might not have felt like any time had passed for you, even though a week has passed for us here. Considering how you… left?"
"Oh," you blink, eyes unfocusing. "I… guess. I mean… I don't feel like…?"
You sigh, stumbling over trying to explain how you feel good, great even! Better than you've ever felt in your life! But then you try to think about the last few things you can remember and-
Painfearhurtpanichelprunpainpainpain- BREATHE.
You let the cold breath in and let it settle over you, pushing away the fear and panic. You relax your posture a bit, stand up a bit straighter.
You don't need to be afraid now, Taylor is here.
Though, when you open your eyes again to look back at her, she's giving you a considering look that you can't quite decipher. Legend and the other heroes, too, now, though it is more of a mild concern rather than surprise.
"I am fine for the moment, sir," you bow lightly with your head. "Thank you."
"Warden, what was that?"
Tilting your head to look over at where Lord Grasp has been slowly surrounded by PRT Troopers and a large suit of armor that has enough draconic stylings worked into its design that it has to be some kind of new Dragonsuit. Not that he's payed them any mind, seemingly focused on peering up at you while pointing his right pincer accusingly.
Though, now that he has audibly spoken - albeit in a language that none but you, Taylor, and Prayer can understand - there is a great deal more attention focused on him. Judging by the sudden tightening of Chevalier, Miss Militia, and Legend's postures, it isn't a good type of attention.
"Yes, Lord Grasp?" you offer lightly, keeping the reactions of the other heroes in your peripheral view. For his part, your mechanical companion sounds torn between curious and disbelieving.
"Did you use a charm? You looked on the edge of panic, but then your pattern shifted and the irregularity smoothed out."
"You can see Clarity?" Taylor's surprise catches you with your own question on your tongue, her eyebrows raised to the bottom of her new set of eyes.
"Clarity?" / "Clarity?!"
Lord Grasp's own puzzled response is overridden by your worried one, your own eyes grown wide.
"You mean what made you act like a robot?!"
"Ah… yes?" she admits, casting a glance at Prayer for help, who only purses her lips before putting her helmet back on. Sighing, she looks back to you and pulls her hands back in a placating gesture. "Don't worry, we just need to get you some time to meditate and it won't be a problem."
"Excuse me, Weaver? Tatsu?"
Both of you turn to Legend- oh, right, you weren't speaking English.
"Everything is fine," Weaver sighs, beating you to the apology. "I did say that Clarity might be an issue."
"Ah," he nods, settling his arms across his chest while the other heroes and PRT Troopers appear to relax slightly. Legend does settle his gaze back on you quickly enough, however. "Is everything going to be alright until we get to New York, then?"
"New York?" you blink, looking back to Taylor. "What about-?"
"It's only temporary," Legend admits, raising his right hand to forestall your shock. "There's no longer an S-Class situation going on, yes, but the Youth Guard, PRT, and Protectorate are all in agreement that a temporary displacement is better than letting Wards try to recover in a blasted-out war zone."
"And you need a place to test your powers, anyway," Taylor grudgingly admits with a sigh. "New York has the best facilities on the East Coast now that Protectorate Island is gone."
"Gone?! What happened-?!"
"By the Maidens, Warden!" Lord Grasp exclaims, throwing his pincers up in the air in exasperation while wiggling about on his legs - causing all the troopers and heroes to draw their weapons on him, not that he pays them any mind. "I gave you the perfect opening to introduce me to these mortals, and you simply let it drop! You too, Administrator! I'm adding an etiquette course to your Circle's regimen!"
You open your mouth to respond, only to note that Taylor is similarly torn between several different ways to respond. Thankfully, Prayer's voice echoes through her helmet and across the increasingly-tense group.
"Forgive us, noble spirit. She will introduce you now."
"Yes!" you nod, then repeat in English while gesturing dramatically to Lord Grasp. Though you know he won't be able to understand what you're saying, you at least try to pantomime a bit more than you normally would so he hopefully understands that you're trying to show him off. "Yes! Of course! Everyone! There is no need for alarm!"
Taking three delicate steps towards your mechanical companion, you stretch your arms out like those old TV game show presenters - except maybe a little more regal? Yes, maybe if you make the motions a bit more smooth… dipping a bit to give your sleeves a chance to play in the wind?
Success! You definitely have everyone's attention again. Now what to say? Oh! Maybe like Lady Stars Above announcing the guests to the Winter Ball in the third Golden Host book! So you say his titles first… hmm.
He probably won't mind if you make some up.
"Forged by THE Autochthon, King of Craftsmen! Regent of the Arachnofortress Panopoly! Legendary Veteran of the Primordial War! Eternal Defender of Creation against the Forces Infernal! Premiere Guardian of the Exalted Host! The Pinnacle of Style on the Battlefield! The Apex of Fashionable Defense!"
With each new title you take another step, making wide, sweeping gestures as you make a circle around him. Thankfully, he's quickly caught on that you're singing his praises, and has slowly been rotating counterclockwise to your clockwise movements while luxuriously stretching his various parts to maximize their viewing angles.
You manage to keep your smile warm and energetic, even though you feel like laughing at the whole affair. Better wind this up before you burst into giggles.
Finishing your circuit, you make a final, low bow at the waist just to the side of the Protectorate heroes, stretching your arms out towards the glittering, car-sized, mechanical scorpion.
"Lord Crushing Grasp!"
There's a moment of silence… which stretches a bit longer than expected. Finally, you hear Chevalier cough and look up from your bow.
"Is it…" he tries, careful not to point too obviously, "... preening?"
"Ah," you nod, hiding your smile behind your sleeve again while trying to be serious. "Yes. He does that."
"Can… he...?" Legend muses just loud enough for you to hear, to which you nod, "... understand us?"
"No, sir."
"Mmm," he hums, expression distant as he looks to Taylor. "Is this going to be another 'Iris' situation?"
You frown, but Taylor's own face slides into careful neutrality as she meets your gaze. What?
"I don't think so, sir. Tatsu, did… do you know how strong he is? What powers he has?"
You blink, then look back to where Lord Grasp seems to have successfully enthralled the PRT Troopers with animated engravings across his opulent armoring. Artful displays transcend language barriers, you suppose.
"Well, he can turn into a... pagoda? It's filled with art and clothes and makeup… and a spa?"
Legend doesn't respond, simply looking at you for a long, awkward moment… before sighing and raising a hand to his face. He mutters something that you don't quite catch, but Taylor's face instantly lights up in a suppressed laugh from whatever he said.
You don't quite jump out of your skin as you hear Prayer clear her throat behind you, though turning your head you see she's observing Lord Grasp as well.
"The Great Maker moves in mysterious ways."
You're… not quite sure what she means…
… but it sounds about right.
***
Just as Lord Grasp starts winding up the PRT Troopers with his impromptu saga, told through his ever-shifting, artistic engravings - something about a farmer's son who runs off to join the military, which infuriates his ancestors' spirits and gets him cursed… - Legend has you call him off.
"I'm sure we'll have plenty of opportunities for… him… to show off," the blue-and-white-clad hero shakes his head, "but we all have places we need to be, now that you're back, Saki."
"Sorry, sir," you nod, straight-faced. "He's very… spirited."
You giggle while Taylor groans, then take a few dusty steps towards the show and manage to get it paused - temporarily, of course - with a few conciliatory words to Lord Grasp. With your companion reasonably mollified and the PRT Troopers no longer quite as jittery (though you're still attracting helmeted stares, you notice), your group makes its way back down the crater's lip a few hundred yards to the two PRT-issue VTOL troop-transport jets and a single, Dragon-styled transport airship.
The path forces your group to look out over the chaotic, dust-choked wasteland that was once your home, but walking alongside your friends you aren't immediately inundated with memories again. Still, the two-minute trek is done mostly in silence, until you all begin filling inside your respective-
"T-... Weaver?" you blurt out, as you notice her peeling off to enter Dragon's transport. It's petty, sure, since you know she and Dragon are basically married at this point - wait, how did you and Sakura not think of that one! Add it to the chart! Oooh, but you have to wait for Sakura to get back so you can duel to see who gets to claim that ship!
Oh, wait, Taylor's talking to you…
"...-ided that there's enough evidence that the Endbringers are after me, specifically," she winces, despite trying to look like it's no big deal. She waves a hand at your widening eyes, cutting you off. "And since their schedule is completely out the window now, everyone agrees that it's too big of a risk for me to go to New York."
"But-!" you look around, seeing that the other heroes around you have stopped as well. Chevalier's silver-and-gold helmet is still frustratingly solid, but the slight droop in his shoulders at least shows some kind of shame at this. Miss Militia and Prayer only nod at your questioning gaze, but it's Legend who speaks for the Protectorate members.
"That's… a bit of a simplification," he sighs, shaking his head, "but basically how things stand right now. No one is happy, most of all the Youth Guard, so just be glad you didn't have to sit through all the meetings that decision took."
"It was my idea, Tatsu," Weaver admits, though she averts (most) of her eyes for a moment before meeting them again. "It won't be for long, and Prayer will be with you. Besides, there's already a teleconference drone set up in New York that I've been using..." she smirks, tilting her head back at the dragon-like aircraft behind her, "it's better than Dragon's setup."
Somewhat muffled, you hear a "Not for long!" yelled out of the dragoncraft's loading bay speakers. This, at least, lightens the mood enough for Legend to float over and put his hand on your shoulder again.
"Weaver mentioned you don't remember how to teleport to all the hotspots you learned before. Is that right?" When you nod and sigh, he gives a tentative smile. "Don't worry - we'll make sure Philadelphia is first on the list if Strider and Nowhere need to give you another world tour."
You're not pouting. You're not. You are simply yelling at Taylor for being a traitor by crossing your arms and frowning.
"Aaand-...," Taylor raises her hands at your not-pout, looking surprisingly flustered. "I'm almost done with my new armor, so I'll be able to make it to New York in minutes if I need to!"
"Weaver."
You turn your mighty frown to Chevalier for his admonishing tone, who promptly flinches in his full-plate armor. That's…
Actually, you're not really used to people actually… paying attention to what you're doing and saying. Reacting, even. Are you doing anything different? It doesn't… well, OK, you do feel really good now, like you don't even need to pay attention to where you're going in order to keep your dress from falling apart or getting dirty… or how to walk on this rocky ground in order to not fall over in these-
Wait, you've been in geta this entire time? How did you not even notice that?! The last time you tried wearing these for your birthday last year you fell over Sakura just walking out the front door!
OK, yes, this body is amazing, even beyond the best upgrades. Praise the Great Maker!
… how do you know to say that?
Taylor's still talking. Um, maybe just storm up into the ship? Yes, that'll teach her.
You ignore the "Saki! I'm sorry!" because she doesn't sound too broken up about it, and just set your expression to 'disappointed' and shuffle daintily up into the PRT aircraft. Prayer does make a musical tone as you pass her that you think is a considering hum, but she turns to follow you inside regardless.
You take a seat in one of the jumpseats on the left side of the plane, quickly settling in and figuring out the four-point seatbelt-harness-thing that Missy always fusses over in the vans. It's roughly similar to those, but just as you're locking in you hear shouts of exclamation from a few of of the PRT Troopers and look up just in time for Lord Grasp to plop down in your lap.
Cat-sized, thankfully.
"This contraption is some form of aerial conveyance, Warden?"
"Yes, Lord Grasp. It's called an airplane."
He shimmies his legs, tucking them into the straps across your lap while hunkering down. There's a glint off his eight gemstone eyes that makes it seem like he's rolling them all at the name, but then small shutters iris closed over them.
"It undoubtedly uses bizarre and overly-complicated methods to accomplish what a good essence-fueled craft can do with a few enchantments. Fear not, for I am here for when it all falls apart for being too drab."
You stiffle (mostly) your giggle in a sleeve, but just as you are going to respond, Prayer manages to - somehow - fit her massive, armored self into the seat to your right. She crowds you a little, admittedly, but you're looking at her and it doesn't seem physically possible to fit-
"This is not a betrayal."
You blink, then look up - and up, and up - to meet the very blue, stoic face and deep purple irises of Prayer. When you don't immediately respond, she simply nods.
"We are divided, not fractured. Administrator has a plan."
Well, at least Marrow kept her ability to be comforting and confusing at the same time.
"O-OK," you manage, since she's probably worried about you. You nod in gratitude. "Thank you."
She makes that chime-filled humming noise again, and her lips quirk up slightly, but she nods as well before turning her head forward and closing her eyes.
You try to mimic her slightly, glancing at her out of the corner of your eyes while the rest of the PRT troopers file in and the plane takes off smoothly. You didn't really see much of her… before, since she and Bladedancer were either training together, out on patrol together, or kicking your butts all around the training gym together. Though not together together, since you're pretty sure Bladedancer is sleeping with Chevalier.
You're pretty sure Sakura wants to kiss Chev just to get one over on Bladedancer. You are OK with this.
Well, now that Marrow is… well, not a big hulking bone monster, maybe you and Sakura can try to pair her up! And her hair, too, which looks like… flowing crystal shards in the shape of hair? It almost looks like- yes, from that highschool dating sim that was imported from Aleph! Kaori's hair!
You had thought it physically impossible for hair to look like that, but… well, here it is. Prayer's color and sheen is much prettier, though. Does that mean she's been taking care of it, or is it always like that? Does she have a 'disguise' ability like Taylor? What does her hair look like then?
Wait… do you have a disguise ability?
Closing your eyes, you remember what Taylor once mentioned about her own charms: that it is almost too easy to use them, that they leap to mind without even conscious thought.
You… don't quite have anything like that? Sure, your old power is still there, but now it has a... current through it, the 'phantom hand' feeling like it's trembling from resting on a overcharged metal plate. But now that you're examining it, there are almost… channels…?
In your mind's eye, you can practically see electrical pathways light up in the dark as your attention draws energy from your teleportation power to the other charms linked to it. They flare briefly, not long enough for you to understand what they all do, but you're looking for a disguise-
Hrm, two different powers? Well, you want to look like a human again, though you don't think it'll be enough to make you look like- oh, the second one flares up even more now? Hmm, maybe if you… push...?
There is an odd, crackling sensation that reminds you slightly of how Taylor's body leaks that weird clay all over her to form skin, but you also feel your entire body - your bones, even - shift around as well. It's super weird and you shudder a bit while working your shoulders, but after barely a few seconds the entire feeling passes.
You open your eyes and- yes! You have normal skin on your hands and arms again! Actually, it practically matches the way they looked before-?
There's the old scar that you were always embarrassed about on your right hand. Huh?
"Warden!"
You look down to Lord Grasp in your lap, who is… practically covered in your baggy clothes now? What?
Gold-capped pincers flick away opulent silks, giving the gem-encrusted mechanical scorpion in your lap a better view of your new appearance… which causes him to lock up in wide-eyed surprise.
"What. Did. You. Do?" he shudders, voice distraught.
Wide-eyed, you look from him to the PRT Troopers - who are still staring, their masks not helping gauge their expressions at all - to Prayer, who is now regarding you with a raised eyebrow.
"What?"
"You're so plebian!" he moans, clicking wildly in the air. "Drab! Pedestrian! Are you trying to blend in farmers and potters?!"
To your right, Prayer clears her throat, then offers her left hand upturned-
Oh, wow! She can make things with her armor? Taylor must be super jealous!
You take the… oh, it's a hand mirror…
…
"Lord Grasp."
"-ken soap to a priceless work of art! Sanded down a breathtaking sculp-"
"Lord Grasp."
You don't peer at the little robo-bug, but you feel him still in your lap at your flat tone.
"Warden?"
"This is how I looked... before."
"Oh!" he exclaims, a mixture of shock and confusion audible in his voice. "Then why in Creation would you ever want to turn back?!"
…
"Warden? Wha- wait! Wait! Waaaar-"
You didn't watch it this time, since you're still staring at your own scowl in the mirror, but your teleportation charm does make a different sound when it activates now - less 'woosh' of air and more of a digitized crinkling, like glass breaking and then being put back together.
To your side, Prayer makes another sound as she turns her head back and closes her eyes.
"Spirits."
How her armored fingers are able to handle the silks of your outfit so delicately is stunning, actually - fingers thicker than your wrist shouldn't be able to dance like that. You snap out of it near the end, when it becomes clear she doesn't know how to secure the obi properly and you need to direct the last few steps.
Thankfully, even though your upgrades have been lost to your disguise, you still seem to have the ability to walk in geta down the aircraft's loading ramp without falling on your face. Shuffling down the loading ramp quickly to… some sort of heavily-reinforced and defensible rooftop, you note that Chevalier and Miss Militia have already exited their craft and are waiting for you - Legend floating down to join the two heroes just as you're about to look around for him.
And for the second time today, they're doing a double-take after seeing you. Miss Militia in particular, though she appears to snap out of whatever has stunned them and takes a few quick strides to meet your approaching form and-...
… pull out some kind of silver cloth from one of the pockets at her waist? You blink in surprise and take the object with some uncertainty-
"It's a mask," the camo-clad heroine murmurs through her American flag scarf.
"Oh," you frown, before the realization hits you. "Oh!"
You can almost hear Lord Grasp wailing about how it's going to muss up your hair and makeup, but you're pretty sure that's just your imagination and that he can't actually watch you from inside your Safe Space. Closing your eyes to double-check, and… yes, he's still just a gaudy, grumbling Pagoda.
"I suppose this changes things," Legend muses, giving you a considering look as he rubs his jaw. "Marrow decided to re-brand as Vajra since there was no way to hide the change, and Weaver opted against a secret identity, but if your… disguise-?"
Prayer somehow sneaks up on your right again, causing you to startle a bit before she places a reassuring hand on your shoulder. Casting a quick glance at her before responding to Legend, she nods in answer to your silent query.
Ok, that makes sense - she certainly doesn't look like 'Marrow' anymore.
"No- I mean," you shake your head as you turn back, frowning behind the full-faced grey mask as you muse aloud about what you felt from your charms and look at your own hands, "Um, I think I used multiple charms? Powers? A disguise and a… shapeshift...?"
The other heroes make various noises of assent, while Legend and Chevalier's helmet share a quick nod before the Protectorate's leader looks back to you with a thoughtful frown.
"You may have seen Weaver going through some difficulties with her powers, and Vajra went through similar issues when she…" Legend pauses, "returned. I'm guessing you don't quite have a grip on all your new abilities yet, and we were hoping to get you to the Power Testing Labs before you started experimenting-"
Miss Militia clears her throat, looking a bit embarrassed herself while Legend sighs.
"Ah, yes, I'm sorry I didn't ask you to keep from testing any of your new powers until we got to the labs. Your initial appearance was a bit… overwhelming, I'll admit. Speaking of," he hovers up in the air, looking past you and Prayer with a frown, "what happened to… Crushing Grasp?"
Your mask hides your expression, but cross your arms over your chest and hunch your shoulders.
"He complained about how I looked now," you grumble. "He's in time out."
Legend's grin is a bit infectious, and Miss Militia eyes indicate that she's smiling as she nods sagely. Chevalier starts shifting uncomfortably again.
Floating back down to ground level, the blue-and-white-suited hero waves off any lingering concern about Lord Grasp's disappearance while his smile fades to inquisitive concern. "Well, in that case; since you've started using them, do you have a general idea of what your new powers are? Weaver suggested that you might have a 'focused' set of powers, like Vajra is geared more towards combat and she is aligned towards research and administration."
"It's ok if you don't, Tatsu," Chevalier's earnest voice cuts in, surprising you since he's been fairly quiet. He holds up a silver-armored hand as a gesture of acceptance, and Miss Militia nods at his words. "You're going to have plenty of time later in the Labs to figure things out, but anything you can tell us now helps speed things along."
"Ano…" you mumble, tapping your fingers on your arms, "I haven't… tried them all yet? I have a power that lets me make-" you pause, trying to think of how to describe it, "flashy displays? Like in shows when they do an animated background..."
Legend's dark jawline sets into a puzzled frown. "You tried this one already? When?"
"I… used it when I was talking with Lord Grasp in our-" you flinch, "dimension. I made it look I was…" and now your cheeks are definitely heating up, "...surrounded by a night sky and-my-name-was-lit-up-behind-me-with-fireworks."
That last bit may have been uttered under your breath as fast as you could speak.
Judging by Miss Militia's amused hum, as well as Legend's weary sigh and shaking head, they heard it.
Chevalier just makes a groaning sort of sound inside his silver-and-gold armor.
"You're the PR."
The realization hits you just as the Philadelphia Protectorate leader voices your greatest fear.
But… doesn't that mean you'd have to do… interviews? Public speeches?! Photo shoots?!?!
No! Those are Taylor's job! They have to be!
"Tell me, Tatsu," Legend grins tiredly, tearing away from your crushing panic. He floats over to your side, gently putting a hand on your other shoulder.
"Have you met Glenn Chambers?"***
END OF CHAPTER CHARACTER SHEET CHANGES (Lots that I forgot to include in 9.1, as well...):
WoRI - Intimacy STARTED: Legend (The Example of Heroism) [Illusion] [1/3]
WoRI - Intimacy RAISED: Lord Crushing Grasp (Delightfully Learned, Loquacious, Lewd) [Illusion] [2/3]
EOA - Intimacy RAISED: Crawler|Defiant|Ned (How Do You Socialize A Monster) [Emotion|Frustration] [3/4]
EOA - Intimacy RAISED: Director Martin Uriel (I Wish He Wasn't Such An Ass) [Illusion] [3/4]
EOA - Intimacy RAISED: Glenn Chambers (He's Too Good At His Job To Resent Him) [Illusion] [3/4]
EOA - Intimacy RAISED: Legend (How Much Is The Hero And How Much Is Cauldron) [Emotion|Apprehension] [3/4]
EOA - Intimacy STARTED: Lord Crushing Grasp (Peacock In Scorpion Form) [Illusion] [1/3]
EOA - Intimacy STARTED: Warden of Reflected Infinities (Forgive Me My Choices) [Servitude] [1/3]
FPoP - Intimacy RAISED: Willow (This World Can Be So Cruel) [Emotion|Empathy] [2/3]
FPoP - Intimacy STARTED: Lord Crushing Grasp (Vainglorious Vanguard) [Illusion] [1/3]
FPoP - Intimacy STARTED: Warden of Reflected Infinities (Timid Diamond) [Servitude] [1/3]
WoRI - Athletics +1 Interval (1/6 Intervals)
WoRI - Occult +2 Intervals (4/6 Intervals)
WoRI - Investigation +1 Interval (2/6 Intervals)
WoRI - Investigation (Body Language ●●○) NOW AVAILABLE!
WoRI - Presence +1 Interval (2/6 Intervals)
EOA - Awareness (Micromanagement ●○○) NOW AVAILABLE!
EOA - Craft (Micromanagement ●○○) NOW AVAILABLE!
EOA - Investigation (Micromanagement ●○○) NOW AVAILABLE!
EOA - Presence (Micromanagement ●○○) NOW AVAILABLE!
EOA - Socialize (Micromanagement ●○○) NOW AVAILABLE!
EOA - Survival (Micromanagement ●○○) NOW AVAILABLE!
EOA - War (Micromanagement ●○○) NOW AVAILABLE!
EOA - Bureaucracy +2 Intervals (5/6 Intervals)
EOA - Medicine ●●●○○ NOW AVAILABLE!
EOA - Occult ●●●●● NOW AVAILABLE!
EOA - Occult (Charms ●○○) NOW AVAILABLE!
FPoP - Athletics (Ramming Speed ●●○) NOW AVAILABLE!
FPoP - Craft ●●○○○ NOW AVAILABLE!
FPoP - Craft (Shards ●●○) NOW AVAILABLE!
FPoP - Medicine ●●○○○ NOW AVAILABLE!
FPoP - Investigation ●●○○○ NOW AVAILABLE!
EOA - Ally (Bonesaw/Riley) ●●○○○ GAINED!
EOA - Backing (PRT) ●●●●○ NOW AVAILABLE!
EOA - Connections (PRT) ●●●●● NOW AVAILABLE!
EOA - Reputation (S-Class Power) ●●●●○ GAINED!
EOA - Resources ●●●●● NOW AVAILABLE!
FPoP - Ally (Crawler/Defiant/Ned) ●○○○○ GAINED!
FPoP - Resources ●●●●● NOW AVAILABLE!
FPoP - Reputation (Beautiful) ●●●●● NOW AVAILABLE!
FPoP - Ally (Crawler/Defiant/Ned) ●●●○○ NOW AVAILABLE!
FPoP - MEDITATION #2 BONUS: CLARITY RESET, WILLPOWER RESTORED
FPoP - MEDITATION #3 BONUS: CLARITY RESET, BONUS POINT GAINED
As seen by the votes for this chapter, we'll be voting for things that may not immediately pop up in 9.3 but will inform what's going on in both the foreground and background - all the votes will eventually be used (if not exactly as Stunted, maybe), so don't worry that they're not going to be relevant.
Noted above, Prayer was able to get her second and third Meditation scenes done during her week frolicking around the globe with Ned. As a result, she's all squared away and ready to allocate her final Bonus Point. As with Taylor, it can be placed anywhere, save for a few restrictions: No Artifact Background (Equipment Background is fine, as that's Tinkertech), and No Familiar Background. Anything else we choose should also at least be reasonable (no "Backing (Yangban)", for example) for her to have.
Now that Saki has seen how people react to her default appearance (Appearance 7 literally stuns people), versus how people normally react to her (Appearance 2 is 'generic' and 'average'), there is also room for her to customize her appearance via Husk-Sculpting Apparatus (I am running the interpretation that HSA can 'disguise' as a lower Appearance value). Note that she will still be 'Saki', as she wants to make sure Sakura recognizes her when she gets back, but there is… a range of how much 'Saki' she can be, now. What will she choose?
And does she keep her secret/civilian identity, unlike Prayer and Taylor? Realize that she'll need to make appearances as an Alchemical in the public eye, so there would be even less time for her civilian life than before - not a huge problem, as plenty of Protectorate members have civilian identities that rarely get used, but it's worth keeping in mind.
SoPA, during its rebellion against the Vision of Vengeance, sorta ripped itself apart in order to help Taylor overthrow the Eye of Autochthon's omnicidal personality. It is repairing itself, but that is more than the matter of a single week; Taylor's SoPA range is variable at the moment (default is ~100 feet now), as the more SoPA has to deal with the less energy it has to repair itself… but Taylor can temporarily push it to normal capacity at the risk of stalling repairs. Somewhat of an inconvenience, since her range is needed more than ever right now to keep watch over the wasteland that Philadelphia is after the events of last Arc. How much has Taylor pushed SoPA to help with police/reconstruction in the last week?
Last, but certainly not least: Lord Grasp. If we choose that Saki maintains her secret identity, there's no way she can walk around with a cat-sized, silver-and-platinum, gem-encrusted, mechanical scorpion on her shoulder (no one would believe Lord Grasp would hang out with such a commoner, of course). What do we want to do with him? Note that Lord Grasp finds Earth-Bet's non-Essence universe to be repulsive and choking, but will suffer with dignity should Saki need him.
And now, the votes!
Bonus Round, Part 2: (Choose ONE, No Stunts)
[ ] Bonus Point: <Say Where FPoP's Bonus Point Goes>
What's Old Is New: (Choose ONE, No Stunts)
[ ] Saki maintains her old Secret/Civilian Identity
[ ] Saki forgoes her old Secret/Civilian Identity
Only Skin Deep: (Choose ONE, No Stunts)
[ ] Saki's 'Everyday' Look: Old Saki ("Average," App 2)
[ ] Saki's 'Everyday' Look: Post-Surgery Saki ("Professionally Pretty," App 4)
[ ] Saki's 'Everyday' Look: Wyld-Touched Saki ("World-Class Beauty," App 5)
[ ] Saki's 'Everyday' Look: Kami no Saki ("Superhumanly Gorgeous," App 7)
Spiritual Recovery Efforts: (Choose ONE, No Stunts)
[ ] Push SoPA Never: Philadelphia Crime OUT OF CONTROL, Reconstruction HALTED, SoPA Full Recovery ETA 1 Weeks
[ ] Push SoPA Rarely: Philadelphia Crime DANGEROUS, Reconstruction STARTING, SoPA Full Recovery ETA 2 Weeks
[ ] Push SoPA Sometimes: Philadelphia Crime HIGH, Reconstruction LOW, SoPA Full Recovery ETA 4 Weeks
[ ] Push SoPA Regularly: Philadelphia Crime MEDIUM, Reconstruction MEDIUM, SoPA Full Recovery ETA 6 Weeks
Too Fancy For This World: (Choose ONE, ONE Stunt Allowed)
[ ] Keep Lord Grasp out as much as possible, even at risk of blowing cover.
[ ] Let Lord Grasp rest and recharge in TwinSpace regularly, allow him to come and go when he pleases.
[ ] Keep Lord Grasp in TwinSpace more often than not, since he can be pulled out when he's needed.
Free Actions: (Only ONE Free Action allowed per character!)
Free Actions should be phrased as stand-alone Stunts, so they must be 60 words or less (not counting the "Free Action" bit), be descriptive about what you're hoping to accomplish, and set the scene.
[ ] EOA - Free Action: [Insert Stunt-like action that could be performed during other activities.]
[ ] FPoP - Free Action: [Insert Stunt-like action that could be performed during other activities.]
[ ] WoRI - Free Action: [Insert Stunt-like action that could be performed during other activities.]
XP Expenditures should now be formatted as such:
[X] NAME - ? XP - Item ●●●○○
[X] NAME - ? XP - Item (Specialization ●●○)
VOTING DISCUSSION NOW OPEN - DISCUSSION ENDS WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT 11:59 PM (PDT)
NO VOTES WILL BE COUNTED DURING DISCUSSION
Last edited:
9.3 Voting: Options
Gromweld
Learning By Mistake
Our newest Exalt is already making impressions! Superhuman beauty that leaves people speechless tends to do that, at least. And "PR" in Autochthonia is much different than what the PRT is expecting, which is going to be loads of fun for all involved when that can of worms gets opened!
As seen by the votes for this chapter, we'll be voting for things that may not immediately pop up in 9.3 but will inform what's going on in both the foreground and background - all the votes will eventually be used (if not exactly as Stunted, maybe), so don't worry that they're not going to be relevant.
Noted above, Prayer was able to get her second and third Meditation scenes done during her week frolicking around the globe with Ned. As a result, she's all squared away and ready to allocate her final Bonus Point. As with Taylor, it can be placed anywhere, save for a few restrictions: No Artifact Background (Equipment Background is fine, as that's Tinkertech), and No Familiar Background. Anything else we choose should also at least be reasonable (no "Backing (Yangban)", for example) for her to have.
Now that Saki has seen how people react to her default appearance (Appearance 7 literally stuns people), versus how people normally react to her (Appearance 2 is 'generic' and 'average'), there is also room for her to customize her appearance via Husk-Sculpting Apparatus (I am running the interpretation that HSA can 'disguise' as a lower Appearance value). Note that she will still be 'Saki', as she wants to make sure Sakura recognizes her when she gets back, but there is… a range of how much 'Saki' she can be, now. What will she choose?
And does she keep her secret/civilian identity, unlike Prayer and Taylor? Realize that she'll need to make appearances as an Alchemical in the public eye, so there would be even less time for her civilian life than before - not a huge problem, as plenty of Protectorate members have civilian identities that rarely get used, but it's worth keeping in mind.
SoPA, during its rebellion against the Vision of Vengeance, sorta ripped itself apart in order to help Taylor overthrow the Eye of Autochthon's omnicidal personality. It is repairing itself, but that is more than the matter of a single week; Taylor's SoPA range is variable at the moment (default is ~100 feet now), as the more SoPA has to deal with the less energy it has to repair itself… but Taylor can temporarily push it to normal capacity at the risk of stalling repairs. Somewhat of an inconvenience, since her range is needed more than ever right now to keep watch over the wasteland that Philadelphia is after the events of last Arc. How much has Taylor pushed SoPA to help with police/reconstruction in the last week?
Last, but certainly not least: Lord Grasp. If we choose that Saki maintains her secret identity, there's no way she can walk around with a cat-sized, silver-and-platinum, gem-encrusted, mechanical scorpion on her shoulder (no one would believe Lord Grasp would hang out with such a commoner, of course). What do we want to do with him? Note that Lord Grasp finds Earth-Bet's non-Essence universe to be repulsive and choking, but will suffer with dignity should Saki need him.
And now, the votes!
Bonus Round, Part 2: (Choose ONE, No Stunts)
[ ] Bonus Point: <Say Where FPoP's Bonus Point Goes>
What's Old Is New: (Choose ONE, No Stunts)
[ ] Saki maintains her old Secret/Civilian Identity
[ ] Saki forgoes her old Secret/Civilian Identity
Only Skin Deep: (Choose ONE, No Stunts)
[ ] Saki's 'Everyday' Look: Old Saki ("Average," App 2)
[ ] Saki's 'Everyday' Look: Post-Surgery Saki ("Professionally Pretty," App 4)
[ ] Saki's 'Everyday' Look: Wyld-Touched Saki ("World-Class Beauty," App 5)
[ ] Saki's 'Everyday' Look: Kami no Saki ("Superhumanly Gorgeous," App 7)
Spiritual Recovery Efforts: (Choose ONE, No Stunts)
[ ] Push SoPA Never: Philadelphia Crime OUT OF CONTROL, Reconstruction HALTED, SoPA Full Recovery ETA 1 Weeks
[ ] Push SoPA Rarely: Philadelphia Crime DANGEROUS, Reconstruction STARTING, SoPA Full Recovery ETA 2 Weeks
[ ] Push SoPA Sometimes: Philadelphia Crime HIGH, Reconstruction LOW, SoPA Full Recovery ETA 4 Weeks
[ ] Push SoPA Regularly: Philadelphia Crime MEDIUM, Reconstruction MEDIUM, SoPA Full Recovery ETA 6 Weeks
Too Fancy For This World: (Choose ONE, ONE Stunt Allowed)
[ ] Keep Lord Grasp out as much as possible, even at risk of blowing cover.
[ ] Let Lord Grasp rest and recharge in TwinSpace regularly, allow him to come and go when he pleases.
[ ] Keep Lord Grasp in TwinSpace more often than not, since he can be pulled out when he's needed.
Free Actions: (Only ONE Free Action allowed per character!)
Free Actions should be phrased as stand-alone Stunts, so they must be 60 words or less (not counting the "Free Action" bit), be descriptive about what you're hoping to accomplish, and set the scene.
[ ] EOA - Free Action: [Insert Stunt-like action that could be performed during other activities.]
[ ] FPoP - Free Action: [Insert Stunt-like action that could be performed during other activities.]
[ ] WoRI - Free Action: [Insert Stunt-like action that could be performed during other activities.]
XP Expenditures should now be formatted as such:
[X] NAME - ? XP - Item ●●●○○
[X] NAME - ? XP - Item (Specialization ●●○)
VOTING DISCUSSION NOW OPEN - DISCUSSION ENDS WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT 11:59 PM (PDT)
NO VOTES WILL BE COUNTED DURING DISCUSSION
As seen by the votes for this chapter, we'll be voting for things that may not immediately pop up in 9.3 but will inform what's going on in both the foreground and background - all the votes will eventually be used (if not exactly as Stunted, maybe), so don't worry that they're not going to be relevant.
Noted above, Prayer was able to get her second and third Meditation scenes done during her week frolicking around the globe with Ned. As a result, she's all squared away and ready to allocate her final Bonus Point. As with Taylor, it can be placed anywhere, save for a few restrictions: No Artifact Background (Equipment Background is fine, as that's Tinkertech), and No Familiar Background. Anything else we choose should also at least be reasonable (no "Backing (Yangban)", for example) for her to have.
Now that Saki has seen how people react to her default appearance (Appearance 7 literally stuns people), versus how people normally react to her (Appearance 2 is 'generic' and 'average'), there is also room for her to customize her appearance via Husk-Sculpting Apparatus (I am running the interpretation that HSA can 'disguise' as a lower Appearance value). Note that she will still be 'Saki', as she wants to make sure Sakura recognizes her when she gets back, but there is… a range of how much 'Saki' she can be, now. What will she choose?
And does she keep her secret/civilian identity, unlike Prayer and Taylor? Realize that she'll need to make appearances as an Alchemical in the public eye, so there would be even less time for her civilian life than before - not a huge problem, as plenty of Protectorate members have civilian identities that rarely get used, but it's worth keeping in mind.
SoPA, during its rebellion against the Vision of Vengeance, sorta ripped itself apart in order to help Taylor overthrow the Eye of Autochthon's omnicidal personality. It is repairing itself, but that is more than the matter of a single week; Taylor's SoPA range is variable at the moment (default is ~100 feet now), as the more SoPA has to deal with the less energy it has to repair itself… but Taylor can temporarily push it to normal capacity at the risk of stalling repairs. Somewhat of an inconvenience, since her range is needed more than ever right now to keep watch over the wasteland that Philadelphia is after the events of last Arc. How much has Taylor pushed SoPA to help with police/reconstruction in the last week?
Last, but certainly not least: Lord Grasp. If we choose that Saki maintains her secret identity, there's no way she can walk around with a cat-sized, silver-and-platinum, gem-encrusted, mechanical scorpion on her shoulder (no one would believe Lord Grasp would hang out with such a commoner, of course). What do we want to do with him? Note that Lord Grasp finds Earth-Bet's non-Essence universe to be repulsive and choking, but will suffer with dignity should Saki need him.
And now, the votes!
Bonus Round, Part 2: (Choose ONE, No Stunts)
[ ] Bonus Point: <Say Where FPoP's Bonus Point Goes>
What's Old Is New: (Choose ONE, No Stunts)
[ ] Saki maintains her old Secret/Civilian Identity
[ ] Saki forgoes her old Secret/Civilian Identity
Only Skin Deep: (Choose ONE, No Stunts)
[ ] Saki's 'Everyday' Look: Old Saki ("Average," App 2)
[ ] Saki's 'Everyday' Look: Post-Surgery Saki ("Professionally Pretty," App 4)
[ ] Saki's 'Everyday' Look: Wyld-Touched Saki ("World-Class Beauty," App 5)
[ ] Saki's 'Everyday' Look: Kami no Saki ("Superhumanly Gorgeous," App 7)
Spiritual Recovery Efforts: (Choose ONE, No Stunts)
[ ] Push SoPA Never: Philadelphia Crime OUT OF CONTROL, Reconstruction HALTED, SoPA Full Recovery ETA 1 Weeks
[ ] Push SoPA Rarely: Philadelphia Crime DANGEROUS, Reconstruction STARTING, SoPA Full Recovery ETA 2 Weeks
[ ] Push SoPA Sometimes: Philadelphia Crime HIGH, Reconstruction LOW, SoPA Full Recovery ETA 4 Weeks
[ ] Push SoPA Regularly: Philadelphia Crime MEDIUM, Reconstruction MEDIUM, SoPA Full Recovery ETA 6 Weeks
Too Fancy For This World: (Choose ONE, ONE Stunt Allowed)
[ ] Keep Lord Grasp out as much as possible, even at risk of blowing cover.
[ ] Let Lord Grasp rest and recharge in TwinSpace regularly, allow him to come and go when he pleases.
[ ] Keep Lord Grasp in TwinSpace more often than not, since he can be pulled out when he's needed.
Free Actions: (Only ONE Free Action allowed per character!)
Free Actions should be phrased as stand-alone Stunts, so they must be 60 words or less (not counting the "Free Action" bit), be descriptive about what you're hoping to accomplish, and set the scene.
[ ] EOA - Free Action: [Insert Stunt-like action that could be performed during other activities.]
[ ] FPoP - Free Action: [Insert Stunt-like action that could be performed during other activities.]
[ ] WoRI - Free Action: [Insert Stunt-like action that could be performed during other activities.]
XP Expenditures should now be formatted as such:
[X] NAME - ? XP - Item ●●●○○
[X] NAME - ? XP - Item (Specialization ●●○)
VOTING DISCUSSION NOW OPEN - DISCUSSION ENDS WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT 11:59 PM (PDT)
NO VOTES WILL BE COUNTED DURING DISCUSSION
9.3 Voting: Results
Gromweld
Learning By Mistake
TL;DR - Bonus Point [Backing (PRT) ●●●●●], Saki Maintains Secret/Civilian Identity, Saki Is Now Professionally Pretty (App 4 'Everyday' Look), Push SoPA Sometimes [Crime HIGH, Reconstruction LOW, SoPA Full Recovery ETA 4 Weeks], Lord Grasp Goes Where He Pleases, Free Action - EOA [Philly Crime: High->Medium], Free Action - FPoP [Bulldozer Shifted To Long-Term Care, Case 53s Pacified], Free Action - WoRI [Lord Grasp Pampers Missy], EOA - 4 XP - Occult ●●●●●, WoRI - 2 XP - Investigation (Body Language ●●○), FPoP - 4XP - Presence ●●●○○
I'll note that some folk tried to vote twice for some things, such as Stunts and Free Actions. Since that was explicitly against the rules of the vote, I only counted their first vote and ignored the second. As well, the formatting I set out for the Free Action options was ignored by some, so I had to manually fix/combine votes since VoteTally doesn't automatically combine mis-formatted votes.
In the future, please don't make my life harder than it needs to be - follow the directions, and follow the formatting I set out.
Chapter 9.3 Votes:
Bonus Round, Part 2:
[X] Bonus Point: Backing(PRT) ●●●●●
No. of votes: 13
Idan Dor, Datakim, Nor, No One, Romv, veekie, wingstrike96, Nicklance, Evil Atlas, Mobiusmech, FunkyEntropy, Bozwevial, Vesperian
[X] Bonus Point: Intelligence ●●●●○
No. of votes: 10
Yeangst, zinay, Funcio, uju32, VNodosaurus, Jinnt, dpara, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
[X] Bonus Point: Connections (PRT) ●●●○○
No. of votes: 2
landcollector, spudman
[X] Bonus Point: Melee ●●●●●
No. of votes: 1
Sweece
[X] Bonus Point: Ally (Willow) ●○○○○
No. of votes: 1
Daemir
What's Old Is New:
[X] Saki maintains her old Secret/Civilian Identity
No. of votes: 29
Yeangst, zinay, landcollector, Vesperian, Idan Dor, Scify, Funcio, Daemir, Datakim, Nor, No One, Romv, veekie, wingstrike96, Nicklance, Evil Atlas, Mobiusmech, FunkyEntropy, Twei, tryingtobewitty, Monotov, spudman, Bozwevial, uju32, VNodosaurus, Jinnt, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
[X] Saki forgoes her old Secret/Civilian Identity
No. of votes: 2
Sweece, dpara
Only Skin Deep:
[X] Saki's 'Everyday' Look: Post-Surgery Saki ("Professionally Pretty," App 4)
No. of votes: 23
zinay, landcollector, Vesperian, Idan Dor, Scify, Funcio, Daemir, Datakim, Nor, No One, Romv, veekie, wingstrike96, Nicklance, Evil Atlas, Mobiusmech, FunkyEntropy, Twei, tryingtobewitty, Monotov, Bozwevial, VNodosaurus, Jinnt
[X] Saki's 'Everyday' Look: Wyld-Touched Saki ("World-Class Beauty," App 5)
No. of votes: 7
Yeangst, Sweece, spudman, uju32, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
[X] Saki's 'Everyday' Look: Kami no Saki ("Superhumanly Gorgeous," App 7)
No. of votes: 1
dpara
Spiritual Recovery Efforts:
[X] Push SoPA Sometimes: Philadelphia Crime HIGH, Reconstruction LOW, SoPA Full Recovery ETA 4 Weeks
No. of votes: 18
zinay, Vesperian, Scify, Funcio, Datakim, Nor, No One, veekie, wingstrike96, Nicklance, Evil Atlas, Mobiusmech, Twei, Monotov, Bozwevial, VNodosaurus, Jinnt, dpara
[X] Push SoPA Regularly: Philadelphia Crime MEDIUM, Reconstruction MEDIUM, SoPA Full Recovery ETA 6 Weeks
No. of votes: 10
Idan Dor, Sweece, Daemir, Romv, FunkyEntropy, tryingtobewitty, uju32, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
[X] Push SoPA Rarely: Philadelphia Crime DANGEROUS, Reconstruction STARTING, SoPA Full Recovery ETA 2 Weeks
No. of votes: 3
Yeangst, landcollector, spudman
Too Fancy For This World:
[X] Let Lord Grasp rest and recharge in TwinSpace regularly, allow him to come and go when he pleases.
No. of votes: 29
Yeangst, zinay, landcollector, Vesperian, Idan Dor, Sweece, Scify, Funcio, Daemir, Datakim, Nor, No One, Romv, veekie, wingstrike96, Nicklance, Evil Atlas, Mobiusmech, tryingtobewitty, Monotov, spudman, Bozwevial, uju32, VNodosaurus, Jinnt, dpara, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
- [x] Stunt: New York has seen many strange things on its streets to date. But a car sized scorpion amiably trundling through it's streets, bedecked in brilliant logos and stopping every so often to examine points of interest with a bemused Clockblocker waving atop was not something you see on the typical Tuesday evening.
No. of votes: 15
Idan Dor, Scify, Daemir, No One, Romv, veekie, wingstrike96, Nicklance, Evil Atlas, Mobiusmech, Monotov, spudman, Bozwevial, VNodosaurus, Jinnt
- [x] Stunt: Training Montage: The indoor gym shared by PRT troopers and Protectorate capes had a number of gawkers that morning. They watched in carefully concealed amusement as a panting Saki pounded around the track, with a cat-sized gold and silver scorpion perched on her head as she -finally- crossed the finish line. She bent at the waist and gulped air greedily.Again, Warden.
No. of votes: 5
Sweece, uju32, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
EOA - Free Action
[X] EOA - Free Action: "Current status, Sergeant Powell?" "Weaver. Glad you're here. Cape's on the top floor of the complex with hostages. Possible Master. Too many sight lines to catch them unaware." She nodded grimly, turning to the troopers with her and touching them each with her fingertip. "Don't worry, Sergeant. We'll handle this," she said before they all vanished from sight.
No. of votes: 14
Idan Dor, No One, Romv, veekie, wingstrike96, Nicklance, Evil Atlas, Mobiusmech, FunkyEntropy, spudman, Bozwevial, landcollector, spudman, Vesperian
[X] EOA - Free Action: The brightly colored drones made their way down the street and stopped in front of the stalled construction crew. "Hi Sam." "Hey Weaver." The crew foreman waved at the collapsed bridge blocking the street. "Someone set off something last night." "Give my cee dees twenty minutes." As the workers backed off, the drones began to deploy their tools.
No. of votes: 7
Sweece, Scify, uju32, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
[X] EOA - Free Action: Your drone hovers over the firefight, between the officers sheltering in the burnt-out storefront and the gang members shooting from the alley. Some of your frustration and exhaustion bleed into your echoing voice. "This is Weaver of the Philadelphia Wards. Are you going to stop and come quietly, or should I make you?" An ominous buzz accompanies your words.
No. of votes: 1
Scify
[X] EOA - Free Action: Thrusters whining, the suit landed in front of the stalled construction crew. "Hi Sam." "Hey Weaver." The crew foreman waved at the collapsed bridge blocking the street. "Dropped twenty minutes ago." She hummed for a minute as she examined the area. "Best move your guys back twenty meters or so." She waited until they retreated, then began to fire teleportation grenades into the wreckage.
No. of votes: 1
VNodosaurus
[X] EOA - Free Action: The monkey silently clambered on the rubble and started pulling away chunks of debris, a strange contraption attached to his back. "Ma'am, are you sure this is acceptable?" the rescue worker inquired. "PETA or the zoo can complain later. There is a child trapped beneath the rubble," the swarm clone replied. "There are four more injured in the basement there."
No. of votes: 1
Daemir
FPoP - Free Action:
[X] FPoP - Free Action: "Wyld was hesitant with Bulldozer's... condition, but... s-said maybe-," Willow started. A large cerulean hand gently enveloped her fragile shoulder, stopping its shaking. "The tree bends but does not break, young Willow. Nor does it stand alone." Vajra turned to the wall of teleconferencing Case-53s. Each needful. Each hoping. "I believe the PRT will heed me better now."
No. of votes: 14
Vesperian, Idan Dor, Daemir, No One, Romv, veekie, wingstrike96, Nicklance, Evil Atlas, Mobiusmech, Monotov, Bozwevial, Jinnt, dpara
[X] FPoP - Free Action: Wyld said it would b-be risky, but... s-she could try-, Willow started. A large cerulean hand gently enveloped her fragile shoulder, stopping its shaking. The tree bends but does not break, young Willow. Nor do we endure merely to suffer more. Vajra turned to the wall of teleconferencing Case-53s, I will make sure of that.
No. of votes: 2
landcollector, spudman
[X] FPoP - Free Action: Willow looked up from her place beside the hospital window as Prayer entered the room, her eyes searching from behind a screen of long green hair. The one we seek is in California, and has agreed to meet. Will you come? It would be good to have the eyes of someone who loved him. Willow hesitated, then nods firmly.
No. of votes: 7
Sweece, Scify, uju32, VNodosaurus, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
WoRI - Free Action:
[X] WoRI - Free Action: "Oww. Thanks, Saki," Missy said as the other Ward lowered her onto the sofa. "They got the worst out, but I'm still sore in places. I just wish the Common Room had better furniture." Saki felt a pressure on her prison charm, and a smile crept up her face. "Um. I know someone who can help with that, Missy."
No. of votes: 17
landcollector, Vesperian, Idan Dor, Daemir, Nor, No One, Romv, veekie, wingstrike96, Nicklance, Evil Atlas, Mobiusmech, Monotov, spudman, Bozwevial, Jinnt, dpara
[X] WoRI - Free Action: The giggling teenagers were herded out of the Miami street party by Ernest and Carlos, their loud Hawaiian shirts darkened with sweat as Latin music made the air pulse. Miamians can party, yelled Aisha as they stopped to get arepas from a stall vendor. Saki nodded, mouth too full to talk. Dennis returned with two concert fliers Which next? Pitbull or Estefan?
No. of votes: 7
Sweece, Scify, uju32, VNodosaurus, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
XP Expenditures:
[X] EOA - 4 XP - Occult ●●●●●
No. of votes: 19
landcollector, Vesperian, Idan Dor, Sweece, Scify, Datakim, No One, Romv, veekie, wingstrike96, Nicklance, Evil Atlas, Mobiusmech, FunkyEntropy, spudman, Bozwevial, VNodosaurus, Jinnt, dpara
[X] WoRI - 2 XP - Investigation (Body Language ●●○)
No. of votes: 19
landcollector, Idan Dor, Scify, Datakim, No One, Romv, veekie, wingstrike96, Nicklance, Evil Atlas, Mobiusmech, Bozwevial, uju32, VNodosaurus, Jinnt, dpara, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
[X] FPoP - 4XP - Presence ●●●○○
No. of votes: 17
landcollector, Vesperian, Idan Dor, Sweece, Scify, No One, veekie, wingstrike96, Nicklance, Evil Atlas, Mobiusmech, Bozwevial, uju32, VNodosaurus, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
[X] EOA - 4XP - Medicine ●●●○○
No. of votes: 10
Vesperian, Idan Dor, Sweece, Datakim, Nor, Romv, uju32, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
[X] EOA - 2XP - War (Micromanagement ●○○)
No. of votes: 10
Scify, Datakim, Nor, uju32, VNodosaurus, Jinnt, dpara, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
[X] EOA - 2XP - Craft (Micromanagement ●○○)
No. of votes: 8
Vesperian, Idan Dor, Sweece, Romv, uju32, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
[X]FPoP - 3XP - Ally (Willow) ●○○○○
No. of votes: 8
Sweece, Scify, uju32, VNodosaurus, Jinnt, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
[X] EOA - 2XP - Investigation (Micromanagement ●○○)
No. of votes: 4
uju32, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
[X] WoRI - 2XP - Investigation (Body Language ●●○)
No. of votes: 2
Vesperian, Sweece
[X] EOA - 3 XP - Ally (Legend) ●●○○○
No. of votes: 1
Datakim
[X] FPoP - 6 XP - Ally (Willow) ●●○○○
No. of votes: 2
FunkyEntropy, spudman
[X] FPoP - 2XP - Craft (Shards ●●○)
No. of votes: 1
dpara
I'll note that some folk tried to vote twice for some things, such as Stunts and Free Actions. Since that was explicitly against the rules of the vote, I only counted their first vote and ignored the second. As well, the formatting I set out for the Free Action options was ignored by some, so I had to manually fix/combine votes since VoteTally doesn't automatically combine mis-formatted votes.
In the future, please don't make my life harder than it needs to be - follow the directions, and follow the formatting I set out.
Chapter 9.3 Votes:
Bonus Round, Part 2:
[X] Bonus Point: Backing(PRT) ●●●●●
No. of votes: 13
Idan Dor, Datakim, Nor, No One, Romv, veekie, wingstrike96, Nicklance, Evil Atlas, Mobiusmech, FunkyEntropy, Bozwevial, Vesperian
[X] Bonus Point: Intelligence ●●●●○
No. of votes: 10
Yeangst, zinay, Funcio, uju32, VNodosaurus, Jinnt, dpara, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
[X] Bonus Point: Connections (PRT) ●●●○○
No. of votes: 2
landcollector, spudman
[X] Bonus Point: Melee ●●●●●
No. of votes: 1
Sweece
[X] Bonus Point: Ally (Willow) ●○○○○
No. of votes: 1
Daemir
What's Old Is New:
[X] Saki maintains her old Secret/Civilian Identity
No. of votes: 29
Yeangst, zinay, landcollector, Vesperian, Idan Dor, Scify, Funcio, Daemir, Datakim, Nor, No One, Romv, veekie, wingstrike96, Nicklance, Evil Atlas, Mobiusmech, FunkyEntropy, Twei, tryingtobewitty, Monotov, spudman, Bozwevial, uju32, VNodosaurus, Jinnt, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
[X] Saki forgoes her old Secret/Civilian Identity
No. of votes: 2
Sweece, dpara
Only Skin Deep:
[X] Saki's 'Everyday' Look: Post-Surgery Saki ("Professionally Pretty," App 4)
No. of votes: 23
zinay, landcollector, Vesperian, Idan Dor, Scify, Funcio, Daemir, Datakim, Nor, No One, Romv, veekie, wingstrike96, Nicklance, Evil Atlas, Mobiusmech, FunkyEntropy, Twei, tryingtobewitty, Monotov, Bozwevial, VNodosaurus, Jinnt
[X] Saki's 'Everyday' Look: Wyld-Touched Saki ("World-Class Beauty," App 5)
No. of votes: 7
Yeangst, Sweece, spudman, uju32, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
[X] Saki's 'Everyday' Look: Kami no Saki ("Superhumanly Gorgeous," App 7)
No. of votes: 1
dpara
Spiritual Recovery Efforts:
[X] Push SoPA Sometimes: Philadelphia Crime HIGH, Reconstruction LOW, SoPA Full Recovery ETA 4 Weeks
No. of votes: 18
zinay, Vesperian, Scify, Funcio, Datakim, Nor, No One, veekie, wingstrike96, Nicklance, Evil Atlas, Mobiusmech, Twei, Monotov, Bozwevial, VNodosaurus, Jinnt, dpara
[X] Push SoPA Regularly: Philadelphia Crime MEDIUM, Reconstruction MEDIUM, SoPA Full Recovery ETA 6 Weeks
No. of votes: 10
Idan Dor, Sweece, Daemir, Romv, FunkyEntropy, tryingtobewitty, uju32, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
[X] Push SoPA Rarely: Philadelphia Crime DANGEROUS, Reconstruction STARTING, SoPA Full Recovery ETA 2 Weeks
No. of votes: 3
Yeangst, landcollector, spudman
Too Fancy For This World:
[X] Let Lord Grasp rest and recharge in TwinSpace regularly, allow him to come and go when he pleases.
No. of votes: 29
Yeangst, zinay, landcollector, Vesperian, Idan Dor, Sweece, Scify, Funcio, Daemir, Datakim, Nor, No One, Romv, veekie, wingstrike96, Nicklance, Evil Atlas, Mobiusmech, tryingtobewitty, Monotov, spudman, Bozwevial, uju32, VNodosaurus, Jinnt, dpara, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
- [x] Stunt: New York has seen many strange things on its streets to date. But a car sized scorpion amiably trundling through it's streets, bedecked in brilliant logos and stopping every so often to examine points of interest with a bemused Clockblocker waving atop was not something you see on the typical Tuesday evening.
No. of votes: 15
Idan Dor, Scify, Daemir, No One, Romv, veekie, wingstrike96, Nicklance, Evil Atlas, Mobiusmech, Monotov, spudman, Bozwevial, VNodosaurus, Jinnt
- [x] Stunt: Training Montage: The indoor gym shared by PRT troopers and Protectorate capes had a number of gawkers that morning. They watched in carefully concealed amusement as a panting Saki pounded around the track, with a cat-sized gold and silver scorpion perched on her head as she -finally- crossed the finish line. She bent at the waist and gulped air greedily.Again, Warden.
No. of votes: 5
Sweece, uju32, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
EOA - Free Action
[X] EOA - Free Action: "Current status, Sergeant Powell?" "Weaver. Glad you're here. Cape's on the top floor of the complex with hostages. Possible Master. Too many sight lines to catch them unaware." She nodded grimly, turning to the troopers with her and touching them each with her fingertip. "Don't worry, Sergeant. We'll handle this," she said before they all vanished from sight.
No. of votes: 14
Idan Dor, No One, Romv, veekie, wingstrike96, Nicklance, Evil Atlas, Mobiusmech, FunkyEntropy, spudman, Bozwevial, landcollector, spudman, Vesperian
[X] EOA - Free Action: The brightly colored drones made their way down the street and stopped in front of the stalled construction crew. "Hi Sam." "Hey Weaver." The crew foreman waved at the collapsed bridge blocking the street. "Someone set off something last night." "Give my cee dees twenty minutes." As the workers backed off, the drones began to deploy their tools.
No. of votes: 7
Sweece, Scify, uju32, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
[X] EOA - Free Action: Your drone hovers over the firefight, between the officers sheltering in the burnt-out storefront and the gang members shooting from the alley. Some of your frustration and exhaustion bleed into your echoing voice. "This is Weaver of the Philadelphia Wards. Are you going to stop and come quietly, or should I make you?" An ominous buzz accompanies your words.
No. of votes: 1
Scify
[X] EOA - Free Action: Thrusters whining, the suit landed in front of the stalled construction crew. "Hi Sam." "Hey Weaver." The crew foreman waved at the collapsed bridge blocking the street. "Dropped twenty minutes ago." She hummed for a minute as she examined the area. "Best move your guys back twenty meters or so." She waited until they retreated, then began to fire teleportation grenades into the wreckage.
No. of votes: 1
VNodosaurus
[X] EOA - Free Action: The monkey silently clambered on the rubble and started pulling away chunks of debris, a strange contraption attached to his back. "Ma'am, are you sure this is acceptable?" the rescue worker inquired. "PETA or the zoo can complain later. There is a child trapped beneath the rubble," the swarm clone replied. "There are four more injured in the basement there."
No. of votes: 1
Daemir
FPoP - Free Action:
[X] FPoP - Free Action: "Wyld was hesitant with Bulldozer's... condition, but... s-said maybe-," Willow started. A large cerulean hand gently enveloped her fragile shoulder, stopping its shaking. "The tree bends but does not break, young Willow. Nor does it stand alone." Vajra turned to the wall of teleconferencing Case-53s. Each needful. Each hoping. "I believe the PRT will heed me better now."
No. of votes: 14
Vesperian, Idan Dor, Daemir, No One, Romv, veekie, wingstrike96, Nicklance, Evil Atlas, Mobiusmech, Monotov, Bozwevial, Jinnt, dpara
[X] FPoP - Free Action: Wyld said it would b-be risky, but... s-she could try-, Willow started. A large cerulean hand gently enveloped her fragile shoulder, stopping its shaking. The tree bends but does not break, young Willow. Nor do we endure merely to suffer more. Vajra turned to the wall of teleconferencing Case-53s, I will make sure of that.
No. of votes: 2
landcollector, spudman
[X] FPoP - Free Action: Willow looked up from her place beside the hospital window as Prayer entered the room, her eyes searching from behind a screen of long green hair. The one we seek is in California, and has agreed to meet. Will you come? It would be good to have the eyes of someone who loved him. Willow hesitated, then nods firmly.
No. of votes: 7
Sweece, Scify, uju32, VNodosaurus, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
WoRI - Free Action:
[X] WoRI - Free Action: "Oww. Thanks, Saki," Missy said as the other Ward lowered her onto the sofa. "They got the worst out, but I'm still sore in places. I just wish the Common Room had better furniture." Saki felt a pressure on her prison charm, and a smile crept up her face. "Um. I know someone who can help with that, Missy."
No. of votes: 17
landcollector, Vesperian, Idan Dor, Daemir, Nor, No One, Romv, veekie, wingstrike96, Nicklance, Evil Atlas, Mobiusmech, Monotov, spudman, Bozwevial, Jinnt, dpara
[X] WoRI - Free Action: The giggling teenagers were herded out of the Miami street party by Ernest and Carlos, their loud Hawaiian shirts darkened with sweat as Latin music made the air pulse. Miamians can party, yelled Aisha as they stopped to get arepas from a stall vendor. Saki nodded, mouth too full to talk. Dennis returned with two concert fliers Which next? Pitbull or Estefan?
No. of votes: 7
Sweece, Scify, uju32, VNodosaurus, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
XP Expenditures:
[X] EOA - 4 XP - Occult ●●●●●
No. of votes: 19
landcollector, Vesperian, Idan Dor, Sweece, Scify, Datakim, No One, Romv, veekie, wingstrike96, Nicklance, Evil Atlas, Mobiusmech, FunkyEntropy, spudman, Bozwevial, VNodosaurus, Jinnt, dpara
[X] WoRI - 2 XP - Investigation (Body Language ●●○)
No. of votes: 19
landcollector, Idan Dor, Scify, Datakim, No One, Romv, veekie, wingstrike96, Nicklance, Evil Atlas, Mobiusmech, Bozwevial, uju32, VNodosaurus, Jinnt, dpara, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
[X] FPoP - 4XP - Presence ●●●○○
No. of votes: 17
landcollector, Vesperian, Idan Dor, Sweece, Scify, No One, veekie, wingstrike96, Nicklance, Evil Atlas, Mobiusmech, Bozwevial, uju32, VNodosaurus, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
[X] EOA - 4XP - Medicine ●●●○○
No. of votes: 10
Vesperian, Idan Dor, Sweece, Datakim, Nor, Romv, uju32, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
[X] EOA - 2XP - War (Micromanagement ●○○)
No. of votes: 10
Scify, Datakim, Nor, uju32, VNodosaurus, Jinnt, dpara, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
[X] EOA - 2XP - Craft (Micromanagement ●○○)
No. of votes: 8
Vesperian, Idan Dor, Sweece, Romv, uju32, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
[X]FPoP - 3XP - Ally (Willow) ●○○○○
No. of votes: 8
Sweece, Scify, uju32, VNodosaurus, Jinnt, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
[X] EOA - 2XP - Investigation (Micromanagement ●○○)
No. of votes: 4
uju32, sainen, Killer_Whale, Broken25
[X] WoRI - 2XP - Investigation (Body Language ●●○)
No. of votes: 2
Vesperian, Sweece
[X] EOA - 3 XP - Ally (Legend) ●●○○○
No. of votes: 1
Datakim
[X] FPoP - 6 XP - Ally (Willow) ●●○○○
No. of votes: 2
FunkyEntropy, spudman
[X] FPoP - 2XP - Craft (Shards ●●○)
No. of votes: 1
dpara
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Chapter 9.3: Part 1
Gromweld
Learning By Mistake
Chapter 9.3
(Part 1)
(Part 1)
Bonus Round, Part 2:
[X] Bonus Point: Backing(PRT) ●●●●●
What's Old Is New:
[X] Saki maintains her old Secret/Civilian Identity
Only Skin Deep:
[X] Saki's 'Everyday' Look: Post-Surgery Saki ("Professionally Pretty," App 4)
Spiritual Recovery Efforts:
[X] Push SoPA Sometimes: Philadelphia Crime HIGH, Reconstruction LOW, SoPA Full Recovery ETA 4 Weeks
Too Fancy For This World:
[X] Let Lord Grasp rest and recharge in TwinSpace regularly, allow him to come and go when he pleases.
- [x] Stunt: New York has seen many strange things on its streets to date. But a car sized scorpion amiably trundling through it's streets, bedecked in brilliant logos and stopping every so often to examine points of interest with a bemused Clockblocker waving atop was not something you see on the typical Tuesday evening.
Free Actions:
[X] EOA - Free Action: "Current status, Sergeant Powell?" "Weaver. Glad you're here. Cape's on the top floor of the complex with hostages. Possible Master. Too many sight lines to catch them unaware." She nodded grimly, turning to the troopers with her and touching them each with her fingertip. "Don't worry, Sergeant. We'll handle this," she said before they all vanished from sight.
[X] FPoP - Free Action: "Wyld was hesitant with Bulldozer's... condition, but... s-said maybe-," Willow started. A large cerulean hand gently enveloped her fragile shoulder, stopping its shaking. "The tree bends but does not break, young Willow. Nor does it stand alone." Vajra turned to the wall of teleconferencing Case-53s. Each needful. Each hoping. "I believe the PRT will heed me better now."
[X] WoRI - Free Action: "Oww. Thanks, Saki," Missy said as the other Ward lowered her onto the sofa. "They got the worst out, but I'm still sore in places. I just wish the Common Room had better furniture." Saki felt a pressure on her prison charm, and a smile crept up her face. "Um. I know someone who can help with that, Missy."
XP Expenditures:
[X] EOA - 4 XP - Occult ●●●●●
[X] WoRI - 2 XP - Investigation (Body Language ●●○)
[X] FPoP - 4XP - Presence ●●●○○
***
According to the Wards Handbook - the dryest, most boring book you've ever read, despite being filled with instructions for life-and-death situations and terrifying cape-life realities - Master/Stranger Protocols are designed to be used when someone is suspected of being "compromised." The "Level" usually describes what type of "containment" is to be used, ranging from one to six; Level One is basically a full ID scan with some questions about the person's activities over the last few days, and Level Five is around three months of genetic, tissue, and brain scans combined with constant questions about your entire life - including your memory and reactions to the containment process.
Level Six was introduced to deal with Simurgh victims, but it's not in the Wards Handbook. When you and the others had asked Bladedancer what it was, her smile had fallen quickly.
"That's just a bomb dressed up as a friend," she'd muttered, looking across the training mat to nothing in particular. "Kill 'em before they blow up."
After that training session, Missy had wondered aloud to your group if that was why cape casualties during Simurgh fights was so high. Nobody had answered beyond some muted hums of consideration, but Taylor had looked especially grim for the rest of the day.
Which… well, when you'd heard the full story of what Taylor went through at the Cradle, you were more surprised that the PRT hadn't stuck her - and, probably, you - in a hole for a few months while they tried to figure out what had actually happened.
There'd been plenty of witnesses and recordings of the Simurgh's dive-bomb (literally) into the crater, since it'd generated a shockwave that could be heard up in the Refugee Camp thirty miles away. The various devices in Taylor's suit recorded nothing but static during the whole fight, apparently, which… surprised exactly no one, really, and the other PRT and geological monitoring gear (those that survived the shockwave) were similarly blank.
Investigation into the crater lake itself had uncovered bits and pieces that might have been the 'hand' - created from metal support beams and wires - that the Simurgh had used to capture Taylor in the fight, but that had only been a consolation prize; the PRT and Dragon hadn't been able to recover the upper torso of the Simurgh that she had torn off herself near the end of the fight. Though they'd initially worried about there still being remnants of something that can dissolve Endbringers contaminating the area, the search had ultimately been called off after they realized the whole mass had sunk through, boiled, and dissolved one hundred feet of rock before plunging into the still-cooling magma pool under the crater itself.
Dragon had stepped in at the time to provide secondary confirmation of at least part of the story - the whole, 'she tore herself in half and then teleported Legend to a different dimension, and Eidolon had to go find him' - which had been why Taylor had been allowed to return to Philadelphia to help with the final part of the Slaughterhouse Nine fight, but…
"...-PRT's investigation remains ongoing, with their 'Slaughterhouse Aftermath Committee' - as it's being called - still asking for anyone that was affected by the final events of last Tuesday to contact them at-"
You turn off the TV, sighing as the earnest-seeming news anchor spouts off the same line you've heard at least a dozen times in the last two days.
At Master/Stranger Protocol Level Three, the only entertainment choice you have is whether the TV is muted and/or dimmed low enough to allow you to sleep. "No foreign materials" means no books or clothes (outside of the PRT-issue white jumpsuit), and "no ability to communicate with the outside" means no ability to use the Internet. Everything is being watched and recorded, so that the PRT can compare it to your behavior from before... which means that even the bathroom is probably filled with cameras and microphones.
Taylor would have gone crazy if she'd been put in Level Three (or higher!) containment. Though, even her Level Two containment was basically in name-only (something about the Youth Guard?) - she got Internet access and all sorts of Tinkertech to play with… while you've been stuck with ABC Channel 4 and its absolutely Maker-awful programming. Well, ok, Two Rogues and A Baby is pretty funny, and Capes of Our Lives is still the best soap, but beyond those and the news you've been bored out of your mind.
If you'd been allowed to meditate like how Taylor and Prayer did, then maybe it would have been easier, but they'd asked you specifically to avoid doing that just in case your… uh, 'make lots of smoke and get all glowy' thing does anything like Taylor's used to.
But Legend, Chevalier, and Miss Militia had all asked nicely, and Prayer said it was necessary. What were you going to do? Say 'no' to that?
Okay, so, you did sort of say that if you went in then they had to deal with Lord Grasp while you were in containment… though it was phrased as more, "oh and here's Lord Grasp bye!" as you tossed his cat-sized form at Prayer while the door to your cell closed.
You giggle to yourself at the memory of his flailing squawk of protest and the muffled shouts of alarm before the seals engaged. You'd belatedly realized that he might try to tear through the door to get back to you, which made you worry for a few minutes, but your two days of containment have been scorpion-free.
Sighing to yourself again and falling back onto the (surprisingly comfortable) mattress, you look up at the blank white ceiling of your single-occupancy cell. Your lunch slid in through the dispenser on the wall… two hours ago? Three? You should be done pretty soon-
There's a pop in your ears as you feel the pressure in the room drop ever-so-slightly, coinciding with a light hiss from where the door into the room has been hidden for the past two days. The smooth, bare, white ceramic wall suddenly sports a door-sized indentation, which immediately afterwards slides open to reveal-
"Warden!"
-a very agitated-looking silver-and-gold scorpion taking up most of the doorway. Behind him is Prayer, though she's wearing an armored costume passingly-similar in style to Alexandria's, except full of purples, whites, and blues instead of the Triumvirate member's grey-and-black coloration. She's even got a white shoulder-cape! You and Sakura wanted one of those!
Despite being the size of a small car, Lord Grasp glides through the doorway without even touching the sides, then skitters past the small table in the middle of the cell, before rearing up on his hind legs and supporting himself with his pincers on either side of you - allowing him to meet your eyes with his own glowing, red gemstone ones.
"Never do that again!"
You blink, wide-eyed and shocked still at his indignant tone. "W-wha-?"
"I am a priceless weapon forged by the King of Craftsmen and his hands, the Jadeborn! My like has never been seen before on this world, and it will never see another!"
"Uh-"
"You do not toss me like some sack of grain!" he hisses, punctuated by twin puffs of steam that erupt from holes behind his eyes. "I have had to work non-stop in these past two days to undo the damage you have done to my apparent worth!"
Your mouth snaps shut with a click as you blink a few more times before letting your adrenaline drain with a sigh. From the doorway, you think you hear Prayer hum in disappointment as Lord Grasp continues to literally fume.
"And no whisking me away to that dreary dimension, either!" he continues on, shimmying on his back legs and flexing his forelegs while raising a claw to point at your face. "I am more than capable of blocking such a tactic with my own charms, if I so choose."
...ok, yes, you were about to do that again, and you're trying not to scowl so hard at being caught before you could spring it. But wait-
"Why didn't you block it before?"
The glow in his eyes shifts from a brilliant crimson to a lighter, muted purple, while the rest of him stills as he recoils slowly. "I… realized that I may - may - have overstepped with regards to my comments about your pre-Exalted form."
"Really."
"Not that I was wrong, mind you," he dismisses with a wave of his claw, though his voice is still anxious, "but I should have realized that a fresh Exalt like yourself would still be emotionally attached to your previous, lack- ah, less empowered form."
From the door, Prayer clears her throat - a sound that is both arresting and harmonic, oddly.
"Ah… yes," he starts, the glow in his faceted eyes cutting out briefly in what you figure must be his own form of a blink. "By which I mean that I… did commit a grievous breach of propriety, and you should take this as your first etiquette lesson in what not-"
"Lord Grasp."
Her flat tone somehow sounds like a vault of crystals humming in disapproval. It's the strangest thing, and the opulent mechanical scorpion in front of you practically wilts at the sound.
"Warden-"
"It's alright, Lord Grasp," you snicker, patting the claw still resting to your left on the mattress. "I know."
"Ah!" he perks up, looking at you carefully for a moment before turning his upper half towards Prayer and gesturing towards you grandiosely. "Did I not say that she would understand my intent without needing to debase myself so? I am only bound to the best!"
You can't help but smile at that, which seems to satisfy Prayer's silent, questioning gaze to you - eliciting a nod of assent from the giant blue woman and a satisfied huff from your gem-coated companion.
"Now that that's settled, Warden…" he muses, turning back to you while twitching a bit, "I find myself growing tired of this... discomfiting, barren world. If you would be so kind…?"
"Oh," you blink, remembering how he had complained at first about what Earth-Bet felt like to him. Has he felt like that this whole time? Oops. "I'm sorry! Yes, of course!"
"Thank you, Warden," he sighs in relief as you raise a hand to him, though he stops you with a large pincer just as you're about to port him away. "Do you have a way for me to get your attention whilst inside? I do have some appointments to keep."
"Errr, I think I noticed when you tried to use the portal before?" you muse, frowning as you remember what it felt like when he'd been poking about on his own. You'd almost thought there was a prickling on the back of your mind, but- "I was just ignoring you before," you nod, both to him and yourself. "I'll pay attention next time."
"Yes, well," he sighs, waving his claw in understanding, "I suppose that will do for now. First Prayer of Perfection, please keep her safe until my return."
"Of course, Lord Grasp."
He bows slightly in response, and then you pull - briefly tearing open reality with a swirling vortex of black and white hexagons of varying sizes for barely a few seconds before it all vanishes with a crackling pop of electricity. When the effect is gone, so is your car-sized companion.
"Wait…" you blink, looking to Prayer in delayed realization. "Appointments?"
***
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Chapter 9.3: Part 2
Gromweld
Learning By Mistake
Chapter 9.3
(Part 2)
(Part 2)
***
The last time you'd been in New York, you and Sakura hadn't been given much of an opportunity to fully tour PRT Tower - both because your road trip to Philadelphia meant that time was limited, and because the two of you (and Aisha, for that matter) hadn't been fully inducted into the Wards program yet.
The two of you didn't make a fuss about the lost opportunity, mainly because… it all felt kind of fuzzy. Like a dream, where you're moving from place to place but don't always remember how you got there? There had been the shock of the… attack, then helping people escape in those last few minutes… then a bunch of PRT officers and the Brockton Bay Director talking at you and giving you papers to sign…
Miss Militia was usually there, though, and she'd always been the coolest heroine in Brockton Bay since you could remember. Assault and Battery were funny, too, and you felt better when they made you laugh during the trip… but you liked it more when Miss Militia was around.
Serious, calm, reserved. You and Sakura had even dressed up as her for Halloween three years ago. Well, you had gotten fewer comments on your Armsmaster/MissMilitia fic than Sakura had gotten for her Armsmaster/Dauntless slash, so you were the 'secret villain clone' - her scarf meant that you couldn't wear an Evil Goatee, so you wore a Chinese flag instead of an American one.
Not that you're ever going to admit that last part to her face, even during Master/Stranger Protocol questioning!
"Everything… seems to at least match your previous records, Ms. Kurosawa," the PRT officer hums to himself across the silver table, idly sweeping a hand through his thinning, grey hair and fixing his glasses. "I'm still not entirely comfortable with the degree of core impulse modification that you've demonstrated, however, nor at the inexplicable skill and language acquisition."
Beside him, Miss Militia nods, though she hasn't looked away from you for the whole two-hour interrogation. Even though everything below the bridge of her nose is hidden behind her flag-scarf, and her body language difficult to read under the army fatigues, you've at least been able to tell when she's been smiling or frowning by the way her eyes crinkle or narrow ever-so-slightly.
You duck your head in a light bow, trying not to fidget in your metal seat. "It's alright. I still don't get a lot of it, too."
"Yes," the old PRT agent mutters, flipping idly back through some of the pages to your earlier responses. "but it matches to what our records show for Marrow and Weaver when both were initially recovered… as nonsensical as it all sounds, even with context."
Miss Militia's eyebrows twitch down slightly, but otherwise she continues her impassive study of your behavior.
"I'm…" you hazard, empathizing but still not sure how to respond to a PRT psychologist saying you sound crazy, "... sorry?"
"Don't be," he sighs again - oh, right, Dr. Marchbanks that's his name! - while adjusting his thin-rimmed glasses to eye you with a bit more sympathy. "Ms. Kurosawa, none of this-" he motions to the papers in front of him with a hand, "is your fault, neither is your new… existence. I have some choice words for Weaver, of course, which are going in my report… but I don't see any further good coming from keeping you under Master/Stranger Protocol Containment."
Turning his gaze to the last sheet of paper in his folder, you see him sign and date a final line, before he removes a small lipstick-container-sized stamp and punches it next to his signature.
Finally, Miss Militia relaxes her posture with a relieved sigh - though her eyes are crinkled in a way that you've realized means she's giving you a relieved smile.
"Thank you for your patience and cooperation, Saki."
Inside, you wonder how she always manages to seem so focused, so cool and collected all the time. You know Taylor mumbled some stuff about watching videos of Miss Militia's interviews for 'training purposes' but Taylor is always too distracted and busy to do it right.
"Ah… it's ok," you nod again, before casting a confused glance between the two adults. "Is- Is that it?"
"From my end, yes, Ms. Kurosawa," Dr. Marchbanks grumbles to himself as he stands and offers you a wiry hand, which you shake automatically. "Your compliance has been greatly appreciated by the PRT, as we're well aware that you could have teleported away at any time. From here, you're still scheduled for some preliminary Power Testing next, since you've been kind enough to refrain from exploring your new powers until we have a safe space for you to do so."
Miss Militia nods to mirror his thoughts, and you breathe a sigh of relief.
There had been so many times you'd wanted to poke and play with the… well, they feel somewhat like the glowing lines all across your body: computer circuits. Not that you know all that much about how computers actually work - that's Taylor's and Chris' jobs - but the straight lines and hard angles that end in circles are how they look inside, right?
"Once we get a general picture of your new abilities - Weaver and Prayer have shown us that it's better to wait for a full test until you've… 'configured' your new powers," Dr. Marchbanks continues, clearing his throat at the last bit, "we'll hopefully be able to release you fully from Containment. Beyond that, there will still be at least one Protectorate member assigned to you at all times for the next week - both for your own security and… well, for further passive observation."
"Oh," you blink, thinking back. "Like Weaver had before?"
The elder doctor frown disapprovingly as he glances down at the papers on the table, but shakes his head. "No, that was a... unique situation, and I'll be honest: I was the one who pushed for this, independent of the usual Master/Stranger Protocols." Looking up, his eyes and tone softens, though his face remains resolute. "I'm of the professional opinion that it will be good for you to have someone trustworthy and combat-capable nearby while you recover from what's happened - both for your own peace of mind and to be there in the event of a relapse. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is known to make even the strongest characters lash out when exposed to a trigger, and the ramifications of a parahuman lashing out are usually far more severe than a normal human."
Miss Militia, who has risen to her feet as well, moves smoothly to your side and places a careful hand on your shoulder. "There's no shame in recovery, Saki, and if you ever don't feel comfortable with your chaperone we can find you another one."
You have trouble meeting their eyes, mainly because your own vision is getting blurrier, but you nod and… you're just going to hug Miss Militia now, even though you're totally ruining the moment by being sad.
You breathe for a bit, and try not to focus on bad memories. Think of something else! Like… huh, it feels like Miss Militia is wearing body armor under her fatigues? Aren't you supposed the wear the armor on top?
"A-alright," you eventually manage, after thinking about armored bodices long enough to stop leaking all over Miss Militia's camo. Turning your gaze up to her, you realize this is a perfect opportunity: Begging Jutsu, activate! Form of Puppy Eyes! "Can you be my first?"
Miss Militia's dark brown eyes widen slightly, enough that you're pretty sure you just shocked her into speechlessness. Critical hit?
Oh, uh... wait... you may have phrased that wrong.
"Chaperone!"
She blinks, finally, and you can practically see her eyes focus again, resolving into a frown as she tries to figure out- ah, ok, now she's blushing.
"I…" she coughs, turning her gaze to Dr. Marchbanks… who is giving you a very disapproving glare, "... was scheduled to return to Philadelphia, but… I can… ask?"
You nod, turning up the Hopeful Eyes again, causing her to look away quickly with a troubled expression.
"Could you… go back to your old appearance, Saki?"
You blink, wiping away the last remnants of your tears on your jumpsuit. "Eh?"
Dr. Marchbanks clears his throat, causing you to meet his scrutinizing glare.
"Ms. Kurosawa," he begins slowly, straightening his glasses to peer at you through them skeptically, "at the risk of sounding cliche, I must ask an honest, impartial question: have you not yet realized how attractive you now are?"
You reel back a bit, feeling your face heat up as your eyes widen.
"Ano… I…" you try, awkwardly disentangling yourself from Miss Militia - who seems to scoot away ever-so-slightly at the same time. "I... looked in the mirror, yes."
You basically spent most of your first day in your cell, staring at the matte-silver girl that had taken over your reflection. No blemishes leftover from your acne flare-up, no squat nose that wasn't short or round enough to be cute… that you had expected.
You hadn't expected to look like you were always catching the light just right, that your impossibly-smooth skin radiated a glow that you'd only seen in magazine covers. The white-and-blue filligree glow running along your body, neck, and face only accentuated the white, silver, gold, and black metal studs and plates in a way that put even Taylor's designs to shame.
You're impossible, like the greatest models in the world got smushed into someone that kind of looks like your mom and the world around you is constantly airbrushing your appearance and tweaking the lighting to make everything just right. It was a shock at the time… but...
... you've been trying not to think about it too hard, actually.
Taylor already has way too much attention - good, bad, and totally gross - all around the Internet because she's super pretty, but she's really good about not paying attention to it or shutting it down.
You... would rather hide. You don't… need anyone else but Sakura, anyway. But she's...
Dr. Marchbanks is still talking.
"... anything by that, Ms. Kurosawa," he speaks slowly, calmly, while keeping his hands up.
Oh, you were curling up again. It takes a few breaths and flexing of your fingers on your arms to relax, but you nod enough that he eventually seems to calm down himself. Miss Militia is still a few feet away, but she's clearly trying to give off a 'I'm here if you need it' message with her unguarded stance.
"If it helps you understand," he tries again, shooting a concerned glance to the worried-looking Miss Militia, "I have been informed that your mere appearance rates a Master 3 rating... and I think that might even need raising."
Whatever blood - or fluids - were in your face before feel like they've quickly drained. Master ratings… are bad.
In a fight, you always target the Master first.
"I know it might be alarming, Ms. Kurosawa," he says evenly, slowly, "but you need to understand: it is extremely difficult to focus on anything but whatever you are doing or saying. My first instinct is to believe and agree with whatever you say. I've had to constantly remind myself that I am happily married… to my husband."
"Wh- what?" you stammer, shocked. "Why didn't you say anything before?"
"We-" he stops, closes his eyes for a moment and sighs briefly. Opening his eyes again, he looks more tired than before. "After everything you've been through, I and my colleagues helping the other Wards felt that it would be best if we didn't make you feel embarrassed or ashamed of your new appearance. Since I have field experience working against Master powers, it was hoped that I could prove that the PRT wouldn't need to mandate a disguise when you're not… weaponizing your appearance."
Disbelieving, you cast your gaze to the side - only to meet a ruefully-nodding Miss Militia.
"O-oh," you manage, looking at your hands.
Every time you look at them, some new detail, engraving, or tracery seems to jump out at you. As beautiful as Lord Grasp's opulence can be, there is a level of precision, artistry, and power just in your hands that puts him to shame.
With a shove of energy into the back of your mind, a wave of hexagonal panels erupts from your fingertips and flows down your arms - as each flips, its opposite side reveals your old, pale and sallow skin tone - while your shoulders buckle and shrink to support your new frame.
A few seconds pass, and you're the old you.
You'd never really liked the old you, but maybe it's better this way: at least Sakura will recognize you when she gets back.
Avoiding the uncomfortable gazes to your side, you look up to the door.
"Can we go now?"
***
Chapter 9.3: Part 3
Gromweld
Learning By Mistake
Chapter 9.3
(Part 3)
(Part 3)
***
Judging by the uniformly-sterile hallways that remind you of Protectorate Island's high-security prison, you're probably somewhere in the basement of PRT Tower. The most interesting part, really, is the actual shape of the hallways: instead of being perfectly rectangular, the corners are all sloped just a bit to make the hallways oddly-shaped octagons. You don't feel like asking again after you were told about the reason for it in the tour… something about making it easier to detect Strangers and Masters?
A few blank hallways from your interrogation room, Miss Militia guides you to one of the large elevators and hits the 'down' arrow. When it opens, Prayer's heavily-armored form awaits you - helmet off, and carried under her right arm.
A light frown creases her brow as she studies the two of you silently for a moment, before looking more pointedly at Miss Militia and nodding.
"I will serve, now. Thank you."
You're deliberately not looking at anything in particular, but out of the corner of your eye you notice Miss Militia's knife in her right holster pulse green before shifting into a much larger caliber weapon. It had shifted twice - from a pistol to a grenade bandolier then to a knife - while the two of you had been walking, so you're not sure if her power just fluctuates on its own or if she's trying to send a message.
You're pretty sure Prayer wouldn't even notice a pistol shot in that armor of hers, so it's probably just powers being weird again.
"Tatsu-" Miss Militia pauses, placing a hand on your shoulder, "requested I serve as her initial chaperone."
There's an awkward silence, which causes you to blink in realization of what's happening and whip your head between the two.
"Ano…" you finally mumble, working past your bleh at being so pretty that you got a Master rating. "Can I have you both?"
Maker dang it.
"As chaperones!"
Miss Militia colors a bit again, but looks more exasperated than embarassed. Prayer-
… -somehow got her helmet on while you were turning to look at Miss Militia. Hmm.
Do you ship it? Miss Militia didn't date anyone in Brockton Bay, and you've already thought of trying to pair Prayer up with someone…
"No, Tatsu."
"Huh?" you blink, looking at Prayer's judging helmet. That sounded like she was talking about something else? "What?"
"Weaver found your fiction," she intones, armored, aquamarine-crystal arms folding across her broad chest. "I have been warned."
Your books? Or-
"Oh," you realize. "Oh!"
Then… start shuffling to the corner of the elevator while feeling your face burn. That means… Taylor found the things you wrote about her, too… "Did you-?"
"Just a warning. She has not shared."
"Oh, thank the Maker," you heave, falling back against the elevator wall. First thing to do when you get access to a computer: set all your stories to private until Sakura gets back. You may have written most of them, but it was her idea to post them publicly - you're not taking the fall for her this time!
"We're… " Miss Militia wonders aloud, eyeing the two of you warily. "I'm missing something."
"Nothing!" you smile, trying not to smile too hard while holding your hands up innocently. "Ah, it was an… inside joke! Hee hee!"
"Ah," Miss Militia blinks, then nods in apparent understanding. "Did it involve Clockblocker?"
Wait what? "Uh… I... yes?"
"I hope he hasn't been too poor of an influence on the two of you," she sighs, shaking her head. "I tried to find out how you were all doing while I was stationed at the Refugee Camp, but reports were slim. Clockblocker tended to act up during high-stress situations, so I worried that he might get up to trouble after the move."
You try not to eye her too critically, and Prayer is no help in her big, bulky armor, but you're not… quite sure what happened there. Dr. Marchbanks said…
Does your disguise… not stop all of your... Master-ness? It's clear that you're no longer 'zombie-inducing', but maybe there's other parts to it?
The elevator dings. Well, maybe you can figure it out a way to turn it off now? You're not sure you want to admit that you don't already know how to turn it off, but… Taylor seemed to always tell the PRT when something was going on with her charms.
"Now that I think about it, Tatsu," Miss Militia frowns, giving you a considering glance, "I need to report to Legend, Chevalier, and Director Uriel first before I can agree to staying in New York much longer. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have… agreed so easily."
"That's okay," you smile, trying not to let how much this is freaking you out show through. You take a step up and nudge the big blue Alchemical as the doors open to another blank hallway. "I trust Prayer."
That earns you a pleased wrinkling of Miss Militia's eyes and and solid aquamarine gauntlet on your left shoulder.
You keep smiling, but no one can tell it's fake.
***
Continuing the similarities to Protectorate Island, the Power Testing Chamber that Prayer escorts you to is about the size of your high-school gymnasium (Clarendon's or Hero High's). You're definitely underground now, since there's no way this place would fit in the building above-ground, but does that mean the parts underneath go under the street or into other basements? And isn't there a subway tunnel nearby?
Right. Tinkertech. Taylor's job, not yours.
To your great relief, your savior is even here! Sort of.
"Are you alright… Tatsu?"
The grapefruit-sized drone floats about waist-high, the top part folded open in several parts to display crystals and lenses - which are lit up, projecting Taylor's undersuit-clad upper half. She's still in full Alch-mode, not even hiding her charms anymore and her glowing 'veins' are still noticeable even though she's a semi-transparent, blue-and-white hologram.
And she's looking at you like you're the weird one.
"Ah, yes?" you shrug, offering a weak smile because you'd rather not talk about it right now. "It wasn't so bad. Boring."
Her face scrunches up as she looks you - and your baggy jumpsuit - over critically. "Yeah, I'm… sorry about that. Did you try meditating? That usually eats up a whole day."
"They-" you look to the four labcoat-adorned PRT scientists standing nearby, prompting the leader to nod and take over.
"We're currently dealing with a spike in gang activity, Ms. Weaver," the Spanish-looking man explains, looking a bit chagrined. He nods to you and then to the hologram, "Director Peterbuilt decided he didn't want to risk another unexpected 'Thinker storm' like what happened when your caravan passed through here in February."
What's he- oh, right. Outside of the pizza place. That was… terrifying.
Taylor does that weird thing where it looks like she turned off her face, but you can see the… eyes?... on her forehead are all swivelling around much faster now.
"Why didn't-" she starts, voice cold, then blinks. Her eyes stop swivelling and point off to the side for a moment, and then her face starts up again… just as she pinches the bridge of her nose. "Right. New York. Always busy. Did the Director make any changes to this scheduled testing, Doctor Rose?"
"No, m'am," he frowns, looking between his colleagues who are expressing varying levels of wariness themselves. "Though we were under the impression that this wasn't going to be a full battery of tests, due to Ms. Tatsu's… alignment issues?"
Taylor's holographic form shakes its head, causing the eight legs flowing back from her temples to sway with the action. "I was hoping she'd get a chance to sort that out before now, but… oh well. Are you ready to begin? Tatsu?"
"Y-Yes?" you straighten up, while Dr. Rose and the other doctors (probably?) move back - some to the table nearby, which has a few computer screens on it. At your side, Prayer nods and shifts back to give you space while assuming a closed stance.
Huh.
"What?" Taylor wonders, loud enough to make you realize that you said that out loud.
"Oh, I just-" you carefully point at Prayer's feet and hands, "-realized that she's in a closed stance. And… I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have known that… before?"
Taylor's projection makes a sound as the drone floats a few feet away, a bit closer than Dr. Rose but still near enough that you can read her thoughtful expression as she taps a finger on her cheek. "I was going to suggest you start with your anima, but baseline changes works. Go ahead and disable any charms you have, first."
You cast a quick glance at the scientists, and you're getting the feeling they're a bit put out by Taylor taking over, so you give them a weak smile and a shrug… which immediately makes them relax and roll their eyes before focusing back on their instruments.
How are you going to bring that up? Ugh.
Ok, right. Turning everything off. So you just…
… well, it feels as if you were wiggling a finger, and had just forgotten about it, but now you do notice it again and you want it to stop. Except your finger is made of electricity, and it's in the back of your brain.
Sakura's better at metaphors, anyway.
The cascade of tiny hexagons is fun to watch, but what strikes you the most is the pressure that you didn't even realize you were feeling when your bones pop back into place and your body fills out again. Like wearing a belt that was a bit too tight, but not tight enough to be annoying?
"Did you feel something, there, Tatsu?"
"O-oh, yeah," you blurt out, "do you- right, should I describe everything like I did last time?"
"You mean the initial test of your parahuman power, Ms. Tatsu?" Dr. Rose inquires, cutting off Taylor just as she opens her mouth. He raises a finger in admission, while glancing at the hologram. "We have the results from it, and your notes Ms. Weaver, but yes - please just say whatever comes to mind, everything you feel that sticks out, or even anything that you remember that might be relevant."
"R-Right," you nod, then relate what you just thought - which draws a hum from Taylor.
"That's-" she frowns, looking to the side for a moment before refocusing on you, "-probably due to alignment problems? How many charms did you just use?"
Closing your eyes, you try to get a feel for what you just did again - as if you were going to repeat the process. "Umm… two? Wait… no, there was a... third one? There's two disguise charms and… one that… absorbs energy from them?"
"Ok," you hear Taylor's voice muse, as most of your focus is on figuring out how you missed that third charm before, "I think-... okay, one thing at a time. Try attacking Prayer."
What.
"What?!" you balk, eye going wide in disbelief at the smirking blue hologram, before pointing to the giant blue juggernaut and then back at Taylor. "But she's-! Prayer's-! She's so-... BLUE!"
"Do not fear," the hulking woman in question intones, her voice calm and understanding while it reverberates through her crystalline armor. "I will not blue you."
...
You're not sure when your brain restarts, but you're pretty sure you beat Taylor to it if her expression is any indication. The doctors, on the other hand, are desperately trying not to fall over laughing.
Prayer has started to shift uncomfortably. "...What did I say?"
"Nothing!"/ "Nothing!"
You and Taylor share a glance and a nod. The pact is sealed.
Eventually, the snickers from the scientists dies off, and you realize that you should probably at least make a token effort to maybe… push her? Yes, something that's clearly not harmful so you don't break your hand on her armor and she doesn't break you on accident.
Coughing to get her attention, you raise a hand to silently ask permission to approach - which gets you a nod of approval from the massive wall of crystal - then slowly shuffle a little closer with your hands raised.
Okay, well, if her feet are… there… and you're standing… yes, you just step once, then into her guard and - oh, she's turning! Turn with her, her center of balance is over her left leg now so grab behind her left knee with your left hand and push up on her chest with your right hand-
The crashing sound of solid crystal echoes through the large testing chamber.
"What?!"
After blinking a few times to realize that Prayer actually is alright- oh. You said that.
"Was that as fast as you could go, Tatsu?" you hear Taylor's voice from behind, though you're busy worrying over Prayer. You try to offer her a hand, but she waves it off before sliding her legs out into a smooth rising crouch… huh. Oh, right.
"Um… maybe? I didn't want to get hurt, but when Prayer started moving faster I tried to... shift with her?"
"It was a skilled strike," Prayer nods, "you knew to act before your limit was passed. You have been blessed with training by the Great Maker."
"Oh!" you exclaim, smiling in relief. Though- "Does that mean I don't have to train with Bladedancer anymore?"
BLUE-!
Uhhh… that's... the ceiling? You're… on the floor?
You're... not hurt, but you try to speak and your lungs don't have air-
"Bladedancer could counter that strike, young one," Prayer intones, her helmet poking into your field of view from the top as she leans down from above.
Her tone is as cheerful as you've ever heard it.
"So, no."
***
Testing the rest of your 'baseline' skills is roughly just as embarrassing; every time you make some new discovery about cool new things you can just do now… Taylor, or Prayer, or even the scientists (Traitors!) find a way to push the test beyond your limits.
You can lift as much as a small car, run a treadmill at a full sprint (which isn't that fast…) for half an hour without tiring, and do kung fu…
… you can speak a whole new language, memorize maps just by looking at them, and you're pretty sure you couldn't pick up on body language quite so easily before…
… all of that, and it's still a wash.
You've somehow forgotten how to dodge.
***
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Chapter 9.3: Part 4
Gromweld
Learning By Mistake
Chapter 9.3
(Part 4)
(Part 4)
***
"...aaand time."
As Dr. Rose audibly taps his tablet to clear the timer, you grumble and drop the stylus onto the table - not into the tablet's stylus receptacle, because they made you take the math test again. Since all the questions were different you couldn't even use the answers that you'd worked out last time!
Because this is a PRT Power Test and they have all the cool toys, the scientists already have the results - Taylor doesn't, so she's had to maneuver her holo-drone to look over the shoulders of the scientists at the other table. One of the scientists comes over and takes the tablet - and wayward stylus - from you while the rest mutter to each other and point at their screens for about a minute, during which time you lean back in the metal chair and close your eyes.
It's fuzzy, but… yes, it looks like Lord Grasp is still a motionless pagoda near the portal. He didn't tell you how long he needed so you're not quite sure when to expect him, but you might need to wake him up for some of the upcoming tests.
Apparently they already put him through power testing while you were in Containment, though only his small and large scorpion forms - something about needing to schedule a time to re-size the testing lab to accommodate his pagoda form? When you're done here the scientists have promised to let you watch the videos of it, but Prayer and Taylor explained the two most important take-aways: he talked the entire time, and nothing short of a very high-level Brute would survive an encounter with him.
Taylor mentioned that his cavalier, gruesome disassembly of the training dummies meant that the PRT doesn't feel comfortable letting him out into the world until he goes through a full Live Combat training course, as well as a psychological evaluation to prove that he understands the notions of 'excessive force' and 'the value of human life.' This hadn't caused much of an issue yet, as the rest of his time had been spent with Glenn Chambers and the PRT PR team with Prayer translating.
Prayer had given you a wordless, rueful look through her helmet in response, which had almost caused you to trip on the treadmill due to your giggles.
"...-atsu?"
You blink, then lean forward from where you had almost sent the chair tipping backwards. The scientsts are all looking at you expectantly, while Taylor is giving you a raised eyebrow with a smirk.
"Y-yes?"
Dr. Rose clears his throat and nods at you. "We're finished with your baseline mental evaluations, Ms. Tatsu. Overall, your average cognitive capabilities have seen a 21% increase - mostly in processing speed - though there looks to be noticeable improvement of your overall language skills as well. Comparing against the limited schooling reports we have since your last evaluation, we did also notice that you answered some geography and history questions that weren't covered in your classes…?"
"Oh," you frown, thinking about what questions on the test they might have been talking about. "I still couldn't answer most of them."
"Which is fine," he nods, holding up hand in acceptance, "you did the right thing to skip to only ones you could answer, but-... alright, how about the question about when the American Civil War ended? Do you remember where you learned that? None of your classes have covered that period."
"I… don't remember? The Internet?"
That gets some light chuckles from the scientist gallery, but Dr. Rose just frowns - not at you, though, as he quickly turns to Taylor's projection. "I'm just not seeing enough concrete evidence for these 'Skill Colleges' your notes mention, Ms. Weaver."
For her part, Taylor's lips are pursed as she sighs. "It's not-" she pauses, her eyes darting off to the side for a moment before she frowns again. "That's… Fine. If, later, she exhibits the same sort of learning advancement that I do?"
He nods. "If both she and Ms. Vajra do, then yes - that might be enough to support a preliminary theory. We'd need more than a sample size of three, however-"
"I'm working on it," Taylor sighs again, waving a hand dismissively. "That's the last baseline test, yes?"
Adjusting his thick glasses, Dr. Rose nods quickly and turns back to the rest of the scientists as they appear to be working on something. A few moments later, they look up to meet his gaze.
"Everything's backed up offsite, sir," the lone female of the group replies, nervousness starting to creep into her fresh-out-of-college voice. "Digital and analogue measurements are recording."
Turning from them to Taylor, you give her a blank stare so that she'll explain what any of that meant.
"Ah… you remember how my anima - the big spider thing...?"
You nod.
"... when I was starting out, it scrambled anything electronic pointed at me, too. Prayer's anima is different: it changes recordings and memories to make her look like something else."
That gets you to turn to the giant blue crystal woman in shock. "What?"
"After the moment has passed," she bows her head, solemnly, "all who bore witness saw the Great Maker in action."
You turn back to Taylor, who just shrugs.
"We did a lot of testing last week, but for the most part people and cameras just remember a big glowing figure that they think was Autochthon himself. Indirect observation - say, if you wrote down what Prayer was doing - doesn't change, and since I'm immune you might be too, but before she meditated it wasn't very consistent with what it would change or how much. Which was… awkward."
Back to Prayer, who shifts uncomfortably.
"I was broadcast."
"Oh," you balk, since… wow. TV? "What happens if you watch it after?"
"You don't get the full… religious experience, but it's there," Taylor fidgets, clearing her throat while the scientists behind her are dutifully looking elsewhere. "Iris says that yours shouldn't be like that, but we're taking precautions just in case."
That's… well, you're not quite sure how bad that is compared to your own problem. From what you can remember, Taylor's anima stopped showing up all the time and screwing everything up after she meditated a bit… but 'scaring people' isn't anywhere as bad as 'changing memories' when it comes to how the PRT treats you.
A bolt of inspiration hits you, but you manage to shut your mouth before you voice it: is that part of why there's so little information about what happened to the Slaughterhouse Nine?
You're pretty sure Taylor and Prayer are the only ones who know what really happened, and they probably can't say it in front of a bunch of PRT scientists.
Safe Space, to the rescue! You and Sakura were trying to figure out a way to pitch that you two should be in the Assembly because you'd have the Ultimate Base (villains have lairs) for super-secret Alchemical business in your Safe Space, but she must have thought of it on her own. And with Lord Grasp, it's even got a spa now!
So you push that uncomfortable question onto the ever-growing 'Ask Taylor Later' pile, and instead shake your head and move to stand. "O-okay, so… what should I do now?"
After a short set of glances between Dr. Rose and Taylor - the Doctor communicating with a shrug and a waved hand that it's her show now - you are directed to move to the center of the large room and stand in a relaxed position. Taylor's drone and projected hologram remain about ten feet in front of you, Prayer is a few feet farther and to your right, and the scientists have remained around their tables about fifty feet away. Apart from them, all the training and testing equipment has been folded back into the walls, leaving the room pristine, empty, and white.
"Now, I'm not sure how much you remember from my presentation, but I'll try to keep it simple. Just close your eyes and think about the energy you've probably been pushing and pulling to activate your charms."
Doing so, you take a relaxed breath and bring up the mental image that came to mind over the last few days as your mind wandered: a pair of tight, single-spirals comprised of glowing blue hexagons. Though the larger one is nearly double the size and glows with a vibrant, iridescent radiance, your attention (in the few times they've come to your mind) has always been drawn first to the smaller of the pair.
"Um…" you murmur, letting your wandering train of thought be heard, "I have… two? But one is smaller and… empty?"
Taylor's thoughtful hum sounds farther away than it did a moment ago, but you don't let it distract from your introspection. "That means your personal essence pool is taken up entirely by the charms you have installed. That's okay - the way you used your peripheral pool to fuel your disguise earlier shows you probably have Aura-Dampening Component like Pray-"
The words 'personal' and 'peripheral' feel… right, though you're not sure if that's just because you suddenly remember Taylor's long presentation on how her powers worked. But as she goes on…
"Oh!" you exclaim, nearly opening your eyes and ruining your mind's eye, "yes! That one lit up! And… it's connected to the pools? Wait, wait- there's other lines running- ah, I see the rest of them! But… only Aura-Dampening Component is lit up? Should I use it?"
It's difficult to focus on, like trying to watch a movie through a dirty window, but the instant Taylor had said the name that charm had lit up and stuck in your memory - revealing that the dull lines you'd barely noticed before running from the spirals actually channeled down into the muted glows of the charms themselves.
From far away you hear Taylor give a pensive "Alright," but as you smile and try to… push essence down from the peripheral spiral-
"It's… it's not doing anything?" you mumble, hopefully loud enough for everyone else to hear, before realization makes you jolt again. "Ah! No, I see! I can direct essence through it to… control it? The lines coming out of it to the other charms look… smaller."
"That's good, Tatsu," Taylor's voice drifts into your consciousness, the firm tone just barely overriding your desire to play around with your new discoveries. "Can you see if it connects to all your other charms?"
You grumble, since you're still having a hard time even figuring out how many charms you have.
"I… think so? The others are still dark, so I can't really tell… but there look like there are enough lines for a lot of them…"
"That's-" she cuts off, long enough that you wonder if something's wrong. Just as you're about to open your eyes, Taylor's voice exasperated voice cuts in again. "Alright, Tatsu. It sounds like it works like Prayer's; hopefully we can use it to test the other charms you have and save your anima for last. Let's start working our way through your other charms. Now, I'm going to name a few that I think you've already used so let me know if anything… lights up."
After a moment of silence, you realize they're waiting on you.
"O-okay!"
Taylor's voice is steady and confident, almost as if she's reading from a list.
"Integrated Artifact Transmogrifier."
"Ooo! Yes! It's- wait, I recognize that one! That's the human disguise one, isn't it?"
There's… a nagging feeling after you say that out loud, but it takes you a moment to place it: you're not really human anymore, are you? You'd been thinking about it as 'the old you', not 'look like a human again'.
It's not a bad feeling… just a little sad. Like… like otou-san used to say about you and Sakura growing up.
You miss them so much.
Taylor's and Prayer's voices are muddled in your head as your mind falls apart, the lines and the lights and the spirals growing hazier as you try desperately- calm! You have to-!
Be Calm.
Like a pixelated picture snapping back into focus, there is Clarity to your mind's eye now - even better than before. It's… yes, you miss them, but you're in the middle of power testing - you have cried yourself to sleep plenty of times before, you can wait until tonight to do it again.
Actually, now that you can sense all your charms a bit better, there's… a big one lurking at the bottom of the lines. Not as big as your charm-ified relocation power (teleportation never really felt right, even before), which is somehow attached above the essence spirals...
No time to think on it, since Taylor's and Prayer's voices are getting closer. You start pushing essence down through Aura-Dampening Component and towards the oversized charm-
After the initial shove, power surges down the line, more than what you needed to activate your two disguise charms combined. Urgh, this thing is a power hog! It better be worth it!
Your eyes snap open, and you throw your hands out to stop Prayer and Taylor just as the two of them almost get within arm's reach.
"Wait!" you exclaim, before you use your left forearm to help wipe your eyes clear. "I'm alright. Just- I just had a bad memory. I'm fine."
There's a beat of silence as you take in a steadying breath, and as you drop your left arm you notice both are looking at your outstretched right arm.
Or, more specifically, the long, thin, black blade sticking out from between your right middle and ring fingers.
"That's… it?"
The realization that you just thought that out loud is washed away by the deep, ominous feeling that no… you're missing something. That's not all there is to it.
"A stiletto?" Prayer's voice is thoughtful, her head tilted slightly as she studies it from afar. "Can you shape it?"
"I…" you blink, the thought having not occurred to you. Looking at your splayed-out hand, you stare at it like you got a bad nail job.
After a few directed thoughts, all you've managed to accomplish is a few weird faces while the blade retracted slightly to line up with your fingers - in a way that could hide it pretty well, now that you're moving your fingers a bit. Ninja-esque, sleek and deadly!
The lingering, ominous feeling means that attempt at humor doesn't even make you smile.
"No, but… I think it does something? It's… not poisoned, I think," as you bring it up to your face to inspect it more carefully. You gently touch the blade with your left index finger, "No, but it's pretty sharp-"
You finally notice that Taylor is staring at you with her face turned off - even her upper eyes have focused on you completely.
"Um," you begin eloquently, glancing between her, the blade, and Prayer, before bringing your right hand out in a relaxed, upwards-facing point with your fist closed. "Do you… know what this is, Ta-... Weaver?"
There's a long, awkward pause as her face turns back on but her eyes - all of them - dart off to the right at something you can't see and she makes a frantic 'stop it' motion with her right hand at whatever it was.
"It's identity has been… suggested… yes," she eventually mutters out, as if the words are being pulled out of her throat, "but I don't know if… if it's even safe to test."
"Ms. Weaver?" Dr. Rose's voice over the test chamber's speakers interrupts your already-stalled train of thought, frustration in his tone not hiding the concern underneath it. "Should we be aware of something?"
"I-" Taylor stalls, straightening up and turning just enough so that she can raise her hands warningly and have both the scientists and yourself within her field of view. "I just want to remind everyone that-... that Alchemical charms are designed by humans, and that Autochthonian culture has a much different perspective on life and mental-"
"Ms. Weaver," Dr. Rose interrupts, growing increasing chiding, "need I remind you that it is your promise of complete transparency during these tests that allows your presence here?"
Taylor's face twitches, but before it can twist into a snarl the blank look slams down for long enough for her regain control - her eyes, however, continue to swirl and pivot furiously in the moment of silence. Finally, she closes her eyes, takes a long breath, and looks back to you with a hopeful expression.
It's obviously fake.
"Tatsu, can you tell if there are any submods - smaller parts - or other charms connected to that charm? Or is it just that… needle?"
After staring at Taylor's face for a moment, you close your eyes and try to search your mind again…
"It's… there are lots of smaller parts," you mutter, completely devoid of excitement over seeing how the charm practically glows like a christmas tree with smaller lights that are buzzing and waiting to activate. "I don't… see… any other connected charms? Some of the parts are as big as charms, though…?"
You open your eyes and Taylor has her face in both palms. There's another awkward silence.
"Maker…"
Spoken in Old Realm, it's one part plea, two parts expletive. Beside you, Prayer awkwardly shifts ever-so-slightly away from you.
Dr. Rose's voice is completely done with this. "Ms. Weaver."
Taylor holds her left hand up in acknowledgement, then raises her face from her right hand and takes a long, steadying breath before gesturing for you to present your arm proudly.
"Doctors," she sighs, right eye twitching as her mouth is a rueful smile. "I present: Personality Override Spike."
...what.
Even all the way over here, the strangled sound from multiple doctors can be heard even without the intercom.
"Alone, it's… capable of forcing a person into a dream-like mindscape where the user can speak to them," she continues, tone somehow considering, "However, it was designed for use with other... parts: Identity Recalibration Signal, Mind-Ripping Probe, Memory Implantation Surge, and… Maker please I hope you didn't get this one…. Subsidiary Personality Implant. The names don't translate perfectly, but they…"
Taylor keeps talking, but it all seems so far away as you stare at the pitch-black streak of metal jutting out from between your knuckles.
Far, far away…
… where your chances of ever walking free have fled.
***
Chapter 9.3: Part 5
Gromweld
Learning By Mistake
Chapter 9.3
(Part 5)
(Part 5)
***
At some point, while you've been lost imagining the soft, padded cell that you'll be spending the rest of your life within, Taylor finally finishes whatever she's been saying. You notice this primarily because of the tone her voice has grown even more confident while you weren't paying attention.
"-oes that sound alright, Tatsu?"
Turning your gaze from the Black Spike Of Doom To Your Personal Freedom, you blink owlishly a few times at Taylor and nod anyway.
She looks at you for a few seconds, then nods slowly.
"Riiight," she draws out, eyeing you critically for a moment. "So, you understand that there are potentially valid, therapeutic, legal uses for that charm, and you're fine with waiting until your charms are fully configured to actually test it."
Okay, you definitely should have been paying attention if that's where she wound up with a charm called Personality Override Spike, but it's far too late for asking for her to repeat all that now. Besides, any chance to put off using the Doom Spike in any way whatsoever is fine by you.
"Hai," you nod, more confidently this time before looking at the Doom Spike. "Should I… put it away?"
"Yes, please," she sighs.
For all that you'd tried - and failed - to manipulate it before, actually turning off and retracting the charm is… easy, really. There's a feeling of taking your finger off of a humming metal pad in the back of your mind and then a slick, metal-on-clay sound as the spike slips back between your knuckles like it was never there.
Humming to herself, Taylor eyes you up critically again. "Now then, let's finish going over the other charm we know you have: the one that let you look like… the 'old you', you called it?"
"You mean without… also using Integrated Artifact Transmogrifier?" you wonder, even though the charm's name is a little awkward on your tongue.
At Taylor's confirming nod, you close your eyes and settle back into peering at your vague collection of charms. Finding this one is easy enough since you've already put it to use a few times unknowingly, but as you mentally begin to shift essence down through Aura-Dampening Component and into the line towards it-
"O-oh! W-what should I look like?" you blurt out, as understanding blossoms behind your closed eyes. "I… don't have to look like my old self? I can… I can change anything!"
The sleek, dark echo of Taylor's voice makes a grunt of acknowledgement. "Does 'Husk-Sculpting Apparatus' sound like it fits?"
You make a wordless cheer as, again, recognition causes the charm to glow brilliantly under your internalized scrutiny, allowing you to see that there are a few smaller parts attached as well. You leave them be for now, because you still need to actually activate the charm…
Actually, you know just what to do.
There's the peculiar sensation for several seconds of shifting bones, muscles, and charms as your body reconfigures itself, but when you open your eyes you aren't nearly as short as you were before. In fact, you are almost exactly five feet, ten inches - allowing you to directly meet the gaze of the holographic Taylor in front of you.
Her lips are pursed and she's giving you a flat look, but she totally deserves it for telling everyone about the Doom Spike.
"Very funny, Tatsu."
You didn't bother trying to 'compress' yourself like you've been doing with your 'old self'...
… so you look exactly like her, only better.
To your side, you notice Prayer's helmet twitching between the hologram and yourself a few times before her voice floats through her armor.
"Be grateful Who does not possess this power, Administrator."
You snort, and it sounds weird in your own ears because it's Taylor's snort, but the hologram is simply staring at you with a rapidly-falling expression.
"He wouldn't-..." she mumbles, before blinking and sagging even further, "... he would give her that."
Oh. You… hadn't really thought about… the next person Taylor might pick? When she'd given her presentation you'd noticed she'd looked at Missy more than anyone, but you'd heard several times Aisha talking about how she was trying to figure out how awesome it would be to get "upgraded." You and Sakura had gotten wrapped up with her enthusiasm, actually, and the two of you had figured that it would either be Missy or Aisha that got the actual honor in the end; Missy because she and Taylor actually felt like sisters, while Aisha might actually be able to live a normal life if conversion fixed her (really scary) power.
Was Taylor still thinking of picking either of them now that you and Sakura were picked? That would be…
... umm…
… weird? You and Sakura are almost eighteen, and you were both planning on joining the Protectorate, but Missy and Aisha are young. Chibi, even if Aisha has bigger boobs than you do. Did.
You're definitely going to have to change your 'old' look, now. Not too much! Sakura needs to recognize you, but Aisha will never stop if the first time she sees you she's still better than the two of you. Is there a way-
Oh! One of the charm's part lit up as you were thinking- ah ha! It's for setting defaults! Neat! Ok, can you just shift- no, you have to turn it off first.
You hold up a hand to cut off Taylor's talking - because she's been talking at you again while you weren't paying attention, and Sakura isn't here to listen for you - and toggle off the charm… and then...
Ugh… it's… stuck? No, it just… takes a lot of… pushing… there! And now you don't even have to keep the charm on anymore to look like this!
Opening your eyes, you actually watch the process happen this time. Holding up your arms, you watch as the immaculate, flawless configurations of seams, glowing lines, and metal filigrees actually… shift into worse patterns. Huh. It makes sense, you guess, but it's still weird to see yourself getting uglier.
Not as ugly as you used to be, though, and you hope Sakura has this charm so you two never have to be like that again.
"It's… you again?" Taylor asks, tilting her head as you see her eyes flash and little shades shutter down over her eyes for a moment before retracting. "Is-... oh, were you testing the submodules? Is this how you want to look now?"
"Ms. Weaver?" Dr. Rose's voice drifts out from the intercom again, sounding more curious than frustrated now. "Care to explain?"
"It's a way for her to change her look permanently, without needing the charm active all the time," she nods, looking at you with consideration. "Try activating your IAT now?"
Well, if she's ok with condense the charm names into abbreviations, you aren't going to feel bad about doing it yourself.
Some essence pushing and a few moments later, you're… well, not the 'new' you. The 'newest' you? Saki 2.5: Good Enough Edition!
"Still noticeably better," Taylor muses, rubbing at her lower lip in thought. "Are you not going to use your old identity?"
Looking over your hands, you see that the small scars and freckles are still where they should be. "Um…" you gaze up, meeting her eyes, "...is there a way to look like this and still keep it?"
The most experienced Alchemical on Earth hums a bit in thought, then casts a gaze back towards the scientists. As if reading her mind, Dr. Rose's voice hastily coughs over the intercom.
"Please do not drag PR into the Testing Chambers, Ms. Weaver. We try to be efficient here."
Rolling her eyes - all of them, this time - Taylor shakes her head and waves them off.
"Fine, fine. Wyld owes me for Thursday, anyway, and her team is in New York so it wouldn't-"
Turning fully back to you, Taylor's mouth gradually splits into a conspiratorial grin - and wow she looks evil like that. She can totally see herself all the time with her bugs, you remember, so does she just not care?
"Oh," she cackles. Cackles!
"Inquisition is going to love you."
***
Chapter 9.3: Part 6
Gromweld
Learning By Mistake
Chapter 9.3
(Part 6)
(Part 6)
***
There comes a point where your mind can only take so many shocks - ups and downs and ups and downs… - before it starts growing numb. As a result, while Taylor walks you through locating, activating, and identifying your charms, the process becomes easier as you fall deeper and deeper into a mechanical mindset.
It all starts when you discover that your fears were true: you can't turn it off.
"Right, so before we go any further, let's figure out your augmentations. They'll probably feel like… passive, always-on charms? They simply make you better at everything that part of yourself does - like Strength or Dexterity, for example. They come in a bunch of different types, but so far Autochthon has given us mostly Fourth Augmentations... and I can see you have a whole bunch just looking at you right now, but just to be sure let's go down the list for what you'd need for some basic charms: Fourth Stamina Augmentation? Fourth Intelligence Augmentation? Okay, good. Now, I'm guessing you're like Prayer, so…"
You already know where this is going.
"Fourth Appearance Augmentation? Fourth Manipulation Augmentation? Fourth Charisma Augmentation? Yes? All three? Well… that makes sense, I guess - Prayer is our front line and you're… our public relations."
You only nod, the calm settling over you suppressing any further, needless panicking. The Great Maker saved you, but nothing is ever free.
Things move more quickly from that point onward, and you find yourself feeling more and more distanced from the process.
"... and you mentioned having a 'background charm' to Legend- yes, what you used on Lord Grasp when you first woke up. That sounds like the description of Radiant Iconography Array, so let me know- ah, great. This… sounds really cool, actually: it's basically a customizable illusion generator for making you look more awesome. Could you show us what you did for Lord Grasp…?"
Detached, observing but caring less and less about how great or awful these things in your body might appear at first glance.
"Does the name 'Rogue Cell Isolation Protocols' spark any-... ah, okay. You... already used it? When-? On the platform? Oh! Yes! That's a great example: getting rid of a phobia! See, just because it sounds bad doesn't mean it can't have good uses..."
It is not difficult to observe Taylor's own discomfort with your increased lack of concern or emotiveness, but you also discern a degree of relief. Is it due to how poorly you were reacting before, shutting down at every revelation and drawing out the process longer than it needed to be?
"Body Language? That's… huh. Emotive Aesthetics of the Body Electric...? Alright, and Dr. Rose, let's just call that the 'Body Language' charm because that's what it does: it lets you have actual conversations using only body language. Hmm. Since Earth has so many more languages than Autochthonia, do you also have Interpolative Syntax Emulator…? No? Well, I guess this works…"
Compared to the sudden wash of relief that you struggled with before, it becomes easier and to pull back into the calm, logical mindset that the Great Maker must have built to cushion against such existential shocks.
"I'm… not sure? There are a few that match that description. Coincidental Unity Commands, Covert Battle Schematics, Unobtrusive Repartee Baffles, Ordered- Oh, well, yes, that makes sense. Anyway, as you said, you use it with other charms like Aura-Dampening Component, except Unobtrusive Repartee Baffles only works with- ah, I know this sounds odd, but… 'social interaction charms'? As for what it does… it… well, it makes it difficult for observers to notice when you use them. Not impossible, of course- ah, yes, Doctor, I... believe... it works on Personality Override Spike-…"
It is not your fault. Your insular and kind-hearted nature - Sakura has always been more "pragmatic" than you - is in no way suited for many of these charms.
"What about 'Programmed Catechism Rebuttal'...? Yes? Okay, just a moment-... right. This… may sound weird, but it… lets you ignore people trying to change your mind… by forcing you to quote Autochthonian dogma at them. No, it doesn't make sense to me, either, Doctor, but it doesn't actually affect anyone else so don't be afraid to use it, Tatsu; it should kick in automatically when you need it…"
And you do have many charms - far more than Taylor did at her start, somehow. Percentage-wise, your charms actually tend towards a defensive nature rather than the 'mind-controlling terror' impression generated by your earliest discoveries.
"Okay, phew. Good. You have Industrial Survival Frame. You… haven't felt the need to use it yet, though? I suppose you've been lucky so far, but I think when we're done here you're going to want to keep it up all the time…"
"... can't turn it off? Alright, well, what do you think-... 'prevents exhaustion'? Oh! Is that Alloyed Reinforcement of Flesh...? Yes? Wow, that's great - it's main purpose is to save your life if you take a lethal hit, actually. Prayer has it and it saved her when she was cut in half last week…"
But the terror-inducing charms you do have are certainly memorable enough.
"... Maker… Right, yes. Just a moment, Doctor, I'm reading… okay. These extendible soulsteel fingernails are the charm… Transcendent Brutality Programming. It's… huh. I'm sorry, but this one really doesn't have any way to dress it up: it causes so much pain, the person loses the will to fight back… and after enough uses they automatically scream their deepest secrets. Hmm… it can be used in a fight like tiger claws, actually, so against hard targets it might be useful to hit them once or twice to force a peaceful surrender..."
But even after all that, the penultimate charm in your repertoire takes things in a direction that still manages to surprise everyone.
"... a scorpion tail?"
Taylor's confusion lasts for more than the usual pause, as she very clearly averts her eyes to check with whomever she has been consulting during this process. In the meantime, you look down to your hands as you cradle the source of her confusion: a segmented, prehensile whip that protruded from your tailbone (bursting through your jumpsuit in the process), capped by an injector similar in design to Lord Grasp's own ornate stinger. It shares the general 'futuristic' aesthetic of your charms, with its dull grey and polished silver metalworking back-lit by glowing blue wires, while also maintaining the elegant and seamless design that makes it an obvious work of techno-magic wonder.
Controlling the tail, you find with a twitch, is much like your other charms - a limb or finger that you suddenly remember possessing - though none of them have made the metaphor so literal before. Tugging with the tail against your hands reveals it also shares your vastly-increased physical strength, though trying to wind it through your fingers demonstrates its similar lack of agility.
"Alright, Tatsu," your leader coughs, turning her attention back to you with an observable increase of interest. "Let me know if either of these resonate: Manifold Transhuman Implants, or Multifunctional Hypodermic Apparatus."
You only need to blink slowly to gauge the status of your charms now, and you nod in acknowledgement. "The second."
Her posture continues its shift from resigned to eager, and an anticipatory gleam flashes across her face as she points at your tail while also gesturing to the scientist team.
"Good, good! Now, this charm is two parts: the… tail, which is just a delivery mechanism and usually only a long needle, and a micro-factory which produces a number of alchemical treatments based on installed templates. There's… a lot of different possible templates, but as far as I can tell most are medicinal or steroidal. Can you tell which are installed, Tatsu?"
This takes… longer than a single blink; not due to the complexity of the charm itself, but rather the sheer number of templates that keep lighting up under your internalized scrutiny.
"Lots," you voice, so that she understands you are still counting. After what feels like at least a few minutes in your head, you open your eyes again to her concerned expression. "Fifteen."
She blinks.
"...Alright. That's more than I was expecting, but not all of them. Can you understand what any of them do? I'd read from the list, but it's… over two-hundred templates."
A frown flexes your face, but you try again. It is no easier than the first time, and you waste another two minutes trying to uncover names amidst buzzing energies and complex mechanical structures.
Your tail twitches in your hand. You remember cartoons with characters that possess tails and the amusing disparity between their own appearances and the traitorous behaviors of their tails. Thankfully, you can retract yours.
"No."
Taylor hums, then quickly sighs and turns to the scientists with a shrug.
"Understood," Dr. Rose's even voice calls out over the intercom. "Ms. Tatsu, add this to the list of powers we'd prefer you avoid experimenting with until you have completed your meditations."
"Or in the case of a life-or-death emergency," Taylor adds, giving you a knowing look.
"Un," you nod. The list includes most of your charms at this point, but if it will allow you to walk free without constant oversight then you follow their rules.
The hologram nods and waves away something to her side. "Are there any other charms you can feel, Tatsu? Besides your… parahuman-power charm, I mean."
Closing your eyes once more, you survey the field of glowing connections and vastly-shrunken essence pool that are the result of this multi-hour exploration of your own workings. As you study the lines leading from your peripheral pool of essence, counting the number against the charms you have identified…
… the number doesn't add up.
"Five connections," you voice, emphasizing it with a small frown. "I can't see where they lead."
"That's-..." Taylor begins, cautiously, before cutting off to turn to the side again. After a moment, however, her eyebrows shoot up and she turns back with a blink. "Did Crushing Grasp say anything about a 'vat' or holding onto your extra charms?"
You take a moment to review all of your interactions with your mechanical companion, but you don't recall anything like that. However, something tugs at your mind when you consider those words…
"When he first awoke, he complained about having a metal pole stuffed inside of him, and an upgrade from 'Debok Moom.'"
There is a snort of amusement to your side, causing you turn and look at First Prayer of Perfection. The massive cerulean-crystal juggernaut has not moved, but… yes, that sounded like her, though she isn't reacting to your stare. Turning back, you notice that Taylor is having an animated, silent discussion off the side of her hologram-camera.
"Did he say 'Pole of Metal', Tatsu?" she asks, humor being overridden with concern as she casts her eyes (all of them) in your direction.
"Yes. That."
"Okay-" she starts, then stops and sighs. Refocusing on you for a moment, she swivels the hologram to address the scientists at the same time. "It sounds like Crushing Grasp has the ability to serve as a… repair and refitting station for Tatsu, allowing her to switch out charms with a few hours of downtime. I know we're almost done with our scheduled time, so I'd like to suggest we just wait to test those after she has meditated."
Twenty yards away, the scientists share a quick set of glances and mumbled words before Dr. Rose taps his tablet to allow him to talk over the intercom.
"Ms. Tatsu is unable to access or identify the powers held by Crushing Grasp without that downtime?"
"Correct," Taylor nods.
"Will they… align themselves correctly if they're separated from her?"
After a quick back and forth from Taylor and her unseen assistant, she frowns and shrugs. "Probably? This alignment process isn't the way normal Alchemicals work, so it's possible she might need to equip them and perform another meditation… but since they're still maintaining an arcane link even while Crushing Grasp is in her pocket dimension, I don't think it'll be an issue."
"Very well," the older latin man muses, though you can hear an undercurrent of restrained curiosity in his voice. "I'll make a note of it in our records. Will we progress with the dimension tests, now, before the 'anima' check?"
The semi-transparent hologram nods before fixating back to you. "Anything else, Tatsu?"
You shake your head, then deactivate your hypodermic tail - causing it to twitch once more before neatly retracting into your spine with a series of soft, quick clicks at each segment. It feels… peculiar.
"No."
"Then, yes, Doctor."
"Alright, then, Ms. Tatsu - if you could come back to the tables here..." his voice calls out, and you see him sweep his arm out to where some of the scientists have begun unpacking one of the crates that was under the second table.
You approach with smooth, efficient steps, while Taylor's humming drone follows behind.
A quick turn of your head shows that Prayer is, in fact, following behind you… but yet is making no sound. Odd, but impressive.
"We're going to repeat the same tests done last time with you and your sister," Dr. Rose nods. You did not notice the light greying in his dark hair before - it's not a natural pattern. Must be the result of recent coloring. Trying to impress someone, most likely. "Since you've used your… altered power since your return, are there any major differences you'd like to point out before we begin?"
"Yes," you nod, quickly tallying what you've figured out for yourself. "The visual effect is now black-and-white hexagons weaving together in a collapsing spiral. Inside is an empty horizon of black, foot-wide hexagons, except for large, circular portal. Sky is empty, white. Portal is now used to enter and exit dimension, instead of leaving or returning anywhere within. It is… difficult to tell what is inside the dimension from outside; there is a layer of fog when I try look at Lord Grasp right now, for example."
You note that the scientists are giving you a more appraising look than the last time you were in front of them, which causes a different type of fear than before; earlier, you were afraid they would lock you up, while now you are concerned they will like this version of you better.
You remember how Taylor was during the road trip.
This is not how you want to live your life, calming as it may be.
"Very good, Ms. Tatsu," Dr. Rose comments, casting a quick glance at Taylor's hologram-projecting drone as it moves to a few feet to his right - Prayer remains just out of her arm's reach to your own left. "Do you still possess the ability to reshape the terrain and place objects or people into stasis?"
"I can reshape, yes. Not as easily; it no longer is automatic when I think of it," you frown, considering how it felt before and comparing it to how it's felt to use your other charms in the past hour. "It does not take essence, but was still tiring. I have not tried placing something into stasis, but Lord Grasp was trapped when I awoke and required extracting."
All the scientists, including Dr. Rose, tap at their computers and tablets as you explain, while Taylor's eyes occasionally flicker off to the side.
"Crushing Grasp is in there now, isn't he?" she asks, distractedly. "Why?"
"He complained that Earth feels… 'barren' compared to it, and wanted to rest."
The dark heroine's eyebrows shoot up, but just as she opens her mouth she quickly snaps it shut in exasperation before slapping something away off-camera. This continues for a few moments, but eventually the situation settles down and her attention focuses back on you.
"I think, Tatsu…" she begins, nodding slowly with a growing, relieved smile, "that your dimension is now natively essence-derived, so a spirit like Crushing Grasp would be able to recover their motes there. It's not infinite, or Autochthon wouldn't need us in the first place, but it could be a big help towards enriching some materials or places here on Earth with essence."
You blink, because outside of 'Lord Grasp can recover inside' most of that doesn't make sense to you.
"Okay."
She waves a hand absently, while looking at both you and Dr. Rose. "Sorry - that's well outside of the scope of these tests. Doctor, will Crushing Grasp being inside pose a problem?"
"He is in his pagoda form," you note with a raised index finger. "You have not seen it yet, correct?"
A murmur of surprise and nods from the scientific group as they gather up the dimensional beacons and scanning devices. As they begin to assemble the tripods and box-like detectors around you, Dr. Rose nods. "Yes, Ms. Tatsu. He's apparently a bit too tall for this chamber without modifications. If it is as spacious as before there should be more than enough room for the test, but do you think he may try to interfere?"
You consider this as you flex your transport power-charm, then shake your head.
"No... but he may insist on giving autographs."
***
On the positive end, Lord Grasp largely leaves the scientists be during the test. He preens for a few pictures they snap of his grandiose form, as well as lifts up on his enormous scorpion legs to rotate and show off his "best sides."
"Of course, all my sides are my best sides!"
Unfortunately, the test takes significantly longer than initially expected… due primarily to the projectile speed at which any visitors are ejected from the portal upon entry.
You honestly did forget that - there's small, understandable vengeances, and there's pointlessly petty. Interfering with the testing would fall directly into the second category.
After the second trip it was eventually decided to simply have Prayer carry the instruments between transitions, as she always managed to land perfectly… even with arm-fulls of delicate science equipment. Beyond that, she also assisted in place of the camera drones for the purposes of a small scouting flight when it was (abruptly, by Taylor's drone) discovered that any and all connections to the outside world do not penetrate your Safe Space - even Tinkertech specifically designed to cross dimensional thresholds.
You, of course, noted the 'penetrate' innuendo, but saved it to memory for later so as not to disrupt the testing.
Tests on the Power Test Dummy showed that yes, you can place people in stasis still… but instead of willing your Safe Space's bizarre geometry to grow up and encase them, it is now the opposite:
You have to actively stop your Safe Space from being very unsafe for visitors.
Hastily recalling the memory of willing your Safe Space to recognize Lord Grasp as 'welcome' saved the scientists from being similarly entombed; the first two had initially professed feeling a profound sense of unease, like they didn't belong in your Safe Space, and within three minutes they had been rendered so sluggish as to barely be able to move or talk.
Prayer had not felt anything upon entering, and initially appeared immune to the slowing effect, but upon request by the scientists you did eventually find that you could 'revoke' her immunity - at which point she experienced the same effects as the first two scientists, even with Industrial Survival Frame active… though it took her nearly nine minutes to be rendered to the same degree of paralyzation
She recommended the scientists begin a proper workout regimen.
The portal - a 'sanctum gate' Taylor mentioned it might be called - still isn't behaving quite like you'd expect it to, since there doesn't yet seem to be a way to travel into your Safe Space without being flung out of it. The best you could manage is an... awkward shove it felt like, when you deliberately took as long as possible to relocate instead of letting the charm work at its quickest speed.
Thankfully, Prayer was inside to catch you when you tried testing your emergency, do-or-die relocation to confirm that - yes - you probably still can dodge a bullet like that.
Most helpfully, however, a few dedicated tests at the outset revealed that a slightly-twisting vision of the portal's destination appears within the ring whenever you focus on leaving, allowing for much more control of where you are placed on exit; before, even your clearest mental image before relocating (a quick enter/leave) still randomly placed you within a few feet of where you intended.
Hopefully there will be significantly less 'appearing into thin air, several stories up' moments with this version of your power. Even if you never sort out the 'projectile entry' problem, you will take that trade.
The final tests for your new power were focused primarily on its offensive capabilities, which turned out wildly different results from your previous round of tests.
Before, there had been… alarmingly few limitations on how much you and Sakura could pull into your Safe Space. Working together, you had pulled in an entire eight-story derelict building seeded with a dozen Power Testing Dummies. If you wanted to relocate something or someone, all you needed to do was get within arm's reach and they were gone.
Now… you can barely relocate as much as you can lift. Prayer could resist getting pulled in, though Industrial Survival Frame blocked the relocation completely. The first few scientists couldn't resist, but eventually they started being able to (if only slightly, because noodle arms), and trying to relocate more than one trying to resist quickly became impossible. The Power Testing Dummy, however, was sucked up immediately, as were any empty boxes or light testing weights.
It was not difficult to notice Taylor's disappointment, and the scientists' relief.
Prayer, however, was heartened.
"Athleticism breeds strength, even for us," she intoned, placing a confident gauntlet on your shoulder as she looked out into the open horizon of black and empty sky. "We shall add weights to your training."
You are determined to ship her with anyone but Bladedancer, now.
Maker help you if they were ever to get together.
***
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