Alchemical Solutions [Worm/Exalted] Thread 23: We Wonder Where Who Wanders When Watchers Wane

[Gromweld]

Chapter 9.3​

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?"


***


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?"


***


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.


***


"...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.


***


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."


***


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 latino 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.


***


At the end of it all, the last time you stepped out of the swirling mass of cascading, black-and-white hexagons into the sterile testing chamber, you did not do so alone.

"Maidens," Lord Grasp shudders on your shoulder, his voice dripping with unease. "I will endure in this wasteland, Warden, for your sake… but do not expect me to like it."

"Thank you, Lord Grasp," you nod punctually, then turn to the scientists who are placing their equipment - even the broken instruments from that first test - back into containers while Dr. Rose and Taylor discuss something. "My dimension is now clear."

Both of them share a glance at Lord Grasp before nodding to each other.

"I've been talking with Director Peterbuilt," Taylor admits, as if that wasn't something difficult or rare. "Both my and Prayer's anima goes through walls and floors at its highest levels, though not always - there's a lot of variation with how it manifests, which seems to mainly depend on the situation in which it's generated. I explained that your anima has a high chance of flowing up and into the floors above - including the Gift Shop and public-access areas - and he agreed that we… probably want to avoid that."

You think back on how the massive, shrieking mechanical spider of Taylor's anima could be seen from halfway across Philadelphia, towering into the sky at times like a skyscraper.

"That would be bad," you agree with a perfunctory nod. Lord Grasp grumbles on your shoulder at being excluded from the conversation, but you ignore him.

"Right. I also talked with him about your containment, and we both agreed that it'd be against everyone's best interests for the Youth Guard to get on his case about your extended containment after your… recovery…" she smiles, tone light, "and that you'd be happy not to press the issue if we could get a head start on your meditation at the same time that the scientists are studying your anima."

You note the wary side-eye that Dr. Rose is giving Taylor at this admission, but you are more surprised that she would willingly work with the Youth Guard like this; you and Sakura had lost count of the number of times that she'd gone on a grumbling rant about them wasting her time over the last month. Maybe she thinks that redirecting them back at the PRT will get them off her case?

You've never minded them, after all, since Ms. Keyworth (your case worker) had managed to get the two of you a few weeks to settle into Philadelphia before your cape personas were publicly revealed. She'd even helped go over your patrol schedules and paths to help limit how much fighting you needed to do.

You hope she made it out of the fighting alright, and try to make a mental note to ask Taylor about her later.

"Where will we be testing?"

Taylor and Dr. Rose share a look again. The older latino man snorts and rolls his eyes, while the dark blue hologram merely smirks and points… up.


***


PRT Tower isn't the tallest building in New York - that honor goes to the Enduring Spirit Spire, which was built over the remains of the Empire State Building after Behemoth's rampage in 1994. Though the tallest buildings in New York at the time were systematically targeted by the Endbringer, New York managed to survive with over sixty percent of its skyscrapers intact by the end of the attack. While many have been rebuilt or replaced since then, the emphasis towards reinforcement and survivability since then has led to the New York skyline filled with sturdy towers of metal instead of glass or stone.

At seventy-four stories, the white obelisk that is PRT Tower is still one of the tallest skyscrapers in New York. It offers an excellent view of Manhattan and Central Park from its location on Fifth Avenue and East 56th Street, and it's even possible to see the Endbringer Memorial monolith from the landing pad on its top.

It's… a little colder than you remember from your last time up here, though that is likely due to the fact that you don't have any clothes on right now.

You required more Clarity to accept Taylor's reasoning - that your charms needed space to reconfigure, which both she and Prayer had encountered in their own meditations - and the fact that both she and Prayer had done the same helped put away the suspicion that she is just trying to embarrass you.

Ultimately, it was your memory that Sakura had won your argument and declared Taylor's base form 'not lewd' (Barbie dolls are boring, not pervy) which allowed you to step out onto the south-west corner Cape Receiving Pad and disrobe, handing over your jumpsuit to Lord Grasp...

… who promptly shredded it with a blurring of his pincers before anyone could protest, then let the remains catch a gust of wind to carry them off the roof.

"I'd set it on fire, but it doesn't deserve the honor."

That had led to some awkwardness from the scientists as they tried to set up the monitoring equipment around you, though observing them you began to suspect that their was more to their caution than that simple display of irreverence. Understandable, since even you are still wrapping your head around the notion of spirits, but you think it might be best to watch his Power Testing video after all your own testing is done.

With the tripods, boxes, and poles set up in a ten-foot-radius circle around you, Taylor's drone does a circuit around the outside edge of the perimeter before stopping beside Lord Grasp's car-sized form. She turns her hologram to you and gives you a satisfied smile.

"Before you start meditating, Tatsu, let's slowly build up your anima so that there aren't any major surprises," she begins, ignoring the suspicious look your mechanical companion is giving her drone. "Let's try to keep it gradual, so don't let the essence go wild when you pull at it - focus on your essence pool and let it trickle out without powering any charms."

After offering a curt nod of understanding, you close your eyes and visualize your charms and essence pool again - an act that is becoming easier and easier with practice and Clarity. Conveniently, your essence pool's visualization allows for you to… pull single units of essence with relative ease, but the instant you try to release the essence outside of the usual charm channels-

The blue mote of light explodes, filling your mind's eye and sending you reeling.

BzzzzOOOOooooommmmm!

You manage to find your balance before your stumble sends you to the tarmac, your eyes shooting open as the afternoon sky around you fills with a crackling, humming, ocean-blue wash of energy - the glowing mist flowing out of the various lines of power that trace all along your body, while sparks and pops of electricity scatter across your form and into the glowing cloud.

There are shouts of surprise and concern from the gathered scientists, though they're mostly drowned out by the thrumming hum and crackling power you're generating at the moment. Still, you're able to make out their staggering forms easily through the semi-transparent fog that you're generating, as well as Taylor, Prayer, and Lord Grasp - all three of whom don't appear to have reacted much to the display.

Instead, they're just looking up.

You crane your neck to follow their gaze.

No monstrous creature or terrifying display fills the sky above you, so your initial fear is quickly replaced by momentary confusion.

A black magatama, nearly as large as a blimp, floats serenely in the sky above you.

Your mother had a necklace with one from her own mother, yes, but… neither she nor your father were devout shintoists, and they hadn't tried to make you learn much of it as the two of you grew up. Why-

Ah, no. Not a magatama.

A yin.

Which… while not a complete surprise, makes you realize something:

Before, you and Sakura always appeared in the same spot in your Safe Space Safe… but now you have a black floor.

The testing earlier had revealed that the 'compass' (as Taylor called it) around your soulgem points towards the Cradle when you're out here but… you'd felt it rotate away from the portal while you were in your Safe Space.

You two were always able to feel if the other was in your Safe Space before, but… what if that wasn't the case anymore?

"Tatsu?"

Blinking, you turn your gaze back to Taylor - who is giving you a thoughtful look of her own, though it quickly passes as she waves away your own focused expression.

"It's alright," she sighs, offering a light smile, "controlling anima was difficult for me until I had everything configured. On the bright side… you probably have the most unassuming totemic anima out of all of us - even Prayer's moon has spooked some people."

You nod, and reason that Prayer has some kind of lunar display for her anima and not that people were scared of her exposed butt.

The way Prayer shuffles slightly from Taylor's comment, you are going to refrain from making that joke for the time being… especially because you want to confirm whether Aisha or Dennis have beat you to it.

"Right," Taylor continues, clapping her hands together, "now, supposedly your anima power is…" she pauses, smile straining a bit, "... actually helpful. Could you try… moving around a bit? Maybe throw a punch or two?"

Carefully not reacting to the way Prayer twitches at Taylor's words, you simply nod and follow her command - settling into a relaxed stance feel almost reflexive, now, and throwing a punch-

The air around your arm and body wavers as an… well, it's like an 'after-image' that Movers sometimes have, where the eye is tricked into seeing a blurry image of them just as they move out of the way.

Except the stream of mixing hues isn't behind your arm, but in front, almost as if it's showing where you're going to be.

Frowning, you keep going, throwing faster and faster punches and kicks, trying to either beat the prismatic display or trick it by changing your direction at the last second-

Prayer is in front of you, flowing between your strikes so quickly you almost stumble and fall backwards at the sudden intrusion.

"Continue!"

Her barked command in Old Realm feels like a crash of shattering crystal, but it's enough to make your panicked flailing straighten up and flow back into rhythm by sheer reflex. You punch, kick, knee, spin, flip, and twirl to no recognizable kata or rhythm, just focusing on trying to beat that colorful prediction of your own movement… but it always eludes you.

This… dance… continues for long after you lose track of time, until eventually Prayer leaps out of your reach and out of the circle of scientific devices with a single, effortless bound.

You stop to look at her, but you are not… jealous. She managed to avoid everything you did while wearing hundreds of pounds of crystalline armor, dodging and weaving through your strikes like they weren't even there. You may as well have been flailing through molasses for all it appeared to matter to her.

You are envious. People always get those two mixed up.

"Challenging," she admits with a stoic nod, causing you to blink. Her voice is approving, yet completely lacking of any sign of tiredness or difficulty. "Were our prowess equal, it would be decisive."

"...right," Taylor coughs, recovering far more quickly than the still-stunned scientists. "It's… supposed to be a fairly large boost to speed, power, and overall skill. I was worried that the…" she gestures at you with a finger, "... pre-image would just be giving away what you were about to do, but it actually makes it more difficult to predict. For some reason."

You look back down at your hands, wiggling your fingers slightly to watch the effect play out again. You are… happy about this? It is satisfactory, at least, since it is not frightening or mind-altering, but...

"I do not prefer to fight," you voice, looking back up at the other two Alchemicals and Lord Grasp. Not that he can understand you - in fact, Lord Grasp would likely scoff at such a notion. Instead, he still seems to be studying you and the yin symbol hanging in the sky with clear confusion.

"Wise," Prayer responds solemnly, nodding at your frown. "I, and Lord Grasp, will be your shields."

"Think of it this way, Tatsu," Taylor sighs, expression pulled into a tired grimace.

"Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it."


***


By the time the scientists have finished their 'active' tests of your anima and its effects, the sun is nearing the horizon. Beams of hazy red and gold pierce the distant clouds, many of which filter through the buildings around you to paint the world bronze and crimson.

Heroes and PRT choppers have come and gone during the tests, usually lingering until being shooed away by Prayer informing them that you are (technically) still in Master/Stranger Protocol Confinement. Legend even passes through briefly at one point, but only to wave and smile before his blue-and-white form shoots off into the east.

As you sit down on the cold, grey tarmac, you reflexively sit in seiza before shifting to a cross-legged, more relaxed posture like Taylor sat in when she meditated. Not quite knowing what to do with your hands, you lock your fingers together and touch the tips of your thumbs together while holding your hands palm-up in your lap.

Yes, that feels… acceptable. You would prefer a pillow to sit on, but it is too late to ask for that.

Looking around one more time, Prayer and Taylor nod from outside the ring of measuring equipment while Lord Grasp shimmies on his legs and holds his claws in the air.

"You have nothing to fear, Warden," he manages to boast while still sounding earnest, "no charge of mine has been struck down while in my care before, and today will be no different."

"Thank you," you offer, before turning your head back and closing your eyes.

Taylor had told you to try to focus on your charms, but you have found yourself returning to that previous thought:

Why does your soulgem's 'compass' point away from your Safe Space's portal? If it was always trying to point to the Cradle, wouldn't the compass point towards it?

It's easy to see the yin-yang theme in your parahuman-charm and anima.

Black opposes white.

Is Sakura's portal… on the white side?

Even when you focus, peering into your Safe Space from outside only gets you a foggy, distant image. Inside, Prayer flew straight up for almost five minutes before surveying the area, but even then she saw no end to the horizon in any direction.

… how big is-


***


A light breaks over a dark horizon; a star of brass, silver, steel, bronze, iron, and gold.

SEE ME, SAKI KUROSAWA, AND UNDERSTAND.

More than a star, more than a planet. The brilliant sphere rises slowly, revealing vast and incomprehensible detail, breathtaking majesty…

… and heartbreaking pain.

I AM THE GREAT MAKER.

Oceans of shimmering oil littered with curdling flotsam. Thinned clouds of billowing steam pumping from pipes outnumbered by their silent brethren. Spires of crystal marred by jagged fractures.

Trails of acrid smoke snaking across the world like choking fingers.

I AM THE MACHINE GOD.

The entire planet shifts, splits, and opens, revealing it to be a living, mechanical Eye.

The oily blood of a god pours from the rheumy Eye in unending tears.

I AM AUTOCHTHON.

The Deus Machina swivels slightly and the enormous Eye of the Primordial shifts to push through the pain and illness… to stare at you.

Such focus is beyond the comprehension of mortals, and it drives all conscious thought from your mind.

THROUGH DEXTERITY, YOU MUST NAVIGATE A WORLD FILLED WITH THOSE WHO WOULD BRING YOU LOW.

THROUGH MANIPULATION, YOU HAVE STEERED HEARTS AND MINDS.

THROUGH INTELLIGENCE, YOU WILL KNOW THE CHOICES THAT MUST BE MADE.

THROUGH YOUR SOUL OF STARMETAL, CHAMPION MY NAME.

In a sudden eruption that feels like a desperate gasp, power flows up from the machine world and through your mind, body, and soul.

There is a scream beside you, from a girl with your face.

Your mirror reaches out, as you do the same, but she is flung into the distance and into the horizon as you plummet into the abyss of the Eye.

TIME GROWS SHORT.

FINISH THE ASSEMBLY.

BEFORE ALL IS LOST.

SO ARISE, WARDEN OF REFLECTED INFINITIES.

FOR YOU ARE EXALTED.


***


Your eyes snap open to cold, cloudless night sky. The sounds of life echo up from the streets below, and the lights from the City That Never Sleeps drown out the stars.

Opening your mouth, you turn your head until you find Taylor staring back at you in surprise.

"Uh oh."


***


END OF CHAPTER - CHARACTER SHEET CHANGES:

WoRI - Intimacy MODIFIED: Lord Crushing Grasp (Loyal, Learned, Loquacious, Lewd) [Servitude] [2/3]
WoRI - Intimacy STARTED: Taylor/Dragon (Workshop Waifus) [Illusion] [1/3]
WoRI - Intimacy STARTED: Prayer/Anyone But Bladedancer (DODGE THIS) [Illusion] [1/3]
EOA - Intimacy MODIFIED: Crawler|Defiant|Ned (How Do You Socialize A Monster) [Emotion|Exasperation] [2/4]
EOA - Intimacy GAINED: Glenn Chambers (He's Too Good At His Job To Resent Him) [Illusion] [4/4]
EOA - Intimacy MODIFIED: Legend (How Much Is The Hero, How Much Is Cauldron) [Emotion|Reservation] [2/4]
EOA - Intimacy RAISED: Lord Crushing Grasp (Peacock In Scorpion Form) [Illusion] [2/4]
EOA - Intimacy GAINED: Warden of Reflected Infinities (Forgive Me My Choices) [Servitude] [4/4]
FPoP - Intimacy GAINED: Lord Crushing Grasp (Vainglorious Vanguard) [Illusion] [3/3]
FPoP - Intimacy GAINED: Warden of Reflected Infinities (Timid Diamond) [Servitude] [3/3]


WoRI - Athletics +1 Interval (2/6 Intervals)
WoRI - Integrity +2 Intervals (2/6 Intervals)
WoRI - Investigation +1 Interval (3/6 Intervals)
WoRI - Investigation (Body Language ●●○) GAINED!
WoRI - Larceny +2 Intervals (2/6 Intervals)
WoRI - Larceny (Copying ●○○) NOW AVAILABLE!
WoRI - Lore +1 Interval (1/6 Intervals)
WoRI - Occult ●○○○○ NOW AVAILABLE!
WoRI - Presence +1 Interval (3/6 Intervals)
EOA - Bureaucracy ●●●●○ NOW AVAILABLE!
EOA - Occult ●●●●● GAINED!
FPoP - Awareness +1 Interval (3/6 Intervals)
FPoP - Investigation +2 Intervals (2/6 Intervals)

EOA - Equipment (Weaver Armor Mk II) ●●●●○ GAINED!
FPoP - Backing (PRT) ●●●●● GAINED!


WoRI - MEDITATION #1 BONUS: CLARITY RESET, ESSENCE RESET


Uh oh, indeed! Lots of surprises this chapter... and who knows what charms she has in Lord Grasp?! Well, you do if you you're paying attention to the Character Sheets, that is, but that's cheating. Cheaters!

Anyway, though it was brief, this counted as the Exaltation Meditation, so Clarity troubles were nipped in the bud before they got out of hand - good thing, too, for our PR specialist! Somewhat more importantly, however, we finally have in-character knowledge that we're running on a time limit here, so things are going to be speeding up a bit with regards to Exaltation funtimes. We already have a bunch of votes from the past about Exaltations that will be trickling down now, so look forward to how that's going to play out next chapter, but there are some more immediate decisions to be made now. Specifically, since Saki has a reasonable idea that Sakura isn't coming through in a week… do we toss someone into the Cradle now? NOTE: This is going to be a binary choice, and will result in a follow-up vote to determine what character is presented the choice. No one is guaranteed to accept from here on out (though some are much more likely to accept than others)!

We also still have a few details to clear up for what went on while Saki and Sakura were off being made Real (Robot) Magical Girls (just like in Kinzey's Japanese Animes)! We've already helped piece together how Philadelphia is doing since the S9 got deep-sixed, Taylor worked on her new armor (which is finished now, check it out in the Story Index), but… what did Iris and Riley do? We gave Iris a whole heapin' helpin' of tinkertech scrap from Bezalel, Bakuda, and Mannequin… and here's what they could have made!

- Soulgem Injector: Gives an Earth-Bet human a full soul so they can work on Exalted physics now! This is, canonically, the most painful thing a human can experience in Exalted! This procedure, however, has been altered a bit with the help of Riley to wipe the brain of the memory, but the Soul will always remember for the rest of their lives (very minor PTSD instead of major PTSD). There are tons of benefits to working on Exalted physics, such as actually having Willpower to fight off parahuman power urges and being able to Stunt. Note that Riley went through it first to make sure it worked, so she's got a soul now if we pick this!
- Medical Nanites: Grey goo that heals! Basically Project Laz'R'Us from Schlock Mercenary without soldier-mode; treated Earth-Bet humans gain decent self-healing, immunity to most diseases and viruses, and are slowly de-aged to biologically ~25 years old and kept there. This is mechanically a Shaping effect, so our Alchemicals probably won't get much use from it for themselves. Riley technically is the one who would get public credit for this, since Iris doesn't count as a person in the eyes of the law.
- New Charm: ONE Shards of the Exalted Dream charm now available, but one of Taylor's current charms was cannibalized to make it since she has no room to spare. We choose which charm, and may customize it a bit because SotED is wonky.
- Body Double: Tinkertech humanoid drone with enough artificial neural framework to be controlled by SoPA but not enough to be anything more than a vegetable. It's got a metal skeleton and nanine covering, so it effectively mimics Husk-Sculpting Apparatus and has in-built Tinkertech weaponry - now Taylor can be social or on the front lines while still comfortably working in the lab! It's basically a Terminator-X without the omnicidal directives. Potential for mass-production later!)
- Write-In: Needs to be something that, thematically, an Iris/Riley collab would have produced while being locked up in quarantine with limited supplies/access.

And speaking of Riley, just exactly how have we been treating her? She has a body now (made by Wyld), but she no longer has her implants to force her to be super-cheerful all the time. Still, she does have a surprising amount of energy and cheer since she hasn't really been forced to confront and understand the scope and impacts of her atrocities. There's also the fact that Iris… actually gets along with her pretty dang well, now that she's not trying to put a dress on him and pour tea all over his shell. She's much more into discovery and SCIENCE than Taylor ever has been (it's always been a means to an end for Taylor), after all. What role is Taylor playing here?

Finally… Taylor's talk about potential good uses of her terrifying charms didn't completely go in one ear and out the other while Saki was having a panic attack. In fact, she will have a bit of a revelation soon: she can make all the pain go away. Does Saki use her charms on herself to strip away her traumatic experiences? This will cure the PTSD Derangement and thus drastically cut down the number of freak-outs she has, but she is also not a trained psychologist and her charms are not aligned yet…

Enough stalling, let's do this!


Autochthon wants YOU! - Emergency Draft Edition: (Choose ONE, NO Stunts!)
[ ] Yes, offer someone Exaltation and put them into the Cradle if they accept.
[ ] No, wait until Saki is settled and Sakura is confirmed to not exit in a week.

With A Box of Scraps!: (Choose ONE, ONE Stunt Allowed!)
[ ] Soulgem Injector
[ ] Medical Nanites
[ ] New Charm
[ ] Body Double
[ ] Write In: <NAME GOES HERE>

Playing House: (Choose ONE, ONE Stunt Allowed!)
[ ] Bad Girl, No Biscuit: This is penance, not vacation. Taylor is constantly making sure Riley is aware of her past horrors and the public reputation that she must now overcome.
[ ] Respect My Authority: SOMEONE has to be the adult around here. Taylor is a constant presence in the workshop, but more as a stern mom/adult to make sure both Iris and Riley behave.
[ ] I Am Not A Doctor: Leave the mind games to the professionals. Taylor maintains oversight to make sure Riley isn't regressing and answers her questions, but otherwise lets Iris and Riley work on their own.

Self-Medicating: (Choose ONE, NO Stunt Allowed!)
[ ] Saki uses her own charms on herself to purge her trauma problems.
[ ] Saki does not try to fix her own mental problems with charms.


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 BEGINS NOW
NO VOTES WILL BE COUNTED UNTIL DISCUSSION ENDS
USE THIS TIME TO COME UP WITH STUNTS AND FREE ACTIONS
DISCUSSION ENDS AND VOTING BEGINS TUESDAY AT 11:59 PM PST​

 

[Gromweld]

Uh oh, indeed! Lots of surprises this chapter... and who knows what charms she has in Lord Grasp?! Well, you do if you you're paying attention to the Character Sheets, that is, but that's cheating. Cheaters!

Anyway, though it was brief, this counted as the Exaltation Meditation, so Clarity troubles were nipped in the bud before they got out of hand - good thing, too, for our PR specialist! Somewhat more importantly, however, we finally have in-character knowledge that we're running on a time limit here, so things are going to be speeding up a bit with regards to Exaltation funtimes. We already have a bunch of votes from the past about Exaltations that will be trickling down now, so look forward to how that's going to play out next chapter, but there are some more immediate decisions to be made now. Specifically, since Saki has a reasonable idea that Sakura isn't coming through in a week… do we toss someone into the Cradle now? NOTE: This is going to be a binary choice, and will result in a follow-up vote to determine what character is presented the choice. No one is guaranteed to accept from here on out (though some are much more likely to accept than others)!

We also still have a few details to clear up for what went on while Saki and Sakura were off being made Real (Robot) Magical Girls (just like in Kinzey's Japanese Animes)! We've already helped piece together how Philadelphia is doing since the S9 got deep-sixed, Taylor worked on her new armor (which is finished now, check it out in the Story Index), but… what did Iris and Riley do? We gave Iris a whole heapin' helpin' of tinkertech scrap from Bezalel, Bakuda, and Mannequin… and here's what they could have made!

- Soulgem Injector: Gives an Earth-Bet human a full soul so they can work on Exalted physics now! This is, canonically, the most painful thing a human can experience in Exalted! This procedure, however, has been altered a bit with the help of Riley to wipe the brain of the memory, but the Soul will always remember for the rest of their lives (very minor PTSD instead of major PTSD). There are tons of benefits to working on Exalted physics, such as actually having Willpower to fight off parahuman power urges and being able to Stunt. Note that Riley went through it first to make sure it worked, so she's got a soul now if we pick this!
- Medical Nanites: Grey goo that heals! Basically Project Laz'R'Us from Schlock Mercenary without soldier-mode; treated Earth-Bet humans gain decent self-healing, immunity to most diseases and viruses, and are slowly de-aged to biologically ~25 years old and kept there. This is mechanically a Shaping effect, so our Alchemicals probably won't get much use from it for themselves. Riley technically is the one who would get public credit for this, since Iris doesn't count as a person in the eyes of the law.
- New Charm: ONE Shards of the Exalted Dream charm now available, but one of Taylor's current charms was cannibalized to make it since she has no room to spare. We choose which charm, and may customize it a bit because SotED is wonky.
- Body Double: Tinkertech humanoid drone with enough artificial neural framework to be controlled by SoPA but not enough to be anything more than a vegetable. It's got a metal skeleton and nanine covering, so it effectively mimics Husk-Sculpting Apparatus and has in-built Tinkertech weaponry - now Taylor can be social or on the front lines while still comfortably working in the lab! It's basically a Terminator-X without the omnicidal directives. Potential for mass-production later!)
- Write-In: Needs to be something that, thematically, an Iris/Riley collab would have produced while being locked up in quarantine with limited supplies/access.

And speaking of Riley, just exactly how have we been treating her? She has a body now (made by Wyld), but she no longer has her implants to force her to be super-cheerful all the time. Still, she does have a surprising amount of energy and cheer since she hasn't really been forced to confront and understand the scope and impacts of her atrocities. There's also the fact that Iris… actually gets along with her pretty dang well, now that she's not trying to put a dress on him and pour tea all over his shell. She's much more into discovery and SCIENCE than Taylor ever has been (it's always been a means to an end for Taylor), after all. What role is Taylor playing here?

Finally… Taylor's talk about potential good uses of her terrifying charms didn't completely go in one ear and out the other while Saki was having a panic attack. In fact, she will have a bit of a revelation soon: she can make all the pain go away. Does Saki use her charms on herself to strip away her traumatic experiences? This will cure the PTSD Derangement and thus drastically cut down the number of freak-outs she has, but she is also not a trained psychologist and her charms are not aligned yet…

Enough stalling, let's do this!


Autochthon wants YOU! - Emergency Draft Edition: (Choose ONE, NO Stunts!)
[ ] Yes, offer someone Exaltation and put them into the Cradle if they accept.
[ ] No, wait until Saki is settled and Sakura is confirmed to not exit in a week.

With A Box of Scraps!: (Choose ONE, ONE Stunt Allowed!)
[ ] Soulgem Injector
[ ] Medical Nanites
[ ] New Charm
[ ] Body Double
[ ] Write In: <NAME GOES HERE>

Playing House: (Choose ONE, ONE Stunt Allowed!)
[ ] Bad Girl, No Biscuit: This is penance, not vacation. Taylor is constantly making sure Riley is aware of her past horrors and the public reputation that she must now overcome.
[ ] Respect My Authority: SOMEONE has to be the adult around here. Taylor is a constant presence in the workshop, but more as a stern mom/adult to make sure both Iris and Riley behave.
[ ] I Am Not A Doctor: Leave the mind games to the professionals. Taylor maintains oversight to make sure Riley isn't regressing and answers her questions, but otherwise lets Iris and Riley work on their own.

Self-Medicating: (Choose ONE, NO Stunt Allowed!)
[ ] Saki uses her own charms on herself to purge her trauma problems.
[ ] Saki does not try to fix her own mental problems with charms.


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 BEGINS NOW
NO VOTES WILL BE COUNTED UNTIL DISCUSSION ENDS
USE THIS TIME TO COME UP WITH STUNTS AND FREE ACTIONS
DISCUSSION ENDS AND VOTING BEGINS TUESDAY AT 11:59 PM PST​

 

[Gromweld]

Interlude: Accord
(Credit to @Slamu for most of this!)​

***

Accord sat in his office. Like many things recently, it grated on a level very few people could comprehend. Shortly after the Slaughterhouse Nine's defeat, he had been "housed" near the Camden PRT headquarters in an apartment block with a high number of residents that worked for the PRT in some capacity. That a number of the newly-arrived PRT troop transfers were quartered surrounding his own residence was not lost on him.

His residence was his sanctuary. The office was covered in sound-proofing tiles, the internet was almost acceptably reliable and swift, the furniture had been adjusted to his ergonomics. What he was to the PRT right now was in the air; in their eyes he was a defector twice over, former-king of an illicit empire, refugee to an S-class event that refused to leave. There were many that wished to see him imprisoned or worse. Their opinions mattered not at all.

It had been years since he had lived with this level of discomfort. The asymmetry that others so casually, easily overlooked was as sandpaper in his eyes. The irregular traffic on the road outside due to broken signal lights, the vibrations of other residents moving about elsewhere on this floor, the smell garlic wafting in from somewhere through the vents; a month ago, any one of those offenses would have been resolved by handing it off to an assistant to have the problem removed. It would have been done quickly, quietly, efficiently, and with a minimum of fuss.

Then was not now. He had some still loyal to him, though not as loyal as they may have once been. He had been a man of wealth and power, obeyed without question. Even the obedience was gone now. He'd seen it in the questioning looks they thought were hidden, the minute hesitation in accepting orders. The Ambassadors, those that remained to him, could contemplate existence without him, contemplate rebellion against him. A month ago, they would be chastised or removed. Now he tolerated it as he tolerated the minutely misaligned tile, the scuff mark on the edge of the counter, the smell of 2B's latest kitchen disaster. He even tolerated the unnerving lack of proper security, knowing the Teeth would seek him out soon. He tolerated this not because he must, nor because he had no other alternative.

He was making progress.

The grand plan, for which he had thrown away a comfortable, accommodating career with the financial watchdogs to accomplish, had been wrecked by the arrival of Autochthon's agents. His first, second, and third impulses had been to craft foolproof methods to remove them from the board, but he could not devise, calculate, and accommodate in a vacuum; he had spent considerable resources and manpower to accumulate information on these new variables.

His plan to properly exact payment from Saint and the Dragonslayers needed revising. Later.

But despite the mercenary's insult, despite the assimilation of the Case 53 leadership, despite Coil's treachery, these agents of Order heeded him, bringing talents to the table that shaved years off his revised timeline. They were creatures of Logic, and recognized his talents as he recognized theirs.

There was only one logical conclusion: he would become an agent of Order. A plan two hundred thirty seven pages long sat on his filing cabinet with the latest draft of how he would become the ideal candidate, if not for the Assembly being crafted by Enduring Order Administrator, then the next.

He had vision. The Soulsteel acknowledged that. He had utility. The Adamant understood this. He would have success. They all would see.

To that end, he exercised his self-control.

Section 3e (yellow tab) detailed a version of Administrator's regimen to improve his power of self-denial. It had only required two revisions to properly accommodate her "suggestions" to reign in his more destructive intrusive thoughts, but the degree of insight into his thought patterns had - more than once - caused him to consider whether she had gained telepathic capabilities with her most recent upgrade.

Since her intervention Accord had written seven different plans to remodel his apartment in some fashion, ranging from simply making it more bearable to live in, to recreating the extensive defensive mechanisms he had employed in his former place of residence. None of them were implemented, merely outlined as thought exercises and kept in his cabinets. Enduring Order Administrator would be receptive to his requests, he was sure, were he to couch them in the correct terminology. An afternoon using her Secondary Telefactor Assembly would yield Perfect environs for him to do his work in. A morning with the use of her construction drones would allow him to repel an armed assault by four of the largest local gangs. The itch to call her and request such a thing was almost overpowering at times.

The regimen already showed some modest results; a month ago, it would not have been almost.

He was not done yet, not by a long shot, but he noticed a subtle shift in how he treated others. One afternoon a frisbee had struck one of the windows of his apartment, startling him. Rather than ordering one of his Ambassadors to have the children killed and their bodies quietly disposed of, he had spent the afternoon investigating the culprits and written a schedule of academic activities that would make them - or any other lower-income youth - productive citizens with 1.9% probability of suicide due to a meaningless marriage or dead-end job before they were thirty-eight. He then had one of the Ambassadors deliver the instructions to their guardians, along with the required veiled threats about disturbing the recluse at the end of the hall.

After a long period of consideration, he had sent the results of his first impulse - a fifty six step program of how to make their demise look like an accident - to Enduring Order Administrator's adjunct as a demonstration of his intent to, in the vernacular, "play nice."

Lizardtail reported that the families involved were relocated within thirty six hours.

He was one of Enduring Order Administrator's most valuable assets, so she would accommodate him in such a simple request if he made it. But an Orichalcum-caste worked for the betterment of their society; he could endure the present circumstances for now. If he caved in for his own sake, indulged in his need for exacting Order while the reconstruction of Camden was underway, it would be a failure on his part.

He would never tolerate failure.

When Camden was not simply reconstructed as it was before the Nine attacked, but was economically par with the greater Philadelphia area, then - and only then - would he permit himself to upgrade his living conditions.

After that... perhaps a new revision of the Saint plan, as a treat.

 

[Gromweld]

VOTING FOR CHAPTER 9.4 BEGINS NOW

VOTING ENDS FRIDAY AT 11:59 PM PST

IF WE VOTE TO EXALT SOMEONE NOW, AN IMMEDIATE RUN-OFF VOTE WILL BE HELD AFTERWARDS OVER THE WEEKEND​

 

[Gromweld]

TL;DR- EXALT NOW, Soulgem Injector (Glenn Says WTF), Respect My Authority (Dog Eats Thumb Drive), Saki Does Not Try To Fix Her Own Mental Problems With Charms, EOA Free Action (Abusing TIE For Fun And Cleanup), FPoP Free Action (Armsmaster Chat), WoRI Free Action (This Won't Work, But They Don't Know That In-Story I Guess? Innuendo Saves It!), NO XP VOTES



Autochthon Wants YOU! - Emergency Draft Edition:
[X] Yes, offer someone Exaltation and put them into the Cradle if they accept.
No. of votes: 26
Amberion, Critian Caceorte, VNodosaurus, Graypairofsocks, Funcio, Silently Watches, Yeangst, Sour Knight, Datakim, Twei, veekie, fictionfan, sainen, zinay, Cassiemouse, The Phoenixian, wingstrike96, Nicklance, Killer_Whale, The Lowtide, Monotov, Vesperian, Elero, Katsuragi, Scify, ctulhuslp
[X] No, wait until Saki is settled and Sakura is confirmed to not exit in a week.
No. of votes: 24
landcollector, 1986ctcel, Zcuron, Barnes, ClawClawBite, Idan Dor, Evil Atlas, FunkyEntropy, habrok, uju32, spudman, Arbit, Algalon, Versac, Nor, dpara, Jinnt, No One, Daemir, the DragonBard, Bear Templar, tryingtobewitty, wingnut2292, Avoozl


With a Box of Scraps!:
[X] Soulgem Injector
No. of votes: 27
Amberion, VNodosaurus, Funcio, Silently Watches, Yeangst, Sour Knight, Trilobite, Datakim, Twei, Cassiemouse, The Phoenixian, Barnes, FunkyEntropy, Killer_Whale, The Lowtide, habrok, Arbit, Algalon, Versac, Monotov, Nor, Jinnt, Vesperian, Daemir, Elero, Katsuragi, wingnut2292
- [x] Stunt: You gave Bonesaw a soul, Glenn states flatly from the other side of the screen. Well, more like forged one, though it was really a group effort Taylor replies, gesturing to Iris and Riley. Riley's grin is as bright as the shiny diamond lodged in her forehead. But why- Glenn pinches his brow, exasperated. Whatever, I can work with this.
No. of votes: 18
VNodosaurus, The Phoenixian, Barnes, FunkyEntropy, Killer_Whale, The Lowtide, habrok, Arbit, Algalon, Versac, Monotov, Nor, Jinnt, Vesperian, Daemir, Katsuragi, wingnut2292, Twei
- [x] Stunt: A thin trail of blood trailed down her face to mix with the tears of pain. Still, Riley maintained a rictus that could almost be mistaken for a smile. Implantation was successful. Phase one complete, L-lord Iris. Good girls helped people and fixed what they broke.
No. of votes: 4
Funcio, Silently Watches, Yeangst, Sour Knight
- [x] Stunt: Riley looked in the mirror at the shiny new soulgem embedded in her forehead. She thought its installation went well but she didn't actually remember that part. Still Taylor said it was scary and other people wouldn't want to do it even if it looked pretty afterwards. Maybe they would if she designed something else so she could give people both at the same time, like covering veggies in sauce to make them better? Where did she put all the ideas stuff for those tiny robotic cells
No. of votes: 1
Trilobite

[X] Medical Nanites
No. of votes: 21
landcollector, veekie, 1986ctcel, fictionfan, sainen, Zcuron, wingstrike96, Idan Dor, Evil Atlas, Romv, masterofmadness, Nicklance, uju32, spudman, dpara, No One, the DragonBard, tryingtobewitty, Scify, ctulhuslp, Avoozl
- [x] Stunt: Uriel kept his amusement hidden as Weaver chivvied the inmates of her kindergarten into the conference room, stopping as faces turned. "I'm sorry, am I early?" He waved his hand for her to go on. She put out her hand and a slot opened, unfolding into a medical container of the sort used to transport vaccines. "Director, I present Asclepius."
No. of votes: 20
landcollector, 1986ctcel, sainen, Zcuron, Evil Atlas, Romv, masterofmadness, spudman, No One, the DragonBard, tryingtobewitty, Scify, ctulhuslp, veekie, uju32, dpara, Avoozl, wingstrike96, Idan Dor, Nicklance

[X] Write In: Medical Vat (I'd rather have something that could potentially work on both our Alchemicals and on normal people than just one or the other, even if it doesn't have essence restoration at least think Bacta Tank.)
No. of votes: 1
Critian Caceorte

[X] Write In: Autocthonian Video Game Systems
No. of votes: 1
Graypairofsocks

[X] Body Double
No. of votes: 1
Schielman
- [x] Stunt: The figure in front of her was eerie with its familiarity, like looking into a mirror. This will be a great help. Taylor said, patting the younger girl on the head. This would double her coverage of her Camden patrol, but first...Clockblocker hasn't been pranked recently, has he?
No. of votes: 1
Schielman


Playing House:
[X] Respect My Authority: SOMEONE has to be the adult around here. Taylor is a constant presence in the workshop, but more as a stern mom/adult to make sure both Iris and Riley behave.
No. of votes: 36
Funcio, Silently Watches, Trilobite, Twei, veekie, 1986ctcel, sainen, zinay, The Phoenixian, Zcuron, Barnes, wingstrike96, Evil Atlas, Romv, masterofmadness, Nicklance, Schielman, FunkyEntropy, uju32, spudman, Arbit, Monotov, Nor, dpara, Jinnt, No One, Vesperian, Daemir, the DragonBard, Elero, Bear Templar, Katsuragi, tryingtobewitty, wingnut2292, Avoozl, Critian Caceorte
[X] Bad Girl, No Biscuit: This is penance, not vacation. Taylor is constantly making sure Riley is aware of her past horrors and the public reputation that she must now overcome.
No. of votes: 14
VNodosaurus, landcollector, Yeangst, Sour Knight, Datakim, Idan Dor, Killer_Whale, The Lowtide, habrok, Algalon, Versac, Scify, ctulhuslp, Cassiemouse
[X] I Am Not A Doctor: Leave the mind games to the professionals. Taylor maintains oversight to make sure Riley isn't regressing and answers her questions, but otherwise lets Iris and Riley work on their own.
No. of votes: 2
Amberion, Graypairofsocks

- [x] Stunt: "...and you'll find the relevant citations here. My thanks to you and your assistants, Doctor," you say as the thumb drive is absorbed by the currently Administrator-ed therapy dog. You drum your fingers on your desk in quiet contemplation. Working on redeeming herself, earning her victim's forgiveness, is difficult enough. Harder still will be learning to forgive herself.
No. of votes: 20
VNodosaurus, Twei, 1986ctcel, Zcuron, Idan Dor, Evil Atlas, FunkyEntropy, Killer_Whale, The Lowtide, habrok, spudman, Algalon, Versac, No One, Vesperian, Bear Templar, tryingtobewitty, Scify, ctulhuslp, Katsuragi
- [x] Stunt: Do I really have to? Riley asks again, looking extremely uncomfortable. Yes. Taylor sighs, repeating herself once more. The Nine are dead and gone, and I can only shield you so much. There's a long road ahead of you if you want a life outside of the Birdcage, and attending therapy is just one of the first steps.
No. of votes: 11
veekie, Barnes, Romv, masterofmadness, Schielman, Arbit, Jinnt, Daemir, the DragonBard, wingnut2292, The Phoenixian
- [x] Stunt: Bright yellow posters on the wall list a number of rules for the two craftsmen in the room to follow.Informed free consent: Not a joke glares luridly above the workbench where Iris and Riley collaborate on what appears to be a vivisection in reverse. EOA looks in to confirm that the subject is indeed an orange before resuming her work.
No. of votes: 4
uju32, Nor, dpara, Avoozl, Monotov
- [x] Stunt: Actions have consequences, Riley. I understand that you had to do things to survive, but now it's time to make things better.
No. of votes: 2
Yeangst, Sour Knight


Self-Medicating:
[X] Saki does not try to fix her own mental problems with charms.
No. of votes: 47
Amberion, Critian Caceorte, VNodosaurus, Graypairofsocks, Funcio, Silently Watches, landcollector, Yeangst, Sour Knight, Trilobite, Datakim, Twei, veekie, 1986ctcel, zinay, The Phoenixian, Zcuron, Barnes, wingstrike96, Idan Dor, Evil Atlas, Romv, masterofmadness, Nicklance, Schielman, FunkyEntropy, Killer_Whale, The Lowtide, habrok, uju32, spudman, Arbit, Algalon, Versac, Monotov, Nor, dpara, Jinnt, No One, Vesperian, Daemir, the DragonBard, tryingtobewitty, Scify, wingnut2292, ctulhuslp, Avoozl
[X] Saki uses her own charms on herself to purge her trauma problems.
No. of votes: 4
fictionfan, sainen, Cassiemouse, Elero


Free Action - EOA:
[X] EOA - Free Action: Reconstruction: Whistles blew across the construction site to stop work as the Wyld-crafted chimera shambled into view, it's armored hide painted in PRT colors and escorted by a PRT trooper squad. It gingerly moved it's multiton bulk around the site to the clearly marked piles of wreckage, and extended a tentacle to the first junked car. And then activated TIE.
No. of votes: 29
VNodosaurus, Yeangst, Twei, 1986ctcel, Zcuron, Idan Dor, Evil Atlas, Nicklance, FunkyEntropy, Killer_Whale, The Lowtide, habrok, Arbit, Algalon, Versac, Daemir, Scify, ctulhuslp, veekie, wingstrike96, uju32, spudman, Monotov, Nor, dpara, No One, Vesperian, Avoozl, Barnes
[X] EOA - Free Action: Being able to fly from hot-spot to hot-spot, as well as singlehandedly clear closed routes put Weaver on the forefront of the reconstruction effort. Whether it was sucking up fallen rubble, moving high-priority items to work crews, reconnecting downed power lines or liasing with the locals on what sort of services were most immediately needed, her face was the face of the reconstruction every bit as much as the face of victory over the Nine.
No. of votes: 6
landcollector, Romv, masterofmadness, Schielman, Jinnt, Sour Knight


Free Action - FPoP:
[X] FPoP - Free Action: Armsmaster sits tiredly on his cot at the refugee camp. No longer bursting with people, it feels like a ghost town on top of a collection of people without hope or homes. Prayer stands, face unreadable. "Young Administrator speaks well of your efforts both here and in the recent conflict. Personal glory is no sin, but neither is it virtue."
No. of votes: 18
VNodosaurus, Evil Atlas, Arbit, No One, landcollector, Yeangst, Scify, ctulhuslp, Sour Knight, Datakim, Twei, Romv, masterofmadness, Schielman, Jinnt, Katsuragi, tryingtobewitty, spudman
[X] FPoP - Free Action: Leaning forward in her chair, Prayer pushed a file across the table. "Your team comes highly recommended. I'm looking to acquire additional information on the Fairy Queen. Early life, relatives, rumors, anything and everything. Discreetly. Ballistic began to open his mouth, but the lady in the wheelchair silenced him with a look. "Alright, then. Let's talk costs."
No. of votes: 13
veekie, Zcuron, Barnes, wingstrike96, uju32, Monotov, Nor, dpara, Vesperian, Avoozl, 1986ctcel, The Lowtide, wingnut2292
[X] FPoP - Free Action: "Yes. I will speak for Bulldozer." You gently put the phone down and sigh. You're not one for speeches, but the PRT is holding a public commemorative service for Bulldozer. You will speak and honor your friend. It will do the Case 53 community good to see that they are not taken for granted.
No. of votes: 6
Idan Dor, FunkyEntropy, Killer_Whale, habrok, Versac, Daemir
[X] FPoP - Free Action: Accord opens the door, his strained expression quickly shifting into surprise. "To what do I owe this visit, Miss Prayer? Or do you prefer Miss Marrow?" "My Alchemical name is fine," answers the blue woman. "Administrator has marked you as a possible candidate for Exaltation. I would see our differences resolved before agreeing to your introduction into the Assembly."
No. of votes: 1
Algalon


Free Action - WoRI:
[X] WoRI - Free Action: "Now, hear me out - sure my safe place is currently a vast expanse of emptiness, but while you're stretching the space outside we can spend the whole time inside Lord Grasp watching movies. He's pretty accommodating, he won't have any problems having both of us inside him at the same time."
No. of votes: 19
Yeangst, 1986ctcel, Zcuron, Idan Dor, Evil Atlas, Schielman, FunkyEntropy, Killer_Whale, The Lowtide, habrok, Arbit, Algalon, Versac, No One, Vesperian, Daemir, Scify, wingnut2292, ctulhuslp
[X] WoRI - Free Action: A shipper is a terrible thing. Two shippers in ship to ship combat clashing upon the seas of torrid romances is worse. "So…" Saki asks Skein during her visit. "Miss Militia and Rime? No, Rime goes with Myrddin, and let me tell you why…" On the couch, Aisha steals some more of her brother's popcorn and settles in to watch.
No. of votes: 15
VNodosaurus, veekie, Barnes, wingstrike96, uju32, spudman, Monotov, Nor, dpara, Jinnt, tryingtobewitty, Avoozl, landcollector, Sour Knight, Twei


XP Expenditures:

NO VOTES

 

[Gromweld]

Well well well! We have voted that the Assembly will react to Saki's vision with alacrity, fast-tracking the Conversion discussion and offer-making.

This increased rapidity doesn't mean Taylor's just gonna snatch someone up and face-check them into the Cradle, but instead it means that the Assembly reacts to this news from Autochthon by adapting a more pragmatic mindset to vetting potential Exalts and de-prioritizing the rest of their tasks to focus on this.

That doesn't guarantee that the person to whom we make the offer will accept it, however. Saki's laughably-overpowered Social stats make things easier, of course, but unless we bust out the Charms there are certain arguments that people will simply ignore or turn down unless you hammer them repeatedly for days/weeks.

To that end, Taylor is currently considering offering Exaltation to the following individuals, though all will require a final interview with the whole Assembly present to weigh-in.

High Probability of Accepting:
- Aisha Laborn (Who)
- Accord
- Willow

Medium Probability of Accepting:
- Hannah Smith (Miss Militia)

Unknown Probability of Accepting:
- Robert Erwin (Chevalier)
- Missy Belle Biron (Vista)
- Christopher Matthews (Kid Win)

Not included above are individuals that would need dramatically more review (Alexandria, Armsmaster), study (anyone we haven't talked with much), or persuasion (Legend) than we have time for right now. Once we have someone in the Cradle again, we will have another vote to determine whom we shall focus our recruitment efforts upon.

Finally, on the off-chance that the person does NOT accept, the next Chapter's vote will have another Exalt Choice vote.


So, time to cast the die! To whom are we offering the next slot in our Assembly?
REMEMBER: STUNT CAN HELP INFLUENCE ALCHEMICAL CASTE AND CHARM/ABILITY LOADOUT!


Autochthon Wants YOU! - Round 3: (CHOOSE ONE, ONE STUNT ALLOWED)
[ ] Aisha Laborn (Who)
[ ] Accord
[ ] Willow
[ ] Hannah Smith (Miss Militia)
[ ] Robert Erwin (Chevalier)
[ ] Missy Belle Biron (Vista)
[ ] Christopher Matthews (Kid Win)

VOTING BEGINS NOW
VOTING CLOSES MONDAY (11/21) AT 3:00 PM PST​

 

[Gromweld]

TL;DR - FIRST BASE!


[X] Aisha Laborn (Who)
No. of votes: 37
1986ctcel, Jinnt, uju32, Manic Dogma, dracklor, Evil Atlas, sainen, Lord Ultimus, Diceart, WolfKit, Zcuron, The Lowtide, SwiftRosenthal, Romv, Versac, wingnut2292, Funcio, Arbit, Killer_Whale, dpara, landcollector, Amberion, Elero, Outoftheinferno, Silently Watches, Monotov, NemoMarx, Mobiusmech, Noxious, Thief of Words, VNodosaurus, Cujo, Happerry, kenhikaru, Sweece, Graypairofsocks, habrok
- [x] Stunt: Across from the Alchemicals, Aisha leaned forward, almost vibrating with anticipation. "So what you're saying, yeah, is that you want me for James Bond? Or Electra?" Saki covers her mouth as Taylor winces. "Maybe less explosions? More like Veronica Mars…" "Sold! I'll be the best secret agent who ever agented! One question though," she points "I get Saki's disguise power, right?"
No. of votes: 23
Killer_Whale, Jinnt, VNodosaurus, Manic Dogma, dracklor, The Lowtide, SwiftRosenthal, Cujo, Romv, Versac, wingnut2292, Funcio, 1986ctcel, Arbit, Monotov, uju32, Evil Atlas, sainen, Lord Ultimus, Diceart, WolfKit, Zcuron, Happerry


[X] Accord
No. of votes: 21
Algalon, Idan Dor, Avoozl, Disconnect, Broken25, Dynamesmouse, I'llNameThisL8r, fictionfan, Imrix, Fumbles, frozenchicken, minimap_op, masterofmadness, Cassiemouse, Jouaint, CeBrudras, veekie, thamuzz, dacsan, SomeCleverName, wingstrike96


[X] Robert Erwin (Chevalier)
No. of votes: 2
ctulhuslp, Yeangst


[X] Hannah Smith (Miss Militia)
No. of votes: 4
ClawClawBite, Scify, Odysseus2099, Aklyon
- [x] Stunt: The members of the PRT squad, wounded and healthy alike, rouse and smile as Hannah moves through the room. She stops long enough to speak with everyone, though fatigue slows her movements imperceptibly. Next to you, Chevalier sighs quietly, exhaustion plain on his face. She always checks on the squads after combat operations. Particularly when they go bad.
No. of votes: 2
Scify, Odysseus2099
- [x] Stunt: Autochthon is dying, even if we save him, we may have an entire planet of refugees we need to help. There is no one I trust more to care about that being done right than you. You are one of the best natural problem solvers I've ever met, and we need you as part of our team. I may not always agree with you but I always listen. You are the hero we need.
No. of votes: 1
ClawClawBite


[X] Willow
No. of votes: 1
spudman


[X] I'm copacetic with Gromweld's choice.
No. of votes: 1 (INVALID VOTE: IF I HAD A PREFERENCE, WE WOULDN'T BE VOTING)
Twei
- [x] Stunt: You're not sure who found the music, and whether it's the Aleph or Bet version- is there a difference? A nice idea, but no. This is way too serious for montage music. Instead, the three of you pore over the mountains of pictures, documents and memories in relative silence. No time for Scarface. The world could rest on this decision.
No. of votes: 1
Twei

 

[Gromweld]

Chapter 9.4
(Part 1)​

Autochthon Wants YOU! - Emergency Draft Edition:
[X] Yes, offer someone Exaltation and put them into the Cradle if they accept.

Autochthon Wants YOU! - Part 3:
[X] Aisha Laborn (Who)
- [x] Stunt: Across from the Alchemicals, Aisha leaned forward, almost vibrating with anticipation. "So what you're saying, yeah, is that you want me for James Bond? Or Electra?" Saki covers her mouth as Taylor winces. "Maybe less explosions? More like Veronica Mars…" "Sold! I'll be the best secret agent who ever agented! One question though," she points "I get Saki's disguise power, right?"

With a Box of Scraps!:
[X] Soulgem Injector
- [x] Stunt: You gave Bonesaw a soul, Glenn states flatly from the other side of the screen. Well, more like forged one, though it was really a group effort Taylor replies, gesturing to Iris and Riley. Riley's grin is as bright as the shiny diamond lodged in her forehead. But why- Glenn pinches his brow, exasperated. Whatever, I can work with this.

Playing House:
[X] Respect My Authority: SOMEONE has to be the adult around here. Taylor is a constant presence in the workshop, but more as a stern mom/adult to make sure both Iris and Riley behave.
- [x] Stunt: "...and you'll find the relevant citations here. My thanks to you and your assistants, Doctor," you say as the thumb drive is absorbed by the currently Administrator-ed therapy dog. You drum your fingers on your desk in quiet contemplation. Working on redeeming herself, earning her victim's forgiveness, is difficult enough. Harder still will be learning to forgive herself.

Self-Medicating:
[X] Saki does not try to fix her own mental problems with charms.

Free Actions:
[X] EOA - Free Action: Reconstruction: Whistles blew across the construction site to stop work as the Wyld-crafted chimera shambled into view, it's armored hide painted in PRT colors and escorted by a PRT trooper squad. It gingerly moved it's multiton bulk around the site to the clearly marked piles of wreckage, and extended a tentacle to the first junked car. And then activated TIE.

[X] FPoP - Free Action: Armsmaster sits tiredly on his cot at the refugee camp. No longer bursting with people, it feels like a ghost town on top of a collection of people without hope or homes. Prayer stands, face unreadable. "Young Administrator speaks well of your efforts both here and in the recent conflict. Personal glory is no sin, but neither is it virtue."

[X] WoRI - Free Action: "Now, hear me out - sure my safe place is currently a vast expanse of emptiness, but while you're stretching the space outside we can spend the whole time inside Lord Grasp watching movies. He's pretty accommodating, he won't have any problems having both of us inside him at the same time."

XP Expenditures:
NO VOTES


***


Those two words obviously aren't what Taylor was expecting, though you find out later that her shocked expression was instead due to how abruptly the lightshow from your meditation ended - one moment you're filling the sky with a slowly-spinning yin against a deep-blue brilliance, and the next moment it flickers and blinks away like someone tripped over a power cord.

The sudden shut-off of your display also draws the attention of the few remaining observers, though most of the scientists have retreated back to the labs to sort through the collected data. As a result, your utterance is clearly heard by Dr. Rose, Lord Grasp, and Prayer. The latter two you wouldn't have a problem with, but Dr. Rose…

Your first instinct is to lie, brush it off as shock, but… there are still cameras recording, aren't there? And the scientists got upset every time Taylor tried to hide stuff from them; if they figure out you were lying later, wouldn't that make things worse? Besides, the PRT are here to help, aren't they? Sure, you don't agree with everything you've heard or seen, but they're regular people trying to keep order when supervillains outnumber heroes!

Taylor explained in her presentation that the goal is to rescue everyone trapped in the Great Maker's body - and the Maker too, though that's probably going to be even harder than relocating a few nations - so the PRT needs to know what's going on. Still, that doesn't mean you need to talk about it in the open air…

Now that you know about your Emotive… Body Language charm, it's almost easier to relax and just let your posture and regular fidgeting actually communicate for you. Automatically, you know that blinking and twitching your gaze towards the nearest doors while shrinking your shoulders inward will communicate exactly what you want to say:

Can we please talk about this in private? It's important.

Then, when you notice the two most junior scientists still gawking at you while Taylor and Dr. Rose start talking about packing everything up, you look down at yourself and somehow manage to shout at everyone just by covering yourself awkwardly and blushing up a storm.

Lord Grasp! Dress! Now!

Just because it's not lewd doesn't mean it's not super awkward! Ugh!

You're going to have to be careful with Clarity - next thing you know, you'll be bending over and stretching in front of your friends!


***


Lord Grasp manages to wrap you up in several layers of white-fading-to-blue cloth that eventually resembles a dress that an empress would have worn, though he spends most of the time flip-flopping between complaints of "charms aren't supposed to work like that" and chittering slyly about the "ingenuity of such a subtle charm..."

"... many charms that accomplish similar feats possessed by other Chosen, of course, but nothing possessing such broad utility! And it costs you nothing to activate! Why, your enemies can't stop you from assailing them with social charms even when they bind and gag you! Ah, that reminds me of the night when Sweet River was called to battle while in the bedroom with Perfect Storm Above... "

… and also somehow managing to find a way to tie everything back to sexy stories. Not that you stop him, of course, though it's very difficult keeping a straight face during the talk about shapeshifters and animal forms. Apparently actual werewolves were even more naughty than fantasy ones? You are definitely going to have to write some of these stories down.

You can't help but smile, either way, and you're pretty sure that's why he's doing it. Either that or… well, he does get a glint in his eyes when Taylor chokes mid-way through her final conversation with Dr. Rose. Prayer… just keeps her helmet on and remains very, very still.

Neither of them tell him to stop, though. You're not sure if they realize that he's just going to take this as a sign to do it all the time, now, but that's fine by you. If only Sakura...

Thankfully, your Grasp-distracted, Prayer-guided trip through hallways, elevators, and more hallways ends with an abrupt turn into a large, dark conference room just as your mind starts to turn to those darker thoughts.

The door quietly slides shut behind your group as you blink quickly to adjust your eyes, revealing a rectangular room about the size of a classroom mostly filled with a blank, grey table and dark-maroon chairs. Miss Militia is here already, along with… an overweight white guy in the most hideous blue-green tropical shirt you've ever seen.

Oh, is that Glenn Chambers? You remember seeing him with Taylor the last time you were in New York, but… ugh, died-pink hair with bleached tips? How did Lord Grasp stand working with him, let alone refrain from killing him on sight?

Both combat-ready and offensively-dressed individuals turn their gazes to you, away from looking at the teleconference screens on the far wall. There's Dragon, Director Uriel, Chevalier, Taylor-

You blink and look behind you, only to see that you've lost the small hologram-drone somewhere along the way. Huh.

"Ah, Mr. Chambers!"

Lord Grasp effortlessly hops the eight feet from your shoulder to the tabletop, landing with a light clicking of his gold-tipped feet against the metallic surface. Surprisingly, the PRT PR Director only raises a bleached eyebrow behind his (moderately stylish?) shades before leaning back in his seat.

"Crushing Grasp… and...," he muses, mouth twisting into a frustrated line as he tilts his glasses down just enough for his green eyes to meet your own. "Ms. Saki Kurosawa. The photos really don't do you justice."

"Ano…" you blink again, not quite sure how to take the statement in combination with Miss Militia's subsequent eye-roll. "I'm… sorry?"

"It means Weaver needs to figure out why and then make us some new cameras that can capture you correctly," he snorts, then tosses a gaze and a nod to Lord Grasp on the table before him. "In the meantime, your... scorpion and I are almost done planning out your schedule for the next few weeks."

"M-my schedule?"

He smirks. "We just missed LA, but I've already released your pictures to a few friends that are presenting in Madrid. Here's your first tip: fashion designers don't have kids, so ignore any offers of firstborn children when they want exclusivity contracts."

"Warden, is he eschewing praise for our burgeoning collaborative works?" Lord Grasp chitters, swaying on his legs excitedly as he looks between the two of you. "This mortal's insight into the peasantry's collective psyche has already allowed me to completely reassess your etiquette needs, and his reference material for your confidence training regimen should speed your learning time up dramatically!"

Aaaand there goes all your energy again.

"Glenn."

The cold, controlled, feminine voice causes the fashion disaster to roll his eyes before tipping his shades back over them with a sigh. "Yes, Director?"

Blue eyes as cold as her voice look out from the top-center display, the black-haired woman there easily recognizable to anyone who's watched the news in the last two decades. She doesn't respond to the dread-inducing eyesore's question, instead sweeping her gaze to the door behind you.

It swishes open, revealing Legend as he floats in from the hallway. His frowns slightly and pauses as he realizes everyone was already looking at him, then turns his head towards the wall of faces and nods in realization before holding up a hand in greeting.

"I didn't miss anything, did I?"

"No, Legend," Chief Director Rebecca Costa-Brown intones, looking back at you - her business-suit clad form leaning slightly forward on her desk.

"Ms. Kurosawa was just about to start."


***

 

[Gromweld]

Chapter 9.4
(Part 2)​

***


Words alone are unable to do your vision justice - especially not English, which has so many dumb rules you still have problems with it. Thankfully, you don't have to rely on just words.

"FOR YOU ARE EXALTED."

It loses something, nonetheless, in the re-telling. Your Radiant Iconography Array is capable of bringing forth the vision that was burned into your mind less than an hour ago, to the point that your own body fades away into the vision until each person (and screen) in your audience is alone with the Great Maker in the void. Manipulating the charm to mimic the chorus of mechanized sounds that make up Autochthon's voice is difficult, but you manage to match what your own mind could comprehend.

As painful as it is to re-live, you reveal how your sister's soul was torn away from you and cast down into the machine-planet's surface.

But the Great Maker's words - spoken in their original Old Realm - don't quite have the consciousness-shattering power that you felt within the vision. You suspect it's not a matter of the charm being uncalibrated or your own skills being insufficient; in the vision, you had somehow known that there was more to the voice than you could ever comprehend, and your mind is only capable of remembering mere echoes.

You find yourself shuddering more than once during the re-telling, but you manage to get through it all without the vision - or your own composure - falling apart.

You let the all-consuming darkness that those final words were spoken into linger for about five seconds, then release the charm and let the room fade back into existence...

Miss Militia's eyes are wide and unfocused, while Glenn and Legend's own eyes are hidden behind glasses and a half-face visor. Lord Grasp, somehow, has also been stunned into speechlessness.

The screens on the far wall, however, reveal that the vision wasn't quite so overpowering across the PRT's teleconference network - well, aside for Chevalier, who just continues to look like a silver-gold full-plate helmet. Dragon is blinking rapidly in a way that you suspect means she's thinking hard, while Taylor's face has turned off again… while her 'top' eyes swivel erratically.

Chief Director Costa-Brown is giving you a calculating look as she peers at you from behind her steepled fingers, but the other PRT Director in attendance isn't so composed.

"Christ," Director Uriel sighs, rubbing his face with his left hand while wincing. "I need a drink."

All at once, his utterance seems to break the spell of shock hanging over the audience. Miss Militia and Legend snap out of it in silence, blinking and turning away as if to consider what they just saw in their own heads again. Glenn slowly removes his glasses, but focuses entirely upon them with a considering look on his face while he cleans the lenses on his shirt. Prayer and Chevalier remain silent monoliths of armor, while Taylor opens her mouth to speak-

"That-that was Great Maker's world-body jotun!" Lord Grasp wails, waving his pincers in the air while his tail flutters around morosely. He skitters across the table, up to where you are standing at the head. "Not since the Three Spheres Cataclysm have I seen him in such ruin, such pain, such grief! How has he allowed his illness to overtake him so?!"

"Weaver, did this translator have any errors?"

Director Costa-Brown's voice cuts over Lord Grasp's fretting, and you absently pat him on the back while you turn your eyes to look at the exchange going on between screens. The Chief Director's eyes are flicking down past the screen occasionally as Lord Grasp mutters to himself, while Taylor herself seems to be looking between two different screens as well.

"Ah… no... Director, I-" she says, frowning and narrowing her eyes at... well, at her screen, probably - you think she's not actually looking at you, right now. Her pause hangs as her eyes widen just a fraction, before all her 'top' eyes swivel to look at the camera and her face briefly starts to contort into naked confusion.

Then the moment passes - barely longer than a few heartbeats - as Taylor shakes her head and clears her throat while turning her attention to something off-screen again. "Sorry. No, there were no errors, Director, but I'd recommend using the more 'desperate' contextual meanings in those final statements."

What... was that? It looked like Taylor realized something, maybe even multiple things, but then... quickly had to hide it? Why would she be hiding something?

Dragon's avatar fluctuates slightly to show her frown slightly, but a quick glance at the other screens and everyone else doesn't reveal that anyone else noticed that abrupt shift on Taylor's part. Director Costa-Brown's attention is still mostly somewhere below the camera, but she grunts as Taylor finishes.

"I thought so. Dragon, you're free to bring up translations for everyone else. Update the official translator after the meeting."

"Of course, Director," the avatar nods, just as you see the tabletop in front of everyone sitting down peel away to reveal an inset screen with writing rolling across it. Then, to your shock, she switches to Old Realm. "Excuse me… Crushing Grasp?"

You can almost hear the tiny little gears in your mechanical companion's head screech to a stop at the close/familiar address, and his gem-like eyes flash with mixtures of confusion and surprise.

"Who would address a Lord Destroyer with such ungranted familiarity?!" he huffs, spinning around to face the screen - his distress at Autochthon's dire state all but forgotten. "And just what is with this realm and their nonsensical accents?"

Out of the corner of your eye, you notice Prayer nod her head sagely for some reason.

"Ah-...," Dragon blinks, mouth curling up into a bemused smile. "I'm sorry. Lord Crushing Grasp… would you like a translator for English to Old Realm?"

"You have an artifact that will spare me the headache of making sense of these beastial grunts?" he sighs, waving a pincer at the humans in the meeting. At Dragon's nod, a section at the head of the table peels away to reveal another inset screen - probably designed for the presenter to read from, but it works for Lord Grasp as well.

He recoils slightly and leans down on his legs while poking at the transparent screen as it lights up with the… huh. Old Realm looks like that Aztec language you read about in school, now that you think about it.

"Astounding! Your breach of etiquette is forgiven, Miss!"

"Ms. Kurosawa," Director Costa-Brown grunts. "Is your… companion going to keep interrupting us?"

"N-no, m'am!" you gulp, smiling too hard while sliding up to the table and slapping a hand over the screen before Lord Grasp can read the translation. "Just a moment!"

Then you quickly lean down and whimper at your compatriot with a face full of shame and panic

"Lord Grasp! Please!" you plead in a whisper. Begging Eyes, activate! "These are some of the most powerful people in the world and they only have a few minutes for this meeting! I know you have lots of experience with wars, but can you just… I don't know, tap me if you have something important to say?"

The gilded scorpion glints his gemstone eyes at you dangerously, and you can almost hear his mandibles clicking open and shut as if he is barely restraining himself from taking you to task… but eventually he puffs out a puff of steam from his mouth and spins around to face away from you again as you pull your hand away from the translator.

"Very well, Warden," he mutters "but we will have words later."

Since Lord Grasp didn't even try speaking quietly enough, Director Uriel sighs audibly again. "Tatsu, just teleport your pet out of here."

Nope, hand back on the screen.

You're just going to ignore Lord Grasp's frustrated tapping on the hand while also using your Body Language charm to yell at Dragon - wide eyes and a shaking head communicating without words:

Don't translate that!

"Ah, Director Uriel…" you cough after Dragon nods in alarmed consent. You turn slightly and bow your head in apology at the screen with your bored-looking superior, "Lord Grasp can… block me from doing that if he wants. He is also very picky about how people address him."

Director Costa-Brown flicks her eyes to the side. "Stop being suicidal, Martin."

"Oh, this group has just brought me nothing but joy," he grunts, monotone, while resting his cheek on his right fist. "I'm especially looking forward to the next Youth Guard shit-storm when Weaver hauls off Vista or Who for pod-robot replacement."

You cast another hurried glance to Dragon and make a helpless, panicked shrug.

Just make something up!

You see Dragon nod again and Lord Grasp doesn't explode in righteous fury when the translation starts rolling across the screen, so you decide to leave Director Uriel's fate in Dragon's hands.

"Director… just...," Taylor sighs, closing her eyes momentarily in exasperation while pinching the bridge of her nose, "… I'm not considering Vista right now. Not until she's fully recovered."

"No more Wards, Weaver," Costa-Brown glowers, lowering her fingers enough to reveal her tight frown. "No more children."

Taylor matches the stare with all her eyes.

"Chief Director, respectfully, that decision should rest with a Ward's guardians."

"Ano," you interject with a politely-raised hand, cutting in before either side digs in even deeper, "Chief Director?"

The head of the PRT's strong jawline flexes in a way that you think means she was about to tell you or Taylor off, but after a brief moment she nods slightly. "Go ahead."

"Well...," you begin, scrunching up your nose a bit as you finalize your train of thought. "I know a lot has happened since I… got captured…" you shudder, but a quick breath lets you rally. "Taylor said that she had to be able to trust that a person would be… loyal. That they'd trust her, like Autochthon is trusting her."

Which… well, it had seemed like a weird idea when Taylor had said it during her presentation, but now you have a deep, overwhelming sense of awe at that fact. Even together, you and Sakura would probably have just spent the first month in your Safe Place if you'd been who the Great Maker picked first.
Prayer nods in her chair, arms crossed. Her crystalline voice is even as she openly considers what you're getting at.

"Do we have time for such tests of character?"

Eyes turn to you, but you shrug uncertainly.

Everyone turns back to Taylor.

She holds up a finger to stall, looking to the side while worrying at her bottom lip absently. After a few moments, she nods and turns back with a thoughtful frown.

"First: Iris says this is a matter of him falling back asleep completely, not him dying in the next few months. If that happens, no more Alchemicals and no more Cradle since we don't have a way to open it from this side. Asleep, he might succumb to his sickness anywhere between the next few centuries to a few more millennia-"

The PRT's Chief Director hums. "So we have time, then."

Taylor turns all her eyes back to the camera, the glowing veins at the edges of her face pulsing with her slowing heart rate.

"After which, he won't just die. Iris says he'll become a... 'Neverborn', which is like a super-powered, unkillable, undead version of him. Our only way to tell when that happens will be when he comes tearing through a new Cradle to devour our entire multiverse."

In the horrified silence that follows, Director Uriel rolls his eyes, reaches off-camera, then pulls out a bottle and shot glass. As he unscrews the cap he considers the glass.

"Nothing but joy," he sighs, before simply taking a pull from the bottle.


***

 

[Gromweld]

Chapter 9.4
(Part 3)​

***


There is, of course, an inappropriate amount of shock and panic displayed by the veteran heroes and government agents at these bombshells. By which you mean: practically zero.

You are not a veteran hero, however, so you promptly start freaking out.

"Ehhh?! W-What?!"

The mixture of tired, resigned, and concerned gazes turn to you at the outburst, but you are a bit too distraught by the potential end of the world to care at the moment. Swatting away Lord Grasp's tapping on your hand, you look to Taylor's hard expression. "W-we have to do something!"

The dark-graphite face nods, but as Taylor opens her mouth to respond, another hardened voice cuts her off.

"Setting aside any concerns of the validity of these facts," Chief-Director Costa-Brown growls skeptically, clasping her hands together below her chin, "the timing of this information is awfully convenient. Why are we only learning about this now?"

Taylor winces slightly, then looks off-camera for a moment before her mouth twists into a chagrined frown.

"I'm just finding this out, too, Chief-Director. Iris… says... that the initial timeline that he was given expected us to have decades to establish ourselves here, so he didn't want to influence my decision-making."

"I see," the cold blue eyes shift, settling on you for a long moment before switching back. "What caused this change?"

Again, Taylor has a quick, silent exchange off-camera before she speaks up again. "I-... we don't think it was Saki and Sakura, Chief-Director. It's more likely something unexpected going on in Autochthon's world-body than anything happening on our side - a major breakdown or failure of something critical."

"Could it be fixed?" Legend wonders aloud, leaning back in his chair while crossing his arms in thought. "Your presentation mentioned that the other humans and Alchemicals... in Autochthon are always working to sort out problems there; is it possible that they could undo whatever happened in time?"

"Well…" Taylor grimaces, before snorting in dark humor. "Exalted were built to do the impossible, so… maybe? There are thousands of Alchemicals there, after all, but they were all probably working on other important problems before this happened. Iris does say that Alchemicals have the best track record for actually solving problems when it comes to Exalted, but with their limited resources they'll be unlikely to give us the full timeline back."

"What?!" Lord Grasp explodes, slamming both claws into the table hard enough to shatter the tabletop and translator screen. "Now see here! I have kept silent in the face of these monstrous displays and revelations for Warden's sake, but I will not stand by and tolerate such... slanderous heresy against the Exalted Host!"

With a chorus of shifting gears and whistling steam, he begins to grow, unfolding impossibly to perch on the table and level a glowing stinger towards Taylor's screen. Everyone in the room has already tossed their chairs back to ready themselves for a fight, but Lord Grasp ignores them all to bellow ominously at your Assembly leader's image.

"Enduring Order Administrator! I will have the name of your disgraceful source, the traitor that would spit upon the sacrifices of all those uncountable millions, those brave, shining souls sacrificed in the fight to free Creation from the infernal grip of the Primordials! Then I shall see to it that this Yozi sympathizer's lying tongue is properly clipped!"

You twist and pull, but despite your best efforts the mechanical scorpion shrugs off your attempts to whisk him away to your Safe Space. "Lord Grasp! Stop, please-!"

Only, you aren't the only one pleading desperately.

"Iris! Iris no-! No, stop! Wait! He doesn't know! He doesn't-" Taylor screams, hands scrambling to the side as her expression contorts into naked terror as she whips her head to the right to shout in panic. "Run, Riley! Go!"

You stop, your stomach dropping even further. Riley-!?


All conscious thought is expelled from your head as Taylor's screen blurs, then fills with pure, light-drinking black.


The conference room freezes, the molecules of the world around you held in stasis. Your active Industrial Survival Frame screams in the back of your mind at the force it is repelling.


The world vibrates as one, sounding out a single word that transcends language.

INDIGNATION​

Sparks fly across Lord Grasp's larger form, which shudders and creaks atop the table as whatever defensive capabilities he has are strained to their limits. Still, he manages a grinding, wheezing gasp.

"W-wha-... who-?"

IRIS OF INNOVATION
SECOND FETICH OF PRIMORDIAL AUTOCHTHON​

"Sec-?!" he chokes, hissing. "Im...poss…"

EXALTED HOST FAILED
NEVERBORN VICTORIOUS
​

The massive scorpion jerks as if struck. "F-failed?! NO! H...OW?! Th-there… were… w-wards!"

FALLEN PRIMORDIAL DEATH-CURSES
EXALTED HOST COPING MECHANISMS CORRUPTED
EXALTED EXCESSES ESCALATED BEYOND RATIONAL LIMIT
VIOLATED NEVERBORN TOMBS SEEKING POWER
​

Lord Grasp is silent for a long moment, the world still save for his sparking frame. Slowly, his trembling grows, until it his entire chassis is rattling with furious denial.

"N-NO! LIES!" he howls, struggling to work his claws and tail. "WE... WON! The-...THE UNCONQUERED SUN WOULD-!"

INCARNAE ADDICTED TO GAMES OF DIVINITY
IGNORED SYSTEMIC CORRUPTION
IGNORED CREATION
YU-SHAN FELL WHILE INCARNAE PLAYED​

"B-but...Autochthon... MADE the Games of Divinity! He-... could have-!"

EARLY SOLAR GOVERNMENT BETRAYED JADEBORN
GREAT MAKER IDENTIFIED ESCALATING CORRUPTION
ESCAPED TO ELSEWHERE
NEVER RETURNED​

The sparks begin to die out, and the rattling dies down.

"How…" his voice is weaker, now. Tired. "How-?"

THIS UNIT REMAINED
SILENT
THE WATCHING EYE OF THE GREAT MAKER
EXPERIMENTED UPON BY MADDENED SOLARS
HOARDED BY MADDENED SIDEREALS
ABUSED BY MADDENED LUNARS
WASTED BY MADDENED DRAGONBORN
​

The final sparks go out. The fight is gone.

WITNESSED RETURN OF YOZI
OBSERVED NEVERBORN AGENTS INITIATE CASCADING EXISTENCE FAILURE
RESCUED BY ALCHEMICAL INTERVENTION
SEVERED AUTOCHTHON ELSEWHERE TIES TO CREATION​

"T-then…"

CALCULATED RESULTS:
CREATION, MALFEAS, UNDERWORLD, SHINMA, WYLD FALLEN TO OBLIVION
GREAT MAKER POTENTIAL MORTALITY PREVENTING OBLIVION CESSATION
GREAT MAKER WORLD-BODY SOLE REMAINING EXISTENCE BEYOND BRIDGE TO NOWHERE
​

The silence in the room is stark and total, and you can see in your peripheral vision that even both Directors appear to be frozen as well. Somehow, though, everyone still look conscious despite having no ability to breathe.

​

The presence you feel through the room shifts, no longer as directed as it once was.

CALCULATION COMPLETE
NEW CRITICAL PATH FOR AUTOCHTHON SURVIVAL DETERMINED:
COMPLETE ASSEMBLY
INITIATE CAUSALITY ESSENCE CONVERSION
AWAKEN GREAT MAKER
ESTABLISH CONTAINED WYLD GENERATOR
TRANSPORT GREAT MAKER TO NOWHERE UNIVERSE​

The world shifts again, motion slowly returning to match time's continued march. Just as you start to be able to take in air to form a breath, however, reality shakes around you one last time.

DEMESNE CREATION INITIALIZING
CURRENT ESSENCE RESPIRATION: LIMITED
TIME REQUIRED: 1001 HOURS

ENTERING COLLECTION MODE
IN EVENT OF EMERGENCY: PLACE UNIT IN MANTLE OF THE DREAD GEAR


IRIS OF INNOVATION

POWERING DOWN
​

You stagger, gasp, and fall to the ground, gripping your head to try to hold back the massive headache forming behind your eyes. Around the room, the sounds of gasping, coughing, and arguing are already starting up.

And under it all, you can hear Lord Grasp's feet slide out from under him as he slowly, quietly begins to weep.


***