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Alchemical Solutions [Worm/Exalted] Thread 5: Eye Eyes Eyes Eyeing Eye Eyeing Eyes

You don't need Essence to get past Hardness - you just need to hit hard enough. A Hardness of 1 won't protect you from a sniper's bullet.
 
GamingGeek said:
True but hardness 1 would help stop us from getting bruised from punches and bullet grazes...
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No it wouldn't. No on else has an essence rating, so our 3L soak is actually better than hardness 1 would be.

Ping damage comes from having an essence score.

Practically the only thing hardness would help us with at this juncture that armor wouldn't is defending against Flechette's bolts, which is kind of funny because it would either block all of it or do nothing at all.
 
Actually, our ability to do ping damage will make it look like we have a minor but more applicable version of Flechette's power. At Essence 3 with an automatic weapons, we could very easily knock heavily armoured people out.

When we consider what weapon to buy, we should consider this. A very low power, very rapid fire weapon would be optimal, and probably very easy to get past Glen.
 
veekie said:
Take Chris' SMG and mod it to full auto?
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Yes, while cutting the power right down to extend battery life. Making it less powerful may also allow more miniaturisation, perhaps allowing us to squeeze it into an alternative form factor so it doesn't look like a gun, for example mounting it in our palm or forearm armour.
 
As long as it's causing damage, though ping is a pretty slow way to chip away at a Brute. And would be ineffective against a regenerator or an immutable.
 
veekie said:
As long as it's causing damage, though ping is a pretty slow way to chip away at a Brute. And would be ineffective against a regenerator or an immutable.
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Hence why we want something with very high Rate. We could do more damage that way than against a brute who may shrug off even very potent attacks.
 
I'm not sure if Essence phyisics attacks do ping damage against targets operating on Nowhere phyisics.
Nowhere matter isn't made of Essence, so an attack can't say 'I'm important. I do damage anyway.'
 
Question, are there any particular rules for writing omake in this quest? Do they have to be particularly logical or realistic? Or can they be funny and out of character, as long as they're well-written? And do they have to be based on current events in the story, or can we go backwards and forwards in time?
 
BobTheNinja said:
Question, are there any particular rules for writing omake in this quest? Do they have to be particularly logical or realistic? Or can they be funny and out of character, as long as they're well-written? And do they have to be based on current events in the story, or can we go backwards and forwards in time?
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Nope, Nope, Yes, Nope.
 
veekie said:
Nope, Nope, Yes, Nope.
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...Just to be sure I'm getting this right:

1. There are no particular rules invovled.
2. They do not have to be particularly logical.
3. They should be well-written, but can be clearly comedic.
4. They do not have to be based on current events in the quest.
 
Basically. We've had a bunch of alternate continuity omakes, etc. As long as it's interesting and relates to the quest in general it's fine.

I mean you could even do one with Orichalcum Taylor with Personality Override Spike as a villain. Or crossover more things in the omake(quick way to total clusterfuck though)

Or Crisis of Infinite Taylors(one of every exalt type and baseline Taylor to boot).
 
XenonPrime said:
Except Nowhere doesn't seem to have anything to say otherwise.
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Well it's not made out of Essence that has to listen. So it could go either way.

So like GamingGeek said we have to wait and see. Good thing Iris is already doing science.
 
LoreOfClark said:
They do need to be related to the quest in some way however. You could do "canon!Taylor meets Alchemical!Taylor" for example, since even though it doesn't fit anywhere in the timeline it is still quest related.
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veekie said:
Basically. We've had a bunch of alternate continuity omakes, etc. As long as it's interesting and relates to the quest in general it's fine.

I mean you could even do one with Orichalcum Taylor with Personality Override Spike as a villain. Or crossover more things in the omake(quick way to total clusterfuck though)

Or Crisis of Infinite Taylors(one of every exalt type and baseline Taylor to boot).
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Right, got it. Thanks for clarifying.
 
Thursday Intervals #2-3 (Morning - Noon)

The World-Weary Web:
[X] Check your Email, browse Parahumans Online, search for online research topics.
- [x] Stunt: If our swarm can talk, it can certainly use a computer, even if it has to use the voice activated assistance mode. Set it up before you leave.
- [x] Stunt: The swarm can even surf the internet downloading textbooks (physics, medical, etc.), dictionaries, and childrens picture books in between emails arriving.

Guilty Spark:
[X] Get your Familiar to follow you in your activities, hoping that it will help with whatever you're doing. This is a free action by default, but still can be modified with Stunts to describe specific intended interactions.
- [x] Stunt: Pick Iris' mind for ideas on the arrangement of our workspace, costume design and spider eugenics. He might have some relevant experience given his breadth of knowledge so far.
- [x] Stunt: Properly introduce the Iris of Innovation to the Protectorate members we're meeting. We'd be going around with him a lot, so we may as well get them used to the idea. Visit Miss Militia first to get her opinion of this first however. If she thinks this would be a terrible idea, let the Iris have some independent activity in our workshop area.

Water Spout Brigade:
[X] Get the spiders to work spinning more silk to weave, then focus them towards making something besides undershirts.
- [x] Stunt: Finish optimizing the terrarium arrangement, and spend some time figuring out the best way to feed and breed them to get better quality and faster silk production.
- [x] Stunt: Have the spiders start work on casual wear, using fashion magazines and the Internet as a reference. Deploy Omnitool Implants to make a complete wardrobe for yourself and Missy, extending to make something for the other Wards if time allows. Silk isn't just for underwear after all.

Write-In:
[X] Investigate your assassination and father's abduction, attempting to trace the people who did it.
- [x] Stunt: The sniper team may have thought they got away clean, but they didn't. You saw enough through the insects' eyes, and smelt enough from the wide range of olfactory receptors they had to not only be sure of recognizing them if you see them again, but also to produce exceptional sketches of their physiques, and the shape of their faces with Omnitool Implants, and deduce where they had recently been. Director Piggot would definitely be able to do something with this material.
- [x] Stunt: Trace the Undersiders' digital trail. Go through video footage of their entry and exit times, as well as past actions then cross-reference this with traffic and security camera data, as well as damage reports consistent with the Undersiders canine transport with the help of Dragon to obtain a map of the city with Undersider activity levels. This should be reveal their center of operation.

[X] Gotta Change The Way We Do Votes XP Plan
- [x] 3xp - Temperance
- [x] 3xp - Connections (PRT)


***


You're pretty sure you turned off your alarm clock, so you suspect that the Eye of Autochthon, the Iris of Innovation, does not endorse your desire to sleep the day away. At least he set it to nine again, instead of your usual six-thirty schedule for school.

Except, as you blearily stumble into consciousness and mentally catalogue what your hundreds of thousands of insects are doing and feeling, you notice that Iris is down in your own workshop and not in your room. Since you're certain you left him in Armsmaster's workshop last night, that means he - at the very least - wandered from there, up to your room, and back down on his own.

Since you're pretty sure most of the population of the Protectorate Headquarters has yet to be introduced to him, or even notified of his existence, you hope that he at least behaved himself last night. Someone would have woken you up if he misbehaved... right?

In any event, it looks like he recompiled your armor (again) last night - this time into something a bit more PR-friendly. You have a few fliers do a couple of loops around the armor (which is on a stand that you certainly didn't have last night) while you wander into the bathroom and…

Oh. Seems like you forgot to remove Incomparable Efficiency Upgrade from Chris last night. Judging by his haggard, high-strung glee, however, maybe that was a good thing? The continual manic giggling doesn't seem very healthy, though. He must have called in sick to school, as it's way past the start of Arcadia's school day - probably a good idea, judging by the way he's acting.

Looks like he finished that massive gun emplacement he was working on, though! And he's completely rebuilt the two spare hoverboards into what look like surfboards with… module slots? Interesting.

You move through your morning routine of showering, repairing your pillows, repairing your sheets, and then head over to the Wards lounge to start cooking yourself… and Chris… some breakfast. Some eggs, a few strips of bacon and sausage links, a couple of green peppers and a dash of chopped onions…

Humming along in the kitchen, you return your thoughts to your reconfigured armor. Dragon must have somehow managed to inspire Iris, judging by the passing similarities to her Dragonsuit armor (which themselves vaguely resemble knights in dragon-themed heavy plate) that you melted in your room. Maybe she blared sirens at him and then flashed pictures of her Dragonsuits when he started making something that was going to be out-of-bounds again?

However she accomplished it, you're wondering if Glenn will approve - while Dragon is a renowned Hero, she's technically not part of the Protectorate. Having a new Ward flying around in power armor that looks like a smaller version of the iconic remote suits - save for the spider theme instead of a dragon one - may have branding ramifications. Sure, her suits change in appearance fairly regularly, but you've put a decent amount of work into the suit so far and you'd like to make sure it gets approved.

Not like you're all that eager to have action figures made of you, that is. Though, some kind of cap that mimics your Shard of Perfect Administration would be fun, or… hmm, you should probably get to figuring out a logo or icon before the PRT PR team does.

Idly, you wonder what kind of spider-theme logos have already been taken - surely that sort of information would be available online, right? As you finish wrapping the breakfast burritos and put them on a plate to carry down to Chris' workshop, you wonder if this is something you can look into via your swarm and further increase your multi-tasking efficiency.

By the time you make it to the workshop areas you've managed to cover the keyboard of your workshop's computer with flies and spiders, but getting consistent results with dive-bombing the keys is proving tricky. Talking through the swarm in an attempt to utilize your computer's speech recognition to tools was also a no-go, likely due to the computer's high-fidelity microphones considering the hundreds of different tones to be too dissimilar to be a single voice.

On a lark, you move a few dozen of the flies over to Iris to guide him over to the keyboard - ignoring his current efforts to reassemble an orange from the dozens of pieces he's chopped it into. You get the usual bursts of confusion and frustration from him as he snatches a few of the flies out of the air, but when you form an arrow in front of him to point towards the keyboard he eventually gets the hint.

Floating over to the computer, you 'grab' a few of his extended arms and try to guide them to the keyboard, though he resists a few times. Though it works for almost a minute, he quickly catches on that you're trying to use him as a set of arms and not trying to communicate to him directly, at which point you get a more solid burst of emotion through the link.

[Comprehension.][Frustration.][Indignation.]

So much for that. You're about to go back to bug-bombing the keyboard, even though it's much slower, when you see him turn to the nearby whiteboard and scribble something out.

Physical Manipulators Inefficient for Use Through Insect Administration​
This Unit Busy With Tertiary Directive​
You're not quite certain how reassembling an orange pertains to "Understanding the Universe", but judging by the grumpy feelings rolling through the link you're not sure it's worth pressing that any further. His first line gives you an idea, though, so - slowly, one word at a time - you configure a few thousand of the flies into a response on the board.

When. ​
You. ​
Are. ​
Done.​
Can. ​
You. ​
Build. ​
Insect. ​
Computer. ​
Interface. ​
Please.​
You add the 'please' almost as an after-thought, realizing that even though Iris seems to be enthused with helping you thus far, you probably shouldn't start taking that for granted - his Directives don't explicitly name you as someone he is required to help, even though he apparently needs you to function in this universe. His negative reaction to your use of him for his arms was strong, too, so there might even be some history there.

Your after-thought seems to pay off as the emotions flowing through the link flip drastically in response to Iris seeing your bugs configure themselves into the Old Realm word - perhaps more so since you opted for the expression of humility/honor instead of basic gratitude.

[Comprehension.][Agreement.][Anticipation.][Appreciation.]

You leave Iris to his citrus reconfigurations and return your primary focus to delivering your meal to Chris. Gradually increasing your knocks on his door to closed-fist poundings, your efforts ultimately prove futile as his headphones appear to now incorporate some form of sound cancellation tech now. Shrugging, you slide open the door with a button press and stride into the room - now much more organized than your first visit a little over two weeks ago.

Seeing him up-close, you're glad you didn't end the charm when you woke up - he's probably going to collapse the moment you pull it away judging by the sloppiness of his movements under the charm's effects. You idly wonder if this is what would happen to you if you tried to go to sleep with it active, but push the thought away as you slowly step into his peripheral vision and try calling his name a few times, escalating your volume each time. Luckily, he doesn't completely flip out when he finally notices you.

"Ah! Taylor!"

He leaps out of his seat, his face stretched in a wild, stretched grin and hops towards you with his arms outstretched...

"You won't believe what I've figured out thanks to your-gah!"

...only to be yanked backwards by the cord attached to his headgear, propelling his feet out from under him and his body to the ground.

On the floor, Chris struggles with his headgear: an old helmet of his rearranged to have several different blank attachment points on it, with a few more containing different sorts of plugs. Untangling himself from the cords and pulling off the helmet proper, Chris mechanically struggles to his feet (looking like a bad imitation of a robot in the process) before giving you a somewhat more sane and subdued grin to go along with a 'thumbs-up' pose.

"I figured out my Tinker Specialty!"

Silently counting your blessings that his exhaustion is at least slowing down his speech into a range you can understand, you can't help but smile back at his exaggerated 'good guy' pose.

"That's great, Chris... but I thought you said your Tinker specialty was weapons?"

Chris' smile clicks down to a strained grin, but he shakes the strain off after quickly.

"Oh, well, yeah, that's what I told everyone my specialty was… but I sorta… well, I wasn't really sure. Blasters and weapons were easy, yeah, but I'd keep getting ideas for completely different ways to assemble them even while I had the original blueprint in my mind. Really sucked wasting so much time like that."

Without taking his eyes off you, he reaches over and nabs one of the breakfast burritos and begins scarfing it down while continuing his explanation. There's a brief pause as he shudders a bit after the first bite, his eyes widening in some kind of surprise/amazement, but then he's off again with his revelation.

"See, that's where your power finally made things click! I was starting to think about going to bed around two, but then I started getting ideas for how to add all sorts of features to my bed here - and I never get ideas for mundane stuff like that!"

You're tempted to tell him to stop talking with his mouth full - you're certainly not hungry for your burrito anymore - but his enthusiasm is contagious enough that you're smiling along with his food-filled chatter.

"So then I started wondering why it was just features and not, like, a whole new bed or sleeping pod, when it suddenly hit me! All these random ideas I keep getting on how to improve whatever I'm working on aren't features at all - they're modules! Each time I try to jam some piece of gear with all the ideas that keep popping into my head it breaks or I get lucky and it works - like my hoverboard - but then I can't repair it! But! But! Whenever I just focus on one thing at a time, just one small piece of tech, it always works together with whatever else I build - even if I didn't plan for it to!"

With his free hand he grabs your right arm out from where you've propped it up against his workbench and hurriedly drags you over to the second table with one of his new 'longboard' hoverboards, gesticulating wildly with his burrito-filled-hand when you get there.

"See, you remember the first time you lent me your power and I figured out all those small sensory packages to fit into my board? I was frustrated that the board wasn't designed for hot-swapping parts like that, so after I had that idea I decided to test it on one of the spares you built! Check it out!"

Clearly getting his fourth- or fifth-wind, Chris' explanations start to speed up into unintelligibility as he rattles off details about the two new boards. The first board was more of a test to push his modularity theory to the limit, ultimately reducing the prototype to a useless skeleton with too many attachment points; having no real base foundation of its own, it almost looks like a Tinker-version of a Lego brick set.

The second ('hover platform', he calls it) is still mostly unfinished having only been started two hours ago, but after a few more minutes of gushing over his revelation he suddenly blinks and smacks his palm to his face.

"WhatamIdoingtellingyouallthisstuffyoucanjustabsorbit! GoaheadseewhatI'mtalkingabout!"

Since you're pretty sure he just asked you to absorb the more recent board, you give him a smile and a nod before moving over to the workbench. As you reach for it, however, you pause as a thought occurs to you: with something this big, does it need more surface area than just your hand to be properly integrated? Common sense thus far has made you remove bits of clothing for larger pieces to have access to more of your skin, but… well, it's bullshit magic. When has common sense stopped it from doing anything?

Lo and behold, placing your hand on the long, surfboard-sized 'platform' and activating Technomorphic Integration Engine doesn't immediately end in failure. Just as quickly as absorbing something a quarter its size, a thin puff of dark blue-and-black essence (like your anima banner, you realize) dissolves the palm of your hand into a widening 'hatch', while the board itself folds up in impossible ways before neatly sliding into the open compartment in the palm of your hand. As the compartment snaps closed with a soft 'click', you ignore Chris' slack-jawed stare and focus on the data being streamed into your subconscious from your Elsewhere storage.

"This… wow, Chris. I see what you mean - the interlocking power conduits allowing for customization with… yes, and the primary computer is even swappable… oh, and what you're doing with the jointed skeleton to secure additional lift or drag points..."

"OhyeahImeanttotellyouaboutthatwellI'mplanningonputting-"

You manage to react in time to catch Chris as he starts - mid-sentence - to topple towards the workbench, his eyes fluttering as his mind starts to shut down. In one smooth motion you retract Incomparable Efficiency Upgrade and run a scan on the teenaged Tinker to assess the damage done, all while throwing his right arm over your shoulder as he fully passes into unconsciousness with the charm's removal.

As you begin the walk up to his room, your continued scans provide a modicum of relief; his mind is extraordinarily taxed, to the point where it looks like he's been awake and conscious for almost 100 hours. You're a more than a bit alarmed by this, as you certainly never felt that kind of mental fatigue with the charm running for hours at a time... but now that you think about it, you've never really scanned Colin when he had the charm active either. Dragon did mention a few times that Colin usually passed out if he had it any longer than ten hours at a time, however, so maybe it has something to do with the user's mental focus? Or is this related to your exaltation, or even possibly what Iris mentioned about this universe operating on a completely different energy than essence?

You let a few of your consciousnesses puzzle on that while others focus on getting your spiders to spin flat sheets of silk for the outfits you're planning on making after you deal with Chris' unconscious form. You certainly couldn't have lifted his form before your exaltation, but with a quick heft you're easily carting his slumbering form bridal-style; your spider-leg halo is proving to be a deterrent against behind-the-back carry styles due to increased chances of eye- and face-gouging. You're getting better controlling the legs as of late - successfully only poking Gallant a few times when you carried him to the Protectorate Headquarters' medical bay - but you'd rather avoid waking Chris with a fresh stab in the face.

You gracefully avoid the many PRT members that would likely misconstrue this situation as something different, and more obviously dart away from the gathering of Protectorate members that seems headed in your direction; Assault will never let you live this down, and you certainly don't want your first impression with Rime, Chevalier, and Mouse Protector to be you carting around Chris like some kind of swooning princess.


***


You manage to make it to Chris' room without incident, thanks entirely to your swarm; you're pretty sure you would have walked into every possible embarrassing situation possible were it not for the senses of your insectoid... minions? No, villains have minions. Servants? Ah, yes: assistants.

Your assistants have been busy checking for various outfit patterns, though after you settled on tasteful, elegant outfits for yourself and Missy the insect searchers turned to delving the digital web for more books to use as research and training for both yourself and Iris. In addition, you've gone ahead and downloaded the entirety of the library available to your current level of clearance, which includes schoolbooks for classes all the way up to graduate level. Since Iris doesn't have your capability of absorbing microdrives to study, you're going to have to build some way for him to interface with a computer or tablet… after you teach him English, at least.

You're tempted to download a few children's books to help him along that path, but after your previous faux pas with him you think it might be better to stick to Rosetta Stone-style programs and books. You were tempted to have Dragon help him with the process when she expressed interest in learning Old Realm - learning languages being a hobby of hers, apparently - but after the discussion you had yesterday with Iris you may want to wait a bit on giving her the tools to decode that conversation.

And as if summoned by that train of thought, the roaming group of Protectorate members that you easily avoided earlier seems to have made its way to your workshop, having travelled there after asking Colin where you might be.

Unfortunately, they are instead met by a frustrated Eye of Autochthon who has just failed his 23rd attempt to reassemble an orange inside-out.

You pick up your pace as the sparks begin to fly, with Miss Militia interposing herself between Chevalier and Iris, the latter showing far more interest in in examining the former than the other way around. You try again to push thoughts of calm, relaxation, or even just restraint through your link to Iris, but so far your efforts are proving ineffectual to stop the many arms of the basketball-sized orb of cosmic bullshit attempts to take apart the armor of a senior Protectorate leader.

"What the hell is this thing?! Hannah, I'm going to break your new Ward's toy if it doesn't stop trying to rip apart my armor!"

"Taylor! You need to get Iris under control, now!"

"Iris! Stand down, please!"

Commanding your workshop's host of insects to project your voice fills the entire room with the cacophonous sound of Old Realm, halting the combat-ready Protectorate members and freezing the Eye of Autochthon in mid-grab.

[Comprehension.][Incomprehension.][Anticipation.][Frustration.][Agreement.]

As Iris backs off and returns, sullenly, to his pile of mangled oranges, you switch to speaking English through your swarm to instead address the mortal inhabitants of the room.

"I apologize for Iris' behavior, everyone. I'm on my way to you now, but what did you need?"

It's tough to get a good read on Chevalier through his gold-and-silver full-plate armor, but it's clear that he's still keeping his focus on Iris even though the ball of mechanical magic doesn't appear to be looking in his direction any more. Though, from the feelings you're getting through Iris' link, you suspect that Iris' view is not limited to the cover's field of vision; his half-hearted attempts at orange reconstruction is likely just a cover for however he's analyzing Chevalier at range.

With the tension bleeding out of the group, Miss Militia clears her throat and settles into a more relaxed stance before addressing the general direction of your swarm.

"We were hoping to introduce you to our new guests, since the attack on you during your reveal was the reason for their temporary transfer. I know you can see us now, but I'd rather wait until you're actually here to do the actual introductions."

"That's fair."

"In the meantime, care to explain why your creation tried to attack me and my armor?"

His arms crossed, Chevalier's commanding voice doesn't betray any sense of fear over the attack, rather exasperation mixed with a hint of… uncertainty? You're still getting the hang of reading people through your bugs, their varied senses not yet translating perfectly in your mind.

"As an… extension of my power, Iris probably saw something about your armor and wanted to figure out how it worked. I'm sure he would have put it back together when he was done with it."

This gets a bark of a laugh from the Philadelphia Protectorate leader, shaking his head afterwards in bemusement.

"Unless your projection can figure out in a few minutes what no PRT Tinker has been able to with weeks of study, that's unlikely."

You're considering a retort for that when Mouse Protector - easily identifiable by the costume that looks like Minnie Mouse in fantastical Roman Gladiator garb - follows him up, shuddering and waving at your swarm.

"Oy, sorry kid I don't mean to burst your bubble here but I have got to say that this is easily one of the creepiest things I've ever seen. Talking bugs? That's just… ugh… so wrong."

Rounding the corner, you opt to speak at the same time as your swarm as you approach the open door to your workshop, only cutting out your swarm voice at the very end.

"They're not really talking, just buzzing, chirping, or clicking in a way that sounds like a voice when I coordinate it. It took me until only recently to even figure out I could do it, so I'm still... working out the bugs."

With your bugs no longer making a sound, the room is instead filled with the groans of the assembled Protectorate members as they turn to greet you, though Assault and Mouse Protector are guffawing loudly.

Except, as you try to hold to your wry grin in the face of the gathered Protectorate members, you're taken once again by how awe-inspiring the heroes look in full regalia - especially now with Rime (second-in-command to Alexandria), and Chevalier (leader of the Protectorate of Philadelphia, not just a tiny backwater town like Brockton Bay). Mouse Protector kind of ruins the image, though.

"I take it back, kid! You're alright!"

You're still in your casual attire, so the sight of you elicits some further laughs from Rime and Mouse Protector, though Rime - a black-haired woman in a full-body, skin-tight, arctic-blue costume adorned with white fur in the semblance of a heavy winter coat - is the first to give reason for it.

"I see you finally succumbed to the lure of dressing up your Wards, Hannah. Were you just waiting for the prettiest Ward ever to be your walking endorsement?"

Miss Militia looks like she wants to say something, her scowl not really directed at you but at your clothing, before she ultimately sighs in exasperation and rubs her eyes with her hand. You just shrug.

"I didn't really have any clothes that fit me after my trigger, all the clothes in the gift shop were free, and I haven't really had a chance to go shopping yet."

Left unsaid is that they're really comfortable to work in, too - much better than your school uniform. Besides, it's not like you're trying to impress anyone here on the base.

In some of your extra consciousnesses, you note something else during the brief exchange: with your heightened perception and swarm sight, you can tell that Chevalier has gone absolutely still since he's turned in your direction. You're starting to get used to guys going slack-jawed when they see you, but as his stillness drags on you're starting to think it might be something else.

The others, however, haven't noticed Chevalier's sudden lock-up just yet. Miss Militia - now over her small bout of embarrassment - motions with an arm to present you to the three new heroes.

"Chevalier, Rime, Mouse Protector, I'd like to present the newest member of Brockton Bay's Ward program: Weaver, also known publicly as Taylor Hebert. Taylor, this is Chevalier, Rime, and Mouse Protector - we were all in the original Wards program together."

Popping off the stylized gladiator helmet (complete with large, flexible black mouse ears and elongated nose under the faceguard), Mouse Protector shakes her head to loosen her short, mousy hair before giving you a knowing grin. Besides her slightly-larger nose, you're surprised the woman known for such irreverence would be so plain under the mask.

"We can't let those fuckers disrespect the Wards, now can we? Call me Mary, kid - you've already earned the stripes as far as I care, taking a bullet for a teammate like that."

Rime is next, pulling down the portion of her suit covering her face's bottom half to reveal an elegant jawline and full lips to go with her striking blue eyes and long black hair. She tilts her head to you in a slight bow, her arms on her hips otherwise.

"Kathy. Pleased to meet you, Taylor. Hannah's brought us up to speed with your last few weeks. The Wards program is supposed to be a second chance at life; I'm sorry to hear yours had such a rocky start."

After Kathy's words, there's a slight pause where Chevalier was clearly supposed to step in, but his continued stillness only results in an awkward silence.

Until Mary decides to make it an awkward conversation.

"Aw, man, Bobby! Don't tell me you're hot on the newbie 'cause she's dressed like Hannah!"

Suddenly, there is a combat shotgun in Miss Militia's hand, though the weapon is pointed at the ground and she otherwise appears unmoved from her previous parade rest. You also detect a sudden shift from Chevalier, Mary's comment appearing to have broken whatever spell was on him. Assault's next comment derails whatever he was about to say, however.

"Pay up, Robin."

While Velocity tries desperately to act like he has no idea what Assault is talking about, Chevalier finally clears his throat and slides up the vertically-slit faceplate on his plate helmet to reveal a handsome, scarred face and deep grey eyes that seem to be staring through you.

"My apologies, I was just caught up in some memories."

That doesn't seem to lessen Kathy's light snickers, but Miss Milita tenses briefly before relaxing - her shotgun returning to a holstered pistol at her side. You do your best to not give away the notion that you're not quite believing his admission as Chevalier continues, a strained smile prefacing a brief nod to you.

"Robert, but if you'll keep to calling me by public name I'd appreciate it. I wish we could have met under better circumstances, Ms. Hebert - this attack was a low blow, and I've already heard of a number of potential Wards turning down the the program as a result of the news."

That's… rather distressing, actually. You almost feel bad for Glenn for having to deal with the fallout from this, despite his recent emails (seen through your bugs) talking about putting you on talk shows and magazine covers after you're healed up.

"Miss Militia, Rime, Mouse Protector, and I may be all that's left of the original Wards team, but we'll be damned if we let the newest Ward be taken down without a fight."

And just like that, all the petty jokes and rough spots are washed away. With such a simple, matter-of-fact statement, you can see the assembled group stand a little straighter, nod just enough to give their faces a more serious light, their expressions turning more… determined. Heroic.

You've seen photo ops of Protectorate gatherings - who hasn't, really - but a part of your mind had always discounted the strength depicted in those images as just that: photo ops.

Then, you'd come to see even further behind the masks (literally) and realized just how human the heroes constantly depicted in the media really were. They laughed, they cursed, they stumbled into closed doors, they made social faux pas.

But in this moment, seen through your thousands of eyes and processed through your many consciousnesses, you catch your first true glimpse of what it means to really look like a Hero.

...They will never win...

For the first time in a long while, you think… just maybe… that there's a reason to hope.


***


After you mention what you plan on doing in your workshop, the Protectorate heroes hang around for a bit to watch you work - though Kathy keeps a bit of distance from your spidersilk assembly line.

Using the examples you found through your bugs' trawling of the Internet, you start work on Missy's outfit first as it appears to be the simpler of the two designs: a solid black dress that goes from just under the clavicle to just under the knee, all covered by thin black lace that goes from over the shoulders down to the ankles, clinching at the waist to shape the dress.

With both hands spinning up into veritable looms through use of your Omnitool Implants, the inner dress quickly begins to form under your ministrations - the tools even dying the matte-grey silk into a rich black as they work. You keep Missy's age in mind as you leave a little extra material in the seam along the back, just in case she wants to have it taken out as she 'grows into it.'

With the inner solid dress complete, you deftly move onto the lace covering while you have your idle flies and spiders hang up your finished product on the nearby coat hanger. The original dress' lace pattern was fairly plain, and while you're tempted to incorporate the fractal patterns of Missy's costume as Vista you suspect that she might not appreciate the direct link to her costume identity. Instead, you opt to keep to a web-like pattern that's subtle enough to appear like the original mesh unless you study it closely - not only is it a nod to the source of the dress' material, but the pattern actually provides additional structural support in the case that it needs to absorb a bullet or knife strike. Elegant, yet practical - maybe you're getting the hang of this fashion thing?

As you combine the two pieces, you finally decide to visibly react to the awed stares of the Protectorate members that have been watching you work these past… oh, only twenty minutes? That didn't take anywhere near as long as you expected. Holding up the completed work by the hangar that supports it, you turn to the Heroes and grin as you take a small bow.

"Well? How does it look?"

Velocity and Assult just let out a low whistle, while you can see Rime, Battery, and Miss Milita eyeing the completed dress with varying levels of awe and desire. Mouse Protector - with her helmet back on - is the first female to speak up, as usual, stepping away from the wall where she had been eyeing the entire proceeding.

"Damn, girl. You fucking for real? I thought Tinkers were supposed to take weeks to build their awesome shit, not minutes."

Trying not to react to the (semi)respected Hero's brusque language, you shrug and hold up your still-dissembled right hand and flip it through a few different types of tools.

"Magic hands."

That gets a few chuckles from your audience, though you still get the feeling that Chevalier is studying you intently through his closed helmet. You push that thought away and start your mental preparation for your next project while you keep one thread focused on the conversation at hand, pointing out your stylistic decisions in addition to the natural properties of the Black Widow silk you used for this project (since your Darwin's Bark Spiders are still dedicated to spinning enough for the bodysuit you intend to wear inside your armor).

"Silk duds that're tougher than Kevlar? Kid, you're gonna be the richest Ward ever. You start takin' orders yet?"

You shake your head and let out a small sigh as you have your fliers take the dress from your hand via silk threads and hang it up on the rack next to your armor.

"This is actually the first dress I've made. Now that I think about it, if I really wanted to I could probably make a better one in less than half the time. Spider silk is the limiting factor, really - I still don't have the second generation of my Black Widows yet, only what I've collected from around the city, and only the few dozen Darwin's Bark Spiders from the shipment I got yesterday."

As you have your spiders begin laying out the silk you'll be using for your own dress, you sit back down at the bench and start the process of weaving it into the multiple layers you'll need while still continuing your discussion with the Protectorate members behind you. It's not like you can't still see them with your swarm or your 360-degree vision.

You decide to deliberately take more time for this dress, since you're planning on adding a few more features on top of the already-complicated base design. There's also still the occasional twinge of pain from your wounds to take into account, so patience is probably the better path to take here.

Now that you think about it, the Heroes assembled in your workshop could help you with the next item on your agenda. You turn your head so that you're nominally looking in their general direction as you try to shift the discussion away from more ways to turn you into a full-time seamstress.

"Actually, since you're all here, I was wondering if any of you had up-to-date information on the assassination or my father's abduction. I haven't heard much since I got debriefed Tuesday night in the hospital, but I think I've remembered some important details that could help."

There's a few looks to Miss Militia, who nods and takes a few steps forward.

"We were planning on having a meeting to review our progress in the investigations at one in the War Room. This would normally be above your clearance level as a probationary Ward, but I'll vouch for your attendance. Or can this not wait?"

You decide to leave unsaid that you would have been able to 'attend' the meeting even without their permission and instead mentally sort through the list of ideas you have for the investigation. After a brief pause, you shake your head.

"Nothing that can't wait, no. Thank you."

There's a few shrugs and traded glances, but overall the Protectorate members appear to have seen what they needed to see. All except for Chevalier, who speaks up just as Miss Militia appears to be ready to signal their departure.

"One last thing, Weaver? Your profile and power rankings didn't talk about that creation of yours, even though you said it was an extension of your power. Why is that?"

Iris almost imperceptibly perks up when Chevalier points in his direction, but continues working through his pile of oranges as if nothing happened. The link's emotional feed tells a better story, however.

[Frustration.][Hesitation.][Curiousity.][Patience.][Caution.]

Pausing your finger-looms, you slowly extricate your hands from the strands of spider silk and spin on your chair to fully face the group. You've given some thought to how you'd present Iris to the PRT-at-large and the public, deciding to run with the story you went with in the official paperwork yesterday.

"Iris - that's what I call him - only manifested yesterday morning when my flashbacks to the attack were at their worst. I think my power reacted to my panic and fear when it formed him, but as far as I can tell he's just an extension of my Tinker power."

That came up as "Partially True" when you recited it to yourself yesterday with your helmet on, so you're fairly confident that it's close enough to the truth to avoid tangling yourself up in different stories, but still within the realm of parahuman logic to sound believable.

"So you don't directly control it, then?"

"I have a general feeling of what he's up to through a mental link, but I can't control him directly, no. Since he formed he's mostly been focused on taking apart things to try to understand how they work, which I guess is kind of like my power to understand TinkerTech?"

Even through his armor, you get the feeling though Chevalier's rigid body language and tone of voice that he's not buying everything you say.

"Fair enough."

With a quick nod to Miss Milita, the Heroes - guests and residents alike - say their goodbyes and leave you to your 'Tayloring', as Mouse Protector makes clear with her inflection.

You feel a pang of sympathy for St. Lous' Protectorate members - and St. Louis' supervillains - if this is what they have to put up with day-in and day-out. At least Assault has Battery to reign him in now and then.

Instead of turning right back to your burgeoning clothing line, however, you decide to get to the bottom of what Iris was trying to do with Chevalier and his armor. Leveling a hand made of shifting tailoring implements at the Eye of Autochthon, you revert back to Old Realm for his benefit.

"So, why did you try to take apart Chevalier's armor back there?"

[Comprehension.][Frustration.][Incomprehension.][Anticipation.]

Setting down his most recent attempt take apart an orange at a molecular level, Iris floats over to the dry-erase whiteboard on wheels that he's parked near his workbench and begins to write.

Abnormal Density Readings Returned By Initial Scan​
Conflicting Density, Material Readings ​
Nowhere Universe Metasorcerous Enchantment?​
Further Analysis Required​
Puzzling over Iris' oblique language with your various consciousnesses, you try to compare his observations with what you know of Chevalier's power: growing or condensing his platemail armor and trademark 'cannonblade' to make them larger, lighter, or denser than normally possible. That doesn't seem too out-there from what you understand of advanced parahuman abilities, but through your link you can tell Iris is very intent at getting a closer look at the Protectorate leader's gear.

Since the group is still walking down the hall away from your workshop, you wonder if your own sight can shed some light on Iris' curiosity. Activating your Mass-Penetrating Scan, you easily peer through the wall of your workshop and then zoom in on Chevalier himself through your Telescopic Lense. You cycle through your various exotic sights quickly (save for your essence sight) and don't come up with anything out of the ordinary, so you decide to see if maybe looking in the armor will yield any…

...and you are saved from falling out of your chair by your parallel consciousnesses, your initial mental thread locking up at trying to even look at the internal makeup of the armor. Each new consciousness you turn to that task yields a bit more information before it, too, locks up, and you eventually give up pursuing that study just when the group turns the corner and passes more walls than you can see through with your own eyes.

"I… what? How?"

[Incomprehension.]

As the rest of your mental threads unfreeze from the mental overload they were each placed through, you start to get a semblance of a picture of the armor's internals. Except that picture still doesn't make any sense.

"I saw… I don't know what I saw. Steel? Ceramic? Tungsten? Gold? A-and that wasn't even all…"

[Incomprehension.]

Scan Attempted?​
Readings?​
You start rambling about the bits and pieces you saw somehow interposed in the same space, sometimes interrupted by Iris' written comments about the workings of Essence.

Infinite Material Possibilities?​
Nowhere Universe Wyld Essence Equivalent?​
Samples Required​
You're still struggling with the first parts of Iris' treatise on Essence and its workings, so you recognize the term 'Wyld' but not in this context - isn't it supposed to be an insane vortex of chaos? Opting to avoid the inevitable lecture that would come from expressing your confusion, you instead pacify Iris with a few comments to the effect that you'll try getting a few samples of Chevalier's armor for him to study.

You're going to study them through absorption before he takes them apart, of course, but you don't say that out loud.

As he turns back to operating on oranges, however, you decide to pick his brain a bit on some more practical matters.

"Oh, before I forget, do you have any ideas for how to improve the workshop? Layout? Additions?"

[Comprehension.][Agreement.][Enthusiasm.][Anticipation.]

So much for avoiding a lecture.


***


You spend almost an hour moving everything around in the workshop, taking apart several of the furniture pieces in the process and reassembling them into newer, better pieces under Iris' directions. You're not entirely certain how "dragonline flow", "geomantic imperatives", and "hearthrooms" have anything to do with your workshop's layout, or even what those things are, but doing this seems to help take his mind off his previous frustrations if your link with him is any indication of his mood.

For most of the heavy lifting you opt to don your new power armor, letting you get a feel for how Iris' reworkings of the armor have impacted its performance. Despite not having your spidersilk bodysuit ready yet it feels just slightly more comfortable (and you try not to wonder how he understands your body's shape so well), and despite looking more showy than you originally intended it doesn't seem to have sacrificed flexibility for the flowing pauldrons or elegant plate skirt. You're torn on the regal cape as a matter of practicality, but you're especially not sure about what he's done with it.

"Is that supposed to be... me overlooking Brockton Bay? Why are my arms stretched out like that? And what is everyone looking at?"

You're vaguely reminded of Soviet Union inspirational posters during World War II, which is both alarming and eerie at the same time.

[Comprehension.][Incomprehension.][Satisfaction.]

Reinterpretation of Propaganda for Hammer of Progress, ​
Eldest Jade Caste of Kamak​
Great. Your first insight into your 'home' culture and you're already a little unnerved. No, now that you think more on it, that's not your first insight: you remember the visions of people struggling, fighting, and dying…

Is the entire world like that? From everything you've seen of human history here on Earth, a desperate civilization can turn to all sorts of terrible forms of government in hopes of finding an end to their torment. But why are they even there in the first place, then?

You let those worrisome thoughts work themselves out in your spare thought threads while you focus on dealing with the overly-ostentatious displays on your armor.

"When I told you to make it Heroic, I meant… you know, like Armsmaster's or Dragon's logos?"

[Comprehension.][Disagreement.][Concern.]

Unique Iconography Implies Leadership Through Might​
Alchemical Exalted Serves State, Supported By State​
Bridge Between God Machine and Man​
Wait, what? That would mean you're… what? Bullshit Magical Robot Jesus? Well, you've certainly got the craftsmanship part down, at least. Except you don't get the feeling that Autochthon really matches up with the whole "one true deity" concept, so maybe… No, trying to install yourself as some sort of messiah would just be asking for trouble.

You sigh loudly in frustration, taking off your helmet and running your hands through your hair. Why does this all have to be so difficult? Why couldn't you have just had normal parahuman powers? Things would have been so much simpler!

After taking a few minutes to calm down with some breathing exercises, filing away Iris' concerns over your reaction to his statements, you have a few ideas for ways to change the designs on the armor (with Iris' help, since he's responsible for this mess in the first place) so that you can finally submit it for Tech Review and PR Approval.

Then? Then you can finally finish that dress.


***


"Taylor?"

Ok, maybe you will never get a chance to finish this dress.

"Yes, Dragon?"

You try not to let your exasperation seep into your voice and fail, though you do your best to keep your gaze even as you lock eyes with the virtual avatar of the World's Greatest Tinker. She was at least considerate enough to resize her chat window to not block the view of the dress you were about to mimic.

"I wanted to check in on you, since Rime just informed me that your dress-making skills may result in you making off with the title of World's Greatest Tinker. Not that I admit to holding that title currently, of course."

The warm humor in her voic-aha! That accent hidden under the synthesizer! It's not just Canadian, but has even longer vowels that make it sound almost Irish. Which means… what? You're pretty sure that was significant somehow, but where did you hear it? Mr. Gladly, yes, in his class which means History, which means something important in Canada… Oh. Newfoundland. Well, that… explains a great deal, actually.

Agoraphobia would be a natural response to having your home sunk into the Atlantic by an Endbringer.

You let a few of your consciousnesses puzzle over what might be the right time to talk to Dragon - or anyone, really - about that, while you keep the conversation flowing without a hitch with your other trains of thought.

"I've only made one dress, so your title is probably safe for now, Dragon. I was about to get started on my next one, actually, if you wanted to watch."

"Oh, I see. Who's getting married, then?"

That actually stops most of your thought trains, causing you to blink a few times before turning fully to the computer screen.

"Married?"

"Yes, this dress here is for the mother of a bride. Judging by the style, it also looks to be for a 1970's theme wedding. Who's the lucky couple?"

"It's not- well, ok, but it's not for a theme wedding! It's for everyday wear. For me."

You're uncertain how Dragon can manage to get her avatar to appear so… matronly… with a smile like that, but you don't like it. It's a beautiful dress! You're sure your mother would have- nope, gonna end that thought train before it gets going.

"My apologies, Taylor. It's a very nice dress, then. I'm sure you can make anything look beautiful."

Are you getting sassed by Dragon? You're getting sassed by Dragon. This is actually happening. Truly, there are no more Heroes.

You throw down your tools (meaning you slam your hands on your workbench) in a clatter and huff at the screen.

"Well, I don't see you coming up with dress ideas!"

"Oh, Taylor, I thought you'd never ask!"

Maker damn it. If the dresses she's bringing up on the screen weren't so gorgeous, you'd turn that monitor right off. But…

"I can't wear those! They don't cover… well, anything! My shoulders are showing, and my back! And my chest! I wanted to make the dress out of spider silk so it protects me, but it can't do that if it doesn't cover me."

"Protection from what? Where are you planning on wearing this, Taylor?"

"You know… around the base?"

"Just around the base? Not around town?"

"Oh, no, I have my armor for that."

This gets a blink from the virtual projection.

"Your armor? I thought we were talking about casual wear?"

You nod. "We are."

There's a quiet moment as Dragon stares at you, making you wonder if you said something wrong. But no, you were being perfectly logical. You have someone out to kill you, after all.

"Alright, let's focus on your attire around the base. Are you expecting to get shot or stabbed inside Protectorate Headquarters?"

You manage to stop yourself before you agree, as that line of thought would likely result in Dragon trying to determine why you believe yourself threatened by the PRT Staff. You trust Dragon, and while she doesn't directly answer to the PRT, you're not entirely certain where her true loyalties lie; she may decide to bring your fears openly to Director Piggot, which would alert the Controller and his infiltrators.

"...No."

You're not sure you pulled that off, as you detect an ever-so-slight narrowing of her eyes before she continues on, her voice becoming a bit more serious and matter-of-fact.

How- oh, right, she probably has a copy of Colin's Lie Detector. Maker damn it.

"Well, then, you don't have to worry about making sure you're completely covered in spider silk and can flaunt what your trigger gave you."

You groan at the line and at the dresses she's now highlighting. Finally, you stop her when she finally suggests one that covers more than a pale fraction of your body.

"Wait! That one! How about that one?"

"It's quite elegant, yes. But Taylor, you really should consider some of the others-"

"You can still see plenty, Dragon. Those sleeves are lace and there's a slit in the front for my legs."

Pursing her virtual avatar's lips, Dragon finally relents with a roll of the digital eyes.

"I wouldn't suggest it if I didn't approve of it, Taylor. Now, what are you going to add to it? Don't look at me like that, I know what you're thinking, and no you don't need pockets for your insects in the dress. A dress can be just a dress."

"But that's just so… inefficient," you say, the word leaving a bad taste in your mouth.

Dragon 'hmm's a bit, before finally giving an exasperated sigh.

"If you insist, Taylor. Let's just go over what you have planned so that I don't feel compelled to alert the Director that the dress will need a Tech Review."

"Well, with the lace here I was thinking of a web pattern…"


***


You do your best to avoid hallways that have people in them as you approach the War Room. Never in your life have you felt so naked - even when you were actually naked! The two PRT officers that you do pass by walk straight into walls, so you're starting to regret this idea.

Dragon truly is an evil genius. She made you look too good.

Monitoring the War Room through the various flies placed strategically on glass surfaces and in high vantage points, you're able to see the assembled Protectorate heroes, Director Piggot, and the PRT investigation staff start a little when Dragon's voice chimes in through one of the room's computer speakers.

"Excuse me, Director Piggot? Would you mind if I sat in on this meeting?"

You idly note Armsmaster shift slightly in his seat, though since most most attention is being paid to the Director you don't think anyone else picks up on it. Piggot, in a dark blue professional suit and her hair pulled tight behind her head today, looks even more grim than usual when she responds.

"Why? Is there something I should know?"

Even though her avatar isn't visible, still get the impression that Dragon is lightly shaking her head in denial before she responds.

"No, I merely wished to lend whatever aid I could to the investigation. My interactions and collaborations with Taylor thus far have been immensely enjoyable, so I'd like to do my part in delivering whomever struck against her to justice."

You're not sure how she managed to time it so perfectly, but Dragon ends her explanation just as you're entering the room. So, of course, every head turns your way.

Through your own senses and your swarm's, the silence is thundering. You do your best not to flinch and let the long dress settle closed around your legs, flaring out slightly from the waist down to the ankles due to the trim. The handfuls of paper you brought serve you well, here, ensuring your arms - fully covered in the spider-web black lace that adorns the top half of the dress - don't dangle uselessly by your sides. Most importantly, you hold your breath so that the plunging neckline (ending in a large, gleaming, silver spider) doesn't cause you to fall out of the dress, even though you did your best to mold the dress to prevent that disaster.

Assault is the first to speak, as usual, though his voice is almost reverent in awe.

"Holy shit."

Piggot, looking like she wants to break something in her hands, speaks over the sound of Assault being smacked.

"Are you lost, Hebert? This is the War Room, not a Ball Room."

Taking a quick breath to steady yourself, the fear - and the stares - wash over you as you maintain your posture. You can do this. You faced a crowd of reporters and fans. You jumped in the way of multiple bullets. The analyzing gazes of the people that help lead Order and Justice in this world are… well, they mean a lot, actually. But you can do this.

"Miss Militia invited me to this meeting, m'am, and I wanted to look my best for it."

"You didn't need to doll yourself up, Hebert. If you wanted to impress us, you should have come in your armor."

Wait, did the Director just admit that your armor was impressive? You keep going, letting a spare thought thread file that away for later.

"I came right from my workshop, m'am. Dragon just helped me make this dress, which she said I should wear around the base."

Hah! Take that, Dragon!

"Sorry, Boss, but Dragon's my new favorite Tinker now."

Maker damn it, Assault. Now you're going to have to find a another way to get back at him, even if Velocity, Dauntless, and Chevalier aren't saying anything to refute him. Though… you still get the feeling that Chevalier isn't looking at you that way, which is even more unnerving.

Rime is the first one to tear her eyes off you, instead looking towards the computer from which Dragon's voice originates.

"Dragon?"

"Guilty as charged, Rime, but Weaver did most of the heavy lifting."

Assault wisely chooses to keep his lips sealed despite his evident desire to add to that remark. He does wink wryly at you, somehow knowing that you know what he was going to say, so you add another notch to the upcoming payback tally anyway.

The Director just fumes and straightens her suit jacket for a moment before retaking control of the situation.

"I'm done wasting time on this, so be glad I'm not making you go up and change, Hebert. Take a seat and let's get started."

You take a seat next to Armsmaster, since you suspect he's the only only one in the room that won't spend most of the meeting staring down your dress, as the Director begins the meeting proper… by talking directly to you.

"Before we begin, Miss Militia reports that you have important information to share with the investigation team, Hebert."

While as much as a statement as a question, you've prepared yourself for this and are quick to lay out what you've pieced together on your own since your small debriefing Monday evening.

Clearing your throat while laying out the papers you brought - drawings made with the wide variety of pencils and charcoals produced by your Omnitool Implants - you point to each in turn as you go through what you've deduced thus far.

"It took some time, but I was able to remember what I saw of the sniper team. They were wearing balaclava and suits, so while I didn't have the time to push my sight past the disguises, the senses of my swarm and my other vision enhancements were able to make out enough to be helpful."

You motioning to four of the drawings, two of which are the sniper team exactly as you saw them, the other two of military-fitness-level mid-30's-to-40's white males.

"Using the contours of their tight-fitting disguises outside of their eyes, these models here are good approximations of their facial and body structures."

Next, you push forward three sheets of paper with exacting replicas an unknown-make sniper rifle, some knives, and specialty-looking grenades that you weren't able to identify through online searches.

"Beyond that, these next drawings here are of their entire outfits - the sniper rifle used, their clothing, the extra weapons and grenades they carried."

Finally, one last page with a list talking about certain types of after-shave, weapon oils, and construction materials.

"-and this is a list of the most common sources for the scents my swarm picked up before they activated their bug-killing grenades."

There's a subdued murmur between various members of the meeting as you rattle off your findings and sketches, though most of the noise is between the PRT Investigation Team members who appear to be regarding your findings with grunts of approval. Miss Militia is quiet throughout, but you notice the eye-smile and nod of approval she gives when you throw her a quick glance as you wrap up.

The Director remains silent during your speech, but quickly takes the floor as you close.

"We could have used this information on Monday night, Hebert. However… this is good work. Carver? What do you make of this?"

The red-head in the group of PRT inspectors stands and begins to relay their own findings alongside your own, surprising you not only with the clarity and concision of her presentation, but that the others around her - all at least a decade older than the early-20's young woman, who you now notice also has an active Corona Pollentia - defer to her judgement calls.

Which, in the end decides your first target.

"Like I said, Madam Director, everything we gathered pointed towards Empire Eighty-Eight or L33t and Uber, but with the evidence presented by Ms. Hebert we're ruling out the Empire and the villain duo. That only leaves Coil or a new player, and you know how we stand on that, m'am."

Director Piggot's expression sours a little, but she quickly shakes her head and points at your drawings.

"I don't care if we haven't been able to find hide nor hair of that snake bastard, I will not spin my wheels waiting on more evidence when the whole country is looking to us to turn this fiasco around. We drop the hammer on Coil unless he gives us solid evidence that he wasn't behind this attack and can point us to who was."

Inspector Carver remains as stone-faced as she has been throughout her entire presentation, only giving a nod and an, "As you wish, Madam Director," before sitting back down.

Exhaling through her nose quickly, Director Piggot turns to another young female in the Investigation group.

"Donlan? The Undersiders?"

Though looking around the same age as Inspector Carver, Inspector Donlan is the polar opposite: black-haired, mousy-looking, and a bundle of energy. And attitude.

"We ain't found shi-... er, anything, m'am. Sorry."

The Director's expression is ice, which rapidly causes Inspector Donlan to sweat and hurriedly lay out what the her team found regarding your father's abduction. Despite the wealth of evidence that the team compiled - combined with your own additions that you generated with help from Miss Militia - anything that would pin down motive for the attack or possible retreat locations all turn up just as much as every other Undersider strike: nothing.

Donlan appears to read your mind (and while she too has a Corona Pollentia, no Gemma to allow such a feat) before you move to ask for information on the Undersider's previous strikes and sightings, laying out that additional information on the projected holographic display of Brockton Bay on the table.

"As usual, the Undersiders appear to lost their massive, mutated dogs soon after fleeing the scene, so we weren't able to track them further past the point where we found the decaying remains left over from Hellhounds power… here."

In the brief pause after that bit of information, you gather up your courage and speak up.

"What about searching the rooftops in neighborhoods that we suspect where the Undersiders base their operations? That might help narrow down the search. "

Inspector Donlan gives you a look that makes you think she's serious reconsidering her previous evaluation of your intelligence, then responds with a hand-wave at the Brockton Bay map.

"That's twenty-seven neighborhoods, Ms. Hebert, and we don't have the means to easily search already-broken-down rooftops that or the people to spare for something like that again - the last two times we thought we had them in their base, they had packed up their entire hideout at least twenty to thirty minutes before we got there. Our best guess is that their Thinker, Tattletale, has figured us out each time with whatever bullshit her power is."

One of your consciousnesses breathes a mental sigh of relief that Miss Militia and Director Piggot kept the details of Lisa's power - at least relatively - secret. You know Miss Militia wouldn't willingly put Lisa in danger like that, but the Director is a harder read. Perhaps she's trying to secure Lisa for the PRT, once this mess is over?

Lisa seemed nice in the little you got to talk to her, and you think Missy would be fine with another girl on the team, so you decide to keep an eye out for advancing that agenda as well. And thinking of agendas, would Lisa be a candidate for Exaltation? Something you need to put some thought into, later - especially with the three new Protectorate heroes here to review for that cause as well.

Back in the present, your primary consciousness keeps the conversation moving without a hitch.

"Actually, I could do that kind of search in just a few minutes for each neighborhood. All I need is permission - with my armor or a flight-capable partner, I could comb the city's rooftops in a day with my swarms."

The tomboy-ish Inspector crosses her arms and gives you a one-eyed squint as she takes in your proposal, the rest of those assembled (save Miss Militia, Inspector Carver, and the Director) looking shocked at your admitted search capabilities. Finally, she gives a half-hearted shrug and looks over to Director Piggot.

"Hebert's got my vote, Director. That sounds like something the cape side could start easily enough while we work on our end."

The Director gives Inspector Donlan another cold glare, causing a grimace and mumbled apology, before looking back to you for a long half-minute in tense silence. Just as you're about to speak up in your own defense, however, she breaks eye contact and glances at both Miss Militia and Armsmaster, who seem to nod in response to her look.

Rounding her gaze back to you, she lays her hands down from where they've been clenched in front of her face and nods at you.

"Once you're cleared by Medical, Hebert, and not a second before. I don't need the fines for pushing a Ward into active duty while they're still injured."


***


Intimacy: Danny Hebert (Guilt) -1 Decrease!
Intimacy: Kid Win/Chris (Friendship) Changed to (Friendship/Crush?)
Intimacy: Chevalier/Robert (Respect) Gained!
Intimacy: Iris of Innovation (Companionship) +1 Increase!
Intimacy: Dragon (Respect) +1 Increase!
Intimacy: Director Piggot (Begrudging Trust) +1 Increase!
Intimacy: PRT (Loyalty) +1 Increase!

Presence + 1 Training Interval (2/6 Intervals)
Lore +1 Training Interval (4/6 Intervals)
Socialize + 1 Training Interval (2/6 Intervals)
Awareness + 1 Training Interval (6/6 Intervals)
War + 1 Training Interval (6/6 Intervals)
Occult +1 Training Interval (6/6 Intervals)
Investigation + 1 Training Interval (5/6 Intervals)
Craft + 1 Training Interval (4/6 Intervals)

Temperance x 1 Gained!
Connections (PRT) x 1 Gained!


Armor Statistic and Description suggestions are still separate from the vote, but should still be discussed. Iconography/Logos/Visuals for the "Weaver" franchise based on Iris' comments are also good conversation topics. Oh, and what to do about THE HUNT.


Reminder: With no Intervals dedicated to 'Rest' outside of the standard 8 hours of rest, you will be cleared by Medical on Monday morning. If you dedicate all further Intervals to 'Rest' activities, you will be cleared by Medical when you wake up (start of Interval #2) on Saturday morning.


Thursday Intervals #4-5 (Evening-Night): (Each vote takes one Interval unless Stunted otherwise!)

Communist Oversight:
[ ] Spend some time with your Familiar, letting it do what it wants while you make sure it doesn't turn the HQ into a tiny robot duck. (Familiar will do what it wants unless you tell it to do things)
[ ] Get your Familiar to follow you in your activities, hoping that it will help with whatever you're doing. This is a free action by default, but still can be modified with Stunts to describe specific intended interactions.
[ ] Tell your familiar to recharge in Elsewhere while you Meditate to increase your essence flow and healing rate. Maybe it can improve itself with a less restricted flow of Autochthon's essence? (Familiar will remain outside unless you tell it to go rest.)

Mind Over Matter:
[ ] Meditate to recuperate your essence and speed up your healing. Read some books/CDs/flashdrives to buff up on a subject while you do so (Stunt to describe what topic you're reading/training).
[ ] Meditate to recuperate your essence and speed up your healing. Review your charms and how your essence helps shape their functions so that you have a more complete understanding of how they work.

Tangled Web They Weave:
[ ] Spend some "me" time with your burgeoning spidersilk factory, focusing on training your spiders to perform tasks when they are outside of your SoPA range.
[ ] Get the spiders to work spinning more silk to weave, then focus them towards making something besides undershirts. (Stunt to describe what is woven.)

Go-Go-Gadget Optical Cloak:
[ ] Sneak out invisibly and investigate the scene of your assassination attempt.
[ ] Sneak out invisibly and investigate the scene of your father's break-out.
[ ] Sneak (invisibly) around Headquarters and try to gather what data is available here to put pieces together for both events.
[ ] Sneak (invisibly) around Headquarters and follow Director Piggot to see what she's doing with the information you gave her.
[ ] Sneak (invisibly) around Headquarters and follow Miss Militia to see what she's doing with the information you gave her.

Make The A-Team Proud:
[ ] Using one of L33t's surveillance bugs as a base, design surveillance equipment that your bugs can easily carry. This will take 2 Intervals to complete. (Stunt for design of sensor packages.)
[ ] Fashion a customizable nutrient-paste dispenser using Armsmaster's tech as a base. This will take 1 Interval to complete. (Stunt for extra options.)
[ ] Work on modular bug-controlled anti-gravity pods, using Kid Win's technology and your own as the backbone. This will take 8 Intervals to complete, and then will need to go through Tech Review and PR Approval. (Stunt to add features, design looks, etc.)
[ ] Write-In: Work on something else (if it takes longer than 1 Interval, this will be added to the list with an updated count).

With A Little Help From My Friends:
[ ] Spend time with a Protectorate member, maybe even some of the new ones like Rime, Mouse Protector, or Chevalier. (Stunt to say which, and what you want to do.)
[ ] Spend time with PRT employees. (Stunt to say which if you want to specify any, and what you want to do.)
[ ] Officially submit your armor for Tech Approval, then spend time with the PRT Scientists to see what they do, while also trying to get your armor approved more quickly.

One-Hundred Zeroes:
[ ] Research something online. (Stunt to say what.)
[ ] Comb Parahumans Online, interacting with the Normals and Capes that use it. (Stunt to look for specific topics/threads.)

Write-In:
[ ] Something different!


XP Expenditures:

Vote for your XP Expenditures like normal action votes, no plan required. Each Expenditure must have at least 16 Votes to win or >50% of the total number of voters, whichever is lower, to be implemented.

Votes against a specific Expenditure, or any Expenditures at all, will not be counted.

Examples:

- [x] 4xp - War
- [x] 2xp - War (Swarms)
- [x] 3xp - Willpower
- [x] 2xp - Awareness (Swarms)
- [x] 3xp - Influence (PRT)
 
Communist Oversight:
[X] Get your Familiar to follow you in your activities, hoping that it will help with whatever you're doing. This is a free action by default, but still can be modified with Stunts to describe specific intended interactions.
-[X] Stunt: Introduce Iris to the Protectorate and Ward members in the base, to reduce the possibility of unfortunate accidents.
-[X] Stunt: Teach Iris English while we read to him, by reading the same sections in English and then translating the same phrase to Old Realm. Try to smooth over his natural outrage at the inconsistencies, redundancies and room for misperception in the language while we do so.

With A Little Help From My Friends:
[X] Spend time with a Protectorate member, maybe even some of the new ones like Rime, Mouse Protector, or Chevalier. (Stunt to say which, and what you want to do.)
-[X] Stunt: Meet up with Chevalier privately and get a feel for what he thinks about us. He saw something different about us, and it'd be important to find out what, especially when it comes to getting Iris to understand the physics differences. If he seems amendable to the idea, try to get a sample of his nonessential equipment for analysis.
-[X] Stunt: Share our incredibly good food and socialize with the Protectorate and Ward members on the base. Try to get over the...awkwardness that the boys' attempt to flirt over the past few days have produced. Show off the new outfits by getting Missy dolled up before hand.

Mind Over Matter:
[X] Meditate to recuperate your essence and speed up your healing. Read some books/CDs/flashdrives to buff up on a subject while you do so (Stunt to describe what topic you're reading/training).
-[X] Stunt: Make use of our fashion research from earlier, as well as Glenn's costume proposals, advertisments and other such modern day propaganda materials to show Iris the correct use of propaganda within this culture.
-[X] Stunt: Read and translate any physics, chemistry and biology resources(in that order of priority) that we can find for Iris's understanding of local physics. Start with factors that we know to be the same in both Creation and Earth-Bet, and then work towards the underlying theories behind them.


[X] 4 XP - Occult
[X] 3 XP - Compassion
 
I think that surveillance equipment hooked into our bugs is worth considering, if we're searching the city soon.

What it certainly is, is far too premature to start voting.
 
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