Thanks for the chapter.
Lots to unpack here. The first encouraging/worrying thing is of course Alma being on her way to Warp Godhood. Thoug of more immediate interest would be the remaining part of the outfit that she got from Joe. The Dress probably makes transitioning from normal time to the Spiriton acceleration much easier. It is something to protect her from the Environment, and at divine levels the secondary protection effects are likely significant. Not even mentioning that it is a Princess dress and all that can be derived from that. In story it was also pointed out that people adapt themself to the clothes they are wearing.
There is also the Tiara. Depending on how it is interpreted this could very well allow her to focus much better. Not as an imposition but an added capablility. I am the most unsure about this item, but would think it might be almost as significant for her as Ren is for Aisha.
Of course I think the most significant item that Alma has right now is The TEDDY BEAR. All caps necessary. What does a Teddy bear do for people, children especially, but adults not excluded? It provides comfort, a companion to talk to. Someone that is on their side no matter what. Someone that you can count on to protect you from the monsters under your bed and ward of nightmares.
Taken to Divine levels of Aperions craftmanship... I'd give it good odds that this one can protect you from an Endbringer.
If Alma can get into a better headspace than I think the contact with Joe is part of it, though I would say the Teddy Bear could contribute just as much.
The Coffee date is either going to be an unimaginable success or a just as unimaginable disaster. The later would probably require rolling something extremely obvious during it, which can't be caught ahead of time by Fortune energy.
If The Matrix accompanies Aperion to the Bomb removal I would be very interested in what the PRT and Civilians are making out of a very crafting focues member of the Forge.
Aisha focusing more on being the human element instead of increasing her combat and Tinker power surprised me. Positivley of course but still. I knew that no matter how much she trained up, her ability to meaningfully increase combat or Tinker abilites of the Team was approaching zero. I think it speaks greatly of her maturity that she found another way forward that is very foreshadowed in retrospect.
Also if it gets out that the extremely high level stranger can probably infiltrate every location she cares to on skill alone before she even starts using her power no one will be worried. At all. Totally chill, like having someone walk over your grave.
Last but certainly not least we have the Slaughter of the nine coming up. Is it just me or does the confrontation lineup go scarily well?
Joe vs Jack. Leader against Leader, with Joe giving the "Reason you suck" speach to the guy who did the same to a lot of people aided by his shard
Garment vs Shaterbird. The Artist letting a pretender to it know what is what.
Proto Aima vs Bonesaw. Biological Horror against someone who used Biology as horror.
Kataklyzein vs Crawler. Combat Junkie against Masochist. There is no way this can go wrong
Fleet vs Sibirian. Manton who has enjoyed remote controlling a 'vehicle' of destruction will not enjoy having his vehicle remote piloted to his destruction
Survey vs Cherish. One who is all about knowing, really considers how it emotionally impacts interactions and can let it not impact her against the one who is all about emotional impact without knowing anything.
The Matrix vs Mannequin. The obviously inhuman mindset of one who builds for purpose against the one who carved away his humanity to destroy all like that.
Lethe vs Burnscar. Water against Fire, do I need to say more?
The personality's even contrast pretty well, I'd say the only thing I am reasonably uncertain about is switching Kataklyzein and Fleets battle around for the catfight joke. Otherwise just compare the way these people behave and you see some real similarities. We know everyone could body the entire Nine by now without any issue. But this is going to be a spectactle to destroy the legacy of the Nine, having individual executioners might make it more impactful. Or it could do the reverse, mostly it will depend on how Aperion is going to frame it.
The alternative is of course to just oneshoot them all and monolouge.
I am assuming that Joe will at the very least stream it, alongside his comittment of reversing all the damage done by the Nine.
