Brockton's Celestial Forge (Worm/Jumpchain)

FINALLY! Been waiting on miniaturization and efficiency forever. More relevant, it is hilarious as always the dichotomy between Joe and others. Lisa realizing Joe can go full throttle whenever he chooses and worrying about how long she can keep the Coil situation steady contrasted to Joe immediately deciding to go full throttle in relation to the Coil situation.
 
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Contessa, Ziz, and Zion's precog doesn't seem to be able to pick you up, instead returning a zero-sum error whenever they try to force the issue. They won't notice this until you garner enough attention for them to try and then they might take further measures to see what the problem is.
So in other words, given Joe's whole standing out lately thing, at the very least Contessa has probably noted that he no longer is plottable (assuming that she hadn't already from his previous attempts at anti-scrying tech).

That's fun. Er, will be fun. Not for Joe though.
 
I called it, he got the Worm Tinker power and Thinker protection imminently after being scanned by a Thinker during the event at the bar. Can't believe my joke turned out true though. Who has the link for the Perk tracker again? I'm kind of curious what the odds actually were.
 
That was frightening. What seemed to be completely smooth motions were actually being conducted in tiny bursts. Sub-micron scale movements with massive amounts of power behind them. The same principle Joe used through the mechanical assemblies he wore under his costume, but the effect applied to the man's entire body without a support system facilitating it. There was an immense amount of controlled power sitting in that chair and held in a way that masked it from all casual observation.
Hmm, that sounds quite a bit like Alexandria.
The power was pheromonal,
I assume this is meant to be 'phenomenal'
moving the glove out of site.
'sight'.
 
Also this chapter in a nutshell:

Lisa: I really hate not being able to predict Joe's power.
Survey: Same.
Matrix: FuckDAMMIT the nanobots are obsolete AGAIN.
Aisha: *Literally confused screaming*
 
So in other words, given Joe's whole standing out lately thing, at the very least Contessa has probably noted that he no longer is plottable (assuming that she hadn't already from his previous attempts at anti-scrying tech).

That's fun. Er, will be fun. Not for Joe though.
Nah, it's still just supplementary to Joe's existing anti-precog talismans, as stated in a previous WoG and in the chapter. Pretty much, Thinkers and Precogs can still "see" a fake version of Joe in their simulations, not the complete utter void that it would've been otherwise had it been just OCP.
 
Because now I was a tinker.

An actual parahuman tinker, not the pretend classification I had previously had. My parahuman power had just given me a complete parahuman power. It was mind boggling, both because something like that was apparently possible, and because of the revelation that came with it.

Tinkers cheated like motherfuckers.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! He got it! He got it!!!!! I am completely serious when I say that I had to stop reading for like 2 minutes when I read that first line because I was giggling like an ADHD schoolgirl on a sugar rush. Also, am I the only one who finds it hysterical that Joe thinks Tinkers cheat like motherfuckers when his power looks at Tinkers, scoffs, and mutters "Amateurs" because they aren't cheating enough? No, just me? Okay then.

The one thing I didn't expect was the power to inform him about Contessa, which is huge and I can't wait to see it down the line, but also Coil, which is even bigger at the moment because that is what allows Joe to figure out his relationship to The Undersiders. I cannot wait to see how this affects Joe's relationship with Lisa in the future, especially once he learns about Dinah.
 
well, that solves the contessa vs joe debate. i'm starting to think that the "power is rolled that completely obliterates a discussion going on immediately prior to the chapter dropping" phenomenon can be attributed in part to how active the thread gets around the time

the last line implies that we're entering the prophecied arc of the story where Joe starts to go out and be proactive and not have much time to spend in the workshop. which will probably quell the complaints about the pacing, or something. Also generally very exciting to see that we're seemingly entering a plot-heavy era of the story, and I'm starting to understand why LR described Somer's Rock as akin to a season finale.

Joe "Apeiron, the Enigmatic Artificer" Duris really called out Tinkers for cheating like a motherfucker in this chapter. let's all take a second to bask in the irony.
We got a new Wham Line everybody!
it's not a 600CP perk, so it doesn't get a wham line.

Does Joe actually wear a rig under his suit for efficiency of movement and I just forgot about that, or was Lisa's description of this based on her power drawing an incorrect conclusion? or was she talking about the micromanipulators?
So in other words, given Joe's whole standing out lately thing, at the very least Contessa has probably noted that he no longer is plottable (assuming that she hadn't already from his previous attempts at anti-scrying tech).

That's fun. Er, will be fun. Not for Joe though.
Why would it be fun for people who Aren't Joe?
I called it, he got the Worm Tinker power and Thinker protection imminently after being scanned by a Thinker during the event at the bar. Can't believe my joke turned out true though. Who has the link for the Perk tracker again? I'm kind of curious what the odds actually were.
it's specifically a perk that blocks pre-cogs and not thinkers generally.
 
Damn!
I swear someone mentioned what if he gained that exact perk a while back and how it most likely would come with Fiat backed protection against most people but to actually see it? madness absolute madness!
Seeing Lisa's perspective was great, it allowed me to see I may of been a little biased in how I thought she was, see her thoughts and emotions gave me a deeper understanding on why she was doing what she was doing, the fact she has noticed she was doing it and is having not only anger at the situation but also herself for thinking the way she is was something I felt was done greatly.
Furthermore seeing her contemplate how she could already be rid of Coil if she just allowed Aperion do go after him even if it would of been somewhat difficult and realising she had been the reason behind why it didn't happen was also a good touch.
Her reaction to the team, her realising he had known them just as long or in some cases longer than he had the undersiders and that she has missed it by choosing not to see it amazing, Her noting about how when he healed her and then did it again when he noticed her pain and how she looked to see what his motives where if he was trying to manipulate her only to find he was just being kind(Which is giving me major 12th doctor vibes), which she says is a prison on its own due to the fact it would make someone not want to leave even with the door open, she even notes how it is the practical option, though the segment on how their definition of safe would be different was also a nice touch.

In the end I'm just waiting for him to start whipping out Miniaturized and Extremely Efficient technology, especially with how it works with other powers and he has many that allow for things to function more efficiently and with less space, Can't wait for more on the meeting especially since we didn't get to see other reactions to his Battle Mediation and Strategic Thought Trance.

Edit- I totally forgot did Lisa just confirm she knows about Dinah being Kidnapped because it was alluded to but never outright stated that she knew? Coil is utterly screwed regardless what ever he pulls out of his ass Joe will not be able to stand letting a what 12? be chained up, drugged and pumped through thinker head after thinker headache for a man with a snake fetish.
Cant wait to see how that eventually plays out but again damn this chapter was good.
 
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The Travelers didn't care. What assessment her power had been able to pull from the team was almost sad, or it would have been if it hadn't been so worrying. They were so fixated on the prospect of a cure, or getting help and escaping their situation that they didn't even consider the risks. Too long living next to the danger. They'd become numb to it. An S-Class threat that could end the world was just another member of the group, someone to be pitied rather than feared.

There was something off about the mentality of that team, more than their circumstances could explain. She couldn't place it, but for a different reason than the obstructions she had been struggling with until March's death. It was a kind of twisted instability that wove itself through every member of that group. A subtle wrongness that she probably would never have noticed without full access in the wake of March's influence vanishing from the city.

Coil didn't care. Either he didn't see it, or he assumed his power was sufficient to protect him. Just another contingency meant to stack the deck in his favor. It was displayed so blatantly that she had to wonder if he knew. If somehow he had discerned her plans, picked apart her actions, his subversions. He loved to hint at the actions he had taken in his disposable timelines. Acquiring analysis that she didn't remember providing, revealing secrets that could only be acquired through extremely costly action, or even implying consequences for crimes that no one would remember.


The Travelers need to be shot, especially Krouse and Luke. As Lisa said: putting cape that powerful like Apeiron next to Noelle and hoping for the best? Let's say Joe can't help. How does Krouse react? Like a man child and teleports Joe right into Noelle's path in a fit of anger and gets Joe swallowed up by Noelle to be cloned. Too late for regrets, he's just killed them all right then and there.



Coil was making a play. He was going to push for something at this meeting, something significant.

Doing something stupid like claim he's really Joe's boss levels of stupid? That will be fun. Let's see how Joe deals with that if that happens.

There was no going back to the old days of hiding in my Workshop. It was time to act.

Well, he can still use his workshop to hide from the Simurgh, can't he? Less hiding in his workshop and more a retreat point. That's where his stuff still is.

Edit: I was wondering why i was getting so many funny tags. Ok, so Joe is immune to pre cog and post cog. So, he won't be hiding in his workshop.
 
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BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! He got it! He got it!!!!! I am completely serious when I say that I had to stop reading for like 2 minutes when I read that first line because I was giggling like an ADHD schoolgirl on a sugar rush. Also, am I the only one who finds it hysterical that Joe thinks Tinkers cheat like motherfuckers when his power looks at Tinkers, scoffs, and mutters "Amateurs" because they aren't cheating enough? No, just me? Okay then.

The one thing I didn't expect was the power to inform him about Contessa, which is huge and I can't wait to see it down the line, but also Coil, which is even bigger at the moment because that is what allows Joe to figure out his relationship to The Undersiders. I cannot wait to see how this affects Joe's relationship with Lisa in the future, especially once he learns about Dinah.
The biggest is actually not Coil, not the Simurgh, even not Contessa. It's the fact that Joe is aware that OCP is protecting him from Scion. As in, he is now aware that Scion is seen as a threat by his power.

The Endbringers are terrifying, but they're known threats. Contessa is more unknown to Joe, but at least he has an idea that she is on the scale of the Endbringers. But Scion. Scion is undoubtedly the strongest existence in Worm. It's not even a question - Joe himself initially wondered on Scion and how Scion's activities were one of the two things that could mess with precog, the other being Triggers. But even then, he had no clue that Scion was a threat. Now that Joe is aware though, he could now ask his passenger on what it thinks of Scion, and the results should be self-explanatory.
 
ahahahahahah! He did blank durring the meeting, right after the anti-thinker gear was set up. Hah.

now that it's out of my system, poor Lisa, she thought she was in the shallows, only to look down and realize she was in the deep ocean.
All that aside, it's an interesting parallel between Lisa / Joe's relationship to that of Joe and his family. Mind you, it's not the same, but the theme of " Trapped by Kindness" is there regardless, which is an interesting point of note.

And now, the ball starts rolling...
I'm really looking forwards to the meeting, as it's going to be truely interetesting given how Joe just table-flipped the power dynamics involved.
 
Joe before M&E: I am all kinds of ridiculous being invisible to thinkers all around and fitting an Olympic swimming pools worth of tech into a wrist watch.
Joe after M&E: Yeah everyone remember that multistory mech that punted Lung to the moon I can scrunch that down to the size of a hair pin now and still have all the BIGGERTONS of kick ass at the ready.
 
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BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! He got it! He got it!!!!! I am completely serious when I say that I had to stop reading for like 2 minutes when I read that first line because I was giggling like an ADHD schoolgirl on a sugar rush. Also, am I the only one who finds it hysterical that Joe thinks Tinkers cheat like motherfuckers when his power looks at Tinkers, scoffs, and mutters "Amateurs" because they aren't cheating enough? No, just me? Okay then.

The one thing I didn't expect was the power to inform him about Contessa, which is huge and I can't wait to see it down the line, but also Coil, which is even bigger at the moment because that is what allows Joe to figure out his relationship to The Undersiders. I cannot wait to see how this affects Joe's relationship with Lisa in the future, especially once he learns about Dinah.
Imagine Joe meets Contessa and she's running an incomplete model of him which presupposes he will be caught off guard by something she does, and he greets her by name, with familiarity in his eyes, and so utterly composed despite giving the impression he's aware of the Bogeyman and finds it completely harmless in person.
 
The biggest is actually not Coil, not the Simurgh, even not Contessa. It's the fact that Joe is aware that OCP is protecting him from Scion. As in, he is now aware that Scion is seen as a threat by his power.

The Endbringers are terrifying, but they're known threats. Contessa is more unknown to Joe, but at least he has an idea that she is on the scale of the Endbringers. But Scion. Scion is undoubtedly the strongest existence in Worm. It's not even a question - Joe himself initially wondered on Scion and how Scion's activities were one of the two things that could mess with precog, the other being Triggers. But even then, he had no clue that Scion was a threat. Now that Joe is aware though, he could now ask his passenger on what it thinks of Scion, and the results should be self-explanatory.
Oh shit I your right, I didn't even realise that yeah that would let him know that Scion has Pre-Cog capabilities on par with Simurgh, Contessa and Coil.
With how the Celestial Forge responds to dangers though I think he would need to actually ask if Scion is a danger otherwise he might just go like- "Huh Scion is a Pre-Cog, and he's still late to Endbringer fights" without giving it a second of consideration.
 
Imagine Joe meets Contessa and she's running an incomplete model of him which presupposes he will be caught off guard by something she does, and he greets her by name, with familiarity in his eyes, and so utterly composed despite giving the impression he's aware of the Bogeyman and finds it completely harmless in person.

Contessa stepping out of a portal: "Hello Apeiron. My name -"
Joe: "Oh, Contessa! Hi. I've been expecting you."
Contessa: "......."
Joe: "Can I get something to eat or drink? Maybe a perfectly constructed sandwich or some tea?"
Contessa: "DOOR TO ANYWHERE BUT HERE!!!!!"
 
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Someone brought it up on Discord but would Joe's Tinker power be able to bud off?
On if getting the Worm Miniaturization and Efficiency perk would mean budding and if parahumans close to Joe can get a bud/trigger again:
Still deciding on whether Joe's Armsmaster powers could bud, but if so I'll be excluding parahumans as precipitants. Even though it's not a shard anymore it connects to the same stuff, so it would be mutually exclusive.

Are Joe's AIs capable of triggering? Are Garment and Tetra?:
Joe's AIs would need to develop a bit more to be able to trigger, and even then it wouldn't be easy. Dragon was technically a second generation trigger and even she needed very particular circumstances to trigger. Most causes of triggers wouldn't make sense for an AI, and Joe is unlikely to let them get into a state where they could trigger. So possible, but not that realistic an outcome. Garment and Tetra would be too out of context to be able to trigger since Shards would have no idea how or what they were supposed to connect with for either of them.

That is only the case for normal triggers. One of the options for the Worm Jump is the possibility of the doc's parahuman powers budding. If I decide to go that way with Joe his Miniaturization and Efficiency power could bud to any being he had an emotional connection to that was advanced enough to be counted as a companion by the standards of Jumpchain. Note the categorization of the power would be based on what caused the trigger while the nature would be related to Miniaturization and Efficiency in some way. It could be breaker, brute, blaster, mover, or whatever was connected to the triggering event, but there would be some theme of efficiency or mounting complexity to the power.
 
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