Well, that happened.
We seem to have come dangerously close to breaking [Dream] a few times this update but it looks like we evaded that outcome and may have even "gotten away" with consequences like with [Cleaver] when we touched Petal's tree and presumably massively increased our grasp of it and how to better use it.
The true tragedy however, lies further out. For beyond this small number of motes, you now perceive a hundred trillion tiny points of similar light drifting alone through the expanse. A galaxy of uncountable shimmering specks stretching out into a vast sparklingly tapestry of all that can ever be.
It would be beautiful, were it not the saddest picture one could ever behold. Your connection is the exception and not the rule.
…this will not do.
The two of you press and sway off each other, moving in ways together that it would be impossible for others to do alone. You draw closer to the nearby Motes, soon they shall be added to the dance.
One by one, you will fix the greatest injustice of creation.
No more separation, there must only be Communion.
Uh oh.
uhhhhh ohhhh. Is [Dream]'s purpose to enact the Human Instrumentality Project? Is this a SEELE origin story?
It feels half unreal, like something that happened and also didn't. You were yourself, but also not. The way you spoke to a God… you would never be that blunt and honest. The memory of what you thought and felt seems more like a caricature of you, a hyper-realisation. Thinking back on it, you could almost doubt that it was more than a flight of fancy or vivid imagining.
My initial impression was that, being a Flow Ethea, Lilly was essentially unable to do anything but express her true thoughts there. It's less a caricature and more that her feelings and emotions were expressed with absolutely zero filter. Not going to lie, I was a bit worried at the start of that conversation that what happened to Micah was going to lead to an inversion with how she was talking to Aurora.
From your mind which exists somewhere between the body and soul yet within neither, exudes your Wake. A constant outward pressure against the natural dissolvent exterior of reality, a bulwark pushing back the void of thoughtlessness and staking its claim. Your Wake is both physical and not, extending some distance from you but never in a way that can be exactly measured. To it, distance is not a metric to be recorded, but the idea of closeness itself. Your Wake touches that which it is 'near' to, and nothing else. That may take time to understand.
First impression again is one of the more straightforward interpretations that the closeness is a kind of emotional/mental closeness. I note mental there because I think emotional might portray too narrow a definition. I would imagine Lilly's family to read as "close" because of their emotional connections to one another. Myah too, as a friend. But also Martin since his throwing his lot in with us means our presence in his thoughts would be stronger - we're no longer some random peasant. And it works with negative connections too,
Senus may read as closer than the baseline too because we ended up on his radar.
Within your soul, Flow moves as an unbound ocean. Outside it, Flow is channelled, diverted and pushs against this regimented systemized structure that pervades your entire surroundings stretching out farther than you can see.
Hmm, this reminds me of that one test with the Loremaster from 1.5:
The ribbon is more perplexing, natural energy just doesn't flow through it right. Flow isn't even the right word really. What is normally a fuzzy current becomes instead a sharp series of precise shapes and angles within. Natural energy is forced along unnatural and artificial pathways before exiting as a disjointed and twisted mess which slowly returns to the normal as it spreads back out into its surrounds. Perplexing.
Except Lilly was following the "natural energy" which was her name for Essence back then. Was the Loremaster's item pushing Essence through the Construct channels or is it just a coincidence? That "Flow" is literally name dropped incidentally makes me all the more suspicious!
The energy that was always lost on the upbeats of a {Pulse Surge} is now expressed in a new form. Potent visceral Heat. After just a couple of heartbeats, your skin would evaporate water; push it further and you can grow so hot as to have your natural balmy glow instead become a visible radiant red. The air sizzling and billowing away from the insane temperatures your body, your blood can now exude.
Eat your heart out, Solaire, we shall become grossly incandescent and a new sun unto the world.
Hmm, and now to think on our options...
The Lion and the Snake - I am inclined to advocate pretty hard on Valerie's behalf, honestly. As for
how, I think we can very sternly point out that we have suffered great pain here as well. Ideally, if we can speak with Martin alone we can tell him that whatever was controlling Valerie was enough to push us hard so the entity pulling her strings certainly seems like it's capable of having turned her into a victim herself. If nothing else, she likely has very valuable information and we want to know it (but be careful with this so it doesn't lead to less savory means of extracting that info on the Watch's part.) Plus I feel like it goes with [Shine]'s concept to do so.
Constraints and Thought - I am personally on the "use this cautiously and reluctantly" team. However, I very much do think it's an open question if that's in line with the Ethea's
intent. As we learned with [Dream] if Ethea are goals then I think we have to think hard about what Aurora's intent is here. I can't deny the possibility that she indeed means for its wielders to use it as a means to force evildoers to be good. In that context, the tests Lilly had to pass to qualify for it is meant to ascertain that it is only handed out to someone who shares a similar view of good and evil as Aurora herself and that having met that we're meant to "do her will" that she is restrained from by acting as an instrument of her's on the mortal plane and convert people to good by any means. However, even if that's the case - and I'm not sure it is!, I personally don't want to walk that path so I'd prefer to take it in a direction of becoming a kind of inspiring hero who reaches out with compassion to those we think we can redeem and people being swayed by our example to follow of their own volition. Probably not the best for our safety but playing on hard mode can be fun!
Wilting and Loss - Ugh, this is tough. I'm inclined to tell Evie to rest. We'll find a way. Evie is already the reason everyone didn't just
die, having her sacrifice even more just because she may be able to help would be too sad.
The one who Cries Alone - We're going to help, but I don't think opening a link
right now is the right idea. I think we should talk to Martin first. If necessary, provide the fact that through Concordance we know that either us or Waters will kill the other so a conflict is likely close to unavoidable and given that we need to know our options.
The Necessary Acts - Bloomling is my top priority right now. Then probably Zach. If forced to commit to just one, I'd say we discover the truth of our name. If we're leaving Harmuph in the near future this may become more difficult if we don't do so now.
The Madam's offer - Accept her offer. If we turn her down I'm concerned she'll just jump to her next best option which for our luck could be Waters. She may be a bit shady but better to be able to keep an eye on her.
Myah and Me - Tell Martin her family situation. Make it clear she's not returning. Also talk to Myah herself because she walked into one heck of a sight there at our house.
All in all, I think that leaves me thinking something like this as a first draft:
[ ] [TLatS] Inform the Watch that based on your confrontation you have reached the conclusion that Valerie was likely under the influence of a particularly powerful entity, one which you have managed to expunge from her. Your working theory is that she herself is a victim of this entity and it's your wish to see what she knows when she wakes up and to forestall any judgment until then. If met with friction to this arrangement, coldly point out what happened to your family this day and that the Watch is not alone in having suffered tragedy from her this day. If she is indeed a victim herself then taking out their anger and grief on her is not justice but savagery.
[ ] [CaT] Cautious and restrained. To deny others their own Will strayed to close to being a hypocrite, I would be careful and measured.
[ ] [WaL] I told Evie to sleep. I wouldn't let her kill herself for me.
[ ] [TowCA] Leave the door closed, for now.
-[][TowCA] Inform Martin of Cleaver's report that suggests a fatal clash between you and Waters is likely inevitable. Given that, it would be folly to think you could avoid a confrontation. Ask after our options for such a conflict and remind him of both Kaynie's information as well as if your ability to open a link to her would add any additional options. You will save her.
[ ] [TNA] Valerie called me 'Bloomling', like it meant something. The hillock out west, the secret of my name. I have already put it off too long.
[ ] [TMo] I decided I would take a risk with the Madam. It didn't feel right to turn her away.
[ ] [MnM] Inform Captain Martin of Myah's family situation and make clear that she will not be returning to an abusive household. If possible, check after Myah herself, while not nearly as traumatic as what your family experienced, to have walked into such a situation with you after the emotional turmoil of the day could not have been easy on her.
Powers and such I think I'd like more time to stew on, spreadsheet update, etc. Glad to see I wasn't the only one who immediately thought Soul-Bond to Micah might work... even if it got shot down.
