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ToothMaker said:
Er, why? I think I'm missing some canon here. :wat2:
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One of Asmodeus' minor agreements was broken, by him. This led to a cascade of agreements failing, and how each of Tiamat's demotions was planned in a calculated way to make her completely subservient to the lord of the ninth hell. Dragons don't do subservient well, even the good ones (though if you treat them well, they're less likely to eat you afterwards). Plus, with multiple agreements broken, most of Tiamat's power was returned to her. If she was pissed about becoming Asmodeus' lap dog, she became absolutely furious that he was scheming to take her power as his own.

By the time Asmodeus realized this - about 10 minutes after the fact - and was getting ready to try to negotiate a settlement, Tiamat gave his loyal servants (including the current lord of Avernus and the previous one, and their servants) a hearty "Fuck You!", and slagged most of the plane. Another twenty years after that, we find her in the state she was in at the start of her interlude.

Asmodeus did as much damage control as he could, and had his forces preemptively move on any assets of Tiamat's before she could utilize them against his interests and schemes. Finding nothing left, Tiamat sat in the remains of her last hall...

With nothing left to lose, she sought forgiveness for what she had done, hoping to die as punishment.
She found out that with nothing left to lose, you have everything to gain.

Asmodeus, however, has had an open civil war on his hands for the last century, and no one archfiend can get the upper hand in the struggle.
 
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Tiamat knocks on Asmodeus' Front Door with Bahamut calming sitting next to her
Tiamat: "Hello, the two of us have something we want to talk to you about."
All the dragons appear behind them
Tiamat: "Oh, and everyone else might as well."
Asmodeus: "Oh... me."
 
Pyro Hawk said:
Depends on what 'knock on his door' and 'talk to you about' mean really...
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No, it really doesn't. Unless your name is Virgil and your safety during the guided tour is being ensured by an incredibly powerful deity then you really don't want to willingly step foot in an abyssal or infernal realm. Doing so is a great way to find yourself unable to ever leave. And remember, Tia was only able to leave the first time due to Azmodeus making a mistake that allowed Tia to reclaim her innate power. Do you really think he isn't going to have contingencies to reclaim all her power and re-enslave Tia for the rest of her life if she's ever stupid enough to step foot in the Nine Hells again?
 
sdwood said:
That's not the case. Glass is an amorphous solid, and most emphatically does not flow.
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Yes, it does, on long-enough timescales. IIRC, they measured how much the glass in old cathedral windows had sagged over time, and yes, it -had- sagged slightly over the last few hundred years.

On second thoughts, I'm no longer certain, something about them finding out that the medieval glass-smiths intentionally made the glass panes slightly saggy to generate a ripple effect, but I can't remember off the top of my head, I literally woke up less than half an hour ago, and I have work today, so I can't go wiki-trawling right now. v.v
 
Vyrexuviel said:
Yes, it does, on long-enough timescales. IIRC, they measured how much the glass in old cathedral windows had sagged over time, and yes, it -had- sagged slightly over the last few hundred years.

On second thoughts, I'm no longer certain, something about them finding out that the medieval glass-smiths intentionally made the glass panes slightly saggy to generate a ripple effect, but I can't remember off the top of my head, I literally woke up less than half an hour ago, and I have work today, so I can't go wiki-trawling right now. v.v
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It's one of those "well-known facts" that is somewhat lacking in the "fact" department. Your second thought is accurate. Oh, sure, there is an element of truth there, glass can be a liquid. Just... Not at human bearable temperatures.
 
FaerieKnight79 said:
No, it really doesn't. Unless your name is Virgil and your safety during the guided tour is being ensured by an incredibly powerful deity then you really don't want to willingly step foot in an abyssal or infernal realm. Doing so is a great way to find yourself unable to ever leave. And remember, Tia was only able to leave the first time due to Azmodeus making a mistake that allowed Tia to reclaim her innate power. Do you really think he isn't going to have contingencies to reclaim all her power and re-enslave Tia for the rest of her life if she's ever stupid enough to step foot in the Nine Hells again?
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To be fair, it's not just Virgil who'd be able to do that. Vergil would also handle it just fine >>w>>
 
Everyone is correct in assuming that Tia would like to have a chat with ol' greasy beard, but not in the Nine Hells because, you know, contingencies. However, someone else would like to have a chat with Asmodeus (I imagine a whole lot of beings would, actually). Io would like to discuss the fact that Asmodeus' schemes have unforeseen consequences, namely him getting involved in things. The end result would be... unpleasant.
 
Mikowmer said:
It's one of those "well-known facts" that is somewhat lacking in the "fact" department. Your second thought is accurate. Oh, sure, there is an element of truth there, glass can be a liquid. Just... Not at human bearable temperatures.
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Also, glass chemistry is rather more complicated than most people think, and actual mineral content of old glass can be very variable. Especially colored glass.

There are materials that are technically glass but behave quite differently, and phosphorus or magnesium in the mix can produce ... interesting... results for example. Some are even water-soluble to some degree or other.

So yeah, it's not completely out of the question that some types of glass could actually flow chemically, by dissolving and precipitating like opal. But I do note that this hasn't to my knowledge been proven to happen in any known medieval windows.
 
Vyrexuviel said:
Yes, it does, on long-enough timescales. IIRC, they measured how much the glass in old cathedral windows had sagged over time, and yes, it -had- sagged slightly over the last few hundred years.
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That's not accurate either - that was the assumption of the people who did the study, but afterwards two important facts were pointed out:
1) Glass making was not as accurate precise when those windows were made as it is now, resulting in the glass having uneven thickness to begin with, and
2) For stability, window makers of the time would take the (guaranteed to be uneven thickness) glass, and put the thickest (thus strongest) part at the bottom

That meant that to someone who expected glass to have been made with the perfect even thickness of modern techniques, seeing glass thicker at the bottom made them think "Oh! It must have sagged due to age! Glass flows!" - when it had not.
 
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Downtime 3.7 Missy's Mothers' Day Shopping Misadventures VII
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    • Mirikixen Manor, Evening of the same day

    "Well, that sees that lot off to their punishment," Nils said as he dealt with the aftermath of the idiots trying to rob his guest. "I doubt the one will last more than two weeks at hard labor."

    Ella had joined her husband in his study. "We have well wishes to Missy from several parties, reminders that this event isn't typical of normal life in the city." She pulled out a small box made of a lustrous black metal. "And this arrived from the office of Rannoc el Kurik, the Caliph's ambassador to Sigil, who was present in the area when the fireball went off.

    "The letter included was actually very courteously worded, for the Ifrit Caliphate to a non-Ifrit. Well wishes, hope you are uninjured, may you crush your enemies, and so on." Ella opened the box. "And there's this." Resting in a velvet lining was a ring. Made of gold, and set with a ruby, in an example of exquisite Ifrit craftsmanship. "I suspect it's a ring to ward against fire."

    Nils nodded. "It certainly looks to be one. Meanwhile, the attack is probably why the Lady is off on a tear. Two different organizations have been dismantled. We probably won't find a third of them, and what's left of another third we'll need buckets for." He sighed. "We only know what's happening because the remaining third have been turning themselves in in droves and surrendering."

    Ella chuckled. "She does have that effect."

    "How is Vespa?" Nils asked.

    "Unhappy she got stripped," Ella replied, "but glad that things weren't messier. She's already told me she's down to her last couple of uniforms, so I'll be placing an order by courier. I've given her the rest of the day off."

    There was a knock at the front door, which was followed by the quiet conversation of one of the maids with whomever was there. "Sir," the girl's voice called from the entry, "I think you need to talk to this person."

    "A moment, dear," Nils said to his wife, getting up to talk to the new arrival.

    The figure at the door was wearing a black cloak which covered it head to toe. In fact, there was no indication of anyone or anything inside of it, just a mithril medallion in the shape of a spoked wheel hanging at the neck. "Hello, sir," an eerily creepy voice burbled. "Is Melissa Biron available? I need to talk to her for a little bit before I arrange for her transport home."

    Nils had seen the medallion, one of two known to exist, and smiled. "Please, come in, and I'll send for Melissa." A quick word to the maid who had answered the door had her running off to find Missy and bring her to the parlor.

    = - = - = - = - =​

    Missy had been relaxing in the solar, which was off the library. Ample windows let in a lot of light, which made reading easier, but lugging the books back and forth made reading a real workout. She wondered if something like this could count towards her mandatory exercise time back home.

    Mela had been chattering a mile a minute, proof that even though they were essentially the same person, they had completely different personalities. I wonder what I'd've been like if my parents hadn't fought, she thought to herself, if I hadn't Triggered. Would I have been as unstoppably cheerful as Mela?

    "Excuse me," came the voice of one of the maids. "Miss Biron, you have someone who wishes to talk to you and the Master in the parlor."

    Missy got out of the chair, and followed the maid down to the parlor, where she could hear Nils talking with someone who sounded like something creepy trying real hard to be extra creepy. As she reached the door to the parlor, she took note of the cloaked figure sitting in the chair, calmly drinking some tea as she made smalltalk with her host.

    She could sense that there were spatial shenanigans going on, especially with the hood of the cloak.

    "What's one more bit of weirdness today?" Missy grumbled to herself, then squared her shoulders and walked into the room. She took note of the medallion the animate article of clothing was wearing.

    "Hello, Missy," the cloak said, it's voice suddenly sounding normal and very familiar. A pair of gloves that looked like clawed hands reached up and removed the hood, revealing a familiar, if somewhat older, version of herself. "I'm here to talk to you for a bit, and get you back home."

    - - - - - - - - - -​

    "First, I would like to apologize for any inconvenience," the older Missy explained. "These things occasionally happen, and no one has complete control over all the spatial twists that keep the anomaly of Sigil stable and smoothly running.

    "It appears you were pulled here to destabilize things just a little bit," she continued, "which would draw Her attention and require Her to do something."

    "That's all well and good," Missy said. "However, what'll I tell the people back home? I've been here for four days, and the PRT and Protectorate have probably turned the city upside down looking for me."

    "Last a friend of mine checked, Theo's only been waiting for you for just under 30 minutes now." At the younger Missy's confused look, she smiled. "Time doesn't flow between here and Earth at the same rate. He's starting to get concerned, but not overly so. Yet."

    "That… I should have expected that; my smartphone clock has advanced that much. Weird. How long do I have before we leave?"

    "I figure until after dinner. I had planned to see little Mela while I was here." She looked at Missy. "I understand how hard this must've been, seeing a version of your family that was actually stable. There are more versions of our family that are than aren't, but for those of us from broken homes and families, it can be hard."

    - - - - - - - - - -​

    As dinnertime rolled around, Mela appeared with a soft 'whumpf' sound. "Auntie Cloak!" she exclaimed, giving the older Missy a hug.

    "Hey, kiddo," she said as she returned the hug. "Been a while, it looks like you've grown."

    "Uhuh, a whole couple of inches!" Mela pouted, an odd look on her draconic features. "Missy's still taller."

    Ella patted her daughter on the shoulder. "Time will solve that problem soon enough. Dinner's ready, so let's eat."

    "Yay!" Mela was off into the dining room, where tonight's dinner was… hamburgers? Cheeseburgers, actually. Almost exactly like what she could get at Fugly Bob's.

    "I think out of all the weird things I've seen lately," Missy grumbled, "this has to take the cake. Cheeseburgers, in a medieval fantasy city?"

    "Yes, Melissa, cheeseburgers," Nils answered. "What were you expecting, roast turkey legs? Blame a bunch of feline travelers coming through for this one, asking 'I can has cheeseburger?' to every tavern owner and innkeeper. It took nearly three months to find out what a cheeseburger was, and then things went easier, and those blasted cats were finally happy. As it turns out, most races like hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and even the vegetable substitute for a burger the elves came up with. Consider it one of the many oddities of the multiverse, and eat your dinner." Nils had finished with a mock-stern voice.

    Missy, Mela, and 'Auntie Cloak' grinned. "Yes, sir!" they said in unison, and dug into their respective cheeseburgers. Missy found the fries exceptionally good too, nice and crispy on the outside, and just right on the inside.

    - - - - - - - - - -​

    After dinner Missy and Melissa retired to Missy's guest room to pack things up, and so Missy could change back into her everyday street clothes for Brockton Bay. While she waited the older Melissa busied herself doing something to the pockets of Missy's jacket.

    As she put it on, Missy could sense the spatial shenanigans that had been inflicted on her jacket's pockets. "So, what did you just do?" she asked, fascinated by what her Power was telling her.

    "A little trick a friend showed me," Melissa replied. "You should be able to hide all your recent purchases until you get home. Don't worry, they're stable." She reached into a pocket in her cloak and pulled out a book and a nicely wrapped gift. "The book is yours. I recommend not letting anyone else see it for now. Practice the exercises, and learn to apply them."

    "What is it?" Missy looked at the title of the book, Tips and Tricks on how to Math the Multiverse, 2nd​ Edition. The cover image she found -- fascinating.

    "A practical guide to making space your bitch," Melissa replied, with an evil grin. "It may take you a while, but it covers a lot of things you should be able to do with your powers. And, of course, coming up with your own tricks."

    Missy put on her jacket, holding her street shoes in hand. "Yeah, I have a few. What's the gift?"

    "Something for Aunt Kayden," Melissa answered as she helped make sure that nothing was left behind. "Mine liked it when I gave it to her, yours probably will, too."

    "What is it?"

    "A sunstone in a desk stand. It produces sunlight." Melissa replied as she checked the bathroom. "You want anything in here?"

    "Nope, I'm good," Missy answered back.

    "One last thing, then." Melissa knelt down to be at eye level with Missy. "Your medallion. Besides letting you comprehend and speak most written and spoken languages, it also keeps you from harm should you find yourself in, say, a hard vacuum, or a plain of fire and lava. It will also allow you to find your way back here. The unlimited credit thing, though, only works here in Sigil. Don't be surprised if some ugly guy with a talking skull projection tries to get you to kill him. You can't right now. He's cursed, and it'll be a while before he can pass peacefully. Oh, and make sure your phone isn't on airplane mode."

    Standing back up, Melissa looked at her younger self. "Shall we say our goodbyes, then?"

    - - - - - - - - - -​

    There were hugs and tears as Missy said her goodbyes. Nils, Mela and Ella watched as the pair walked through the gate onto the road and faded from view.

    "And there goes our guest," Nils mused. "I quite liked her, but having more than one of them in the house is always asking for trouble."

    "Missy's a good, well-mannered girl, despite her broken home," Ella added. "I hope she can start getting matters settled."

    "I'm gonna miss her," Mela said through her sniffles.

    = - = - = - = - =​

    One minute Missy was walking through the gate of Mirikixen Manor with an older version of herself, and the next she was walking up behind Theo, alone, although she did think she heard a whispered "Good luck", though it wasn't the elder Melissa's voice. Her phone vibrated, and she pulled it out. There was a message from Theo, sent about fifteen minutes ago.

    T: Missy, where are you?

    Missy grinned mischievously, and quickly typed in a response.

    M: About six feet behind you.

    She pressed send, and waited. Theo got the message and didn't jump when he turned around and looked at her, then sighed with relief. "Where have you been the last half hour?" he asked, offering her a chair at the table.

    "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Missy said. "I'm not quite sure I believe it. And here." She reached into one of her jacket pockets and pulled out the previously wrapped present the elder Melissa had given her. It was already labeled as being "To: Mom, From: Theo".

    Theo looked at the box like it might turn into a snake and bite him, or explode. "What's this?"

    "A gift for your mom. It's a desktop sun lamp."

    Theo scowled at Missy. "I won't ask how you know," he finally said.

    "I recognized her voice," Missy said quietly. "Don't worry, I won't talk."

    Theo nodded, then relaxed. "Did you find something for your mom?"

    "I did. I think she'll love it."

    = - = - = - = - =​

    Epilogue 1
    Scottish Highlands

    "Not a very pleasant place," Spot grumbled as he padded alongside Luna. "At least the game is plentiful."

    "And I thank you for sharing," Luna said. "Seriously, thanks."

    "Not a problem. You saved my life by giving me food, it's the least I can do."

    They were walking along what they thought was a wagon trail, with two wide wheel ruts running between fieldstone walls. Occasionally sheep would watch Spot as they passed by, with the wolf sometimes making comments about the good condition of the animals.

    Soon, they heard an unfamiliar noise. A wagon that wasn't being drawn by anything was coming up the trail behind them, illuminating the late afternoon gloom with a pair of very bright lamps.

    A figure dressed in working clothes came out of the wagon, her red streaked steel grey hair tied back in a bun.

    "You two are early," she said in fairly good common, though it had an odd accent. "Took me a while to find you."

    "If you are the one we are supposed to meet, what is…" Luna said only to be interrupted.

    "Buried in the flow of time," the woman stated. "I'm Lady Rachel McSommerland, maga Ordo Hermetis. Climb in and you can tell me why you're here, Luna Inverse and Spot."

    - - - - - - - - - -​

    Epilogue 2
    Brockton Bay, Youth Guard Offices, five days later

    It wasn't often Cora Freeman had Wards coming to her. She was well aware of the reputation the previous administration of the Youth Guard had fostered, one of open hostility and hindrance of the PRT and Wards. They'd found evidence of a Master at work, spent time determining how far the rot had gotten, and then cleaned it out. Many things had been corrected, but it was still odd to have a Ward sitting in her office at the Ward's request.

    "So, Miss Biron, what can I do for you?" she asked.

    "Before I get into details," Missy said in a low voice, "I'll let you know that I'm not doing this to spite my parents, whom I do love very much. However, as I'm still in the same environment that caused my Trigger at home, and I can't get them to sit down and actually talk things out, I need some help." Having said that, she pushed an envelope over to the woman. "I don't think they realize what they're doing to me."

    Cora opened the envelope, and began reading the contents. She read the summaries the Doctors Yamada and Beales had written regarding Missy's mentions of the emotionally abusive environment at home, and the summaries about Missy's Trigger event.

    Missy, for her part, stayed silent while the woman read.

    "So, what do you want to do, Missy?" Cora finally asked.

    "What can be done?" Missy asked in return.

    "Well, on the extreme end, we could pull you from the home, and put you in foster care, or in the care of a relative in the area who would take you; in rare cases maybe close acquaintances that meet the fostering guidelines. Or we could charge one of your parents with child abuse with possible prison time and force sole custody to the other with little or no visitation rights. More likely, we can probably get them court ordered counseling for their issues. The downside to that is that you're still in that toxic environment."

    "There are no easy solutions, are there?"

    "I'm afraid not," Cora said, with a good deal of sympathy for Missy's situation. "I really wish there was, Missy. However, the first step is to make sure that everyone knows there's a problem. I'll have a chat with my counterpart in CPS, and we'll see what can be done."

    "A journey starts with a single step, right?"

    "Indeed."

    Missy let out a breath, and spoke with determination. "Then let's start walking."
     
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    • <Italian Plumber> "Here we go!"</Italian Plumber>

    McClaw @ CTC and TaliesinSkye? They're my editors. Give 'em props for dealing with my alleged writing, OK?
    Cloak appears courtesy of MP3.1415player, and is from Taylor Varga, for those not familiar with the character.
    And yes, MP-Pi knows. Those lizards get Everywhere!
    The fade effect was a bitch, too.


    I'll be back later to read the comments, death threats, criticism, et alia... :)
     
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