Every tale worth telling has a final chapter. A satisfying conclusion, the end credits, a closing curtain—whatever you want to call it. But what happens when life stubbornly refuses to fit into the neat boxes we create for it? That's the question Hinamori Amu finds herself wrestling with.
Her friends say she saved the city. A twelve-year-old psionic wonderkid defeated a malevolent organization, pulling children back from the abyss of despair and showing them the light. End of story, roll the credits. Get Hikaru into school, hug her sister, find some time to shop for clothing. Touch up her long neglected dye job. Ask her best friend Utau why she's calling her 'psionic'.
Except the world didn't get the memo. Physics is unraveling like a poorly knitted scarf, yanked apart by the collective psychic weight of eight billion souls. Guardian Charas—those mystical entities seemingly meant to be humanity's fail-safe—are starting to fray at the seams. Even Amu's baby sister is bending the laws of reality like they're mere suggestions.
So, Amu can either sit back and try to be a 'normal' girl, watching as the fabric of existence comes undone, or she can accept that the final chapter was never really the end.
Or she could go hiking with her parents, because the couch is apparently going to eat her if she doesn't.
Scheduled vote count started by Baughn on Oct 24, 2023 at 10:42 PM, finished with 39 posts and 14 votes.
[X] Clarify that you are not, in fact, escaping any scientists. Or homeless. Or… you're still putting your thoughts on Akane in order. - [X] And drag Akane to a cafe, where you can get a better read on her without either of you being outnumbered or overwhelmed. - [X] Text or have Miki text Nikaidou-sensei to see if he's heard anything about this girl or any other names that are dropped, given his historic involvement in such affairs. - - [X] Hikaru as a backup if Nikaidou doesn't know, or isn't available.
[X] Clarify that you are not, in fact, escaping any scientists. Or homeless. Or… you're still putting your thoughts on Akane in order. - [X] But go along anyway, to figure out what's happening.
[X][Amu] Spend some time checking in on people you purified/healed from X-Egged/X-Charaed/Mystery-Transformed status before. Pay specific attention and spend significant effort on those that developed psionic abilities it seems like they might have kept.
- [X] The wizard kid. (Takuya Nakagura. Chara: Zero) Someone like that is unlikely to have let their awareness of psionics lapse, and has a dream that will draw attention, both good and ill.
- [X] Saaya, your old 'rival'. She's an alarming high frequency target of psionic nonsense normally, a quick check if this latest 'issue' touched her life to round out the books.
[X][Scavengers] Write-in Helpful, There's no choice but to try to get along, is there? Still not all of this sits well with you and you probably can't really keep major secrets about her. She'll probably figure out the various people you know even if you don't say anything about it, and truthfully the problems Akane has bother you. Cautiously ask around if anything can help with their situation and that you might know a few people who could help a bit for certain matters, so long as it doesn't go to far.
[X][Amu] Spend time with Ran, Miki and Su
[X][Amu] Invite Kana to your birthday
[X][Amu] Catch up with old friends
[X][Amu] Get to know your classmates
[X][Scavengers] Helpful. There's no choice but to try to get along, is there? Still not all of this sits well with you and you probably can't really keep major secrets about her. She'll probably figure out the various people you know even if you don't say anything about it, and truthfully the problems Akane has bother you. Cautiously ask around if anything can help with their situation and that you might know a few people who could help a bit for certain matters, so long as it doesn't go too far.
Scheduled vote count started by Baughn on Oct 30, 2023 at 10:12 PM, finished with 39 posts and 10 votes.
[X] write-in: Comforting. Kana is nervous and likely picking up a lot of everyone right now while Utau has gone very prickly. You want to calm them down, reassure them, ground them... luckily all three of you are telepaths here, so you can just skip over fumbling with words and go straight to mind-hugs and grounding.
[X] Write-in apologize for taking awhile. If Utau does seem to have overheard something and wants to talk about it right away... then and only then ask if it can't be discussed after the Birthday party, as this wouldn't really be the best moment. Discuss with Akane telepathically as needed beforehand on what can and can not be said to Utau, you did promise to let her ok such things after all. Though try to convince her in case Utau did overhear that perhaps you should tell her at least a bit of what's going on sooner rather then later, she'd probably find out somehow otherwise anyway.
[X] Write-in - Explain to Kana that Utau is to Amu like Naomi is to her. Then kneel down seiza-style in front of Utau and beg forgiveness, explaining to Utau that you can't actually explain anything. Except to please believe in the Amu that believes in Kana.
[X][Lulu] Write-in - Catch up with Lulu and, while chatting about what each other has been up to, try to figure out whether Lulu herself appears to be dealing with any problems of her own. If she doesn't seem to have anything going on, ask her if she knows anything about evil psychic research groups that may have connections with governments, especially the Japanese government.
[X][Lulu] Write-in - Catch up with Lulu and, while chatting about what each other have been up to, try to figure out whether Lulu herself appears to be dealing with any problems of her own. If she doesn't seem to have anything going on, ask her if she knows anything about evil psychic research groups that may have connections with governments, especially the Japanese government. Regardless of how the talk goes try and make this casual chatting (hopefully it'll be actually casual) a more regular thing. You are both friends after all.
[X][More Hugs] Write in - Cuddle Ami again and tell her how happy you are at what she did for you. Again. And then give her one more squeeze, just for good measure.
Scheduled vote count started by Baughn on Nov 8, 2023 at 10:14 PM, finished with 84 posts and 11 votes.
[X] Plan Stars in the Sky + containment.
-[X] [Classmates] Evacuate the classroom, then split up into small groups to try and find Tsukasa and anyone else who might be able to help.
-[X] [Rift] We spotted something abnormal. Call Lulu and hope she can actually help. Stay with the rift in the meantime to keep an eye on it.
--[X] In case the rift starts to expand a lot, try to cautiously use abilities to contain it. -[X][Saaya] Take pity
[X] Plan Starry Sky
-[X] [Classmates] Evacuate the classroom, then split up into small groups to try and find Tsukasa
-[X] [Rift] We spotted something abnormal. Call Lulu and hope she can actually help. Stay with the rift in the meantime to keep an eye on it. -[X][Saaya] Take pity
[X] Plan Starry Sky + containment.
-[X] [Classmates] Evacuate the classroom, then split up into small groups to try and find Tsukasa
-[X] [Rift] We spotted something abnormal. Call Lulu and hope she can actually help. Stay with the rift in the meantime to keep an eye on it.
--[X] In case the rift starts to expand, try to use abilities to contain it. -[X][Saaya] Take pity
[X] Plan: Saaya This Is Your Fault, But We'll Pretend It's Not -[X][Saaya] Ground Saaya and stop her from panicking - Saaya just struck out at you mentally and then suggested that she'd seen this sort of thing before when she was shocked it didn't go away. That puts her wild tirade in a somewhat different light. Take a deep breath and channel your inner Su and Dia so you can say this to her quietly out of earshot, instead of shouting it, because you know Saaya would never admit to anything if everyone in the class could hear it. You say: "First off, I'm just going to leave aside that you called me a freak for now, because I get the feeling that I'm not actually the only one that you're thinking of when you say that. Secondly, you said 'it's not gone'. That means you've seen something like this before and it usually goes away. Does that mean you've seen something like this before and it usually goes away? Do you know what usually makes it go away?" -[X][Classmates] Lead - Write in: One-third of our class can see that crack. Two-thirds of our class can't, only feel. Tell those who can't see to pair up with those who can, ideally two non-seers for each one who can, but if not, at least have one seer in each group. And then try and make their way outside of the classroom as quickly as possible in their groups. Through the nearest door, or even windows if that's a viable option. -[X][Rift] Call for reinforcements - There are ex-Guardians nearby whose abilities may be able to help do something about this, like Tadase. Call or text whoever you can reach nearby and tell them there's some rift in space that appeared in her classroom, please try to come ASAP, it's an emergency. Then call Lulu and ask her if she knows anything about rifts in reality and how one might deal with them. And then, only when your contacted allies arrive and everybody in the classroom successfully makes it out, head out to try and find Tsukasa, or get Tadase to call him if he has his number. [X] Plan: Saaya This Is Your Fault, Now Help Me Fix It -[X][Saaya] Get Saaya To Help -[X][Classmates] Evacuate -[X][Rift] Call Lulu
[X] Plan Starry Sky + containment.
-[X] [Classmates] Evacuate the classroom, then split up into small groups to try and find Tsukasa
-[X] [Rift] We spotted something abnormal. Call Lulu and hope she can actually help. Stay with the rift in the meantime to keep an eye on it.
--[X] In case the rift starts to expand, try to use abilities to contain it. -[X][Saaya] Take pity
[X] Plan Stars in the Sky + containment.
-[X] [Classmates] Evacuate the classroom, then split up into small groups to try and find Tsukasa and anyone else who might be able to help.
-[X] [Rift] We spotted something abnormal. Call Lulu and hope she can actually help. Stay with the rift in the meantime to keep an eye on it.
--[X] In case the rift starts to expand a lot, try to cautiously use abilities to contain it. -[X][Saaya] Take pity
[X] Plan Starry Sky
-[X] [Classmates] Evacuate the classroom, then split up into small groups to try and find Tsukasa
-[X] [Rift] We spotted something abnormal. Call Lulu and hope she can actually help. Stay with the rift in the meantime to keep an eye on it. -[X][Saaya] Take pity
[X] Plan Starry Sky + containment.
-[X] [Classmates] Evacuate the classroom, then split up into small groups to try and find Tsukasa
-[X] [Rift] We spotted something abnormal. Call Lulu and hope she can actually help. Stay with the rift in the meantime to keep an eye on it.
--[X] In case the rift starts to expand, try to use abilities to contain it. -[X][Saaya] Take pity
[X] Plan Stars in the Sky + containment.
-[X] [Classmates] Evacuate the classroom, then split up into small groups to try and find Tsukasa and anyone else who might be able to help.
-[X] [Rift] We spotted something abnormal. Call Lulu and hope she can actually help. Stay with the rift in the meantime to keep an eye on it.
--[X] In case the rift starts to expand a lot, try to cautiously use abilities to contain it. -[X][Saaya] Take pity
Scheduled vote count started by Baughn on Nov 12, 2023 at 12:10 AM, finished with 109 posts and 14 votes.
[X] Plan: Dream Again - [X] When Amu thinks Saaya will be able to actually hear her: "Saaya, I know you don't want to hear from me right now, or probably ever, but we don't have time. I've given you what I got, back when I was first learning about all this. The day we met, actually. The Lock is going to give you control, help you, and I'm going to try and lend you my power as well. I don't want you to die Saaya. I'm sorry for what's happened, but we are in this together now. If you can, remember that I was trying to help, when you Dreamt last." -- [X] This isn't the best speech, and that should work in our favour. Saaya will hopefully be able to tell that we aren't using UMI or reading her mind, that this is just plain old human speech.
- [X] If it can be done and still remove the Lock after, transform before the next action.
- [X] Remove the Humpty Lock, and loop it around the unresponsive Saaya's neck. It will boost her resistance further, yes, but that's what we want. Push her hazy partial immunity into the full bloom of Psionics, to bring clarity to the confusion, while giving her back the skills she is so scared of someone else using on her.
-- [X] If she isn't moving even after that, then we will have to take a wider view. Attack her one last time, mentally, to force her to defend herself. Not with full power, but enough to force her to react and wake up.
-- [X] If she is the cause of the rift, then her control should be improved enough to fix it.
--- [X] The Lock took the brunt of this rifts rebound earlier when we looked at it, so we are going to need to lend our power to Saaya.
[X] Plan: Dream Again
- [X] Remove the Humpty Lock, and loop it around the unresponsive Saaya's neck. It will boost her resistance further, yes, but that's what we want. Push her hazy partial immunity into the full bloom of Psionics, to bring clarity to the confusion, while giving her back the skills she is so scared of someone else using on her.
-- [X] If she isn't moving even after that, then we will have to take a wider view. Attack her one last time, mentally, to force her to defend herself. Not with full power, but enough to force her to react and wake up.
-- [X] If she is the cause of the rift, then her control should be improved enough to fix it.
--- [X] The Lock took the brunt of this rifts rebound earlier when we looked at it, so we are going to need to lend our power to Saaya.
[X] Evacuate Saaya, then take a moment. - [X] Dash out the wall and get Saaya to a safe distance. -- [X] Do not fly. Keep that in reserve in case the adults outside are hostile. They aren't helping evacuate, so they likely aren't teachers. This place hirers for quality and/or psionic involvement, and standing around indicates neither. -- [X] Don't leave Saaya and the Humpty Lock with the adults unless they are safe to do so with. --- [X] Text Rima to head your way for hand off if need be. --- [X] Ping Ami to send Miki to you with telepathy if possible, for the same purposes. - [X] Once out, call Lulu and update her on the developments. Yes she's going to yell at you, but if she's calling people in to help, they need to know what they are rushing into. -- [X] Take Lulu's advice on what to do, while circling around to reinforce Tadase and Nagihiko once Saaya is secure. -- [X] Specifically ask how long reinforcements are going to take. If they will be there shortly, check if Tadase can hold it back for long enough to let the professionals get there. - [X] Do these actions in the most efficient order once a safe distance from the rift. As in, call Lulu and text Rima while on the phone with her, if possible, and move with Saaya while on the phone.
[X] Plan Human Resources
-[X] Evac out the hole, with Saaya, to a safe-ish distance. Transform and pick her up if it helps.
-[X] "Saaya, I'm going to call Lulu. She's trying to get us backup. If she picks up, let her know what's going on and answer any questions she has." Then call Lulu and hand Saaya your phone.
-[X] Transform if you haven't, shield up, and head back. Be ready to fight and/or talk to whatever comes out of the rift, probably both at the same time.
