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rpchive · 8 years ago

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Sixty First Encounter-- Eye to Eye

After roughly an hour has passed, Daps returns to the main foyer and calls for everyone to assemble in the library. A few minutes after everyone has found a place, Barbell and Collin enter the room. Collin's prosthetic has been repaired, although in place of the purple shard that was contained inside the glass chamber, two new shards of white and dark gray colors respectively have been inserted. Collin steps over to Tori's side as Barbell takes his position in front of the group. Barbell: I apologize for taking so long, but the repairs were thrown off by a rather... unexpected turn of events. It seems that whatever that ritual did caused a reordering of the very foundation of Thaumaturgy. My Vis shards were completely gone, and in their place I found those two shards that you see in Collin's leg. I didn't have a lot of time to spare with my studies, but from what I can tell, those kinds of shards seem to contain the very essences of order and entropy. It should prove a fascinating study once I have some spare time again... Zomrabitt: You sure that's a good idea? This changed the magic you used at its core, right? I mean, if you don't know what it does...why use it in a prosthetic of all things? Barbell: Collin's leg fundamentally alters how the shards manifest their power. Think of it as, well, a leg-shaped wand really. I'm sure you've seen him use the power in those shards at least once since I gave it to him. His will manifests the power, not the leg itself. I'm sure he'll figure out how to use its power. In a time like this, experimentation is the only way forward. Nydins: I mean, I guess that makes sense, but what's saying it won't literally explode again? It just seems a little dangerous... Zomrabitt: Speaking of dangerous; how and why did you decide to suddenly walk into a room full of cultists? Nydins: Oh! I used the grief door! See, I was looking around the IT after you guys left just to make sure no weird doors showed up again, like I always do, but then I saw you left your goggles behind! If something had happened, you wouldn't have been able to tell any of us without sending anyone back to the IT, and by then, it might've been too late! Always plan ahead, right?

we haven’t used the grief door since like, s1, so I decided to remind you it existed I guess

Tori glances away, looking embarrassed. "Oh, yeah. I guess that would be kind of stupid...thank you..." Nydins: Mmhmm! Just don't forget them again next time, alright? Handing the goggles over, Nydins makes the grief door and takes her leave, calling out "Sorry for interrupting!" behind herself.

she came back later in the log inexplicably

I’m assuming she’s just too worried to not be there but tbt I kept forgetting where she was because we broke this up so much over such a “long” span of time

Barbell adjusts one of the lenses on his goggles briefly by twisting a metal ring around the lens. "Well, to put anyone worried at ease, the only reason the leg exploded like that is because it was trying to contain the energy of the Vis shard splitting into two entirely new forms of energy. I highly doubt such an event is going to happen at any time in the future. Now, our next order of business should be to track down this cult and find out what their next move is. To that end, an old friend of mine should be able to help us out. She's well versed in the arts of Witchery, more than anyone else I know as a matter of fact." Firefly: Sounds good! Where's she at? Barbell: She's a bit of a ways to the west of here, but luckily we have a faster means of travelling than the Aurum Express. I believe most of you have seen the gateway that I use to travel to town, yes? Zomrabitt: Pretty much, yeah. Barbell: Well, luckily she happens to have a gateway as well, which I can link up to anytime. It pays to have someone schooled in Ars Magica in your little circle of friends. He chuckles briefly, and then a strange wistful sort of expression seems to cross his face. After a moment, he seems to snap out of whatever crossed his mind and clears his throat. "Anyway, we can head there soon, if everyone is ready. I just need to let her know that I'm coming." As he waits for confirmation, he reaches into his robe and pulls out a small red bag and sets it on a table. He pulls out a small square piece of paper from the bag, and then begins extracting several different colors of powder and sprinkles them into the center of the paper. Rio: Um, so all your...golems? I think? They're all okay now, right? Whatever happened back there didn't hurt them too bad? Not looking up from his activity, he answers. "Yes, although those cultists will have hell to pay for scaring me like that. It appears that my iron golems reacted differently than the other golems to the change, which could be to a wide variety of factors; my iron golems are hardly standard. It seems like the energies released converted their bodies into solid Thaumium. I'm not entirely sure what that means for them yet, but they seem to be acting normal otherwise. I have noticed that my standard golems are starting to lose their power, which means I might have to refine my golemancy techniques in this new magical climate, and don't get me started on how much time that's going to take. But I can't worry about that right now. My golems are alright and no one was hurt, so the rest is just clean-up work. Rio: That's good! Not the fighting part or the more work part, but that everyone seems to be okay. We didn't even really get the chance to stop those bad guys, so if they'd actually done something really bad, that would've been, well...really bad. Barbell: Well, let's not think that the worst is over just yet. Who knows what else those fanatics are planning. Still, I must admit that I am a little excited to start my research after all of this is said and done. It'll be almost like my first days of golemancy all over again. He finishes his work and ends up with a round paper ball filled with powder, which he drops back into the original bag and shakes it around for a few seconds. After that, he reaches back into the bag and pulls out what appears to be a firework shell. "And now for the fun part. I know why Jezebel insists I communicate this way, but good grief is it a lot of work sometimes. Letters are so much easier than explosives..." Zomrabitt: ...You talk to her with fireworks? Barbell: She loves fireworks. The different colors and effects that I mix in tell her different things. I mean yes, it's definitely a tricky code to crack since it's really just between our friends, but don't let that fool you, it's just an excuse to see a pretty light show for her. Karumet: Whatever works, I guess... Barbell: Oh it works, and every time I fire one off I can almost feel that damn grin on her face. He tries rather unsuccessfully to suppress a smile as he says that, and places a small mortar tube from the bag onto the table. In a movement almost too quick to catch, he drops the shell into the tube and lights the fuse with a snap of his fingers, and then claps his hands over his ears as he grins wildly and shouts, "Earmuffs!"

guess you have a thing for explosives, huh?

sure you’re not a Junkrat main?

Those with ears protect them. With a loud THUMP, the shell detonates its launching charge and the tube kicks off of the table, but the shell never seems to leave the opening of the tube. Barbell drops his hands and casually collects the tube before replacing it into the bag, and then the bag into his robe. Still giggling, he asks, "Sorry, I couldn't help but to see the looks on your faces when I did that. Everyone alright?" Letting his hands down, Tori shrugs. "I mean, nothing really happened, so yeah." Barbell: Oh something happened alright, just not in this room- Ah, nevermind. Sheesh, you're a tough crowd, kid. Now then, if we're ready, let's head to the gateway. Relana: Hang on, I wanna go with you guys! Barbell: What, why- Well, I suppose I know why, but... Ehh, alright, I don't see the harm in it. We're not exactly going into uncharted territory this time, after all. Just stick close to me, alright Relana? Jezebel doesn't like new people wandering around her home. Actually on that note, that goes for all of you. The last kind of person you want to annoy is a witch, trust me. Firefly: Oh no, I completely understand.

idk, liches are pretty bad too

Barbell: Very good. I don't need my guests being turned into toads or... whatever new trick she's come up with since I've last been by. So, off we go! He leads the group out the library and back to the gate room. He whistles a different set of notes and the gateway sparks to life, quickly forming a large glowing orb of energy. He steps into the light and vanishes, followed quickly by Relana who excitedly jumps through after him. The group goes in after them, trying not to crowd the gate in the process. The group emerges from the other side of the portal to find themselves in an enormous garden. Different crops and and small farms stretch out from the gateway platform, and a raised walkway attached to the platform stretches over and across the farm toward a simple house constructed from a dark wood and a stone chimney that is letting forth a steady stream of smoke. Tall trees have grown on either side of the house, but behind the house it is noticeably clear of foliage. A little ways down the walkway, Barbell waves to the group while Relana leans against the guardrail looking over the farms. Zomrabitt: Well. Haven't seen this many well-kept plants in a while. Firefly: Tell me about it... Collin: I... guess she sells food to make her business? I can't imagine what else one person could do with this many plants. Relana leads the pack to the door, but Barbell quickly reigns her in before she knocks on it and instead uses the door knocker, which is shaped like a snarling wolf, to bang on the door four times in rapid succession. After a few moments, the door clicks and swings open. A Chinese woman, roughly the same age as Barbell, looks first at Barbell, then at the young companion at his side, and then out to the rest of the group, never changing her expression all the while. She is dressed in a simple black cloak, which is tied closed by a single yellow cord, and a surprisingly typical witch's hat whose point stretches up above the opening of the door. After a few moments, she looks back to Barbell and speaks. Jezebel: Well, I see you weren't exaggerating when you said you had a number of guests coming with you, Barbell. I'm afraid my house might not be big enough for a number like this. Barbell: Yes, well, let's just say I made a fair number of contacts very quickly over the last few months. I apologize for the inconvenience. Perhaps we could meet and greet out back? Jezebel: Yes, that would be for the best. I don't need the large metal one bumping his head against all of my decor. Please, come in, but be careful. I have everything arranged for a reason. She leads the group from the front door over to the back door. As they make their way through, they can see all sorts of strange items and plants hung on the walls and from the ceiling, and strange objects seemingly scattered at random around the house. The ticking of a clock can be heard in the main room, but no clock is in sight. After they exit into the backyard, they find themselves on a large patio overlooking a clearing in the forest behind the house. A huge circle of runic symbols has been written in chalk on the grass down below, with several smaller circles going inwards toward a single gold rune in the very center. More plantlife can be found growing in and around the circle, and what appears to be an altar of some sort can be seen on the far side of the circle, although it is too far to see it well from the patio. The patio itself has several tables arranged with appropriate seating, and Jezebel gestures for the group to take a seat. For once, Firefly seems to be trying to contain genuine excitement as she takes her seat. "This is such a nice change of pace; I really wish we'd come here at a better time..." Jezebel: Oh? Are you familiar in the arts, young one? Firefly: I mostly practice Botania by myself. Jezebel: Ahh, you'd have to ring up a different set of friends of ours if you were interested in Botania. Or Bug, I suppose. He does still practice it, right Barbs? Barbell: Yes, although he's been more interested in his bees, recently. You never know what the little guy's gonna start working on next.

earning his name in multiple ways, I guess

Karumet: I'm afraid you're going to have to continue this conversation some other day. There's a bit of a more pressing matter at hand... Jezebel: Now now, don't be in such a rush. I haven't even properly introduced myself yet. My name is Jezebel. Barbs and I go quite a ways back. My apprentice, Iris, will probably return from her work in a few minutes. It is a pleasure to meet you all. She bows slightly to the group. Zomrabitt: I mean, we are dealing with a group of cultists...we didn't even get to put a dent in those creeps before they blue-skadooed out of the room, so they're still actively doing...whatever they were hoping to accomplish...don't get me wrong, it's very nice to meet you, but those creeps are still out there, and we have no idea how quickly they're progressing. Barbell quickly rises from his seat and holds a hand out toward Tori. "Jezebel, I should apologize for our group here. You see, we just recently came in contact with a strange cult, and the encounter... didn't go so well in our favor. Everyone's a little on edge and-" Jezebel: This has to do with the Wind then, doesn't it? Barbell: ... The what? Jezebel: I could feel something in the air. I guess it was an hour ago, roughly. A great rush of air came up and over this area, and I could almost smell the magics inside the current. So it was a cult of some form, then?

MMMMMM

Barbell: Well, yes. I was hoping that you could perform a divination for us. Help us find these people and maybe what their next move is. Jezebel: Hmph, and let me guess, you don't have a taglock, do you? Barbell: Well, no. The cultists vanished before we even had a chance to- Jezebel: Do you have any sort of identifying trait? An outfit, a symbol, even just a name? Zomrabitt: There was something, actually. A lot of eyes everywhere...gold and green, I think? Firefly: And a black star. Four points. Jezebel: Well, that's certainly new to me. I suppose I might be able to find something out of that. You really know how to make work hard for an old woman, don't you Barbsie? Barbell: Oh come on, don't start with 'Barbsie' again... Jezebel chuckles in a jokingly evil manner. "Oh? Would you prefer I go with Pinstripe Pa-" Barbell cuts her off by closing the gap between them in a blink and pointing at her chin with one finger, glaring daggers from behind his goggles. "Don't. You. Dare."

is his stripper name Pinstripe Panther ‘cause if not it is now

Jezebel laughs in a surprisingly light and airy tone before clearing her throat and snapping back to her neutral expression, just barely holding back the remnants of a grin. Without another word, she descends the steps from the back patio down to the rest of the property, beckoning the others to follow. Karumet jokingly mumbles something to Tori that gets them lightly elbowed in the ribs before the pair follows. Tori audibly whispers "Don't be rude." Relana quickly skirts around the group and catches up to Barbell's side, grabbing onto the edge of his robe. "What was she gonna say? C'mon, you can't just keep secrets from me! Pinstripe what? Pinstripe what?" Barbell: Child you are a great apprentice but pursue this line of knowledge and I will absolutely make the golems dogpile on top your smart little head. Relana: What?! But Bug's heavy enough on his own, you'll crush me! Barbell: Indeed, and we'll make a nice plaque for you. 'Here lies Relana, lost in the pursuit of forbidden knowledge.' We'll put flowers on it, it'll be super pretty, trust me. Relana starts play-punching Barbell's hip as the group makes their way past the large circle of runes drawn in the grass. The group enters a small path paved in fallen leaves that leads into the nearby woods. The thick foliage above blocks off much of the sunlight, leaving the area lit by thin streaks of sunlight that sneak through the branches. Jezebel speaks to the group without turning back to face them. "So, where are you folk really from? What is your purpose here?" Zomrabitt: That's...kind of a harder question to answer. We're kind of from everywhere? Here and not... Firefly: I come from the Twilight Forest, so I've at least got more involvement in all this than the rest of us would I guess... Jezebel: Oh? She peeks over her shoulder at Firefly, genuine curiosity sneaking into her tone. "And what brings a denizen of such a secluded and peaceful place here? I doubt the scenery here compares to back home." Firefly: I'd have to agree there. I normally would've never left the forest, but, well...originally I kind of needed to look after them; we met when they messed with the forest and got cursed by it on accident; but, well...they kind of killed the lich I worked for? So without him around I just decided to go with them; and for the most part it's worked out? I help them; they help me; we help strangers...it's been pretty interesting, but stressful at times. Still, guess that kinda comes with the job. Jezebel responds, sounding both surprised and sincere. "Hmm. Very interesting. Thank you for sharing. That tells me a lot about this little crew, believe it or not. I like you, Twinklecheeks." Firefly: Tw--!! Oh come on...

[Chris voice] twinks!!

Barbell: She works fast. No one is safe. Fawkes quietly echoes behind the group: "Twinklecheeks..." A strange sound suddenly echoes through the forest. A faint wail bounces off the trees, making tracking the noise somewhat difficult. Nydins: Um...what was that? Barbell: Jezebel, is that...? Jezebel: It appears so. Barbell: Ohh dear. Well, if you would all repeat after me, earmuffs! Barbell claps his hands over his ears, and Relana follows suit after a moment of confusion. The group covers their ears as well, exchanging expressions of varying degrees of confusion between each other as they do so. Fawkes clangs his hands against his head for what it's worth, and the metallic bang echoes back through the forest. The wailing seems to intensify and grow louder, and even through their hands the sound starts to make the group seem nauseous and dizzy. Further down the trail, what appears to be a strange, misshapen turnip with small, gangly limbs darts around the corner and charges headlong for the group. Its face stretches out in almost comically exaggerated displeasure and the wailing continues to worsen. Shortly after that, a young Chinese girl, roughly the same age as Relana, comes stumbling after the creature while desperately trying to keep an oversized pair of earmuffs on top of her head. ?: Jezebel, help me! I can't keep up with it! Jezebel, looking almost entirely bored of the situation, pulls a small twig from her pocket and blasts the small creature with a flash of light from the stick. The turnip tumbles into the ground, its cries cut off amidst the sound of crushed leaves. Firefly: Was that a mandrake?! Karumet: I'm pretty sure that's actually a child; don't be so rude.

Collin: That is the angriest vegetable I think I've ever seen. Jezebel reaches down and plucks the creature off the ground, holding it by the stalk growing out of its head. "To answer your question, Lantern Head, yes it is. Would you like to hold it?" She holds out the mandrake to her, which gurgles in a strangely unpleasant way despite being stunned. Sighing, Firefly puts her hands on her hips. "I'm not a lantern, but...thanks for the offer? I think I'll pass though..." Jezebel: Suit yourself. She cradles the mandrake in one arm and turns back to the girl. "And you, young one. Just what is going on here? You're lucky our guests didn't lose their lunch with a mandrake running loose." The girl pulls the earmuffs off of her head and drapes them over her neck before speaking. "I-I'm sorry, Madam Jezebel. I was picking some Belladona in the greenhouse and my foot accidentally pushed it up out of the ground. I tried to catch it but it ran out the door and I kept running after it and then it got out onto the trail and-" Jezebel: Alright alright, enough. You need to be more careful around these things. Someone might've gotten hurt because of this. At least you remembered to put on the earmuffs before going inside the greenhouse, it seems- Ah, you need to introduce yourself. ?: R-Right. The girl turns to face the group and bows slightly. "I'm Iris, Madam Jezebel's apprentice. It's a pleasure to meet all of you." Letting their arms down, Tori waves to Iris. "Nice to meet you too." Jezebel: Very good. Now, take this back to the house and put it somewhere dark until I can deal with it later. She carefully hands over the mandrake to Iris. "Oh, and why don't you take Relana with you? She's Barbell's apprentice, so I'm sure the two of you have plenty to talk about. Wouldn't you agree, Barbed Wire?" Barbell: Indeed I would! What do you say, kid? I think it'll be more fun than what we're gonna be up to for now. Relana: Do I get to hold the mandrake? Barbell looks at Jezebel, clearly caught off guard. Jezebel: Only if you promise to be very careful with it. If it wakes up, well... you've seen what it can do. Relana: I promise! C'mon Iris, let's go! I wanna see if it feels as weird as it looks. Iris, clearly caught off guard by Relana's eagerness: Uh, s-sure? Just be g-gentle with it... The pair heads back the way the group came, carefully trading off the mandrake as their voices trail off around the path. Fawkes: Relana is a very hands-on kind of learner, isn't she? Collin: I can't believe she wanted to touch that thing... Karumet: To each their own, I guess? Barbell: The kid's a wild one, but that enthusiasm is going to carry her far when she's older. By the way, good thinking, Jezebel. This cult stuff is hardly suited for kids her age. Jezebel: My pleasure. I figured they could use the interaction anyways. Iris needs to have friends her age, and not just this old witch. Jezebel: Ah, but I almost forgot. My apologies for the delay. Let's head for the scrying house, shall we? The group makes their way down the rest of the path until they reach a fork. To the right is what appears to be a greenhouse not much further down, and to the left is a somewhat small and plain stone house, with only a weathered wooden door to break the stone pattern of the outer walls. Jezebel: I'm... fairly certain the house will be big enough? I've never had a group this big before... Nydins: If it's not then some of us can just wait outside! I'm pretty used to hearing the details later by now anyway. Jezebel: Well, let's see what happens. I'm mostly concerned about Snowflake back there. He's not exactly the smallest of the group.

that’s more of a name for like, a bunny or something, but whatever you say jez

Fawkes doesn't respond for a few moments before he suddenly straightens up and points to himself confusedly. "Wait, is that referring to... me?" Jezebel: Now then, let's see if we can make this work. Without any further delay, she opens up the door and steps inside the house. The group attempts to follow; Nydins staying at the back in case people wind up having to back out anyway. Luckily everyone is able to make it inside, although Fawkes insists on letting Nydins through first before carefully squeezing himself through the doorway. Inside the house is a single room with a large table at its center. An ornate cloth depicting strange creatures and unusual symbolic imagery covers the table's entire surface, and a large crystal ball sits in a plain metal stand at the middle of the table. Jezebel is already seated in a high-backed chair facing the door, and she gestures to the four open chairs placed around the table. "I'm afraid I don't have nearly enough for everyone, but at least there's enough room inside for everyone to attend. You'll have to sort out who gets to sit amongst yourselves, however." Barbell promptly takes the chair to the left of Jezebel, grinning mischieviously. "Well, age before beauty. My leg's killing me from all the walking today." Mulling it over, the group ends up with Firefly and Nydins being seated while Tori offers the last chair to Collin. Collin: Oh, uh... sure, thanks. Collin takes his seat at the table as Jezebel takes in a deep breath. Jezebel: Alright, so our leads are a golden eye with an emerald pupil and... Curse my age, what was the other symbol? Firefly: A four-pointed black star! Jezebel: Ahh, right, thank you child. Now then, let us begin. For a moment, the entire room goes pitch black. Four small green flames flash into existence around the crystal ball in a diamond shape, filling the room with an eerie glow. Jezebel holds her hands up to the ball, keeping them a few inches away from the ball's surface. Jezebel: We'll begin with the eye and see what can be seen. Unfortunately this won't be very precise, but it might tell us something about where this group is and what they desire, in a general sense. She closes her eyes and begins humming a slow, rhythmic tune, and a gold light seems to fill the inside of the ball. As she continues to hum for a couple of minutes, the color shifts to a light purple, then to a bright green, and then finally to a dull gray. She ceases her humming and the light fades from the ball as she finally opens her eyes. Jezebel: Well, that was about as vague as I was expecting. It really is so much easier with a taglock... Zomrabitt: No dice? Jezebel: Well, it's something, but it's nowhere near as exact as I'm used to with this sort of thing. I could see obsidian obelisks hovering in the air, eye-shaped pendants worn over crimson robes, and all the while I could hear a strange chanting of sorts. I did get one interesting vision, however. Barbell: And what would that be? Jezebel: It started with purple grass. Dark almost to the point of black. It stretched out as far as I could see. My vision turned and I saw stone bricks, stacked up high reaching far above me. Tendrils of purple seemed to grow up the stone like sick vines, reaching up to the very top. And the energy I felt, it... it was disorienting. I had to give up my focus just to rid myself of the dizzying feeling. Barbell: Was it a real place? Do you know where it was? Jezebel: ... East. Collin: ... East? Jezebel: East. I can do no better without a more concrete scrying material. Given that Barbell lives roughly east of me, it stands to reason that this place must be further beyond than that. I have felt no strange forces at work nearby, so I doubt it is between the two of us. Zomrabitt: Well, it's...something to work with, at least. Jezebel: Indeed. Maybe this star can provide us with something more. She begins her scrying anew, and the ball immediately glows with a dark purple light. Her brow seems to furrow slightly as the color shifts to a crimson red. Suddenly, the ball seems to go out completely, along with the flames. After a moment of complete silence, the image of a golden eye with an emerald pupil seems to snap open from within the crystal ball before vanishing just as quickly as a loud crack of snapping wood bounces off the stone walls. Quick scuffling sounds are heard immediately after, and Barbell's voice calls out in the dark. Barbell: Somebody open the door, get some light in here! Fawkes quickly shoves the door open and sunlight floods in through the doorway. Barbell is kneeling down beside Jezebel's chair, which apparently had one of its legs break during the seance, holding Jezebel in his arms. Jezebel seems fairly confused, but unharmed, and quickly gets back up onto her feet with Barbell's help. Jezebel: That... was unusual. Nydins: Wh-what just happened??

see Nydins is back again WHY...

Jezebel: A rebound. Whoever is tied to that symbol clearly isn't a stranger to scrying. Luckily I didn't live this long by chance, so it looks like my poor chair took the hit for me. Is everyone else alright? Firefly: Seems like it, fortunately... Barbell: Were you able to see anything, or was it a bust? Jezebel: I couldn't follow what I saw very well, but I can tell you that I didn't like what little I could see. Barbell: What does that mean? Jezebel: It was similar to the first vision about the purple grass, but... it was everywhere. Forests, rivers, our homes... all of it covered in that color. The wind was filled with grains of sand on a cold, harsh wind. The sky was dark but no stars shone down on the land. Karumet: So dead? Or worse? Jezebel: I'm not entirely sure myself. There was... one other thing. But you're not going to like it. Nydins: Were we supposed to like the first stuff? Jezebel: A fair point. The other thing I saw was him. She points across the table over to Collin. Collin: Wait, me? Zomrabitt: Wh...what?? Jezebel: It was about that time that the rebound happened, so it was only a brief glimpse. Even still, the symbol on the chest is hardly confusable. I could only guess as to what it means. My theory is that you were simply on the mind of the person tied to this symbol, but for what purpose I could not say. Collin: So, what, are you saying that weird cult lady has a crush on me? Jezebel: It's not entirely unplausible, but I doubt it's something as simple as physical attraction. I don't know what this figure is up to, but it does not bode well for anyone, I feel. Karumet: Well, it's obvious she wants to blow a little more than his socks off, so I'd say you're right about that. Whatever intentions this cultist has; I'd say you'd better keep him about 5 dimensions away from them. Maybe he and XL should lay low somewhere else while we deal with this mess? I mean, if he dies, that's one thing, but we literally don't even have the foggiest idea what this magical mumbo wants with our little Zebra Cake here. Jezebel: Ooh, Zebra Cake, that's a good one... Collin: Okay first off, Zebra Cake? And secondly, don't I get a say in this?

okay but is she wrong?

Zomrabitt: Seriously! We're not just gonna offload him to XL like she's some interdimensional babysitter! I mean yeah, this is terrifying, but it's not the first time someone's had it out for him... Karumet: Okay, yeah, but listen: I have a valid point in that we don't know what we're dealing with here at all. All those times before, you at least knew who was trying to hurt him and had a vague idea of what they wanted, right? But you don't now! Maybe they want to use his body for something; maybe they just want more...something; demons; bodysnatching; ritualistic sacrifice; brainwashing; look, you and I both know you don't want him to do this, let's just load him back on the school bus and-- Firefly: Okay, I've had it with your sassy mouth! You and me; outside; right now; let's go!

Sixty First Encounter-- Everyone Punches Karumet

Nydins: Don't fight each other!! Why does everyone want to fight?! Save it for the cultists; we have way bigger problems!! Karumet: I'm telling you, he's a way bigger problem than they are if he sticks around for this!! You have no idea what you're getting yourselves into, and if I'm right, it could be irreversible damage you're going to have to live with forever! Tori, you can't seriously want him to go through all that, right? Show these kids someone around here has some damn reason.

OKAY BUT WAS SHE WRONG

Zomrabitt: Listen, it's not about what I want. I can't just pack him away like I'm protecting a kid; he's not a kid; he can make his own damn choices and he can fight his own battles. He has a say in what happens to himself and you're not going to make me choose for him by trying to scare me. You're gonna hear him out on this. Collin: I mean, I get where you're coming from, Karumet. I'm not an alien, or a superhero, or a magical wish being from space. But the thing is, you don't know me all that well. I spent years inside a neverending chain of white walls, fluorescent lights, and death traps at every turn, and all the while I had a nice little voice to remind me that I was going to be there forever and nothing I did was going to amount to anything. And you know what? Here I am. I might be short a leg but I'm not broken. I made a promise to myself while hiding in an alley among a sea of strangers that I was never going to let anyone break me again, and I'll be damned if I'm going to break that promise now. I got that far all by myself, but now, with backup, with friends? I don't have a damn excuse in the world to lose now. Karumet: You're right; I don't know you from Adam's cat; but I'm just worried that this won't end as well as you're hoping. I'm not saying you don't stand a chance, but why walk into a fight knowing for sure it's going to end in someone focused on you and you alone? Are you really willing to die for this? Collin: Are you kidding? If that vision is true, this entire world is at stake. Hell, I lost a leg for a smaller battle than that. I don't plan on dying any time soon, but I'll be damned if I'm going to take the easy way out when an entire world is in danger. Inhaling deeply, Karumet lets out a long sigh, turns to Tori, and says something in kleivenn, giving a shrug and laughing slightly. Giving her a confused look, Tori starts to answer back but catches himself halfway and switches back to English, so you only manage to catch "...Supposed to mean?" Not giving any answers, Karumet leaves the crowded room. Barbell: ... Well that was new. Collin: What was that about? Tori's face turns a little red when they answer. "It was, um...they were just saying that you were, uh...she's um....confused...don't worry about it..."

it was something along the lines of “so that’s how he makes things worth fighting for?”

Collin: Oookay? I'll take your word for it. Jezebel: Alright everyone, let's get out of this room. I need some fresh air after all of this business. The group shuffles out of the building one by one, with Barbell and Jezebel being the last out the door. Jezebel is visibly trying to keep her weight off her right leg, and after a few more moments of struggling with it, she huffs quietly. "Good grief, I must've hit my leg harder than I thought when I fell. Just a moment." She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a small twig, barely a few inches long, and begins to spin it in her fingers. As she does, the stick seems to stretch down to the ground like putty and then expand outwards with a crackling sound as it turns into a proper walking stick, which she prompty leans her weight into. "Ah, much better." Barbell: Y'know, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were showing off a little bit now- Barbell quickly sidesteps a slap from Jezebel, giggling mischieviously. Jezebel: You're one to talk, you old coot. Come along then, before I have to knock some sense into a snarky thaumaturge. She starts back along the forest path, hardly slowed despite the new handicap. Rio: Magic sure is interesting! I never got to see it much where I came from. It's incredible how much of an impact it can have in such a short amount of time! Jezebel: Is that so? And where exactly are you from? Rio: Oh, um...we were last stationed in the X sector; so I guess I came from there! Jezebel looks over at Rio with a quizzical look, clearly trying to figure out if Rio is being sarcastic or if she just genuinely just missed the question. Zomrabitt: I think she wants to know where you lived, Rio. Rio: Oh! Well, I...don't know that. It's probably for the best; there's nothing left there for me, and I'm better off with you guys anyway. Collin: You really don't remember anything like where you lived? Rio: Nope! I don't even know what my name was. It's all totally gone! I'm not really bothered by it, though. Since I was severed, this is how I really am, so this is the better me, even if there's...a lot more going on than that now. Collin: What does that mean? Rio: What does what mean, being severed? Collin: No no, that last bit about a lot more going on. Rio: W-well that's uh...that's kind of a private answer; I'd rather not talk about that in front of people I don't know! I can answer you later, though! It's not that big of a secret I guess, but I still shouldn't talk about it in front of other people. Collin: Ah, sorry, didn't mean to pry...

you can’t get answers if you’re dead

ftr Rio explains she was severed in 47 but never really explains what it does; so it's more like implied ic rn

Jezebel looks over to Barbell. "I see your knack for finding strange friends is still going strong." Barbell: Ha! Well, I'm friends with you, aren't I? Jezebel: And don't you forget it, Barbs. As the group returns to the clearing behind Jezebel's house, they can spot Relana and Iris off by the ritual circle. Iris is seated on what seems to be a broomstick floating in the air looking rather proud, while Relana is madly circling the broom and waving her arms around it. Barbell: Ooh, do my eyes deceive me, or is Iris showing off a little bit? His tone barely hides the humor behind his fake surprise. Jezebel: Oh I think she is, the little toot. You better be careful, or I might have two apprentices running around my house soon. Barbell: I'll arm wrestle you for her if it comes down to that, you sneaky dog! Jezebel: You'll lose again. Barbell sighs sadly. "Never make a bet with a witch, kids. It never works out well..." Jezebel: Well at any rate, I'd ask if you wanted to stay for dinner, but I don't know if I could get things ready quickly enough for so many people. Barbell: Oh, there's no need to worry about that. We should get back home ourselves. The golems will worry if I'm gone too long without letting them know ahead of time. The last thing I need is Bug panicking because I'm "never ever coming back ever" again. Jezebel: Ah, well alright. Iris, come along! Our friends are leaving now! Despite the twin responses of "Aw, come on," the group makes their way back to the front of Jezebel's home. As the last of the group leaves the door, Jezebel bows slightly to the group. "Thank you all for coming. I hope you will come back sometime when you aren't in as much of a rush." Karumet: Hopefully we're fortunate enough to meet at a better time someday; under other circumstances this would've been significantly more enjoyable. Iris pokes her head out from the side of the doorframe and waves to Relana. "Bye Relana! C-come back soon, okay?" Relana returns the wave. "I will, I promise! Bye!" After one final nod, Jezebel scooches Iris back inside and closes the door, leaving the group to themselves back on the walkway to the gateway home. The group makes their way back to the gateway, and Barbell opens up the portal back home. After a few moments, everyone finds themselves back in the gateway room in Barbell's home, and the gateway closes behind them. Barbell: Alright, I think our next step should be to head back to the study. I have some maps we can use to try and locate areas or landmarks that might make an interesting lead. After that, we can- Barbell's planning is cut off as Bug barrels down the stairs, nearly falling onto his face as he clears the final step. "M-master, she's here!" Barbell: What? What are you talking about, who's here? Bug: The spooky lady from earlier! She suddenly appeared in the foyer and she's just been... standing there!

Barbell: ... I need someone to stay here with Relana, and the rest need to come with me. I'll send someone down when the coast is clear. Rio: I can stay then! You guys go on ahead. Barbell: Bug, you stay here too. Rio, Bug, keep her safe, understand? Bug salutes sharply. "Yes sir!" Rio: Of course! Relana: But Barbell, I- Barbell: Relana, please trust me. I need you to stay here. That woman isn't safe, and you shouldn't be near her, okay? We'll be fine, don't worry. Relana: ... Okay. Barbell: Thank you. Everyone else, come on. He turns on his heels and quickly ascends the stairs, the rest of the group following behind. As he makes his way down the hall, his robes begin to glow faintly, and a wand snaps into his right hand, a glowing white orb affixed to its tip. The group reaches the landing that leads down into the foyer, and the robed cultist from before is casually sitting along the side of the fountain, one hand dipped into the water. Where her hand rests, the water turns a faint shade of purple that slowly creeps outward. ?: Ahh, there you are. I was wondering how long you intended to keep a guest waiting. Barbell: You were not invited. Leave, now. ?: I'm detecting a faint chill of hostility in the air. I just wanted to talk trade, that's all. Karumet: Bargaining with a bad guy? That's the best joke I've heard all day! Ha! You're out of your mind. Get lost. ?: Well that's rather harsh. I prefer to think of myself as more of a "revolutionary", if anything. I really think you should hear me out, however. Barbell: What could you possibly have to offer me? ?: Well, I could remove that nasty obelisk that's sitting on your front lawn, for starters. Barbell: What? ?: Here, I'll show you. The figure calmly stands up and strides out the front door, leaving it open for the others to follow. Barbell quickly descends the steps after her, with Collin following closely behind. The remainder of the group follows not too far behind the pair. Outside, the group finds that out near the edge of the clearing, across from Barbell's home and past the IT, an obelisk similar to the one they saw earlier has appeared. The figure is standing next to it, idly spinning the hovering construct with one finger. "It's a quite a nasty blemish on your property, if I may speak openly with you." Barbell: How... ?: Don't worry about that little detail. Now, are you willing to listen to me? Firefly: What in the world is even worth all this? The figure points to Collin. "The one in white. I need him. But you already knew that, didn't you?"

Zomrabitt: Nee-...you--...?? Ha...haha...over my dead fucking body!! You're gonna have to pry him out of my cold dead hands!! We're not just gonna hand him over to somebody like you!!

”I’m gonna give Collin a choice!” [/proceeds to defend him]

I can’t always stop him from writing but I held him back a lot in this

?: Oh? So are you his keeper, then? Zomrabitt: Keeper?! He's not kept by anybody! I just know damn good and well that you're no good for anything; why the hell would I let anybody I care about go near someone like you?! ?: Hmm... So I take it that there's no peaceful agreement to be reached here, then? Zomrabitt: Oh yeah, because putting a fucking obelisk on some dude's yard so you can spread all that purple crap all over the place is real peaceful. ?: That "crap", as you so eloquently described it, is the future of the world, and only a fool would try to argue otherwise. The era of change is upon us, and I am its herald. Zomrabitt: Why am I even arguing with a lunatic like you; I should've turned you into a one man shishkabob when we first met!! Throwing one of his arms up into the air, Tori summons forth several of his yellow light spears. "Maybe Cthulu'll appreciate you!!" A green light appears beneath the hood where one of the figure's eyes would be, and she spreads her arms out to either side, palms facing upwards. She begins quietly chanting in a strange, alien language, but otherwise doesn't react to Tori's spears manifesting. As Tori fires off multiple barrages, Firefly seems to plan for something entirely separate, putting up a barrier around everyone but the two of them. "I'm not making this mistake!" Most of the spears seem to shatter in front of the figure as if they collided with a wall, but one spear seems to slip whatever defense she has and pierces her straight through the stomach. The spear digs into the ground behind her, and she seems to go limp and slouch backwards, her head facing up toward the sky. Karumet: Well, that was...underwhelming. ?: I agree. The figure reaches up and grabs hold of the spear and begins pulling herself upward toward the spear's end. As she extracts herself from the spear, its coloration shifts into a deep purple. In a moment she's back onto the ground, and she pulls the spear up out of the ground with one hand before casually twirling it into a two-handed grip. "Mind if I borrow this?"

in retrospect using weapons made of solid magic is a bad idea against...a magic user

Nydins degrades into nervous, panicked laughter. "W-we really have no buisness dealing with this thing, ahaha, we sh-should...we should probably leave it alone, haha..." Karumet: Nah; let's humor it. I wanna see how this thing tries to kill him; it'll be interesting. Firefly: You're a real friend, huh... Karumet: Says the one who left him outside. ?: Oh dear, where are my manners? I just realized I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Dezdemona Maror, Chief Priestess of the Crimson Cult, and Ender of the Green Era. Now kindly get out of my way. The spear seems to distort and lose its shape as she pulls the spear back with one arm and hurls it at Firefly's barrier. It slams into its surface and begins spinning so quickly that a dull hum resonates from it. Purple tendrils creep outward from the point of impact, further weakening the field's integrity as they try to dig through to the other side. Forced backwards from the impact, Firefly throws both her arms out in front of herself as she tries to keep the barrier together, clenching her teeth together as tears well up in her eyes. "TORI, SHE'S GONNA MURDER EVERY LAST ONE OF US OVER THIS!! I HOPE THIS WAS WORTH IT FOR YOU!!" Looking between the spear and Dezdemona, Tori swears loudly as he summons forth his yellow cord and attempts to lasso the spear. "HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THEY WERE GONNA TURN IT INTO A DRILL?!" As the cord wraps around the spear, the shaft seems to split in two. For a moment, everything is silent aside from a high pitched ringing from the spear's vibration, and then an enormous blast of light and force erupts outward as the spear detonates. Firefly's barrier crumbles apart, and Tori and the others are scattered outwards from the blast. When Tori's vision clears, he finds himself staring upward at Dezdemona, her eye gleaming from under the hood. Her right hand morphs into a monstrous claw with purple talons like glass, and she speaks softly, as if to a child.

yo who’s the gore magala here?? hop off my shit Dez

"Don't worry. I'll make this quick." She pulls back her hand to strike, but is cut off as a steady stream of lightning roars from Tori's right and slams into Dezdemona, seemingly locking her body in place. Barbell starts to shout something to Tori, but his words are obscured from the sound of a portal opening, and Collin seems to shoot up from the ground with his gauntlet aimed right at Dezdemona's head. With one sudden spin, she whirls around and knocks Collin clear away from her, before leaping several yards away from Tori in one jump. Struggling upright, Tori attempts to reorient himself before standing up and weighing the situation. He's breathing surprisingly heavily despite not being visibly hurt all that much. Unable to make up his mind, he still makes an effort to get between Collin and Dezdamona. Dezdemona: Well, this could have been so much easier if everyone had just taken the diplomatic approach. Regardless, I've at least achieved my minimum goal for today. I'm sure we'll meet again soon enough, but for now, farewell. With those words, she seems to lose her form and vanishes into the woods as a cloud of purple smoke. Firefly: Tori; whatever the fuck you were thinking, never do that again... Karumet: This is all getting very out of hand very rapidly, but I'm sure he made the right call. You saw what she did to Tori's spear, right? Imagine her touching a person like that...

anyway Karumet’s called this entire story so far and I’m mad

Collin: Guys, I don't mean to be the bearer of bad news, but... I think I'm going to need a professional's opinion on this one. Nydins: What do you mean? Collin pushes himself up from the ground and nurses his left wrist with his other hand. On the back of his left hand, a purple spiral with three points is now visible. Karumet: ...Well, looks like you did everything you could, but- She doesn't finish what she's saying in English, but regardless of what she said, Tori still decks her in the face.

ftr she told Tori that “]he was] wasting [his] time keeping this human around because he’s obviously a liability but also on his way out and that this entire thing could’ve been avoided if--”

Barbell shouts with a level of anger and seriousness that defies the man's appearance. "ENOUGH!" He pulls Tori away from Karumet with a surprising amount of strength. He spins him around and looks at him square in the eyes, his gaze nearly burning a hole through his head from behind the goggles. "This is not the time for this childish bullshit! You, Collin, with me, now! Everyone else, get back to the house, get Relana and the others out of the gateway room, and we'll discuss our next move once we've figured this out. Do I make myself clear?" There's a muffled "Yes sir" from Karumet as she continues to hold her hands over the lower half of her face. Barbell: Now you two, with me. He turns and breaks out into a full-on run, not waiting for Tori and Collin to respond. He looks at Tori for a second looking more confused than worried, and then runs after him. Shaking his head a bit, Tori follows after the pair as he tries to calm down from Karumet's words. The two follow Barbell into what appears to be a small first aid room of sorts. Bottles of potions sit in a rack above a sink, a small table for someone to sit or lie down on is positioned on the opposite wall, and a cauldron surrounded by cabinets and cupboards lines the back wall. Barbell is standing by the cauldron, which he has somehow already filled with a bright red liquid. Barbell: Collin, put your hand in this right now. Collin: Al-alright? He walks over and after hesitating for a moment, plunges his hand into the cauldron. "Man, this is... a really weird consistency. What is this stuff?" Barbell: It's a Sano/Vitreus compound, not super stable which is why it's thicker than normal liquids. Tori, are you alright?

anyway if this was rhetorically about the cultist shit then whatever but if not then Wow He Is Not and you’re gonna see that shit eventually

Zomrabitt: I'm fine, I just...need to cool it. Even if I didn't go all out, everything I did back there was a mistake. I'd say sorry but that's not gonna fix any of this... Barbell: The only person you need to apologize to is Karumet, although I think she owes you one in turn. However, I will say that losing your head in a situation like that is never the right move. Trust the old man, self control is a virtue. Zomrabitt: Yeah, but that obelisk thing's still on your lawn, and that creep got away too... Barbell: The lawn is nothing. I'm more worried about that woman, and what she's done to Collin. Collin: Speaking of which, could you fill me in on what this is, exactly? Barbell: Well, to put it simply... He lifts himself onto the table and takes a seat. "You're fluxed."

I’m blatantly co-con rn but this is bad

Collin: ... Well that's kind of a harsh diagnosis, don't you think? Barbell: No no, flux. I think I've mentioned before how Flux is a negative byproduct of magical activities and constructs. Normally it takes the form of a purple gas or thick, gooey liquid. However, in rare cases where huge amounts of Flux have built up in a small area, it can affect biological matter directly. Zomrabitt: ...Okay; and then what? Barbell: Well, that's the problem. It's such a rare occurrence that few reported cases have ever appeared throughout recent history. Not only that, but symptoms and side effects differ drastically between subjects. Some reports say that subjects leave liquid flux on things that they touch with affected body parts. Others report increased physical abilities, or even things like ESP. Some get a mix of both, and some have even stranger reactions. Collin: So, I could end up anywhere from magical goop monster to a superhero? Barbell: Make no mistake, this is a very powerful and unpredictable thing that you've just been given. And considering its origin, I'd highly recommend erring on the side of caution Zomrabitt: But he's not going to die, right? It's not gonna do anything to him? Barbell: I've never heard of a case of Flux that was directly lethal. Sometimes side effects lead to other indirect problems, like difficulty eating, hallucinations, or simply forgetting their new physiology and hurting others. But this turn of events concerns me for a different reason...

difficulty eating’s a fucking understatement

Zomrabitt: ...And that would be? Barbell: That woman... She's unlike anything I've ever seen before, and trust me... He taps on his goggles twice. "That says something coming from me. She twists the nature of Flux to her will. Her aura is... wrong. Alien, unearthly, foreign. It's clear that this was her goal, though what effect it will have, I truly couldn't say. I have good eyes, but they don't see the future." Zomrabitt: Yeah, neither can we, surprisingly. You'd think we would've met someone like that by now... Barbell: Tempus is a tricky beast to tame. Collin, go ahead and take your hand out. Let me take a look. Collin does so, trying to shake some of the liquid off of his arm before holding it out to Barbell, who takes his hand and holds it close to his face. The lenses on his goggles start spinning and swapping rapidly, showcasing more options than he's ever used before. After a few moments, he releases Collin's hand. Barbell: Well, the good news is that it isn't incredibly active right now, although once the solution wears off, it'll probably start to change gears, slowly but surely. No case has ever not spread out from the initial point, although the degree of spread also varies between subjects. Collin: So, are you saying my arm could be covered in stuff like this? Barbell: It's not impossible. Collin: Crap, I really wasn't in the market for tattoos... Barbell: I think our best course of action at this point would be to keep a solution on it for as long as possible, and wait to see how far this goes and what develops. I know I don't have any right to ask this, but I really don't think you should leave in your ship until we've found out as much as we can about this. Zomrabitt: Oh the more we can reduce or stop this the better; knowledge is power and all that or whatever... Barbell: I'm glad you agree. So Collin, do you feel anything different already? Collin: Well, it kinda tingles right now, but I'm not sure if that's just the solution you made or if it's this thing. He flexes his hand around and stretches his fingers for a few moments, and then tries snapping his fingers a few times. After the fourth snap, his hand suddenly bursts into a purple flame. "... Well now it's really tingling." Zomrabitt: U-uh....

anyway at this point I was barely co-con and you basically lost me I’m sorry the writing went to shit

Barbell: Can you put it out? Collin: Uhh, I hope? He snaps his fingers again, and the flame almost doubles in size. He panics slightly and shoves his hand back into the solution, waits a few seconds, and then pulls it back out only to find it still ignited. "Okay well I'm not trying snapping again. Now what?" Zomrabitt: I...I don't know; blow it like a candle?? Liquids didn't work, I don't know... Collin tries blowing his hand out, but after several seconds he runs out of breath and begins sputtering weakly at it. Finally he stops and tries beating out the fire with his other hand, and with a loud clap of his hands, the fire vanishes. Collin: ... This is gonna take some serious adjusting, isn't it? Zomrabitt: Looks like it...

the funny thing is I was actually going to say clap initially

anyway I didn’t really get the time to think on this so I don’t really have a whole lot of commentary on this as a whole for parting words

2ri, on the other hand, has had some very interesting and violent reactions to this and I can’t tell if it’s because You’re Hurting His Friends or if it’s because he actually went through this during his time with the others, but either way he’s seriously fucked up over this and he’s real damn mad and I’m Very Sorry

#[S2]

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