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rpchive · 6 years ago

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101st Encounter-- The Worth of a Soul

Big Mom Energy

After several days without success, Jay lies on the bed in their room, glaring up at the ceiling in frustration as he tries to figure out what to do to pull off a sync. Collin drops onto the end of the bed, sitting with an elbow resting on his knee and his chin in his hand. He lets out an exasperated sigh as he rubs an eye with his propped up hand. "God, this is way trickier than I thought it was going to be. I'm sorry, Jay." alienrabitt: It's...alright. I don't think either of us really know what to do here, and it's not exactly like we can ask anyone else for advice with this... Collin: It's a shame kleivenn don't come with a manual or something. Would've made this a whole lot easier for both of us frankly. alienrabitt: Seriously...maybe I could've preemptively gotten armor or something that cut off access to my oracle. Ugh, but I'm getting distracted, we need to figure this out first.

He gestures exaggeratedly with his arms.

something I can see very clearly as one of their failed attempts is them just running at each other, slamming together, then pulling themselves off the floor going “that was so stupid why did we even try that ugh”

Collin: Well, we need to... I can't remember how Sabraith put it, but we gotta "sync" up, right? So maybe we just need to... do something together? Think about the same thing? I'm not sure, but something like that maybe? alienrabitt: I'm pretty sure we're both thinking about how I could probably glare the paint off the ceiling if I keep staring at it like this, but I guess it needs to be something...substantial? Collin: Yeah, but what? I'm not sure pattycake is gonna cut it for this. alienrabitt: I...don't know, man. At this point I'd even consider rhythm games. Somethin's gotta work eventually, right...? Collin: God I hope it's not that. I'm already kinda nervous about this whole thing, I don't need pressure from trying to dance on top of that. alienrabitt: That was...mostly a joke, fortunately. Uhh...

Pushing himself upright, Jay places his injured hand to his cheek. "Mm mm mm mm...hmm..." Collin: ... Do you ever sing, Jay? alienrabitt: ...Yeah, sometimes. I'm not very good at it, though... Collin: Well, I'm not any sort of professional either, but I did sing back in Aperture sometimes. One of the few nice things about the place was that because all the walls were just hard, flat surfaces, the acoustics were crazy in there. alienrabitt: I bet we could do something like that in the practice room, then. Collin: Uh, if you want to? I mean, it shouldn't make much of a difference. The sound isn't the important part, I think, but if it'll help we can go there. alienrabitt: I...don't think it matters where we sing, I just don't really want to be heard... Collin: Oh come on, it can't be that bad. But I think we can just stick in here for now.

He stands up and walks over to Jay, holding out his hands for him. "So uh, wanna give this a shot then?" Taking a deep breath, Jay takes Collin's hands. "It's...worth a chance, I guess." Collin pulls him up onto his feet and takes a few steps back from the bed. He lets go of Jay's hands and puts them just above his hips instead. Collin takes a deep breath and starts with the first line of the song, soft and low and hesitant. Jay recognizes the song and joins him on the second line onward, his voice slightly higher in pitch but equally tentative. As they continue the song, their confidence finds them and lifts their volume higher, strengthening their tone.

"Whether near or far, I am always yours. Any change in time, We are young again.

Lay us down, We're in love."

The End of All Things; a song I’ve said would make a good song to be played at a wedding. not my first choice; but cute

As they reach the second verse, they gently touch their foreheads together as they sway ever so slightly side to side. Pushing forward, they near the end of the song together, and as their last note rises into the air, a glimmering light shines at each point that their bodies touch and rapidly expands over them both. Collin and Jay are drawn together with a burst of light, and a single figure is left staggering slightly in their wake as it fades. Jumping slightly in surprise, the being grabs their face in their hands as a big grin spreads across their face. "W-we did it!" Looking down, they look their outfit over. Jay's scarf remains, though the rest of their clothes have changed; their shirt now green, with long sleeves and a zipper going halfway down the front; their pants now a pair of denim shorts that retains the length of Jay's previous shorts. More of note, however, is that both of their missing limbs seem to have returned.

this is the ugliest flash outfit I could imagine. that’s the one hilarious thing about syncs across the board, their first combined outfit is always ugly as hell

that aside, this is kinda stevonnie parallel

?: Wait, do we...?

They marvel at their newly recovered limbs for a moment before they glance at the prosthetic leg lying on the floor. They reach down to pick it up and gently hold it with both hands. "Wow, I guess we're balancing each other out more than we thought, huh?" ???: I forgot what it felt like to have both my arms, honestly. You think you're gonna be able to stand? Well, I guess your prosthetic functioned like the real thing, huh... ?: Yes and no? It moves the same, but...

They stomp with their left leg a couple of times. "Wow that's weird, I feel the impact in my foot instead of my knee again. I forgot what that was like!" Stretching out their arms, the being pushes themself up off the floor. "So, what now? We gonna show that kleivenn what we did?" They create a small orb of magic around the prosthetic, which then quickly vanishes along with the leg. "Sounds good! Just had to put that away for safekeeping first." Stretching one final time, the being leaves their room, heading off to find Sabraith. As they enter the console room, Rio spins her chair around to look at who's approaching only to jump up in surprise. "W-whoa!! Who--...!? Wait, you look a little like..."

Nydins: Did you two finally pull it off?

???: Uhh, yeah! It's me and Collin! ...That's gonna be annoying to say like, 10 more times...

Rio: Well, what about a together name? Y'know, a nickname for who you are now! ?: You have a point, although we'll still need to mention that it's... well, us the first few times. But what should "our" name be? I really don't like the sound of "Jollin", that's for sure. ???: Uhh...probably not just a word; that'd probably just confuse everybody. Something...uhh...hmm... They just sort of get lost in phonetics for a moment. They arch their eyebrow and slowly sound out a name as though they were trying it on like a new outfit. "Seras? ... Maybe?" Rio: That's so cute!!

Nydins: Sounds appropriate. Seras: Appropriate?

Nydins: Yeah, I mean, it sounds like it fits right in your pantheon, don't you think?

Seras: I...guess so? What, do you just like themes or something?

Nydins: It's a little satisfying. Seras: It does sorta fit, now that I- uh, we? Think about it. Seras: We haven't left where Sabraith is yet, have we?

Nydins: Nah, she's still outside. Seras: Okay, good. We're gonna go pay her another visit, so we'll be back in a few. Nydins: Alright, we'll be here.

Seras heads outside, where Sabraith's standing out on her porch, hanging up some sheets to dry in the sun. They wave one hand over their head and call out to them. "Hey there! Got a second?" Yawning, Sabraith turns around only to look slightly surprised. "Who...are you?"

Seras: Oh, y'know, just a successful sync! You can call us Seras.

Sabraith: And you can call me skeptical. Alright, let's see how long you can hold this thing out. Seras: What do you mean by that? Sabraith: There's a difference between knowing somebody and becoming a part of them. The two of you need to prove to me you can keep this thing stable no matter what's thrown at you; otherwise, I'm not handing over this thing.

Seras: B-but why?

Sabraith: What, you think I forgot about that whole "mom" thing? And what if they do something else, huh? Bet you don't know how you hold up in combat yet. Or under pressure; exhaustion; any circumstances. Go 24 hours, no sleep, no food, fight something out, and if you can keep it together, then I'll give you the emblem. Seras: Wait, seriously? I mean, I get some of that but no sleep? No food?

Sabraith: You have to prove to me you can handle anything. Deprivation can break a weaker being.

she knows they get into some weird shit when they travel, and she’s seen war stuff a bunch. she’s probably considering what would happen if they were held hostage or something and had to sync to escape, or if they were caught as a sync and had to keep it together so they couldn’t be separated/hurt individually

Seras: 24 hours'll be easy!

Sabraith: Well, I heard humans can go a week without food; wanna see if that's true?

Seras: N-not...that easy... Seras: Let's just stick with 24 for now, alright? Sabraith: 24 it is. See you around...noon tomorrow, then. Seras: Alright, I guess we'll just... go back to the IT for now? Sabraith: Might as well; can't do anything right now.

Seras returns to the console room, where Demo has joined Nydins and Rio.

Demo: Wow, so you two managed to uhh...really get together, huh? Seras: Heh, yeah, bit of an understatement there. Still getting used to it but it feels... comfy? I'm not sure that's the word I want, but it's all I can think of. Demo: So, what's the verdict? Empty handed, I'm guessing...

Seras: Ugh, don't remind us...apparently this still isn't enough...

Demo: Hey, whatever; you're happy as you are, right?

Seras: I just wish the circumstances were better is all... Seras: Well, at least we're all safe for now. I'm not exactly looking forward to pulling an all-nighter with no food, though... Demo: Wait, what? That's so not fair! She's kidding, right?

Seras: I wish, man; but she sounded pretty serious about the whole "keep it together under any circumstances" thing...

Demo: Well, what if you just...did something ridiculous? If you just took on something really extreme, she'd have no choice but to acknowledge you could handle anything else, right? Seras: Is that really that wise though? I mean, we literally just managed to pull this off... Demo: Well, hey, it's either do something stupid together or sit on your collective butt for a day doing nothing but...well, nothing, I guess. Seras: But... what crazy thing would we even do? Demo: I don't know; is Fawkes done yet? Seras: I'm not sure. We could go check? Seras: Even if he is, we won't be able to kill that thing...that's Clair and Zenith's business.

Demo: Maybe so, but...the least you can do is run distraction or something. Even just holding it off until there's an opening would be better than just sitting awake all night. Seras: Well... Let's see if Fawkes is done first, and we'll make some sort of call from there. Sighing a little bit, Seras heads off to Fawkes' room. "Man, I'm sick of having to prove stuff to people. Why can't they just let us do our job? I don't see them fighting..." Seras: I... kinda get why, but it is frustrating, yeah. Let's just see if Fawkes is ready first. They approach Fawkes' door and knock a couple of times. After a moment, Fawkes pulls the door open. "Do you... need... something?" Seras: Yeah, we wanted to see if-- oh yeah, I guess you wouldn't recognize us like this; uhh, I'm...we're Jay and Collin! Fawkes: I know I was trying to push you two together back in the old days, but I think I might have done my job too well. Seras: W-well, Sabraith wantes us to prove to her we could sync after all, sooo...yeah... Fawkes: You don't seem too victorious about this, though. Is there something else? Seras: She kinda wants us to prove we can keep holding this in a serious situation, so I was wondering if you were done with, well, y'know...

Fawkes: Ah. Yes, it's finished. Are you sure this is a wise first mission like this, however? I would imagine that could get a little... confusing, being like that. Seras: I mean, it's just beating something up; that's nothing new for us... Fawkes: I suppose so... Well, I'm ready when everyone else is. Just let me know when you need me. Seras: Alright, we can do that! Just gotta let Zenith and Clair know first. Uhh, you can call us Seras while we're like this, by the way. Probably easier... Fawkes: Oh good. I was afraid you were going to go by something silly like "Jollin". Seras is a much nicer name. Seras: Isn't it? Waving goodbye, Seras leaves to break the news to Zenith and Clair. They approach the door to Clair's room and hesitate for a second before finally knocking. Zenith is the one to open the door. "...Uhh...wait, you feel familiar...Jay? Collin?"

Clair leans around them from further back in the room. "That just looks like one person, Zenith..."

Zenith: ...But they're...not... Seras: It's more like both of us, actually. Just call us Seras, it's easier than saying both of our names all the time. Zenith: Okay, uh, Seras...what's up?

Seras: Are you two, uh...

Collin can feel Jay's guilt creeping up briefly, but he chokes it back as they reword their thoughts. "...Are you really ready to handle your mom?"

Clair: That's...

Zenith: ...Well, no, but...I can't just keep waiting. I didn't even know she sas living like that; I can't let her keep suffering; even if she isn't, all those kleivenn...I have to do something....if I don't, I could probably just avoid this for the rest of our lives; but then those kleivenn would never get to rest, and neither would our mom. I have to do this...it's not about what I want; it's about the right thing to do. Seras: ... I'm glad to hear you say that. Still, I know this must be impossibly hard for you two. Just let us know if you need anything, alright? Zenith: I won't know what I need until this is over. But...thanks. I'll keep it in mind. Seras: Just be ready, we'll be heading that way soon. Anything else before we head back to the console room? Clair: R-really?! I...guess it has been about a week...um...no, thanks for the heads up. You guys go ahead; we'll meet up with everyone when we get there. Seras: Alright, see you then.

They turn back and head for the console room. As they return, Demo remains with Nydins and Rio.

Demo: So? What's the verdict? You gonna do it?

Seras: Please don't make this sound so light...

Demo: Hey, who cares if it's some kid's parent; just pretend it's another baddy, wham, bam, you're done, man! Then you just show it off to that Sabraith broad and you're done! Piece of cake, right?

Seras: I care; they care; why don't you?! Demo: Uhh, I don't know, maybe because I don't even know what a mom is? Seriously, I mean, I have legitimately never seen a single parent in my entire life. So why should I care? Besides, you're just doing this because it's easier and convenient, right? So quit thinking about it like it's somebody's mom; you're just gonna freak yourself out and break before you even get a chance to prove what you can do together. Seras: Look, regardless what you think about parents, do not talk like that once Zenith and Clair get here. This is going to be hard enough on them already without you pouring salt into the wound. We can handle this and be considerate about who it affects at the same time, you know. Demo: ...Ugh, fine. Just don't come cryin'to me when you walk in there, see some kind of parallel, lose your shit and get hurt because you wuv your mommies soooo muuuuch~.

She makes a pouty face and pretends to cry, but Nydins elbows her in the ribs.

Nydins: I might not understand human parents, but I know enough to know nobody needs to hear all that. Keep your mouth shut.

Pausing for a moment, Nydins remembers what she was actually going to say as she turns her attention to Seras.

"A-anyway...! How's Sabraith gonna know what you two do together if she's not gonna be there? You wanna record this or something? Seems a little...morbid..." Seras: That's... a fair question actually, shit... Seras: Well, we could just...bring her with us?

Demo: Just make sure she doesn't hit you for trying to fight immediately. Seras: Hitting us might be the least of our concerns. I don't think this idea is going to go over well considering what her original plan was for us. Seras: But what else can we do? She doesn't really seem like she'll take our word for it alone... Seras: I know, it's just.... gonna be a rough talk, I think.

They get a look of realization on their face for a second before sheepishly glancing at the others in the room. "Uh, sorry. This must be a little weird to listen to, huh?" Nydins: It's...a little strange, yeah. I'm surprised you can't hear each other's thoughts while you're like that...

Demo: Is it really telepathy if you're just...thinking to each other?

Seras: D-don't sass me like that, okay? We're more used to talking to each other...

Demo: Obviously...anyway, go flap your gums at somebody else, will you? This is getting awkward. Seras: Sorry, we'll uh, be back in a few.

They had back outside to Sabraith's house. Seras: Ugh, I wish she didn't still talk like that all the time... Seras: I know, but honestly I'm pretty much used to it at this point. It's not the worst I've ever heard, frankly. Seras: I know, I just...ugh, it doesn't make it right... They fold their arms across their stomach and squeeze for a moment. "I understand. Let's just try to focus on selling this idea to Sabraith for now, okay?" Seras: ...Yeah, alright. Sorry...

Sabraith has finished hanging up her drying laundry and is now watering a nearby cactus, which likely would not be blooming without her help. Seras: Hey, Sabraith? We need to talk. Sabraith: I'm sure. How's the diet holding up? You know you can have water too, right?

Seras: Uhh, actually, we kinda had a...situation we need to deal with. A really big one? You wanted to see we could keep it together under serious circumstances, right?

Sabraith: ...You're gonna try to do what now? Seras: Well, there's no way to put this lightly, so... The mother of two people on our ship was combined with a number of shalvenn kleivenn as part of an experiment done by her husband, and we need to go stop her for uh, probably obvious reasons. Sabraith: ...You know, under any other circumstances, I'd call you both morons and knock you over the head, but I can't let something like that slide under the rug...but I'm coming with you. I don't doubt you can handle this on your own, but you still gotta prove you can do it together too. Seras: Actually, we wanted you to come with us. Both to prove we can do this, and for you to bail us out if you're right and we drop this super hard. Sabraith: ...So you think this thing's gonna head south even with your skills? You sure bringin' more kleivenn to this thing is a good idea?

Seras: Someone's got to stop her...

Sabraith: ...I know. And it's gonna be you; so let's get going. Seras nods and leads Sabraith back to the IT. With Seras and Sabraith having boarded, Nydins sends the IT off for OZ.

Nydins: ...You sure you're gonna be able to do this thing?

Demo: Hey, it's no different than uhh...that Mil thing you dealt with, right? It's just slightly more personal for like, two people. Seras: I guess so. It's gonna be interesting seeing how our abilities mix like this, though. Demo: You gotta be eager to see how that works, right? C'mon, don't be so uptight about this; it's just like every other job you've had.

Seras: It's not; we're literally going to...! Ugh, quit trying to trivialize this!

Demo: Quit making it a big deal! Just do what you always do, okay? It's your job; so do it right, or not at all. Seras: Look, just don't talk like this once Zenith and Clair get here, alright? This is going to be hard enough on them as it is. Demo: Fine, whatever. Just don't come crying to me when that thing breaks you in half and you're both down a limb and caught by surprise. Seras: Your support truly warms our combined hearts, you know that? Demo: Speaking of the soon to be orphans, shouldn't you let them know their sand's running out?

Seras: Will you shut up already?!

Demo: Just go talk to the kids already... Seras: Fine.

They hurriedly stride out of the console room to Clair's door. After taking a second to breathe a couple of times, they reach out and knock. Clair answers the door this time. "Oh, uhh...Seras, right? Guess we're...close, huh?"

Seras: ...Yeah...

Clair: ...It had to happen eventually. I just hope this goes quick...

Stepping past Clair, Zenith heads out into the hall. "...Trust me, I won't drag it out." Seras: This is gonna be a hell of a day, huh? Sighing, Clair grimly nods as she heads out of the room as well.

Seras: ...Demo's just trying to get us to split before we even get to a problem, you know... Seras: Maybe it's some kind of bizarre test in her eyes. At any rate, we can't let that happen or we're back to square one. You doing okay so far? Seras: You kiddin'? I had to hear that on a daily basis for thousands of years. She won't get to me that easy. Seras: Alright, good to hear. Honestly I'm still getting used to shorts, but I'll live. Let's not keep the others waiting, then.

Demo’s kind of an asshole, but she’s just trying to make sure they’re ready for anything

Seras returns to the console room, where the remainder of the group waits for them.

Nydins: ...Look, I'm really not sure you wanna go with Zenith...

Clair: I can't just sit here! What am I supposed to do? Morally support them? Seras: I get your frustration, but to say this is dangerous is a bit of an understatement. I'm not really sure how safe you're going to be without any way to defend yourself. Clair: I don't care! I'm not just gonna sit here and let you guys do this for me! I couldn't talk my dad out of being a terrible person, but mom didn't do this to herself!

Zenith: Clair, she might not...be like our mom anymore... Seras: There's really no telling what we're going to find there, honestly. Demo: Look, dangerous as it is, it's obvious that your family's important. Besides, Clair can just...stick with us, and you can do all the fighting! It's not like she'll get hurt standing in a crowd of superheroes...

Zenith: ...Fine, but only if she stays there.

Clair: Good, then we're going!

Zenith and Clair leave the IT, Demo and Sabraith following them shortly after. Fawkes enters the console room just as Seras starts to head for the door. "Just barely made it, sorry. I was doing a final diagnostics run before I left. Shall we?" Seras: I...yeah, we better go. Fawkes and Seras head out of the IT, shutting the door behind them. The group returns to OZ once more, apprehensively wandering about for quite some time before Clair manages to find out where her mom was staying. The group begins heading for the upper levels of OZ, not once being met by security.

Demo: I don't get it...why is this place so damn empty? Wasn't it crawling with guys back when...y'know...

Zenith: Everybody must've left after Oz and Clair disappeared...guess they were scared of me...they should be. Fawkes: Easy now. Staying calm is going to be key here. Zenith: ...How am I supposed to be calm about coming to kill my own mom?

Demo: Look, just...don't try to think about it like that, okay?

Clair: ...We're almost there anyway... Seras: I'm almost glad for it. This place is incredibly unnerving like this... At last, the group reaches the uppermost floor, where a lone woman waits for them patiently. Platinum blonde hair stretches down past her ankles, contrasting well to her solid black dress. Slitted, red eyes stare coldly down at Zenith and Clair. "...You've kept me waiting all this time. I hope your father's done with you..."

Zenith: Oh, he finished a long time ago...

???: Wonderful. I knew he would only leave me with the best...

Her gaze locks with Clair's. "...So then why is that here...? I guess you got sentimental? Or were you lonely? Well, either way...you won't have to worry anymore. Your mother's here now...you won't be needing filth like that anymore."

Clair: Wh-what are you talking about?! Don't you recognize me?!

???: Ugh, as if I'd even entertain the thought. Do you make a point to memorize every mosquito you spy before you swat it for pestering you? Keep your mouth shut. Seras: God, this is even worse than I feared. Clair, don't listen to her. That face is just a mask at this point. Zenith: You make me sick. I can't believe I even thought there'd be a part of our mom left in that mess...fine. You're just making this easier on me; I'm gonna take you out!

As Zenith lunges forward, arms burning with readied magic, his mother calmly grabs him in passing, hoisting him up by his throat and forcing his magic to subside.

???: I understand; you're lashing out because your father neglected you, and you missed me so much, didn't you? Don't worry; I'm here for you now...you won't have to be upset anymore...

Clair: L-let him go, you son of a--

Demo has to pull Clair back as she desperately tries to run at her mom.

Demo: Hey, we told you to stay back! Let everybody handle this! Clearly we're done talking... Seras steps forward and conjures a spear of light wreathed in a cloud of swirling frost. Taking one more giant step, they hurl the spear at the amalgamate with tremendous force. "You heard the girl; let him go!" Boredly, the woman uses Zenith to shield herself. Unable to do much against her, Zenith takes the spear in full before she tosses him aside. "...I guess I've got more mosquitoes than I thought..."

Seras: Z-Zenith!! Th...that is it! We're gonna tear you apart!!

They summon forth Jay's own spear, but they manage to materialize it physically for once. Gripping it tightly, Seras charges towards the woman, who simply grabs the spear, hoists Seras over her head, and slams them flat onto their back in one fluid motion.

???: Don't get so hasty... Fawkes' right arm whirs frantically as it quickly morphs into a new configuration. His hand folds back as the forearm splits into two halves. Three small round sensors pop out of the wrist in a triangular formation. A strange projectile somewhere between a dart and a rifle round shoots out of his arm with a bizarre sound as a magnetic force sends it hurtling toward the target. Caught off guard, but not enough to be hit, the mother manages to dodge the shot by an inch alone, her attention finally directed towards her assailants. "...So you're capable after all! Then go ahead; try to take me down!"

A morbid symphony of loud, abnormal cracks and damp ripping noises fills the air as the amalgamate reveals their combined form; little more than their face remaining human as the rest of them takes on an appearance bodily similar to The Mil's; yet significantly more unified; the limbs more appropriately positioned and spaced out, and the scales all managing to stay a single color, though the light seems to shine in a way that makes them reflect different colors depending on the angle they're viewed from.

she’s disgusting and terrifying and a bitch all in one!

Mortified by this development, Demo lets go of Clair, though she rushes over to Zenith rather than into the fray. Seras opens a golden colored portal underneath themself and another on the ceiling further back from the rapidly growing threat. Dropping through, they reorient in midair and land back on their feet. They hold out one hand and the spear snaps back into its grip. "Okay, new plan. Any ideas?" Sabraith: You can put the toothpick away; I've seen those scales before. No weapon you have is gonna break through that; but maybe if you threw enough firepower at it, you could make an opening. But unless you find this thing's oracle, that won't matter...

Seras: Well, what about speedwell? If we poison her, that won't matter, right?

Sabraith: My point still stands; no dinky little needle's gonna get through that. You'd have better luck trying to get her to swallow it if you can't blast a hole in thoss scales of hers... Seras: Oh no, we've got the firepower...

They move the portal on the floor to be directly underneath the one on the ceiling. Their spear charges with arcs of lightning before they throw it down the portal, causing it to begin constantly picking up speed. Seras suddenly dashes off to the side with jarring speed, forging a warhammer of golden light in their hand. "Just need to buy a little more time..." Sabraith: ...I hope you know what you're doing, kid.

Summoning forth a massive battle axe, Sabraith charges towards the amalgamate. "Hey! Why don't you pick on someone your own size?!"

???: I feel like that would be a little hard to find!

Raking their claws into the floor eagerly, the mother springs forth, uncoiling with a force that shatters the floor behind them as they attempt to smash Sabraith against the wall. Seras rushes forward and swings their hammer in a circle around them twice before connecting on the third swing with the force of a speeding truck directly into its side. The amalgamate cracks on impact, sending her crashing through the opposite wall instead. This does not stop her from sliding back into the room shortly after, however.

"You're feisty, aren't you? I like that!" Seras: Spare me the compliments, everything you say feels like a slap in the face.

They punctuate their last word by hurling the hammer end over end toward her, the weapon becoming engulfed with searing flames as it travels.

Laughing with an eager excitement, the mother summons forth a weapon of her own as she slinks backwards: a massive, white cannon with an intricate, golden floral trim along the edges.

"How about you try this one on for size?"

Flattening onto the floor, the cannon fires a massive blast of raw energy in a straight line, more like a laser than a ball.

Summoning forth one of Jay's old dolls, Seras manages to create a barrier moments before impact; this barrier, however, seems to absorb the energy it takes, shifting the entirety of the doll into a massive crystal containing the force behind the energy instead.

"Nice try!" Seras glances once between the crystal and the spear as their eyes widen. Snatching the crystal from the air, they toss it upward and swap the ceiling portal's location to a wall, putting the crystal directly between the spear and the amalgamate. Seras' spear hurtles forward and smashes through the crystal, forcing the energy to wrap around it and be dragged along in its wake. It now shrieks through the air meteor straight for its target with a multitude of different energies at its disposal.

this fight is so badass

Unable to properly maneuver out of the way in such a small space, the mother can only brace themselves as the spear impacts them, shattering through their scales and leaving a sizable gash in their body, nearly severing her in half. Laughing nervously, the mother shakily stands up.

"Fine...you want to get ahold of our oracle so badly....?"

Piercing their own body with their arm, they snap off a long, sharp segment of their own oracle, pulling it out slowly.

"...Here..."

The mother lashes out in a last ditch effort, impaling Clair through the chest with their oracle shard.

"TAKE IT!!!" Fawkes immediately fires several more shots at both the oracle shard and the gash in her scales, emptying the rest of his clip. Though the oracle shard remains unharmed, the mother shrieks as their injury fails to heal after being shot full of poison. Reeling backwards, she collapses upon herself, her breathing growing ragged as she glares down at the group.

"This...this isn't over..."

Struggling to pull themself off the floor, Zenith chokes back tears as they stare their mother down.

"You seriously thought something like that was gonna kill me? You thought something like you could kill me like that?! ...I...wh-why?! Why did you do this?!"

???: I didn't need...a reason. They didn't deserve you; they were just...filth. Those are reason enough...

Zenith: You don't know anything about me!! You don't even know my name anymore, do you?!

???: How could I forget...my only successful child? Alexander...of course I know your name...

Zenith: Then don't use it again! ...L-let's go...she deserves to rot here alone... Seras: W-What about-?

Their voice catches as they begin to panic..

Looking down at Clair, Zenith chokes on their tears, turning back to glare at their mother in a desperate attempt to keep from crying. "Sh-she didn't deserve this!!"

Sabraith: ...Something's wrong. Even with an oracle that big, they should've lost form by now...

Demo: ...But...it's got a human soul in it, right? Would a human die from speedwell? I thought it was just a harmless flower for them...

???: You're right...it isn't enough to destroy my tether. I won't be able to heal, but I won't be dying from this either...your efforts were in vain...

Zenith: LIKE HELL THEY WERE!!

Without even thinking about it, Zenith rushes forward, grabbing his mother's oracle in his hands. "Maybe...maybe your human soul isn't attuned to any of those kleivenn, but all of mine are attuned to one! Just one more that's weaker than me...you'd go down too! I could feel it; you wanted to be a part of me when we met again, didn't you? Fine! Then I'll drag you to hell myself!!"

raw-ass lines

Seras: Z-Zenith, stop!! What the hell are you doing?!

As Zenith's mother's form ia reduced to a lighted silhouette, Zenith turns to face Seras with tears in their eyes at last.

"...Jay? No...Seras. Can you promise me something?"

Zenith's own form begins to be enveloped in the light as well.

"...Take care of Clair for me, okay? You guys...are gonna be...the only family...she has...left..."

With that, Zenith and their mother vanish in a massive burst of multicolored light as the amalgamate oracle shatters, reaching its crushing point as it dissolves in speedwell poison.

A horrible silence echoes throughout the entirety of the facility in the aftermath. After a few moments that creep like several eternities, Fawkes returns his arm to normal and forces himself to break the silence. "We have to get Clair back to the IT; there isn't much time." Taking a deep, shaky breath, Demo doesn't audibly exhale as she nods and retrieves Clair from across the room.

Sabraith: ...Guess there's not a faster way down from here, huh...? Seras weakly snaps their fingers, moving one portal to the wall next to Demo and the other just outside XL's door in the IT. Rushing through the portal, Demo wastes no time in opening XL's door, as the IT comically slides it up into the ceiling just enough for Demo to fit through, then slides it back to its proper place.

Desperately attempting to hold back the sob building up in their throat, Seras sniffs as tears well up in their eyes. "...Please don't make us do anything else..."

Sabraith: ...You kids come pick this thing up when you're ready. I won't stop you again, but...you've clearly got something bigger to deal with right now. You guys go on; go deal with this. I'll let your friends know to take me home.

Seras nods and steps through the portal into the IT. Once everyone else has followed inside, they close the portal behind them and quietly retreat back into their room. There is a moment between Tori and Jay where they internally discuss if Jay is capable of handling the current situation or not, though through Jay's grief, Tori does not need an answer. Taking his half of front, they speak with Collin next:

"...You don't have to keep up this sync thing if you wanna be alone...I'm sure this is just making you feel even more than you need to..." Seras: I... need to be seperate, but not alone. Does that make sense? Seras: ...Yeah; I understand.

With that, Tori disrupts the sync, leaving them separate from Collin in a similar flash of light as before; though they are fully prepared to catch Collin if he loses his balance. Collin quickly reaches out and grabs a hold of Tori as he tries to get used to his normal body again. Once he feels slightly more stable, he summons his prosthetic back from the pocket dimension and reattaches it after a few wobbly moments. He then makes his way over to the bed and sits down on one side, staring into the floor. alienrabitt: ...It's...weird. I want to feel upset about it, but I didn't even know Zenith until after his dad was dead. But that doesn't mean I can't sympathize; even now, I can feel Jay's grief. He feels guilty; and bitter; and angry...he's divided between wanting revenge, and knowing that there's nothing left for him to do, and he hates that sort of thing more than anything in the world...

Tori glances off towards the wall.

"...And I guess you feel similar. You feel bad that you were helpless; you feel a little guilty too, right? Even if neither of you caused it, you were both helpless to save Zenith, so you both feel like that just means you're no better than their murderer..." Collin: ... No offense, but please don't play psychiatrist with me right now. Honestly the only thing I can think about right now is that the last thing I ever did for Zenith was stab him with a fucking spear. A mix of embarrassment and guilt clouds Tori's expression for a moment before they answer again.

"...I...don't think either of you knew she was going to do that. I don't think Zenith would blame you either...I'm sure they knew you were just trying to help..." Collin: I just... I didn't think this could go so wrong. I know the stuff we do is dangerous, but... God, this is all so stupid, isn't it? alienrabitt: ...It wasn't your fault. You have every right to feel bad, but neither of you are responsible for Zenith's death. Collin: I know, I... God, I can't even imagine what Clair is going to be like, assuming she doesn't... alienrabitt: ...From my understanding, there's never been a successful human-kleivenn hybrid before now; but knowing how everyone who winds up here seems to defy all odds, I've got a feeling she'll pull through...but you're right; even I can't say what she might be like if or when she does...if she survives, we'll also have to tell her... Collin: Actually, breaking the news was what I meant, but God now that you mention it, who knows what effect that shard of the oracle might have on her...

well, an oracle contains souls; and a little before Zenith died, he mentioned that his mom would still become a part of him, but she’d be so small in the bigger mix that she’d get shoved down and die

Clair, however, was never a Zenith...she’s only ever been herself

but now she’ll have an oracle. her mom’s oracle. y’know, a thing made of a bunch of other oracles, containing thousands of kleivenn that were all only suppressed by the bitch aura of the mom

alienrabitt: All we can do now is hope for the best and...brace for the worst. Whatever happens is a gamble, and the only person who will know if she's strong enough to handle what's happened is her and her alone. ...Regardless, Zenith did say that he wanted us to keep taking care of her. I don't know if he knew what would happen, but...he seemed to know that you and Jay would definitely see her again. Collin: I... Maybe? I just thought he was hoping for the best, but... you think he knew something about all of this? alienrabitt: ...I don't think they knew they would die until they decided to themself. I think Zenith was aware that they wouldn't be able to stop Clair from...trying to do something she shouldn't. I think he knew his sister, and that's all he could really plan for. Collin: I just... I feel so awful about this whole thing. She'd only just been reunited with the one member of her family she liked, and now...? How do you even handle something like that? alienrabitt: ...With help from people you trust, I'm sure. More than anything, I think she'll just want to know she's going to be safe. Collin: I... really hope I can actually do that much, at least. alienrabitt: For now, I think it'd be best to make sure she's alright. Collin: You don't think we're gonna get in the way in there? I figured XL's going to have her hands full. alienrabitt: We don't even know what sort of condition she's in besides "previously impaled by a raw magical material containing a portion of a soul;" how would we know how she is now? Do you really think XL could handle that alone? Collin: Shit, maybe you're right. I'm just wasting time here, aren't I? Alright, let's go then. The pair leaves for XL's room, where Karumet and Firefly have joined her as well.

XL: ...I"ve never seen anything like this...she seems perfectly fine aside from...whatever this is.

Karumet: By all accounts, this should be impossible; the amount of tests run by mankind during the war attempting to get this exact result are sickeningly high, and yet here it is...

Firefly: ...The oracle fragment had already bound to a singular human soul; with that soul voided, and with no kleivenn tethered, it must've bonded with Clair's soul as a substitute, and it looks...stable. No remnants or anything; she looks perfectly fine by either standard.

and yet Firefly doesn’t see any traces of any other souls besides Clairs; and she doesn’t see any of Zenith’s magic; and there’s no speedwell involved...

XL: Exactly! She's...fine! She doesn't seem to have any injuries or anything, just...that... Collin: Uh, hey guys. Did I just hear you say that Clair's fine after all that? Firefly: --Well, it depends on what you classify as..."fine"...

Karumet: The oracle shard she was impaled with seems to have...well...fused wouldn't be the right word, but encased also feels wrong. I guess you could say the entire thing seems to have bonded with her heart...

XL: Not to mention her veins, and anything attached...basically all of her internal organs are entirely encased in an oracle. I'd go as far as saying she is her own oracle.

Firefly: Well, yes and no. Though the magic from her oracle is being channeled as naturally as blood; since the initial oracle was from a saa, her heart remains the core of it all; though it's not even remotely possible to remove it the same way as a saa; it would always be physically connected due to her lack of a proper tether...but as a result, anything connected to her heart has become a tether.

glittery pink sparkly guts, just like all those cutesy guro drawings, but functional!

Collin: I... I can't tell if I should be amazed or sick. How is something like that even possible? Karumet: ...The initial oracle had been bound to a human soul. Without any kleivenn bound to it, it needed another soul to bind to; so it broke itself down and bonded with Clair... Collin: That... That can happen? XL: It...looks like it. However the oracle bound to Clair's mother bound to her, that seems to be the only reason Clair survived this. If the oracle hadn't bound to Clair, she would've died the instant she was impaled.

basically if they hadn’t been related Clair would’ve fucking died

Collin: I... I really don't know what to think of this. I mean, I'm glad she's okay, but this raises... a lot of questions. I mean, is she a kleivenn now, or...? Karumet: She's everything humanity wanted when they started to kill us all. A human-kleivenn hybrid...if she survives this and manages to stay herself, everything humanity did to us...it will have all been for her...

Firefly: D-don't say that like she's a direct result of humanity's experiments! She had nothing to do with the war! She didn't ask to be stabbed; she didn't even know if she'd survive it, let alone that this would happen!

Karumet: Even if the war is over; the humans that won it survived! They're still out there, and if they find her, if they find out what she is, they'll use her to kill us all! Collin: Wait, what? How would she even do that? She's just one person, right? XL: A single human is capable of limitless possibilities...when that human's potential is suddenly tied into a factor that's capable of being manipulated, and their abilities bend to function around that...I can understand the potential threat; however...a saa wouldn't be strong enough; and as a hybrid, her abilities would be even weaker. Clair isn't a threat... Collin: Besides, even if she could cause trouble, there's no way in hell we'd let anyone use her for something like that. Firefly: Look, whatever paranoid war talk you have, save it for later. If she wakes up and hears you panicking like this, she's only gonna feel worse...

XL: You're the only one who can help me if something goes wrong, too. I need you to calm down...

Karumet: I...you don't even know what she's going to be like when she wakes up!

Firefly: And that's exactly why you should be acting like nothing would be different! If she's fine, you shouldn't be screaming that we should hurt her; I mean, you think you're scared? Her entire internal system just turned into an oracle; and on top of that, she just lost the remainder of her family! Just humor us for 10 damn minutes; she needs this! Collin: Karumet, if you want to step out while we make sure she's okay, then that's fine. I don't blame you for being cautious. Shaking her head, Karumet leaves the room. After the door closes, Clair pushes herself upright and quietly chokes out "...Is that what really happened to me?"

Firefly: H-how long have you been awake?!

Clair: Does it matter?! I heard enough; please, just answer me! What happened?! How am I okay, and...what happened to Zenith; where is he?!

XL: ...Clair, I really need you to calm down--

Clair: I'm not going to calm down!! He's the only family I have left; where did he go?! Collin: ... He's gone, Clair. Clair: ...G-...gone? No, he...he can't! He couldn't just...leave, he...

Firefly: Clair, Zenith...when he saw you get hurt, he...he got back up, and...

Clair: ...N-no...no!! He didn't need to do that; he didn't need to do anything! I--!! We have to be able to do something, he can't just...he can't just be gone!

Firefly: ...We don't have his body; and, with the amount of souls that were bound to him, even if they'd separated when he passed...I'm sorry; I can't fix this...there are just some things you can't bring back from the dead....

Clair: Y-you're lying; you have to be lying!! There has to be a way to fix this; you have to be able to do something!!!

Firefly: Clair, please, I...I can't. Necromancy isn't raising the dead; it's reanimation; even if I had his original body, I can't bring back a soul. That's why I had to go to Chitola; and everybody here knows what that did to Nydins; do you have any idea what the cost for someone like Zenith would be when bringing back a minor god twisted her abilities like that? Would you be okay with doing that to your brother?

Clair: I...I can't...

Unable to bare her hopeless negotiation; Clair breaks down into tears, burying her face in her hands as she openly weeps. Collin turns to the side and leans against the wall, putting one hand over the side of his face as he tries not to cry as well. Clair: ...I don't understand; --why did this happen?! Why did--...?! Wh-why would he just...?! Th-this isn't fair! This isn't fair!! H-he didn't deserve any of this; he was just trying to--!!

Breathing heavily still, Clair turns to face Tori.

"...Tell me...tell me she's dead too!!"

alienrabitt: ...Yeah. Zenith killed her himself. They went together. It was the only way the speedwell would work...

Still crying, Clair nods slightly.

"...Th-then...then it's okay...all of this...if I don't keep going, then...he did that for nothing...s-so I just...I need to be able to handle this..." Collin pushes himself off the wall and tries to pull himself together. "Just let us know if there's anything we can do for you, alright?" Clair: ...Y-yeah...of course...I just...need to be alone for a while...

XL: I can't leave you totally alone until we understand your condition; but I won't bother you. The rest of you should leave...you've done all you can... Collin: Right... I'll be in my room if anyone needs anything, then.

hopefully 102 is a little lighter than all this...

#[S4]

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