The Alien Wars 6: Da Capo

Session 659

Session Start: Sun Jul 09 14:41:31 2023
Session Ident: #TAW-Session659
<DeathStar> 5
<DeathStar> 4
<DeathStar> 3
<DeathStar> 2
<DeathStar> 1
<DeathStar> -0-
<DeathStar> Date: 10-654.8.1
<DeathStar> Location: Outside the Ruins of Mega City
<DeathStar> *John has set up a massive tent for everyone, leaning back in his chair watching X and Katrina prepare some food from a barrel, cooking what looks to be soup.*
<Seraphna> **Tabetha yawns a bit and eyes some stuff on her datapad while leaning against John**
<DeathStar> *Katrina dips the barrell soup into a bowl and begins to pass it out around people who need food8
<DeathStar> <John> *he holds his datapad, eyeing what information they have on the cult Atheos has been gathering together in the ruins of an old religious building nearby* It creeps me out this guy. *Blue polishes her armor* If you ask me, that's no world ending god, but some con man trying to fool people into follow him
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Well, if the demon lady sent him then he'll have power.
<Alicia> * Lunar Girl helps feed people. "I hope so, that would make things easier."
<DeathStar> <John> But it makes no sense. *he props his head up* No sense at all
<Jackieness> <Xeres> *pushes open her way into the communal tent, approaching the team*
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "Oh?"
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Maybe not to us, but the enemy has experiences with many realities right?
<DeathStar> *X looks up* The Erusians sending in back up?
<Seraphna> Tabetha> **tilts her head looking over Xeres**
<Jackieness> <Xeres> "I am here as a courtesy to Warrren Carmichael, who wanted to ensure that quote 'you do not screw things up'."
<DeathStar> <Blue> Insulting type I see
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Ohhh, you're the secret daughter?
<DeathStar> *John looks back down* As you can see, Dias and Marcus are nowhere to be found; I've sent the puppy to play with his chewtoy.
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Which one's the puppy?
<Jackieness> <Xeres> "No, I am Xeres, an Ascendancy commando."
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Beleiveable, your name is more than three letters long. Unless Xer is a valid short.
<DeathStar> *Death Star walks into the tent, taking a seat beside Blue*
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "Huh?"
<Jackieness> <Xeres> "An earlier iteration of your team assisted me against the Shifters, who had replaced our Majestrix."
<DeathStar> <Death Star> I scouted the the parameter. They have armed guards around the building
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Not a very welcoming cult.
<DeathStar> <John> Don't mind Tabetha. *he notes, eyeing the datapad*
* Garland has joined #TAW-Session659
<Seraphna> **Tabetha pouts and makes herself comfy against John**
<DeathStar> <X> Wouldn't cults technically, by definition, be loony and well guarded?
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "Do we even want it to be welcoming?"
<DeathStar> <Death Star> That's not the only thing. I noticed I wasn't the only one in the area taking notice of it. But the person, or persons, evaded me with a ripple I believe
<Seraphna> **Tabetha frowns** Chad put his weapons elsewhere didn't he?
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "You'd think that guy was Slasher or something..."
<DeathStar> <John> ...Hm. Chad never tells us anything. *He glances at Lunar Girl* Well, there was rumors that two of the weapons were re-activated by Venerator
<DeathStar> <John> But nothing ever came of it
<DeathStar> <Katrina> Well, the problem right now is how do we get into the church?
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Well we have a Ripple person too.
<DeathStar> <Blue> Hm. You plan to try to ripple into the church?
<DeathStar> <Blue> That's like screaming "hello, here I am"
<Jackieness> <Xeres> "I may be able to offer some service here. I have a personal cloak, in addition to my psionic abilities."
<DeathStar> <John> The fact is right now I'm ... what's the big word, loathe to play out hand in front of a bunch of brainwashed civies. But a few of us are well known.
<DeathStar> *John looks up*
<DeathStar> <John> How many can that cloak -- cloak?
<Jackieness> <Xeres> "Emphasis on personal. However, I can infiltrate, scout, and find a clear path."
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "That could work."
<DeathStar> *John muses* Alright. I want a few of us who are lowkey to go along as well. Lunar. Blue. Kat. *he eyes Tabetha, then puts mud on Tab's face*
<DeathStar> <John> There, you join them
<DeathStar> <John >See if you can all get in for a sermon
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "Is mud enough of a disguise?"
<DeathStar> <John> Do you recognize her?
<Seraphna> Tabetha> I am muddy Tabetha, completely unrecognizable.
<DeathStar> *Death Star murmurs something to Blue about the group*
<Jackieness> <Xeres> "This is as Warren Carmichael stated."
<Seraphna> **Tabetha scans Xeres**
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "But we haven't even showed you our skills."
<Jackieness> <Xeres> *indicates Tabetha and John*
<DeathStar> *Blue sets out* Come on
<Jackieness> <Xeres> *heads out as well*
<Seraphna> **Tabetha sneaks out**
<DeathStar> *As they walk through the ruins of Mega City toward the church, they see indeed armed figures protecting it, whixh is unusual for someone like Atheos, who John claims was a being who was all powerful in the Original Universe. A cloaked figure can be seen being waved on through into the building before them*
<DeathStar> *the team is stopped by the armed men* What brings you here? *He studies them all, not detecting Xeres among them*
<Jackieness> <Xeres> *tries to slip past the armed patrol under cloak*
<Seraphna> Tabetha> We're here to hear the word.
<DeathStar> *he studies them, perhaps a little suspicious, eyeing the mud on her face, then Blue and Lunar Girl* And you?
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "The same."
<DeathStar> *Katrina and Blue nod and the man relents, leading them downstairs, where a group of thin civilians are gathered, outside one cloaked figure, who seems different than the rest. The area seems to have been made a religious worship area almost, but at the same time outside an altar with a body on it, which has been covered with a sheet, no one is praying.*
<DeathStar> *Blue and Katrina look around, studying all the people standing and waiting, when a charismatic figure walks through and stands before the altar and the body*
<Seraphna> **Tabby relays what she's seeing to John through their bond**
<Jackieness> <Xeres> *scouts out the cult compound*
<DeathStar> <Atheos?> *adjusts his clothes, looking much better dressed and fed compared to the others here, stroking a thin black beard. Outside something in his eyes, he would appear to be wholy human* Welcome. As you know, it is almost time to bring down the false gods that have been ruling over our lives. Bringing you misery. Destroying your worlds. Your cities. Bringing nothing but death to your universe. Before you is but the first step. *he removes the sheet and reveals a dead body, that makes Katrina gasp* Though he is dead, we will use his sacrifice to help strike down at the false gods. All I need is for you to begin to focus your prayers toward me.
<Alicia> * Lunar Girl looks at the body
<DeathStar> *it's the body of Junior*
<Ripple> *The figure appears to be examining the newcomers, shadowed eyes narrowing*
<DeathStar> <Katrina> *to the others, in a rushed whisper* <I'll bring in Mem right now if you don't help me get him off of there>
<Jackieness> <Xeres> *maps it out and forwards the data in a secure data burst back to John*
<DeathStar> *Atheos? pulls out a strange glowing dagger of flame, almost like hell flame and steps over to the body while the people begin to pray*
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> <Do you have a plan?>
<Seraphna> Tabetha> <I can make a distraction.>
<DeathStar> <Blue> <Whatever we do, we need to do it quick>
<DeathStar> *she eyes all the praying around them*
<Seraphna> **Tabetha muses for the best method, then sends out a feeling of terror to those praying, then a feeling of things crawling over their bodies, like spiders**
* Ripple snaps his fingers once, the loud crack seeming louder then it should be with a strange... echoing
<DeathStar> *The psionic attack is partially successful, as some of the civilians leap up, while Ripple's echoing seems to at least get the attention of the rest*
<DeathStar> *the hell flame dying down to a light blue*
<DeathStar> *Blue eyes in Ripple's direction while Atheos turns to eye the room and calls for his guards*
<Ripple> *space seems to bend slightly around his hand*
<Seraphna> **Tabetha then forms her gun and fires at the dagger**
<Alicia> * Lunar Girl tries to grab the body and teleport out
<DeathStar> *Lunar and Junior land outside*
<Ripple> No. I think that is quite enough. That body is no sacrifice for you.
<DeathStar> *Where John meets them*
<Jackieness> <Xeres> *now uses the opportunity for stealth take downs of the guards outside the ritual chamber now that the alert has been given*
<DeathStar> <Atheos> Ah. I see. You all have shown yourselves
<DeathStar> *he studies the group*
<DeathStar> <Blue> *Goes to meet with Xeres to help*
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "What now?"
<DeathStar> <John> *he eyes the church entrance* Kat wants Junior safe, we get him safe. Plus if Atheos wants to stab him it's a bad thing. *he carries Junior back to camp*
<DeathStar> *atheos, seeing all his followers fallen, steps back*
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "I have no idea what he's planning, but it can't be good."
<DeathStar> <Katrina> We should stop him now
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Why are cults always boiled down to some weirdo wanting to stick their thing into a kid anyway?
* Ripple pinches space into a ripple directed at the base of the altar
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Also that's way cooler and more advances their our weapons do.
<Seraphna> *advanced
<DeathStar> <Atheos> You know. *he directs it toward Ripple* Now that you're here. You will do just as well as he will. And the girl. But. We will speak again. *he melts into the ground as the altar is destroyed, melting into hellish goo; the civilians all vanishing with him*
<DeathStar> *Well
<DeathStar> <Katrina> ... *she saber leaps and stabs at the ground*
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Booo! Scripted exits! **she huffs and shoows the ground too**
<Ripple> Are you kidding? that wasn't even top ten bad guy exits I've witnessed.
<DeathStar> *Katrina turns toward Ripple, aiming her saber at Ripple* Which one are you?
<Seraphna> Tabetha> He seems like he's on our side. And he doesn't make as many corny lines as the bad Ripple from the files.
* Ripple turns to Katrina, pulling down his hood.
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "Ripple's on our side, I'm certain of it."
<Ripple> Being stuck in this terrible body does that to people.
<Seraphna> Tabetha> He's... some dude I've never met!
<Seraphna> **Tabetha points and declares**
<Ripple> I hate alternate dimensions.
<DeathStar> <Katrina> Hello, Ripple.
<Seraphna> Tabetha> This is the Prime Reality actually.
<Ripple> Sure as hell isn't my prime reality.
<DeathStar> <Katrina> I doubt he knows what that means. Right now... *She hurries to camp*
<Jackieness> <Xeres> *scouts around for a clue about where the cultists might have gone*
<Seraphna> **Tabetha heads back** Well it is. Yggdrassil and everything.
<DeathStar> <Blue> Did we even have a Yggdrasil back in the day?
<Jackieness> <Xeres> *signals the team that she has discovered a locked room*
<DeathStar> <Blue> Welcome back, Ripple
<Ripple> We had a tree.
<DeathStar> *Blue goes to check the door, and busts the lock*
<Ripple> Deathstar watered it with salt water once. It wasn't happy about it
<Seraphna> Tabetha> So... are there more like you two? You've got a... Wind's Reality vibe but that place has gone past humanity.
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "I'm pretty sure this is the world we created."
<Jackieness> <Xeres> *nods to Blue*
<DeathStar> *the room turns out to be Atheos'*
<Ripple> Hell if I know. I'm just wearing this body like a cheap suit. Doesn't feel like mine
<DeathStar> *in the corner is a bed and another is a desk, with paperwork*
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "Well that's just weird."
<Jackieness> <Xeres> "We should conduct a search."
<Seraphna> **Tabetha tilts her head and pokes Ripple**
<DeathStar> <Blue> Right. I'll do that.
<Seraphna> Tabetha> I don't feel a metal skeleton or anything...?
<Ripple> The last person who poked me caused the universe to implode.
<Ripple> well. a universe anyway.
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "By poking you?"
<DeathStar> <Blue> Just because it's a human body doesn't mean he isn't feeling out of place
<Jackieness> <Xeres> *starts searching the room*
<Seraphna> Tabetha> I'm Tabby. I don't implode universes. Nice to meet you!
<Ripple> I'm Ripple. I suppose it's a pleasure?
<DeathStar> *Blue begins to grab paperwork and scribbles with Andrea's name, Erevis' name, and Jaime's name a lot*
<DeathStar> *tons of papers with Jaime's name*
<Ripple> I have flashes of memories.... *pokes his body a little*
<DeathStar> *And the Suisen Empire all over*
<Ripple> This universe's Ripple didn't take care of his body very well...
<Seraphna> Tabetha> He's been dead for like... 50 years?
<Jackieness> <Xeres> "Apparently he has a more political definition of gods."
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "That's a little... sad somehow."
<DeathStar> <Blue> I confess I do not know a lot about the Weapon Project but I do think they said he got along well with Weapon IX.
<DeathStar> <Blue> Spirit.
<Ripple> hm.
<Ripple> Spirit you say? Where is she?
<DeathStar> <Blue> She works with EarthGov and the Suisen Empire
<DeathStar> *holds up the paperwork* Which Atheos is targetting right now
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Isn't she still around somewhere, possessing people and being all Ghosty?
<Seraphna> **Tabetha nods**
* Ripple smiles "she did love to do that"
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Why would he come to Earth to target the Empire?
<DeathStar> <Blue> Lets grab what we can and head back to camp
<Ripple> Everyone targets the earth. Seriously. Alien warlords, Demi-gods
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "I wonder why."
<Ripple> Where are the others....?
<Seraphna> Tabetha> All over.
<Ripple> I feel like I've missed a lifetime.
<DeathStar> <Blue> As far as remembering things, there's only a few though
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "Hotaru is off with Cheryl, dealing with Cran."
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Like four actually. If you're the wish people most of your generation are retired.
<DeathStar> *as they head back to the camp, they find Katrina arguing with Death Star, and John trying to stay ouut of it*
<DeathStar> <Katrina> I want to go find Wind right now!
<DeathStar> <Death Star> Look, why would you want to go find him
<Ripple> John?!
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Johnny, we brought the ripple user, named Ripple!
<DeathStar> <John> Hey. I saw you were in there. *he waves* Good to see you. I was wondering if others would show up after Lunar
<Jackieness> <Xeres> "We may have discovered a hit list."
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "I know how you feel, but he's the main one who's been dealing with things like this for a while."
* Sara sets mode: +o Garland
<DeathStar> *Katrina digs in her heels, pointing at Junior* He is a sitting duck and I will go to his reality right now if we don't bring him here.
<Seraphna> Tabetha> People like Erevis and Jaime who previously named themselves as Goddesses?
<DeathStar> *Mem sits off to the side, eating an apple, and eyeing Death Star, who finally walks off*
<Seraphna> Tabetha> You mean... Wind's reality?
<DeathStar> <Katrina> I'm hoping we can get him to come here and not have to go
<Seraphna> Tabetha> We're not even sure if he's still alive there.
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Last time the team went there they were... tens of thousands of years ahead and Earth was reborn.
<DeathStar> <Katrina> Well, if that's the case, then he has to be here somewhere
<DeathStar> *John leans over to Ripple* So.
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "How does the time thing work, anyway?"
<DeathStar> <John> Timey wimey?
<Seraphna> **Tabetha frowns and muses** If he's somewhere then Erevis might know. They've been known to keep in contact.
<DeathStar> *John has Junior propped up in a chair right now, holding a book and wearing a glasses*
<Ripple> Apparently. I have a lot of drinking to do to understand this.
<DeathStar> <John> You could do what I do
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "I mean, if we go back, is it possible to go back to... not tens of thousands of years ahead?"
<Seraphna> **Tabetha adds a fake mustacio on Junior** There, no one will recognize him.
<Ripple> What's that?
<Jackieness> <Xeres> "Should you not act to preserve the body before the effects of death set in?"
<DeathStar> <John> Ignore what others say
<DeathStar> <John> Oh he's fine. Death is his father
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "That's still really weird."
<Seraphna> Tabetha> The big boney guy with a scythe!?
<DeathStar> <John> What I want to know is how Atheos even got Junior in the first place
<Ripple> I mean, sure I can totally ignore what others day
<Seraphna> Tabetha> How does Death even... you know...?
<Ripple> He's got some power. Though he needs a good PR agent
<DeathStar> <X> You're all talking nonsense. No one is Death
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "Sorry what did you say, I can't hear you."
<DeathStar> *X raises eyebrows*
<Seraphna> Tabetha> She said Death isn't a person, which is probably gonna hurt his feelings.
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "So, nothing to do with being hard of hearing."
<DeathStar> *Wind appears behind the group* Technically
<DeathStar> <Wind> Garland is the Death of the Original Universe
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Who?
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "Garland?"
<DeathStar> <Wind> Indeed. Not that he isn't quite powerful here
<Ripple> Garland? That's where he ended up?
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "I know the Hotaru of this universe has mentioned that name before."
<Seraphna> Tabetha> **checks Datapad** Hmm... Hotaru had a pilot that was named Garland. He was psycho it seems. And there was a guy who turned into a powerful Space God called Garland a while back but he was reborn as Gartareh.
<DeathStar> <Wind> Hm, was Garland before your time? Junior's father, Lunar. My friend
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "I think I remember the name, at least."
<DeathStar> <Wind> It is good to see you here, Ripple.
<Ripple> It's good to be here.
<Seraphna> Tabetha> So this is another Wind reality guy.
<DeathStar> *Wind tilts his head at Tabetha*
<DeathStar> <Wind> You speak, but you just fill the air with words
<DeathStar> <Wind> Now if you give me a moment, I have to go deal with Katrina
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Pretty much. I talk a lot when nervous.
<DeathStar> *he warps over to her*
<Seraphna> **Tabetha starts counting in her fingers** There's X and me and Xeres... I think we're the only ones here without some sort of link to this old guard.
<DeathStar> <X> Yeah, it's unusual
<Jackieness> <Xeres> "Again, I am here at the request of Warren carmichael."
<DeathStar> <X> For once all of them are the ones with this link to the Original Universe
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "Is it that strange?"
<DeathStar> *Wind turns to the group* Katrina wants me to try to bring Junior back to help you all, but it will mean my power will be diminished. I'll be of no help.
<Seraphna> Tabetha> I guess distantly linked. X is from the Weapon Project, I've got some of Spade's DNA and the betting pool is still out on Xeres being a secret Carmichael.
<Jackieness> <Xeres> "I am not related to him, however."
<DeathStar> <Wind> *he touches Junior* Hopefully Kaori's lessons have taken root. *He glows as John leans in toward Ripple*
<DeathStar> <John> If you're wondering what he's talking about, Wind made this world.
<DeathStar> <John> We can thank him for all this
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "Kaori seems fine, and she has that new girl to help out? Though I don't know if she's really that knowledgable about Reality powers."
<DeathStar> <Wind> Life is about learning. *he seems to be restoring Junior bit bit, until his power fades* There. It should be done.
<Ripple> I'm amazed that after the beating reality has taken over the years everything still seems to be... more or less in one piece
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "We all do our best."
<Garland> <Junior> *His face contorts and he curls forward, hacking hard with eyes still closed. The coughs are dry, then wet, then dry again. He mouths "what?" several times before trying to open his eyes.*
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Life is about preventing a series of apocolypses after which we get a few years breather to have kids and stuff.
<DeathStar> *Katrina leans over him* How do you feel?
<DeathStar> *Blue returns to the work desk to go over Atheos' paperwork*
<Garland> <Junior> *He opens his eyes and looks to Kat, but the light is still very bright to him* Half-dead... I was dead though. R...right?
<Ripple> Far as I could tell you were.
<Ripple> Apparently I was too. I got better.
<Seraphna> Tabetha> That also happens a lot here.
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "...welcome back."
<Garland> <Junior> *Takes a hand to his face, rubbing at it and makes a face.* How long? And... how?
<DeathStar> <Wind> Hm. Lets see. *He looks at Ripple* You died around the time, actually, your modern version died.
<DeathStar> <Wind> Against Dias.
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "I don't know exactly..."
<DeathStar> <Wind> 70 years ago
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Even older than I thought.
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Also how is Dias not a doddering old man at this point?
* Ripple offers his hand to Junior to help him up
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "None of us know."
<Ripple> He drank enough when he was younger he's probably immune to aging by right of being mostly alcohol
<DeathStar> <John> Well, I'm still going. *He admits*
<DeathStar> <John> But I'm much slower now
<DeathStar> *he even looks 70*
<Seraphna> Tabetha> You are?
<Seraphna> Tabetha> You seem fine at night a least.
<Ripple> As long as you don't start telling us young whippersnappers to get off your lawn, we wont have any trouble.
<DeathStar> <John> *Waves hand* Bah humbug*
<Garland> <Junior> *Accepts the hand and pulls himself up to his feet, shaking himself off as much as he can, he speaks dryly — "I guess there's not much time for explanations — I'll catch up as we go."*
<Seraphna> **Tabetha shrugs and leans on John**
<DeathStar> <X> IT's nice to meet you, Junior.
<Ripple> Yeah, feels like the old days. Full throttle and no one really letting us know what's going on.
<DeathStar> *nods to Ripple* And you. I use your weapon all the time.
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "You do?"
<Seraphna> Tabetha> There's a whole legacy of Ripple users now.
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "Aren't foxholes something different?"
* Ripple raises an eyebrow "Ain't nothing like the original"
<DeathStar> <X> I admit your style is different
<Garland> <Junior> *Nods to X* Likewise, but happy to be... anywhere at all it seems.
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Yes, though I was thinking of X's daughter and granddaughter and Kumiko at least.
<DeathStar> *Wind from his seat* I'll rest here for now. *Death Star returns*
<DeathStar> *Wind actually seems winded*
<DeathStar> <Katrina> Thank you. *She nods to Wind and turns to Junior* as for you. Don't you push it
<DeathStar> <Katrina> We don't know how your body is doing right now
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Any chance there are more of you walking about?
<Garland> <Junior> *He looks back to Kat and nods, opening his mouth as if to quickly protest — but refrains.* Yes ma'am.
<DeathStar> <Katrina> More what?
<Seraphna> Tabetha> People from your old world.
<DeathStar> <Wind> Well. *he thinks*
<Ripple> Oh probably.
<DeathStar> <Wind> There's two ways for people to 'awaken' here
<Ripple> Come on, two of us in a single day?
<DeathStar> <Wind> Origin, and a tear in reality
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "And I feel like some people here shouldn't try the former, even if it'd work."
<DeathStar> <John> It is dangerous. I'm still having conflicting memories of both lives
<DeathStar> <Wind> The former is tear in space and time, arriving before the end of the original reality's end.
<DeathStar> *the latter
<Ripple> Yeah. I can't recommend having two sets of memories.
<DeathStar> *John nods with Ripple*
<Seraphna> Tabetha> It nearly drove Angela insane.
<DeathStar> *Blue calls out from the desk* I think I might have something on Atheos
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Well… more insane.
<DeathStar> *She rolls her seat over to everyone*
<DeathStar> <Blue> Oh, you're on your feet, Juior
<DeathStar> *She pokes him* And you're not a zombie
<Seraphna> Tabetha> We can double check that. How would you like a brain sandwich?
<DeathStar> *Katrina is deadpanning at the two, standing by Junior, motioning at Mem to deal with them. Mem draws a knife and steps over to Tabetha*
<Garland> <Junior> As much as... anything can be, I suppose. Sorry, I feel like I'm still waking up. I think that's a reasonable response.
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Johnny protect me.
<DeathStar> <Blue> Alright, I think I have an idea of what Atheos is after - he seems to be angy at the Suisen Empire especially Jaime, but also Andrea and Erevis. But due to comments and him trying to stab Junior, I think any Original verse person might be in danger to be stabbed
<DeathStar> <Blue> *She sets a paper down about rituals and power* I think it might power him up to slay the 'false gods' which might do something for him. What? I don't know
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "The progenitors I can see, they tend to remember the old universe, but why Andrea?"
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Well Jaime and Erevis are likely out of his reach at the moment, they went to Tareh.
<DeathStar> <John> I think only Erevis remembers most likely
<Jackieness> <Xeres> "His targets primarily occupy positions of political power, as well as wielding special abilities."
<Garland> <Junior> Tried to stab me? While dead? *realizes how insane the whole moment is and resolves just to accept it and catch up.*
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "Yeah, some ritual thing."
<DeathStar> <John> Xeres is likely correct, it is more probably some political thing. Jaime calls herself a goddess, doesn't she? IT might be something like that
<Seraphna> Tabetha> She emulates her mother by trying to be like her in her prime I think.
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "Feels like Jikuu does a better job at that."
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Probably. I only know what I know checking her out cuz she married my daughter.
<Jackieness> <Xeres> "Andrea is the leader of EarthGov, and is also the one most within reach right now."
<Seraphna> Tabetha> And wields the powers of a Dark One Emperor.
<DeathStar> <X> Doesn't Atheos also mean godless?
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Where was he when the God Hunters were recruiting?
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "It does."
<Jackieness> <Xeres> "Yet he wraps himself in the trappings of religion."
<Garland> <Junior> It could be more of a goal and less of a name.
<DeathStar> <Katrina> Alright head for Tokyo then. Where's the shuttle?
<DeathStar> <John> I, uh, well....
<DeathStar> <John> Surely we can use Xeres'
<DeathStar> *Death Star's eyes narrow*
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "Atheos was always trying to be an antigod."
<DeathStar> <X> I think our shuttle is gone. Lunar, hit your dad
<Ripple> Someone need to go to Tokyo?
<Jackieness> <Xeres> "It is an Erusian shuttle. Will you be comfortable?"
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "... where is our shuttle, anyway?"
<Ripple> *rips open a ripple in reality to Tokyo*
<DeathStar> <X> Huh, your ripples can go half the world?
<DeathStar> *X studies it*
<Seraphna> Tabetha> That… was powerful.
<Ripple> Technically its a low energy einstien-rosen bridge
<DeathStar> *X touches Ripple for a moment, glowing, then steps through*
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "I don't know what that is, but it's really impressive."
<DeathStar> <John> I think she likes you
<DeathStar> *he follows*
<Seraphna> **Tabetha follows**
<Ripple> As long as I've been there it's fine. Going somewhere else..... well, 50/50 you end up as a smear of atoms a light year long
<Ripple> *steps through*
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "I take it back!" *as she steps through*
<DeathStar> *Katrina looks around as Death Star and Blue join*
<DeathStar> *Blue takes them to the Presidental Tower, where a storm has begun to settle in, being dark*
<Jackieness> <Xeres> *steps through the the others8
<Garland> <Junior> *looks to Kat* I go where you go.
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Dark and stormy, good signs. Good signs….
<Ripple> Anyone bring an umbrella?
<DeathStar> *Katrina smiles at him and takes his arm to help keep him steady as they walk up the steps to the front door*
<DeathStar> <John> Lunar! *he picks her up and holds her over his head*
<Garland> <Junior> *Follows her, rubbing his brow as they go.*
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "Why do I have to be the umbrella?"
<Jackieness> <Xeres> "I can use my telekinesis to shield the group if the precipitation bothers you that much."
<DeathStar> <Katrina> Once we get up top, be sure to rest in a chair.
<Ripple> *steps over to DeathStar* You need to show me how this knock off Ripple weapon thingy works. Maybe I can tune it up for you.
<DeathStar> *Blue shows her ID to the front door guard and gets them into the building; after riding up to the top floors, they arrive in the office of the President once it really begins to come down. The office being full of Japanese items all over as well as Dark One tomes and materials; the items have a hint, for those from the ORiginal Universe, of Motenk a little*
<DeathStar> *Death Star nods* Yeah, there's Ripple Blades that activate them as well as a few Weapons like X there, who can produce them manually somewhat without the blades. X. *X hands over the Ripple Blades*
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "Yeah... I thought so..."
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Johnny make sure to shake your umbrella dry.
<DeathStar> *John shakes Lunar and gives her a hug*
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "So, obviously, don't give Dark Ones Origin."
<Ripple> *Examines the blades, activating and deactivating them a few times* Interesting. When we get a few minutes, and a workshop, I think I can give these a little bit of an upgrade
<DeathStar> *Mem seems to be lost in thought when Andrea walks into the room and blinks*
<DeathStar> <Andrea> Oh my oh my!
<DeathStar> *She zooms over to Junior
<DeathStar> <Andrea> You're alive!
<Seraphna> Tabetha> We made friends.
<Ripple> Its been a strange day.
<Garland> <Junior> I think I am? If I’m on my feet, I need to make myself useful.
<DeathStar> <Andrea> May? *she indicates Junior for a moment with her hand, wanting to touch him, her devil tail swishing*
<DeathStar> *Katrina eyes her warily*
<Garland> <Junior> I… I’m not even sure what’s going on. *he glances to Kat*
<Jackieness> <Xeres> "We should give our findings to the EarthGov president."
<DeathStar> <Andrea> I'd like to take a look at you
<DeathStar> <Katrina> She's trustworthy, if a bit of an imp
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Atheos was gonna stab Junior with some kinda hell dagger. He has a major boner for killing you, Erevis and Jaime.
<Garland> <Junior> *nods slowly* Alright. Though I feel like an archaeological artifact.
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "The Ark of the Covenant or the Holy Grail?"
<Ripple> Look on the bright side Junior, we're not covered in dust
<DeathStar> *Blue sets the finding down* <Andrea> I feel the respect. *Andrea touches Junior's chest* Hm. Stable, but weak. I'm not detecting a certain illness - yet. But... *She dark warps to Ripple and touches him and Lunar*
<DeathStar> <Andrea> ... Hm
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "Illness?"
<Garland> <Junior> Lung cancer. It’s what put me in the ground.
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Alzheimer’s? He has memory problems.
<DeathStar> <Andrea> I think I might have an idea. *She grabs the papers* A hell dagger you say? To kill me?
<DeathStar> <Katrina> If we're lucky, it should be gone
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "Lay off the smokes, anyway."
<Garland> <Junior> Duely noted.
<Ripple> We could replace the lungs with nice cybernetic lungs. That's a thing right?
<DeathStar> <Katrina> We could - Cuddles is a good doctor
<DeathStar> <Katrina> Even clone new lungs
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "If it's not, it could be... though you'd have to deal with that weirdo doctor."
<Seraphna> Tabetha> We should have a pill for that by now.
<DeathStar> <Andrea> Alright. *She sits on the table* I think I got an idea of what's going on. Atheos is seeking to destablize things he sees as goddesses. I'm the "Dark Goddess" of the new Dark Ones forming. Jaime is the Goddess proclaimed of the Suisen - and it wouldn't hurt to bring down the Suisen. And Erevis would likely rise up and she's proclaimed herself in the past. But it's really pretext to bring it all down and doing so will make him stronger and do his thing. End worlds you say
<DeathStar> <Andrea> But the kicker - he needs to stab you guys with for his followers
<DeathStar> *she points at Ripple, Lunar, John, Katrina, and Junior* <Andrea> And if that doesn't work he'll likely bring in more
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "So, just don't get stabbed?"
<Garland> <Junior> How many gods are we dealing with in total?
<Ripple> The best defense is a good removal of the opponent's knees.
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "Simple, but effective."
<DeathStar> <Andrea> Literal gods, or figurative?
<Ripple> why not both?
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Well we have all sorts here.
<Garland> <Junior> I’m not splitting hairs.
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Like Tsukiyomi and Amaterasu are actual goddesses. Then there’s the false Gods that Lore hunted. Andrea and Jaime are figurative goddesses.
<DeathStar> <Andrea> Ah, but Cheryl would argue even against those two
<DeathStar> <Andrea> Noting they are but creations of Pandora
<Seraphna> Tabetha> True. Like Thor.
<DeathStar> <Andrea> I think the closest might be what's below, the eldrich being, but is that even a God?
<DeathStar> <Andrea> Just like Fate
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "I'm going to say no."
<DeathStar> *She shrugs* I guess.. in the end.... it's a matter of belief.
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Didn’t she bring this guy?
<DeathStar> <John> Yeah, she brought ATheos back
<Jackieness> <Xeres> "If no one objects, I should report everything to Warren Carmichael."
<Seraphna> Tabetha> These Sins are so confusing.
<DeathStar> *Andrea nods to Xeres* Try not to get stabbed
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "Why even do this?"
<DeathStar> <Andrea> I imagine, for this reason - confusion
<Jackieness> <Xeres> *leaves the office*
<DeathStar> *Andrea sits down* Alright lets talk game plan
<Garland> <Junior> Right. What’s the win state and how do we get there?
<DeathStar> <Andrea> Atheos wants to stab you and you don't want to be stabbed. You can avoid him, but I imagine he'll try to bring in more people if it continues too long
<Ripple> So... we stab him first
<Ripple> I'd count that as a win.
<DeathStar> <John> Right.
<DeathStar> <John> So we need to lure him out
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "Not with the dagger though. We don't know what it does."
<Ripple> Throw the dagger into the sun for good measure
<DeathStar> *X and Blue muse while Death Star drums his fingers*
<DeathStar> <Death Star> I think one of us needs to be bait
<DeathStar> <Andrea> Well, you know, technically, I just thought of something
<DeathStar> <Andrea> We're all in one spot and you're here with me right now
<DeathStar> *the lights go out with a loud boom, indicating it's a power outage*
<Garland> <Junior> *folds his arms* Is melee the only option? We have… a litany of experts and otherwise supernatural entities here.
<DeathStar> <Katrina> ... was it the power .... or?
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Dramatic timing was pretty good.
<DeathStar> <Blue> Tabetha
<DeathStar> <Blue> I have a question
<Ripple> Maybe the dude hired that PR team I suggested
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Yes?
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "That makes me think... is it really just power?"
<DeathStar> <Blue> When we were all leaving, we left old man Wind behind, didn't we?
<DeathStar> <Blue> After he used up his power
<Seraphna> Tabetha> He did say he would rest there, creating ominous foreshadowing.
<DeathStar> *Death Star rises* I'll go look for the power switch *he stomps off*
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "... why did we leave him alone again?"
<Ripple> Good question lunar.
<Seraphna> Tabetha> I dunno.
<DeathStar> <John> He was useless?
<DeathStar> *faint chanting can be heard upstairs*
<Ripple> You still don't leave the elderly alone to get stabbed.
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "... and we hadn't thought of Atheos going after... oh, seriously?!"
<DeathStar> <John> Well, I'm used to him being omnipotent!
<DeathStar> <John> Sorry!
<Ripple> You're old! You should know better!
<Seraphna> Tabetha> We need to get upstairs now.
<Alicia> * Lunar Girl hurries upstairs
<Ripple> On it *hops up and heads upstairs*
<DeathStar> <Andrea> OH dear, there goes my god hood or whatever it is
<Seraphna> **Tabetha sighs and focuses, sending a wave of sleep up above them and then heads up**
<DeathStar> *X follows quickly; upstairs in the dark, worshippers can be seen kneeling with candles. Katrina sticks with Junior*
<Garland> <Junior> Lots of vocabulary to catch up on. *He nods to Kat and follows, shaking off more of his rigor mortis.*
<DeathStar> <Katrina> Wait until you hear Net terms. *she mumbles* I had to learn that
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "Oh, come on, they're not that hard."
* Ripple forms his blade, a faint tearing sound coming from its edge
<DeathStar> *As they pass sleeping worshippers, Mem creeps around in the dark when lights come on and they see the altar with a knife in old man Wind (Well granted he doesn't look old, he's an unaging Progenitor)*
<DeathStar> *Atheos seems to be holding the blazing knife and chanting something to a picture of Andrea*
<DeathStar> *Getting ready to stab it*
<Ripple> Back where I came from that's called stalking.
<DeathStar> <John> Is that one of the saucier pictures of her?
* Ripple lunges at the picture to grab it away from Atheos
<Alicia> * Lunar Girl teleport-kicks Atheos to distract him, and maybe make him drop the knife
<Seraphna> **Tabetha TK grabs at the dagger**
<Garland> <Junior> *places a hand on his holder, searching for his pistol. Fishing it out he swats the dirt off of it.* Here we go again.
<DeathStar> *Atheos blinks as the picture is taken, and growls, getting kicked and the dagger taken. The being breathes deeply, and his followers begin to burst into flames, launching themselves at the group, trying to pull Lunar and X down, then Katrina and Tabetha, then finally Rippleand John*
<DeathStar> *Atheos burns with fire, walking for his dagger*
<DeathStar> <John> Hot hot hot!
<Seraphna> **Tabetha forms a TK field around herself and pushes outwards**
<Ripple> Did you know your followers are on fire?
<Alicia> * Lunar Girl darts between flaming people. "Why are they on fire?!"
<DeathStar> *Katrina TK pushes at the person, to keep them away while Mem stabs at people*
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Johnny, do I consider them civvies still?
<Ripple> Smoking isn't allowed indoors *opens a hole to the middle of the ocean under one of the followers*
<Garland> <Junior> What in the!? *He ‘mercy shots’ a follower or three that approaches him.*
<DeathStar> <Atheos> Yes. I do. *He bashes on Tab's TK field, making it crumble*
<DeathStar> *X does the same as Ripple*
<Ripple> There you go, now you're getting the hang of it
<DeathStar> <X> We'll see if I can keep it up
<Seraphna> **Tabetha stumbles back and slides the dagger to Ripple**
* Ripple grabs the dagger with his off hand, flips it up into another ripple, dropping it behind Junior
<DeathStar> *Atheos tries to track where it went*
<DeathStar> <John> Alright, we need to get rid of this guy right away
<DeathStar> *As the follower numbers decrease down to 0*
<Ripple> How far do you want to send him?
<Seraphna> **Tabetha then forms her gun and unloads it at Atheoz**
<DeathStar> *Atheos jerks and begins to spasm from the bullets entering him, standing there bleeding*
<Garland> <Junior> *takes point on the dagger, taking a shot after aiming, then another.*
* Ripple opens a Ripple below himself, dropping directly on Atheos's head with his boots
<DeathStar> *Atheos stumbles, bleeding on fire and while burning, then is hit and slides. He seems to be looking dazed, almost like he were a normal human, then crawls toward the altar*
<DeathStar> <Katrina> What is he doing?
<Alicia> * Lunar Girl performs an axe kick on the altar, trying to break it
<Ripple> Destroy the altar
<Seraphna> **Tabetha hops up and away, keeping her gun trained on him, when he crawls she shoots again**
<Ripple> Did anyone think to bring gernades?
<Seraphna> **Tabby then TKs Wind off the altar and away**
<DeathStar> *The altar breaks and Wind's body falls off*
<DeathStar> *Before he can touch it, Tabetha does that*
<Seraphna> Tabby> He’s after the body.
<Garland> <Junior> There’s always a contingency plan. *shakes his head and picks up the knife, hooking it on his belt.*
<Ripple> Take the body downstairs, we'll cover you
<DeathStar> *Atheos touches the ground and melts through it*
<DeathStar> *Trying to leave*
<Seraphna> Tabby> That’s why he needed Junior I think.
<DeathStar> <X> He's running
<Seraphna> **Tabby friend at the floor** Stop him!
<DeathStar> *Blue and Andrea wait downstairs as he begins to appear*
<Jackieness> <Xeres> *has also returned from communicating with Warren*
<Garland> <Junior> I can’t shake this feeling there’s something else happening here…
<Alicia> * Lunar Girl teleports to where the two are. "Watch out!"
<Ripple> X, with me, once more with feeling! *jumps up and falls straight down onto Atheos's head, rolling to the side after landing
<DeathStar> *X follows through, leaping and strikes his head. Surprisingly, Atheos seems to stop moving, the fire dying down from his body*
<DeathStar> *Andrea fires dark energy from the floor up through his body*
<DeathStar> *John pauses and moves over and touches the body* No pulse
<Ripple> *gives him a curb stomp to the head*
<DeathStar> *watches the curb stomp do the head in*
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "...I wonder if it's really over."
<DeathStar> <John Ack
<Ripple> That seemed easier than it should have been
<DeathStar> *Wind meanwhile suddenly gasps and coughs, hyperspace spewing from his wound* Arghhh.
<Jackieness> <Xeres> "Are you sure this was not merely a puppet?"
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Why would a puppet escape?
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "No, I'm not sure."
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Wind you’re leaking.
<DeathStar> <Andrea> Well, I know I'm not dead
<DeathStar> <Wind> I'm...aware... don't touch... it
<DeathStar> *He says as it spews forth from the wound, threatening to fry anything nearby*
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "Yeah, touching hyperspace isn't healthy."
<Seraphna> Tabetha> No plans to touch raw hyperspace.
<Garland> <Junior> Nothing about this passes the smell test. … Kat? *he looks to her, not entirely sure which Kat this is, but seems uneasy in the situation* Stay sharp.
<Ripple> What are you thinking Junior?
<Ripple> Misdirect?
<DeathStar> *Katrina bites her thumb* Give me a second
<Garland> <Junior> Despite the encounter, we have a knife closer to us — that’s half the challenge to stabbing one of us.
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "I don't know, getting stabbed means having a knife very close."
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Yes but his brains are all over the floor. I am unsure that was part of his plan.
<DeathStar> <Katrina> John. You picking up anything?
<DeathStar> *John touches the body* The entire thing feels wrong. *He watches Wind patch up*
<Garland> <Junior> *eyes the knife* That’s the point.
<Seraphna> Tabetha> So… what now?
<DeathStar> <Katrina> I may not be as used to my powers now since taking Origin, but... We need to be careful. We should--- <Andrea> Hey. *she eyes her comms while standing by Xeres* I might have bad news
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "What's up?"
<Jackieness> <Xeres> 8looks voer*
<Jackieness> *looks over*
<Seraphna> Tabetha> What next?
<DeathStar> <Andrea> I just got informed from Taiga. Each Sin has a hidden ability that they can call on to give them an edge. A "Wish" of sorts
<DeathStar> *she eyes the dead body* <Andrea> I somehow seriously doubt this is over. He didn't use any sort of wish before dying
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "This isn't over."
<Ripple> Now wishes?
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Did we kill him before he used his?
<DeathStar> <Andra> I believe one.
<DeathStar> *Death Star walks up the stairs from the basement*
<Jackieness> <Xeres> "Then this could have indeed been a puppet, of sorts. Perhaps he can jump to host bodies, likely his worshippers."
<Ripple> Why do we always have to deal with the crazies?
<DeathStar> <Death Star> Did I miss everything?
<Ripple> Pretty much
<Seraphna> Tabetha> He did try to touch Wind before I pulled him away.
<Garland> <Junior> *quietly calculates, adding “wishes” into the equations he’s running. He looks to DS.*
<DeathStar> <John> Alright, alright. Lets.... clean things up and try to figure this out in the morning. Some of us are disoriented.
<Alicia> <Lunar Girl> "This is going to take a long time to sort out..."
<DeathStar> *Wind gruffly sits there healing while Katrina leans in and murmurs to Junior that this all felt like a theater and not like a real enemy plan*
<Seraphna> Tabetha> A night sounds good.
<Ripple> Someone grab a pail... I'll get a mop
<Seraphna> Tabetha> Try to find out whose body he was in. That might be a lead.
<Garland> <Junior> *to Kat* This was… one of maybe three things. We need to prepare for the outcomes of each.
<DeathStar> *Katrina nods while John helps, moving the remains of the leader and Andrea getting them food, setting up cameras and whatnot for the night*
<DeathStar> <Blue> Right
<DeathStar> <Blue> We'll need to be prepared. I'll question what followers did not burn up
<DeathStar> <X> I'm curious if he is in all the followers at the same time or just controlling them
<Jackieness> <Xeres> "It would explain how he is able to direct them so effortlessly."
<DeathStar> <John> If that is a possibility, we're going to be in trouble. *he sticks to Lunar and Tabetha, while Katrina and Junior are sticking together, and Andrea and Xeres seem to be off and Blue and Death Star*
<DeathStar> -TBC-
* Jackieness has quit IRC
Session Close: Sun Jul 09 23:24:13 2023