Polity

Called it! You all heard me back at the meeting, I called it!

-The Nightingale's eyes flickered yellow as she called forth a blaster skull in preparation for a fight-

A whole apoc-proofed spaceship full of tonal science... We going in, cap?

Saffron Briefing

Kitbash: Mmmmmno, I'm not fond of MLMs. You want my assist with your servers, you pay properly, my mercenary coder rates are on my website. For now though, I can mine up this data real nice if we can get on-site. Are we doing this sneaky cover op or big and loud or just... Go in after dark and hope there's no janitors around?

Lee House, Subwhere

-The black feathers in the dark make a vague attempt to follow, but eventually it just stops and a single, overwhelming presence resolves from the dark to answer. The voice resonates through the entire void, coming from no source but definitely pointed at the intruder. Is the voice familiar?-

Nocturnal: You will have to explain, I don't particularly know what a [Graham's Number] is.

Lee House, The Forest

Okay so let me explain. Everyone clued into the fact that we're not in the house anymore? Because at some point a portal got involved and this area we're in is hopefully not even in our universe because if it is we have some major problems about the future of society.

-Gale twitches and shakes her head-

Sorry, getting off-topic. Normally this place should be crawling with pattern-asserting robots. But there isn't any, which means something stronger than an endless swarm of robots managed to drive them off. So that's... Spooky.

Studio Palace

-With a little bit of a breath to steady the nerves, Rakash follows along with the swarm of allies-

The Stormchaser, Meeting Room

-The shadows shudder and with a faint flurry of black feathers the Mystery Man himself is now seated in a darkened corner up the back-

-He looks... Serious-

Outside Stormchaser

Something looking like a diagonal cut appeared out of thin air. It opened up and some cybernetic looking woman with a V-shaped mask walked out, accompanied by a Vikavolt. On her her left hip was a futuristic looking sword, and on her right a more traditional katana. She sniffed the air before heading inside. As she walked she toucher her earpiece and spoke to someone.

"Keep a steady course, Tesse. I'll activate my beacon when I'm ready for extraction. Take your time when you're coming. C'mon Thundercracker..."

Stormchaser, Meeting

She entered the room, scanning those who were there. Her gaze rested on Isbrand and Kaiiseii for a moment before she decided to just lean against the wall all edgy like with her arms folded.

"..."

Stormchaser

(Cuddles takes his seat and looks around, wondering who he should hug first— and then he sees Lita against the wall. He immediately goes over to her and waves at her.)

Cuddles: <Hello there! I'm Cuddles! What's your name?>

Stormchaser, Meeting Room

Lita looked at the Galvantula. She paused before she engaged something on her suit, her V-shaped visor splitting down the middle and moving to the sides of her face so the spidermon could see her properly.

"...Hello Cuddles. I'm Lita. You must be one of the new additions."

Lita pursed her lips, like she was studying the Galvantula intently. Her expression was neutral.

Edited by PhilosopherStones on Jun 22nd 2021 at 6:45:51 AM

Stormchaser

Cuddles: (cheerfully) <Yep! I sure am~! Would you like a hug?>

Stormchaser

Lita stared at Cuddles. After a few seconds she cracked a tiny smile.

"Oh, that's why you're called Cuddles. Sure thing, I'd love one."

Stormchaser

(As soon as Cuddles sees Lina smile, he brightens.)

Cuddles: <YAY~! Thank you!>

(He crawls onto her and gives her a warm, soft and fuzzy hug, nuzzling up against her.)

Roxy and Silas finally entered, finding seating next to Shaun and Jessica, Roxy waving a polite little hello as Silas set his helmet on the table.

The Meeting

-There is a gaggle of people here-

-Who could they be-

-They seem confused. Like, oh, I don't know, they've been doing their own thing for nearly a year-

Stormchaser, Meeting

Lita just kind of freezes awkwardly before gingerly returning the hug.

"...Thank you. It's nice knowing there's still good in the Multiverse."

Wyndon Stadium Stands

Evelyn: ARE YOU FOR REAL, IAN?!

Wyndon Stadium, Ian VS Daisuke

Daisuke: -confused- Whu? Lemme get this straight... The last time you faced the Hydro Cannon attack, your Pokémon just sat there and took it TO THE FACE?!

Me: Yes.

-Daisuke facepalms. For once in this battle, he can not believe who his opponent is.-

Daisuke: -thinks to self- I can't believe it! My opponent's a moron!

Me: I heard that.

Daisuke: NANI?!

Me: Hello? Your daughter DID teach me telepathy.

Daisuke: oh.

Me: Anyways, can we get to the point of the matter? I didn't handle the Hydro Cannon attack so well the last time I faced it, and since that's your next move, why not capitalize on its power and my lack of handling on the situation?

Daisuke: -snaps out of his confusion and puts on a battle-ready face- Hey... You're RIGHT! You're NOT well equipped to handle the Hydro Cannon technique! All the better for me, eh?! BLASTY! USE HYDRO CANNON!!!

-Blasty's shoulder cannons reappear and he takes a battle-ready stance, absorbing moisture from the air and combining it with water stored within his body as an azure blue light starts shining from in the cannons. After absorbing enough moisture from the air, Blasty takes aim at Oshawittle.-

Me: Heh... Gotcha right where I wantcha!

Daisuke: NANI?!

Me: Oshawittle! Use Protect and Razor Shell!

-Blasty fires two orbs of water from his cannons at Oshawittle, who quickly takes his scalchop into his flipper/paw/hand and summons a shield of light with the scalchop in the center. He then digs his feet into the ground and the Hydro Cannon attack pushes up against the Protect barrier.-

Daisuke: BUT HOW?! Last time you faced Hydro Cannon, your Pokémon got hit!

Me: True, but with more than a year's experience in battle since then, I can come up with strategies based on the trials and tribulations I have faced, and I wasn't alone in this either.

-Ian looks over to Evelyn and winks.-

Me: Now, as for your Hydro Cannon attack, the Pokédex says that the attacks from Blastoise's hydro cannons are virtually unstoppable. So the force of the attack didn't change when it hit Oshawittle's Protect. As you probably already know, I have a tendency to use moves in creative ways. One of my personal favorites is by combining two attacks into one. As I plan to do now!

Daisuke: M-Masaka!^* N-No way! Then that means...?

Me: Hai. You've already provided the water for Oshawittle's Splashing Shell Blade in the form of Hydro Cannon. As for the force of the attack... well...

Daisuke: TAIHENDA~~!!!

Me: NOW!

-Oshawittle drops the Protect shield and draws his sword, the water from Blasty's Hydro Cannon being absorbed into Oshawittle's blade, transforming it into a Splashing Shell Blade. Oshawittle rotates once to redirect the force of the Hydro Cannon and use it to propel himself forwards at high speed for a powerful slash!-

-Oshawittle re-appears behind Blasty, and smirks as Blasty slowly falls to the ground unconscious.-

Referee: Blasty is unable to battle! Oshawittle wins!

-Daisuke calls Blasty back to his Poké Ball.-

Daisuke: That was quite a move you made there. I commend you.

Daisuke: But I doubt you'll be able to pull it off against my last Pokémon!

-Daisuke pulls a Poké Ball off his belt and poses menacingly with it in hand.-

Daisuke: Go get 'em! ORBITO!

-Daisuke throws the Poké Ball into the air. The ball opens and releases a light that strikes the battlefield. When the light dies down, Orbito, Daisuke's Orbeetle appears.-

Orbito: <So it's finally my turn to battle. I calculate that there is an 85% chance of this battle going to Ian. As for the other 15%... Well, that's how much we're saving on car insurance with that one lizard-mon themed insurance company.>

Wyndon Stadium, Ian VS Daisuke (Orbito): Take Two

-Daisuke pulls a Poké Ball off his belt and poses menacingly with it in hand.-

Daisuke: Go get 'em! ORBITO!

-Daisuke throws the Poké Ball into the air. The ball opens and releases a light that strikes the battlefield. When the light dies down, Orbito, Daisuke's Orbeetle appears.-

Orbito: <So it's finally my turn to battle. I calculate that there is an 85% chance of this battle going to Ian. As for the other 15%... Well... I AM THE OTHER 15%.>

Me: Oshawittle, stand your ground!

-Ian proceeds to check his Pokédex.-

Pokédex: Orbeetle, The Seven Spot Pokémon, and the final evolution of Blipbug. A Bug and Psychic type. It's famous for its high level of intelligence, and the large size of its brain is proof that it also possesses immense psychic power, which it uses to observe and study what's around it—and what's around it can include things over six miles away.

Circhester

-Yuki looks at the battle between Joel and Cuddles with an expression that says "Well. That just happened." and proceeds with making the call.-

Yuki: <Joel is unable to battle! Cuddles wins!>

Me: -telepathically to Evelyn- ~This battle sure is getting intense.~

Evelyn: -telepathically to Ian- ~Right you are... I hope that when it's over, we can soak in the Hero's Bath before our Gym Battle...~

Hammerlocke Banquet

-Ian and Evelyn applaud Braker and Cuddles' performance.-

Piku-chan: <Well done, you two!>

Hatty: <That was an excellent performance.>

[Imperial] Hotel, Room 101

Salem: -to Kitbash, almost somewhat annoyed- Honestly, Kitbash. I don't see what your problem is. People should be allowed to love whoever they want, regardless of race, religion or sexual orientation, 100% judgement-free. I mean, if that's not a cause worth fighting for, then I don't know what IS.

Hasslemon

Textspace

Stormchaser

-Ian and Evelyn search the Stormchaser to find exactly where Tagg wants them to meet.-

Lee House(?) Void

He pauses, surreptitiously having his shadow seep into the void, some amount blending in with it and another amount finding its way down the spiral staircase.

"Well," he pauses. The voice seems amicable to him, if ominous. But who is he to judge? "The, uh... the swarm in the uh, shadows, is - or seems - infinite, right? Infinity minus any number, even, uh..." he trails off "a number like three, raised to itself 7.6 trillion times, is still infinity." He seems a bit more confident in the situation, letting himself get distracted by the infodump.

"Can I ask who you are?"

Lee House Forest

"So, what could be stronger than an infinite amount of robots?" Kamui asked.

Wyndon Stadium, Stands

(Kim and Elton look on, impressed and awed.)

Kim: "This is it... the final Pokemon."

Elton: <Come on, Ian! You can do it!>

Hammerlocke Banquet

(Braker and Cuddles turn to face Ian and Evelyn, along with Kim and Walter.)

Braker: "Thank you. And now... I believe it is time for us to take our leave."

(He turns to Walter.)

Braker: "Come along, Walter."

(Walter follows them, and Braker heads off. Cuddles waves back at Kim, Ian and Evelyn.)

Cuddles: <Bye~!>

(Kim waves back, then turns to Ian and Evelyn.)

Kim: "Well, then." (She adjusts her glasses.) "I suppose it is time for me to take my leave as well. I will see you later in Circhester, Ian and Evelyn."

Circhester

(Kim smirks a bit, then returns Joel back to his PokeBall.)

Kim: "You deserve a good rest, Joel. You did a great job out there."

(She puts back the ball, and takes out another one.)

Kim: "Well, Cuddles. I must say, you've done a great job thus far."

Cuddles: <Thank you~!>

Kim: "But that being said... I'm afraid you won't be standing for long." (She throws the ball.) "Red alert, Strummer!"

(The ball opens, and Strummer appears.)

Strummer: <Oi! I'm back, baby!>

Cuddles: <Hello~!>

Strummer: <'Ello there!>

Textspace

MC: heLLO

MC: my name is seRkis

PJ: I'm PaNtO!

ET: Charonus Tritonalicus III. My Shortened Name Is Simply Just "Charon".

CB: Nam3's Li7hium. 8rak3r jus7 caugh7 m3 a f3w minu73s ago. A good 7hing, 7oo! 7ha7 old 7rain3r of min3 suck3d!

MC: OLd TRaineR? whaT's This abOuT an OLd TRaineR?

PI: Lithium's old Trainer abandoned him because he didn't beat the world record in the stunt show.

MC: whaT

MC: ThaT is simpLy absurd

RP: I have multiple Pokemon who can relate. Still, Lithium, that is absolutely terrible. Thank goodness you're with Braker now.

PI: I also have video footage for proof. Here it is.

[VIDEO FOOTAGE OF LITHIUM'S ABANDONMENT]

RP: ...holy crap.

Stormchaser

Cuddles: <Awwwww~! You're welcome! What do you think of this hug?>

(Beat)

Cuddles: <Also what's wrong with the Multiverse?>

(Meanwhile, Walter and Braker turn to face each other in mild shock.)

Braker: "There's a multiverse?"

Walter: <Apparently.>

Stormchaser, Meeting

"The hug? Pretty good I guess. As for the multiverse, uh..."

She glances between Cuddles and Braker.

"I'm sure you guys will figure it out as you go."

{REDACTED}, Unsafe House

-something strange happens, here-

-...several strange things, really-

-Ribon contemplates asking for seconds on the sprinkle mac-

-a plot twist plays out on the safe house's tiny tv, silent-

-and Molybdenum makes a sound like a tiny, dying Ducklett denying for the sixtieth separate time that it's suffering from acute depression-

Ramona: -blink blink- ~...definitely. I've met some of the people made in my mold, and.~

-she possibly imagined that last one-

-leaving that sentence fragment hanging in its perfectly level framing, Molybdenum goes about her business-

-retrieves a rag from a cabinet to drop and sweep over the floor where Ribon finished his Recovery, retrieve a protein bar to bite into once she can stomach it, start setting out the gift cups to find a place among the (admittedly somewhat bare) cabinets-

-a process which culminates in resting a hand, stiffly, on Neodymium's head-

Ramona: ...they've got nothing on the original.

(-...definitely imagining it-)

Amped!Ribon: ~...~

-...Ramona becomes aware of the Psychic Terrain warping with the curvature of spacetime-

Ramona: -frown- ~And where are you headed?~

Amped!Ribon: -power building- ~Out.~

~I have no interest in getting sincerity poisoned by your poor quarantining procedures, [[teal:and there is an errand to run besides.~]]

Ramona: ~Oh?~

Amped!Ribon: ~I am going to go and kill Xykon. I will return shortly.~

Ramona: ~What?!~

Ramona: -…-

Molybdenum: -to Neodymium, eventually- ~...sounds like a nice dream.~

-...she shivers, once, from a vestige of Hitodama's Curse she can't simply nerve-shutoff away-

-life and death, you know-

Wild Area, Distant Pool

Hiro: -holding a mirror to Megan's face- ...not just tiny breaths, not breathing at all. Are you getting all your respiration from Dive…?

Quarter-Conscious!Megan: -waving a hand as if to say:- 'm fine

Hiro: -dry as desert grass, unserious- Lie to my face again, Nguyen, see if I help you.

Eighth-Conscious!Megan: nn

Hiro: -continuing his odd    scan   , to Tagg- I wouldn't just yet, Megan's heart's stopped and Vee's the only thing keeping it—

-this, of course, is when this splinter of Vee self-terminates along with the rest of her-

Hiro: -faintly- ...shit.

-the Blue Orb, hostless, bursts from her wrist to ting on the stones-

Eric, a Latias: -appearing, from checking on people in the distance- ~Have we all forgotten I am an actual paramedic move over~

-he reaches out-

-into...something, that can record telepathy, apparently- ~Twenty-two year-old female, was alert and oriented two minutes ago, suffering from internal bleeding, a broken arm, multiple organ failure—~

Hiro: -catching his limb, tense- I wouldn't Heal Pulse someone suffering from acute Aura Overload.

Eric, a Latias: -breaking from script, brisk- ~Can she get any deader?~

Hiro: Speaking from experience? Yes.

-whisking Ho-Oh's fire into an orb over his hand, condensing wavelengths into uniformity- Where do I start?

-Dáinsleif continues its slow slide into mundanity—the cloud of vapor around it cools, and cools, vanishing steadily into nothing-

-...someone trained himself very early to wake from the deepest slumber at the first sound of distress from this bird-

Pippy: <...so that's it, huh?>

-someone trained himself to move very quietly for a two-hundred-pound bag of knives given flesh-

-he rests a comforting wing on Arc and looks…-

-well, frankly, terrible-

-as long as Arc's known him, even in the most unfortunate of shenanigans gone wrong, his father's had a peculiar sparkle to him—a bit of beauty and a knowing wink that promises a Poffin when no-one's looking-

Pippy: -to Oracle, unsparkling- <Sorry to say that our planner's in the shop, haha.>

-that is not the appropriate emotional response to this situation-

(-in the background, Eric begins a telekinetically-assisted CPR-)

-even beyond the parental facade and the still-processing emotion beneath it, he seems...off-

-as if the display earlier...took something out of him-

-power doesn't suit him, like it does Vee-

(<<For the seal to hold,>> the echo repeats, and Pippy seems to shrivel-)

-it sits on his shoulders like a too-tight scarf rather than the blood and bone Vee wrests into being (wrapping like a blanket, always, around Arc himself)-

-always, always more comfortable using his sharp edges as a chisel over a knife and never a sword-

-invisibly, he musters everything in his core to proffer a smile and…-

Pippy: <...?>

-and he turns and looks at Daydre-

Pippy: <That's…>

-specifically, at the silent(?) conversation she's having with something he assumed would be expended if it formed at all-

Pippy: <odd.>

(-did you know Empoleon can pick out the voice of a loved one from a crowd of hundreds?-)

Pippy: -peering at the spark in Daydre's grasp- <What have you done there…?>

(-did you know Empoleon partner for life?-)

-let's back up a bit-

-the Last Resort spark seems composed mostly of echoes-

-past, past and present—stray thoughts to fixations to inspirations the whole month long, condensed until they fuse in heat and light-

-so, soaking in the vantablack glow of Daydre's desperation, it's curious that it seems to actually be considering what she's asking of it-

-safe from…-

-...considering, with the limited range of induction available to it-

-there's a burst of garbled thought^* (injury/fear/conversations/boredom/people/enemies/friends/me) in Daydre's mind…-

-and the mote of possibility settles to a low ebb, stumped-

-...annihilate?-

Pippy: -cough- <Okay no.>

-and it flares to life-

-friend—best friend—precious—sweet—amazing-

Pippy: <Hehe.>

-then Daydre hears from it, in his voice:-

-...you two, I hate it when you go off without me.-

-he startles, looking at the thing-

Pippy: -...and stops, looking at Daydre, contemplatively- <You're...something special, aren't you?>

-the spark dances in Daydre's tail, as if trying to get his attention-

Pippy: -gesturing at it- <Hhhhonestly, this...isn't really supposed to be anything other than a fuckoff giant laser.>

-friend-

Pippy: -scratching his head- <Although I...suppose we never…put quite so much…>

-struggling- <...into...this…>

-sigh- <before.>

-honestly, I should be crying harder than I ever have in my life, but this doesn't feel...real.-

-Logan—stifling their own blend of hope/grief/confusion beneath a layer of professionalism, Daydre can possibly tell—-

Logan: -convincingly- I wouldn't be too worried. The legendary life-bird over there is confident they're not gone and set on making sure they stay that way.

Pippy: -still...empty- <That won't...help. Not against Dáinsleif.>

Logan: -gesture, determinedly smiling- Actual Legendary—

Pippy: -irreverent, pessimistic, unlike him- <Are we hoping a bird can accomplish what a star could not? Whatever Dáinsleif takes cannot be...taken…>

(<<...I need to stay dead.>>)

Pippy: <<back.>>

-why Logan has hope-

Pippy: -now he sobs- <...Vee you idiot—!>

-he grabs Logan by the shoulders, exclaiming- <What did she do? How did she do it?!>

Logan: I—

Logan: -speaking fast, uncharacteristically unrestrained- She was screaming—and she started singing, the way you can't hear unless you're the same Type, and it was loud somehow and bright and then she was—

-Hiro texts them the name of the actual move she used-

Pippy: -...laughing, crying- <Of course! You remembered!>

<Not taken, but given—>

-he casts his senses in the direction of the sword in the ground-

Pippy: -pacing over, shaky- <Oh, I can feel it! It's—all of it's made of—>

-the congealing aqueous crust around the sword tears slowly away, red and blue flickering faintly in equal measure-

(-Megan's heart beats once, twice-)

—-and beneath his hydrokinesis, Soaked Dáinsleif rises into the air—taking Ho-Oh's fire with it-

Hiro: -getting up, raising a hand, startled- What are you doing?!

Pippy: -wings wide- <Taking a stupid risk for a loved one!>

Hiro: -stammer, watching the sword judder back and forth in the air- That's—we can't be hasty!

Pippy: -glittering- <I have no one to be impulse control for, Hiro! I get to cut loose!>

-Hiro stares at him for a long moment—until Logan catches his arm and draws him away-

-Logan draws a circle around Pippy, once—and Pippy waves it away-

-he indicates Arc, Logan blinks...and transfers the Capture Line to him, radiating a sense of peace and calm-

-...the same sense that Pippy settles to exude, looking up at the sword-

Pippy: <...do you remember? When we were small, and we stumbled across that Croagunk nest when Megan was out reading?>

-laugh, just a bit sad- <I was not prepared for Dry Skin. You—the smallest Eevee I've ever seen—bit and clawed until they were all gone, and I ran for Pecha Berries to clean your wounds.>

<It's something of a pattern with us, isn't it?>

-he stares up at the last sliver of hilt-eye showing, meeting its gaze with his own-

(-does the eyelid flutter? his Aqua Ring kicks into gear, just that bit off-kilter—water dews like tears down the metal-)

Pippy: <Old friend,> -and he sounds alive- <I will always be there to bandage your wounds.>

Pippy: <You should know,> -he says—to the spark as much as the sword- <there is nowhere safer for me than your arms.>

 Wild Area, Distant Pool - Then 

Pippy: <Arc.>

-his wing is trembling-

Pippy: -staring at the light, the Sacred Flame- <Do—you remember the secret? Water Pledge, what we learned—what we taught you, in the kitchenette near Ever's room—can you, now—?>

-all of him is trembling-

Pippy: <We...wanted to wait until you were older. We wanted—to be there, all of us, when you knew, and—go out for ice cream, after. Hate this business, sometimes.>

-he looks so weak, like his bones have gone to rust and he's got no one to lean on and his scarf is tightening around his neck—-

Pippy: -oddly indistinct, tentative and tender- <This—might traumatize you a little bit, sport, but it's—much better that you know. If this goes badly.>

(-what he says next is loud enough for Arc's ears, and Arc's ears alone-)

Pippy:    <This is how you kill something very much like your mother.>   

-and on his wing he plays the empty chord-

(Logan: -to anyone ready and willing to listen- We need water, and lots of it—uh, Aura, if you have it to spare, probably—how can I not know what she eats; think, Logan—)

(Eric: -psychic shrilling- ~ugh—for a moment I had her, vitals came back and then they were gone again—~

(Hiro: -hiss, gesturing at Megan's body- No one knows all of what Vee did but Vee, and if she killed herself to keep that sword from reappearing inside Megan, stopping that sword and bringing her back should—)

(Addie: -to EMPEROR- <...you wouldn't happen to have another really big Water-type attack in you, would you?>)

Stormchaser, J-Meeting

-Megan is not here-

Edited by Asterisk395 on Jun 23rd 2021 at 10:40:17 AM

Stormchaser, sometime in the last month

{REDACTED}, Unsafe House

-Neodymium literally glows with pride-

-Didit smiles a little-

Neodymium: ~Where's Ribon going? Is everything okay?~

Didit: ~Don't worry about it.~

Neodymium: ~...~

-but Molybdenum says her bit and Neodymium reacts with the stark, unguarded relief of a teenager telling someone they look up to about something important to them, and having that thing received well-

-promptly followed by playing it as cool as possible-

~Uh, okay!~

-she gestures at the TV-

~I'm gonna go finish learning [Romanian]. Do you want to watch?~

-without waiting for an answer, she and Didit go to unmute the television, plopping down in front of it while they finish the rest of their dinner-

Wild Area, Distant Pool

-Arc gets loop'd-

-blinks-

-and he's himself again-

Oracle: <Arc? You're sounding disturbingly not-hysterical. Is there something I can do?>

Arc: <Just a moment.>

-he holds his flippers up-

-the air is humid and intense with summer and the aftermath of a dozen Water moves thrown off in quick succession-

-that water makes itself visible now, and Oracle takes an uncomfortable step back as his fingertips dry-

Arc: <I think that...I get it, now? I think Ever's wrong about some stuff.>

Oracle: <They did once tell me that Magcargo are capable of burning hotter than the Sun. Which seems unlikely. So it's kind of weird they said it with such a straight face, given how weird they are about lying to people.>

Arc: <I'm not sure they really care about lying. They tell the truth sort of...causally? So if they lie to you, eventually it helps you figure out what's really going on.>

<But I don't know if this is that or if it's just something they don't get. They're so into tactics, and contingencies, and adaptations, and...I mean, look where all that got us today.>

-he gestures out at sort of everything-

<'Cause it wasn't about figuring out a way to beat Megan, was it? She basically beat herself, and now she's dying.>

Oracle: <Uh, if you're gonna do something, you might wanna get it done—>

-Arc penguin-slides over to Pippy, hopping up next to him as he does his thing-

-...-

Arc: <Oh. Wow.>

-...-

Arc: <Um.>

<I...kind of knew some of this, Dad. Ever doesn't really do a ton of sheltering. Sorry if you thought you had to keep secrets.>

<I didn't know how deep it went, 'cause, uh...I mean, I guess I never really bothered to ask.>

<Maybe we should all do that more.>

-the water condenses the rest of the way, into a pillar from the sky down, aimed at the sword-

Stormchaser

-Ever is here. They seem to have recovered, and are looking faintly bored-

-Amanita is here-

Ever: How long has it been since we've talked?

Amanita: ...You're so weird.

-Brie is here. She has a bandage along the right side of her face, and is holding the Yanma egg, which occasionally quivers-

-PEFE!Every is on the scene somewhere, she informed Tagg of such when he got there, but she's not visible. Probably hanging out in the vents-

-and-

Avery: Why am I on your mailing list?!

Ever: 'Cause I added you.

Avery: I could not more clearly be asking why.

Ever: Well, you're one of us now.

Avery: And if I don't want to be?

Ever: Eh...kind of tough?

Stormchaser, Meeting Room

-Lucius is here. He doesn't really have any excuse not to be, given that he's not stepped foot outside of the Stormchaser for a number of months now. (How those takeout boxes reached his room is left as an exercise for the reader.) He's clinging closely to Ever, and looking marginally more healthy than when he last allowed himself to be witnessed by other human beings, even if he could still pass for a ventriloquist's doll in Ever's possession.-

-Alice is also present. She may or may not be here with Kai, depending on how her visit to the medbay ended, but she has made a seemingly deliberate choice to take a seat on almost the exact opposite side of the room from Lucius. Lissa sits beside her, armed with a pen and a notepad and looking for all the world like a court stenographer.-

Edited by Herbert40k on Jun 26th 2021 at 12:18:03 PM

Stormchaser

-Regardless of if anyone responds to her on the group chat, Star is here. She gives a brief wave to the handful of people here she knows then takes a seat-

Wild Area, past

-To Hiro, sizing up the situation-

...How do you know of the Gates? That knowledge doesn't come commonly.

Stormchaser Meeting Room, yesterday

-Is here, of course-

It's been so long since we've all been gathered together like this...

-Noticing some new faces-

And people I don't recognize.

-Noticing Brie's new bandages-

Brie, what happened to your face?

-Whether that's just internal thoughts or being projected into Brie's head is up to her author-

-Noticing Megan's absence as I aggressively scan the Meeting Room with Aura Sense-

Yeah, that tracks, I didn't want to see anyone either after the whole Nihilist thing. Which might not have happened had I picked up on the enthrallment sooner. At least I'm not picking up any more enthrallments yet.

-And deciding to talk-

You may have noticed that one of our number is missing, Megan. Well, that's because a bit over a month ago she got enthralled by a School Psychic going by the codename Molybdenum and fought Kai, Daydre, Ever, and myself under the belief that it was just for training, when instead it was some of the harshest fighting I'd ever done.

I believe a number of us vaguely know what the School is since we've fought them before a couple years back before we got interrupted by Tragedy, but I digress. For those who don't know, the School is an organization that seeks to create the perfect Auric through genetic engineering that makes CRISPR look a bit quaint, primarily using Psychics.

-The hologram projector shows a Fighting Gem, a Psychic Gem, a Ghost Gem, and a Dark Gem, three fading until only the Psychic Gem remains-

They make these children like one builds a LEGO set made of DNA, grow them, and either they become one of their Templars or they're tested to destruction, or at least that's the vibe I've gotten. They work in the shadows, but wouldn't consider themselves akin to any of the Teams we've fought, ie criminals.

Some of those who managed to escape have actually managed to join our little group, but I'll let them introduce themselves if they wish to. Molybdenum enthralled Megan because the School wants their "property" back whether alive or dead, managed to enthrall Ever as well, and I wish to know if anyone else has had any encounters with the School since we've been in Galar.

Because since it would appear that they've gotten active again, I doubt it'll be the last.

Hitodama: -Has an oddly satisfied look on her face- <I said you couldn't escape me~>

Edited by rmctagg09 on Jun 23rd 2021 at 2:06:55 PM

Stormchaser, Meeting Room

-Brie squeaks-

Brie: It's just a cut, I don't have any healers on my team. There's this lady calling herself Yevalith that's been making trouble for me lately, I think she's mentioned a few times in the GC. I'm fine, don't worry, if you need me to present I can though!

-Ever is idly manipulating Lucius's limbs, for reasons known only to themself and maybe Lucius-

-they look around the room to see if Mezzo is present, notice Star, and their eyes go wide as they wave frantically back to her-

-then Tagg says his bit about Molybdenum-

Ever: Oh, uh, point of order, I was only really enthralled for about five seconds. Thanks, by the way, Tagg. I just needed to make sure she thought I was still on her side for a bit. Uh, not that it worked out.

-they sound a bit too blase about the whole thing-

Amanita: ...What the fuck have you guys been getting up to?!

Ever: We'll talk later!

Stormchaser Meeting Room

"Templar?" Colton asked. "As in?…" Two Pokeballs opened in unison, Sunny and Xatu taking form.

<Yes, those Templars,> Xatu confirmed.

"I mean, I didn't expect that to be their main HQ, but… damn."

At the mention of enthralling, Kamui's hair bristled and her fists clenched. "I wasn't paying attention last time," she muttered. "Who do we make burn?"

Wild Area, Distant Pool

Hiro: -bright-white (un)Obscura crackling around his palm, startled- —I'm full of lore, and things like light, and power.

Hiro: How do— -he shakes his head, reminding himself of the very specific sealing RP!Tagg managed to pull off on their mutual friend with his bare hands-

Hiro: -starting again- ...I come from a very long line of people who like to know things, with a long list of enemies who also want to know those things. Holding one    thing    for something tends to accrue more things without doing anything.

Hiro: -with odd emphasis and an intentional capital-    And that's the Truth.   

Stormchaser, J-Meeting

-Hiro's here-o, lingering by one of the vents-

Hiro: -raising a hand- I've been chasing the shadow of one agent in particular for several months.

Hiro: -and waving it- Hi. We haven't met.

-wiggling fingers in the general direction of the vs. Megan crew- Mostly.

Stormchaser, Distant Hallway

-Logan Shockley-Voltaire picks their way through a series of Hurl Traps-

-circumvent the Alert Trap, blink Noctowlishly at the Pit Trap installed in a setting with multiple floors rather than deep earth-

-...note the lack of Bubble Traps anywhere-

-and knock on the door-

-...-

-earning the sound of someone trying to breathe very, very quietly-

Logan: ...Megan?

-a gasp of startled recognition, and-

Megan: -shriek- Go away!

-the sound of a voice that hasn't been used much in a rather long time-

Logan: -leaning closer- You aren't coming to the meeting?

Megan: No!

-...and the distinct impression of someone stifling their face with a pillow before they can make any more uncomfortable sounds-

Megan: -muffled- And you can't make me.

Logan: -tap- ...I have no intention of making you.

-and they sit, with their back to the door-

Silas frowned, a grimace forming on his face, "Oh..." he commented.

Roxy sighed, "We met a former schoolkid in the past few days, supposedly from a lost class as he was an obscuric. We did some business and gave him some tools, even directed him to a surgeon to install some prosthetics-"

Rory sneezed, he rubbed his nose a bit with his new prosthetic hand. Someone was talking him.

"-So there's that," she finished.

"We also met a former Templar at a Prison in [Siberia], Pent can attest to that," Silas said, "I've currently got a job with them."

"Oh yeah," Roxy added, "Oh and Angela."

Silas sighed, "Yeah... I... I met a Templar in Angela and we got into a scuffle. I had to... well suffice to say they won't be a problem anymore for anyone..."

The Stormchaser

Cuddles: <Awww~! Thanks!>

(beat, he suddenly hears about Megan and the Schoolkids)

Cuddles: <W-wait... what happened?! I gotta go! Sorry! Thanks for the hug! I'll come back soon~!>

(He promptly leaves and returns to Braker and Walter— the former of whom is taking notes.)

Braker: (to himself) "This is major... this is absolutely major..."

Walter: <I... do not believe we have come into contact with anything related to the School.>

Kim: (beat) "Templars...? I've never heard of them before... dear sweet Arceus what did they do to her?!"

Braker: "I'm not aware as to who they are, either..."

Kim: (suddenly noticing Sunny and Xatu) "Wait, how do they know about the Templa-" (realizes) "Oh wait..."

Braker: (to himself) "He has a Xatu?! Why didn't I ask Colton about that during my interview with him...?"

Walter: (under his breath, to Braker) <Because you were too focused on his Hammerlocke battle, his Samurott, and his—>

(and then Cuddles jumps onto Braker's lap)

Walter: <...Like I said.>

Cuddles: (beat) <What's "enthralling"...?>

Edited by OPALGARNET16 on Jun 23rd 2021 at 3:45:13 PM

Meeting Rioom

-Upon Tagg speaking, some murmur confused, while others look straight at Neon-

-Who is practically quivering-

Neon: "W-we ha-ave to st-op them from getting anyone else! I know what they'll do to t-them and it's - it's-"

-He can barely force himself to continue-

Edited by Umbramatic on Jun 23rd 2021 at 2:11:11 PM