Cups of Chaos
Wait to be revived.
Power Nap Cypress.
Move to K16.
Use Sheep Counter on self.
Last Dream Destroyer2.

Oops, seems like Eph is still dead. Thankfully he'll probably be resurrected if anyone remembers he exists. Hopefully.

Anyway, in the meantime I guess I'll uh. Request some of the changes we've discussed over the past few updates.

---

Patch Notes

Exploit Breakdown - Adjusted for buff level inflation.
Intensity of Enlightened gained is now (X-2), with a cap of Enlightened10.

New Trait Mod - Previously had no real reason to be T2.
Blade Arts / Arcane Arts at 14 SPC
Twice per battle, you may swap any instances of Enlightened into Empowered or vice-versa. If you already have both, you may instead remove one to add half that status's intensity to the other, and add +1 duration.

Limit Break - Adjusted for buff level inflation + new mod.
Restore (8-8) HP and 66% of that as MP. Obtain LimitBreak for two rounds, which grants +30% Basic Attack DMG and +3 Buff Levels.
Adds one duration to any Empowered, Enlightened, or LimitBreak. Bonus Action. Costs 100 SP to use.



Name - Other stuff that nobody cares about except me.
Update Character name to Ephram Cross, as well as up the crisis count, and change achievements to be either Eph or Ephram.

Auth mildly appreciates that Nana decided not to ask questions about what he'd just done to the mirror - for Chloe's sanity, that's probably for the best. Auth cautiously approaches the mirror, as he listens to Nana's question.

AUTH: Special flowers, actually. Lamplighter bees make honey from the Exile's Rose, which grow near Hell.
AUTH: The honey is rather special, though. I'm sure you can't imagine any other substance that allows literal entry to the realm of dream?

Auth hands a spoon to Nana, opens the jar of honey he was holding and takes a spoonful himself (with a second spoon). Auth closes his eyes, grimaces, then opens his eyes again.

AUTH: It's always just barely too sweet.
AUTH: Alright, take a spoonful of this. Hold your breath, hold my hand. When we walk through the mirror, you'll feel your left hand become your right, and vice versa. Getting around while mirrored takes some getting used to - I've adjusted but I know you haven't, so we'll take it slowly.
AUTH: Let's get going.

Auth glances back, to see if anyone's deciding to follow, before leading Nana through the mirror. He walks slowly, and makes sure to support her, to help her get used to walking while mirrored. On the far side of the mirror, Nana could see far better what Auth called the Sea of Spines... walking on fine black sand, in front of a still ocean that looks more like a pane of black glass than it does a body of water. Before they get going, Auth turns around and picks up the mirror they walked in from. He intends to move it somewhere a little more convenient for future travel, it seems. He is, apparently, looking for something as they start to wander.

AUTH: The name "Sea of Spines" is a bit of a misnomer, really. There's some creatures near the bottom of the sea, it's where they and a related species go to dream. We are, perhaps unsurprisingly, on the far side of it - away from London.
AUTH: We'll need to head towards it, so...

Auth points out towards the sun - which does not quite feel like a sun, and the far-off mountains that hang underneath it, to indicate where they need to go. Auth then seems to find what he was looking for, a somewhat small boat with a sail. Nana may wonder how it will sail, with the wind being absolutely still, but Auth seems to know what he's doing. From under the bow of the ship, he withdraws two violins.

AUTH: In the world of dream, things can be a bit... convenient.
AUTH: Can you play? It's fine if you can't, I have the ability to play two at once but it's a little odd-looking.
AUTH: If I want the wind to help, I need to appease it. Music tends to be among the easiest ways to get its compliance, you see. So that's why I need to play... this.

Auth uses his ink to create a second pair of arms, assuming that Nana doesn't know how to play, and taps his foot against the hull of the ship for the percussive notes. Despite the fact that there's obviously more instruments to the song, it sounds like it's being played completely. As Auth plays, the wind begins to blow, and the ship heads smoothly across the Sea of Spines. Despite the fact this probably takes some focus to play, Auth will still happily answer any questions Nana has.

---

Auth decides not to question Scythia, and instead, decides to let her rest. It's been a tough day for her - some place comfortable where she won't get hurt or jumped by anyone is something she'll appreciate. He's already got as much relevant information as he can out of her, too...

And it was just supplanted by Regalus' confession to doing it, so. Not that Auth would be aware of that.

---

Auth nervously looks back towards Calibri.

AUTH: I can't say for certain that they won't destroy your greenhouse if they can't find you, unfortunately.
AUTH: Knowing that you keep rare plants in there - the possibility does bother me. Still, I think it's a greater priority to get you and Beluta out of here before you get hurt.
AUTH: We have somebody distracting the Praetorians on their way - I think we have some time but I can't say for certain it'll be long. I can ask some people to help you move it somewhere, but you're going to need to be fast.
AUTH: Nana, would you mind starting to help? I'll go grab the portal rune and set it up closer to us so we don't have to run towards the entrance of the gardens to get them out.

Auth quickly flies through the forest to collect the Portal Rune that was left behind after the evacuation of Carrot and Hemlock. He decides to tune it straight to home. While this is, indeed, in the basement, it shouldn't be too hard to get everything outside. In the meantime, he sends out a message to any Spherebreakers that are available - backup is requested, to help conserve rare plants that may not survive a Praetorian raid for Lutea's sake.

AUTH: Please understand that if they start coming this way we're really going to need to leave, regardless of what's been taken or not.
AUTH: There's almost certainly space outside, and our base is relatively secure so I wouldn't worry too much about the plants being damaged once there.
AUTH: In the meantime, is there something I can do to help?

---

No response from Venia yet. Maybe that's my fault.

---

Auth flies away from the Scuttletongue, to H12, and resurrects Nidra after she's been moved to H12.

Cups of Chaos:

Remiel acts first, self-using a Ygg Vessel and moving to K12 (dragging the Ignihorn corpse along the way, and dropping it off at K13) then Relinquishing Ignihorn2.

<ROUND 286>

---

Adria decides to gather help to deal with an exoskeleton. She asks around, seeing if anyone would be willing to aid her. Chloe steps forward.

CHLOE: Oh, heya!
CHLOE: I'll give you a hand if you want!
CHLOE: Though, I'm not sure how effective a sword will be against a mech suit sorta thingy...
CHLOE: Then again, there's always a solution that's not just stabbing, right?

Chloe follows Adria off into Fabrication as the latter loads a crossbow. She fires a bolt towards the right leg, imbued with the power of Static Overcharge! Her drone assists her, firing a long spike of hardlight towards the other leg. Both legs are promptly crippled! The exosuit falls to its knees, lurching forward. Chloe cheers.

CHLOE: Yeah! You got 'em!
CHLOE: Though... I wonder why it's being so... passive?
CHLOE: Surely, it should've charged you and tried to break your face by this point...
CHLOE: Maybe it's actually non-functional?
CHLOE: Let me take a closer look...

Chloe takes a step forward. The moment she crosses the yellow and black "danger stripes", the robot swings forward with its left arm! Chloe's quick to raise her sword to block the attack, but it's still mighty enough to launch her a short distance. She sails through the air, tumbling across the ground as she "lands". Fortunately, the injuries aren't severe; she's only suffered (10) HP worth of damage. Chloe picks herself up, propping herself against the machining table.

CHLOE: O-Ow, okay, maybe I-I'm dumb...
CHLOE: But... I don't think it wants to leave the striped area? It also doesn't want people in the area, either.
CHLOE: I wonder why that is?

CHLOE: If it doesn't want to leave though, maybe we can capture it?
CHLOE: I for one, would love having a big exoskeleton suit. With an even bigger sword.

The two of them consider their plan of attack. Is it worth attempting a capture? As they debate that, Hannah decides to distract the approaching squadron of Praetorians in the Endless Gardens. Revving her engine to draw attention, she lands in the Far Off Field, flying over the troops on the way past. Grandifolia barks an order to the Praetorian in the back.

GRANDIFOLIA: BIFLORA! GO AFTER THAT SPHEREBREAKER AND SUBDUE THEM!
BIFLORA: Huh? Why should I listen to you?
BIFLORA: But... fiiiiine. If only because my liege would love it if I served their head to them on a silver platter~

There's a flash of azure light from them as a pair of wings manifests behind this Praetorian apparently named Biflora. With a few flaps, they're up in the air, and immediately after Hannah! They're relentless in their chase, quickly catching up to Hannah as she lands in the Far Off Field. She gives them a friendly wave as she manifests a bow in the same way she did her wings.

BIFLORA: Hi, honey!~
BIFLORA: It's a bit odd, needing to kill a child... but I'm certain you're no ordinary kid.
BIFLORA: Oh well. Any Spherebreaker would please my liege.

They pull their bowstring taut, levelling a particularly cruel arrow towards Hannah. Looks like it's time for a little one on one action. Can Hannah beat up a Praetorian? Who knows? But while that's going on, Dorothy arrives near Lutea and Beluta's position. Should evacuation be decided upon for the plants (which it will in Auth's post, but shhhh), she'll help out with that.

LUTEA: W-Wow! All of you got here s-so quickly!
LUTEA: But... thank you for the help! To think that maybe I can evacuate my whole garden...

Though he doesn't say anything, Beluta gives a faint smile as well.

---

Calibri does a variety of things! First, he takes the Chloe Plushie, 2 Sanctified Alloy, some amount of Silkweed, a unit of Puresilk, and a blob of Phase Matter to create the True Heroine Chloe Plushie! It seems happy enough to get the upgrade. She hops into the inventory for the time being.

Elsewhere, within the Calzone, Calibri interacts with a different Chloe. He chuckles at the sight of the newly created Chibi Chloe Hat. Not a hat made from a Chibi Chloe, but a hat that is a Chibi Chloe. He is then, against his will but not really, dragged towards the same device that made the Chibi Chloe. Excitedly, Chloe bobs up and down on her feet as the device scans Calibri. Though, she is the slightest bit concerned when it begins to make a variety of ominous noises.

CHLOE: Um... is it okay?
CHLOE: I've only used this thing like, twice now, s-so...

Ding! There's probably a ding, right? Anyway, a Chibi Calibri is dispensed. Chloe picks up the Chibi Calibri, and gently places it on Calibri's own head.

CHLOE: Hurray! Now we have sorta-matching hats!
CHLOE: You're cute, y'know? S-Small you, I mean!
CHLOE: Yeah.

A bit awkwardly, Chloe wanders into the console room. She takes a look at the readout there, a bit perplexed by what she's seeing. It's a lot of text. Adjectives, nouns, those sorts of things. Chloe tilts her head, and taps the screen.

CHLOE: Huh.
CHLOE: I guess... this might make sense?
CHLOE: I-I don't know...
CHLOE: It's certainly kinda cool, though.
CHLOE: What happens when you look at someone, I wonder?
CHLOE: Like, if you looked at me, what would you see?

This is definitely not an awkward question. Meanwhile, out in reality, Verdana decides to fib that he's just heading up to get some splinters. Grandifolia sighs. He mutters something quietly to himself for a few moments.

GRANDIFOLIA: Really? You'd walk up to an army for some... splinters? I don't...
GRANDIFOLIA: ...Hold on. Ahem.
GRANDIFOLIA: YOU SHALL NOT PASS. NOT NOW, OR FOR ANY REASON.
GRANDIFOLIA: IF YOU'D RATHER NOT BE MULCHED... KNEEL.
GRANDIFOLIA: WE HAVE MANY A COMFY PRISON CELL FOR RUFFIANS LIKE YOU.

Verdana feels like holding out for another round without getting into a scuffle would be impossible. He could probably withstand their assault for awhile, but could he stop others from heading around, or stop them from grabbing more troops? That'd be unpleasant for your plans here. Also, while he's here, he decides to make some snazzy armor. The Crystalline Fortress, a Volcanic Regalia, a Heavenly Regalia, 50 Incendiary Rounds, and 4 Gaiameld are used to create the Verdant Fortress!

The Praetorian of course, is fine to watch Verdana make his armor. As a Shieldbearer, Grandifolia can respect a good suit of armor.

---

Venia does a variety of things. Over with Hannah, she discusses poison and the like- fun for the whole family! She's then called by Regalus, who confirms that he did in fact, murder the Scarlets. Rude. What's especially rude though, is that Chaos still needs to deal with Maria's bawling due to Venia.

CHAOS: uhhhh
CHAOS: well, you [c]ould jus[t]
CHAOS: no[t] leave
CHAOS: you [c]an have your rebellious phase now you're old enough
CHAOS: refuse [t]o leave un[t]il you play with venia be[c]ause daddy is being mean
CHAOS: how abou[t] [t]ha[t]?
CHAOS: we [c]an give you a punk hair[c]u[t] and every[t]hing

...Uh, okay. That's one way to deal with the problem. Meanwhile, down in the Rosen Forge, Venia explains to Nia that making Ordoblood will not only probably not work, but have a variety of side effeects. It's also probably a bit hard to make. Nia nibbles on her finger as she thinks.

NIA: Um... hm.
NIA: I guess that's not really what we want then.
NIA: Maybe we could like, try and revive someone normally first? Then we can edit it once we're done.
NIA: Though, that would mean making a Rose Cultist. Though, we could just purge them-

NIA: Oh, oh! What if we just go ahead with the original Rose Cult's designs, and make a device to purge whatever comes out?
NIA: The guys that we purged seemed to be okay! Maybe they'll be okay, too!

...She seems particularly proud of herself for this idea. Would it work, though? While the two maybe debate that, Venia orders two NPC trips. Venia requests that the Sleuth scan the Cappa. He does so, putting out the M1 Bancannon from the inventory and scanning it.

>Codex Updated!

Chloe is then asked to get some Structural Matter. She wheels over into the Sky Labs, and performs some quick negotiations with Cypress.

CHLOE: Hey, Cypress. Venia wants some Structured Matter for... science reasons?
CHLOE: Do you know where I could find some?
CYPRESS: Certainly. Shifting storage. These coordinates. Don't take all. Just a few.
CHLOE: Thanks!~

Chloe soon returns with a cache of 20 Structured Matter, as well as a bottle of Lively Concoction she found. Is that latter thing stealing? Yes, but in her defense she didn't notice she took it until she unloaded her wheelbarrow.

---

The Reflector brings news of Acacia's death to Wattle. Somehow, he doesn't seem all that torn over it. He is shocked silent for a few moments, but one sigh later, he's free of tension.

WATTLE: Really, it's about time.
WATTLE: The way she's acted throughout her life, with such blatant arrogance... I'm surprised she didn't perish sooner.
WATTLE: That's not to say I don't feel bad hearing the news, though.
WATTLE: Even if we were never really close.
WATTLE: Of course. It still doesn't surprise me.

He sighs once again. Did Spark really kill her, though?

WATTLE: I doubt that Spark would kill her, however.
WATTLE: She would happily... how should I put this.

He mentions something about "holding hands".

WATTLE: She is- or was- hopelessly loyal to Spark.
WATTLE: There's no way he would kill Acacia.
WATTLE: A pawn like her should not be sacrificed.

The Reflector then mentions that they wish to bring her back, and they require the sap of a relative. He pulls out a canteen, and dumps its contents upon the ground. With a bit of arbormancy, he rips a hole in his finger. Sap pours from the wound and into the canteen, Wattle barely even flinching. Once a small amount has accumulated, he seals the wound, and hands the Reflector the bottle.

WATTLE: I suppose there's no harm in cooperation.
WATTLE: I do not care as to your reasons as to why you wish to bring her back.
WATTLE: So go ahead. Do as you please.

Finally, the Reflector asks about the camp. What's going on here?

WATTLE: Lockdown protocols have been engaged. They're only properly enabled on this floor, preventing both elevator and tunnel access to this location.
WATTLE: I believe it's to protect the Glyph from both the Rebels and yourselves.
WATTLE: You're aware that the Glyph is stationed in a chamber below the Dream of Unity, correct?

WATTLE: Anyway.
WATTLE: Myself and three other teams of soldiers have been positioned to guard the tunnel entryways. We are also to respond if the Spherebreakers or other forces manage to bypass the lockdown procedures.
WATTLE: The primary defensive force consists almost entirely of Spark's loyalists, the Praetorians. They stand at the foot of the Dream of Unity, ready to strike.
WATTLE: Heading to the east or west of here would likely only result in you running into groups of soldiers what would be... less receptive of your kind.
WATTLE: If you find a way to disable the lockdown... see if you can keep these barriers up.
WATTLE: Dealing with four squadrons of soldiers in addition to Spark's own loyalists is a tall order. Even for ones such as yourselves.

That should be some rather usable intel. Finally, over at the AI Labs, the Scion throws Ephram's corpse to Taeda. She yelps at the sight of the body.

TAEDA: E-EYAAAH!
TAEDA: D-Don't just... deliver d-dead bodies to me like that!
TAEDA: B-But... I suppose I could try and revive him.
TAEDA: It's not something I've ever d-done before, a-and I'm not sure where you got that idea from, s-so...
TAEDA: But I'll do my best!
TAEDA: Oh Lord Helix, please hear my call...

Taeda gets on her knees, and makes a prayer to Lord Helix. The heavens part, somehow shining through the roof of the AI Labs to cast their glow on Ephram's body. A ghostly vision of Lord Helix descends. With his almighty power, he... throws a die at Ephram's corpse. It floats down to take a look at it, ogling it with a magnifying glass. Lord Helix, apparently satisfied, shoves Ephram's soul back into his body before returning to the heavens above. He's probably okay now. Probably.

TAEDA: So majestic! So powerful!
TAEDA: Ah, Lord Helix... thank you! I knew my prayers wouldn't go unanswered!
TAEDA: Though... I believe only a few devotes in the history of the Church of Helix have been able to cast a spell like this.
TAEDA: I-I wonder why I was able to do it? Surely, my devotion i-isn't enough to deserve such power?
TAEDA: Perhaps... he is simply too kind!

Taeda, absolving you from your sins since 2017.

---

Destiny points out that a Pin has infected a computer. The scientist she's talking to, who's still recovering from being moderately scorched, is a bit shocked.

SCIENTIST: A-Ah? Oh, yes. Right.
SCIENTIST: Sorry. I-I did not think I was expected to return to business a-after such an ordeal...
SCIENTIST: B-But... I will get on it eventually.
SCIENTIST: Though, I am n-not sure how one can "debug" a computer infected by an Iti, other than total destruction of the computer...

That poor computer. Maybe it'd be for the best. Unless Destiny has any particular ideas?

---

Echoss and Pionobot do things. Echoss discusses Spark's wrongdoings with Aoki, noting how he's rather adverse to having the Spherebreakers point out how awful of a job he's doing. Though, some of this is news to Aoki. The fact that Omorika was abandoned to die, and how he uses the Legion as disposable troopers.

AOKI: Is that truly the case? I have not heard of such things.
AOKI: I suppose that media around the Citadel is highly filtered and regulated.
AOKI: The news insists that the Legion is controlling the situation around Locaa rather well. They also have not reported much on Omorika or Cypress's status, given that they've defected.
AOKI: How frustrating.

She gives a somewhat restrained huff. Echoss then mentions that tomorrow will be the day they march on the Citadel, which is probably where Aoki's mother lives. She nods, but... she's rather apprehensive about the whole thing.

AOKI: You are... heading to the Citadel?
AOKI: I fear that in doing so, there would be immense amounts of bloodshed. The guards would surely put up a fight, and the Iti that constantly besiege the walls might break in should the guards be dispatched.
AOKI: Is there no other way you can handle the situation?
AOKI: Surely, there has to be a way we can get them to stand down.

She has a point. Marching on the Citadel would certainly be incredibly bloody, even if the Spherebreakers don't kill anyone themselves. But, you have a superstar on your side now. Perhaps that could be leveraged? Finally, Echoss notes that Magic Club is beginning to get rather sparse. People are beginning to leave, and the food is about finished. Would she like to visit their current base of operations?

AOKI: Ah, certainly.
AOKI: The Sky Labs are hardly my favorite locale. Lead the way, sir Echoss.

She stands up, brushing dust and dirt off of her legs. She does vaguely recall being given directions, but being lead to the house would be far better. Hopefully, her actions don't upset that Author person from earlier. Just across from Aoki and Echoss, Pionobot (or perhaps, Eren) notices that things are beginning to clear up. Chloe perks up as Echoss calls over to her. Does she want anything to be left with her?

CHLOE: Huh? Uh, nothing in particular, thank you! I think we're all pretty full now.
CHLOE: But... could I get you to talk with someone! I want you to properly meet Eren.
MAPLE: Oh yeah, you did mention something about that. I think.
MAPLE: Eren's pretty cool! You'd like him, Echoss!

Meanwhile, at least an hour or so ahead of this current timeline, Eren insists to Maple that he's doing alright. He's had something like this happen to him before. Something about Omnipresent Industries? He directs Maple to his shoulder, trying to show something off. However, a panel's getting in the way of him showing it off. Maple glares at this shoulder.

MAPLE: Yep. That's a shoulder.
MAPLE: Fancy!

Eren then mentions that he can't really show the thing off, and that the others probably don't want a surprise shirtless scene right now. Maple snickers.

MAPLE: I mean, I wouldn't mind.
MAPLE: But like, show me later. Or something. I don't need to see it right this second.
MAPLE: But... Omnipresent Industries, huh? Can't say I've heard of them.
MAPLE: I guess they're not so omnipresent, then? Ehe~

Technically, she's not wrong. In addition, a few other miscellaneous things occur. Or uh, one other thing occurs. Rapid Response is purchased from the labs for 100 Samples. Maple would 100% approve of being launched from a drop pod at high speeds. In fact, she'd probably find it fun.

---

Nettle does a post. I'm not sure why I bothered to link this, but mostly I just wanted to slip in a bit with Marron here. Magic Club is beginning to clear up, and both her and Asha are still wrapped in a quilt.

MARRON: Huh. Guess that's Magic Club.
MARRON: That was pretty fun!
MARRON: I guess we should like... head back to the house then?
MARRON: Or we can stay here. It is kinda cozy here. And air conditioned.
MARRON: What do you think?

It is entirely possible that Marron is too lazy to move from this position. Who knows?

---

The Author and Nana enter a mirror. To do this, he hands a spoon to Nana and pops open the jar of honey. Cautiously, Nana takes a bite. Or a sip? You don't really bite honey. What's the word? Whatever. Nana consumes some. As Auth prompts, she holds her breath, and allows herself to be lead through the mirror. The sensation of being "flipped" is rather disorientating to Nana, almost immediately resulting in her tumbling and falling... or she would, were Auth not supporting her.

NANA: S-So... this is a mirror?
NANA: C-Can... all mirrors do this? Lead here?
NANA: A-And... how does that honey do that? S-Should I even ask?
NANA: I-It's all... r-really overwhelming...

Nana's the slightest bit dizzy, so Auth opts to give her a few moments to regain her bearings. Once she's recovered a bit, they continue along the black sandy beaches. The ocean is eerily still, more like an endless plane of shadowy glass than water. Auth carries the mirror they used to enter along, his other hand guiding Nana. He then explains the name of the place, the "Sea of Spines". It's a bit of a misnomer.

NANA: T-Then... why don't they rename it?
NANA: T-They can't just call everything something scary...

Soon enough, the two of them come upon a small sailboat. With no wind to whip the sails about, how are they to cross the ocean? Auth then produces two violins from the bow of the ship. Can she play the violin?

NANA: ...A-Author, I have never heard of this "violin" thing.
NANA: B-But... I can play the flute!
NANA: I-I don't know if you have these, but they're these long metal sticks that you blow into, a-and they make noise!
NANA: I-I'm not the greatest, b-but I think I'm okay.

Though, that probably won't do. Auth also probably doesn't have a flute. Maybe I'd write this section up, but there's a fairly real chance that the flute does work, and they can play a duet together. It'd be cool.

Meanwhile, over with Lutea, Auth notes that there's a fairly real chance they bean the greenhouse. But they could likely evacuate the plants since someone's attempting a distraction. So, they decide to go for it. With the help of Dorothy, the Portal Rune is set up closer to the garden. With that, evacuation efforts of the garden begin! This round alone, 25% of the plants are shipped out. Keep it up, and see if things can be sped up any further?

LUTEA: I-I'm... w-well, I think you can understand why I'm n-nervous right now.
LUTEA: C-Can you make sure they're not a-arriving? I-I'd like someone on lookout if at all possible...

She continues to get plants through the portal. Chop chop.

---

<THE CUPS OF CHAOS, ROUND 8>
Though it took some monumental effort, the Tamaugachi has finally been slain! With its death comes the end of the Everground. Somewhere down below, an enormous power is felt. Shall you venture towards the source, and bring your travels in the Everground to a close?

Final Arbiter is purchased from the Tem Shop

Echoss talks to a grey iti
Venia having ducked out to deal with Regalus (and me having had to drop out of that plot for IRL health reasons), Echoss makes his way upstairs and lightly knocks on the door to the room the grey iti is in.
"Hello? Star, I believe? Miss Praefortis told me you had a message for the Spherebreakers, are you still in here?"


Echoss and Aoki
Echoss scoffs at the media saying the legion are handling things fine.
"Unfortunately it's just standard tyrannical propaganda.
According to the others the outskirts were crawling with more iti than chairians, and a final evacuation was under way when they arrived.
Likewise the Grand Library was abandoned to the Iti and a cult from beyond Sussui days before we arrived, with Omorika refused backup, which was her reason for joining us.
I arrived when the Spherebreakers were moving through the Gardens, and the legion was steadily and rapidly losing ground to the rebellion even before factoring in that two of the present Eliti were slaughtering their way through entire squads with isolation tactics and lesser iti were likewise swarming anywhere chairians weren't killing each other.
Omnite was totally abandoned, the cathedral left unattended except by fell beasts, more iti, and the rose cult who had set up in the catacombs beneath and were capturing chairians from nearby areas to use in a variety of abominable sacrifices and eldritch science.
The first treason Cypress commited that I am aware of was to recruit the Spherebreakers for clearing out a variety of iti infestations in the skylabs that Spark seems to have offered no extra aid in removing.
Everywhere we've gone the Legion was either barely holding on or had already been routed. Spark throws the soldiers around as if they were fully expendable, and has personally betrayed at least one other member of the High Chair. He felt it perfectly fine to throw new recruits into the meatgrinder... or I suppose 'woodchipper' would be a more appropriate metaphor for your race- and only began sending the elites in once he felt the Spherebreakers posed a threat to his grand scheme to commit genocide against tabletopia regardless of the fact that we've spent our entire time trying to mitigate casualties, often at our own expense."
Echoss breathes deeply, calming himself. The shadows around him shrink back down to normal, the aura of threat calms.
"Unfortunately, Spark is not particularly unusual as far as despot dictators go, personality or methodology wise. The primary difference is that he's currently bending all his resources towards defending something that's set to destroy the universe in less than a week, and quite likely a significant chunk of the local multiverse with it."

Aoki brings up the potential bloodshed. Echoss nods sadly.
"I've heard from the party chatter that the others are currently working on methods to discredit Spark. I've been rather... indisposed for most of the day, so I've not had opportunity to ask for details or contribute myself. I hear that The Author and Pionobot are currently the ones spearheading the effort, so they would likely be better to talk to on that front than me at present.
If it fails...
We are on a very strict time limit. Either the sphere falls tomorrow or the entirety of Sussui risks utter annihilation. If we have no other options, then we may simply have to hope we can help the people of LOCAA rebuild afterward."
He takes on a thoughtful look, then glances at Aoki again.
"Perhaps me and you could talk to the two coordinating the effort about it together once we return from the house. Your status as an idol among the chairian people may make spreading and lending validity to any necessary messages easier."

Thanks to Ire for helping with this section!


And then back to Echoss and Aoki:
With the blanket and remaining food packed away, Echoss nods towards the exit.
"Shall we?
The portal back to the house is held in our airship at the moment, so it will just be a short walk to where it's docked."
Assuming she acquiesces, Echoss makes his way out front to where Auth and Twig are presumably waiting for Aoki still. Surprise! She's a Spherebreaker now.


The AI Labs
Eren tries to suppress the oncoming blush after Maple's comment about not minding the shirtless scene.
"I, yeah. Okay."
He quickly changes the topic.
"I can't really remember much about Omnipresent Industries"
He pauses again, looking slightly annoyed. He seems to be noticing this voice change at least.
"It's probably hardwired into me somehow if the prerecorded soundbite is any indicator.
It's probably a branding thing though."

Also Eren talks to Cypress (this takes place after he finishes with Maple)
Eren walks down and around to the harmonious chamber.
"Hey Cypress!
I heard that we could use an antimagic field of some sort to deal with the praetorians?
The fabricator just south of here is still working I think? What materials do we need?"


Finishing the Respec
-1 KP in RES
-1 KP from MHP
-8 KP from AGI
Add 8 KP to DEF
Add 2 KP into SPC
Add 2 KP to MMP


To-do List:
Echoss will need to talk to Carrot (offer apology and explanation) after helping Aoki get settled in.
Also maybe chat with Creation?
Start on crafting goals in the "questboard". Notably, I need to make lots of sleeping bags so the NPCs we seem to suddenly be acquiring en masse need to sleep somehow/where.
If Blossom isn't dealt with by the time Pionobot's done being doted on by Maple, go punch it through the barrier with air magic.

Character List
Daskter equips their new weapon the "Commander's Carbine".

Also new special I dm'ed on discord

Stats:
+1 SPC to keep the status quo for SPC
-2DEF
+2INT
-11MHP
+12SKI

Swap:
Creation Singularity for Nanostorm
Decaying Light for Obsoletion

Stats

Adria does a minor stat shuffle:
-1 MHP
+3 SPC

This gives her +10% HIT and +1 CRT, as well as I Will Keep You Safe on her trait, -3 SP Cost and +1 Mending on her Special, and +1 Stasis Duration on Abyssal Vortex.

---

The Cups of Chaos - Finale

Hannah jabs the dead corpse of the Tamaugachi with her spear. Yep, it's dead. Hannah breathes a sigh of relief.

HANNAH: ...And that's that.
HANNAH: The tyrant of the Everground is dead.

She takes a moment to acknowledge the rest of the folks down here with her. It didn't matter how much they hated her, or she hated them. If anything, she relied on them, just as much as they relied on her.

HANNAH: Thanks... thanks for the help guys. Seriously.

Once the remaining Iti are cleared up, Hannah looks around at the environment they ended up in.

HANNAH: Y'know... with ol' pincushion here done for, this place is kinda pleasant to look at.
HANNAH: ...If you don't mind corpses, acid, and broken quills.

She takes a look downward. She sees a Rose Cultist-looking person, and more notably for her, an eyestalk. She shudders.

HANNAH: ...Y-yeah, I think the owner of those eyestalks is down there. I'd say I made 'em really mad already...
HANNAH: N-not the rose cultist, but something else, you get me?

HANNAH: I think this is about as far as I can go without causing more trouble.
HANNAH: Though... I'll see if I can get our spoils up to the surface. With the curse gone, it should be easy.

Hannah gathers up her items, then she gathers up the items of S.E.D. to take back up to the surface. She prepares a number of long iron chains.

HANNAH: If I'm gonna be honest though... I'm gonna miss romping around in this place.
HANNAH: See you lot on the surface.

Hannah grabs the Gravcore Ore and a suitable electrical source, and starts floating up. On the way up, she tosses iron chains onto the mushroom pads. They dangle down from the mushroom edges, allowing people from a lower level to climb up more easily.

Once she reaches the elevator, she brings it down onto the mushroom pad directly below it, and heads through the portal... to the Crystillery to avoid Regalus. Clever girl. Despite the detour, Hannah should be able to successfully deposit the group's everground spoils into the inventory. She shimmers out of this timeline shortly after.

tl;dr: Hannah takes S.E.D's items from the Everground, and returns to the surface to deposit it all into the inventory. She exits from the Crystillery portal. Hannah dispels this instance of her.

---

The Geneva Conventions weep

It's time. Time for the ultimate poison.



Hannah sighs, relieved that nothing went horribly wrong.

She exits the building, back to Venia and Destiny who were presumably waiting outside. She holds the poison up for the two to see, making sure to grip it firmly so it has no chance of slipping out.

HANNAH: It's done.
HANNAH: You know the drill; don't get it anywhere on you if you value your very existence, sanity, identity, and current level of pain.

She hands The Ugly Truth to Destiny as she explains what this monster of a poison could do to anyone afflicted.

HANNAH: One last word of warning... the bacteria's gonna multiply like mad the moment stasis is lifted on these things. So be careful of that.
HANNAH: Anyway, enough yapping. We probably need to update the plan to coincide with the new information we have.

---

The Endless Gardens

Hannah

Well, she got one at least. And unfortunately for her, it's a creepy one. Hannah winces at the Praetorian's comment.

HANNAH: wow okay
HANNAH: Protip, lady: never let Adria catch you saying that kinda stuff.

Hannah calmly climbs out of the glider as her Mirror Image dissipates. She snaps her fingers, and her loadout updates to her Scavenger loadout, with one key difference: she's using the Silenced Bow.

HANNAH: But yeah, I'm not. Nice observation skills.
HANNAH: ...not.

Hannah pulls her own bow tight, leveling an equally cruel arrow at Biflora. It's dripping with venom.

HANNAH: Really, anyone with half an eye could see that.
HANNAH: Just pray that none of the others decide to drop in during our little duel.
HANNAH: Because they 100% are. And there's nothing you can do to stop it.

Dorothy

Dorothy and her timeclones keep up their work on plant evacuation, picking up the pace ever so slightly. She hopes she won't have to pull out the devastating wind magic shown off at Magic Club.

---

Skylabs

Central

Adria seems pleased with her work so far. Right up until Chloe gets batted across the room. She rushes over to her.

ADRIA: Chloe, are you alright!?

Adria, not being much of a medic yet still somewhat knowledgable, checks her over briefly. Fortunately, there were only minor injuries.

ADRIA: Mm, nothing major.
ADRIA: Still, go see a doctor. You shouldn't leave that for too long.

She stands up, and looks at the mech suit. Primarily, the control panel.

ADRIA: If we could get that Pin out of the system, we should be able to use it.
ADRIA: ...But that means getting close to it. And I doubt I'm as... durable as you are.
ADRIA: So we still need to disable it either way.

She loads her crossbow again.

ADRIA: The arms are the most dangerous part. Once we disable those, then we should be free to do whatever we want without any more injuries.

Adria commands the drone to do the same thing as before to one of the arms. Another pinpoint hardlight spike shoots out from the "guns" of the drone, directed at the shoulder joint. Adria aims her own shot at the other shoulder. It's a standard shot, given that it's closer to the body of the mech suit. The mech suit should have a difficult time smacking anyone about now.

Venia

As a reminder from where we last left off...

Adria doesn't even flinch as Venia asks her to be quiet. She does so essentially immediately when asked, though there's no fear in her eyes in the slightest.

On finishing and listening to Venia's spiel... she doesn't seem particularly fooled by the roundabout description. She responds roughly in the same volume as Venia.

ADRIA: So I was mostly correct, then...
ADRIA: Truthfully, I had hoped it was merely gross negligence, but it appears I was incorrect on the scale of the issue.

She... seems a bit sick to her stomach. She looks Venia up and down, and sharply exhales, crossing her arms before peering directly into Venia's eyes. She maintains eye contact throughout her spiel.

ADRIA: On that...
ADRIA: Before I go much further, if there's anything at all I can do to help with your problem, then please, don't hesitate to ask.
ADRIA: And to answer your favor, I did not and do not intend to disclose the contents of this meeting with anyone.
ADRIA: You should have a talk with Marron and Ette later, that being said. They likely have questions of their own.

She tilts her head ever so slightly and curiously.

ADRIA: Though...
ADRIA: Why did you feel the need to word your request in such a threatening way?
ADRIA: And why are you resorting to such a... roundabout method of describing the person in question?
ADRIA: Are you... afraid of him? Of what may occur later should something happen?

ADRIA: Talk to me. I won't tell a soul.
ADRIA: Promise.

---

Calscape

Sophia seems kinda bummed that she won't be able to get her friend a friend immediately... but she gets it. Friendship takes time.

SOPHIA: Aw, okay...
SOPHIA: I mean, you could just make another entity made for another reason that can talk, have 'em meet naturally, and I think that'd work out?

SOPHIA: Also whatsthis?

She pokes the Digivice. It's broken, not that Sophia knows that it is. She sees the chibi Calibri, and apparently takes interest, trying to make a chibi version of herself.

When that inevitably fails, she gives it a gentle kick. Should that not work, she pouts and hastily yanks out the generic t-shirt.

---

House

Rebecca

Sophia hops off the roof, landing near perfectly next to Rebecca. She looks... way too innocent. Like she didn't just hear about a bomb being directly under her right now.

SOPHIA: What'cha doin?

Sythia

Sophia's still by Sythia's side... but something feels... off, to her. she hopes it's nothing, but she can't quite shake the iffy feeling...

---

Old Pass

Shelly continues observing Rosalind from atop the tower. It's really quite boring. At least the view's nice.
Nice... the view...
...Shelly eventually just starts looking out over the landscape out of boredom. Maybe she'll see something big out and about.

oh hey even more skillpoints

+1 Calibri MP
+1 Verdana HP

---

Zone 0 - Slightly below the fountain

"Hmm."

Calibri senses something and pulls out a phone. You'll figure out what that's relevant to later in the post.

---

Zone 3 - The Endless Gardens

Verdana frowns a little as he hears the response. Of course things are going to be difficult. Should he keep up the deception, or drop the pretenses entirely and hope he can overpower any attempts to get past him? He closes his eyes briefly to check how he feels, then opens them again. A sense of indignation begins to build up...

VERDANA: ...Hmm. A "comfy" prison cell.
VERDANA: Funny you would say that.

The ground rumbles.

VERDANA: I want to believe you. But the thing is...
VERDANA: Would any of my less durable comrades just get "a comfy prison cell"?
VERDANA: Would any of the Chairians working with us just get "a comfy prison cell"?
VERDANA: Would any of the neutral parties just get "a comfy prison cell"?
VERDANA: You know who I'm talking about already...

The ground shakes. Verdana's body begins glowing, red lights surrounding his humanoid form. There's the occasional spark of Thymefield interference, but not enough. Not yet.

VERDANA: Hannah, that spherebreaker who crashed just now, relayed some important information to me earlier.
VERDANA: Aerial images of your preparations. Wanted posters and incendiary devices.
VERDANA: ...
VERDANA: You're going after civilians now.

Not a question. A statement. Verdana advances, that aura mentioned earlier now flaring up stronger around him. The heat coming off of him is swelteringly high... Thankfully, there's no actual fire involved, he must be holding it back for the sake of the surroundings.

VERDANA: A word of advice from one frontliner to another, Grandifolia.
VERDANA: You want to bolster the loyalty of the population by any means necessary, right?
VERDANA: Fear won't accomplish that. If anything, that's what drives people away.
VERDANA: But if they look to you and your squadmates as heroes, then they will gladly follow you.

After that little bit of talk, Verdana glances behind him, off in the direction of the biodome. They still need more time to evacuate, naturally. Better continue the stall as best he can, and for that, he'll need to block alternative routes. The albino looks ahead once more.

The ground trembles... Then, sections of terrain off to the sides of the Yggdrasil's Approach corridor split open, several towering spires of red crystal rising into the air. Similar spires appear in the forest, the aura around Verdana's body fading as those towers rise. Once the towers have reached a sufficient height and Verdana's aura is gone, the towers pulse with light, barriers forming between them.

While the blockade is not unbreakable, it should hold up well enough to dissuade flanking maneuvers. While the barriers are not insurmountably tall, the crystal spires can help, an aura of gravity surrounding each one to pluck any would-be flying troops out of the sky. While Verdana himself is not an unbeatable foe, and the thymefield will undoubtedly seek retribution against him for such a flagrant violation of its laws...

VERDANA: This clash was inevitable the moment we crossed paths.
VERDANA: I've been away for a while. This'll be the first time I fight a Praetorian at all, let alone more than one if your friends back there reinforce you.

Verdana grins, twirling his Magenta Prism in one hand, then striking a SUPER SRS COMBAT POSE. It's battle time.

VERDANA: Alright then! Show me what Spark's finest can do!

---

The Old Pass

"..."

EN waits for the phonecall. And waits. And waits. And then she notices Rosalind getting a little close, immediately recognizing that this could get a little uncomfortable if she doesn't do anything about it. But how...

"Er... Y'ain't gon' be puttin' bugs in me ear or anythin' like tha', right? Also, case y'ain't noticed, it's takin' ages fer 'em t' pick up. Do they naw 'ave phones or somethin'..."

More waiting. Then, EN grits her teeth in frustration as the phone goes to a generic "leave a message" tone.

"Tha's annoyin'... Might as well connect to main comms."

There's a pause as EN lowers the phone, giving it a few taps. After that, she raises it again, aiming for a more direct connection to overall communications...

...Then someone picks up. Calibri's voice rings loud and clear, while EN visibly sighs and untenses.

"Heya. No one picking up, huh."
"Damn right. Gettin' real annoyin' if ya catch me drift..."
"Yeah, everyone's kinda busy with things. What's up?"
"Rosalind noticed somethin' weird back at th' house earlier. Beetle thingies 'er power weren't workin' on. She wants t' know 'bout those."
"Huh. This'll just take a second."

The phone falls silent. Then, a reply.

"Okay, yeah. Surveillance things. Set up by someone called Glimmer. She doesn't seem hostile to us, but aside from that, can't really tell any other details. My... information sources aren't telling me the whole story."
"Hm... A'ight then. Long as tha's naw gonna backfire on us or anythin'."
"Heh, nah. We're safe. With this many people around, anyone trying to do anything funky - sabotage, for example - wouldn't get very far with it. Anyway, that's about all I can say for now, so... see ya round."

The phone goes dead. EN stares into the distance for a bit, then turns to Rosalind and shrugs.

"Well, there ya go. Ain't set up by one o' us, but th' person who set 'em up ain't an issue. Prolly jus' someone who got real curious an' wants t' watch."

Hopefully that answer is just fine for sating Rosalind's curiosity.

---

The Everground - Cups of Chaos

In the everground, the death of the Tamaugachi means that the way is clear. S.E.D quite happily offloads its cargo onto Hannah, then trundles to the edge of the giant mushroom platform thing, peering over the edge. It's quite a way down...

Yet the drone happily throws itself off, hurtling down to the floor below. Thankfully, it pops out a tiny parachute, allowing the drone to land softly on the ground. It then drives over to investigate the crimson energy platform, immediately looking for a way to get past it that doesn't involve firing bullets until the platform goes away. Assuming it can get past the platform, it then trundles down to go investigate the area below, whistling as it rolls and briefly extending some kind of limb to wave to the eyestalk.

---

Resurrection A(cacia)

Chronologically occurring after Venia puts out her summons, Verdana rockets down from the sky and slams into the ground outside the front of the house. It's not clear yet if this is happening before or after the Zone 3 battle, but that can always be figured out later. For now, there are more important focuses.

Either way, Verdana soon wanders in through the door, heading to the new wing. Once he arrives, he gives a little wave to Venia.

VERDANA: Hi mi-
VERDANA: Just a second.

There's an imperceptible shift. There's also a far more perceptible shift as Verdana retrieves and pulls out the art supply gift he was going to give to Acacia in the event she got rez'd during "christmas". Might as well make sure that gift gets to the intended recipient.

VERDANA: That should do it. Hi miss Venia, I'm here.
VERDANA: So! What's the plan? I don't think I've ever directly witnessed a body creation scroll use before...

CRAFTING

The Reflector takes six Airship Weapon Parts out of the inventory. They combine these parts with six Coilgun Parts, ten Plasteel Ingots for frame construction purposes, two Central Processing Units, and ten pieces of Joltwire to create two turret-like contraptions.
They next take ten each of the infinite supply of Circuit Boards and Wire Scraps to create some simple Drone Sensors, which they install in the turrets so they can actually see their designated targets.
Finally, they take a bunch of... Sanctified Bricks? Apparently, these turrets are designed to hurl magic bricks at attackers extremely rapidly. Okay.

The Brick Turrets are placed at C37 and AL30 near the House, in order to cover the two blind spots in its defense setup the Reflector noticed.

---

ZONE 0

The Reflector continues to follow Cindy and Regalus. This is apparently just completely normal social behavior in their eyes, or at least it seems that way--they display no signs of awkwardness or trying to hide what they're doing.

THE REFLECTOR: i believe, i believe i heard the name chaos mentioned?
THE REFLECTOR: he is a friend of mine of sorts although who knows if he has any true friends beyond money, and perhaps that girl venia brought here.
THE REFLECTOR: i saw him in the rosen catacombs not too long ago peddling his wares to some cultists so if you wish to purchase something from him perhaps that could be arranged?
THE REFLECTOR: although he does have a tendency to show up in multiple places at once so i suppose there is no guarantee no bulletproof promise that version of him has the item you are looking for.

Meanwhile, the Mirror Reflector walks through the portal to the Everground (as promised), and then quickly pulls out a phone and dials up Chaos.

"CHAOS": hey me
"CHAOS": i[t]'s you know who
"CHAOS": lis[t]en, i don'[t] ask this ligh[t]ly
"CHAOS": maria's dad is looking for you, and i don'[t] know wha[t] sor[t] of gorilla he's going [t]o do, but i[t] isn'[t] any[t]hing good
"CHAOS": i know you [c]an be in [t]wo pla[c]es at on[c]e
"CHAOS": we have a plan and we need you
"CHAOS": i'd do this myself if i [c]ould bu[t] i think he'd see righ[t] [t]hrough me
"CHAOS": so, uhh
"CHAOS": send [t]he version of yourself a[t] the shop [t]o somewhere emp[t]y in the rosen [c]a[t]a[c]ombs right now
"CHAOS": he [c]an'[t] see you [t]here and he'll be up any minu[t]e now
"CHAOS": ok?
"CHAOS": for the kid, ire.
"CHAOS": i believe in you buddy
"CHAOS": wi[t]h our en[t]repreneurial senses pu[t] [t]oge[t]her, we've go[t] [t]his

"Chaos" hangs up. They sound... as nervous as a Chaos can sound.

---

ZONE 1

"The Scion" wanders over to the Crystalline Golem. She examines it closely.

"THE SCION": Um, hello! Can you hear me?
"THE SCION": ...I guess you probably wouldn't be able to respond even if you could, hehe. Sorry.
"THE SCION": Well, I'll see about fixing that! Eventually. I don't know where the "mouth upgrade" feature is on the list of upgrades I need to make...
"THE SCION": But this should come first, I think.

"The Scion" takes the party's Hivemind Regalia and places it in the core of the golem's crystal structure. Hopefully, this should do something.

---

ZONE 5.5

The Reflector stores Wattle's sap in the inventory for access by other ritual-doers. They also shrug at Wattle's comment about Spark (not) killing Acacia.

THE REFLECTOR: i think you will see otherwise soon enough! i was there for the event the tragedy itself and we should soon have security logs of it.
THE REFLECTOR: but i will not try to convince you before you see for yourself no not at all.
THE REFLECTOR: though if you really wish to know i am certain cypress would tell you the same thing!

Since it's a serious pain to get back, the Reflector simply continues to vibe with Wattle and Maxim. Wattle is probably less appreciative of this than the Reflector is, but he's not the one who has to walk through an incinerator puzzle and an Iti nest.

The Everground

"That's done," Venia says, staring at the corpse of the most deadly porcupine she's seen yet. "... I'll talk to that Rose Cultist down there, seems appropriate."

Venia's Maid heads down to the Rose Cultist, careful to conceal the Incandescent Key. "Ma'am? My name is Venia Praefortis, with the Spherebreakers. To be brief-we're currently fighting the Chaos Butterfly's forces across Sussui in whatever form they take. Among other things, we're currently working to repair the Rosen Forge's 'mold' to restore its ability to put people back into bodies and out of sapient weapon status. Err-that was a bit much, wasn't it? May I ask who you are, and what you're doing all the way down here? I believe that you may have an opportunity. Oh-and while I'm at it, do the names Longavea and Magnolia mean anything to you, per chance?"

---

Adria

Venia glares at Adria, putting a finger to her temple. "Would you act any differently if it was your niece?", Venia asks. "I... Am stressed to the nines and am dealing with a billion different things any given day, and most of my days are thrice as long as usual to boot. I'm wearing out fast. The sudden appearance of, uh, that man and his family has seriously put strain on the entire team already. This is becoming a day for me, sorry."

"... I swear to god Hannah's impossible to deal with. Took incomplete information from an untrustworthy source, tried to murder that man, failed embarassingly and now I have to make sure Hannah is kept well out of harms way as well because she just pissed him off. Like, are there different standards on your homeworld for poisons?"

---

Maria

Maria continues to be sad, but somewhat less sad when Chaos suggests basically a strike. She doesn't quite quit crying until a few minutes afterwards. Only after her wailing is reduced to sniffles does she finally respond. "I don't wanna make daddy mad..." Maria says. "But I really wanna play with Venny! I don't wanna haircut though, I like my hair, everyone says it's pretty."

She continues to still be a mope. "... I need tissues, my face is wet."

---

The Forge

Venia waits for a response from Auth, though in the meantime, Venia inserts the fifth tank with Structured Matter.

---

Hannah

"... And he would know those plushies are definitely the work of Marron and/or Sophie, two random people who he hasn't even met yet, how?" Venia asks. "He shouldn't know even one of us very well. Uh-what I'm saying is, that sounds a bit shaky, not airtight. We'd have to prove, somehow, that he knew about that as well before coming in. I certainly didn't talk about it to him, so..."

Venia suddenly pushes a finger to her temple. "... Yeah this information-gathering nonsense is annoying, little wonder I told you why you didn't have to bother with the hassle. Still, I guess it's something-obvious oddities to pack for three rebel scarlets that he could definitely see... Hrm."

Venia looks at Hannah's poison warily. "I swear if this wasn't necessary I'd freak out just looking at it. It makes my heart race..."

A pause. "... We are literally giving him metaphysical cancer," Venia says, almost astounded by it. "Exactly what I had, except this time intentionally made. God almighty this day is destroying me inside...".

---

Acacia Rez

VENIA: OK, so we actually have everything we need to rez Acacia now. I think it's about time.
VENIA: Auth, Verdana, Marron, meet me at the house on the ground floor in the new wing. I'll be there with the soulcatcher.
VENIA: I feel like overwhelming Acacia with too many people she doesn't know would be seriously stressful after being brought back from the dead, so if anyone else sees this, please don't come right away.

Venia awaits the trio on the ground floor.

---

Stats+Crafts

Venia removes Anomalous, adds +1 to MHP and +4 to AGI.

Venia requests an order of Elemental Clusters from Chloe. "An equal spread of each preferrably, but just giving surpluses of what we're thin or missing on will do," Venia says.

Venia also requests the Sleuth for... Splinters. Plain old regular splinters. It's been a while since the party's had any, after all.

---

Royal Pain

Regalus and Cindy continue to act... Surprisingly adoring towards one another in the basement, a bit wrapped up in each other for the time being. Very wrapped up, in fact, in engaging the others on current events-conspicuously averting mention of the assassination attempt on Regalus's life, but nothing more. Regalus apparently decided to wander about after researching his query with no especially important aim in mind after the incident with the Scarlets, per what the two are exchanging-but clearly aren't paying much attention to the Reflector in all of this. If Regalus didn't give the Reflector a thumbs up mid conversation and then airily wave the same hand at the Reflector as if to dismiss them, you'd figure he was so engaged that he wasn't paying attention at all.

Rosalind continues to keen towards EN's shoulder until a response is had. (I'm waiting on that basically.)

Rebecca, meanwhile, looks at Sophie with only somewhat less anxiety-induced terror than before. "Oh, uh, n-n-nothing, really. Nothing. D-d-d-definitely nothing. J-just... Standing still and, and t-t-thinking."

Obvious bomb is obvious. She's not even trying to hide it. It's too obvious. Perhaps she thinks that acting sufficiently 'natural' will trick Sophie into believing nothing's wrong? Or perhaps she's just too nervous to realize the mistake.

Destiny +1s MP again.

...I guess I'll take care of it then.

Walking over to the infested computer, Destiny uses the stacks of In the Zone she got from AI Labs to use Solar Lash, shooting multiple solar flames through the system directly at the Pin, trying to avoid the vital hard drive if possible. If the Pin already got to it them she does not hesitate with trying to preserve the hard drive, going directly through it. Either way, she pierces the Pin with multiple lances of solar fury.

Nettle takes two points out of HP to grab the Abyssal Breathing perk.

Asha, meanwhile, is asked a question by Marron. Should they leave, or stay cozy?

"It seems a bit weird to stay here if everyone else has left..." she wonders "Maybe we could go home and load up the magic quilt with some cooking? And by 'we' I do mean 'we', so I'll probably need some supervision."

Auth is confident in his support of Nana as she passes through the mirror for the first time. It seems that it's not the first time Auth has needed to support others like this, given how easily he seems to know what Nana might be feeling and how to help her adjust.

AUTH: This is the far side of a mirror, yes. At least, it's what I'm used to with them.
AUTH: It might sound bizarre, but I'm kind of more used to seeing Parabola than an actual reflection at this point. Maybe it's because I only ever appear faintly in mirrors?
AUTH: In theory, any mirror can do it, and after you've been into Parabola it's far easier... part of me wasn't expecting it to work, actually. As I think I said earlier, most Parabolan objects degrade in sunlight.

AUTH: I understand it being overwhelming, believe me. I understand it completely, you're getting the crash-course on what one of the places I consider home is like. Years of knowledge, or at least, what feels like it, over a couple of hours.
AUTH: I'm... not exactly sure why Prisoner's Honey induces this effect.

Auth thinks, quietly, for a minute. Then he laughs, slightly.

AUTH: Sometimes, a name just... sticks, you know? But... I think this is the only place with a name that's scary, the rest are fine.
AUTH: There's the Moonlit Chessboard, and the Waswood, and the Hanging Mountains... you can actually see those, we'll probably pass under them on the way to base.
AUTH: We're heading to the Mirror-Marches, it's usually on the farther side of the Viric Jungle. The tree we'll be looking for is growing there.

Auth pauses, although he doesn't stop playing, when Nana says she's never heard of a violin.

AUTH: That... surprises me. Perhaps far more than it ought.
AUTH: We do have flutes, though. What I would call a flute sounds like what you're describing. I don't have a flute here, sadly, because I think it would probably work well in the song... even if it's not strictly part of it

It isn't long after Auth finishes one loop of the song that the wind seems to pick up, as if it's aligning on its own. The boat picks up off the water, even. Auth seems to be keeping an eye out for something, given that he's pulled a telescope out of one of his many pockets.

AUTH: We're going to sail over the Smoking Shore. I'm not sure if you could stand on it, given that it's... well...
AUTH: A beach of smouldering ash. I definitely wouldn't want to risk you being burned. We'll then go through the Wanting Way back to base, where I can then reorient and actually take us where we need to go. I mean to put the mirror back to Sussui in my Base, it's marginally easier to have it there.

As Auth says that, Nana would be able to see off the side of the boat that there's an ash-white shore, with streaks of bright-red, almost lava-looking fluid peaking out from underneath. Auth is probably right to have decided to sail overhead. Nana would be able to see, as they approach the main part of Parabola, an enormous and deep jungle. Most of the discovered part of Parabola seems to resemble a jungle, in fact, although Auth probably has the ability to identify the differences between different regions.

---

Auth nods to Lutea.

AUTH: Got it. I'll keep an eye out, though I think we can actually attempt to repel them. I think we've just had forces free up.
AUTH: I still think evacuation, even if we can manage that, is a good idea - probably safer, given what their stated intentions for you are.

Auth is no gardener, he worried that if he tried to help extract the plants he would kill them. So, instead, he floats closer to Calibri, Grandifolia, and the Praetorians. Ultimately, what's the difference between one potential Spherebreaker to fight and two?

---

The Forge is a thing I'm meant to be working on, oh god

Auth thinks, momentarily.

AUTH: So if I'm thinking this through right...

Auth walks over to tank One.

AUTH: This tank should have the Godblossom Extract in it. Fluxblood was used, before, to provide similar energy, but it introduced Flux to the process. We keep it out using the Extract.

AUTH: And we know in Tank Four... molten elemental crystals. I think we could put a gaiadiamond in there, they'd provide significantly more energy than the magical crystals would supply. I would bet there's a heat source built into that tank, crystals do not easily melt.

AUTH: As for replacing livingwood... I don't actually know what it is, so perhaps it is reckless, but I think that the Yggdrasil Splinters would go there. I suspect they might carry greater force in this process, too. If Livingwood is to help for the body, I would think that Yggdrasil Splinters would function similarly.

AUTH: For the sap... I feel like any normal tree sap would suffice. I cannot immediately tell you what the difference is between the sap belonging to a Chairian and any normal tree. Perhaps it is my lack of knowledge on the matter. However, I doubt we will get sufficient quantities from chairians for a multitude of reasons.

AUTH: Chamber 5... you got Structured Matter for that, right? I can't think of a reason why that wouldn't be a valid choice.

Auth rummages through the Inventory, and pulls out the relevant resources that they already have to pass to Venia. Except for the Structured Matter, Venia already put that in.

AUTH: I feel like you probably already knew that, though. When I run through this in my head, I believe that the resources we plan to use in the device itself will supplement the energy that may or may not be lost from Fluxblood's absence.
AUTH: The one thing I'm not sure about is sap, though. The ritual calls for a relative's sap, and I think any sap in this case will do, but I don't know how far that extends. Without direct knowledge of the differences between Chairian sap and the sap of other, regular trees... I just don't know. I don't think we'll get a sufficient amount of Chairian sap for the device to function, personally. At least, not through somewhat conventional methods that are only morally dubious instead of being ethically deranged.
AUTH: I believe that sap is important to the process either way, though.

---

Auth, at the same time and a different time altogether, nods to Venia's assertion as to how Acacia could be resurrected.

AUTH: Got it. I'll be there as soon as possible.

Auth moves extremely quickly towards the ground floor of the house, nodding faintly as he arrives.

AUTH: Well... it's about time we got to this, I suppose.
AUTH: Shall we get started?

---

Respecs! To come later!

yes i guess im also going to help out with getting antimagic field components

i see someone else asked but i am also too lazy to rp anything big mood

First off, Stats! Er... Perks! Woodthorne picks up Wound Cleansing.

Woodthorne grabs the starite from the cart by the AI Labs. Shiny! I think. Star-shaped doesn't have quite the same ring.

<ROUND 287>

...It's been awhile. So, to begin with, let's do even more stats! Oh nooooooooooooooooo

---

Echoss does a variety of things. To begin, Echoss gently knocks upon a door, and tries to commune with the grey Iti, Star. What message did they have?

STAR: A message for the Spherebreakers?
STAR: A message no no no you misinterpret all of you why won't you listen,
STAR: The Venia asked my name and my dreams and I humored her insistent green questioning but then she slipped away quite rudely
STAR: ...I will admit I find your yellow hue more comfortable on my eardrums.
STAR: Like a main sequence sun giving life to the cosmos~

Star pauses, leaving Echoss to stand awkwardly at the door for a moment. As the moment passes, their voice speaks up again with a newfound intensity.

STAR: Tell me yellow creature
STAR: Are you one of the Spherebreakers?
STAR: If you are not you will leave me alone with fluffy earth creature
STAR: or I will make an extremely red noise and it will irritate your eardrums as much as your friend has irritated mine
STAR: But if you are,
STAR: I have to save him I must save Irecreeper.
STAR: How can I join you?

Ooh, okay. Meanwhile, over with Aoki, Echoss explains just how "fine" things are on Sussui. Despite what the Citadel would have her believe, things are bad yo. The Outskirts are swarmed, the Library had cultist problems, the Garden was falling to both rebels and Iti, Omnite and the Pass had fallen, and generally a lot of soldiers have died due to Spark's actions. Aoki takes a moment to process this all, metaphorical wooden cogs spinning in her head.

AOKI: I was... under the impression that things were better than that.
AOKI: It goes to show the power of the Highchair's media.
AOKI: And to think, that rulers like Spark aren't particularly unusual, either.
AOKI: I suppose you have plenty of experience with these types? You speak as if you are fairly familiar with these sorts of beings.

When it comes to the potential bloodshed that might fall upon the Citadel and Seatopolis, Echoss laments that they have but little time to deal with the Sphere before it ragnaroks reality. But, there is hope! Aoki's status as an idol is a powerful thing. Perhaps she could will the Chairian peoples into standing down, or something of the sort?

AOKI: I am unsure as to whether my voice could outshine that of our dictator... but I don't believe it would be arrogant of me to say that I would certainly turn some heads.
AOKI: But... of course... I am unsure of where to begin.
AOKI: I suppose you have a plan, however?
AOKI: Know that if you find a way to communicate a message to the Chairian populous, I would be glad to become your mouthpiece.

With the picnic then finished, Echoss decides to lead Aoki towards the airship. She quietly nods, and follows him through the labs. Soon enough, she's outside. The wind ripples across this "outer deck" of the Sky Labs, her dress billowing and mimicking the wind's motions. She takes a deep breath, soon giving a gentle smile.

AOKI: It's quite lovely out here.
AOKI: And... it seems that there are more Chairians here.
AOKI: Are these more of your allies?

Seems she's confused as to who Hemlock and Carrot are. The two of them meanwhile, are still collecting their bearings. How'd they get up here, again? Magic is wild. Meanwhile, after a short roleplay document which I recommend you read, Eren recounts some of his memories to Maple. Or uh, the lack of memories. He suspects that it's hardwired into him. Not that Maple quite understands that.

MAPLE: Hardwired? Like... built into you?
MAPLE: Like, they made it so you need to say Omnipresent Industries like that?
MAPLE: Marketing is weird. Wonder why they'd do that, though?
MAPLE: Do people just see a killer robot made in the likeness of someone, and go "Yeah, I'd like my own army of killer robots dressed up as someone!"
MAPLE: "If only they had some obvious branding that I could recognize!"

MAPLE: ...Not that you're a killer robot. I just mean like, the other Pionobots?
MAPLE: It's a weird business model, though.

Finally, over with Cypress, Pionobot asks what he might need to deal with the Praetorians. The Fabricator south of their location is working, so what might he need to create? Cypress responds by pulling out a sheet of paper, and writing in a few quick notes. They detail a part ID, as well as directions on how to reach said part ID. They're written in a plain and simple fashion, in such a way that a child could figure it out.

CYPRESS: This part. Use fabricator. Will take time. Field generation unit. Typical use: shielding. Can be repurposed.
CYPRESS: As for others. Magical crystals. All elements. Middle grade preferred. Can... "invert polarity". Requires corrupting power. Poison works well. Stronger is better.
CYPRESS: Also needed: power. Procure generation unit?
CYPRESS: Arkalloy also helpful. Resists magical attacks. Helps channel field.
CYPRESS: Obtain materials. Will manufacture device. First copy: hardest. Others become easier.

Perhaps if you get the materials, this'll make Antimagic Fields available for purchase elsewhere? In addition, the Final Arbiter is picked up for 1,000 Credits! A pillar flies across the screen, knocking the arbitrary character limit into the next game. Looks like it'll be gone for awhile.

---

Hannah does a variety of things! To begin, Hannah gives the Tamaugachi's corpse a few quick jabs. Yep. It's pretty damn dead. Deciding she'd rather not go any further downwards, she gathers up her items, and deposits them all into the inventory. While she's at it, she also pilfers S.E.D's items as well. This results in the Infinite Shadow (Unique), 26 Gravcore Ore, 5 Darkmatter Clusters, and a Fourth Coffin Nail entering the inventory. She then makes herself scarce, fading from the Everground.

Next, Hannah continues to commit warcrimes! Ever so casually, she takes the Alethylese, the Bio Eternity, and a unit of Abyssal Essence. These are all mixed together, creating the Ugly Truth. Hannah feels her Karma score plummet just holding the vial. Scary. Please do be careful with it. Make sure Maria doesn't mistake it for a vial of delicious banana smoothie or something. That'd be awkward.

For Hannah's last act, she decides to edit her loadout to go and properly fight Biflora. However, the moment Hannah even begins to raise her bow, Biflora immediately lets loose an arrow into Hannah's arm. It's not quite a direct hit, but it still cuts a large gash into Hannah's arm. Blood spews out at an unnatural rate- what sort of arrow is that!? Biflora immediately loads another arrow, this time levelling her aim at Hannah's forehead.

BIFLORA: Aw. I was hoping that'd sever your arm.
BIFLORA: No use in letting you fight back, right?
BIFLORA: Anyway!~
BIFLORA: Please think twice before doing anything as brash as raising your bow against a woman who's already aiming at you.
BIFLORA: There's a reason that I'm a Praetorian, you know!

BIFLORA: Next shot's to kill. So why not be cooperative? Let me see if I can make your head roll.
BIFLORA: How far do you think it'll go? A meter? Five meters?

It is in fact, not a great idea to change kits and then attempt to draw an arrow against a rather psychotic Praetorian who's actively aiming at you. On the other side of the Gardens, Dorothy continues to aid with plant evacuation, increasing the progress by 15%. Lutea takes notice to her efforts.

LUTEA: Oh, um... this is for you!
LUTEA: It's thanks for being so helpful!
LUTEA: They're healing potions, but... I've been working on the recipe!
LUTEA: I've imbued them with the essence of apple, so it should taste really good now, too!

Lutea gives Dorothy a pack of 3 Apothecary's Remedies. Nice! Elsewhere, up in the Sky Labs, Adria tends to the somewhat battered Chloe. She helps her up from the ground.

CHLOE: T-Thanks! And I'm alright, d-don't you worry!
CHLOE: I've taken worse.

She stands up properly and stretches her legs, before casting a bit of healing magic on herself. A few bruises fade, restoring (5) HP. Soon enough, Chloe's back to Adria's side, trying to troubleshoot some issues. Could they perhaps be able to get the Pin out of the system? Chloe tilts her head, thinking.

CHLOE: I mean, I think we could.
CHLOE: It's an Iti that lives in electrical systems, right? Maybe we could bonk it with an EMP or something.
CHLOE: Like, in video games, EMP's usually temporarily disable robots. I... don't think that's how they work in real life, but maybe we could do something similar?
CHLOE: It'd probably be unhappy to be hit with such a thing.

Adria then commands her drone to shoot out the robot's left shoulder, while she does the same to the right. However, as she lines up the shot, the robot whirs to life! It grips the corpse in its free hand, and with a short windup, lobs it at Adria! Chloe steps in the way of the attack!

CHLOE: L-Look out!

With a well-placed slash, Chloe bisects the incoming corpse. The two halves of the body land beside Adria and Chloe with an unceremonious thud, the only things connecting with them being a slurry of sap. Chloe takes the brunt of it, soon wiping a small blob off her face and onto the floor.

CHLOE: I-I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry that was really rude of me, r-random Chairian soldier...
CHLOE: B-But... Adria, are you alright?
CHLOE: That nasty machine... throwing bodies like that!
CHLOE: I wanna beat up the Pin in there. Punch it up and make in generally unhappy.

While Chloe attempts to figure out the logistics of punching a very, very tiny Iti, Adria finishes disabling the arms. The machine should be safe to approach now. At least, she hopes. Should she get Chloe to go forward and check it out? She can probably handle whatever's going on.

---

Calibri and Verdana do a variety of things. To begin, Chloe continues her trip through Calibri's Mindscape. She listens quietly as Calibri explains what he might see if he looked at her. Ever so slowly, Chloe's blush intensifies. She completely understands when Calibri notes that he doesn't really want to unveil everything in one go.

CHLOE: A-Ah, um, I-I get it! N-No worries!
CHLOE: B-But.. thanks! I'm glad you seem to think so highly of me!~
CHLOE: Now, where do we-

Crash! A mighty jolt echoes throughout the house. Chloe presses up against the nearby doorframe for her own balance, while her chibi copy clings tightly onto her progenitor's hair. Once a few seconds have passed, Chloe pushes away from the wall.

CHLOE: W-What was that?
CHLOE: Everything alright?

Calibri explains that there's probably some sort of unsavory entity in the library. Chloe's right hand naturally drifts to the sword sheathed at her side as she steps over to the door.

CHLOE: S-So... that noise came from beyond here, right?
CHLOE: D-Do you want us to see it?
CHLOE: It's fine if you don't, b-but... I'll respect your decision either way.

Should she be allowed to, Chloe will cross the boundary into the library. Elsewhere, over in the Whispering Gardens, Verdana opts to engage the the Praetorian and their squad in combat. He strikes a super(?) serious(?) combat pose, beckoning Grandifolia forward.

GRANDIFOLIA: FINE, THEN.
GRANDIFOLIA: PREPARE TO MEET YOUR END!
GRANDIFOLIA: DO YOUR WORST, FIENDS!

- = S T R I F E ! = -

Meanwhile, down in the Everground, S.E.D parachutes down to the crimson energy platform. They try to find some sort of non-violent way past the platform. Try as they might though, nothing seems to occur. The woman sitting near the platform waves to them.

???: Ah, pardon me.
???: You won't get past that barrier. Not unless I decree it.
???: But, do not worry. I have been informed that one of your own is arriving.
???: I believe they have a reason for arriving here.
???: And if they fail to arrive, well... perhaps I'll let you sneak a peek, anyway.

The cultist lounges against the rocks, treating it like it was some sort of fancy recliner. They really do not seem to care about S.E.D's presence. Though, apathy is probably better than outright hostility.

---

The Reflector does a variety of things! To begin, they take 4 Airship Weapon Parts, 6 Coilgun Parts, 10 Plasteel Ingots, 2 Central Processing Units, and 10 Joltwire to create two turrets! These turrets are then loaded with 20 Sanctified Bricks. The aptly-named "Brick Turrets" are placed at (C37) and (AL30) at the house. Once they're done that, they pull out a phone, and dial Chaos. Does the Reflector know Chaos's number, though? Probably not, but due to Chaos's powers, there's a fair chance they randomly guessed it. Magical.

CHAOS: alrigh[t], me
CHAOS: as you said, i[t]'s for [t]he [c]hild
CHAOS: also have i [t]old you ur sounding very handsome [t]oday, me?
CHAOS: no?
CHAOS: well ur handsome
CHAOS: keep ur [c]hin up king

The Chaos at the shop runs off to open a new business in the Catacombs. May as well make use of his time in the catacombs. Elsewhere, in Zone 1, the Scion takes a Hivemind Regalia, and shoves it into the Crystal Golem's structure. The crystal seems to sink into the golem as its pushed in, its very matter breaking apart and being distributed throughout the golem's structure. Nothing seems to happen, at least until a wave of psychic energy radiates outwards! It knocks the Scion over, though not with an excessive amount of force.

With a violent droning, the golem's legs morph and change! It assumes a squatting stance, becoming the true slav. It then pushes off the ground, leaping into the air a short distance as it crosses its legs mid jump. It fails to actually land on the ground, instead opting to hover over it a short distance. With every twitch that runs through the golem's body, random items in the area are lifted up, and sent into orbit around the golem. Looks like this particular grade of crystal has had quite the impact. Maybe try putting another one in?

Finally, the Reflector stashes Wattle's sap containment thingy into the inventory. The Reflector then also notes to Wattle that they'll be able to see exactly how Acacia died soon enough. Soon, they'll have the security logs.

WATTLE: Hopefully you'll be able to retrieve the security footage.
WATTLE: While I still have my doubts, confirmation could mean a lot. Convert some of Spark's own loyalists, perhaps.
WATTLE: Though I have heard the security hub has been... compromised.
WATTLE: If Cypress orders it, I could come and assist with the operation.
WATTLE: I know this facility like the back of my hand.

...His hand is gloved. Does the saying work out that well? The Reflector then decides to vibe in the area.

WATTLE: ...
WATTLE: Don't you have anything better to do?

Nah.

---

Venia does a wide variety of things! To begin, they hop, slide, and jump down to the lowest point of the Everground they can reach. They do their best to conceal the Incandescent Key as they descend towards the cultist down below. The cultist lifts themselves off of the rocks as Venia approaches. Venia can't help but notice the woman's rapier- engraved upon it is a very sentient, twitching eyeball. It seems to be centuries old at the very least, time beginning to wear at it.

She yawns as she sheathes herself, her scabbard made of some odd combination of Rosetainted Metal and other entropic materials. It lights up as the blade enters it, a faint aura of red then connecting herself and the scabbard. Perhaps it's a hands-free method of puppeting a corpse. She quietly listens to Venia introduce herself.

???: Oh, there you are. Venia. That's your name.
???: The one who showed kindness to the Remnant. I was wondering when you'd show up.
???: Was the Tamaugachi much of a bother? I would've loved to help, but the Remnant would rather have nothing to do with that other, smaller, angrier woman that came with you.

???: Nonetheless, it's good to properly meet you, miss Praefortis.
VULCAN: My name is Vulcan Lily Denudata.
VULCAN: It's a pleasure.

Vulcan stands at roughly the same height as Venia. Though parts of her body are rotted, there's still a sense of beauty and grace to her movements. Interestingly enough, the parts of her robes that made up the sleeves have been completely removed, repurposed into a set of four "coattails". Gems that glisten with the energy of Ordo dangle off of them. While her hood still remains, various holes in it reveal wilted, dead foliage that's been neatly tied into a long ponytail of sorts. Venia goes on, mentioning both the Rosen Forge and Magnolia.

VULCAN: ...Ah. I take it you've met my husband, then.
VULCAN: Did you kill him? I doubt he'd let anyone touch his precious forge. Not that it matters to me.
VULCAN: He can rot, for all I care. Turning my dear Magnolia into an axe, then myself... disgusting.
VULCAN: Hopefully, Magnolia is doing okay. Is she well?
VULCAN: If she's taken after her father though... well, let's not discuss that.

She steps forward onto the crimson energy platform, beckoning Venia to follow her onto the platform.

VULCAN: I wonder. What brings you down here, deep into the Everground?
VULCAN: Curiosity? A longing for adventure? Riches?
VULCAN: If it's riches you want, I can bring it all to you. I care little for it.
VULCAN: Or, perhaps, were you looking for... something else?

VULCAN: I only wish to serve the Remnant.
VULCAN: We're like birds of a feather, me and... it.
VULCAN: Outcasts. Those who wished to escape the Rose, despite what tragedies have befallen them.
VULCAN: ...Ah, Praefortis. She who bears the Key. A question.
VULCAN: Do you know of the First Sin? And if you do, what of it?
VULCAN: Depending on how you respond, well...

She stomps on the energy barrier below her. It descends a short distance, before immediately sliding back up to its former position.

VULCAN: ...Perhaps you can see what's at the bottom.
VULCAN: Perhaps, you can be the one to put an end to the lies, once and for all.

...From below, Venia can sense an immeasurably powerful being of entropic energy. Perhaps she should be careful. Elsewhere, over in the void, Maria sobs uncontrollably. Chaos equips a tactical dishwashing towel, and hands it to Maria. He does not have tissues. Tissues are a waste of material- why not just use the same rag for everything? Not that he's used this one, though. Chaos, being an incredibly powerful entity, has no need to blow their nose or actually discharge anything from their body. Or wash dishes, for that matter. Okay, "powerful" is relative, but shhhh.

CHAOS: well some[t]imes you go[t][t]a s[t]i[c]k i[t] [t]o [t]he man, y'know?
CHAOS: [t]ake a s[t]and for be[t][t]er working [c]ondi[t]ions
CHAOS: some[t]imes people [c]an'[t] see [t]ha[t] [t]hey're being rude or unreasonable
CHAOS: so you've go[t][t]a show [t]hem
CHAOS: [t]his is why we go[t][t]a hold a s[t]rike

Maria then laments that her hair is pretty, and she'd rather not cut it. Chaos responds by vomiting up an entire afro, which he promptly places on his head.

CHAOS: i mean, we don'[t] need [t]o [c]u[t] your hair
CHAOS: we [c]an jus[t] give you a wig
CHAOS: a punk wig
CHAOS: afros are cool
CHAOS: i[t]'s like hair, bu[t] fluffy
CHAOS: kinda like [t]hose [c]a[t] [t]hings you bring around wi[t]h you

As he says this, a Spiralfloof rubs up against Maria from behind. It's Cushion. They appear to be longing for affection. Finally, Venia tries to call over Marron to revive Acacia. She... finds some way to respond. I don't know. Marron doesn't strike me as the kind of person to have a phone.

MARRON: Y-You're doing another ressurection?
MARRON: You know how taxing it is to like, d-do this thing, right?
MARRON: It takes a lot of my blood to actually cast the spell, you know!
MARRON: B-But... fine.
MARRON: I guess I'm the only one smart enough to do the thing.

Marron arrives at the house. Or like, another instance of Marron, in some other instance of time? Time's dead, okay? While she's at the house, Venia also commissions Chloe to bring back a lot of Elemental Clusters, and the Sleuth to grab some Splinters. The two of them return soon enough; Chloe with 3 of each element of Cluster, and the Sleuth with a batch of 3 Combat-Grade Splinters. Which are just regular Splinters. Cool!

---

Destiny does some hacking! Making use of Solar Lash, she fires a solar flame through the system! This has the effects of a solar flare, temporarily shutting down the electronics. The Pin surges out of the computer in a flash of electricity, and is promptly torn asunder by many lances of solar fury. The scientist applauds Destiny's apparent knowledge of computer software.

SCIENTIST: Fantastic work, stranger!
SCIENTIST: To think that the Spherebreakers would have such knowledge in the field of science!
SCIENTIST: Now that this terminal has been debugged, let me ensure that it's operating properly...

They seat themselves on the nearby office chair, spinning into position in front of the desk. A few keyclacks later, and diagnostics have been run. Notably, there's... an issue with the disk drive? Opening it up, a mess of Thyme Matter pours out, as well as... a canister of Research Nanomachines? The disk drive appears to be totally fried, but the rest of the computer's fine.

SCIENTIST: Ah! Did that Iti manage to produce these?
SCIENTIST: It must have tried to manufacture some sort of mechanical bioweapon using the blueprints for these.
SCIENTIST: Feel free to use them- it's not like we'll be able to do much science at the moment anyhow.

Research Nanomachines obtained! Nice!

---

Asha and Marron consider their current predicament. Do they remain cozy at the labs? Or should they get moving elsewhere? Marron leans up against Asha's shoulder as she thinks. On one hand, comf. On the other hand, staying here is a bit awkward. She's on the fence up until Asha mentions that she'd like to try and load up the quilt with some cooking. The seamstress nods her head.

MARRON: Sure!
MARRON: I'll teach you how to become the third best chef in all of existence!
MARRON: You can be my student, and you can wear a cute apron n' chef hat!
MARRON: And I know you can do it, because you've cracked an egg, and that's like, a lot of progress!

MARRON: ...
MARRON: I'll get going when you get going.
MARRON: ...
MARRON: I'm cozy.
MARRON: ...
MARRON: You can go first.

At the very least, Marron's excited to do some cooking. Shall they get going? Until they do, Marron will continue to rest against Asha's shoulder.

---

Auth expresses surprise at the lack of violins. Really? Chairians lack violins? What a sad, sad existence they must lead without the Angela Realization Theme. Also, fortunately for Nana, this is the only place with a scary name. Though, a place doesn't need a scary name to erase you. At least the Moonlit Chessboard sounds nice.

NANA: The Moonlit Chessboard?
NANA: Oh, I know about Chess! I think. It's a human board game, right?
NANA: I haven't played it myself, but it seems interesting.
NANA: Do you know how to play it, Author?

Nana is likely unprepared for what sort of box she's just opened. Anyway, Auth plays the violins in tandem, using inky appendages to play two at once. Nana applauds his performance as he works his magic. As he does so, the winds flicker and howl, their direction altering. Auth then indicates that they'll be sailing over to the Smoking Shore. A beach full of smoldering ash. Nana trembles upon hearing that, her legs completely freezing up. The mere sight of the abnormal beach is enough to... well...

NANA: A-Ah, um...
NANA: W-Why... would you want t-to take me there?
NANA: A-A place full o-of fire... t-that can't b-be a good idea...
NANA: There's a-another way we can go, r-right?
NANA: I-I... d-don't wanna...

She looks the slightest bit faint. Uh. If this was a romantic date before, it's probably gone a bit sour. Maybe don't take a wooden woman to a beach of almost actually fire? Meanwhile, over at the Endless Gardens, Auth keeps an eye out for potential threats. As the battle between Grandifolia and probably some other Spherebreakers breaks out, he can see a glimmer of azure wings in the distance. Another Hawkeye, and it's headed straight for where Lutea and the rest are. It appears to be at (P37) at the moment, and will likely arrive next round. Perhaps it'd be best to put a premature end to their flight.

---

Woodthorne grabs some materials! Walking by the Starite Cart, they rather casually tip the entire thing into the inventory. 10 Starite obtained! The cart meanwhile, fades into nothingness.

---

<WARTORN APPROACH, ROUND 1>
Get ready! There's twelve Chairians, and a total of seven of you. This could get a bit dicey, but you've dealt with worse before right? Just beware the backline: the Songstress and the Expert Sage could make that numbers disadvantage even worse!

Chloe service is recruited to acquire at least 2 of each: Electromagnet Cluster, Shimmering Cluster, Whirlpool Cluster. Presumably other materials will be grabbed since it's only a T3 material grab and that's not a lot of stuff, but that's what's NEEDED.

Also, even though it looks like it's gonna cost most of our Credits, Aoki is brought up to full T4 abilities.


A Rising Star
Echoss blinks when he hears the Iti speak, then slowly opens the door.
"Well, you have indeed come to the right place then. I, and Miss Praefortis as well, are indeed Spherebreakers.
There isn't much of a process for joining us, so to speak. It seems to be enough to simply show up and begin helping, but I believe it might be helpful if I perhaps showed you around and caught you up on what's happening?
First of all, do you have a name for yourself?
Miss Praefortis mentioned that Miss Droplet called you Star, but you don't seem particularly fond of Droplet either."


Another star, but a different kind
Echoss scowls at Aoki's presumption at having experience, though not very hard, and he nods his head.
"Thanks to the... rather fortuitous cosmological placement of my home, my job requires not just an understanding of politics and economics, but also a deft hand at history and the ability to quickly read up on political, historical, economic, and other related issues for entirely new worlds on short notice.
I've been embroiled or involved in more political landscapes than most people will have exist on their planet in a lifetime.
...which is to say, yes. I have experience with most standard political tactics. Spark is only really made exceptional by the presence of the Sphere, and the things that lie within it."

Aoki asks if he has a plan.
"I myself do not have a plan, but some of the others do.
Beyond that, both Omorika and Cypress are Spherebreakers. While they may not have full power themselves...
I believe most of the databases in LOCAA are likely to be accessible by Master Cypress. At the very least, unless Spark wishes to completely remove the Legion's access to the scanner databases we have easy access to just about all of the soldiers.
And if that fails...
We have resources, and ingenuity. Delivering the message is less likely to be a problem than making sure people believe us."

Echoss tilts his head and looks over at the airship, wincing almost imperceptibly when he sees Carrot.
"Ah, not those two, to my awareness.
As far as I recall they should still be stationed at the entryway to the Royal Gardens.
At the very least they aren't hostile however, but I do have to wonder how they wound up all the way up here."
He glances back at Aoki.
"If you'd like we can stay up here for a little bit longer, I should probably ask those two what they need before we head home at the very least, so there's time to enjoy the weather."
Regardless of Aoki's answer Echoss waves Twig over to the airship, and moves over to talk to Carrot and Hemlock.

With Carrot and Hemlock:
Echoss walks over, probably with Twig in tow, and maybe (hopefully) Aoki as well.
"Is everything alright you two? I recall you both being stationed at the Gardens."
He glances around again.
"...To say nothing of the fact I'm not certain how Legionaries would make it to this particular part of the Sky Labs without being noticed by other Spherebreakers first.
...did you come through the portal in the airship?"


Eren + Maple
Eren nods.
"You're right, it's definitely weird.
Especially since Echoss said Project Nexus is involved.
Those guys are just, thoroughly unpleasant and they absolutely don't sell their stuff to other people."
Eren laughs a bit at Maple's "killer robots line".
"It's fine, I'm technically still a killer robot properly.
Just like, multiclassed into 'person.
Like, everything built into me is a weapon or doubles as one."
He gestures at the scrap of one of the ohmnics, and a chunk of it rips off and flies into his hand. In a similar fluid manner to how Eren laid the gold into Maple's armor, it morphs into a sword in midair, already complete by the time it reaches Eren's grip.
He gestures again with it, as if to say "see?" and then winces as another cloud of thymecurse smoke pours out of his damaged shoulder.
"...so yeah."


Eren wallhack snipes a blossom
Eren looks over the instructions from Cypress and nods.
"I think we actually have all of this stuff stashed away already.
Just gotta double-check it all, then plug it in probably."
Eren notices something, then walks over to the entrance of the room, swapping Armistyx to VORTEX CANNON-SCYTHE.
"'scuse me Taeda. Gonna be loud for a second."
Pionobot levels the scythe at the Blossom on the other side of the airwall, messes with Armistyx for a few seconds, and then fires. Another small burst of thymecurse smoke comes off his shoulder as the blast of air rushes into the air barrier, and then, through some degree of air manipulation of both the shot and the barrier, passes through and blows the top half of the blossom clean off.


Antimagic Field material collection
Eren goes down into the room with the fabricator, he side-eyes the pin-controlled suit but since my post is already way too large doesn't do anything about it this round. Instead, he takes out the various resources and plugs them into the fabricator with the ID instructions given by Cypress
Resources plugged into the Fabricator:
2 of each type of elemental cluster
several doses of Tama's Toxin
A Nanostorm Drive
Some pieces of Arkalloy
As of the Chloe request above, we have literally all of it.


Meanwhile, in the Royal Gardens, Biflora is threatening a child.
As she attempts to threaten Hannah again, a booming voice sounds, seemingly from everywhere at once.
STOP! YOU'VE VIOLATED THE LAW!
Whichever direction Biflora looks to figure out where the sound has come from, a full-sized LEGO™ cop car launches through the air siren blaring from exactly the other direction, slamming headlong into Biflora right as she turns back to see the oncoming projectile and bringing both of them crashing to the ground into the wreckage around the Far Off Field.
Before they've even finished skidding, the first cop car is followed by even more of the b[REDACTED]ds in blue.
Like so.
Unlike in the video this continues for several seconds however, not ending until Biflora is trapped under a pile of LEGO™s nearly a full story tall. Fortunately the fire is also made of LEGO™s so all this incurs is crushing damage, but still. That's a LOT of plastic to be buried under.

Hannah hears the sound of a bicycle bell. Not!Echoss flies in over the trees, pedaling a presumably invisible bicycle. He rings the invisible bell on it a few more times, circling down until he comes to a stop in front of Hannah and climbs off the bike.
"Hey there, fancy meeting you in a place like this."
Not!Echoss tosses the invisible bike behind him, where it explodes on contact with the pile of LEGO™ cop cars.
"You looked like you could use a distraction, I'm pretty distracting, seemed like a good match."

HANNAH PROCEDES TO DO THINGS

Not!Echoss taps Hannah on the shoulder.
"Yo, if I may make a recommendation? Aim for somewhere hilarious instead of lethal if she gets back up. Heard on the grapevine that the team's changing the whole pacifist gimmick from 'moral highground' to 'passive aggressive PR campaign'.
Which is to say, if the Praetorian loses a barfight to a child and a living gorillapost, Spark loses even more face if the Praetorian goes home alive with something rude carved on their armor instead of dead.


To-do List:
Echoss will need to talk to Carrot (offer apology and explanation) after helping Aoki get settled in.
Also maybe chat with Creation?
Start on crafting goals in the "questboard". Notably, I need to make lots of sleeping bags so the NPCs we seem to suddenly be acquiring en masse need to sleep somehow/where.
If Blossom isn't dealt with by the time Pionobot's done being doted on by Maple, go punch it through the barrier with air magic.
Also hand the Subspace Grocery Box to Cypress when he heads back to the house
Gibbet needs to be upgraded to full party member.

Battle - Wartorn Approach

Adria walks out from behind a tree. She must've heard about this from someone. She looks very unhappy. Even a little sick. However, she stands firm and remains assertive.

ADRIA: Unbelievable. I can't believe you folks.
ADRIA: Planning to imprison civilians for no reason, and or burn them to prove nothing of value?
ADRIA: Deplorable.
ADRIA: Lay down your weapons. You have nothing to prove.

Adria sighs as her proposal's inevitably rejected.

ADRIA: Ugh... very well. I didn't want to have to do this.
ADRIA: S-sorry in advance.

Adria spawns in at (J20). A lot of things are set.
-Watching Over You -> Verdana

-New Project -> Targeting: Single Target. Payload: Status (Electric, Silence). Additional: Disjoint
[Suppress Energy (13 MP) (4/5 Scaling). Deal (16-16) Electric damage and inflict Silence for 1 turn. Range 3-6. This spell can be cast from the position of any of your summons. (This includes "drone" type effects, like from the Goddess's Servant.)]

-Chronoshade -> (J14), Static Overcharge

Adria activates Full Attention To Praise! This grants her +4 Buff Levels at minimum. She then activates Spell Feast, for +7 at minimum. She then uses the Helix Relic for buffs (+9 minimum). She then sends her drone out to Verdana; Symbiote cast! She then casts Exertion on herself (without Spell Feast or Full Attention to Praise! active, for +2 Buff Levels total).

She then swaps Ace In The Hole for Take 10 with Adaptability.

The drone makes an angy face at those around Verdana.

>Once more. Lower your weapons and cease your operations.

The drone performs a Spike Burst if it can.

tl;dr, the legion is about to have a very bad day

---

The Endless Gardens

Hannah

HANNAH: GAAH!

Hannah, now severely injured and bleeding from the right arm profusely, can't help but double over in pain. A perfect shot for her opponent.

HANNAH: Grr.... s-serves me right for... being s-so cocky...

...Then, she smiles as she looks past her opponent. In one swift motion with her remaining arm, before Biflora could fire the killing arrow, Hannah takes out and opens the Scaled Umbrella to hide behind, her head now very much out of view, and Hannah very much unheadshottable for now.

And then she hears the telltale signs of her favorite formless blob. She uses the distraction provided to drink Generic Health Potion #719456, healing up the gash enough to allow motion in her injured arm once more. She takes her bow and leaps up from her shield as the Legos continue piling on. She aims directly at Biflora, arrow dripping with all sorts of nasty stuff, and exuding a cobalt aura.

Then, she fires, aiming for Biflora's shoulder. A similarly-colored chain erupts from the bow, trailing behind the arrow.

As Hannah lands, she addresses Not!Echoss.

HANNAH: Unpredictable as ever I see! Thanks for that. Really.

She decides to return the glider to the inventory, shoving it into a notably-sized portal. Can't give her opponent the edge they need to keep her there. She snickers as she returns to dealing with her psycho opponent.

HANNAH: Now, how should we go about getting you out of the way... oh, I know.

Hannah, now confident her poisons were embedded into Biflora's body and coursing through her, yanks on the cobalt chain. This rips the shaft out, and leaves the metal arrowhead stuck in the shoulder. Ouch. Then, wanting a little extra revenge, Hannah picks up the arrow that Biflora just fired at her, examines it, and nocks it onto her own bow.

--2--

Hannah can't help but giggle at Not!Echoss's recommendation.

HANNAH: Sounds stupid and funny, let's do it!

Dorothy

One of the Dorothy Timeclones simply nods as she accepts the gift, then continues helping move the plants out. She's certainly eager to help out, but it's also pretty clear that she's likely putting a bit too much effort into this task...

---

Skylabs

Central

ADRIA: Well, if you're sure...

Adria flinches only slightly as the robot flings the corpse at her. Fortunately, Chloe's there to save the day, bisecting the body. As Adria fires the bolt into the robot's arm, it seems like she's incredibly sick to her stomach after witnessing the bisection.

Chloe then asks if Adria's alright. Probably not, considering her paleness and shakiness.

ADRIA: T-thanks to you... I'm not h-hurt. Th-thank you.

She tries to shake the icky feeling off, to little avail.

ADRIA: I-I'll... be the f-first to admit, I-I don't really... w-well, I'm n-not the best... d-dealing with - urgh... t-the sight of s-someone being... b-bisected, like t-that...
ADRIA: J-just, um... g-give me a moment...

Adria pulls out what looks to be a standard water bottle and drinks the whole thing in one go. Relatively quickly, too. It's enough to snap her back into relative ease at the very least.

ADRIA: Aaah... that's... something, a-at least.
ADRIA: W-we'll give them a proper burial... l-later.

She shakes her head to refocus. Now that the arms are taken care of, what now? Probably time to rip the pin out, all things considered.

ADRIA: An EMP c-could work, yes. If we could get it up to the... the terminal, it should be v-very easy.
ADRIA: ...Ooor, we could trick it, lure it i-into a trap. I mean, these monsters don't look all that smart.
ADRIA: I noticed a particularly... rancid piece of technology in our s-stores. One meant to lure a l-lot of Iti to one area.
ADRIA: If we make a... a significantly weaker version, we could, theoretically, lure it out.

ADRIA: ...That being said we don't exactly h-have the schematics for that, so an EMP i-it is. I wonder...

Adria heads over to the fabricator, making sure to avert her eyes from the bisected Chairian, and flicks through the available designs for an EMP device. If she somehow finds the designs for the Itisa Bait in there, she'll probably see those too.

Southern (Venia)

When asked if she'd do anything different if it was her and her niece in this situation, Adria nods.

ADRIA: Quite differently, but I do understand where you're coming from.

Adria continues to politely listen to Venia. She's basically overworked, stressed from overworking, and the appearance of Maria's father actively made these problems much worse.

ADRIA: Oh... I'm... sorry to hear things have been like that.
ADRIA: I can certainly try to lift some of the burden, if you wish. Since, well, you seem... excessively overworked.

Venia then goes on about Hannah. Adria tenses up, paying particular attention to this part. Hannah used unreliable information to attempt and fail an assassination, and is now making sure to keep Hannah out of harm's way in regards to Maria's father. Adria doesn't exactly seem shocked. She sighs, and shakes her head.

ADRIA: Much to... everyone's dismay, that's how she acts back home as well.
ADRIA: Always plotting to take down a dangerous beast or criminal to hopefully lighten our load. Which, to her credit, is admirable in a way. And she's by no means unskilled, I'm sure you saw.
ADRIA: And much like in this instance, she often fails to adequately prepare, and often goes on her own.
ADRIA: We had to bail her out each time she inevitably failed...
ADRIA: The only person that could reliably convince her to stop what she's doing is Dorothy.
ADRIA: I... don't know how, but they appear to have formed quite the bond.
ADRIA: ...I suppose she hasn't told Dorothy about it at all.

Then, Venia asks about the standards for poisons on her homeworld. Adria seems confused as to why Venia could possibly bring this up.

ADRIA: ...I'm not entirely certain why you would mention that.
ADRIA: On Temporians and the like, poisons are limited to the non-lethal variety, and are only to be used for enforcement purposes, if absolutely necessary. Beasts are limited to the lethal variety. These are standard poisons, of course. Civilians cannot use poisons at all.
ADRIA: Anything above these limitations, or as required, is subject to the confiscation of the poison and rehabilitation of the individual.
ADRIA: What we end up doing with the poison can range from keeping it for use on a powerful beast, to shoving it into a Dead Timeline where it can never be interacted with again-

She hesitates, suddenly realizing what exactly Venia may be referring to. Terror slowly builds up in her eyes.

ADRIA: Wait.
ADRIA: She... ended up making something on that level, hasn't she?
ADRIA: Something existentially damaging? That's grounds for the most extreme of material disposal methods!
ADRIA: How in the world did she get the materials for something like that, nevermind the recipe!?
ADRIA: Is something that extreme really necessary!?
ADRIA: Oh gods...

...It sounds as though there's the slightest hint of guilt in her words...

---

Recollection Lake

All that's left to do is wait for the signal...

At this point, Hannah was just plain irritated at Venia. Even as her karma drops to the lowest in the party, she remains steadfast in her decision to make Regalus suffer. To her, Venia was getting in the way of that. She crosses her arms, and stares Venia directly in the face, venom lacing her every syllable.

HANNAH: You can't seriously be getting cold feet now of all times...
HANNAH: Well, bad news, it's too late for that! We don't have a choice now, the stuff's made, and we're gonna use it on him, whether you like it or not!
HANNAH: And to think the supposed leader-figure of the Spherebreakers would be such a self-centered wuss.

---

Just Sophie Things

Calscape

Sophia picks up the Chibi Sophia, holding it in both hands like a younger child. They'rer both smiling. Prime!Sophia places Chibi!Sophia on the brim of her hat to sit on. Nobody knows how it's staying up there.

Then, the house shakes, causing Sophia to stumble a little. Not as much as one would expect, but it's there. Both Sophias grab their weapon of choice: a hardy, light blue umbrella about their size. It's got yellow stars on it. Cute. Chibi!Sophia's is tiny, making it even cuter. Both unbrellas certainly seem battle-worn... if this was Sophia's weapon of choice at this age, and she fights so effectively with it, one has to wonder how she'd do when she's not only older, but wielding an actual weapon...

Regardless, she's ready to fight should things come to that.

House Stuff

/waiting

INSERT POST HERE I CANT BE BOTHERED TO SAY ANTHGING RN