Difference between revisions of "New Blood: The First Dream"

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Latest revision as of 05:24, 4 July 2014

New Blood: The First Dream
Date of Scene:	03 July 2014
Location:	Terra Majora
Synopsis:	Uncertain of Elliana's motivations, the Union organizes another foray into her dreams. Elliana sends Mordred with them to safeguard her secrets.
Cast of Characters:	12, 92, 168, 253, 331, 395
Tinyplot:	New Blood

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Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
Getting Mordred into this dream realm, when Mordred already shared dreams, was very easy for Elliana. The others presumably waited for the orb to flare up and just hopped right in. Let's skip the actual setup here and get right to the meat of setting the dream realm, which is what everyone is waiting for.

This time, it's not like last. Then again it changes frequently anyway. Now, the group materializes atop a large purplish plain, with chairs and sofas and magazines(which are gibberish, sadly), and those who examine the floor can see it's made up of scales. Very large scales.

There is a man here, slender and with swept-back dark hair and glowing purple eyes. As everyone materializes, he claps his hands, "Ah, right on time. Welcome, everyone. I am, as you likely guessed, Wrathborn. I will be your host for this little expedition. Something of a guide, really. Rather than stumble about from dream to dream, I've brought you here where you can see what Lady Fairchild is dreaming about tonight." He gestures off to the side. "Welcome to my prison. Lady Fairchild's dreams, twisted into nightmares. You would do well to remember that last bit, hmm?"

Off to the side, it becomes clear that the 'waiting room' is atop a gigantic snake's head, likely Wrathborn's real 'self.' Instead of chains, the winding and massive body is imprisoned by small islands of dreamstuff, locking him in place. It's somehow possible to get a general look at each portion, because this is a dream and stuff doesn't have to make sense.

Looking down the body, Wrathborn helpfully identifies things while everyone gets acquainted. "There's The City, which many of you already know what it's like, I think." He gestures at what looks like a huge dirty slum. "Further down we have the Wasteland," pointing to... a flat, wasted plain. "Then we have the Torn World." A small area that looks to be torn apart by chaos. "And of course the Burning Manor." Naturally, this is a building in flames. He skips the next, which is a massive gate, and then the one after that is a large concrete box, which he explains, "Over there we have Mordred's dreams. I took the liberty of sealing them off for our guest here, please don't try to break in." Further down is a Temple, which Wrathborn waves away, "I think that is a fragment, or perhaps something related to my original sealing. And finally, the Two Towers. I haven't poked my nose into those yet." In the distance are two towers which flicker in and out of existence, sometimes both together and entertwined. They are quite clearly the Heaven or Hell offices.

Psyber (253) has posed:
"Wrathborn. You're looking well. I like the new form. Much more stylish," Psyber says, his hands in the pocket of his jacket. He's still a bit sore from tanking for Nathan last night, and in any iteration of himself, there is the telltale bandages wrapped around his chest to keep the wound from getting too bad while it heals.

"So much to explore, where ever will we start?" Muses Psyber, tapping his foot faintly. He's polite enough not to smoke in Elliana's dreamscape, so he's chewing gum at the moment, jaw quietly mulling it over as he thinks.

Himei (331) has posed:
"This is a lot more homey than I expected," Himei admits. As usual, she's dressed casual, in shorts and shirt, but she brought a jacket in case it got cold. That's in her backpack right now. She wore Memory for this, but it's sheathed at her side. Idly, she pages through a magazine before Wrathborn gives the directions. He's getting more of her attention then.

"You're being awfully helpful," she notes. She does not ask about that giant gate though. If Wrathborn didn't describe it, it either wasn't important or it wasn't something he would give them info on anyway. Probably. "Nathan, you were the one who wanted this. What's your thought?"

Mordred (12) has posed:
Mordred, today, is not armored.
This is a dream realm and everyone here vaguely knows her or of her, so there's no point concealing anything. The short, five foot tall midget of a knight has a cool red jacket on, with a white and blue tank top underneath, some very short jeans, and black biker boots, probably steel-toed. Visually she couldn't really look more like the Saber the Union is used to, though she might be a year younger at a glance. Blonde hair, ponytail instead of that regal bun, bright green eyes.

Mordred greets Wrathborn by punching him square across the jaw.
Whether he lets it happen or not is up to him.

"Fuck yeah no going into my room. My metaphorical dream room. Whatever. Hey asshole, tell us about the big door you skipped over." She is as well-spoken as ever.

Amalthea (395) has posed:
Some serpent-headed waiting room this is. The reading material is trash. Amalthea is here, fully armored as would be the case when entering Fairchild's dreams. It's her heaviest set of full plate, instead of the surcoat and chain she's been trotting about lately, clearly in no mood to take chances in Elliana's nightmare realm.
She has a magazine in hand and is currently trying to flip it upside down... Right side up... Sidewards. It makes no sense in the least, so she tosses it aside with a grunt.
"These articles suck."
That aside she eyes the spot Wrathborn pointedly avoided talking about but others prod at it anyway. Whelp.

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
"How could we possibly forget?" Nathan is already saying as the swirling power of the orb finally goes through him. "Yes, Psyber is right. I much prefer this form over the others you have chosen." Nathan distinctly recalls Dark Lord Nathan Hall for a moment.

There's a long stare at the temple of sorts. "I admit interest in it." Nathan says, a conciliatory gesture to Mordred. "Perhaps something worth examination after some of the other dreams? Please keep it available for our later visit. I find my most substantial interest in the two towers. Perhaps you might guide us there? Or do you have a set order you would rather give us the tour in?"

Internally, Nathan is frustrated. Apparently now this is more structured... Which means it's no longer a giant, glaring vulnerability in Elliana. Damn it! Another weakness he can't exploit. But of course, he's as monotoned and blank-faces as ever, so he doesn't show his frustration.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
*CRACK!*

Wrathborn staggers when Mordred just smacks him across the jaw, causing a large welt to swell up on the side. "Ow." He shakes his head and grunts, "And here I was doing you a favor. Perhaps you're more fit for my brother than I thought."

Rubbing his jaw, he answers a few questions now. "Ah, you are here to learn about Lady Fairchild through her dreams, are you not? Then do not mind the Gate. That leads to... other places. Other portions of her psyche and mine. It would be chaotic and unstable, most likely. Perhaps you should 'level up' before considering that... even if I agreed to let you in." He shrugs, starting to walk. "No particular order, really. I'm surprised she let you in here, but it should be a learning experience. As for those towers, I can tell you somethingabout their nature. What you have there is a dream with two contradictory bases, two mutually exclusive realities. As always, dreams do not always have to make much sense, and going there will shift you between the realities somewhat randomly, at least at first. You should at least be able to tell when you switch from one to another, given most of you have dream experience, but I can't tell you what the bases of the dream are."

Psyber (253) has posed:
"Well since we're here to reassure Nathan, I'll withhold decision on where to go," Psyber says simply, his hands in his pockets, "I'd hate for my lack of understanding of his far deeper and tumultuous humanity-related conflicts to cause me to pick a choice he doesn't agree with." There's a slightly snide and bitter tone to his voice as he shoots a glare straight at Nathan.

For his own part, Psyber is pleased to see a more organized layout to Elliana's Dreamscape. He asks Wrathborn, "The new symbology here. Your chains are gone. You're now willingly binding yourself to provide structure and stability for the entire system. Instead of the Titan beneath the earth, you're letting Elliana use you as the Atlas upon which the world rests. Is that the meaning of this new layout?" He asks to the man curiously, tilting his head to the side. He also blows a bubble with his gum, which pops quickly.

"I have a question for you before we decide." Psyber asks seriously, "Why did you trade places with Elliana in the tree? That's been buggin' me for months."

Mordred (12) has posed:
Mordred does not have much more to say! Although, she looks pretty happy she got to punch Wrathborn. She was a good pick, it's true. Though she hasn't actually tapped into that power yet. Except the whole being sick thing. That was awful. And involved furniture trying to kill her. And liquid rage-fire.

"I think it's 'cuz master pulled on the reins harder. Like, a whole lot harder. I'unno about the switch though. Anyway, I'm just here to make sure you don't fuck around too much and mess everything up forever. So." Shrug.

Himei (331) has posed:
Himei frowns. "I think just about any of these places would give us insight." She glances at Mordred, "I'm not sure we CAN fuck things up here, but I guess better safe than sorry, for her. That seems to be Fairchild's MO."

As for the dreams? "Personally, I like the look, but that in itself kind of worries me. Where do you end and she begin, or vice versa?"

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
Nathan raises an eyebrow at Psyber. "I intend to visit every part of this dreamscape, if at all possible. This is merely a matter of which we visit first." He says, frankly. "Feel free to exercise your own judgement." And then he turns to Wrathborn. "I find myself interested, to some degree, in these Two Towers, in that case. I believe I may have some inkling of what the basis of this may be."

He gestures now to the two towers. "Unless anyone has any opposition, I would like to peruse that space, if you find it convenient." He'd also like to make sure he gets a chance to see a dream before Wrathborn has any chance to do... Whatever he might consciously be able to do to alter them. Assuming he was honest there, Nathan would like to know if anything is being purified out of here. For now, he keeps attentive to whatever Wrathborn might say in response to Psyber, most of all.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
To Psyber, Wrathborn answers, "Something like that. We are working together now, more than at odds. Fairchild still has the power and control of her body, but in the dream realm I manage things. She could fight me here if she wanted, now, but I have given her no reason to." The rest has him hesitating. "We are tightly bound, it's true. Separating us would be difficult, and I'm not sure where or how to answer your question. I can tell you that the content of the dreams is hers, but the fact that I am here at all forces them to be nightmares. Sometimes I can intervene to stop that, but not often."

The question of the tree gets a serious look. "Lady Fairchild and I disagreed about that. Strongly. But the fact that she held onto her beliefs enough to go through that was something new to me. Wouldn't you have done the same for her, in my position? Why would YOU do it?"

He starts heading down toward the dreams. Somehow, even though it was the farthest away, it's but a short walk to the Two Towers, and none of the other dreams are passed along the way. And somehow, even though there are obviously two entrances, there is only one entrance. As in, only one way to go even with two doors.

And inside is... Neuvinia! The Amethyne! She's in the lobby, acting as secretary. What? Looking up as everyone enters, she doesn't seem to see Wrathborn, looking right past him. Surprisingly, she does the same to Psyber, and just says in a startled tone, "Oh, Himei! The Boss was looking for you... and you brought Nathan, too?" She peers at Nathan(which looks weird, but she definitely seems to be a 'she' somehow) and adds, "And I think you'd better go up there as well, if you're here. I thought you swore to never come back."

Psyber (253) has posed:
"Yes. I would have, and you know that," Psyber says to Wrathboth, walking along next to the man, "But I'm also a being of self-sacrifice. The Shajem are not known for such a belief. I would have done it sheerly out of..." He takes a long pause, actually stopping his footsteps for a couple steps, "... friendship." He finishes hesitantly.

"The office..." Psyber says seriously, looking around. He's more than a bit shocked that he gets looked right THROUGH. He's super shocked that it's the Amethyne who does it. The half-angel blinks a few times. Who was the Boss? A different, nightmared iteration of himself? Something worse? The last one was pretty bad.

Still, since apparently he is non-existant at the moment, he elects to just talk to Wrathborn some more, "So what's your relationship with your siblings these days? Any love left there, or have you grown beyond them?"

Himei (331) has posed:
Uh. Right. Himei looks at Psyber, then looks at Nathan, then to Mordred. "Nothing... strange about Mordred here?" She scratches her head, then shrugs and shuffles aside to let Amalthea in. "Uh..." Hm. "Well, things were so serious, extreme measure, and all. Hi. So can we go right up to the Boss?"

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
Nathan stares at Neuvina. His expression and tone are, as ever, blank and monotoned, despite Hall's deeply troubled feelings about what she just said to him. He doesn't bother thinking about how a gigantic snake got here, or how she's acting as a secretary, though her presence here does get him thinking a lot. "Salutations." He says, simply. "I have my reasons." He figures that, whatever the weird nightmarish narrative might be, Nathan being stoic and close-lipped about being here is probably internally consistent with the circumstances.

He stares around intensely, though, deeply observant of everything around him, trying to figure out the nature of this nightmare and what his place in it might be, but moreover, as he approaches the elevator (making sure to follow behind Himei, assuming she can get her confirmation), he's gonna be observant for Fairchild's changes to the office. Level names, anyone else in the elevator, things like that.

Amalthea (395) has posed:
So the trip's quick but the destination is...
Huh."
That is that Amethyne isn't it. Rubbing at the back of her neck lightly, Amalthea steps on in, but for now keeps her trap shut and lets Himei get the talking done.

Mordred (12) has posed:
"Blah blah heroism and villainy," Mordred says, more or less ignoring the chatter between Wrathborn and Psyber at this point. She's just going to be over there, fitting right in.

"Fuck, don't you have a Servant? You should know how this works. I'm as natural here as little Assassin in your skull. If, yuo know, anyone ever cared to go into your skull. Probably full of rosy anime and transformation sequences, blech."

Then to the 'secretary':

"Hey. Hey. You got any gum? Metaphysical dream gum? Or pizza leftovers?" She turns to Psyber. "You order pizza, right?" Back to the secretary. "I bet he does."

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
Wrathborn chitchats with Psyber, "No 'love' to begin with. We just had... similar goals. Besides, they don't think and plan like I do now. It would be like talking to a dog. A vicious dog that wants to eat everything and possibly hump your leg." Sigh.

Thus far it looks like the lobby! Except... things look a little off. Almost like the office itself is /tired/ or somehow depressed, despite the bright light the Amethyne brings.

Speaking of the Amethyne, Neuvina smiles brightly(somehow) and produces a pizza box! "Yes!" She hands it right to Mordred, who now has a bubblegum pizza. Way to go there, Mordred.

The elevator is easily big enough to fit everyone somehow, and Himei will find she has a keycard that takes her up to the top floor. Floor 6(?) Likely things are going to get very different when entering the parts of the tower Fairchild hasn't seen before.

Psyber (253) has posed:
When Mordred mocks his talk with Wrathborn, specifically about heroism and villainy, Psyber holds up an index finger to Wrathborn, "Sec." He takes the gum he was chewing out of his mouth and then flicks it at the back of Mordred's head, trying to land it right in the big 'bundle of hair' ponytail on the back of her head. He has very good aim, plus she was walking away, but it still may not hit its mark. Dream gum is a nightmare. Haha, get it, haha?

He then looks back to Wrathborn, "Oh, okay. I was sorta thinking of killing off your other siblings, truthfully. But I'm inclined to keep you alive. Well yours and Mordred's. Mostly you, though, because you've actually shown some depth lately. I was wondering your feelings on this?" He figures if Wrathborn disagrees, it'll at least be pretty honest about the fact. Psyber hardly seems confrontational about the matter, more factual sort of 'I was thinking of trying a thing'.

Mordred (12) has posed:
Mordred acquires the best pizza.

And gum in her hair.

Wrathborn was right, this is a nightmare.

After a few moments of struggling, the Servant just rips the gum out, chunk of hair with it. It shimmers back into existence after a moment, pristine. Although that probably still hurt and she looks kind of pissed.

"Well fine! You don't get any pizza, 'boss'."

As they step into the elevator, she opens the pizza box and chomps on a slice. It takes her a few moments to react. "I thought I would enjoy this, but now I regret the decision a lot."

Himei (331) has posed:
Himei sighs, shaking her head at the antics people are going through. "Look, if I can deal with the reincarnation of Mordred hellbent on killing me and my daughter because of some weird metaphysical game, surely you can behave for a few minutes. I'm sure she's just ignoring you because the Boss is supposed to be, you know, in his office? Maybe you're just not in character."

Though hassling Mordred is basically in-character for Psyber. Hm.

"Whatever. Come on, let's use this mysterious keycard that appeared in my hand so conveniently and go up to the sixth floor. That's probably where the Boss is."

Swipe. Press the button.

"Any objections? Also what the heck kind of pizza is that?"

Mordred (12) has posed:
"It's 'that bitch gave me what I asked for' pizza."

Mordred just gestures the box towards Himei.

"Try it."

Psyber (253) has posed:
Psyber holds up his hands to Himei in a supplemental to his last action, "Look, in my defense here..." He points at Mordred, "She deserved it. Also she started it."

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
"No objections." Hall says to Himei. "Though I advise caution. Recall the last tower. It was quite troubling on levels she had not seen. You know, maybe we ought to resolve her more troubling assumptions about our upper levels sometime." He puts a hand to his chin and makes a contemplative noise. "Hmmm. I wonder what Psyber looks like in this iteration. Given his more troubling circumstances in the last one, I would very much like to see what he is like normally." It hasn't occurred to him that "Boss" might mean someone else, and he hasn't noticed the strange depressing nature of the structure...

Aside to Psyber and Wrathborn, Nathan says, "Given that the alternative seems to be releasing massive negative influence into Terra Majora, that strikes me as a reasonable inclination, until Wrathborn indicates that his is the worse alternative anyway."

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
"I'd rather you didn't," Wrathborn answers Psyber. "I mean, not that /I/ care, personally. But Lady Fairchild has some suspicions about that which are not exactly unfounded. I think that killing them could make things worse, or at least harder." He rubs his bruised jaw as he piles into the elevator with the others. "Like what Nate said. You don't mind if I call you Nate, do you? Lady Fairchild insists on formality, but I'm not her."

Bubblegum pizza, by the way, is exactly as awful as it sounds.

The elevator sports some awful music which sounds like a mix between classical and dubstep, as a remix of the Call of Duty main theme. It also takes FOREVER to reach the sixth floor, but it does open up to a large, posh office space which nonetheless looks ill-kempt. A large desk, covered with papers and looking very 'busy,' has the Boss behind it.

That being Fairchild herself, looking rather haggard right now. "Ah... Dame Shoutan, you're back. And you brought Sir Hall. Really, very sorry circumstances had to bring us together again, but I do think we should work on this together."

And that's when there's a sudden, wrenching /shift/ sensation. Elliana remains seated there, but rolling by on another chair suddenly is Psyber, with a five-o-clock shadow and an eyepatch. "Oh, good, you're here," he says. "We don't have much time. Load up in the emergency armory and I'll brief you there."

Wrathborn helpfully notes, "That Psyber is from the 'other tower,' actually. I think we shifted bases."

Psyber (253) has posed:
Psyber actually gives Nathan a slight glare for intruding on his personal plan, but it goes away shortly after. He nods to Wrathborn and then shrugs, "Well. Alright." He states flatly, putting his hands into the pockets of his coat once more and waiting as the elevator moves upwards, "There goes that plan out the window. I wish I didn't feel so lost on how to help Fairchild sometimes," He grouses mostly to himself.

Still, as it arrives at the top floor, he watches Elliana start to talk about orders and then feels the wrenching shift and can hear Wrathborn talking about the other tower and shifting.

Calmly, Psyber walks out of the elevator and then moves to the other side of Elliana's desk, trying to peer down over her shoulder at what she's working on.

Himei (331) has posed:
Himei stares for a moment, then looks at 'new Psyber' to sigh. "Right, we'll do that. Uh... care to let us know what, exactly, the emergency is ahead of time?" She wanders over toward the wall, hoping this is where the emergency armory is, but really she just wants some information.

"Nathan, I think this might be your time to get involved, or something."

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
Nathan shrugs vaguely to Wrathborn. "I traditionally hold no major concern over what people refer to me as." And then he's staring at the elevator's speakers, dryly, just for a while. He looks back to Psyber, and shrugs vaguely in his direction too. "Binding them really makes more sense, we just need to get to them ahead of people like Wightseer next time." He says, honestly. "I would rather not inject their force into the entire universal fabric."

And then there's Elliana, which makes Nathan widen his eyes a little bit, but otherwise doesn't show his internally very surprised reaction. He thought this was gonna be a nightmare! For someone OTHER THAN HIM!

He feels a little nauseous at the wrenching sensation, but doesn't show it in his expression. He does his best to keep consistent with the "in-character" events, as he vaguely understands them. "It would be wrong of me to abstain from involvement in an emergency, whatever I may choose outside of such circumstances. I merely need to know if the details warrant it." That's... Probably vague enough to fit, right?

He looks between Dark 90's Psyber and Original Flavor Psyber, making a deeply troubled noise at the comparison, for reasons he doesn't articulate. Well, in any case, he's ready to head down to the emergency armory, and will follow along in any effort to do so.

Mordred (12) has posed:
"I didn't start nothin'," Mordred huffs childishly at Psyber.

Then they meet Boss Elliana, and apparently Other Tower Boss Psyber? Or Employee Psyber? It's hard to tell. The shifting is not very clear in what is getting shifted exactly. She does however grin at the real Psyber.

"Rockin' the pirate look there. Gonna call 'em Redber the Dread."

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
Walking toward the emergency armory, even if you don't know where it is, results in it being in that direction. Dream logic, remember? The bookcase slides aside to reveal a room full of guns and mystical weapons, including lots of trenchcoats that anyone looking at them /know/ they are enchanted. 'Psyber' motions, "Corrupted dragon is chewing up the downtown and the Union's being slow again. We're going to go put it down fast. Get something big." He turns and glares at Mordred, holding up his hand to display the two Command Seals. "It'd be a lot easier to keep my promise to Fairchild if you'd just work with me a little, Mordred."

As for the desk, Psyber will find it is much neater than it was a moment ago, the papers shuffling back into place. A lot of them are unreadable because dream logic states that only the important stuff is seen, but it looks like hey're notes on contingency plans on how to kill any Unionite or Confederate. Just listings of them.

Meanwhile, the Elliana that was sitting there looking in control is looking... different. Lighter, translucent, and missing the scar and red eye that she sports in real life. She is also leaning over Psyber's shoulder. "You must be some kind of alternate Psyber. Curious about what happened in this world, hmm? Sigh. You'd have to look in his journal. Maybe I can move it or something." She steps back and through the chair, and Psyber will recognize that she's a ghost of some sort... and acts like Psyber shouldn't be able to see her.

Mordred (12) has posed:
"What."

Mordred glares.

"What the fuck, dreamworld!"

Mordred grabs Wrathborn by the collar. "Hey! Explain the weird shit here!" No, hang on, that just might be barking up the wrong tree. Mordred turns to glare at Dream Elliana instead, not unhanding Wrathborn however. "The fuck happened and why does he have YOUR Dream Command Seals?" Do Dream Command Seals issue Absolute Dream Orders? Fuck! Dreams are literally the worst thing. She doesn't really WANT to find out.

Also, to Real Psyber: "Not a god damn word."

Psyber (253) has posed:
"You know, I'm kinda sad we world hopped. You couldn't see me in that one. I was gonna see if I could stack books on your head and shit," He admits to Dream Elliana, shrugging a bit. And then he snaps his fingers, "Oh shit, you're dead in this continuity, aren't you?" He asks to her, the thing clicking in his head.

"Damn," Psyber says a bit sadly, watching her a few times, before asking Elliana, "Hey if you were me, where would I hide my journal, anyway?" He asks to her curiously. After all, this world is created by an Elliana, so it's not about where Psyber would ACTUALLY keep a secret book. It's just where Elliana thinks he would.

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
Nathan stares at Nightmare Psyber, an eyebrow up at those seals. Then a glance to Mordred. There's a contemplative noise... He decides to test if narrative continuity indulges him. He doesn't know what happens if he breaks the narrative, but he has to assume it'll self-correct, because denying a nightmare is hard work and you can't just do it accidentally.

"Yes," He says. "With your first Master of sorts 'indisposed' and your second Master gone, I can understand some tension, but your third is doing his best." Psyber appears to have had exactly the same idea, which Nathan is simply testing slightly more indirectly. He's banking on Nightmare Psyber rubbing salt in Dream Elliana's wounds with more elaboration on this.

He follows to the emergency armory, but even in a nightmare, Nathan can probably be assumed to be pacifistic in any situation, so he naturally assumes Elliana's nightmares still feature a pacifist Nathan, and doesn't take a weapon.

Himei (331) has posed:
"Wait. What?" For once, Himei kinda seriously empathizes with Mordred, because that shit's fucked up. Himei stares at the Seals, then rubs her eyes. "Right. Corrupted dragon. Why don't we just let the SRD handle this? They're slow?" That doesn't seem like them at all. In fact, that's suspicious.

"Uh. Why don't you just order them to handle it right away then?" After all, Psyber's a high ranking officer. Unless...

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
Wrathborn hrks and bats at Mordred. "Hey, I didn't make it up!" Fortunately Mordred drops him and turns to GhostElliana. That can give her more answers, both to her and to Psyber and the others.

This being a dream, Elliana doesn't seem surprised that Psyber and Mordred can suddenly talk to her! She blinks at Mordred, "Well, with me dead, someone magically powerful had to take your contract. Do you have a better idea? It was the only promise I wanted from him before I died. One of us should get their wish."

But to Psyber, she answers, "In the desk, of course. Labelled 'Secondary Accounts' just like always." Apparently she thinks he's the type to keep it hidden in plain sight. Though she does shoot a glare at Nathan for some reason... it's an angry glare he may not have ever seen before, kind of hurt as well.

She lets 'Psyber' answer Himei and clarify things. "I can't ever since they kicked me out, you know that. Get moving, these problems don't solve themselves." He grunts, "I hate leading a faction."

Elliana notes to everyone, "You'll have to excuse him. The nightmares keep him up, he hasn't gotten used to them yet."

Psyber (253) has posed:
"And what, pray tell, is my wish, Spook-iana?" He asks to Elliana, seeing if he can root around in Psyber's desk without the other Psyber noticing. Wanting to get the diary out and see what the deal is. He's actually curious what Elliana thinks his wish would really be. Mostly because at least part of it has already been rendered impossible by the worlds timeline.

If he can find the diary, though, Psyber takes it out and opens it. HE wants to be the one to read what Elliana thinks goes on in his head. Who knows what embarassing mishmash and theoretical habberdash Elliana might believe he really thinks.

Mordred (12) has posed:
"Well, fuck. Okay, whatever. I guess that makes sense. So great! Fucking great. In your head my best backup plan is living with Redber the Dread under the same roof as the one my ACTUAL father occasional works under. Wow, really."

Mordred glares towards Pirate Psyber.

"So how often do we fight and fuck your office up?"

Also...

"And if I'm gonna be YOUR Servant, then..."
She shuffles towards the closet.
And puts one of Dream Psyber's Dream Coats on.

"Aww yeah, new duds."

Himei (331) has posed:
Himei just picks up a random big gun, but she doesn't think they'll actually fight, so doesn't pay much attention. "Right. Well..." She looks at Nathan and Psyber(the real one), then shrugs.

"You know, you guys are the ones who wanted a peek into Fairchild's head," she points out. "Is it any wonder that what she has in here isn't all that pretty?"

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
That look sends chills down Nathan's spine. He might have some hatred for her, but she's usually only had vague respect and reluctant acceptance to him. Reciprocating that is unexpected, even if it's sensible. Nathan tries to think over what would cause that. What would get Psyber kicked out of the Union and Elliana dead? And... Hmm.

Oh. Ohhhhhhhhhh.

Nathan isn't completely sure of what's going on now, but he has a vague inkling. There's a glance to Himei. "Simply because I expect something troubling does not make it less so." He says, simply. And then to Psyber, "My most sincere regrets for its necessity." Is Nathan still general in this "continuity"? "Given the events surrounding her demise... Never mind." He leaves it vague, maybe Nightmare Psyber will take this chance to hint more? Nathan's primary method of investigation here seems to be prompting the awful dream-constructs to rub salt in Elliana's wounds, whatever they may be in this dream.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
Well, Ghost Elliana clearly thinks highly of Psyber, as the journal just conveys the information that this Psyber was forced to kill her, and in order to keep Wrathborn from escaping, somehow took the Shajem into himself, taking all of Elliana's responsibilities onto himself. This lead to him being kicked from the Union, but he had to continue to fight evil and try to solve problems with a slowly disintegrating group of friends.

However, some of that ego boost may be popped when Elliana points out, "I was talking to Mordred. She has a wish."

Dream Psyber scowls at Nathan, "What's taking you so long? Look, if you want to talk me out of this because you think it's a bad idea to SAVE LIVES get with it, I don't have a lot of time."

Abruptly, Dream Psyber vanishes, and the wrenching feeling is back. Wrathborn hrms, "Well that was certainly interesting. I wonder if you would be a good host?" He ribs Psyber a little bit, but there's something flat about it.

Meanwhile, Elliana is back to being cool, incontrol, and her scarred and /living/ self. She rises to speak to Nathan now. "Dame Shoutan, I need that report on the clones as soon as possible, but since you brought Sir Hall, I presume something critical has happened?" She folds her arms as she stands up. "Well, General Hall? What can Heaven or Hell Investigations do for you? Considering our last run-in, I hope you brought an apology with you."

Psyber (253) has posed:
Psyber looks down at the book in his hands with an odd look on his face. He frowns heavily, then gets a couple different ranges of emotion on his face before eventually snapping the book shut and keeping a vicegrip on it. He thinks he understands what the world forks are now.

To Wrathborn, Psyber says in an equally flat tone, "I don't even want to think what your bleedthrough would do with my scar." He admits.

And that's why he crosses his arms angrily and says, "Psyber-wan Kenobi, you get the fuck out here right now and tell me how we died!"

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
Oh, and Mordred does indeed still have the coat from last dream. Because dream logic.

Mordred (12) has posed:
Mordred disregards all this important plot.

Instead she just shuffles into the closet again after adjusting the Dream Coat on, to see what Elliana keeps in her closet, compared to Dream Psyber.

She also idly digs into the coat's pockets. What's Dream Psyber keep in this anyway? Probably guns. Maybe cool ones.

Himei (331) has posed:
Himei digs her elbow into Nathan's side. "Maybe he just wants to apologize for being such a jerk about the necessity of you taking over, right?" It's also kind of a prompt to make sure this wasn't a hostile takeover. her theory is that Psyber died, as well, since this is a nightmare. But it could be something more sinister, maybe. Who knows?

"Man, Elliana being my boss. That is kind of freaky though," she admits under her breath.

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
Dream Psyber expects Nathan to grab a weapon.

That, more than anything else, hits Nathan severely.

But then another shift. Nathan gives a grim look back to Elliana. Himei's still on Elliana's side, but evidently, Nathan Hall is an enemy of Heaven or Hell in some capacity. He understands the circumstances of the other continuity now - assuming Psyber relays all that data - but he doesn't understand the ones here. He needs to confirm this. So, once more, he acts as vaguely as he can, hoping the nightmare's self-destructive tendencies will force Elliana to exposit because exposition on the nature of this sort of thing would cause her negative feelings.

"As before, and as always, I do what I am forced to, either by circumstance, such as now, or by you, such as back at his demise." He's hoping to draw a rant out of her to elaborate on what, exactly, he did, but he figures that, this being a nightmare, it won't be out of place for him to be a remorseless piece of shit about whatever it was. He's also vague enough that he'd rather have some idea of why he would be here. He really doesn't know!

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
Surprisingly, it's Elliana who answers Psyber. She says it weirdly, as if she doesn't really know he's there, and it segues into Nathan's answer, after a fashion. "Self sacrifice so that others do not have to is something I understand well. Perhaps that was why he chose me, not you, to take over the organization. Because he knew I would keep that promise no matter how difficult it became." Elliana thumps her hands on the desk. "So you are forced into another temporary alliance. The clones are in the Union, I am guessing." She sighs.

Then Elliana glances to Mordred, who is opening the closet to reveal lots of awesome weapons that look like they were made by a certain Shinki. Except they actually work. There's like, rocket-swords and stuff in there.

Elliana continues to Nathan, "Fine. Another temporary alliance then, because that is what we are here for. It really feels you are abusing my promise out of some petty vindictiveness, Sir Hall. I want to help you, why must you make it so difficult out of your own stubborn hatred?"

That's when Mordred finds out what's in the pockets of the coat! It's... a werewolf! Thump. Growl.

Psyber (253) has posed:
"Awwww, such a cutie." Psyber picks up the dream werewolf and proceeds to carry it around under one arm, regardless of size, form, attributes, or violence-level of the creature. He will carry the werewolf with him for the rest of the scene, most likely.

"So. Elliana's nightmare duality seems to be either I kill her and destroy my life for her desires. Or she kills me and the house of cards I've built falls on her to hold up." He bounces the werewolf up and down in his arms in a babying fashion, "At, again, great sacrifice since it strains everything for her to keep my business afloat."

Psyber (253) has posed:
Psyber additionally points out, "The cross-fork constant seems to be that you're a petty, vindictive tool in either continuity. Go figure. How's it feel to be the villain?"

Mordred (12) has posed:
Oh man a closet full of weapons.
This Dream Elliana is great.

Mordred is interrupted by Dream Laine, however, and quickly backs away, summoning Clarent in one hand, the dazzling silver and red sword hardly looking fit in a single hand. And then... Psyber just casually picks the werewolf up. She glares.

"What ELSE do you keep in your coat that I should be aware of as someone currently wearing it?!" Hopefully nothing. Christ, what the hell.

"Hey, Dream Elliana. No, wait, fuck. Uh. Hey, Living Dream Elliana. Show me your hand." Just gotta make sure her OTHER Dream Command Seals are, you know, at the right place.

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
"More complicated than just that. This nightmare inflicts a rather different kind of trauma through its duality." Nathan asides to Original Flavor Psyber. This kind of stage-whisper will probably be ignored by the narrative, right? "Really? From where I am standing, the constant in both forks seems to be you failing."

And now he'll properly respond to Elliana and the nightmare...

Himei (331) has posed:
Himei, having seen this before, is utterly unsurprised at the werewolf in the coat. She takes it in stride, and points out quietly, "This is just one location of many. Heaven or Hell. We don't know how things are like in the others, but wow..." She frowns and thinks for a moment.

"The question is," Himei points out. "What makes these a nightmare for /Elliana/?"

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
"Really. And what, I wonder, might you do if you were not bound by that promise?" Nathan says, incredulously back to Elliana. It might have an obvious answer, depending on the circumstances, but Nathan doesn't need to look particularly smart here, and he can probably play it off as a segue into another matter. It's a jab looking for the details of the promise.

"I cannot imagine what I might be doing to make it difficult to help, you know. I try to give many people chances, as I am sure you recall. So long as they are not squandered in schemes, anyway." And that's meant to prompt a response about what Nathan might have done in this continuity. Both prompts are indulging the nature of the nightmare: Bring up the negative elements, because the nightmare is probably made to force Elliana to confront them a lot.

Then, a little aside to Himei, "I believe I can explain, if you give me a moment to confirm."

Psyber (253) has posed:
"That's pretty high criticism coming from a man who has managed to," Psyber snaps back to Nathan harshly, "In two separate continuities, allow his petty and vindictive grudges to trample all over his best friend's life's work. One time of which being post-humously spitting on his grave while his successor tries her best."

The half-angel states bitterly, "Dying didn't cause me to fail. My best friend letting me down did."

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
Looking curiously at Mordred, Dream Elliana holds up her hand, which does indeed have the Command Seals on it. Though because of dream-fudging, they're actually still 3 seals, not the right number. Oh well, close enough.

Wrathborn is the one who speaks up next. "All of these nightmares are terrifying for Lady Fairchild. They do not necessarily cause her /pain/, though. Sometimes what gets the heart racing and your fears flaring is not something that hurts you. And I think that it is not Lady Fairchild feeling pain here, hmm?" He's gonna go stand by Mordred now~

Elliana is unaware of the drama playing out between Nathan and Psyber though, and after showing her hand to Mordred, she answers Nathan. "Does the why matter? I made a promise, and it is very important that I keep it. It hinders my plans, but I consider it more important than those. What have you done to 'thwart' me but grab at all the power you could? Just to fight me?"

"I guess the ends justify the means, hmm?"

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
"Pollute your work too much and you cannot deny the necessity of certain methods of its handling after your death. So, is it not a very good thing that this is merely a psychological projection of neither of us, then? We should each be glad that you are not quite so prone to such mistakes, and I am not quite so prone to petty grudges. In the end, after all, this merely comes from her view of us." Nathan asides back to Psyber. It's a faltering, conciliatory sort of comeback, clearly meant to cool down the tensions.

And now let's focus on Elliana. Damn, neither prompt worked. Maybe he needs another approach? Nathan considers this for a moment. Right now he'd like nothing more than to launch into a long, petty debate with Elliana about what she "forced" him to do, or what he didn't do, or the differences between things, and all that.

He makes mental note to come use the orb privately sometime to do that.

But no, for now, he needs to investigate, so he crosses his arms. "You answered a question I did not ask. I have little interest in why you follow the promise. I refer only to what you think you would do, what I would do, if you were not bound by it. Abandon Heaven or Hell, go back to what you did before?" Hmmm, maybe he can find out more about Psyber's death here. "We know how that turns out for those important to you." Maybe this approach can still work if he twists it like this, he's clearly trying to draw out an explanation on that end from her. Well, it's clear to the others, anyway. He just looks like a jerk to Dream Elliana.

Himei (331) has posed:
Himei looks from Psyber to Nathan to Elliana and back. Then she looks at Mordred and purses her lips, "What do you think of all this?" It's an important question to her, even if she's a little lost at the multilayered fears of Fairchild. But only a little. She's used to seeing the dark side of psyches.

Psyber (253) has posed:
Psyber glares at Nathan trying to get the last word in, "Yes, it's very good that neither of us are really like this. Holding a grudge so ridiculous on your part would only impede any growth in Elliana and affirm her thinking that her methods are right." Psyber says, as close to a conciliation as he's willing to come while not letting Elliana or himself go undefended by Nathan taking the last word. This is also probably the CLOSEST Psyber has ever come to just busting Nathan right in the jaw, but he's holding back remarkably. Also his arms are full of Laine and that always serves to keep him calm.

His hand curls and uncurls. Instead of doing much of anything important, he sits down on Elliana's desk. He hovers next to her a bit, knowing she can't see him, "I wonder, Wrathborn. Would you encourage her in these situations? To abandon her plan for a promise to me?" He tilts his head at the Shajem, "Would you talk to me in the other one, hm?" He figures the Shajem knows the nightmares, "What IS your exact goal at this point?" He inquires to Wrathborn. It's not a suspicious tone. It's a pretty honest inquiry.

He should come back here for a private talk with Wrathborn sometime, if he can ever get the orb without Nathan knowing.

For now, he roots around in the secondary files drawer, seeing if Elliana would keep HER diary there too.

Mordred (12) has posed:
"I think Real Psyber has fucking weird coat-contents habits, for one," Mordred tells Himei, before dismissing her blade and crossing her arms. She does not get involved in the tension between Psyber, Elliana and Nathan, because that stuff is kind of over her head. Instead she just shrugs exaggeratedly.

"Shit, I don't know. I think master's got control issues and these are situations where something happens and forces her to relinquish control of the situation entirely, either through her death or through a promise, apparently."

But she's not very good at this sort of stuff.

"S'my best guess."

Also: "How the fuck does any of this help anything anyway?"

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
Elliana first. Control issues, hmm? Mordred may be on to something. Right now though? Nathan hurt her pride. She walks right over to him and makes for a hard, swift SLAP toward his face, declaring angrily, "What do you THINK?! You lecture me about consequences... well HERE! THESE are consequences! I wasn't fast enough, or smart enough, or strong enough to stop him dying... so I took that promise. I made it because I felt I owed him. Because I WANTED to. What would I do without that promise? Perhaps I would not be here, but I made that promise knowing exactly what I was getting into. And how DARE you trivialize it for your own ego!"

She jabs a finger toward Nathan's chest. "I think you are right about one thing, though. You were a poor choice for the ritual. I needed a hero."

Wrathborn is actually watching this with some fascination, but he does hear the questions. He looks to Psyber, and shrugs. "Maybe I would. Maybe I would not. I don't know, really, as it would depend on many things. If it were so important to her that she do this, I would help her, though I might suggest that it would be better to bend her sense of honor somewhat... if this were as hard as she imagines it to be."

He smirks. "I draw much of my self from Fairchild, though we are different in personality. I would probably talk to you, but could not promise we would be friendly. Then again, who knows? Maybe I would show up in Lady Fairchild's form in your dreams."

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
There is a diary, but Psyber might be a little too busy to flip through it.

Psyber (253) has posed:
Psyber has a diary in his hands, but he drops it for a few reasons. The most obvious one being Nathan taking a palm across the face and a lecture. The other is the conversation, and particularly Wrathborn's last line. The book falls to the floor with a faint thud. So, coincidentally, does the werewolf he was holding.

"I think that would be very awkward for both of us," He says to Wrathborn, dusting his hands off and then standing up. While Nathan may be smarter than Psyber is, but Psyber has a bit more social saavy than Nathan does in charismatic maneuvering. And that's why his next move is a bit of a hardball.

"Nathan, I think it's time we stop. Mordred said we were here to make sure we don't mess up Fairchild's Psyche. And I think, if you press one more time, she may need to step in on this matter."

Psyber's flat stare says 'You may be smarter than I am, but I can still force a checkmate through social clout'.

Mordred (12) has posed:
Mordred glares back and forth between Psyber and Nathan. Wow those guys sure heat up when they get going. And Elliana just slapped one of 'em. Well, Dream Elliana but.... you know...

Psyber brings up a good point.

Mordred walks in front of Dream Elliana, crossing her arms and staring into Nathan's eyes. She is, sadly, not imposing, unless you know what she is capable of.

"Hey, back off. Dream or not she's still my master. And yeah, what not-Pirate Psyber said. Ya keep digging like this and yer gonna make her feel like shit when she wakes up. Like, worse than she usually does. Ya think this is a puzzle for you to solve? Well tough shit, this ain't a nice little game someone dropped on your desk, this is someone's head you're rummaging through."

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
Nathan stares for a moment, both to Elliana, and then to Mordred, his face stinging after the slap that made him take several steps back, showing a completely stoic, neutral response to it. Hmmm. What's the best way to give final confirmation of his theory? He could make a major attempt to exacerbate it. He could try grilling Wrathborn about it, and possibly get an uncertain, maybe-a-lie answer. Hmm... How should he do this? Well, there is ONE way of testing the root cause of this nightmare.

Nathan turns to Psyber. He tweaks his head just slightly, in an unusual gesture, at Psyber's statements there. "I have no interest in changing her psyche." He says. "In fact, I am quite sure I cannot. I merely wish to confirm a certain theory. I ask only a moment more of time. This will likely be the last of things I get to do either way."

"You are right." Nathan says, turning back to Elliana, working his shoulders around for a moment in an unusually casual gesture. He takes on a less grim posture; it should be visible to those around him that he's decided to stop "playing along" in order to perform this "test". A hand goes to his face, rubbing it where it was slapped. "His death should not be trivialized. Neither should yours. Disrespect to either hypothetical is a profoundly inapprpriate gesture." He crosses his arms and launches into a quick, brief verbal assault. "Lady Fairchild. I believe I now parse your fear; Psyber and his self-sacrifice will inevitably cause you to lose him if you lose control of a scheme, your own hypothetical loss of self-control might force you to die at his hands. This is completely false. Both you and Psyber are far stronger than to allow something as simple as a brief loss of your own control to cause such a cascade of tragedy. You underestimate both his and your own resilience and flexibility, and the cleverness and care both of your circles of friends will put towards ensuring neither outcome happens. You have to know above all else that I am an authority on worry. So you should believe me above all else when I say to not worry about that."

He takes a few steps forward and tilts his head at Mordred, almost asking for some kind of consent for him to continue. However, both his theory and his means of testing it should now be rather clear for any observer to see, should they pay any attention to what he has to say.

The theory: This nightmare is an expression of Elliana Fairchild's fear of mutual exclusivity in survival; she fears that, through these circumstances, Psyber's nature assures that either she or Psyber will likely die at some point, perhaps through her depending on his promise by accident.
The test: Attack the premise of the nightmare, target the psychological root of it and determine if it has any effect on the overall nightmare itself, such as a substantial destabilization or any form of closure or unification of the two disparate towers.

Himei (331) has posed:
"Mn, she is the controlling sort," Himei notes. "And I think the other nightmares might tell us why. We already know a little... and I'm not all that surprised. Your Master is not an easy person to understand, as I'm sure you've noticed."

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
What happens when one doesn't play along with a nightmare? It... confuses the subject. Elliana twitches and tilts her head, puzzled by the statements, then straightening again as she regains her composure. "It is fine, Saber." At least she still recognizes her. "I need this, Nathan. I don't expect you'd understand. It's easy for you to stay who you are. Now get out." She points toward the wavering doorway.

"Interesting idea, though I'm not sure how permanent it will be," Wrathborn says. "Deep-rooted fears are not that easy to dislodge. I suspect the nightmare is too off-track to stay stable for much longer, though. Shall we take our leave?"

Laine yawns and flops on the desk.

Mordred (12) has posed:
Well, fine or not, Elliana said to leave.

So Mordred shakes her head at Nathan. "Nah, drop it. We out. Done for now. Yer hostess is pissed and that makes me pissed by proxy," she simply says, before going along in whatever direction Wrathborn takes 'e. She will keep the coat on, see what happens with that.

To Himei, she says: "Yeah she's complicated. But, ya know, from my time with her, I can tell she hates not knowing shit and bein' in control. Like that situation with Wightseer, that was pretty upsetting. Well, fuck 'em, he got what he had comin' his way."

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
"Certainly." Nathan says, to Wrathborn, Elliana, and Mordred. He asides to Wrathborn, "I do not expect it to work permanently. I expected it to be educational. And it was. I believe a comprehensive halting of procedings could be thought of as a sign of success."

And then to Elliana, "I certainly would not. It is difficult for you to not stay who you are. Goodbye." Nathan will go ahead and head out. To the rest of the group, he says, "Now we need only determine how the nightmares behave when they get 'off track' in a way that does not target their root fear, and determine if it is any different from this. That should give us a means of testing information gathered."

Himei (331) has posed:
"Not tonight, Nathan," Himei says. "We don't know how this affects her psyche. Enemy or not, Fairchild trust us to let us in here, and frankly she does have her own sort of honor. I'd really not like to abuse that. So if we look at anything else tonight, we stay on the rails." She makes a face. "I'd really prefer not to get into messing with her head. I'd feel like the villain, and with pretty good reason."

Psyber (253) has posed:
Psyber looks a bit at Elliana and then at Wrathborn. He scuffs his foot on the ground and then sighs a bit, crossing his arms, "I think it's time to leave, yes."

Still he's not walking out quite yet. He stops in front of Wrathborn and he says, "I know you can't do it every night, but do you think tonight you can give her restful sleep? Or a good dream? I'd consider myself owing you a favor if you could do that." He notes before he starts to head to the doorway, rubbing his hands together tiredly. Playing Social Politics is not his strong suit and he hates stepping into that arena at all, so this took more than a bit out of him, and it's obvious from how tired he looks as he trudges towards the door.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
"She's already having her nightmares," Wrathborn points out. "I can't do anything tonight, and for a few days I will probably not be able to spare the concentration. But as soon as I can, I will see what I can do. It's an ability we are both still experimenting with, I'm afraid."

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
Nathan puts an eyebrow up at Himei. "If you can affect her, I expect you are much more clever than I am." He says frankly. "I doubt I can do anything of real worth down here in her subconscious." He shrugs, vaguely. "What can one man and a few words do to her? She will not even remember them. The only change we ever did the last go around was helping break her out of trance. But you are right. Perhaps another night. After all, we should make sure there is enough time between divergences that one will not affect the other."

Himei (331) has posed:
Himei nods at Mordred... then adds, "Well... to be fair, from what I heard, Wightseer was a huge cock as it turned out. I think she's a bit defensive of her world in general. Maybe if it weren't such an awful place she could let go a little."

Psyber (253) has posed:
Psyber does have one final thing to say to Nathan, "Maybe you're not using the right words." But he doesn't have the energy to really go through and turn it into a prolonged argument.