5288/Warp Iris: Nettled

Warp Iris: Nettled
Date of Scene:	01 June 2017
Location:	Equestria
Synopsis:	In the aftermath of the last encounter with the Warp Iris, Staren is reminded that an old friend may be able to help...
Thanks to:	Mortimer
Cast of Characters:	Staren, Mortimer Balman, 993, 1113, 385

---

Staren has posed:
    Mort finds the two of them at the scene of a battle. There's an army nearby, and signs of a skirmish like scorched ground and severed bits of eldritch flesh and pools of ichor. They're resting on improvised beds -- Staren is trying to sleep on a blanket using his bag for a pillow, and grumbles impatiently when Mort asks for them to move instead of checking them there. He isn't much help, but doesn't provide much resistance either.

    Once they come out the Equestrian warpgate, Dawn is ready to teleport the whole party from there to outside Canterlot General. She beams down with them in the body Staren built for her, which appears as a violet-haired female human in a plain black dress. She's also obtained simple lightweight wheelchairs for the two patients, though Staren's able to walk with help.

    She lets Mort take point on interacting with locals, helping move Staren and Yuna wherever Mortimer directs. Elner hovering about as well.

Mortimer Balman has posed:
     The difficulties of air-traffic in Equestria require that Mort picks Staren and Yuna up with his Thunderwolf rather than the van- too much risk of accident otherwise. Once he's ascertained their physical health, the two are loaded onto the massive beast and carted off to Equestria- Reder is left behind to study their battlesite and catalogue everything, he can be trusted to handle such tasks alone. Once through the gate, they're suddenly teleported?! The works of some 'Dawn' apparently? No idea who this is but that'll work, he supposes. Once they phase into Canterlot, Ulbrecht lays low so that the two patients can be transferred into wheelchairs.

     Mortimer is already shouting for doctors and orderlies and explaining the situation to them as he goes along- Switchbait and Nettle are both there, providing additional information to wizardry specialists while the two new additions are hurried along- into the same room, so that they can be more easily monitored and observed. By the time Staren even realizes he's got an IV in his arm and is being loaded into a bed he'll probably see Mort filling out paperwork on the fly. Lots of noise, lots of commotion. At least, for the first ten or so minutes.

Staren has posed:
    "I'm Staren's support AI." Dawn explains, when she notices Mort's confusion about who she is. "Mostly that means helping him look up things and alerting him to interesting news, but at times like this it is appropriate to contact allies and ensure his wishes are carried out."

    Reder is radioed a copy of the video from the Star Hawk's cameras so he can see what happened.

    "You don't need to do that..." Staren mutters when he notices them putting in an IV. "Just fix my head..."

Princess Luna (993) has posed:
     Princess Luna was not certain she could help, and even less sure what the subjects of this world might think of a two-legged version of their princess. But, she knew she had to help if she could.

     Even more confusing (though perhaps less so to the ponies of this world), is that when Luna gets here...she is transformed from her usual self to a pony more befitting this Equestria. Now drawing only the attention the local Luna might normally draw, she makes her way to Canterlot General. Flying is the same as normal, but when she lands she tries to stand on two legs. It works for a few moments, but then with a bit of flailing and flapping she loses her balance and falls onto all fours. She blinks, then shakes her head at herself before making her way inside.

     With her ethereal mane and tail flowing out behind her in an unseen breeze, Luna makes her way to the reception desk and asks to be directed to Staren and Mortimer. Once directed, she carefully canters her way there, whether Mortimer is still filling out papers or they have been taken to a room. "How might I help?" she asks once she finds them.

Mortimer Balman has posed:
     Mortimer gently puts a hoof on Staren's arm. "Easy, lad. Let them do their jobs. Dependin' on how bad y'are we may need to knock yer arse out a while. Relax, okay? Yer gonna be fine- ah, Ladyship. Good t'see ya here. I'm not a hunnerd percent sure yet m'self, but we should find out in a few moments, yea?" Dawn is given acknowledgement. "Ah, new AI then. Alright. Here's what I want you to do- I left Reder, my Wartortle, at the site I picked them up from. Be a good lass and go help him catalogue everything, yea? I'll call you if we need you."

     While Mortimer is dealing with chatting and paperwork, Switchbait and Nettle begin coordinating with the doctors. Horns begin to glow as the unicorn doctors link their powers with the wraithly magic of the shuppet, arcs of psychic lightning dancing around them all while Switchbait gently creates a protective barrier around Yuna's mind. The shuppet disappears into Yuna's head. If they weren't in such poor shape it would be a fantastic light show.

Staren has posed:
    Getting Staren's flightsuit and the skintight bodysuit worn underneath off is a problem in itself but eventually Mort can probably find a way to get it off. 'Just cut it off' doesn't work if tried because it's all armor.

    Staren gives an annoyed grunt to Mort, but after thinking about it, to the degree he CAN think about it at the moment, being knocked out sounds nice actually. He's still grumpy all the same, though. He's convinced the hospital is overkill and Nettle just needs to do her thing, but then he's not in his right mind at the moment.

    "I'll send a drone." Dawn answers. It doesn't seem to affect her ability to be 'here', though. Noone's volunteering exposition as to how that works unless asked, though.

Mortimer Balman has posed:
     Several tense minutes pass as the psychic and the magicians work their powers. Nettle comes out of Yuna's head some ten minutes later, shuppeting, "<I suspect she shall be alright but her mind is in dire need of relaxation right now, all is jumbled and.. /Messy/. The doctors I am sure, have the skills needed to ease her slumber until such time as we can determine the full extent of damage.>" Her sock-like body shakes itself out, clearly ruffled by what she has seen in there. Switchbait flutters his wings a bit, resisting the urge to shake spores all over poor Yuna to help keep her out, "<Jolly good then. Let us move on to young master Staren's mind then, Goddesses willing he ought to be in at least slightly better shape. Master Balman, would you be so kind as to ensure that Staren remains still and in one position whilst we triage his mind?>"

     Mortimer looks down at Staren, over at Dawn for a moment, then back to his butler. "Yeah, sure. Hit him with some Sleep Spores if yer afraid he might wake up. Nettle, don't be afraid to use Dream Eater if it will calm his mind a bit." Nettle nods and shuppets, "<I hope it will not come to that. If what they say about eldritch beings is true, eating such dreams may be /problematic/.. Or at least, unpleasant.>" Switch flutters over Staren, gently spreading small spores to encourage a good, deep slumber. "<That should keep him a while I suspect. Shall we, Nettle?>" "<After you, dear~>"

     They begin with Switchbait gently prodding at Staren's mind with his own. Careful and cautious telepathic nudges, seeing what sort of stimulus response it will provoke..

Staren has posed:
    Staren's eyes widen when he notices Luna. Right now, she looks like the local princess, and he's too out of it to connect the dots of the other Luna asking on the radio... "Your highness! I'm honored... I'd love to help you, but Nettle's gotta fix me first..."

    When Dream Eater is mentioned, Staren says "I thought that was the idea..."

    He winces and grunts in pain at the telepathic probing. It's sort of like if a clumsy giant picked him up to examine him and left hid body bruised and battered, but instead it was a psychic being handling his mind. There isn't the same kind of damage Yuna has -- his mind wasn't probed as deeply and it was only a relatively brief contact -- but like a body that can barely move because of soreness and pain, his mind can hardly think.

Princess Luna (993) has posed:
     It seems as though despite her talents this might be beyond Luna's abilities. She can enter dreams and affect minds, but she can't actually heal minds. She can only guide others through the labyrinth of their own mind. So, her horn glows gently and she radiats a feeling of general comfort and soothing. Without knowing more about what happened, it is the best she can do for now.

     When Staren notices her, she smiles to him. "Relax, Staren. I am here to help thee, not to seek thy help." she says as she tries to sooth his troubled mind. Sleep might be the best thing for him, but she isn't going to cast a spell like that if it isn't necessary. "Thou art safe now, as is thy friend. The people here seem to know what they are doing, but I am here to offer my powers if they are needed." This Luna might not have had positive experiences with Staren, but she doesn't think he's a bad person. She rests a hoof on his shoulder to try and add to the soothing aura she is radiating.

Dreamgazer (1113) has posed:
Dreamgazer had been at her 'home', observing the night sky through a telescope in the cupola of her caboose, which she converted into a mini-observatory. She was surprised to see Luna of all ponies soaring through the sky at this hour when she would normally be performing her evening duties. She decided to continue to follow her flight path through the telescope, seeing that it was leading to Canterlot General Hospital. Was somepony injured there that she was visiting? Or one that was suffering from an affliction that she had specific knowledge on? Morbid curiosity got the better of her as she headed off in the direction of the hospital. Once she arrived there she became more on guard, knowing that in their last encounter there was some friction between them when she was forbidden to practice dream walking by Luna.

Mortimer Balman has posed:
     Switchbait clicks his mandibles a few times. "<His mind is not nearly in as bad of shape as madam Yuna's is.. It feels.. Beaten. Not /savaged/, but like an oversized child picked it up, and was rough with its new 'toy', and then tossed him aside when bored. Easy, now..>" Switchbait flutters some more sleep spores into Staren's face, and then gestures for Nettle. "<It is your turn my- relatively- good woman.>" Nettle giggles a bit, "<Such a gentleman~ let's see how he's going in there..>" Waiting for Staren to pass out, Nettle slowly wriggles herself past the physical plane and into the land of dreams, looking for a calm spot in Staren's mind to begin her ministrations.

Staren has posed:
    "Oh... you don't... have to..." Staren mutters. Surely the diarchs have something better to do than moral support.

    "Izzat what happened..." Staren replies to Switchbait, and then gets knocked out.

Princess Luna (993) has posed:
     Luna is slightly disappointed that she is not needed, but she is used to that after 1000 years of being Celestia's sister. She just stands back and lets Nettle and Switchbait and the others do their work. She stops broadcasting her soothing field and steps outside the room. She stays where she can watch, but makes sure she is not in the way of the doctors and nurses.

     No doubt, she would be quite visible if Dreamgazer asks where Luna went or looks around for Luna. Luna looks lost in thought by the time Dreamgazer arrives.

Dreamgazer (1113) has posed:
Dreamgazer had to make up a story at the front desk about 'a patient that almost immediately arrived and might not be on the record just yet' and was permitted to go in further. She wandered about the corridors of the hospital until she had happened upon Staren's room, seeing Luna having just stepped outside of it. She seemed distracted, the look upon her face seeming as if she was lost in thought, pondering something heavy. The small Unicorn simply watched from a distance at the end of the hallway for a moment, figuring it wouldn't be a good idea to get too close if something was troubling her.

Staren has posed:
THE LAND OF DREAMS

THE LABORATORY, STAREN'S PARENTS' HOUSE, OUTSIDE LAZLO

     Staren awakes inside the Ego Bridge. It's like a futuristic MRI machine. Once moved out of the machine, he sits up to be hugged by his parents and Twilight. "What happened..." he eventually asks, knowing that this situation means he's been restored from backup. He's shown the video on an AR-projected screen as Dawn explains that his mind was too damaged by contact with the Warp Iris.

    Accepting this, he gets up and goes about his day. Chatting with Twilight as he designs a system which he runs by Eryl, involving a computer and a self-repairing nanoswarm hive with a supply of materials, that will keep itself running for a thousand years and then assemble a synthetic body with an AI -- using the muse base code but with a personality profile based on Staren's behavior -- to act as a herald for the Warp Iris and find friends who will welcome its return, in the event that Staren is not available. Who knows what will happen in a thousand years?

    Except Staren isn't experiencing this. He's watching it, like a movie.

    Staren stands in a dark room, up against one transparent wall through which he watches all this happening. He knows, somehow, that he is dead. Whatever comes after awaits -- that life belongs to someone else.

    "It's time." A pale woman in a ridiculously elaborate, elegant gothic dress, carrying a scythe speaks up, behind him.

    "But." he protests, looking between her and the 'screen'. Twilight is laughing at some funny comment the new Staren made.

    "You don't have to worry about oblivion. You made a deal. Now you can come and live with us, and imagine whatever life you desire."

    Staren ignores her. He leaves the room -- there's a door -- and enters a maze of hallways. But every door he finds brings him back to the dark room.

    On the screen, Staren is on the radio with Eryl and the Daedalus Initiative, discussing the design. Ainsley agrees with the idea. Kotone seems surprised at the thought of planning a thousand years ahead but finds the plan agreeable. Rory has helpful comments about people who've made such plans on her own world.

    "But I don't want... to just live in an imaginary world. I want /that/ life." Staren waves a hand at the screen.

    "You could imagine that life."

    "It wasn't supposed to be like this. It was supposed to be like... just losing my memory."

Mortimer Balman has posed:
     Nettle floats through the aether of Thoughts, tiny pinpricks of ghostly lights the only indicator of her presence. Following the currents of Pathos, she eventually arrives to discover the core of Staren's Logos. The dream plays out in front of her and makes her body bristle into thorns. "<What is this...?>" She watches the 'new' Staren, being watched by the 'old' Staren. A horrid thought crosses her undead mind for a moment- the realization of what Staren IS and how he /functions/. Oh.. Oh that means doing a /lot/ of checking up on places, later. That will be.. Unpleasant. ..But no matter. For now, this.

     Nettle floats down in a simulacrum of what she looked like in life. A pale human woman with very Eastern European features, in a long black dress. "Staren.. Over here, Staren.. Come away from them, over to me. You remember me, right?" The voice is the same but more 'alive' in a sense. More /comforting/, less of the usual sinister tones that Staren is used to hearing from Nettle. She sounds almost.. Motherly. Which may be disconcerting in and of itself.

Staren has posed:
    "What is this?" Mizuki's agent asks, turning to look at Nettle. "Nettle?" Staren asks. "What are you doing here? Wait! Can I become a ghost?" He starts to rush over to her, then stops. "...No, it's pointless, there's already a me living my life." He starts to pace, thinking, then groans and stumbles. Hard to think...

Princess Luna (993) has posed:
     Luna's ears perk as she senses a troubled dream. It breaks her out of whatever thoughts she was having, and she takes an involuntary step forward. But, she holds herself back. This is not her world, and Staren's friends seem to have the situation in hand. Hoof. Whatever. She sighs softly and takes a look around. And notices Dreamgazer looking back at her. Luna offers a slight smile before she looks back into the room. She obviously doesn't know Dreamgazer.

     She can't resist. Just watching won't hurt anything, right? Luna's horn glows softly and she gently pries into the mind of Staren. She sees all that he sees in there, then blinks at the sight of the ghostly woman. Luna isn't sure a deathly creature is the best choice, but Staren seems alright.

     Luna gently motions Dreamgazer over with a hoof motion. "Art thou lost, little one?" she asks, her voice carrying a kind tone unlike the usual tone of her counterpart.

Mortimer Balman has posed:
     Nettle lifts a brow at the thing which seems puzzled by her appearance. Wraithly tendrils slide out from her 'hair' and snake along the ground, before leaping up to wrap the dreamthing up and suck them into Nettle's 'belly' (for lack of a better word). As it is mere dreamstuff, it can no more resist her than the leaf can resist the storm winds. Once she has disposed of that aspect of the dream, she floats forward and gently scoops up Staren into a cold but gentle hug. "It's okay. You're not dead. This is merely a bad dream.." Behind her, where Staren can't see, vast numbers of tendrils have grown teeth and mouths and are steadily consuming the dream around them- like a thousand little tentacles made out of Langolier-mouths. "Everything's okay.. ...Do you want to tell me what happened, dear?"

Dreamgazer (1113) has posed:
Dreamgazer wondered if she had been left wondering if Luna was there to keep an eye upon somebody in their dreams, but she could have done that back at the castle. It was rather confusing to Dreamgazer what her exact motive was for coming here. Just then she saw Luna turn in her direction, she had been spotted...but she had instead smiled to her instead of reacting in an entirely different fashion. When she spoke the tone of voice and the words she chose were beyond belief. Had she grown so busy that they had forgotten her prior encounter? Those who didn't know Dreamgazer had mistaken her for a filly on more than a few occasions due to her small size. She simply shook her head in response to Luna for the moment, heading closer but not getting too close as she decided to gauge any additional reactions before proceeding any further.

Staren has posed:
    Staren and the dream figment look surprised. The video stops, because Staren's not paying attention to it.

    "Are you... serious?" Staren asks Nettle. "You're not just trying to make me feel better, are you? Wait, no..." he looks lost in thought a moment. "Dawn did call you... call Mort... What... happened?" He tries to think. "You were... I mean Ulbrecht was carrying me... We teleported to a hospital... must be in Equestria..."

    With a little prodding, he may realize what she meant, or may on his own once she's consumed enough mental pain for him to think more easily.

    "Oh! It was the only way to save the, the other universe. People were attacking it, there wasn't time... I had to show it, that we could live in peace, and what would happen if it didn't... Letting it touch my mind was the only answer I could think of. Oh man, thanks!" He hugs Nettle. "I thought... I thought this might happen," he waves a hand to indicate the dream around them. "That I might die, I mean. But... one way or another, I'll survive. And I couldn't let Yuna's sacrifice be in vain."

Mortimer Balman has posed:
     Nettle nods. The dream is rapidly consumed, the less attention Staren pays to it. Until eventually there is naught but formless void around the two. It is cold, and quiet. "There you go.." One of the tendrils remains flitting around looking for stray bits of dream. Pretty tasty all things considered! Lots of angst, existential fear, personal sorrow, longing- pretty solid meal, really. Not that she was going to remind Staren that he was basically providing her a quality meal from a fancy restaurant (he'd probably start debating on whether or not Twilight should get jealous and oh heavens that would just take forever.) Instead, she had /other/ things for him to focus on in the Void of Thoughts-

     "I promise, you're very much alive. So is Yuna, but her slumber will take much more work." Her body contorts into more of a hammock-like sheet to cradle him and give him a sense of 'grounding'- or more accurately, 'stability'. "A new arrival in the Multiverse, then? This thing that touched your minds.. Did you make any /deals/ with it? Agreements, contracts? Anything of that nature at all, aside from letting it take knowledge from you? This is important, dear heart, so think carefully.."

Staren has posed:
    Nah, he wouldn't. Because their friendship is built on trust and understanding, not romcom tropes.

    "This is a little weird." he comments as she turns into a hammock.

    "I'm very careful about 'deals'." He gestures at where the dream figment was. "That was a very special case, to make sure I have somewhere to go if all my other plans fail. As for the... the Warp Iris, we didn't even reach the stage of proper diplomacy. We gave it information, and we barely had a chance to talk to it before everything got messed up. In the end, it decided to leave and come back in a thousand years, in hopes it will recieve a better reception then."

    "...The idea on the screen... Making a herald for it... It should work. I'll probably do that when I wake up."

Princess Luna (993) has posed:
     Luna sighs softly at the caution. "I suppose at this point in this Equestrias history..." she mutters to herself. She then speaks in a normal voice again. "If thou art not lost, didst thou come looking for me? If thou hast a problem, I am afraid it may need to wait. So far I have not been needed, but the minds of these two have been attacked and my skills could be needed at any time." she says.

     Still watching the dream, Luna is...well, when she realizes what Nettle is doing, Luna gasps. "That is not how one should handle a nightmare!" she suddenly exclaims, likely confusing any who aren't watching Staren's dreams. Luna blinks in surprise, then blushes a bit and covers her mouth self-consciously with a hoof before coughing lightly. "Ah...forgive me." she says to anyone who might be staring at her.

Mortimer Balman has posed:
     Nettle nods a bit. "Good.. Your dream was, to say the least, a bit worrisome. I admit, sometimes it is hard to tell if you know better, but I am glad to know that you... ...Do." A brief pause in her voice and an eye twists away independent of the other eye. It's staring 'at' Luna. The ghost is aware she is being watched, now. The princess's pathos and disgust is palpable- in a literal sense, not even figurative- to Nettle, but she doesn't care too much right now. "Alright.. A thousand years, mm? Well, that gives us plenty of time to prepare, at least.. Now what do you mean by a 'herald', dear?"

Dreamgazer (1113) has posed:
Dreamgazer could only make a guess out in left field that Luna's duties had been so numerous than she simply forgot that they had met. She nodded quietly at her explanation and simple settled in as she tucked her hooves beneath herself, much like a cat would when it is at rest, showing that she was not in any hurry nor was there any urgency on her part with whatever reason she sought Luna out. She was a little surprised when she saw her suddenly exclaim something, then quickly figures it must have been something going on in the dreams of whomever she was watching over.

Staren has posed:
    "Worrisome? Ah... because you're a ghost, and I'm cheating death in my own way?" He sits up in the hammock. "Oh, just something that will explain the situation to whoever's around then, in case I'm... well." He makes a much slighter gesture towards where the figment was. "Ooh, then I could tell it to come find me, and once I have contact with the outside world-- wait, no, I don't know where Mizuki's world is now. Damn." He frowns and crosses his arms.

    "...Anyway, the Warp Iris isn't equipped for peaceful coexistance yet. They need to do something about that... aura of dread thing it has going on, and they'll need psychic experts on hand to make sure it doesn't accidentally hurt anyone. So... things will go better if anyone who might be willing to help it, knows what they're dealing with. Thus, a herald: A robot that will activate in the distant future and alert people that it's coming."

Mortimer Balman has posed:
     Nettle shakes her head. "Silly boy.. No, I was worried because I am.. Unsure of some things, now. But I will be sure of them soon enough. I'm cheating death too, after all." Warp Iris. The Master will be curious of this, indeed. "Aura of dread? Mmm, a solid defense... Ahh, so that's what your herald is? Clever boy. That should be most sufficient for such a task. Don't overthink things, for now. Relax.. ...For the time being, you will have no dreams. All will be as this, a void of thoughts. But that will pass in short order. In an hour's time- real time, not dream time- I shall have the Master waken you, and then you can try and rest properly, again. Until then.. I will stay here and keep you company."

Princess Luna (993) has posed:
     Luna blinks in surprise as Nettle reacts to her, but it makes sense. Dreamwalkers can sense each other, right? Although admittedly, Luna has not met any other than herself until now. Luna doesn't voice or even broadcast any apology for her reaction. Destroying a nightmare can potentially be as bad as letting it run freely if the core issues are not handled. But again, Nettle shows that she has some experience with this as she starts talking to Staren about what happened.

     Luna looks to Dreamgazer again, then smiles softly. "Thou art quite the chatterbox, I see." she says, showing a bit of the sarcasm for which Luna is known. "Do not be shy. I shall not bite."

Staren has posed:
    "That's kind of you." Staren replies, smiling.

    "It's not a defense. It's just... part of how it is. Like a vampire that needs blood to live whether it wants to hurt anyone or not. It's an eldritch being from a very strange reality... it IS a reality, itself, somehow, and when it unified it became... this thing. But it seemed amenable to peaceful coexistance. It wants to learn things."

    He leans back on the hammock, with his hands behind his head. "What are you unsure of?"

Dreamgazer (1113) has posed:
Dreamgazer's expression had shifted from caution to one that seemed more at ease as she got closer to Luna before settling in again. No time like the present then to start things back on the right hoof once more. She had not been wearing her porter's uniform that she usually did, having left that at home. Though she did carry a small pouch around her neck that seemed to have something weighty tucked away inside of it.

Mortimer Balman has posed:
     Nettle waves a hand dismissively. "Nothing important, now. My biggest concern was the veracity of your nightmare.. But it seems that you have made no such agreements or arrangements that it needs to be given too much thought." At least, not while here in the dreamscape. That was a concern for the lands of the living and waking..

Princess Luna (993) has posed:
     Luna notices the pouch, but as it seems that things are under control here she decides that she should return to her own world. She breaks her link to Staren and Nettle and gives a smiles to Mortimer. "I cannot say I approve of her methods, but thy ghostly friend seems quite skilled. As such, I shall take my leave. If I am needed, I am but a call away." she says, then makes her way past Dreamgazer. "If we meet again, I hope thy feline will have released thy tongue." she says, smirking playfully.

     The princess makes her way out of the hospital and heads back to her home. If anyone happens to be watching, they might be confused to see her head for the local warpgate rather than the castle.

Dreamgazer (1113) has posed:
Dreamgazer figured she had resolved any business that had been come here to take care of. She was not sure if Luna would remember speaking to her later or not but this at least made her felt a little more comfortable with being in Canterlot at this time. She pulled herself to her hooves and trots back to the train station in order to get some rest. It turned out to be a rather interesting night, though more peculiar than interesting.

Staren has posed:
    Staren ohs. "The dream was certainly... plausible. I don't know for sure what happens when I die. It may be that the me that died moves on, while another is brought back. Although..." Staren rubs his chin. "That would not be possible, if one's aura moves with one to the afterlife. Without it, it shouldn't be possible to revive me. But these are details that are very hard to be 100% certain of, empirically. As for her... I did make a contract with Mizuki, to go to her world when... IF I finally die for good. No other afterlife has been promised me by religion or custom, after all."

Mortimer Balman has posed:
     Now Nettle looked /worried/. "Oh, dear.. ...Tell me- no. I am no expert on such things. When you awaken, I want you to speak with the Master on your contracts. Whether or not someone else has offered you an afterlife, such contracts.. Are dangerous, at best. Now perhaps, you will see why I worry for you. As for me.. Well, I shall have a look around, at places where you have fallen before. But for now I can feel that you are the same You that I have known for these years of Multiversal existence. No matter. No more overthinking. Relax.. It sounds odd to hear that in this place, perhaps, but you aren't quite there yet."

Staren has posed:
    Staren crosses his arms. "It was a verbal agreement, and who knows if it still holds now that Mizuki is gone... But alright."

    He tries to get comfortable and rest. At Nettle's affirmation of his continuity of self, he gives a small "Heh." before closing his eyes.