Scene #2558: Confronting Your Own Problems

Owner	Pose
Nathan Hall	Nathan has come to the volcanic home of Amalthea for a variety of reasons, not the least of which has been someone bothering him to 'face up to his problems', and to confront them directly. He tried doing this with Psyber. And it worked out okay. Sort of. A giant robot jumped out of his head, but that's unconnected. He's contacted Amalthea ahead of time. Informed her that he would like to speak to her, though what about is being left unspoken. They already know, mutually, probably. He's going to arrive at the front door pretty politely. Do fortresses have doorbells? He'll ring it if they do, and head inside with whatever direction Amalthea prefers to offer here, still as stoically polite as ever, and utterly monotoned and expressionless. He figures she has a preferred place to speak in.
Nathan Hall	Also, oddly, he has a bandage around his head, as if having recently suffered some kind of wound. No particular signs of what it's covering. He is, though, in his adventuring gear, as if prepared for something or another, just in case.
Amalthea	Despite the natural warmth and heat that comes with living in a volcano, to say that Nathan's reception on his arrival is somewhat frigid, is... Something of an understatement. Contacting Amalthea ahead of time to announce himself for this visit was met with vague and non-committal grunts and terse mono-syllabic replies that might have required bringing in a linguist fluent in neanderthal to translate, but in the end Amalthea opened her door when the bell rang. Yes, this fortress has a doorbell it would seem. When she did, open the door it was not pleasant. For all of her bad habits, surly tendencies, and vulgar language, when the door to the manse opened, Amalthea was stone silent in the face of Nathan Hall. No words are exchanged, no greetings from the unicorn as she stands as still as a stone, lone eye vividly staring with the same wary glower of an abused animal, the kind that looks ready to lunge out in fear and snap teeth at the first hand that seems ready to strike. It is a hard stare, one that lasts for a long, long, moment; as if wordlessly asking the youth why she simply shouldn't slam the door shut in his face, before she turns, with a movement as smooth as flowing water. he fact that the door remains open is as much of an invitation as Nathan will be getting as the unicorn slumps into a battered old lazy boy recliner that appears almost as old as she is, a half-empty bottle antifreeze sitting on the coffee table nearby. "Well."
Nathan Hall	This is a very stoic back and forth here. It's going to be difficult to express much, it seems. And so Nathan opts to open things himself. That eye, though... It's always one eye. He notes it, and it fosters a deep, intense sort of unease in him, like the soft feelings of a phobia. Hmm. He enters home, and heads to the living area where Amalthea intends to speak to him. Or, rather, to not speak to him. His monotone is unlike hers; his is exhausted, like someone who can't muster the urge to feel more than someone who, like Amalthea, is presumably holding it back. He doesn't take a seat, that's reserved for when your host actually wants you to feel comfortable and settle in. When she prompts him, what he says is simple. He speaks with conspicuous effort, intending to muster up his old ways of intoning things with more professionalism and energy. "You harbor negative feelings towards me. As a leader, I am obligated to do what I am able to resolve that. I want to know the details of your grievances and the desired methods by which I might resolve them." Quick, simple, and to the point. He figures Amalthea has no energy to let him mess around with pleasantries.
Amalthea	The living area of the manse was once a hangar, a place where the Hundred Forged Dragon took up residence during the time of its construction; before its first and last flight and dismantling. Now it's a wide expansive chamber, the crater of the volcano overhead sealed witha retractable dome. For a long beat that single eye is focused solely on Nathan, her head even cranes in a sudden and bird-like manner to better focus that endlessly deep blue gaze upon him.. "If you're going to stand, then stand, if you're going to sit, then sit." It's no direct offer, but more of a hint to her mounting levels of antipathy ever since that chaotic and hellish night on the Drasillium. But what might be the worst of her demeanor is the unicorn's tone of voice. It is no monotone. But it is niether a raging bellow, nor even an aggressive hiss. Her voice is level, speaking with the weary weight of an inhuman serenity. "Is that so? As a leader. Not as a friend, not as a member of family?" If anything this earns a snort, steam hissing from one nostril as arms fold across her chest. "Aye. This is correct. But I am more than simply angry with you, Nathan hall. I am disappointed."
Nathan Hall	"At the moment, I have no right to act in the capacity of a friend or a family member." Nathan says. Already, his energy is wearing down, and he's threatening to slip into that more rambly tone. "Been forfeited. Really, forfeited in entirely the way you'd be aware of." He remains standing, though, and looks back at Amalthea directly. It's not a look of mutual aggression or tension, merely a look of a sort of acceptance that this is what has to be happening. He takes a deep breath, like someone about to dive into a large body of water.
Nathan Hall	"I'm aware many of the causes of your disappointment. Quite aware, really, quite cognizent of much of the issue. However, there's reasons, plenty of reasons for me to not believe I have a particular... Right, you know, a particular qualification to determine all that myself." There's a long pause, clearly something meant to gather energy. "I'm asking, specifically asking right now, what your disappointments are. What specific ways I have failed that leave you feeling like this."
Amalthea	It is not so much aggression as it is the way a wild animal would act when locked in a large room with a human. That stare does not cease. At Nathan and almost through him at the same time with that endlessly deep eye. Once she's settled in her seat, Amalthea goes so still it might steem as though Nathan were talking to an overly gaily colored statue. Until the buzz of motors signal a twitch of her fingers, beginning to drum on the weathered old armrest of her chair. "At least you understand the position you have put yourself in." Conceded after a beat. "You ask me then, what my grievances are with you in specific, then I shall tell."
Amalthea	Her head tilts once again in that oddly bird-like manner, eye re-focusing as if getting a new perspective on the man before her as the Unicorn gathers her thoughts and words. And she lets them go, still speaking in that weary, ancient and grey tone. "It is not to any simple man that an immortal gives all their faith. That was something you had earned. From me. My sister. Your other friends and allies. It was an achievement built upon respect, trust, and a bond formed slowly over time." Given slowly. "To betray that is a sin tantamount to sliding in a knife." It would seem Amalthea is aware of the irony of her choice of words here, however does not dwell upon it nor did she intend to use it in an offensive manner. "You decieved your friends, used them, for your agenda in dealing with the Lord of Fear. That was your first fall in my eyes. And you would know I do not take to being used very well nor lightly."
Nathan Hall	The first words seem to give Nathan a mild physiological reaction. It's tough to identify exactly, a mild twitch that lacks emotion. Just a gental pulse in the head. "Someone's been encouraging me to face my problems directly. Face my problems without so much avoidance. And so that is my intention, the cause for my presence now. To not avoid any circumstances of what I've done." Nathan says, his tone seemingly a bit heavy. "I understand this grievance. The unusual circumstances surrounding it were not extenuating. For this and for other grievances, I wish to know which improvements must be made to ease your feelings of disappointment towards me, and how you wish for those improvements to be made."
Amalthea	"That is but one grief I have, boy, the laundry list is long and about to follow." Amalthea retorts, before she even thinks of going into telling Nathan just how he can improve. "Normally I do not grieve long over the physical harm that has been done to me. Yet..." One hand rises, setting on the smooth silver of her breastplate over her heart. "I want you to know that the bullet that would have killed Psyber is lodged directly beside my heart. The one man who gave almost everything to try and keep you from harming yourself as much as you harmed others. I do not grudge you this bullet, but it is something you need be aware of, because in your rage you would have taken away something very dear to yourself and many others."
Amalthea	Of course the bullet is not where it ends, lowering her hand, the unicorn falls silent for a beat. "You are... Not as in control of your emotions as you claim, Nathan Hall. You are a man, fallible and fragile, and as wildly emotional as any beast on this green earth, no matter how much you strive to deny it. But most of all there is one true reason I am upset with you Nathan Hall, and I will ask you one question before I tell you what it is." She says. "Tell me, Nathan Hall, do you know the difference between a human and an immortal?"
Nathan Hall	Talk of Nathan's bullet brings another pulsing twitch, this one stronger than the last, that same physiological reaction. He remains silent, though, and continues his accepting expression. "A host of biological, mechanical, or spiritual differences, but those are irrelevant." Nathan says, his expression unchanging after that. He still has that posture of absolute acceptance. "A disconnection from the human condition. A perspective that prioritizes long-term action and consequence. An awareness of the psyches of human-type minds throughout various developmental stages. A high degree of experience with typical failure modes of human judgement." There is a distant pause, as if he has something to say further, but he doesn't. Instead, there's another twitch, as if there was a gentle bit of pain.
Nathan Hall	Nathan's voice takes a gently urgent sort of posture to the energy as it begins to falter. "My further opinions, my further... Beliefs, my further stances on the subject of the differences between mortal and immortal minds are difficult. Potentially offensive. Quite offensive, for some, I admit. So I will hope to not bring it into relevance. You have my apologies in advance, if I must speak on them. I won't be dishonest, won't be... Inauthentic. Won't hide behind any lies. I don't have an ideal sort of view about the differences between mortal and immortal minds."
Amalthea	Those twitches and jerks. They do not go unnoticed. Each one earns another sudden twitch of the Unicorn's head to a new and inquisitive angle. Amalthea's brow gives a mild quirk as each reaction were given almost as though the discourse was a spitball fight and Amalthea was armed with pins for her straw. She has been somewhat merciless, but every word is one that, she feels, needs be said. Loppy ears flit and flick as the librarian answers, and the acknowledging nod to follow concedes that he is correct. In a form. "The one true difference that sets a man apart from one that is ageless... Is that an immortal will make a mistake but once. Fall into a pit just. Once. And then for the rest of their long-lived days, never again. No immortal makes the same mistake twice ever." Now she looks Nathan square in the eye. "While humans see the mistakes of those all around them, and continue to make them over and over again across years, centuries, generations."
Amalthea	"You made. The same mistake. I made." It's this that Amalthea drives home. "The reason I gave up my need for vengeance against Fairchild was because I knew that were I to pursue it, as I had pursued my fury with The Emperor into Annu where I commited the most grievous of sins, it would have destroyed me. And you let yourself succumb to that need for vengeance, letting it consume you completely and utterly, to the point where you would attack your own beloved just to strike Elliana down. And had you not been stopped, you would have destroyed yourself. You were lucky enough to be spared from your own personal Annu, where so many others were not."
Nathan Hall	Nathan's reaction isn't one of emotional pain -- he's going through that, under the surface, sure, but that's not what his physical reactions come from -- but rather a reaction of physical pain, like the twitches that come from a pulsing migrane. It's momentary, though. The silence that comes after it is a palpable one. While one can't really see what Nathan's emotions are under that stoic mask, it's quite easy to tell he's thinking through various statements he wants to make, about Fairchild, about the unfairness of the situation. It takes him a moment to properly settle on something.
Nathan Hall	"Okay." He says, simply. "You are correct. This is the second time I have made this mistake, with far more severe consequences than the first. I understand and acknowledge this failure, and the pain borne by others through which I avoided its more grim consequences."
Nathan Hall	"The only solution I have to this failure is the same one I tried before, so I imagine there is more vindication to be had vis a vis mistake repetition. The only solution I can conceive when my emotions running out of control causes problems is to establish absolute control over my own emotions, and ensure that they are expressed as little as possible. I am attempting to renew this, after its failure before." He then makes a wide, plaintive sort of gesture. "I am to assume this is not enough improvement to resolve your disappointment in me. So how do you wish for me to make sure this mistake does not occur again?"
Amalthea	For a long moment, Amalthea is silent. Regarding Nathan with that lone eye as she reads the telltale signs of pain both within and without. And she decides... That is enough. That eye slides shut as she slowly leans back in her seat with a hiss of steam. "It is not about whether I am correct or not. That you accept and understand what could have been, and that you strive to prevent it from re-occurring. I will accept." She finally decides after a length of pause. "Nathan. I want you to know, that for as long as I live, I will never again trust Elliana Fairchild. I will remember her treachery beyond the day the race of man is little more than a fairy tale told to young mice by their mothers. And I ask you never give me reason to remember you in the same way." But then silver lips purse into a mournful frown.
Amalthea	"You try not to act it, but you are a creature of extremes. To well up your emotions behind an impenetreble wall only means they well explode all the more violently when the dam becomes too flooded to hold back the natural flow." The unicorn sighs. "In regards to your emotions I can only say that moderation is a realm between abstaining and indulging. Remember that. And remember that my sister loves you. I loved you like a brother. But seeing you take all the hard work of years and nearly destroy it has shaken me and my faith. I am still disappointed in you, but that is a wound time will need to scar over, now."
Nathan Hall	Nathan winces again. This time it's far more extreme. "A moment, please. I'm..." He mutters, biting back pain reflexively, before swallowing it down and recomposing himself. He takes deep breaths, but it's clear this is pushing a very severe emotional button for him. "I understand." He says. "I will not begrudge the necessity of time to restore more positive feelings, but..." He makes a tense noise, then stops again, trying to collect his thoughts one more time, like a computer program that starts, crashes, and starts again, only to crash once more.
Nathan Hall	"I tried releasing some emotion, and being more open. Explaining my feelings. It..." There's that tense noise again. "The result was that I was ignored, shouted down, humiliated, and eventually betrayed." There's a palpable atmosphere now, of something more external to Nathan building, which is own stoicism serves to hold back. "I understand that you believe this is a necessary element of improvement from your perspective. I acknowledge that the alternative appears to result in severe repeated failures."
Nathan Hall	"If that is what is necessary to improve, then I want to. But I am unable to find a way of doing what you are asking that does not result in more pain than I can--" He winces, a more visible display of pain, this time, his eyes screwing shut in distress. "Than I... Ghhhhk... It hurts to..." One hand heads up to his forehead and he hunches, clearly having lost his composure to whatever's happening, but his tone remains utterly stoic. It's no emotional breakdown, at least not on the surface.
Haruhara Haruko	Nathan was having a rather confrontational talk with Amalthea. But, finally, the two of them have something to bring them closer. A sort of common ground between the two of them. Nathan Hall has gotten in touch with his inner self, and unleashed the unicorn within. Nathan is a Unicorn Otherkin. Or, more accurately, a long pointed horn is now coming out of Nathan's head. It bursts away the bandage he was wearing on his forehead, and sticks out quite errect. It looks very similar to Amalthea's own. Long, thin, metallic, and with a spiral upon it. Without a doubt, it looks entirely like a unicorn horn. It sits there on Nathan's head, for just a moment. Giving Amalthea and Nathan enough time to observe and wonder 'what even the fuck'. But then, more pain in Nathan's head. The horn bursts out further. It's revealed to not be just a horn that looks like that of everyone's favorite Robot Unicorn. No, it's the horn of a completely /new/ Robot Unicorn, and it is now within Amalthea's home. This creature looks unlike any unicorn anyone has likely seen, either. It's body looks much like an arm, with its head shaped similarly to a fist. From its bodies, it has four legs. Or at least, they're sort of legs. They look like long hands, wtih their fingers bound together by metallic straps. They bend in the center, much akin to how a horse's legs bend. Its head is large and menacing. The one long errect horn sticks from its fist-head. A line across its shape shows a mouth, and it opens up, showing a row of flat herbivorous teeth. Also upon its head, is a Single Red Eye with a Black Pupil. It starts running around the room at random, trying to crash into and break the walls. After a second, it turns to Amalthea, and starts to rush forward at her, horn first.
Nathan Hall	Nathan is promptly thrown off of his feet onto his back by the emergence of the creature, after staring, stunned, at the horn that emerged from his head, tearing away the bandage in a flurry of ripped fabrics. His eyes go wide and, despite his traditional stoicism, he seems to freeze up, like someone who has seen something triggering a traumatic flashback. He's on the floor now, having scrambles just a bit back to the couch and staring directly into that deep red eye, his teeth locked up and every muscle tensed. It looks like, for at least a moment, something EMOTIONAL has been triggered in an awful way, causing Nathan to be somewhat disabled for a moment. He's going to need someone snapping him out of that; presumably Amalthea can deal with the charging robot on her own.
Amalthea	It was not an easy talk to be having. Though the levels of animocity and hostility had gradually declined, no longer seeming to suffuse the chamber in a miasma of almost palpable antipathy, Amalthea must put it on pause. It's an almost bird-like motion; the way she cants her head. Tilting to get a better look from her good eye. It is a look of bewilderment, and something close, but not quite concern when the general seizes amid what was originally meant to be a very private talk. And then Nathan has a horn. Bewilderment turns to silent, shocked, befuddlement; complete and total, as Amalthea is left staring in mute silence. Until the horn emerges fully into the form of a complete CREATURE- one that commences thrashing around her living room. Thankfully the volcano manse's main chamber is quite large, but once the initial shock wears off, its replaced with reflex. Amalthea's first instinct is to slam her fist onto the nearvy switch, beginning the process of closing the crater skylight off, rather than let it have a venue for escape. But when it comes charging at HER, there's really only one option. Having not expected a mechanical fist-shaped unicorn to assault her while chatting with someone in her own home, Amalthea is, needless to say, without her arms or armor. Her own eye flicks from the beast to Nathan- incapacitated for the moment- even if she is still more than upset with him, duty musters her into action as she sets her footing and lowers her head, meeting the charge head on with one of her own, intending to meet skull with fist-shaped skull to try and hold it at bay for at least a moment or so before others can arrive.
Guest Psyber	In credit to Psyber's response time, it's pretty fast considering he was at the office handling paperwork when the initial calls of 'What the fuck is that' and 'It has one eye again' went out over the larger bands. In a turnaround that would make a fire department or a police station look snails pace by comparison, the half-angel had already been out of the chair when 'one eye' came out of Nathan's mouth. It helps that he and Amalthea had, some time back, established a pretty quick and dirty artificial warp gate between the two houses. He didn't even have to leave the garage, though his passenger (One Riva Banari) may have a harrowing experience when the car Psyber is driving (a black 1970 Ford Torino GT) is careening straight towards a marked section of wall at about 90 miles per hour. Luckily for all passengers, the wall shimmers and gives way to a gate that, after a short jaunt of driving, spits them out right in the courtyard of the Hundred Forged Fire Manse, wherein the car promptly drifts to a stop and leaves some tire tracks on the ground. "Guns are in the trunk. Take what you need and let's haul ass," Psyber notes to Riva, heading around to the back to grab a shotgun out of the trunk. One which he promptly begins sliding shells into from his coat pocket. They probably won't be able to arrive in time for the first round of combat, but definitely next round!
Riva Banari	<Psyber> Quick, Bee-Girl! Commissioner Hall is in danger! We have to stop EVIL! <Riva> Oh boy, Angel-Man! I love stopping evil! <Psyber> TO THE ANGEL GARAGE! WAAAAHWHAAAAAHNANANANANANA JIGGA JIGGA JAH JAHHHHH WEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOEEEE If you ask Riva, that's /exactly/ how it went down. Extensive experience with Arthur and her natural inclinations (as well as complete trust in Psyber's driving skills) allows her to enjoy the convenience of having a warp gate in the garage instead of screaming that they're going to splatter on the wall. That would be silly, of course, Psyber would never waste a perfectly good Ford Torino like that. Maybe a Ford Pinto. But not a Torino. The moment the car stops, Riva vaults out of the car with a dramatic pose, and pulls her MP7s out of the trunk (driving with guns in the passenger seat can get awkward, kids), the Anima Circuits flaring as she nods to Psyber. "Let's roll." They haul ass, because it's almost That Time.
Haruhara Haruko	As Amalthea moves her horn to hit that of the Arm/Hand Unicorn, it moves and pushes its horn against hers. Sparks of metal fly from the clashing of horns. It lets out a massive robotic horse-like neigh, and then lifts its forearms up. It's trying to bring them down on Amalthea, trying to stomp down on her. Succeed or not, it will go back to leaping around the living room. It's main goal seems to be just breaking the furniture, now. Also, a turret errupts from its back. And it's beginning to fire randomly aroudn the room. It's not necessarily aiming at Amalthea or Nathan, at least. But still, Amalthea is going to need a repair bill.
Amalthea	WHAM. Horn clashes off horn, sparks fly, skulls meet. And for a brief moment, the two unicorns are eye to eye, blue glowering against red. The impact is jarring, and Amalthea soaks, shoulders bunching briefly before letting the shock diffuse down her spine. It's like watching two beasts vying for dominance. But as those forearms bear down, Amalthea's arms come up- and are batted awat. It's with a snarl that the mechanical mythic is bashed aside, tumbling briefly before coming to a roll that lands her on her knees and- It has a turret. "Oh that's just not fair." The wild fire puts her on a moment of the defensive, throwing herself in a tumble behind the couch- which she quickly shoves into a position to shield Nathan.
Nathan Hall	Bullets whiz and ping around Nathan, but he remains utterly motionless, frozen in some kind of intense emotional reaction, eyes still wide and face still stoic, but remaining frozen, like a crashing computer. Thankfully, this means no issue when a couch is shoved into place to give him cover. He still remains pretty frozen, though, someone will still have to snap him out of it. Hopefully one of the incoming pair!
Guest Psyber	In order to play into Riva's narrative of this being an action move and them being a team-up, Psyber cocks the shotgun once for effect, "Right. Let's roll." He's off at a swift dash, trying to make his way through the few areas between himself and the ongoing monster problem before abruptly kicking open a door to breach into the living room, "Is everyone alright?" He asks, unloading a round of buckshot towards the side of the monster. "Nathan! Snap out of it! Use some Countermagic or try to scan it or something. Let us know what we're dealing with here. If it's coming out of your head, you should at least be taking some responsibility for your brain children here."
Nathan Hall	Nathan seems to snap out of it when given direction. He finally blinks, then shakes his head rapidly, as if to clear it. "Right. Right." He mutters, still clearly unsettled but very intent on dealing with this. For now, he knows COUNTERMAGIC is unlikely to work in the sense Psyber's looking for, so he focuses on the other thing. Trying to peek over the couch now, and keep in cover, he activates his scholar magic ability of [SCAN], his glasses suddenly filling with that telltale white glare of magical light. He's still stuck with staring at that one eye, but for now, he keeps focus on being actually helpful. He also pre-emptively activates SHIVAN, his bracer; with a cryonic crackling noise, his body is abruptly covered with a light, smooth plating of ice in medieval style, something to protect against blunt strikes or some stray bullets, just in case.
Riva Banari	Oh snap, a robot unicorn rampaging around and causing property damage? and it's got a turret? When the room is breached, Riva is there, guns in hand and back to Psyber in a dramatic team pose. Because when crap gets real, you pose as a team. That's how it works. "Of course they're all right, it would take some kind of massive world-breaking apocalypse engine in order to bring down Amal-whoa." Riva pauses, blinking at the huge thing. "Okay, that's pretty up there." She levels her guns and sprays a fusillade of glowing blue-green Anima bullets at the beast. "Someone needs to keep its attention ot it's going to start breaking through walls." She calls. Meanwhile, Psyber tries to reach Nathan. Riva tries in her own way. "HEY Nathan! If I'm looking up some information on Leonardo da Vinci's sketches, would I find it under 741 or 945?" He's a Holistic Librarian, surely the man knows the Dewey Decimal System. Maybe that will snap him out of his funk. As she does so, she's trying to work out a way to get over to back up Amalthea. Easier said than done, though.
Haruhara Haruko	With the couch shoves in front of Nathan, the robotic unicorn turns its eye towards Amalthea. It bends its front legs, pressing its torso down against the ground. The turret changes angles, so that it faces head on towards Amalthea. It's at this point that it starts firing upon Amalthea herself. The bullets fly, sparks bursting from the turret as it fires. There doesn't seem to be a belt of ammunition, or a source for the bullets. They're just... coming from nowhere, and seem neverending. The buckshot hits against the Unicorn, blasting a hole in its metal exoskeleton. Mechanical parts can be sen inside, though the innards seem a bit more sturdy. It rushes straight towards Psyber, its horn leading. It aims its horn straight towards Psyber's stomach. It's horn is long and sharp, and it seems /entirely/ intent on stabbing all the way through. The scanning of the unicorn transmits an incredibly odd thing about its power source. The horn, seemingly, goes as a spiral throughout its entire body. Somehow, this spiral is used as either its power source, or perhaps as a way to amplify its power source. It's hard to tell, and is really bizarre. Riva goes unattacked, as does Nathan. It's focusing right now on the two who have shown the most hostility. But, it still lets out a TERRIBLE DEATH WHINY. ...Also is its horn sparking with Electricity?
Guest Psyber	Psyber rushes in towards unicorn as it charges for him. What happens next is incredibly painful for him, but he's willing to tank it as the horn goes in through his gut and comes out at the small of his back, putting him totally impaled by the horn as he digs in his feet and slides back along the ground from the charge of the monster. While painful, letting himself get impaled also somewhat serves to Psyber's benefit: He now has the Unicorn stuck in a single location unless it's willing to really put some effort into removing itself from being buried inside his stomach. And so, while he drops and oozes blood onto the floor underneath him from the impaling, he's also holding the shotgun in one hand and trying to get a grip on the unicorn with the other. "I've got it! Beat the shit out of it now!" Psyber calls, trying to bring the butt of his shotgun down on top of the monster's head and jar it with some powerful impacts while his other arm grips tightly for any purchase it can find to keep the monster from going anywhere, "Follow Nathan's attack plan!"
Amalthea	"Oh." No good deed goes unpunished, they say. And when the more monstrous of the mechanical unicorns in the room turns that turret on her she's sort of left staring down the barrels for an awkward second. "Well." Reflexes take charge once again no sooner than the machine-beast disgorges a deadly hail of fire, she throws herself aside in another tumble that lands her in an all-fours scramble just as Psyber and Riva come busting in. It's not the most dignified position, loping about to not get shot, and caught in tie-dye and cutoffs. But it's better than getting shot. "Took you two long enough! What were you doing, standing outside acting all buddy cop and racking your shotgun for dramatic effect? How do you think I'm doing!" Amalthea is cranky. Pissed. Irritable, and snarling. In other words she's completely in her standard state, and everything is normal. But when Psyber eats the horn to hold the beast in place... Amalthea tests her traction. Scuffing the floor briefly, she takes position like a runner at the block. And breaks into a full tilt sprint, intending to gore the thing from the side with her own horn.
Nathan Hall	"Seven oh nine point two, seven fourty one..." Nathan is rattling things off in response to Riva. It's probably not worked as much as it should, but it's sort of working! He's still seeming a bit frozen and incredibly tense, but he's focusing more. He thoroughly analyzes the structure of the spiraling horn, and also immediately beginning to rattle off tactical data; he provides Amalthea immediate orders for the optimal trajectory to strike at the unicorn from the side, and analytically attempts to figure out how it might be struck through its current wound to deal additional damage and hopefully disrupt the horn. And of course... "Psyber, un-ground immediately. Electrostatic charge building, do not allow it to pass through your body. Amalthea, disengage from contact on my signal to ensure no discharge. Riva, continue ranged tactics, maneuver to flank opposite Amalthea."
Riva Banari	Amalthea's exclamation causes Riva to pull up short for a moment. "No! N... Um... N-yes." she finally admits, slumping. However, the DEATH WHINNY gets her clapping her hands over her ears reflexively, stunning her for critical seconds. "OH GOD THAT'S LOUD AND UNPLEASANT!" Riva yells, recoiling. When she opens her eyes again, Psyber is impaled. "DAMMIT PSYBER! YOU JUST GOT THAT WASHED!" She yells in frustration, but Nathan snaps to enough to provide tactical advice, which is good because she was about to try to melee that thing, which might have been ill advised. "Come on, Amalthea! Let's do it!" She says, laying down waves of suppressive fire. Looks like she's making up for accuracy with volume of fire at the moment. "Hit it hard, Amalthea! Show it who the best unicorn in town is!"
Haruhara Haruko	As Psyber grabs ahold of the Unicorn, he actually does a fairly good job of keeping it in place. The horn is still sparking with electricity, though. Meaning, Psyber will be feeling some electric shocks within himself. The blast of electricity flies back against the wall as well, with enough force that a hole might be left in it. The shotgun is hit against it, and some of its mechanics break off of its body. But, it's still trying to hurt Psyber more. It's trying to push him forward, waling on its feet to try and slam him against a wall. It's efforts to push Psyber against the wall are diminished some as Amalthea's horn impales it. It makes a cry in pain. It keeps tying to move forward, even as being gored. Large chunks of its inner workings are flying out as the horn presses into it. And even /more/ chunks of its body are blown away by the gunfire from Riva. She manages to help slow it down enough where it can't keep pushing into Psyber anymore. But, the damage to Psyber has mostly been done now. So has the damage to the robot unicorn (the not amalthea one). Large chunks of its exoskeleton re blasted away, and its inner skeleton is mostly what is visible now, including that long horn throughout its body. It's just a skeletal frame at this point. A skeletal frame with a turret. A turret that is now shooting straight at Riva.
Guest Psyber	Psyber grits his teeth as he can feel the electricity pulsing through him via the impaling horn in his chest. He grips his feet against the ground, trying to resist the push backwards into the wall as Amalthea comes streaking in from the side. The rubber soles on his feet make a squeaking noise against the slick floor as he tries to find some purchase and push back against the unicorn that has a horn through his gut. He manages to reply to Riva, "Well. I'll get it cleaned again!" He's following Nathan's advice, somewhat, and trying to only touch the rubber parts of his boots against the ground. But this isn't fool proof and certainly he has some scorch marks and internal damage to prove what that electricity is doing. But he is nothing, if not tenacious, and he eventually comes up with a plan. "AMALTHEA. FIELD GOAL PLAN!" She should get the rough idea when Psyber, after colliding with a wall, eventually just puts his whole strength into the idea. He's going to try to drop the shotgun and grab the Unicorn with both hands. Having suitably warned Amalthea, his aim is to uses his colossal strength to lift the robot unicorn up off the ground and into position for Amalthea's follow-up.
Nathan Hall	Nathan remains in cover, mostly. But Riva's being shot at now! With a sudden motion, he leaps to her aid, seeming at least mostly unfrozen now, spreading both arms out and chanting a quick chant in Old Realm. Impervious Sphere of Water activates! Abruptly, the lightly-armored iceman is chilling a wide sphere of water, encasing both himself and Riva in breathable water, which halts the bullets... Mostly at least. He has to hold position, though, so this defense has disabled him! He can't communicate very well through breathable water, of course, so he gives a quick nod to her instead, imporing her to set up and execute her own offensive gesture. Presumably the sphere can be instantly dispelled as soon as she leaves! Which is, of course, what he'll do, to make sure she can attack without issue.
Amalthea	With her horn buried in the side of the false unicorn, the real one snarls. Eye wide and wild she wrenches her head back and forth in a vicious pry of metal on metal before yanking her horn free. Field goal plan. Gaxe flicking up as she readies for another charge, she digs her fingers into the floor, legs tensed and ready to run for another simple and brutish charge RIGHT until Psyber calls out that simple yet informative plan of attack. She still charges. A sudden blur of motion, speed, and prismatic light as the air cracks around her in a miniature sonic boom of concussive force, light bending around the unicorn in a prismatic aurora of color. And she leaps. All of her momentum is launched forward as she balls her knees to her chest, before her legs exlode forward in a reality-sundering dropkick of bright light, flashing color, and dazzling sparkles. With intent to kick the thing out the nearest window and into one of the varied lava pits below.
Riva Banari	"Ugh, you must spend a ton on your drycleaning and tailor..." Riva asides to Psyber's casual disregard for clothing shredding robot destruction. But he's tank as hell, and like everyone else learns, the absolute worst thing you can do is to try to run Psyber through, because all it's accomplished is to lock the unicornbot down. But turrets are more dangerous. Funny thing, turrets. Even as Riva fires, the curret is still free to fire back. And Riva isn't sure if her Anima defenses can tank a fusillade of evil robot unicorn bullet. "THIS ISN'T HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO W-" Riva yells, moments before the first bullets smash into the sudden wave of water. Everyone knows that bullets instantly begin to fragment and lose effectiveness in water. That's Science. Hell, it was on Mythbusters, that's how legit it is. Riva is confronted with thie fact as bullets carve through the water around her, slowing down rapidly and fragmenting, dealing only light scrapes to her. "Burble burble, bubble bubble." Riva comments in the water, proving that despite being able to breathe the magical water, she sure as hell can't talk under it. But Nathan gives her the go, and Riva nods, swapping out her MP7s for what's become one of her favorite ways to destress in the face of evil: A massive two-handed hammer in the shape of the Ajoran Cross. With a lunge, Riva leaps forward, synchronizing her movements with Amalthea as she plants the hammer like a polevault, then pushing off with unexpected speed. The moment the unicorn goes flying through that window, Riva launches out in a spin, bringing the hammer up even as they hang over a super dangerously precipitous drop over lava. "I AM AFRAID WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO ASK YOU TO LEAVE!" Riva yells, as she slams the hammer downwards and imparts her momentum into a huge downward strike intended to spike the unicornbot right into said lava! She then uses the counterforce to hurl herself back towards the window, catching the edge of it with the hooklike sides of the hammer. God damn is this thing useful.
Haruhara Haruko	The skeletal frame of the robotic unicorn is caught within Psyber's hands. It's lifted off the ground, and tries to run within the air. Unfortunately, it is not a magical robot unicorn. Or a flying one. Or even rocket powered! So, its legs move uselessly against the air. And then, the incoming kick. It goes flying towards the window, only for Riva to come in with her hammer. The hammer strikes down, sending the robotic unicorn down towards the lava. The metallic creature is sent flying through the window, and then falls. Its legs uselessly tries to run even more. Though its body is broken and melted, some of its metal frame can still be seen in the lava. Upon the floor in the room, there are now all sorts of broken robot parts. One of which has a familiar logo on it. An iron, with the letters MM upon it.
Amalthea	To her credit, Amalthea lands more or less on her feet after that kick, skidding for a moment before reaching through the window for Riva's wrist and starting to pull. Though having some help on that end would probably make the process much quicker, as she vents steam and coolant. "Okay so..." It's time for the important questions. "What the HELL was that thing, and why did it come out of Nathan's head in my house?" She demands. Before looking around at the wrecked living room. She promptly proceeds to dump herself right in her favorite, (if now somewhat shot up) lazy boy. "Great. Lest is gonna melt me for scrap when she gets out of her lab."
Guest Psyber	"So," Psyber says tiredly, slumping down onto the floor after heaving the Unicorn up, "This is probably the weirdest time I've ever made a house call. By the way, I won't even bill you for this one since it's in-house," He waves his hand lazily and then looks over. "I dunno where that thing came from, but it's the second monster to emerge from his head. I'm starting to get pretty curious about what's causing it." He admits to the Unicorn, pretty casually lounging in a pool of his own blood while he leans against a wall.
Riva Banari	Riva was in the process of hauling herself up but UNICORN ASSISTANCE is nice. With a grunt and some effort, Riva is hauled up and tumbles back into Amalthea's house. "Holy crap, you /do/ live in a secret volcano lair." Riva says, the first chance she gets. "Watch out for sexy superspies." She shakes her head, and grunts, looking around the place. "Man, that thing /trashed/ this area. Are you done bleeding, Psyber? Otherwise, I can go get the first aid kit." She pauses, looking to Nathan. "So how are you feeling, Nathan?" She asks, stashing her hammer and folding her arms, tilting her head inquisitively.
Nathan Hall	Nathan's armor crackles, pops, and shatters, falling off of his body in chunks. He wanders over, wordlessly, to the shattered fragments of the robot. He only speaks up when Amalthea does. "I don't... I don't know, don't really understand. I know about as much as Psyber does, about as much as he seems to understand." He kneels down, picking through the wreckage. "This is the second time it's happened, the second time there's been an event. I'd hoped it wouldn't happen again." He holds up a chipped crimson piece of the eye, before making a distantly worried noise and focusing on something else. "I don't know why this happens, but at least I know who, I know who would properly know." He picks up the logo-inscribed fragment, bearing the MM on it, and turns it to the others. "'Medical Mechanica'." He says, wearily. He glances to Psyber, and to Riva, and then looks down. "Suppose I'm not okay precisely, though I'm not wounded, not particularly injured. I had been keeping this a secret, keeping it on a need-to-know basis. I'd assumed it was residual after-effects, some short-term effect of the previous monster, but apparently there's something in my head. I can't seem to remove it." Then he looks up to Amalthea, his stoicism breaking just for a moment in a tiny way, a miniscule twitch of distress. "I am extremely sorry for the damage here, Amalthea, profoundly apologetic that this happened. I have some repair magics and Stalwart Servators that I can assist with, that I can... Bring to bear on resolving this, if you do not mind my further presence." He says that last part with a sort of pacing to his monotone that makes it sound like he's expecting her to throw him out.
Amalthea	"My wife isn't a spy." Amalthea dryly replies to Riva as she rubs at her forehead. "There's beer and tacos in the fridge. Help yourself at least." She asides to Psyber on his pro bono work. For a moment, the unicorn falls into exhausted, thoughtful silence, before waving one hand lazily. To Nathan: "It's fine. I'll get a dustpan or something." Rather than tax him further after that THING emerged from his skull. "So who the hell is Medical Mechanica?"
Nathan Hall	"I don't know. All I know is, they have something to do with the robots, something to do with the things coming out of my head." Nathan says, trying to revive his emotional momentum, but falling back to exhaustion. "I'm so confused, so confused about this. I honestly have no idea what's going on. I'm sorry. About this, about... Before. Thanks for helping me out, Amalthea." He makes a noise of distressed exasperation, and, at last, finally takes a seat, rubbing his face with his hands.
Riva Banari	"That's just what they want you to think." Riva replies glibly with a wink. There is a pause as Nathan shares he knows basically jack-all about these MM guys. "Well, let's go punch them and find out." Riva replies. There is a pause. "Okay, we'll talk nicely to them and THEN punch them if we have to. Either way, a group that makes robots jump out of people's heads has got to be bad news." She nods to Amalthea's offer of beer and tacos. She'll probably leave a box of her version in the fridge as a gift, thus perpetuating the eternal Taco War. Looks like a solid day's work to her.