Scene #5750: Incursion - The Other Side

Owner	Pose
Ice King	The meeting place is new for everyone except Enark and Carna, primarily because they were the ones involved in clearing it of its Lantern squatters and a few Unlit they were keeping as 'guard dogs'. However, approaching from any of the locations linked to the Pristine Plagueway and navigating to this building along the pathways through the air, whether on-foot, by teleportation, by flight, or whatever else deposits the other Elites before a multi-story building that could technically be called a mansion but is highly worn down. Wards around the perimeter allow them entry but there's a crackle of power when they pass through that show they will likely be unpleasant for any intruders. Inside of the dark and dusty building is a large main room with double doors in pairs directly across from the entrance leading into a kitchen-turned-store-room on the left, and a dining-room-turned-conference-room on the right. Right from the entrance is a door into some kind of other room, but the doors are sealed shut and plastered with wards indicating it's probably not safe to go in right now. Turning left in front of that side door would place stairs leading up to the next floor directly in front of them, with a number of other doors visible beyond a balcony that are probably personal quartes. Carna, in her new non-face-concealing attire stands in the middle of the main room, and Enark is beyond her in the conference room, with a bunch of stuff splayed out across a long wooden table that the two of them (more likely the one of them) somehow managed to haul all the way here.
Kushiko	The teleportation that Kushiko, and by extension, Nova, is not the standard 'bamf' type that some people might do, where they just will themselves from point A to point B, but by that same extension, her style of it may well be all the more helpful. Hers allows for effectively controlling space-time and creating wormholes, gates that others can use. Plus she has a good amount of experience through the multitude of warframes she's used in the past to render her quite experienced in that fight. Regardless, a combination of her wormholes plus her natural mobility and parkour made it painfully easy to get where she needed to be, once she was here. She was actually /very/ well armed as opposed to her usual times where she conceals weapons. Not that she's paranoid by any stretch, but revisiting her experiences, and that hollow 'hole' she feels thanks to that prison... Yeah, she's not in any sense of the meaning contented by anything. And truth be told, Nova is one of her singularly most destructive frames she wields. Nonetheless, she appreciates the wards, a light blue pulse vaguely shimmering on her body once she's through them, seemingly uncaring as the faceless Warframe makes its--hers?--way towards the conference room itself as she spots Carna... who /is/ different, right? Feels different? Hmm. She didn't quite understand all of that, and with everything that's gone on, she doesn't head on immediately to the conference room because of it. <"... Carna?"> she wonders.
Staren	Staren's not exactly an expert on teleportation, but... it seems he's the only remotely relevant researcher interested in Lumiere. He grumbles as he pulls his armor on -- It's annoying that he has to wear it just to go /talk/ to people in a supposedly safe place. But it's the journey he's worried about: no way does he trust the Pristine Plagueway to definitely be safe, and not doing stupid things like risking his life for comfort and convenience is part of how he's stayed alive this long. He's pretty used to it anyway. That's life when you're a squishy scientist in a multiverse of superbeings. He arrives without incident, in any case, looking around and taking in the building as he approaches and enters and goes to the appointed room. His faceplate retracts as he nods in greeting to those gathered. "Carna. Enark. Kushuko. Good to see you." He begins to pace next to the table. "Unfortunately, I don't have any ready solutions, but I can think of some promising avenues of research. First, Erchius. It's the critical part of my ship's teleporter, as well as the FTL and artificial gravity systems. It's psychically sensitive -- The Flotilla's going theory is that it somehow knows what you're trying to do when you build something with it, and does so. But I haven't actually conducted experiments with it. I don't want to cripple my ship, and while the AMATERASU moonbase provides me adequate liquid fuel, the solid crystal form of erchius needed for such devices is much rarer. So we'd need to find some AND do tests on it before we'd have any idea if it might be suitable for this sort of travel, let alone have a working device. ...The teleporter I already have is mostly limited to line-of-sight. It's possible to construct a remote transmission and receiving point, but you have to bring the parts to the place you want to go the hard way and assemble it there." He stops pacing and looks between them for a moment, then resumes. "Second: My father invented a gate generator, although perhaps... a gate summoner, is a better term. It only worked in a world he traveled to long ago, where something akin to free-floating portals appeared routinely -- the device only made sure a portal appeared between the two places you wanted to, rather than truly creating it. Still, it might be alterable to suit some other mechanism we discover, so I thought I'd mention it." "Third, I continue to have access to some sort of... Lumiere computer system, although I seem to no longer have the account permissions to open portals like I did when we first found the crimson gate. Still, we know it's possible to use that computer system for travel, so if we can somehow get authorized access again, we could use that." He stops and looks around at the others, awaiting their own revelations.
Touta Konoe	Touta arrives to Manor Silvernight just a bit after the others. As he finally passed through the wards hearing the sound of cracking energy as he did he also couldn't really help but wonder what exactly would happen if someone had decided to try and trespass. That was a question for another time however. After a minute or so of taking a look around the mansion, taking in the rundown building for all it had to offer, and noticing all the potential closed off facilities, Touta would arrive into the make-shift conference room Enark and Carna had constructed. Seeing that Staren and Kushiko were already here Touta didn't try to make any immediate greetings and just tried to sit down. Judging by all the things that were already set up on the table he figured people were already taking about what the best course of action to deal with the corruption. He had heard before hand of people discussing teleportation or purification rituals or other options and their viability. In these regards...Touta wasn't sure how helpful he was going to be. Teleportation was a very limited application in his world, so he couldn't help out there. A purification ritual sounded very technical in the use of magic, which due to the fact he couldn't use conventional (or at least in his world, conventional) forms of magic. He had one idea of how to deal with some of the corruption but...Well he wasn't really a professional on Corruption so he hadn't spoken out much on the subject. At the very least he knew that if they needed someone to stab someone in the soul or something similar to what Enark had mentioned previously he could probably help with that at least. For now though he was honestly keeping quiet to hear what Enark and...Carna? He's pretty sure that's her name. He was just waiting to here what they had come up, along with what the others had figured out so far.
Priscilla	Last to the scene, Priscilla just sort of shows up. She can do that. It is, in fact, very difficult to tell when and how Priscilla has shown up if she doesn't make a conscious effort to be overt about it. Where that might be good manners elsewhere, this is Lumiere, and so not taking the opportunity to arrive at a creepy old mansion somewhere probably in Barrowville --or at least very definitely in Lostrata-- as covertly as possible would just be dumb. Along the same lines as Staren, secrecy is her armour. "Indeed. Said Erchius was a primary bet of mine. I am aware of the Flotilla's past work, and given their expoloits, I believeth they art perhaps more qualified than anyone to speak of its applications, and whether its formidable plasticity of reality wouldst be conducive to our ends." she just kind of comes out with it. "Though purification of the Corruption that plagues the Tower of Escher wouldst be an ideal means to regaineth access to the place we seek, our resources in such art extremely limited at this moment, and so I didst suggesteth that we focus our efforts instead of re-entering by force. Sir Enark wouldst be best qualified to speak to the nature of whence and where this place exists, so we may decide which means may best bore into it." Touta is new though. She'd called a bunch of Concord members (a couple unavailable), and has no idea who the kid at the table. ". . . I believeth thou hast me at a disadvantage. Art thou a friend of one of the others? An expert contracted to this cause? I supposeth thou art well met regardless."
Ice King	Carna looks at Kushiko's frame without recognition of any kind. As far as this Carna is concerned, their only encounter was when they met inside of that prison dimension thing, and Kushiko obviously looked quite different then. If she can even remember THAT far back they'd be lucky. But recognizing a proxy body? Nuh-uh. Nope. No way. Maybe in time. "That is what I am told." she answers about the inquiry regarding her name. She acknowledges Staren. Reconition is passing, if any, but she knows he belongs here at least. Likewise for when Touta arrives, he belongs here if not based upon recognition, then upon the wards letting him through. She is still awaiting their leader, so remaains in the large open room that comprises much of the first floor, as if guarding the place against trouble. Enark nods thoughtfull as he listens to Staren, taking notes, pausing only smile and bow his head briefly to Touta as the latter seats himself. When Priscilla is there suddenly, he assumes she arrived invisibly. Why would he assume otherwise? "I will address your suggestions in a moment, Sir Staren. I would like to take a moment to welcome everyone to our new base of operations in the absence of my study in the Library." He gestures to those gathered as Carna moves to join them, escorting Kushiko's Nova unit into the room. "I realized before all this that we were 'putting all of our eggs in one basket' so to speak by relying upon Tacet Sanctos, the Church of Bleak Mercy at the center of it, and my study in Escher as our 'safe points' in Lumiere. While I still intend to reclaim the Library of Murdered Knowledge if at all possible, we sorely need more distributed infrastructure for our efforts. If nothing else than to prevent us from being isolated or incapacitated by exactly the sort of thing that recently happened in my study." The Blue Scholar steeples his fingers and leans upon the table on his elbows, displacing some papers and abandoning that to sit back up straight again as he tries to gather them from his lap and reorganize them. "It is thus fortuitous timing that in my attempts to scout our new bases, I located this one. It is one of many buildings lying alongside the roads through mid-air that encircle Barrowville and pass through and connect its many layers, known collectively as the Pristine Plagueway. Lanterns claimed many of them early on when we render the Plagueway accessible, for their own Orders, personal storage, or what-have-you. With Carna's aid we... 'Evicted' the prior residents, unfortunately having to rely upon force. The protective measures I have in place should prevent singular Unlit from casually wandering in, but they are little protection against a determined Lantern or a large throng of mindless dead, I am afraid. If wards were all that I needed, I would not have had to resort to Monstrous Invader Murdering Incognito Constructs to begin with." Enark seems troubled by a memory of something as he mutters. "Wards certainly did not keep the Unlit out of Escher when they first appeared." he looks up and says, "But I have beaten around the bush too much. This is Sir Konoe, who has assisted in the retrieval of anchors for various Elites, and was an initial responder to the distress call given by Peacemaker Longita. Sir Konoe, these are Sir Staren, Queen Priscilla, Lady Kushiko, and Lady Carna. Do you have any thoughts on what we might do next, before I begin another long-winded explanation?"
Touta Konoe	This is definitely a first for him as well. He's not sure when this woman arrived but here she was almost like a ghost. With all the white he could have clearly mistakened her for one. That being the case while he's seen plenty of different kinds of demi-humans and such but he's never seen a fully white-hai...Okay that's not entirely true but the point still stands that he had never met someone with Priscilla's exact appearence before. Just as he was about to introduce himself to Priscilla it looks like Enark beats the young man to it. That being said he gives a brief wave. He's pretty sure Staren, Kushiko, and Carna are all familiar with him to an extent at this point. Likely the smallest of the group, Touta adorned in nearly all black attire to contrast Priscilla's white stands up as he hears Priscilla being addressed as a Queen. You're supposed to stand up in the presence of a Queen or something right? Well then... "...Yeah, I've had a few friends get caught up in this and I wanted to make sure they got back home alright. I'm not really sure how much help I can bring but I plan to do everything I can to help deal with this Lord of Fear guy, or whatever his name is." At the very least Touta's words should give Priscilla the impression that his intentions were honest enough, though from his stature alone he probably didn't seem that impressive compared to the others. At this point he turns towards Enark. Being asked if he has any input on what their next course of action was hard. He never really considers himself part of group that organizes the strategies. "Nah, you should just explain what you need to. I wouldn't want to say something only to have you explain why it wouldn't work because I was too eager to listen to you. Though if anyone else has any ideas they want to mention I definitely want to hear what they have to say as well."
Kushiko	Sadly, there's not all that much time to sort through things when it comes to Lumiere, when it comes to Carna's 'new' self and what have you. Especially with what's being discussed, topically speaking. Even if it is something that she would dearly like to address, as others--including Priscilla and this Touta person arrive and speak, it seems she has a bit to catch up with. Chiefly, this Corruption that keeps getting mentioned. As to what Staren says and offers--she doesn't quite actually remember if he was along when she utilized Nova in the depths of the former Union stronghold so many months prior. Njorun was an interesting place to put it mildly, and her experiences there had definitely augmented her own mastery of teleportation via gate, which is why in part she'd offered herself here. The twinned funnels of light--one on the back of her head and her back, brighten in their lilac tone slightly. <"Good to see you too, Staren, Priscilla,"> she offers in that weird, almost disembodied voice of hers; hard to be anything else where there's no actual mouth in the humanoid armored exoskeleton to speak with. <"This is an example of something I can make solely on my own."> she continues. And then she gestures. When she does, instantaneously numerous molecules of antimatter, their energy generated with certain molecular accelerations creates a gateway that almost resembles a tear in reality. Same colorations of the lilac color lighting her frame, with darkening towards the center of the vortex-looking manifestation. Oddly, from the side it is literally, impossibly 'flat'. A thread of energy 'stretches', marking a path from one end to another, namely near where Enark is. And she steps through, the vortexy 'wormhole' instantly putting her there. <"I think it'd be possible to use not this, but the general way I can control it and applying what actually powers my use of it could accomplish one or more of the ideas you're having, Staren, Enark."> She pauses. <"And I am not sure who else was awake for it, but it bears mentioning that this Lord of Fear is called the Bogeyman."> Another slight pause. <"Ah, right. I need a little explanation of this... Corruption."> It took her some work to actually kind of pull herself together in light of her being rescued; Staren undoubtedly saw the young girl at the time, as did Enark, though she remembers, finally to saying to Carna, <"We are an extension of the one you helped escape recently. It goes without saying, but thank you,"> looking to the others. When it comes to the faceless dome of the petite Warframe 'looking' towards Priscilla, well. She knows the First isn't one for lots of gushy gratitude, but keeps it simple and tactful. After all, she was the one who had her anchor. They might have a talk about that sometime, who knows?
Staren	Staren takes a seat as Enark speaks. Once he's explained that this is to become a permanent base, he's immediately reminded of his own designs for squirreling bolt holes in out-of-the-way places around the Multiverse. Although it's not quite the same, as this is for multiple people and needs active defenses. "I'll have supplies brought in so we can begin construction of guardian constructs." He stares into space for several moments, partly estimating materials needed and partly sending mental commands to an interface only he can see. "Hmm." he mutters. "Power might be a problem here, though..." He watches Kushiko think with portals. He's seen her do that trick before, but he watches with interest, as now he can see it operating in a calm situation. After thinking for a long moment, he asks: "What happens if you try to open a portal to somewhere further away, or that you can't see, or whatever the limit is?" "The corruption is somehow tied to the Lord of Fear, an ancient king who's now a disembodied spirit or something. We thought we destroyed him, but he's still around somehow."
Priscilla	"If anything, our failure was that of assuming the Tower of Escher wouldst be secure indefinitely without our supervision, for the fact that it had been so, more or less, for untold time previous. A poor way to knoweth that this is not the case, certainly, but one that may be rectified." Priscilla says, with an amount of discomfort that is commendably low for what it takes to admit. "Whilst I am perhaps gladdened more then I shouldst be, to returneth to scenery that involves not intersections of infinite realities, reconstructions of times past, arbitrarily enormous worlds within worlds, or multiple layers of existence, it is not mine intent to deescalate the importance of the Tower of Escher in our works. It was left improperly defended for assumptions of the time it hast already stood. That is all." A tiny bit of glittering blue frost escapes from Priscilla's lips when she exhales all at once, running fingers through her hair in an awkward way that she hasn't in a long time. "Wards and protections art not mine specialty from the outside, as thou might sayeth. I hath little ability nor expertise in creating them. I am, however, perhaps uniquely well experienced in their permeability from within; to whence they lead and from whence they lead back." "There art one or two things I couldst perhaps employ to protect this area from the wandering dead for a while longer, though mine most sincere suggestion wouldst be to sever its connection to the Plagueway to begin with, or else block the route itself. Mine particular choice of the subject of travel is aimed at a different angle of our issue of 'wards', however." When Touta just gets up and flat out introduces himself and his relevance here, Priscilla stops for a moment to hear it out. Her tail twitches in a way that one could probably interpret as mildly pleased, if they were to project their ideas on the body language of a race with literally one member. Certainly, she seems well-dispositioned enough to a younger Elite who just says it instead of either running his mouth like a jackass or fumbling his words, which seems to be the unfortunately usual format of her interactions with them. "Ah. Very well then. Thou art in good company here, Sir Konoe. If it is those still trapped that thou seeketh, thou shalt find the Concord more than able for the task. If it is the end of the Lord of Lostrata thou seeketh, then thou shalt see for thineself the severity of the consequence of one making themselves mine enemy."
Priscilla	She looks back to the table, then. "Before we may strike at him, however, there is the matter of this little world burrowed within Escher like a maggot under a great tree's bark, and its suitably repulsive ruler, or rulers as some wouldst have us believeth. The Corruption of the Tower may be braved for a while, but it is the entry that presents immediate issue. Thou said the painting originally used hast gone dark, yes, Sir Enark? It is mine own believe that we may introduce ourselves again to that place forcefully. There art those amongst us with anchors and ties to that place, and those amongst us who hath been there with our own eyes. Some contrived manner of entry must be possible, for if that place's walls were strong enough to resist such, there wouldst be no need for its secrecy." "Lady Kushiko's method is stable and importantly two-way, with a fixed beginning and end and a tunnel between, however the way forward cannot be seen, aimed at, or cast into. The Flotilla hath been known to maketh use of that strange crystal to bend the rules of possibility through the impressions and expectations of those who maketh use of it, and certainly we have here those who hath precise impressions and expectations regarding what it wouldst be to enter, once again. Sir Staren I assumeth wouldst be more than up to the task of configuring such to work remotely." "As for mineself, I . . . believeth I already possesseth a means of returning, but it is far from safe --not for anyone else. Most likely, for another to follow wouldst be impossible. It is mine hope that between us, we wouldst be able to arrange a passage that both tears into the heart of that grotesque little world, and hold open of its own accord, for those brave enough to enter to drag those timid enough to stay, back through the gates."
Ice King	Enark nods amicably to the various suggestions and ideas and resources provided. "I am certain we can connect all these different resources together to achieve a result greater than the sum of its parts. A purification ritual is indeed in the cards. It would be foolish at this point to focus all efforts only on rescue, and allow a threat of the magnitude of this Corruption to run rampant. Such things have, in my experiences here in this changed Lumiere, a horribly frequent rate of occurrence. For too long we have pushed through on the merit of our abilities, our experiences, our wits, and our good fortune. Too often have we been forced to flee an encounter because we had no redoubts, not safeguards, no escape routes planned. Or at least none actionable. To some degree, the unexpectedness of Lumiere, the countless eons it has had to layer awful thing upon awful thing without being checked but for a force that now appears to be absent, is to blame. Preparing for every possible complication is, as much as I hate to admit, simply not viable." He presses his fingertips into the table as he splays his hands. "But we can not afford to carry on as we have been. From now on, stumbling into a new area and seeing what is there is not an option. Not having at least one escape route is not an option. Stalking through darkened halls and city ruins with an eye over our shoulder but no clear concept of the geography and how it might be used against us, trusting that we will spot the danger before it reaches us, is insufficient." He waves a hand as if to forestall objections. "I do not mean to dictate, especially to those who outrank me or have no factional allegiance to the Concord, but we have taken more chances with our own lives or reasonable facsimiles thereof than even so-called Elites should be, and that we have had so few losses until now is a blessing I do not care to rely upon any further." He looks at each person individually. "What is all this verbosity leading to? It is leading to the plan. While we are investing resources in pursuit of one route, we should be doing the same with at least one other, while seeking any alternatives. Things that keep happening to us, such as facing enemy hordes and having to flee because someone decided to 'just run in', using weaponry disproportionaly not designed for stealth as the first thing we do at the slightest hint of danger, disappearing without a word and relying upon those with the proper equipment to pass along their position, flitting about to bypass obstacles while assuming that there would not be a similar obstacle waiting in the wings for exactly that sort of chicanery... Or hiding behind others, spouting theories, when one could be trying to gather information from afar so that we KNOW where we are going and what waits for us." Some of those were very specific and personal. "I apologize if I come across as harsh, but... We can not afford to lose anyone else. I don't want to. And I feel like there is a blade hanging over us all, a doom we have yet to comprehend in our self-assurance that if we just 'Elite at things' hard enough it will turn out alright in the end." He breathes out a long sigh. "Always remember, that overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer." He looks at Carna then. She overconfidently assaulted monsters in Ariamis. Now that Carna is gone. Probably forever. The new Carna just looks back at him, not understanding the meaning of it.
Ice King	Enark breathes in again, not because he needs to breathe, but so that he has the air to speak with again. "We have to be better. We have to be smarter. And that means taking a long, hard, second-look at the information we have been given so far. The idea that we must slay the Lords of Silence to fix Lumiere, to retrieve their souls and bring them back to the Church, is one I am extremely skeptical about. I am even skeptical now about the claims of these 'alternate Lumieres' and this 'Lord of Fear', whom, by the way, has a name now, as Lady Kushiko can attest. If that is even the party responsibility for these abductions, then we face none other than 'The Bogeyman'. A catch-all name for an entity more or less embodying the fear of humanity since ancient times. A god born of their own imagination, with a diverse lore told and retold over thousands of years, giving it likely the same degree of power as any particular god one might name, if not more so." Enark looks down at the notes he has taken so far. "Unlike other gods, fear is a god worshipped, even if unwillingly, by all human beings. Acknowledging it, avoiding it, using it to survive, succumbing to it and failing to live, even praying for safety spurred on by fear, must all be the same for such a being. Out of all the billions of humans to exist, I doubt a single one has ever not been in the unwitting priesthood of one who has walked with us since before we had even come down from the trees. There are many beings older. But the power of the gods, in the absence of Divinity as a Concept, is fueled by human souls. And in the absence of other gods, The Bogeyman might well have a claim upon them all." Enark looks up. "But if even a slice of what Longita told us is correct, this entity is not yet at full strength. It abducted these ten for a reason. And others have reported visions and dreams immediately preceding this event, including both among we rescuers and the missing. And the longer they are there, the stronger he or it will become. While we seek to save the missing, we must also guard ourselves. The methods you all speak of sound reasonable. I would like to see what we can do to accomodate you, Sir Konnoe, as part of the purification team. We can not allow primordial Corruption to spread. It is already what is responsible for this current predicament. However, that also means safety precautions for you and the other purifiers as well."
Ice King	"The Library of Murdered Knowledge is a knowledge repository that automatically records anything learned, known, or experienced by a living human. There are no living humans anymore, that we know of, or at least not native to the so-called 'World of Ashes' that Lumiere is the afterlife for. Somehow, this Corruption has twisted Escher to produce a recreation of information, or a skewed version of it, in a physical reality, inside of what I term 'Escher Space'. Inside of Escher Space, one of the same transport beacons we use to get around, known as Shrines of Light, was located. If that space is now flooded with Corruption and inaccessible, that does not necessarily mean the Shrine isn't." Enark holds up a finger. "The Shrines now seem to be linked to the larger Warp Gate network of the Multiverse. I think we should focus our efforts on using the Warp Gate network itself to turn all of your respective talents to the task of forcing entry. We will know with certainty that our destination is inside of that, and the safety measures on Warp Gates, I believe, should be sufficient to keep the Corruption from leaking out after us, at least for the time being. We tried the back door. The front door is likely what they are expecting now. And we should not stop pursuing it." He leans across the table. "But we can use all the possibilities afforded by the Multiverse to use an exit point that is already inside. And we can use it return as well. There is no reason to risk fighting Corruption and messing about in Escher itself when we can scan for an arrival location and guarantee its safety without ever setting foot there. That being said..." Enark stands up. "I assume that once we do this, they will be on the alert. This Coeus, Phoebe, and Prometheus, if they are the ones in charge, will not make using this method a second time easy on us, I am sure. We have to get every single person out of there this time. We can not assume there will be another chance, and we can not assume our opposition is stupid and careless. We must instead assume they are exactly as cautious and intelligent and resourceful as we are and plan accordingly." He sits down hard, like all the strength has drained out of him. "These are my recommendations. Now you may lambast me for speaking out of turn if you wish. I probably deserve it."
Staren	Staren listens with increasing agreement as Enark says that they need to be more careful and pursue multiple plans at once. Harsh? "You're totally right! Although, if there's a shrine of light already inside the... pocket world, they're surely expecting entry through it already. We may need someone or something capable of hiding itself, so they won't know we're scouting... They're probably expecting that too, though. It might be better to use the shrine simultaneously, when our other entry method is distracting them. They might expect that, but it will still split their attention and forces."
Touta Konoe	Upon Priscilla's declaration Touta can't help but feel reassured. He's not sure of the whole tail thing, but it sort of reminds him of a happy dog or something along those lines. "Thanks, I'll be counting on ya then. I've met alot of people from the Concord so far like the Flotilla and Hime-ch err, Tama-" No, he can't use that name either... "...Caster. If you're anything like them then you're already a friend I can trust. Oh, and feel free to just call me Touta. Back in my world I'm from the country so having someone call me sir feels really weird." It's at this point Enark decides to emphasize the importance of these circumstances with his very 'harsh' lecture. It's at this point when he finally takes a breath and opens up the floor for the other's to remark on his speech that Touta laughs. Touta can't help but laugh at Enark. It's not bolsterous in noise, but more light-hearted in nature. "Come on Enark, who would be mad at you after that? I think everyone agrees that you're just being honest. It's a bit brutal but it's not rude or anything. I mean, if anything you've shown you probably are the most concerned out of all of us, what with finding this mansion for a base. Seriously, you've thought of everything. Making sure we don't get cocky, those notes you put together for the Lord of - Ehm, Bogemyan, you're even making sure to be make sure that church isn't up to something fishy." It's clear at least in Touta's remarks that he really doesn't have any agitation towards Enarks statements. If anything, it only made him like this guy more. Who knew someone who was already dead could be so concerned about making sure everyone came out alive? It was clear that Enark had put in a considerable amount of preparation and research just to make sure at the very least everyone here was informed well enough of the situation. He was doing everything he could to optimize the group's chance of survival and retrieval of the lost. Seriously, what a guy! "Alright, so for the time being we'll try using the Warpgates as the safe route, but at the same time we'll use everyone's know how to figure out ways to break in and break out before the guys in that Escher Space realize we've taken everyone back." It probably sounded alot easier coming out of his mouth than what was actually necessary to implement such an event but as Touta looked at the others in the room he felt pretty reassured even if he hadn't seen all of them in action. "If that's the case let me know when you have the rest of those purifier guys meet up so we can get this done!"
Kushiko	It is a bit easier to actually see what's going on--she makes the floating portal thing insanely easy to do. <"Most times when I've done it in combat, there's a limit in terms of what I can do, but it is as Priscilla says,"> she confirms. And perhaps confesses a bit, given Enark's words. <"I've no intention to wander around aimlessly. Ever since we dealt with that... /throne/ thing. This Lord of Fear has been stalking me, though I've been protected in a sense, at least. Obviously that's no longer the case, because I could not, nor would not stay in her protection."> She falls silent, looking at her hand. Well, Nova's hand, such as the way her possession-of-proxy works through Transference. <"I scarcely remember much about the incident itself, the throne, and that... /thing/ reaching for me. I'm not stupid to be overconfident enough to just go about killing it carelessly. Once we get everyone, once we get all of our /selves/ back, we can make plans and close in on him or it for this."> On this she looks to Enark about that whole 'slay the Lords of Silence' thing. <"Nor am I altogether certain. I know I was being protected. I know this... /thing/, this Bogeyman tried to reach through my Transference link back then."> She closes her hand, the unseen child becoming introspective, and even upon the silent, mute frame, that sortof heavy consideration could be felt. <"I almost want to go to the Moon now, but it doesn't feel right yet to go there."> To speak with Maretta, mulling over what Enark's said so far. There's much that she doesn't quite have a knowledgable, lore-focused mastery of. She operates on instincts and studying certain situations for the path forward. This... situation doesn't afford a clear path forward, but that goes without saying. <"A backup plan then."> Purification should probably be foremost, but perhaps there can be a way to utilize her own ability to make and shape portals. Just in case. <"Ask. Make your needs known. We are Kushiko. We will fulfill it."> she declares simply. <"I will be putting down what I remember from being in there."> she further adds. As this 'Soupi' she was. <"Might not help, but having all the information we can will."> As a whole, Enark's lecture doesn't bother her; if anything it's welcome acknowledgement as a whole of what they face. <"If I'm honest, the Lotus has asked me not to participate further here."> One could imagine a quiet smile behind that faceless voice. <"But she knows I can't."> Only that she herself couldn't bear the possibility of losing one of her 'children' in full. <"Warp Gates as a third option, maybe,"> she muses idly.
Priscilla	None of the others seem to have much of an issue with what Enark has to say. It's also quite possible that they hadn't been the ones Enark was worrying about. Of course, on an intellectual level, Priscilla does too. At least, for the most part. He has a point --a few of them, really-- but it is easy to have a point from a literal chair, and much harder to adhere to those words in reality. There is a certain kind of dishonesty that Priscilla sees in the tack Enark takes, and it doesn't mix well with the subject. "Lumiere is not a puzzle to solve, Scholar." she begins. "It is no exercise, nor riddle, nor careful test with correct and incorrect answers. Even aside its nature of the summation of untold numbers of lives and souls, no sane person, no matter how rational, couldst view it as such anywhere but from the seclusion of a study. The forces that work here hath crossed too many boundaries; invaded minds, erased memories, overwrit identities, revised history, created doomed futures, taken away others, spun new ones from whole cloth simply to suffer, threatened lives and loved ones outside of its confines, bludgeoned one and all with blunt psychological tools, and seeped into aspects of others lives well beyond their concern for this place." "A sane individual wouldst feel deeply regarding any of this. Deeply and personally. Whether it be anger at invasion and affront to their mind, responsibility for those made to suffer by their existence, or concern for that taken from them or threatened, these art not unexpected outcomes, and they art neither wrong nor fruitless for their lacking basis in practical rationalism. I wouldst remind thee that the initiative one takes whence so deeply rooted in a cause as such is most oft the common thread which results in the term 'Elite', and to try and curb such initiative is not only impossible, and against that which the Concord stands for, but wholly counter to thine own purposes."
Priscilla	"I understandeth that thou wish to succeed. I understandeth as well that thou wish to atone for much thou feel responsible for, and thus wish to succeed as cleanly and without cost as possible. I understandeth too that thou hast become uncertain, hesitant, and averse to risk and choice ever since a certain incident. I fault thee not for thine desire to be prepared --to do proper research and seek proper recourse before stumbling blindly forward-- and I gladly encourage thee to see it done, but I am not blind to the dishonesty of thou espousing such now with the benefit of ample hindsight, carried here on the shoulders of those more willing to 'Elite at things' than thee." "If thou hast theories, let us hear them. If thou hast plans, let us consider them. If thou hast concerns, let us address them. Under no circumstances, however, shalt I tolerate admonishment of action taken in absence of time and information, and in presence of risk and goals of importance, for being spurious or reckless or overconfident whence there there was no recourse but to maketh the attempt. If thou wish for better consideration, then aid in unraveling the opaque and counter-intuitive mythos that surrounds every possible deed and obscures its significance and consequences from us, else I --and I am certain others-- shalt continue to act as best they art able within this impenetrable web of symbolism and fragmented history, as long as there is reason to, and I shalt certainly feel no regret nor shame shouldst some later fact cast a different light upon it; something thou wouldst do well to attempt." Priscilla's intensity slides down, though her tone remains significantly frosty. "I shalt remind thee, Scholar, that this is not the first time I hath been made to do this. It is also not the first time I hath been made to do battle with those who represent such sweepingly grandiloquent and domineering ideals, over stakes more pressing than thine personal sense of culpability. I agree with thine assessments in many places; of our dire need for more accessible facilities, for greater research, for clearer direction, and greater safeguards against the few things we now knoweth to exist; however, whether King of Lostrata or Lord of the very concept of fear, there art certain affronts and certain lines crossed that I cannot abide, no matter by whom, and I shalt see ample consequence done for them, no matter their mythological significance. Am I clear?"
Ice King	Enark listens to others as they listened to him. He listens especially closely to Priscilla. "I understand what you say, and will hold my admonishments in the future. I knew I might have been out of line when I said it, but it needed to be said regardless. However, I do not believe you understood me. My error for running on too long, perhaps. I am not saying we should not absolutely and completely destroy our enemies who have transgressed against us, save our people -- or your people, those you feel a responsibility for -- and bring them home safely. Nor am I preaching about the errors of others and not acknowledging my own. I am saying that in the pursuit of our objective, our lives, even yours, are not solely ours to risk and throw away anymore. We are part of something bigger. This Concord you lead." He looks back at Priscilla. "It is fundamentally pointless to sacrifice ourselves, feed more of ourselves to our foes, in the process of taking back what they stole. And that includes relying upon power alone to carry a fight. If power will solve the matter, then so be it. If it does not, we had damn well better have as many alternatives as we can manage. If that task is up to me and similarly interested parties, then I have no qualms taking up that responsibility. Tharmas knows you have enough to handle on your own without developing paranoid counter measures for endless hypotheticals, your majesty. It was not my intent to suggest you were not doing your fair share, nor to offend." He picks up a roll of paper. "We try things. Sometimes they work. But when they don't, I wish to make sure everyone is on board with learning from them and not doing them over and over again as has been the case. I am no less guitless than any of you. Though, Sir Konnoe, being new to all this, is likely the most faultless of all. I can not stress enough that I am done flying by the seat of my pants when it comes to this place. Whether anyone else agrees is up to them. I do not, after all, have the authority to dictate to anyone." He unrolls the paper. "But it just occurred to me, from the mention of not using just the Warp Gates... That there is another area in Lumiere where we know the fabric of reality to be frayed. A place where, more than once, we have teleported via Shrine of Light, only to arrive in a different place than intended, or to experience a disconnect between present and past." He points to a place in a hideous maze of overlapping passages collectively collected the Umberdark Tunnels. "Here. The subway platform. We can try to breach in from here as well." He looks to Kushiko and Staren. "I do not believe Lady Kushiko was with us for that one. When we speak to the Flotilla next, perhaps they can begin work here, and we can use Staren's engine-whatsit to create a new warp gate. Between that and the existing Warp Gate network, and the purification of the 'front door', we will have three entrances. I am not certain they will be expecting Shrines of Light, since, if this is a simulated recreation of the past, those Shrines may not have existed in that era. But we should, yes, assume they know about it just in case." He looks around at everyone. "Unless there are further questions, let us begin tallying our resources and contacting our allies in this venture. The sooner we are ready, the better."
Kushiko	A light shrug from Kushiko as she remarks on one of those topics--especially when it comes to sacrifice. <"If sacrifice is necessary, then it will be necessary. So long as something is bought for it. Everything has a price, after all."> she immediately counters. <"This is something we Tenno have long since known ourselves. I may have grown attached to my Warframes, but they are merely an extension. What will be, will be."> There's something very subtle in her remarks there; despite all appearences, they would /gladly/ and without question sacrifice themselves, as they had before. Even if 'sacrifice' was probably something horrifically scarring mentally given she would be connected. <"But yes, you're right. Let's compare notes, and consider what will be best going forward.">
Staren	Staren stands with his hands on the table, though he doesn't slam them, in response to Priscilla. "He's right though. I've made mistakes. As my double said, I should have availled myself of the Library of Knowledge to learn more about the workings of the world mimic. If his plan is viable, I would have thought of it myself. I still don't actually know it isn't. For all the stuff I'm paranoid about, and the contingencies, in other ways, I've gotten careless." He rubs the back of his helmet, relaxing his stance slightly. "Perhaps it's just the fallability of a mortal mind..." He begins to pace. "Perhaps I've been too selfish, not wanting to ascend into something else..." He shakes his head. "No. Altering my mind, without understanding the neurological representation of my value system, risks comprimising that value system. I really should've realized that before -- I've known it was true for AI for some time. Why should it be any different for organics?" Well, that wandered off-topic. He comes back to the table to listen to Enark. "No, I get it. We're doing our fair share, but sometimes, it's not enough. Sometimes heroes fail." He leans on his hands on the table. "All the people Wireless killed. Wire himself. Niv-Mizzet. Mizuki and Arthur. That's why I gather all these options and contingencies and powers. Because maybe one day it will make a difference." He stands up again and takes a deep breath. "Alright. We'll need to experiment with Erchius crystals, and with Kushiko's powers."