Scene #8503: Soul Reaver Plot: Sougo skips a few line Defs

Owner	Pose
Raziel	'We surfaced into a very different landscape, daylight bearly penetrated the dense canopy of this forest. Here we discovered an ancient ruin, unmistakably one of Mobeius' time-streaming chambers, but long ago sealed and abandoned to the encroaching swamp. We didn't currently possess the means to break this seal, but I thought in time... we might.' The swamp itself was... dark. The light was unable to really pierce the area, making this place one vampires would easily thrive in if only to escape the biting sting of the sun. The trail that ran through the area, crossing the stagnant water now and again, was marked by lampposts, with green fires lit, making traversing this land easier. On the path was an abandoned ruin, with the sigil of a timestreaming device on it. Rather this was Mobeius' sigil, or one he took for himself... or simply the guardian of time's sigil... it was hard to say with how much the trickster had messed with time itself. However, a special barrier seemed to hum around the shrine itself, preventing entrance. A future Sougo, should Sougo decide to use his powers, that it's not a matter of finding a way through... but finding when to come back here. Trying to brute force it now will damage the device. Eventually, the group will come across some more ruins, and above them, the singing of crows may draw your attention to a perch. On them, a figure stands. His skin was green, his head bald, and with two large ears on either side of his head. His claws give away he is an elder vampire. He's dressed in fine clothes, and the moment he spots you looking at him, he crosses his arms over his chest and vanishes into mist. 'So... our lurking observer was exposed. The creature vanished when he realized he was discovered, but I caught a glimpse of him. His features were distinctive enough. This was the vampire Vorador. The monstrous assassin depicted in the stronghold. Strange, that a creature brazen enough to assault the circle single-handedly, would avoid confronting us. Very well, if Vorador would not come to us, we would go to him. But first... we would need some means of reaching that terrace.' Whatever way you decide to scale the terrace, whether by rock climbing, finding a path up to it, or various cheating powers... What you find waiting for you is nothing but the entrance to a strange new ruin. Vorador has apparently decided to not meet you here, instead, what does are closed doors, with the symbol of the Reaver on them. Raziel looked curious at this, trying to think of how to proceed. Or rather... how fascinated he was by them, taking time to go over the architecture, the stonework, and eventually the door. 'Our lurking friend was nowhere to be seen, but I found these ruins even more intriguing. I recognized these symbols from the chamber beneath the pillars and realized this shrine too was sealed to all but the bearer of the Reaver.' Raziel traced the patterns on the door, looking at them. They seemed to have not aged a whit, obviously crafted by hands that were not human. "See, how the stone here is unaged compared to the outer ruins? That and these concentric circles... and this mark of the physical reaver..." he says, and notices that there was some sort of spectral energy dripping out of what looked like a keyhole.
Timespace Riders	The swamp is dark, but that's far from Sougo's mind, especially with the lanterns. Woz is off doing his best impression of a retainer for Kain, while the Demon King wanders down the path. The sight of Moebius' sigil amidst the crumbling ruin gives him pause. Out from the darkness, another Sougo emerges, clothes illuminated by green fire. He wears the same outfit, that same pastel pink button-up, but it's bearing the stains of a few days' worth of travel through the swamp, and perhaps some other places. "It won't open now," says Future Sougo, nodding towards the shimmering barrier. "But it will, in another 'when.'" He smiles softly. "There's another one, that's open right now. Further down, there's another set of ruins. Here," he says, holding out a folded scrap of paper. Present Sougo accepts it, opens it up. Instructions, for operating Moebius' machinery. "Vorador... don't worry about chasing him," counsels Future Sougo. "You want Janos Audren, in the past. Head down to where the guy watching us just was, down the road. Use those instructions I just gave you, to head to the future with Moebius' machine. Then... use the one here to go to the past. Oh!" Future Sougo brushes a mostly-melted bit of snow from his shoulder. "And take care. It'll be cold." Future Sougo then vanishes, in a pillar of pink light, to return to... Sougo's future, but Nosgoth's distant past, if the context of their conversation is anything to go by. Present Sougo is left holding a set of instructions, scratching the back of his head. He turns to the rest of the group, shrugs, and heads down the road to the second set of ruins, where another figure watches for everyone's arrival from the same vantage point as Vorador. This time, it's Woz, smiling down at everyone, before leaping from the ramparts and landing gracefully. "My former liege," says Woz, ever dedicated to the bit. "I have come here with information, as a courtesy to your future self." What follows is passing blank paper and a pen to Sougo, while the unusual time traveler dictates instructions from his mysterious book.
Hellwarming Trio	Swamps are one of those places that, even without a great deal of experience wading through them, the yokai are grateful for having an ability to just hover over all the gunk. Rin's even brought her trusty wheelbarrow for those that want a floating ride over the muck instead of having to walk through it all directly, although the smell coming from said wheelbarrow probably isn't much better than the surroundings. It's clean and empty, at least, but it still smells even with a blanket covering the surface. It's not until the group reaches the ruins past the swamp that the cart finally touches back down on solid ground, and just in time for the trio to spot a green bald guy when the crows start making some noise! A vampire, even, but they only manage to glance at him briefly before he disappears just as quickly. "Must be shy." "Aw. Think he likes someone?" "I doubt it. We're probably just intruders in his domain." Future Sougo's arrival and explanation about where to go (not these ruins) and who to follow (not the green guy) is taken in stride, although it does wind up drawing confused looks from Rin and Satori as they get more time to think about it. "... Wait. We need to go to the future to get the guy in the past?" "I think they may be two different devices. But wouldn't it be faster to just go to the past if...?" "Maybe, but we could get caught up in something weird if we go out of order." "To go to the past." "Uhuh." "From the... Future?" "Yeah." Utsuho seems to get it, at least, looking utterly confident as they reach the door indicated by Raziel. Satori gestures at the energy coming out of the keyhole, and Utsuho leans in close to get a better look at it as though doing so might actually help her figure out how to do anything with it. The raven looks at her control rod, at the keyhole, at Satori, and then... She just sort of gently prods at the dripping energy. "I got nothing for this. Uh. All yours! Unless you want it blown up." Utsuho stands back, ready to let someone else take the door! And if nobody does... Only then will she apply the brute force explosion option.
Hamada Haru	Hamada Haru's heart isn't really in it lately. His presence here is no exception at all. The Watch has proven such a disappointing organization that he feels a sort of internal rot at his own indifference to leaving it, more than he feels anything for having actually done so. He is not transformed, though his gunblade is held in hand all the same, the Locust bottle loaded into it and primed. His eyes fall upon the barrier in front of him; at least two separate ways to intrude occur to him within an instant. The fact that they might not be the best idea drifts through the back of his mind lazily. In the end, he doesn't use either of them. He reaches into his jacket, pulls out a canned milk tea, and cracks it open, sipping at it idly. The thing that actually gets his animated attention is the calling of crows, which drags his gaze upwards and prompts him to tuck his tea under an arm to fish out a bag of pistachios. The weird guy up there... gets a glance. Weird guys perched in high places are usually just watching, if he's going to mess with them it'll be in the next episode. Haru scatters pistachios on the ground and moves away, leaving them to the crows. The crumpled-up wrapper is returned to his pocket, and the objects he's holding are re-oriented so he's not awkwardly stashing his tea beneath an arm. A bunch of time stuff happens. Haru observes it with a flat expression, eyes flicking back and forth. In the end, once they've moved on, he's still basically just standing there sipping on his drink... Distantly wondering what he could throw on the ground at Woz that makes as much sense as throwing pistachios on the ground for crows. He decides it's very long scarves in particularly versatile colors, but does not have a pocket full of those.
Trudy Grimm	The last time Trudy was in Nosgoth, an elder god-parasite tried to bury her alive. This hasn't put the place particularly high on her list of tourist destinations. Such a shame, given the generally gloomy atmosphere and preponderance of vampires and brutal gothic arcitecture so appreciated by the witch. > "It won't open now. But it will, in another 'When.'" Trudy is tugged out of her thoughts by Sougo's voice, glancing aside towards the Kamen Rider-- only realizing a second later that isn't where the sound came from. This new Sougo is regarded for a moment, her eyes closing with a shrug. The Demon King's time shenanigans aren't something she thinks she'll ever get used to. "Janos Audren, you say..." Eyes still closed, the witch touches a finger to her lips, swaying gently from side to side. Was that a name she had heard before? It sounds familiar, but the memory is fuzzy. When she opens her eyes, she lifts her gaze to where Vorador had been moments ago. It's Woz now. Evidently... "I never did get the hang of fortune-telling," she admits disdainfully, returning her attention to the door itself, "We want to use a different device to go back because it'll put us in a different location, I think." Raising her hands, the witch casts out a net of interlaced runes, alternating between rings of Ansuz, the Allfather's rune; and Kaunaz, the Flame of Knowledge. This settles into a set of slowly rotating rings around her feet while she paces to and fro in front of the door, "Magic barrier. Please don't blow it up. It'd be better to just unravel it, once I find the right threads to tug on. Just give me a moment."
Angela	The Lobotomy Corp Team has no room to comment on how The Watch or The Paladins or even the Concord handle their business. They are citizens of the Worst City in the Multiverse (debatable, but emotionally true) and even their 'better than average' Wing is still pretty sketchy. It may have begun with good intentions but then it sure spiraled out of control. Maybe this world is not so different in that regard--just more fantastic in scope. In one future, the Info Team probably bites it here--lets face it, they're probably not equipped to deal with Raziel's probelm at all really. But in this one there's still a chance they'll make it out in one piece--in no small part thanks to Future Sougo. "Huh... Okay." Sal says, still not really used to Present and Future Sougos being a part of their life. M.O.M is more relaxed about it, "Hahaha! I guess alls well that ends well when you've got a time traveler on the team! Let's keep on and check out this ... Janos guy." Sal moves forward to investigate the door, running scans to try and figure out its rules while M.O.M offers Future Sougo a hifive so present Sougo has something to look forward to. Chewie couldn't make it today. He's still recovering from BEING EATEN ALIVE and hasn't been cleared for outside work again yet.
Raziel	The door that leads to the Time Streaming device stands before them. Trudy can easily figure out there is a barrier, and Woz is pretending to be the deceptive and backstabbing vizier. Another Sougo gives them a map of how to progress and warnings about what would happen... but there is something else. As Trudy tries to analyze the barrier that protects the way forward, she knows that it would be a matter of time before the swamp would decay the barrier, and both the barrier would fade due to magics being depleted (likely the destruction of the pillars) and the encroaching swamp. There is one other thing... She can see images of the reaver in the barrier, but she isn't sure if this is to keep it away, or that it's required to fully destroy it. At least, not yet... However, as the plan seems to come to fruition, as others seem to set their sights on it... the Reaver's place becomes obvious. A barrier to repel it, but only one that Raziel would half to deal with, as well as Trudy's magics. However Trudy explains things to Raziel, and he will willingly come to help her... The moment he tries to push forward into the barrier the time distortion happens again. For a moment it looks like /something/ might happen. Sougo can see that if Raziel can't push forward, they'd be forced down an artificial path, one that the Hub is already trying to tamper with. If he /can/ push forward then... they will break fate in some way. The problem is... the barrier itself seems to be a trap, laced with energies similar to the Reaver itself. It's trying to drain Raziel completely, revealing that there is /something/ capable of holding his soul nearby... though it might not be directly in this time. How do you protect Raziel? He needs to break the barrier with Trudy's magical expertise. He needs to stay corporeal, but also not be consumed by the magic.
Hellwarming Trio	<J-IC-Scene> Sougo Tokiwa says, presumably to Rin and Satori, "They're two different ones, yeah--but they only open at specific points in the timeline. Probably because the Hub only wants a specific one to exist." <J-IC-Scene> Hellwarming Trio \| Satori says, "Two different machines, only moving in.. One direction, I assume? How complicated." <J-IC-Scene> Raziel says, "I mean, time isn't often uncomplicated." <J-IC-Scene> Hellwarming Trio \| Rin says, "That's the Hub's thing, though, ain't it?" <J-IC-Scene> Raziel says, "No, the Hub is persistant, he doesn't travel through time..." <J-IC-Scene> Trudy Grimm says, "I would've assumed it was because they were in different locations. Of course I didn't consider different locations 'in time' as part of that." <J-IC-Scene> Raziel says, "Imagine we're in a pool of water. He is something above the water looking down, but no matter where we travel in the water, he's still above it" <J-IC-Scene> Trudy Grimm says, "Troublesome." <J-IC-Scene> Hellwarming Trio \| Rin says, "Huh. So then... Hmm. Yeah, I guess that still makes sense." <J-IC-Scene> Sougo Tokiwa says, "He has Moebius for that." <J-IC-Scene> Trudy Grimm says, "Yes, of course." With Utsuho and Rin both seeming to get what's going on now, Satori turns her attention elsewhere. She might be pouting a bit, but at least she can keep them from seeing it. Haru might, be she seems to be a little more okay with that (and staring at the pistachios in utter confusion until she remembers the crows are still around somewhere). Utsuho, meanwhile, steps back when Trudy and Sal move in to check out the door. She, like Satori, pouts a bit when she's asked not to blow it up. "Fiiine. I guess we need this thing for Zi-O's plan, anyway, and blowing it up now might mess it up in the future we're going to." She admits with a light sigh, content to keep watching them at work even if she doesn't necessarily understand what either of them are doing. Rin's the one to notice that something weird is going on when Raziel moves into the barrier, though, and she approaches him cautiously while keeping her guard up. "The heck's going on there? Uh. Are we missin' something we need to get through all this weird stuff?" As she speaks with clear nervousness in her tone, she starts glancing about rapidly, looking for anything particularly weird looking or even glowing in the nearby area. She's not sure what to look for, though, so the first shiny or otherwise attention-grabbing thing that catches her sight is probably going to get grabbed and brought over!
Hamada Haru	There are many things at play that Haru can't actually perceive, but he can at least tell that there was 'some' kind of reaction, and that the reaction is a form of resistance. He glances towards Raziel, taking a long sip of his tea -- to get it low enough that it won't spill in his pocket -- and then deposits the can in his jacket pocket. He raises his gunblade, resting his right hand along its flat. "Incorporeal, is it," he remarks. Then, to his gunblade, "Deletion protocol, trap." LOCUST! MIST MATCH! The light brown suit with its locust-wing emblems across the chest snaps onto Haru's form as mist billows around him, sparks of lightning dancing in the air. The gunblade is in motion before the transformation is even done, but it is... smoky, foggy, intangible. The weapon passes harmlessly through Raziel, striking viciously at 'whatever' is attempting to snare him. Dynamic Era shoulders the weapon and observes, momentarily reaching for a tea that is not presently there. He comes up short when he realizes what he's doing.
Trudy Grimm	Raziel tries to pass through the gate at her own urging-- and can't. Rin calls out the strangeness that Trudy's also noticed. She leaves Raziel to contend with it for a moment, lifting her eyes to wander across the door's threshold, seeking any sign that might indicate where, precisely, he's being drained towards. Haru moves past her to strike at the barrier directly with that strange weapon of his; she's still not quite sure how that works, even after seeing it a few times now. Raising her voice, the witch calls out, "He has to be stronger than the barrier. Whether you weaken the magic or strengthen him, that's what we'll have to do. If he dies or loses coporeality, he's getting thrown out of our reach." Her eyes dart to the Grimoire hanging at her side, then leave it. Instead she pulls out a sickly green crystal, lifting it between two fingers. The faint glow inside transfigures from a single point of light into a facsimile of the Thurisaz, the Rune of Might. In her free hand she produces a manifestation of Gebo, the Rune of Gifts. The rune in her hand is thrust down, replacing the investigative circle she had previously with a new one. The gemstone is released, floating now between both hands as the witch uses uses it to share her own mortal resiliance with the wraith in coporeal form.
Timespace Riders	Future Sougo likes M.O.M. just as much as Present Sougo--the hi-five is accepted with gusto, before the pink-light disappearance. The heck's going on there? Uh. Are we missin' something we need to get through all this weird stuff? "Missing?" asks Woz, with his usual coy smile. "No," he adds, closing the book with a definitive thump. As Haru sets a deletion protocol with his gunblade, Woz gestures to him with a slow, grandiloquent sweep of his empty palm. Sougo furrows his brow with worry. "Woz... could I maybe count on a little more of your help? Even though you're not my retainer anymore." "Perhaps," he says. "Ask, my former Demon King, and I shall consider it." His coy smile is a touch warmer. The two of them step off to the side for a moment--and shortly after, following a few consultations of the book and a few jaunts from Sougo: "Satori," he says, tapping a finger to his temple. "Could you 'keep Raziel company' while Trudy works?" Turning to M.O.M., "And... do you have any HP bullets you could shoot Trudy and Raziel with, while they work?"
Angela	M.O.M hesitates. HP Bullets are expensive and he has to look to Sal (the Captain) for approval. "Could spare us a lot of trouble later." "Hn.." Sal is more anxious about this idea. HP Bullets ARE limited, it might keep them from having them when THEY need it. But ultimately, M.O.M is right that spending them now could result in a lot less heartache later. "Yeah." They say. "Let's do it." They hand out a pistol to M.O.M along with a neon green tinted bullet. They draw a pistol and put in a couple extra 'bullets' into those. "Alright. We're ready." They nod to Sougo. "Give us the timing for the firing solution and we'll pop 'em both with a shot." The HP BULLETS essentially help regenerate the wounds of those shot by them! A pretty significant amount, even! But they aren't going to fire until given the command by Sougo.
Hellwarming Trio	With Hamada undergoing that transformation with his blade, Satori watches him curiously as he gets to work. She's not fully certain what he's doing, and the temptation to pry at his head is strong, but she gets stage direction from Woz that convinces her to finally stop moping! It's still a little confusing, but she certainly won't say no. "Hm? Oh, of course. Is there...?" She pauses, not letting herself finish the question he probably already knows to expect. Better not to ask that out loud, in case he needs to keep this strange act up. Instead, she moves over to join Raziel as indicated, floating beside him and pressing a hand against his shoulder. "How are you holding up to this, Mister Raziel?"
Hamada Haru	What is going on in Hamada Haru's head? The answer is, less than you'd imagine. This is rote to him. He's done it a thousand times and he doesn't need to concoct the solution. From the outside looking in, it's like seeing somebody put in a button combo on a controller; there are pathways that are being followed, but the whole point is having this solution at his fingertips without engaging an excess of conscious thought. Like blocking a blow, deflecting, and countering. He is able to render himself intangible, and also to destroy 'known things', so when he perceived a trap he rendered himself partially intangible with his transformation and attacked a 'trap' while incorporeal. Figuring this out is less like surface-reading something and more like looking through somebody's video game instruction manual for their moveset. It's there, it's just a matter of how much time you want to sit there and poke. There's not really resistance to entry, either. As it is, he's pretty emotionally disengaged though. His mind is wandering towards the various complexities of escalation in violent situations, the virtues (or lack thereof) of Watch, Paladins, and Concord, and also the simple reality that he has enough resources to command that he can afford to just go it... If not alone, at least without giga-governmental oversight.
Raziel	Haru transforms, realizing what he needs to do. His bullet isn't as effective as he'd like, it's like trying to shoot a hard piece of metal with a gun, but it does disturb the ongoing trap. Each shot weakens the draw slightly giving Raziel the much-needed time to gain ahold of himself. Satori speaks into his mind, and she can feel the great struggle. Something is pulling him, something is trying to force him on a path he didn't choose. "I... I don't know if I can hold on.." he admits to Satori, forced by the pure amount of stress on his spirit. Sougo is directing traffic, between his own ability to walk into the future and the book that Woz has, though, they are able to tell how to break this false future that is trying to ensnare Raziel. Though they both know they could break it off, such a move would be dangerous... and definitely not pull him off the path of Killing Kain. The connection between Trudy and his life force bolsters him some more, giving him more strength to carry on, but Trudy can feel it too. Draining at her, tugging at her. Reminding her that breaking his fate is as impossible as it is to break her own. Either she will die, or become what she hates the most. However, before she can suffer from the despair, healing bullets strike both of them, restoring their bodies and life force. The agents do not know how close things got, but their contributions were no less helpful than anyone else's. There is a straining, and the time-warping effect grows stronger... And then the barrier shatters in a massive burst of spiritual and temporal energy. The ground itself shakes /violently/ as Sougo can tell what just happened. Time has been altered greatly. Because of how time works in Nosgoth, the flow of history has been blocked by the collective decision to not walk the path being laid out before them, by averting Raziel's fate to kill Kain. The timeline is trying to find its way toward a new course, choosing the path of least resistance. New futures bloom and die behind Sougo's eyes now... because he knows the future has been changed. Their path to Nosgoth's past is open. Though despite everything, Raziel slumps to his knees, utterly exhausted by the effort.
Timespace Riders	Sougo gives the order to shoot, when it's necessary to save Trudy and Raziel. It's a little... strange, for the Demon King to find himself doing it, but heartening, given what the bullets actually are. The shaking of the earth sees him standing resolute. Not just because he's defied the will of the Hub--as he braces against one of the green-burning lampposts to keep his footing, something else comes to mind. Sougo smiles at M.O.M. "There is no future," he says to the agent, "But the one we create in the present." When the rumbling stops, he moves over to Raziel to offer him a hand up.
Trudy Grimm	It's subtle at first, the drain on Trudy's vitality. She notices it immediately but writes it off as something expected, focusing her attention on the crystal between her hands, the spell, and Raziel. Doubts re-enter her thoughts, never having truly left, and her posture visible falters the second it takes hold. Fighting against his fate... is it even possible? Can the past even change? These people had done it before, once. Of course it can. Is that just because of how Nosgoth is? Then-- her own past and her own future can't... Letting out a strained sound, the witch withdraws one hand from the crystal, bringing it to her mouth. Brow quivering with fading concentration, Trudy sinks her teeth into the heel of her hand. The pain gives her focus. The helpful HP Bullets from Sal and M.O.M. gives her more (and closes up her wound). The spell breaks. The land shudders. Raziel collapses. Not much more than a second later, Trudy follows suit first to her knees, then rocking back to sit on her own heels. "Thanks," The word is almost a breathless gasp, directed towards Sal. She overheard him, at least enough to grasp what the agents just did. Languidly, Trudy lifts up her uninjured hand, tired half-lidded eyes peering into the gem's depths. The glow inside; completely gone. With an exhausted laugh, the witch lets go if it, the crystal falling into her shadow.
Hellwarming Trio	Try as she might to probe more than necessary, Satori's still naturally inclined to just hear what she does from others' minds, and Hamada's thoughts are no exception. Her curiosity gets the better of her, too, as she listens and realizes that a lot of what he's doing seems to just be a regular thing for him to do, but knowing his capabilities is certainly going to make working with him easier as long as she remembers all this. More importantly, though, she manages to catch some stray thoughts about the Paladins' virtues. It's certain to be an interesting topic to not just herself, but to Utsuho and Rin in light of why they even joined the Paladins in the first place. Satori's loyalties are far less direct in comparison, but... For now, though, she has to keep that thought on the backburner as Raziel's spiritual struggle brings Satori's attention back to the present. "You have to, Sir Raziel. You've handled worse than this, and..." Oh hell. She's not great at these kinds of pep talks! The best she can offer at first is her physical presence, but she eventually tries to turn his thoughts towards more optimistic matters soon enough, especially in light of what Sougo says (to M.O.M, but still). "... You're stronger than you know. We've already skated past whatever destinies Kain, the Hub, Moebius might have had in store for you, and we're pushing into uncharted territory at this point. It's... Exciting, isn't it? You'll have to hold on if you want to see more with the rest of us." Despite the size difference, she tries to support his weight when the HP BULLETS start flying. She clearly can't, but the effort is made! Gesturing at Rin to come over, they join forces trying to help Raziel back to his feet post-slump, but they do so relatively slowly, so that he has an opportunity to catch his breath or whatever amounts to breath for him at this point. Also, because they're not the heavies of their trio. Utsuho is, but she's moving over to help Trudy. "That bad, huh? You should come working with me and Rin sometime once this is all done. Then we can work out and get you and Master into shape."
Angela	"Yeah, yeah," M.O.M says, albeit in a good natured tone. There's a sense that he's accustomed to this sort of ribbing from Sougo at this point, but he doesn't seem to mind it. "Does that mean...our job here is done?" Sal glances over to Trudy. They rub at their neck and say, "No problem. Hopefully we don't need to d othat again." They look to Sougo. "DO we need to do anything else or...is that it? Are we done? Is the...job done?" The future has changed--the Agents seem to be under the impression that this is what they were here to do but they both look to Raziel for confirmation. "Whatcha think, Raz?" M.O.M asks, managing to not laugh for a moment.
Hamada Haru	"People are not infinite. Their possibilities do not sprawl endless," Dynamic Era remarks, on the subject of severing fate. "There are things that people can do, and that they can't, and these are bounded. The future is not 'fixed', but the variables of the future are still limited by people and randomness. The best you can hope of a hammer is that its function is fulfilled in a way that you prefer." "Although sometimes people have more possibilities than they will admit to themselves." He sweeps his gunblade in a wide arc, mist spilling out into a cloud that engulfs and encompasses him. "But I think I've had enough of contending with such things, for now..." Then the mist clears, and he's gone. //More importantly, though, she manages to catch some stray thoughts about the Paladins' virtues.// There are no thoughts like that. It is an absence of virtue with which Hamada Haru regards the Paladins. Lilian Rook is the most reliable person on that side of things. However, she let Xion take the heat for what she did, even if it didn't amount to anything. If 'the most reliable' can't be counted on to handle that sort of thing, none of them can. This perception is not malleable, and no amount of deliberately trying to make up for it could help. Haru would never tell them what they did to offend him, because they didn't have the savviness or willingness to catch it themselves. Both of these things are a grave offense to him. Consequently, making a deliberate effort to correct his perceptions of the organization is fruitless; he would consider it little better than police propaganda cartoons.
Raziel	Raziel is helped to his feet by both Sougo and Satori, he looks /beat/ but he does manage to start walking under his own power again. Trudy is helped by Utsuho, so he's glad for that but right now so much is ringing in Raziel's head that he's not entirely sure what has happened. However, he knows one thing... something has changed. Shaking it off he looks towards M.O.M. he... Isn't sure. "I don't think so..." he asks, looking at Sougo and Woz. Though they know what has changed, it hasn't changed so dramatically that they can stop. After all, the Hub is still there. Moebius is still alive. And the Reaver is still attached to Raziel's arm. As Haru disappears, Raziel looks to where he /was/. "...Thank you," he gets out. To everyone else, he stands up and opens the door. "Thank you, everyone. It's... hard to accept that you do have more weight when it's crushing down at you all at once..." he says with a smile, especially towards Sougo, "I'm just happy that the future Demon King is one of my best friends." Those who go through to the time streaming device see a much smaller one than what they saw at the Chronoplast with Kain. It's a small device, that looks to be locked in. All someone has to do is place their hand on the device, grip two handlebars... and the entire room will transport its inhabitants to the past. Like before, it feels like a small thunderstorm, lighting, and smoke build up as the path to the past is opened up. Once more, thrown to the mercy of time itself... until it ends, the storm settling down and the room itself looking far less aged than it was a moment ago. Walking outside reveals... less a swamp, but a younger and healthier forest. The Pillars exist here, but they are now pure as before. The path they need to go (that Sougo and Woz will know) is towards the north part of the woods, towards the hamlet of Uschtenheim.
Hellwarming Trio	Even if she's trying not to probe through Haru's mind too deeply, Satori's curiosity keeps getting the better of her. It's pretty easy to tell she's doing something, too, as her gaze becoming unfocused, drifting away from Raziel with the telltale expression of concentration and confusion visible on her face as she hears more and more. It probably wouldn't be a good idea to just ask him outright about these thoughts considering reactions many others have already had to her revealing such things in the past, but... He might just be the most reliable source of information about this absence of virtue. Best to find out from the source, especially if it means protecting her girls from whatever worse things might happen if they're left to make their own choices about who they associate with. Once Raziel's back on his feet, Rin and Satori are able to start checking out the time streaming device. Noticing the size difference, Rin tries to pick it up, but notices that it's just stuck in there and frowns slightly before gesturing at Utsuho to come over. "Okuu! Trudy! come on, we're gonna go back to the past!" "I thought we were going to the future." "No, no, we're already past that. Now we're going back." Satori's still having trouble with it.
Trudy Grimm	At first, pulling Trudy back to her feet is like trying to pick up a rag doll. The witch is clearly exhausted. She objects with a wordless noise the first time, squawks when she slips, then reluctantly hauls herself to her feet with Utsuho's help. "I would've liked to rest a bit longer, but I suppose time waits for no one." She hangs on to Utsuho for a moment while steadying herself, casting a look towards M.O.M. when he asks if they're done, "Are you kidding? We've only unlocked the front door." Trudy puts on a big, tired-looking smile, "Now it's time for the adventure!" Wait, then what was everything up 'til now with the vampire hunter fortress and the evil god trying to kill them and that god-awful fortune-telling trap? She raises a hand, waving the pair to come along, "It's a big world, right? Don't you want to see more? Have something to tell your friends back home?" Raising her free hand, she wiggles her fingers just under her chin, "You know they're just going to ask 'so what happened then?' Do you really want to leave it unfinished? Shouldn't there be another chapter?" She glances towards Utsuho, nodding once, and releases the raven to walk on her own unsteady legs again. -- By the time the device spins down in a new time period, the witch is looking more like her old self again, stepping out into the light with one hand resting on the spine of the Grimoire.
Angela	The Info Team considers factional politics above their pay grade but Sal manages a, "No problem. But if the job's not done, it's not done." Unless... M.O.M looks over where where Haru was just a moment ago... Was he... Undone by time or actually a gh-gh-gh-ghost?? No, he probably is stylish. Still, Trudy tells M.O.M that the adventure has just Begunblade and that means that M.O.M's hopes for mission completion are dashed for the time being. "Well, what's one more advneture?" He says. ''Don't you want to see more? Have someting to tell your friends back home?'' Sal hesitates then exhales. "Well, worst case I'll die somewhere new."
Trudy Grimm	> "Well, worst case I'll die somewhere new." "Oh, don't worry about that," Trudy tilts her head back towards Sal with her eyes closed, "I'm a necromancer, after all. Nothing like that has to be permanent."
Timespace Riders	Sougo beams at Raziel. "I'm glad, too," he says. "Come on--let's go see Janos." On through the former forcefield, into the device proper, where Sougo operates it in accordance with the instructions he was given. Hands on the device, the two handebars... well, not entirely like a Rider Machine, except for the fact that Sougo and Woz don't have them. "To the north lies the village of Uschtenheim," says Woz, freshly ventured into the past, gesturing with his usual theatrical hand-sweep in that direction. "Through a forest path. If you wish to pen this new future, there lies the way." "Man," says Sougo, stepping out of the chamber. "I wish I'd brought a jacket."
Raziel	With some time to rest in a more comfortable area, they can push on. The pass that was blocked that offered them a road north was free now. As they move north, the temperature changes to colder. For Raziel, this seems to not bother him. Others might not be so fortunate. However, on the path to Uschtenheim, they would have to cross rough terrain, even with the road there. On the road there are markings. These standards placed down were those of the Sarafan. Unlike the ones placed down by Moebius' cutthroat armies, the Sarafan were disturbingly more organized. The impaled vampires were done in a near-perfect organization. Their methods seemed to be brutal, but efficient brutality. The systematic murder of an entire population. 'For all of the butchery of Moebius' crusade, this massacre was somehow more chilling. The killing fields of the Sarafan betrayed a more orderly ruthlessness. The cold-blooded righteousness of the true believer.' Progressing a little more, ducking into a cavern, an area protected from the chilling cold... There were a number of Sarafan warriors themselves. They were alert, and orderly, and almost immediately noticed your presence. They immediately saw Raziel and were drawing weapons. Those who could reach into the minds of others know that they could not be reasoned with. These were warriors raised from an early age into vampire killing machines. Those who could walk into the past and future could not find one where they accepted Raziel as a being who should continue to exist. In fact, almost everyone pinged them as 'other'. Anything that was 'other' did not deserve to live. 'Here at last in the flesh, I beheld my former brothers in arms. The warrior priests of the Sarafan order. Their lives were dedicated solely to the annihilation of the vampire plague. While I confess I felt a twinge of longing, a pang of grief for what I believe was my lost virtue... I regarded them with none of the reverence I formerly felt. For I had seen the human face of the vampires, and now I beheld the monstrousness of these men...' With weapons drawn, with these men beyond reason... You would have to fight your way through.
Raziel	Elsewhere... Kain, watching from the shadows smiles as the group marches into the Time Streaming Device. This was not what he saw in his exploration of the time stream, but when he did so it was before the Multiverse had merged with their world. At this time, Raziel did not kill him, or put all of his willpower into not killing him. Though he'd still put his life on the line every time. Without that risk, nothing would ever change. They would be stuck on this false timeline. Doomed to repeat it over and over... "Woz, we follow them after a few moments. We must make ourselves ready for the coin... because this will lead to it's edge."
Raziel	Scheaming elsewhere... Moebius is panicking. How did this happen? The barrier was perfect. He had just implemented it. That bastard time traveler... it had to be him! How could his powers rival his own..? He was the master of this time, he knew everything... How was it they could break his carefully sculpted history... No. Calm down Moebius, he thought to himself. It's still possible to set things up. The Reaver Blade still existed... and who better to help him than who broke his carefully constructed history in the first place? Moebius smiled a wicked smile. The smile of someone who is so self-righteous that they can't think they are sinning.
Raziel	Regreting, elsewhere... The Old One stirred. They had broken the trap that his servant had set up... but he also knows his servant is resourceful. He would have less direct action that far in the past... but even robing his rogue servant of his gift... Raziel wasn't the only dangerous one, each one of his allies was becoming a danger he could not ignore. Perhaps it was he who had made a mistake by letting them in... Still... they could not kill him. He had to remove Raziel from the board sooner than expected, however...
Raziel	In the future you just left... The Vampire Vorador watched as everything transpired in front of him. He thought these people were Moebius' servants, coming from the depths of that wretched keep. But here they were, breaking the barrier the Timestreamer had just erected. More than that... the vampire with them... he had all of the markings of the one. The savior... the one foretold by his maker. But... it was too late, was it not? The Pillars are already damned. He considers this, that with the change in history, and the fact that was a time streaming device... "Janos, my sire... were you right after all? Is there hope even with you gone..? Will they find the heart of darkness? Is that vampire the prophesized Savior?" Vorador paused though. For the first time, he felt the first bitterly sweet rays of something he had lost so long ago. Hope.