[Masks IC] Resurrection Roundabout: Drawing Individuals

[Thanqol]

Her face scrunches up in a very unphotogenic way, and she starts bawling at how stupid and unfair it all is. And there’s beer on her leggings and her hair’s a disaster and if she’d been better Euna wouldn’t have given up on her.

That’s the worst bit. She’d almost convinced herself that the mistake had been giving in. But no. The mistake was not staying with her. And there was no way in the world she could spin that to actually be Euna’s fault.

It's a terrible thing, sadness. It wants to be heard. It wants to be known. It finds a way to twist out these horribly unique little sounds from your throat just to make sure everyone knows how much it hurts. Then comes the crushing weight of the fact that no one will ever really know...

Locker doesn't say anything. He just brings tissues and sits next to you. For a long time that's all he does - but he's always been a fidgety guy, and eventually he's on his feet and almost immediately winds up in the kitchen.

This could be the first time a human being has ever used that kitchen to cook. It's a fully automated system that can replicate the work of master chefs from around the globe, but now those semi-vestigial knobs and handles are being used for their original purpose. Simple, reassuring sounds start to clatter out as he sets about his work, followed by earthy, invigorating smells. And, treasonously, it starts to draw you out. I doubt you've eaten much in the last few days, Sara, and it's remarkable how hard it can be to remain still while your stomach is in open revolt.

There's a jolt in her stomach as she turns to leave. This is a dream assignment, unreasonable expectations aside. So what the hell, Euna? Does she really... not believe this? Does she really not believe in this? Her foot touches the rickety bridge and her face looks suddenly downcast as she watches it sway under even her modest weight. She swallows, and turns to look over her shoulder.

"...This is now my official request as acting Agent on the mission for additional AEGIS support in the form of reinforcement of this bridge. Commencing full operations now."

What it comes down to, in the end, is whether or not her heart is open to trusting in anything. She takes a long, slow breath. She makes a choice, and jumps straight through the portal without touching the bridge.

"How did this happen?" said Princess Kazelia, the blue skinned Rider princess. "We're smarter than this."

Three magical princesses took a moment to struggle ineffectively against their bindings because the alternative was to disagree with Princess Kazelia's statement. One of those princesses was a black dragon about the size of a horse and so was bound with heavier metal chains rather than the more traditional (overtly) elaborate rope-trussing, but even that clanking wasn't enough to entirely drown out the cute and ineffective squeaking.

+How did you get caught, Kazelia?+ thought Princess Adila, the dragon in question. As a telepath she was able to think-speak through the muzzle that was very firmly keeping her from breathing fire. As a really bad telepath she wasn't able to stop her sense of embarrassment and desire to redirect the conversation from seeping through the link.

"I got a magical message from you saying that you needed me to create a distraction," thought Kazelia. "From my studies of Hyperborean culture the most traditional way to do that is to very publicly get captured. I... wanted to fit in."

+It goes without saying I didn't send that message,+ thought Princess Adila.

"So how did you get captured?" Kazelia asked.

+Um...+ the psychic embarrassment intensified. +Stheno was there. And... well, she beat me, okay? I'm not invincible.+ Despite this sounding like a reasonable sounding explanation, Adila was a terrible liar. Not only was it plain when she was lying her ill-disciplined telepathy went on to let the truth soak out anyway.

"And that was all?" Princess Kazelia asked archly.

+It's not often I get beaten, okay!+ thought Adila. +So I thought I could get captured just this once to see what it feels like!+ belatedly, she added to the thought +and besides, I figured it would create a distraction.+

"Isn't anybody going to ask how I got captured?" Princess Alina, the beautiful lavender-haired Illuminan asked.

"No," said Princess Kazelia.

+No,+ thought Princess Adila.

"H-hey!" said Princess Alina, flushing a bright pink. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I made my plan around the assumption that you'd already be captured, and we'd be able to escape together," said Princess Kazelia.

+You do have the most experience with it,+ thought Princess Adila.

"That's not fair. I didn't get captured once in Jedad," Princess Alina huffed.

+Speaking of Jedad, I think I forgot about your community -+

"Anyway!" Princess Alina went on hurriedly. "I figured that this would be an easy capture because Princess Kaja was here, but it turned out it was just Princess Ninan," she put a lot of grumpiness into that name. "So I don't have a way out."

"Wait, did we just lose?" said Princess Kazelia. "Did we just lose and doom Hyperborea because we all let ourselves be captured for extremely sketchy reasons?"

There was silence for a moment. And a little squirming.

+I think we should create a roster,+ thought Princess Adila.

"That's your answer to everything!" said Princess Alina.

+You just hate sharing!+ Adila snapped back.

"We can discuss this later!" Kazelia said. "Look, we just need to hold out until Princess Rita comes to rescue us!"

"Um, she got kidnapped by Princess Kyouko," Alina said.

"What about Princess Dandy? Princess Hornet?"

+Kyouko again,+ thought Adila. +The ransom note said that she was planning something really special.+

"Damn it, fox!" Kazelia struggled in an ineffective attempt to shake her fist.

"We told you not to trust her," said Princess Alina.

+Have you ever heard the parable of the scorpion and the frog?+ thought Princess Adila.

"So that's it? We're doomed?" said Princess Kazelia. "Is there nobody in Hyperborea left to save us now?"

Well, Agent Errant? Is there?

It's a gamble, but Princess-Champions of Hyperborea is a widely-enough known series that even Brainstorm has watched it. Hopefully this guy has too, and gets the reference to exactly how they got in--by skull-bashing some mooks, and stealing their clothes.

He grins, and wiggles an eyebrow, darting his gaze to the guards. Come on, even he's not so oblivious he'd miss this.

There's a complicated expression going on with this guy. Eyes wide, slightly stuttering, glancing all about looking to see if anyone else is watching him, frantically checking his Comlog. This guy recognizes you. "I mean - haha -" he said, picking out sunglasses from his shirt pocket and putting them on to conceal his eyes. "- for sure, man. Right there with you all the way."

Up closer, this guy's aesthetic is somewhere around Australian surfer - loud shirt, tanned skin, beach angel looks, buff musculature. None of that in any way means he's actually ever seen a beach, of course, but it's a look you pick if you want to play life pretty casual. You have no idea who he is. He is wearing a backpack, though, and that's definitely worth noting - anyone wearing a backpack while conducting an op has some serious tech in play and the wherewithal to get it past security.

He's specifically holding himself back from saying more, though, and lets you take the lead. The goons are heading into a network of wires and power cables, signal density thick enough to scramble their transmissions for a few key moments while also leaving them out of sight. It's your play.

Ferra's normal morning checklist is fairly simple. Normal diagnostics, basically a self checkup. Spend two hours browsing the internet researching different cultures. Her apartment is fairly sparse, given that she doesn't exactly have any of the normal human needs. She's requested a bathroom, for if she has somebody more biological hanging out and, secretly, so she can try a bubble bath. It's scheduled for sometime next week. The rest is pretty plain: she's got various fabrics and stuff strewn about, the sweaters safety hung up far above where Charles the kitten can reach. She's got a standing wardrobe arranged with clothes. Beanbag and sofa, both taken from break rooms around the Gears Foundation. She's going to try getting a bed and see about sleeping after the bathroom.

Her afternoon plans... aren't. She's tried reaching out to Brainstorm, Errant, and Sara: all of them have cryptic messages or Sara's just not answering. Junebird is working today. She's been reluctant to talk to Professor Gears after meeting Halfwoman for the first time. So she's going to go on a walk through the Archives, here.

The Gears Archives! Rows and rows of gadgets and inventions, crates full of notebooks and diagrams, all heaped up in an unsorted mess. Dr. Gears wasn't an organized person at the best of times and then this room was host to a literal martian invasion. There are still scraps of Doctor Sylvanius' combat remotes scattered in amidst the files - and in the centre of it all, your stasis pod. The egg is lit up with a cool white light.

It's been a long time since you've been here, and a long time since that first fight. Memories flash behind your eyelids - coming out into the light to meet the team for the first time. Instantly plunged into a whirlwind of battle but knowing instinctively that these people had your back...

What does that moment mean to you? And what questions did it leave you with?