Strange Aeons: In Search of Sanity II [IC - Group #2]

[meemaas]

Haru starts thinking hard about the words he knows, trying to find what he's looking for. After a minute or two of thinking, he finally starts speaking in a (potentially) foreign language.

Spoiler: Minkaian

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"This feels most natural. More natural than normal, even."

After a moment of that, he looks back at Winter and switches back to common. "Does that sound familiar to any of you? Unfortunately I'm not quite sure what my name means in that language. I can only visualize that as a name, not as any given words in my language.

[lostsole31]

Spoiler: Corbin

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Corbin, you recognize that you speak the language that Haru spoke (see the spoiler).

You also know that Haru's name means the following...
"Haru": male or female name meaning "light, sun, male" ... or "spring" ... or "clear weather" depending on the kanjin used.
"Makoto": likewise unisex name meaning "sincerity."
"Tsuyoshi": This is a family name, so it is strange to hear it last. This, depending on how it is written in Minkaian, can mean a wide variety of things ... "strong" ... "strength, sturdy" ... "just, peace-loving, righteous, strong" ... "tree trunk." When 2 kanjin are used for the name it can mean "aspire, hopes, intention, motive, plan, resolve, shilling" ... "chronicle, history" ... "gentleman, samurai" ... and finally, "administer, director, government office, official, rule."

For that matter, the other name on the record file that had Taldane lettering but was obviously Minkaian ...
"Satou": this is a surname that combines sa ("help, aid") and tou ("wisteria").
"Nanashi": unisex name meaning, literally, "without a name."
"Kaeda": unisex name meaning "maple"

[bcool999]

Jens

"My name is Jens Ronnie Turnbull apparently," Bangs reports to Winter and the group at large, "It doesn't ring any bells, but it might be better to go by Jens from now on. It may be therapeutic to at least attempt in re-associating myself with the name... assuming it is actually my real name."

[lostsole31]

"Agreed," says Winter, "It's a good idea for all of you. Björn, Gaye, and Haru are obvious. What about the rest of you? Corbin, I have a suspicion that you are this Nanashi mentioned."

[digiman619]

"Who I was..." Flair says, a barely noticeable hardness in his voice, "Is not who I am. The man who was admitted here is not the one who stands before you today. I am Flair."

[SwordChucks]

Zoo thinks for a moment. "I'll stick with Zoo for awhile, at least until I'm sure this is who I was. Honestly you can call me whatever you like as long as it's not late for dinner."

[BuckGodot]

Björn looks at Zoo curiously... "Why would we call you late..." and he shrugs.

[ClockworkCorvid]

Corbin lets out a short, trilling laugh. "Sounds like a bad pun to me. May as well call me that until someone can prove otherwise."

[lostsole31]

In a rare show of humor, Winter jumps in on Björn's line with a smile and says, "Because he WAS late for dinner - making it, at least. I know you had this wonderful research - and good work to all - but the stew tonight was more watery and less flavorful than expected."

She looks to Zoo and smirks. "Late. for. dinner. Tsk, tsk."

The NPCs laugh, maybe the PCs do as well, but to an observer watching the proceedings and aware of the past two weeks, one can see this as a faint glimmer and camaraderie between the leader of the survivors and the PCs. That in weeks of bleak proceedings and battles in various "realities"(?) of battling hideous creatures, undead, and even men whose minds are lost to them, there is a place for humor, a place for friendship, and a place for hope. But reality is what it is, and sometimes a sobering discussion is fronted to bring everyone back to this reality.

Winter looks at everyone, trying not to indict any specific person. "One of your number has mentioned something disturbing to me. Little creatures of strange dimensions are not my concern. Undead are my concern as a Pharasmin, so feel free to continue to destroy them where you find them with abandon. However, most of you don't realize why I, specifically, was chosen to accompany Royal Accuser Omari to Briarstone. I am not just the leader because people look to me and there we are, and because I worked with Captain York to organize the survivors, set up defenses, and see to supplies. Not only am I a cleric of the Lady of Graves, but in her aspect of healing and knowledge, I am also what is called a 'solacer' ... think of me not only as someone who has focused on the healing arts myself," and here she nods with deference to Bangs, "but specifically I was trained in the church to heal wounded minds and spirits."

She takes a breath before continuing, "For all of the nature of Briarstone Asylum now as we don't quite understand, but possibly as something to do with the being known as the Briarstone Witch or her unknown champion, we aren't just up against strange little creatures. You, to be more precise. And you're not just up againt Grays and Tribals. Of late, you have found yourself at odds with human beings.

"I absolutely understand the need for you to protect yourself and your team, and I get that we are on something of a war footing. But when the tortured souls that are mere humans that you meet and needs must subdue, remember that once subdued, that is it. At that point, regardless of any damage inflicted just prior to that subudual, you are now responsible for their lives. They are the insane, the infirmed, and even those that might have been led astray by Ulver Zandalus, who we believe is the leader of this yellow-robed cult. They cannot be held responsible for their actions or even their decisions."

And here, her visage alights on Flair's. "There will be no more ultimatums. They are not prisoners of a political or ideological war, but the insane pawns of another. Do what you have to make everyone safe, but then subdue them and bring them back here." She looks again at the others now, "If you play a make-a-choice game and they go for a weapon and you kill them, you are not protected because, shucks, 'I gave them a choice.' It is murder."

She lets that word hang. PCs being PCs, there might be a drawn breath of rebuttal and indignance, to which she cuts it off and says. "Murder. In battle, do what must be done. Afterwards, don't worry about making them ambulatory, just get them back here to me, Captain York, and the remaining staff. We here will take responsibility, and you have no more to do with it. I don't care if one of your members falls in battle and you're angry or wounded and hurt. If battle is ended and a human is alive, it is not your decision to deliver a sadistic choice because you think it serves justice, vengeance, or even a weeding out of the annoying.

"If you think that you only know how to speak in those terms to a fallen enemy ... leave the talking to someone else. Simple. But the endgame, if Pharasma does not call us to the Boneyard, is that we will somehow miraculously survive and escape here, without having turned into monsters ourselves. And at that point, no doubt there will be a legitimate authority we will have to present ourselves to and answer to.

"Again, assume all people here that take arms against you are patients who do not understand their choices, let alone their reality. We aren't trying to save just ourselves, we are trying to save everybody."

If there is nothing else, it is time for the heroes to top off any needed healing and turn in for the day.

[digiman619]

Flair grows cold. "No." he says simply. "No, you're wrong. What I have been offering is mercy; what you are suggesting is kidnapping, plain and simple. You want we should wait until nighttime and grab them while they sleep, too? Maybe hit them with a sleeping poison dart from 100 yards away like they were wild animals for some sick menagerie? How is that better?"

Flair clenches his fists, though they stay at his side. "The only thing in this world that matters is choice. Sometimes, the situation just doesn't have any good ones, or the one you want to make isn't really viable, or you didn't realize you had one so you do nothing. There generally aren't clues telling you a choice will be noteworthy, but freedom of will is what sets apart from the beasts and the outsiders. Suggesting that giving them the choice is somehow more morally repugnant than just killing them outright makes no sense."

He takes a slightly more accusatory tone before continuing. "Besides. Let's say we do it your way. Let's say we knock out some lunatic and drag him back here and he gets a knife and goes on a rampage. How will you and Captain York stop it? You gonna knock him out again? Of course you're gonna use lethal force because there are lives on the line and you have people to protect. How is that any different from what I was doing?"

Flair sighs. A lot of the anger has gone out of his voice, but he's still clearly upset. "I see where you're coming from, and I would agree with it if not for one important detail. There are three choices and you're ignoring the middle one. How is "Don't raise arms against us we'll leave you in peace" murder? If they don't want to be taken to be grouped with lots of other strangers and want to be left alone, I give them that option. It's not 'Join or die'. It's not 'Run and hide or else I'll find you'. It's 'Come with us to safety or promise to live and let live." Yes, I do talk about the third choice, but only in an attempt to convince them not to take it. If they were to choose to pretend to take one of the first two options and attack us later, either in camp or out, either option would result in combat where there is clearly no alternative to lethal force. There's a difference between being merciful and being unwilling to carry out punishments and retribution, but some folks don't understand that. Some folks see mercy as weakness; that by not taking harsher stances, it is an admission that you are unable to take a harsher stance and that they can act without consequence. I was just making sure that they knew that this was not the case."

Flair leans against the table, looking more frustrated than angry. "I honestly and truthfully feel that denying these sick men and women choice and dragging them away from their makeshift homes is wrong. I honestly and truly think your claim of murder is farfetched at best and requires a great deal of mental gymnastics to justify." He sighs once more. "However, I will admit that spending magical energies to wake them up and offering them the choice is not as tactically advantageous as bringing the unconscious inmates here. This is a much better protected space and any healing we do out there is in shorter supply. So in the name of practicality, I will agree to this request, but don't think for a moment that this makes your position more morally correct than mine. It's just the best choice I had available."

[lostsole31]

Winter says nothing, allowing Flair to have the last word, but it is unknown what effect his argument had on her. She calls the meeting over after channeling energy to make sure everyone is at their top form.

Before bed, Zoo works with fast-shaping his various possible natural weapons, trying to charge them with a mote of the magic he uses just for shifting. A large pile of books are brought in from the library, and Haru finds himself in the center of several. He is less working though any specific subject so much as almost manically looking at various accounts through various books.

Captain York won't deny one of his men their crossbow. However, he will lend a crossbow and some bolts to Corbin just for the evening so that he may feel "complete" again and maintain his mastery. In fact, while some of the guards sleep, those awake but not yet on duty are trained in crossbow drills by the tengu. Without meaning to, the rest of the group (sans Zoo and Haru) likewise get in on Corbin's expert ranged combat instruction. Corbin notes that Jens is actually more talented than he lets on (he has Point Blank Shot), though it is admitted that his "weapon" is better than a crossbow (his "earth blast"). Even Winter disciplines herself to train with Captain York, the men, and the PCs. It turns out she is not a stranger to the crossbow, and what she lacks in Corbin and Björn's overall combat training, she makes up with in hand-eye coordination, being able to keep pace with Haru (also possessing pure agility) and Corbin.

---

DAY 15

The next day is a day of wondrous discovery for many in the group as most of the group have reached new levels of insight, discovery, focus, and power.

Spoiler: Björn

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Though it is annoying having Haru flit about every minute to make someone glow, you've finally found a way to maybe get a fuller loadout than before. Since illumination seems to be well in hand, and the option is there for you to return to it if desired, you release the Darkvision customization. This will allow you to keep your standard loadout - Speed (x2) and Stalwart, but this time do a little more to discover what you can do.

The first thing you are able to figure out this morning wasn't that hard, but was just a function of doing it. You already were able to take the concept of the armor spikes (spiked carapace) and apply it in a smaller scale to the gauntlets on your armor (hardened strikes [piercing]), but what about something simpler? Even in your juggernaut suit, normal gauntlets - while causing real injury in a strike - still leaves your body unprotected from a counterattack. So, by reinforcing armor along the gauntlet and up the arms to protect from a side slash, you are able to make your gauntlets truly hardened so that you won't fear a counter attack. This is also a good way to protect your sword if you want to break down a weak barrier.

Spoiler: Hardened Strikes [Bludgeoning

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]Gauntlets do not allow you to be treated as "armed" ... just that the damage is lethal. So, you still provoke AOOs normally. With Hardened Strikes [bludgeoning], you can smash in someone's face (or a weak door) with your fist without worrying about the opponent getting an AOO. Also, if punching something to smash, you won't normally worry about the chance of hurting yourself. In fact, all of your available unarmed striking surfaces are so thickened ... fists, elbows, knees, and feet.

NOTE: No other striking surface is so protected. So, if you tried to headbut someone or do some other crazy form of "unarmed" attack, you won't get the benefit of Hardened Strikes. It's just that given your background, a fist is pretty much your go-to.

That suits offensive options if you lose your sword and want to keep your shield for protection. Now for defense. You've used a more spongy form of ectoplasm in building your suit to act as a thermal insulator so as not to lose body heat (and therefore protect you against cold). Given his knowledge of energy, you were able to ply Haru with questions regarding other types of insulation and he mentioned the dangers of electricity, which to your amnesiac memory seems a relatively new concept. So, you create a two-ply juggernaut suit today, with the inside of each piece of armor a slightly plasticized form of the same softer ecto that you used to block heat loss at the joints before. This time, instead of being external as a connector, this substance makes up the internal of each plate, along with a more resinous outer so as to minimize the amount of electricity that can be transferred to the gooey meat puppet inside (that's you, bub).

Spoiler: Energy Resistance [Electricity

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]Today's active energy type is electricity, and you unlock Energy Resistance [electricity].

Then, as before, you conduct your basic psychic meditations before waiting for everyone else to finish their routine so you may channel the Sheriff again.

Spoiler: Flair

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You do a thing!!!

Spoiler: Jens

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You are able to now lift nearly 10 kg of stone. Yay, power!

Spoiler: Maeni

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You make a breakthrough on two arcane spells you were studying, and in your meditations with your strange draconic insight you see how you can control a battlefield with mist.

Spoiler: Zoo

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You can do more you-things. Does that mean you are doing more of you? or, by taking on more aspects, becoming less you? Agh, metaphysical conlict!

[bcool999]

Jens

After a night of sleep, Jens awakens with inspiration. So far he has mostly used his healing abilities for aiding his allies in restoring tissue back to it's undamaged state, but now he thinks he is ready to attempt to improve what is already there. If the power he has can speed up cell division to heal wounds, couldn't he also create new muscle tissue to enhance strength? Adjust the amount of fast twitch muscle fibers to enhance speed? Double the number of neurons in the brain to enhance intellect? The only hard part was figuring out how to perform these mutations, for lack of a better term, without any permanent side effects, and after watching Zoos' repeated transformations, the simplest answer came to Bangs Jens while he slept. Make the mutations temporary.

While doing his morning meditations to figure out how to apply this power Jens also thought of what Winter said last night about the cultists not being in control of themselves. Jens was pretty sure she was referring to their mental ailments, but with the insights that Jens has gained, perhaps the cult leader is far more than merely persuasive. Jens decides to create a method of detecting if another being is under the effect of external mind control.

Spoiler: OOC

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Replacing my 2 powers known for the day. Biofeedback will become Detect Compulsion. The second power known which was freed up from my FCB will become the second level power, Animal Affinity.

[lostsole31]

Jens tries to see if there is a compulsion on the woman you "rescued" yesterday. There is no resonant energy detecting ... no glow, nothing to tell Jens that she is under any compulsion but her own madness.

Spoiler: Jens

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Sheet updated. 1 PP spent.

[digiman619]

Flair awoke with his usual determination. While he slept, a memory stirred. He remembered another sigil, a new spirit for him to bind. Normally, he wold retreat to an out of the way room to do his binding, but something was different about this iteration; there had already been a seance in full view of the public, so this version seemed not so concerned with such contact with spirits, unlike the last one where there was more suspicion. Or maybe that was just his reading of it, anyway.

Regardless, he felt comfortable doing the ceremony in the chapel itself. While a proper version of this ceremony would use incense and essential oils, but a pinch of spices would do... in a pinch. He began to draw a the sigil in the empty area in the chapel and sat before it, wrapping a strip of cloth around his eyes. For a few minutes, nothing seemed to happen, but eventually the chalk line begins to bleed; as though the stone floor was a living being that was cut. Soon thereafter, the palms of Flair's hands too begin bleeding, but Flair remains unmoved, as no actual damage has taken place. The burning spices form a cloud of white smoke that seems to hover in rather than evaporating as normal. From it a small, unassuming voice asks Flair if he wants to be healed, to which he nods. The smoke then dissipates almost immediately as the pact is complete.

When Flair stands and turns towards the rest of the chapel, a look of benevolence radiates from him. Unlike the other spirits he has bound, the physical manifestation is relatively minor. The only evidence of his connection to the spirit is that his eyes are now glazed over, as though he was blind, though his vision is in actuality unimpeded. He however gave a feeling of care and comfort, that if there was something bad happening, he would be there to help. It's not any metaphysical effect giving it off, just the way he was handling himself.

Upon meeting with the rest of the party for breakfast, he notes that Corbin is without his crossbow. He considers it for a moment before passing Corbin his own. This benevolence is only tangentially related his new spirit. Rather than being influenced by its good nature, it is a tactical decision as he was only a passingly good hand with a crossbow without being bound to the Detective like he was yesterday. He then gets to the business of where to go next.

[lostsole31]

The staff might look confused and disapproving, but the patients look like an angel just stepped into their midst and gave holy writ of some sort. True that some of them react a little negatively or fearfully, but most seem absolutely enraptured by the strange and auspicious event that they've just witnessed.

Then, it is time for the usual seance with Björn, which other than people sitting around in a circle holding prehensile limbs, is infinitely less dramatic, and only really affects the participants. [Don't worry, you only ever worry about SAN the first time you "meet" a spirit ... and take its essence into your own.]

With everyone battle-readied, their minds and bodies spiritually enhanced for murder, er, adventure, Flair accosts Winter for a private conversation. Jens, troubled by what he just witnessed, meditates on what he knows was a powerful psychic phenomenon. Meanwhile, the rest of the group waits for the morning briefing while talking about the nature of spirits, the lore of life and death, and other various semi-religious phenomena. After Flair and Winter have their chat, it is time to get business really started for the day.

"You made incredible strides yesterday," says Winter. "And knowing our real names is of great help. Being able to say no to a life that may not have been well spent and choosing to more forward on a more ... moral ... path as your own, new person likewise deserves praise.

"So, yesterday you liberated the records room and spent a lot of time there, but you also report there was a locked door in there that you had yet to open. It seems that our new amnesiac was possibly trying to break into it, but now she seems to not remember why or to what purpose. So, continue as before to that section, and then explore the door before continuing to explore the administrative areas to the north and center."

Spoiler

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If nobody has any concerns, I'll advance the plot. Please let me know IC with a response appropriately in character, or simply OOC.

Also, if you haven't yet done so ... SAN check from Flair's display.

[SwordChucks]

Zoo, inspired by the apparent divine visitation and the mention in his file of him being a worshipper of Anubis, attempts praying to a god he has forgotten.

When the spiritual hubbub dies down, Zoo says to his fellows "I have an idea for a new form that might be better suited to taking captives alive. If these people we've run into are the mentally infirm, then I'd rather they were safe here rather than being food for a wandering tribal."

[lostsole31]

Gaye sits there, looking at Zoo to continue, until finally, "No, keep the operatic drama queen in suspense. What?"

[BuckGodot]

Björn looks on in silent interest...

[bcool999]

Jens

Jens nods to Winter's orders and checks who he has in the collective. He keeps the front line fighters in (assuming they are willing), namely Björn, Zoo, Gaye, and Flair, and then he adds Meani and Corbin in. Meani due to her rather frail constitution, and Corbin because he was the one opening the doors yesterday. It's a shame I can't fit everybody into the collective. Guess I will just have to juggle and hope I don't drop anyone. Jens thinks to himself.

[SwordChucks]

Hmm? Oh, I can do a demonstration but if you want to ruin the surprise it's a big snake. By wrapping up a single person I can prevent them from running, attacking anyone else, and possibly speaking until we've subdued them."

"Not the best plan for big groups."

[lostsole31]

Aaaaand ... the party moves out for the day in standard formation, based on the various hallways. Taking Winter's request, you get back to the Records Room. There, to the west, is that sturdy door.

Corbin, who spent plenty of time in the room yesterday with the rest of the party, is pretty darn sure there's no trap on the door. And barring attempts at brute force, he's also the only one in the party who has any skill in finessing such a door open. It actually surprises Corbin how quickly he is able to open it (2 rounds, the minimum).

The walls of this crowded room (10' x 10') are covered by filing cabinets, except for one space where a battered old painting of a somber, towering structure hangs. The search begins ...

More cabinets fill this room, the records being of a more disturbing and sometimes supernatural nature than those held in the main records room leading to this, what must be the Special Records room. While hundreds of unexplained events and brutal dramas unfold in these pages, most are pertinent to your goals. However, because you don't have that nugget of information, it will take three hours of searching before this becomes evident.

Jens and Corbin lead the search in this room, and don't find anything of interest. Maeni doesn't detect magic in here.

Does anybody do anything else in here?

[BuckGodot]

Björn paces and seems anxious to move on to the next area.

[digiman619]

Flair got a frustrated look on his face for a half second before he turned to his teammates. "Give me a second; nature calls" He then heads back a bit to get some privacy.

Spoiler: OOC

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Seeing as his thinking at the voice didn't work, it was likely that it had to hear him speak out loud. Hopefully he could avoid the others hearing him apparently talking to himself. "Okay. Who are you? How are you talking to me? How do you know who I was? What is the Outside?"

[lostsole31]

With Jens and Corbin in the small Special Records room, Björn impatiently tamping his foot at the doorway there, and Gaye, Haru, Jens, and Maeni chilling out in the main Records Room. Flair passes Zoo on watch at the door to the room and facing the corridor. Flair heads across the hall to the personal records room. As it is doubtful this will be a useful room in the near future, Flair finds that he does, in fact, need to answer nature's call ... power of suggestion?

Spoiler: Jens, Björn, Zoo, Gaye, Maeni, and Corbin

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Each of you, individually, hear Flair speak, almost as if directly to you and as if he were standing right there, and in a voice quite perturbed but somewhat controlled, "Okay. Who are you? How are you talking to me? How do you know who I was? What is the Outside?"

Spoiler: Jens, Corbin

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Jens and Corbin, you both look at each other confused, and both of your crane your head to see into the Records Room, but you don't see him, but it sounded like it was coming from right next to you.

Spoiler: Björn, Maeni

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Again, the voice was if it was right next to each of you, almost specifically for you. Björn looks all around confused. Maeni, likewise looks up bewildered. You all see Zoo crane his head into this room as if expecting Flair to have performed a magic trick.

Spoiler: Zoo

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You stopped being in dog form hours ago so as not to be fatigued. You instantly sense that you heard-not-heard the voice, and though it sounded like Flair ... you actually heard the distant tinkling of Flair's urination in the next room. In fact, it sounds like he was muttering something in the next room at the same time you heard his voice in your ear. Either you are going mad, or a spirit is impersonating Flair's voice and whispering into your ear. When you look into the room behind you to see a sea of confused faces - except Haru, who is obliviously reading "special" patient records like a cheap thrill-novel - you realize that you were not the only one to hear this auditory apparition. Without even thinking, a low, dog-like growl issues from your otherwise human throat.

With Jens, Corbin and Zoo looking into the room, and everyone in the room looking at one other, you hear Gaye's voice ... not issue from her mouth, but as if her mouth were right next to each and every one of you ... "What the f*#$ is that peacock up to now!"

Everyone is in accidental shock, because up until now Gaye has always (successfully) put on airs as a sophisticate.

And yet, Gaye does open her mouth to speak, and now everyone wonders if there is a Gaye-sounding spirit about. Gaye calls out, "Flair? You okay?"

Spoiler: Flair

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As before, the voice that was buzzing in your ear before is heard. "GHERI! I thought you were giving-"
Then Gaye's voice cuts right in, as if she were standing right next to you, "What the f*#$ is that peacock up to now!"
"- so I figured I might just lay low so as not to-"
And then you hear Gaye's voice, but this time in the other room calling, "Flair? You okay?"
"-Oh, hey, you better go check on that."

[digiman619]

Flair sighed. So much for privacy. "I'll talk to you later". He then heads back to the rest of the party, irritation plain on his face. "Okay, Gaye, care to explain what che cazzo is going on?" swearing in Infernal. "I've got enough craziness in my life right now, I don't need this now. I need answers, and I need them now."

Spoiler: Translation

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what the ****

[lostsole31]

Flair sighed. So much for privacy. "I'll talk to you later". He then heads back to the rest of the party, irritation plain on his face. "Okay, Gaye, care to explain what che cazzo is going on?" swearing in Infernal. "I've got enough craziness in my life right now, I don't need this now. I need answers, and I need them now."

Spoiler: Translation

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what the ****

Spoiler: Jens, Björn, Zoo, Maeni, and Corbin

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AGAIN, everyone hears Flair's voice as if it were in your very ears, but everyone is now looking at each other (except Flair, and Flair's voice says, "I'll talk to you later."

Flair passes a rather confused and spoked Zoo, but is too full of his anger as he walks into the Records Room and says (from his mouth, and everyone hearing it as if from his mouth), "Okay, Gaye, care to explain what che cazzo is going on?" swearing in Infernal. "I've got enough craziness in my life right now, I don't need this now. I need answers, and I need them now."

Spoiler: Haru

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Haru, for your part, you are confused by Gaye having called out, Flair storming in, and everyone looking at both Flair and Gaye a bit suspiciously.

Gaye's eyes grow quite stormy, and ....

Spoiler: Jens, Björn, Zoo, Maeni, Corbin AND Flair

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You all hear Gaye's voice, as if she were speaking right into your ear, but don't see her mouth move ... but this must be a strange angry spirit, because this Gaye-spirit says, "Oh, HELL no, mother-f****r, you aren't stepping up on me!"

... she steps right up to Flair and says. "And what answers might those be, pray-tell? What trickery ... what copper-alley ventriloquism .. are you trying to shill now with this blustery air, this braggadoccio!"

[digiman619]

Flair shoots back furiously. "Me? I've got someone playing whispers to my mind, so I excuse myself so I don't sound like a maledetto madman. I was just about to get some answers when I hear your voice, as if we were face to face, asking, and I quote, 'What the f*#$ is that peacock up to now?'. You then attempted to play it off as you didn't just curse me out to my face asking if anything was wrong." Flair fumed at her. "And 'peacock'? Really? The literal diva is gonna admonish me for being showy? As if you aren't doing everything possible to come of as suave and sophisticated? Oh yeah, I'm real ashamed that I tried to to make a good first impression by attempting to be sophisticated to an opera singer. I don't have the faintest idea why I thought that might be appropriate. Silly me."

Flair closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and continues, much more collected. "How and why did you interrupt my conversation? Do you have any idea who or what is trying to contact me, or has there been some misunderstanding?"

Spoiler: Translation

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goddamned

[lostsole31]

Gaye controls herself and holds her finger up quickly, which may easily be taken as a verbal "shut up" if it weren't for the fact that Gaye suddenly looked away as if she were thinking. She composes herself. "I heard ... something, much like your voice ... buzzing in my ear demanding to know who I was and something else, and something about what's outside."

She looks around, and everyone feels her gaze as she passes over you all as if discerning something, until her gaze finally rests on Haru. "Haru, be a darling, please, and tell us all everything you heard said in the past minute or so, please."

She then looks at everyone else, especially Flair, "Nobody else add anything, please, this is critical. Just Haru."

All eyes expectantly look to Haru.

[silphael]

Maeni multi layered thoughts swirled around in her mind, nearly clashing with eachother.

It seems oddly familiar yet alien. As if I should be used to it but am not. Or something like that.

Besides current conexion, I have no memory of anything even remotely like that. I'll have to explore that later.

I'm still hung-

The first layer of thought quickly cuts it.
I know, now you shut up.

Spoiler: OOC

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As far as I'm familiar with usual workings of telepathy, only first and last messages were "thought out loud".

[bcool999]

Jens

After the initial confusion, Jens quickly realizes that yet more weirdness is happening. Sighing he shakes his head and tries to go back to looking through records, I will just let them bicker. We will figure out what is going on soon, or we won't. Either way, I still need to sort through these records. Let's see... 'On the 2nd of -whatever month that is- of year -why does this seem foreign?- a bag of sweets for the patients mysteriously disappeared. The janitor reported scraps of wrapper were found later scattered about...' Isn't this just someone stealing? Why have it recorded as mysterious phenomena!?