Defying the Future: Side Scenes

[Zelphas]

OOC Thread Link

Current Scenes in Progress:

Chance or Fate? Sarah Garett needs to tell Flint some more information about her abilities.

Museum Black Box Remy goes to find out where his sister went missing.

For ease of parsing, if you're willing, posting the "Title" of the current Side Scene you're responding to at the beginning of your post will make it easier to read in the future.

Also, if you don't like my titles, change them as you like; they're what I came up with at the moment.

[Quellian-dyrae]

The Root of the Problem

Once the unconscious Raphael had been delivered to Watcher's designated location, before they all went their separate ways, Lily said, "Um. So, there are...some things I think you guys are going to need to know, if we're going to be working together. About some of the stuff Ms. Peters said." While Lily didn't doubt that they could have at least made some broad guesses - based on just how her powers worked and having seen her apparent ability to communicate with Raphael on at least some level - that wasn't enough. Ntombi Peters had revealed a potentially powerful asset - and a potentially crippling liability. They needed to be on the same page.

And more than that...there were certain contingencies that Lily now understood she needed to prepare for.

"Can we talk? Somewhere private?"

[Abracadangit]

The Root of the Problem

"Of course," Kal replies. "Did you have somewhere in mind?"

[Dorni]

The Root of the Problem

Helios nodded in affirmation. "If it helps, I can ward the conversation against eavesdroppers."

[Abracadangit]

A Spell By Any Other Name

"This? There is air all around us. Its simply a matter of willing it where to go and how to go about it." It was an accurate answer, but how could he succinctly describe the process of reaching out to the traces of aether in the air, collecting it together to form a mass of air, drawing out the traces of water in the air and then remixing them back into the aether to give the mass of air the property of surface tension making it hard to the touch yet retaining flexibility, then forming a wind on the other side to push the hardened air to give it force, all while keeping the structure of the spell balanced? He bore the girl no ill will, but to fully explain his magic would require starting at the fundamentals. Besides, he was supposed to be empowered by Helios and channeling the power of that god, not a wizard. He had to be careful how much he revealed around that spirit that was bound to her. He wasn't sure if he believed its story that it was the real Ariadne, but it was undeniable it was much stronger than many of the spirits the cult contacted.

"If you would entertain a question of mine, how did you meet the spirit that possesses you?"

"I would not say that we 'met,' so much as she was always there, and I just recently learned to see her." For all of Kal's hangups about Ariadne, hearing her referred to as a "spirit" that was "possessing" her caused an unpleasant twinge. "But if you wish to learn more about her, I'll thank you to not call her disrespectful names. Just as you would treat my grandmother if she were here, so too shall you treat my companion."

"Tell me -- what is it about her that interests you so?"

[Ridai]

The Root of the Problem

"Uh, sure," Nope answers, with a series of mini-nods. Whatever it is, it seems important to Floral, so it is not exactly a hard decision, though he doesn't really know how to react beyond that.

"Should I bring us somewhere?" To be honest, it feels a little wrong to suggest that when this is, uh, the closest thing to "casual" activity with the other heroes. And it might give the wrong impression that doing that is easy. But if anyone is watching them right now (well, outside of Watcher, that is), it is probably worth it?

[Quellian-dyrae]

The Root of the Problem

"Yeah, that'd be good," Lily replied to Helios. "Um...maybe the abandoned Food Fast place we met Watcher at?" Lily wasn't sure if it was saying something that the closest thing they had to a base was an abandoned fast food restaurant, but in their defense it was a location that they had already established was sufficiently private.

[Ridai]

The Root of the Problem

"Okay." And from one moment to the next, they are inside the Food Fast, like part of a video was just cut out. In the part between seconds, it was the usual pushing people to their destination while maintaining zero time. Preferably without getting stuck. Honestly, he always feels weird doing this, like this is kind of creepy and/or demeaning. And part of him kind of hopes the others don't find out how the "teleports" actually work.

...
.......
Maybe he should also bring up how this works if Floral is telling them something important.

But there is a nice side to it, getting to do this sort of thing with no real pressure for once. Which is not to say this is relaxing, but he can practice and- oh you know what I mean. I hope.

[Dorni]

The Root of the Problem

Helios blinked at the abrupt shift in location. It always unnerved him a tiny bit, even when he was fully expecting it which this time he had not been. It also made him want to study Nope's powers so he could figure out exactly how his teleport power worked. It wasn't like he hadn't imagined various ways to craft a teleport spell, but most of them ran aground on the shores of keeping the spell stable and needing to get the details exactly right, and the consequences for failure made trial-and-error an obviously bad idea. Still, that was a conversation for another time. Helios glanced around the Food Fast and, satisfied they were indeed alone, started working. He started with his familiar spell for concealing himself from prying eyes but altered the runic structure to scale it up and encompass each member of their group. The others would feel a light pressure on their ears as the air pressure temporarily changed, but it would quickly fade.

"There. We should be safe from anyone trying to watch or listen-in."

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Configuring Cantrips to Concealment 3 [Auditory] (Area [Burst], Selective, Precise). Casting it to grant everyone concealment from auditory and visual senses, but using Precise to still allow each of us to perceive each other.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Normally, Lily smelled faintly but noticeably like flowers. It could easily be mistaken for a perfume. In the time they'd been working together, the others had probably noticed her scent change a few times. She had smelled of fresh-baked bread when Watcher had first introduced himself, and of mint when they had first spoken to Ntombi Peters.

As they appeared in the Food Fast restaurant, Lily's scent resembled nothing so much as honey.

"Thanks," she said, after Nope had teleported them and Helios had warded them against observation. She opened her mouth to speak, and kinda hesitated, seeming to have trouble finding words. It took a couple aborted tries (and a brief whiff of maple syrup, apparently) before she said, "So...we didn't ever really do the thing where we all kinda explain our powers to each other," she said with a little, awkward laugh. It was something that happened pretty much every time the party first assembled in one of the campaigns Bruno ran. Difference between characters in an RPG and people in real life, she supposed.

"I mean, that isn't...why I wanted to talk. It's just...um, okay, so, Ntombi told us about how Manchineel controls her minions, right? She has a particular scent, and while they can smell it, she can control them. And...you probably noticed, when we were trying to calm Raphael down, I kinda smelled like her?"

"One of the things I can do is alter and intensify my scent. It can be pretty overwhelming when I turn it all the way up. But there's more to it than that. I can...influence people. Control them, even, using pheromones, or other chemical agents that can be dispersed through the air and influence brain chemistry."

"And my sense of smell is also enhanced. That's how I was able to estimate when Raphael would reach us, or pick out Watcher's pigeonbots. I can smell things further and more precisely, but also in...a lot more detail. I think...I think if I could get a sample of Manchineel's scent, and practice with it, I might be able to emulate it. Use it to take control of her minions, at least if she isn't around. Probably even confuse them pretty bad if she is. I'm sure it would be an extremely specific scent marker though...like the olfactory equivalent of a fingerprint. I don't think just smelling it once would be enough, I'd probably need a physical sample I could analyze. Still, if we could get something like that, it could give us a big edge. Against Manchineel's forces anyway."

The smell of honey was getting stronger. "So...that's the good news. But here's the problem. Most of what I can actually do comes down to one power: I can transmute vegetable matter into different vegetable matter. About two pounds of it a second, on my own power. And the reason that turns into like...shooting vines and producing intense smells and creating nectar is because my body is vegetable matter."

"I'm not...human, anymore. Biologically speaking." The smell of honey mingled with the distinct scent of fresh-baked bread. "I don't know if you saw in the news...a couple weeks ago, Manchineel attacked a biochem lab. She turned the scientists and assistants there into...plant monsters. I was one of them. She transformed me into an anthropomorphic flower. I guess some of her transformative power rubbed off, or something, and that's why I can transform plants now. I only look like this because I used that power to transform myself back to more-or-less my normal appearance." Two pounds at a time was left unsaid, but the smell of cinnamon had started to mingle with the scents of bread and honey, and if one looked closely, past the veil of flowers dangling from her hat, they might notice her eyes had been touched by a faintly golden sheen.

"That was the first and only time I've been near Manchineel. To the best of my knowledge, she wasn't trying to turn us into part of her Menagerie. She was...raving, when she attacked us. About how we would like having our DNA spliced with that of random plants. I think it was intended as a...punishment, or something. So for all I know it's a completely different process from the one she uses to create her Menagerie."

"Or for all I know it could be the exact same. Like I said, my sense of smell is enhanced. And I have personal experience with the possibilities of using particular scents to influence the minds of others. I can't rule out the possibility that if I come within range of Manchineel's scent, I'll become as much a puppet as the rest of her...creations." She spat the word like a curse.

"That's why I thought you all needed to know about this. We need to prepare contingencies. Like I said, my powers can potentially offer us a tremendous advantage against Manchineel's forces if I can learn how to emulate her scent. But there's also a big risk that she could usurp control of me. I wouldn't want to take any of you on in a fair fight, but me going from ally to enemy in a battle already involving Manchineel would be anything but fair. We need to establish some contingency plans so you can quickly neutralize me in the event I'm compromised." She said it as dispassionately as if she was reading from a biology textbook, but the smell of honey mixed with cinnamon practically filled the room.

[Ridai]

The Root of the Problem

Nope sits on one of the empty bottle crates. The intense scents keep trying to distract him with the thought that they probably reflect emotions and that he should figure out which one maps to which, but he really needs to pay attention now and chances are he will lose track of the growing mapping table.

Even he can eventually tell where this is going, making him increasingly uncomfortable, having no idea how to handle the whole situation. When Floral finishes, Nope has his elbows on his knees and his hands folded, which still manage to fidget. Breathe out, puffing cheeks, look to the side at nothing in particular for a moment, feet kind of tapping on the floor without rhythm.

"...Sorry to hear that?" Nope ventures. Like, he has sympathy for Floral and her situation, but he isn't sure if this comes off as some sort of insult, but when in doubt apologize?

"Well, uh, if the, uh, pheromones get me, it's probably too late, but if I can still do things, I could try removing all scents from the air or removing your or our sense of smell?" he says, with a lesser shrug of guesstimation. "Would be all scents, though, since, uh, I don't have your nose, and I'm not confident in trying to conceptualize Manchineel's pheromones. Would prefer that over removing sense of smell. Seems like an important thing to you, and, uhm, if I mess up, your sense of smell might not... come back, or, uhhh" This is getting really uncomfortable, Nope rubbing his neck before gesturing towards the lower part of his face. "all this might be gone." Clearing his throat. "So, uh, yeah, would prefer scents. Yeah. I'd probably not be doing much else in that situation, though."

[Abracadangit]

The Root of the Problem

"Your abilities are very impressive," Kal says, having waited for a lull in the conversation. "I'll confess, I don't know that much about pheromones. Are they transmitted through the air?"

"One use for my thread I've discovered is to cover my nose and mouth, like a gas mask. I've never used it on someone other than myself, so I'm not sure that I can. Food for thought, anyway," Kal says, feeling very much out of her element.

[Dorni]

The Root of the Problem

Helios listened quietly while Floral talked. He'd suspected that Floral might have a connection to Manchineel on the basis of, well, her being a plant person. Still, he imagined it had to be nerve wracking to share her secrets with them. He also imagined there weren't many bio-labs in a resort town like this, so she had to realize she was also giving out a clue that would make it much easier to identify her. If any of them cared to go looking, that is.

That secret paled before the reveal that she herself might be susceptible to Manchineel's control and the twin worries of what that vulnerability meant for her and how her tentative allies might react to that knowledge. Helios couldn't imagine anything they could do to her that would be worse than what it must have been like to have had to rebuild her entire body 2lbs at a time. He had his own worries about Dante and the cult, but none of what he'd been through compared to that horror. So he just listened, quiet and accepting, until she finished.

"Thank you for sharing. That must have been terrifying," he responded quietly when she'd finished. "I'm sorry you had to go through all of that."

He didn't want to linger on that topic too long. Not out of lack of empathy, but he didn't want to force her to remain on a traumatic subject. "As to the... pheromone issue, I will of course lend you my aid. What would an ideal solution look like for you? As you can see I can veil you from sight and sound. I could likely weave a similar mask against scents, if you so wish. If you would permit the working I can establish a means for you to trigger it wherever you are, even if I'm not around."

[Dorni]

A Spell By Any Other Name

Helios studied both Ariadnes, slightly taken back by the response, but only slightly.

"You misunderstand me. I mean no disrespect to your religion but 'Spirit' is not a disparagement. Spiritual beings are beings that posses a Mind and are infused with life force. While they lack a corporeal body they're still beings to treat with respect, and not only because they can be quite powerful." Indeed, though he hadn't personally witnessed any of the cultists summon a spirit as powerful as the one that lingered around Ariadne, he'd witnessed them attempt to summon the alleged spirits of the dead. Even so he was aware that even the cult had only really scratched the surface over this past month. There were too many legends, myths, and belief systems incorporating powerful spirits for him to discount the possibility that there were far, far bigger spiritual beings out there.

"But no power is without limit - energy comes from somewhere. Has 'Aradne' ever explained to you that to sustain herself she is siphoning off some of your own life energy?"

[Quellian-dyrae]

The Root of the Problem

Lily gave the three of them a wan smile. Sympathy wasn't really what she had called this meeting for, but that didn't mean she didn't appreciate it. "Thank you. It is what it is."

"Generally, yes," she answered Ariadne's question. "I mean, they don't really have to, necessarily. And really I'm simplifying it a fair bit. Strictly speaking making the air in my vicinity 150 proof and lacing it with hallucinogenic mushroom spores or something like that isn't a 'pheromone'. But it gets the point across well enough."

Her lips twitched slightly at the offers. "I'm less concerned about prevention. I mean, come down to it, I can start with a noseplug and scale up from there. There are some practical difficulties; like I said, my sense of smell is very precise. I use it for feedback when I'm using my powers. If I can't smell anything...I mean, I don't know if any of you guys have any sort of, like, sensory feedback when you use your powers, but if you do, imagine trying to use them without that. It'd probably be pretty analogous. Still, better option than being turned into a puppet, so it's not like I'm ruling it out, come down to it."

"But regardless of method, prevention efforts can fail. They're still something I want to explore, but my main concern right now is having plans in place for if I do get compromised. Prepare for the worst, you know? I think it would be wise to have some method for incapacitating me quickly and reliably in case it happens during a dangerous situation. I plan to come up with some, but it might be better that I remain unaware of any you all might devise, so if you need to use it I won't be expecting it."

"But there's one particular contingency I need to put into place now." The smell of honey was getting stronger again. "It's not impossible that if Manchineel gets her hooks in me once, I won't be able to get them out again. If I...if I become a member of the Menagerie, I'm counting on you three to keep me from hurting people, okay?"

Helios was not wrong. Revealing where she had worked had been a huge risk to her identity. It was not a fact she was unaware of. Neither was it relevant. She couldn't assume that if Manchineel took control of her it would be in their presence. If Floral became a member of the Menagerie, it might be that they would need to be able to find her to stop her.

Lily took a breath, and swept her hat and its dangling veil of flowers off of her head.

"My name is Lily Woods. I live at 96 North Taylor Road, apartment 103. It's in the northern part of the Residential District. My parents, Ralph and Sarah Woods, live at 226 Arcadia Court, in Lakeside. My sister Hannah works for the police; my brother Andrew's been helping them too ever since the League arrived. Their addresses are 748 Santa Clara Lane and 953 Hillcrest Drive, apartment D, both in the Residential District. If I'm not at my place, odds are I might be at one of theirs, or at least that one of them might know where I am."

"And if- I mean...I'm sorry, I know I'm asking a lot, but if you guys could...keep an eye on them, if I become unable to...I'd-I'd really appreciate it."

[Ridai]

I wish I had feedback. :(

Nope just grows increasingly uncomfortable. "W-Well, I can try knocking you out, but it's not guaranteed. Kind of nothing I do is. Can also try, emphasis on try, to kind of remove Manchineel's control over you if, if that happens." And he can only nod kind of awkwardly about preventing Floral from hurting people.

Then Floral goes and reveals herself as Lily Woods. Nope almost falls off his crate. First because he didn't expect Floral just revealing her identity, and then it's someone he knows. It takes a while to snap out of it, and by the time most of the adresses already passed him by and he tries to remember the rest, but with nothing to write them down (wait, is writing them down bad in this case?), his chances are slim with everything else that is happening.

"...Yeah, uh, yeah sure. Shouldn't let it come to that, though."

Nope fidgets nervously, wringing his hands, clutching his knees. Then eventually a defeated groan. "I'd just blab something that'd make you figure out who I am now or at least who I'm related to, so might as well get it over with now, I guess. Fair's fair and all that..."

The indistinct figure that is Nope suddenly becomes something the eyes don't just kind of glide off of and slips from the mind beyond vast generalities, though what is now there is hardly impressive. Someone who looks like he might barely be 20 years old (maybe), grey hoodie, black pants, gym shoes (all of them not looking exactly new), and a profoundly average face with brown hair and grey eyes, looking like there has been a lot of stress and little sleep. Feels weird to just be Remy in this company, even though honestly to himself, removing his identity never felt all that different.

"Hi, I'm Remy Rames. You know my uncle Bruno, he runs D&D. I live with him now. Used to live with my mom Donna and sister Nora, but mom's an MC of the cult now, Nora's missing, dad's a Silver Link called Greed now." Ouch, Remy made himself sad again, and he looks like it. "Got put in a Proxysuit when I was looking for Nora at the Museum of Natural History where she and mom worked. Something went wrong. Next thing I knew, I could remove things. Anything. No safety measures, feedback, or guidance. Limits not known, and I'm too scared to look where they are, since I can remove personal time and once accidentally removed some of my fingers because of a stray mental image, so, uh yeah..." He kind of feels bad now, wondering if he hijacked this when this is really about Lily/Floral (damn which one to refer to her now). He just becomes smaller on his bottle crate. Chances are they are going to forget his real name and face soon anyway, like most people.

[Abracadangit]

The Root of the Problem

Kal nods along with Floral's more detailed explanation of the pheromones, and is just about to volunteer to ensnare her in about fifteen layers of thread should she lose control, when suddenly Floral becomes the first among them to reveal her identity. And not just reveal it, but also give up a sizable amount of extra information, as well. Kal understands the intent -- these fights with Manchineel might prove fatal -- but still, that's a lot to hand over to people she barely knows. Then, mere moments later, Nope tells everyone all of his information, as well. So trusting! Kal thinks to herself. To be fair, there's really no reason she shouldn't trust them, as well. So what's holding her back, she wonders. Why can't she just take off the mask, lower her hood, and do the same thing.

"Wise choice," Ariadne echoes, internally. "Before you tell me how terrible I am, take a moment to consider: what if your tree demon DOES take hold of your flowery friend, hm. Perhaps controlling her motions is not the limit of what she can do. Perhaps she can make her tell things that she knows, reveal things that she remembers. You think you can stop her, before she says where you live? Where Dimetria lives?"

"No way to know that for sure," Kal thinks back.

"Mmm, very good. But you didn't need me to tell you that -- you already knew, which is why you waited. Caution does not make you weak. That's the lesson for today, hnn, hnn."

"I... am not quite ready to remove my mask," Kal confesses. "But what I will say is that all of you are very brave, both in your deeds and in your honesty. Remy, your experiences sound horrifying, I am impressed that you stand with us." Kal then turns to Floral. "And Lily... if such a thing shall come to pass, I will do whatever must be done, and see that your family is safe. On this, I swear."

[Ridai]

Ariadne not wanting to unmask is simply met with "That's alright. Lily's a genius, I'm an idiot, thought I'd do this myself instead of waiting for her to figure it out by next week, let's be real here." There is something that was probably supposed to be in the vicinity of a smile, but came out more as pressing his lips in a thin line.

[Dorni]

The Root of the Problem

Helios' eyes widened in surprise when Lily revealed her entire family. He recovered quickly, chiding himself that he probably shouldn't have been given the build-up. That Floral, no, Lily would be willing to share spoke to a great level of trust. Or much more likely, a great deal of fear and desperation. He found himself respecting her more for it. He didn't work the hospital floor, but he still knew what went on there. Doctors and nurses shared the stories of those moments when a patient accepted that the end was approaching. Some fixated on themselves or the afterlife, but many just wanted to make sure their loved ones would be taken care of. It spoke to who that person really was.

And Lily's concern for her family was genuine. "I'll see to it that your family is protected." How could he not? "But it won't come to that. We defeated one of Manchineel's inner circle today. We'll defeat her too."

Helios listened quietly while Nope outlined his identity and when it came to his turn... "I think it would be safer for us all I don't answer while Manchineel is still at large." Which was true - if Lily was genuinely concerned that Manchineel could turn her into a thrall, then the best way to be sure Lily couldn't be forced to share their identities to the League was if she didn't know them. While that was true, that wasn't really the whole of it. If they knew his identity and came looking for him, the chance was too high that they'd meet Dante. He wasn't prepared to risk that they'd reveal Flint's secret to him. That, and Dante was no magical lightweight either. Remy might not draw his eye immediately, but Ariadne and Lily would almost certainly be in immediate danger.

[Abracadangit]

A Spell By Any Other Name

"Yes, she has," Kal replies, knowing full well that Ariadne won't appreciate Helios' not-so-veiled implication that she was hiding secrets. "I accepted her presence, fully aware of both the benefits and the cost."

"He takes me for a vdélla," Ariadne voices, in Kal's mind.

"I don't know what that is," Kal admits.

"I know not the name for them, in this age. Little wormlike things -- in my time, they put them on you to get out the bad blood."

"They're called... leeches," Kal thinks back, uncomfortably. "I don't think he means it that way -- I think he's concerned about me," she thinks, trying to put a positive spin on it. "You should like that, right? He's looking out for my safety, and making sure you're not some -- I don't know -- demon possessing me, or something."

"I have lived a very long time and seen a great many things to be called a vdélla," Ariadne responds, coolly. "But I will not wring my hands and stomp my feet. I worry for him."

"That's... uncharacteristically kind of you. What are you worried about?"

"He is a book wizard. I have met many like him before, and I will meet many more like him before I pay the ferryman. You see, it was book wizards who told me that I could not practice their craft because I was a girl. This is what their books told them. Very 'learned,' these book wizards. All of them have the same problem -- they see the world the same way they see their books, laid out in the order of the alphabet. But life does not happen in the order of the alphabet, hm? Youth goes before Old, Pain goes before Experience, Unfairness before Justice, and a million others. And there are magics, hiding in the dark, strange, forgotten places of the world that also do not follow the order of the alphabet. Book wizards do not fare well against threats that are not in the proper order upon their shelves -- as they shift and shuffle the books around, the enemy moves quickly, until it is too late. So I worry for your book wizard friend, and hope, for his sake, that he only ever encounters threats in the right order on the shelf."

"Maybe he could teach us something," Kal counters. "Maybe our thread could use some perspective from an outside source."

"Hnn, hnn, hnn. The book wizards from my time told me the same thing, until I defeated them. Then my magic was vile witchcraft. Beware the book wizards, engoní. We do not fit on their shelves."

Kal looks up at Helios, and nervously clears her throat. Can't really repeat any of that, can I, she muses.

"She is... impressed by your skill. We may learn a great deal from each other, in the days to come."

[Quellian-dyrae]

The Root of the Problem

Remy revealed his own identity, and oh wow had Lily not expected that. If she were honest, she wished he hadn't, for exactly the reason that Helios (and Ariadne, though Lily had not been privy to it) had said - while she had no evidence of how susceptible she might be to Manchineel's commands or what she could be forced to do, it was only sensible to assume that if Manchineel took control of her, she could claim her knowledge for herself. Remy was taking a huge risk, revealing who he was, to her of all people.

...It was pretty touching, honestly. And weirdly, it actually made her feel a bit better. For all that he brushed it off as something she could have figured out easily, it was obviously not the case. While Lily had known his uncle for years, being a regular at his gaming table, she'd had no idea Bruno even had a nephew! (Ba-dum-tish.) There was no way she could have possibly connected him to Nope; no amount of intelligence would ever change that. Revealing who he was was a huge risk, which made it a costly statement of confidence. It said more strongly than any words could that he thought they'd be able to keep her out of Manchineel's clutches.

She...kinda boggled when he told them about his family. She didn't know which was worse, his parents being in league with the, uh, League, or his sister being missing. She visibly shivered at his explanation of how he had acquired his powers. What Doctor Proxy had done to him was every bit as bad as what Manchineel had done to her.

And this was the one Watcher said he trusted implicitly. Lily was kinda surprised Remy hadn't told him to take a hike. If it were Manchineel instead, Lily wasn't sure that she'd be able to muster the wherewithal to work with Watcher, regardless of the pragmatic reasons for doing so.

She should say something, should try to offer some consolation, some expression of confidence that they would figure out what happened to his sister, would find a way to free his parents from the League.

Instead what came out of her mouth was, "Wait...but you repaired the building, that day we met Watcher...how did you...did you remove the damage to its structure? And then...you teleport by, what, removing the space between your position and the destination? Or do you just remove the impossibility of the act of physical teleportation? Or I guess you could remove your...pos...ition? But then how would you choose where to end- oh unless you removed all other positions from the possibility space..."

Look, for good or ill, Lily Woods was the type of person who could weaponize such mighty and dreaded superpowers as "super-photosynthesis", "being a flower", and "two-pound-per-second transmutation of plant matter". Tell her you have the power to remove things and that it apparently works on a memetic level and her brain is just going to go places with that.

[Ridai]

The Root of the Problem

Well... well... this is probably... an okay outcome, compared to somehow... insulting Lily or making things more difficult? Part of Remy expected immediately being humbled by Lily's superior intellect when it comes to the possible applications of an open-ended thing like removing anything, and it is looking like she is winding up to exactly that, but the ideas mentioned, moreso than any sort of feeling of inferiority, make his skin crawl instinctively. Remy's hands instinctively try to close, which leads to grasping his knees instead, trying to not just stammer something incoherent in response.

"I, uh... I try not to remove... universal or world things. I don't think that goes well. I don't know... what comes back or not. My, uh, 'presence' comes back, I think because I'm still here. I think." Remy becomes Nope becomes Remy is suddenly gone is there again. Quick on himself, then looking to the others to see if they look like they can see him again, and as Remy. "I, uhm, 'teleport' by removing the... the personal relative distance between me and where I go. At least that's how I think about it. Need to check if a place is occupied so I don't... don't land in something or someone. Make sure all of me goes there. It's scary. That's, uh, that's not what I do when I... 'teleport' others. Would be way too difficult. Way too dangerous. Harrowing. Wouldn't... wouldn't want to do that to anyone." He is getting hung up on things again.

"I can, uhm, I can heal or restore, kind of. Think of someone or something unharmed as base state. Conceptualize" Remy winces a bit. He uses the word because he thinks it kind of gets the point across, but in the presence of an actual brilliant scientist, he has no idea if he is horribly mangling its meaning. "any damage as something added to someone. Remove the damage. Really need to make sure I don't remove anything else. Or only parts of it. Can't really... check if I really did it unless it's obvious. Not any better at knowing if something's wrong with someone. It really hurts my brain, but I need to be really careful, have really clear thoughts. No stray or garbled mental images. No distractions turning into something else getting removed. No doing things hasty. If someone gets shot and I do it right, there's no bullet or wound anymore. If I do it wrong, there could be a tunnel of nothing but air in someone the next moment. Or worse. Or I accidentally tried to remove something from someone else, something that isn't there." Remy just shakes his head, a little at first, then pressing his lips into a line, shaking his head more vigorious, along with a shudder going through him.

...maybe, in a way, it is good this power was inflicted on someone who doesn't have nearly as much going on in his head as Lily. He already has trouble dealing with stray thoughts. It would be hell to work against a constant tidal wave of ideas going a mile a minute.

Really though, the more he talks about his powers, the more nervous Remy gets.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Blood Magic

For the first few moments after either Nope and Ariadne had headed out or they had gone somewhere private to talk (which, granted, with Helios's magic could be, like, twenty feet away) Lily was quiet. The limp vine dangling from he right shoulder slowly began to "reel in" in contract back down into the shape of a human arm. The tangle of roots growing out of her ankles gradually began to weave together and reshape into human feet. New hair began to grow like grass from the side of her head that had lost it, slowly peeking out from under her hat. The change back happened much more slowly than the original transformations had. In combat, Lily used stored solar energy to fuel her tactical transmutations, allowing them to occur far faster and on a much larger scale than she could accomplish normally. But so soon after the grueling battle with Apophis's zombies, Lily had little enough energy available for that. For this she made do with her baseline power and its two-pounds-a-second limitations.

She was stalling and she knew it. She didn't really want to have this conversation. She was tired. And hungry, a sensation that had grown unfamiliar in the time she had her powers. And so, so thirsty. She wanted to go home, drink like two gallons of water, and collapse into bed. She didn't want to tell Helios about his having family in the cult, didn't want to have to smell his feelings when he heard the news.

Most of all, she didn't want to have to admit she had failed to save them.

But Helios both deserved and needed to know, and Lily hadn't gotten where she was by cowering before the potential of social awkwardness.

"Before you arrived, we hadn't been fighting Apophis's zombies," she said. "We had a tip that there was a Suneater cult gathering that was going to happen at the building. That's why we were there in the first place. There were four groups of cultists there. Three of them gathered on those altar thingies, and one group clustered off away from them. I think it was an initiation of some kind. We tried to take them down, but Apophis intervened, whisked the leaders out and left the zombies to fight us."

"When we arrived, Nope did a...thing that let me smell what was going on inside from outside. Three of the cultists, they, um, shared DNA with you. I mean, not all of it, but...more than chance. They would have to be pretty close relatives. I don't think they were that much older than you, so...siblings maybe, or cousins...definitely no more distant than cousins." her voice had a tone that was as much apologetic as sympathetic.

"Um. One of them was in the group that I believe was being initiated or whatever. And one of them - a woman, the other two were guys - was kinda separate from everyone else, near the stairs. I guess she was assigned to guard duty or something? The third one, though, he was up on the black altar, like second step down. He wasn't as powerful as the leaders I don't think, but he was more powerful than any of the rank and file, best I can figure. Might have even been up there with one of us, maybe."

"I was hoping that after we incapacitated everyone we could...I don't know, separate them, get them out or...something. I hadn't really thought it all the way through. Wasn't enough time. But Apophis stepped in and... I'm sorry, Helios. I'm sorry I couldn't save them," she said, looking down at the floor.

After a moment or two, she looked back up at him. "Um. I hadn't had the time to explain it to Nope or Ariadne. I think it's probably worth telling them, but that's your decision to make, not mine. I don't need to know who they actually are to you, if you want to keep that to yourself. Or if you do want to talk about it...I'm here. If there's anything I can do to help get them out, please don't hesitate to tell me."

[Dorni]

Helios listened in stoic silence, all the while feeling more and more like he was sinking.

"Its... not that easy," he answered at last. Part of him wanted to leave it at that, say something mysterious and back out of the conversation. This was his family. His problem to solve and his brother to convince. But this was also Lily Woods - if anyone understood family it was her. She'd already put her family in his hands. And god forbid, if Dante insisted on supporting the cult he might not leave the other heros any choice.

"Or rather, the situation isn't so straightforward. Let me start by saying this: your nose wasn't wrong. The people you smelled were my cousin, my brother, and me."

"As you might have surmised, I'm not from Forester's Bay. I was here for a long weekend. My brother was going through a rough patch so I wanted to treat him. So I came up with the idea to take him on a vacation. Sarah loved the idea too. Something to cheer him up and for him to look forward to. Then the dome went up" Helios grim smile acknowledged the monkey's-paw irony at play.

"Wasn't so bad at first. First few days we bunkered down, but nothing really happened. Villains hadn't really made themselves known either, so it kinda turned into an extended stay. Then while we were out we got caught up in a Suneater attack. I'll spare you the details and just say it turned into the classic 'join or die'. So we joined, they opened our mystic senses, and here we are."

"Sarah and I have been phoning it in as members. Or rather we were. I started getting just enough involved to know when the cult is on the move so I can show up as Helios and stop them. It isn't hard. Among their normal members information security is kinda lacking. Sarah doesn't know about me being Helios, but her magic isn't very strong so I didn't want to endanger her. My brother is a different story."

"You've gotta remember, I said he was going through a rough patch before we came here. He's normally not like this. He's great. But ever since the cult... well, they gave him magic. Its sucked him in. If it were up to Sarah and I we'd be done with the cult yesterday, but not him. I just need to get through to him."

[Zelphas]

Chance or Fate?

The League of the Future has loosely respected each others' "territory", more or less. Ever since the first of August, when Manchineel responded to Lockdown's Bronze Link entering into her lands under the banner of truce by turning the man into a giant boar-person, this "respect" has grown more rigid. Non-Punishments or Menagerie members simply avoid the forest; it's too much of a risk, at this time.

That's probably the reason why Sarah has asked you to meet with her a few hundred feet into the forest to the northwest of the city, despite the rather obvious risk. She also asked for you to meet with her just at nightfall, saying that would make things "easier"... whatever that means.

"We haven't been completely honest with one another." Sarah is facing you as you arrive, her precognitive abilities apparently having told her where you would be appearing. She looks... strained, worried, like she's about to do something unpleasant, but necessary. "It's not like we really had much choice, but... I think you need to know this, because if I'm right about what you're hiding, then... don't tell me," she puts up on hand, drawing in a breath to center herself. "I think we need to figure out if... I'm starting at the wrong time. I need to show you... what I can do. But I need you to be ready, in case something goes wrong. Okay?"

[Dorni]

Chance or Fate

"Whoa, Sarah, slow down," Flint raised his hands in a mollifying gesture. He'd been worried ever since he'd gotten her note asking him to meet her out here. He'd had some ideas what this was about, all of which made him nervous. There were only so many things he could think of that merited meeting in secrecy like this when their hotel rooms were only a few doors away, after all. Most of them revolved around his own secrets, or his brother. A demonstration from her wasn't on his list.

"Just tell me what you need and I'll help. What do you want me to do?"

[Zelphas]

Sarah takes in a deep breath, visibly calming herself. Her eyes still dart around, as though she's waiting for something to appear, but her voice is much calmer when she speaks next. "Okay. Okay. It all should be fine, just... just be ready, in case it... doesn't like you. I should just--I'm starting now." Taking in another deep breath, Sarah closes her eyes, her forehead creasing with concentration.

Spoiler: Mystic Sense

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The power that arcs out of Sarah looks like a summoning spell, though it is both too simple and too complex for the spells you've seen others use. You catch hints of Life magic, Earth magic, and Water magic, all blended and formed into a very specific call, but the way that Sarah used it looked more instinctual than learned.

At the same time, a webwork of different magics springs up around Sarah. This power is minor, but incredibly complicated, and it almost seems like a simple amplification of her own innate magical "signature"--a beacon, maybe, or a way of identifying herself.

"I don't know how long this takes; usually less than a minute, so--oh. There it is. Um..." Sarah goes silent as you begin to hear something moving through the trees with a steady, heavy gait. Looking around, all that you see near you are tall, twisted trees losing their leaves as summer becomes fall, even as the heavy steps get closer and closer. It is only when you notice that one of the trees is not where it was a few seconds ago that you are able to face the thing that has arrived in the small clearing.

Thick, gnarled roots reveal themselves to be cloven hooves in the darkness as you squint your eyes, attached to a thick, muscled, warped body that, at night, looks like a malformed tree trunk. An eye opens and closes in an irregular knot in the trunk; a moment later, a maw appears in the same place--no, it must be slightly above or below where the eye was, surely. Twisted "branches" become waving tentacles, held high in the air and twitching as though in the breeze. The thing takes another step forward, the entire edifice of twisted flesh flexing and shuddering with the movement.

"So... that's, um, that's a new one. I haven't tried in the forest yet--um. It should be harmless, I think. I mean, before, they've been--" Srah is staring at the creature with wide eyes as well, looking terrified.

[Dorni]

Flint raises a hand in momentary alarm that a Punishment has found them before registering the aura radiating from the creature and its tether to Sarah. He dispersed the aether he'd been forming before the spell could start taking shape.

With a second glance at Sarah he wondered if he shouldn't have - despite Calling this creature here she seemed terrified of it. Which maybe was warranted. It looked like a malformed mix of a storybook satyr and a treant, but that could be deceptive. His mystic sense told him that this wasn't the being's true body. It was a magical construct, a vessel for the will of the entity that inhabited it. He had no idea what that entity could be - reliable sources on supernatural entities were not easy to come by trapped in a vacation town.

But Sarah was afraid of it.

He took a step to place himself at her side in silent support and turned to face the creature directly. He inclined his head in respectful greeting - while not taking his eyes off the creature. "Hello. I bid thee welcome. To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?"

Spoiler: OOC

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Iala Sith bonus set to Persuasion.
Persuasion (1d20+17)[25]

[Zelphas]

The huge, lumbering... thing comes to a rolling stop, exhaling fetid breath from its many, many mouths. The stench rolls over you, and you hear Sarah give out a gagging cough; it smells like an open grave, visceral and pungent. For a long moment, the thing simply stands, tentacle-branches waving softly in an unfelt breeze, eyes and mouths silently opening and closing. You're about ready to give up on this thing's sentience when a sucking sound suddenly bursts from the thing; you feel the wind snatch at your hair and clothes, blowing towards the creature.

Next comes a rumble, a low, deep growl, like the lowest notes of an ancient tree creaking and shaking in the wind. The sound is animal, with an edge of hunger; yet, it seems... dismissive. There is a definite turn to the creature, as it shifts focus away from you and towards Sarah.

"SISTER." The voice comes from no visible mouth. It is low, deep, and barely comprehensible, as though the thing behind the word only barely understands the concept of speech, let alone the meaning of the word it has just spoken. The tentacle-branches wave, descending slightly and weaving towards the two of you. "OFFERING?"

"...What? No! No, this is my brother. Bro-ther! He's not--no!" Sarah waves her arms wildly in negation, shaking her head. The creature rumbles once more, an element of dissatisfaction in its guttural growls. Its tentacles continue to wave slightly in your direction, though they are not reaching towards you yet. Sarah glances at you, panic and confusion evident in her gaze. "None of them have spoken before. I mean, I didn't--none of them looked like they could speak before, but this one doesn't either! I understand even less than I did before all this," she half-whispers to you, her mouth barely moving as she looks at the thing before you.

[Dorni]

Flint covered his nose at the stench. It didn't help at all and a moment later he let it drop.

"I am no offering." His reply wasn't hostile - not yet - but it was firm. This entity could still be a danger. Both the magic connecting it to Sarah and her own reaction said that she couldn't compel this creature in the same way that cultists could command their summoned undead. It was more like a Calling, or a Familiar. If a particularly huge one.

He risked a glance back to Sarah. "Others? How many have you summoned?"

He bit his lip. He needed a better way to communicate with the thing. He'd wanted to keep his familiar secret as long as he could, but the fae might be the perfect help here. But Sarah had trusted him with her secret and she was good people. He could trust her with one of his. "_{Iala Sith}," he whispered, imbuing the word with power. "Iala Sith, I call to you."

Spoiler: OOC

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Iala Sith's aspect (1d4)[4] Death