Illarion Albireo (
unsheathedfromreality) wrote in
deercountry2022-04-13 09:49 pm
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Real & Half-Real: Chapter 1 - The Portal and the Plan
Who: The Committee to Rescue Illarion from His Very Stupid Mistake
What: Building a portal to bust into a pocket dimension and strategizing what to do once they get there. All extremely advisable science.
When: Early-mid April
Where: Throughout Trench, and in parts beyond it
It's been weeks since Illarion's disappearance in the fight against Leviathan, and scarcely fewer weeks since his Omen Iskierka began papering Trench with notes on his whereabouts. The shrike's friends and loved ones have not been idle during that time, and now their plans begin coming to fruition.
It's time to get him out of the nightmare he's trapped in--but first, they've got to break their way in, and they've got to have a plan.
[[ Part of the Real & Half-Real player plot! Navigate to other plot posts: [OOC] Interest Check | [IC] Prologue | [IC] Iskierka's Notes ]]
What: Building a portal to bust into a pocket dimension and strategizing what to do once they get there. All extremely advisable science.
When: Early-mid April
Where: Throughout Trench, and in parts beyond it
It's been weeks since Illarion's disappearance in the fight against Leviathan, and scarcely fewer weeks since his Omen Iskierka began papering Trench with notes on his whereabouts. The shrike's friends and loved ones have not been idle during that time, and now their plans begin coming to fruition.
It's time to get him out of the nightmare he's trapped in--but first, they've got to break their way in, and they've got to have a plan.
[[ Part of the Real & Half-Real player plot! Navigate to other plot posts: [OOC] Interest Check | [IC] Prologue | [IC] Iskierka's Notes ]]
2 - STRATEGY
And that insight must then be put into application. Sayo has set forth the bones of the ritual--twenty-four hours, thirteen murders, capped with an enormous explosion--but its practical execution, in a half-world both huge and dangerous, requires resources and planning. Now is the time to discuss logistics and plans of attack, and exactly how to cross the vast space implied by Illarion's notes in the short time his rescuers will have to them.
Briefing and Ask the Golden Witch
"In our first attempt to enact this ritual, Illarion and I successfully assassinated the Prince of Pleasure and the Swan Sorceress, but fell short when we attempted to secure the Prince of Noon's airship for our own use due to a simple lack of firepower. I have more detailed information on the domains and abilities of each of those targets, but... it may be outdated at this point." She sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. "The most precarious part of this plot is that Nephele-that-isn't's topography, structure, and even history seem to be... in flux. While Illarion and I traveled its expanse, it always seemed to be changing, expanding even, as the world built itself up. If we're particularly unlucky, some of the characters that Illarion and I pinpointed as good targets will be unsuitable or dead—twice over, in some cases—when we arrive. That initial 24-hour reconnaissance period will be crucial, as well as any information we can glean before then."
A short pause. Then... some of the stern, professorial facade cracks, revealing someone fundamentally very, very tired and very, very scared beneath. "And... thank you, everyone. I was worried it'd just be me, Kaworu, and Paul for some time, but it's, um. It's reassuring, seeing how many of you have shown up to help."
Deep breath. The mask comes back on. "Now. Any questions?"
Ask her anything.
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This wasn't his fight. He barely knew most of the people involved, but he was also someone who upheld his word. Although their meetings had been both brief and under duress, he remembered a promise he made to someone with Sayo's fave:
Keep an eye on her.
Oscar may have seemed like an innocent, but he knew the full effects of being in the aftermath of someone else's self destrution on a personal level. Lives had been destroyed in Remnant because of it; his body still carried the scars.
Quietly, he raised his hand.
"If you can get me on the airship, I think I've got the controls," he said firmly. Although he only had experience in crashing airships, a part of him knew what to do. Oscar was confident he could figure it out.
"Also... Sayo." He hadn't spoken her name often, but he made a point to say it now. "Is the reason you know all this related to what happened to you and... Our Mysterious friend--"
They really needed a better name for this bird.
"-- after the beast that attacked the town was defeated?"
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And yet Kanon, the soul bound to Sayo's butterfly Omen, is currently draped across Oscar's lap like a lazy cat and not an insubstantial giant insect.
"I'll keep your skills in mind. We'll definitely need somebody who knows how to pilot that thing; killing the Prince of Noon only to crash the airship and fail the mission five minutes later would be embarrassing." Sayo sighs at his question, looking away from the audience. "...and yes. While... many of you were not aware of it at the time, my soul had departed my body and went with Forneus to Nephele-that-isn't. A small fragment of myself was already operating my body since I was concentrating on the battle with the leviathan as much as I could, so almost nobody noticed anything was amiss." Pause. "And before you get concerned about what happened to the part of me that suddenly gained independent will and free thought, he's currently napping on Oscar's lap."
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Perplexed, he looked down at the butterfly that was nestled in his lap like some weird forest creature that had found a favored human. He recalled Kanon's own promise to return however he could and couldn't help but smile despite everything else that was happening.
This was exactly why he extended a branch of neutrality towards Sayo in the first place. He knew the frustrations of having others inside his own mind all too well, and knew that the situation had to be far more complicated than what was being let on. It wasn't his business, but he didn't care to make enemies unnecessarily.
"Sorry," he said quickly. "I didn't mean to distract from anything. I only noticed because I walked in at a weird time-- otherwise he was very good at being... Shannon."
Even while he spoke, he gently ran his fingers over the delicate butterfly wings. Their structure was a marvel on this large of a measure, because the individual scales he had heard word of in science class that made up the wings were evident with an almost feather-like appearance and fragility.
It was yet another reason to not judge Sayo so quickly.
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There's an odd, bony structure to Kanon's wings now that Oscar is looking closely, as if it was closer to a bat's than a butterfly's. And of course, there are the skull patterns on the wings. Thanks, "Sasha."
"Speaking of Kanon," The butterfly turns his antennae to presumably give Sayo a dour glare, "Nephele-that-isn't's... unique metaphysical properties may make it possible for him to join us beyond a limited capacity as, well. A butterfly." Kanon's "glare" now looks significantly less dour and significantly more hopeful. "If all goes according to plan, we should be able to share minds, and as such coordinate across vast distances. Consider that a very, very large 'if,' though."
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"Regardless of how it works, I'll happily help both you and Kanon. Just tell me where you want me to be. You should know enough about my capabilities to have ideas about that already."
After all, anyone who had spent any time in the Clockhouse would have noticed Oscar's tendency towards mimicking the body language of a certain wizard whose shadow stretched longer than anyone else's in the house in the moments when he wasn't consciously monitoring himself. The odd, unsettling stillness was unmistakable-- as was it's similarity to the wizard Sayo had threatened at gunpoint.
probably cut it soon?
Sure
bang, there
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He could manage that, he thinks. He knows those tricks. But there's plenty of people who can handle a little trickery, and fewer with his more unique talents. Best to focus on what he, and he specifically, can do. Illarion's world isn't too much like his own. Their demons sound extremely different. But he's seen Illarion - actually seen him properly - so he thinks he's got a good understanding of how their higher-dimensional beings operate. It really doesn't seem that different from back home.
"I'll go after these shrike people," he concludes. "I'm not going to go insane or whatever when I see them." Despite being, to all outward appearances, a normal human? He does not provide any further explanation!
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"Although the island will naturally be on higher alert due to the size of our party if nothing else, assassination will likely be our best strategy against her. The same strategies may not work, but... my own talents will still likely be useful in infiltrating her estate and killing her quietly. It'll be one of the few arenas where I'll be directly useful in a 'sacrifice.'" That, and Sayo really, really wants to do the deed herself, and make it stick this time.
She nods when Michael volunteers his capabilities. If nothing else, she knows not to judge by appearance by now. "Now here's an important question: how well can you handle being shot? Repeatedly, in all likelihood?"
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Now, is he excited about going squid mode in front of a bunch of virtual strangers? Of course not! But here in Trench, it feels slightly safer - they've all got squid shapes somewhere deep down. He'll just play it off as something to do with that, or some weird quirk of the mindscape. No big deal.
"I'm not whatever the hell these guys are, but I'm also an extradimensional being. This is all fairly standard where I'm from."
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"Does it not occur to you that it may help me leverage your expertise if you actually shared what, exactly, your capabilities are instead of making jokes about them?"
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wrap soon?
sure!
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"If our mutual acquaintance has been trapped in this Nephele, but his omen has been here in Trench to communicate and assist us... it stands to reason that it could work the other way around, doesn't it? Those of us who are better off remaining behind could at least do that much, and send omens in with the away team."
Target Plans (a murder most fowl)
[Look at who's unusually business today despite the topic. Well, come on, let's ~discuss~.]
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"I'm aware this is kind of like a mindscape, and I've looked at the notes. But do we have to kill them?"
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"And you don't have to kill anyone," he says, quietly. "Even though they're only memories."
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Kaworu's expression and tone aren't angry or pleading. It's decidedly a restrained persona that he's adopted. Because he needs to, he can feel the corruption swirling inside of him and it rises in this place and when he thinks about the Old Man and how he's been unfairly taken from Kaworu. So instead, he just focuses on the mission at hand.
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Oscar chimed in, wary but attentive. He had been quiet up until this point-- and, given the fragments of information he understood about many parties involved, he knew this wasn't his fight.
But, he had a promise to keep... And for a creampuff he wasn't half bad at strategy.
"It's just pooling our resources and seeing who goes where. Unfortunately, I'm not exactly a front lines guy-- and it looks like a few of us are in that category. We're going to have to get creative."
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He huffs, he can't think of easy configurations. Strategy has never really been his strong suit, he was used to following directions more than anything.
"I want to kill Preservation and Domnika."
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The fact that his theft from the locked study had kickstarted a wild string of affairs that included Oscar being ejected from his body and in the space between dreams once more was both unsettling and embarrassing. No one unnecessary needed to know about his limited ability to be polite with his newfound telepathic abilities and beyond.
That, and he barely knew Kaworu beyond terrible allergies and being picky with food. There was something more, and he recognized that.
After all, wasn't Oscar himself similar?
"I feel like I need to be on the airship... But everything I'm hearing about Domnika reminds me of someone I met before."
Someone with limpid black eyes and a sweet smile-- both of which could turn more brutal than the unending cold at the bottom of the ocean in an instant.
"I know it doesn't apply... But having some kind of insight must be worth something."
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The airship... that's a detail that he's not focused on. It's part of the background to him. Something that he knows will be there and he finds little reason to think of it more.
Then he glances up, red eyes darker than usual. "Oh, and what might that be?"
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He said the word slowly, carefully enunciating the syllables to make them clear. That was the true common denominator with all of the people he has struggled against-- they were either manipulating the board or being manipulated by others.
"She may try a divide and conquer method. I... I've seen kingdoms fall to that tactic."
There was no uncertainty in his tone as he spoke. Rather, there were hints of something more that he couldn't contain, like grief and regret.
"If we can figure out the rules to her game, we can probably beat her."
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