Real & Half-Real: Chapter 1 - The Portal and the Plan

[unsheathedfromreality]

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 ]]

Comments

[justoscar]

"You mean-- Kanon is--?"

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.

[forwantofahorse]

Sayo rubs the back of her neck, looking away from Oscar. Despite the surreality of Kanon's existence and her refusal to ever admit it out loud in an unironic way, Sayo's glad to have her "little brother" in the real world at last. Even as a weird magic shadow butterfly that they were still workshopping how to give him a way to talk. "It was the least I could do for putting the burden of, um, existing on his shoulders, especially to play a role that we both hated. He can't really talk right now, but it seems as though he's glad to see you."

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."

[justoscar]

A nod. Oscar understood these variables all too well. Although he was glad for Kanon's existence in a physical presence, he knew that it was likely a situation similar to what he currently shared with Ozpin. Although they were two bodies, a part of them would always be linked in a manner that was inseparable.

"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?

[forwantofahorse]

Sayo taps her temple, reviewing what she knows of Oscar. His connection to Ozpin, his unusual worldliness, his nigh-unbreakable composure- even though he had little to offer in sacrificing the thirteen dramatis personae, Oscar's temperament and knowledge were an invaluable asset. Something that needed intense concentration, a talent for thinking on your feet, a well of odd trivia and bizarrely specific knowledge...

A smile tugs at Sayo's lips, and she snaps her fingers.

"Tell me. How well do you think you could pilot an airship?"

Sure

[justoscar]

"...I can figure it out. I think."

There was no reason to explain how he had previously crashed an airship that had been shot down with zero casualties-- nor reason to explain how he likely did fly such a vessel in another lifetime.

"What are you thinking?"

bang, there

[forwantofahorse]

"Even if Nephele-that-isn't retains its odd... compressed properties, we'll still need some way of getting from place to place quickly."

Sayo crosses her arms, grimacing as she remembers that brush with death when she and Illarion grappled with the Prince of Noon; the battle that nearly rent her apart and that Illarion had sent her back to Trench to let her escape from.

"While getting it will be... a labor all on its own, there just happens to be an airship we can hijack that belongs to one of our first targets..."

Oh, she is looking forward to getting revenge.