Ruins of Khazan - Part 1: All Things Among Fallen Leaves

[Nik Hasta]

"Thank you, Cassa." Heartfelt words; Krys breathes in deeply as the energies fill them, allowing it to sweep away their fatigue. The pain remains, but there's little they can do about that at present; should something pass amiss, it's better to have choices than perfect health. At least, such is their own perspective.

Somewhat unsurprisingly.

They eye the mechanoid for a long moment. "You're better off assigning rank to Jane, the other mechanoid," they finally state with a small smile. Spacetime anomaly. Interesting conclusion, if somewhat incorrect. "But I won't argue." They can always 'reassign' ranks later. "Consent granted." If it makes Cassa 'happy' - fulfills their programming - that's enough for Krys at the moment.

The machine does not give a sign of agreement or assent visually, it remains as inscrutable and impassive as only a faceless automaton can. Deep in the mud, Krys hears a squelching sound as its feet reshape somewhat and small fins just out of its arms. They look too small to provide much assistance with steering but there is a whine and suddenly, in a burst of mud and blue flame as its legs have become small rocketry engines once more, Cassa shoots upwards, in the first instance gracefully but almost immediately seeming to flail and it careens over the wall of the garden, leaving nought but a trail of smoke behind.

There is a loud booming clang as it presumably hits the ground on the other side and then it is gone, presumably heading toward the far off spatial distortion for whatever unknown reason it was being drawn there.

For a long moment they mull over Trevor's words. "You may be lacking in experience," Krys finally muses. "But not in wisdom. Sounds like it's exactly like your experiences, Trevor." As always, Trevor learns. Adapts. Shifts perspectives. Small wonder he has survived. "And you're correct. I might know how to break some rules, but I'm still...really nothing special here." They lean back, still alert to the area but resting on their elbows. One hand drags through their filthy hair; Krys flicks it, sending muck and mire spattering across a rock. "And I feel you're right about one thing - that we need to get to the tree. It seems like the focal point of this infinity, and likely the source of the power I've...dimly sensed." The power that ignored Krys, sweeping over them then away.

"As for the other part...you're definitely correct about that." Their habitually unfocused gaze sharpens slightly. "We need to learn the rules of this place. And not just to survive."

Svātantrya.

Absolute action.

Ultimate freedom.

That switchblade smile flickers on their lips.

"We need to know the rules to figure out how to break them."

Rule-breaker.

Trevor nods, looking at the trail and wiping a spatter of mud off his face that had been flung there by Cassa's slightly explosive exit.

"There goes a creature of rules," he said, indicating the robot, "Different to Mistress Jane even though they look kind of similar. I wonder what it was looking for? We all feel drawn to the tree but it's going into whatever that... whirlpool of stuff is lestways. Seems odd, that it was different to everyone else, right?"

He muses for a moment.

"Experience, as you say Ser, is paramount. I'm sure I'll be getting more of it as we go forward. I at least hope some of it is good,"

[Nik Hasta]

Jane noted the stutter made comprehension difficult at times, but with a slight adjustment to her auditory processes she was able to render a version of Bones' speech more comprehensible, reducing repetitions and some of the particulars of his speech.

"The soul. What you ought to be," Jane echoed.

She thought back to her experience in the Death Dimension, with the other Jane.

"In that case, if, for some reason," Jane said carefully, "the patient was spiritually damaged or misguided, and had trouble determining what they should be, the method would not work?"

At this, Bones pauses in his ministrations and looks at Jane, his eyes filling with a deep sadness.

"Oh my ch-ch-child," he says quietly, he then collects himself and gives a more professional response, "D-D-Depending on the d-depth of the t-t-t-t-trauma or self-d-d-d-delusion, it could have adverse effect-t-ts, make it less eff-ff-ffective. But, the f-f-form is the most solid thing. A p-p-person would have to be p-pretty far gone to lose their own expectations of their vessel in this p-p-plane,"

"Infinity? As appropriate a term as any. Yes, I suppose it is...difficult. It must have some meaning then, that it chose me for this more direct method. Some powerful benefit, in attracting this level of patronage."

Although her words echoed what she had said outside, in this room, with time between the direct experience, she sounded less certain, more speculative.

There has to be a reason, otherwise...

A detail occurred to her, jarring her from her concerns. Intentionally, she sets her mind on a different tack.

"Others in your troupe? Then not all of you have felt It. Who among you has?"

Bones shrugs a little at her expectations of the meeting being significant, he moves carefully around her, assessing her spinal column and affixing a talisman to her shoulder blade.

"I would be m-most wary for ascrib-bing sig-gnificance t-to such an interaction," he said, now looking close at her other arm that contained her sniper rifle, jangling a small set of crystals on threads near to her chassis, "M-My sense is that-t you are a b-b-being of action, so t-to d-does ac-ction imply int-ten-tion and so t-to you see it everywhere. S-Sometimes things just happen and there is no intention b-behind it, that is m-my m-measure of this p-place. A colossal m-metropolis yet devoid-d of p-people, riches with no way to extract or spend them, nigh-on endless kn-knowledge without order or p-purpose to its organisation. This is a p-place bereft of purpose and we are t-trapped within it,"

At her query as to others that have felt infinity's touch, he indicates Calvin and Morgan, the latter of which shoots him a glare and quick shake of the head.

"Our d-dear leader and his n-number t-two are so t-touched, not as directly as you but they have some connection that the rest of us l-l-lack,"

[Sharpandpointies]

Krys watches Cassa jet away, wondering if they will meet again. It's possible. All things are possible. Is it likely?

They can't say.

They glance toward Trevor with some amusement as the young man declares Cassa looks similar to Jane. Still haven't gotten past that, have you? Cassa is forged of inorganics, metals; Jane is forged of inorganics, metals. That's the sole similarity, really. But Krys doesn't contradict Trevor; this is something he'll need to work out for himself, having started on that path. Lecturing him constantly is only going to get him digging in his heels. Besides which, it's not Krys' interest, nor their responsibility.

"Everything is different to everyone, I suppose," they reply. "I would find it odd if each of us were the same. Perhaps Cassa has found the best way out of this place. Maybe that whirlpool is a doorway out of here. I'm vaguely inclined to try it, myself." And they are; outside of Jane's wish to search, to hunt for Nekro, what keeps Krys here? Nothing. There is nothing for them here; they thought there might be, but Krys begins to realize such is not the case.

For all this place seems infinite, it is sadly limited. And lacking.

Their wistful expression becomes an agreeable smile as Trevor finishes. "I am quite certain you'll garner experience, and that some of it will be of the positive sort. And that you'll learn from the negative. Keep yourself alive, Trevor, and I feel this place will help you grow into your wizard-king's nemesis. Would be a bit of a surprise for him, wouldn't it? He sends you away, you come back ten feet tall, full of fire. Metaphorically speaking," they clarify.

[Postmania]

Jane tilted her head inquisitively at Bones' initial reaction, then returns it to a vertical position.

"That is good to know," she replied. "I was merely asking theoretically of course."

She smiled slightly.

"I am not in a state where I would have to worry about the latter part regarding physical form. Well," she clarifies, her smile fading, "not yet."

Jane glanced at the talisman on her shoulder blade curiously.

"When performing maintenance, my technicians at times required me to open my internals," she noted idly. "I assume your unique vision allows you to progress without this?"

This elongated process seems very inconvenient in a battlefield setting. Still likely very powerful as a whole in this place, but less useful in direct danger.

She shrugged at Bones' second comment.

"I know what you are saying is possible, certainly, but the Gate, the initial arrival, and the bodies surrounding it. The fact that all of my group arrived with some special abilities beyond standard species characteristics...it just seemed like it must be some form of culling. However," she admits, "I may be attributing such purpose because of my own background. My very existence is testament to a vast experimental process I am told. Billions of iterations of machine learning melded with a soul tied to the God of Death that I now flee. A process in which I," she smiles with some pride, "was the sole survivor and success."

She glances over at the two.

"Unsurprising I suppose that they benefitted from this as well. Slightly surprising that the thin man," she continued with some amusement, referring to Lanky, "was not one of them. He seemed self-possessed enough for it in any case. I must also wonder, if there is some purpose, why it would extend itself to some and not others."

[Nik Hasta]

Krys watches Cassa jet away, wondering if they will meet again. It's possible. All things are possible. Is it likely?

They can't say.

They glance toward Trevor with some amusement as the young man declares Cassa looks similar to Jane. Still haven't gotten past that, have you? Cassa is forged of inorganics, metals; Jane is forged of inorganics, metals. That's the sole similarity, really. But Krys doesn't contradict Trevor; this is something he'll need to work out for himself, having started on that path. Lecturing him constantly is only going to get him digging in his heels. Besides which, it's not Krys' interest, nor their responsibility.

"Everything is different to everyone, I suppose," they reply. "I would find it odd if each of us were the same. Perhaps Cassa has found the best way out of this place. Maybe that whirlpool is a doorway out of here. I'm vaguely inclined to try it, myself." And they are; outside of Jane's wish to search, to hunt for Nekro, what keeps Krys here? Nothing. There is nothing for them here; they thought there might be, but Krys begins to realize such is not the case.

For all this place seems infinite, it is sadly limited. And lacking.

Their wistful expression becomes an agreeable smile as Trevor finishes. "I am quite certain you'll garner experience, and that some of it will be of the positive sort. And that you'll learn from the negative. Keep yourself alive, Trevor, and I feel this place will help you grow into your wizard-king's nemesis. Would be a bit of a surprise for him, wouldn't it? He sends you away, you come back ten feet tall, full of fire. Metaphorically speaking," they clarify.

Trevor considers the prospect of himself empowered so.

"It'd be a thing to see," he concluded after some thought, "I worry about the time we spend here. There are legends of other worlds where time flows different and I hope to the gods that this is one such of those. We've been here a number of hours, maybe? Mister Calvin and his troupe here for more than a month. The lives of so many are on my shoulders... Amadeo told me to find the great power he desired and I suppose it must be atop the tree but... I don't know if I can get there before he loses patience with me and either kills the ladies in his grasp or sends some other poor fool to follow in my footsteps,"

He looks at Krys.

"I've spoken my home a lot, it's remiss of me not to ask about yours in return. How did you end up here? Do you have people waiting on you back home?" he asks.

[Nik Hasta]

"When performing maintenance, my technicians at times required me to open my internals," she noted idly. "I assume your unique vision allows you to progress without this?"

This elongated process seems very inconvenient in a battlefield setting. Still likely very powerful as a whole in this place, but less useful in direct danger.

"Y-Yes or rather n-no," Bones replies, taking a small ink brush out and painting a rudimentary sigil on Jane's left shin, "The process is n-n-non-invasive but there is at-t-tunement-t and p-p-preparation required but we're almost r-r-ready,"

She shrugged at Bones' second comment.

"I know what you are saying is possible, certainly, but the Gate, the initial arrival, and the bodies surrounding it. The fact that all of my group arrived with some special abilities beyond standard species characteristics...it just seemed like it must be some form of culling. However," she admits, "I may be attributing such purpose because of my own background. My very existence is testament to a vast experimental process I am told. Billions of iterations of machine learning melded with a soul tied to the God of Death that I now flee. A process in which I," she smiles with some pride, "was the sole survivor and success."

She glances over at the two.

"Unsurprising I suppose that they benefitted from this as well. Slightly surprising that the thin man," she continued with some amusement, referring to Lanky, "was not one of them. He seemed self-possessed enough for it in any case. I must also wonder, if there is some purpose, why it would extend itself to some and not others."

Bones shrugs a little.

"That remains a mystery. I thought-t it m-might b-be for wa-warriors only - I myself am a healer and largely a p-pacifist though... our time here has forced me to... adapt or ah... rethink... my beliefs and - well, I must contend with my own weaknesses on that front. But, Digger there is a superlative f-f-fighter and she has no connection to it. L-Lanky is, well, he's a d-dancer, gymnast and burglar by t-trade. Yes, he's possessed of a quick t-tongue and a sharp knife or two but he... he doesn't have the b-bearing of a warrior,"

Bones leans in a little closer, speaking quieter to the android so that he cannot be easily heard by the rest of the room.

"B-Between you and I - Calvin makes sense as one to be t-touched by whatever destiny or magic. He has h-h-hero written on him in s-s-some respects. M--M-M-Morgan, though? I find the idea that a god or intelligence or great power would chose to gift such a man of... well, ruthlessness and c-c-cunning with its p-power quietly troubling. He has protected me and he is a survivor like no other but he's... he's n-not a g-good or k-k-kind man. I think that's w-why he and Calvin w-work well t-together, they keep each other in ch-check,"

Bones wraps a small strip of purple ribbon around Jane's neck, as ever gentle and slow moving in his ministrations. He whispers one more thing to her as he completes whatever ritual this is.

"I sense that you are no stranger to the art of k-killing and c-cruelty. Perhaps c-closer in b-b-bearing to a man like M-M-Morgan than our Calvin. I wonder what kind of d-deeds a god might have need of that would ones such as you and he are required," he says, his voice is very low and he is still clearly quite nervous of Jane. However, despite any fear he steps back and admires his handiwork for a moment.

"V-Very w-well," he says in a louder voice, "L-Let us b-begin,"

He claps his hands together and the items on and around Jane begin to softly glow with a golden light. Bones closes his eyes and begins to hum quietly. Jane feels something profoundly alien as her metallic body becomes slightly warmed with the sensation. She is reminded briefly of the memories of the dying woman she experienced, the sensation of a heartbeat and breathe and being organic. She feels, for a moment, as if she could step out of her metallic body like some kind of carapace and be born into a new flesh body if only she took the step. For a short while, her normal data streams are interrupted as Bones seems to commune with whatever may pass for a soul in a being such as she.

The effect lasts for around a minute and then fades away and her normal sense of being asserts itself. The corrosion on her hand and chest is gone, the damage flaking away like rust that sparkles into nothingness. She is healed. The talisman, petals, ribbon and marking have all faded away with damage, leaving almost no trace that anything had occured.

GM Note: Jane is now at 142/142 HP and gains +17 ENR and so is at 22/200 ENR

[Sharpandpointies]

"Time," Krys muses, "is a localized phenomenon. It's quite possible that only a few seconds have passed on the world from which you hail, Trevor." He's a smart fellow, he'll already have figured out the corollary: it's equally possible that everyone on his world is dead and gone, and the world itself is nothing more than a cinder orbiting a dead star. So there's no point in beating him over the head with the negative. "I understand your concern. If we find a way to your world...we should take it, regardless of how far we've gotten. Or try to get to the top of that tree, so we can go back and give your Amadeo what he deserves."

Which is NOT power.

At his queries, Krys' lopsided smile returns. Their eyes roll up toward the stars, and they hum a tuneless melody for an instant before speaking. "My world..." Lips thin. "I come from an unimportant world in the outer reaches of one galaxy of trillions, a world nonetheless filled with people utterly convinced of their importance. A world where the society of altruists is the exception, not the rule, a world of constant hunger to use, to consume, and to bleed waste over itself in pursuit of the next big thing. A world where the poor and the needy are trampled by the greed of Those Who Have."

Their smile now lacks all mirth.

"To make things worse, it's a world where gods battle - in secret - against invading beings, reincarnating to fight the same war again and again, dancing to the tune of their puppetmaster Fate. They do this mostly in hiding, but sometimes it spills over into these desperate, frantic societies...with predictable results."

Their gaze slants toward Trevor for an instant. "I was to be one of these reincarnated deities," Krys admits.

They sit up a touch straighter. "But the god - Durga - wasn't some lord of storms, or war, or wisdom. No, she was a bit of a wild card, a rule-breaker, possessor of absolute freedom and ultimate action. And she chose to break that rule of reincarnation. She chose to die, to become nothing, leaving me free to be who I am. She only left me a few memories and one more gift." Krys grins. "Plus, because of who I would have been, while I didn't have all of her skill and knowledge, I was...naturally bent towards learning to fight." The grin fades. "That last gift she left me, it was the key to ultimate freedom. Not something physical, but a perspective. An...idea."

They sigh, their gaze roving the ruins about them. "I defied Fate, refusing to fight in the war. I defied the other gods, refusing to join them in their battles. And when I realized that it was all Fate's plan - whatever that plan might have been - I checked out. In an instant of enlightenment, I used that key to step outside of everything. Not just the universe I was in, but all universes. Everything. Outside of time. Outside of All Things."

They shake their head. "It lasted an instant, and forever."

"But I wasn't alone," Krys continues. "There was one god who followed me. Well, not really a god, but a conceptual being. And because of what the god was, they could follow anyone...anywhere. They stepped outside with me because they were attracted to me, and I admit, it was mutual." The lopsided smile is back. "And we were together, outside of all things, for that eternal instant." Her hands twist, fingers making inarticulate signs in the air. "I can't describe it. It was infinite, it was beyond infinite, it was outside of time...this body, this mind, it's trapped in finite space, in time, and while I can sometimes almost grasp what it was like outside of all things...it's gone, a moment later."

Krys squints, then tries again. "Take a lake, deep and dark. Now, imagine me scooping up a double palmfull of water from that lake and staring at it, trying to comprehend the lake itself through that palmfull of water that dribbles out from between my fingers."

They sigh. "Then something happened. I...fell. Fell back into this. I don't think I was pulled; I think I tripped. Maybe I thought too much. Maybe I wasn't meant to stay outside All Things, maybe that's impossible. Maybe I just...failed, somehow. Anyway, I ended up falling through universe after universe, my body reconstituting around myself. Falling away from the other, from the one I...was with."

'Love' is too small, weak, and limited a word.

"You know how that goes," Krys continues, sending Trevor a sidelong look. "I ended up at the endless shore where we met, only an hour or so before you arrived." They sigh again, an eternity of loss in the brief whisper of sound. "If I could find a way back, I would. But the key is incomprehensible to THIS mind -" they tap their forehead "- and...I'm falling apart. Slowly. But it's happening." A grimace follows. "This isn't my original body. It's kind of a poorly-made copy, and it's...showing its lack of quality."

They hug their knees, and shoot Trevor another grin. "But whatever. I'm here, now. That's the important part. It's what I have."

[Postmania]

Jane looked at Bones with puzzlement.

"Well, quite likely this god needs guns-" she started to say as if it were the most obvious thing in the world before cutting herself off.

There is more here. Find it.

"I know the what. That has never been in doubt," she said slowly. "But not the why. In fact, I have never known the why from those above me. I have never really asked."

She turned to look blankly at the decorations on her, touching the ribbon and making it flutter for a brief moment.

"Somehow, this seems strange, all of a sudden."

She wondered- and then Bones initiated the ritual before she could come to a clear thought and an extraordinarily strange feeling spread through her.

She had been "alive" as the dying woman, but this was almost stranger than that as she felt the sensation of life within her metal frame. It spread, resonating with her in patches, and in an odd sight, Jane's mechanical body shudders.

"This is-" she started and stopped abruptly, feeling soft warmth continue to percolate through her system, through the microfibers that made up her frame, and despite her attempt to remain still squirms for a moment, appearing once more oddly human. Then it is over and Jane is whole again, albeit still missing some energy reserves.

"That was very strange," she murmured, seeming vaguely embarrassed at the moment for her reaction. "It was like being organic, but not, at the same time. Regardless, thank you," she addresses Bones now. "It was reassuring to be in the hands of a technician again, and run through a process. As if I were back at the Facility," her eyes dim for a moment, "I will now initiate my energy restoration protocol."

With this, Jane initiates her technique, her chest opening immediately and the familiar yellow tendrils of light attaching to her head to replenish herself.

OOC: Jane, stacking PRE, uses Heart of Darkness on herself.

Once she is finished, she looks around, waiting to see if the others take part in any of this healing, or if Morgan had selected anything yet, or if anything further of interest remained in this room. Unconsciously, a minor shiver runs through her frame as she thinks back to the soul communion she had just experienced, but it was gone a moment later, this particular odd experience passing through her more quickly than the others.

[Nik Hasta]

"This is-" she started and stopped abruptly, feeling soft warmth continue to percolate through her system, through the microfibers that made up her frame, and despite her attempt to remain still squirms for a moment, appearing once more oddly human. Then it is over and Jane is whole again, albeit still missing some energy reserves.

"That was very strange," she murmured, seeming vaguely embarrassed at the moment for her reaction. "It was like being organic, but not, at the same time. Regardless, thank you," she addresses Bones now. "It was reassuring to be in the hands of a technician again, and run through a process. As if I were back at the Facility," her eyes dim for a moment, "I will now initiate my energy restoration protocol."

Bones bows respectfully to Jane. At her description of never knowing why she did things, he considers for a moment.

"We are all n-nominally p-prisoners of f-fate," he says, "P-Perhaps this c-c-cursed p-place removes us from that sh-sh-shackle b-but replaces it with infinite other c-concerns. I think that your d-decisions may matter more here than in any other place as they are m-most truly yours. Good luck my ch-child, I hope you find your answers,"

With that he turns his attention to administering to Kinu. His approach seems similar to how he had healed Jane but the items are different and the conversation slightly different in timbre.

With this, Jane initiates her technique, her chest opening immediately and the familiar yellow tendrils of light attaching to her head to replenish herself.

OOC: Jane, stacking PRE, uses Heart of Darkness on herself.

Once she is finished, she looks around, waiting to see if the others take part in any of this healing, or if Morgan had selected anything yet, or if anything further of interest remained in this room. Unconsciously, a minor shiver runs through her frame as she thinks back to the soul communion she had just experienced, but it was gone a moment later, this particular odd experience passing through her more quickly than the others.

GM Note: Jane is now at 56/200 ENR

As Jane turns to regard the group, Morgan claps his hands once, flexing his fingers in a small flourish.

"Right, you with the shiny pallor and internal firearms," he says, beckoning Jane over to him, "I have done the work of rapidly assessing, appraising and otherwise filtering out items that are of considerable value but are also not so much that it would rob our troupe of their prize of raiding this place in the first place. You're four, correct? So four items. The child has already been given a crossbow and the little tyke looked plenty pleased by that and it's not like he did much fighting so four it is. This, to my mind seems perfectly fair,"

He gestures with just a hint of theatricality at the items he is crouched over and offers them to Jane.

She sees the following items

- A crystal ball the size of a softball.
- A wrapped scroll of aged parchment sealed with a golden skull that glows slightly with a blue light.
- A small leather bag that is sealed with a gold clasp.
- A large metal sombrero.

"That's what we can offer you," Morgan says, "Take 'em or leave 'em,"

[Nik Hasta]

They sigh. "Then something happened. I...fell. Fell back into this. I don't think I was pulled; I think I tripped. Maybe I thought too much. Maybe I wasn't meant to stay outside All Things, maybe that's impossible. Maybe I just...failed, somehow. Anyway, I ended up falling through universe after universe, my body reconstituting around myself. Falling away from the other, from the one I...was with."

'Love' is too small, weak, and limited a word.

"You know how that goes," Krys continues, sending Trevor a sidelong look. "I ended up at the endless shore where we met, only an hour or so before you arrived." They sigh again, an eternity of loss in the brief whisper of sound. "If I could find a way back, I would. But the key is incomprehensible to THIS mind -" they tap their forehead "- and...I'm falling apart. Slowly. But it's happening." A grimace follows. "This isn't my original body. It's kind of a poorly-made copy, and it's...showing its lack of quality."

They hug their knees, and shoot Trevor another grin. "But whatever. I'm here, now. That's the important part. It's what I have."

spoilers:

As Trevor takes in their words, Krys feels something with them. The tiny hook at the core of their soul that draws them to the tree tugs just a little harder, a fraction more than before. On a near subliminal level, they feel a thought or truth implant itself within them. You can return to the Outside of All Things if you ascend the tree. It is isn't a foreign thought, it asserts itself within them in a manner entirely inkeeping with a personal revelation. This is something that they now know.

end of spoilers

Trevor gapes as he tries to conceive of the scale of what Krys has said to him.

"Wait - hold on," he says, his eyes near bulging out of his head, "You're a - were a - a - a god? You went to somewhere perfect and blissful and were with your - your one and only and you... lost that? That sounds like heaven! You fell out of heaven and now you're - you're dying? Ser Krys... you know that I carry a burden that'd - that'd - well, I've seen lesser men crumble under the weight of what Amadeo has done but I - I - how can you face losing paradise and dying in this place with such..."

He catches himself gabbling, seeming to recognise his words as rude. He takes a moment to compose himself, looking at the swamp before them, his lips moving slightly as he rehearses what he might say.

"I'm so sorry," he says, "I can't - I don't know how I can help you. Maybe - maybe we can find something here to help you keep living. Mister Calvin and his troupe, they've been finding things of power and - and - maybe we can..."

His voice trails off again.

"I don't want you to die," he says, his voice cracking just a little. He's doing his best to be brave and not burden Krys with his own emotions but, for all his experiences, he is just a child, "You've saved my life - twice now. I know you've said of such things that it's not necessary that I pay you back but I can't - I can't allow you to just fade away without my debt somewhat squared,"

He pauses, thinking suddenly and putting together a chain of events in his mind.

"In fact, the fact that I'm alive at all. At the moment, the lives of thousands of people back in my world. If I die here, they'll likely die or suffer evermore for Amadeo's amusements. By saving me, you've kept the hope of those thousands alive and - I'm sorry, I'm rambling even more. You - you said your friend, your beloved, that they could follow anyone anywhere. Might they be here also? You fell across worlds but they followed you outside of creation to the heavens themselves. Why not here too?"

[Nik Hasta]

Rae came awake with a sudden jolt, a single ripple flowing down the length of the dress, and the hat wriggling atop Nemo's head.

"Wh-what happened? Are we dead yet?" Rae's hat look around, swiveling a few degrees on Nemo's head. When Nemo didn't make a retort back, she appraised her mistress's body language to see she was in another meditative trance. She could feel the energy they shared being slowly refilled. "Ah. Okay." She settled into place, and kept an eye out for trouble. The building, fortunately, seemed as secure a place as any.

Glancing around, she saw out one of the shattered windows that Krys and Trevor were still outside, talking. She couldn't quite see the two brutes, but she could hear the grunts of their persistent grappling. Meanwhile, down the hall of the bank, she could see Kinu, Jane, and the hound talking to the survivors, though she wasn't close enough to make out the words very well. Seems everything was peaceable for the moment.

Rae made a little sighing noise. Just for her own amusement, she slipped her gloves off Nemo's hands, gently so as not to disturb her, then clasped them together and twiddled the thumbs. After a moment, she spoke in a low voice. "You know, my bunny here still wants to make a little indy adventure out of this place, but I gotta tell ya, I ain't very interested in all that grinding. Yeah, maybe we'll find a way out on our own, maybe we'll meet another pack of yahoos and become Super Best Inter-Dimensional Buddies or whatever. But I'd just like to skip town, if that's okay with you. If you're out there, any of you, if you're out there and you're watching, I'd be ever so grateful for an airlift." She paused. "Okay, maybe not just any of you. Preferably someone who isn't going to torture us for a decade-plus in exchange for the favor. And I'm not talking to any free-wheeling spirits or demons or angels eavesdropping in. You know who you are. So... come and get us. Please."

There was a long pause. Nothing happened. No one came. No miraculous save from on high.

Rae made another little sigh, ending in an exasperated huff, making a curt flap of her shawl for effect, tilting her hat in such a way as to give the impression of a pout. "Fine, then, be that way."

As Nemo meditates, Rae can just about catch the sound of quiet conversation above them on the upper landing. It's hard for her to make out exactly what is being said.

"... Calvin says ... doing the deal now ..." The voice of Lanky is just about perceptible, coming from the shadowy walkway above them.

"... fair ... keeping this whole ... outta here ..." The voice of someone else that Rae does not recognise.

[Postmania]

Jane nodded to Bones as he headed off and surveyed the items presented. Her eyes alighted on one particular item.

"That is acceptable," she replied as started to gather up the items, glancing around to see if Nemo was going to join them.

She hefted the sombrero, feeling its weight, and then placed it on her brow without a word, accidentally moving too quickly and it ending up clinking on her metallic scalp.

"More than acceptable," she amended. "Thank you."

She looked around the room, finding a mirror, and studied her reflection in the mirror. She could not describe exactly what her interest in this ornament was, perhaps it was related to seeing her form in a different light recently, or more directly in the strange collection of items Bones had placed on her, but she knew this was a good hat, and now hers.

She turned back to the group, about to go in search of Nemo before a reminder pings her system. She looks around the room, seeking a figure and finding him.

"A warning," she addresses Calvin, raising her voice to be heard by others as well. "Your subordinate...comrade Lanky mentioned earlier that you were looking for an alternate path past a powerful guardian. While we were entering the city, there was another with us,"

As there were others who have since gone, a subroutine whispered to her

"one with flight in his purview. He decided to take a more direct route to the Great Tree in this manner. Kinu saw it, not I, but I am given to understand the City stopped him, or brought him down somehow."

She looks around the room at them all.

"I do not know this City well. I have touched it, or perhaps more accurately it has touched me, but I know it has a mind of its own. If you try again, I advise being ready to fight regardless of what trickery you might find. You may not escape a second time."

She looked back at Calvin, and then Bones, her tone softening for her next words.

"Take care."

Despite the finality of her tone, she feels curiously inclined to linger for a few more moments, waiting to see if there is anything further to be said.

[Nik Hasta]

Jane nodded to Bones as he headed off and surveyed the items presented. Her eyes alighted on one particular item.

"That is acceptable," she replied as started to gather up the items, glancing around to see if Nemo was going to join them.

She hefted the sombrero, feeling its weight, and then placed it on her brow without a word, accidentally moving too quickly and it ending up clinking on her metallic scalp.

"More than acceptable," she amended. "Thank you."

She looked around the room, finding a mirror, and studied her reflection in the mirror. She could not describe exactly what her interest in this ornament was, perhaps it was related to seeing her form in a different light recently, or more directly in the strange collection of items Bones had placed on her, but she knew this was a good hat, and now hers.

As Jane looks at herself, Morgan gives a nod to his crew, apparently confirming that their transaction was complete. There is a palpable ease of tension in the room as the offer is accepted. They begin infustriously packing other items, stacks of paper and other such things into boxes and bags. Clearly, they are aiming to transport as much loot as possible while not slowing themselves down overmuch.

She turned back to the group, about to go in search of Nemo before a reminder pings her system. She looks around the room, seeking a figure and finding him.

"A warning," she addresses Calvin, raising her voice to be heard by others as well. "Your subordinate...comrade Lanky mentioned earlier that you were looking for an alternate path past a powerful guardian. While we were entering the city, there was another with us,"

As there were others who have since gone, a subroutine whispered to her

"one with flight in his purview. He decided to take a more direct route to the Great Tree in this manner. Kinu saw it, not I, but I am given to understand the City stopped him, or brought him down somehow."

She looks around the room at them all.

"I do not know this City well. I have touched it, or perhaps more accurately it has touched me, but I know it has a mind of its own. If you try again, I advise being ready to fight regardless of what trickery you might find. You may not escape a second time."

She looked back at Calvin, and then Bones, her tone softening for her next words.

"Take care."

Despite the finality of her tone, she feels curiously inclined to linger for a few more moments, waiting to see if there is anything further to be said.

As Bones completes his healing of Kinu in a burst of golden light, she relates to Calvin what she saw of the flying mecha being spatially dragged to the ground from the rooftop. Calvin takes in their comments and nods slowly.

"Your warning is welcome," he says, "We've experimented with taking the high roads before but not to the degree of actual flight. Lanky and I are good climbers but the walls just become endlessly tall. Looks like full on flight isn't it either. Something else to cross off the list Morgan,"

"Crossed off and added to the growing pile of duds and disappointments," Morgan replies, tutting slightly, "Nevertheless, endless city, endless options. Just a matter of time and effort," His face is set with a deep resolve that alludes to his survivalist nature that Bones mentioned to Jane previously. Morgan looks to be the type of man who stares infinity in the face and contemplates his own victory against the odds, rather than it being something that is ever truly out of his reach. It is a form of ruthless charisma.

"Go in p-peace," Bones says to Jane as he returns to his position in the vault and the pile of papers he was going through when they arrived, "I hope that we m-meet ag-g-gain under less d-dangerous circumst-tances. Though, s-such a w-wish is p-perhaps an impossib-bility in a p-place like this," Digger tosses him a satchel, which he only just catches and settles in once more.

"We'll be aiming for the top of the tree," Calvin says, "If we can find a way past the guardian that is. I hope that we can continue to call you allies, if not friends, and that if we encounter each other in ... uh... a situation once more, that there could be a more formal partnership. Good luck to you strangers. Don't trust the Viceroy and beware of... well..."

He gestures at Kinu's hellhound.

"I see you've already met the demons. There's more and bigger than this one, so watch out,"

[Sharpandpointies]

Krys loses their smile and stares directly at Trevor. "Not a god," they quietly, firmly correct. "I was never that. Durga never reincarnated within me; she gave me that freedom. I held no vast, spiritual potency, I had only one or two fragmented memories from her existence. She only gave me the key. I was mortal, just like yourself, just like I am now. Was a bit of a disappointment for Fate, the puppet-master." Then they look away. "But yes. I went somewhere...outside of All Things, with Another. And we were together. It wasn't heaven, but I suppose one might consider it as such." The existence had been one beyond this fragile, temporal one; an existence outside of time, outside of all laws, an existence together in a fashion that beings trapped within entropy cannot even imagine. Krys, themselves, cannot fully recall the details...

...only the pain of an unbearable loss.

They wipe their eyes, rolling their head back toward the young man. "How? I just..." Their hands again sketch the air, searching for a way to explain the unexplainable. "I've already seen eternity, Trevor. I've been there, existed through it. I know all things end, sooner or later; I can break all the rules I want, but at some point, I'll run into something I can't get around. I've had everything, and death?" They stare off into the stars. "It's just an ending."

They chuckle. "Bear with me. I might ramble a little."

Sitting up, they edge a little closer to Trevor, reaching out to touch his arm. "I don't want to die, either. I'd rather be here, help you, help Jane. Laugh and cry with you, have you save my life. And I'm not dead yet, Trevor. Who knows how long I have? I don't." They have an inkling, but...tomorrow? Next week? Two months? No more than a year, considers Krys silently, but they keep that part to themselves. A little shake of the arm follows. "And this? Right here, right now? This is the important thing, Trevor. Experiences." A wide sweep of the arm indicates...everything.

"Someday, this will all be dust. And then, it won't have mattered how long I lived, or what I did; it'll be forgotten. Everything will be forgotten, and everything will have come to an end. So my story ending now, or ending twenty years from now?" Another small smile. "It doesn't matter, in the grand scheme of things. But THIS?" The grip on Trevor's arm tightens. "My experiences with you, here and now. Yours with me. Witnessing these things. Maybe you going on to free those people, allowing them to have their own experiences in freedom? Those things matter. They don't matter to the universe, or people a thousand years from now. But they matter to us."

"Here. Now."

The two words echo strangely in the ruins for an instant.

"And that...that makes those experiences important."

"So I'm not planning on just lying down and giving up..." Krys releases his arm, goes back to studying the stars. "But you ask why I'm not falling apart? I'm not brave. I'm not special for that. I just had my eyes opened to something, and my perspective changed. I don't want to lose this, but when I have lost it, I'll be gone, and that'll be that. I feel badly for those I will leave behind, but that'll be part of their own experiences. I just hope it doesn't happen before we get somewhere in helping you free your people."

"As for..." Lover is too pedestrian a term, but their mind cannot think of something more appropriate; Trevor's idea seems closest, if still separated by a vast gulf. "My beloved. I suspect they're waiting - well, 'waiting' is the wrong word, but it's close as I can come. As far as I know, they're still outside of All Things, in Time out of Time. They see...everything. They know how this ends, and whether or not we come together again. For them, it's happening...now, before, after, it just is. Time doesn't exist for them. But if they fall away, the way I did...they'll be trapped like me, stuck in entropy's pull. Maybe they're waiting for my end because it's the only way to take me back? Maybe they can't, now, and this is just how it's supposed to go?" Their eyebrows knot together. "I probably knew all of this when I was with them, when I existed in Time out of Time, but all of that knowledge is gone. Anyway, I can't say for sure, but I figure...gut feeling, here...I feel they might just show up at the end of things for me."

Ashen death.

And they laugh. "After all," Krys states, wiping their eyes and fingering the heavy black coat they wear. "I have their jacket."

Once again, they turn the smile on Trevor. "You're a good friend, Trevor. I'm glad I met you, here."

[Sharkerbob]

As Nemo meditates, Rae can just about catch the sound of quiet conversation above them on the upper landing. It's hard for her to make out exactly what is being said.

"... Calvin says ... doing the deal now ..." The voice of Lanky is just about perceptible, coming from the shadowy walkway above them.

"... fair ... keeping this whole ... outta here ..." The voice of someone else that Rae does not recognize.

Rae's gloves had gone from twiddling thumbs to playing cat's cradle with some loose strings from their stash. She totally wasn't cheating with her Magic to do the more complex weaves, no sir. She kept it up, even as she heard voices chatting, not giving any outward sighs of reaction as as she tried to focus to listen. It was hard to make them out, but she thought she vaguely recognized one of the survivors, though the other voice she didn't. No one was coming at them, and she didn't hear enough to draw any conclusions. Under normal circumstances, she might have floated a piece of herself over to hear better, but she didn't want to disrupt Nemo's mana flow. So she just kept her vigilance nonchalantly as could be.

Jane, Kinu, and the hound had gone out of sight for a few minutes, and she listened for any signs of trouble from down the hall, but there was a comforting lack of shouts and explosions.

Rae appraised her personal well of power. She could tell it wasn't fully topped off, but she felt much stronger already, which meant Nemo had gotten a good chunk of her own charge back. If they had to get moving again, Rae felt confident they had enough for the moment to deal with the situation. That said, she could feel Nemo was still banged up some. Not nearly as bad off as the others had been before she'd conked out, but enough she'd probably want to heal up before doing much else.