"Ah. Umm......okay. I got this. Just...calm down...everyone," she said, looking pointedly at Arthur when she said it. "Ummm.....there's a whole lot I need to explain, but not a lot of time to do it in, so just know that the whole threat is over so you don't need to worry about it. And do you have a spare starcaster I can use? I...can't so much with the instant teleporting anymore."
Tamrin had just come back in a few scant moments before Melody's actions in the breach. While he looks none-too-pleased with the strange yellow-clad outsider appearing here out of nowhere, his arrival in close proximity to Ephebe stays his tongue for the moment.
He accesses one of the secure lockers and retrieves a [i]starcaster, then hands it over to his daughter.[/i]
"If you've got an idea that'll work, do what you have to do," he says to her with the simple trust and conviction of a father whose child has proven her capabilities over and over again. He then goes over to his wife when he senses her sudden mental discomfort.
"Honey? What's...."
She took a deep breath and teleported back into Aananda's lab.
"Whoa. Well, this looks a lot different than the last time I saw it." She blinked back tears, surprised a little bit at the strength of her reaction. "Mom. Dad. I....I'm home," she said hoarsely.
"...wrong?"
Tamrin turns at sound of that voice, looking a bit lost for words for a second until he blurts out
"Holy frakkin' schtako..." (o.O)
Anwar follows simply to have something to do until he figures out a plan. He hadn't really expected to be brought forward in time.
"Ah. Umm......okay. I got this. Just...calm down...everyone," she said, looking pointedly at Arthur when she said it. "Ummm.....there's a whole lot I need to explain, but not a lot of time to do it in, so just know that the whole threat is over so you don't need to worry about it. And do you have a spare starcaster I can use? I...can't so much with the instant teleporting anymore."
As Tamrin finishes speaking to Ephebe, Fei quietly removes his hand from the power receptacle (leaving enough extra energy in the laboratory's storage battery to run the sensors at peak power for a couple of hours).
Eyeing the arrival and ironically clumsy departure of the Champion of Freedom, he walks over to Ephebe right as Andromeda appears.
"...As you said, time is...short" the young monk says as he tries to process the rather strong family resemblance between the two young women. "Is there any assistance I may give you to help get Melody back?"
Ephebe clipped on the starcaster, programming it as she talked, more to alleviate her nerves than anything, although Melody's rescue was an urgent problem.
"Thanks. So...umm....yeah, that's your daughter. Your actual daughter, that you actually raised, from this actual universe. Kronos brought her back...and let her stay. So, you know, she's not dead anymore. And I'm guessing we have a lot to talk about, but there's a student to rescue, so...be back in a bit," she added with a bit of false bravado.
"Actually, yeah, I think so, Fei. I can open the door, but I may need some assistance actually getting her through it, depending on the situation. So if you want to come with me, that would be very helpful."
Ephebe clipped on the starcaster, programming it as she talked, more to alleviate her nerves than anything, although Melody's rescue was an urgent problem.
"Thanks. So...umm....yeah, that's your daughter. Your actual daughter, that you actually raised, from this actual universe. Kronos brought her back...and let her stay. So, you know, she's not dead anymore. And I'm guessing we have a lot to talk about, but there's a student to rescue, so...be back in a bit," she added with a bit of false bravado.
"Actually, yeah, I think so, Fei. I can open the door, but I may need some assistance actually getting her through it, depending on the situation. So if you want to come with me, that would be very helpful."
Ephebe's 'false bravado', of course, gets bolstered by the close proximity of the Champion of Courage (for better or for worse), as he bows affirmatively. ;)
As if on reflex, his nanosuit dampens its emerald glow, fading to a matte gray/black tone as he rises from the bow.
"I am ready when you are, my friend."
Krays ports in after all have left. He arrives just in time to catch the beginnign of awkwardness...and Ephebe headed off into another potentialy life ending action. He sighs, but reigns in his emotions, ever supporting his wife.
::Good luck, return safely please.::
"What a strange, strange conversation to be watching." Anwar murmurs before deciding it might be best to step out for a bit. He couldn't help here anyway. Not in a manner anyone would like. Besides, there was something that intrigued him nearby...
By this point Arthur has mostly calmed down. Without looking at her he says "I want to go with you"
"No unnecessary heroics," she said sternly. "If I tell you to do something, do it, no questions. There won't be time to give you a lecture on time travel safety precautions. If you can do that, then come on," she said, holding out a hand as she used the other hand to adjust the starcaster to transport two. It wasn't meant for that, but over a short distance it could be done.
"No unnecessary heroics," she said sternly. "If I tell you to do something, do it, no questions. There won't be time to give you a lecture on time travel safety precautions. If you can do that, then come on," she said, holding out a hand as she used the other hand to adjust the starcaster to transport two. It wasn't meant for that, but over a short distance it could be done.
Fei tilts his head for a moment as another helpful suggestion is given to him by his Lace.
"It might be safer for me to use the Starcaster integrated into my nanosuit to transport Arthur rather than overtask yours, if we are uncertain of what awaits us. Mine can now handle the....increased power requirements of transporting multiple people," he suggests with a sheepish smile.
"If nothing else, it might give Krays some peace of mind, given the day we have all had." (^-^)
"No unnecessary heroics," she said sternly. "If I tell you to do something, do it, no questions. There won't be time to give you a lecture on time travel safety precautions. If you can do that, then come on," she said, holding out a hand as she used the other hand to adjust the starcaster to transport two. It wasn't meant for that, but over a short distance it could be done.Fei tilts his head for a moment as another helpful suggestion is given to him by his Lace.
"It might be safer for me to use the Starcaster integrated into my nanosuit to transport Arthur rather than overtask yours, if we are uncertain of what awaits us. Mine can now handle the....increased power requirements of transporting multiple people," he suggests with a sheepish smile.
"If nothing else, it might give Krays some peace of mind, given the day we have all had." (^-^)
"That's... A very good point, actually. Alright, you bring him," she agreed before activating her starcaster and teleporting to the clearing where the rip in spacetime had been.
She examined the area carefully, wanting to be sure that she got the placement as exact as possible.
The young monk bows affirmatively as she disappears. He blinks, then places a hand on Arthur's shoulder.
"This should not cause any...lingering discomfort," he says reassuringly to his passenger as they vanish, and appear in the clearing a moment later with Ephebe.
"If nothing else, it might give Krays some peace of mind, given the day we have all had." (^-^)
Krays chuckle-snorts at this, and bows to Fei's wisdom.
After their departure, Krays asks:
"Is it time to restore Vai to life?"
Aananda had been standing there absolutely frozen since Andromeda appeared, totally stunned. Tamrin can tell that in spite of her lack of outward reaction she is experiencing a veritable tsunami of emotions.
Krays's question jerks her out of her stunned state. "Yes. Yes, of course. We need to bring Vai back," she said, nodding.
And then she lunged forward and grabbed Andromeda in a tight hug, sobbing.
"Mom.....can't.....breathe," Andromeda gasped, hiding her face against Aananda's shoulder so the others wouldn't see how much she was crying too.
::Anyone else getting A LOT of tangled emotions over the family hive-mind thingy?:: Taron asks his relatives. ::I can't make sense of them.::
Aananda had been standing there absolutely frozen since Andromeda appeared, totally stunned. Tamrin can tell that in spite of her lack of outward reaction she is experiencing a veritable tsunami of emotions.
Krays's question jerks her out of her stunned state. "Yes. Yes, of course. We need to bring Vai back," she said, nodding.
And then she lunged forward and grabbed Andromeda in a tight hug, sobbing.
"Mom.....can't.....breathe," Andromeda gasped, hiding her face against Aananda's shoulder so the others wouldn't see how much she was crying too.
Realizes how bad the timing of his question was, and decides to wait till the reunion subsides, giving the Sunwakes a few moments to come to terms with the return of their daughter.
::Anyone else getting A LOT of tangled emotions over the family hive-mind thingy?:: Taron asks his relatives. ::I can't make sense of them.::
::Kronos has returned your sister to the timeline, Taron.::
::Anyone else getting A LOT of tangled emotions over the family hive-mind thingy?:: Taron asks his relatives. ::I can't make sense of them.::::Kronos has returned your sister to the timeline, Taron.::
::...again?::
::No, the one you lost. Not my wife, Ephebe. The other one.::
::This family is so confusing at times.::
::I agree. She is going by her middle name, Andromeda, by the way.::
::Glad there's only one of me then. Don't want to go around as Edmund.::
Chuckle-snorts again.
::At least you have a middle name.::
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::Pretty sure a lot of that confusion is my fault. Sorry about that. Including sister number two in the sibling bond seemed like a good idea at the time, especially since sister number one was kinda there too. I....probably should have left well enough alone. And Ephebe would never yell at me cause of all the other versions of me she killed. So I'm pretty sure I'm due for an epic lecture from Andromeda. Ugh. That is way too long a name. We need a nickname. An? Ana? Not Andi. Too close to Andarin. It'll get confusing. Rommie? That sounds like the most annoying. I should definitely lead with that. Unless you guys have a better idea.::
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::Krays, we can give you a middle name. And What about Annie? It fits.::
|
By this point Arthur has mostly calmed down. Without looking at her he says "I want to go with you""No unnecessary heroics," she said sternly. "If I tell you to do something, do it, no questions. There won't be time to give you a lecture on time travel safety precautions. If you can do that, then come on," she said, holding out a hand as she used the other hand to adjust the starcaster to transport two. It wasn't meant for that, but over a short distance it could be done.
Arthur grumbles out, "I'll do as I'm told" he then puts on his powered environment suit.
::No, thanks. I'll avoid having one as a false sense of security against having to designate a copy of myself.::
::Annie for Andromeda?::
::Annie. Yep, I like it. It'll drive her up the wall. And then she'll forget which thing she's yelling at me about.:: :)
"Okay, stand back just a bit," she said before waving her hand over the air and having it part like she'd just undone a zipper. She stepped into her native universe, looked around, sent a signal out, and stepped back into this universe, frowning.
"Well....I think this just got a lot more complicated," she said, frowning. "Hang on. I need a minute to figure out how to half open a door. Without blowing up two universes."
"Okay, stand back just a bit," she said before waving her hand over the air and having it part like she'd just undone a zipper. She stepped into her native universe, looked around, sent a signal out, and stepped back into this universe, frowning.
"Well....I think this just got a lot more complicated," she said, frowning. "Hang on. I need a minute to figure out how to half open a door. Without blowing up two universes."
Fei takes two steps back, for good measure. (^-^)
Tries to partially close the opening. "No. That just makes the opening narrower. No, I think I'm going about this all wrong. Andromeda punched a big hole in spacetime. No neat edges," she muttered to herself, expanding the opening even more than it had been.
"Now, if I try to open it again, just along the edge...."
It took three tries before she was able to get the edge to open the way she wanted. "There. That's it. The void between worlds. Fei, I'm gonna need you to anchor me so I can look inside without falling in. That would be bad. Even for me."
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Tries to partially close the opening. "No. That just makes the opening narrower. No, I think I'm going about this all wrong. Andromeda punched a big hole in spacetime. No neat edges," she muttered to herself, expanding the opening even more than it had been.
"Now, if I try to open it again, just along the edge...."
It took three tries before she was able to get the edge to open the way she wanted. "There. That's it. The void between worlds. Fei, I'm gonna need you to anchor me so I can look inside without falling in. That would be bad. Even for me."
The young monk steps over to her and holds his arm out.
"Do I just need to hold onto you, or do you need to utilize protective magic as well?"
"I should be fine with the environment shell from my starcaster, so I just need you to anchor me," she said, grabbing on to his arm. "Whatever happens, don't let go."
Once she was sure that Fei had a secure grip on her arm, she leaned her head through the opening into the void. She experienced a strong jerk as the void tried to suck her the rest of the way in. Fei finds that there is a great deal of force pulling her inside and he has to work hard just to hold on.
"I should be fine with the environment shell from my starcaster, so I just need you to anchor me," she said, grabbing on to his arm. "Whatever happens, don't let go."
Once she was sure that Fei had a secure grip on her arm, she leaned her head through the opening into the void. She experienced a strong jerk as the void tried to suck her the rest of the way in. Fei finds that there is a great deal of force pulling her inside and he has to work hard just to hold on.
A portion of the nanosuit on Fei's arm seems to quickly 'unravel' as nanites flow from the young monk onto parts of Ephebe's arm and back. They then try to shunt some of the force pulling on her to him in an attempt to ease the task of pulling them both back from the opening...
Planting his feet and leaning back, Fei is able to pull Ephebe away from the hungry void that just tried to claim her, and take several steps back from the dangerous portal. The nanites from his suit retreat back to his arm once they are safely away from the opening.
"...That...did not seem to work very well," He says as he glances quizically at his arm. "Are you alright? Did you see anything?"
"No, that was definitely not a good idea," she agreed, trying to straighten her hair into some semblance of order. "She's not there, but there was evidence of a large burst of artron energy, which could mean anything really. I can ask Krays to ask his patron if she's still alive. Outside of that, though..." She shrugged. "Infinity is an awfully big search radius."
Meanwhile, very late to his mandatory meditation class, Dave sits seiza.
He thinks that he looks stupid.
He tries to meditate and get in touch with his inner self or some such crap, but he keeps getting distracted. He thinks on all the things that had happened that week, and in particular the last few days. He thinks on the songs that he had been working on last. He thinks on his presumably ruined reputation and how surprised he is at how little he cares. He thinks on how angry he was when that a~#$+@$ dared to presume what had happened between him, raelle, tybalt and the rest. He thinks on those two dorky kids and their magical sports ideas. He thinks on how he regretted their passing despite their short aqantince. He wonders if this is normal for people who socialize normally, or if it was some side effect of the psychic bond, some symbiotic effect to discourage sacrificing them needlessly, or simple "human" empathy.
Lastly his thoughts turn to the patrons.
I have no idea how to contact pride...
"And I'll search it, if I take an eternity or have to build an army then so be it"
"We'll help as best we can. But first, we should head back to the lab. We need to tell the others that Melody is more lost than previously suspected," she said, activating her starcaster and landing back in the lab.
Where she awkwardly finds Aananda and Andromeda hugging and crying. "Umm...so...Krays, would you mind confirming for me that Melody isn't dead? I'm pretty sure she's not, but I would feel better with confirmation, and Death should know for sure. It's....gonna take a longer search," she said, trying to ignore all the overflowing emotions.
"Yes, of course."
::Master...is the being known as Melody Waverider alive?::
David nearly falls over in surpris that his meandering thoughts seemed to have called the greater power to him, maybe there's more to this meditation sthick than there first appeared to be ::um hello? Uh, I seem to have "accidently" gone against your instruction regarding time... I was kinda surrounded by... Her? Them? Bah whichever, and well a lot of what happened didn't make any sense at all.. "
::Uh... Sure... that's totally why I went...::
Krays finds himself inside a large room filled with a quiet hissing sound. There are rows and rows of shelves stretching off into infinity, each shelf crammed full of tiny hourglasses.
"WAVERIDER....WAVERIDER....AH. HERE WE ARE. OH. SHE'S ONE OF THOSE. QUITE OBSESSED WITH EXTRADIMENSIONAL TECHNOLOGY, THAT SPECIES. EVEN THEIR LIFETIMERS ARE BIGGER ON THE INSIDE. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THIS ONE STILL HAS SEVERAL LIFETIMES WORTH OF SAND INSIDE IT. AND I CERTAINLY HAVEN'T MET ANY OF HER SORT RECENTLY. SO IT SEEMS THAT SHE IS STILL ALIVE, YES."
Looks around, taking it all in.
"Yes, Ephebe has mentioned she is different, time-wise. Can you discern where she is?"
"We'll help as best we can. But first, we should head back to the lab."
"I can attempt to...." Fei begins to reply...
We need to tell the others that Melody is more lost than previously suspected," she said, activating her starcaster and landing back in the lab.
"...locate her..." he finishes to thin air as Ephebe disappears.
"Hm."
He glances back over to the still-open breach to the other universe, then over to Arthur.
"If you could give me a moment to check something, please?"
Where she awkwardly finds Aananda and Andromeda hugging and crying. "Umm...so...Krays, would you mind confirming for me that Melody isn't dead? I'm pretty sure she's not, but I would feel better with confirmation, and Death should know for sure. It's....gonna take a longer search," she said, trying to ignore all the overflowing emotions.
The young monk then uses his lace to communicate back to the laboratory.
"Should we be leaving this breach...unattended?" Fei's even-toned voice ask across the room's PA system.
As he waits for an answer, he focuses his Champion senses toward the portal and attempts to locate Melody's 'courage signature' on the other side...
*Facepalm*
"It's been that kind of day."
Ephebe ports back to the clearing and quickly closes the portal within a portal and then the portal itself.
"There. Sorry. I might still have some traces of the compulsion that kept me from repairing the original hole in spacetime. That's an annoying thought. I need to make some kind of alarm or something to remind me to close the holes if I'm traveling with others," she said, sounding very annoyed.