April says, "There were kids on this bus, so, no, no bombs. I mean, I know how to make them. I've had the training. But, at this particular time I come armed with ready-to-eat meals, medicine, and refugees."
She looks around at the camp and sees few people near the bus.
"Might be a good time to slip out of here and avoid more questions. Let's go talk to your friends over pancakes," she says. "Anyone need a lift?"
Debriefing over food sounds good... Also. April. If you visit otherworlds. I have a notepad of resturants to show you."
Zellgato will catch a ride~
April says, "There were kids on this bus, so, no, no bombs. I mean, I know how to make them. I've had the training. But, at this particular time I come armed with ready-to-eat meals, medicine, and refugees."
She looks around at the camp and sees few people near the bus.
"Might be a good time to slip out of here and avoid more questions. Let's go talk to your friends over pancakes," she says. "Anyone need a lift?"
Debriefing over food sounds good... Also. April. If you visit otherworlds. I have a notepad of resturants to show you."
Zellgato will catch a ride~
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Charles sleeps deeply, oblivious for the moment to the world around him. Their three heads breath in unison, exhalations stirring the leaves of the false jungle around them. Occasionally one of their six legs twitches as their nervous system changes, neurons shifting connections as one mind truly becomes three while still remaining one.
Outwardly little seems to be changing, save for two rapidly-swelling lumps on their back that are pushing out against their armor. It looks rather uncomfortable, and probably bad for the armor.
Henri watches Charles' physical changes with some concern and decides he will take the chance of being within reach...
Moving up, he attempts to loosen or remove the armor to allow Charles' body to continue its evolutions unabated.
It's surprisingly easy for Henri to figure out how to remove part of Charles' armor--it seems like it's meant to have someone else manipulating it. No surprise, given that the chimerical being definitely can't reach his back. Charles themself doesn't even stir as Henri works on the armor.
Removing a couple of armor plates reveals the bizarre patchwork of Charles' back... including two small, feathered nubs. As if sensing their freedom, these quickly stretch and swell, growing into wings in the course of a few minutes.
"All aboard whose coming aboard," says April Patel into the comms, trying to hurry people along. "Next stop, house of horses and pancakes."
Theo looks upon the new form of Charles, with interest and surprise.
"Looking good, Charles. BUT I think for your sake maybe you shouldn't any around any of my family. They might confuse you with an actual chimera."
Theo and Charles eventually get on da bus, Gus!
The bus gets full fairly quickly with April, Nissa, Tarantula, the guy in the Best Buy shirt, Doc Z, Theo, and, possibly, Henri, Charles, and two Zellgatos.
The camp is fairly quiet. A lot of those who don't know what's going on are keeping their heads down and staying out of trouble. The thugs Nissa sent out to look for Karen and the Gaians are probably out on the empty highway by now.
Charles doesn't wake up, even when Theo hefts them over his shoulder and carries them onto the bus. As his wings finish growing in, they look rather... familiar. Huge black feathers that fade to purple towards their tips cover them, and the wings themselves are rather vulture-like in profile, much like a certain demon's...
The bus passes through the checkpoint at Chapel. The very sleepy guard there is still searching the bushes for his missing taser and doesn't give a bus leaving the camp much of a hassle. His instructions were to search people who might be bringing weapons or scanners in. Out isn't a problem.
Zellgato gets dropped off at his little laser buggy. He's ridden alongside this bus before in this buggy; just a day ago, or a couple of months ago, depending on your timeline.
You pass the place on the road where Gygax woke up and blew away the Gaian that woke him.
You make it to the ranch where Hector is repairing the stable after Gygax busted out of it.
John waves you inside.
Introductions are made. Hugs are exchanged. Particularly between Greer and Tarantula, then Greer and Doc Z. When the guy in the Best Buy shirt goes in for a hug, Greer looks a little awkward.
Kai is there, as is Jupiter Boy, John's son who happens to also be named Theo. As is Genius, her mom, and her two dads. The whole Meadows family is making pancakes. There are already a large pile of them.
The remaining Gaian is still tied up in the barn.
It's a party.
Theo walks in confidently, all smiles. Projecting his Icon energy.
The godling surveys the room for pretty faces.
Theo walks in confidently, all smiles. Projecting his Icon energy.
The godling surveys the room for pretty faces.
As far as Theo can tell, Jupiter Boy is not his son nor a doppleganger. Just another guy named Theo.
The kid's got charm though and is confident with adults the way kids are when loving adults are the only people around.
Nissa wakes up curled in the back seat of the bus. She enters the ‘party’ in a tight little black dress, strappy heels, a lacy choker. Her eyes are violet.
She makes pouring coffee look seductive. When the pancake touches her lips, surely someone in the room envies that pancake.
“April… I want you to meet my girlfriend. Your older self met her, but the circumstances were… adversarial. I believe of the three of us, I’ll be the only one who remembers the day our paths crossed…
“At least if this fourth-dimensional stuff works the way I think.” It may be hard to notice under the allure of Nissa’s ‘Darklight’ aura, but she’s a little nervous about having meddled with time. “April… you have a right to know.
“Your older self—not you—please know I don’t hold this against you.” She takes a breath. “Your ol… I mean, Ms. Grey had my girlfriend tied to a chair. There was a bomb. I think the timer was set to go off in three seconds. Maybe it was five or ten.
“I’m not mad.” This is actually the truth. The Dawnflower is about redemption, not punishment. And for all the fears Nissa had about traveling time, she now sees an opportunity. Instead of going back in time to delete people while they’re young and vulnerable, Nissa has met April before she was corrupted. “I’m glad we met. Because as much as I’m proud of how I rescued L.C. from that bomb, it means the world to me that the woman you are now would never do that.”
Telltale streaks of violet line her cheeks. It’s impossible not to hide one’s emotion when tears glow. L.C. forgetting the daring rescue, the sacrifice Nissa chances for her… it terrifies Nissa. Even worse is her fear that a different timeline means it’s not even the same L.C. Or what if saving April has no effect on her own timeline? So much uncertainty!
But the one thing Nissa’s sure of: she’s saving April.
“Come with me—at dawn. We’ll head to my world and I believe you’ll have an opportunity to join an organization that can fix your world.”
Looking to Tarantula and Greer, she adds, “And not just your world, April.
“I’ve had some strong feelings about the to-each-his-own approach TAROT takes. Two of my coworkers got murdered by a prince, Greer and Tarantula lost a lot of heroes before we joined forces, and nobody wanted anything to do with this world.
“April… if you come with me to meet the Marshall, and Tarantula —you’ll come too, won’t you?”
“Maybe together, we can convince the Marshall there’s gotta be a better way TAROT can protect the multiverse.”
Henri feels very uncomfortable watching Nissa eat her pancakes, clears his throat as he makes his apologies, and gets up, moving to another part of the kitchen where he can have an innocuous conversation with the dad with the leg injury.
“Maybe together, we can convince the Marshall there’s gotta be a better way TAROT can protect the multiverse.”
"F~*+ the Marshall," says Greer, standing. "We begged for help. It never came. You only came because our enemies became your enemies. Once you came though, you saved us. You save our world from being turned into some kind of hellscape. Thank you. And, before you could have a full night's sleep you did it again saving this world. All of you."
He picks up a glass of orange juice and salutes the table.
"The Marshall, the high council, the Elves ... they're wrong. World after world has a TAROT and maybe they're right about these swords and wands coming from some celestial beings or whatever but they're wrong about neutrality. They gave us these gifts so we could do something with them. Do something for each other. I agree, Nissa, that we could be something bigger. I just don't think we need to ask for permission."
(@ Nissa's morning speech)
"Bare in mind Nissa. I'm pretty sure changes here won't alter your past. Remember, that my kind apparently have a habit of escaping erasure by jumpin ship. If changing "here" doesn't kill me "there" I'm not sure it would have any bearing on your history. " Glosing over the possiblity that this is a rather strainful topic for Nissa. "That said, I didn't vanish here this time. At least not yet. If it doesn't work that way... I imagine there must be several copies of your enemy, if they know they could reinforce themselves with well themselves. I assume the first me, learned it from somewhere."
-------------------
"I don't actually know much about the council nor Marshall. I'm not sure I've even seen either that I remember. I would say the "rules" are kind of bombastic and awkward." Zellgato did not miss the quality of food from his home dimension, but it was weirdly nostalgic. "I nearly started a war twice on accident. But my existance and the regulations that fall on me are confusing at best. I never got a manual."
Nissa replies, “I don’t think anyone vanishes. It can’t work that way, because you’re alive and experiencing everything. How can someone slip into yesterday and erase you? Yesterday already happened.
“One of the Gristlethorns had a theory that those ‘deleted’ are in an alternate timeline… I guess the alternate timeline is created as a result of intervention.”
Nissa’s not a scientist, but she’s watched a lot of time travel movies. Gristlethorn’s theory makes more sense than the erasing photos in Back to the Future. Great movie, but watching your hand fade as you play guitar doesn’t make sense. Being erased would be instant. You could never live from that moment forward.
“So like… if you experienced today, it doesn’t matter if you got erased yesterday. You just go on in this timeline, and the people who erased you think they’re awesome or something. That would explain how there can still be a Ms. Grey.
“But will I bring us to the original timeline, or can I only move forward in the timeline we altered?”
She takes another bite of her pancake.
“Or… my understanding is way off.” She removes the wand from her purse. “Guess we’ll find out when the sun comes up!”
Nissa steps out into the other room, feeling like a giant at nearly two and a half feet tall in those stilettos! (She’s not sure why her armor’s color scheme has changed, but doesn’t worry about it for now.)
“Henri, you’ll be joining us too, I take it. With your amazing speed, you’ll fit right in! And what I’m proposing isn’t limited to what world you’re from. Zellgato’s been on our team since 1938.”
Charles awakes with a start, trying to graps his fading dreams. Already he can't remember why, but he remembers they were important, but the more he tries to sieze the fragments remaining in his memory the more they seem to slip through his claws.
After a few moments, however, the memory of what he'd been doing before he fell asleep intrudes... and then the knowledge of just how much he's changed follows closely on its heels.
Charles wakes up at the scent of pancakes. After all they'd been up to yesterday, he knows he needs the calories. Which is to say, he's hungry. He lifts his reptilian snout and looks about, searching for the source of the good smell.
Charles wakes up lazily, yawning widely with his feline head. Rewiring brains--oh, and growing wings--was hard work, and he still felt like sleeping, but the rest of him isn't cooperating with that. So instead he looks around, quickly taking in his surroundings.
With all three heads looking about, they quickly realize they've moved. Their surroundings are unfamiliar, but the scents of familiar people soothe them. Still, they get to their feet and ask, "Where are we? What's going on?"
“Your older self—not you—please know I don’t hold this against you.”[/b] She takes a breath. “Your ol… I mean, Ms. Grey had my girlfriend tied to a chair. There was a bomb. I think the timer was set to go off in three seconds. Maybe it was five or ten.
“I’m not mad.” This is actually the truth. ... “I’m glad we met. Because as much as I’m proud of how I rescued L.C. from that bomb, it means the world to me that the woman you are now would never do that.”
....
“Come with me—at dawn. We’ll head to my world and I believe you’ll have an opportunity to join an organization that can...
"I don't think I would do these things... I mean, I know explosives. I've spent the last five years infiltrating the various militias and gotten all the training I need from them ... but, I don't think I'd tie your girlfriend to a chair with a bomb on it," says April.
She pauses for a bit, "I met her once. Ms. Grey. Older me. I didn't know it at the time. Not really. She came to the hospital the night my parents died. I was 17. She stayed there all night, holding my hand. I thought she was an aunt or something because she had my mother's eyes and they were sad. She looked like she was grieving too. She gave me something. She said, 'this is yours now' ... I assumed it belonged to my mom or something, but I guess that's not what she meant."
April tugs and twists and pulls a ring off her finger and hands it to Nissa.
April indicates it has some words written on the inside.
"The future will take care of itself."
"What do you think it means?" she asks.
With all three heads looking about, they quickly realize they've moved. Their surroundings are unfamiliar, but the scents of familiar people soothe them. Still, they get to their feet and ask, "Where are we? What's going on?"
"The victory party from what it looks like." Theo says, patting one of the monster man's heads.
Nissa smiles sympathetically.
“She wanted to fix this broken world. Her agent, and even our president—the woman I voted for—bought what FATE was selling.
“I’m guessing what changed you to her hasn’t happened yet. Who knows… maybe if I didn’t figure out how to stop those bombs—“ Nissa holds the ring in her palm. She shrinks to a fairy form (it’s violet!), palm open sans ring. She reverts to her full two-foot-three (~2’6” in heels) humanish self, palm open, ring in hand. “—maybe more than just my dress would’ve gone dark.
“But L.C. survived, we hadn’t seen Ms. Grey since… and I’ve though of her from time to time, but didn’t really hate her.” She tries to imagine Ms. Grey grieving. “Maybe she felt remorse.
“There’s a King of Rings who can take a look at this.”
Nissa will give the ring back, unless April wants her to hang onto it.
"I want pancakes," Charles growls.
Charles winces at their own bluntness. "Sorry, um, growing wings and rewiring my brains has me starving because it took a lot of energy." He pauses, then adds, "Also, I feel like I should be more scared about the fact that my brains apparently rewired themselves than I am."
"It's because we're all still me and we know that," Charles states. "At least, that's the theory I prefer, given that the other is that part of my brains rewiring themselves included messing with my sense of fear."
"I want pancakes," Charles growls.
Charles winces at their own bluntness. "Sorry, um, growing wings and rewiring my brains has me starving because it took a lot of energy." He pauses, then adds, "Also, I feel like I should be more scared about the fact that my brains apparently rewired themselves than I am."
"It's because we're all still me and we know that, Charles states. "At least, that's the theory I prefer, given that the other is that part of my brains rewiring themselves included messing with my sense of fear."
Theo chuckles. "Ah, Charles. Our own adorable ticking time-bomb! HAHA!"
The godling looks for anything in the kitchen not pancakes.
“I’m guessing what changed you to her hasn’t happened yet. Who knows… maybe if I didn’t figure out how to stop those bombs—“[/b] Nissa holds the ring in her palm. She shrinks to a fairy form (it’s violet!), palm open sans ring. She reverts to her full two-foot-three (~2’6” in heels) humanish self, palm open, ring in hand. “—maybe more than just my dress would’ve gone dark.
"I'm not sure what it would take to change me into her, if it hasn't happened already. My life ... this world ... it's brutal. It's a grinning giant. It grinds hope between its teeth and sucks all the love out of your bones. Now, you're inviting me to leave it. Sign me up ... I'm not sure about all this TAROT and FATE business, but if I come back here, it would be with a better plan and the power to put that plan in place..." April thinks. "I'll go with you. For now."
"And then what," asks Greer with a smile. "We've got something good happening here. Two worlds saved in two days. Don't you think we should formalize this relationship?"
Hector, who has stopped fixing the stable and come inside, brings a plate of pancakes over to Charles.
"Keep him away from the horses," Hector warns Theo. "I don't know how they'll react, but I have enough work to do without having to repair a broken stall"
The godling looks for anything in the kitchen not pancakes.
There's bacon. Real bacon.
Mushrooms in a frying pan.
Eggs. Real eggs.
Cawfee brand coffee substitute. It's made from mushrooms. Same brand as on Theo's world.
Theo makes a large plate of eggs, bacon and mushrooms. The Olympian finds a spot to sit down and chow down.
Hector counts the number of pieces of bacon Theo takes and rolls his android eyes.
"yeah, I've misgivens about the whole organizations too. Comes from this life. Also, Try some other coffee. I've got a few..." Zellgato pulls from his ruck sack a handful of instant coffe packs-that he stole and collected and hoarded in his emergency pack. Courtesy of BT's break rooms. "Real bean coffee."
"I think your logistics ability would probably get you a desk job at BT if they're hiring. I don't know about the overarching organizations. But that facility seems pretty decent. At least, they mourn their dead. And they haven't tried to shoot me in the skull while I slept. I've got a working plan on here... but its hard to quanitfy what is causing the chaos.. Other than time changing in a haphazard scientific fashion. WHoever or whatever is doing it, is either an idiot. Or they're building for a specific outcome at the cost of everything else. Assuming what folks say bout this world is accurate."
Zellgato stops fussing with individually and just dumps a pile of condiment packets, many of which are a rarer seasoning here.
The people from World 12 (April, John, young Theo, the Meadows) grab for the coffee. John mutters something about not having real coffee 'since the global South turned red.' The rest of them are too young to remember that time.
The people from World 16 aren't as impressed by it.
Henri nods, a little too eagerly, ”Oh, yeah, I’m coming. Charles is a fascinating case - I watched him evolve into a modified form in a matter of minutes! I have to know what happens.”
Nissa senses Henri’s eagerness. “I’m glad you want to join us for your purely scientific reasons.” She grins, but is sincerely about building up the team.
To Greer, “Yeah, I think we’ve got something beautiful going here, combining our worlds. April, Tarantula… you both know life on broken worlds. Maybe the two of you could kinda partner up. I’ll bet demon infestation and whatever you call the mess here aren’t so different.”
Nissa addresses the room as a whole. She sips her coffee. She crosses her legs. Businesslike, she intends. Ah, what’s up with these heels? They’re distracting *me.* She’ll figure out her Stellar Armor later.
“Who’s in?” She includes John, Hector, the Genius family. She assumes Greer’s people, whether dressed as heroes or Best Buy Geek Squad members, are all in. She hopes April isn’t straight because her and Tarantula would make a cute couple, and she’s too loyal to L.C. to be a lesbian Captain Kirk, but to be an interdimensional matchmaker? That’s arguably cooler! And Theo’s got banging alien girls covered, she thinks.
On World Z (the homeworld of Nissa and Charles and the human half of Theo) environmentalists promoted coffee substitutes as being more sustainable than coffee and, while real coffee is still available, it's rare to find it in government buildings which follow sustainability policies.
Looks like Nissa’s really enjoying her coffee!
Henri tries to hide behind his cup of coffee, but soon his embarrassment is forgotten as he quickly as he burns his mouth on the hot beverage.
Greer asks John if you can all get some horseback riding in before you head home. His team is stuck here for 1d12 hours minus about 3 before their wand will be recharged. Your wand should be recharged now.
You can leave this world any time.
"We should make a plan to meet again. And soon. I don't want to have to wait to the Full Council of the Major and Minor Arcana in Tarokh," says Greer. "If you need us, ... we need some way to get in touch with each other."
Nissa says, “I’ve taken a couple trips to your world. Let’s meet in…” She says the number of days, assuming she’ll arrive that day after she left her world. Her intent is to head to World 16 on July 8th and pray no weird supervillain or alien invasion ruins her 21st birthday.
“I’ll leave my world at 8:00 AM on the 8th, and hopefully I won’t arrive on yours at some ungodly hour.
“Until then, hugs!” When she gives Tarantula a hug, she asks Greer, “Can I take her with me. I promised if we survived, I’d introduce her to L.C.”
After goodbyes, Nissa will head outside with the party, April, and Tarantula as well if Greer permits.
Nissa changes to a ‘hot fashion’ outfit which is a red and gold ensemble that includes ruby Crocs. Ugg. When we’re these awful things in fashion, like, ever?
Theo horks down the remaining food on his plate, then joins the others on their way home.
Charles swiftly devours his pancakes, taking the edge off his hunger. He's about to ask for more when he considers the state of this world, remembers they'll soon enough be home, and decides that it's probably best not to strain the local resources.
Because he's definitely still hungry.
At the same time, Charles sighs. "There was a time I was good with animals... before a madman decided to combine me with some," he comments when Hector mentions staying away from the horses. "Now it really takes some work."
Simultaneously Charles responds to Henri, "I would not term it evolution, precisely. As far as we've been able to determine it's more like... subconcious genetic engineering. Or perhaps pre-programmed genetic engineering, depending on your perspective."
Charles' ears twitch as they refocus on Nissa and Greer. "It'll be good to get back," he comments as he stands up on all six feet, padding over towards where Nissa is getting ready to wave the Wand.
Henri shakes hands with John and little Theo and Hector (he won’t press if any refuse). ”Thanks for everything. Your aid was invaluable. Be safe.”
He goes to stand near Nissa, unsure what he’s about to experience, but willing to leave this world behind.
Nissa says, “I’ve taken a couple trips to your world. Let’s meet in…” She says the number of days, assuming she’ll arrive that day after she left her world. Her intent is to head to World 16 on July 8th and pray no weird supervillain or alien invasion ruins her 21st birthday.
“I’ll leave my world at 8:00 AM on the 8th, and hopefully I won’t arrive on yours at some ungodly hour.
"Let's meet HERE," says Doc Z. "We've both been here and this world doesn't have a TAROT or a wand or anything and I think John and Hector are part of this now. Don't worry; we'll pay for our own way this time with real coffee and some other treats. Plus, with the Tower gone, we're going to have to find a new base. Best Buy is going to want their store back."
He looks at John to see if John agrees. John nods.
"Frankly, this has the most interesting day I've had in a while. You're welcome back here," says John. Looking at the Meadows he adds, "And you can stay here until you figure out where you're going. Young Theo is enjoying the company and Hector can use a hand around here."
"We'll figure out the time differential and figure out the Greenwich Mean Time ... I mean, Mean Green Witch Time ..." Doc Z answers before Greer interrupts.
"You know they actually have this grumpy green witch who knows the time in every dimension? There's gotta be a better way to keep track of that!" Greer laughs as he says this.
"I'm going with you," says Tarantula. "I'd like to see a world where a woman can be president of the United States."
"If they're fine-That said, a few miles down the way there is going to be a lot of contact for a while. April; I wasn't on ground last time it was quarantined. Think they'll venture this far?"
If they're going to be making this place something of a seconary compound, they'll need some recompense. Zellgato just upends his snack back entirely, with all his excess supplies of food for John and Hector. "We'll also make a habit of bringing supplies. We owe recombrance. Are you short on any parts for your farm? Got a list?"
Then Nissa opens the portal, and Zellgato hot foots it in throwing his mask on again. Wondering if he even needs that.
Internally also wondering if when they come back if things are going to change again-This outcome was unlikely one they wanted. This inadverdently would be a pretty fine test to guaging the enemy...
"If they're fine-That said, a few miles down the way there is going to be a lot of contact for a while. April; I wasn't on ground last time it was quarantined. Think they'll venture this far?"
If they're going to be making this place something of a seconary compound, they'll need some recompense. Zellgato just upends his snack back entirely, with all his excess supplies of food for John and Hector. "We'll also make a habit of bringing supplies. We owe recombrance. Are you short on any parts for your farm? Got a list?"
Then Nissa opens the portal, and Zellgato hot foots it in throwing his mask on again. Wondering if he even needs that.
Internally also wondering if when they come back if things are going to change again-This outcome was unlikely one they wanted. This inadverdently would be a pretty fine test to guaging the enemy...
"Much appreciated. We're pretty self-sufficient though. I'm not sure there's anything we need," says John thinking as he talks, "Unless your alternate future has a solution for Gygax's cascade failure issues ... We could send his specs with you. Maybe your people could come up with something that works before we have to put him down."
April answers Zellgato's other question, "They'll probably come around asking questions, but RAIN is still embarrassed about a shoot-out they had at one of the other camps with a suicide cult. They won't want to draw any kind of attention to the problem. The more problems we have with the camps the more excuse Mexico has to send their own administrators, and, since they're paying for most of the relief effort, they don't need much excuse. RAIN will want to keep this as quiet as possible."
”John, I would be happy to learn what I can for you. I’ll take the specs.”
When Nissa pulls out the wand and activates the big ball of glowing transdimensional energy Genius claps and young Theo gasps, his eyes wide. From that moment on, neither of them would ever aspire to other than becoming Agents of TAROT on World 12.
The glowing ball grows and encompasses the huddled party plus guests. When the lights vanish, you find yourself on the flight deck.
You hear voices cheering from the control room. "Wake up the boss," says one.
"Welcome back, team," says a voice that you recognize as Ron's.
”John, I would be happy to learn what I can for you. I’ll take the specs.”
Henri and April are the only first time travelers on this trip. How does Henri react to being swallowed by a ball of light and then spit out elsewhere.
“Hey, Ron. Where’s L.C.?”
The weirdest part of the transition for Henri is he was standing still. He had approached speeds that caused him to feel like he was on the verge of being somewhere else, but he always knew that wasn’t possible and nothing ever came of it.
Now, I wonder.