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Oh sure. As soon as I mention I’m part goddess, Henri walks on water.
Pah's food tends to be food that both large fish and ordinary humans could eat: lots of seaweed, fish, and a slurry-like pickled soup that you might be afraid to try.
Pah eats ravenously but doesn't seem to watch whether or not you do. In between mouthfuls, he says, "Okay, so we managed to figure out you jumped to Gaia's personal prison dimension, which collapsed, suggesting her demise. Tony has feared greatly that you were injured. And, I understand you spent several days in some place called 'Utopia' ..."
Pah seems very well-informed. That was supposed to be classified.
"...but where were you for the three years in-between?"
The transdimensional physicists at TAROT speculate that Gaia's prison dimension moved at a different speed and a day there was three years in your world. Others think that the collapse of Gaia's dimension created a temporal lag that pulled you for three years. Some wonder whether Nissa's entry into the Wand changed things. Although no one will say it out loud, others think Nissa f%#!ed up her return date.
Unity nod to Pah. "We do have a tendency to grow whenever you take your eyes off us, yes," they say, grinning. "Though we've decided to change our name. We're Unity now." "It feels more... right, the more we thought about ourself."
They are perfectly fine with eating more, and show no hesitation about eating the more unappetizing-looking dishes. Then again, this *is* the being who's had cravings for titanium alloys and carbon nanotube weaves, so pickled soup slurry probably seems positively tame to them.
They note Pah's information with slightly narrowed eyes. "To us, it was days," they state in reply to Pah's question. "There have been a number of hypotheses about why a few days for us was three years here, but given we don't exactly want to go around *testing* them, they remain simply competing hypotheses."
She flutters into the air as if nothing happened. She’s curious about her dad’s agent. “Is my agent mad too?” she asks. “Bob Goldenrod… if you even have anything to do with him.”
"Your PR guy has a p**n name? Don't let Kevin find out, or the fans in the staff will probably send gag fan mail."
Pah's food tends to be food that both large fish and ordinary humans could eat: lots of seaweed, fish, and a slurry-like pickled soup that you might be afraid to try.
Zellgato's mask-in a domino mask style- does not bar his smile at strange foods. He makes sure to consume and try every item. Occasionally jotting a verbal note into his watch, and asking staff what items are what.
. " "Though we've decided to change our name. We're Unity now." "It feels more... right, the more we thought about ourself."[/i]
"Is that a one word name? Or is it a last name Unity? Charles Unity. Unity Charles. Or just Unity?" Zellgato asks
"Just Unity," Unity clarify to Zellgato. "We figured we're unique enough we don't need more." They grin slightly.
They note Pah's information with slightly narrowed eyes. "To us, it was days," they state in reply to Pah's question. "There have been a number of hypotheses about why a few days for us was three years here, but given we don't exactly want to go around *testing* them, they remain simply competing hypotheses."
Pondering tapping his cheekbone lightly. "Did you repeat the same days? Trust me when I say, you'd be surprised how many times you can repeat a day and lose count." thinking on it more "Honestly easiest explanation would be whoever drove the wand, screwed the preverbal werewolf. Focusing too hard on not back tracking on yourselves, or worried for the future." closing his eyes briefly and slurping up some of the seaweedy soup "Assuming of course, someone didn't create a beacon or something to pull you to this time period. Maybe something had to alter the course of history? Several things have happened here that would likely have been very different were you not lost for years.
"Just Unity," Unity clarify to Zellgato. "We figured we're unique enough we don't need more." They grin slightly.
"Nice to meet you Unity, I'm Zellgato. he'll nod.
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“A what name?” Nissa can’t unsee it now. “If that’s a professional name, not his family name… huh. I better not ask Bob what he did prior to becoming an agent.”
When the topic of names thankfully becomes cleaner, Nissa imagines Unity in a tux at a casino beating the law of averages every time while shaking, not stirring, his drink and saying, ‘The name is Unity, Charles Unity.’
At the talk of Bob Goldenrod, Pah figures it is time to talk about the elephant on the yacht.
Pah stands, lifts a glass to call your attention, as if he is about to make a toast. He does not make a toast. He makes a confession. "Unity. Nissa. Henri. Zellgato. Theo. Friends. I have something to confess. I have behaved very badly but with the best of intentions. I have misappropriated some of the money that I have helped you earn. I do hope you will forgive me when I show you the reason. Remember, you were missing, and no one could find you! I thought I had a solution!"
"Oh, by the way, Bob Goldenrod was very upset that he wasn't consulted on this and you all now have individual agents appointed by the settlement judge if you didn't have one already. But let's leave that stuff to the lawyers. We're friends!"
"In any case, I wracked up some rather large expenses as part of the toy line ... it was 6 months before they realized I wasn't using it to build a new toy prototype, but I'd locked up that money in gold and locked that gold up as security on a 500-year-Atlantean high interest savings bond. Unbreakable without a war. Your agents all screamed and howled for a bit, but the money kept coming in from Whichworld...You're quite famous. There's talk of a movie!!."
Pah pauses, pulls out a pocket watch and looks at it. Looks at the sky above the ship. Looks at the watch again.
"So, as I was saying, I put all the money you had made in a very lucrative long-term bond and I gave the power to cash in that bond to an AI programmed to make a very specific purchase 500 years in the future..."
Well, it's not quite the same ship. It's new. That ship had taken a few bumps and scrapes. This one has not.
Pah yells above the purr of the ship's engines, "Top of the line time ship! Hasn't even been invented yet and won't be for 503 years. For enough money, they were willing to deliver it before it was made ... and I had made you enough money!!"
The ship hovers above you in the harbor, about 50 ft. off the bow of Pah's yacht.
As it turns 360 degrees in the air slowly to allow an inspection from all sides, it gets louder. Pah shouts again, "Do you forgive me?"
Blanching for a moment at the burst and effect. but he'll simply clap
"That's my kind of solution. Though, hope you will or would have had, better results."
Then he'll look around for the various papparazi and ponder how much a mess this'll bring.
he'll click together a moment later "Wait. I have an agent now?"
Henri stares in awe, then his head whips to their host. In unison with Zellgato, he says, ”Wait, I have an agent now?”
Nissa already has an agent (no matter how prawnographic his name is), so she just answers the question. “Yyyyyyyyyes.”
"Pah. This is all good news. I'm pleased, really. But what is the available funds currently from likeness licensing?"
"Pah. This is all good news. I'm pleased, really. But what is the available funds currently from likeness licensing?"
[dice=Diplomacy]1d20 + 16
"Well ...," says Pah, "Your agents are still recovering their commissions, account maintenance, long-term viability fees, 'in absentia' regulatory fees, ... all the standard Atlantean provisions, which they found very interesting ... Unless you're willing to spend 6 weeks doing a movie in Whichworld ... I've heard that you're looking at less than $12,000,000. Why, big guy?"
Before Theo can respond, Pah gestures to the time ship and asks, "What are you going to name it?"
The Olympian's eyes widened slightly at the number, but waves away the comment. "It's alright. Pah. I know our partnership has just started. I did get $20 million for Coca-Cola endorsements. But..I suppose I understand interdimensional exchange rates are a thing. Unless the universe needs to be saved again, I'll make myself available for that movie. Bare in mind I'm always on-call."
"On a different note, I will likely in interesting in buying a large home on Tarokh.
Any idea what the going rate would be on something with 7,000 square feet would cost?"
Blinking again Wait, millions what the hell. If I have an agent I need to talk apparently. I get paid s**t which ought not be surprising as he has never been involved and rarely done much of any of that. Instead operating similar to his previous military and merc life that followed. Getting paid for a job, or getting paid in livelihood necessities while working.
"Maybe I can make team coffee mixes? Fermented natural husk on dried coffee with some strong mushrooms for a "Unity in the wild" something extra caffeinated, "Twice Risen Bombshell". Something heady, dark, and easy sipping with light caffeine but mixes well with alcohol "The Hero's Brew" for a classy night out. A canned variety for on the go, "Doc n Go" life.... "
"Please do not name he ship, "ship" or "mobius" or "tax break" If you want suggestion: Roulette "
It occurs to Nissa that she could literally live in a Barbie Dream House. In fact, she needs to grow into it.
So she doesn’t comment on Theo’s want of riches and luxury.
She does blurt a name for the ship: “Artemis!”
Theo smiles knowingly at his daughter. "Both Roulette and Artemis are good names. I'd be happy with either."
Unity laugh again as the ship appears. "We should have known," they mutter to themself.
"We're part zookeeper and part animal, Pah. Being rich has never really occurred to us, so it's hard for us to be mad to find out we're not wealthy when we could have been," they state. "We think things... turned out just as they should have."
"I am so glad you aren't upset," smiles Pah. "I consoled myself with the knowledge that if you weren't happy with the purchase you could go back in time and stop me."
"Now, before you take your ship for a spin, we have product licensing to discuss. Henri, I have some running shoes for you to try out. If you agree, we can market them with your solo comic. Oh, and Charles, would you squeeze this? In Whichworld, they call it a Plushie. It's a pretty good likeness .... or, it was...."
Pah continues to share with you his latest proposals for marketing schemes.
Theo awws over the cute Charlie Plushie. "That's adorable!"
Nissa is holding out a bit in case Pah has plans to market a line of Nissa fashion dolls. And if not, she’ll call either fashionista Addison Lane or the fashionable Vermilion Vixen to suggest that.
Eventually she does mention Ta-Hashar. “He was gone for seven hundred years, which is way more than three. And plus, he’s not a murderous sociopath and he has a better name than Prince Fishdicks.” She then gets to the serious heroic deeds that Ta-Hashar actually did. “We couldn’t have saved Utopia without him.” Or at least it would’ve taken longer, and a lot of people would’ve died of 72nd birthdays.
Unity look bemused by the plushie. They take it in one forepaw and examine it. "No doubt our continual mutations will make for, ah, 'limited editions'?"
"And remember, it's Unity now," they add.
Nissa is holding out a bit in case Pah has plans to market a line of Nissa fashion dolls. And if not, she’ll call either fashionista Addison Lane or the fashionable Vermilion Vixen to suggest that.
Eventually she does mention Ta-Hashar. “He was gone for seven hundred years, which is way more than three. And plus, he’s not a murderous sociopath and he has a better name than Prince Fishdicks.” She then gets to the serious heroic deeds that Ta-Hashar actually did. “We couldn’t have saved Utopia without him.” Or at least it would’ve taken longer, and a lot of people would’ve died of 72nd birthdays.
"Oh, my, I would like to meet him," says Pah. He looks concerned, "You recall how much trouble was caused by our 'pure' Atlanteans last time when they found someone with royal blood."
He snaps his fingers and has a servant run down a Ta-Hashar among the Atlantean royalty.
"You say he was doing humanitarian work? Delivering Atlantean technology to save a dying world?" he muses. "We could work with that."
Unity look bemused by the plushie. They take it in one forepaw and examine it. "No doubt our continual mutations will make for, ah, 'limited editions'?"
"And remember, it's Unity now," they add.
"Unity," murmurs Pah. "That might go over well in the United States. We had to rebrand 'the Godling' as 'the Olympian' because of the ... I think you call them 'Christians'. They had a problem with it that I don't fully understand. We could do the same kind of 3 issue death/metamorphosis/rebirth ... and Nissa's had a rebirth? ... I do so enjoy reading these comic books!"
Pah smiles looking at all of you. He's never really fully present. Servants bring him questions, things to sign, and information he requested constantly, but he deals with them without taking his eyes or his big toothy grin off of you.
"What's next for you, friends?" asks Pah, "And will you be taking the ship?"
"We had to rebrand 'the Godling' as 'the Olympian' because of the ... I think you call them 'Christians'. They had a problem with it that I don't fully understand. We could do the same kind of 3 issue death/metamorphosis/rebirth ... and Nissa's had a rebirth? ... I do so enjoy reading these comic books!"
“I’m sure my death and rebirth will go over nicely with that group,” Nissa says quite confidently, thinking how the whole dad thing really humanized Theo.
"We will take the ship, thank you," Unity say.
"As for what's next? There are more than enough problems for us to tackle, we just have to decide which one."
Of course, they are thinking of PhDestruction, but they don't say it aloud.
"Now, before you take your ship for a spin, we have product licensing to discuss. Henri, I have some running shoes for you to try out. If you agree, we can market them with your solo comic...."
Henri perks up, thinks for a moment before responding, and says, "I have seen the results of rampant capitalism in my home world. I'll consider your proposal, but I'm going to have to see how the company operates and get some assurances from them that they are good corporate citizens in their world. And time. I'd like to see this comic you speak of, as well."
"Good corporate citizens?" says Pah a little puzzled. Someone translates into Atlantean but he still seems confused. A further elaboration and he says, "Ah! Yes. Atlantis Comics sends superheroes to several children's hospitals. I bet there's a Henri out there doing speedy stuff right now to amuse the kids, while a Zellgato hides behind curtains scanning nurses for reptilian invaders!"
Henri stares at Pah for a moment before deciding the man is serious. So he replies in kind, "That is a start. We will have to talk. This is a task for the agent I apparently have now."
"On the topic of the ship. WHO functionally owns it, and... are there space-time regulatory agencies?" glancing at those who were gone, "I'm sure you've noticed, but BT isn't a private industry persay currently. I don't have the full details, but I imagine this will be an awkward discussion at best." rubbing his chin lightly. "I can't remember the details anymore, but there was that argument over the wand previously after all."
with a more pointed look "Also, I strongly advise not trying to fix your own timeline, you can really waste years trying to fine tune that, much less all the time ripples that result."
nodding to Henry "Also. Money can help you help people and being a sponsor means you can guide the populace opinion to push your agenda. I.e. If that company isn't run clean how you like. Reframe why they should."
"I can't remember the details anymore, but there was that argument over the wand previously after all."
Nissa pulls the wand halfway out of a mysterious void. “It’s mine,” she says as she calmly pushes the wand back into her pocket dimension that no one else can perceive.
nodding to Henry "Also. Money can help you help people and being a sponsor means you can guide the populace opinion to push your agenda. I.e. If that company isn't run clean how you like. Reframe why they should."
"Yes, exactly, I'm thinking much the same. Make it worth their while."
Henri's questions make Unity realize that they have... absolutely no idea how to handle things like wealth and celebrity. "We're... definitely going to need to talk to our agent," they comment thoughtfully. "And..."
They look a bit lost. This is way outside the kinds of things both zookeepers and animals think about.
".....and a financial advisor Unity."
Not that Zellgato can talk.
Henri feels a strange tingle.
One of Pah's smaller boats is returning. Several people are on it.
"On the topic of the ship. WHO functionally owns it, and... are there space-time regulatory agencies?" glancing at those who were gone, "I'm sure you've noticed, but BT isn't a private industry persay currently. I don't have the full details, but I imagine this will be an awkward discussion at best." rubbing his chin lightly. "I can't remember the details anymore, but there was that argument over the wand previously after all."
"YOU own it. At least under Atlantean law. I didn't apply for a license in your dimension and I don't know who would be in charge of that." says Pah.
Henri feels an annoyingly strong tingle.
Pah's smaller boat docks. People begin to disembark.
Nissa smells something familiar.
Pah gets one of his staff to respond to Zellgato; other than her gills and scales, this one might have passed as human, "As you are aware, the political situation on this world, World Z, has changed significantly in the last three years. Several nations on your world are working on developing 'Thin Spot' technology to open transdimensional gateways. Thin Spots are places where transdimensional gateways have been opened so frequently that TD-Radiation bleeds out from the Shuffle and accumulates until it opens a barely perceptible gate. They have realized that it is probably possible to trigger this accumulated TD-Radiation into opening a gateway and then widening these gates. Competing groups are working at Mount Olympus, Tenochtitlan, Salem, Valley of the Kings, the Pantheon, and the Temple of Baal. Kai's TD-Radiation detector made all of that possible."
Henri is in pain. Not intense, but a mild headache.
Nissa recognizes that smell.
Pah's new guests approach.
with a more pointed look "Also, I strongly advise not trying to fix your own timeline, you can really waste years trying to fine tune that, much less all the time ripples that result."
"In less than a year," says Pah's servant, "someone on this planet will be opening transdimensional portals using Thin Spot technology. Once you've done that, time travel is just about when you're aiming on your re-entry."
"Which is something you should have done better, Nissa," says L.C., just arriving on the other ship.
Henri's headache continues.
Tarantula, April, and Greer are with her.
Nissa can’t understand the sensation until she’s there.
Three inches tall. A three inch arm span with arms themselves only an inch and a fraction. Arms that can’t hug a girlfriend. But whether L.C. even still sees Nissa in this way, still has the feeling, even if that feeling went to another… Nissa still has her own heart to follow.
She races across the air, blazing a trail of fire for the first ten or so feet! She practically crashes into L.C.’s face, pressing her entire body against L.C.’s face. Nissa doesn’t care how ridiculous this makes her look. She stays like that for a few seconds until she can manage a muffled “Sorry.”
She flutters back, molten gold flowing down both cheeks.
“I know ‘sorry’ can’t undo my three year absence. Sorry can’t get my body back. And… I don’t know what you’ve been through all this time or if you… I mean… if… well… sorry can’t change that either.”
She looks L.C. in the eye, “But I’m sorry anyway. And proud that you became Marshal. And sorry that your predecessor…” Nissa isn’t sure how the Marshal died, and if she… “Sorry for… everything.”
She is truly sorry…
…but Nissa can’t help but look completely adorable while giving a sincere, tearful apology.
L.C. looks Nissa over. Stares at her for a bit. Nissa can see L.C. has tears in her eyes, but she doesn't say anything at first. Her eyes are wide. Not quite surprise ...
She taps her shoulder with two fingers, "Have a seat. We'll ... we'll talk during your two weeks of required rest."
The Marshall looks the party over slowly. Looks at Unity especially long. "I'm so very glad you're back. You couldn't have come at a better time. we're going to need you ... but first, we should eat!"
Pah's servants have done such a good job of removing the remnants of your dinner and setting another one, that L.C. has no idea you've eaten.
Who's down for a third dinner?
Nissa sits on the edge of the table. She is happy to see April and Tarantula together. Greer is with them too. Nissa tries to keep everything professional and work-related and not think about the personal stuff because why would I think about that?
She tries harder. She said she’ll talk. When there aren’t other people around. Let the poor woman eat in peace!
She turns to Greer. “We were supposed to talk about saving worlds, regardless of… y’know. All the bureaucracy. So we did that, actually. We saved some people from a weird little world that got erased, then we saved a planet. I thought I was headed back to World 12, around the time I had left but…”
She looks up at L.C.
“…we ended up on a flight deck with a different you. And Ron was Veronica. And my alternate self was six feet of oiled muscle. And on the World of Men, my alt was Hell Kitty.”
She asks Tarantula, “Is it weird to be jealous of my other selves?” To April, “Not like, really. I wouldn’t trade my power for theirs… but it was like being in the presence of Artemis’ nymphs.
“Humbling.” She looks up at L.C. again.
Pah's new guests approach.
"Which is something you should have done better, Nissa," says L.C., just arriving on the other ship.
Henri's headache continues.
Tarantula, April, and Greer are with her.
Theo smiles wide. "Hey-HEY! Hey Guys! How are you doing!" The Olympian says with great enthusiasm.
Theo quiet looks on as Nissa and L.C. reunite, happy they are at least civil.
Henri nods to the new arrivals, but asks to be excused. He moves to another part of Pah’s ship to get distance from the new arrivals to see if the headache eases. At the same time, he is trying to focus internally to “listen” to his nanites to see if they are riled up for some reason.
Zellgato attempts to chow down as a form of avoiding second hand awkward literaly radiating off these folks.
Nissa sits on the edge of the table. She is happy to see April and Tarantula together. Greer is with them too. Nissa tries to keep everything professional and work-related and not think about the personal stuff because why would I think about that?
She tries harder. She said she’ll talk. When there aren’t other people around. Let the poor woman eat in peace!
She turns to Greer. “We were supposed to talk about saving worlds, regardless of… y’know. All the bureaucracy. So we did that, actually. We saved some people from a weird little world that got erased, then we saved a planet. I thought I was headed back to World 12, around the time I had left but…”
She looks up at L.C.
“…we ended up on a flight deck with a different you. And Ron was Veronica. And my alternate self was six feet of oiled muscle. And on the World of Men, my alt was Hell Kitty.”
She asks Tarantula, “Is it weird to be jealous of my other selves?” To April, “Not like, really. I wouldn’t trade my power for theirs… but it was like being in the presence of Artemis’ nymphs.
“Humbling.” She looks up at L.C. again.
L.C. seems a bit overwhelmed, "Sorry," she says laughing, "I forgot how much you were sometimes."
Greer coughs and takes a sip of water.
Tarantula and April seem oblivious.
"We should ...," L.C. stammers "Did you get a briefing? Hear about the Deintegrationalists? World 16?"
She tries to change the subject from the personal to the professional. Everyone else is doing the personal.
“Not as much as Amazon Me. That Me is a wholllle lotta Nissa.” She doesn’t even get started on Hell-Kitty.
On the topic change: “A little bit on the Deintegrationalists. We know they exist, and… they’ve killed.” She looks at Greer and Tarantula, then back to L.C. “What’s happening on World 16?”
“What’s happening on World 16?”
"Nothing," say Greer and Tarantula at the same time. Tarantula sounds almost disappointed.
Tarantula elaborates, "The demons keep trying to get a foothold, but now that we know how to fight them, TAROT is keeping them in check. Last Tower I took down was only 15 inches tall."
"That's why were here. It's a vacation," says Alt-Greer. He looks around, "Say, did Scarlett come tonight?"
"Nothing," say Greer and Tarantula at the same time. Tarantula sounds almost disappointed.
Tarantula elaborates, "The demons keep trying to get a foothold, but now that we know how to fight them, TAROT is keeping them in check. Last Tower I took down was only 15 inches tall."
"Ha-HA!" Theo laughs at the good news. "Nice work!"
“What’s happening on World 16?”"Nothing," say Greer and Tarantula at the same time. Tarantula sounds almost disappointed.
Tarantula elaborates, "The demons keep trying to get a foothold, but now that we know how to fight them, TAROT is keeping them in check. Last Tower I took down was only 15 inches tall."
"That's why were here. It's a vacation," says Alt-Greer. He looks around, "Say, did Scarlett come tonight?"
“No, but the night’s not over.”
Nissa realizes how that might have come off. “Uh, but I lost my comm when I…” She actually literally turns bright red from blushing. “Perhaps someone can call her?”
Tarantula and April give you a look that a DC 12 Sense Motive check would recognize as "DON'T CALL SCARLETT!".
Even Pah seems to know that's a bad idea.
After an awkward silence, Alt-Greer says, "So, you've got a spaceship?"