Current Energy: 7
Current Training: Boundary Manipulation (5/10)
Sunday, January 23rd, 2011
PRT Headquarters, Brockton Bay
Once more, you and your Master find yourselves inside of the Director's office in the Protectorate Headquarters. Your Master seems nervous, ironically not because of her hitherto unheard-of ability to resurrect the dead, but rather, because she is speaking to Director Piggot, who seems less than impressed with the situation.
Honestly, you think it's kind of strange that 'raising the dead' has never been done by another Shard. And you do mean never. The closest two comparisons your Master was able to find on the internet were the Butcher - a Parahuman who possessed whoever killed them, eventually driving them insane and passing their powers and patchwork personality on - and Galstig Uaine. And even they had significant limitations that precluded describing what they could achieve as true resurrection.
You probably wouldn't have ever tried it, because unlike your fellows, you are now fairly cognizant of the existence of the soul, which you lack the tools to manipulate casually. Your fellows, however, would merely see the process as 'copying the mind of host and putting it in a new body'. Cloning basically.
"Hebert, it's been two days. I'd like it if I could finish my tenure here as peacefully as possible. God knows whoever comes next is going to be dealing with a mess." Piggot says tiredly. Her face is slightly gaunt, and her eyes bloodshot. Despite the improvement in her skin tone, you find yourself hard-pressed to describe her health as 'improved' although you suppose her life is no longer in immediate danger.
"You called me." Your Master points out in a clipped tone. Despite not being openly antagonistic to the PRT or the Director, she is far from a fan of the organization presently, for a number of reasons.
"I called you because you intimated to my Wards that you were going to desecrate the corpse of one of my people to make yourself feel better!" Piggot yells at your Master, going from fairly mild to incensed in a heartbeat.
"Who said anything about touching her corpse?" You say politely, appearing behind your Master - just between her and one of the recessed turrets in the ceiling of the room. Idly, you wonder how much it must cost to put those things literally everywhere. Probably a lot.
"I would't- I'm just trying to help! They were yours! Why wouldn't you want me to bring them back!?" Your Master scowls back at the woman.
"So when you describe 'doing something' about their current state of being, you do not in fact mean tinkering with their corpses? Because you see, I have to send a report to the Chief Director after this. So choose your next words very carefully." The Director hisses. The Heberts, it seems, have a hitherto unseen capability to rile her up that you don't think she likes if her expression is anything to go by.
"I'm not even a Tinker!" Your Master retorts, pointedly not throwing her hands up in the air in exasperation though she clearly wants to.
"And how am I to know that Miss Hebert? Despite our cooperation during the crisis, the line of communication between you and the PRT seems limited to 'whenever you feel like visiting', and your... friend, has made it abundantly clear that any other attempts to limit you will not be tolerated." The Director grinds out while you smile benignly at her.
It isn't as though you threatened her, but well, you suppose the metaphor you used might have seemed that way to someone as paranoid as Piggot.
Your Master frowns, but doesn't acknowledge the point or immediately ask you what you did, even though you are certain you will be hearing about it later.
"What do you need from me, Director? If you were going to tell me 'No' unambiguously then you would just do that." Your Master says finally, choosing to cut to the chase.
"Believe me, I'd like to, but the potential for a power like this is enough that I'm being told I cannot." The Director says, tersely.
"Then-" Your Master tries but is spoken over.
"However I am still the Director of the Protectorate East North-East, and I get the final say here. I want to know everything about this... procedure. What are the steps, what materials will you need, how long will it take." She continues brusquely.
"In addition," she continues firmly after pausing to see if your Master will try to interrupt again, "You will provide a list of all your current powers, to be updated weekly, and your projection will not, under any circumstances become invisible while in or around my building."
Hm. You can see what Piggot is doing here. Most Parahuman's, you have found, are extremely leery of fully disclosing their capabilities. More so than that, for a Parahuman like your Master who seems to acquire new powers bi-weekly, the idea of having an up to date list of her powers would be of vital importance to an organization like the PRT.
The demand is twofold though. If you had to hazard a guess, you imagine Piggot knows this and is making the demand explicitly in the hopes that your Master will refuse - ending the entire matter. After all, the Director apparently cannot outright refuse your Master, but if she simply refuses to comply with her requirements...
Your Master's eyes narrow noticeably at the Director, but she doesn't speak immediately, no doubt fully parsing the Directors play. Taylor isn't generally one for politics, backroom dealing, or any other form of subtle social interaction. In fact, it would be easiest to say that she consciously abstains from them out of pure distaste. But that is not to say that she doesn't understand or recognize those things when they are happening around her. She has a fair amount of experience with such things as a result of her once friend after all.
The Director's mistake, in your opinion, is twofold. For one, she assumes your Master is like most other Parahumans. She could have been - the potential existed within her, and you're configured to encourage that as much as any other Shard. However, luck has seen to largely stamp out the typical insecurities that Parahumans are prone to in her. Well. Luck and a sentient panda.
For another, the Director has chosen to couch her position not as 'defending her people, even in death' but as 'defending her organization'. The distinction is minor at best, but very important for your Master - because it allows her to think of herself not as working against Miss Militia and Dauntless to get what she wants, but rather, as being intrinsically advocating for both of those fallen heroes. Again, the distinction is minor, but important, primarily because Taylor Hebert is the type of Hero who does her best for others, more so than for herself.
A fact that the Director seems surprised by when she growls and swipes a notepad off the Directors desk.
"I need a pen," Taylor says bluntly, holding a hand out, palm up. "For your list?" Your Master growls insistently when the Director doesn't immediately profer her one from the cup of them nearest to her. Slowly, the Director offers your Master a pen.
'You're going to explain everything you can do in the most specific and esoteric terms you possibly can aren't you.' You note after spending a few seconds watching your Master write.
'My mother was an English Teacher. How does 'Improve personal durability via the reinforcement of the soul in the hierarchy of priority between the physical and the metaphysical' sound?' She asks you with a slightly piqued tone.
'...Like you said your Soul's strength is more important than your Bodies, but with more words and less of an explanation.' You admit with some amusement.
Needless to say, your Master spends the next thirty minutes in the Directors's office. The woman herself is far from pleased by this, and is even less so when another of her appointments has to be cancelled over it.
The look of annoyance she sends you when your Master finally hands over her list and begins to explain what she will need for the ritual is highly gratifying.
"I fail to see why you need all of this," Armsmaster says, frowning slightly. To describe the man as non-plussed by your Master's current undertaking would be something of an understatement.
"I need the Flag because it's the only thing in her personal effects you can guarantee me she actually cared about." Your Master explains slowly, as though telling a child why water was wet.
"I am not in the habit of monitoring the contents of my coworker's rooms, nor their personal attachments to their possessions - not that Miss Militia had many of those in the first place. Regardless, I understand why you think you require the flag. I meant the rest." Armsmaster states flatly. You'll give the guy this. 'Extremely Agitated' Armsmaster and 'Today is Tuesday' Armsmaster are basically the exact same. He isn't being any more or less annoying than he usually is, presumably because he sees the entire endeavour as an awkward waste of time that he is being ordered to comply with.
Piggot, in her infinite wisdom, had decided that this first 'procedure' as she called it, would be a proof of concept. No one else would be present for the ritual save Armsmaster, who would record and observe for future reference. Apparently she wanted the entire thing as contained as possible, so that if it worked without issue - something she and Armsmaster were highly doubtful of - it could be explained properly, and if it failed, they could cover the entire thing up and forget about it.
"Oh. It's a ritual. The ropes are to block off the central area and prevent outside interference. The paper is to make warding talismans so I can isolate and purify the ritual site ahead of time. The metal stands are because I don't think you want me driving wooden stakes into your steel floor." Your Master says cheerily. You think she is deriving a certain degree of joy from perplexing the man. Since her tense conversation with Piggot, she appears to have just accepted the overtly magical nature of her powers and seems to be flaunting that fact whenever possible.
In her own words, the Director annoyed her enough that she decided to go 'Full Myrrdin', whatever that was.
"... I see." Armsmaster replies mechanically, as he places the last of the steel stands around the room. The stands look like they once would have held floodlights that have seen been removed, leaving only the metal post behind, and you take some minor comfort in knowing that Armsmaster himself probably had to make that modification.
Once he is done, he assists your Master in tying the rope to each post, creating a circular area in the center of an empty Tinker workshop the PRT ostensibly uses for power testing purposes.
Once that is done, he steps back, and waits while your Master goes about the arduous process of inscribing the dozens of talismans she will need. One to call Miss Militia's soul from across the bay. One to tell it what to do when it gets here. Several for each post, to clear any ambient spirits from the central area and prevent any more from attempting to enter. A few to contain the power your Master will be using, mostly so that she doesn't accidentally affect someone else in the room with her.
The list goes on, each preparation requiring perfect placement and execution - something you spend a significant amount of your time coaching Taylor on. It's good she had the chance to do this before you 'left'. You're certain it would have much more difficult and prone to failure if you weren't here to make sure she did everything correctly the first time.
"Are there any side effects?" Armsmaster asks once your Master has finished, stepping over the Warded area and activating the wards, which hum to life with a soft blue glow as they feed on her vast well of power. You imagine the ominous glowing might have convinced Armsmaster that something might happen at least.
"She might not have any powers when she comes back. Death makes keeping them somewhat difficult." You explain. This, apparently, is exactly what Armsmaster wants to hear, as he begins to fiddle with a keyboard in his wrist in order to make notes, his posture relaxing slightly.
Honestly. You will never understand humans. Only by introducing an obvious demerit do they seem content, with things that are seen as 'too good to be true' viewed with an unhealthy amount of suspicion.
Well, he is correct though. It isn't as though you were going to tell him that the resultant Shikigami would be beholden to your Master's wishes and whims. Not that Taylor would do that, but still.
'Ready?' You ask your Master, who nods and begins to lift the handful of Talismans in her hands into the air in a tight circle around the American Flag you had procured from Miss Militia's room in the PRT Headquarters. Each Talisman remains hanging in the air as she removes her hand, and they begin to spark and pop when she is finished.
All that is left is to power the thing.
'Now, be careful. Too little and she'll be basically useless. Too much and things might get... odd.' You caution her as she begins to slowly fill the sealed off area with power, her spider-like aura flaring behind her as she begins to convert her Spiritual Power to a more palatable energy formant.
'Define weird. And why didn't you tell me before this?' Taylor asks you frantically.
'It wasn't relevant. Most people couldn't possibly put enough power into one of these to achieve any noticeable difference in effect. You're just a walking nuclear reactor of power dear. So just the right amount and she should come back as a normal Shikigami. Too much and she could be anything. A Youkai, a Fairy, or something else entirely. Exciting no?' You explain.
'Aren't Youkai basically Japanese Demons?' Your Master asks you incredulously.
'That's just bad PR dear. Please focus.' You say pleasantly. You decide not to mention the fact that most Youkai - yourself included actually - are essentially Fobophages, eating fear to gain power and sustenance.
Also, human flesh, which you also don't mention.
Your Master - despite her obvious sudden misgivings - powers through the ritual, her aura burning bright and brighter until the entire area looks as though it is on fire, obscuring what is inside it.
It would be the simplest thing in the world to twist some of it so that what results will have an unnatural loyalty to your Master.
While you're at it, the amount of power your Master has used is already far in excess of what is necessary. You could fix it but should you?
When the light finally dims, it is to reveal your Master standing in the center of the area next to a confused looking brown-haired woman who is blinking rapidly and twisting her head around as she tries to gain her bearings.
She is also, quite naked.
Armsmaster hits a button on his armour, and all hell promptly breaks loose.
A/N: Well here you go. Final chance to be subtle or ridiculous about the entire thing. You'll note that this Synergy Option is kind of dickish.
That's because Yukari is kind of a dick, and what a normal person would consider 'helping' and what Yukari actually cares about are noticeably different.
I haven't slept in like, two days because they changed my schedule at work, so while I will still post every day like usual, the timing will probably be different than normal. Again. Also, forgive any spelling or grammar mistakes. English hard when brain no work.
I've been considering starting a Discord server for the quest but have my doubts anyone would use it. What do you guys think? Might make for a better place to debate some of the more esoteric or unrelated stuff for the quest, like the Scientific Theory thing from earlier - which is relevant, kind of, but not right now, and liable to get the thread locked. Thoughts?