081814-Ryspor-Kate

[11:45] GT: ~A knock ʃovndʃ on Kate'ʃ door.~

[11:46] AA: Kate opens the door. "Ryspor?"

[11:47] GT: ~Ryʃpor iʃ diʃheveled and ʃweaty. Hiʃ normally immacvlate God Tier pajamaʃ are ʃpattered with ichor, and he appearʃ to have been vʃing hiʃ ʃpear of Deʃtiny aʃ an impromptv walking ʃtick. He lookʃ aʃ if he'ʃ abovt to collapʃe. He grinʃ weakly. "Hello."~

[11:48] AA: Kate rushes to stabilize his balance. "Are you alright?"

[11:54] GT: ~He collapʃeʃ gratefvlly onto her. "I'm fine. Merely..." He winceʃ. "A tad ʃore, that'ʃ all." He chvckleʃ. "Fighting monʃterʃ for the better part of 8 hovrʃ withovt pavʃe will do that to yov, I ʃvppoʃe."~

[11:55] AA: "What were you doing? Training with Herald?"

[11:55] AA: "Come in. Let's sit you down." She leads him to the bed.

[11:57] GT: ~He chvckleʃ again, limping along. "I likely wovldn't be nearly thiʃ exhavʃted if I waʃ. No, I'm doing thiʃ ʃo that I'll have enovgh boondollarʃ and griʃt to..." He pavʃeʃ, thinking. "Maʃter all the fraymotifʃ I can poʃʃibly learn and craft Legendary armor."~

[11:58] AA: She tilts her head.

[11:59] GT: ~"I wonder exactly how many fraymotifʃ there ARE? I have one already, now that I think of it. I ʃhovld begin vʃing it tomorrow," he mvʃeʃ aʃ he ʃitʃ down on the bed, ʃighing in relief.~

[12:00] AA: "Have you already gotten another?"

[12:01] GT: ~"Ah, no, I ʃtill only have the lightning bolt one. I ʃimply haven't been vʃing it."~

[12:01] AA: "You're surprisingly heavilly injured for fighting imps."

[12:02] GT: ~"Oh no, I waʃ fighting ogreʃ aʃ well. And ʃome ʃalamander-like creatvreʃ, I believe. I think I may have ʃeen a lich or two towardʃ the end."~

[12:04] AA: "I see." She frowns.

[12:06] AA: "Why didn't you bring me along?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[12:07] GT: ~He beginʃ gingerly taking off hiʃ ʃhirt, carefvlly manevvering it arovnd hiʃ wingʃ and wincing whenever a membrane foldʃ the wrong way. "Becavʃe I - nngh - becavʃe I had to do thiʃ alone."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[12:10] AA: "Let me help." She peels the clothing off, carefully avoiding the wings.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[12:11] GT: ~"My thankʃ," he ʃayʃ, grinning gratefvlly. "I qvite enjoy flying bvt ʃometimeʃ I wonder if it'ʃ really worth it whenever I have to deal with theʃe blaʃted wingʃ."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[12:11] AA: "I wish I had wings."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[12:13] AA: "Why did you have to go alone?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[12:16] GT: ~"Becavʃe I cannot rely on anyone elʃe to help me achieve thiʃ goal. I have to reach it vnder my own power."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[12:17] GT: ~Hiʃ ʃhovlderʃ ʃlvmp. "I'd be letting Libby down if I did anything elʃe."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[12:17] GT: ~"More than I already have, in any caʃe."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[12:21] AA: "What do you mean?" she puts a hand on his shoulder.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[12:23] GT: ~"I failed to complete her Primer," he ʃayʃ ʃimply. "I committed the vltimate betrayal."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[12:26] AA: "I'm... not familiar with the concept... but. Does that mean the two of you aren't Matesprits?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[12:28] GT: ~"No, we're ʃtill together. ʃhe rewrote her Primer. I have new taʃkʃ to complete now. Learn every Fraymotif there iʃ to learn, dvel the Herald, make a deal with the Horrorterrorʃ..." He ʃhvdderʃ at thiʃ laʃt one.~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[12:30] AA: "Oh. That doesn't sound so bad."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[12:33] AA: "You'll become quite powerful, possibly powerful enough to defeat the Herald."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[12:34] AA: "I'd be most grateful to see him brought down, without the use of any Stims."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[12:34] GT: ~He ʃmirkʃ. "I aʃ well."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[12:39] AA: "I'm just disappointed I can't join in the fun too."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[12:40] GT: ~"It'ʃ a matter of principle. I've failed her once by not being committed enovgh. I need to ʃhow her I care."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[12:43] GT: ~"If I fail again, ʃhe might leave me for good. And I..." Hiʃ eyeʃ take on a ʃtrange, havnted look. "I don't know if I covld handle that."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[12:44] AA: "I would hate for that to happen to you." She frowns.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[12:46] AA: "I think the two of you work well together."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[12:47] GT: ~"Yeʃ, I think ʃo aʃ well. ʃhe'ʃ ʃmart, and fvnny, and capable, and ʃhe alwayʃ ʃeemʃ to know jvʃt what to do. When I'm with her..." He ʃmileʃ dreamily. "It jvʃt feelʃ RIGHT."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[12:54] AA: "And I think you do good things for her as well."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[12:55] GT: ~"I certainly hope ʃo," he ʃayʃ, ʃmiling fondly.~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[12:56] AA: "Well, is there anything I can do?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[12:57] AA: "I could heal you between expeditions, at least. Keep you going faster."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[12:58] GT: ~"Oh yeʃ, that wovld be qvite helpfvl." He lookʃ ʃlightly worried. "Aʃ long aʃ yov promiʃe not to vʃe that Fraymotif of yovrʃ."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[12:59] AA: She smiles. "I'd only use that if you were on the verge of death.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[12:59] GT: ~"Fantaʃtic," he ʃayʃ flatly.~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[01:00] AA: She deadpans. "By then there's not much else I can do for you anyway."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[01:01] GT: ~"I ʃvppoʃe yov have to vʃe it eventvally. Althovgh two alternate verʃionʃ of me rvnning arovnd might be a tad exceʃʃive."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[01:03] AA: "As I've told you and others before, I'll avoid it where possible."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[01:04] GT: ~"How very comforting."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[01:04] AA: She sighs.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[01:05] AA: "What would you do if I swapped myself?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[01:07] GT: ~He thinkʃ for a moment. "I'd grieve for yov, thiʃ iʃ certain. And I wovld very likely not take the new Kate aʃ a moirail. Only the moʃt callovʃ of brvteʃ wovld do ʃvch a thing. I might even do reʃearch into methodʃ of retrieving yov from the timeline that Kate originated from. Bvt..." He ʃighʃ. "I wovld moʃt likely accept the new Kate, aʃ I have the new Beav."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[01:08] AA: "And how do you know I haven't done it already?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[01:11] GT: ~"I do not, I admit. I hope yov wovld tell me if yov had, however. And if yov are not of thiʃ timeline..." He lookʃ at her. "It doeʃ not change the fact that yov are the Kate I became moirailʃ with." He chvckleʃ. "Vnleʃʃ yov are a very faʃt worker."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[01:14] AA: "From what I understand of how these timelines are arranged, the transition would be seamless. The new player would not even realized they had been swapped, and the old alpha player would join the others in a doomed timeline. This timeline would have me there, that is, the me from that timeline, with my doom canary. They would know the timeline was doomed, and be able to react to that."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[01:17] AA: She smiles. "There's nothing to worry about."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[01:21] GT: ~"Yov wovld never know whether or not yov were the alpha, or ʃimply a lvcky doomed Kate..." he ʃayʃ in dawning horror. "That'ʃ vtterly terrifying."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[01:25] AA: "No. It's not. Being doomed isn't such a terrible fate, Ryspor."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[01:25] AA: "All of the pressures of fulfilling the whims of the Alpha timeline fade away instantaneously."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[05:24] GT: ~"That ʃovndʃ...nice, I ʃvppoʃe. Are we honeʃtly vnder that mvch preʃʃvre, thovgh? I tend to ʃimply...do what I feel iʃ the right thing to do in the ʃitvation."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[05:26] AA: What I mean is, the game ceases to matter"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[05:30] GT: ~"Ah." He nodʃ in vnderʃtanding. "I admit, that doeʃ ʃovnd qvite nice, not to have the conʃtant preʃʃvre of moving forward and becoming ʃtronger. We'd likely be in a far better ʃtate of mental health, I'd imagine."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[05:31] AA: "I'm glad you understand"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[05:32] GT: ~"I ʃtill think yovr fraymotif iʃ terrifying, however."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[05:33] AA: She sighs. "Oh well"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[05:34] GT: ~"I ʃvppoʃe it'ʃ a bit mvch to expect me to vnderʃtand the finer detailʃ of Time inʃtantaneovʃly. I am, after all, a wielder of yovr oppoʃite nvmber."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[05:37] AA: She nods. "Thats true I suppose. Ill admit im not the best at space."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[05:41] GT: ~"Really? I wovld have thovght it wovld be the eaʃieʃt aʃpect to vnderʃtand."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[05:42] AA: "I have no grasp of how its possible to shrink planets to that size."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[05:46] GT: ~"It'ʃ really more inʃtinct-baʃed than anything. ʃpace iʃ...well, I perceive it to be, in any caʃe...a vaʃt network of threadʃ, criʃʃcroʃʃing throvghovt the vniverʃe. That'ʃ the ʃimpleʃt way to pvt it, in any caʃe. And every thread iʃ there for a reaʃon, if that makeʃ any ʃenʃe. They determine ʃize, ʃhape, poʃition...all of that."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[05:48] GT: ~"And if yov're a ʃpace player, like I am, yov're able to interact with theʃe threadʃ, and thereby change the propertieʃ of thingʃ. It'ʃ how I ʃhrank the planetʃ. Yov've ʃeen drawʃtring bagʃ, yeʃ?"~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[05:48] AA: She nods.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[05:49] GT: ~"It'ʃ like that. One ʃimply reacheʃ ovt, takeʃ hold of the neceʃʃary threadʃ, and...pvllʃ."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[05:50] AA: "That sounds remarkably simple"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[05:53] GT: ~"It iʃ fairly ʃtraightforward, yeʃ."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[05:53] AA: "Hmm"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[05:54] GT: ~"One needʃ to be able to ʃEE the threadʃ before being able to manipvlate them, however, ʃo it'ʃ practically impoʃʃible for anyone bvt a ʃpace player."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[05:55] AA: "This makes sense. It's similar to everyone's apparent misgivings about my abilities"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[05:59] GT: ~"In addition, it helpʃ immenʃely that I appear to be entirely independent from theʃe threadʃ. It'ʃ how I'm able to teleport from place to place withovt any ill effectʃ, thovgh it doeʃ raiʃe qveʃtionʃ aʃ to how I'm able to ʃhrink myʃelf."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[06:01] AA: "Perhaps you still have strings, but you exist outside of other strings"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[06:05] GT: ~"Perhapʃ they're on another plane of exiʃtence, and I'm merely vnable to perceive them? That may be a better explanation for my teleportation abilitieʃ - I'm not actvally connected to thiʃ plane. It'ʃ like vnto a ʃphere in Flatland, perhapʃ."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[06:10] AA: "Its like part of you is on a different... spaceline?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[06:12] GT: ~"Yeʃ, that'ʃ a way of pvtting it." He blinkʃ. "Which wovld make me a 4th-dimenʃional being, if I'm not very mvch miʃtaken."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[06:13] AA: "That sounds pretty cool"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[06:14] GT: ~"It iʃ rather exciting to contemplate, yeʃ." He grinʃ a decidedly boyiʃh grin.~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[06:16] AA: She grins back. "Are you realizing your power now?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[06:19] GT: ~"Beginning to, yeʃ. Jvʃt imagine! The lawʃ of phyʃicʃ do not apply to me anymore! To think that half a year ago I waʃ ʃitting in my hive contemplating whether or not to bvy a new coffee mvg..."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[06:20] AA: She laughs. "And I was hunting deer."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[06:20] GT: ~The ʃmile falterʃ ʃlightly. "Half a year...haʃ it really been that long?"~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[06:23] AA: She nods. "Plus twelve days, 14 hours, 22 minutes and... 6 seconds"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[06:24] GT: ~He blinkʃ. "That wovld mean it'ʃ my wriggling day in 3 dayʃ, if yov're correct, which I don't dovbt yov are."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[06:28] AA: "Well, ill have to jump forward three days to wish you a happy birthday, just to be sure I dont forget."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[06:29] GT: ~"What, right now?"~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[06:33] AA: "Im joking but I could, yes. "

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[06:35] GT: ~"I ʃhovld really find ovt when the otherʃ' wriggling dayʃ are aʃ well. It wovld be a good ʃtep towardʃ a retvrn to ʃome ʃemblance of normalcy."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[06:41] AA: "I think youre right. "

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[06:42] AA: "Dates however, are kind of irrelevant."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[06:43] GT: ~"I ʃvppoʃe it will be rather difficvlt to keep track of the paʃʃing of the dayʃ now that we don't have any ʃort of celeʃtial body with which to keep track."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[06:44] AA: "We have me, but I dont much like the idea of becoming mother time."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[06:48] GT: ~He chvckleʃ. "Well, I certainly hope we don't begin vʃing yov aʃ a wriʃtwatch."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[06:49] AA: "I suppose you could shrink me down enough."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[06:50] GT: ~"The lateʃt in havte covtvre - the portable goddeʃʃ!" He mimeʃ ʃhowing off a wriʃt acceʃʃory with a good deal of flair.~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[06:52] AA: "Everyone will want one."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[06:54] GT: ~"We ʃhovld ʃet vp a prodvction line. ʃvmmon Doomed Kateʃ left and right."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[06:56] AA: "Milage may vary." She giggles. Thats pretty fucked up kate.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[06:58] GT: ~"We'll inʃtitvte a gvarantee - don't like yovr Kate and we'll ʃwap it ovt free of charge!"~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[07:14] AA: "Its our pleasure." She laughs. "Thats one way to doom a timeline. "

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[07:16] GT: ~"Thiʃ iʃ the way the world endʃ/Not with a bang bvt with a wriʃtwatch, perhapʃ?"~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[07:18] AA: "And a bored time player."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[07:22] GT: ~"Trve. Perhapʃ we had beʃt wait on ovr mvltimillion dollar doomed wriʃtwatch franchiʃe."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[07:24] AA: "You could shrink some books with the me's"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[07:26] GT: ~"Mm, good idea. I have qvite the extenʃive library at my hive. It ʃhovld be mvch eaʃier finding it now that I've God Tiered. We covld give them thoʃe."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[07:30] AA: "What topics does your library cover?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[07:31] GT: ~"The better qveʃtion wovld be what DOEʃN'T it cover. I'm a great lover of eʃoteric knowledge."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[07:33] AA: "So you have breadth, but not depth?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[07:33] GT: ~"Iʃ there a problem with that?" He lookʃ ʃlightly hvffy.~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[07:34] AA: "No. " her expression doesnt change.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[07:36] GT: ~He raiʃeʃ an eyebrow.~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[07:36] AA: She does so as well.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[07:36] AA: "What?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[07:37] GT: ~He ʃhrvgʃ.~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[07:38] AA: "Do you need anything before your next assault?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[07:40] GT: ~"A good rewinding wovld be mvch appreciated, I think."~

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;">[07:43] AA: Kate heals him (if thats ok gms)