Vigil VII: Strife Amidst the Clouds

[Morty]

[Eun's Lab]

Wenomir pinches the bridge of his nose and mutters something inaudible.

"Oh, Riddle. I hoped we'd put this to rest. I don't doubt Lapis' combat abilities. But Cessie and I aren't onboard with sending children into battle. Even... angel children with supernatural powers. So this isn't likely to convince us of anything."

[Ironsmith]

[Eun's Lab]

So, in other words, this was a waste of my time.

Well, that was good to know. It's not like Eun's given up a week of sleep for this or anything. Or she's been busting her brain trying to figure out how to optimize this thing's coding. Or she's been mentally rehearsing her presentation to Wenomir when the time finally came (the early stages of it, at any rate). No, this wasn't a bother at all. Certainly nothing to get upset at.

[Skies Above Vigil]

"[Curtaaaaaaaaaaaaaaain]!"


[Eun's Lab]

Eun pants heavily as the need to throw something large and heavy slowly drifts away, and the mortal dread at having completely lost it in front of her boss starts to set in. At least she only has to worry about having broken something of hers in this room; Wenomir likely had the good sense to get/stay out of the way, and she has a matter replication device for anything else.

[Morty]

[Eun's Lab]

This is awkward. This is very awkward. What does Wenomir say to Eun now? He didn't make any effort to move out of the way when she threw that desk lamp. He knew it had no chance of hitting him, which Eun (if she were more lucid) might find odd. The warrior looks embarrassed, the sheer awkwardness of the situation piercing his usual stoicism.

"...look, we can still use this thing. Just because it can't prove what Lapis wants it to prove doesn't mean it doesn't have potential as a training aid."

[Ironsmith]

[Eun's Lab]

Eun takes in a little sigh. Yeah. Yeah, he's right. It's not a complete waste of her time to put this drone together. Just... just not what she was expecting. She can still finish off these plans and send them to a certain mechanical expert at HALO in the morning.

Of course, that doesn't completely cut the tension in the room. Eun's still very red in the face, and can't quite manage to meet Wenomir's gaze. Isn't an outburst like that usually followed by disciplinary action of some kind? A stern talking-to, a mandatory anger management class, something else she didn't really have the time or energy for? Or maybe he was going to be of the opinion that she should just stop what she's doing entirely for now and go get a solid ten hours in her sleeping pod? There had to be some repercussions for this, right?

Whatever it is, the tension's getting to Eun. She just sort of sits there, twiddling nervously, and waits for the other boot to drop.

[Shadowcaller]

[Library]

Currently visiting is a certain grey-skinned elf sorcerer, making use of their guest/consultant privileges to do a little light research. Cass is currently in the 'Magic' section of the library, sat at a desk with a notebook and an open copy of Azador's Demonology, wireless earbuds in, taking notes on a few more esoteric varieties of spirit, and casually ignoring the occasional level glances from the head librarian who naturally disapproves of such material. Keeping books on demonology is important, of course - knowing the traits of demons is the first step to being able to contain and combat them. But based on some of the sorcerer's questions, for some reason Kalya had the sneaking suspicion that wasn't necessarily what their visitor had in mind.

Cass may look a little different to those with prior acquaintance with the elven mage. For one thing, their hair is shorter now, though still with long bangs drooping over the right side, and their frame appears somewhat different, devoid of their normally more feminine attributes, though they're still dressed in familiar attire - a nice shirt and trousers, a vest, high boots, and of course a nice big hooded coat. Their facial features are different too - though still recognizable as Cass, delicate and strikingly attractive, there's an unmistakably masculine cast to them, with a slightly stronger jaw and harder angles.

Cass flicks over to the section on guardian incubi - a relatively niche class of spirit for those who want summoned bodyguards and household protectors, but don't care for the grotesque or monstrous appearances that many demons with a taste for battle tend to favor, and begins copying over notes on several with more recent histories.

[Library]

There is a loud thud as someone bumps into one of the bookcases and if they actually let the sound draw their attention, Cass can see Anika coming around the corner. Or was at least attempting to. "OW! ****!"

Was the library itself rejecting her mere presence or had she simply managed to bump into it on her own? Perhaps her sheer size made it difficult to navigate the shelves of the library.

Either way, Anika is still making her way towards Cass while rubbing her hurt shoulder. Yet if Cass actually looks her way the druid quickly raise her other hand and waves as if she had instantly been cured. "Hey! Cass!"

[Vahnavoi]

[Felicity's lab]

"I think it might be good for someone without a brain to regularly check Professor Payne is okay", the holographic girl concluses. "Anyway, don't let me distract you too much. Get back to doing whatever you were doing, please. I'm curious to see how you work."

[Morty]

[Eun's Lab]

Wenomir looks down at Eun for a moment, as if scrutinizing her. She's going to feel anxious if he doesn't address her outburst in some way. She's used to a stricter chain of command than is customary in the Nexus.

"Go sleep. Your fatigue is clearly putting you on edge. Once you've woken up we can talk about how we can use this drone. And let's forget about what just happened, as long as you don't throw any other household appliances near me."

[Ashen Lilies]

[Library]

Even with earbuds in, it's not hard to miss the sound of a 7-foot tall purple amazon walking directly into the adjacent bookshelf. So Cass turns with a start, slapping the book shut before relaxing when he notices that it's just Anika.

"Oh, hey Anika." He says, giving her an easy grin. His voice, of course, is also different, though still recognizably Cass. He gives Anika's shoulder a concerned glance. "Are you... okay?"

[Ironsmith]

[Felicity's Lab]

Right. Of course. Felicity's work. That's what they were here for.

Although that does remind her of something.

Eun reaches into her Hotbox and pulls out a silver canister, which is filled with a thick, frothy blue liquid. "While I'm here... I managed to, ah, get a working sample of that coolant ready." She adds, passing it off to Felicity. "I haven't had a chance to test it yet, so you're going to want to not inject yourself with it right away, but it should be enough to start clinical trials."

[Eun's Lab]

Eun lets out a little sigh of... relief? Resignation? Both? Something. It's a little sigh that doesn't sound entirely content with this outcome, but at least glad that there is an outcome and she's not going to lose her mind waiting for it. "Yes... sir." She manages, straightening up and adjusting her labcoat.

...Oh, wait, is she supposed to wait for him to dismiss her? Did he just dismiss her then? She thinks so. He'll tell her if she goes to leave and he didn't, right? But then she'll have messed up. Um... crap, now they're both just standing here awkwardly. She should just go; leaving prematurely would be a tiny ding compared to throwing things.

And with that, Eun decides to walk to the door and-

Make that stumble to the door.

Make that the floor.

"I'm okay, I'm okay." Eun is quick to reassure Wenomir, pulling herself up against the wall and leaning against it for support.

Her head's just a little foggy, that's all.

[Shadowcaller]

[Library]

Even with earbuds in, it's not hard to miss the sound of a 7-foot tall purple amazon walking directly into the adjacent bookshelf. So Cass turns with a start, slapping the book shut before relaxing when he notices that it's just Anika.

"Oh, hey Anika." He says, giving her an easy grin. His voice, of course, is also different, though still recognizably Cass. He gives Anika's shoulder a concerned glance. "Are you... okay?"

[Library]

"Oh yeah, happens all the time." Anika makes a dismissive gesture. "Everything around here is so small that I can't help bumping into it sometimes." She let's out an awkward laugh. "But, uh, what about you? Are you okay, Cass? Since I couldn't help but notice those demon-looking people following you the other day..."

And Cass certainly looked different, sounded different even. So something was definitely up.

[Morty]

[Eun's Lab]

Wenomir sighs.

"I'll come through here on my way back to see if you've passed out on the floor," he says.

[Ashen Lilies]

[Library]

"I'm fine," says Cass, bemused. "More than fine, actually. I've been feeling great."

Cass tilts his head curiously, giving Anika an inquiring look. "Demon-looking people following me? As far as I know, the last few days have been the first in a long time I haven't had a demon following me, so I'm not sure what you mean."

[Ironsmith]

[Eun's Lab]

Eun nods, but at this rate, she thinks it's more likely he'll run into her out in the hall somewhere. "Yes, sir." She says again, quickly dusting herself off and shutting the door behind her.

[Shadowcaller]

[Library]

"Oh." A beat. "It... was probably more than a few days ago then. Sometimes I lose track of days and..." She trails off. "Erm, but who were those people? Those you were with before?" If Cass was happier now then clearly the mage was better off without them.

[Ashen Lilies]

[Library]

Cass' turn to be confused. "Well, the only demon I know has been around me is my previous familiar, Rahvi, who is now no longer my problem to deal with. But if he was around me at all, he was usually in the form of a cat," says Cass, briefly happy as he says the part about Rahvi no longer being his problem, then frowning at the followup. "If you're saying there are demonic... uh... people who were trailing after me, could you describe them? It's better that I make sure they're not some enemies after me, or anything."

[Shadowcaller]

[Library]

Anika lets out a gasp when Cass mentions Rahvi.

"That- that must be the one!"

A beat.

"But- you got rid of him? Good! No wonder you're looking so much better now. I mean, didn't you see Riverside? Demons are super-dangerous!"

[Ashen Lilies]

[Library]

Cass pouts a little.

"Well, 'got rid of' might be an overstatement, he's still... very much around. Just not currently in my service (or in my head) and in a different form... it's... a complicated issue. I'm not sure I can explain everything about it, it's... a little weird."

Gee, Cass, you think "my soul-bonded incubus familiar fused with the alternate personality I made out of some other person's memories and got a designer body that I helped make and is now currently going around living as my slightly clingy older brother" wouldn't be dead simple to understand?

"And... yeah, demons are dangerous, especially the ones that attacked Riverside." Cass should know, Cass used to be one of those! "There are different kinds of demons, though. And I try to be careful."

[Morty]

[Eun's Lab]

Wenomir looks after Eun and shakes his head. Deciding he'd better make sure she doesn't fall over in the hallway, he follows after her.

[Shadowcaller]

[Library]

Anika raises her eyebrow as Cass explains this. So this demon was sort of, but not really, around now?

Well, at least she knew that she needed to keep an eye out for cats now as they could be demons in disguise.

...Blanche's dad wasn't a demon, right?
He was a fey cat. Not a demon cat... right?

She makes a mental note to ask Blanche about that later.

"So... how are these demons different exactly?" She finally asks Cass.

[Earl of Purple]

Felicity's Lab

"That... might be an idea." She nods; she'd like to have a better idea of what he's up to anyway, and maybe see about stealing some materials or notes as well.

"Oh, I wasn't really doing much science, exactly. I was about to water the triffids. I've got some spare goggles if you want to help. They're not fully grown yet, so they can't penetrate skin, but if it does get into your bloodstream or eyes let me know immediately." She gestures at the plants growing at the other side of the room, behind their chickenwire fence. Obviously she doesn't really expect Second Light-Bearer to be able to hold a watering can, even if she is almost certainly impervious to the triffid's venomous sting. "I could dock them, removing their venom gland and stinging vine, but it grows back and I'm testing the venom anyway- and for some reason, intact triffids produce more seeds and therefore more oil, which I'm also using." Triffid oil is not confirmed to be produced by triffid seeds, yet Earl doesn't know what else could be processed into vegetable oil in enough quantities to make triffid farming a viable industry despite the dangers.

[Ashen Lilies]

[Library]

Cass lets out a low whistle. Okay... Demonology 101 time.

"Well, for one thing the demons I work with in my summoning generally don't want to destroy the world. Or conquer or corrupt the world. Or... whatever it is these Cuthun demons are doing these days." Cass honestly lost track. That's a VIGIL concern! Cass has much smaller and more trivial concerns to focus on these days. Like trying to explain what demons are and why people summon them to a druid with a very short attention span. Then again, Anika did request 'exactly', so that's something Cass can certainly provide.

"They're much simpler beings in general, actually. They're... fragmentary beings, from the realm of Chaos. Some people think they're all the leftovers and little shards of spiritstuff that didn't get born in our world as the soul of a mortal person, and most of it just floats around, formless and everchanging in the eternal flow of Chaos. Some of these little fragments drift close to our world, where they come into contact with echoes from our world, thoughts and feelings and emotions that bleed from our world into theirs. The stronger the emotion, the more likely it is to bleed through from our world - particularly intense emotions like wrath, passion, terror, desire, grief, despair, joy - these attract the little spirit fragments and causes them to develop into the kinds of spirits that people commonly refer to as 'demons'."

As he talks, he conjures up a simple visual over his hand - little floaty ghostly wisps that float around aimlessly, before becoming drawn to differently colored orbs that appear as Cass describes the kinds of emotions that demons are particularly attracted to.

"Over time, these demons feed more and more on these emotional echoes that come from our own world, and they become more complicated and more individual. At some point they stop being content with just feeding off the echoes of the really intense emotions that can drift from our world to theirs, they want to come into our world to experience and feed off them in all their varieties. They don't experience these emotions like mortals do, though. People like you and I, we can experience all kinds of different emotions, whereas demons tend to become attracted to and embody one particular emotion, which they seek out over all the others. And we have concepts of negative and positive emotions. To a mortal, despair is a negative emotion that we try to avoid, and avoid inflicting on others if you're not completely evil. But to a demon, it's just an intense kind of experience that some kinds of demon want to feed on and savor. A demon can come to this world and create and cause all kinds of despair because that is a particular kind of emotion that it likes and wants to experience, and not understand the consequences that causes for mortals. The demon isn't being cruel or sadistic the way a person is cruel or sadistic by causing those emotions. It's just acting to fulfill its hungers, the same way a lion would hunt and kill to feed itself.

"Sometimes these demons do make it into our world, naturally. There are places in the world where the separation between our world and theirs is not very strong. Places like old battlefields, mass graves, that sort of thing. Anywhere where there has been a lot of people having very intense emotions and experiences are a draw to demons, and they can pass through, there, and cause many problems if it is able to act completely freely, to act completely according to its own desires. But most of the time, a demon comes to our world because it is summoned. Demons are useful to mages because they are connected to the Chaos they come from. Chaos is a powerful source of magic, but for many mages it's difficult to control or channel safely. Demons are more attuned to it than we are, and that's why mages form pacts with them and take them as familiars, so we can access Chaos through them. In exchange, the demon gets to come be part of our world for a while, even if it's under rules and constraints. They can also acquire knowledge and useful skills. Demons don't quite learn and grow the same way mortals do, but they do gain experience and complexity each time they get summoned, and that history of experiences can be a useful asset as well."

Cass blushes a bit, knowing that he's probably gone on a bit too long and too philosophical for what was supposed to be a simple explanation.

"Uh... so I guess the point was, demons can be dangerous, but they also have predictable wants and urges, and can be controlled and used as well, the same way fire is dangerous, but can also be controlled and used. And most of the time when demons cause problems, it's because the mage that summoned them wasn't able to control them, or worse, intentionally uses them to achieve evil and self-serving goals. A demon that feeds off rage and wrath has a natural urge to kill and destroy, but if let loose to do so then the responsibility surely lies with the mage that summoned it for that purpose, the same way the responsibility for a fire that burns down a building and kills a lot of people belongs to the arsonist that lit the match."

This is still philosophy, Cass! Simpler, go even simpler!

"The kinds of demons that invaded Riverside are just ****s."

[Ironsmith]

[Lab Wing]

That's a good call on Wenomir's part. Eun certainly seems to think so. Or at least she would, if she were currently awake and not kneeling against the wall, passed out. Apparently, when the caffeine on which she'd been subsisting the past few days wears off, it wears off hard.

She does manage to wake up again as Wenomir approaches, apparently spurred back to semi-lucidity by the sound of his footsteps. She lets out a string of incoherent babble as she stumbles down the hall some more... something about remembering to feed her cats.

Yeah, she is out of it.

[Vahnavoi]

[Felicity's lab]

Not having hands and not needing goggles, the little robot zooms closer to the chickenwire fence to get a better look at these things. The holographic girl leans close to the fence, admiring the things. "That's a weird-looking plant. These are plants, right? Do they eat brains too?"

[Morty]

[Lab Wing]

Wenomir will gently put his hand on Eun's shoulder and half-push her towards her quarters, at which point he will get her through the door and close it. He can't really go in there without things getting awkward and inappropriate so hopefully she has enough consciousness left to make it to her bed.

[Ironsmith]

[Lab Wing => Eun's Quarters]

It'll take a little time, but Eun seems to have bouts of consciousness that last long enough for her to at least stay upright, and they'll eventually get back to her quarters. She'll pull open the door and shuffle inside, slipping off her lab coat and going straight into unbuttoning her shirt... at which point Wenomir might recall her mentioning that she sleeps in a pod, which customarily requires the occupant to be nude (so no, she won't be sharing her quarters with anyone else, sorry).

Awkward and inappropriate, indeed.

Fortunately, she's doing this in the process of getting to bed, and will quickly be out of Wenomir's view even if he doesn't have the wherewithal to close the door behind her.

mrrrrow?

Oh, look at that. The relative excitement of the door being opened seems to have attracted some attention. About fourteen eyes' worth, judging by what's looking back at Wenomir from the darkness. He'll also be able to hear the light jingle of bells as Eun walks around, as well as see some furry shapes moving around her feet, in the brief time they're still visible from the doorway.

Yet another reason to close the door. Eun's probably going to be a little annoyed at him if he accidentally lets any of her feline friends out.

[Felicity's lab]

Not having hands and not needing goggles, the little robot zooms closer to the chickenwire fence to get a better look at these things. The holographic girl leans close to the fence, admiring the things. "That's a weird-looking plant. These are plants, right? Do they eat brains too?"

[Felicity's Lab]

Already wearing gloves and goggles, Eun follows LB2 and stops at a discrete distance from the triffids; she doesn't know what kind of range the plants have, or their perceptual capabilities, but she's not getting too close to anything that can sting or spray her with venom, even when wearing the appropriate protective gear.

[Morty]

[Eun's Quarters]

Wenomir closes the door promptly. The last thing they need is cats wandering around the place unsupervised. He will then depart and let Rose sleep. Hopefully she contacts him when she wakes up.

[Earl of Purple]

Felicity's Lab

"Yes, but not... not exclusively. They'll self-fertilise by killing people with their stings, and move around to hunt and find good places to grow. These aren't mature enough to move yet, I think. And they aren't yet strong enough for their stings to penetrate human skin." Although Eun or LB2 might notice that despite this they've already got leather straps bound about their lower stalks connected to chains linking them to metal hoops bolted to the wall. As the group approaches, two slender sticks rising up from the root-ball start to rattle against the main stalk. The tops of the flowers also turn to look at them, especially at Felicity. "They seem to be able to hear, though I don't know how much they can understand, and they're thermosensitive, too. I'm hotter than most people." Only by a few degrees, but she's also flammable, so her biology is radically different to most human's.

Felicity undoes a latch and pulls a gate open, leaning in to empty the watering can over the trough of earth and so water the predatory plantlife.

[Ironsmith]

[Eun's Quarters]

Wenomir closes the door promptly. The last thing they need is cats wandering around the place unsupervised. He will then depart and let Rose sleep. Hopefully she contacts him when she wakes up.

[Eun's Lab] (twelve hours later)

<KittyKatG4l> Hello, Mr. Wenomir.
<KittyKatG4l> As requested, I have recuperated sufficiently to resume work on the drone project we discussed yesterday.
<KittyKatG4l> I have the file ready for presentation, at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your time and attention.

Eun returns her phone to her pocket and resumes the simulations she's running, watching her new design as it goes through a virtual obstacle course. The lab will look quite different from how it did twelve hours ago; Eun's had time to get it cleaned up and organized, and replace her broken lamp with an identical copy. Eun herself will likewise be in much better condition; she'll be standing up straight, her hair will be arranged more neatly, her clothes cleaner and more vibrant, and perhaps most importantly, she's wide awake.

[Morty]

[Eun's Lab]

Wenomir heads to Eun's laboratory promptly when he receives the message. He looks much the same as he did before, but instead of the sword at his hip, there's now a bearded axe on his back. It looks as mundane and unremarkable as the sword, but it does seem to share the same black-and-silver color scheme. And there are three runes on its edge.

"Here I am. It's good to see you more lucid," he says when he arrives.

[Rebonack]

[Shrubomancy]

Lapis Lazuli is very busy.

She's always very busy, you see. The topiary here at VIGIL isn't going to trim itself after all! Oh no, definitely not. It needs someone who's brave and fearsome and capable like Lapis to keep it in line. Because if Lapis didn't make sure it was all neat and pretty then what would happen?

Chaos!

That's what!

Branches growing all willy nilly everywhere!

Order is important.

That's what VIGIL is for after all. To make sure the present order endures. To be certain that the cosmos continues humming along.

And to that end!

Lapis trims bushes while other heroes do the fun stuff.

"Ugh!" Lapis complains wordlessly as she finishes her work on the last shrub on this side of the island. The island so big that now she'll have to start over on the other side again since it'll be overgrown by now. "How come I only get to fight bushes and not bad guys?"

Her grumbling inquiry is left unanswered, for the shrub is but a shrub.

"I don't mind fighting bushes and chasing birds but I could do other things too! You know its not because I don't like you, right bush?"

The evergreen bush rustles in a biting winter breeze blowing across the island.

"I don't think the Commanders think I'm bad. I've done quests and things! I think they just don't want someone so little to do missions."

The wind snatches a yellowing leaf and gingerly places it in Lapis' raven-dark hair.

"I thought of that! I learned how to look like a grown up from my sister but no one fell for it."

The bush doesn't seem to have any better ideas, so Lapis begins trudging through the dusting of snow toward the far end of the island.

The cold really doesn't bother her.

That's how things go when you have a star for a heart.

Now, if only she could find a way to better utilize her burning passions.