Memories [vp19]

04[23:12] <@Emmara> [Theres a distant part of you that is saying that this is a terrible idea. That you're going to get yourself killed or worse. But its voice is lost against the fear that drives you.]
04[23:15] <@Emmara> [You stumble when the First Gate deposits you on the Land of Cascades and Dereliction. The crumbling towers that surround your land are quiet and stable, but any movement could set them to collapse. That doesn't matter. You need to find a dungeon or a ruin. Find something.]
04[23:18] <@Emmara> [Its slow going though. Steel girders block your path, and low walls that would've meant nothing to you in health necessitate long detours now. You glance fitfully around waiting for the Game to finally show its displeasure. Your face flushed and breathing shallow. The fact that nothing has happened yet only ramps up your paranois.]
[23:28] <Bash> [As you'd left her spire, you'd set up [Frogwork Spypond] just in case. You are not exactly /happy/ to know that you needed to do this, but the moment you notice she's gone off to her land, you've shot up out of your chair. You shoot a message to Nate that is incredibly terse: "Nate. I'm going to need Emmara's location and heading in the next ten minutes." By the time you send it, you've started gatehopping to her land.]
[23:32] <Nathanial> ["What?" you peer at your screen in surprise, your face paling. Instantly your cards are out, fading swiftly into the trancelike mindset that happens whenever you See. "I'll keep track of her, let me know if and when you need my company."]
[23:37] <Bash> [As you finish hopping through her gates and land up on her land, you quickly cast [I See You] to at least get a general indication of where you need to run, messaging Nate back as you go: "Thanks, man."]
04[23:41] <@Emmara> [You haven't made it too far. But not for lack of trying. You've got scrapes along your arms and legs where stray bits of metal are sticking out from your land, blood starting to run down your arms and legs.]
[23:46] <Nathanial> ["Jesus fucking Christ." you spit into the mike. "She's an absolute mess. I don't like the look of the towers around her... save some pluck. You might need it."]
[23:49] <Bash> [You are sprinting when you notice her, and your heart stops a bit when you note the blood. "God damn it, Em." You run up behind her and call out to her. "What the /hell/ do you think you're doing?"]
04[23:52] <@Emmara> [That...thats yelling. You panic and pull out two pistols as you start looking around erratically. You can't look behind you effectively, so you don't see Bash yet, and instead start pushing forward even faster.]
[23:58] <Nathanial> [You simply sit back and watch, hands on your cards.]
[23:58] <Bash> [God damn it all. You push your body a bit harder and run faster, aiming to run in front of her and stop her from continuing on. She hasn't responded, so you're not sure she's in a state of mind to respond to you, but you call out again. "Emmara, I swear to Skaia I am going to chain you up to keep you from dying if I have to!"]
04[00:05] <@Emmara> [You catch movement out the side of your eye and back away from it at the same time you raise your pistol. With the clear view now presented, your face is sweet drenched and eyes wide.]
[00:09] <Bash> [You start to move toward her but raise your hands in a placating manner. "Fucking hell, what is going on in your head right now." <Careful, Bash, that's an armed weapon pointed at you.>]
[00:13] <Nathanial> [You second the AI's motion, despite the fact you can't hear it or even know it exists, "Bash, she looks... unstable... I don't like this."]
04[00:16] <@Emmara> [You swallow nervously. "S-stop." Too close. You continue backing up until you hit the concrete base of one of the buildings. Causing a tiny part of it to crumble and pile at your feet.]
[00:22] <Bash> [You sigh and take a moment to breathe, staying where you were when she started backing up. <Thank you for actually /thinking/, Bash.> "Sorry, Em, panicked a bit when it looked like you were going to need a quest bed."]
04[00:26] <@Emmara> ["Go." You state a little more firmly, flicking the pistol back the way this person came. You're a little more steady with your back agains the wall, but theres no recognition on your face.]
[00:31] <Bash> [You note her expression. "I did that once and you decided to go out on your land and are going to get yourself killed. No." Chains spill out from your strifedeck, and you get ready to defend yourself if need be.]
[00:34] <Nathanial> [You watch with growing trepidation, but there's nothing you can do about it from here.]
04[00:35] <@Emmara> [They're not going, and they pulled out a weapon on you.]
04[00:35] <@Emmara> [You empty the clip.]
[00:36] <Nathanial> [You see it happen an instant before it does, your face turning as white as a sheet. "BASH, DUCK!" you scream into the mike.]
[00:36] <Bash> [Lotus Petal]
04[00:42] <@Emmara> [The bullets that should have killed him veer off course, and you can see sheets of stone crumble off the building behind him. Giving a very ominious groan that you don't hear. As your mind and body start working automatically, you swap your now empty pistol for a full one and start firing again.]
[00:44] <Nathanial> [Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck, why arnen't they LISTENING?! You can't do shit from here! A few flicks of your fingers, and you open up a link with Emmara's Pesterchum, shouting in it as well as in Bash's. "Emmara! Bash! Get your asses out of there, the tower's gonna-"]
[00:54] <Bash> [In the time it takes for her to swap, however, you've gone into full combat mode. <Priority: Subdue and ensure safety of Emmara.> You swing your chains up and they wrap around you in a cocoon-shape, just before her bullets hit. As soon as you hear the bullets stop, you burst forward from your chains. A green flash appears behind Emmara as you barrel into her and take her through a [Frogjump] Man, this is going to hurt if she shoots you point blank.]
04[00:58] <@Emmara> [You were still switching the safety off on your pistols when he started barreling at you. Only managing to get a single shot off that goes wide before he tackles you. You drop your crutch and your pistols as you're dragged through the portal, pulling out two short daggers that you attempt to stab into his back.]
[01:02] <Nathanial> [And not a moment too soon, you see the towers crumble, thundering down on top of where they used to be. A few more movements of your cards, and you pinpoint where they ended up - it'd be just like Bash to put them in an even /worse/ situation by mistake, and you can't relax until you know they're both safe.]
[01:10] <Bash> [You start to cry out before Alpha shuts off pain reception, and then you attempt a combo bearhug/tackle to immobilize her. <Bash, she got your kidneys, you need to finish this fast and get to your quest bed. Beta, send Nate a message.> The message:"Two things. We need Emmara's quest bed's coordinates. Two, get over here, Bash is going to need to get to a quest bed soon."]
04[01:13] <@Emmara> [You give a shriek of pain as you land on the ground with this person on top of you. It quickly turns into one of rage as your arms are pinned, though you're doing everything you can to cut or pierce them with the daggers you have out.]
[01:18] <Nathanial> [You stare in utter bewilderment at the words on your screen, then shake it off. "He's a... cyborg thing. Maybe... fuck it. Job to do." and you gather up your cards in one motion. They go back into your sylladex, and you start running. Your fingers move in midair, drawing imaginary cards, laying them out in front of you.]
[01:19] <Nathanial> ["Emmara's Quest Bed is to the southwest, 7 o'clock from where you're facing. It's gonna need at least 4 teleports, do you have the Pluck?" and you slam your knee into a nearby rock, grunting in pain - but are off again a second later. "I'm on my way."]
[01:20] <Bash> [You don't so much as react to her attempting to hurt you at this point. A single "Sorry" crosses your lips, though you doubt she hears it. Then you headbutt her with as much force as you can, hoping to knock her out without too much damage. Nothing that tiering or a kissrevive won't be able to fix, at least. You make a mental note of the Bed's location as Nate sends it to you.]
04[01:23] <@Emmara> [You attempts to violently murder your attacker certainly do cease as the daggers drop with a 'plink' to the ground, though you're not quite out. The would spins around you and you occasionally try and stabalize it by grabbing on to something nearby, though you achieve nothing more than having your arm flop uselessly.]
[01:31] <Bash> [That's enough for you to be able to use your chains to actually bind her. <Whoah, Bash, shouldn't this kind of thing be saved for a later date?> "Shut up, Alpha." You haul her up into your arms as you stand. You note Nate's estimate of teleports, before cursing to yourself about the lack of pluck. "Beta, I'm running to her quest bed, I need all the adrenaline you can pump into my system.
[01:31] <Bash> I'm gonna die anyway but I need those teleports for getting to my quest bed." <Adrenaline at max, get running.> You take off at a pace that can only be accurately described as flashstep-running.]
[01:35] <Nathanial> [Your eyes are on your co-players, not yourself, so you bang your legs up something terrible running to Emmara's Quest Bed. The occasional blast of air sends you streaming over cliffs, through towers and over hills, your Sight helping you avoid most of the destruction your path creates. Soon you're within normal sight of the Bed, watching Bash vanish up the steps.]
[01:41] <Bash> [You're panting already as you drop her somewhat roughly on the bed. You pour out thermite onto the bed, over Emmara. Then you flash-run to Nate, hand him a box of matches, and say "She's bound, try and see if you can get her back, and if you have to, the thermite is already there." And then you're off, heading to your land, leaving nothing but a bloodspatter behind with Nate. Gods, you're a terible person, you literally just told your coplayer to kill another coplayer if he has to.]
04[01:44] <@Emmara> [You're not responsive to much. Occasionally causing a clank as you move in the chains.]
[01:44] <Nathanial> [Your eyes widen, and you open your mouth, "What the hell is thermi-" but Bash is already gone, leaving you with a hand full of matches and an almost dead co-player. Your face is pale, your hands are trembling, but you somehow manage to unwrap Emmara from her prison and lift her onto her Bed. "It's ok, Em. It'll be ok." you saying, over and over again, more to reassure yourself than her.]
[01:59] <Bash> [You make it back to your land before your body starts to give out. If you could feel the pain you're in, you wouldn't keep moving. Beta calculates the jumps to your quest bed, and you expend the rest of your pluck and strength getting there. You pull the daggers out of your back, and as you bleed out, your last words before are, "I'm sorry, Em."]
04[02:00] <@Emmara> [You don't really respond to the reassurances. After a few minutes you seem to recognize someone else is there before fainting from exhaustion and stress.]
[02:03] <Nathanial> [You rise your eyes to the sky as Skaia begins to glow with the Space symbol, and you breathe out, slowly, settling on the edge of the cliff heading down with your legs over the edge. You wait for the same thing to happen with Time.]
[02:04] <Bash> [Smith of Space: Get that damn Tiger]
04[02:04] <@Emmara> [Though you've got some wounds and one hell of a headache, its not fatal. You lay there bound in chains, sleeping fitfully.]
[02:07] <Nathanial> [You wait... and you wait... and when the Time symbol doesn't appear, your face drains of what colour it had left. Your limbs as tense as they'll go, you get up, and look over the Quest Bed - what if something's gone wrong? Is she dying? Do... you look down at the matches. Do you need to do something?]
[03:03] <Nathanial> [You stand there, watching Bash vanish through his portal, and look back to Emmara's unconcious body. You do your best to be calm, but your hands are shaking as you undo the chains holding her down. You suspect that she's in no state to be attacking you - and even if she does, you have ways of defending yourself.]
[03:03] <Nathanial> [Once she's free and the chains are on a heap beside you, you take Bash's words literally, sitting cross legged on the ground and silently watching her, cards outspread in front of you.]
04[03:11] <@Emmara> [zzzzz]
[03:15] <Bash> [Meanwhile, you are now standing in full Smith regalia on the Battlefield. You send Nate a message as soon as you come back to your senses: "Please tell I didn't just fuck up."]
[03:16] <Nathanial> [Silently you watch the sky shine with the Space symbol, and breathe a heavy sigh of relief. With your eyes fixed on your charge, you turn over a few cards and lay them before you - now, you think, would be a good time to find out why Emmara's future selves haven't been helping. Before you enter the trancelike state though, you message Bash back, "She's... not dead. I don't know about anything else. Can you make it back? I'm... looking at something."]
[03:21] <Bash> [You nearly fall to your knees at that. "Oh, thank Skaia. I'll be there as soon as I can." You wobble a bit and try and get your bearings. The World nudges you foreward and you head thataway]
[03:35] <Nathanial> [You're in your trace for what seems like only a few minutes, but when your mind resurfaces the clear pool, Bash is probably already there. You've gotten a few answers to the questions you want, but the cards were difficult to understand. What's bothering you most is the quiet warning at the end, in the gentle, friendly way the cards tend to speak in. You blink, looking around to collect your bearings again.]
[03:37] <Bash> [You're sitting there, trying not to stare at Emmara's face. Your own face is the saddest Nate's ever seen it, and your eyes are distant. When you notice Nate stir you look at him for a moment before shaking your head quietly and muttering something to yourself.]
[03:39] <Nathanial> [Your eyes fill with tears, but you blink them away. "If she hadn't broken her leg, this wouldn't have happened." you state, with the weight of someone who is entirely certain.]
04[03:40] <@Emmara> [You mumble something in your sleep before rolling over, almost to the edge of the bed.]
[03:43] <Bash> [You fix a stare at him, cold and unyielding. "It still isn't your fault, even if that's the case. SBURB has no room for 'if'." As she starts to roll, you start, but only watch to make sure she doesn't roll too far.]
[03:45] <Nathanial> ["Then why do your eyes look like that?" you counter.]
[03:46] <Bash> ["I just fought my girlfriend, who didn't recognize me, had to knock her out and bind her, and also she kinda killed me. Not exactly having a good day, here."]
[03:47] <Nathanial> [You can't fight the upturning of your lips. "I fucking knew you two were an item." and then you're off. Once the giggles start, you can't stop them, all the relief of your new friends not being dead pouring out all at once.]
[03:48] <Bash> [...it suddenly occurs to you that you never actually explicitly told him. Whoops.]
[03:51] <Nathanial> [You laugh until tears are streaming down your cheeks, curled up into a cackling ball. "She s-stabbed you... hhh... must be really shit in bed... whehehaaha!" until you finally force yourself to stop, face pink, breathing heavily with a stupid, sheepish grin on your face.]
[03:55] <Bash> [You are not exactly amused, and your face says as much. You sigh, and try to relax. "As much as I want to smack you back to your spire with one hand for that, I am not in the mood to fight another coplayer today. I understand if that's how you cope, but right now, that is really not something I want or need to hear." After you say this, you rest your head in your hands.]
[03:58] <Nathanial> [You giggle again, swallow, and the smile slowly fades from your face. In a more serious tone of voice, you offer, "She wasn't in her right mind, Bash. I could see that, clear as day. She didn't stab you because she hates you. I think..." you breathe out, and shuffle forwards, leaning against the side of the bed. "I think that when she wakes up, things will be alright between you two again."]
[04:00] <Bash> [You don't move, but you murmur something that might be a "yeah".]
[04:01] <Nathanial> [You nod, turning your now serious face over to Emmara. "Are you going to wait here until she wakes up?"]
[04:02] <Bash> [There's a barely perceptable nod.]
[04:04] <Nathanial> [You nod also. "Ok. Well, I'm going to go home... I don't want to upset her again. I'll keep an eye on you both though, ok? Oh... and, I'll um... tell Coraline what happened."]
[04:05] <Bash> [You don't see the nod, but the sentiment comes through anyway. "Thanks, Nate. You're a good kid." You look up at him and attempt a smile.]
[04:07] <Nathanial> [You smile back, and rest your cheek gently on Bash's forehead for the briefest of instants, before jumping off the edge of the cliff, the wind you summon from your outstretched hands cushioning your fall.]
[04:12] <Bash> [You sigh. "Kids and Fun, huh?"]