TSW 16: What They Saw

John:
IcePickLobotomy	The motors groan as the door slides open slowly, several of your men with rifle raised, the attached flashlights lashing into the dark seeking danger, only to find more darkness. You can feel the chill in the air past your gasmask and hazard suit. "Doors open Captain," one of your men says. "Good, glad we didn't need to cut through." You say.
IcePickLobotomy	One of the scientists steps forward, the bulky sensor's lights flicker a few moments "We're still in the blue, move on up. Signal strength gaining." She says, her English heavily with a Iranian accent
(At the Door First Door)

	IcePickLobotomy	The scientist stop to look over the carving at in the rock. "Predates the romans, as reported. And the symbol matches, just like the old report. I think we've found it this time."
(At the symbol on the Wall)

	IcePickLobotomy	The C4 detonates with a resounding bang-thump, your men rush through, their rifles raised. "Readings at Level Orange, we're almost there." As the dust clears you can see a light, people standing in shock in the street, dressed in robes. Lamps, reveal a long pavilion, apartments lining both sides and leading to the Temple.
(At the Cave Entrance)

	IcePickLobotomy	The gunfire crackles. They're dragged from their homes, screaming, panicking and shoved against the walls, their lifeblood staining the stone below you. A girl, no older than 5 clutches her mother tearfully before the report of the rifle ends the sound. Your men are going through the motions, empty and lifeless, inured to this. It's just another job, you feel as though you should be...
	IcePickLobotomy	...disgusted, but you feel nothing. Empty.
oice is cold, more mechanical than you remember it being. Good, this doesn't sit well with him either. The Doctor nods. "Good, move to the Temple and secure the subject. Captain, if you would?"
(Inside it)

	IcePickLobotomy	"Stop, don't hurt the subject." The Doctor shouts, your men aiming their rifles at the Preistess, at the girl, standing in the pool. She looks at you with a serene fury in her blood red eyes (Robin's eyes you can't help but think), with a knife in hand. "Defilers, I know what you seek. You shall not have it."
	IcePickLobotomy	With a swift motion she drags the knife across her throat. She collapses, her blood leaking into the pools water at a rapid rate.
(At the Temple)
	IcePickLobotomy	-------
	IcePickLobotomy	JohnH: |your arrogance is will be your undoing. you should never have come here.| The Priestess, her throat is still slit. The white gown defiled by her blood, the matching colored eyes bore into you, windows to something vastly greater.
	IcePickLobotomy	Everyone else is frozen, as if time has stood still
	IcePickLobotomy	|are you here to take more? to try and lay claim to my body and blood and spirit? to craft empty puppets out of my children?| Static roars in your ears, almost deafening you, yet Her voice rings in your head, the presence of it almost chocking the breath from your chest. |answer my question.|
	JohnH	"It's for the good of the people."
	IcePickLobotomy	|you may add ignorance to your sins.| Her eyes glance to Arina |perhaps I should take something of yours. you took something from me, and it would do you well to repay me.|
	JohnH	"I don't know what I took, but it would have been for a good cause."
	IcePickLobotomy	|and so to shall this be.| She traces a line along Arina's jawline |should she survive.|
	JohnH	starts to panic "Don't kill her!"
	IcePickLobotomy	She turns to Kasra and. .  steps back. |no! traitor! after all you have done you bring him and. .| to Mary next |you brought /them/ ?!|
(Talking to the Priestess)

[21:04]	Kasra	Does anything here seem familiar by chance?
[21:05]	IcePickLobotomy	The statue does. You reckogonize it.
[21:05]	Kasra	Do /I/ or does Kasra?
[21:05]	IcePickLobotomy	Kasra
[21:06]	Kasra	Can I roll int to recall where I know this person?
[21:06]	Kasra	and/or thing
[21:06]	IcePickLobotomy	Hmm. It would be the Recall skill which rolls off of Int
[21:06]	IcePickLobotomy	and yes
[21:12]	Kasra	Could I luck to re-roll that recall or something? I gotta know
[21:12]	IcePickLobotomy	You may
[21:13]	Kasra	I remember even less.
[21:30]	IcePickLobotomy	Something is wrong
[21:31]	IcePickLobotomy	Something is wrong.
[21:31]	IcePickLobotomy	Something. Is. Wrong.
[21:31]	Kasra	I
[21:31]	IcePickLobotomy	This in- [ERROR]
[21:31]	IcePickLobotomy	sh[ERROR]
[21:40]	IcePickLobotomy	She's Awake. She shouldn't be |Awake| that's not right, it shouldn't be possiable, the fail-safes, the guard [ERROR]
[21:40]	IcePickLobotomy	Static roars, your head pounds painfully
[21:40]	Kasra	begins to stumble away from the statue, looking anywhere but its face.
[21:44]	IcePickLobotomy	|Kasra! You have to stop her!| It's Lily's voice. She's frantic and distant. |Stop Arina, she will die!|
[21:59]	IcePickLobotomy	|Kasra, run!| Lily again, more distant, pained and horase |She can't follow, run!|
[22:02]	Kasra	|Lily, can you hear me?!|
[22:04]	IcePickLobotomy	|I. .  | It's more distant, her voice sounds ragged, deeply pain |I'm sorry. .  it hurts. . . . I . . I can't. . . help.|
[22:05]	Kasra	|Then go, you're fine, we'll be fine! Get away!|
(Kasra's Stuff in the Temple)

[21:34]	IcePickLobotomy	The statue moves, it's arms pulling up and at the mask, flakes of stone dropping to the ground revealing milky white flesh. The mask falls away and your mother's face smiles at you. "Come, Arina, drink from the water." You foot steps forward of it's own accord, and. . . . You are thirsty, so very thirsty, your throat aches for water.
[21:35]	Arina	"... Ah...?"
[21:37]	Arina	rubs her throat.
[21:38]	Arina	(Should I be moving in-channel? And how together am I? Genuinely 'hi mom!' or '... last I heard my mother wasn't a statue in subterranean Spain and the fact that I'm seeing that is freaky')
[21:38]	IcePickLobotomy	"Drink." She says. Your foot takes another step, not standing at the lip of the pool.
[21:38]	IcePickLobotomy	(Fugue state, if that makes sense. It hasn't quite caught up to Arina that this is at all strange or off.)
[21:39]	Arina	(So 'hi mom!')
[21:39]	IcePickLobotomy	(Yeah.)
[21:39]	Arina	"Mm, thanks..."
[21:42]	IcePickLobotomy	You kneel, the water is warm, and it smells sweet.
[21:43]	Arina	cups her hands to get some of the water, unless she shakes out of the fugue.
(Arina, after the Priestess caresses her in John's thing)

[21:35]	IcePickLobotomy	The Priestess steps from the poo.. Her throat has been slit, and blood defiles the white gown she is wearing. her eyes, the same eyes as you, windows to Her. "Hello Sabrina."
[21:36]	RobinE	Sabrina's face goes stern "How do you know who I am?"
[21:37]	IcePickLobotomy	"Why would I not recognize my own sister?"
[21:37]	IcePickLobotomy	"Did you not hear out Mother's song? Does she not call out to you?"
[21:38]	RobinE	"I don't have siblings." she looks confused, "but that song."
[21:38]	RobinE	"What happened to you?"
[21:39]	IcePickLobotomy	"They came to take me, to find Mother, but I stopped them with my own death, yet I live on. Our Mother is not done with me yet."
[21:39]	RobinE	"Then, why call me?"
[21:40]	RobinE	"Does this have to do with Robin?"
[21:40]	IcePickLobotomy	"She needs to be free, but I cannot free her, there are so few of us left Sabrina."
[21:42]	RobinE	"Wait, who is 'our mother?'"
[21:42]	RobinE	"I don't get this?"
[21:42]	IcePickLobotomy	She points to the statue. "She is. She made you, like me."
[21:43]	RobinE	"I don't even know her name, and I'm betting that isn't Robin's mom."
[21:46]	RobinE	"And, and I'm trying to live, helping 'mother' seems deadly."
[21:46]	IcePickLobotomy	"If you free Mother you will never die.|
[21:47]	RobinE	"What? Never?"
[21:47]	IcePickLobotomy	|never| she speaks but her lips do not move. |for I love all of my children, and they shall live eternal.|
[21:48]	RobinE	"What about Robin, she holds me back?"
[21:51]	RobinE	"What would I have to do?"
[21:52]	IcePickLobotomy	"Find our Mother and free her from their Prison." She blinks "I Must go. This Trespass cannot go unanswered." You blink and she's gone
	IcePickLobotomy	You blink and. . . she's gone now.
(Sabrina talking in the Temple)