(4:17:21 AM) Ikiryo: Claire has arrived back in mid a few hours ago, the city just as bright and vibrant as when she left a while ago. People do give her a few odd looks as she arrived in a Hyperion shuttle, however.
(4:20:09 AM) Claire_: The odd looks suit her just fine, as she ignores them in favor of taking a deep breath with a simple smile on her face. "*Saint-King* is it good to be home," she says, grinning over at Tisiphone. "Now c'mon. I called ahead and the Sarge says she can squeeze seeing us in to figure this weird coupling thingy out." She grabs Tisiphone's hand and just goes, already aiming for a train going back to Cerberus.
(4:22:44 AM) Ikiryo: "Claire? Phrasing." Tisiphone smiles though, still clearly enjoying being a normal size. Trains are easy to find...though Tisiphone doesn't have a pass for them, it's easy to buy her a ticket.
(4:23:12 AM) Claire left the room.
(4:23:29 AM) Claire [[email protected]] entered the room.
(4:35:02 AM) Ikiryo: "Claire? Phrasing." Tisiphone smiles though, still clearly enjoying being a normal size. Trains are easy to find...though Tisiphone doesn't have a pass for them, it's easy to buy her a ticket.
(4:37:47 AM) ***Claire_ smirks at her near-double as they ride back to the academy. "You assume I didn't put it that way on purpose~"
(4:40:38 AM) Ikiryo: She rolls her eyes. "I'd say you are as bad as the Doctor but...no. I know Desdemona. She's a lot worse."
(4:42:20 AM) Claire_: "Tch," she scoffs. "I could *never* hold a candle to Doc's...eccentricities. Or Alexa's, even though hers are in a different direction."
(4:44:14 AM) Ikiryo: "I don't think there is a direction you can't apply the doctor's brand of...her." The train soon stops at a nearby station.
(5:15:07 AM) ***Claire_ disembarks with Tisiphone, and the pair enter the academy grounds, something in Claire's chest going twang at the thought of returning home. From the doors it's an easy walk to the CO's office, the one that Dufort now occupies. Once they're both in front of it, Claire presses the chime.
(5:21:57 AM) Ikiryo: "Come in!" She hears Dufort's voice from inside.
(5:23:08 AM) Claire_: She waits for the door to slide open and enters alongside Tisiphone. "We're back, Sarge. Also here for that once-over I commed you about like an hour ago."
(5:24:25 AM) Ikiryo: She walks right into...a room full of energy tendrils, a dozen different tools being held as Dufort has converted the office halfway into an engineering lab. Claire is pretty sure she's supposed to do her engineering in the engineering bays.
(5:27:10 AM) Claire_: She comes to an abrupt stop, taken by surprise at the display; on the other hand, who is she to say what her superior can or can't do? So deciding, she pushes on through, trying to locate the one-armed enlisted at the center of the madness.
(5:30:08 AM) Ikiryo: She soon finds her, grinning widely. "Good to see you~" She looks rather like a spider at the center of her web right now.
(5:33:14 AM) Claire_: "Hey, Sarge. Got a good magic theory problem for ya."
(5:35:31 AM) Ikiryo: "So I heard~" She nods.
(5:50:49 AM) Claire_: She spends the next few minutes detailing the "problem" as much as she can to Dufort. "So basically, while we both really like Tis getting to have a bigger body, we'd both prefer not to have to deal with the old subservience programming."
(6:00:08 AM) Ikiryo: "Yeah, I can understand that." She nods, looking Tis up and down, poking her a bit.
(6:03:05 AM) Claire_: "I know we went over it before, me and Tis, and that bit of code actually almost took her over for a bit and asked not to be deleted. It was...afraid of dying," she muses, chewing on her bottom lip for a moment. "But...even if we don't get rid of it entirely, d'you think you could, I dunno, add something that would tone down how strong the urges are, or how often they come up?"
(6:04:33 AM) Ikiryo: "Well, we'll have to see." She nods. She keeps up the poking of the pair. "Very close to Claire...impressive for supposedly crystal."
(6:10:52 AM) Claire_: "I didn't recognize the magic style, which means it's probably really ancient Belkan, right?"
(6:23:22 AM) Ikiryo: "Well, could be something else. Plenty of groups developed a magic style...hmm..could try compartmentalization."
(6:31:07 AM) Claire_: "What'll that do? I mean, it *sounds* obvious, but things rarely turn out to be as obvious as they sound."
(6:33:03 AM) Ikiryo: "Shove it in a mental box you can open or close." She grins. "The process of getting there is harder than the concept itself."
(6:40:41 AM) ***Claire_ looks askance at the Sergeant. "...What's the process?" she asks warily.
(6:42:34 AM) Ikiryo: "...that's the tricky part. I THINK I can help Tisiphone...she is a machine, after all." She frowns. "However, helping you...well, it's going to take a mage with a rare skill to help and I don't think Hugo or his Mother are friends of yours right now."
(6:44:38 AM) Claire_: "...No, but his sister is. Then again, I don't THINK she shares the same Rare Skill as them..."
(6:49:14 AM) Ikiryo: "According to our files, she does." She nods. "With her help, we may be able to manage it."
(6:50:17 AM) Claire_: "Oh. Well." She relaxes, and looks over at her double. "What do you think? D'you want Sarge to try?"
(6:51:20 AM) Ikiryo: Tisiphone frowns. "...I'd like to have my mind be free."
(6:56:07 AM) Claire_: "So, that's a...yes? I just want to make sure."
(6:56:12 AM) Ikiryo: She nods.
(7:03:41 AM) ***Claire_ turns to Dufort. "Well, you heard her, Sarge. How long am I gonna have to leave my buddy with you for?" She drapes an arm across Tisiphone's shoulders.
(7:04:46 AM) Ikiryo: "Hmm...not sure. I'll need some time to poke and prod at her." She pokes Claire rather than Tisiphone. "If things go well, maybe this evening."
(7:14:21 AM) ***Claire_ tightens her arm to turn it into a brief hug. "You okay with that, Tis?"
(7:14:38 AM) Ikiryo: Tisiphone nods. "If it helps." She hugs back
(7:15:01 AM) Claire_: "Alright. Good luck, Sarge. I like Tis a lot so try not to break her, please."
(7:15:29 AM) Ikiryo: Dufort's smile fades and her one good hand reaches out to grab Claire's shoulder. "I'll do my best."
(7:17:52 AM) ***Claire_ licks her lips at Dufort's sudden seriousness, but nods. "Alright. Call me if you need me, either of you."
(7:18:40 AM) Ikiryo: Dufort nods. "Will do." Tisiphone just nods.
(7:23:14 AM) Claire_: She smiles at the both of them, squeezing Tisiphone's hand, then walks out of the office...pausing and resting her back against the door when it closes, taking a deep breath and sighing it out before heading down halls to find a certain hyper blonde for some much-needed cuddling.