taz part 2

[06:17] <Earthflame> After leaving the LT's office, Tazzari finds a place to sit down... She takes a deep breath, and then nervously begins to compose a message, trying to keep her cool... It doesn't work. [Anai I'm sorry I know you didn't want me to message you but we're going to Akhet in two hours and we need your help because bad things are happening and you need to be there I told the LT about Excalibur and we
[06:17] <Earthflame> might have to use it so we'll need to work together and I'm really sorry.]
[06:18] <Ikiryo> [...what?]
[06:19] <Earthflame> [A Primal Solar Spirit is free and going to Akhet and it's bad and it could get worse and Claire is upset and we're all going there with the girl who had it bound but I'm not sure we can do it and we need all the help we can get and I really need you here...]
[06:21] <Ikiryo> [...] Elsewhere, Anai looks really confused. [...what?]
[06:22] <Earthflame> [Claire released a spirit who might be a god and it's going to Akhet to kill Reiko's brother and we need to stop it and you have Excalibur and we might need it because this is really, really bad...] ...As unclear as the rest of it is, it's pretty obvious Tazzari is terrified.
[06:24] <Ikiryo> [Calm down and start from the top, please?]
[06:26] <Earthflame> Tazzari takes a deep breath. [...Powerful Solar Spirit. It was bound, but now it's free. It's going to Akhet, where the Binders grandfather is one of the archeologists working there... And it's probably going to try to kill him, and it might do worse... It's, um, talked about in legends as a dangerous, evil being who could release one who was even worse... We have to stop it, and, um... We need
[06:26] <Earthflame> your help.]
[06:27] <Ikiryo> [...right. I'm still mad...but this sounds serious. Where are...oh, right. Athletics meet...go on...]
[06:28] <Earthflame> [We're on a ship in, um, less than two hours now...] She sends her the details. [...I, um... I want you there, but it's also your home. You have every right to be there...]
[06:29] <Ikiryo> [I understand. And what do you think this spirit will do?]
[06:32] <Earthflame> [Um... In a legend, it's one of Nine spirits from the creation myth of Alzas... One wanted to destroy, but the seven others died to banish it and save their creation... The one fled and hid but, um... It has the power to release the one... A being of destruction called Yomagn'tho... The spirit who went to your world is called Orryx...]
[06:33] <Ikiryo> [And this legend is real?]
[06:47] <Earthflame> [I, um, don't know... But when it was released, the TSAB detected a power surge big enough to set off alarms...]
[06:51] <Ikiryo> [That's bad, I imagine?]
[06:57] <Earthflame> [...It's bad. Um. For a lot of reasons.] A pause, and then. [...I need you, too... Um. I...]
[06:58] <Ikiryo> [Yes?]
[07:01] <Earthflame> [...Claire is the one who freed the spirit. I've not told her the details because, um... She's already taking it badly... And she's, um...] Another pause. [...She's my roomie. They're all my friends, but she's been there for me from, um, the start... I want to help her but, um... I'm scared, and I... I don't think I can do it alone...]
[07:02] <Ikiryo> [...you are an idiot.]
[07:06] <Earthflame> [...Um...]
[07:08] <Ikiryo> [If she's going to fight it, she needs to know what it is. Hiding things and lying to her won't make it better.]
[07:10] <Earthflame> [...] Tazzari wilts a bit. [...I was hoping she shouldn't have to fight it, um... If we can access Excalibur, we could...]
[07:14] <Ikiryo> [Keep pretending you didn't know?]
[07:18] <Earthflame> [...Well, no, um... I was going to tell her, but...] Another pause. [...If I freed that thing and found out what it was, I don't know if I could, um... live with myself... Or have the strength to fight it...]
[07:21] <Ikiryo> [And you don't tell her and she needs to know?]
[07:21] <Earthflame> [I...]
[07:23] <Ikiryo> [If you want my help, tell her. I'm not letting this happen again like with Atalanta.]
[07:24] <Earthflame> [Um... Would you... Help me talk to her? Just... Um. I'm not sure I could do it alone...]
[07:25] <Ikiryo> [Yes, I will.] Anai sighs. When did SHE become the responcible one?
[07:26] <Earthflame> [...Thank you. Um. See you on the ship?]
[07:27] <Ikiryo> [See you on the ship and...umm...am I doing this right?] Nothing is happening.
[07:27] <Earthflame> [...Um, there should be an X symbol in the corner...]
[07:28] <Ikiryo> [No, I mean...I'm trying to hug you...] Yeah...you are not sure what she's doing but you can't sent physical sensations without a direct link...
[07:32] <Earthflame> Tazzari smiles. [You, um... Don't have the hardware for that. But I can help set it up next time I see you... Um. Thank you...]
[07:33] <Ikiryo> [Oh...I don't?]
[07:34] <Earthflame> [Um, no... You need some electrodes or, um...]
[07:35] <Ikiryo> [...oh, I thought they could just magically do that. I saw Atalanta and Achilles do it.]
[07:36] <Earthflame> Tazzari double checks her encryption before sending the next line [They're, um, cyborgs... Like me. We can do it naturally.]
[07:36] <Ikiryo> [...I knew they were cyborgs. It's in the aura.]
[07:40] <Earthflame> [...So you knew I was one, too? From, um... From the start?]
[07:41] <Ikiryo> [I knew you had a lot of metal and umm...plastic...in you. Did you know that the Engineering lady with one arm has a lot too?]
[07:42] <Earthflame> [Yeah, but, um... That's sorta different.]
[07:42] <Ikiryo> [Is it? I didn't really know what a cyborg is, just that your aura was interesting.]
[07:55] <Earthflame> [I, um... I wasn't born, like a normal person... I was, um, grown in a tube... So was Atalanta, and Achilles too, probably, although they were made differently from me.]
[07:59] <Ikiryo> [And? What's wrong with that? It's interesting. Being able to hug people far away is fun. I wish I could do that with my family.]
[08:01] <Earthflame> [...Cyborgs don't have family. We're, um, made for a purpose... I was made by an evil man to be used as a weapon, Atalanta was made by her government for the same reason. It's why I, um, got so mad... I... I hate that I exist... I don't like being a cyborg, and I think making people like that is wrong, but Atalanta...]
[08:03] <Ikiryo> [Atalanta likes being like that.]
[08:11] <Earthflame> [...I, um. I find it hard to accept that... A person shouldn't be a tool... They shouldn't think they're, um, worth less than other people...]
[08:12] <Ikiryo> [You don't get to decide what she is or isn't though...just like the people who made you don't get to decide.]
[08:17] <Earthflame> [...But if she thinks she isn't a person, then... How can I say I'm a person without trying to make her be one, too? I... I would be a total hypocrit...]
[08:18] <Ikiryo> [You are one anyway]
[08:27] <Earthflame> [...]
[08:28] <Ikiryo> [You are. You can't tell her what she must or must not do with her life or you are trying to control her. You are just like the people who made her and you.]
[08:29] <Earthflame> No response. Absolute silence... In real life, Tazzari has her arms around her knees and is rocking back and forwards.
[08:31] <Ikiryo> [She's also being mean...but you ARE a hypocrite and acting like you own her.]
[08:32] <Earthflame> [I just...]
[08:32] <Ikiryo> [You didn't think about it like that?]
[08:33] <Earthflame> [I just wanted to help...]
[08:35] <Ikiryo> [Then help by being her friend, not telling her what she can and can't do. How do you think I'd have felt if you'd told me to give up my Grandfather's book? Toss it in the bin and get a device?]
[08:38] <Earthflame> [I wouldn't do that, um... I know it's important to you. Even after we make a device compatible with you, I know you'd want to keep it as a memento of him...]
[08:39] <Ikiryo> [...and being a Myrmidon isn't important to her?]
[08:41] <Earthflame> [...But she wasn't... She was talking about being a weapon... A tool used by someone else...]
[08:45] <Ikiryo> [According to her, Myrmidon means Ant-Person. They are all parts of something bigger, rather than living individually. She's happy being that...]
[08:45] <Earthflame> [...She never told me that.] A pause. [...I never asked her.]
[08:46] <Ikiryo> [She likes her family. She doesn't want to give them up because you told her she's different.]
[08:48] <Earthflame> [I... I didn't mean...]
[08:50] <Ikiryo> [That's what she thought you meant. She's been crying all last night about it. She wants to give up her magic if it means she can't be with her family]
[08:52] <Earthflame> [...I'm sorry. I'm...] She starts crying, burying her face in her knees...
[08:53] <Ikiryo> [She said mean things too...but...] Anai frowns...really wishing she could hug with devices right now. [...you didn't know...look...she doesn't hate you...much...]
[09:04] <Earthflame> [I...] Another pause, and Tazzari slowly unfolds her legs, sniffling and rubbing her eyes. [I need to talk to her... Before we leave...
[09:04] <Earthflame> ]
[09:05] <Ikiryo> [Probebly. And I want you to talk. Not just yell past each other]
[09:07] <Earthflame> [I will, I promise.] She gets up, pinging the local network for Atalanta's room number... She was here for the meet, so she probably wasn't going anywhere yet... She also checks the schedule for events Atalanta is at.
[09:08] <Ikiryo> Atalanta is at an event in an...hour. She can also find Atalanta's actual room number...but they only have about half an hour before they leave...
[09:12] <Earthflame> ...She bites her lip, wondering what to do, but... There's only one sure option. [...Atalanta? Um... I want to talk to you... To apologise... Where are you?]
[09:18] <Ikiryo> [...what do you want Cadet Killough?]
[09:20] <Earthflame> [I want to say sorry, and a lot of other things, but I want to do it in person, and I don't have much time so please...]
[09:21] <Ikiryo> [Block C roof]
[09:22] <Earthflame> Tazzari runs as fast as she can... Without using magic. Which isn't That fast.
[09:27] <Ikiryo> She finds Atalanta leaning up against the railing of the building on the top floor. If she leans back much more...she'll probebly fall off...
[09:29] <Earthflame> That makes Tazzari a little more cautious as she approaches, eyes red... Barely able to hold back tears before she's within arms reach, wrapping her arms around Atalanta's waist and sobbing as she blubbers out variations on "I'm sorry." over and over and over...
[09:29] *** SpaceThor has joined #TSABIC
[09:30] <Ikiryo> Atalanta twitches...biting her lip and saying nothing. Her eyes are very red though...
[09:32] <Earthflame> "I didn't... I didn't realise, I didn't know... I'm sorry..." More blubbering, and the tears are beginning to seep through her top...
[09:34] <Ikiryo> "...I...well...I..." She mumbles something too low for Tazzari to hear...