SnD- Stage 11.5: Honto kyou kara Ichiban

Server started; please wait for map to refresh.
Agi has connected.
Agi:
Is "*turns off Dark Souls*" the new "get in the plane"
tirkaroKujo:
it might as well be
Thrice has connected.
Tokens dropped onto map 'Darius' Lab' by player Agi (Player)
Tokens dropped onto map 'Darius' Lab' by player Agi (Player)
Charlotte: (( alright, updated with a functional moveset and such ))
Thrice:
few who speak the name live to see it heard

ThatBaka:
what's this what's this what's this
Charlotte: (( what's who ))

ThatBaka:
I feel like I'm being afflicted by some psychological mind virus

ThatBaka:
but none of that matters
Charlotte: (( uh... it might ))
Charlotte: (( if it's contagious, I mean ))

ThatBaka:
ok it doesn't matter to you

ThatBaka:
So it is time to start this thing, as early as possible hopefully

ThatBaka:
so now
Charlotte: (( no, really, what's this about a psychological mind virus ))
PREVIOUSLY ON SHIOKARAIKEN or at least what Charlotte and Daris were doing

Charlotte:
WE DID IT, WE CRACKED THE CODE, or at least this one guy did, let's go check it out

Marian:
♪♪♪

Sister Rosa:
zzzzz

Mandrake:
(why cant i make looouud noooiiseees)

Darius:
my swag does not seem to have an off button

Warra:
*presses reset with a toothpick instead*
AND NOW

ThatBaka:
Ah ah yes you were going up to your lab proper, in fact that's where you are right now.
Charlotte: (( well okay, whereabouts ))
Charlotte: (( eh, fuck it, I say... ))

ThatBaka:
typically I do not decide this
Darius: (( since we're just talking ))
Darius: (( probably the room ))
Charlotte: (( very well ))
Darius: (( unless you prepared a powerpoint presentation ))
TWILT has connected.
Charlotte: (( odd positioning, really, but whatever ))

Pikong:
*pops in*

Darius:
Darius speaks up as he makes his way around the room, "Now, pardon me, Charlotte, but...what'd you want from me, again?"

Charlotte:
*ahem* "Yes, as I was saying - Dr. Richard has figured out how to read the memories of whatever it is that's inside Psychic Wars! He just needs a bit more help actually decoding it..."

Warra:
"Nyeeeeh...." Warra gets a long, extended stretch in, chomping on a stick of pocky. "Is this where you live? Are you housing an extended family in here or something? Because this looks like way too much room for anyone to handle." Warra unrelatedly quips.

Darius:
"That doesn't surprise me. Lately, it seems that everyone needs my help for something. I'm a little astonished I keep offering it... Eh, whatever. Sure, I can take a crack at it. Bring it over here." Darius makes his over to a table in the corner, and opens a drawer to pull out some gadgets that probably won't come in handy but it's worth a shot, speaking as he does, "Extended family? In a way. Even with this, I need to add more room. But this is nothing impressive."

Darius:
"The full mansion is much larger. That's just how Stouffer is."

Charlotte:
"Well, it's not quite like that..." Charlotte follows him over to the desk, pulling out Wars along the way.

Charlotte:
She hands it over. "If you can figure something else out, then by all means, but he's done something rather unique with his replicant - turned its memories into a CD-ROM."

Darius:
"Oh, er, hey, Marian. How did things go today? Nothing...bad happened, did it?" "And, Warra, you're free to play something, or eat, or whatever. Do as you would in your own house." After he's done addressing LITERALLY THE WHOLE STATE, Darius finds the time to turn to Charlotte, "What? He wrote the memories of a piece of the fire, as it's called, onto a CD? What sort of sense does that make?"

Charlotte:
I don't make the rules, Jim

Marian:
Marian is currently, in a strange case of reversed roles, fallen asleep while leaning on the frame. Of course, Thriller is always sharp and alert.

Darius:
"...weird place to fall asleep. Eh, I'll move her later. Now, Charlotte, did you try, I don't know, putting it into a CD or DVD player?"

Thriller:
"She spent the entire day doing that singy songy stuff. Some songs I've never even HEARD before. They sounded pretty sad, really. Brought a tear to this old soul's eye. Or they would, if I could produce tears!"

Charlotte:
Giving a nod of acknowledgement to Thriller, she continues. "Of course we did. They couldn't handle it, they overheated. Richard said he'd need something much more advanced."

Thriller:
"There is still much I have yet to learn, as a replicated being. Yet my devotion to my cause never grows limp. That's the way of the hadou!"

Warra:
*snicker*

Darius:
"Dedicated, I'll give you that. Still, I don't want Marian being depressed... I'll figure that out later. As for this moment, if it's on a...CD, I'm a bit stumped. Let's test it on the computers, first."

Darius:
Surel et's go to the PROJECTION ROOM. "Everyone, follow me."

Charlotte:
"Er."

Charlotte:
"I don't... actually have it with me."

Darius:
well I guess there are TWO projection rooms, that weird blue one and the movie-theatre-like-one
Charlotte: (( I vote the blue one. ))

Darius:
"Are you kidding me? And here I was, overcome with zeal. So, care to share the point of informing me about this, if you didn't bring the CD?"

Charlotte:
"It's a part of his Replicant, he'd have to come in person. I don't suppose that would be a problem...?"

Darius:
"Normally, I would say I should ask Stouffer, but...seems I'm past the point of needing to do so. He can come, but, I won't be making any entry exceptions for him like I did you and Warra."

Charlotte:
"Alright, I'll let him know. Thank you." And so she calls the D up to let him know that he's got the all-clear/where they are/etc.

Warra:
"Enough of that boring nonsense though; Where the hell is my room? It better have a big ol' TV, WITH cable! At at least 4 AC outlets."

Darius:
"For now? This is your room, because it's everyone's room. That's what I meant when I said I would need to add more space. I never expected to have to board this many. That's why I told you to make yourself at home. I've cable, if you want to watch TV."

D. Richard:
"Now, I know what you're thinking. 'Dr. Richard, did you bring the CDs with you? Are you safe from danger? Did you wear the right cologne this evening? The answer to all that AND MORE will be discovered by the time this piece of crap hunk of junk from '77 can start up agai-*VROOOOM* Oooooh, and there it goes! Flying out of my garage! I'll be there in a matter of minutes at this rate!" The Dr. hangs up.

Charlotte:
"..." Well, he's certainly eager. "He's on his way!"

Warra:
"Oh. OOOOH. Well here I was thinking all these rooms everywhere were of some sort of use, as opposed to just this one. Well, better settle while I have the chance..."

Darius:
"Anyway, I can't let Marian sleep in the middle of the room... I doubt she can catch a cold, but I don't care to find out." Darius picks up Marian, making use of what time they've got before The D forcefully enters, and places her on the non-Rosa bed so she can get some rest that nobody knew she needed. "The other rooms are for my work, not living, tyro. I wouldn't make you live in those."

Warra:
"So what on earth is this thing anyway? Is it, like, one of those super-realistic Japanese lifesized (censored D:) dolls that got involved in a terrible paintjob accident? A case of really effed up taxidermy art? Wax museum reject?"

Thriller:
Thriller responds to that with a thousand mile long stare. "....who in the name of Bob Hope does this cheeky urchin think she is?" He whips his tail at Darius before he can take ahold of Marian's body. "Nevermind that! I can move her myself, thank you very much!"

Darius:
"I've never had a need for taxidermy. I don't practice it. Marian is a special case. I suppose the best way to put it would be that her soul supports her body, instead of the other way around." Darius stares Thriller down, "You don't have arms."

Thriller:
"Watch the master and learn! HRRNNNGGGG!!!!" The replicant strains himself dearly, and begins manipulating Marian's reflexes.

Marian:
"Buuueeuggghh...." She moans slack-jawed, and hops like a jiangshi over to her bed.

Darius:
"Right, never do that again. It's too real when she moves like a zombie."

Charlotte:
"I suppose if he can animate her body, it only makes sense that he can control it..." Charlotte stares, transfixed by the sight.

Warra:
The gamer girl finishes off her last bit of pocky. "Well at least I know why shooting it in the head always does the trick."

Thriller:
"RUN YOUR MOUTH ONE LAST TIME AND I SWEAR TO GOD"

Darius:
"As long as she's fine, it's all right... Oh, quiet down, both of you. Honestly, this place could stand to be more cheery. So many occupants, but half are asleep or arguing."

Charlotte:
"Alright, I'll just be down in the lobby then. I think I know my way back just fine now..."

Darius:
"Hmm...I need to go with you, of course. There's no way he'll be let in without my authorization."

Darius:
"Tyro, you can stay here or come with us, your choice."

Warra:
"I'll just stay over here and try and set everything up to my liking. The brightness setting on this screen feels all kinds of off...and where the hell do you keep your consoles..."
Warra: (( brb for a moment ))

Darius:
"They're in the lower part of the stand. Press the doors in to open them. And do try not to wake those two up, all right? They need their rest."

Charlotte:
After leaving the room and walking a short distance, Charlotte speaks up. "So who's the new girl, some sort of play date? You said she works for you, but she only seems interested in video games."

Darius:
"Play date? What do you think I am? Her name is Warra. She's caused me a lot of trouble with her Replicant, but she seems to have found something out about Stouffer. And now, she works for me. I've no practice with cracking into systems, but she's quite adept at it."

The Anarchist:
And of course, I come along, but I don't exactly speak, so, you know

Charlotte:
that's a bit disconcerting, yeah

The Anarchist:
well i've only got Range D

The Anarchist:
And we're going to SEE The D
Warra: (( ok that took longer than expected but I'm back ))
tirkaroKujo:
aaand maptool seems to have froze on me
Charlotte: (( I dont think it has ))
tirkaroKujo:
Not the chat though
tirkaroKujo:
strangely enough
The Anarchist: (( mip ))
tirkaroKujo:
here we go

The Anarchist:
And really, would you prefer I switch to Angel? (D)

The Anarchist:
Who's probably still in freakout mode? I guess Credo's an option but he's a douche

Charlotte:
well yeah, Angel and I are tight

Charlotte:
"...really? She's younger than I am, and she's better at systems than you are? ...well, I suppose it's none of my business, anyway. It is getting awfully crowded, though."
tirkaroKujo:
And so you head on out into the lobby, where you hear the loud, menacing rupture of a "CLINK! CLANK!" as if you great forces are clashing in on eachother. Kokako of course seems to be in a bit of a panic.

Darius:
"Networking bores me, what can I say? Uhm, may I ask what's going on?"

Kokako:
"Gaaah!" She yells and runs up to you. "What on earth is happening here? Some strange man just walked in, and then...Turner just started...GAH!" She ducks, barely avoiding the clash between two of the forces flying around the room.

Darius:
"And this'd be why I wanted to meet outside. You could have told me he was a nutter."

Charlotte:
"But he's... not... what IS that?"

Turner:
"HnnCHYA!" The two beings, one being the worn-down servant you all know and love, and another being a giant draconic-looking being fly around the room all fancy like, creating huge CLASH! sounds accompanied by roaring sparks and blidning effects.

Ichiban Kyoushi:
Finally the two meet in the center of the room, pull back, and then fly at eachother, thier sillouettes turning to shadowy blurs as they clash for the final time.

Darius:
"Turner! What's going on? And since when could you fly?"
Charlotte: (( y'know, Wars very well may have been left up on the desk, while I'm thinking about it (waiting) ))

Turner:
The end result is, of course, a grand explosive spark lighting in the air, and both the combatants fall to the ground. Turner gets up on her knee and wipes a bit od blood from her mouth. "I see...you haven't dulled even an inch since last time."

Charlotte:
With the action temporarily settled, Charlotte pulls up Aphex, just in case.
Tokens dropped onto map 'Darius' Lab' by player Agi (Player)

Ichiban Kyoushi:
The draconic being rubs his chin and switches his snarling befanged face to a more aloof expression. "And I see you've been as stubborn as always! So how's the high life, huh Turne- OOOH! OOOOOH, CHARLOTTE, IS THAT YOU OH MY WORD I DIDN'T NOTICE OH MY THIS IS EMBARASSING"

Darius:
"Sorry to interrupt your high school reunion, but would you mind toning it down some? You're scaring Kokako half to death." Darius changes out The Anarchist - he can't use her in combat without expending excessive amounts of energy that he doesn't have right now.
Charlotte: (( obv. ))

Darius:
"Modus Dinis, disengage...huh, now how to go about this..."

D. Richard:
With a snap of his fingers, the giant demon spontanously reverts back into that of a meager, scruffy man with a bitchin' man purse. "P-pretend you didn't see that, okay? Don't wanna go about scaring the kids like this...""

Kokako:
"Oh to only be a kid again...."

Darius:
Seven cities pops into existences, swallows up The Anarchist, and...hangs there, while Darius tries to decide how which one is less caustic to be around.

Charlotte:
"...Dr. Richard? What was that all about??"

Darius:
"Fine. Modus Divina Tempus, Clockwork Angel, engage. I might need her...temper. Now, you, you're the one with the CD? Mind explaining yourself?"
Tokens dropped onto map 'Darius' Lab' by player Thrice (Player)

Turner:
"Phweh...." Turner flups her hair "Me and the Dick here have an interesting history; One that's probably boring to outsiders like you, hon. I'm normally not the hot-blooded type, but..."

D. Richard:
"Ohho hoh hoh, don't concern yourself with that though. I take it your that fellow dear ol Charlotte talked about that one time, eh? You sure are a lot, how do I put it, more spindly than I expected...but what can you do!"

Clockwork Angel:
Angel bursts out of the mechanized metropolis in a flash of light and sound, and complements it with her...own sounds. "RRaargh! Your attitude is intol--hm? Oh, she's gon--you switched me out again! How dare you!" Angel seems to collect herself, and looks around the room, "Why are we here? Who is this old man that stands before my grace?" also back had to find out what the hell that noise was
Charlotte: (( ...oh, that took a reread to figure out that you meant "you're" ))
Clockwork Angel: (( wha ))
Charlotte: (( on Richard's statement ))
D. Richard: (( took me a reread to figure out I typed your ))
Clockwork Angel: (( no, your attitude, someone's attid--oh ))

Darius:
"Uh, calm down, Angel, everything's fine...for now. And sir, I assure you, in body, mind, and temperament, I am superb. Disregarding that, I can't say you've left a good first impression."

D. Richard:
"Well it wasn't my intention to leave one in the first place. But I still have some 'splainin' to do, don't I? Well you see, it all started when..."

Darius:
"Not about Turner. I'll find that out anyway. ...Just come with me. There isn't any point talking out here."

Charlotte:
"It wasn't? What on earth is he trying to DO here, then?" Charlotte mouths to herself, stunned by this turn of events

D. Richard:
Richard puckers his mouth a bit and turns towards Turner. "Hey, keep a sharper eye out next time, okay? Never know just what might slip through your blind spots..."

Clockwork Angel:
"I am not convinced that these are people we should be meeting! The look on his face, it is not one I favour!"

Turner:
"I can only advise the same to you..." Turner turns away and slips slowly back into the wallings. "If anyone asks, tell them to let me take full responsibility." She says to no one in particular.

Darius:
"I'll keep that in mind. As for you, old man, this way." Darius leads The D through the Byzantine halls of his lab, back to the fut--room. "Oh, right. I guess you found out who Dinis was in the end, Charlotte."

D. Richard:
"Now, shoving that to the wayside...I assume you needed these, right?" Richard holds his murse with a single arm, still resembling that of a draconic demon, its claws sinking into the smooth leather grooves. "Oh, don't mind this. I need some extra reinforcement while carrying these things, for good reason."
Charlotte: (( so wait, he's just handing them to us right here, right now, or is he coming with us? ))
Charlotte: (( he seems to be implying the former, not sure why we'd do the latter anymore ))

Darius:
"There are a lot of things I need, but those, if they are what I think, would be some of them. I wasn't told there was more than one, granted."

Clockwork Angel:
"What do we need? I am out of the loop, due to fault of a certain someone. Oh, but you will tell me later, I expect."

D. Richard:
*I think it's quite clear he's headed with you*
Charlotte: (( alright, was just... clarifying, I guess, that was a bit weird ))

Charlotte:
"I didn't think the second was worth mentioning, it was a the weaker of the two copies."

Darius:
"No matter. As I said, trail behind me, or you'll be lost in no time."

D. Richard:
The D takes out the heavier CD with utmost precision along his razor sharp claws. "So, you sure you have the goods capable of handling these bad boys? Getting a normal CD playing on any machine of mine is impossible enough, let alone this brand new specimen I just discovered lying in the mind of that...thing."
Darius: (( assumedly we're back in the room by now I guess ))
D. Richard: (( actually I was just looking for which is the proper room ))

Charlotte:
"And Angel, this man is going to help us with studying the Shiokaraiken... his name is Dr. Richard. I still have no idea what that was earlier..." Seeing the claws makes her recoil a bit further, now that she knows what they belong to.
Charlotte: (( the blue one? ))
Darius: (( Yeah the blue one I guess ))

Darius:
"Well, hand it over. You said there was a weaker one? Perhaps it would be best to try it first. I wouldn't want the machine broken. They're quite expensive."

D. Richard:
"Hey, hey. Don't tell me you're getting grossed out now, Charly!" Richard puts down the awfully firm disc on the table, being careful not to break anything. "I thought I warned you ahead of time about my...true nature, eh heh heh. "

D. Richard:
He takes out the cheaper disc from his murse, reverting his right hand into a proper human one. "It would indeed be best to start small in this case."

Charlotte:
"Yes, partially..." It's more the fact that he was brawling someone in midair for a reason she's not sure of, but can wait for later.

Darius:
Darius sits himself down in front of the loader, and...loads the disc into it, may as well see what'll happen. "So, mind telling me, does your Replicant manifest itself through a physical transformation of your body? Or is there something more sinister at work here?"

D. Richard:
"My replicant? It's not much to write home about. It's responsible for creating these CDs here. Normally its entire schtick is coverting memories into these compact little discs here..."

E-rotic:
"Breeeeaaaam!" Richard's replicant almost involunarily forms upon its mention, and floats alongside the D, hanging onto his shoulder lazily.

Darius:
"So the second possibility. Hm... That's for later. Right now, let's see what lies at the heart of the fire."

Clockwork Angel:
Clockwork happens to notice a few similarities between herself and E-rotic - both mechanical, both stereotypically female-looking, "She wouldn't happen to be stealing an Angel's thunder, now, would she? Oh, but memories, that is not my specialty...she gets off lightly for today!"
tirkaroKujo:
and so you set the first CD into the high-tech universal discus player, and get the gears whirring.

D. Richard:
"I must warn you ahead of time though...I sure hope you know what you're doing here. Normally my shoddy products tend to end up in the scrap heap upon reading these memory discs. They're quite a doozy!"

E-rotic:
"Breeaaaam?" E-rotic can't exactly respond properly

Darius:
"No worries, I'll know what I'm doing before this is over." Darius, as usual, keeps a cavalier attitude about what's going down. "I'll suggest you stop using shoddy products, however."
tirkaroKujo:
The player seems to emit an awfully annoying grindy noise upon playing the memory disc, but it later calms down upon properly deciphering the CD
Darius: (( well, I could roll for it or something I guess, or maybe only the bigger one requires that ))

D. Richard:
"Oooh! So it worked! Gotta say, this'll be my first time actually seeing what the inside of one of these memories actually looks like!"
Charlotte: (( gotta wonder how he knows they're memories if he can't read em ))
Psychic Wars: (( because the victims tend to lose those memories, so putting two and two together... ))
Charlotte: (( eh, just superpower logistics that I often have issues with, nothing specific to this ))

Darius:
"You've never done this? Gah, I really am required for anything of import."

Psychic Wars:
After a quick session of bleeps and bloops, the screen goes calmly black. Then from the black abyss rises a single eye, along with three sets of text at the bottom. The top of the eye reads "SCENE SELECTION"

Psychic Wars:
Your choices of scenes are "Determination of the Right Eye", "The End of the Aura", and "Loss of Faith"

Charlotte:
"Awfully organized, isn't it?"

Clockwork Angel:
Clockwork floats over and presses the button for 'Determination of the Right Eye,' a little biased herself. "We must start with one, yes?"

D. Richard:
"....oh. So this is how it works, huh? Can't say I expected it to be so ahead of the curve."
Charlotte: (( >mfw it works because it isn't a dollar store DVD player ))
Charlotte: (( get some decent tech, Richie (D) ))
Darius: (( well, most everything in here is made by Darius ))
Darius: (( so it's pretty high-tech ))

Darius:
"Only four scenes? Eh, whatever. This should be interesting, nonetheless."
Charlotte: (( I counted three ))

Darius:
three yes*

Darius:
don't know how I got four
Charlotte: (( the left eye ))

Psychic Wars:
The menu then transitions into a title card fancifully painted on wood, reading "DETERMINATION OF THE RIGHT EYE." Right afterwards, the scene turns into a first person perspective, showcasing what seems to be a quickly slapped together montage. Through this perspective, a lone voice is shown chatting with a multitude of strange creatures with sharp, metallic features, looking much like Replicants themselves, but none of them stands out as familiar to you. The language they speak in is strange and distorted, and you can't make out any of it. Finally at the end of the scene, whoever the perspective belongs to is shown being mourned by the tribe of strange creates. Then afterwards, a metallic man, upon orders of the tribe, guts out various parts of the creature you've been following. First its arm, then its foot, and then it plucks out its eye, causing the camera to follow along with it. Finally, the metallic man hovers his hand over the now-mutilated body, sucking out what seems to be two distinct soul-like gasses.

Darius:
when did MT get here
Charlotte: (( we're watching an exposition dump ))
Charlotte: (( what did you expect ))

Psychic Wars:
The first soul is of a light blue color, while the second soul is pitch black. But from there, the scene begins to fade out, and boots you to the menu again.

Darius:
"How...uninformative. But we now know what we suspected. These three pieces were once all part of the same body. What intrigues me, though, is that there were two 'souls.'

Darius:
"

Charlotte:
"Two souls... and the foot as well, I never heard anything about that before."

Darius:
"You've never heard anything about an arm, either. Only a hand. It's safe to say that not all of the pieces survived."

Charlotte:
"Or that the rest of the arm was lost over time, just to be left with the hand."

Darius:
"Now, then, to find out more..." Darius selects "The End Of The Aura" to kick things off again.

D. Richard:
"In-ter-es-ting..." D gives a deep rub of his chin. "Those things, could they have been...hmm..." He stares to the side. "Surprised all this information came from a single disc, the light one at that!"

Darius:
"An eye would rot much more quickly than an arm, sad to say. If anything was going to disintegrate, that would."

Psychic Wars:
THE END OF THE AURA is displayed through a blood-red pallette; This time the first person perspective is much larger, as if the person it belongs to is literally stories high, towering over the nearby buildings...which seem to be modeled after old-timey Japanese houses. The cameraman of sorts is being assaulted by all sides from an array of warriors firing all walks of abilities at it, to little avail.
Charlotte: (( huh, it's dinnerti- wait, I already ate, I think ))
Charlotte: (( I can't even keep eating habits right on my days off (waiting) ))

Hennyoji:
"STAND STRONGER, MEN!" A warrior being backed by what seems to be an army yells out a battle cry in Japanese, and summons a sharply-defined figure right next to him to do battle.
Charlotte: (( it's not really sharply defined when it's invisible ))

Psychic Wars:
The figure twirls a giant shuriken, and throws it directly at the "cameraman's" face, causing it to tumble over slightly.

Geppei:
"That's the spirit! With DAIKATANA, we'll never lose!" Another warrior brandishing a Katana almost as large as a building rips through the scene, and stabs the cameraman directly in the shoulder.

Psychic Wars:
Even from the screen, you can feel a sense of pain and anguish the being is feeling. And yet, shortly afterwards, you hear a voice, somewhat feminine, from a non-distinct source. "Don't mind the pain. Just kill them all." Soon the being is filled with a sense of utmost blood-hot rage again, and lashes right at the Samurai, now caught completely off guard.

Psychic Wars:
The screen splashes pure red with blood, and the scene ends from there.

Darius:
"So it took this many to combat..."

D. Richard:
"Thats...quite the discovery! Good word! Were those the legendary Shiokaraiken? This is some mind-blowing stuff here!"

Charlotte:
"...turn the subtitles on. Maybe we can get some names that way."

Clockwork Angel:
"Yes, you see? A holy being, to be certain!"

Charlotte:
"This is amazing though, this all really happened?"

Darius:
"They didn't say any names. Well, there was one, but all it meant was "big sword," to put it shorly."

Charlotte:
"No, when a character speaks with subtitles on, they usually have a label next to what they say..."

Charlotte:
"It's the only way I was able to keep up with some of the films we watched in German."
Darius: (( they do? I've literally never seen that (waiting) ))
Charlotte: (( Technically, it's usually when it's unclear who's speaking ))
Charlotte: (( but even so ))

Darius:
"We can try it, but there is only one whose name I'm interested in."

Psychic Wars:
You rewatch the scene again, but their names are none too helpful. They are simply labeled "SHIOKARAIKEN NINJA" and "SHIOKARAIKEN SAMURAI", as unwieldy as those titles may be. The voice speaking to the perspective holder is interestingly called "TRAITOR"

Darius:
"So the Shiokaraiken was betrayed, if this is to be believed. The subtitles helped out, after all."
Charlotte: (( the female voice? (wary) ))
Psychic Wars: (( yes ))
Charlotte: (( I assume the voice isn't familiar ))
Darius: (( if only Al were here ))

D. Richard:
"Betrayed, huh? Can't say I didn't expect that, really. Who else would better know how to take down the Shiokaraiken than one of the Shiokaraiken themselves? It is a rather dangerous power to trifle with..."
D. Richard: (( no, it's not familliar ))

Charlotte:
"Alright, so... if I'm following this correctly, someone took down the creature from the first scene, and used its power - at least, the eye's, to create this giant weapon to fight the Shiokaraiken..."

Darius:
"Could be. Or they could be out of order."

Charlotte:
"I suppose, but let's move on to the last scene."

Darius:
"Why not? It can't hurt anything." And so Darius selects the final scene, 'Loss of Faith.'

Psychic Wars:
The final scene, reading "LOSS OF FAITH" is relatively short and simple, but probably more to your interest. Probably because the scene depicts someone who should be familiar to you

Charlotte:
o shit

Charlotte:
wait, she's moved from up on the bed

Clockwork Angel:
"Ooooh! It is the Sister! Come to think of it, I wonder how she is doing?"
Clockwork Angel: (( he likely just dragged the token down, yes ))
Clockwork Angel: (( otherwise it'd be "Sister Rosa 1" ))

Sister Rosa:
Sister Rosa lies, crying in the rain, her body being hovered over by the camera's perspective. She sobs, pleading to a figure seemingly standing above her. "Please...please.... I was told you were a miracle worker...please, remove my...remove my hatred..." She trails on, a sense of utter despair and weakness in her voice.

Charlotte:
"What?! What's she doing here?"

Psychic Wars:
"Ah? So you want to have a second chance, do you? Well then..." Whoever seems to be carrying the orb lifts it up, and has the camera stare directly into Rosa's distressed face. "Now Sister, don't be alarmed. You came to the right place."

Sister Rosa:
"Will that...finally remove my hatred?"

Psychic Wars:
"Hmm, it depends. If you truly are pure of mind, you can rest for certain knowing that the pain will subside. If you really are secretly a...utterly repulsive being on the inside though, make no mistake about it. This thing has a sense of justice, and will not be afraid to pay it unto you. But I'm sure you aren't a being of -pure- hatred, right?"

Sister Rosa:
"I...I'm confident. Please...before Father looks for me again...."

Psychic Wars:
Soon the camera begins to flash, flicker, and boil as Rosa's pained scream can be heard. The scene ends from there.
Charlotte: (( alright, gonna need to ask what the scenery was like in that... scene. ))

Darius:
(Miracle worker...Hnh. I wonder what she felt, when I said that line to her myself.) "It seems this girl has gone through much."

D. Richard:
"Eh? Ain't that the preacher chick?"
Charlotte: (( In terms of "was this in the same general timeframe as the last two scenes" ))
Darius: (( as a sidenote, was THAT voice familiar at all? ))

Psychic Wars:
The scene is set between a rainy alleyway, and the buildings seem to suggest it's somewhere within either HL Square or High Vertby. The voice sounds somewhat deep and commanding, but still clearly female.

Psychic Wars:
And no, it clearly isn't anywhere within those timeframes
Charlotte: (( alright, had to ask ))

Darius:
"Yes, Richard, wasn't it? That was Sister Rosa, acquiring her Replicant."
tirkaroKujo:
maptool pls stop freezing on me this is srs

Charlotte:
"...oh, God..." So her Replicant definitely wasn't the cause, and was meant to be the cure. Great.

Darius:
"Now, it seems as if that disc is exhausted, any my machine functional. We could risk the other."

D. Richard:
"Aquiring her Replicant? So this is how....oh yes...that's the Wars' shtick after all. Still, something about that voice I heard sounded...oddly nostalgic. But it's perhaps my imagination."

D. Richard:
"Alright, but we're gonna need some hefty force here...or really, you could just turn the player to the side, that always seems to be the safer option."

Darius:
"If you've any information about it, even specks of knowledge, do share."

D. Richard:
"I'm afraid in most cases you're probably gonna be a step or two ahead of me. Nonetheless, that scene did remind me of last night...I had made a wrong turn, and found myself at the center of a violent situation. Hah hah...I managed to escape, but not without my fair share of damages. There's a reason why I couldn't go over last night after all. One thing that interested me though was the nature of my pursuer...something tells me they may be related."

Charlotte:
"Is there any way you could enhance that memory with your Replicant?"

Darius:
"Or you could just tell me what they looked like yourself."

Charlotte:
yeah if you want to be BORING

D. Richard:
"She was a tall, blonde, and hansome, or about as much as a girl could be, and was yet another replicant user. There was something far more daunting about this woman however...I knew from the beginning I was clearly outmatched in every possible area, so fighting head-on would just be stupid."
Charlotte: (( well that tells us who that is, now if only Al was here to know who that is ))

Clockwork Angel:
"Ooh, blonde! Clearly, she was superior. You never had a chance!"

D. Richard:
"Phew...was lucky I got out of there alive. All you need to know though is that she most likely works for Adel Zhen. I'd keep an eye out for anyone who fits that description if I were you."

Darius:
(Technically, wouldn't she be on my side for the time being...) "I'll keep that in mind. Now what was this about turning the player sideways? Do you expect the disc to shoot out of it?"

D. Richard:
"No, just that the thing will probably topple over to its side if you don't have it laying down to begin with. Now let's see if the damn thing will even work..."
Charlotte: (( ...I think we have different ideas of what "on its side" means. ))
Charlotte: (( "on its side" would, to me, mean a more vertical rectangle ))

Darius:
Darius spins the ring on his glove, activating its gravity field, and clamps his hand onto the device, "I'd rather not have my equipment bouncing around the room."
Darius: (( Charlotte: I would ))
Charlotte: (( naw ))

Darius:
He attempts to put in the second disc with his other hand, while he steadies the machine.

Psychic Wars:
The 2nd disc is quite a doozy. And I mean that by it's sorta hard to get working properly, with some dire consequences to be had if not properly "tamed" in a way. That's a gageteering roll for you.
Charlotte: (( aw fuk heer wii gu ))
Darius: (( would Genius' bonus be applicable here, since he made the machine, or not ))
Darius: (( and I'm gonna have to burn a Story Point on this I already know it ))

Psychic Wars:
your ssssuuuperior intellect seems to be a factor here
Darius: (( i ain't an MT or Agi character, i don't do the s thing ))

Darius:
« 1d10+2+4 = 8 + 2 + 4 = 14 »
Charlotte: (( whew ))
Darius: (( well, that might do it. Not gonna risk a reroll ))
Darius: (( if only Gadgeteering and the like weren't impossible to have at decent levels (sad) ))

Darius:
"I'm sure I've got this...something I made shouldn't fail this easily."

Psychic Wars:
RWYEEEEEEEMMMMM! The heavy disc begins absolutely burning, but you manage to get it under control so that the player can properly display the damn thing. The picture is a constantly flickering image of a woman letting out a painful-sounding screech. Yet, the screech is oddly soothing, as if it appears to be a song wailing out a tune.

Makaveli:
"OOAAAAHHHHH!" It sings at the top of its lungs. The nearby equipment begins to shake and tumble, the chairs begin to collapse under their own weight, and displays put on the walls fall down.

Charlotte:
"I was afraid of that..."

Clockwork Angel:
"Hawheehee! It has quite the powerful voice, yes? I wonder if any of that equipment will fail so easily?" Clockwork flies around the room, either agitated or enthused by the singing.

Darius:
"Thing's starting to scorch my hand. But there must be more on this disc."

Psychic Wars:
Yet the wailing song of the Replicant doesn't cease. It only sings further and further and further, shaking the very foundation of the room you're in.

Charlotte:
"Alright, alright, turn the volume down, mute it!"

D. Richard:
"WELL...if my theory is correct..." Dr. D yells to hopefully make his voice heard over the painful singing "I'm going to assume this is a replicant of some sort, yes?"

Darius:
"It's like a whirlwind of song." Darius spikes the volume control downward, hoping to eliminate most of the problem - but he doesn't completely mute the speaker.

Charlotte:
"Not just of some sort. This was Sister Rosa's Replicant."

Makaveli:
As you tone the volume down, Makaveli tries to wail even louder to keep its voice heard. Yet, when it gets truly quiet, her wails get more and more useless. It finally tires out, losing all motivation, and closes its sole eye.

Darius:
"Hmm...this was the last impactful vision the Psychic Wars had before you tucked it away."

Makaveli:
The "scene" of sorts ends from here, and the disc simply stops.

D. Richard:
"Interesting...just its very presence was enough to create such a dense memory. I wonder, just how powerful WAS that thing?"

Darius:
Darius turns off the machine, deactivates his glove, and removes his hand. "It's a good thing I couldn't let go, or I would have. If I hadn't had my glove on, my hand might have been charred..." He finishes talking to himself, and looks back at Richard, "Very. It destroyed a good portion of a parking lot."

Charlotte:
"I don't think it was even TRYING to, really, that was just its last, unfocused moments."

Charlotte:
"It was probably much stronger than we ever saw."

Clockwork Angel:
"Yes...I never did get to brace myself against it! One day I would like to see which is more divine, the Angel or the choir."

Charlotte:
*those were, I rephrased midway through there

D. Richard:
"That does intrigue me...is it true that the thing was created by Psychic Wars? If that is the case, then...hmm, there is much to look into the nature of the damn thing."

Darius:
"I wouldn't say it was created... More brought forth, or unlocked. That would be my theory."

Charlotte:
"You didn't see it turn a fish into a killing machine. If all fish have that power within them, I'm never going swimming again."

Darius:
"Well, for now, I think we should return to my room. This is all we're going to get from these discs, I fear. And, I have caviar. You can get back at those nasty fish by eating their would-be children."

D. Richard:
"Hmm, seems so. I admit, I got a bit more milage out of these things than I expected. Of course, I expected nothing much in the first place.." Richard sets the disks back into his murse. "Now, normally I'd have to give these memories back just to be fair..."
D. Richard: (( where did you even put the wars again ))

Darius:
"It may, in fact, be best that you do this time around. Or...I wonder..."
Charlotte: (( it's back up on the desk still, I think (waiting) ))

Darius:
"For now, hold off. But, later, it might be required."
Charlotte: (( not sure why, I just didn't specify taking it back ))

D. Richard:
"I mean, it DID look pretty pissed off at me for taking them away like that. Y'know, for a single eye."

Charlotte:
"Eyes are just about as expressive as it gets."

Darius:
"I wonder how it could look angry, if it didn't know what you took."
Darius: (( it might've bene the whole "you just punched it on the head" ))
Darius: (( well, eye ))
Darius: (( eye-head ))

D. Richard:
"Heh. If it knew I took something, but didn't know what, that'd just be grounds for it to become even angrier."

Darius:
"For now, it won't miss them. Besides, manipulating the timing of when the memories are returned could bring the Psychic Wars to favour me."

ThatBaka:
and so you (presumably) head back up into the usual room for some yummy caviar and goodies and whatnot. Or you would, if some ol' shit wasn't going down.
Darius: (( not sure if The D would follow us ))
Charlotte: (( he might, he still wants to meet Marian ))

D. Richard:
*I indeed do, you ain't escaping me that easily*

Charlotte:
ah, shit

Clockwork Angel:
"....YOU. WHY ARE YOU HERE?!" Clockwork flares up as she enters the room and notices Warra

Charlotte:
my computer's auto-restarting in 15 minutes

Darius:
"...ah, shit."

Charlotte:
gonna restart now, preemptively

Sister Rosa:
"Haaah....haaah...." The Sister is lying on the ground, holding her head, bundles of sweat rolling down her brow.
Darius: (( exactly ))

Mandrake:
ShioK will be back after these messages
Agi is disconnected.

Darius:
dat cliffhanger

Darius:
brb myself
Agi has connected.
Charlotte: (( alright so where were we ))

Darius:
uh-huh
Darius: (( Rosa was dying, Angel was exploding ))
Charlotte: (( could I get some actual text (crs) ))
Darius: (( nobody said anything while you were gone ))
Darius: (( the last line was from Mandrake ))
Charlotte: (( I'll just go with my vague memory then ))

Marian:
And while Rosa is panting and breathing on the ground, the undead woman along with her replicant tries to calm down her pain. "Well there you are! This lady here was acting as if she just saw the devil himself fly straight into her eyes!"

Charlotte:
"Sister! What's wrong, are you hurt?" Charlotte pushes forward through the crowded room.

Mandrake:
"Guruuu" The mandrake would have probably screamed in terror a while ago if not for the whole vocal chord thing.

Warra:
"Can it, can opener! Now's not the time! Are you peeps trying to give me a heart attack here?"

Darius:
Darius concentrates on Angel, but doesn't dismantle her just yet, "Angel! Now is not the time! You know what will happen. I need you right now." He then turns to the zombie girl, trying to get an explanation, "Marian, you say Rosa freaked out? ...How did she manage to get up? Wait, Rosa, are you conscious? Rosa?"

Sister Rosa:
"Haah...hah...I can't....I felt it again....aaah..." Rosa slowly breathes up and down, not really able to articulate a solid thought.

Clockwork Angel:
Angel seethes, but doesn't attack, and floats over everyone's heads to the other side of Rosa...or maybe she's just trying to get away from Walla Walla Washington.

Marian:
"Not sure, really. Was fast asleep when suddenly, WHAM! The poor gal right next to me started screaming her lungs out. I wasn't sure what was up or down with that lady!"

Darius:
Stepping aorund the mandrake, Darius walks to Rosa's side and leans down, "Hmm...I know what happened. Rest easy, you'll be all right. For now, though, what do you say we get you back to the bed? I don't want to hurt yourself lying on the floor."

Darius:
you to hurt yourself*

Clockwork Angel:
"Urgh..yes. You must...rest. Unless of course you do not feel it is necessary?" Angel's not in the best of moods, but struggles to keep her composure around Rosa. So that's at least one redhead she doesn't despise.

Sister Rosa:
"Haaaa...." Rosa lets her becrossed arms go limp, showcasing a multitude of self-inflicted scratch marks all over them from the prior panic attack. "Please, Doctor, I... I never thought I'd say this but....rest seems to only delay it. These operations, these medications, and all this downtime...it only delays the inevitable. I really am beyond saving, aren't I? It's too much for me...far too big of a burden for me to bear."

Darius:
"Look at you...that must be painful. I'll get some salve for that... Listen, Rosa, no one is beyond saving. Your thinking, perhaps it would have been correct had you stayed with the old doctors. But for me...I will do everything in my power to save you. I work not for money, but simply to save you. And you are much stronger than you think. But if you will yourself to die, not even I could save you. So have faith in yourself."
Darius: (( and back as well ))

Sister Rosa:
Rosa grinds her teeth, now looking quite uncharicteristically...angry. "This all sounds too familiar to my ears. I was told to have faith in myself in the past. I've believed in the word of 'miracle' workers time and time again. And to what end? Where does this pain and misery finally end? These are answers I want, yet I have a hard time believing anyone else is qualified to give me them."

Clockwork Angel:
"That is your answer, is it not? As he said, it is up to you, in the end, whether you live or not. Miracles of God cannot help the unbelieving and wavering."

Marian:
"Eeesh..." Marian pats the Sister on the shoulders and grabs ahold of her. "I reckon I'm in no position to give you any life advice at this point in my life. Just calm yourself, and think things over when your state of mind isn't completely fried."

Darius:
"And if you wish your pain to end, you can start by refraining from scratching yourself. You have enough pain as it is. Don't cause yourself any more."

Sister Rosa:
"Ghr...I'm....not sure if I can believe anymore. Not just in god, just in...anything. I'm nothing but a cloud of negativity at this point.."

Marian:
"Oh c'mon, you can't tell me -nothing- good has ever happened to you before this mess, right?" Marian picks up Rosa by the back and tries to carry her over. "Like, nothing ever? Think about what truly matters."

Darius:
Darius goes to help Marian assist Rosa to the bed, "As for what you believe in, I'll leave that up to you. But it won't do you any good to sulk over things right now. You seem to recovering, slowly. You got out of bed, after all, which certainly surprised me."

Sister Rosa:
"At this point, I'm not sure what matters anymore. I don't even care that I'm dying anymore. I just want...reasons. Any sort of reasoning, that's all...haah...."

Sister Rosa:
"I'm sorry...I'm not usually like this. At least, I try not to be...but it gets difficult sometimes. A lot of times, really."

Darius:
"Of course it does. Life's not always a fun experience. Live for and dwell on on the sad moments, but those that fill you with happiness. And as long as I have anything to say about it, you are not dying."

Darius:
the second "on" should be "not"

Warra:
Warra bites off a snackoo. "Is this what this is all about? Just live like me: look ahead, never look back." She relaxes again on the sofa, still trying to hook her game setup proper.

Marian:
"There you go, and here's Mandrakey too! I'm sure Mandrake here believes in you, right?"

Darius:
"Hm...I wouldn't say that, Warra. You need to realize you need improvement before you can start on it. Well, Rosa, if you need anything, tell me. That pager is still right here on the headrest. And that includes boredom."

Mandrake:
"Guru?"

Darius:
"I wouldn't want you just sitting here staring at the ceiling for hours. That's tantamount to torture... Books, games, television, there's a lot here."

Sister Rosa:
Yet Rosa still looks distantly onto the ceiling. "Not sure if I'm interested, really..."
Charlotte: (( she's definitely going to kill herself and I have no idea if there's even anything that can be done about it ))

Darius:
"Even if all you want is someone to talk to, don't hesitate. Marian's here, and so am I...and Warra, now, too."

Warra:
"Feh, you don't need to tell me. I'm the god of improvement. I know when I need it by my very nature. Now, I think I got this all set up anyway..."

Darius:
"But if you don't want any of that, please, tell me, what is it that you do want?"

Clockwork Angel:
SO MR THE DICK, WHY HAVE YOU BEEN SPYING ON US FROM THE CORNER AND FAPPING
Charlotte: (( because Tirk was already asleep for work ))
Clockwork Angel: (( he...doesn't have work tomorrow ))
Clockwork Angel: (( that's why we did this today ))
Charlotte: (( that doesn't make sense ))

Sister Rosa:
"What do I want? Are you asking me...what do I want....what do I want..what do I want...it's hard to say really. I guess the main thing I want the most is..." Rosa thinks long and hard to herself.
Clockwork Angel: (( considering he goes to work at ten AM, yes, it does make sense ))
Mandrake: (( I can pretty much stay up till 3 even during a workday ))
Mandrake: (( not recommendable, but I can ))
Charlotte: (( she wants OUR SOOOOULS ))
Darius: (( but they're not even dark right now ))
Darius: (( well, yours is ))

Sister Rosa:
"You know, normally I'd say something like 'love' or a concept like that. In fact, a lot of what I truly 'want" seems to be abstract in some way. Perhaps you should bring me some books to take my mind off things. It's the only thing I can think of."

Darius:
"All right, will do. And, if I may say, if it's love you wish, first put all your effort into surviving. Let that desire be what drives you through your plight."

Sister Rosa:
"I...I'll try...again...I guess." Rosa holds onto the Mandrake, closing her eyes.

Darius:
"I hope she took those words to heart... But for now, I need to attend to those wounds on her arms. And, thank you for helping out, Marian."

Clockwork Angel:
"Where did that scruffy old man with the horrible look on his face go? We cannot have him wander around wantonly!"
Clockwork Angel: (( i almost typed "wontonly" ))

Marian:
"It's a-okay, Darry. Not sure who exactly this woman is, but it sounds like she's been through a lot. But hey, while the world can be strange and cruel, we shouldn't let that prevent us from seeing the beautiful stuff, right?"

D. Richard:
The D at the door whistles. "Whoops! Got lost in the halls for a moment! Safe for me to come in yet?" Richard welcomes himself in anyway.

Thriller:
"Oh come on, nobody told me we were having ANOTHER 'special guest" over!"

Darius:
"I hope she takes on that attitude. I would not like her to pass away... Hm, she could have a fine life."

Clockwork Angel:
"Oh, there you are! I hope you were not up to no good! It is my duty to check the monitors, after all!"

D. Richard:
"Heyhey, you don't give me nearly enough credit here. Now I was promised some delicious caviar, no?"

Marian:
"Hello! And your name is..."

Darius:
"Huh?" Darius can barely hear the man through the divider, "Oh, that. Sure, help yourself. I've still got a patient to attend to."

D. Richard:
"OHMYGOD I'D RECOGNIZE THAT VOICE ANYWHERE! IT'S..." The D stares down the life-challenged lady for a bit. "Marian Layfield! Gotta say, you've aged INCREDIBLY well! Y'know, for someone in her 70s."
Charlotte: (( I'm getting tired awfully early tonight for some reason, I think I'm done ))

Clockwork Angel:
"My, now, aren't we forward?"
Charlotte: (( if the past... half hour wasn't indicative of that I dunno what was ))
Clockwork Angel: (( I thought you were just doing that Agi thing where you stop conversing IC the instant anything vaguely important happens ))

Marian:
"Oh! Oh my! Someone actually recognized me, well, this is certainly something, eh heeh...."
Charlotte: (( though if you want an IC explanation, I very well could have left for practice after the memory viewing ))
Charlotte: (( sorta need to do that anyhow ))

D. Richard:
And so Dr. D introduces himself and various goings-on to Marian in a rather extended conversation that's probably too one-sided to elaborate on anyway.

ThatBaka:
This here is a good enough place to end it anyway, unless....

Darius:
"All right, that should about do it. That will ease her pain and help to prevent scarring..." (When did I become this kindhearted? Eh, whatever...) Darius walks out from behind the divider, and addresses the the overenthusiastic man and and zombiegirl, "All right, you two, what are you talking about?"

Darius:
and sure I'm okay with ending it