just this once, everybody lives!

[sageprincess]

Characters: Everyone.
Setting: Anywhere.
Format: Party style.
Summary: Post-Ex Machina catch-all mingle.
Warnings: See individual threads.

[After a long, drawn out battle, the infiltration team returns to the residential portion of the Tower, weary, battered... but victorious. Some catching up is in order.]

Comments

[no_longer_a_king]

Considering how many normally die when we go downstairs? It is a victory indeed.

[He is exhausted yes, just as she is, but she chooses to remain standing simply because she can.]

What happened while we were busy?

[oathshackledbird]

[After being so exhausted he couldn't help with disabling the chips, there is a reason Diarmuid is running around right now even when he should be resting...]

Please help yourself to the food and drink. It might be quiet now, but who knows how long that will last.

Up here was...interesting. While we can't be certain of Riki's intentions, it seems he realized that the only way he was going to get energy from us now was to take it by force. Not long after the group went down, people started noticing they were being drained of energy and there were several floors where the drain was much stronger. Searching those floors turned up chips similar to those Dax had us place. They could not be removed, nor could they be damaged by physical means. In the end, we had to create something capable of generating an EMP blast to destroy them. Fortunately for us, a friend of Doctor Brown's named Marty returned to the Tower not long ago and was able to put something together.

[no_longer_a_king]

We still do not know what he was truly attempting to do. For all we know he was draining your energy because he had not realized we had gone downstairs already.

[Though she doubts it. Riki might've been surprised by them showing up, but he was clearly expecting them to show up at some point with how many defenses had been set up.]

I am glad you are all well. I knew leaving upstairs in your hands was a wise thing. [She means everyone's, but she knows Diarmuid was just as capable as anyone else.]

[oathshackledbird]

The victory downstairs wouldn't have meant much if we lost everything we had up here.

[A good warrior knows it is never wise to risk everything on one gambit. Even with as little time as they have and as many risks as they must take, some things have to be protected at all costs. Considering several of their thinkers were those who stayed behind...

Not to mention, he doesn't want to think of what might have happened if those who went below had to deal with the chips when they got back on top of already being exhausted and injured. In the end, that might have been Riki's last line of defense...]

Any ideas on what our next move might be after we all recover?

[no_longer_a_king]

The retrieval units are investigating the machine, but I believe our next moves are twofold: Find a way to keep the Tower powered beyond the countdown and find a way to use that machine for our own ends. We may very well have to enlist Zo's help to do so.

[Zo, who is for all intents and purposes stuck alone with Riki and Ruana. It chills her to think the boy is left by himself, but where else can he go or what can they do at this point? He would know best how to keep himself safe. Something she will have to hope for the best on.]

[oathshackledbird]

It would be very helpful if we could find a way to extend the Tower's life. That is certain. There is still so much to do and just because we find one answer doesn't mean it will work for everyone. It would be best if we had time to work on more than one answer or if we could even make this place habitable for those who don't want to go home and have no place else to go.

[After all the fighting they have all done, the last thing Diarmuid wants is for anyone to be left out when they find the solution to all of this.]

I am positive we will need Zo's help for this. Especially if the information that was found during the last hacking attempt is right. He has grown so powerful over such a short time. Who knows what he can do now...

[Especially since they were able to get the machine and it is what gives him control over those vast powers.]

[no_longer_a_king]

My main concern for powering the Tower is if we cannot find an answer in what little time we have left. We need to restore the worlds, find our way home, and somehow make sure Ruana cannot touch people on other worlds ever again. It is possible we could manage this in that time period, but it would be nice to have some breathing room as it were.

[She wants to keep her word to Zelda and aid her in rebuilding Hyrule. All that awaits Arturia in her world is endless fighting and she has grown so very tired of bloodshed.]

Once we have rest, we should ask Aria if we can get an audience with Zo and ask what he would like to do. At the very least he needs to be brought somewhere he can be protected from Riki and Ruana. As powerful as he is we should be protecting him, not forcing him to fight if he does not want to. He is a child, not a weapon.

[oathshackledbird]

I agree. I have never liked the idea of having to make him fight against what is basically his family. Even if he has stated that realizes Ruana is acting worse than usual, that doesn't mean he still doesn't have feelings for her. Ideally, it would be best if we could find a way that keeps him from having to chose between her and us.

[But even as optimistic as he is, Diarmuid isn't sure if there is a way to do that at this point. Or even if there is, so many people hate Ruana for what she has done to them that what is to keep them from dealing with her the same way they dealt with Jason?]

You will not find me arguing one bit about having some breathing room. When you think about all we have left to do...our time is much too short unless it all suddenly happens at once or is much less complicated than it seems...

[no_longer_a_king]

Not only that: he is a child. Moreso than he appears even if he acts older. Would you send a three year old into battle as a soldier? [She understood the necessity of sending someone far too young all too well, but even with that in mind, three years old was too young. Three years old with no training and no plan. If they set Zo directly against Ruana, who knows if he would even want to stay on their side?]

I pray it's less complicated than we think. When you think of the scope of what needs to be done, I do not blame the Administrators for taking so long if they were truly researching a way to right things for as long as they did.

[oathshackledbird]

I think you know me better than that, Saber. I would not have any of these children fighting if I had my way, but what we want and what reality forces us to do are two different things. It is one of the things I hate the most about this place...

[Diarmuid shakes his head.]

Besides, if Zo chooses to fight alongside us, I don't know that any of us could stop him. Or should stop him. He has as much right to fight as any of us. Hopefully, though, we will be able to keep him from having to make that choice.

[no_longer_a_king]

Arturia. [She hasn't been a Servant for a very long time and it's high time she drops the title. It does not matter here at all. Nor will it in the future.] Call me Arturia.

[She then continues on without missing a beat.] If it's his choice, very well, we cannot stop him. At the very least we should try to support him. Going against someone you care for is hard, no matter who you are or how much you harden your heart. He needs to know he isn't alone in fighting against her.

[oathshackledbird]

Arturia.

[Diarmuid repeats the name with a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. He had called her that before, but stopped at some point for a reason he can't even remember. Not that is matters. It is good to see her embracing herself instead of a title.]

If he chooses to fight with us, I am sure there is no danger he will be fighting alone. She might be his family, but I feel in many ways we are his family as well. His bravery will be met with our own.