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[dignity_kept]

[1]

[A lot of things happened in the second foray into the dome under the Atlantic. But perhaps most interesting is that General Hetepheres brought something with her. Soon as the report was done, the whole place was a hubbub of activity, and maximum security measures were placed.

Because what was brought back appears to be an incapacitated PRAYER. One that looks something like this, and which the people in the mission swear is Kagura.

The thing makes no movement as it's placed under guard, behind steel walls and reinforced observation glass guard posts. It seems deactivated, and is only about half the size of a Genoace - positively tiny for a PRAYER. But nobody is taking any chances here.

However, it's severely resisting attempts at opening it for now. Whatever this thing is made of, it's going to take some serious explosives to get through it. And if the strike team are correct, Kagura is in there, somewhere, which kinda limits the more drastic options...]

[(This first prompt is for people to mingle and react to the mission, debrief, and fact that oh God we have a damn PRAYER in storage the guys at ESUN are going to flip their lid and who knows what GRAVEYARD is even going to say. And maybe suggest ideas to get through the Apostle.)]

[2 - A day later]

[The Apostle has been inert for a day already. Poking and prodding has led to nothing. And now it's late, and the guards are basically looking at it because it beats staring at the wall.

And so, there's some serious scrambling in surprise when the frame suddenly lights up. There's a sound like something being pulled, and the thing stands upright. All the guards and fire support get ready, aiming at the mysterious unidentified object as lines appear where there were none, and the center coffin starts opening.



And from it falls... what looks like a Spirit Kernel. A female, featureless, blue energy humanoid, that falls forward and lands on one knee, looking exhausted. Heatless flame seems to crackle around her, much like the core of Scarlet Queen so long ago. She turns shining eyes on the closes guard aiming at her, holding her own head as if having a terrible headache.]

Stop that before you hurt yourself, Williams. You're more of a danger to yourself than me with a shotgun. [The voice is strange, with a low reverb - but behind that, it sounds about what someone might sound like after running a marathon with a broken leg] Someone get me some warmth. I'm exhausted.

[Soon after, some heating is arranged. The humanoid figure lays down, immobile and resting. If anyone wants to try talking to it, before anyone else, now's a perfect chance.]

Comments

1

[a_monetized_mind]

[Jen's looking over the debriefing papers with tea.]

...Okay, so...how are we going to kill this thing?

[herodrawing]

Kill? Ah, no! No, wait!

[Izuru flaps his arms furiously, like a bird learning to fly.]

Major Kagura is inside!

[a_monetized_mind]

...And how, exactly, do you know that?

Did she tell you she was in there? Did it write her name? Did it do a song and dance only Kagura would know?

[herodrawing]

Kei said so, and she has no reason to lie. It's Kei after all!

[actuallyselfish]

Dido walks up to the containment chamber, gun holstered at her side

"You told me," she says softly, "to stop pussyfooting around and shoot our problems in the face." She lays fingers on the butt of her gun. "I will do that...but not today.

She snaps her fingers. "Hang in there, Sergeant!" She shouts dramatically. "We're gonna pussyfoot you out of there!"

[empress_without_a_throne]

Hard to say how much we can actually do and how much the Major's going to have to.

[Mizuki's eying that gun worryingly. Did Dido get training for that yet?]

Then again, she managed to get herself this far.

[actuallyselfish]

"Ah, Mizuki!" Dido blurts out, jumping slightly as you reveal yourself. She rubs the back of her head. "I didn't hear you coming..."

She coughs. "So what do you think?" She asks. "Is Kagura's Mistletoe form still buried in that PRAYER...or is she the PRAYER itself?"

2

[stupidhonor]

Ah.

[Sielje stares apprehensively. Can she even approach the figure without being burned? She does not feel the heat, but for now she keeps her distance.]

You came out.

Re: 2

[dignity_kept]

[It doesn't seem to burn. It just seems to give a strange ticklish sensation if you try to get close]

The knight. Still alive, I see.

[stupidhonor]

That I am. But... are you?

2

[pulledplug]

[Wiat. So that's... Kagura. Here he thought she'd just been a robot but...]

... You're like, a fairy?

A fairy that was in a tin can?

[dignity_kept]

And you're a noisy annoyance in a red suit.

[The reverberating voice doesn't come very loud, sounding more like three people talking at the same time with the worst hangover in the universe]

I don't really know what I am right now. Too tired to think.

[pulledplug]

Right... right...

Just tired though, right? Not in pain or anything? In that first trip to the Dome stuff went really south in the end, so... yeah.

2

[abugslife]

I did not expect to see you again.

Especially not in this form.

Re: 2

[dignity_kept]

[The thing does not turn its head towards Hetepheres yet]

I don't even know if you have. Though I suppose the fact I'm still stubborn enough to try to deal with an identity crisis while my mind is bleeding from massive psychic trauma is a good sign.

...all of them make it out alright?

[abugslife]

Yes. You were the only casualty. Or so everyone thought.

...

Do you know just what exactly happened to you, Major?

2

[majestic_keiki]

Major?

[Kei carefully approaches the figure, having happened to be nearby as it finally got out.]

It's you, right?

Re: 2

[dignity_kept]

[The creature takes a few seconds to answer]

I'm not sure. Hoping it is.

I think I am.

Re: 2

[majestic_keiki]

Sounds like you probably are. Even if you've changed.

2

[herodrawing]

Major Kagura! You're back! Somehow, you're alright!

Re: 2

[dignity_kept]

"Alright" is kinda relative. [The voice sounds like it's echoing on itself - but all the multiple layers of it sound like someone having the worst hangover]

[herodrawing]

But you're here! And alive... I think. Though something strange happened to you, but let's not sweat the details for now.

2

[brought_it_back]

[Eva takes a good while to work up the courage to speak. So for the moment, she just sort of watches the energy being.]

Um...

Re: 2

[dignity_kept]

[Well, it's just going to wait there, glowing, until Eva actually says something. It needs the rest.]

Re: 2

[brought_it_back]

...

...Who are you?