The Forge

[+Sorana]

"Mind control."

Lena repeated and got up again. She couldn't think while sitting down, doing nothing. Her legs shook, but less than before. A good sign. It meant she maybe could skip around the valium this time. She took a few steps to the side and started to prepare dessert. Usually that was the moment, where she would start brewing a poison of some sorts, but she doubted Alask would like that. And she didn't dare confront him about it, as long as Mart was in need of a place to stay.

"Let's say you are right. And we can get it here. How do you ensure that it doesn't kill innocents?"

Her eyes rested on her son when she asked that question. Alask knew her good enough to know, that she didn't really care about innocents. All this heroic fighting for strangers wasn't for her.

"And, unless you,"

She nodded at Eve,

"Can mind control something like the Phoenix, then I have no idea who should."

Grinning when an idea crossed her mind she pointed with a spoon at Alask.

"You are a genius! You propose we travel to its nest, don't you? That would be fun. There are legends, that it lives on an deserted island, next to trees that burst into flames every morning. Some others claim, that it has a nest high in the mountains, and then there are those, that believe it lives somewhere in a desert."

"We could try to find out where it lives, travel there and ask it to come by. Then we don't need someone who is able to control it and the journey itself sounds liks a story worth to be told."

Mixing cream and sugar she paused.

"We might be too slow. So maybe it's better to find someone able to control it and then get him to work with us. I'm sure I can think of a way, that makes not helping unattractive."

[I think I am here.]

8 minutes ago, Sorana said:

Mixing cream and sugar she paused.

"We might be too slow. So maybe it's better to find someone able to control it and then get him to work with us. I'm sure I can think of a way, that makes not helping unattractive."

Alask nodded, looking to others who were inside with him, finally looking to the child, sleeping peacefully. Alask had had a stuffed animal like that too, except the little bear had a cookie in one hand. Maybe with all that had been happening a cookie wasn’t the way to comfort a child anymore. Shaking the nostalgic thoughts out of his head he responded to Lena.

“It does sound like a real quest,” he said. “But, like you said, we might be too late to help people. So,” he thought about what she had said, that they could find someone who could mind control and then use them to work for them. “I think we’d have to use the other option, to get someone to help us, one way or another.”

He looked through his files again. Yes, it had to be mind control. In Oasis, the main bad epic, who’d massacred people, he had mind control. And in the Seven Day War, there had been that whole speech thing about angering all of the abominations, mind control. So, it had to be that. But, the question still remained, on how they kept the Phoenix from doing more harm as it should. As Eve had said, it always came at a price.

“But, if we keep the destruction limited to the building, I don’t think there will be too much of a loss.”

Because, Lena didn’t care for lives. And when it came to the selfish guilds that had ruined the city, Alask certainly didn’t care for theirs either. And Eve, well, by her posters she and that friend of hers kept posting around the city it seemed she wouldn’t mind if some guild members were destroyed. The only person Alask could see against it would be Tels, the Ghostblood. But... Alask wold deal with that later.

“If we just allow it to hit the PlasmaCore building, it would destroy all the problems PlasmaCore created, right?” That’s how it worked. Destroy the base, destroy the problem. “So, once it destroyed the building, we could summon it elsewhere? So it went in another direction?”

[Truthless of Shinovar]

Tels began to grow more and more excited as Alask began to lay out his plan. “This could actually work!” Tels said. “I suppose the real problem would be making sure everyone but PlasmaCore was out of the building, and making sure that the Phoenix is in a tight leash so that it doesn’t rampage the city. I don’t suppose any of us have mind control though, so that throws a monkey wrench into the plan...”

[I think I am here.]

28 minutes ago, Truthless of Shinovar said:

Tels began to grow more and more excited as Alask began to lay out his plan. “This could actually work!” Tels said. “I suppose the real problem would be making sure everyone but PlasmaCore was out of the building, and making sure that the Phoenix is in a tight leash so that it doesn’t rampage the city. I don’t suppose any of us have mind control though, so that throws a monkey wrench into the plan...”

“You’re part of the Ghostbloods, right?” Alask asked, thinking. “Surely you’d have some connections, maybe someone with the right Investiture?”

[+Sorana]

Lena shook her head while she put the cream aside and started to prepare a dough.

"I doubt we'll be able to contain it Alask. The heros of the Seven Day War couldn't, and we are just four, none of us hero like them. If we call it here, we have to accept, that it will probably try to kill every living being in this city."

Which meant, that she had to get Mart out of it before they started their plan. Sorrow crossed her face, when she tried to think of a good place to go.

Alask's question sparked a thought.

"I heard a rumor, that some pretty strong people are running through the Sewer's right now. One of them is said to be able to influence people in a strong way. One of the Canton leaders."

@I think I am here.

Edited June 21, 2019 by Sorana

[Silva]

Eve stayed quiet as she mulled it over.

The Phoenix could destroy PlasmaCore. That was a given. 

But it would come at a cost. The cost of lives.

Do you want lives on your hands? her subconscious asked her. Do you want to be the reason someone is dead? You, a sixteen year old, just to try and do something?

Lives of guild members. she thought. The people who have hurt this city many times.Except...if they were in the building, they were trying to help the city. They'd be killing the very people they needed around most. Eve wasn't anti-guild, she was just opposed to what they represented. The people themselves weren't the issue, rather the philosophy.

And how would they even get it mind-controlled in the first place?

The points of her subconscious were too large to ignore.

"...maybe someone with the right Investiture?" Alask asked. She'd missed the start of the question, but the meaning still transferred.

They'd need someone with Investiture to help. Eve swallowed. An Invested.

"I doubt we'll be able to contain it Alask. The heroes of the Seven Day War couldn't, and we are just four, none of us hero like them. If we call it here, we have to accept, that it will probably try to kill every living being in this city," Lena said. "I heard a rumor, that some pretty strong people are running through the Sewer's right now. One of them is said to be able to influence people in a strong way. One of the Canton leaders."

She shook her head, subconscious winning over the conscious mind. No. This would never work correctly. It would only harm the situation. "To use a guild to harm another guild attempting to solve an issue is to start a war. And a war is the last thing we need."

Do you want lives on your hands? The question echoed through her again.

No. I don't.

Because despite her efforts to act otherwise, despite everything she'd been through, she was a teenager. A broken, hateful, and passionate one, but a teenager nonetheless. And most teenagers with a conscience weren't killers at heart.

[Truthless of Shinovar]

“You talk as if a war hasn’t already begun,” Tels said. “If you need proof, take a look outside the window. Look at what PlasmaCore is doing, destroying the city. The thing is, they won’t stop there. PlasmaCore is truly something different. Worse than the DA. I don’t know what their goal is, but right now, they seem bent on destruction. And that’s coming from me, a Ghostblood! As for connections,” Tels said, turning towards Alask, “I can check. I’m still pretty new to the Ghostbloods, so I have no way of knowing if I’ll be able to receive help. I’ll see what I can do.”

[Silva]

He really had no idea.

"This," she gestured out the window, "is not war. This is one force attacking another. This is a battle. 

"Destruction of the city, sadly, is nothing new. Every few years it gets demolished. PlasmaCore is nothing new. Sure it comes by a new name, but at the end of the day it's just another force trying to cause trouble. That's not new. That's old. They use different methods, yet still fall under that category. 

"War is different. War is the guilds turning on one another. Here at least they appear to be trying to get along. In war, they hate backing down. It's much worse. Much much worse. Pick up a history book someday, Tels."

Eve turned away, back towards the window. Hair fell in her face and covered an eye. She didn't push it back. "You all do what you like, but know it's likely not going to help in the long run. Earlier I criticized the guilds for not planning for the long term. Don't sink to their level."

[Truthless of Shinovar]

Tels folded his arms, pondering on how to phrase what he was going to say. “Listen, I know that I have no right to say this. I was not here for the Seven Day War, but whether or not this is war is unimportant. Not even the guilds matter right now. The city is in chaos, and despite so many people’s efforts, innocents are dying. You said that evil always comes. Maybe the important thing is that we always fight against this. The will to face countless evils, regardless of whether or not they end up changing the future for the better, but protecting the people who deserve life more than we do, truly defines who we are. I ask, why give up hope because others have failed in the past? We cannot let past mistakes define what we do now, not let future worries inhibit us from taking action.”

Tels paused to catch his breath, surprised to hear what he said. “We can’t change future problems if we don’t solve the ones we have right now. And right now, what everyone needs is for this living nightmare to end. If that’s acheived through the Phoenix, then so be it.”

[MacThorstenson]

10 hours ago, Truthless of Shinovar said:

If that’s acheived through the Phoenix, then so be it.”

Quote

HOLY STORMING HECK! You guys want to summon the Phoenix again? We’re screwed...

 

[I think I am here.]

21 minutes ago, MacThorstenson said:

HOLY STORMING HECK! You guys want to summon the Phoenix again? We’re screwed...

Quote

Yeah, I happen to have a... habit for summoning the Phoenix every era, and I wouldn’t want to miss out on this one, right?  

 

[Truthless of Shinovar]

Quote

It’ll be my first time seeing it, I can’t wait!!!!

 

[+Sorana]

Lena looked at Alask.

"I'm in if you want to do it."

She told him quietly.

"Your information, your call."

@I think I am here.

[I think I am here.]

As Tels and Eve argued, Lena looked to Alask and quietly told him that it was his decision, that she would be up for it if he made the call.

The call.

Every time, every single time, it came to decision. Every event in history was shaped by hard choices. And every time someone had to make the call. make the call to stab a spike in the center of the universe, make the call to make humanity. Make the call to begin a guild, make the call to create a guild war, make a call to unleash the Phoenix. And this time, it was his decision. And Alask knew that no matter how hard he tried, he could never please everyone.

What would Laonin do?

Because Laonin was gone, but his legacy still stood, kind of. The man had just wanted to make the world a better place, and now what was Alask going to do? Laonin had spent what time he'd had in the city to fix it, and in one swoop the Phoenix could destroy it all. But, Alask wanted to protect the city. They had a secret weapon, and if they used it correctly, it could take out the PlasmaCore building, and nothing more.

Easier said than done, but everything was like that, wasn't it? From thievery to heroics, everything seemed impossible until it was done. And Alask, and the rest of the Forge here, they could show the world, that the little guys could do something, that the guilds didn't rule the world and they certainly didn't rule the city.

Time ticked by and Alask sighed.

"Let's do it," he said, turning to Lena, then standing up and addressing the rest of the Forge, nervous.

"We're doing it. The other people who summoned the Phoenix, they did it by accident, hadn't researched. We," Alask held up the documents and took a deep breath. "Have the information, we know what to do, and we can show the guilds that we can do things too, we won't stand around while they dawdle." He glanced apologetically to Eve, the only one who'd voiced against it.

"It may seem like it'll do more harm than good, but this time its different. We can do this."

@Sorana

@Silva

@Truthless of Shinovar

@Turtle373

 

Edited June 23, 2019 by I think I am here.

[Truthless of Shinovar]

Tels nodded. “I’ll call a contact,” he said, pulling out a phone, and stepping into the other room.

[+Sorana]

3 hours ago, I think I am here. said:

"It may seem like it'll do more harm than good, but this time its different. We can do this."

Lena grinned happily.

"They will tell this story for years to come."

And she would be a part of it. She had no idea if it would work, but it sounded crazy and dangerous and exciting. Perfect.

"So we wait and see if he can find someone, if he can't, we'll try to find a fitting person ourselves."

She looked over to Mart. He was still asleep. Which was good. She would never take him closer to the phoenix. That was no place for a child.

Humming she put the dessert on the table and placed some spoons and plates next to it.

"Help yourself. "

Quote

I suggest to move this to the main plot thread as soon we actively start the operation/ the preparations.

 

[Silva]

"I wasn't even born during the Seven Day War. Maybe it is the same level of desperation. Maybe it's not. That's one thing history books never tell you," Eve said. "How to act when it's your turn."

Tels made valid points. Points she'd heard over and over again before. The same blatantly careless and uncalculated points. 

But even the most basic things had truth.

He moved away and she let out a breath. 

Lena and Alask had a short conversation. She watched Alask debate the course of action. Finally he turned to them. 

"We're doing it. The other people who summoned the Phoenix, they did it by accident, hadn't researched. We," Alask said, holding up the documents. "Have the information, we know what to do, and we can show the guilds that we can do things too, we won't stand around while they dawdle."

He looked at Eve, slightly apologetically. She winced slightly on the direct acknowledgement. "It may seem like it'll do more harm than good, but this time it's different. We can do this."

She broke the eye contact. Tels stepped into the other room to call someone. To get that Invested's help, she presumed.

Lena was smiling. "They will tell this story for years to come," she said. "So we wait and see if he can find someone, if he can't, we'll try to find a fitting person ourselves." She put more food on the table along with utensils. "Help yourselves."

Eve wasn't hungry. Her mind was flashing through possibilities of what could go wrong. Of how the situation might end up worse.

"For everyone's sakes," she said to Alask, sitting back down on the armrest she'd perched on earlier. "I hope you're right."

Quote

Probably a good idea, Sorana.

Edited June 23, 2019 by Silva
Punctuation errors

[I think I am here.]

Quote

Yup, main plot thread sounds good.

“For everyone’s sakes, I hope you’re right,” Eve said.

Alask nodded, looking at the desert Lena had placed on the worktable. Alask’s appetite had disappeared from the talk of the Phoenix, the serious implications of what they were going to do. Just the thought of the choice they’d made, and now they were eating desert. But it looked good and Alask didn’t want to offend Lena, so he took a spoon and ate a little of it, taking small bites. It was good.

“Let’s get started, then.”

[Truthless of Shinovar]

Lured back into the room by the smell of a desert, Tels walked back in. “Max went straight to voicemail, but I left him a message. With any luck, he’ll be here soon.” Tels grabbed a plate, and then began to head towards the door. “Listen, I’ve got some important business I’ve got to attend to, and I may be gone for awhile. Don’t count on me for help, but I’ll be back.”

Quote

I’ll be out of town for a bit, see ya guys later!

 

[I think I am here.]

Alask waved as Tels left. At least he’d done his job, with enough luck they’d have someone with the right skills right at their doorstep.

Quote

Have fun!

 

[+Sorana]

Lena ate some dessert as well, looked at Alask.

"So we'll wait, until someone shows up?"

She asked and grinned at Eve. The girl had a conscience, had tried to tell them to stop. Which was sensible. But sensible wasn't for her. A large giant flamming bird, that was more like her.

She had no idea who Tels had asked, but as it probably was a Ghostblood she readied some poisons. You never knew. And she'd never trusted the guilds.

Quote

Will you start that plotline in the main plot? Should you move Max, maybe when you do that?

@I think I am here.

[I think I am here.]

On 27/06/2019 at 0:07 AM, Sorana said:

Lena ate some dessert as well, looked at Alask.

"So we'll wait, until someone shows up?"

She asked and grinned at Eve. The girl had a conscience, had tried to tell them to stop. Which was sensible. But sensible wasn't for her. A large giant flamming bird, that was more like her.

She had no idea who Tels had asked, but as it probably was a Ghostblood she readied some poisons. You never knew. And she'd never trusted the guilds.

“Yeah,” Alask said.

———————-

It had been a while, and no one had shown up. And meanwhile, the city burned.

“You said you heard they were in the Sewers, right?” Alask asked. “Maybe we should go and meet them.”

And he moved to leave the Forge. Anyone who wanted to follow them could.

[+Sorana]

3 hours ago, I think I am here. said:

It had been a while, and no one had shown up. And meanwhile, the city burned.

“You said you heard they were in the Sewers, right?” Alask asked. “Maybe we should go and meet them.”

And he moved to leave the Forge. Anyone who wanted to follow them could.

Lena grinned.

Mart was fast asleep, and they had eaten. She grabbed her bag and followed Alask.

"Let's head to the black market first. I'd like to get some disguises."

Edited July 10, 2019 by Sorana

[Silva]

"I'll watch Mart," Eve said. 

She had a feeling that whatever they would do to convince the Invested wouldn't be anything she wanted to see. And, to an extent, she was still hesitant about trusting that the Phoenix wouldn't get out of control. It made sense the way to summon it, but keeping it controlled...that was a totally different deal.

Besides, Mart didn't deserve to be left alone. Someone needed to stay with him. Waking up alone was never a nice feeling. The kid didn't need to come into consciousness wondering what to do.

After Alask and Lena left, she resecured the door. 

Eve sat down and looked out the window. At any moment a flaming bird might appear in the sky and if it seemed out of control and headed their way, she wouldn't hesitate to bring Mart to somewhere safer. She'd make sure he was alright or at least do her best to.

The boy's eyes were shut. Gently, not squinted. Truly asleep and deeply so. He wouldn't be waking up any time soon. She picked up a history book from the shelf to read before stifling a yawn. 

It was going to be a long night. 

[+Sorana]

On 10.7.2019 at 10:39 PM, Silva said:

The boy's eyes were shut. Gently, not squinted. Truly asleep and deeply so. He wouldn't be waking up any time soon. She picked up a history book from the shelf to read before stifling a yawn. 

It was going to be a long night. 

Mart woke with a start when the soothing hit him. Crying he clutched his little bear and tapped over to Eve, threw his arms around her leg and buried his face against her pants.

“You stayed.”

He repeated again and again, sounding almost surprised.