driftfleet | the white noise is deafening silence

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the white noise is deafening silence

[In the very early hours of January 20th, as the Marsiva and her captives drift nonchalantly through the depths of the universe, there is a call. Every single personal communicator and console springs to life, spitting out a stream of indecipherable static and showing only gray snow on screen. It continues like this for a few seconds longer, going black and then going staticky, and then the signal switches to the encrypted channel generally used for speaking to the Interceptors when something big goes down.

This is a little more successful. The voice may be familiar to some, at least through the static.]

Zhade here! I trust I ███ your attention? I'm having some ██▓▓ble ██tting through. Some of the ░▓██▓█ are missing. I can't ░▓▓▓ read on their loc█████ns. [A particularly long burst of static.] ███stening. I'll s█▓▓█ more inf██▓▓▓▓▓█ I get it.

Stay sharp! [There's the sound of someone actually doing the fingerguns wink noise, and then static.

Any messages sent back won't get through, and Zhade isn't there to answer.]

[ A blip of lost time passes right after those words, before every passenger mysteriously wakes alone in their own unfamiliar room. The style of decor resembles that of the Marsiva's Hospitality Deck, if any passengers should remember what that's like. It sounds and smells the same as the host ship as well, all clean and chrome.

Welcome back to the Marsiva, dear passengers. It's time for round three of calibrations. ]

[ This mingle will cover all non-calibration room interactions. Please continue to come back to it for the duration of the plot! You are, of course, free to post any other mingles/posts/etc. that you'd like. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

... You had that moment, and it was stolen from both of you.

[So of course this would be the result. How could it not, with it being something so emotionally raw and powerful? Haggar was only just remembering how such things could feel. What that sort of loss could do to a soul.

And Lup had dug her way in, made those feelings resonate in a way she could not fully comprehend but they were there.]

... you do still have a tether. Your brother's memories may be compromised, as you may be, but he is still Taako. He is present and a part of you.

[That is why, she thinks, that Lup has not completely lost herself. That knowledge, even if it was hard. Even if it was barely enough now to keep her--herself. But she still was. There was strength in her, even for all of this. The heart behind her choices even if they were not wholly wise ones.]

Teach me more about this so that I may aid you. You may be a ... "time bomb", but there is still... time.

[Not that she knows if she could or not, but she had been allowed into this confidence. The least she could do would be to see what support she could provide to... her own anchor, in a real and almost scary sense.]

Well... yeah. That's kind of what this is for.

[She raises her arms a little, indicating the chains.]

This spell is meant to keep me bound here- I can't break myself free, and I'm stuck until it's dispelled. Or... until the Atroma see fit to move us. Once that happens, it'll be... easier. Hopefully.

[Not that there's any sort of guarantee on that, either. She sets free a frustrated huff, sparks dancing once again up and down her form. It's a subconscious, uncontrolled display of power, and once it passes she shakes as if to try and dispel it.]

If there's a place to use up all this arcane energy, like a planet or a waystation or even just some rock in the middle of space, an isolated spot where I can burn off steam, then I should be okay. I've been doing that on the reg since I got here, since this whole mess with Taako started. Being stuck on this stupid ship with no way to do that? On top of these dreams making everything so much worse? It's... bad. It backed me into a corner. I had no outlet and this was the only way to keep everyone else safe, so I hid.

[It's hard to see, but within the cowl of the hood there's a trace of a smile, small and rueful.]

Not that it worked on everyone. So if you've got any suggestions, I'm all ears.

... So it is... something of a case of maintaining a certain amount of energy?

[She frowns, quiet for a moment as she considers Lup's words, weighing what to suggest. She does have -- some ideas. Whether any were applicable at this moment in time, however...

Well. That also depended on Lup. Her considerations had risks, but it wasn't as if Lup wasn't already in a risky situation.]

Are you able to... use that magic in any lesser way while being bound? Or can some of it... be drawn from you.

[Neutralizing. Absorbing. It was sort of her thing.]

It's only one part of it, but it's the only part I can fix, so yeah.

[She gives Haggar's suggestions a bit of thought, making a gesture as if tapping one bony finger to her chin.]

So, here's the main problem... most of my spells, especially the big ones, are destructive in nature. I've used up some of my slots with illusions-

[And she gestures towards the other end of the bed, where the programmed illusion of her regular (albeit sickly) self is still chilling.]

But I can't just keep recasting that over and over because it's really intricate, and it only takes up so much power. Illusions and harmless stuff was never really my speciality, so my options are more limited there. Do you... can you absorb arcane energy? Do you know how to drain it from something, or someone?

[She listens. That's about as much as she had figured, but it was better to be certain. Even a smaller destructive spell to burn off more consistently, kept contained... likely the less efficient of the options. Safer, maybe. Tedious. Not really them.

But then Lup asks that more direct question, instead.]

... Yes.

[Even if she had never encountered a Lich like Lup before, space was vast and she certainly had... years of study of other creatures. Other situations.]

I am used to handling energy in that manner. It should not be difficult to help you... maintain a balance while we are trapped like this.

[....Huh. That's... a fix that she hadn't actually considered before. Not a perfect solution, obviously, and one that would require a lot of trust on both sides, but it's a new possibility.

Speaking of trust, though-]

Balance would be... important, if we're gonna do it. I'm pure arcane energy when I'm like this, which means that what you'd be draining away is like... me. Literally, me. Do you think you can differentiate between my magic and my soul?

[Because she has no idea how this even works - she's not familiar with that sort of spell - but the thought of someone siphoning away her soul is the most terrifying thing she's ever heard. She's a lich, the whole point of the ritual was to fuse her soul into her own arcane energy so that nothing could get in the way of her drawing upon it. So where does the magic end and she begin?]

Your soul...

[That was a very important distinction to make, and only highlighted the risks. Extra precautions to take. Separation of soul and energy... out here, certainly, it all blended together, but once they were connected...

In any case, she certainly had experience dealing with souls as well as energy, as much as she takes a measured thought on how to actively recognize the differences, what might need to be done to assure them. Importantly, she -- cared about Lup. That informed so much of how to approach this. There were rare things that she would handle in such a careful way, at least... before arriving here.]

... during the process, yes. It does complicate what I had initially considered, but it will not make it impossible.

[Finding a way to balance someone was far different than... any other uses for such magic, really. It would have to be done very delicately, more of a push and pull...]

I believe it is the best I can offer you... but it is your decision. You have already suffered much.

[And this would no doubt be stressful at first no matter how well the intent.]

[Fair warning, that, and Lup takes a few moments to give it the consideration it deserves. Complicated does not mean dangerous, but she can still smell the danger- her instincts are screaming at her to be cautious. The possible is the part she's focusing on. It's possible that Haggar could drain her power. It's possible that she could separate one from the other and leave Lup's soul intact. It's possible that this could work- that it could help. It's a huge offer.

Possible doesn't mean guaranteed, either, though. This could work. Or it could go very badly. If that happens, she has no idea how it could be fixed. People can return to life here when they die, but what about those who are already dead?

It's… daunting. A big scary question mark that gives her cause to hesitate. She can't resolve things with Taako if she's incapable of holding her life essence together anymore.

But she can't resolve things like this, either, and if she loses it completely then they're all boned. Fuuuuck, she hates this.

Eventually, though... she spreads her arms in a slight, uneasy shrug. There's danger in her just existing like this, untethered and uncontrolled. If she can lower the risk to others by increasing the risk to herself? She's not especially self-sacrificing, but it feels like a fair trade. More importantly, it'll mean that Taako is safe.

She chooses trust.]

Can't get much worse than this, right? So… sure, I'll try it. Do your worst.

[Or, uh. Best. Preferably.]

[Haggar remains quiet, patient, while Lup weighs the options. Certainly, a lot more seemed far more frightening in Lup's court here, and she knew that a considerable amount of time was needed, for her to think about it, the risks she faced in her current state, and any, going forward like this. And while Lup contemplates, Haggar also, thinks to herself, about the methods and... just the level of investment required. Trust.

Lup could very well say no thank you, and let it be, which would have been understandable. All sorts of layers of vulnerability were involved here, mental and physical. Emotional. And here they were.

Lup finally speaks, and Haggar raises her head to look back up at her.]

... Indeed.

[Her best, of course. Even if it was among the "worst" sorts of talents to have.]

This location is not ideal, but that is one of many things in these circumstances that are not.

[It just added another layer of caution. That could be dealt with.]

I will have to slow down the process for our precautions. It may take us several sessions to adjust, especially with the way night occurs in this place.

[Depending on how soon Lup wants to begin; that also is up to her, as much as Haggar thinks it's better for her to assess sooner than later. Though Lup's tone does seem to imply sooner. What else can she do, in that state?]

Yeah, sorry, there's jack I can do about the location.

[She gives her chains another meaningful shake.]

This shit's permanent until the caster dispels it, and I said not to let me go until we're off this boat. It's here for you guys, not me.

[She bobs her head as Haggar offers up more details. Makes sense- she doesn't want to rush it. Lup's more than happy to let her take her time, if it minimizes the risk of her losing herself in the middle of it. The worst case scenario would be for whatever this spell is to draw out her soul and leave just the magic... oh gods, now she's got a nightmare scenario in mind. Maybe she should send a message to Kravitz or something, in case this goes horribly wrong. The Imprisonment spell should still hold her in place, but after that...?

Good thing she doesn't need to breathe, or she might be having trouble with it, now. Ugh.]

Okay, um... take all the time you need to prep for it, I guess? You're the expert. Not like I'm going anywhere.

... Understood.

[She did not think that particular spell should interfere with what she was going to do, but she hadn't realized it was being held by someone else on Lup. Good to know. Something more to factor away.

That said, Haggar takes another measured pause for her considerations. Certainly she can think of several highly unpleasant scenarios that they might have to deal with no matter what the precautions, but not--unrecoverable from. Greater chance of success than not, or she would not have offered it.]

The initial assessments will assist me to determine the needed calculations for us. When I have them ready, we will begin at the start of the next day.

[And since she had some ideas in mind, she did not think that part would really take her that long to sort out, either, precautions or not. Energy weaves were usually at the forefront of her thoughts.]

... How often do people come in see you? The less chance for a disturbance of my concentration... unless you call for it, the smoother it all will go, of course.

[Even with that sign up, which she hadn't found a very good deterrent to begin with, all things considered, but there was the chance that most people weren't like her and would let it be.]

Man, you think of everything.

[She's not surprised by this; Haggar has been, historically, a pretty thorough lady. It's just extra useful right now, with Lup nowhere near her right mind in this state.]

You're technically my first visitor? I think my plague threat has scared most people off, or at least given them the hint that they should leave me alone. The biggest problem would be Taako, but if he is feeling inclined to check in on me - and that's a big if - I've got someone else running interference. We should be okay for a day or so. At least a few hours, bare minimum.

[If he's feeling especially stubborn... well, she doesn't know how long Kravitz can distract him, but hopefully it won't be necessary for much longer. The Atroma can't keep them locked up here forever, right?]

I can toss an illusion over the door, as a precaution. Make it look like there's no door, or that it's one of the empty rooms. Something like that.

... Good.

[It's a little refreshing, to be in her wheelhouse and sort out a strategy for her magic in this way, and even to discuss it with someone else. It wasn't like dealing with the Druids.

Still, Lup's news is more promising, if things have been going as she had said. The sooner the better this was worked out, but not without losing efficiency.]

I will add a ward for... sound, as well, unless that is something you can also cover.

[Which should go without saying as to why that would be needed.]

[Yeah, she doesn't miss the implication there. Her face is obscured by the shadows and the hood, so her expression isn't visible, but a heavy silence falls between them as she considers those words. Even if it was vague, Haggar wouldn't have said it if this process didn't merit a warning. She's gonna make noise. Probably gonna hurt. She's not a fan of that.

.....Ugh, fuck it. Whatever this entails, she's almost certainly had worse.]

I haven't got a spell for that one, sorry. And even if I did, pretty sure I'd have to concentrate on it to keep it going.

[And yeah, she's a warcaster, she's good at focusing beyond pain, but screwing this up could bring all sorts of unwanted attention and trouble. The last thing they need is some hero barging in and finding poor Haggar like, torturing a ghost or something. While a Lup copy watches from the bed.

Gods this room looks fucking weird right now.]

What about a way to shield yourself from danger? If this goes tits-up, I might accidentally lash out in the wrong direction. Instincts and all that. Will you be safe? I might have something for that, at least.

[It does look really weird.

It's all the more reason to discuss these precautions. To be certain they were on the same page. Lup still had plenty of time to change her mind, if it came to it. They both would scream. It would not be pretty. Not to listen to, anyway. The whirling of energy, though, that might be a sight to see.

For her part, Haggar keeps her attention on Lich-Lup, not the body on the bed, as they talk. For all her precautions, her thought had been more of the risk to Lup, not so much herself. Although she had witnessed some fraction of Lup's power to be aware of what could occur, there at the tree, were something to go so wrong that she'd lose... sense of herself, that sanity she was clinging to.]

What did you have in mind? I have some options to consider.

[Although they were not exactly ideal, given she'd have to break concentration to shield or move--if she could, depending on how entwined they were. Or set up another energy weave to catch and absorb what might come, which wasn't exactly the same. A barrier? Options.]

Probably easier if I just show you.

[She waves her hand in Haggar's direction, and she's suddenly surrounded in a faint, brief sheen of arcane energy. It isn't much, just a bit of mage armor, but it might take the edge off.]

Every little bit has gotta do something, right? I don't know how many wards you can have going at once, you'd know your limits better than me- it might help, or it might not. Either way, do what you have to, just...

[She pauses with uncertainty, exhaling a sigh- or making the sound of it, anyway. Kind of hard to do it for real without lungs.]

Don't... don't let me kill you. If you have to stop and run, don't hesitate.

[She could feel the energy settling around her. Different, heavy. An unfamiliar sensation, but something of a buffer. It would help, certainly. Being in such close quarters with all of that energy, one could not always trust to reflexes, no matter how quick hers were.

Then Lup speaks further. What a... concern. Haggar had her confidence, but she did know how to flee. Granted most circumstances she had been involved in did not have her pit up against energy that could fight back, and... well, the last time that happened, she had found herself at a disadvantage, now that she thinks of it.

She doesn't like to recall that.]

... This will help.

[She speaks, after having considered the "armor".]

Do not worry. I do have options, should something go amiss. For yourself... focus on your memories. On Taako. Your heart. It will be difficult, but I believe in your... strength, to endure.

...O... okay. I'll try.

[It's kind of what she's been trying for the last few days, and the last several months besides, and this is going to test that commitment of hers if it ends up as awful as it sounds, but... no choice involved. Or little choice, anyway. Some vague, open door concept of choice.

...whatever. She floats herself lower to the ground and moves into what more or less passes as "kneeling" for an ethereal ghost monster, folds her skeletal hands in her lap, tucks the chains around her, and waits. Whenever Haggar has everything prepped, whenever she wants to do this, Lup is ready.]

[She knows Lup's been trying to do this all along. It's encouragement, as well as a reminder. It didn't make the plans any less disturbing, but... these were the circumstances. So much trust was required. Much was... on the line. But she knew her capabilities.]

Then I will prepare. There is much to do.

[Which means less conversation, while she assesses and calculates the complexities, although she does check in with her, through the process. It takes time, as anticipated; the night's interruptions do not help, but luckily, progress is not hindered.

On the third day, she tells Lup she's ready. Her glyphs are calculated, her wards are chosen, she's feeling focused.]

[And Lup is... still there! Still chained up, still a lich. Shocking, right.

She's meditating when she gets the message, trying to keep focused and restrained even within the room, so when Haggar arrives she's upright and slightly less volatile, though the same can't be said about the room itself. Beneath her maintained illusion, there are charred black marks along the walls, scars across the floor. The edges of her bedsheets look like they've been set on fire a few times, her abandoned body looks a little roughed up (though not dramatically injured at least), and there's an air of dampness to the room, like someone threw a bucket onto a campfire. Restraining a lich is one thing, but you don't store your good curtains near where you trap it.

She looks up as Haggar enters the room, waving awkwardly from her corner.]

Got it sorted, then?

[She's... nervous, that much is undeniable. A few days to resign herself to whatever fate befell her has spiked her anxiety as much as it's given her some reassurance that... at least, if it works, maybe it'll make things easier. Because things are very, very hard right now.

She's still sorely tempted to back out, here and now, before they even begin. To tell Kravitz, to tell Taako. Bite the bullet, take that risk. But the idea of doing that is still much, much more terrifying than risking her soul like this, which... kinda says a lot about her priorities. She'll maybe unpack that later, if she survives this. (She won't. Unpack it, that is. Hopefully survival will happen.)

Despite any lingering misgivings, she does trust Haggar with this, though, which is still weird for her, but fuck it. They're doing this.]

[She notices the lingering changes to the room almost immediately after her vision adjusts. They were not surprising; Lup was only chained, not en-capsuled in something. Another reminder, of the sort of energy that she possessed.]

I have.

[She would not have said so if otherwise, but she... understood, that Lup needed these verbal assurances. Especially considering what it was about, the importance of it. She positions herself across from Lup, leaving an even amount of space between them. There had been much to adjust for, and complicated though it was, the result she had decided with was also simpler, in a way, than what she had expected. Better to account for things should something go amiss with either of them.]

We can begin the remaining preparations when you are ready.

[Lup's spells, anyway. Haggar's were more tied together, from necessity, though in a way, Lup's energy would also help maintain it. A strange circle, indeed. Though after a short pause, she speaks again.]

How are you... feeling?

[A rare, direct inquiry into her state of being, even if the answer was possibly obvious, but... being aware of Lup's mental state was as important as shifting through her physical state was.]

[Lup straightens up, gesturing with a hand to cast her own wards and shields that she'd prepped for this moment. Mage armor is back for Haggar, an arcane trap at the door to mitigate the risk of outside interference, and a fire shield to activate... as long as she can maintain concentration on it. Whether or not she can do that while this is happening is a whole other story, but at least if something goes tits up, Haggar might not take some of the fire damage that is, more like than not, going to start bursting instinctively out of her spectral form.

Her body is going to have to tough it out without her help, so fingers crossed that it's all contained to one side of the room.]

Uh... would the truth or a placating lie be more useful to the success of this ritual or whatever we're doing? Because my answer is totally flexible.

[Her brows knit slightly.]

... I am not the one you would need to placate. I only wish for you to be... certain, before we go on.

[But this was a highly unusual situation and it required much from both of them. Readiness. Trust.

And at least one of them needed to remain confident, and so:]

Focus on yourself, as you have been. We will do this together.

[Lup bites back a snarky reply and just... pauses. Breathes. Bows her head and focuses on those words. Much like Taako her first instinct is to shrug it off and fake it, or simply compartmentalize those fears, but allowing herself to feel is what powers her in this form. Liches are fueled by raw emotion; they draw strength upon it, they intertwine their very existence with the memories that caused those feelings to manifest. Back when she was fighting the Hunger, she pulled upon her wrath, her rage, her hatred and grief over everything they'd lost and all the worlds they'd failed to save, her frustration of the endless cycle that had become their lives, and how their journey had changed all of them irrevocably.

But... her lich soul was more than that. It was compassion, loyalty, love.

Taako's voice as he woke her that morning, the taste of his food, his intimate knowledge of all her favourite things as he guided her step by step through her best day ever. The calming strength of his smile as he accepted her decision without argument, trusting her to find him again on the other side.

Barry's reassurance, his careful research, his brilliant, logical mind that acted as such perfect foil for her own thoughts and theories. His hands, wrapped tightly around her own, his lips against hers. His eyes soft and warm and determined, focused only on her.

"I got this."

You're not here. The others aren't here. Not Lucy, or Merle, or the captain. Seven birds, down to two and a half.

We were always better as a team, but just because it isn't you doesn't mean that we had to go it alone. After everything... I learned my lesson.

Finally she looks up again, determined now, and nods her head.]

I'm ready.

[I got this. We got this.]

[She waits patiently for Lup to deliberate her readiness.

It was interesting, in a way, just how different their states were. Everything about Lup's form was intense; the energy, the emotions, the fact that she could hold on to memory in such a way. To be able to aid her at all in such a way felt compelling, when Haggar had gone for so long not realizing that there was a part of her that could still feel such things.

Whether she chose to go through it or change her mind, she would still respect either answer. This was a choice. Haggar... did not often give choices to people. At least not before the fleet. Being able to do so, and to take so much caution, so much care for the other person... if she thought too much about the ramifications of that, it might be overwhelming.

But there's not much longer to think, once Lup looks up and responds and -- importantly, seems to carry that renewed certainty in her.

Haggar bows her head, and stoops to the floor.]

... Good. Then let us begin.

[And hold on tight.

She closes her eyes, breathes in deeply, and begins setting up her wardings, the first set of patterns and glyphs set crawling across the walls and floor.

Then, a new set of patterns emerges, blossoming out like identical flowers beneath where Haggar kneels and where Lup is chained. They are not yet activated; she has to apply her energy to it, but it's still a complex process, checking everything to make certain it's in place correctly, that it feels right.]

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