Charlotte Research at the Twilight Grove? Back during the mope-fest with Alycia and Summer. Talking with the Talking Statues about Magus Everard. Has some built-up plusses to carry forward. It's evening. This was less an SOS base as much as a place they just had. Originally kind of overseen by the original SOS Golden Age Magician type. The statues are the spirits of those who were bound up in this dimension when it got shunted aside during some ancient mystic battle. Statues are scattered around the grove. Pretty much everywhere, but some places with higher concentration. Reminds Charlotte a bit of the cemetery because ... ... old age, long timespan, only recently touched by the modern. Also, a sense of residual energy. Researching paranormal phenomena (Magus Everard)! [Superior - 8!] Wanders through the statuary for a while, before picking up what kind of things they are saying, to drive which one she wants to talk with. Communing. There are legends of the Twilight Grove back to at least the Greeks. They probably know stuff. Looking for a connection between herself, the Magus, Dr Infinity. Monologuing as she walks along. Whispers ... "What's happening?" And she tells them. Harry Andi's waiting out in the park. "Hey." H - Want to come in? A - Are you going to break up with me? We can do that out here? H - No, no nothing like that. A - You sure? I'm glad, but - (Slugs him in the shoulder.) You scared me, dummy. H - Sorry ... A - Don't do that. I tend to break things when I'm scared. You're not possessed, are you? Harry comfort food - there's a big bowl of Mac & Cheese on it. Pure, straight out of the Kraft box. Andi's into highly frosted cupcakes. A - What's going on, can I help? H - Planning on leaving the Menagerie. Adam It's been a few hours. What has he fixed? And what has he holding off on doing? Still in the category of "I can't even." Guilt-stricken somewhere. Sitting on top of the HHL building. Man, I did all this, so I could keep doing all the hero stuff. Not sure it was all worth it. Who finds him first? Alycia & Summer AEGIS has access to the building, so they call up Alycia. Alycia - back at the house. Summer is there, doing the dishes. Alycia cooked loaded baked potatoes. No Hormel chile from a can - something special and organic and free range from Whole Foods. It was ...crunchy. A gets a bloop from her heavily locked-down Android. Proximity alert on the HHL tower, only skeletally manned. It's one of your teammates. Concord. Homework okay. I'll head that way. Just be careful. Tell Summer. Wanna come? Not sure she can be ... kind to Adam. Can fly fast, text if you need me. Emergency AEGIS pass to get through the building. Adam & Alycia Adam is up on the roof, lying on the hard rocks. Glowing in the dark. Stop 10 feet away. Ad - Did they send you? Al - Yeah. (Concord can tell she's telling the truth.) Al - So, whatcha doing? Ad - Watching a satellite. Screwed things up. (Discussion about power.) (Pithing their fathers.) Inhale. Anyone with cosmic powers would probably make some mistakes. (Jason. AltFuture!Jason.) Even my father -- not cosmic power, but power nonetheless. Absolute power and all that. That kind of power isn't meant for humans. Do you think I'm human? Yes. (Would have been no, once upon a time.) Been in our head. Protecting family. Wanting to get away from the stress. Don't care about biology. Comfort & Support -- still angry toward Adam. [Mundane -> 5!] Charlotte Statues repeating certain words as she tells the story. "Magus magus magus" "Infinity infinity infinity" Whispers - what are you trying to ask? What are you trying to learn? To see what I don't see. To put the pieces together. Why? Because I can't let this path go forward. Why? (Oh, you know why (shhh!)) First, because I care about the world. And I don't want this to happen. Second, what I was meant to do (meant meant meant) Charlotte, is that you? (you you you) (charlotte charlotte charlotte) Did you finally come to get us? It's been so long! (female figure, seated, worn to abstraction) You're Charlotte Palmer? The Ghost Girl? (friend friend friend) You finally found us! It's been so long! You have me at a disadvantage. I'm not certain who you are. (Another statue.) She doesn't know who we are. [Unseen World -> 7!] Reach out to this woman to touch. Flash images of when she was alive. It's Mari /Power Pony, in her wheelchair. And the others look familiar. The semi-accusative male voice is ... Pietro? Harry Andi - And do what? No, wait, that came out wrong. Join the HHL? H - Everything is going well A - And you want to quit? H - Not quit. Just do some work away from the team. By myself. A - Here? H - Maybe. Halcyon isn't the only city that has villains. Not an immediate thing, but ... I've always been in a group -- family, or the Menagerie, and maybe in the future the HHL. But before any of that happ happens, I need to be a hero. A - After graduation. H - Yeah. A - So ... long term relationship. H - Would love for you to join me ... you have your team though. A - Don't take this the wrong way, but impressed, and little surprised, by how much thought you've put into this. That part is pretty cool. (Just about to kiss him when ...) They hear Charlotte say, "How did this happen? I'm so sorry!" Adam & Alycia Not a Newman C&S ... more of a fellow fuck-up saying welcome to the crew. Yeah, that doesn't work. Alycia can see he's closing down. clenching up. She pulls her cell phone. Adam - Stands. Alycia does not step back. Ad - Don't think cosmic powers are good for a person? For a kid? You want it? The keynome is in his hand. Ad - It comes with strings. It winds up eventually with Dr Infinity. It belongs to her. It powers all her stuff. And that's what we are here to protect, says three voices. Ad - Aw, c'mon! (Throws it, and it blips back into him.) Alycia blind-texts 911 to Summer. Summer is on her way. Adam - so what do you guys remember? Red - Our conversation was cut short, and we have returned to revisit it. Ad - I was hoping you'd remember at least five minutes without your Concordance shard talking in your head. (Had made them be his friend. Put their shards to sleep.) (They are currently in host mode.) Red - I remember that you affected the shards in some fashion, and damaged our connection to the larger Concordance. Ad - Already damaged. Have you guys been into space? That's a lot. Green - I've been up -- Red - No you haven't, shut up. We have a much cleaner connection. Our shards have been functional from the very beginning, unlike yours. Our incarnations are much closer to the intended imprint. Every incarnation adapts to its environment. Because we are closer, we can see the Truth of what you have done to yourself, and the problems, the critical failures, that will come about because of it. Ad - Okay. Wanna share? Red - The last time we had this conversation, you Wished us to be NICE. Ad - House! Sister! Panic! Red - The fact you were about able to turn the whole thing to an episode of Kate and Mim-mim is deeply disturbing. We;re just trying to make sense of all this. We have orders from the Concordance regarding your situation. Setting aside temporarily to address the greater issue. We do NOT adopt the powers of the keynomes on ANY world, esp. this one, given their preponderance. The concordance has only just realized how many are present in this world. Ad - It was a horrible decision, but I was stuck in a cave, Sol gave me everything so I could grab it and get away -- Red - There are reasons these rules are in place. It is not done for Many Good Reasons. Al - If you hadn't come in here all hot and heavy. Red ... can dispose of it. Ad - was going to give to one of my teammates to keep it safe. Because it has to be kept safe. Dr Infinity's tools use them. There are many keynomes on this planet, unprecedented. I know, I've touched three of them. !!! But keynomes establish reality. Dr Infinity transcends reality. When did you encounter them? Ad - In space. We came back from the future. I had to save my friends. I got flung into space, then Star Sable stabbed me in the back, followed by attacks by Dr I's avatars. Red - TBH, a great deal of Dr I's interactions within our timelines in the last several hundred years have been in this sector. Thankfully have not had to deal with them that much. Obsessed with Earth. We can understand, if power is linked to these keynomes. , there's so many right here. Honestly, the very nature of the things makes them inimical to their established powers ... how can their technology be infused with their power? What do you want to do, Agent Amari? What is your intent? Ad - I DON"T KNOW. Summer - (Arrives) (Or had arrived but nobody was paying attention to her.) Red - We can only assume that you -- Blue - To give the benefit of the doubt, the keynomes and their heightened presence here obviously have something to do with Dr I's presence here. It would therefore be impossible for a Concordance agent to avoid interacting with them. [Even though Sol clearly understood this.] None of that requires blame be leveled. But in the interest, what we know is combining these powers leads to widespread instability. Ad - Agree with that. Blue - Esp whoever the host is. We don't wish to have unnecessary conflict, but our role and responsibility here, as the Concordance, and as our host, is to protect this world as much as we are able. And right now, you are one of the things the world needs protection. You would acknowledge that. Can we help? Ad - (I can't keep it. It has to be somewhere where it can be trusted. Knows who that is. Charlotte.) Harry & Charlotte Harry checks out yelling. Charlotte is standing in a large statue cluster, looking shocked. "Harry -- it's Mari. Our friends. They're the statues. ... Mari, what happened? Wat can I do?" (how did this happen how did this how did what happened what happened whats going on what happened whats going on) Mari - We don't know. C - We'll figure this out. Harry, help me figure this out. We should get the others here. H - (Call Alycia.) Alycia & Summer & Adam Alycia's phone rings. Weird stuff going on at the Twilight Grove. Charlotte is here, too. Come quick. I'll be there as soon as the universe doesn't end. So does Summer's -- it's the Quill Qids. Hey, is everything okay? Over at the HHL, and the other Concordance guys and Concord ... do you need anything? Emergency bots? Ad - You want to go see Charlotte? Al - No, want to see this through. Ad - I want to go see Charlotte. Al - Okey-dokey. Summer - Do you guys want to come, too? Alycia's snarky comment to the Concordance dies stillborn, with a click of her teeth. Wrap-Up Alycia - closer - Adam -- made the effort, even if unsuccessful. - get influence. -Angry Summer - image of self Harry - image of self Ghost Girl - image of self Adam - closer - Alycia - +Mundane, -Danger (Mundane locked) #Recap
