[Monday, October 20th. 8:30 PM] [After defeating the sky pirates and briefly celebrating the semi-return of their fallen teammate, our heroes popped back to base for a quick debrief before going their separate ways for the night.] [Abby, however, was asked to stick around for a bit by Solaris. Thus, Abby finds herself at the big conference table with Solaris, with Sister Admin at her usual place in front of the bank of computers] [Mini Start] [Solaris walks around the table, and offers a hand. "Before anything else... welcome back."] * Abby ends up staring at someone's hand and being unable to shake for the second time tonight. She gestures with her staff and says, "Hand's kinda busy, Solaris. But thanks, I suppose." [Solaris blinks. "Ah, damn, sorry. Forgot that you need to hold onto that." She sits down next to you. "Abby, right? You were Mizuki's host?"] * Abby shrugs slightly. "About sums it up, yeah." ["And if you're here now... Mizuki's gone. Damn." She pauses. "No offense meant. I'm thrilled that you survived, but for a moment I thought we'd gotten away with one and come out unscathed."] * Abby looks slightly away a moment, then back to Solaris. "You're really on the ball with this one." ["Not the first time I've dealt with a hosted hero, or with the typically odd circumstances of death that surround heroes. Hell, I've been dead once or twice, technically."] ["Which is part of the reason I asked you to stick around."] * Abby is silent a moment, then, "Yeah?" [Solaris leans forward in her chair. "First thing's first. I'm not sure how the host/hostee relationship works, but before anything I wanted to make sure you and your new host want to be here, doing this."] * Abby shrugs. "Honestly, I'm not sure, but I ain't her mom." A moment, then, "I sure as hell don't have anything else to do anymore." [Solaris nods. "Sister Admin can help you with any arraingements you need to make on that front; our full resources are at your disposal." She pauses. "If you want, I can talk to Druish Princess, see if she can figure out something that might allow you some measure of access to your previous civilian life."] * Abby tilts her head. "Access? Like what, an e-mail address?" ["A way of temporarily hiding your glow. Or maybe a way of letting you both act simultaneously. I don't know if either are possible, but if you're interested, I can see if Druish Princess has any ideas."] * Abby rubs her forehead. "Right." Only 24 hours in a day. * Abby shakes her head. "Was figuring I'd just say I'm on sabbatical in the middle of Asia." [Solaris nods again as she leans back. "The other thing... like I said, I've been through something like this. Spent a month fighting my way out of the Norse Hel about a decade back after I got absorbed by Surtur." She grins slightly. "I've been around the block. If you want ears, I'm available."] ["Anytime."] * Abby shakes her head. "Thanks, but that's not... I don't know." It's nothin' like that. [Solaris smiles lightly. "Offer works in reverse. If you're not interested, I'll keep my big yap shut and leave you be. Just putting it out there."] * Abby shakes her head. "I'm fine. I mean, as fine as you get after someone dies." And the best qualified person to talk to the new host is... pretty much me. ["Which is why I won't keep you here much longer. Just a couple of quick things..." She walks over to where Sister Admin is, and walks back with SA in tow, placing a couple of objects onto the table.] * Abby half-smiles at SA, then looks down at the objects. [SA speaks up. "First, new comm card. I also recalibrated the subway station teleporters to recognize you, so no problem there. Clean cellphone with my security protocols for you and your host, as well."] * Abby nods as she reaches out and takes them. "Right." ["And..." She points to the last object. "Holo-projector. Contains all the info we've gotten so far on what's going on. Figured it might help your host get up to speed on what's been going on." She pauses for a moment, then waves tentatively. "We've met, technically, but your host... I'm Sister Admin. Information gal to the caped set."] * Abby waves a little back and says in that slower more tenative voice, "Hello." [Sister Admin grins. Solaris quirks a small smile. "Hi. Any questions? Or do you just want to get going?"] * Abby shakes her head. "I... guess I'm curious what's really been going on, but the projector's going to fix that. I'll need to get back into shape too..." and she trails off as Abby grabs the other things. "Right. Plenty of work being the walking dead." ["We won't keep you any longer. Let us know if there's anything we can do to he-"] [She's cut off as a door to one of the teleporter rooms flies open, and Eternal Warrior charges in, looking frantically around the room. "MIZU-"] [His voice dies in mid-cry as his eyes focus on Abby, his mind quickly processing the implications of Abby's glowing. He visibly slumps, but tries to compose himself and put on a brave face. It works, face-wise, but... well, even he's not that brave.] [He walks over slowly, and sits down a couple of seats away. "Abby. I am heartened to see you have survived, my commrade."] * Abby looks over at him and lets out a long sigh. "Hey. Thanks. I... you wanna take this elsewhere?" * RDMgryphon has quit IRC (Quit: The computer fell asleep) [Solaris and Sister Admin are in the midst of finding things to do in other rooms. Clever girls. EW barely seems to notice. "If that is your wish."] [At the moment, though, he looks like he'd barely be able to stand up from his chair.] * Abby looks at the other two, then sighs and says, "Guess they've cleared out." She stands up to float over to hm, and then puts her staff against his shoulder and says quietly, "I haven't sensed her, but... I'm still around. We don't know." I'd... like to believe she's still around too, you know? [He nods slightly, head down, and speaks barely above a whisper "As would I. I must believe so... that she knows that her sacrifice was not in vain. That she saved the young heroes, and vanquished a terrible evil from this world."] * Abby is silent a moment, then nods slowly. After a moment she adds, "I... Sigurd, I'm really... ah, fuck." She exhales upwards. "I wish I had something I could do for ya, you know?" [He pounds the table with a fist, without much behind it. "Damn it all... I should have been there faster." He looks up slowly, right into Abby's eyes. "Your concern is appreciated, my friend, but... you have no debts to me."] * Abby looks down at him, then manages a weak smile. "Trust me, man... your speed had nothing to do with it." She then gets more serious. "Don't question a priestess' eyes. You could do nothing." And if I have to start hitting you to get you to remind you, damnned if I won't. * Abby looks up slightly. "The... question was just whether we were the only ones to die or not." [His eyes go wide for a moment at that previous comment, and then he barks our a short laugh. "You... sounded like her for a moment. I thank you for that." He nods. "Panzermensch has not been seen since."] * Abby smiles faintly. "I've never been a normal woman. Mizuki didn't really help." * Abby then nods slightly and adds, "Good. The city swallowed him up. Maybe he'll learn something in his earthen tomb. He wouldn't be the first." [Eternal Warrior takes a deep breath. "He would learn many, many lessons, were he ever to escape." He slumps a bit. "I... do not wish to take up more of your time. Doubtless you have other matters to attend at a time like this."] [He grins weakly. "Please feel no duty to keep an old man company."] * Abby is silent a moment, then, "I think she'd appreciate it if I did. I'm just lousy at it." [He reaches up a hand, and places it on the staff resting on his shoulder. "And yet it helps. Stay with me for a time, then. You have been through a great ordeal, and I believe the honored prie-" He pauses. "... Mizuki would appreciate it if I kept *you* company."] * Abby chuckles dryly, then, "I think she'd know better." A beat, then, "Alright. Let's do this company thing." * Abby pulls up into a floating crosslegged position and adds, "Aren't you supposed to be doing this with alcohol? Or did you drink the city out?" [He chuckles. "I damn well tried. When you have the liver of Dionysus, drinking to forget is a labor unto itself."] * Abby laughs, then replies, "Dionysus' liver? Aren't you awful manly to get a body part from a half-woman?" ["Metaphorically. One of the boons I received for my victory in the Tournament of the Gods."] * Abby nods slightly. "Just a little funny. Dionysus was a very, uh, metro god, I guess they'd put it nowadays." * Abby then looks up. "As long as you pick yourself up and keep walking, Sigurd. She's not gonna smile down on you if you act like a fourteen year old cutter." [Sigurd laughs. "He had excellent taste in wine, but was rather useless when it came to ales and meads. Greeks never had a head for the simpler things in life."] * Abby looks back. "You know, I was thinking the same thing." Wine's fine, but nobody gets blasted on wine. [He shakes his head. "There was a time when I was young and stupid, and I felt nothing. Then I learned of grief, and wollowed in it for a time... I am an stronger man for it now. My grief drives me, powers me, pushes me."] ["And yes. Wine is to taste, not to guzzle."] * Abby half-smiles a moment, then, "Yeah. I get that. Just making sure you know it. She'd never leave me alone if I did it, figure I'll hold you to the same." ["I would not dishonor her memory by engaging in such grandiose self-pity." He grins slightly. "Should I falter, though, you have my permission to batter me to my senses."] * Abby chuckles. "Sounds like a plan I can get behind." [And so, the two heroes sat together a while longer, mourning and celebrating a fallen friend, and comparing notes on the best manners in which to get drunk.] [Mini End]