synopsychic | Psychic Bridge II to everyone jauntside

It's Armin.

[The text is somehow bigger and bolder than usual when the network is like this, attracting your attention even if you'd usually try to filter it out or ignore it.]

Yes, I'm dead. Well and truly dead, not just a ghost, but I can still access the network. I'm not really sure how. I'm broadcasting to both sides right now, so this connection will only last about half an hour. But everyone, please listen - this is important. Before she tortured and killed me, I recognized the being inside Bernkastel.

It's Nyarlathotep.

Nyarlathotep, the Crawling Chaos. One of the outer gods. I think the ghost Bernkastel was in is essentially his overlay now - merging with her didn't give him access to the network, at least. Don't approach the lakebed - not yet. You don't stand a chance on your own, any more than I did.

But I have a plan.

I can teach the living to make talismans that will repel the god. If we have groups to distract and repel him, there's a brief ritual that can separate him from his host, and do to the witch what they've been doing to other ghosts, stripping and consuming will and power.

Doing that should leave him adrift - as long as he's being repelled, he'll have no choice but to return to where he came from. If he's not being repelled, he'll be free to do as he pleases. This is all if there's someone ghostside willing to lend me your form in order to perform the ritual.

It will be hard, and incredibly dangerous. We'll need to coordinate and work together, and I can't promise we'll all survive. But it can be - it must be done.

[ooc note: in game, this post takes place after Malik will have reported Armin's death to everyone lifeside, even though Bix hasn't thrown it up yet.]

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You know I'll be there. I want to make that bastard pay!

[He might not be able to do much against spirits, but there's no keeping Eren away from this even if someone tries.]

I'll find something I can use to protect everyone on this side from the ghosts before the mission starts. I don't know whet yet, but I'll figure it out. I refuse to stand there helplessly while the people I care about are killed right in front of me! I won't let that happen ever again, I WON'T!

Maybe we can find you a squirt gun of holy water or something, that seems to work okay.

Holy water would work on the poltergeist, the evil spirits, but would only be mildly annoying to the witch and the Chaos.

I mean that's true, but you need the distractions clear so they don't interrupt you.

I was clarifying, for Eren's benefit.

[He didn't want Eren to misunderstand and start spraying Bernthotep, expecting it to be effective.]

Holy water? So if I get a bucket of whatever that is and-

[And there's Armin answering his question before he can finish it. Oh well, it was worth a shot. Probably for the best that it won't work, anyway. ~~Thorne would never let him live it down if he tried to go all Wizard of Oz on this witch without even knowing that reference.~~]

So the holy water is the ammo for these squirt gun things, right? I'll take one, but I don't want that to be the only thing I'm relying on.

Well it's not typical ammo, but it does hurt some of them. Not the main ones, but we need clear shots at what we're going after.

Which is why I'll take one, but I don't want to be totally relying on it. Guns can run out of ammunition. [He's used to going into battle with weapons that run on limited supplies - the gear used to fight Titans can only store so much of the pressurized gas that makes it work, can only hold so many blades at a time - but that's still not a situation he likes to be in if he can help it.]

I know. But focus on protecting others, not on revenge. We need to think clearly for this.

Do you have any skills that focus on mental effects? [Normally, he would know Eren's skills back to front.

This isn't like normal.]

[No, this isn't anything like normal. Just like normally Eren might be a little hurt that Armin felt the need to tell him to prioritize protecting the others over revenge, when failing to do so could jeopardize the entire plan. But considering the person he was until so recently, the person he was for most of the time that Armin has known him, Eren can hardly blame his friend for being concerned right now.]

Don't worry, I know better now than to go charging in and get other people hurt in the process. I'll help keep the other ghosts off of you so you can focus on getting revenge for yourself!

The only thing I can do to effect someone's mind is the War Cry spell, but the fear it can cause isn't that hard to resist. It's not even the focus of the spell. I can't effect more than a few enemies at once with it, and I have to be charging at whatever I want to scare for it to work. [So basically even if he could make it work on some of the mindless ghosts, he'd be running right into the ghost-wall and would be a sitting duck for the rest of them. Even Eren can see how idiotic that would be, which is why it's time to learn something new.]

[It may be that some part of him is remembering how Eren used to be, and worrying about it. But it's more likely that he's taking most of his cues from the current context only, and not from memory. That telling Eren not to focus on revenge was a pure response to Eren's comment about 'making the bastard pay,' and that statement was the entire source of his concern.]

I... I'm not focusing on revenge either, Eren. I can't, I... I... Is that what I'm like?

Edited 2017-10-02 06:49 (UTC)

[Unfortunately, knowing how much Armin is only pretending to have himself together right now and having that really sink in are two different things. Especially when Eren's still a bit in shock and denial about everything.]

[He realizes his mistake the moment the words start getting smaller.]

What? No! I didn't-! That's not-!

[The faltering words stop completely for a moment as he realizes Armin hadn't switched to speaking to him privately. Eren knows that's as much of a warning sign as the shrinking letters or the question itself - maybe even more so. Armin would never let himself show that kind of weakness and uncertainty in public. Especially not when it could put the mission at risk. They can't afford to have the other Travelers start to doubt Armin's plan now. So Eren switches over to a private line for him. He doesn't have the ability to guard it the way Armin does, but hopefully his friend will do that reflexively.

[Private]

[Now that he's taken a moment to steady himself, Eren's able to organize his thoughts far more clearly.]

No, you're nothing like that. You've never cared about revenge. You're the one who's always focused on completing the mission while protecting as many people as possible. Taking revenge for yourself... That's just the way I'm thinking about it. It's how I'm talking myself into sticking to the plan, instead of trying to get revenge for you with my own hands. Because I... I'm the idiot that can't get all that hatred out of my head no matter how hard I try.

[As much as Eren hates how limiting the current state of the Network is, he's glad it at least lets him hide how close he is to tears again. Why does he keep failing his friend this badly!?]

Jean says to be safe. He's worried about anything happening to you. He needs you to survive.

You got through to the other side? Is Jean okay!?

[The Walkabout isn't even half as dangerous as Harrogate is proving to be, but he'd had other reasons to worry about Jean when he left.]

I don't plan on dying here. I can't promise it won't happen, but I'm not going down without a fight.

He's fine. But really worried about anything happening to all of you. I... told him about Armin.

I think at this point, not going down without a fight is the best any of us can manage.

Oh. I don't know if that's a good thing or not. But... even if it's not, he'd probably want to know anyway.

[On one hand, Eren doesn't want Jean to be worrying even worse. Poor guy's probably kicking himself hard for that last fight he and Armin had. On the other hand, at least this way Jean has some warning if... the worst happens.]

I think you're right. Which is why I fucking hate this world. It's like being back at the Walls and at war with the Titans all over again.

Psychic Bridge II to everyone jauntside

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After her bridge post

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