[Week 1] Y'all missed the screaming, right?

[failgoyle]

[Very late in the week, Jules cuts in on the network as soon as he revives following his infiltration's untimely demise.

Of course, he is absolutely screaming his damn fool head off, both in person in Liminal and psychically over the Network. At least, on the Network, he manages a few words.]

I GOT STABBED!

Comments

[capital_asset]

Are you in Liminal Space now?

[failgoyle]

YES I'M IN LIMINAL SPACE, THAT'S WHERE YOU END UP WHEN YOU DIE I GUESS!

Cassandra's in Liminal Space, if you want to use her for an answer

[capital_asset]

I figured, but I wanted to be sure.

[Though honestly, Jules is probably one of the last people who'd want to leave Liminal Space right after being fatally stabbed.

Asking if he's all right is probably not going to be helpful right now (and the answer to that question is screamingly obvious anyway) so he opts not to do that for now.]

Did you see who did it? And is there anyone else in Liminal who can keep you company for a while?

[Read: Keep an eye on you, and possibly help you calm down a bit, as much as one can in a situation like this.]

[failgoyle]

She had a knife!

[And this is accompanied by a brief visual of Chloe's infiltration's face.]

And, uh, the, um. They had a little fight, right? Stuff was disintegrating and ohshitit's doing it now it's doing it now shit shit shit.

[Things are literally disintegrating around him, he's not concerned with company right now.]

[capital_asset]

[Raidou mentally files the visual away for now. Chloe's probably not going to be terribly happy post-Jaunt.]

It sounds like your overlay was a Nector. They specialize in disintegrating unliving matter, but their ability runs on adrenaline.

[And somehow he's not surprised Jules has apparently kept this ability.]

[failgoyle]

I mean, yeah, that explains a lot, stuff is real fuzzy, but why did I have to keep it?

[This is terrible. Sure, he thinks most things are terrible, but this one really is.]

[capital_asset]

Sometimes I think some skills persist because they bother us.

[Ask him about S. Tech. Better yet, don't.]

Did you keep any abilities from Gehenna? Somatic Conditioning would at least let you control your adrenaline levels, which could help you keep the ability in check.

[failgoyle]

Why is that, that's terrible!

And, uh, no, I didn't take anything there, I don't think, except for some of the tech stuff.

[There's a long pause.]

I kept my overlay's robotic arm; he'd get upset and it would just, uh, pop right off.

[The overlay had no ability to remain calm either, amazing.]

[capital_asset]

An attempt at rationalization, maybe. I've had more than one skill persist despite not wanting anything to do with it. I think a lot of us have.

[He really wishes that detail about Diabolin Jules and his robotic arm surprised him.]

Would you want to learn Somatic Conditioning?

[failgoyle]

Look, there's a lot out there that can't be rationalized, I've come to accept this, I really don't need to attempt rationalization so I can accidentally Thanos-snap inanimate objects.

[There's a long pause.]

Do you think I could? I'd probably burst into flames. Screw it up that badly.

[capital_asset]

That's... not really what Somatic Conditioning does. It's essentially duplicating the physical abilities of the Conditioned, giving you more awareness and control of baseline physical abilities. In practice, it improves one's balance and reflexes - although if I remember correctly, your balance was already quite good, at least with regard to heights - lets you use your muscles to their fullest extent, and lets you consciously control your breathing and adrenaline. That's it.

[failgoyle]

Ohhhhhhh.

[There's a long pause.]

I...I guess we could try it?

[capital_asset]

All right. When would you like to do this?

[He's not going to be surprised if Jules wants to learn this right away, but he's also not going to be surprised if he wants to take some time to recover.]

[failgoyle]

I. Uh...

[There's a pause.]

N...now might be good. Gives me something else to think about.

Switch to action?

[capital_asset]

Of course. I'll be right there.

That works!

[failgoyle]

[Raidou will find Jules in his room, which is both uncomfortably dark and uncomfortably covered in anime posters that seem to have quite the focus on anatomically improbable boobs.]

Hey.

[capital_asset]

[Between naked or near-naked demons of both sexes and the likes of Mara, Mishaguji, and Arioch, Raidou is well-practiced at ignoring such sights.]

Hello.

[He'd ask how Jules is doing, but... well. They both know the answer to that.]

[failgoyle]

I, uh, guess...um.

[He pauses.]

Do you want to get started, or do you want something to drink first?

[Some part of his brain has decided that he at least needs to try to be a polite host here.]

[capital_asset]

[It's not that he expects Jules to be rude or anything, but offers of nourishment during this Jaunt feel a bit strange.

Still, Almas could probably use something.]

Would some water be all right?

[failgoyle]

Oh, sure, sure, here you go. Sure you don't want anything else?

[He's got some bottled water on hand, and he reaches into the room's little minifridge and passes one over to Raidou.]

[capital_asset]

It's more for my overlay than me. But thank you anyway.

[He doesn't want to shock Almas's system with something he's not used to, especially if it's something he won't be able to have again. That seems cruel, to Raidou.]

[lightnovelexperiences]

...well, at least we know the rez system is working.

Do you need anything?

[“other than a Chill Pill (+30% chance to resist fear for 20 seconds),” she tactfully does not say.]

[failgoyle]

To have not been STABBED, but it's TOO LATE for that now!

And everything is kind of crumbling to dust around me and I kind of need that to stop...

[truerevelation]

Goddammit you just made me blow up a good piece'f-

... Uh. Man. Who gotcha? What happened?

[failgoyle]

Better to blow up a whatever than get STABBED!

[He just got stabbed and he's going to be dramatic about it for days. Weeks, possibly. Everyone is surely very surprised.]

It's, uh, it was ...here.

[And there's a brief visual of Chloe's overlay's face.]

[tookashirototheknee]

Dude, can you turn down the volume? Muting's not even working right now, and I'm trying to process soil samples.

[failgoyle]

And I'M trying to process getting STABBED! TO DEATH!

[happyhalloween]

Who stabbed you, Papa? I'll stab them back!

[Jules should remember from Bando that she would, too.]

[failgoyle]

Oh, oh geez, no, that's. Um. That's too dangerous...

[And then he shifts to private. There's a flash of Chloe's overlay's face.]

She can make stuff disintegrate, probably your blade too.

If you do anything, you gotta come to me first, okay? So I can give you some good luck.

[happyhalloween]

... okay. But if no one punishes her soon, I will, okay? Bad people aren't allowed to hurt my papa!

[failgoyle]

I appreciate the sentiment, but please, please don't get hurt too.

[happyhalloween]

It's okay, Papa. I'm used to it.

[failgoyle]

Still doesn't make it right.

[happyhalloween]

[Maria feels so many emotions now. She knows that what Papa is saying isn't... unusual? But it's something she didn't expect to hear.]

Where are you, Papa? I'm gonna come and take care of you.

[failgoyle]

I'm. Uh. In my room.

[And he's just quickly removing all his big titty anime posters from the walls; the generic shounen stuff can stay.]

[happyhalloween]

[Honestly, as long as there's clothing on the titty posters, it's nothing she hasn't seen before. Witch's furniture tends to be stacked.]

I'm coming!

[And indeed, she'll get there just as Jules is taking the last of the tits down.]

Hi Papa! I brought you candy! With peanut butter inside, just how you like!

[failgoyle]

[Jules's expression softens at the mention of the candy.]

That might be the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me.

[Trying to do right by the kid by removing the lewd posters anyway: worth it.]

[happyhalloween]

I'll always bring you candy, Papa. 'Cause I love you!

[Someday she needs to show him all the half-naked and large chested magic ladies in her and Beato's grimoire. Beato's sense of designing magical servants is... something all right.]

[failgoyle]

I love you too, kid.

[He has no idea how any of this happened...and would also probably greatly enjoy viewing the magical ladies, once he got over freaking out at the concept.]

[happyhalloween]

[He'd like the Stakes! None of them wear pants. Of course, they're also deadly weapons, but details. Oh and there's Gaap. She's got a very interesting dress.]

I know.

[And it makes her so happy that he does. Papa Jules is a little silly and he screams a lot, but he loves her and never gets possessed. He's the best Papa in the world.]