Like a stumbling ghost, I haunt these halls

[thornsofmalkav]

Hi? Shit, I don't think I've ever been the one to start a mass psychic conversation. I'm more used to tuning out any voices in my head.

Anyway! This is Thorne, who some of you guys probably have met on the jaunt as Chouko, Princess Noriko-hime's attendant, and I'm dead! And in liminal space. Which I guess is traditional or something, I don't know. The Mantis killed me. He's, um, a killer cyborg with an inexplicable insectile theme. Well, okay, not inexplicable, if you ever knew Dr Wärring, which technically I never did, but Chouko did and the stuff in her memories actually reminded me a bit of this guy named Oda that my old, uh, boss used to be friends with and shit, I'm getting off-topic.

Right. So yeah, the Mantis killed me--he's Hajime, by the way, the Donalds are really running with that bug dude theme with him--but he's probably only after people who used to be with these guys called Vexatior--your basic shadowy organization who wanted to take over the world--so uh, if any of you guys remember having any ties to them, take care, okay? The only person I know who does is Min--I mean, I guess his name is Armin out of Jaunt--and the Mantis already spared him once due to age, but he's older than he was then and so, uh, if people could keep an eye on him and maybe make him stop being an idiot and wear a goddamn mask already that would be much appreciated. And try to help Noriko--Naoto--too? She's gonna be worried when she realizes I'm gone.

[PRIVATELY]

Joscelin? Can you make it back to Liminal Space? I think I need your help with something.

Comments

[callyourname]

[Oh okay, the whole situation catches her attention here but especially that one name... Well, technically two but mostly one.]

You. Tell me everything you know about Min.

[thornsofmalkav]

Are you one of his friends when he's Armin?

Okay, uh, shit. He's seventeen years old, he's a genius prodigy at most kinds of science--but especially magnetism--and he's a complete idiot at everything else who'll forget to eat if you don't remind him and didn't bother to change his name when the Khanate put a bounty on him.

... and my--I mean Chouko's--baby brother.

[callyourname]

Not just friends. Family, he's my baby brother.

Science and I don't really get along but I'll keep that in mind. The rest sounds like someone me and Armin both know... [So really, she's used to it from Eren.] Do you know why they put that bounty?

So something is likely to happen once he finds out about Chouko's death.

about two days later

[thornsofmalkav]

I've found Min. He's with me, sleeping off about three straight days of fuck knows what, although I suspect it was preparing to kill the Mantis.

Who I dealt with, by the way. Min's no longer any danger from him, just from his own idiocy, as usual.

[stopinthenameofawe]

Welcome back, I suppose. You alright? [Melissa's died in Jaunt before as well- it's not pleasant and it's annoying that certain people don't STAY DEAD.]

[Public -> Private]

[thornsofmalkav]

Yeah. About as well as I can be. Take care of Nori for me?

[She switches to a private channel.]

Wow, I totally understand why you were staring at the sun now. It's gonna be freaky walking around in the day, parasol or not.

[Public -> Private]

[stopinthenameofawe]

I'll do my best.

[and Melissa shall switch as well.]

It's... nice to see it, but yeah I nearly frenzied out of surprise.

[Privately, Roughly Two Days Later]

[thornsofmalkav]

Just so you know? Hajime's bug juice is pretty weird-tasting. Or at least it is when he's a inexplicably insectile cyborg built by a bunch of guys who by and large seem to be this world's equivalents to some guys in the Ordo Dracul that my sire was friends with.

It was weird, though. I set up to scare the crap out of him and we ended up having fairly calm talk about shit. I think I convinced him to leave town.

[private]

[stopinthenameofawe]

...Bug juice? [yeah Melissa doesn't actually know that he's a bug monster normally, too.] Do the Dracul usually build monsters? [In her experience they seem a lot more interest in locking themselves in closets For Science.]

Well that's... something, I guess.

[Private]

[protect_and_serve]

I'm on my way. I just need to get out of sight first. What's wrong?

Re: [Private]

[thornsofmalkav]

Um. There's something I need to explain about myself. I mean, maybe you've figured it out already, you've had to touch my hands and stuff from time to time during practice and you've got to have noticed how cold they are and how sallow I am and, uh

I'm dead.

I mean, I was dead before this.

I guess you could say I'm undead and shit, do they even have that as a concept in Terre D'Ange?

[Private]

[protect_and_serve]

A lot of us were dead, before. But you... you still are, in a way. A live mind in a dead body. That's what you mean?

[seventhbullet]

Oh, huh. So when we die we don't stay dead?

Cool. Have fun with that. [Irrepressible mental chuckle.]

[thornsofmalkav]

Yeah. That's a thing here. And I will. If nothing else, maybe I can haunt the Mantis.

[whydoyoushine]

So, are you a giant now?

[Look, she died and came back, this makes perfect sense.]

Or did you just explode and come back good as new?

[That is how the world works, clearly. Vampires are as good as Shadows for him to think this make sense.]

[thornsofmalkav]

Uh, no. I think I'm the same size, unless Selene also got big with me. I'll let you know when I have someone else to compare myself against, okay?

And I'm pretty sure I didn't explode when the Mantis stabbed me through the heart, but I am mostly as good as new now?

[set_your_watches_for_fun]

Can't you come back, darling?

[thornsofmalkav]

You mean and assume Chouko's identity? I've thought of it. But I have some business I need to finish first.

[urbanwhizkid]

[he wasn't going to answer at all at first, but hearimg Naoto's name he reevaluates that idea.]

Yeah I can help Naoto-kun.

[thornsofmalkav]

Thanks. She's going to be pretty fucked up over this, I think.

[canbebrave]

You're not with him anymore?! Can't you go back-- [ she's being unfair, she knows it, so she'll stop herself. ]

[thornsofmalkav]

I'm dead. And I got popped back into Liminal. Min should still be back at the embassy and if he doesn't stray far he ought to be fine until I can get the shit I need done and see if I can sneak back into Chouko's place. But I need to get this shit done first, I'm sorry.

[She needs to find a way to neutralize the fuck out of the Mantis.]

Are you one of his friends when he's Armin?

roughly two days later

[thornsofmalkav]

I found him. I found him and brought him back to the Uchinaan Embassy. He's sleeping now. I don't think he'd slept for three days. Idiot. [That last word is thought fondly.]

The Mantis... has been dealt with. Min won't be in any danger from him now.

Private and protected, a few days later.

[shantiprayer]

[When she was able, Sera much prefered to talk out loud to the Network now that she'd learned how. This was not one of those times though. Despite that, there was still a great deal of concern over the private connection reaching to contact Thorne.]

Uhm. So I know who the Dr. is... and he's trying to bring Chouko back to life right now. I have no idea if this will work with you back in Liminal Space. Nothing like this has ever happened before.

Your- I mean, Chouko's body had been kept preserved in a freezer too. Think that was Min's idea?

Re: Private and protected, a few days later.

[thornsofmalkav]

[Don't mind her, she's just been going through the psychic archives to see if she can find mention of the Trumps and OOH A MESSAGE FOR HER???]

Oh hell fucking yes. I thought it should be possible, but Min's all 'nobody's even come close' and I was deferring to him because he's the scientist but if fucking anyone can do that shit, it's probably Blitzkopf. I mean, have you seen his wanted posters? They're works of art.

And yeah, Min totally put her in a freezer. He told me about it a couple hours ago.

So how's he gonna do it?