sheep_game | THE PASSAGE OF TIME

[ cubecall - ring ring. ] I need you to come over. I have something important to discuss with you. I’m in Bluebell’s garden.

[ and true to his word he’s in the garden, which is mostly finished. theres and abundance of all sorts of flowers and a beautiful pond, one that kaveh is currently hunched over. ]

...I'll be right there.

[ That's ominous enough after yesterday's nonsense that he's immediately flying towards Bluebell's garden, landing outside and approaching the pond to stare down at it in mild confusion. ]

What is it?

[ he sits up and reaches for wanderer's hand. ] I asked Red about how we could get replacement parts for you in case something should happen. He told me how. It's... a process.

[ He takes it, pulling him up to his feet. ] ...you did? Really?

...of course it is. They can't make anything easy for me, can they?

[ kaveh stands and then produces a marble. ] I think you might enjoy half of this. I need you to swallow this, and it'll produce a glass double of you, one that... will be technically alive. It'll feel and all that. We need to murder it and bring it to Red.

On top of that we need some sap from that limbus plant.

[ He squints skeptically at the marble. ] Is that all? I thought it was going to be something actually difficult.

...we kept part of the limbus plant at Clover, so getting the sap should be easy too.

Let's go harvest that first then. And I figured getting the sap would be the most difficult part. I didn't think you were going to care about having to kill your double. I thought you might actually enjoy that part.

I'm looking forward to it a little bit. It might actually give me a real challenge for once.

[ He starts to lead the way back to Clover. ] ...I do wonder what that honeysuckle plant would do to you, though. I assume it'd at least make your Vision inert.

Are you going to give him a chance to fight you or as soon as he appears are you going to kill him?

I am just a normal person… [ though his strength might be a bit above average. ] What does the plant too? Sap supernatural abilities? If that’s the case, then that’s all it would do.

It wouldn't be much of a fight if I kill him right away, would it? I want him to feel it. [ was that supposed to be the hard part ]

...that's what I think it does. Which makes sense, considering my entire existence is unnatural.

He will, if Red is to be believed, but you can’t just kill him. We have to do it together. [ and no 8/ ]

Even if you have some of the sap at Clover I want to collect some of my own. Or see if I can’t uproot one of the plants. We’re going to need a lot of the stuff… and I should probably see about getting more marbles from Red… [ muses to himself. ]

Then maybe I should let you fight him alone, first. I'm curious how well you'd do. I'm not sure how I feel about you keeping a bunch of copies of me and spare parts in your room, though.

[ He stops, glancing towards Kaveh. ] ...should we go to the main plant, then? I'll stay back and you can go in.

Fine. I can start it and you can end it. How does that sound? [ he's not sure he would be able to end it besides. killing something that looks like his boyfriend? that's going to feel and react and... ugh. he hates it already. ] Better me than anybody else, Zenith. And I'm the one that's going to be taking care of things when the shit inevitably hits the fan. My room has a lock on it. One that only I have the key too, so nobody else has access to them. Everything will be safe.

Sure. Mehrak will likely have to stay back too. And the drone.

Sounds like fun. [ That's the part he's most looking forward to, anyway. ] Yeah, yeah, I get it. You're the most qualified, or whatever. I just hope you know what you're getting into.

[ He'll start leading them towards the woods, then. ] The weird plants are pretty deep in, so stay close.

[ rolls his eyes. ] I’m not completely incompetent, Zenith. [ but he will stay close. ]

I meant so you don't get lost. Unless you think you know the way to these stupid plants better than me?

[ The woods are dark, but he was here a couple days ago so the path is easy. He flicks a windblade at a scister that gets too close, but they otherwise aren't really bothered. ]

...no. [ he's never been to the plant. ] Tempo, I hope you're keeping track of the route, so we can come back here. [ this is important. the tool box chirps. ] And I just realized I need a name for the drone. Zenith, do you want to name him?

You made another one of those things? [ He's a little taken aback by being asked to name it, though. He looks lost in thought for a moment before deciding: ] ...fine. Call him Vibrato.

I did. It's modified a little bit, from a swiftfly I had made, from the Interdarshan Tournament. This one is a fungi, obviously. [ the little thing bounces around them, making strange and cute noises. ] But it's meant to help with recon, and just hold more information for me. [ he chuckles. ] Decided to go with a musical name. [ he's a bit surprised. ] Vibrato it is.

...right. I remember those. You're good at making these things, huh? [ He eyes it as it bounces around. ] I figured it should match Tempo.

I am. Do you think it’s cute? [ he grabs it out of the air and holds it out for wanderer. it kicks its little feets at him, chirping. ] I think it likes you.

Are we almost there? [ asks as he lets it go. ]

[ He pokes it a few times. ] It's... something, alright.

We should be close. [ He looks around and stops. ] ...from what I remember, the Limbus plant we need is right past the one that causes me to shut down. You're going to need to go on your own from here. Can you manage that?

I can manage that, yes, but… here. [ he hands wanderer his vision and summons his claymore… just in case. ] Keep an eye on this more me. I’ll go gather some of the sap.

Edited 2023-08-09 23:16 (UTC)

[ He takes his vision. ] I'll keep it safe for you.

And... remember: if you get into trouble out there, I can't come save you. So don't do anything stupid.

I’m not going to do anything stupid. [ he makes a face, but gives wanderer a kiss, before turning and heading into the grove of honeysuckles. they don’t pay him any mind as, without his vision, he’s just a normal human. ]

[ mehrak tries to follow kaveh, but as soon as he starts getting too close to the plants he starts to go on the fritz, beeping and twitching as a result. ]

Tempo, no. [ kaveh whirls around. ] You can’t follow. Please stay with Zenith.

@ wanderer, potentially a few others

Re: @ wanderer, potentially a few others

Re: @ wanderer, potentially a few others

Re: @ wanderer, potentially a few others

Re: @ wanderer, potentially a few others

Re: @ wanderer, potentially a few others

Re: @ wanderer, potentially a few others

Re: @ wanderer, potentially a few others

Re: @ wanderer, potentially a few others

Re: @ wanderer, potentially a few others

Re: @ wanderer, potentially a few others

Re: @ wanderer, potentially a few others

Re: @ wanderer, potentially a few others

Re: @ wanderer, potentially a few others

Re: @ wanderer, potentially a few others

Re: @ wanderer, potentially a few others

Re: @ wanderer, potentially a few others

Re: @ wanderer, potentially a few others

Re: @ wanderer, potentially a few others

Re: @ wanderer, potentially a few others

Re: @ wanderer, potentially a few others

Re: @ wanderer, potentially a few others

Re: @ wanderer, potentially a few others

Re: @ wanderer, potentially a few others

Re: @ wanderer, potentially a few others