un: UTA - 10/30

[tot]

Congratulations on your victory everyone!

Thank you Macha. Thank you Tarvos. I will never forget the two of you. However, you all must realize, Death is certain for the born. Rebirth is certain for the dead.

You should not grieve for what is unavoidable; in dying you will be reborn and given a new life.

I'll be waiting for you.

ΔHidden Forbidden Dead Wood.

ooc

( uta will not be responding to this post or to any messages via her inbox marked after 10/30 (but feel free to spam the fuck out of it and this post to make me regret my life choices). players won't be able to find uta within the game despite appearing online and available. for any and all who warp to the aforementioned area before the next announcement will also not be able to find her nor will they see anything different/out of the ordinary about the area.

see you all on the flip side ♥ )

Comments

[tablescraps]

( Oh, he guesses Tarvos got her. )

It might be. But I wouldn't count on it unless you intend to test it. What does your armor do?

Winter... I wonder if he survived because he's a Phase, himself.

( What was that, Mithrun? Anyway, )

I'm not sure if there's a way to actually avoid it. Distance, maybe. But you'd be too far to actually participate in combat, at that point.

( In which case, just stay home, he guesses. )

Tarvos could have killed someone in a single hit, too. While there's definitely importance in healing... anyone who isn't braced for the chance that a single well-laid hit may drop them from full to zero without chance to be healed shouldn't rush into things blindly.

lol

[secondthoughts]

It's good to have you back, Mithrun.

[ he's helping, ]

bless hector

[tablescraps]

Thanks.

What I wrote for you before about Cubia's side of things was bullshit, also. I was under the influence. Disregard it.

( he angy )

[secondthoughts]

Lol noted. Gonna have to ask you for your revised thoughts, then.

How did that even happen, anyway?

[tablescraps]

Revised thoughts: Cubia will say whatever it takes for people to believe him until it lures them in close enough so he can use them. Assume everything he says is a means to an end. He doesn't need you to agree, he just needs you to pause.

I spoke to him back when he was murmuring to everyone at once, and I asked him about the Epitaph. I asked if his name was referenced in it, and eventually he said no, but mine was, as Macha. After that, I started losing my memories and they were replaced with false memories of always having been a program. Questioning it felt more irrational than believing it.

[secondthoughts]

Jesus christ. Honestly? That's terrifying.

One, I'm glad you're back and that you're okay. Two, I hate that this guy has that much power. I'd feel gross and violated if that happened to me.

Three, do we know if he has all the people he needs for the epitaph? Do you think there's any way to stop that from happening?

[tablescraps]

Yes, every Phase is accounted for, I think. I think he did something to my memory as a failsafe, because I don't remember who's who anymore... But I remember meeting some of them before.

The best way to prevent the Wave is to kill the Phases before they finish their transformations, in my opinion. But if they lock themselves away in an Area they can eject hostiles out of the way I did, they'll be safe until it's their time. It looks like Corbenik's already done that. Gorre, too.

But, if you see someone else who could be a Phase... kill them.

( False positives? I barely know her, )

[secondthoughts]

I was hoping that wasn't going to be the answer, but...there's no way to know if doing that would bring back the original person regardless, right? I really don't want to lose people if we can afford it.

But I get it. We'll keep our eye out. And seriously, rest up and stay safe. We need that brain of yours still. Assuming there aren't any lingering effects.

Another question, since you used Data Drain during the battle. Did you ever get a core?

[tablescraps]

It's not about bringing them back, because there's no guarantee killing them in their full Phase form means they'll return to themselves, either. Letting the Waves come just means more people may die. Would you really be willing to put so many people in danger just to put off killing one person until later?

And no, I never received a core, from either Zelkova or Cubia. I have a core now, though; I only got it after I woke up in this body. It says "Strange Core," which I understand is one of Zelkova's.

[secondthoughts]

No. You're absolutely right. I'd rather not, but you have a point. And you know better than either of us here, so I'll take your suggestion seriously.

[ okay wait though he wasn't expecting THAT ]

Yeah. I have a Strange Core, too.

Next question, then. Does it have a letter?

[tablescraps]

I'm still not sure why me and Barrett are alive. I feel like it has to either be an oversight Lily doesn't think is a threat, or his way of deciding we get to be "saved" with the rest of everyone else.

A letter? No. Does yours?

[secondthoughts]

I don't know either, but I'm not questioning it. You have no idea how much of a relief it was to see both of you back to normal.

I know it sounds weird, but thanks for being an anomaly.


And I've got a letter on mine, yeah. Huh. Is the core you got the kind that rained from the sky or whatever a few days ago?

[tablescraps]

( Ah...

...

(positive ellipses) )

It would be extremely fortunate if all the Phases could return the way we did.

As for the cores... I guess it must be one of the generic ones, yes. Are you one of the ones who had them before Zelkova (indirectly, I guess) gave them to everyone? Do the others have letters on their bracelets, too?

[secondthoughts]

[ Fortunate or no, he's hoping. He vowed to do anything to get these people back, so... ]

Yeah. He gave one to me and a few others, and we all have different letters. We're not sure what it's supposed to spell.

[ Because they're stupid. ]

I was mostly asking because I didn't know if Lily gave you guys Cores too, or if they have letters on them. And if they do, what they might spell.

[tablescraps]

( he SQUINTS AT BARRETT )

What letters do Zelkova's have?

I'll ask Barrett. It sounds like he got something.

[secondthoughts]

C, E, R, S, and U. [ Alphabetical order. ] Maybe I shouldn't be putting this on a public forum, but if you've got ideas, I want to hear them.

Yeah, do that. Let me know what he says.

[tablescraps]

• Curse
• Cures
• Cuers
• Crues

are the possible English permutations. "Sucre" for something in a different language, and "ecrus" for a nonsensical but technically valid word. Considering Zelkova and these potential possibilities, "Cures" seems like a word he'd like. If it were Cubia, I'd believe it was "Curse." The other apparent possibilities seem otherwise irrelevant.

Did he tell you anything about the bracelets before giving them to any of you? Did any of you ask him anything about them, and did he answer?

1/2

[secondthoughts]

[ Oh my god. It's cures. They're dumbasses. ]

[secondthoughts]

Thanks, Mithrun.

He asked me if I wanted to protect everyone here, and I said I'd do anything to do so. I remember him saying that using Data Drain on anyone without a Core would kill them, and that we should be careful when we use them.

I don't know if he said anything to anyone else, but I could ask. Why?

[tablescraps]

I just wonder if it's as simple as "Cubia is the bad AI" and "Zelkova is the good AI." If it is true, I guess that in itself would be Zelkova acting within his programming, but...

( Honestly after Cubia deleted his sense of self on first direct contact and apparently Cubia put some weird thing in Barrett also, Mithrun is feelin a lil AI-burned for perhaps obvious reasons. )

not here

[ganymed]

[ Since Ganymede FOR ONCE is paying attention to the post, he sees this.

...

He goes about his day. Curse was close enough. ]

not here

[insinning]

[ Thanks Grandpa for adding this to the forums for everyone ]

[ophidie]

[Yeah, you were dead for that one, friend.

Anyway, what was that? She won't comment on Winter getting exposed on the internet just yet, if only because she doesn't want to tip any hands.]

I'll be keeping any testing to scenarios with less guaranteed lethality, thanks. [Unless.............?]

It's a heal over time effect below a certain amount of HP, but it also deals fire damage to anyone attacking me. I was a little busy being on the ground, so it's difficult to recount everything that happened.

Harsh, but a necessary reminder. We got very lucky.

[tablescraps]

( Hey if you need someone willing to help you test lethal scenarios....... )

That effect seems useful. Is it a deluxe set or from Cubia? Despite its utility, I'd swap it out if it's the latter.

[ophidie]

I intend on it. [Which should also answer his question.] Some of us had to work with what we had at the time.

We'll see what I have available to me when I finish leveling.