Log:Misery Loves Company

Arbiter of Balance 2021/09/27 Radical Apostate Grimm Vagabond 

Grimm accommodates the group once Radical returns to Vagabond's pocket dimensional home, the group walking through and onto a floating asteroid on the outskirts of Apostate's home.

Apostate looks like a version of Radical, to be sure: He stands about five ten, and he's dressed in a white and green costume of sorts. The shirt and pants are solid white and look like they might be armored. Over this is a white trenchcoat. He conceals his hands and face with leather gloves and a full mask over the head. There are two obvious special lenses built into the mask. Setting off all of this black is a series of green highlights on his knees, boots, belt, and piping on his jacket and mask.

Radical

This man stands about five ten, and he's dressed in a black and red costume of sorts. The shirt and pants are solid black and look like they might be armored. Over this is a black trenchcoat. He conceals his hands and face with leather gloves and a full mask over the head. There are two obvious special lenses built into the mask. Setting off all of this black is a series of red highlights on his knees, boots, belt, and piping on his jacket and mask.

Radical waves to his counterpart, "Over here! We just arrived!"

Grimm is used to the place, but Vagabond is looking around and taking it all in with an expression of awe. She's proving to be much less experienced in the multiverse and weird stuff in general compared to Gabrielle.

Radical waves to Apostate, "We've over here!" Apostate is in his library at the moment, which is rotating on an odd axis unlike the others. He gets up and waves, "You're all welcome. Please...join me over here." He's not wearing his mask currently, so it's quite obvious that it's another version of Connor.

Grimm is a little surprised to see Apostate without his mask. She looks to Radical and comments, "I guess he really was okay with it." She creates a small gate that is properly oriented to teach axis and steps through. Radical and Vagabond can see her stepping through onto the library, now oriented at a different axis.

"How...?" Vagabond looks between the portal and how Grimm is positioned oddly now. She hesitates and takes a step through the portal, bracing herself as if expecting to lose her balance or fall off the rock once she steps onto it.

Radical steps through as well. "Practice. Lots of practice." He pulls off his mask again as he steps through. He and Apostate look more like brothers than duplicates. But the family resemblance is obvious.

Apostate...actually smiles. "Hello. Welcome to my...well, I was going to say 'home away from home', but that's not entirely accurate. It's just my home now."

"And magic," Grimm smirks lightly at the obvious.

Vagabond looks between the two Connors, trying to note the differences in their faces and mannerisms. "Thank you for having me. I think I understand what you mean."

The first difference is the voice. Apostate's voice is...like gravel. They look quite similar, but...Apostate has a few more scars. At least one obvious one on his face that runs from his ear down his chin. Apostate's hair is greyer, too.

Apostate smiles, "Um...you're welcome. I'm afraid I don't get visitors very often, other than Radical, and Gabrielle. I mean...the Gabrielle from Radical's world." He takes a deep breath, and says, "Perhaps it would help if we have...unique names? You can call me Apostate. Or Connor. Both are fine."

The Vagabond appears to Grimm as Apostate appears to Radical. A more scared version, the obvious being the magical construct to replace her arm. Her eyes are darker and more haunted. She has shorter hair in a different style with bangs, and no makeup, making her look plainer than Gabrielle. She's also probably about 30, making her a little older than Grimm. She takes a breath and things about it. "You can call me...Vagabond," she names herself. She looks at Grimm. "I suppose Gabby is taken."

Grimm balks. "Uhhh, no. Gabby is -not- taken. That's all yours."

Vagabond nods and looks to Apostate, her smile weak and only to be polite. "Gabby if you prefer. Nobody's called me that in years."

Radical chuckles quietly at Gabrielle's reaction to 'Gabby'.

Apostate nods, "Gabby, then? At least while we're here. I can call you Vagabond elsewhere to...make sure the mystique remains." He chuckles quietly, and motions to the two couches that are in the library area. "Please...take a seat. Would any of you like something to drink? I don't have much, but I do have some water."

Grimm purses her lips at the nickname still, but she's thinking on it. She thought she got better about her visceral reaction to the nickname Jonathon used for her, but she still has a ways to go. At least she isn't close to eviscerating anyone for daring to use the nickname.

Vagabond nods in agreement to the name. "That's fine," she says, eyes drifting to observe Apostate's scars. She has her own, but most aren't visible on her face. Just a few tiny old healed cuts along her face. "I don't know about mystique, but it may be better to not use my real name. It's...not like I have anyone left to protect...but there are other versions of me out there who do," she side-glances at Grimm before looking to the offered couches and taking a seat in one. "Water is fine."

Grimm takes a seat away from her double on the other couch. "Water's just fine, Apostate. I can always conjure something stronger if the conversation requires it."

Apostate seems to blink from one asteroid to another to access a small fridge. He blips back over like he's just walking. No portal at all, just he's there..and then a step later, he's here. He offers a bottle of water to each person, "There is very little moisture in the...air here. So I find I have to drink a fair amount of water." He takes a seat on the couch next to Vagabond. "Radical gave me a short version of what happened to you, and he mentioned that he thought you and I might be...good support for each other."

Radical nods as he takes his bottle of water, and he opens it. "I thought your experiences...while quite different, had a lot in common with each other. You both bear a lot of guilt over what happened, after all...so I figured you could also each use a friend, too." He takes a seat next to Grimm.

Vagabond twists open the water bottle and takes a sip as if parched. They've done a lot of work. She looks drained from the use of the Circlet of Everchange. "Maybe? I've never met someone else who lost their world. I didn't think anyone else could fathom that. I don't know much of the specifics of what you went through. It's been a long time for me, but it's still difficult to talk about."

Apostate nods. "Well...I've had some time to process what I went through...so I can relate what happened to me. My abilities are somewhat like Radical's. My uncle, Randal Duran, was the Sorcerer Emperor for a full one quarter of the version of Earth that I grew up on. I was due to receive that mantle of power when he died. The magic...was inherited. Passed down from generation to generation. I refused it, as I didn't want to rule as my uncle had - with an iron fist. So, I was passed over for the mantle of power, and it was handed down to my cousin Thomas. Randal's son."

He chuckles quietly, "I understand this succession order is odd for worlds. Radical was saying that on his world, it would have likely been Thomas and then me, at least for those of nobility."

Apostate continues, "Thomas knew I could in theory challenge for rule at any time, so he started to harass me. Making my life difficult. I didn't have magic in my...arsenal at the time, so I build a crude version of the harness that I'm wearing today. Radical here has helped me refine it. It allows for some of the dimensional abilities I have. Creating singularities. Opening portals. Folding space. I wanted to be on par with him, but I didn't want the mantle of power. The responsibility that goes with it. A full quarter of my world would have been under my control."

Apostate takes a sip of water, "Eventually...it came to direct conflict...and his magic did not interact with my newfound technology well. When the two clashed...the singularity that was created..." He pauses as he thinks about it. "...obliterated my world. And eventually that universe entirely. I was lucky to have escaped it. But it was just...gone. All of it."

Vagabond and Grimm both listen to the tale. Vagabond is intrigued and curious at how varied it is from the world she came from. "You lost all of it...? I'm so sorry," she says gently in a way that may have more understanding behind it than others have in the past when giving their condolences. It's something in the tremor in her voice and the look in her eyes that helps convey that. She looks to Radical, then back to Apostate. "Radical said you were able to get your world back. Except that you couldn't be a part of it anymore. He thought...maybe...the same could be done for my world. I can't really understand how I could still exist if my past never happened."

Apostate takes a long swig of his water, pausing. He nods at Vagabond's question. "After that point, I was working on trying to...assuage my guilt. Or fix things in some way. Make it right. I ran afoul of...well, what can be best described as an interdimensional bounty hunter. Desperado. While I was on their world." He motions to Grimm and Radical. "A fight ensued, and I was thought killed initially. But...the heroes of that world managed to track me down...and get me to explain. And in doing so, one of their number - a time traveler - proposed a solution. I had initially thought of going back in time..and perhaps killing my prior self would be the solution. I might die, but my world would be saved. And at least my guilt would be cleansed."

He then shakes his head, "Tali came up with another solution. A small change. Something which would change the way my harness would be designed...and remove the major flaw in it. We altered a book that my younger self would use to make the harness. In doing so, the fatal flaw that destroyed my world would never be incorporated into my harness. And the world was saved."

He smiles slightly, "...but if that's the case, why am I still here, as you see me? I can sense that question already." He chuckles quietly. "Think of time like a river. When a change is made a new tributary is formed. Another river. I'm from the original river. My younger self is in the new river. My world is dead. And yet...it lives, with another version of me in it. In a life..that is no longer mine."

Apostate says, "I should clarify: The flaw that needed fixing was actually determined by Radical. It was Tali who figured out out to insert the change into my history."

Vagabond gasps faintly at the solution of killing himself in the past, but...she understands it. She nods at the question of why he's still here. Her shoulders sag at the explanation. "So...my world. My friends. My family. My fiance. They'd still be gone. All of that still happened," she looks down at her face as her eyes wince and blink to avoid shedding the tears that are threatening to come out. It would just create an alternate ...dimension? Timestream? Where they never died. Or...if we don't do it right, they die all over again?" she asks in a tortured voice.

Apostate nods. "From what I was told of your situation...yes. I'm sorry. I found solace in...my world living. Even if I felt I could not join it again. Perhaps...it was selfish of me, but I needed to absolve myself. Clear myself of guilt so I could go on. And while...the world that we saved is no longer 'mine', exactly...I feel content that all of those people were saved. I look at my place here...my home, outside of realities, as penance. The only people who come to visit are those that can make the trip across dimensions."

Radical says, "If you want to try...we could try to contact Tali, and see if it's even possible. But we would need to find the right place and time to make a change. Perhaps figure out how these horsemen entered your world in the first place?"

Vagabond rocks slowly in her seat as she grips her water bottle with both hands. "I...I don't know if I'm brave enough to go through that again," she whispers in shame. "We didn't know what made the Horseman come. Our world never faced anything like that before."

Grimm studies the behavior of her variant. She holds her tongue on saying anything, sipping her drink in thought.

Radical smiles. "That's the nice thing about time travel. It doesn't have to be done 'soon'. You can take the time you need to think about it, and if you want to try. Take some time...to heal. To recover. You have been in the same kind of depression that Apostate here has been. Just...from a different angle. Find support...lean on it. And get help."

Apostate says, "If we can't find the moment...the time and place which will be the cause of their arrival, the conversation is moot, anyway. I think...Radical speaks wisely. You need to worry about yourself first. I know that sound rich coming from me now, after all that I told you. But...I have learned a bit since then."

Vagabond starts to calm as the pressure to save her world doesn't feel like it's on her shoulders and slowly stops rocking. "It's a lot. I never was a leader or a big time hero. That was the others. I don't know what I should do anymore."

Grimm finally says, "You don't have to do anything right now. I would take Radical's advice. You've been alone for a very long time, and you've been through a lot recently thanks to that Chaos Lord that messed with you. And if you feel ready, maybe we can help discover why the apocalypse happened on your world, and how to prevent it, or stop it in its infancy."

Apostate nods slowly, and says to Gabby, "I...know I'm not the Connor that you knew. But I would be honored if you would spend some time with me, just...talking and keeping me company. I know that I...make a show of being introverted to others. But it does get lonely here. I'm grateful for those that visit, even when I tend to...push people away."

Grimm raises a brow a bit in surprise at Apostate's admission. It's news to her.

Vagabond looks up to Apostate, gazing into eyes that should be familiar, but aren't. She gives a slow nod. "I could do that. I haven't anywhere else to be, and I suppose after being in isolation for so long...I could use someone to talk to and keep me company, too." She smiles sadly. "I just can't promise that I'll be good company."

Apostate nods and smiles slightly, "I can't promise the same, either. But sometimes, just...being around people is enough."

Grimm smiles faintly at that and sips her water, thinking Radical's idea for the two may just pan out.

Vagabond straightens up a little as some of the sadness leaves her smile. "I guess enough is good enough. Thank you," she says first to Apostate, then looking to Radical. "And thank you. For stopping me. For bringing me back to my senses."

Radical smiles, "I'm...sorry that I had to do it as violently as I did. But I'm glad that things seems to be working out, at least so far."

"I suppose I've had worse," Vagabond nods to her arm construct. "At least what you did only hurt for a little bit. I don't even remember hitting the ground."

Radical nods. "I've been meaning to ask you about your arm. How do you do that, exactly? Create a shadow arm?"

Vagabond looks down at her arm. "Force of will and thought." She recaps her bottle of water and slides her jacket off. The left side of her leather armored top is sleeveless. The arm itself is semi-transparent, like when Grimm turns into a shadow. "It's not a spell. It's part of the magic I got imbued with my accident during my time researching the Basilisk Orb. I was pursuing a PhD in Occult Studies before...everything changed." The shadow limb goes all the way up to her shoulder. Now Apostate can see some of Vagabond's worst scars. It's hard to tell what caused her shoulder to be removed, as the scarring is in a ragged pattern around the the edges where the shadow limb attaches from. "I'm only able to maintain it while I'm awake, and it took some time to learn to use it. Now, it's second nature."

Gabrielle nods. "That's...interesting. It's similar to my shadow tentacles, I suppose. Basilisk Orb, huh?"

Vagabond nods. "It was an artifact of Luther Black's."

After some thought, Radical recalls the name. Luther Black was an occultist in the mid 1700's and a former member of the Circle of the Scarlet Moon. He was loosely connected to the forming of DEMON in his time, before it even went by that name.

Radical nods slowly as he listens. "How did you come to acquire it to research? The Luther Black I know of is...likely long dead. Well, maybe. Probably."

"It was part of the museum of the arts collection, on loan to the university for examination. It was a rare treat to be able to study an artifact up close." Vagabond looks to her hand and focuses to flex the fingers. "Maybe too close. I unlocked some part of it and gained some strange powers from it. It turned my hair black."

Radical nods. "Blond normally, right?" He glances at Grimm, and smiles.

Grimm blushes a bit. Vagabond smiles faintly. "Yes. At first, that's the only affect I noticed. The Connor I knew found it very amusing. Eventually, I learned there was other things I could do without the use of spells or incantations."

Radical smiles, "Sounds kind of familiar, though Grimm here got her powers through a different means. But probably it's a similar source of power, given the similar effects."

Grimm nods slowly. "I wasn't sure what artifact was used. It was an orb. So...maybe that's what Jonathon was trying to unlock. It was just under...less than pleasant circumstances."

Vagabond nods softly. "I wondered about that. You seem very different from me when I was that age."

Grimm shifts uncomfortably at that. "Yeah, well. I think my life path went sideways when I was pretty young."

Radical says, "Um....while we're opening up, I might as well tell you a bit about me, too." He takes a sip of his water, and then says, "I was...originally trained to be the Cartesian. You might not know who or what that is, but they are an agent of the Lords of Order. I worked in that role for...a few years before I refused an order. They wanted me to kill someone whose crime was just...the ability to work Chaos magic at a natural level that I have never seen in my life. I refused. And with that, I had my powers taken away."

He thinks about it a moment, "But I couldn't just return to my mundane job of teaching math. I wanted to continue to help people. So..that's what caused me to work on my harness, much like Apostate's. And I retaught myself magic. It was kind of like...learning to drive a stick shift after you already know how to drive an automatic."

Vagabond listens. She's begin to relax a little, but still fidgets with her bottle awkwardly, like she's not used to just sitting around and talking anymore. "I've never heard of the Cartesian before. Or Lords of Order." She smiles faintly at a memory. "The Connor of my world was a teacher, but had a very curious mind. It was academic curiosity that had him asking me to teach him how magic worked and how to cast spells. He was a natural. He picked it up quickly and surpassed me easily," she says fondly. There's a faint flinch at remembering the loss.

Radical nods. "They're the counterparts to the Lords of Chaos. So, that demon that offered you the ring was working for the Lords of Chaos. The two sides are in an eternal struggle. If either side actually wins, it could be catastrophic to that particular world in question. I learned that...after the fact. I've been...dedicating myself to maintaining the balance between the two since."

Vagabond nods slowly in understanding. "Balance sounds like the better way to go. That's the only way to prevent catastrophe between the two, it sounds like. So...why would it give me the ring?" she asks in confusion, not understanding each side's true goal."

Radical nods, "That's a good question. You said that it stated that your actions aligned with it's master's aims, right? Something like that? So, the Lords of Chaos want to bring about Entropy. They want..change all the time. Complete freedom. Nothing solid. Nothing rigid. No laws. Anarchy. They felt..that by giving you that ring, that you would upset the order of things. That you would throw a wrench into worlds where you chose to act."

He pauses, and then says, "And it was right. That's effectively what you did. With good intentions, but that was still the end result." He shakes his head slowly. "It's important to realize that 'Chaos' and 'Order' do not equate to 'Evil' and 'Good'. Both Chaos and Order can be used for both Good and Evil, in their own ways. A fascist government is Order gone awry. But a total anarchy Road Warrior kind of state where everyone is scratching to survive...is Chaos gone awry."

Radical blinks as he thinks about it, "For all we know...the chaos and death brought about by the horsemen on your world...could have been brought about by the Lords of Chaos. Though there's no guarantee of that. But...it might be worth looking into."

Vagabond's spirits sink as Radical explains how she ended up perfectly serving the goals of Chaos. "It was right," she agrees guiltily. She takes a deep breath. "They may not be evil, but...but what I did to those people was evil. Even if I wanted to help," she says with a great deal of shame. She sniffles and catches herself starting to lose control of her emotions. She looks to Apostate guiltily. "I-I'm sorry. You probably didn't know about that part. Maybe I should go..." she says and begins to rise.

Apostate stands, looking concerned, "No...please...stay. This is why you're here. Because you shouldn't deal with these things alone. Please."

Vagabond hesitates as Apostate asks her nicely to stay. If it were someone else saying it, she'd probably leave. Apostate seems to come from a place of understanding that others just can't. "Alright," she finally relents. "I wasn't sure if you'd want the company of someone who let herself become the villain."

Grimm chews on her lower lip suddenly at the mention of villain, glances at Radical subtly. After all, her first encounters with Apostate was when he was a villain.

Apostate shakes his head, "I WAS the villain at one point. Until...I was given an opportunity to change. If you can accept being around me, I can certainly accept being around you."

Vagabond is a little surprised, but not in a negative way. More surprised at the similarities. She gives a gentle nod, and a smile to match. "I can accept being around you," she says with new-found confidence. She sits down again, some of her guilt and shame lifting. It's still there, but she doesn't feel as embarrassed. "Now I really see why Radical thought it was a good idea to bring me here."

Apostate smiles. "Thank you." He goes ahead and sits down again. He smiles to Radical too. "I...agree. I see why now as well."

Radical smiles, "I'm glad. I was...a little tentative about it, but...I'm feeling optimistic."

Grimm was uncertain, too, but she adds her two cents to the support. "You've got good instincts, Radical. You chose right," she smiles.

Vagabond nods, hesitating to admit anything. "I only had a much darker path ahead after I finished helping undo the chaos I put into motion. I can't say I wouldn't have been in some way relieved if you decided to execute me for my crimes. But after hearing some of Connor--I mean, Apostate's story, I feel maybe there's hope that this hurt will go away someday. Or at least be something I can learn to live with."

Apostate nods. "I...am pretty sure that Radical wouldn't have executed you. He is a bit of a softie."

Radical chuckles. "Thanks."

Grimm grins at that. "I'm also sure he wouldn't have. But he can be pretty intimidating at times." She side-glances at Radical while her grin grows.

Vagabond cracks a smile. "Well, whatever he hit me with was anything but soft. But seeing how he's treated me, I can tell he has a kindness to him and a good heart."

Radical grins, and he says sincerely, "Thank you. I...try."

Grimm gives Radical a light elbow in the ribs for being so humble and leans back into the couch, smiling.

Vagabond watches the familial teasing and smiles softly at old memories. She doesn't dwell too long to avoid the tears that'll follow. "How soon before we go back to correct the last three worlds? I'm still drained, but I can push myself to restore them sooner."

Radical shakes his head, "No, you shouldn't push yourself too hard. I think...we can deal with the remainder tomorrow, if that's acceptable? Maybe deal with two, and then take a short break, and then deal with the third."

Vagabond takes a breath and nods. "Alright. That's acceptable," she agrees. She's eager to put right what she made wrong, but understands Radical's reasonings.

Radical nods. "I just want to make sure you're safe. The ring...clearly was having more of an impact on that third time. If we push harder, there's a good chance it will be even harder to counteract."

Vagabond nods at that. "Yes. I don't want to risk succumbing completely to it again." She thinks a moment and looks to Grimm. "Maybe...you could do it? You saw what I did to repair things. If it's urgent."

Grimm's eyes widen at that. "Noooo. No no no. That doesn't sound like a good idea. I'm chaotic enough as is," she chuckles.

Radical rubs his chin. "I...could try. But I think that's likely perilous, too. My spell that I would use to heal the land is diametrically opposite to the ring itself."

Grimm looks to Radical. "You do have more experience fighting the influence of chaos. Maybe it just means the ring might not work if you tried to heal the land?"

Radical nods. "Also possible? But I bet it would work if I went with it. But my Chaos spells wouldn't be useful."

Grimm takes a sip and ponders that. "They'd be useful if we ran into trouble like we did on our way to the Archmage's world. But I don't think they'd help healing them at all. You could make one heck of a mess, though, I bet," she grins.

Grimm thinks on the chaos spell Radical cast in the clearing by Randal's place and how he started to babble, smiling to herself a little. She glances at Apostate. "Wait, you said your uncle ruled with an iron fist? Seriously?" She can't really imagine Randal doing that.

Apostate blinks and nods, "Oh...yes, absolutely. The Sorcerer Emperor was a bit of a shadow figure. It allows for having the person change behind the screen, but the people believe the Emperor is immortal. Randal was...quite harsh as a ruler. Secret police. An Inquisition. I believe his son is...less harsh, but that wouldn't be difficult to achieve."

Grimm's eyes widen at that. "Whoa. That's still hard to imagine based on the Randal I know."

Vagabond looks to Apostate sympathetically. "It must've been difficult growing up in a situation like that while resisting their expectations of you."

Apostate nods, "It was. When I was younger, I just...accepted what I was seeing. But as I grew older, I knew I couldn't participate...I couldn't take that role." He pauses, and thinks about it. "Mind you, he only ruled a quarter of the planet. There were four rulers total. Two of which focused on magic. Two focused on technology."

"If your family had to rule so harshly, were the other kingdoms any better?" Vagabond asks.

Apostate chuckles. "Generally...no. Well...that's not entirely fair. At least one was."

Vagabond shifts to turn a bit more toward Apostate. "Really? Was it just nicer, but still harsh?"

Apostate thinks about it. "More livable. The Eastern Empire was still a dictatorship, like the other three. But...the oppression wasn't quite as overt there. Things were generally more subtle, but the mechanisms of control were still there. I think...there was some talk about introducing chips to implant in people's heads. In theory to allow them to access the national network. But...let's be honest, it was meant as a means of pushing propaganda and control."

Vagabond looks horrified at the prospect. "That doesn't sound free. I suppose better in that people may not have been as aware of their situation. Trading off an iron fist for ignorance is bliss?"

Grimm whispers to Radical, "Should we head home soon to rest up and let these two talk?"

Radical smiles and nods to Grimm, "That...sounds like a good idea."